A (Not So) Simple Plan - Why Taking the Money Never works

As today's blizzard ravages the Island, it's only appropriate I mention this week's film. Unlike the previous entries, this one will only have one post. Let's imagine, for a moment, that you're in the woods, looking for your dog. All of a sudden, you come across a plane with a dead man and $4.4 million in umarked (?) bills. Would you take it, give it over to the police, or divvy it among your friends? However, there could be problems with the money. The original owners could be after it, and no one really knows where it comes from.
A Simple Plan is set in a small town in Minnesota after Christmas. Someone once told me that the opening scene says a lot about the movie's premise. In this case, the story opens with a snowfield and ravens perched in the branches, observing as a fox sneaks into a henhouse and makes his move. Legend states that crows are the harbingers of death; in some cases, they are like vultures, waiting to feast on newly deceased flesh. Others say they represent renewal. For the movie's sake, it's the former.
Snow, meanwhile, is associated with innocence or loneliness. Plenty of winter films utilize snow to create a tense atmosphere or show heartbreak, as seen with The Phantom of the Opera. A Simple Plan showcases snow as tension or lack of peace. As long as Lou, Hank, and Jacob have the money, they can never rest; Lou and his wife get shot down, Hank gets a couple of death threats, and Jacob basically kills himself. There's never any sunshine, only a white sky.
I also want to make a couple of remarks on Hank and Jacob's ramshackle house. At first, Hank is likeable, but as the film goes on, he becomes more and more of a hypocrite. He keeps saying it's for everyone's good, but in all reality, Hank Mitchell is merely selfish. Money can make us do the unthinkable, and many have already posted about Sarah's reaction. However, it's no excuse to keep on lying. The movie stopped before then, but I have a feeling it'll catch up to him eventually and he and Sarah would be arrested. That's just my theory.
Jacob's house, for me, represents lost hopes and prospects. Jacob doesn't have as much going for him as Hank does; he has the "occasional odd-job" and has to visit welfare often. It's not exactly specified how low he sunk, but he wants things to be the way they were before the Mitchells lost the farm. We always search for the finer things in life, and it doesn't always have to be money. However, money kills, and it's not always the bad guys.

Memory vs. Facts - Memento (Part 2)

I'm afraid I have very little to say about this movie. Now that I look back on my previous entry, I may have been too harsh on Natalie. Perhaps she had a bad day, or Lenny wronged her, but in either circumstances, he's not as heroic as we previously thought. If it's Jimmy Grant, we can't blame her, even if she takes it too far.
The idea he could've made up his wife's killer shows that while he's looking for a purpose in life, he may not be entirely right in the head. In either circumstance, it fits well with the theme of memories versus facts. We can't always trust our thoughts and memories, and there are no pale men in black fedoras and trenchcoats to blame. As the mind grows older, it becomes more feeble, and in some cases, it simply falls apart. I'm in the minority when I say this, but Sammy Jankis is real. Leonard may have been in a mental hospital, but I don't doubt that his story is real. Why else would be write "Remember Sammy Jankis" on his wrist? It's a tragic fable for his fate, especially the way he treated his client before this. The lesson is to rely on facts, don't trust your memory, and always keep an open mind. You just might be in the same position one day.
Even though I don't like this as much as Runaway Train, the Seventh Seal, or Dark City, it's still a decent film. It's the second Christopher Nolan film I've seen in my life, and it's interesting to see his earlier work. What remains is the film noir. The genres and characters change, but the mystery remains the same. Be it dreams, be it memories, or be it a masked crusader and a crazy clown duking it out, the intrigue is always there. That's why he always attracts an audience. His work is masterfully crafted, and it helps that he has control over every single part of production along with a stable set of actors.

Memory vs. Facts - Memento (Part 1)

Memory has never been a reliable source. It changes every single day as we grow older, and in some cases, illnesses like Parkinson's can turn us into a blank slate. I have absolutely no idea which illness is being portrayed in today's film, but one thing's certain. The victim can never gain new memories. He is forced to carry around a polaroid camera, paper, and a pen just so he can be a normal person. Today's case study is Leonard Shelby, former Insurance Investigator turned killer - and unfortunately for him, he is in a bigger conspiracy than he thought.
Shelby's tattoos, I believe, are significant to the story. They represent his "memories" and all the reminders of his past, present, and possible future. One would expect a tattooed person to have pictures all over his body, not words. The closest thing we get to this is a chart, and even then, it is not represented long enough to show what's being said. For me, "John G. raped and murdered my wife" sticks out the most. It is simple, yet effective syntax. Shelby is driven by his grief, even though no one knows how long he's been at it, and it affects his interactions - for better or for worse. It's confirmed that he got his condition the night of his wife's death, when one of the attackers bashed his head hard on the bathroom floor.
Speaking of injuries, ways of losing memory also become a motif. It can be degenitive, it can be from alcoholism, it can be from accidents, or, judging from a distressing scene, it can come from veneral disease. The movie makes it sound like anyone could lose their memory at any time.
Out of all the movies I've seen, I finally found a character I hate the most. She's the femme fatale, but even the most deadliest women have more class than she does. She is fake, she is manipulative, and she is in short, an evil, horrid woman. I would've used worse words, but I already did so on facebook and got in trouble for it, so I'm not gonna try to push my luck here. I mean, it's low class calling someone's dead wife a "cum guzzling whore", especially if her spouse remembers her as a decent person. It's ALSO not okay to toy with a disabled man's heart! Yes, Lenny can see, hear, and walk, but his short-term memory leaves him vulnerable. She could just make up absolutely anything and he'd forget it in fifteen minutes flat if she had her way. So gentlemen, beware of Natalie.
For tomorrow, I have this theory. I strongly believe Natalie is more involved than we've been led to believe. She might've been the one who ruined Lenny's life in the first place. Maybe she was jealous of Mrs. Shelby? Maybe she wanted revenge? One thing's for certain: our hero is in a lose-lose situation.

Dark City (Part 3) - Personal Thoughts [SPOILERS]

Now that we've finally finished viewing Dark City, I would just like to say it's one of my favorite films; it ranks in the same level as Runaway Train and the Seventh Seal, even though nothing can top Runaway Train, and even though I liked Ashpalt Jungle, this one trumps it. [WARNING: THERE ARE SPOILERS FOR ANOTHER MOVIE. IF YOU WANT TO KEEP READING, DO SO AT YOUR OWN RISK]
First off, there's this tidbit I read in the IMDB trivia section; apparently, in an earlier draft, Dr. Schreber was supposed to be flayed alive during the third act, but in the end, it never happened. No one ever speculated why, but it may've been either too gruesome for the movie or viewers would've cried foul and claim it ripped off Hellraiser. If this happened, we would've had some reverse roles for John Murdoch and Dr. Daniel Schreber and two characters from the first two Hellraisers. In Hellraiser, Frank Cotton is a perverse drifter who is always looking for pleasure... until he discovers a puzzle box and loses his skin, which leads to the film's plot. The second Hellraiser, Hellbound, has Dr. Philip Channard, a neurologist looking for the puzzle box's secrets... and after a series of events, he turns into a Cenobite like his subjects. Obviously, Murdoch's no sexual predator or serial killer, but he looks quite similar to Frank, in my opinion. Take a look down below:

Maybe it's only coincidence, but the point is, if they kept this in the final draft, it would have been role reversal. Murdoch would've had a chance to be one of the Strangers, and Dr. Schreber would just be another victim on the list. It wouldn't have been a big loss for me, personally. I never liked the doctor in this one, not only because of what he's doing, but because he has plenty to hide. He's also too cowardly for my taste, but to paraphrase a forum member on IMDB, "you'd be scared too if the Strangers beat and scare you all the time".
The way Murdoch takes down his enemies is also similar to Carrie; he's had enough and he's not going to take it anymore, and he does it the best way he knows - telekinesis. With this in mind, I also want to address the final fight scene. Not many viewers liked this bit, if at all, and I don't blame them. I thought it was enough for him to wipe out their resources, but going up to Mr. Book like that is going too far. This isn't too bad, but the execution's been done before. Otherwise, this is a seamless film.
So "you wanted to know what made us human?" According to Murdoch, you won't find it in memories. If not, where do we find it? Is it in our deeds? Our accomplishments? Our mishaps? It all depends on the person. It's a mix of everything for me personally. I've never been a science and math person, but I've always been humanistic. It all depends on how one looks at it.
Also, about Emma, we can't have absolutely everything. It would be nice if she remains the way she is, but there always have to be sacrifices. Even though Murdoch acquised to the Strangers, she still became Anna anyway. They have nothing to gain from her, but they did it anyway. That's how low they are.
Shell Beach also symbolizes renewal. Dark City has a chance now that most of the Strangers are gone (except for Mr. Hand, but that's another story), and with sunlight comes a new hope. It suggests that Anna and John Murdoch have a chance, and that maybe they could be a couple, like they were in Anna's past life. Let's hope it's possible, even though that's where the film ends.
P.S. This may sound a little silly, but I always wondered what would've happened if Dark City and Hellraiser were meshed together. Maybe Kirsty and John Murdoch could help each other beat their respective enemies? Mr. Hand definitely would've gotten together with Pinhead and the gang, that's for sure. He would've loved the darkness, the lack of water and being "an explorer of the further regions of the universe", and if he were a Cenobite, he would've had his pick of Souls to experiment on and toy with their memories. However, revenge might've been his first course of action, and also, I have a feeling he might've been more interested in Emma/Anna than the director wants us to believe. It would've made for an interesting fanfic, if I had an exact idea what the plot would be like.
P.P.S. Inception is the only Christopher Nolan film I've ever seen in my life, and let's hope Memento blows me away like this one did.

Dark City (Part 2) - Some Revelations

This entry, I'm afraid, will be succinct for tonight. All I can say is that I'm astounded by what we've just uncovered, and that I can't wait for more.
Apparently, the Strangers ARE aliens, and the city itself isn't a city at all. Dr. Schreber never specifies exactly how long the experiment lasted, but if it's any indication, it must've began almost a hundred years ago, and Schreber's not the first scientist they've used. Maybe he'll be disposed of just like the rest of them. Compared to Murdoch, he is a double-faced coward who barely acknowledges what he's doing is wrong and even delights in it like Dr. Mengele gleefully experimented on his hapless victims. I've been told that he gives a voice-over in the original cut, so if that's any indication, he probably survives the mess and comes out not only with his life, but his memory.
If I had doubts about the Strangers being aliens, they've been dispelled now. I never considered them human even for a minute, but experimenting on humans to be like them is an interesting concept, especially if it's for their own survival. This somewhat humanizes the Strangers and elaborates on their motive, but not every Stranger is like Mr. Hand. If the viewers are still skeptical, then the spaceship confirms that's what they really are. This isn't like the Apollo 13 or the Death Star; instead, it's a flat presentation of what Earth would be like if it were one city.
I would elucidate further on the subject, but it is late at night. Will Murdoch survive? Will Dr. Schreber come clean? Will Emma escape the Strangers in one piece, or will she lose her memory too? Tomorrow will reveal the rest.

Dark City (Part 1) - The Manhunt for Mr. Murdoch

"There was an experiment. Something went wrong." - Dr. Schreber, Dark City
Even though the movie is barely at the half-way point, Dark City has to be one of my favorite films in this class aside from Runaway Train and the Seventh Seal. Today's film blends science fiction with film noir, and what the audience sees is a steampunk tale of memories lost and regained, murders explained and unexplained, and creatures only one doctor knows about - and he's not entirely sane himself. Not only is the atmosphere perfect, but the visuals are absolutely astounding!
The set design harkens back to German expressionist films, and Tim Burton may have influenced the swirling circle motif. Whenever Det. Bumstead discusses the Murdoch murders with anyone, the swirls are always there, be they on paper, on walls, or on the victims themselves. At first, I thought Murdoch wouldn't be the one who killed all those women. After all, "what kind of killer" would stop to "save a dying fish?" Anyone could be a criminal, some more clearly than others, but whenever it happens, it's always surprising. It's not long until we see the articles in his coat pocket. Even if he's a slasher like Jack the Ripper, he's still sympathetic because of his search for memory. We may know less about ourselves than we think. Ask anyone about their pasts, and who they were is drastically different than what we are know. It's disillusionment. In the past, I avoided networking sites like I avoided lunatics; now, I've got an account on youtube, facebook, and deviantART, along with a couple of forums. People can change and we're not even aware when or how it happened, which is where the Strangers come in.
Like the rest of the class, I had absolutely no idea what these mysterious men in the trenchcoats were. I figured they were demons from some other dimension out to manipulate humanity like scientists from concentration camps. They absolutely "must have this man", or else their experiment's a waste. Apparently, they call this "the turning", in which they and Dr. Schreber (who must've made some kind of Faustinian pact with them) freeze time and go about their business. Clocks will play a huge part later on. Considering Dr. Schreber whimpers and shudders whenever Strangers like Mr. Hand hang around, it's no wonder they haven't killed him yet. It wouldn't surprise me if they did, considering he nearly gave away their secrets.  One thing's for certain; our heroes' weaknesses are "not for the faint of heart". This may signal a showdown in the future, possibly with Schreber switching sides, but we'll just have to wait and see.
I commented on Mr. Bennett's blog about the Strangers themselves; in a way, they are like the Cenobites from Hellraiser. Both observe humanity and explore the "further regions of the flesh". Unlike the Cenobites, however, the Strangers don't physically torture anyone. Instead, they collect memories and replace them with new ones. Pinhead advising Kirsty Frank's death is "isn't for your eyes" is similar to the quote in the previous paragraph, so I think it's entirely intentional.
On another note, Richard O'Brien's in this film too, and he plays Mr. Hand, one of the Strangers who try to capture Murdoch as much as possible. Personally, I like him better out of all the villains in this piece. It's not because he composed Rocky Horror prior to this and played Riff Raff in the film; it has absolutely nothing to do with that at all. Instead, it's a matter of roles. He could have been just a stock character, but instead, he receives Murdoch's memories and interacts with other characters besides our mad Doctor. Mr. Hand's exhange with Emma is my favorite part of the film. You know something is wrong when they share the same memories and he tells her it's a "small world". It's a shame we stopped where we did, because I have a feeling he'll either beat her into confessing or he'll change her into a whole new person. One thing's for certain; if Det. Eddie's suicide is any indication, there's no way out.

The Asphalt Jungle (Part 2) - The Finale

I liked the Asphalt Jungle; even though I'm unfamiliar with noir films, this is a well-made film. Sterling Hayden and the rest of the group bring their characters to life and turn otherwise deplorable criminals into normal people we can relate to. Considering this was made during the Hayes Code, the main characters were bound to die off anyway, but at least Dix died with some shred of dignity. He returns to his Kentucky horse ranch after all these years with Doll on his side, yet he never gets to live his newfound life to the fullest. It could have been worse; he could have been left to rot in some alleyway, with no one to mourn over him.
I always liked Emmerich's idea that "crime is merely a left-handed endeavor". There are two sides to humanity. There is the face we show to the public, and then there's the face we have in private. One could say that Lon Emmerich was a respectable businessman by day, jewel thief by night. He also could've been a monstrous character, but as Liana observed earlier, he's like Citizen Kane, except he has no money. It's a shame he didn't survive, but then again, there's no other way he could've evaded the police.
On a positive note, Dark City has refreshing cinematography, and even though it's just the beginning, I'm completely immersed in the story. More on that later...
P. S. I should make the writing a bit more formal and put more thought into it like I did in my previous ones. Perhaps I should go back and edit my worst ones.

The Asphalt Jungle (Part 1) - Jewels, Family, and Vice

Up until now, the only noir films I've seen were Rififi and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, if you could call it a noir. The latter film had the ordinary guy in an extraordinary situation, only this 'ordinary person' was a cartoon rabbit framed for murdering the man who owns Toon Town. I'll go into it another time; let's look at Asphalt Jungle, a noir film about a jewel heist and what happens afterwards.

Like other noir films, you have the black-and-white cinematography, the criminals who could've been contenders, and the big bosses who always pull a fast one. However, there are no femme fatales. Even though it's implicated Doll might be in the world's oldest profession, she is a sensitive, sweet young thing. To be honest, she doesn't look that bad without her eyelashes. Even though I'm hetrosexual, I've always been fascinated by feminine and masculine beauty, and this is no exception. Mr. Bennett is a little harsh on Doll in that aspect, but at least he recognizes her for her pesonality. In fact, we actually have a backstory for Dix and a motivation for Louis. One grew up on a farm that raised horses, another is a family man with a one-year-old son. Typically, a noir film just goes straight into the plot and only makes its characters archetypes: the hero is a drunken reprobate, the villain is a big-shot gangster or businessman, and the woman's a femme fatale. We have the middle characterization, but not the last one. Not by a longshot.

Of course, one can't talk about noir films without the Hayes Code and the Legion of Deceny, what I think is the biggest violation of free speech. I'm sure they intended the best, but no one goes to the movies so some organization can expunge some beliefs. There's also a matter of hypocrisy; if a woman can get killed for having sex out of wedlock, why not men too? And also, there's a matter that plagued cinema since the dawn of time: which should we worry about more - sex, or violence? I'm personally for subtlety and putting things in when they are necessary, so if there's sex, let there be sex. However, torture porn gets lower MPAA ratings than movies with love scenes. Also, criminals always had to die or get punished by the end of the film. Louis is about to bite the dust, Dix is wounded, and Mr. Brannon is dead. All Louis did was get involved; he probably needed the extra money to support his family, and he seemed a little weak to me. He looks like Fred Flinstone, but he has Barney Rubble's temperament. Maybe the powers that be are a little too harsh on him. At least the directors try to dance around it.

Speaking of death, how does one hide a corpse, anyway? I'd personally recommend burning it to a crisp in a giant oven, or, if you have a man-eating plant, feeding him in small pieces. That'd leave blood all over the linoleum, but at least it won't be there anymore. Drowning could cause problems too, since the body could easily wash ashore and some passerby could've called the police. Maybe Lon panicked, but that's just my take.

In a next journal, I'll look at the rest of the film as well as some quotes, but for now, let's keep our eyes wide open, but not too open or else you'll wet yourself whenever you hear Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.