dudley_do_wrong

I'm a big Tarantino fan. Though clearly not as good as "Pulp Fiction" or "Resevoir Dogs," I genuinely enjoyed "Jackie Brown." And since blessed with the opportunity to watch "Kill Bill: Volume One" before its theatrical release, and being one of the first to vote for it on IMDB, I feel obliged to offer the following advice to all those who have bothered to look up this movie on this web site: Buy your tickets in advance and see it on the day it opens. "Kill Bill" is Tarantino at his finest -- intelligently irreverent and violently entertaining. I would love to describe the opening scene, but I wouldn't want to spoil it for any prospective audience member: it can't be described -- it must be experienced. It's absolutely hysterical.

"Kill Bill" is a salute to the spaghetti Western and cheesy Kung-Fu film as only Tarantino can deliver it. "The Village Voice" described "Kill Bill" as one of the most violent films in the history of American cinema, but I would strongly disagree. I have a hard time stomaching extreme violence -- odd for a Tarantino fan, I realize. I turned my head whenever [unnamed character]* gets his head blown off while riding in the car in [unnamed Tarantino film]. The violence in "Kill Bill" is purposely excessive; it's like what you would expect from an R-rated cartoon. "Kill Bill" is the only film in which I have laughed uproariously after watching someone get their head chopped off.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give "Kill Bill" a TEN.

*Info left out to avoid spoiling it for anyone out there who is totally new to Tarantino.

As a comic, Charlie Chaplin's genius was unparalleled. I can think of no modern-day equivalent. Chaplin found humor in the most mundane circumstances, and he used his wit to entrap his characters in hilarious predicaments that often critiqued larger sociopolitical issues.

"Monsieur Verdoux" is definitely a Chaplin film, and it certainly has its moments. The film shines when Chaplin is on screen in the role of Monsieur Verdoux, a former blank clerk who lost his job during the depression and subsequently began murdering women for their money in order to support his wife and child.

Nevertheless, in many ways Chaplin's film is a serious disappointment. Most of the characters (other than Verdoux) are woefully underdeveloped. Issues are left totally unaddressed; Verdoux's wife, for example, is in a wheelchair. How she lost the ability to walk is not even suggested. Towards the end of the film, it's learned that two CENTRAL characters have died. How? Why? It seems like a cheap way to resolve lingering issues in approximately two hours. One of Verdoux's wives/victims has an important role throughout much of the film...but her fate is likewise unaddressed. Even Verdoux's character isn't as robust as it could be. He's a vegetarian and a mass-murderer. Where's his sense of anguish?

The film tries, and fails, to draw parrallels between Verdoux's relatively low-level violence and the much greater violence of the state. We learn, for example, that one character is far wealthier than Verdoux after having married a munitions manufacturer. Fair enough; but the woman is initially presented as pure and innocent, a closet optimist caught in the cynical times that Chaplin portrays. Consequently, the marriage to an arms merchant seems totally out of character. On the whole, Chaplin's important message appears tacked on haphazardly. For wonderful Chaplin films that seriously critique the status quo, I would recommend "Modern Times," as well as many of Chaplin's earlier shorts, such as "The Idle Class."

"Monsieur Verdoux" is a MUST-SEE for Chaplin "completists" such as myself. But for everyone else, I would recommend sticking to Chaplin's earlier classics.

After Michael Moore's hilarious and thought-provoking antics captured the attention of audiences around the world, Americans are just beginning to notice this gem, a French film on the migration of birds that was nominated for Best Documentary by the Academy. "Winged Migration" is nothing short of amazing; it is an incredible achievement. The audience is introduced to dozens of birds as they make their voyage over thousands of miles, encountering natural predators, hostile climates, hunters, and environmental degradation along the way. Mostly, though, the film merely observes the birds in flight. It sounds boring, but the innovative filming techniques make for a riveting experience. In many cases, the camera flies alongside the birds -- literally, directly NEXT to the birds in mid air.

The film is as much about the Earth's natural beauty as it is about birds -- and for the first time, the Earth's beauty is captured from a bird's eye view. Some might complain that the film does not convey enough facts to the audience. The narration is brief, and then more reflective than informative. But "Winged Migration" is more than a mere documentary: it is a celebration of nature, provoking curiosity and inspiring awe.