Documentary vs. Biopic: Bus 174 Edition

One of my favorite documentaries from the last decade was "Bus 174 (2002)":

"On June 12th, 2000, a bus full of passengers was kidnapped in Rio de Janeiro in broad daylight. The kidnapper, Sandro do Nascimento, terrorized his victims and when he finally agreed to surrender and the episode was close to an end, a policeman tried to shoot him, killing one of the hostages instead, a young woman. The whole episode was broadcast live, causing revolt among the population. The documentary is about the incident, with interviews, focusing on Sandro do Nascimento, his childhood, and how unavoidably he was doomed to become a bandit."

So when I realized a feature film had been made about the same story, and that it was written by Braulio Mantovani, the man who wrote another favorite of mine, "City of God (2002)", I knew I absolutely had to watch "Last Stop 174 (2008)".

This is definitely one case in which the documentary and film complemented one another, while both being great movies on their own. I would recommend "Last Stop 174" even if you haven't seen the documentary, because Sandro's story is both fascinating and tragic.



You can watch the documentary "Bus 174" here.

Choking Man

When I started watching "Choking Man (2006)", one of the things that instantly struck was how gritty and realistic it was. Then out of the blue these strange animated scenes appeared and totally surprised me. I think that contrast contributed to the surreal feeling of the film. Had I realized at the time that it was written and directed by the same man who directed A-Ha's "Take on Me" video I probably would have been prepared for the animation. Overall I thought this was a very interesting story and presentation, which is definitely worth watching if you can find it.

"Choking Man is an intense blend of psychological drama and magical realism that encapsulates the contemporary immigrant experience in America. Jorge is a morbidly shy Ecuadorian dishwasher toiling away in a shabby Jamaica, Queens, New York diner run by Rick. He works all day long in the shadow of the ever-present Heimlich Maneuver instruction poster which hangs in the diner kitchen. From his solitary kitchen corner, Jorge gropes mutely for a bond with Amy, the newly hired Chinese waitress and even though she tries to reciprocate, the gulf that separates them may be too large. On the job he is continually tormented by his coworker Jerry and at home in his Harlem boarding, under the psychological control of his domineering 'roomate,' he battles his inner demons. Set in the vicinity of JFK airport, the most culturally diverse neighborhood in the world, Choking Man captures the feeling of claustrophobia and almost literal asphyxiation newcomers to America experience as they struggle to find a place and purpose in this strange land."

Underrated 80s Flick: Blow Out

Today's selection of "Blow Out (1981)" is inspired by Ted Kennedy, who passed away yesterday (you may have to watch the movie to get the connection). Directed by Brian DePalma and starring John Travolta, Nancy Allen, and a very young John Lithgow, I guess this could be considered one of my favorite movies, since I still watch it regularly. There aren't too many movies that I can think of that combine political intrigue with a serial killer storyline, but somehow it works wonderfully here. "Blow Out" is actually a remake of the Italian film "Blowup (1966)", which I haven't seen yet, but I'd like to.

"This stylish Brian DePalma thriller plays off the theme of the unsuspecting witness who discovers a crime and is thereby put in grave danger, but with a novel twist. Jack is a sound-man who works on "Grade-B" horror movies. Late one evening, he is "sampling" sounds for use on his movies, when he hears something unexpected through his sound equipment and records it. Curiosity gets the better of him when the media become involved, and he begins to unravel the pieces of a nefarious conspiracy. As he struggles to survive against his shadowy enemies and expose the truth, he doesn't know who he can trust."

The Civilization of Maxwell Bright

I've always enjoyed Patrick Warburton as a comedic actor, so I was pretty surprised to see him starring in "The Civilization of Maxwell Bright (2005)" since it deals with some pretty heavy topics. The film does have a lot of funny moments as well, and a full frontal male nude scene in the first few minutes, so clearly it is a must see. There is also a pretty great cast (Jennifer Tilly, Eric Roberts, Carol Kane, Nora Dunn).

"Patrick Warburton (TV's Less Than Perfect and Seinfeld) is Max Bright, a male chauvinist who's tired of relationships with strong-willed, independent women. Max's solution: shell out big bucks for an Asian mail order bride who will do what she's told, only speak when spoken to and never say "no." But what Max gets is an unexpected lesson in life in this moving film about the search for meaning and the power of love." (Amazon)



(Rumor has it that this movie is available to stream on Netflix.)

Ben Stiller + Heroin + Alf

Throw in some Elizabeth Hurley and Owen Wilson, and you get "Permanent Midnight (1998)". It is the true story of ALF writer (among other things) Jerry Stahl's battle with drug addiction, and it is both sad and hilarious.

"Comedy writer Jerry Stahl (Ben Stiller), whose $6000-a-week heroin habit had him taking his infant daughter along on his drug runs and doing smack during TV script conferences. Departing detox, Stahl explores memories with survivor Kitty, who listens patiently to Stahl's flashback. Other women in Stahl's life are his British wife Sandra (Elizabeth Hurley) and his agent Vola. For the TV series "Mr. Chompers" (inspired by ALF), Stahl meets with sitcom exec Craig Ziffer and puppeteer Allen. For freaky freebasing, Stahl hangs with mumbler Nicky and druggie Gus."

Towelhead

"Towelhead (2007)" is both disturbing and oddly funny. I saw this around the same time that I watched "The Dark Knight", so it was strange to see Aaron Eckhart as a sleazy neighbor (to put it mildly). The film explores sexuality, racism, and cultural differences in a pretty unique way, which makes it a must see (it's playing on Cinemax throughout August and September).

"Against the backdrop of the first Gulf War, Jasira Maroun is 13, physically well developed but naïve and unable to say no. As puberty arrives, her mother sends her from Syracuse to Houston to her curt, up-tight, Lebanese-born father. Over the next few months, Jasira must navigate her father's strict indifference, her discovery of sexual pleasure, the casual racism of a neighbor boy and her classmates, the sexual advances of the boy's father, the proffered friendship of a pregnant neighbor, and her attraction to Thomas, an African-American classmate whom her father forbids her to see. Things happen to her, but can she take responsibility and control, or is tragedy inevitable?"

Tokyo Tearjerker

"Nobody Knows (2004)" is a really depressing movie about a mother who abandons her four children in their apartment. What's even more depressing is that it is based on a true story.

Rachel Getting Married

When I first heard that there was a movie called "Rachel Getting Married (2008)" starring Anne Hathaway, I assumed it was another generic chick flick (not that there's anything wrong with that). Then I learned that it was written by Jenny Lumet, so I was slightly interested. When I realized that it was directed by Jonathan Demme, I knew this was probably not your run of the mill romantic comedy, so I rented it.



Turns out this was a pretty heavy drama, with a very unique style. Because several of the characters are musicians, the movie also featured a variety of talented artists and an interesting soundtrack. Redblog has a great article that delves deeper into the musical aspect of this film.

See Also: Who is Jenny Lumet?

Say Hello to the "Bad Guy"

"Bad Guy (2001)" is one of several films by South Korean writer/director Ki-duk Kim that I've had the pleasure of watching. Unlike his other films that I've seen, this one has a lot more action and a grittier storyline.

"When a local pimp is publicly humiliated by a snobbish college girl, he manipulates her into a life of sexual slavery at his brothel. As he watches her nightly humiliation from behind a two-way mirror, his obsessive desire consumes him while she learns there is no love more complete than her captor's."

When Violent Video Games and Prescription Drugs Collide...

...you get a trippy movie called "The Chumscrubber (2005)". (It's very loosely influenced by the same true story as "Alpha Dog (2006)".)

"The Chumscrubber is a dark comedy about the lives of people who live in upper-class suburbia. It all begins when Dean Stiffle finds the body of his friend, Troy. He doesn't bother telling any of the adults because he knows they won't care. Everyone in town is too self consumed to worry about anything else than themselves. And everybody is on some form of drug just to get themselves through the day. After Troy's death, local drug dealers at the school run out of their stash. They convince Dean to get Troy's stash or they are going to kill his brother that they kidnapped, but they grabbed the wrong kid."



(Sorry for the poor quality of the trailer...)

11:14

"11:14 (2003)" is one of those movies that tells the story of one night from multiple perspectives. Normally this plot device can be difficult to pull off, but this film does it beautifully. Add to that an amazing ensemble cast (Patrick Swayze, Henry Thomas, Barbara Hershey, Hilary Swank, Colin Hanks, Shawn Hatosy, Rachel Leigh Cook, Ben Foster, and more) and you have a must see crime/drama/comedy.

"Angela's Ashes" Author Frank McCourt Has Died

Frank McCourt Dies at 78

I really loved the movie "Angela's Ashes (1999)". It was sooooooo sad! In fact I liked it so much I read the book and it's followup, 'Tis.