Hey folks, Harry here with the report from NORDLING - who each year I swear to God gets more unintelligible at the end. I remember him waving his arms over his head, babbling something about best, atari, ever, brain, grilled cheese, awesome. It's just random words of elation in his monkey brain. Here he is in his calmed down mode....
Hey everyone! Nordling here, relaxing at Masswyrm's cozy abode and watching DVDs, and recovering from BNAT 7.
BNAT 7 is the best BNAT ever. Just to get that out of the way. I can barely summon coherent thought (since when have I ever been coherent, hahah) but I'm going to break down the evening, as best I can.
Mel Gibson's APOCALYPTO trailer: Pretty damn good. Interesting choice of shots and I'm curious to see how this plays out.
THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME: Merian Cooper's movie that he produced while KING KONG was being made. Really great. Criterion has a decent edition of the film out on DVD and I highly recommend it.
Peter Jackson's KING KONG: Has my favorite scene of the year in it, as Kong and Ann dance on a frozen Central Park pond. I think this film is amazing, although the first hour is clunky and could have used some selective editing. But once the Venture reaches Skull Island, the film reaches an intensity that has never been matched in cinema. Thr dino stampede, Kong fighting dinosaurs, and the quiet beautiful moments, down to the tragedy of the ending. It's not Peter Jackson's best film, but the love is there and with any justice this will bust TITANIC wide open at the box office.
FOOTLIGHT PARADE: James Cagney rules, and this is one of the best musicals ever made. Hilarious, biting satire and dialogue, and mind-blowing Busby Berkeley dance moments that are the pinnacle of art. By the way, film geeks should see Cagney play Lon Chaney in MAN OF A THOUSAND FACES. Catch it, really great performance.
Lucky McKee's "Sick Girl" MONSTERS OF HORROR Entry: Pretty fun and clever. Lesbians and insects. Cool.
SYMPATHY FOR LADY VENGEANCE - Chan Wook Park is the best director alive right now, and this film nails it. Fucking amazingly great, and a perfect ending to the "Vengeance" trilogy. "Be white." An important cinematic achievement.
THE PROFESSIONALS - Terrific Western, and Jack Palance is the Greatest Mexican who ever lived.
DISTRICT 13: I liked this quite a bit, although I feel like it starts running out of steam towards the end. Kickass fight scenes.
John Carpenter's "Cigarette Burns" MONSTERS OF HORROR Entry: Udo Kier! This was great fun and suitably creepy. MASTERS OF HORROR continues to be a terrific show.
THE DESCENT: A phenomenally great horror film from the director of DOG SOLDIERS. Scary as all hell, claustrophobic and creepy. Vegas screamed like a baby at the end. SCREAMED.
STUNT ROCK. At last.
DRUM: Warren, I feel your big titty love.
V FOR VENDETTA: I can't wait to see how this shatters American audiences. Alan Moore's graphic novel is adapted perfectly for the big screen and Natalie Portman knocks it out of the park with a performance of bravery and passion. Hugo Weaving was terrific as V. A damn near flawless movie that will rip audiences asunder.
This year's BNAT had the running theme of revolution. How revenge isn't just for yourself but to right a genuine wrong in the world. Of all the BNATs, this one has the genuine ability to change lives.
Harry, Mori, Quint, Father Geek, Rav, Massawyrm, Vegas, Saffy, jed, smallerdemon, 433, dmann, Grendy, Lotus, Harry Lime, Abstruse, Michael C, everyone... I love you guys. As SPACED says, friends are the family you choose. And my family makes my life worth living. Thank you for my favorite BNAT ever, and V FOR VENDETTA will be the film next year that everyone will be talking about, because it is brave and has genuine hope to change the world.
Goodnight, Harry. Love ya, man.
