VIDEO REVIEW: The Thirteenth Floor

VIDEO REVIEW: Tuvalu

VIDEO REVIEW: Luna Papa

REVIEW: Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow
Director: Tim Burton
Year 1999
 
Sleepy Hollow is an insanely atmospheric flick which brings the tale of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman to stark and often gruesome life. Presented in that bizarre Tim Burton style, the film relies on haunting imagery and quirky characters to move the story along, and with its abundance of creepy locations and eye opening sequences the movie is a feast for the imagination. Sleepy Hollow is without a doubt the perfect film to watch on a cold, dark and haunting Halloween night.
 
The film is set in the quiet town of Sleepy Hollow, where a mysterious headless horseman, born from legend, has begun decapitating the townsfolk. Constable Ichabod Crane is sent to look into the murders, bringing with him his new world investigative methods, which could prove to be worthless once the nature of the killings is revealed to be of the supernatural kind. As the bodies begin to pile up and Crane’s own life threatened on a number of occasions, could this case be the death of the awkwardly timid constable or will he be able to unravel the mystery that has rendered this quaint little town into a vice of fear and paranoia?

Johnny Depp stars as the often clumsy, but ultimately brave, Constable Ichabod Crane. With a cunning mind and a headstrong disposition, Depp gives Crane a heroic nature that really allows us as the audience to root for him to the very end. His mannerisms and deductions of logic are emphatically enjoyable to see play out and the way in which he carries himself when onscreen is a perfect example of the actor’s powerful screen presence. Often at times Depp tends to let the bizarre traits of his characters to get the best of him, whether for good or bad, but in Ichabod Crane’s case he hits a nice balance that allows the more humanistic and relatable traits of the character to take center stage. Though Crane does have his fair share of whimsical and silly moments, the absurd and darkly comedic approach fits perfectly amidst Burton’s bleak recreation of this morbid little tale.
 
As for the rest of the cast, you could basically say that this film is filled to the brim with a who’s who of iconic actors. First and foremost is Christina Ricci who takes on the role of Katrina Van Tassel. Her hauntingly beautiful appearance and soft spoken nature is a godsend unto the production and the way that her character walks the fine line between friend and foe, thanks to the mixture of witchcraft and the thick atmosphere of paranoia that Burton has created within the story, is magical in its presentation and ultimate execution. This paranoia is emphasized all the more with the inclusion of a conspiracy that includes all the main players of the town portrayed by Michael Gambon, Jeffrey Jones, Richard Griffiths, Ian McDiarmid, and Michael Gough. This collection of character actors is one of the film’s shining assets and each of the legendary thespians give a mesmerizing performance. Not to be outdone, the movie also boasts some intensely acted performances by Christopher Walken and Miranda Richardson, who take on more overtly sinister roles within the story. It goes without saying that Sleepy Hollow has a cast to die for and the filmmakers waste no opportunities in allowing the actors to prove their worth.

When it comes to haunting atmosphere, Sleepy Hollow takes the cake. Drenched in a hypnotic fog of moody visuals, the film is a vivid nightmare come to life. It’s not that surprising that the movie looks this good because Tim Burton is famous for injecting that ambient style into everything that he creates, but in Sleepy Hollow it is established to perfection. Everything seems to fit just right and the overall tone is without question one of the most harmonious of Burton’s creations. The town’s gloomy landscape, the fog shrouded graveyard, the sinister cornfields guarded by an equally sinister scarecrow, the demented and twisted forests, and the bone chilling views of Van Tassel Manor, are a crowning achievement in atmospheric horror. Needless to say, the examples of the film’s poignantly creepy imagery go on and on.
 
Accompanied by the movie’s panache for unsettling visuals is the film’s lust for the grotesque and the macabre. Time and time again we are submerged in disturbing moments that unabashedly thrust upon us shots of beheadings, lacerations, and corpses a plenty, but strangely enough it all feels fun and carefree as the nature of the film is lensed in a fantastical light. We are absorbed in the violence but because of the presentation of this bizarre and fairytale like world, we don’t become disturbed by it but rather entranced at its savage and demented temperament. This strange but effective approach also allows the comedic aspects of the film to blend seamlessly into the narrative without bringing us out of the sequence at hand. Out of all of Tim Burton’s bizarre masterpieces, I’d say that Sleepy Hollow is definitely one of his most accomplished and aesthetically succinct productions and the quality is just unparalleled across the board.

Sleepy Hollow is an astoundingly fun film that blends horror, mystery and comedy into an unusual concoction that entertains to no end. Headlined by an all-star cast and performed with a kinetic energy that begs the audience to join in on the adventure, the movie is a fantastical and horror tinged blast. Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci make for a compelling on screen duo, with Depp giving one of his most accomplished performances to date. The turmoil of his character, both in the events of the film and in his troubled past, are portrayed acutely by the eccentric actor and I find it impossible to resist the sweeping narrative once Ichabod Crane begins unraveling this most disturbing mystery.
 
On par with the rest of the production, the visuals are simply outstanding as it leaves the viewer breathless with its unbridled passion for delivery top notch atmospheric landscapes and spine tingling locations. Everything is surreally depicted as if plucked from a dream, and the way in which Burton has fused that feeling between his diverse cast and the world that they are set in, is remarkably unified and exceptionally authentic. Though the movie has a tendency to get quite ridiculous and flighty, it never seems to break from the mold that it has set in place, giving proof that the potent atmosphere that the film delivers is an unbreakable fixture of the production and an accomplishment in its own right. If you’re searching for that perfect Halloween flick to satisfy your October horror cravings, then give this impressive gem a try. Just try not to lose your head! Sleepy Hollow is without a doubt an…..

Sleepy Hollow.... what a shithole.

You better back off Depp! Casper doesn't like dudes hording in on his chicks.

Hi-yo, Silver.... AWAY!

Johnny Depp, you're such a card.

Christopher Walken is one creepy bastard.

That's a neat trick lady, but I'm more impressed in your other talents.

These guys look like they're up to something.

What a horrible time to lose ones head.

Well someone's a messy baby.

I can't pee if you keep watching me like that.

What are you up to Ichabod Crane?

Now that's one freaky-ass tree!

Looks like you have one hell of a head collection going on there buddy.

The Headless Horseman has a thing for cleavage.

Now that was one hell of a crazy party!

Holy Shit! Michael Bay attacks the Sleepy Hollow set!

Come back with my eyebrows you headless bastard!

Christopher Walken is ready for his close-up.

ALL HALLOWS EVE: Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow

Director: Tim Burton

Year 1999

 

 

REVIEW: Tuvalu

Tuvalu
Director: Veit Helmer
Year 1999
 
Tuvalu is a breathtaking oddity of a film brought to us by German director Veit Helmer. Featuring an exceptional cast, imbued in a colorful palette that is as diverse as it is obscure, the film screams for the attention of the audience. The movie is all performed in a cinematic world that is anything but ordinary, displaying that even the strangest of places can give birth to the most extraordinary of stories. With heart and soul, Tuvalu breaks the mold on what to expect when viewing a film and there really isn’t anything like it out there.
 
The film is a literally wildly colorful coming of age tale about a strange young man named Anton who lives at his family’s bathhouse. Secluded from the rest of the world, Anton’s only interactions are with those of his blind father and with his long-suffering mother. Stagnant in life, Anton lives a quite existence that is until a young beautiful girl named Eva visits the bathhouse with her ailing father. Anton becomes obsessed with this exciting beauty and through a series of unexpected events the two get tangled up in one of the most interesting and heartfelt of tales showcasing the growing pains of life and the agonizing reality of the introduction to the age of maturity and responsibility.

I’m not too familiar with director Veit Helmer’s other works, but if Tuvalu is any indication on the rest of his filmography, then I better get my ass started on hunting down the rest of his directorial efforts. This film is an absolute vision. Using a small, yet diverse color palette, Helmer is able to convey a wide array of moods that help separate the tonal atmosphere within the bathhouse from the outside world. Through this method, we are given a greater inside look on how Anton views the world around him, by displacing the feel between the freedom outside and the seclusion inside. Resulting in this choice of color specified shots, the director sets the mood of the piece in brooding mystery and fantastical ambiance.
 
There’s also a deliberate decision to portray this cinema world in a circus style atmosphere. Nothing seems right and everyone seems a bit off when it comes to mental stability. Anton himself, played by Denis Lavant, comes off as more of a man child, having the appearance of a grown man but the disposition of an innocent youth. His inexperience of the world outside is embedded in his character, but Lavant portrays the clueless Anton with such an amped up sense of infantile aplomb that he becomes wholly sympathetic and strikingly relatable.
 
The same can be said for the rest of the cast, including the character of Eva, played by the outrageously talented and absolutely beautiful Chulpan Khamatova. Her innocence mirrors Anton’s, but she represents the outside world and the bearer of experience. She’s seen so many things that Anton has not, but in the end she’s as lost as him in the world. With Anton, his metaphorical crutch is his family and the bathhouse, and with Eva, her crutch is that of her father. Both of their support systems are coming to an end. The bathhouse is on its last legs and so is Eva’s father, so in that sense the two have a common path. When the catalyst of the film sets into motion and the whirlwind of problems begin to siege themselves upon both characters, each one is taken to task with coming up with a way to survive the bedlam. I really loved how both characters interacted with each other and the world around them, both dealing with things differently but ultimately and constantly having their paths cross and intertwine. It almost seems like the director was making a comment on destiny by having the two star crossed lovers fall in and out of each others lives, but eventually connecting when the dust clears.

Another thing that can be said about this film is that there isn’t a whole hell of a lot of dialogue to be heard, leaving the actors to really overact and emphasis their actions. The resulting effect is actually more effective, allowing you to seep into the world and become a part of it. Much like Anton and his slow reveal of the outside world, we too follow in his footsteps and get used to the way things are in this odd cinematic landscape. Like all things we are first introduced to, it appears jarring and unfamiliar, but once you establish the tone and allow yourself to familiarize with the culture of this fictional society, it actually becomes a sensible and stalwartly way of depicting a world full of humanity and soul. There is so much life within this film that it almost threatens to burst from outside its enclosed frame.
 
Even the sets have a life of their own. The age and wear can be seen on every crusted wall, every rusted fixture, and every cracked tile. The personality of the bathhouse alone has enough interesting history within its tired walls to write a book about. That’s the thing about this film that I find most intriguing. Not only are the characters fully realized and exhilaratingly believable, but the locations and sets are equally teeming with verve. There isn’t one place in this film that doesn’t seem lived in and appropriately aged within the confines of the cinematic world that Helmer has set up. The craftsmanship and acute melding of both the visual look of the world with the expressive cast is so unparalleled that this masterpiece disserves to be seen by anyone open to foreign cinema and able to think outside the box. Don’t get me wrong, this film is not for everyone. You have to be able to let go of what you know and just go along with the wonderful imagery that Helmer has lovingly crafted for this undiscovered world.

Tuvalu is an exceptional example of cinema at its finest. Constructed from the imaginations of cerebral thinkers and portrayed in such a visual light, the film shines like nothing like it. The coming of age story is at its core a simple one, but Helmer has injected that traditional context with a vibrant dose of heart. Denis Lavant and Chulpan Khamatova have created an inspirational performance in their characters and have fully brought them to stark life. Through the method of expressive actions blended with extraordinary sets, Tuvalu excels in showing us something that we’ve never seen before.
 
A true original masterpiece, the movie takes us to a place that can only exist on a cinematic plain, but that disconnected feeling that we should have with a wholly fabricated world is never felt. Instead we are allowed to meld within the story and find our own place inside this enjoyable tale of love, loss, and the overwhelming event of passing from youth to adulthood. Tuvalu is truly a film that transports the viewer to another place by disregarding the norm in order to bring movie lovers something that is absolutely exceptional. This film is……

Somewhere out there.

Keep your hands off my daughter's panties!

I feel zestfully CLEAN!

A face only a mother could love.

Scratch that. Not even his mother loves that mug.

You panty sniffing FREAK!

Just keep quiet Chulpan. The weirdo will go away.

You're A OK in my book son.

Someone get me out of this crazy film.

Yep, Anton is a special one alright.

Who the hell do you think you are? Dennis the Menace?

Looks like someone's catching the vapors.

I'd like to make an announcement. I'm OLD!

Run Anton! Run!

What a shithole.

The sad drowning of Noodle Boy.

The saddest bathhouse in the world.

The sequel to A Boy and his Dog. A Girl and her Goldfish.

Sometimes when we touch, the honesty's too much.

And they lived happily ever after. The End.