So I have moved...

 I have to apologize. 

It's been a while since I have posted on this blog but that's because of a very positive reason.

This blog is officially moving to:

michaeljbarron.com

Going forward all of my regular posts as well as my 52 MOVIES FROM 52 COUNTRIES posts will be here.  I am also starting a new series: LESSONS FROM SCI-FI/FANTASY MASTERS, in which I read every book on Amazon's “100 Science Fiction and Fantasy Books to Read in a Lifetime.” list and post the writing lessons I have learned from each volume.


It's been a pleasure posting on Blogger, but I believe this is the right move for me.

I hope you continue to read the posts I put out at michaeljbarron.com.

Thank you,

Mike

52 Movies from 52 Countries - #21 ICELAND

This post is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every week. 

PLOT: Gummi (Sigurò Sigurjónsson) and Kiddi (Theódór Júlíusson) are two brothers living in a remote Icelandic farming community who are neighbors but have not spoken with one another in forty years. When one of Kiddi's rams is found to have scarpie (a degenerative disease), the government orders that all the sheep in the region be destroyed. Gummi manages to save a handful of his sheep, hiding them in his cellar, but when authorities catch on, he must turn to his estranged brother in order to save his animals.

  

MEMORABLE MOMENT: The opening scenes in which Gummi brings his most prized ram into town for a local sheep contest. The way he talks to and handles the ram shows us that he considers it a work animal (as opposed to a pet). However, he clearly loves the creature and respects it for being the source of his livelihood. This relationship establishes the great lengths both brothers go to in order to try to save a handful of their animals.

WHO IS THIS MOVIE FOR?: I'll be honest, this is hard question to answer. Like last week's The Color of the Mountains, Rams doesn't clearly fit into a genre so it's difficult to give a clear cut "anyone who likes _____ will love this movie." 

If I had to identify Rams, I'd say it's a low-key dramatic comedy. There are humorous moments but most of them are so subdued several seconds pass before I realized that what I saw was actually quite funny.

Rams' ideal viewer is someone who understands why people would risk going to jail to save their animals BUT has a thick skin when it comes to watching a movie where animals die. A lot of animals die in this film and it is utterly heart breaking.  On top of that the film has a slow pace. It avoids many of the chaotic pratfalls a Hollywood film with the same plot would embrace.

That being said, the movie is extremely well acted and beautifully shot. While I wouldn't go so far as to say it is a "slice of life" film, most of the story feels very believable. 

No, Rams isn't for everyone. In fact of all the films I have watched for this project, this is the one that would have the smallest audience (at least in America). That being said, it is a very well made movie that is excellently acted and painfully believable.

RUNTIME: 93 Minutes

DIRECTED BY: Grímur Hákonarson

WRITTEN BY: Grímur Hákonarson

STARING:
Sigurò Sigurjónsson
Theódór Júlíusson
Charlotte Bøving

52 Movies from 52 Countries - #20 COLOMBIA

This post is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every week. 

PLOT: Manuel (Hernán Mauricio Ocampo) is a young boy growing up in a rural area of Columbia where guerilla soldiers and the military terrorize the locals while fighting for power. One day, an older boy kicks Manuel's brand new soccer ball into a mine field. Manuel and his friends now have to figure out how to get it back.

MEMORABLE MOMENT:  The boys work their way across the minefield by hopping from bolder to bolder. They climb a tree and rig a harness from the branches. Poca Luz (Genaro Aristizábal), a shy boy with glasses, is the smallest in the group. They convince him to climb into the harness and lower him to the ground. He has almost reached the ball when he loses his glasses. The branch breaks and he falls. Now the timid boy is standing hurt and blind in a minefield.


WHO IS THIS MOVIE FOR?: Like Munyurangabo, the Rwandan film I watched a few weeks ago, The Colors of the Mountain shows a side of the world we rarely see from Hollywood. Yes, there are American films set in Colombia, but (like many US films set in other countries) they almost always  present the world from the American's point of view.
  
The Colors of the Mountain presents a community of peaceful individuals torn by the conflict between two opposing sides, but it is mostly told from the point of view of children. There is a great deal of innocence and delight in the film (with some moments that made me laugh out loud) but ultimately it is a dark film about people who are trampled despite their best intentions. While Manuel and his friends try to figure out how to get their ball back, his parents debate whether or not to help the guerilla soldiers. If they do they will be criminals. If they don't the guerillas will destroy them.

So who is this movie for? If you liked The Florida Project (a film that should have won best picture but wasn't even nominated) definitely check this movie out. They are both films that cover painfully tragic situations told from the point of view of children who maintain their innocence throughout much of the movie. Even if you didn't care for The Florida Project or have never heard of it, I'd suggest  The Colors of the Mountain to anyone seeking a story that presents a very painful situation through the eyes of innocent but complex characters.

RUNTIME: 90 minutes.

DIRECTOR: Carlos César Arbeláez

WRITTEN BY:  Carlos César Arbeláez

STARING:
Hernán Mauricio Ocampo
Hernán Méndez
Genaro Aristizábal

Open to Submissions: GRIEVOUS ANGEL

I just wanted to give you all a heads up that the poetry/flash fiction publication GRIEVOUS ANGEL is accepting submissions!

They've published some very impressive works of fantasy and science fiction including MOONSHOT which is quite possibly the best work of flash fiction I've ever read. - Seriously, check this story out.

-Submissions shouldn't be longer than 750 words (yeah, you read that right).

-They pay at a "professional rate," six cents per word (and $1.00 per line of poetry).

-Publication qualifies for the Science Fiction Writers of America.

Their website includes this important note:
 "We've refined the emphasis of our SF&F genre-coverage to echo this site's overall focus on Weird Tales, Ghosts, Geeks, Urban Myths, and Folklore. Yes, we still want Science Fiction and Fantasy, as well Humour/Satire riffs on these genre, but we are looking to be intrigued!"

Of course you'll want to read their GUIDELINES in full.

Good luck!

52 Movies from 52 Countries - #19 Scotland

This post is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every week. 

PLOT: A devout Christian police sergeant (Edward Woodward) travels to a Scottish island in search of a missing girl whom the locals claim never existed. While there, he learns that the islanders worship pagan Celtic Gods and are planning a... honestly, the less you know going into it the better.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: When the "fool" of a police sergeant finally encounters the titular Wicker Man. I won't describe the scene or the context (because 1- it's too great of a spoiler and 2 - I wouldn't do it justice). However, I will say that Edward Woodward's performance transforms him into the human manifestation of misery. I am left dumbfounded every time I watch this scene.

ACCORDING TO IMDB:

• The Wicker Man was intended as a vehicle for Christopher Lee who agreed to appear in the film for free. He considers the role of Lord Summerisle to be his favorite of all the characters he's played (sorry Saruman fans). Lee paid for his own press tour out of pocket and sat down with anyone who was willing to interview him about the movie.  Supposedly, there were some farmers in Iowa who were surprised to see him live on early morning public access shows.

•   There is a rumor that the original negative was used as material during the construction of the M3 motorway in England. Christopher Lee claims that this was done on purpose because Michael Deeley (Producer of The Deer Hunter and Blade Runner) hated the film so much.

• A remake was filmed in 2006 and a sequel (The Wicker Tree) was made in 2011. I have seen neither but from from what I hear don't bother. 

WHO IS THIS MOVIE FOR?:  Despite the modest success upon its initial release in 1973, The Wicker Man has become required viewing for horror fans. In 1977, film magazine Cinefantastique stated that The Wicker Man was "the Citizen Kane of horror movies."

That being said, the film goes against many horror tropes.  Most of the scenes take place outside during the day and the majority of the music (a character in upon itself) is traditional folk songs.

In fact, impatient viewers might complain that the film's first hour is downright campy. Many of the scenes feel like something out of a comedic police procedural. There are no grisly murders or jump scares. We are given the impression that Sergeant Howie is in complete control of the situation.  However, the audience needs to see this movie all the way through to the end. The climax is one of the most disturbing scenes I have ever witnessed, completely juxtaposing the light-hearted nature of what has come before.

The Wicker Man isn't just a monument of a horror film, it is also a very unique horror film. Halloween and Psycho are slasher films. The Sixth Sense and It Follows are supernatural thrillers. The Wicker Man's unique plot structure and tone places it in a sub genre of its own.

So yes, this is a film for anyone who is a fan of horror or cult films or great movies in general. That being said, people who are sensitive to discussions that criticize Christianity and Paganism may want to tread lightly. Also (light spoiler) some animals do die very horrible deaths. To be honest, that was the part of the film I found the most unsettling...that's just the kind of guy I am.

RUNTIME: 88 Minutes (Although this varies slightly depending on which version you're watching.)

DIRECTOR: Robin Hardy

WRITER: Anthony Shaffer 

STARING: 
Edward Woodward 
Christopher Lee 
Britt Ekland  

52 Movies From 52 Countries - #18 Rwanda

This post is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every week. 

PLOT: Orphaned by the Rwandan Genocide, Ngabo (Jeff Rutagengwa), a member of the Tutsi tribe, sets off to kill his parents' murderer. He is accompanied by Sangwa (Eric Ndorunkundiye), who is Hutu. During their journey, they stay with Sangwa's family where tribal differences cause friction between the two friends.  

MEMORABLE MOMENT: The opening scene in which Ngabo steals a machete from a marketplace. As he holds the weapon we see there is blood on the blade. The camera pans to Ngabo's face and then back to the machete. We see that it is in fact clean, the blood is all in his mind. At this point we have been told nothing about Ngabo's backstory but we can guess what the young man intends to do with the weapon.

According to IMDB

• Munyurangabo was the first feature-length movie filmed in the Kinyarwanda language. 

WHO IS THIS MOVIE FOR? Munyurangabo is a movie for people looking for a quiet, intimate portrayal of the aftermath of one of the most brutal genocides of the second half of the twentieth century. It is as far away from Hollywood as one can get, not only in terms of budget and setting but also in its pacing. On the surface, Munyurangabo is a revenge story, a sub-genre that has always been popular in American films. However, the movie spends considerably more time on quiet, domestic scenes and friction between family members.

Had I come across Munyurangabo while flipping through the channels, I might momentarily mistake it for a documentary. The film maintains a grounded, slice-of-life quality, even as it portrays some of the characters’ worst moments.  

However, the film gives little history regarding the genocide itself. I’m assuming this is because it was filmed in a country where every member of the population is all too familiar with the events. If you aren’t familiar, though, you may want to watch a movie like Hotel Rwanda first to get some context.

(Then again, seeing as how the Rwandan Genocide has become known as one of the most overlooked travesties in recent history, I would suggest learning more about it anyway.) 

WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT?: The DVD is available through Netflix. It is also available to rent ($3.99) or buy ($9.99) on Amazon. I'm sure you could also borrow it from many public or university library systems. 


RUNTIME: 97 minutes

DIRECTOR: Lee Isaac Chung

WRITERS:
Samuel Gray Anderson
Lee Isaac Chung

STARING:
Jeff Rutagengwa
Eric Ndorunkundiye
Jean Marie Vianney Nkurikiyinka 

52 Movies From 52 Countries - #17 France

This post is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every week. 

PLOT: Like most works of surrealism, Holy Motors' plot is difficult to describe and is (in some ways) besides the point. The film follows an actor, Mr. Oscar (Denis Lavant), as he travels through Paris in his stretch limo. Over the course of a day and evening he plays nine different characters. However there are no visible cameras or audience.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: I'm not the first person to say that the most memorable moment in the film is when Mr. Oscar dons the guise of a violent madman rampaging through a cemetery, pushing over mourners and devouring flowers. The gleefully bizarre sequence culminates with him terrorizing a super model's photo shoot. 

ACCORDING TO IMDB

• Edith Scob, who plays the chauffeur, Céline, starred in the French horror classic Eyes Without a Face (1960). The mask Céline puts on at the end of the film is a direct reference to the movie.

• The Director, Leos Carax, offered the part of Mr. Oscar's lost love to his own former girlfriend, Juliette Binoche. According to Carax, they couldn't get along and he rewrote the part for Kylie Minogue.

• The opening scene was inspired by a story by E. T. A. Hoffmann, about a man who discovers a secret door in his bedroom leading to an opera house. 

WHO IS THIS MOVIE FOR?: Like last week's movie this is a film for fans of David Lynch, Alejandro Jodorowsky and other filmmakers who specialize in surrealist cinema.

Holy Motors does technically have a plot. It also has characters and a direction, but this is not a movie for anyone seeking logic. No matter how much we analyze the film, we're not going to find a down-to-earth explanation, and that's part of the joy of the ride. I enjoyed Holy Motors the most when I stopped trying to rationalize the events and accepted the film for what it is - a strange, funny, tragic, musical, and sometimes offensive odyssey into the absurd.

WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT?: You can by the DVD from Amazon or watch it for free as long as you have a subscription. Those of you with a Netflix subscription can request the DVD.

RUNTIME: 115 Minutes

DIRECTOR: Leos Carax

WRITER: Leos Carax

STARING:
Denis Lavant
Edith Scob

INFINITY WAR: Can we please talk about that ending?

(This should go without saying but the following contains major spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War.) 

In early 2015, I realized that if I watched one Marvel movie every other month I would finish just in time for the release of Avengers: Infinity War.

So I typed up and printed off this movie schedule which has been on our fridge ever since.

Yes, The Princess Bride is an honorary member of the MCU, because why not?

As you can see the list is out of date. I made it before Spider-Man: Homecoming had a title, before Black Panther was scheduled and before How to Train Your Dragon 3 was pushed back to 2019. Also, while my wife and I watched Marvel movies on the odd months in 2016 we started watching animated films from our childhoods on the even months.

But enough of all this personal stuff, on to Infinity War:

A shot so bad ass it wasn't included in the film.

For what it's worth, I liked this movie. Yes, it is overstuffed, but I'd argue that it's exactly what most of us wanted. It's an over-the-top super hero bar brawl that included every major (and several minor) characters from the MCU, and while the movie as a whole could have used work on pacing, the filmmakers did an excellent job for such an ambitious story.

But about that ending. 

I was expecting a bleak cliffhanger.  I was certain at least one major character would fall in battle. In fact before we left for the theater my wife said, "Let's go see how Captain America dies!"

But we weren't expecting this. 

I don't think anyone was expecting this. 

Sixteen, that's right, SIXTEEN characters "bit the dust."

And while part of me wants to say good for the studio for being so ballsy, I'm not buying it.

The second the screen cut from Thanos' pleased face to the end credits, my wife and I turned to each other and said, "the Time Stone." And I know we aren't the only ones thinking it.

The scene in which Thanos temporarily brings Vision back even foreshadows what I am certain will happen in the fourth Avengers movie. Tony or Steve or maybe even Rocket will get their hands (paws) on the Time Stone and ctrl-alt-z the most devastating conclusion in super hero movie history.

Also, let's not forget Doctor Strange's little prophesy about how this is the only way they will win.

If you need any proof look no further than IMDB and Wikipedia which both state that Spider-Man 2 and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 are in the works. Also, after Black Panther crossed the billion dollar threshold there is a zero percent chance they aren't making a sequel.

And part of me is happy that T'challa and Peter and Groot and Bucky and maybe even Gamora will be fine in the long run, but such a move also ruins the gravity of death.  There are some exceptions, but one of the major rules of storytelling is when a character dies, keep them dead. 

Harry Potter, The Song of Ice and Fire, Y: The Last Man, Locke and Key and even This is Us all have heartbreaking deaths. We want the other characters to be able to turn back the clock and make things right, but deep down we know that if they could death would become meaningless and the stories would lose their significance. Not to be that guy who compares the MCU to Shakespeare but would Romeo and Juliette be as powerful of a love story if they'd both been resurrected? What about Old Yeller or Where the Red Fern Grows?

In fact, part of me is dreading what Avengers 4 will do. Why stop at bringing back those who were dusted? They could bring back everyone who has ever died in the MCU. The movie may turn out to be one of those notorious events in which the entire universe is "rebooted," a comic book trope that does not need to be translated into movies. 

What might help is if there is a true sacrifice at the end of Avengers 4. One way I could see this playing out is if Steve Rogers gives up his own life (Chris Evans is leaving the franchise after all) to bring back his fallen comrades . Then the Infinity Stones are destroyed, making his death permanent.  Then we will get a bunch of great heroes back while feeling the sting of dramatic loss. While part of me would still be disappointed that they rolled back on such a soul crushing ending, it will still make for a dramatic conclusion. 

At the end of the day, I really did enjoy Infinity War. Even after a three-year movie marathon, it actually managed to exceed my expectations. I just wonder if the future MCU entries will do the same. 

In conclusion, as as certain as I am that most of their deaths are temporary, thanks for the great stories Peter Parker, T'Challa, Gamora, Drax, Adolescent Groot, Mantis, Quill, Barnes, Maximoff, Vision, Strange, Wilson, Heimdall, Hill, Fury and even Loki. 

52 MOVIES FROM 52 COUNTRIES - #16 ITALY

This post is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every week. 

PLOT: The newest student at a prestigious ballet academy (Jessica Harper) realizes that supernatural forces are behind a series of murders taking place at her school.

 

MEMORABLE MOMENT: The film opens with a narrator telling us that a girl named Suzy Bannion has been accepted into a dance academy. We meet her walking along an airport hallway toward a pair of automatic doors. The audience has been told everything. The setting is well lit and populated. However, haunting music (composed by the band Goblin) plays at full blast in the background. The music, which is arguably even more haunting than the Halloween theme or "Tubular Bells" from The Exorcist, lets us know that things are about to go very wrong for poor Suzy. 

ACCORDING TO IMDB:

• Director Dario Argento originally wanted all the students at the dance academy to be younger than twelve. However, the studio and producer Salvatore Argento (his father) stated that a film this violent involving children would be banned. Dario turned the characters into teenagers but didn't rewrite the script, hence the naiveté of the characters and the childlike dialogue. (Honestly, this explains a lot of the bizarre interactions between women in their late teens.)

• Director Dario Argento composed the creepy music with the band Goblin and played it at full blast on set to unnerve the actors.  

•  Dario Argento was inspired to make this film by stories from his fellow screenwriter, Daria Nicolodi  whose grandmother claimed to have fled from a German music academy because witchcraft was secretly practiced there.

•  The first of the director's "Three Mothers" trilogy, which continued with the films Inferno (1980) - not the Tom Hanks movie - and Mother of Tears (2007).  

 

WHO IS THIS MOVIE FOR?: If you are a fan of horror, Suspiria is required viewing, the same way Alien or Blade Runner is required for fans of sci-fi. Had this film been made in America it would be up there with The Shining and Rosemary's Baby as an intelligent horror film that's a household name. 

Even if you aren't particularly fond of horror this is a movie for anyone who enjoys films by David Lynch, Darren Aronofsky, early Tim Burtin or any filmmaker that delves into the weird. Suspiria isn't particularly violent. Don't get me wrong, there are a some gory scenes but for the most part the fear found in this film doesn't come from serial killers or blood drenched knives (although one of those does make an appearance). 

Suspiria is set in a world where everything is a little...off.  The lighting, angles and colors are over the top (this is arguably the most colorful horror film ever made) and as I already mentioned the characters act in ways that don't fit their age or the situation.  There is an unsettling creepiness lurking in the shadows. We often can't put our finger on what is bothering us, we just know it's there. 

This is not a film for people looking for logic.  Even after the end credits roll, much of the story still doesn't make sense. However, Suspiria is such a beautiful film, we really don't care. 

WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT?: For some reason this movie isn't available on Amazon instant but you can buy the blue-ray and DVD. It's also available on Netflix DVD. I borrowed it for free from the Baltimore County Library System. 

RUNTIME: 98 Minutes

DIRECTOR:  Dario Argento

WRITER: 

Dario Argento 

Daria Nicolodi 

STARING:

Jessica Harper

Stefania Casini

Flavio Bucci

52 MOVIES FROM 52 COUNTRIES - #15 THAILAND

This post is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every week. 

PLOT: When the head of a sacred statue is stolen from a rural village in Thailand, a young martial artist (Tony Jaa) must travel to Bangkok and fight his way through the underworld in order to retrieve it.

(This movie isn't nearly as serious as the trailer makes it seem.)

MEMORABLE MOMENT: I know that the most memorable moment should be an unbelievable action sequence filled with jaw dropping stunts, but I'll let those speak for themselves.

No, my favorite moment has to be when the comic relief character, Humlae (Petchtai Wongkamlao), is being chased through the streets of Bangkok by a gang of criminals. He grabs a meat cleaver off a table in a market and turns to face his pursuers. For an instant the gang is intimidated and the audience believes that Humlae might actually escape. Then, an old woman comes between Humlae and the thugs carrying two enormous baskets calling, "Knives for sale!"

You can guess what happens next.


ACCORDING TO IMDB:

• As you might guess, Tony Jaa performed all of his own stunts. No wires or computer effects were used during the fights.

• In the three-wheeled taxi chase scene, one of the little taxis crashes into a wall on which is written, "Hi Luc Besson we are waiting for you."   (I guess they really like Luc Besson)

• Prior to the film's release in the western world, Steven Seagal was so impressed by the movie he planned to release the film through his production company with newly-shot scenes featuring himself as Tony Jaa's teacher (I kind of hope this isn't true).

WHO IS THIS MOVIE FOR?: Ong-Bak was made for fans of Enter The Dragon, Ip Man, and especially Jackie Chan's films.

I singled out Jackie Chan in particular because like Chan's most popular movies, Ong-Bak combines "oh my God they actually did that!" stunts with comedy. The chase scene described above has several moments right out of a Buster Keaton movie (maybe fans of silent film slapstick should also watch this film).

As for films like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Hero, Ong-Bak is similar to those only in that it contains fantastic martial arts sequences. However, if you're looking for Crouching Tiger's stunning natural visuals and easy going pace, you might prefer movies by Yimou Zhang (who also directed Hero).

That being said, if you are looking for action but haven't been introduced to the martial arts genre, Ong-Bak is an excellent place to start, especially if you've enjoyed the recent Avengers and Star Wars movies, which are more focused on comedy. Like those films, Ong-Bak isn't a spoof and contains some very dire scenes (especially in the second half), but there are plenty of hilarious moments that would have easily been at home in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnorok or even Force Awakens. 


WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT? Netflix DVD. It is also available to rent ($3.99) or buy ($12.99) on Amazon. I'm sure you could also borrow it from many public or university library systems.

RUNTIME: 105 Minutes (104 Minutes Directors Cut...those tend to be longer.)

DIRECTOR: Prachya Pinkaew

WRITERS:
Panna Rittikrai
Prachya Pinkaew
Suphachai Sittiaumponpan

STARING:
Tony Jaa
Petchtai Wongkamlao
Pumwaree Yodkamol

52 MOVIES FROM 52 COUNTRIES - #14 BELGIUM

This is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every week. 

PLOT: Ludovic (Georges Du Fresne), a seven-year-old transgender girl, comes out to her family and neighborhood. While her parents insist that she wear boys clothing and play sports, Ludovic dresses in pink skirts and falls in love with the son of her father's ultra-conservative boss.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: Ludovic goes over to to play with Jérôme (Julien Rivière), a local neighborhood boy and the son of Ludovic's father's boss. While exploring the house, Ludovic wanders into a girl's bedroom. Jérôme says that his sister is "away." Later, Jérôme's mother catches the boys putting on a pretend wedding in which Ludovic is wearing one of her daughter's dresses. It's only then that the audience learns what really happened to the sister.

WHO IS THIS MOVIE FOR?:  Obviously, anyone interested in films with LGBTQ themes should check it out. However, I'd also recommend Ma Vie en Rose (My Life in Pink) for anyone who just wants a funny, moving coming of age story.  

I would especially recommend this movie for parents who want to expose their kids to stories with transgender characters. Ma Vie en Rose isn't necessarily a children's movie, but it might help kids understand what their friends and loved ones are experiencing. The film would be especially important for kids who are themselves transgender. Don't let the R rating discourage you. There are some "Thematic Moments" (SPOILER: a child attempts suicide) and a bit of swearing, but most PG-13 blockbusters are more unsettling than this film.

According to Wikipedia there are many who disagree with the film's R rating, believing that it was a result of transphobia. Ma Vie en Rose came out over twenty years ago. Even if the film had been released in 2018 it would have still been met with controversy. It must have been considered particularly progressive by 1997 standards (unless Belgium is more accepting than the United States)


WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT?: Netflix DVD. It is also available to rent ($3.99) or buy ($12.99) on Amazon.

RUNTIME: 88 Minutes

DIRECTOR: Alain Berliner

WRITER:
Alain Berliner
Chris Vander Stappen

STARING:
Julien Rivière
Michèle Laroque
Jean-Philippe Ècoffey

Publications Seeking Short Fiction: TERRAFORM

I just wanted to give all of my fellow writers a heads up, TERRAFORM, a weekly science-fiction publication is open for submissions.

They've published a lot of fantastic works. Two of my favorites are:

MUSIC FOR THE UNDERWORLD - A man uses music to reconnect with the love of his life in a bleak futuristic city.

THE INVENTOR - A genius creates a world-changing device in war-torn Syria. 


-Submissions shouldn't be longer than two thousand words.

-Baseline payment is 20 cents a word.

-Publication qualifies for the Science Fiction Writers of America.


According to their website they are seeking: "...Nearer-future fiction; think a bit more along the lines of sentient chat bots or climate-changed dystopias and less far-flung alien space operas. And we don't care what form it comes in: Classic-style SF short stories, social media posts from beyond the horizon, fictive data dumps, experimental graphic narratives, and so on."
Make sure you read the guidelines in full here.

Good luck! 

52 MOVIES FROM 52 COUNTRIES - #13 MEXICO

This is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every week. 

PLOT: Two oversexed teenage boys and an attractive older woman set out on a road trip to a beach that doesn't exist. During their travels each of them experiences an unexpected awakening.

MEMORABLE MOMENT:  This movie is known for its graphic sex scenes. However, there is considerably more to this film. The characters who inhabit Y Tu Mamá También's world, especially Luisa (Maribel Verdú), all have very deep, incredibly complex personalities.  The scene that stuck with me the most is relatively PG, but is also absolutely devastating.
 
Luisa, the gorgeous "older woman" (whose character is probably younger than I am, yikes), talks on the phone with her unfaithful husband.  The film has previously implied that she is facing disastrous health issues. As her relationship and life fall apart, she breaks down into sobs. In the phone booth's glass we see the reflection of the two boys (Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal) bounding around, playing fooseball and acting like teenage assholes. This moment sums up her world vs. their world.  Her life is in shambles while they are so caught up in their prime they don't notice her distress.


IMDB TRIVIA

• When the producers tried to buy the rights to Frank Zappa's "Watermelon in Easter Hay" they were told that Zappa had requested that this song would never be played in any media outside the original album. However, Frank's widow saw the movie when editing was almost complete. She agreed to make an exception because she believed Zappa would be proud of the film. 

• Cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki said he used "90% natural light". Only a few scenes include additional lighting.

• On his bedroom wall, one of the two boys has a poster from the movie Harold and Maude (1971), another film about a young man who has a sexual relationship with an older woman.

WHO IS THIS MOVIE FOR?: As I mentioned above, this movie has some very graphic sex scenes. While I would encourage viewers to not be turned away by this, I have to be realistic. Y Tu Mamá También isn't for everyone.

However, I think even more viewers will turned away because the two boys act like total dicks. I certainly don't expect (or want) characters who act like cherubs but there where some scenes when I wanted to smack these two guys over the head with an oatmeal spoon. Not enough to hurt them, just enough to put them in a mild coma.

That being said, there are tremendous character arches and these two guys do develop as the movie progresses. If you are looking for a coming of age road trip movie this one will probably be right up your alley.

I also want to add that for some reason, I have always associated this film with Nico and Dani.  The two movies are thematically very similar.  If you like one you'll probably enjoy the other.

Also, lets not forget that this is an Alfonso Cuarón movie. If you're a fan, this film should already be on your list, especially if you want to see where he developed the documentary, long-take style he perfected in Children of Men.

That being said, don't pick up this movie simply because you enjoyed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I won't say there are zero similarities (both movies are about young men growing up), but Y Tu Mamá También is magical in a very different way.

(I've noticed that I've made Harry Potter references three movie posts in a row now.) 
 
WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT?: Netflix Instant. It is also available to rent ($3.99) or buy ($12.99) on Amazon. I'm sure you could also borrow it from many public or university library systems.

RUNTIME: 106 Minutes (exact same as Devil's Backbone, from a few weeks back) 

DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón

WRITER:
Carlos Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón

STARING
Maribel Verdú 
Diego Luna
Gael García Bernal

If you didn't attend MARCH FOR OUR LIVES, go to the next march.

My wife and I attended March For Our Lives in DC this past Saturday. 

It was exciting, moving, exhilarating, powerful, exhausting and a thousand other adjectives.

Apparently A LOT of teachers attend these marches. I kept getting high fives for my sign and people stopped me to take photos and ask if I was a teacher (My parents were. It's not genetic).

One group of teachers even asked if they could have their photo taken with me.

I knew several people who attended. We randomly ran into one , but it would have been impossible to find any others even though I later learned some were standing just a few feet away.

It’s weird to think that there were friends I had not seen since high school just a couple hundred feet from me but I couldn’t see them. 

If you have never been to a march like this one, seriously attend. If you are physically able to go, please go. Yes, it’s claustrophobic; yes, you have to stand for hours; yes, it’s emotionally overwhelming but it’s worth it. If I can handle the crowd, you can handle the crowd. 

This march and the 2017 Women’s March were unbelievably cramped but everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) was polite. No one lost their temper. No one shoved or started a fight. 

There's nothing quite like being in a massive crowd of polite people.

 All of the speakers were fantastic. They were all focused and well-spoken. I know a lot of the media are painting them as ignorant kids who want to sneak into your homes and steal your hunting rifles, but that is not the case.

Even if you are a life-long conservative, even if you are a gun owner, seriously consider taking part in one of these marches. My favorite signs were ones that read “Republicans for Gun Control!” or “Hunters for Gun Control!” I wish I had gotten my phone out in time to take a photo of these.

Yes I’m a liberal. Yes a lot of us who attended are liberals. But this isn’t a liberal vs. conservative issue. This is a life vs. death issue. 

    

Also, don’t make the same mistake I made during the Women’s March, write a message on BOTH sides of your sign.

52 MOVIES FROM 52 COUNTRIES - #12 AUSTRALIA

This is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every week. 

PLOT: In northern Australia, an Indigenous Aboriginal man named Minygululu (Peter Minygululu) realizes that his younger brother, Dayindi (Jamie Gulpilil), is in love with one of his three wives. During a hunting trip, he tells Dayindi a story set during the time of their ancestors. Through the story the impatient younger brother learns how find balance in life.

                                     

Just a heads up, the above trailer is NSFW because it contains a good deal of non-sexual nudity. 

MEMORABLE MOMENT: The audience learns all the horrors that might befall you if an evil sorcerer gets a hold of your feces. He could put it in a tree and every time the branches rub together you will suffer from a sore throat. He could set it on fire and kill you. Or he could use it to steal your soul. Not the kind of magic taught at Hogwarts. 

IMDB TRIVIA

• Ten Canoes was the first major Australian feature completely filmed in an Indigenous language.

• The canoes in the film were made according to original tribal methods, using directions from elders who had not made them for at least fifty years.

• During shooting in the remote Arafura Swamp, the crew required eleven crocodile spotters.

WHO IS THIS MOVIE FOR?: Anyone who is a fan of Terrence Malick (The Tree of Life, Badlands) will love the natural beauty and mythic themes found in this film. I would also recommend this movie to people who want to see a film set in a culture seldom represented in Hollywood.  In many ways Ten Canoes is unlike anything else I have seen before.
 
WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT?: Netflix DVD. You can also buy the DVD on Amazon but the first price that came up for me was $67.99. So, yeah, just get it from Netflix.

RUNTIME: 90 minutes.

DIRECTOR:
Rolf de Heer
Peter Djigirr

WRITTEN BY:
Rolf de Heer

 STARING: 
Crusoe Kurddal
Jamie Gulpilil
Peter Minygululu

52 MOVIES FROM 52 COUNTRIES - #11 SPAIN

This is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every week. 

In honor of Guillermo del Toro recently winning best Director and Best Picture at the 2018 Academy Awards for The Shape of Water, this week I decided to go with one of his first (and one of his best) films.

PLOT: After Carlos, a 12-year-old whose father died in the Spanish Civil War, arrives at a remote orphanage, he discovers that the school is haunted...and that's just the start of his problems.    

MEMORABLE MOMENT: A bomb that was recently dropped from an enemy aircraft sticks up in the middle of the orphanage's courtyard. Boys play around the weapon, not giving it any mind. Carlos (Fernando Tielve), is assured that the bomb has been deactivated. He playfully kicks the bomb and presses his ear to its outer shell.  Metal clangs within the mechanical guts. Something is still alive in there, waiting to explode.

IMDB TRIVIA:

• Guillermo del Toro had described this movie as being Pan's Labyrinth's sibling. The Devil's Backbone is the brother. Pan's Labyrinth is the sister.  

• The director has also said that the film was strongly inspired by his own personal memories of his uncle, who supposedly came back as a ghost.

• The design of the ghost was inspired by the white-faced spirit in Japanese horror films like Ringu (Thank you Ringu. You will always live in our nightmares.)

• Guillermo del Toro worked on this film for sixteen years. He started writing it when he was in college. (So let that inspire those of you who have novels, screenplays and symphonies hidden in your drawers.)

WHO IS THIS MOVIE FOR?: Fans of films like The Others or The Witch should definitely check this movie out. The atmosphere is potent and seeps under your skin. While I have not yet seen The Orphanage (sorry, I know, I know) I have heard that these two movies are extremely similar. The Orphanage was even produced by del Toro and the two movies share similar plots and even images. 

I was once swapping obscure horror movie recommendations with someone at work. He said something along the lines of, "I want something totally messed up, something were even the dog dies." This wouldn't be the movie for him. 

Don't get me wrong, The Devil's Backbone has some very unsettling moments (Spoiler Alert: children do die). However, while there are several classic horror ghost scenes the true terror comes from the atmosphere and the turbulent times in which these children live (the movie is set during the Spanish Civil War). In a way the film is more melancholy than it is disturbing. It is a truly beautiful ghost story with images and characters that will stay with you long after the the dedication at the end, "To my parents."

WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT? The movie is available on Netflix DVD. It is also available to rent ($3.99) or buy (12.99) on Amazon.

RUNTIME: 106 Minutes

DIRECTOR: Guillermo del Toro

WRITTEN BY:
Guillermo del Toro
Antonio Trashorras 
David Muñoz 

STARING:
Federico Luppi 
Marisa Paredes
Fernando Tielve

52 MOVIES FROM 52 COUNTRIES - #10 ARGENTINA

This is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every week. 

 RUNTIME: 122 Minutes

DIRECTOR: Damián Szifron

WRITTEN BY:
Germán Servidio
Damián Szifron

STARING:
Erica Rivas
Oscar Martínez
Ricardo Darín

WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT?: I borrowed a copy from the Baltimore County Public Library. If your public library has a decent collection of foreign films I'm sure you can get it from there for free. Otherwise, it is available on Netflix DVD and it is available to rent ($3.99) or buy ($12.99) on Amazon.

PLOT: A dark comedy composed of six short stories. Each story explores the extremities of human behavior in suspenseful and hilarious ways.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: Gun to my head, if I really had to choose just one I'd pick the first (and shortest) of the tales. A beautiful woman riding in an airplane discovers that the man sitting across the aisle from her is a music critic who once professionally and emotionally destroyed her ex-boyfriend. They soon realize that a woman sitting nearby was a teacher who was once very hard on him. It turns out everyone on the flight had at one time or another hurt or betrayed this emotionally unstable young man.

Guess who's flying the plane.   

 IMDB TRIVIA:

• Images of wild animals appear during the opening credits. When the director's name appears it is accompanied with a fox. The director (Szifron) stated that this was because his father loved foxes so much and used to watch documentaries on them.

• In the third tale the character of Diego (Leonardo Sbaraglia) identifies a bridge as being at the 60th kilometer between Cafayate and Salta. The scene really was filmed at that exact location. The spot became a tourist attraction after the movie was released. 

•  Damián Szifrón wrote most of the tales in his bathtub. 

Anthology films are a highly effective form of filmmaking. These movies (which include works such as Pulp Fiction and Creepshow) weave together short vignettes that could theoretically be their own movies. Instead, they are reduced to ten to thirty minute segments in which all the extra fat has been trimmed away. There is minimal buildup as the audience is taken directly to the climax.

Most anthology films are connected by plot, characters or setting. There might be a frame story, or the hero of one segment might have a cameo in the next. However, Wild Tales doesn't have a frame story. The characters don't meet and the plots never overlap. The only connection is that every one of the "tales" includes a character who loses control and crosses the line between civilization and savagery.

Most of us get a great deal of pleasure from dramas and comedies about mild-mannered human beings who are pushed until they resort to their barbaric nature. Just look at popular shows like Breaking Bad or Dexter. These are works about characters who do the polar opposite of what society wants from them.

One of the most common pieces of advice given to aspiring writers is to have active characters. Many of us don't want a heroine who slinks into a miserable marriage after she learns on her wedding day that her new husband has been cheating on her. We want a character like the sixth tale's Romina (Erica Rivas) who flings her husband's lover through a mirror.

None of the stories in Wild Tales are connected in terms of plot, but the common theme of ordinary people being pushed over the edge is so strong, each segment support the others. Nothing feels unnecessary or out of place.

I once had a film teacher who said he'd always wanted to give an assignment in which every student in the class made a short film centered around a common object. Then he would edit these films together to create one, feature length movie. Wild Tales proves that anthology films don't need common characters, events or frame stories. All they need is a theme strong enough to support a single, unforgettable masterpiece.

52 MOVIES FROM 52 COUNTRIES - #9 NIGERIA

This is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every week. 

RUNNING TIME: 91 Minutes

DIRECTOR: Ishaya Bako

WRITTEN BY:
Genevieve Nnaji (story)
Ishaya Bako
Emil B. Garuba

STARING
Genevieve Nnaji
Oris Erhuero

WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT?: Netflix Instant. I actually discovered this movie on this website: "10 African Movies to Watch on Netflix." One can theoretically buy it on Amazon but at the moment they appear to be out of stock.

PLOT: An estranged couple discusses their marriage on a road trip. During the long drive, memories and secrets are revealed, threatening the future of their relationship.

MEMORABLE MOMENT: When the audience sees the couple (Genevieve Nnaji and Oris Erhuero) together for the first time. Victoria, the wife, has recently arrived from the airport after being away for three weeks and is surprised to find her husband, Izu, still living in their house. Very little is said but the tension is almost unbearable.

 Spoilers Below
There is a scene early in the film when Izu drives home drunk. He swerves into the wrong lane and the windshield is filled with the oncoming car's headlights. In the next scene, Izu wakes Victoria at four in the morning and insists that they leave immediately for his uncle's funeral. The rest of the movie follows the couple on their road trip. Through heated conversation and flashbacks, the audience learns the secrets they have kept from one another. The film ends (sorry, I warned there were spoilers) with the two of them in a hotel room where they forgive one another. 

Then, Victoria wakes up. She is in a hospital room. Izu lies in the bed, dying from injuries he received in the car accident that took place at the beginning of the film.

Everything that took place after the car accident, the road trip, the conversations and the eventual reconciliation was all a dream.

 I'm just going to come out and say it. I've always hated movies/TV episodes that end with "It was a dream the whole time." And yes, I'm looking at you, Wizard of Oz. Even when I was a kid I didn't care for that "children's classic" because nothing matters in it. Dorothy could have been eaten by the cowardly lion or the flying monkeys or could have just stayed in Munchkin Land and she would have still woken up safe in Kansas (where Ms. Gulch still wants to put down poor Toto).

I was initially just as frustrated with The Road to Yesterday, but as I watched the film's conclusion I realized that it uses the twist to its advantage. This is a very dream-like movie, not in a surreal David Lynch-ian sort of way, but in the sense that the film moves back and forth through time. Not even the flashbacks take place in chronological order. There are moments where one has to stop and wonder if they are watching the character's past, present, or even future.

Also, one has to wonder if Victoria's vision really was only a dream. She wakes from her long sleep with her head resting beside her dying husband's body. One could interpret that Izu's spirit lingered long enough to go on this "road trip" in order to work out their conflicts before they parted. This farewell is the meat of the story. Had the film been about Victoria avoiding mortal danger the dream element would not have worked because by the end the audience would have realized she was safe in the hospital room. However, she is facing emotional rather than physical stakes. This is a conflict that can be worked out in a dream.

Even during the movie the audience was given the impression that Victoria and Izu would probably not work out in the long run. A "happily ever after" ending would ring false.  Instead, this is a story of two souls parting. It is too late for them to bid farewell in the physical world so they do it in the spiritual.

The "it was a dream the whole time" ending is (thankfully) not used as much these days as it was in the first half of the twentieth century. While I don't know if I'll ever find it a totally satisfying conclusion, The Road to Yesterday is one film that uses this ending to its advantage to make the film more unique.