Samsara

Samsara* is the new movie from Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson.  To use their own terms, this film can be viewed as a meditation on (you fill in the blank).  Haunting, beautiful, poetic, surreal, epic (you fill in the superlatives).  It will definitely provoke a reaction.  See it on the big screen if you can.

* The term “Samsara” is associated with eastern religion, most notably Hinduism and Buddhism.  It refers to the cycle of life: birth, suffering, death, rebirth.

Somebody colorized King Kong!

Purists will condemn the colorization of old black & white movies, but for some strange reason, I never had an issue with it, as long as they’re not messing with the original negative (which is not the case with colorization).  The cropping of movie formats to fit within the squarish TV frame bugged me way more, but that’s another issue.  I’ve seen King Kong more times than I care to admit, and for my money it remains one of the greatest films ever made.  One of my great film memories is watching a reel (the very scene depicted in the YouTube clip) struck from the original negative in the Academy Theatre in L.A. with a cranked up sound system.  Awe inspiring.  The film is filled with incredible details in both the picture and sound.  For instance, we get to hear Fay Wray scream a lot, but next time you see the film pay attention to the screams of the unlucky Venture crewmen who suffer horrible deaths while pursuing Kong on Skull Island!

King Kong lobby card

The Land Unknown

Ok, I thought this movie was pretty cool when I saw it as a kid.  It was on a double bill with This Island Earth, which would’ve been a re-release in 1964.  It has horrible acting and a T-Rex that is a guy in a suit, plus a crazy caveman.  They built a full size jungle set with painted backdrop,  which is pretty cool, and they built a miniature jungle set for the T-Rex (and a miniature helicopter).  It’s a 1957 Universal film, so it has all the stylistic flourishes that the other films of that period have:  good production values, good music, earnest effects work.  And ponder ye the title:  The Land Unknown.  Why not just:  … The Unknown Land?

TheLandUnknown LC1

TheLandUnknown LC5

 

It Conquered The World

Shot in 5 days, this 1956 film directed by Roger Corman remains a favorite of mine.  I don’t know who wrote the synopsis on IMDb, but it beautifully captures the essence of the film’s plot in one sentence:   “A well meaning scientist guides an alien monster to Earth from Venus, so that he can rid mankind of feelings and emotions – but only death and sorrow result.”  The film is worth watching for Beverly Garland’s memorable performance as Lee Van Cleef’s neglected wife, who takes charge at the film’s conclusion.  And, there is a great monster created by Paul Blaisdell.

ItConqueredTheWorld LC5

ItConqueredTheWorld LC8

Earth vs The Flying Saucers

Of course, I am a huge fan of Ray Harryhausen*, and I vividly remember seeing 7th Voyage of Sinbad in the theater when I was but a wee kid (scared the shit out of me).  And, most would cite 7th Voyage or Jason and the Argonauts as his finest work.  But my favorite Harryhausen film is Earth vs The Flying Saucers.  I just love the corny and hilarious charm of this film, the creative use of stock footage and the clunky acting (especially the distorted “alien” voice of Paul Frees).

*Every person who was raised in the 1950s and grew up to become a Visual Effects artist is a fan of Ray Harryhausen, of course!

Earth vs the Flying Saucers (title card)