Evil Dead 2

Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn

1987

Directed by Sam Raimi

I just watched this film for the first time in quite a few years. Evil Dead 2 is on of the funniest horror movies I think that I have ever seen, and it still holds up over 20 years later. This is one of those films where you can just imagine that the cast and crew must have had so much fun making the film. 

The stand-out performer of the film is, of course, Bruce Campbell. He has such great comic timing and watching he this film you can see just how good he is at physical humor. The scene where he has to cut of his hand is grotesque, yes, but also very funny.

Rustin Allison

Children of Men

Children of Men

2006

Directed by Alfonso Cuaron

Wow, this was a much more emotionally involving movie than I expected. I really should have seen this when the film first came out, but I am still glad that I was able to view it. I remember some fellow students in my classes praising this film, and they were correct!

The question is what should I focus on writing about. There are so many aspects of this film that could be discussed. One thing to think about is how this movie would have been crafted in a Post-Obama election. Although the film takes place in England, there are definitely Bush era policies that have been taken to extremes. Illegal immigrants are treated like animals and unceasingly hunted down and captured and sent to live in concentration camp-like prisons. There is a constant distrust of the government and even of those who are fighting against the tyranny of the government.

One aspect of the film that particularly stands out is the government surveillance of its citizens. In the film, surveillance cameras have gotten so advance that it is possible to completely track a person's movements. The government also issues propaganda requesting the citizens to turn in any illegal immigrants even if it might be a friend or relative. The are huge video billboards in the film that have an image of eyes that changes to text that says, "Are you watching?" Not only does the government watch its citizens, it relies on the citizens themselves.

Children of Men presents a very disturbing vision of the near future. One of the great things about genre films (this is definitely of the science fiction genre) is that they can present views in such a way that can illustrate issues more clearly than a film such as a drama could.

Rustin Allison

Elizabeth

Elizabeth

1998

Directed by Shakur Kapur

This was a film that I actually had on DVD when it first came out and I have never gotten around to watching. Well, now I have finally watched it.

The film had much more to do with religion than I would have thought. This was a nice aspect of the film and religious studies is an area that I have a great interest. The film uses the story of Elizabeth to also illustrate how Protestantism came to be the dominant belief in a previously Catholic England. The film makes a parallel between Elizabeth becoming the Virgin Queen and the Virgin Mary in Catholicism. I thought this was a very interesting aspect of the film.

I believe this was the first film that brought Cate Blanchett to the public eye. I greatly enjoyed her performance in the role of Elizabeth and I look forward to watching this film's sequel that was released last year. Hopefully, it won't take me ten years to watch it.

Rustin Allison

The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book

2008

Written by Neil Gaiman

This was a great book to read. I have always enjoyed Neil Gaiman's books. My two favorite books of his were Coraline and Neverwhere. I think this one has just topped the list. The Graveyard Book tells the story of a boy named Bod who is raised by the spirits that haunt a graveyard. Much like Coraline and Neverwhere have parallels with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, The Graveyard Book has parallels with The Jungle Book. 

This is going to be a very short post (I am a bit pressed for time this week), but this is one book worth checking out. Gaiman has such a great way of telling a story and any fan of his will not be disappointed!

Rustin Allison

Ray Harryhausen: The Early Years Collection

Just watched the first disc of this collection. If you are a stop-motion animation fan or Harryhausen fan, it is great viewing. Most of the shorts on the first disc are fairy tales and nursery rhymes. The shorts are entertaining on their own, but also stand up to closer viewing. Harryhausen is a master animator and the gestures and movements his models make are so fluid and life-like. My favorite out of the shorts was Little Red Riding Hood. 

One of the great things on this first disc is the inclusion of test films and abandoned projects. Oh, what might have been?! I was greatly intrigued by the test footage for both War of the Worlds and Baron Munchausen. Both sounded like great ideas and it would have been wonderful if they had been made into feature length films.

Rustin Allison

Under the Greenwood Tree - Book 2

Under the Greenwood Tree

1872

Written by Thomas Hardy

This is the second book that I have read from the 100 Classic Book Collection.

The novel follows the romance of Dick Dewy and Fancy Day who live in the small English town of Mellstock. The plot also involves the church choir being replaced by a new organ.

I enjoyed reading this book. The books gives a great description of English town life in the late 1800s. The courtship of Dick and Fancy is very complicated and I'm glad that we aren't quite as governed by rules and etiquette in the present. 

Technology also plays a role in this novel. The organ replaces the traditional role of the choir in the town church, which reflects how technology often replaces the traditional in many instances.

Thomas Hardy writes very descriptive prose. There were many passages in the novel that felt cinematic, and I could actually imagine camera shots and movements while reading some of the passages.

Rustin Allison

Death Becomes Her

Death Becomes Her

1992

Directed by Robert Zemeckis

Death Becomes Her is a black comedy that came out in the early 90s. It has three great leads: Goldie Hawn, Meryl Streep, and Bruce Willis. The film centers around two women insanely jealous of the success of the opposite. Both women go to great lengths to make the other miserable and Bruce Willis is the man caught between them. The women resort to a potion in order to look more younger and glamorous. The film could be read as a comedy about the dangers of taking plastic surgery too far. I was reminded of the drug Botox by the youthful transformation scene of Meryl Streep. Once the women start down the path of maintaining their youth, they are stuck in the process and can't escape.

One other thought that entered my mind is that for an industry focused on appearance, it is odd that this was a big studio movie with an obviously large budget. It pokes fun at the reliance of movie stars on their appearance. 

The movie also relies greatly on special effects. Computer effects are used to bring youth to the appearance of Meryl Streep. The latest film from Zemeckis, Beowulf, is reliant entirely on special effects as it is computer-generated. The film goes for a hyper-realistic appearance, where the characters are created specifically for a certain look and feel. Beowulf didn't have to rely on actors for the look of the characters (although certain actors' likenesses were retained). It just struck me as odd that the director of a movie about people's fixation on appearance went on to direct films where he is totally in control of the appearance of its characters. 

Rustin Allison