Earlier in the year we discussed the allusion to art in several movies, namely La Pieta and Da Vinci's The Last Supper. While this isn't the limitations to this sort of allusion/homage/citation, it does interest me when themes from a particular form of art find themselves rather prevalant in a series. Case in point: The Star Trek films.

Whether it be Gene Rodenberry's vision or not, Moby Dick figures prominently in the film series. A synopsis:

Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan.

Both men (Kirk and Khan, BFF) are driven by an insatiable urge for revenge against against that which took something from them (Khan, his freedom. Kirk, his....toupe?). While Kirk is able to overcome his rage and overcome his desire to stop Khan at a suicidal cost, he still loses his Pequod in Spock, while Khan, like Ahab, dies aboard his ship having allowed his drive to destroy himself. In fact, many of the quotes Khan drops throughout the film are, indeed, liberalized Ahab quotes.

Star Trek: First Contact

Set within the context of The Next Generation, it once again has the Moby Dick dynamic (Jean-Luc and Borg, BFF). Indeed, the emphasis on Jean-Luc being Ahab and wanting to exact revenge on the Borg for his loss of humanity during his assimilation is so great that he is willing to sacrifice most of his crew to kill the Borg queen, something he rectifies at the very end, before he can lose the Enterprise, his Pequod.

There are also numerous allusions to Melville within the televisions series, but that's more for History of American TV.

Before I remark any on the new Bond film, I'd like to bring something to the attention of the world:





Steve McQueen has returned from the grave to play James Bond.

Should we die and find out that God judges us all collectively for our efforts and products, Borat ensures we are going to hell.

The Blues Brothers is the best movie to ever feature a broken cop car, Illinois Nazis, Wrigley Field, and dead-Richard-Daley-jokes ever.

That's really all I have to say.

Tis Halloween. Horror films abound!

I hate "horror" films. Mostly because they're just gore films. They insult my intelligence, using cheap shock tricks and splatters to make an audience afraid. I don't want some gory Jason Vorhees movie, or some cheap Wes Craven remake. I want something that messes with my mind, takes my brain down those scary places that haunt me afterwards as I can't help but replay as I drive home.

One of those films that always struck a nerve with me is Nosferatu. What about this movie doesn't frighten a viewer? The antagonist, horribly deformed and genuinely sub-human, does the most unnevering, inhuman activities. From the way he rises to the way he falls, the vampire is completely alien to us all.

Along these same lines, zombie flicks have the same effect. Nothing stops a zombie except fire or a shot to the head. Zombies want nothing more than to consume flesh and reproduce themselves through some viral-like agent. Zombies are not phased by Hulkmania. They truly are inhuman.

Finally, the favorite kind of scary movie of mine, the kind that truly strikes fear into my heart, makes me retch at the mere thought of it, makes me wonder what kind of gross, disgusting injustices have happened in this world, are any films by the Wayans Brothers.




Oh, I forgot to mention how much Duel rocks

Cult Classics.

What the hell. Sometimes, I honestly do not understand why a certain film becomes so popular within a niche of society. Other times, I fall right into that niche and cannot comprehend how someone could NOT like a movie I like. Examples of each:

Labyrinth. Yes, it has David Bowie, a forgotten member of the Olympian Pnatheon. Yes, Jim Henson dropped a metric ton of acid to make all the muppets and scenes for that movie. Yes, the music is good. But I don't get what the big deal over the whole movie is, although I do enjoy it.

Night of the Living Dead. How could people NOT like this movie? It has tension. Character development. A strong protagonist. A poignant message. AND ZOMBIES. 'Nuff said.

Rocky Horror Picture Show. I fall inbetween on this one. On one hand, RHPS fans who go all out and dress in drag and constantly sing its praises as if were the Word of God freak me the hell out. But on the other hand, I like it a bit. It's quirky. It's a musical from hell. It's so deliciously sacreligious that you can't help but want to dive into it.

Napoleon Dynamite. Stop it now, for fuck's sake.

The Wall, Magical Mystery Tour, Tommy, Yellow Submarine, 200 Motels, etc. First rule of band-made movies: Band-made movies are the worst movies in the world, unless it's your band. If this is the case, there is no equal in all the world of cinema.

Blade Runner. How can one NOT like cyberpunk neo-noir?!

I'm done with this. I need to go watch some of these.

There are a few places in the world that absolutely make me stop and smile or absolutely beam when I can visit them or show them to people. One of these places would be the historic Rialto theater in downtown El Dorado. This place is a palace to film, and built during the heydey of the oil boom in the 1920s, it is absolutely a relic of the roaring 20s. Here are some pics:


This is a shot of the screen with the curtain down and the faux boxes.


The screen proper


The lobby!


This old camera sits by the concession stand.

And that's all I have to say about that.