Tag Archives: fantasy

#215- Juliet of the Spirits

Quick recap: Juliet discovers that her husband has been unfaithful and goes on a journey of self-discovery to gain the courage to leave him.

It was an odd journey, to say the least

It was an odd journey, to say the least

Fun (?) fact: Director Federico Fellini claims to have taken LSD in preparation for the film.

I would've been more shocked had Fellini had instead admitted to not using any drugs prior to directing this film

I would’ve been more shocked had Fellini instead admitted to not using any drugs prior to directing this film

My thoughts: Most women who find they have been cheated on choose to blast girl anthem songs while throwing their man’s things out the door. Not Juliet. She instead turns to mediums, New Age psychoanalysts, sex workers and her own twisted hallucinations for comfort and guidance. At least, I think she did. Juliet of the Spirits was filled with so many symbols and metaphors I wasn’t sure what I was watching most of the time. It sure was pretty, though.

F5-NAOMI_SANDERS-1-Juliet-of-the-Spirits-600x442

But seriously, this film is gorgeous on so many levels. There are scenes that are so colorful that it practically hurts your eyes and scenes where there are just a couple of colors. All of it is beautiful. When I think of the 60s, I think of a lot of yellows, pinks, browns, and oranges and this film had those colors, but the movie still looks timeless. I wouldn’t go so far to say that it could be mistaken for a modern film, but it definitely does not feel dated, color-wise.

The New Age-y stuff in the film didn’t make much sense because it’s not something I am familiar with, but it did make me curious what rich Italians did back in the 60s. Because according to this film they held séances, made up games where they psychoanalyzed each other, and went down slides after crazy sex. I’m not really sure how all of this helped Juliet, but by the end of the film I think she figured out that she needed to leave her husband. Actually, I’m not even sure that happened. Throughout the film, Juliet has visions of herself as a young child, strapped to a bed of pretend fire. In the end, she crawls through a door in her bedroom and frees the little girl. The two hug and then suddenly it’s daylight and Juliet looks happy. I’ll take a wild guess and say the ending had something to do with freeing herself from the restraints of religion, but I’m not even sure about that.

tumblr_n6srgwBvGB1qc9pwoo1_500

Final review: 4/5. I think I liked this movie?

Up next: A Woman Under the Influence

4 Comments

#205-Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

Quick recap: A man finds out that the girl he made out with is really his sister. More family problems arise when he confronts his deadbeat father, hoping to change his ways before it is too late.

4c42441382fc984fdc9bf9de50082e79

Fun (?) fact: All of the Ewok actors quit at one point, in protest of the tough outdoor conditions (being a teddy bear with creepy lips is tough). They eventually returned, all wearing ‘Revenge of the Ewok’ t-shirts.

Run-DMC-Ewok-This-Way-T-Shirt-Star-Wars

My thoughts: Once again, I’m sort of at a loss as to what to write about the final Star Wars episode this book has (the editors wisely passed on adding in episodes 1-3). I realized while watching Return of the Jedi, that this might be my favorite of the three. I’ve always said it was Empire Strikes Back, because it’s so dark and there are so many important things that happen. This movie, however, is just fun, something that I think gets overlooked when it comes to the franchise as a whole (I’m talking to you guys who bombarded the Toys R Us and bought all the toys before kids could get their hands on them). This is the film that gets me excited for new movies, and it is the one I hoped my son would enjoy most, also.

One of the biggest turn-offs serious fans have are the Ewoks, and I admit that they are pretty silly. At the same time, they also fit in perfectly within the narrative. I never loved them, but I didn’t mind them, either. My six year old LOVES Chewbacca, so he naturally gravitated toward these creatures, and I think having them in the movie made him appreciate what he was watching a little more.

imgres

As for a favorite scene or part, it’s a toss up between Jabba the Hutt and the Emperor trying to entice Luke to give in to his anger. Both scenes are a great representation of Luke’s character, and also how much he has matured since he was a whiny kid back in Episode IV. This is the hero that everyone wants, yet his greatest strength is not in himself, but the people (and family) he is surrounded by. I also loved the ending between Anakin and Luke. Yes, Darth Vader was evil, but that wasn’t always the case. In a positive light, it means that there is good inside all of us. In a negative light, it means any of us can head down that path without really realizing what we are doing.

Never mind. Darth Vader turned Incredible Hulk will always be my favorite thing.

Never mind. Darth Vader turned Incredible Hulk will always be my favorite thing.

Final review: 5/5 of course

Up next: Zero for Conduct, which If… is based off of

Leave a comment

#203- Pinocchio

Quick recap: A wooden puppet comes alive and surprisingly doesn’t murder everyone in his sight.

goosebumps-living-dummy-1

Fun (?) fact: In the original novel, Pinocchio murders Jiminy Cricket with a mallet. He pops up later on with little explanation given.

I'm feeling very uncomfortable right now

I’m feeling very uncomfortable right now

My thoughts: I decided to share Pinocchio with my 6 year old one evening, because there’s no better way to bond than to threaten a child with horrifying consequences if he doesn’t behave. Afterwards, I asked what he thought about it.

Me: How many points would you give this movie, out of 5?

B: 5, because of the cat.

Me: What was your favorite part of Pinocchio?

B: The cat.

Me: What was the funniest part of the movie?

B: When Geppetto thought Pinocchio was dead! Oh, and the cat.

The interview was abruptly shut down after that and off to therapy my son went.

So, besides learning how creepy my kid can be, I actually enjoyed the movie somewhat. The moral about being good was a little heavy handed, but that’s what was to be expected back then. Kids these days don’t know how good they’ve got it, with their soft themes of friendship and working together. Back then, all kids had was, ‘your nose will grow long if you lie, you’ll turn into a jackass and everyone you know and love will be swallowed by a giant whale.’

One thing I had forgotten about Pinocchio was all of the music Disney used to do with their films. I kind of enjoyed it, although my kid seemed a little bored through some of the numbers. He might’ve just wanted the cat back, though.

Overall, the only thing that really bothered me was the relationship between Geppetto and Pinocchio. I know that he wanted a son, but he had really only known the puppet for a few hours before he started getting into trouble. Maybe I’m just a bad person, but I most likely wouldn’t risk my life for a wooden puppet that had caused me grief for most of its short life.

I much prefer Egg Yolkeo

I much prefer Egg Yolkeo

Final review: 4/5, and I agree that the cat made the movie

Up next: Sunrise

Leave a comment

#171- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

Quick recap: A young man learns the startling truth about his lineage while his friend learns the art of ‘cooling down’.  A good time was not had by all.

Neat!

Neat!

Fun (?) fact: In the original movie, one of the asteroids was actually a shoe. According to IMDb, ‘The rumor is that George Lucas asked the SFX people to redo the scene so many times that they got annoyed and one of them threw in their shoe’. The scene has since been corrected- or ruined- depending on who you ask.

This is for all you Leia/Wookie shippers out there!

This is for all you Leia/Wookie shippers out there!

My thoughts: Like any patriotic American, I fully agree that Episode V is the best. I mean, I’m sure there are people who might argue for IV or VI, but when the apocalypse is nigh they will surely see the error of their ways. As for the small percentage of the population who would vote for Episodes I-III, I truly hope they are in therapy getting the help they so sorely need.

So, you ask, why is The Empire Strikes Back the best of the original trilogy?

Well, first of all, slap yourself for even asking. Now, think about all of the pop culture references we have, thanks to this one movie:

  • Boba Fett
  • Yoda!
  • Han Solo frozen in Carbonite
  • ‘I love you’ ‘I know’
  • the whole ‘I am your father’ thing
  • AT-ATs

Tons of stuff that I didn’t even mention are as a result of The Empire Strikes Back. And not just all the fun stuff, this movie is DARK. One of the reasons I love it is because it ends with the good guys losing. I love most superhero movies, but it’s annoying after awhile to have them save the day, only to come back for a sequel and do it all over again. Star Wars is all about the never ending battle of good and evil, which I think appeals to most people and in some crazy sense, makes the world more believable over all.

I got to watch this with my 5 year old on Star Wars Day, since he is just now getting into the fandom. He said he was a little bored by all of the Leia/ Han Solo scenes, but loved anything with R2D2. He was underwhelmed by the big reveal of Luke’s father but I think it was mostly because he was hoping for more info about Chewbacca.

Final review: 5/5

Up next: Being There

1 Comment