Shoot him again...his soul is still dancing- Nicholas Cage
By now you should all get the general idea of what a "Misunderstood Masterpiece" is by the movies I've covered so far. They're movies with ridiculous sounding plots like; Trouble Everyday (a horror/drama/psychological thriller about an unnamed disease that gives people killer libidos) & Demonlover (an erotic espionage thriller about the deadly, backstabbing underworld of animated pornography), or remakes/loose adaptations of classic films like Solaris and Ghost Dog (a loose remake of Le Samourai) that all received undeserved amounts of hate upon their initial release but are slowly starting to get the recognition they deserve for being strangely brilliant. These are the kinda films that follow in the footsteps of Maverick filmmakers like Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg. The kinda of movies where some type of a drug (strong marijuana at the very least) played a role in the development of the script or at least the basic concept. The kinda movies where you have to say; "ACTUALLY, I liked that movie a lot." Those movies that get 20% ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and bad reviews, but 10-20 years later they're in some kind of a retrospective at the Moma, Lincoln Center or Film Forum.
I can’t think of any other recent film that fits the above criteria more than Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans...
Werner Herzog's Bad Lieutenant: Port Of Call New Orleans (a loose remake of Abel Ferrara's 1992 indie masterpiece) has become that movie where people have to start defending it before they even finish saying how much they liked it. It’s that movie where you have to start talking about it with a preface like; "I know you're not gonna believe me when I say I like this, but just hear me out..." What’s also interesting is that in the last decade or so Bad Lieutenant has been one of the FEW great (yes, great) films that Herzog has put out along with The Wild Blue Yonder and Grizzly Man. Rescue Dawn teetered between being bad and pointless (I don’t care how dedicated or how much weight Christian Bale lost for his role), Into The Abyss was a disappointing and almost disrespectful documentary that showed Herzog acting all buddy-buddy with sociopathic murderers and not even Michael Shannon's presence could save My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done (probably one of Herzog's worst films ever, which is sad because it had an amazing ensemble cast). It goes without saying that Nicolas Cage and remakes aren’t a good combination. And I'm not just saying this because making fun of Cage's recent cocaine & pills-fueled performances have become the "in" thing to do these days. I'm actually a fan of Nicolas Cage from time to time when he delivers performances like he did in Adaptation, Red Rock West or Wild At Heart. But with remakes like City Of Angels (a remake of Wim Wenders' Wings Of Desire), The Wicker Man (a remake of the cult classic), Kiss Of Death and Bangkok Dangerous (a remake of a famous Thai action film), history has clearly shown that Cage is poison to a remake. Just doing a remake alone is an uphill battle from the start since 10 time outta 10 you're gonna get naysayers and diehard fans of the original hating on it before it even comes out. I went in to Bad Lieutenant expecting to see an epic disaster so bad that it would be entertaining but to my surprise it turned out to be one of my favorites of 2009. And I knew I wasn’t crazy because by the end of the year I saw Bad Lieutenant on the top 10 & 20 lists of everyone from Roger Ebert to various writers & contributors to magazines like Film Comment and Cahier Du Cinema (I know that just because some highly decorated film critics like something doesn’t automatically make a movie great, but it still means something). Most people who end up seeing Herzog's remake are usually in disbelief at how good it was and the few people that hated it still end up talking about it. Next to Bad Lieutenant I can’t think of too many other films in the last 5 years that have gotten me into heated debates/arguments/conversations about everything from the current state of cinema to racism and police brutality.
Werner Herzog doesn’t strike me as someone who needs to take drugs to make something that’s strange and far out. He's just a naturally unique and quietly quirky human being where "strange" just comes naturally to him. But I’m sorry, he must have taken some peyote or mysterious herbal drug while coming up with the idea to remake Bad Lieutenant, which he claims he never actually saw (sounds like bullshit to me, but whatever). And the more I think about it no other actor could portray the role Nicolas Cage played because when you think about it, his real life kinda runs parallel to the character he plays in Bad Lieutenant. In the film detective Terrence Mcdonagh was a once promising police officer but years of drug abuse, gambling, corruption and a crippling back injury are catching up to him while he's working on a gruesome murder case (an immigrant family has been murdered by a local drug kingpin). In real life, Nicolas Cage was an A-list actor (I guess he still kinda is) but years of bad movie choices and bankruptcy have forced him to act in just about any movie that comes his way so he can make money to get himself outta debt. The basic plot of Herzog's Bad Lieutenant is pretty similar to the original: both films are about a corrupt, out of control, drug & gambling addicted police officer who's life is spiraling out of control. But at the same time Herzog takes a few liberties and changes some stuff around. In this version our main character has a partner (Val Kilmer), its set in New Orleans during the aftermath of Katrina (the original is set in New York City), there’s no outright religious symbolism (a staple in Ferrara’s work) and we get more of a glimpse in to the main characters' love life (Eva Mendes). And even though Keitel’s performance is WAY better than Cage's, Cage seems more likeable (even when he points a gun at the head of an old lady). Throughout the film Cage's character is suffering from a permanent back injury and he does an amazing job at making it believable. You grunt and squint along with Cage as he hobbles through the film or strains to stand up. He's the kinda antihero you don’t actually want to be or emulate. You just wanna watch him from a distance. He's like a fascinating train wreck. And no matter how corrupt and fucked up Cage is at no point in the film did I laugh WITH him or think he was cool. Throughout the entire film I’m laughing at him as Bad Lieutenant is essentially about someone who thinks their above the law but in reality they're on a downward destructive path that’s so unbelievable all you can do is laugh in disbelief as we watch him accidentally snort heroine instead of cocaine just before he has to go to work, steal police evidence, blackmail college athletes to throw games he's betting on or wear his gun inside his belt instead of a holster because he thinks he's some kind of a cowboy. Bad Lieutenant is pure insanity. Herzog once again captures the egomaniac, alpha white male who goes too far when trying to abuse power reminiscent of so many roles that Klaus Kinski played under his direction (Cobra Verde, Fitzcaraldo and Aguirre: The Wrath of God). Herzog even puts a little of himself into Cage’s character. Some of the lines in the film like “Do fish have dreams?” and “his soul is still dancing” are quotes and questions from the book “Herzog on Herzog”.
Bad Lieutenant has what seems like intentionally over the top moments that kinda come out of a comic book (the dramatic music, the reactions of some of the actors to certain situations and pretty much the last ten minutes). On the surface this seemed like an odd choice for Herzog that doesn’t really fit in with the rest of his filmography. As far as the cinematography goes this may be his most polished-looking work to date. In fact, after the release of Bad Lieutenant there was a great book of stills taken by Herzog's wife that got published. But at the same time there's many Herzog-like elements to Bad Lieutenant outside of Cage's insane Kinski-inspired lead performance like randomly beautiful scenes involving iguanas and crocodiles (as we all know Herzog loves animals and nature), odd musical choices reminiscent of the dancing chicken scene from Stroszek and Herzog's fascination with people from the continent of Africa. Bad Lieutenant also features an eclectic supporting cast of actors like Brad Douriff, Michael Shannon, actor/director Vondie Curtis Hall, Xzibit, Faruza Baulk and Shea Whingham who has probably my favorite scene in the movie (see below). Don’t judge this until you've actually seen it because chance are you'll be pleasantly surprised.
'Joe's Bedstuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads' (Spike Lee)
Most of us are aware of popular cult films like Donnie Darko & Christmas On Mars or the DVD release of Alejnadro Jodorowsky's work that took forever to come out due to legal issues, being shelved, or sensitive subject matter. But at the end of the day...they finally got released no matter how long it took. There's still quite a few films out there from prominent directors that almost no one has seen (outside of festivals, special screening or bootlegs). And I'm not talking about unfinished movies in limbo, production hell or development hell. I'm talking about movies that have been shot, wrapped and edited yet haven't been released to the general public. With the growing popularity of region 2 DVD's, Eclipse box sets (the criterion collection's sub label that focuses on releasing rarely seen works from important contemporary & classic directors) and theaters like The Museum Of The Moving Image & Anthology Film Archives we're seeing more and more stuff that we thought we'd never see come out on the big screen and on DVD. But there's still plenty more movies that the public (especially dedicated movie nerds like myself) want to see.
'Fight Harm' (Harmony Korine)
So I've selected 10 movies (some of which I've actually had the pleasure of seeing...yes I'm bragging) and broken them up in to 3 categories:
"Who The F*ck Knows" - Movies that pretty much have a 50/50 chance of being released on DVD
"Possibly" - Realistic possibilities. I think the people at the criterion collection should pay close attention to these
"Probably Not" - These will more than likely either never see the light of day or be released on DVD
WHO THE F*CK KNOWS?:
-PROMISES WRITTEN IN WATER (Vincent Gallo)
After screening this at Toronto and Venice, Vincent Gallo suddenly released the following statement regarding his recent film about a man taking care of his terminally ill girlfriend in her final days: I do not want my new works to be generated in a market or audience of any kind
I'm seriously hoping this is just another publicity stunt/desperate attempt to get attention from PINNLAND EMPIRE favorite-Vincent Gallo. Or maybe due to all the piling hate over the years that the last few movies he's been involved in has received ('The Brown Bunny', 'Tetro', 'Moscow Rising', etc), he's being serious and doesn't wanna deal with all the negativity and hate anymore.
-WANG DANG (Tom Noonan)
I put this in the "who the f*ck knows category" because on some level there has to be a demand for something to get released no matter how obscure or underground it is. Tom Noonan is one of the best characters actors around as well as an underrated director, but he's not exactly a household name. Outside of some film school students and Tom Noonan himself, I don't even think people know this movie exists. The plot sounds great though: A has-been movie director comes to a film school to speak to a class of film students and he eventually gets caught up in an adventure with two grad students.
-LANTON MILLS (Terrence Malick)
Apparently the only way you can view this movie is to schedule an appointment at the A.F.I., who own the only existing copy of Terrence Malick's first movie, for research purposes only. Seriously? Why should anyone have to go through all that just to watch a movie? With the recent popularity of 'Tree Of Life' and the anticipation of his next three movies (which he seems to be working on all at the same time), I'm hoping this will get some kind of attention.
-SCENES FROM FIGHT HARM (Harmony Korine)
You seriously mean to tell me Harmony Korine got the shit beat out of him for NOTHING? This documentary about Harmony Korine trying to provoke fights with random strangers on the street never got released because apparently the footage (shot by his friend David Blaine...yes THAT David Blaine) was unusable. I'm sorry but if I got two concussions and other various injuries for the sake of my film (no matter how stupid it may be) I'm showing it to people now matter how shitty the camerawork is.
'Fraulein: A German Melodrama' (Michael Haneke)
POSSIBLY:
-KEEP IT FOR YOURSELF (Claire Denis)
Here's another rare one starring Vincent Gallo directed by Claire Denis (who's no stranger to rare films herself with stuff like 'U.S. Go Home' and her early/rarely seen documentaries). Given Claire Denis' recent popularity in the indie/art house world these days you'd think this lil gem (which i keep reading about in all the literature i find on her) would make a great special feature on a DVD. And while we're at it, I'd like to see 'U.S. Go Home' & 'No Fear No Die' put out as well.
-JOE'S BEDSTUY BARBERSHOP: WE CUT HEADS (Spike Lee)
New York Directors like Scorsese and Jim Jarmusch have been getting their early/amateur/student works released in the last few years so I think its time for Spike Lee. This short is also a nice little artifact in that not only was it the starting point for Spike Lee, but Ang Lee as well (he was a production assistant on the movie).
-MICHAEL HANEKE'S MADE FOR T.V. MOVIES
Think how awesome this box set would be! Either criterion or kino (who's released a few of his films already) needs to get on this.
-THE EARLY SHORT FILMS OF HAL HARTLEY
Much like Spike Lee, here's another staple in the NYC indie film scene that needs to have his early work put out. To me, this is highly likely since there's already been two collections of shorts by Hal Hartley released already.
'Cremaster Cycle' (Matthew Barney)
PROBABLY NOT:
-A GAME IN THE SAND (Werner Herzog)
When asked if 'A Game In The Sand', an early short film about two little kids and a chicken in a sandbox directed by Werner Herzog that, according to him, Got Out Of Hand, would ever be shown in theaters or released on DVD he said; Not While I'm Alive. I guess that answers that. Moving on...
-THE FILMS OF MATTHEW BARNEY
These aren't the most rare movies in the world, but they still only pop up every once in a while at a theater like The IFC Center or The MOMA. Not everyone lives in New York City, San Francisco or Japan. There's people in this world with good taste who live in the middle of nowhere that cant make it out to a retrospective or a special screening at the MOMA for Matthew Barney's movies which he considers to be unique works of art (like his sculptures) and wont mass produce them on DVD because it cheapens their value. Listen DICK, just put the movies on DVD already!
I'm going to the Toronto Film Festival this year with the fellas over at The Pink Smoke. Between September 8th-16th I'll be using cocaine in my coffee instead of equal (I got a lot of movies to see). Here's how i planned each day out...
DAY 1:
Thanks to 'Melancholia' I'm gonna miss the first 20 minutes or so of 'We Need To Talk About Kevin. Needless to say I'm not happy about this, but 'Melancholia' takes priority over just about anything at the festival. Sorry, Lynne Ramsay. I'll try not to make too much noise walking in to your film late. After a little break I'm gonna check out 'The Ides Of March' because its the only thing that looks interesting during that time.
*I was also able to get a separate ticket for Aki Kaurismaki's latest; 'Le Havre' @ 9:30pm
DAY 2:
This is gonna be a fun day. I get to see 'Drive' along with new films from Pedro Almodovar (The Skin I live In) and Bertrand Bonello (House Of Tolerance). I haven't read that many good reviews on 'House Of Tolerance', but just like the U.S. reviews on Bonello's other films (which i think are brilliant), I'm pretty sure most of these critics got it wrong again. Picking 'House Of Tolerance' was a tough decision as I'm not gonna be able to see 'The Artist' because they're playing at the same time. I don't know much about 'Take Shelter' but Michael Shannon can make just about any movie watchable. Even disappointing stuff like Herzog's 'My Son, My Son' and 'Shotgun Stories' (sorry, I didn't like that movie). I have no idea what 'Always Brando' is, but the description sounded good.
DAY 3:
NEW TODD SOLONDZ (Dark Horse), so needless to say I'm very excited about Saturday. As you can see, this is gonna be a busy-ass day. Andrea Arnold's new film (Wuthering Heights) is playing that day as well. I'm not all that excited about it (i never read the book), but she hasn't let me down yet (Red Road & Fish Tank) so I'll give this a shot. 'Carre Blanc' is getting a nice buzz and being compared to the work of Tarkovsky. The trailer for this film is GREAT, but I'm worried this is gonna be some 'Adjustment Bureau'-type shit. We'll see. And I picked '360' because I recognized the director Fernando Mierlles (City Of God & Constant Gardner).
DAY 4:
There's a strong chance I may not even wake up at 8:45am, so I might miss 'Rampart' (apparently Woody Harrelson is supposed to be great in this). However, If i do manage to wake up for it and its not good, I'm gonna be very pissed which isn't a good transition in to the next film; 'Damsels In Distress'. I am NOT a fan of Whit Stillman or mumblecore starlet; Greta Gerwig. But Alia Shawkat is in this so I have no choice. 'Twixt' is Francis Ford Coppola's new vampire film starring Val Kilmer. That just sounds like a disaster but I'm gonna give it a try. Then its 'Dark Girls', directed by Bill Duke. He's one of those night & day actor/directors like Tom Noonan. As an actor, Bill Duke has co-starred in stuff like 'Predator' and 'Commando', but as a director he's made films like 'Deep Cover' and 'A Rage In Harlem', so this should be interesting. It looks good but it also sounds like a downer which is why I'm watching 'Sleepless Night' afterwards. It looks like a fun/mindless action movie.
DAY 5:
A busy day full of movies i know nothing about. Steve Mcqueen & Michael Fassbinder delivered with 2008's 'Hunger', so I expect they'll do the same with 'Shame'. I don't know anything about 'Livid' except that it stars Beatrice Dalle and that's all i need.
DAY 6:
Another 6 movie day. I told myself I wasn't gonna watch the 'Descendants' because Alexander Payne is one of the MAIN culprits of Solondz-thievery. Sorry, but its true. But there's nothing else playing around that time that looks interesting, so whatever. I may not even wake up that early. I kinda want to see 'Moneyball', but 'Kill List' and 'Tyrannosaur' conflict with that. I'm a huge Paddy Considine fan so I'm very anxious to see what his directorial debut is gonna be like. But I'm having 2nd thoughts and I don't wanna be depressed by British kitchen sink realism, so I think I'm going with Moneyball. And because of Kill List, I'm gonna miss the first 10 minutes of Moneyball. Then I'm ending the day off with Werner Herzog's film that I wasn't even aware of. Nice Surprise.
DAY 7:
Alexander Sokurov's new film was a nice surprise. The stuff that I could find on youtube looked just as visually amazing and tarkovsky-esque as all his other work. For the rest of the day we're doing some repeats (assuming Dark Horse and Carre Blanc turn out to be good. If they aren't, I'm gonna re-plan this day out). And the more I think about it, I'm not gonna make that early 'Rampart' screening. Looks like i have a 2nd chance to see it.
DAY 8:
the last day is kinda "meh". I may spend the rest of the day looking for Alia Shawkat if she's still there
.jpg)
