"This ain't got nothing to do with gangs, or drugs, or rap music, or violence in video games!" The weakly justified plot hole of a premise makes for a unique alien invasion flick with an unlikely team of protagonists and self-assurance to spare, though I can't say it ever absorbed me beyond the level of an '80s camp-fest on super-crack. There's a moment when lead actor John Boyega hypothesizes the aliens are government constructs designed to kill blacks, thereby speeding up the process of the government's drug and gun conspiracies... now that's a more compelling (and poignant) adversarial concept. As it stands "Attack the Block" is a sufficient dose of entertainment significantly superior to the lukewarm state of the contemporary blockbuster, so I'll give credit where credit's due. Excellent slo-mo finale, too.
Further first-time viewings:
The Hunger Games - Gary Ross, 2012
What is the idea of tentpole franchises doing to Hollywood? For example, there may yet be hope for "The Avengers", though last year saw Marvel churning out not one but two vanilla offerings with the key interest of keeping mainstream audiences whetted while avoiding the alienation of a core fanbase as opposed to delivering actually great products. These films lack what we most admire in cinema - risk. We gravitate toward risk, and with the right talent that risk can pay off in a win/win scenario for both us and the studio. The first major event picture of 2012 was crafted from the start to be a tentpole, and thusly does it suffer. It is obligatorily drawn out, politically correct to detrimental ends and habitually rather goofy. I'm sure there's a great movie in the material, but this missed opportunity isn't it, which makes me wonder why it is so apparently difficult to get right. Hollywood is neutered. I can say this, at least - flaws and all the film does offer a full, if not engrossing journey driven by character, albeit straight down the middle of the road. For better or for worse "The Hunger Games" brings more to the table than mere fleeting diversion. Read the full review at Icon Magazine.
Batoru Rowaiaru (Battle Royale) - Kinji Fukasaku, 2000
A crude onslaught of kill sequences amongst characters hardly developed by default simply for the fact that there are far too many of them. Frequent melodrama fails to lift it all any level above flat-out boring, particularly since that isolated aspect itself fails to breach the level of even the cheapest J-inspired dating game. Political metaphor? Easy thrills? Neither are to be found, says I, unless you really get off on seeing what high school social dynamics could be like were the phrase, "I'm going to kill you!" taken literally. It's been done better (fewer characters - or at least less reliance on sympathizing with them as individuals - being a key), and it will be done better again.
Total: 3
Episodic Television (2): Parks & Recreation (End of the World - Lucky); Louie (Pilot - Dogpound)
- Louis C.K.'s on-screen vision of himself is compellingly unique in that it is as relatable as any successful comedian would want as much to be, but in what is about the practical opposite of self-deprecation, C.K. often overtly acknowledges his general intellectual superiority and enviable fame. More importantly, with his show as with his stand-up he is unflinching in throwing his audience in uncomfortable and even scary situations for the sake of unveiling - or in certain cases, justifying - much of modern Western living's preposterousness and short-sightedness.
Episodic Television Rewatches (1): Parks & Recreation (Rock Show - The Camel; Li'l Sebastian; Citizen Knope; Lucky)
Video Games (2): Burrito Bison Revenge; Kirby's Adventure
- "Burrito Bison Revenge" is almost annoyingly addictive. I've poured far too many hours in to missions and upgrades for a flash game that involves mere clicks to control. The colorful irreverence that is a man-bison luchador-crushing seething throngs of gummi bears and bashing through walls to retain his Bad Mother Fucker wallet has been, however, too captivating to put down. So far I've completed 90 of 120 missions with high scores of $72,183 earned, 43,145m traveled and 393 smashed.
