Movie Notes: Aguirre, The Wrath Of God

January 13th, 2008

Aguirre, The Wrath Of God

Agurrie, The Wrath of God looks like a documentary, with a constant realism to the cinematography. Director Werner Herzog really did trek his film crew and actors to the jungles of Peru, built rafts that braved the rapids, and yes, all the monkeys clambering about are real and not CGI. The actors faced the danger of disease, famine, and drowning. Kinski wanted to quit halfway through but Herzog threatened to shoot him if he did and then turn the gun on himself. The sense of danger and peril permeates the movie on a basic level.

Read more...

Movie Notes: Creature

November 15th, 2007

Creature

I watched this cosmic travesty via Joost’s “The Really Terrible Film Channel”. Warning signs to waste my time elsewhere began with the very first frame, stating: “In the competition for new materials and advanced manufacturing techniques, two multi-national corporations have invested heavily in space,” read by a super-hokey narrator. We’re soon aboard the Shenandoah, a spacecraft populated by D-list actors that all look sort of familiar, having guest-starred on ER or Knight Rider. Sadly, this flick is a step down.

Read more...