The Concession Stand - March 4th 2014

Alice / The Toy / Hard Candy / Silent Hill / Employee Of The Month / BBC Alice In Wonderland / THX 1138 / Chicken Little / Richard Pryor / Patrick Wilson / Ellen Page / Jessica Simpson / Dane Cook

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The Concession Stand    Want to read this in a different language ? Change the TO field to your own country and click the TRANSLATE button after going HERE Press CTRL = (equals) to increase the page size and CTRL - (minus) to decrease the page size THE CONCESSION STAND © February 2014 Written by David Wicker Please do not reprint without permission This will be one of my new Tuesday writings and I will add a listing of 10 reviews each time I post an added chapter to this book. These videos will be rated from 1-5 stars additionally. [ CHOOSE A DIFFERENT SET ] * * * These reviews are Rated: EVERYONE As this series is finishing up, there will be 8-reviews instead of 10. (91-minutes) Stop-Motion, Macabre, Fantasy (1988) Alice (NR) [1] I'm not going to say this film is a total waste of time, because it isn't. You can reflect on it after you've seen it. I believe the scenes where Alice's mouth is close-up to say who said what, and the fact that all the imaginary creatures use her voice, is for direction to "children," so they won't be confused as to whom just spoke. The movie is missing background music and all voices solely except Alice's. However, it has stop-motion animation that is very well done. Her gift rabbit from a taxidermist breaks out of it's protective glass, eats heapings of sawdust to keep himself together, and other strange macabre creatures often seen as skeletons of other animals representing the other characters she meets in the story, all have an unsettling clicking whirring noise as they creak and move from place to place. This movie took a long time to build and you can appreciate the depth of it as it plays. Few things are just purely random, and while it does focus quite a bit on serious clutter, it adds to the otherwise surrealistic surroundings in which Alice explores. When the Red Queen says, "Off with his/her head !" the Rabbit does just that with a pair of sharp and rusty scissors. this movie is definitely not for kids, despite Alice's direction as to whom is speaking. Aside from a complete lack of background music, and only Alice's voice, this is definitely a nightmarish if not introspective view of one girl's imagination based upon her beyond cluttered and garishly decorated room. (102-minutes) Comedy, Money Matters, Friendship (1982) The Toy (PG) [2] This film was a lot of fun to watch. It showed a story, an interesting one that we've always wondered about. If someone had all the money in the world, would it ever add up to any degree of happiness ? Richard Pryor plays an outstanding friend and figure to a young boy who learns the value of friendship can never be purchased but earned through trust and kindness. Excellent movie, and even better story. (103-minutes) Psychological, Pedophilia, Revenge (2005) Hard Candy (R) [3] This is a deeply disturbing film, especially for guys to watch. It has stark realism and pits the intelligence between one girl (castrated boy?) between a 40-year old professional photographer and his hazy past. It is precise, exacting, and wholly terrifying. I reluctantly give it 5 stars, not for the content, for which I NEVER want to see again, but for the professional quality at which this film is played. I will point out there is NO sex, NO violence, nothing that you would see in other films. In fact, if it were not for the psychological content alone of the film, it could well be a rated G film. However, it is not. And rated R is putting it ever so mildly. Watch this only if you are prepared to age several more years because it is that harrowing. Quite a few of you will regret having watched this, not because it is a bad film; far from it, because of the reflective content. Definitely not for kids. (125-minutes) Horror, Rescue, Nightmarish (2006) Silent Hill (R) [4] First off, this movie is a marvel at horror. It epitomizes the stark fear of one little girl opening a doorway to a twisted dimension of rusted copper and blood. People trapped between the two worlds, literally their features and limbs removed. One very sadistic woman hiding in a church who tries to place the blame on the innocent and literally threads of everyone else's sins, including her own, rip through eviscerating her. This is not a film for the meek. There is a very real sense of fear when you consider moving without light through blind groping of the damned, trapped in a hell-world of exacting vengeance. If you're into this sort of thing, you're in for a solid, well crafted ride. (103-minutes) Comedy, Romance, Coming Of Age (2006) Employee Of The Month (PG-13) [5] I found this to be a very entertaining film, the shades and subtleties of jealously from two not-quite-adult men sparring off with each other for lady love behind closed doors at a warehouse supermarket should not be missed. And how does she deal with this when she finds she is the object of employee perfection ? The story is well-thought out too, including why one particular checkout does better than all the rest. What's his secret ? (72-minutes) B&W, Story, Classic (1966) BBC Alice In Wonderland (UR) [6] It has a great part near the beginning when she runs past several opened windows billowing their curtains ― and then the film falls flat on it's face. While there are some shining areas in the film that focus on the stillness of thought, or chaos in lack of clear thinking (thus making it eerie in some parts), Alice is apparently burned out on lithium as she shows NO response of ANY emotion whatsoever despite what is happening around here. Alice does not meet anyone's eye anywhere in the film, stares blankly ahead, and reads her lines with such monotone in the film as to completely ruin whatever good story it had. Nor are the main players in the film as well. NO-ONE wore costumes, not even the White Rabbit (I am not expecting a full cover head-mask as that would take away from the actor's appearance, but at least whiskers and a bunny tail on the end of the suit; all these lacking), it is just a fellow in a white business suit with a cane and nothing more. The same is true of all the "animals." And the lines they read, while some might have been mildly added for creativity, are also read by monotone actors who show very little if any emotion in the film. The film is shamedly B&W as well .(perhaps to add to an eerie positive effect as of yet I have not found in it). What is most important to remember about this kind of film is that it has NO re-watch value. Once you see it I guarantee you will never want to sit through and watch it again, ever. Look to: "Alice in Wonderland (TV Version)" For a much better live-actor rendering of the classic Alice In Wonderland.. (88-minutes) Thoughtful, Sci-Fi, Government Control (2006) THX 1138 (R) [7] One might assume that a film has to have great and expensive special effects, well-known cast members, and an incredible story to earn 5 stars. But that is not the case here. This is a film that focuses deeply on the self. Where a government has stripped everyone not only of their individuality but of engaging in sex as well. Babies are carefully born and counted into this gray-white calculating utopian world. The lengths that government goes to maintain this "order" by erasing THX, the main player in this film, is interesting indeed and may be not too far a believable premise from our own government's ability to suppress annoying facts and fallacies of its operation. I will be honest, this film is slow. Slower than slow. About as slow as the movie Silent Running or the movie Pi. But if you're an avid watcher of Dr. Who, especially the early years with a flickering B&W image, you won't be disappointed by the mental depth and lack of visual effects in this film that challenge our own ways of thinking. (81-minutes) CGI, Family, Alien Invasion (2005) Chicken Little (G) [8] This film was a lot of fun, featuring all computer-graphic animation with an all-too cute message of how important good communication between children and their parents are. What is unknown to Chicken Little becomes the greatest of his fears yet when he finally confronts these fears, understanding begins to occur, not just for Chicken Little but Chicken Little's Father and city's residents in the neighborhood as well. That concludes this video review series. Return back HOME   You are Earth Visitor #

Reviews

[Mark]

You got me thinking of disturbing movies... Silent Hill was pretty creepy,
did you ever see Blue Velvet? That was pretty disturbing.
ClockWork Orange would have to be on that list as well. "Oh my brothers!" The rape scene is choreographed to make it look like a pack of wolves bringing down a deer... it was all pretty wrecked!

Eraser Head was ... sick.
Trainspotting... if you haven't seen it, probably best not to. I still have nightmares once in awhile about the dead baby on the ceiling.
And one of the most disturbing I've seen is "Requiem for a Dream" a movie about addiction that is brutally honest and heartbreaking.

[dw817]

This week I am backing up all my work, so far a little over 600 pages including my book chapters and I am seeing in some cases I have left comments unanswered. Hope to get to a few of those today.

What was Blue Velvet about ?
Clockwork Orange I've definitely seen with early Malcolm McDowell. A cult film classic.
I liked Eraserhead except for the ending floating baby, that was creeptastic.
I haven't seen Trainspotting, it's not then about spotting trains ? :)
Requiem For A Dream is the one with Robin Williams, right ?

[Mark]

Blue Velvet is a classic horror psycho drama by David Lynch (Twin Peaks fame). Very stylistic and weird. Worth seeing, especially if you liked Eraserhead. Trainspotting is about a group of friends who become addicted to heroin and the horrors and absence of decency that results. Requiem for a Dream is about crack addicts trying to make one big score... and the tragic results of addiction, not so scary but very squirm inducing.

[dw817]

When I see my Dr on Wednesdays, he has this book in his office which I read occasionally. It is called the Big Book, and in fact is a book about Alcoholics Anonymous. Outside of a little Ouzo, I don't drink at all, Mark.

And am never addicted as these people have to ruin their lives completely. And if heroin and other drugs is an even stronger addiction than nicotine, what a sad and sorrowful tale they must tell ...

[Noizchild]

"Hard Candy" makes me shudder and almost feel sorry for the pedophile, almost. I even did a paper on this movie. "Silent Hill" was good. Fun fact: The game series was inspired by the 1990 movie "Jacob's Ladder." It's a good film, you should watch it.

[dw817]

Watching Hard Candy I wasn't so sure if he was a pedophile or a cop trying to catch kids and put them in juvie, and if in fact the girl was a boy. Silent Hill was good - but no rewatch value. I haven't seen Jacob's Ladder. What is that about ?

[Noizchild]

It's about a soldier dealing with trauma after fighting in Vietamn. It's really trippy and great. Here is the basic wiki page to Jacob's Ladder for more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob%27s_Ladder_%28film%29

[dw817]

Mmm ... Vietnam. The war that never should've been. Rose likes that kind of stuff, I'm more into comedies, Sci-Fi, and horror, if it's done well, like Hellraiser or Halloween 3.

[Noizchild]

Jacob's Ladder is a horror-thriller movie. Do you like mind f**k movies?

[dw817]

If you mean like Demonseed and Total Recall, yes.

[Noizchild]

Yeah, those. I saw "Total Recall" (1990). I was a bit hokey because they were just coming out of the 80's, but it was good. I came across a page on listal.com called "Mind F**k Movies." I could give it to you if you want. They have some good selections on there.

[dw817]

Sure, that would be fine.

[Noizchild]

Here you go: http://www.listal.com/list/mindfuck-xiceser

[dw817]

This LISTAL site is an interesting one ! Thanks for the list of movies, seems I've seen a few of these but definitely not all.

[Noizchild]

You're welcome.

[RealistMe]

I never watched Silent Hill but is this a reboot or an original movie? I ask because there have been so many reboot/remake movies over the last 11 years (especially in the Horror Genre), that I forget. LOL!

[dw817]

Silent Hill is on their 2nd film. It's very creepy but very good. You should check it out if you like spoOoky things, Realist !

[RealistMe]

I'll have to give Silent Hill a watch some time.