Suggested Viewings: Eastern Westerns

Genres are very important in marketing films.  For example it is easier to tell someone that the latest Ryan Reynolds' movie is a comedy then it is trying to explain the plot. Why? Because genres are socially accepted conventions that everyone understands. Marketing agencies use genres to sell stories that no one has ever heard of. A lot people will go see a romance movie, not because they know the story but because they like the genre.  There are many films out there that cross over between a single genre, like romantic comedies or sci-fi horror.  But there are many more genres that are not quite as popular. One of my favorite genre mash ups would have to be Eastern Westerns. Most American audiences are familiar with the western genre. Lots of cowboys, dusty towns, and gun fights. Those same audiences may not be familiar with Samurai movies which are very similar in nature. A lone character with an inability to fit into society ends up floating from town to town looking for adventure (and violence).  The following three films are filled with swords, guns, samurai, cowboys and dust. Lots of dust.

Sukiyaki Western Django (2007) (Japanese with subtitles)

This movie was made by the cult Japanese director, Takashi Miike. Director Quentin Tarantino also guest stars in the film, doubtlessly having some input in some aspects. In the film, a town is caught in a war between two rival gangs and only a strange nameless hero can help put the bloodshed to an end and save the town.  It's a bloody film with lots of guts and steel flying through the air. If you like westerns and aren't afraid of blood, you'll like it. 

Bunraku (2010) (English)

Another big aspect of eastern action movies is martial arts. Directed by Guy Moshe, Bunraku has this in excess. Instead of a lone hero this movie has two, one from each genre. When a cowboy (Josh Hartnett) and a samurai (Gackt) find themselves in a post-apocalyptic town run by a crazy killer (Ron Perlman), it takes an enigmatic barkeep (Woody Harrelson) to lead them down the right path. The movie is highly stylized around the Japanese art of shadow puppets which makes for a really cool intro.

The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008) (Korean with subtitles)

This genre blending comedy comes from South Korea and was inspired by Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad, the Ugly (1966). It shares a similar story where three men try to beat each other to a hidden treasure. The character dynamics are not quite the same for example the Good character (played by Clint Eastwood in the original film) is a bounty hunter and not nearly as intriguing and mysterious as the original Blondie. But the Bad guy is just as Bad and the Weird is just as Ugly.

Suggested Viewings: Animated Marvel Adventures!

Welcome to the first installment of my new weekly series, Suggested Viewings.  When I was in film school we were given suggested viewings to go with our lessons.  I've decided to put this method to good use and help people explore film.  Since I do most of my movie watching on Netflix, all of the films I'll be referring to can be found on Netflix Instant.

Since I'm still on a pretty big superhero kick from the The Avengers movie, I'll be talking about animated Marvel cartoons.  Animated shows and movies are great because they can get away with things that live action movies cannot.  For example, it is extremely difficult to get CG special effects to look realistic enough for people to suspend their disbelief. However, cartoons do not have this problem because they are not realistic to begin with.  And once you buy into the following cartoons it will be hard for you to pull yourself out.








Black Panther: The Animated Series (2009)
Back in 2008 BET teamed up with Marvel Knights to create an animated comic series for TV that was released in 2009 and debut on television in the US in November 2011.  The series is based around the origin of the Black Panther who is the king of the reclusive nation of Wakanda in Africa. Out of all the animated comic book series that Marvel Knights has released, I think that this one is the best. It's a good series and with rumors of Black Panther getting his own movie, it's a good way to get associated with the character.

The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010-Present)

If you liked The Avengers movie then you may also want to check out this cartoon. It was made for Disney's Toon XD channel and originally debuted in the fall of 2010. It has all of the characters from the movie and a few more (Black Panther, Wasp, and Ant Man). This show has great animation, voice acting, episodic continuity, and story lines that are complex enough to be enjoyed by an older audience. It's a well rounded show in its own right and with an extensive line-up of characters from the Marvel universe.  I would recommend it to anyone who can't get enough Marvel exposure.

Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow (2008)

I watched this movie in the build up to The Avengers movie.  It takes place in an alternate universe where Ultron (a sentient robot created by Hank Pym) has conquered the world and killed most of the original Avengers. However, the super-team's children were saved by Tony Stark and trained from an early age in hopes that they will be able to defeat Ultron. I had a lot of laughs watching this and would recommend it based solely on the voice acting performances of the kids.

Hulk Vs. (2009)

Most of the time our favorite heroes are fighting on the same side but Marvel also likes to pit them against each other from time to time.  This animated feature doesn't have much in the way of a story line but it sure is  a lot of fun to see the Hulk fight Thor and Wolverine. If you just want to see some all-star fighting then this one is for you.

Choreography v Fast Cuts: Why The Avengers Was So Refreshing

This weekend I saw The Avengers and it was awesome.  And beyond the geek pandering and cheap laughs, it had some really impressive elements including the best filmed action sequences that I’ve seen in a very long time.  


A lot of modern day action scenes skip long choreographed shots and use fast paced editing of brief, tightly framed shots.  For example, in a scene where a waiter drops a cup of tea and a ninja catches it before it hits the floor, all of the action could fit into one frame/shot without the camera cutting or moving.  But the excitement of this scene could be enhanced by breaking all of the smaller actions into separate close ups:   A foot slips.  The ninja notices.  The cup falls off the tray.  A hand jets out.  The waitress’ shocked face.  The hand catching the cup.  The cup returning to the tray.  The ninja sitting back down.   This technique adds to the excitement of the moment by bombarding the audience with close ups that literally make the action bigger and faster.  While there is no fundamental problem with this, I happen to believe this fast cutting technique is over used and often disorienting.  I think a lot of filmmakers feel a need to pump up their scenes with fast cuts even if it doesn't need it.  I remember asking myself, “is it necessary to play up the action in a scene where two giant robots are fighting and crashing into a highway overpass?  Is that not exciting enough?”  


Another reason people use this technique is to add confusion and disorient the audience.  If you had to film a bar fight and wanted to portray the chaos of the scene, you could use the fast cutting technique by showing a stream of images of bar patrons bludgeoning, punching, kicking, swearing, puking, and screaming in rapid succession.  You could convey the confusion of the fight by overwhelming the audience with imagery.  While I understand why a filmmaker would choose to do this in a bar fight, I can't understand why a filmmaker would use this disorienting fast cutting technique to show people gathering in a dilapidated town square for a reaping.


**I will also take the time to make this plea: Filmmakers, DO NOT USE FAST CUTS IN 3-D!!!  We can barely sit through a two+ hour film with 3-D glasses on, please do not tax our senses with your wily edits!


By now you can understand my apprehension when I got tickets to go see The Avengers in 3-D Imax.  Yet, the unbearable and disorienting fast cuts never came.  Instead, during the middle of the New York fight scene I was delighted by a long cut that focused on and then moved seamlessly from one fighting Avenger to another.  By choosing to not use the tired ol' crutch of fast cuts, Joss Whedon had created a beautifully choreographed scene that was both action-packed and coherent.  I was actually allowed to look at the whole battlefield and admire the action instead of having my face pushed into every hammer blow and repulsor blast.  


This specific long shot was both awesome and iconic, and I will bet good money that if you saw The Avengers you know exactly what shot I'm talking about.  I hope that other filmmakers out there noticed it too.  It's time they stopped hiding behind fast-cuts and learn how to actually choreograph a scene.  




Further Viewings: If what I said resonated with you at all and you would like to see well choreographed action movies I suggest Ong-bak: The Thai Warrior (2003) or one of Jackie Chan's earlier films from the 90s.  These can be found on Netflix.