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Ringu (1998)
A clichéd horror movie, but understanding of some deep anxiety.
Either I'm stupid, the Japanese are stupid, or something was lost in translation. This was such a mixed bucket.
Built around the weird and upsetting, Ringu combines supernatural elements with it's own original tape-horror aesthetic. It's unfortunate that the film is riddled with silliness, dumb character decisions, and chuckle-out-loud(?) conversations. Hell, it's also filled with quite a few incredibly eerie moments (I mean so eerie as to make me get up, turn on the lights, refill my tea, then sit down and hold on) that can make you forget it's earlier transgressions.
Eerie is key here, it's not terrifying, but definitely a scary experience. I'm sure it was scarier when you actually watched the movie on VHS or with one sitting back at home. Now it's hard to make a connection. I mean, my blu-ray would NEVER do such a thing (his name is Franklin)!
What brings most people to the film is it's touching on our collective anxiety with these newfangled VHS machines ( too cynical?). And it still applies to Franklin. I can't say much on this that hasn't already been said, but I can agree that the film tapped into a collective feeling, whether consciously or not, I'm sure the Japanese ( being the techno- infused cyberpunks they are) feel more than I ever will.
Either way, give it a look. It's an hour-and-a-half well spent.
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight (2013)
An interesting watch, but seeming to miss something
While being an interesting look at a major event in American history, I thought the general mood of the film didn't really mesh with the subject matter.
The locker room bro moments of the clerks felt more like a distraction in my mind from what was really interesting. I understand that throughout the move there's an attempt to compare and contrast the generational differences between the justices and clerks, but really it came out more muddled than insightful. But hey, maybe that's just me.
I think a more interesting movie would have been a more focused study into the closed-off perspective of the justice's world. A closed-room style would have fitted well. The hippies lined up outside made to seem distant and strange, even to the blue justices.
The movie also seemed a little closed off and lacking much room for audience pondering. Mohammed Ali was valid for conscientious objector status. No question. This might have been the case, but I'd rather come to that conclusion myself.
Anyway, it was a fine TV movie. Definitely worth a watch.