Jump to content

Doin' it in the dark


khunsanuk

Recommended Posts

Hi,

 

This column was meant for the memberarea, but since we are still experiencing problems with the payment / registration system, and I did not want it to go to waste, I have decided to post it here for all to read.

Eyebee's nightlife column has also been posted; you can find it in the Nightlife forum.

 

Sanuk!

 

PS Itsmedave send me this several weeks ago already, but I was (foolishy it seems) hoping to get the new site live quickly.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Well, a visit from the family back home (including a cousin who pretends to be the only person on the planet NOT interested in seeing the conclusion to the ?Lord of the Rings? trilogy) kept me out of the cinema until I finally broke them down and dragged them out to Major Ratchyothin for a Xmas Day showing of the film which made over 120 million dollars in 5 days in America. After 6 commercials, and 4 movie previews (including my first look at the Spiderman sequel due in June), not to mention the obligatory up and down for the King of Thailand...

 

Okay, new paragraph here. Even if I weren?t bound by law to say so I would still admit...I admire Thailand?s reigning monarch. I think he has been, and is still, the best leadership this country has had in many a year. HOWEVER, after seeing an average of 2 movies a week for over two years...I AM GETTING SICK AND TIRED OF PUBLICLY PAYING MY RESPECTS!!! It?s not that I don?t believe he deserves the public?s respect, but hey, I go to the movies to relax and be entertained...not to show respect to anybody. If the King happened to be sitting in the row in front of me, I would gladly stand for him. If he had some way of knowing who was and who was not standing at attention, I would gladly stand for him. If I believed even a little that he actually gives a good goddamn whether I?m standing or not, I?d gladly stand for him. But as it is, the disappearance of my lap is not by choice, and not appreciated, and therefore, I think, not all that respectful at all. Heck, half the time, I use this time to adjust my package or check out where the cute girls are sitting (sometimes while I?m adjusting my package) So, powers that be, can you please just leave me alone, and let me watch the frigging movie in peace!!! (no disrespect intended) This concludes the rant, please return now to the previous paragraph, and a completely different (although still worthy) king.

 

...the movie finally began.

 

Lord Of The Rings, Part 3, The Return of the King

directed by Peter Jackson

 

I?m not going to in any way summarize the plot for you because if your that oblivious to this phenomenon which has been sweeping the world for the last 3 years (or 30 years depending on your level of literacy) then you are too clueless to be reading this anyway and I don?t have time for you.

 

Peter Jackson seems to have had the right idea when he conceived of this project. Take a grand story, surround yourself with a great team of artists both in front of, and behind the camera, and film all three parts of the trilogy at the same time. The thread of the story thus remains constant, the actors remain (and look) the same, and the story is completed in three years instead of the 10 years it will take Lucas to bring us the Star Wars prequels.

 

This is very nearly a perfect conclusion to this epic story. It is not perfect though, and while I will list my objections, keep in mind that I could not do the same about all the good parts of the film, because then this review would be longer than the movie itself. (and possibly not as entertaining)

 

This film brings back the hobbits more than the last and even little Merry (remember him) plays an important role. It is Aragorn who is shunted to the side a bit, and we need to remember his heroic past to accept him as the rightful king. What would have been his most amazing triumph in this film is played completely off camera, and we just see him emerge victorious from a battle we didn?t even know he?d had. The battles we do see, though, are an amazing thing to behold. The action is second to none, and the character of Gollum, or Smiegel, may be the most complex in the entire story. You forget he is merely a computer effect, as it is his reactions you find yourself most interested to experience.

 

Now, let me mention some odd thoughts of disappointment. Our main hero, Frodo, has become less and less manly as the series has gone on (my mom whispered at one point, ?what a wimp?) (I smacked her), and by the second hour of this film I began wondering how long it would take for him to just give in and begin frenching his male companion Sam. These guys make the staff at the Katoey Cabaret seem butch. I could?ve done with a few less of his looks of longing at Sam, who has become a much stronger character than the hobbit he follows.

 

Like various biblical epics before it (and the previously mentioned Star Wars films) characters here tend to speak so poetically and importantly, that it all starts to sound a little bit silly at some point. While this flowery speech is well made, it does distract from what little reality the audience has to cling to.

 

Lastly, let me speak of the running time. This film lasts 3 hours and 20 minutes. It also has about 4 endings. Then 2 more epilogues. Now, for a wonderful piece of cinema who?s story has taken 3 years to tell, I will not quibble too much about 20 minutes of unnecessary padding, BUT, counting the more than 20 minutes of previews, my family members had to urinate so bad that by the end of the movie they could taste it, which might not leave a good taste on their mouth as they sit through the last minutes of life on the Shire. Audiences should be focusing on the action in the movie and not in their bladder. Perhaps an intermission, or at least, omission of previews would be wise with epics of this length.

 

This at least is true, if you have enjoyed the previous LOTR?s, you WILL be satisfied with its conclusion. It is a well made piece of cinema, possibly the best in the series, and easily the trilogy stands as a masterpiece of storytelling, with eye-popping imagery and timeless characters. Surely this will be remembered as being among the best trilogy?s of all time right alongside the original Star Wars movies...before the Phantom Menace, The Clones, and Jar Jar Binks came along to ruin it for all of us. 3 and 3/4 stars.

 

DVD Corner

 

I will try, from time to time, to mention some DVD choices you have if you are living in Thailand which were not made available theatrically in the Kingdom. I would first like to mention Michael Moore?s documentary, ?Bowling for Columbine?.

 

Most people first heard about Michael Moore from his first film, Roger and Me, which showed his battle with the CEO of General Motors after he (Roger, that is) closed down the car factory in Moore?s hometown of Flint, Michigan which caused the unemployment of half the town and ruined thousand?s of lives so that General Motors could use cheap labor abroad.

 

What separates Michael Moore?s work from other documentarians is that his subjects are deeply personal for him, and he feels no need to remain impartial. Also, he has a wicked sense of humor and these elements combine to create works which are anything but boring...which is the first thought that comes to mind for many people when they hear the word documentary.

 

Bowling For Columbine looks at the gun culture in America, and asks why they kill each other at a rate of over 10,000 per year using guns, while other countries with as much crime, as much poverty, and as many guns blow away less than 100 annually. The answer, it seems, is fear. People of the United States tend to be more afraid of nearly everything around them than those peoples from almost any other country in the world. This is fed upon by politicians and the media who profit from a populace paralyzed by fear. The massacre at a high school in Littleton, Colorado is the centerpiece of this work, but the larger implications are given a long look as well and while this film has been popular around the world, I would hope that every Amercian take the opportunity to view this movie. Even if, like me, you don?t always agree with Michael Moore, the future of the world may depend on whether we really look at what causes violence in our society or whether we choose to ignore it. Also, exactly when is it okay to use violence to solve our problems, and what does this teach our children when we blow up innocent civilians and then blame Marilyn Manson when children follow our President?s example.

 

Bowling for Columbine won an Academy Award for best documentary last year, and it was very much deserved. The DVD 9 can be found at Panthip Plaza and the Fortune Hotel IT center with many special features including Moore?s comments on his controversial Oscar speech (?Shame on you, George Bush...Shame on You!?) and footage of his return to Colorado 1 year after the film was released. It?s tough material, but I believe that shown in context and with the other side provided, parents would do well to show their teens as well. A great reading companion to this movie is Moore?s best selling book, ?Stupid White Men?, about how George W. Bush stole the American election. 4 stars

 

Next week, we are to be treated with another kids movie, Bother Bear, and another action epic, Master and Commander...the far side of the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...