FranksFilms

This week’s movie:
12 AND HOLDING

I used to be smart once.

I have this theory that we are all born knowing everything. All the mysteries of the universe - the sum total of human knowledge PLUS everything humans have yet to discover - is all there right in our heads from birth. But because the human brain has a limited volume, any acquired experience must ultimately push something else out. The upshot of this is that the older we get, the more we experience, the stupider we become. Ironically, babies are just not physically equipped to deal with omniscience. They might, for example, understand that quarks spontaneously decay in a degenerate spin field, but believe that this just a trivial matter that must be obvious to everybody - and instead, content themselves to totally dominating every other human surrounding them.

Humans tend to peak around 12 or 13 years old - that is, until puberty hits and our bodies betray us - when the sudden influx of new information and priorities herald the exodus of every single other bit of useful data - leaving one in hormonal dufusity, instead of philosophical brilliance. Adults don’t understand children. We adults think that we are mentally superior - but the truth is that we just can’t comprehend the utter vastness of a child’s mind that is totally unencumbered by the details of the adult world. The adult world is is designed , from very first principles, to fill the mind with insignificant trivia in an effort to keep us from figuring out too much of the world because, after all, we’re at the age where if we knew too much, we would surely hurt ourselves.

Kids know better than to try to explain themselves to us. I can remember a time, I think I was maybe 10 or 11 years old, when I told my mother I didn’t want to go to school that day. She asked, “What’s the matter? Do you feel sick?” I thought about it for a second and replied, “Yes. Yes, I do.” I just somehow knew that she wouldn’t have understood if I told her that I had this idea for time travel and I needed a little uninterrupted time to work out the details. …..and I did it too! …..I just wish I could remember how it worked……

Children instinctively know what they need to do and do it. It often doesn’t make sense to adults but then, we are not as well-informed. For instance, I have a friend whose (then) 8-year-old son, Jeffery, had cut off all his hair with the kitchen shears. He then taped it all to the living room wall. When they asked him why he had done it, he just shrugged his head and mumbled, “I don’t know.” They thought he was brain damaged, but he’s not. Children just don’t bother to explain themselves to us - we just wouldn’t understand. Maybe the slight weight of his hair was applying just enough pressure on his brain to interfere with with his meditations and needed to rid himself of it to complete his journey of enlightenment …………..or maybe he was just brain damaged.

The 12-year-olds in this week’s (month’s) movie find themselves faced with a tragedy and have to find some way of dealing with it. They each do it in their own particular way, and although the adults don’t seem to understand any of it, the kids know what they need to do. And though each is different, they all have the same sort of logic, proven by the fact that they all see a resolution of one form or another.

It’s refreshing to see a film that portrays pre-adolescent characters in a realistic way, without reverting to Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys cleverness, or Disney-style cuteness. These children are not Hollywood stereotypes, they are not precocious, they’re not super-heroes, they’re not geniuses (except as mentioned above), they are undergoing changes that they themselves don’t understand.

In a Hollywood film, these kids would have to negotiate all the normal hazards normally facing your typical movie pre-teen. For example, they would have to put up with humiliating put-downs by the “cool” popular clique at school, tyrannical school principal, clueless parents, bullies in the neighborhood, and probably a pair of inept crooks. They would end up solving their problems by: making the cool clique a little less cool; detective work to expose the principal’s plan to skim school funds; make the cheerleading team by beating the team captain in the big competition; put on a musical; get the girl; stand down the bully by not backing down; set up booby traps that torment the crooks until they turn themselves in to the police; or maybe - all of the above. This stuff doesn’t happen in this film. Instead, they ………………well, I let you find out for yourselves.

I’ve been thinking a lot about my friend’s son Jeffrey, who cut off all his hair. I feel that if I can understand this behavior, I can maybe reawaken the lost memories of my own youth - or maybe of yesterday at least. So here are some possible …………

…….REASONS WHY JEFFEREY CUT OFF ALL HIS HAIR

1. Needed to lose half an ounce of weight - the quick way.
2. Watched a late-night showing of the film Westworld, with Yul Brenner, on cable.
3. Wanted to convince himself that he, contrary to his parents’ accusations, was NOT the Antichrist, by checking his scalp for the tell-tale “666″. Fortunately, he found only a harmless “999″.
4. Watched a late-night showing of the film The Magnificent Seven, with Yul Brenner, on cable.
5. In order to save for a 10MeV magnetron, for his “Space Drive” experiments, he decided to cut down on extravagances, like shampoo.
6. In an effort to stave off ecological disaster by global warming, cut off his hair and polished his scalp in order to increase the albedo of the Earth and reflect more light back into space. …..and it would have worked too if not for you meddling adults!
7. Watched a late-night showing of The King and I, with Yul Brenner, on cable.
8. Employed the following train of logic: Everything costs money; money is made of paper; paper is made from trees; trees grow in the forest; forests convert carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to oxygen; there are rain forests in South America; The Conquistadors explored South America looking for gold; there is money to be made in gold; everything costs money; wouldn’t it be a good idea to cut off all your hair and tape it to the wall?
9. Watched a late-night showing of The Ten Commandments, with Yul Brenner, on cable.
10. Step 1 in his “fuzzy wall” project.

Parent advisory: This film is rated R by the MPAA, which means that the young 12 year old stars cant legally go to see their own movie. The film portrays young children dealing with tragedy and changes within themselves in a very realistic and no-nonsense way. This often frightens off many adults who feel that children shouldn’t see such things - that is, until they have to go through it themselves. I, personally, didn’t find anything very disturbing about it, but if you have young children, you may want to preview the movie first and then decide if you want to watch it again with them.

Cut off all your hair and watch 12 AND HOLDING

enjoy.

watch the trailer

This week’s movie:

BLACK BOOK

World War Two was not my fault! Honest!

They tell me my ancestors came from Germany - maybe three generations before me. That’s way before WW2, isn’t it? That’s even before WW1 (which, by the way, was also not my fault). But I still have the German name and when I give it, in certain circles, some people still say, “That’s German, isn’t it? The Nazis started WW2 you know.” To which I have to remind them - my name may be German but I am not. Besides, I wasn’t in Germany during the war, and I was pretty young - too young to fight. To which they’d ask, “Really? How old were you?”, and I’d say, “Approximately ……….oh - about minus ten.”

The Holocaust notwithstanding, Germans sometimes get a bad rap for the war. I know plenty of Germans and some of them - a few of them - one or two ……..er, three …….. half a dozen at least - are pretty decent people. Now, I’ll admit that these are not war-era Germans - these are ‘far removed from the war’-era Germans. Still …….. I imagine that, even during WW2, there were good Nazis as well as bad, evil Nazis. I know people who will hate me for saying this stuff, but it’s true. In fact, it’s true for virtually every ethnic group you can imagine.

Having said all that, it’s still pretty hard not to villainize Nazis in WW2 related movies. It’s pretty cut and dry in films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler’s List, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Blues Brothers, just to name a few. Now, movies where you don’t have a clear cut bad guy tend to make you think. Quite often this is good. But films where you do have a definite villain to oppose tend to be more pure entertainment - such as the movies mentioned above - and such as this week’s movie BLACK BOOK.

BLACK BOOK is not a great film, in the same sense that a Stephen King novel is not great literature. Oh course that doesn’t stop it from spending 5 months on the best-seller list and it doesn’t stop it from being one hell of a thrill ride.

The story is not very original. I’m sure everybody’s had this happen to them. Rachel is a young Dutch woman who has the misfortune of living in Nazi occupied Netherlands during WW2 and who also has the misfortune of living in Nazi occupied Netherlands while, at the same time, being a Jew. She and her family are sheltered by a non-Jewish couple (no, her name is NOT Anne Frank!). When an opportunity comes along to escape, they take it - transport is arranged by boat - but they are double-crossed (cue the strings - Da Da Daaaaaaaaah!) which, I’ll just say this, is also not my fault. Rachel joins up with the underground and goes undercover to find out who is responsible. By chance, she encounters a German commander and becomes his mistress (cue the strings again - Da Da Daaaaaaaaaah!). It is a position that allows her great freedom of movement and access to information - and who’s going to question her? It sounds straightforward but it’s not. There are countless twists and turns before the end. What’s really happening? Who was really behind the double-cross? Who will get out alive? Can love conquer all? Where’s Waldo?

Rachel is played by the incomparable Carice van Houten. You’ve probably never hear of her but I suspect that will change now. She has had a number of smaller roles up to now, but here she has a chance to show off all her talents. I say this in the ‘male’ sense. She is very very talented. Müntze, the German officer, is played by Sebastian Koch who was terrific in The Lives of Others, one of my favorite films from last year. Will Rachel find what she’s looking for? Will she take out her revenge on Müntze or will he turn out to be a rather decent egg?

This film has a wide appeal because it’s possible to enjoy it on more than one level. If you are a normal movie-watcher, you will enjoy the suspense and the drama and the political intrigue and the mystery. You will appreciate the quick witted dialog, and the cat and mouse word play.. You will also enjoy the sudden and unexpected plot twists (Uh-oh! What’s she going to do now?????). If you enjoy movies more on a simpler level, well there is shootin’ and a fightin’ and a lovin’ and the nakedness - yes, the nakedness. But, if instead, you have higher standards in films, and demand things like character development, subtlety, and realism - I guess BLACK BOOK will just have to become a guilty pleasure. If you don’t enjoy this film, that’s not my fault either - I just make recommendations.

I know it sounds like I’m being defensive, but I get blamed for a lot of things that I didn’t have anything to do with. So …..let me get this straight once and for all time. Here are the things that are not my fault,and to be fair, I will also list things that were my fault - just so that I’m not being too one-sided.

1. Not my fault: The Great Flood. No, I really have no way of making it rain and flood the Earth, and I wouldn’t if I could, no matter what some people may think. My fault: Flooding in my basement. I should have gotten it fixed a long time ago, but didn’t.
2. Not my fault: Extinction of the dinosaurs. As much as I would like to take credit for the event that paved the way for us mammals (at least those of us that are mammals), it had nothing at all to do with me. My fault: Extinction of ants and cutworms on my front lawn. That chemical stuff I put on my lawn kills everything. My apologies if you are an ant or cutworm aficionado.
3. Not my fault: Destruction of the Great Library at Alexandria. I’ve never even been there. I’m betting it was someone who took out a book, and tried to read it and said, “It’s all Greek to me!” My fault: That funny smell in the refrigerator. I was supposed to toss that egg salad way in the back – but it was way in the back and I completely forgot about it.
4. Not my fault: The presidency of George W Bush. I didn’t want to make a political statement or anything – but I often get blamed for this for some reason. But, get this, I didn’t even vote for him – so back off. My fault: Proliferation of dandelion weeds in my entire neighborhood. I’m the only one who doesn’t de-weed his lawn, and my weeds propagate all the way to the end of the street. The way I figure it, weeds are green – so little on my lawn is – and they’re hardy, and require no watering, or care. Sounds to me like Darwin’s choice.
5. Not my fault: The Rise of the Machines. In the Terminator films (and the Matrix films for that matter), machines take over the world. Fans who are really into this are looking for a scapegoat. “Frank, don’t you make robots?” My fault: That thing that’s hanging from the ceiling in my upstairs hall. It was starting to come off so I thought if I pull it down, I could fix it and put it back up securely. But it would only come down halfway – I can’t pull it off nor can I get it back up. So now, it just sits there, half hanging down.
6. Not my fault: Global Warming. This is a huge issue. It involves vast amounts of greenhouse gases, most industrialized nations, power plants, industrial smoke stacks, and two or three SUV’s. I don’t think I can take the rap for all that. My fault: Global Warming. I drive a car, I waste electricity, I consume more than I should, and I don’t make enough of a fuss to stop myself and everybody else from doing the same.
7. Not my fault: The Titanic. When they interviewed the survivors afterwards, many of then claim that they saw me on board, drilling holes in the hull, and opening the floodgates (floodgates were later considered to be a bad idea for a ship). This is just preposterous! I mean, who brings a drill on an ocean cruise? My fault: I reproduced the movie still (above) without the expressed written permission of Sony Pictures Classics or their representatives.
8. Not my fault: The Bomb. When I tell people I majored in Physics, they often respond, “You people invented the Bomb! We could all die at any time because you guys built the Bomb!” I usually just apologize but really, it wasn’t me. My fault: Da Bomb! Yo, yo, check it out, suckka! Like, this sh**’s da bomb!
9. Not my fault: Those low-waist tight jeans that make your midriff bulge out and hang over the belt. Who the hell thought that would be a good look? My fault: My midriff that bulges out and hangs over my belt - even though I’m not wearing a pair of those jeans.
10. Not my fault: AIDS. People think it was me, but I know for a fact, that a female Macaque monkey, named Clara, was behind it all. All scientists know this but, curiously, nobody’s talking. My fault: World hunger. Yep, that was me. Sorry – my bad.

In Dutch, English, German, and Hebrew with subtitles. Common Sense Media gives BLACK BOOK a PAUSE:17+ rating saying, “Intense mature WWII drama taps into base human instinct.”

So what’s the deal with the ‘black book’? Sorry, I’m giving nothing away. You’ll just have to tune in to find out. Take out BLACK BOOK from your local library or any other video or DVD source this week.

Enjoy.

watch the trailer

Movie of the week:
THE PRIZEWINNER OF DEFIANCE, OHIO

If you’re as old as I am, you’ll remember a time when people did stuff like this. If you’re not that old, then I tell you that the atmosphere in this film is just about right.

That it’s a true story - I don’t doubt it. You can click on the link above to read info on the movie. If you’re the type of person who really needs affirmation before making any movie decisions, the link below will take you to Film Critic, Roger Ebert’s review.

Roger Ebert’s review of “The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio”

Enjoy.

Movie of the week:
TITUS

Shakespeare wrote “Titus Andronicus” very early in his career. It may have been his first tragedy. He had heavy competition and a reputation to make, so with Titus A. , he went for the throat. Audiences loved it when somebody gets killed in very nasty ways - so there’s plenty of that here. But, at the same time, it’s so completely over the top that it’s absurd. He knew that you couldn’t have constant mayhem without a little comedy relief, a little wink to the audience. You might say Titus was the Freddy Krueger of the day.

Titus A. was never considered one of Shakespeare’s best works. BUT - This movie, TITUS, elevates the prose to exceptional level. The real star of the movie is the art direction. Now, if you don’t think art direction is important, you’ll be surprised how beautiful this film really is. I’m not generally a big fan of movie adaptations of Shakespeare, but this is a big exception!.

Here’s a few reasons why I think you’ll like this movie:

• It’s filmed in Rome, Italy - (realize that Rome is made up of both ancient and modern parts)
• It’s so slick that you forget you’re watching Shakespeare.
• Jessica Lange is really good at playing evil.
• You expect, at any moment, that Anthony Hopkins will break out into his Hannibal Lecter, and realize that he would not be out of character
• The ending is great!

Warning: It’s extremely violent and graphic - even for Shakespeare.

It’s long - so start early and make lots of popcorn.

Enjoy.

From the Archive 8/19/2004
Movie of the week:
KILL BILL, Volume 2

Good movie-making. I recommended the first part wholeheartedly. Now you have to watch the rest of the story. Still filled with lots of movie references and inside jokes. But even if don’t get the inside jokes, there’s still plenty to like. I think the ultimate Kung Fu reference is the fact that they cast David Carradine as Bill.

I know what you’re wondering, after seeing Kill Bill, Vol.1, you’re probably asking, “will she ever kill Bill?” You’ll just have to watch to find out.

Enjoy

This week’s movie:
NINE LIVES

I’m not going to get this right. If I tell you too much about this movie, you’re going to get the wrong impression and probably won’t want to see it. But, if I don’t say anything, why would you want to watch a movie you’ve never heard of - just on my say so? I guess I’ll just have to take that chance.

This movie consists of nine scenes from nine stories about nine different women. Each scene, shown in a single unbroken shot, shows a slice from that woman’s life. You don’t get to know what came before (although you can guess for the most part), and you don’t get to know what comes after (ditto). I, at first, felt a little let down because I wanted more - but that’s the whole idea. You fill in the rest.

I found myself thinking a lot about these women since I saw the film, wondering what became of them, running through all the little scenarios through my head. Even though this is only one film, you remember nine of them.

Welcome to my new film blog. Most of you were probably directed here from my email recommendations. Those of you who wandered here my other means - welcome to FranksFilms. Frank’s video recommendation of the week.

This is NOT a movie review site. I won’t tell you if a movie is good or bad. If I think a movie is bad - I just won’t recommend it. These are movies that I liked and I’ll tell you why I liked them. There are no guarantees that anyone else in the entire planet will like the film. That’s up to you to discover on your own.

If you’re not already on my email list, and would like to be, just post a comment to that effect, or email me direct at fheirtzler@verizon.net . I’ll notify you approximately once a week when the new movie has been posted.

This week’s movie:
TWIN FALLS IDAHO

It’s a love triangle!

Real life brothers (and filmmakers) , Mark and Michael Polish, play real life brothers who suddenly fall in with a young prostitute, Penny. I know your imagination is probably taking you in a bizzare direction right now, but it’s not that sort of film. I won’t tell you any more about the plot. You could look up the whole plot synopsis if you want to, although I would recommend going in knowing as little as possible. (It’s R rating is for language - not for “adult situations”).

I really like the atmosphere of this movie. I’m not sure how to explain this. The sibling bonding, I think, is dealt with in a very realistic way. The brothers are withdrawn at first, and so you only get to know them gradually.

The few people that I know who have seen this film, have all loved it.

Maybe you will too?

Movie of the week: (4/27/2004)
THE SPANISH PRISONER

First of all, the movie is NOT in spanish, it is in english. Secondly, the plot does not involve prisoners of any kind, nobody is held hostage, and again, nobody speaks spanish here . It’s not what you would expect. It’s a little slow at first and takes its time getting going, but that’s because the film is establishing all the characters and all the plot elements that are to fall into place later in the movie.

This is one of David Mamet’s best screenplays. If you’re not familiar with Mamet, check his credentials here. Being a playwright, his screenplays usually feature slick stylish dialogue, and a plot twist or two.

As a departure from his usual characters, Steve Martin is very ominous as a man who may or may not have gotten off the seaplane.

Enjoy.

This weeks movie:
INTERVIEW WITH THE ASSASSIN

This is a creepy little documentary. Or is it a documentary. You’re never really sure right up to the ending credits. It’s about an independent filmmaker who conducts a series of interviews with an aging ex-marine who claims to have been the trigger man at the JFK assassination. Is he crazy or is he for real? I won’t give away too much, but it’s pretty fast-paced.

If you’re a conspiracy theory aficionado, this is the movie for you.

Warning: It’s low budget. Don’t expect buildings and stuff to blow up.