Love's a Bitch

Amores Perros. Translated it means "love's a bitch." Great name for a film. Great film.

My previous post was about me recommending movies. I recommended I Stand Alone to a co-worker, who liked it. In turn, she brought me her copy of Amores Perros. I watched it last night and was fairly impressed. It was a long film, and if you are squeamish about animal violence (there is a lot of dog fighting), you may want to stay away from it. If, on the other hand, you are one of those people really excited about yet another Terminator sequel, you will definitely want to stay away. The film is depressing, violent and makes you think. In other words it is in that genre of films known as "box office poison."

American films have a huge following worldwide. They have influenced a whole new generation of filmmakers, too. (The French have revolutionized the horror genre, surpassing the Japanese.) What I find interesting, however, is that the films coming to our shores from overseas are generally excellent films. They seem to leave out a lot of the things American audiences are known for loving. Now, maybe we aren't seeing a lot of the crap over here. Perhaps there is a series of Rambo clones coming out of Armenia, but I don't know about them. I think this is good not only for the viability of importing foreign films, but for film as a whole. American directors will always embrace the crap formula films (there's an audience for them), but the new camera hounds will be exposed to other things, and that can only help their filmmaking. I'm not a purist when it comes to art. I think different cultural influences can only help the art form grow.

I will be thanking my co-worker tomorrow. She and I will probably take some time in the day to discuss the film, what it meant, our thoughts on it. Much like we did with Gaspar Noe's nihilistic bit of depression. I enjoy those kinds of conversations. They don't get inspired by things like White Chicks.

Love's a bitch, and so is stereotypical cinema. Give me something to make me think any day over car crashes and played out love scenes.

I Stand Alone in my Recommendations

When I am talking movies with people and they ask for a recommendation, I am careful. I have stayed away from recommending good films to people simply because I know the films will upset them. One of those films is the incredible I Stand Alone. If you've seen it, you know why I just don't mention it to anyone. Some people just can't handle certain things. No big deal. They just can't.

I did recently recommend it to a co-worker, who watched it and liked it -- as I thought she would. When she told me she enjoyed Irreverisible I figured I was on safe ground. Both films are from Gaspar Noe, both deal with some disturbing things. If you liked one, chances are you will like the other.

I don't ever recommend things like Transformers because I don't watch those films. And there's also the fact that a person is probably going to see the film regardless of what I say (and I would most likely say to stay away from it). Mainstream movies don't do much for me, so I stay away from them and can't say too much about them. That's not to say they are horrible (just because I don't think I'll like them does not mean they are garbage), it just means they are not something I want to see.

I have a handful of people I know I can share recommendations with (it goes both ways) knowing we will both enjoy whatever the other thinks we will. Our tastes are pretty similar, and we know what kinds of movies the other person digs. (A lot of my friends will tell me about any film they know of that has cannibalism -- yea!) I appreciate that. Nobody in that tiny circle recommends any of those teen vampire movies (though other people do), and nobody says things like, "The special effects are the only reason to see it." It's a wonderful thing when you have friends that you can seriously discuss cinema with, and I don't care how fucking pretentious that sounds. Film is an art form on par with writing, painting or anything else. Just because most people only view it as entertainment and treat it justly does not mean the art does not have political or social importance. If anything, the fact that film is enjoyed worldwide (especially American films) gives it a great deal of worth. It is probably the second most enjoyed art form next to music. It can inspire, anger, enlighten and cause some serious introspection. I Stand Alone does that. From everything I've seen and read, Transformers does not.

So, should you see Noe's film about isolation and misanthropy? Only if you understood what I wrote and agree with it. Otherwise, enjoy the robots.

Waste O' Space

Perez Hilton is about as entertaining as anal fissures. Honestly, I'd rather have throat cancer than spend ten minutes with the guy. He isn't funny. He doesn't come off as smart. He gives homosexuals everywhere a bad rap. (Is he even gay? No matter.) He represents all that is wrong with celebrity gossip ... and there ain't much right there to begin with.

Now I hear Drew Barrymore is thinking of suing his ass. I support that. I really do. If he's making false statements about the woman, whom I happen to find charming and delightful, then he needs to pay for it. Had it been me he made wild accusations about I would either A) ignore him (which is the best idea), or B) kick his ass (which would be far more satisfying). If I had the time to sit in the courtroom, I'd hold up a sign that said, "Way to go, Drew! Smoke that motherfucker's ass!"

I would be thrown out.

I don't know why this fuck gets me foaming at the mouth angry. Perhaps it's because he's one of those self-absorbed assholes who spend far too much time in front of me in line trying to figure out who to make the check out to or what wine goes best with fish. Perhaps it's because he kind of resembles a human pig and the way he colors his hair only serves to really draw attention to that sad fact. Perhaps I'm jealous that he calls himself Perez, which makes him sound well-traveled in fake tourist type of way.

Perhaps I'm just tired of seeing him pop up on my computer and on television.

In the real world, people like Perez, who spend a lot of time dishing about Hollywood faces that don't really contribute anything to the art of film, would find themselves doing so on their breaks at their Burger King job. Instead, we live in a world where celebrities are made simply because they write about other celebrities who have done nothing really special to earn that title. He represents that. He is the poster child of wasted time.

Then again, maybe he does have a place in Hollywood. If Deliverance is ever remade he could show off what a pretty mouth he has. Yep, I've found the role for him. Squeal, pig!