It’s interesting how one’s perception can change during a pandemic. People wandering around in hazmat suits, once unusual, begin to look ordinary. Things that may have appeared unfamiliar only a few months ago, seem quite normal now. Krabi 2562, no relation to Beverly Hills 90210, refers to the current year in the Thai Buddhist calendar.
It’s the type of film where nothing much appears to be happening, but you’ll be thinking about it for days afterwards. A man with not much to say and nowhere to go; a forgotten wardrobe assistant; a guide’s commentary drowned out by a boat’s motor; and a wandering woman in search of something mysterious, that is not a fertility elixir. The curious mix of what appears to be both documentary and fiction keeps you questioning what it is exactly that you’re watching, appealing to a desire to understand what is indeed the truth.
If you can get beyond needing to classify by genre, then Krabi 2562 is both an intriguing look at the way people may interact in and around the southern Thai town of Krabi, as well as a series of amusing discords and daily banalities. It incorporates the substance that makes up the life of a community, with the occasional cultural contrast, while exploring the landscape and stories.
The eclectic characters merge with stunning images including an enigmatic woman slowly disappearing into the mouth of a cave, and birds fleeing a desolate cinema.
Krabi 2562 is Anocha Suwichakornpong’s third feature film as writer-director. Mundane History (2009) being the first, along with five shorts and the omnibus movie Breakfast Lunch Dinner (2010).
Pin-Up girls became fashionable in the 1940’s where men would pin pictures of beautiful, glamorous women on the walls by their beds or to the inside of the airplanes before they were sent into battle. They became a symbol for the types of things the soldiers were missing back home, and let’s face it, they must have helped out a few of those soldiers on a long, lonely night.
Cut to the 21st Century and Pin-Up girls have had a resurgence, the 1940’s fashions of not only clothes but hair and make up have inspired women from all over the world to become another symbol – one of body positivity and empowerment.
Bombshells and Dollies is a documentary that follows the annual Miss Viva Las Vegas Pin-Up Contest over the course of two years that interviews the contestants, the event holders and even a couple of those icons of the Pin-Up world. Bombshells and Dollies looks at the women behind the hair, make up and glamorous clothes and explores what most people may think is only skin deep.
Talking to many of the contestants who go by their Pin-Up monikers of Cherry Dollface, Bo Huff and Pin-Up Little Bit, Bombshells and Dollies gives the women a chance to speak for themselves, showing the audience that the Pin-Up lifestyle truly is their calling. Stories of heartbreak, abuse and a crippling lack of confidence are at the heart of many of these stories, and so the documentary shows that the Pin-Up lifestyle can be an escape where they can be themselves and not looked down upon by others.
There are also stories of the other sides of the contestants’ lives that may surprise some of the audience. Stories of the intelligent, successful and enterprising women who take part in the Pin-Up lifestyle who show that first impressions can be misleading.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsXOOKZsJ3c
Bombshells and Dollies may not entirely convert people who judge the Pin-Up lifestyle at face value, but it shows how much fun and confidence it gives the people who indulge in the lifestyle, celebrating a side of life most people wouldn’t dare venture into.
Abe (Evan Daves) and Todd (Larry Saperstein) are best friends who work in their local cinema that only ever shows two movies. It’s a small religious town and although the townsfolk continue about their business like any other, there’s an underlying influence of Christianity that governs the way they go about their day.
Abe and Todd work with Chaz (Jillian Mueller) and Ricky (Glenn Stott) used to be a couple, but since Ricky moved away over the summer they’ve been growing further apart and the status of their relationship remains unclear. Then there’s the cinema’s projectionist who Abe and Todd refer to as Heavy Metal Jeff (Robbie Tann), a recovering addict who has found salvation in Jesus Christ and is adamant in his teachings about the evils of drugs, sex and pornography.
Then one night before closing up, the group see a crazy old man wandering about and while they try and usher him out of the cinema, they come across a long-forgotten part of the cinema filled with old movie reels. Eager to watch something different for once, they roll one of the films and are shocked, excited and even a little aroused when they find the old film is an erotic arthouse film with demonic undertones.
Little do they realise, but by watching the forbidden movie a succubus has been unleashed into the theatre and once she’s had her fill of their teenage lust, she’ll be ready to drag them to hell.
Porno is a slow burn throwback comedy horror movie with dark, supernatural themes and is the directorial debut of Keola Racela. Playing on familiar set ups from other movies with demonic themes, Porno sets up all the familiar clichés of horror films but adds a few twists to their characters along the way to keep the audience invested in their stories.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrsLrfn6p4o
Porno looks great as well, with stunning visuals from its Sixties Hammer Horror style celluloid nightmare, to its crazy final act that throws its leads into a fate worse than death. Although at times Porno gets too serious to be considered a comedy, there are frequent moments that will make the audience laugh. There’s also enough scares and body horror to keep any horror fans interested.
There’s even a moment that will make every male member of the audience recoil in terror – quite literally. Well played by its cast, Porno is just the thing to quench the thirst of horror fans and those looking for a little movie nostalgia.
Julie (Jessica Rothe) is the ultimate ’80s Valley Girl. A creative free spirit; Julie’s time is spent with her best friends shopping at the Galleria mall and making plans for senior prom. That is, until she falls hard for Randy (Joshua Whitehouse), a Sunset Strip punk rocker, who challenges everything the Valley and Julie stand for. Despite push-back from friends and family, Julie must break out of the safety of her world to follow her heart and discover what it really means to be a Valley Girl. Set to a rock ‘n roll ’80s soundtrack produced by legendary Harvey Mason, Jr. with dance numbers by choreographer Mandy Moore, Valley Girl is a musical adaptation of the classic 1983 hit film that changed American teenage life forever.
Rachel Lee Goldenberg’s newest musical adaptation of Valley Girl is going to garner a mixed reaction from critics and audiences alike. That’s for sure. In fact, it already has. I can totally understand both viewpoints. If you watch this film and thought it was truly out-of-this-world amazing, I can understand that. But, if you thought it was truly terrible and ridiculous, I can see that as well.
Personally though, I found this new telling of this story to be an absolute delight for the most part. Right from the opening scenes alone, Goldenberg lets you know what kind of movie this is going to be. We are treated to an upbeat soundtrack right off the bat with the cast of the film singing “We Got The Beat” by The Go-Go’s which then smoothly transitions over to Joan Jett’s “Bad Reputation”.
A lot of these scenes can come across as extremely over-the-top, goofy and even at times a little bit corny, but if you’re complaining about that a lot, I feel like you are sort of missing the point. Valley Girl knows exactly what type of movie it is and goes for it one-hundred percent of the time, ultimately culminating in a syrupy sweet musical with tons of stuff to enjoy aside from the wonderful renditions of excellent eighties songs.
The biggest positive here is without a doubt the performance from Jessica Rothe as Julie Richman, the story’s lead protagonist. Ever since the release of Happy Death Day, myself and many others have been saying that Rothe deserves to be a star. The performance that she delivers here is, like usual for her, terrific. She is incredibly likeable as Julie, a girl with big dreams to move to New York City to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. The way her story plays out was immensely sweet and charming. If Rothe continues to deliver performances as strong as she has been doing since the start of her career, I wouldn’t be surprised if she won an Academy Award one day.
In addition to this, she has absolutely incredible chemistry with her co-star Josh Whitehouse, who is also exceptional in the role of Randy. The pair’s relationship and dynamic is extremely corny and at times, seems like it has no faults. It seems like they are literally a picture-perfect couple for the majority of the movie. But that being said, it was also handled in a cute way that honestly did put a smile on my face.
Another thing that is definitely worth praising here is the attention to detail and how well they managed to encapsulate the feel of the eighties. In addition to having the great, nostalgic songs sung by the cast of the film, they also bring up leg warmers. And of course, the hairstyles and outfits worn by everyone look spot on.
What made the style and aesthetic of the film pop even more was the cinematography by Adam Silver. Whenever most people think of the eighties, they think of bright neon colors, the outfits, hairstyles, cars, etc. Silver’s camerawork is extremely vibrant and full of life and joy, making it hard to not appreciate.
All in all, this was a hugely enjoyable movie. It’s ridiculous at times and does have an ending that feels a little bit jarring and makes you question why certain plot points earlier on were necessary, but at the end of the day, Goldenberg has crafted a wonderfully enjoyable musical that will take you on a breezy and uplifting nostalgic-filled ride.
Valley Girl is a totally rad musical throwback to the eighties complete with a wonderful soundtrack and an astounding performance from Jessica Rothe.
Abstract filmmaking will never burst into the mainstream, a fact that in my eyes only makes endeavouring to explore the abstract more essential. However, when doing so, filmmakers take significant risks, risks that could see them produce something nobody relates to, or possibly even understands. Fortunately, those intrepid auteurs willing to try have inspiration from the likes of David Lynch amongst others, who prove it is possible to make something extraordinary. Unfortunately, it is the films which leave the mind wanting, that define the genre for most. Marcus Flemmings’ second film “Palindrome” is one of those films.
Palindrome tells a non-linear story, cutting between the present and past of Anna (Sarah Swain), a spiteful artist who, in the past, thinks Paris is the only solution to promoting her art. Time passes, and she is apart of an unclear traumatic event, one that elevates her to stardom, but leaves her all the more lost. We also follow Fred (Jumaane Brown), a patient in a psychiatric facility, who may, or may not be, imagining Anna as an element of his psychosis, as he tries to save her from dying.
There’s a lot there to unpack, it almost goes without saying that Flemmings’ was decidedly unclear about what he is trying to say, and that’s the fatal flaw. Yes, abstract or “arthouse” films are often intentionally ambiguous. Still, there should be a way to put the pieces together, or at the very least, some apparent message or purpose, Palindrome does not offer that.
What Palindrome does offer is a connection between two individuals that is entirely unsubstantial. Why is Fred the only person in the world who can save Anna? Why would Anna ever contact Fred? Of course, this is a literal way to look at things, but even going further abstract, their lives are hardly similar, and it is a relationship that fails to inspire any deep thought instead evoking the cinema sin of confusion. This lack of justification only compounds the fact that the ending fails to provide a clear resolution for either character opting to end with the crescendo and offer nothing further.
The film is desperately trying to say something here, particularly with Fred, who does show some character progression. He realises he needs to be a better more present person who sticks to his guns and lives life on his terms, and this does impact on the films ending, it’s just there’s no reason to care. If this is indeed the point that people need to make the most of life and be themselves, then Palindrome is a cruel and heartless way of depicting it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CahmyIcU6VY
Palindrome is a dark film, one with very little compassion and plenty of twisted imagery. For it to all be about growth is startling. Nobody could feasibly change in this purgatory Flemmings creates, it reeks of repression and offers zero encouragement. Even Anna herself, who contacts Fred to tell him about her impending death, essentially says, “don’t worry that I’m about to die, just make sure you know who I am”. She wants to be remembered, not to be successful, she’s an insufferable figure portrayed with a strange effort to garner empathy. And although I empathise with her turmoil, Fred certainly doesn’t, as he fails to do the one thing Anna asks of him.
On the technical side of things, there is little to say. Still, there is a likeable performance by Thomasin Lockwood who plays avid reader Maria, a chatterbox who offers Fred a helping hand. It is a bit of an empty role, but she steals every scene she’s in which is commendable. Outside of that, all the performances are par, owing little to the actors themselves and more to the screenplay which offers plenty of dialogue but ignores that most of the lines are superficial.
Palindrome is an unreasonably dark film that tries too hard to say a whole lot and ends up saying very little.
