I make no allusions about my passion for Superman. I love the character, I’ve followed him since I was five, and I’ve seen everything I could get my hands on involving him. I even brag to people about it and gladly welcome their mocking. Most recently I was able to grab a copy of “Turkish Superman” a cult classic that has managed to remain an underground joke among movie collectors for decades since its release. A cinematic embarrassment up and down, it’s tough to really hate this when you consider all the quirks behind the production.
Black Coffee (2009)
Tran Quoc Bao is a very talented filmmaker who I first was introduced to with his short “Bookie” which was a pretty good neo-noir crime thriller. The only reservation I had with this is that Bao has potential to stage a truly exciting feature length thriller here and whether it’s about the budget or the capabilities to do so, I would love to see this eventually made in to a full length mystery that could fully realize the talents of the entire production crew. “Black Coffee” is a film that aspires to take a page from the Hitchcock book of filmmaking.
Asian Bad Ass Meets Sexy Alien: The Interactive Game (2010)
I haven’t been a very big fan of Guil Clavera’s projects in the past. While he does have an interesting creativity to him, his movies don’t always come off as entertaining as they should be. Trying to break out of the box that is indie filmmaking Clavera is testing the waters with his Youtube project “Asian Bad Ass Meets Sexy Alien” which is a series of short films that uses the interactive element of Youtube to turn the series in to a “Choose Your Own Adventure” game. While I was very skeptical off the bat, I found myself rather immersed in the different paths that could be taken as the game goes on.
Panic Attack! (Ataque de pánico!) (2009)
Inspired by the online short film “Geweldenaren van Ver,” director Federico Alvarez’s short film (made under a five hundred dollar budget) is yet another tale of indie success that most independent directors can only dream of. Uruguayan director Alvarez posted this short film on Youtube back in 2009 and after the video was posted on rapper Kanye West’s blog, it garnered an immense fanbase, currently has over five million views on Youtube, and Alvarez experienced surprising success, “I uploaded Panic Attack! on a Thursday and on Monday my inbox was totally full of e-mails from Hollywood studios,” said Alvarez.
Now he’s been given a contract by Sam Raimi’s studio “Ghost House Pictures.”
Alive in Joburg (2006)
The success story behind “Alive in Joburg” is one of the many interesting successes of the indie culture. Director Neill Blomkamp created this short mock documentary film in 2005, gained a cult status, was later expanded into a feature length film becoming “District 9,” gained worldwide praise from critics and genre fans, won many awards and eventually became a contender for best picture in the Oscars. It’s an astounding tale of a humble indie production turning in to a rather fantastic masterpiece.
A Short Film about Letting Go (2009)
Many people have observed this and I think it’s basic fact that often it is much easier to write a bad review for a movie than it is a good one. In my case if a movie is awful, it is incredibly easy to write something negative and livid because sometimes the bad movies can inspire more creativity. When it comes to writing about a good movie, it’s almost impossible because the emotions just swell up and basically can’t translate well in to the proper words. That’s what it was like writing a review for “A Short Film about Letting Go.” Director J. Erik Reese’s film is so effective, so raw, and so beautiful, it’s impossible to describe how much I enjoyed it.
The Quentin Tarantino Report Card
I don’t know if you can call Tarantino the best director of all time. He’s not even the most original director of all time. The man rips scenes and plot elements from many films and calls them tributes and homages. Let’s be realistic, most of the general movie audience won’t be able to pick up 95 percent of the references and nods he includes in his films. Until reading it, I thought Hattori Hanzo was an original character created by Tarantino, and I originally thought the final stand off involving the shadows in The House of Blue Leaves was amazing until I read it was a basic shot for shot copy of a scene in “Episode One.” Fans of Asian cinema have even claimed Tarantino remade “City of Fire” and simply renamed it “Reservoir Dogs.” Many film critics and knowledgeable film buffs have conceded that Tarantino does indeed fancy himself an auteur and blatantly pilfers obscure cult films and directors.
But the questions linger: Is there a certain line where an homage becomes outright plagiarism? And does plagiarism automatically devalue the artist behind it? Hell, even Tarantino has admitted to taking from other films to form his own stories and confesses to it proudly. And yet in spite of his self indulgence, egomania, and rather self-aggrandizing temperament the man is still a very popular filmmaker in Hollywood. What about the man appeals to even the most cynical cineaste? Is it his unabashed enthusiasm? His roots as a school drop out turned film fanatic? Or the fact that he knows how to competently structure stories?
Even in spite of the derivations and blatant plagiarism Tarantino is still very well loved and has even inspired College courses and dissertations and has prompted many to debate about what his true impact on film will be and whether or not he is still just a fad. His words and influence certainly are powerful in spite of his retractors, and his films continue to inspire many aspiring filmmakers. Being a casual fan myself, I thought with his recent success of “Inglourious Basterds” and his recent bid of respect for his roots by purchasing the ailing New Beverly Cinema, that it’d be interesting to look at the films he’s directed. The man certainly will leave a legacy behind him because in spite of lacking originality, he really knows how to make movies.
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