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RECENT PICTURES...
INCIDENT AT LOCH NESS!
OVERNIGHT!
THE WONDERFUL, FRIGHTENING WORLD OF MARK E. SMITH!
As I was making my across town to see the Mark Smith movie, I ran into my old stomping grounds at Casino El Camino to have a beer. I ran into a close friend. Over a beer, I told him of some of the movies I've seen recently and what I was about to watch. He calmly replied, with a hint of sarcasm but also of sage foreboding, that I shouldn't watch so many bitter, self
destructive movies. I didn't really plan things that way, but I guess I've been towing the bitter, self destructive cinema line lately. Here's my latest picks:
INCIDENT AT LOCH NESS
This 'documentary' of Werner Herzog's self stated goal of scouting the Loch Ness Monster and separating 'fact from truth' starts out innocently enough - with a documentary crew filming a dinner party at the director's house, with Jeff Goldblum in attendance alongside slight of hand master Ricky Jay. We meet the main characters of the drama that would unfold - the producer, the worried cinematographer, the sound man. As the crew sets out to Scotland, Herzog's
plans to film the fact and the truth become entangled in the toiling hands of the overwrought and banal producer. The crew is handed matching outfits, which misspelled 'EXPEDITION' on the back, and Herzog's philosophies and judicious eye for art and the 'ecstatic truth' that it can reveal is tested on the brief, five day shoot as the hurdles line up, ever increasing in size and absurdity.
The movie is filled with hilarious scenes and characters, a number of references to Herzog's own mythology and most importantly tremendous look into the inner workings of a mastermind as he sets out to create his art in a world of deceit, lies, half truths, truth and fact. As the movie unfolds, the line between fact and fiction is blurred and the viewer has to make his own choices to resolve the film. The machinations of the movie are interesting, but ultimately, the movie's structure takes the bite out of the character
Herzog 'plays'. But the movie itself fulfils the deadly accurate and harsh summation of life by Herzog himself, when he defends his vision of the movie and angrily yells, "The real truth is pointless and full of despair."
OVERNIGHT
I think this is a funny movie to recommend someone watch. My friend Ian recommended it to me, and after watching it, I recommended it to my friend Paul, who dabbles in film. The documentary is a close up, embarrassing, and ultimately horrifying view into the world of Troy Duffy, a typical South Boston asshole who sells a script for a movie
while working at a bar in LA. Miramax buys him the bar, sets the lights on his typical South Boston band, (filled with old friends and his brother) and he makes his move into Hollywood. The viewer can't help but be remorseless as our anti-hero begins drowning in arrogance before the ink on the contract is dry. As he destroys relationship after relationship, both personal and business, you can't help but root against him and feel shocked when he reaches a new personal low in every scene.
The lowlight is when his brother gives an impassioned speech telling Troy why he's quitting the band. Talentless, yet driven, Troy chain smokes through the entire plea, and gruffly dismisses his brother by telling him to fuck off. The movie is shocking strictly by the subject it portrays - Troy's own decline into insignificance, who manages to stay remorseless and places the blame outside his control throughout. I'm glad I watched it, there's a subversive uplifting tone in that I've never run across someone so
vile in my life, and that's a gift unto itself.
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THE WONDERFUL, FRIGHTENING WORLD OF MARK E. SMITH
The Fall's Mark E. Smith | The first time I ever saw the Fall I was impressed and became a big fan. I wanted to see the movie detailing the horrible creature that the lead singer, Mark E. Smith, is. After all, the Fall has been around for 26 years, and has had 49
members, with only one constant: Smith. I missed a poor performance by the band in May, only to find a story that his band quit on him a week into the tour.
And so I went to the $2 movie night wanting to see the dirt tales behind the sound. The documentary was filled with interviews with a drinking (and sometimes nose picking) Smith laughing at the characters he's had in the band. The movie was stunning with some old footage of a young Smith and as he opened for the Buzzcocks in Manchester in the mid seventies. His former bandmates all agreed he was a genius, but refused to delve into the darker areas of Smith's cocksure arrogance and appalling nature that makes him so
hard to work with.
As the years go on, the tale clearly shows the ground Smith broke with The Fall, and you can't help but leave with a deeper appreciation of the man and the music, but I left wanting to know more of the dark stuff. It was hysterical to see clips of the band's collaboration with Michael Clark's ballet troupe - and how bizarrely the combination actually worked. In the mid nineties, when Smith's drinking and drug habits brought him and the band to another precipice, his guitarist wondered if they had been wrong about Smith the
whole time - if his genius really was an act of drugs and drink. Smith answered the question himself by digging in his heels to create even more astonishing performances. The movie was produced in an affirming, glowing manner by the BBC, and featured great clips and some interviews with Smith, who at times is indecipherable with his Manchester accent. All in all, its a great film to watch and come to better terms with great music that almost defies itself. |
To read my thoughts about some more recent movies I've watched, including Art School Confidential, The Matador and the Inside Man, click here and find out all about them.
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