Welcome to February. It's the month full of Oscar hype and black history pride (so far, virtually mutually exclusive). To start off the month, I'm coming to you with neither to offer. I bring you a little seen documentary and that old Ocean's 11 look I've been promising for so long. The contemporary versions are on the way. I'll also be looking at some past Oscar contenders all month long (and hopefully all year long) as well as some films that could maybe be considered for the latter (if you stretch your imagination). So, check back often.
Ocean’s Eleven (1960)
Review by Jon Waterman
**1/2
Danny Ocean and his buddies from the 82nd Airborne are getting together for a little reunion. This isn’t a time for them to sit back and talk about their days in the war. No, instead they’re gathering to go on one last mission. The plan is to use their combined expertise to pull off the biggest heist in history. On New Years Eve, five Las Vegas casinos will be hit simultaneously. But can they pull it off? Will they get caught? Forget that. First they have to worry about whether or not they can get the whole crew back and in on the deal.
You can’t accurately describe this movie without mentioning the Rat Pack. You got the whole gang here, along with many other supporting characters including Henry Silva, Norman Fell, and Cesar Romero (just to name a select few). The attitude that comes with the established camaraderie is a very light-hearted, easy-going one. It looks like all the characters/actors are having a lot of fun and that translates back to the audience. However, it does not make for very good performances. Even the more seasoned actors in the Pack, like Frank Sinatra (an Oscar Winner for “From Here to Eternity”) and Peter Lawford just go about their time on screen as if it’ll never be shown to the public.
The whole relationship aspect of the film also hurts the story, in a sense. Too much time is spent locating and convincing the army buddies to join up. It would be nice if there were a way to handle two or three at a time, instead of just one. You almost get to the point where you wonder if the heist aspect of the movie will ever actually happen. After the heist, you have an insanely long resolution period, too. Director Lewis Milestone (“All Quiet on the Western Front”) must have felt the urge to include everything that happened at every location in the film, when it really wasn’t necessary. The point is there’s not enough meat on the plate. At slightly over two hours, some of that fat should have been trimmed, or maybe even made into a sequel.
The film tries to be funnier than it should be. Most of the time, the humor is very flat and dryly delivered. They are oddly placed, as well. In the middle of a key sequence, there will be a pause for some comedic attempt, then go right back to the narrative. Sometimes, they just needed to let go and allow the scene to play out naturally. Like I said, the cast is obviously having fun with the film; there’s no need to go overboard with corny one-liners.
I wish I could say this film was “a thrilling adventure,” or “a magnificent, daring caper.” Instead, I have to tell it straight and say this is just a movie where the Rat Pack got together and had some fun in Vegas. Assign characters, add a couple of so-so songs, put it on film and there you go. It’s still fun, just in a campy way.
+++++++++
Masters of the Pillow
Yellowcaust: A Patriot Act
Reviews by Jon Waterman
MotP – *1/2
Y: APA – *
Dr. Darrell Y. Hamamoto, Professor at the University of California, Davis, wrote a paper concerning Asian Americans’ place in society – sexually speaking. He believes that the severe lack of Asian-American representation in the adult film industry is hurting the perception of the Asian male. If a change were made, and more Asian males were to penetrate the market – as it were – then they would be seen in a more favorable light and be more desirable to the opposite sex. If you want change, you have to do it yourself. So, Dr. Hamamoto sets out on a quest to shoot his own pornographic film.
The documentary, by James Hou, provides good insight about the topic. It’s filled with interviews of mostly famous Asian Americans from various walks of life. Each gives his or her opinion on the good doctor’s project and its potential repercussions. The discussions are varied, and it’s clear that the perceived ramifications are anything but. A couple of senior citizen males also say their piece on the matter (as well as provide the best and most hilarious sound bytes), but there isn’t enough variance in the participants. I’d like to hear from a fuller spectrum. It should cover all ages of Asian Americans and hit the streets to get the reaction from the general public. See what other races think of the idea. I doubt a clearer consensus would be formed, but if nothing else, it would inform them that this potential revolution is in the works.
Intertwined with the interviews is Hou’s quest to get his movie made. We see a very little bit about the casting process, which should have been a more formative, substantially important chunk. I’d rather hear the phone conversations with candidates than see the chosen one get picked up at the airport. The real meat (sorry) of the section is the day of the shoot. We essentially see everything that’s going on – kept in softcore mode for the easily offended or weak, etc. that shouldn’t be watching the movie to begin with. There’s some decent behind the scenes footage here, but mostly it’s us looking at a camera that’s looking at the sexual activity.
Just like Hamamoto’s concept, it’s an interesting idea, but there’s not much to it other than that. I guess the best way to sum up the movie is to say that there should be more of it. I’d like to hear from more people. I’d like to see more of the filmmaking process. I certainly want to know what happened after the movie was released.
However, if it’s the short film that accompanied this feature, “Yellowcaust: A Patriot Act,” I can already assure you that no impact was made. This is Dr. Hamamoto’s video. You can see all the full-fledged action between the two Asian American stars. The reason I know it will do nothing to sway society’s opinion is because it is made too artistically. That’s not to say the production value is high, because it’s not even close to being good. It’s to say that the sound mix and the applied message come off as too pretentious. If he really wants to see Asian American’s make it in porn, he needs to show that the pornographic work can stand on its own as such. His short hides in the guise of pornography. I’m not sure the best way to approach the problem is to have two Asian Americans on screen together. If you really want to boost the perception of the Asian-American male as a sexual creature, he should be paired with women of a different race. Two Asians can be seen all over the place. The fact that they might also be American, I don’t believe, would resonate with any new impact or importance.
Ocean’s Eleven (1960)
Review by Jon Waterman
**1/2
Danny Ocean and his buddies from the 82nd Airborne are getting together for a little reunion. This isn’t a time for them to sit back and talk about their days in the war. No, instead they’re gathering to go on one last mission. The plan is to use their combined expertise to pull off the biggest heist in history. On New Years Eve, five Las Vegas casinos will be hit simultaneously. But can they pull it off? Will they get caught? Forget that. First they have to worry about whether or not they can get the whole crew back and in on the deal.
You can’t accurately describe this movie without mentioning the Rat Pack. You got the whole gang here, along with many other supporting characters including Henry Silva, Norman Fell, and Cesar Romero (just to name a select few). The attitude that comes with the established camaraderie is a very light-hearted, easy-going one. It looks like all the characters/actors are having a lot of fun and that translates back to the audience. However, it does not make for very good performances. Even the more seasoned actors in the Pack, like Frank Sinatra (an Oscar Winner for “From Here to Eternity”) and Peter Lawford just go about their time on screen as if it’ll never be shown to the public.
The whole relationship aspect of the film also hurts the story, in a sense. Too much time is spent locating and convincing the army buddies to join up. It would be nice if there were a way to handle two or three at a time, instead of just one. You almost get to the point where you wonder if the heist aspect of the movie will ever actually happen. After the heist, you have an insanely long resolution period, too. Director Lewis Milestone (“All Quiet on the Western Front”) must have felt the urge to include everything that happened at every location in the film, when it really wasn’t necessary. The point is there’s not enough meat on the plate. At slightly over two hours, some of that fat should have been trimmed, or maybe even made into a sequel.
The film tries to be funnier than it should be. Most of the time, the humor is very flat and dryly delivered. They are oddly placed, as well. In the middle of a key sequence, there will be a pause for some comedic attempt, then go right back to the narrative. Sometimes, they just needed to let go and allow the scene to play out naturally. Like I said, the cast is obviously having fun with the film; there’s no need to go overboard with corny one-liners.
I wish I could say this film was “a thrilling adventure,” or “a magnificent, daring caper.” Instead, I have to tell it straight and say this is just a movie where the Rat Pack got together and had some fun in Vegas. Assign characters, add a couple of so-so songs, put it on film and there you go. It’s still fun, just in a campy way.
+++++++++
Masters of the Pillow
Yellowcaust: A Patriot Act
Reviews by Jon Waterman
MotP – *1/2
Y: APA – *
Dr. Darrell Y. Hamamoto, Professor at the University of California, Davis, wrote a paper concerning Asian Americans’ place in society – sexually speaking. He believes that the severe lack of Asian-American representation in the adult film industry is hurting the perception of the Asian male. If a change were made, and more Asian males were to penetrate the market – as it were – then they would be seen in a more favorable light and be more desirable to the opposite sex. If you want change, you have to do it yourself. So, Dr. Hamamoto sets out on a quest to shoot his own pornographic film.
The documentary, by James Hou, provides good insight about the topic. It’s filled with interviews of mostly famous Asian Americans from various walks of life. Each gives his or her opinion on the good doctor’s project and its potential repercussions. The discussions are varied, and it’s clear that the perceived ramifications are anything but. A couple of senior citizen males also say their piece on the matter (as well as provide the best and most hilarious sound bytes), but there isn’t enough variance in the participants. I’d like to hear from a fuller spectrum. It should cover all ages of Asian Americans and hit the streets to get the reaction from the general public. See what other races think of the idea. I doubt a clearer consensus would be formed, but if nothing else, it would inform them that this potential revolution is in the works.
Intertwined with the interviews is Hou’s quest to get his movie made. We see a very little bit about the casting process, which should have been a more formative, substantially important chunk. I’d rather hear the phone conversations with candidates than see the chosen one get picked up at the airport. The real meat (sorry) of the section is the day of the shoot. We essentially see everything that’s going on – kept in softcore mode for the easily offended or weak, etc. that shouldn’t be watching the movie to begin with. There’s some decent behind the scenes footage here, but mostly it’s us looking at a camera that’s looking at the sexual activity.
Just like Hamamoto’s concept, it’s an interesting idea, but there’s not much to it other than that. I guess the best way to sum up the movie is to say that there should be more of it. I’d like to hear from more people. I’d like to see more of the filmmaking process. I certainly want to know what happened after the movie was released.
However, if it’s the short film that accompanied this feature, “Yellowcaust: A Patriot Act,” I can already assure you that no impact was made. This is Dr. Hamamoto’s video. You can see all the full-fledged action between the two Asian American stars. The reason I know it will do nothing to sway society’s opinion is because it is made too artistically. That’s not to say the production value is high, because it’s not even close to being good. It’s to say that the sound mix and the applied message come off as too pretentious. If he really wants to see Asian American’s make it in porn, he needs to show that the pornographic work can stand on its own as such. His short hides in the guise of pornography. I’m not sure the best way to approach the problem is to have two Asian Americans on screen together. If you really want to boost the perception of the Asian-American male as a sexual creature, he should be paired with women of a different race. Two Asians can be seen all over the place. The fact that they might also be American, I don’t believe, would resonate with any new impact or importance.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home