SPIRITED AWAY

This week's masterpiece:
SPIRITED AWAY

Have you ever heard of this film? Probably not, if you get your movie info from TV, or from magazines, or from newspapers, or from friends, or from neighbors, or from movie trailers, or from your local Blockbuster Video. Yet, this is considered, by many around the world, to be the best animated movie from the greatest animator/storyteller of all time – Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. And that’s saying quite a lot.

I’ve heard this movie described as a kind of “Alice Through the Looking Glass”, and I’d say that that’s true. The young girl in the story unknowingly enters the world inhabited by the woodland spirits. The premise is similar, in that sense, to “My Neighbor Totoro” that I recommended a few weeks ago – also by Hayao Miyazaki. However, in SPIRITED AWAY, the spirits are not as “cute” and benign. Unlike Totoro, SPIRITED AWAY has sense of real danger.

Ten year old Chihiro, at a stopover on her family’s move to the suburbs, wanders through a gate and into a mystical and enchanted spirit world. At the center of this world lies a bath house for creatures and spirits. She must serve there while she tries to find a way back.

Here is a film that challenges the imagination at all ages. It provides adventure and excitement, and some scenes, especially near the beginning, may frighten young viewers. But the risk is worth the rewards. What rewards?

1. This is an epic adventure on the order of anything from Spielberg.
2. Don’t let the fact that it’s animated fool you into thinking it’s a kids-only movie. Kids will love it – yes, but so will you ………… I hope.
3. Ranks #51 in IMDB's top films of all time, between The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and Das Boot.
4. Miyazaki came out of retirement to make this film. It will take you only a couple hours to watch it.
5. I would say that this is light years beyond what Disney Studios would put out, except that since Disney bought the distribution rights to the whole Studio Ghibli catalog, this technically IS a Disney movie.
6. As of this writing, this is the highest grossing non-American movie.
7. The hand-drawn artwork has a certain charm that doesn’t exist in computer animated cartoons. There aren’t too many people who still do animation this way. Take advantage of it while you still can.
8. This film can be strange and enigmatic, and may put off many movie-goers. It’s more enjoyable if you just accept the madness and go along for the ride. After-all, isn’t that what movies are supposed to do?
9. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote a particularly good review of this film – much better than I am able to. You can read it here.
10. Aren’t you tired of Hollywood anthropomorphic kid’s cartoons, where animals are the heroes, everything revolves song and dance numbers, and there are action toys galore to buy to insure that they extract every last possible dollar from you. Here is an animated film that compares favorably with the best non-animated movies, where the hero is an actual human child, and no action figures to buy (just movie rental fees).

Put SPIRITED AWAY on your family’s “must see” list – even if you don’t have kids.

Enjoy.

TAMPOPO

Food film of the week:
TAMPOPO

Why is food so fascinating? Why is The Food Network one of the most-watched channels on cable? Why are chefs like Rachel Ray and Bobby Flay rising in the ranks of celebrity superstars? It's because everybody relates to food. Everybody cooks - or at least, everybody eats. We each do it every day - hopefully more than once.

Like Big Night, Like Water for Chocolate, Eat Drink Man Woman, and The Scent of Green Papaya, TAMPOPO is a film that celebrates the perfect preparation of food. These movies, like TAMPOPO, are particularly appealing because they take a rather mundane activity, like cooking, and raise it to an epic level, on par with the quest for the Holy Grail. In the film, Tampopo, a young woman, inherits a run-down noodle house when her husband dies. She’s not very good at it, and the only customers are a handful of die-hard locals, a rich businessman and wannabe boyfriend, and his cronies. One day, a hero rides into town like Clint Eastwood on horseback. Goro is a trucker who sees himself as a cowboy. He speaks with a soft voice and carries the wisdom of ages on his face. He takes it upon himself to organize the quest for Tampopo to find the recipe for the perfect bowl of noodles. First, they must find the master ……..

The story is inter-cut with small subplots that carry the action from one locale to another. One subplot involves a gangster in a white suit who uses food and sex simultaneously, to please his lover. Another involves a woman whose compulsion is to squeeze every food in the market. The characters and the stories are funny and fascinating. There was a point, while we were watching the movie where we all said (or thought), “I must have one of these bowls of noodles.” ….. and went off checking the yellow pages for a late night Udon noodle shop that delivered – alas, to no avail.

This film also appears in Steven Jay Schneider’s book, “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die”, so you see, it’s not just one of my “strange little ‘Frank, where the hell do you find these crazy films I’ve never heard of’ movies”. This is widely considered an all-time classic.

There is a scene at the beginning of the film, where a master teaches his disciple how to properly eat a bowl of noodles. These are very helpful, but here at FranksFilms, we’ve come up our own tips for properly enjoying a perfect bowl of noodles.

1. The pork sits right at the top. You will want to eat that first, but don’t. If you do, you’ll be like, “Damn, pork’s all gone. Nothin’ left but noodles and seaweed.” Eat it last. You’ll want something to look forward to.
2. If you want to chuck the seaweed, I won’t be offended - but the chef might, so hide it in your napkin and stuff it in your pocket when he’s not looking.
3. If the noodles are less than perfect, tell the chef to watch TAMPOPO. You can say, “It scored a 100% on the tomatometer you know.”
4. If applying #3, be prepared to bolt if necessary. Noodle chefs can be a very sensitive bunch - and they have sharp knives.
5. Order yours with a rice omelet. They make one in the film that pushed me over the top. We paused the movie and tried making one, but it didn’t come out quite right. Perhaps, “real” noodle chefs know a secret they’re not letting out.
6. While you’re eating, DO NOT think about all the starch.
7. All of the answers to life are reflected in a perfect bowl of noodles. Sooooooo ……. The answers to life involve ….. what, oil, and seaweed, and stuff? And here I thought it had something to do with destiny, and character, and purpose, and stuff.
8. There is a scene in the film where a number of Japanese princesses are taking lessons on how to eat spaghetti silently, like European women – without making any slurping noises. This DOES NOT apply to you when eating your perfect bowl of noodles. Slurp away! Unless …… you are hiding because you are afraid someone will steal your perfect bowl of noodles before you can finish. In THAT case, please pay attention to the lesson in the film.
9. Note on #8. I don’t know what they’re talking about. I’ve been to Europe. Women there slurp plenty loud.
10. Even though it’s in Japanese, the themes here are universal: friendship, perfection, love (of noodles), eggs, broth, and pork.

TAMPOPO will make you laugh.
TAMPOPO will make you hungry.
Enjoy.

DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB

Satire of the week:
DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB

Oh how I love this movie! I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say that this is, unarguably, the best comedy ever made. I know that the American Film Institute has ranked it as the 3rd best comedy, after Some Like it Hot and Tootsie, but they were obviously smoking crack at the time, and as such, can't be faulted for their error (in its defense, “Some Like it Hot” does feature Marilyn Monroe in her hey-day).

As I’ve said in the past, political satire is hard to do. Yes, it's easy to poke fun at a moron, or at easy and obvious targets, but to satirize a system, or at ourselves, and do it well, takes a very subtle hand. Luckily, Stanley Kubrick does.

At a time when the world stood inches away from nuclear oblivion, the world put its trust in the technology that controlled it all, and especially what was known as the "fail-safe" system. That is, a protocol which would supposedly prevent the accidental launching of nuclear warfare. DR. STRANGELOVE depicts a scenario in which nuclear war is triggered, not by accident, but on purpose. An insane general, convinced that America was under attack by a Russian plot to destroy our "precious bodily fluids" by water fluoridation, launches a pre-emptive nuclear strike. The planes are difficult to call off because of the same fail-safe system that's supposed to prevent such a situation.

The president (played by Peter Sellers) and the joint chiefs convene in the war room and consult with the Russian premiere by phone, trying to divert disaster. Meanwhile, a British major (also played by Peter Sellers) tries to pry the secret codes from the crazy general. Can they stop the last plane before it drops the big one and triggers the "doomsday device"? If not, the world will end, but Dr. Strangelove (also played by Peter Sellers) has a plan.

Well, Frank, that doesn't sound very funny.

But it is. It's hilarious. As it happens, I lived through the time period where this story takes place. Nuclear war was a very real and looming fear. We depended entirely on the sanity of our leaders and the technology that protected us. There were just so many ways it could go wrong. This movie pointed out the absurdity of everything we trusted. It made us laugh at our situation and at ourselves, and after that, we just didn't put our trust blindly any more. The stress of watching the "doomsday clock" tick ever closer to midnight was somehow lightened. Laughter is a powerful thing. I truly believe that the ability to laugh at our situation and ourselves is a key element in the survival of the human species. People who are unable to laugh at themselves are generally very angry and unhappy (Hitler couldn't laugh at himself - he took himself way too seriously). Unfortunately, way too many people, even today, just can't take a joke. Too bad.

Stanley Kubrick didn't make very many movies during his career, but each one is a masterpiece. And at least two of them are among my top 10 movies of all time (including this one). Look here at his credits to see what I mean. Make no doubt about it, this is one extraordinarily funny movie. Peter Sellers is outstanding in all three of his roles (especially as Dr. Strangelove), and he got an Oscar nomination that year for this film. Slim Pickens has perhaps the most famous and memorable scene from the film (even if you've never seen this movie, you'll recognize the scene because it was copied and parodied many times). George C. Scott, not normally known as a comedic actor, delivers pitch perfect, over-the-top absurdity throughout. It was his own favorite performance.

Here are some fun facts about DR. STRANGELOVE.

1. The film "Fail Safe" came out that same year, with basically the same plot. But it was a totally serious film - not funny! .... and who remembers it?
2. The fear that drinking water fluoridation was a communist plot to weaken America, was very real during the 50's and 60's, and the "anti-reds" fought against it vehemently. Imagine that! Today, that movement would be headed by Rush Limbaugh.
3. India and Pakistan have the bomb. North Korea has it, and Iran is on the verge of having the bomb. It's time to start laughing at nuclear war all over again.
4. "Gentlemen you can't fight in here – this is the war room"
5. Peter Sellers was supposed to play a fourth role, that of Maj. T.J. 'King' Kong, the B52 commander. He couldn't get the accent just right, and when it came time to shoot the scenes, he faked a broken ankle to get out of it. The role was eventually played by Slim Pickens. They didn't tell him it was a comedy and he played it totaly straight and serious - which made it all the more funny.
6. See if you can recognize a young James Earl (Darth Vader) Jones in his film debut.
7. Kubrick initially wanted to end the film with a pie fight (a la Three Stooges) in the war room, but opted instead to blow up the world. He figured it would be funnier - he was right.
8. Ranks #19 in IMDB's Top 250 Movies, between City of God and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. That's pretty good company .......... for THEM.
9. Scored a 100% on the tomatometer.
10. Appears in Steven Jay Schneider’s book, “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die”. Let's go - you're not getting any younger.
11. Despite its dark premise, it can be safely viewed by all.

Rent DR. STRANGELOVE this week. Laughter is healthy. So is flax seed, but this is funner.
Enjoy.

MODERN TIMES

Semi-silent movie of the week:
MODERN TIMES

I've known about Charlie Chaplin for most of my life. I've seen lots of little film clips showing him doing his antics - I think most people have. It's funny stuff. He's had a career spanning from 1914 to 1967, but I've never watched any of his movies, until this past weekend. Now I wish that maybe I'd have watched them sooner - but I'm glad that there are still great discoveries to be made after all these years.

I loved this movie - it's very very very funny!

Filmed in 1936, this was supposed to be Chaplin's first talkie. After filming a few scenes, he reportedly changed his mind. This film is NOT a talkie, but it's also not a silent movie. Instead, it uses sound in a unique (for the time) way. The main characters don't speak, but some of the minor ones do. Also, there are sound effects - especially those caused by symbols of technology (machines, radios, etc.). With the use of just a handful of title cards, facial expressions, and lip reading - you never have any problem understanding out what's going on.

This is Chaplin's final film that featured his signature character, The Little Tramp. He wrote and directed the film, as well as composed the music. The story is a satire on technology and the future. Years later, because of its political sentiments, the House Un-American Activities Committee was convinced that Charlie Chaplin was a communist. Political statements were hard to avoid, especially during the great depression, Despite that, I found it fascinating to see the technology predictions being made in the film. Things like wall-sized flat panel video screens, and fast-food machines - this film was way ahead of its time.

After all these years, this film is still held in high regard.

• It rates a 100% on the tomatometer
• It ranks 68 on imdb’s Top Movies of All Time, between Sin City and Raging Bull.
• It’s featured in Steven Jay Schneider’s book, “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die”
• What more do you want, a golden invitation? - My mother used to say that to me all the time.
  

Now, I can guess what you're thinking. "This is a silent movie - I can't be bothered." "I'd rather watch a modern movie, 'cause they're better - like: The Escape Claus and Saw III and Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector." Maybe you're right.

"Besides, it's not a talkie - so they're like mimes - right? Nobody likes mimes, right?" No, they're not like mimes - but all this mime bashing is getting a little old, don't you think? In order to set this whole mime thing right, I present a brief -

Recent History of Mimes.

• Early 20th century: Mimes are movie stars, or I should say - movie stars are mimes. Mimes are cool. Mime colleges get so many applications that they have to turn people away disappointed.
• Talkie movies arrive: Mimes no longer needed. Rejected mime college applicants lead sour-grapes anti-mime movement. Most silent movie stars lose careers. Mimes are attacked on the street.
• 1950's: Marcel Marceau makes mimes cool again. Mimes can do no wrong during the 50's and 60's. A mime ran for president in the U.S. in the late 60's but was unable to give campaign speech.
• Mid-1970's: Glut of mimes spurs new wave of anti-mime-ism. Mimes are mocked in the media and are physically attacked on the street. Mimes are afraid to appear in public and move into the closet. They secretly assemble in large groups underground to plan next comeback, scheduled for late 1990's.
• Late 1990's - present: Blue Man Group makes mimes cool again. Current strategy is to only show in theaters and make public pay to see them. This help to prevent premature public burnout. As insurance, BMG mimes wear blue makeup, hiding real identity to hedge against future inevitable mime uncoolness.

Current mime status: cool

So, quickly, quickly! Go out and rent Charlie Chaplin's MODERN TIMES, while it's still cool.
Enjoy.

MAY

Disturbing movie of the week:
MAY

I recognize that everybody, has different tastes and that not everybody likes the same types of films. In fact, after talking to several of you, I realized that many of you sometimes have a taste for the bizarre f***ed up movie. And even there, there are good films and bad films, so I will occasionally recommend some good ones.

******Warning****** these movies are not for everybody.

If just looking at the cover of this video doesn't flip you out, I don't know what will. This is not a pure horror film or merely a slasher film. This is more of the "disturbed misfit loner" type of film. This could be considered a "black comedy" in the same sense that "American Psycho", although pretty gruesome in its subject matter, is actually hilarious. You just have to have that type of sense of humor that appreciates black comedy. The movie also works as a psychological thriller, in the same sense as films like Psycho and Carrie.

Now, let's see. So far it's a psychological horror black slasher comedy. I'd say - there's a little something for everybody. How do all these elements mix? Great. This is a wonderfully entertaining film. Strange, original, and oddly endearing.

You, the audience, know things about May that the characters in the story don't. She is basically a sweet but vulnerable young woman, but there is a little ....... something, buried below the surface that you can see just by looking at her. She's a bit off. Through the second half of the movie, you can see it building to what must be its inevitable conclusion - you just can't believe that it will actually go there.

It does.

I know a lot of you will steer clear of this type of film. "I don't like violent movies." "It's too scary." "It doesn't appeal to me." "I am a wussy." This type of film is often associated with cheap, BAD, mindless teenage gore-fests. The same thing is said of cheap, BAD, mindless teenage sex comedies. But just as there are many examples of well-written, GOOD, thoughtful teenage comedies, there are many examples of well-written, GOOD, and thoughtful psychological horror black slasher comedies. This is one of them. But it's always good to go in with an open mind. It helps if you consider the following.

1. It's only a movie.
2. It's meant to be funny (not "ha ha" funny - more like "I'm worried about Megan. She's been acting a little funny lately.").
3. Those people were rude anyway.
4. There are no sudden "jump out of the shadows and hack someone to pieces" scenes. Any violent images usually come with a fair amount of warning.
5. It's OK to venture to such an extreme, within the context of the movie, without being considered perverted. There are so many other things to be perverted about.
6. I compared this film to "Carrie". Here's another Carrie connection. Angela Bettis, who plays May in the movie, also played Carrie in the made-for-TV remake. Can you spell t-y-p-e-c-a-s-t?
7. Unless it's a bad, slasher, formula, gross you out for the sake of grossing you out, made for cheap, summer drive-in movie - which this is NOT - this kind of film is supposed to be fun - which this IS.
8. There's a really creepy doll in this movie. May doesn't really explain the doll, but the doll may explain May. You can imagine all sorts of creepy doll plot elements. Is the doll making her do things? At times she seems to hate the doll and at other times she seems to adore the doll - is the doll getting into her head? What kind of mother would give her daughter such a doll? .............. the doll is really creepy.
9. A lot of real legitimate film critics like and recommend this movie ........ like - me, Roger Ebert, Film Threat, lots of other people, LA Times, me, ....
10. Remember, I said it was a disturbing movie. It does have a cataclysmic climax that gets a bit intense. If that bothers you, DON'T WATCH IT!

Don't wait until May to see MAY.
Enjoy.

ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL

Romance of the week:
ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL

Not since Harold and Maude, has there been a more mismatched couple than Emmi and Ali. Emmi is a 60-ish, widowed for many years, German woman in Munich. She is about as straight and conservative as they come. She steps into a bar one night and meets Ali, a black 40-ish Moroccan man that can barely speak German. Somehow, they hit it off. I guess you just never can tell.

This is a film that is on nearly every movie critic’s list of the best films of all time. Usually, that doesn’t impress me as I’ve found many such movies that I didn’t like. But this one, I do. I liked this one a lot. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because, against all odds, two people find each other and try to make it work. I say “against all odds” – there are a lot of things working against them. First, mixed race couples were not easily accepted in early 1970’s Germany. They have to deal with neighbors, her co-workers, her straight-laced children, and his co-workers. The have to deal with the difference in their age – which is not insignificant. There are cultural differences, language differences, etc…

This is a film, so devoid of the stereotype characters, that you have the sense of watching real people. Their actions, reactions are natural and without pretense or artifact. This is not the attractive young couple that you’d find in most romance films (even good ones). This could be you or I. It could be your mother. Real people.

As you might expect, this film scored a 100% on the tomatometer. Not only is it universally loved by movie critics, but it’s also nearly universally loved by ordinary movie watchers like you and me. You can read a detailed review from Roger Ebert’s site, the link is below.

It’s in German with the appropriate language subtitles. Get over it and watch – it will make you feel good about life and stuff.

Film critic Roger Ebert’s review of ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL.

Enjoy.

THE COOK THE THIEF HIS WIFE & HER LOVER

Color coded movie of the week:
THE COOK THE THIEF HIS WIFE & HER LOVER

You're probably going to hate this movie. That's my prediction. Is that any reason not to watch it? Absolutely not!

This films displays simultaneously, scenes of extraordinary beauty and spendor, along with scenes of sudden and extreme cruelty. Some parts are difficult to watch, but you can't look away. A crude and obnoxious crime boss (the thief) owns a restaurant in London, where he, his wife (his wife), and all his sycophants eat every night.

He’s really obnoxious! He’s rude and crude, and he inflicts both physical and psychological abuse to all those around him. He especially likes to establish his dominance by humiliating those that serve him, like his wife and the chef of the restaurant (the cook), as portrayed quite graphically in the opening sequence. His is the type of character that you watch and repeat to yourself, “He’s going to get it. He’s going to get it. He’s going to die in some particularly nasty way. He just has to!”

The wife, played by the talented Helen Mirren, is a graceful, intelligent, refined woman. She sits quietly and endures her husband. I’m not sure how or why these two ended up together. As a form of escape, she begins an affair with one of the restaurant’s regular patrons (her lover). This has the potential to end rather badly if the powerful, domineering, possessive, and ruthless mob boss finds out that some other man is with his wife.

I called this the “color coded” movie of the week. It’s a film style the director uses, that might not be immediately apparent on the first viewing. So look for it. The color scheme of the set and costumes changes with different locations. Red for the dining room, white for the bathroom, green for the kitchen, etc… The costumes (Helen Mirem’s dress, her cigarettes, the sashes the men wear) also change color as they walk from room to room. Is this key to the plot? No, but it does help to set the style and tone.

This movie is not for everyone. Some people can’t get past the cruelty and physical abuse. This is some nudity and sex, but that’s shown more as an oasis of sanity than it is sensual. No, the part that seems to get most people comes in the final scene. This is the most controversial scene in the film. People who hate this movie, probably do it because of this scene. This is the type of scene that sends spectators running from the theaters. I think that these people haven’t been paying attention throughout the rest of the film. If they had, they might agree that this ending is a logical, inevitable, and very satisfying conclusion to the story. I won’t say more, except that this was one of the first films to sport the NC-17 rating from the MPAA.

I have read many articles that describe this film as an allegory to Thatcherism. I suppose that if I were British or were paying attention to British politics around that era, I might see the connection. Unfortunately, I don’t. But I imagine that excesses of wealth and abuse of power could properly be applied to many political regimes. But I digress ..…

Although I'm sure you’ll hate this movie, why should you see it?

1. It’s good.
2. It’s real good.
3. Visually stunning and stylish.
4. Helen Mirren naked – this could go either way. We're talking Helen "Prime Suspect" Mirren, Helen "Calender Girls" Mirren, Hellen "Ms Tingle" Mirren.
   
5. You’ll be glad it wasn’t filmed in “Smell-o-rama”.
6. Learn to be careful about ordering “delicacies” at fancy restaurants.
7. It earned a 93% on the tomatometer.
8. It’s featured in Steven Jay Schneider’s book, “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die”.
9. Alternate title: “The Cook, the Thief, his Wife, & her Lover Must be Getting Tired of the Same Old Menu Because they Eat in the Same Damn Restaurant Every Single Freakin’ Night”.
10. Film critic Roger Ebert wrote a very detailed review of this film. It gives a lot of information away, so you may want to read it afterward. However, if it gets you to rent and watch the movie, read it now.

Enjoy.

Film critic Roger Ebert's review of THE COOK THE THIEF HIS WIFE & HER LOVER.