“Sorry to Bother You” was a movie where I got a little bored but as the movie progressed, it got my attention due to the weird things that were happening. These weird things got weirder and weirder and weirder and I got quite uncomfortable. From scenes such as Detroit standing on a stage speaking with people throwing things at him to the scene with Cassius figuring out WorryFree’s intentions with the whole half horse half man thing, this movie just makes the word weird to one of the most understatement things anyone can say about this movie. It was weird yet funny but for the most part just plain weird. The movie even shows Cassius living in his uncle’s garage to working for RegalView as a telemarketer with a “white voice”. I wasn’t sure if this was racist or what not but seeing a black man talk like a white man just…I honestly don’t know what to say about that but it just looked so wrong to me. It was like a man’s soul was placed in the wrong body causing this person to act really weird and look strange. That is the best way on how I can describe Cassius talking like a white man. I could see the creative style with why they would make a black man talk like a white man. Maybe they used it for comedy purposes or just simply to use it as a way to strengthen the plot. Honestly speaking, this was the first time I have seen someone talk like another race so casually so I was quite thrown off. But other than, it grew on me so I was not too bothered by it as the movie went on. Afterwards, Cassius becomes a Power Caller and was able to pay his uncle and buy an apartment so I felt happy for him. Eventually he has a meeting with the CEO of WorryFree which he attends but it goes wrong right away. He sniffs a substance from the desk and goes to the restroom right after. He enters the wrong room and finds the half horse half man people and is forced to go back to the office. He then realizes that the substance he sniffed could be the thing that transforms people into those creatures. He eventually goes public but it works in WorryFree’s favor and he eventually becomes that half horse half man creature. This series of scenes may have solidified this movie as the weirdest and f’ed up movie I have ever watched in my life. It surpasses “Schizopolis” in my opinion by far. “Schizopolis” was weird but not f’ed up. “Sorry to Bother You” was weird and f’ed up. A little more f’ed up than weird for me which is why I was quite uncomfortable. In conclusion, this movie exceeded the weirdness of any of the movies we watched. And this may be one of the more memorable movies just because of its f’ed up plot but at least it left a lasting impression on me despite how weird the plot is.

As someone who is not entirely all that well-versed within the music industry, and especially the kind that Velvet Goldmine showcases with thunderous spectacle, it offers an interesting look into the world this genre of music cultivates for the artists and the people they affect. It places questions in your head regarding the morality of your life choices and how it can have a ripple effect on the people you care about whether it is directly or indirectly.

The film has an interesting perspective on its principle characters that for the most part are as abstract to the people in the world the story inhibits as they are to the actual viewer. The narrative, for the most part, follows Brian Slade and Curt Wild. The fans of the musicians in the film sees Brian and Curt as living legends that should be respected and worshipped. The film translates this really well to the viewer as we first see them through the perspective of the everyday folk in the ensemble. But our main connection to the overall narrative is Christian Bale’s Arthur Stuart, a journalist that is on the hunt for the real story behind the lives of the popular figures and to solve the mystery behind whether or not Brian Slade really got shot to death during his comeback concert.

For a story that is told mostly through flashbacks, it’s structured in a way that keeps things interesting by showing what happens instead of merely an exposition. The memories are mostly accessed through the testimonies of the people Arthur interviews throughout the running time. Not only is this used cleverly to hide certain details of the story in favor of who’s perspective it is, thus setting it up for an eventual revelation from another person, it also becomes a tool to emphasize the impact Brian and Curt has on the people around them and their relationships with one another.

For such an absurd set of personalities and an insane story behind their lives, the direction and cinematography does its best in to catch up to the insanity of what’s on screen and it succeeds by a mile. Todd Haynes captured the early glam rock days of the 1970s masterfully with frenetic pacing that keeps the viewer captivated with every shot on display. The flashy colors, aesthetic and overall energy of the performances all blend well seamlessly to each other. There are no fancy camera work on display or any sort of unique perspectives but what makes up for it is the eye catching set and costume design that steals the show with how the colors pop on screen. It’s this type of careful attention to detail that elevates the movie even more than what the script already does which is also co-written by Todd Haynes himself.

Each of the actors give an all-out performance with each of their roles fully immersing themselves into this story of debauchery. The story on paper is already heavy to begin with. Themes of psychological problems and the realities of relationships come into full fold especially in the later part of the second act and we can see the toll it takes on the characters whether it is from the tone of their voices or right down to the look in their eyes. If we, the viewers, are already affected when we see the downfall of our main characters, what more for the people in Brian and Curt’s lives that are close to them? It was a nice change of pace to see these actors be in different roles than what we’re usually accustomed to nowadays only proves to show the amount of talent they have. Stand outs, other than the obvious Ewan McGregor and Jonathan Rhys Meyers has to be the always amazing Toni Collette as Mandy Slade for giving so much humanity and heart into the role.

It’s a brave thing to be able to do a film such as this one. Heavy themes from the LGBT community, sex, drugs, and the toxic effect of what popularity can have on an individual may not exactly be widely accepted by the typical movie goer of today. This is a type of project that can’t exactly be taken up by any other filmmaker and expect to do it justice as much as Todd and his team did. It is an achievement in filmmaking in almost every aspect and it is one of the pioneer films that led the New Queer Cinema movement that emerged in the 90s. Velvet Goldmine is a one-of-a-kind piece of cinema that I personally consider as art merely with just the fact of how bold it is and how it wants to say a statement. Dreams are real and one should do everything in their power to achieve them but tip over for a little bit and it may or may not affect the way it dictates your life and the people around it.  

My Own Private Idaho is a story that follows two male hustlers on a journey that not only questions who they are as a person but how the world sees them in contrast to how they see themselves. At its core, it can be seen as a road trip film really taking advantage of the saying “the journey is more important than the destination.” It’s a film that has a strong middle but struggles a bit in the parts surrounding it.

The film, more or less, doesn’t have the most interesting start. For the most part, I found myself struggling to even stay awake and this is due to a number of technical and thematic reasons which aren’t necessarily a bad thing. The first factor is the very surreal cinematography at play here. The photography uses muted, warm, and pastel colors which are undeniably relaxing to look at but couple this with the slow country soundtrack the score has and you’re in for one amazing snooze fest.

Thankfully, it picks up the pace sometime in the second act when we’ve become more comfortable with the personalities of the ensemble themselves. An unusual technique the film uses to catch our attention is its constant sudden cutting from one scenario to another without much explanation, beginning, middle, or end sometimes. At first viewing this seemed lazy or “too experimental” for my taste but then I realized maybe the filmmakers were trying to simulate what Mike, who unfortunately is suffering from a disease called narcolepsy, for us viewers. Mike is in one place and then suddenly wakes up in another without any knowledge as to how he got there or how the previous memory even ended. It’s a jarring artistic choice that works in a sense that we can somewhat relate to one of the main characters and the struggles they go through.

When the first shot of the film was merely a description of what the illness actually is, I thought it would be one of the major driving factors of the narrative only to see it be used in the first act, somewhat forgotten in the second and then suddenly coming back to full force during the third. Unfortunately, this type of inconsistency is prevalent throughout the film. It makes a few stylistic choices that does paint an interesting picture, but it doesn’t push through with it anymore further down with the other scenes. Imagine if the unique visuals of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World only showed up for a couple of minutes and then never again.

In these rare moments, the movie utilizes unconventional techniques to tell its story. One prime example is showcasing a voyeuristic act between two people and instead of being shot regularly, the characters merely assume a position and freeze while the camera revolves around them. Then cut from one image to another. No sound, no movement other than the natural “stiff-sway” our bodies have whenever we freeze. The film is brave to do this in such a surprising manner deep into the running time where no one could expect it. It hides its tricks well surprising the audience in a way that isn’t loud and bombastic.

There’s a certain serenity to the feel of the film. This is mostly coming from the dynamic between the main characters. The two male leads, Keanu Reeves and River Phoenix play Scott Favor and Mike Waters respectively with a subdued grace and comfort making their performances come out as natural as they could be. Their characters are best friends and we believe in this relationship not because they shove it down our faces but because of the subtle nuances the writers and the director use to show the viewer how they interact with each other.

It’s actually quite charming as to how Mike and Scott’s dynamic work. Not all best friends are automatically “chummy” with each other. It only takes two individuals who understand each other so much to the point that subtle gestures and the lack of need to really emote to each other is enough. This forms a realistic bond with the two contrasting personalities that is believable and entertaining to watch.

Scott presents an interesting contrast to who Mike is. Scott is an out there hustler who doesn’t really care much about what he does and how other people sees it while Mike can be compared to an introvert who mostly keeps to himself and has a hard time being overwhelmed (which is one of the main triggers of his narcolepsy). Because of this, the development of the story is made all the more interesting with how they play around these differences. One may not necessarily agree with the other or sometimes one may be forced to just accept what the other is doing or thinking.

None of the interactions between the characters feel “cheated” or unearned as it all flows naturally from one to the other. Though, the biggest character arc has to go to Scott Favor as his life to begin with is not your usual hustler background. A son of a prominent figure in the city turned rebellious child with acts of voyeurism, is now engulfed in the same world he mocked at the start of the film due to the wealth he inherited.

My Own Private Idaho also dips its toes into what relationships are and what they should mean to us. The film tackles on different types such as romantic, platonic, marital, or family. But the obvious best part has to be the development of the relationship between the two principal characters. From what was a great connection between the two turns into something more than any of them could expect and it’s tragically beautiful to witness.

The film ends with the characters in different places from where they were at the start whether it is literal or in a thematic sense. It’s a bit of a bittersweet conclusion since we’ve seen each of them be comfortable in the lives they live already only to be radically changed by a ripple effect. My Own Private Idaho unfortunately does not have as strong as a conclusion compared to its invigorating middle act but it does its best to tie up some threads and leave a few open for interpretation.

The film I watched was just truly odd. Just when I thought I had the plot fully understood I get an entire shift in various twists. A group of punk teenagers, one of those punks becoming a full fledged repo man, and then aliens and flying cars all together. I can say that I understand what is going on, but at the same time I have difficulty trying to comprehend how the movie could easily shift from one thing to another. What baffles me even more is how it did so smoothly.

The film starts off with a weird drugged up scientist with a peculiar car. As he is stopped by a police man to check his trunk, the policeman gets vaporized by the contents inside leaving me intrigued to how the film will go on its way. The film transitions to the main character who is a degenerate loser who gets fired from his job for insubordination as he is discontented with the boring lifestyle. He spends his time doing mosh pits with punks and is seen as a loser as his friends just use him and the girls he hooks up with find him boring. This is a good transition to being approached by Bud an auto possessor, as he initially grows disdain for such work just to eventually sign up to it full time. He develops a desire to make something of himself by being a great repo man even though his greenness to the job gets him into a lot of trouble to which he is saved by his mentors. He develops a culture with them and gains confidence to his identity as he manages to get a girlfriend and his buddies help him out like beating up guys who allegedly beat him up as he is a fellow repo man that carries their identity. The film goes into a cool transition as the government is in search of the car of the mad scientist and just so happens his girlfriend and repo men are looking for it. His girlfriend is looking for it as it drives more proof to aliens existing and that the repo men know it would cost 25000 dollars if they manage to repossess it. The film eventually goes into a free for all in searching for the car and at the end the car turns into a green magical flying car that only the main character and a random hobo-like mechanic can operate.

The movie dares to do a lot of unconventional things that a normal person would read on paper and think this could not work for sure; but actually does. I guess one thing that the film can be praised for is its ability to be daring in various ways. Aside from the insane plot line it manages to display amazing effects for an 80’s film and provide scenes that can make such a film an iconic classic.

Although I researched that the movie did not reach its goal in the box office to the budget amassed, I have to say I appreciate the film as it introduced to me the world of glam rock. I admittedly had a metal phase in my life, and like any other metal fan I would often look down own glam as it sounds and looks like a watered-down pop version of rock. With examples like Def Leppard’s Pour some sugar on me, Warrant’s Cherry Pie, and Twisted Sister’s I wanna rock, I could see why many would be upset how rock has transitioned from something heavy to being a bad variation of sound evolution. The movie however, showed me a new world that gives glam rock a better picture. Introducing the culture paved by the likes of Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Gary Glitter, and David Bowie, the British would show the poppy rawness of glam with the American showing a rougher and heavier type of rock that has set me for life in my deeper appreciation to the various genres of music.

The film for me did a great job for immersing the viewer into glam rock music. It made an emphasis on the genre not just being music but a culture as well. At the time, sexuality was toyed around as a way of liberating oneself from the standards of society. Being androgynous, bisexual, or homosexual, was relatively an “in” thing as it was a form of breaking barrier norms on self expression. Additionally, the thrill of the music was living life on the high until you come crashing down as it is emulated in the characters like Slade and Curt Wild. It destroyed the image I had of glam just being glitter, over the top outfits, overly hair sprayed blonde hair, and a cheap imitation of metal. As a viewer myself I felt the inclination of wanting to pursue the genre as I really felt hooked not just to the sound but the energy it gives. I felt that if the movie focused on that, it maybe could have reached a wider audience.

the fault I could guess in this movie would be trying to be two things at the same time. On one hand you got the immersion of true glam rock culture, and the other being some sort of documentary or biopic of a fictional rock star. I understand that the latter was used as a medium to give the audience a point of view of a fan in that era and how the music of artists or bands changed their lives into releasing a side of them that has been silenced since. I just think that a documentary or biopic like film would not be ideal especially for a fictional character. I understand it was not a documentary or a biopic, but I strongly felt the case as it became dragging a series of times as it tried to bounce back from one thing being an introduction to glam rock culture and focusing on Brian Slade being the imagination of what a rock star is supposed to be. Personally, the film got me hooked enough to go through such cons but I can’t say the attention of a broader type of audience could say the same.

“Music has the power to change your life forever.”

As profound as this quote is, one would not expect that it is actually a line in a song from a children’s television show known as Phineas and Ferb and, for the most part, it holds true. Music is more than just something that people listen to in their free time. People could use it as a retreat from their problems or as a way to empower themselves. As a result, people view those who create music as more than just talented individuals; they are regarded as idols, heroes, or even gods. What sets Velvet Goldmine apart from other films that follow rock stars through their career is how it shows just how empowering music can be to people, while also showing how it can humble even the most talented of stars.

Music is an incredibly powerful medium. It has the ability to both empower people’s emotions and bring people together.

I can personally speak about my experience with music amplifying my emotions. During the summer heading into college, I was not in a good place in terms of my mental health. I felt a mixture of feeling alone, angry, and miserable. I believed that nobody could fully fathom the things I felt. Around that time, I started listening to bands such as All Time Low or Mayday Parade who had songs that revolved around those very feelings. I found myself obsessed with their music. I would crash on my bed with my earphones firmly plugged into my ear canals with the volume maxed on just to completely lose myself in the music. I remember thinking “This song is about my life” or “This song is me” when listening to some of them. This is why the scene of the young Arthur Stuart pointing at the television screen while shouting “That’s me!” resonated so much with me. He finally saw someone whom he could identify with and that is how I felt when I first listened to All Time Low’s Weightless, a song about not wanting to feel stuck and helpless. In the same way that relating to an icon can make us feel empowered, listening to a song that we resonate can give us that same effect.

Music also unites people. The universal aspect of the medium was shown in the film when it united the British Brian Slade and the American Curt Wild. The former even united thousands of people through his concerts. Sadly, I have never actually attended a concert of a band that I would say I am a fan of. However, I still have felt the feeling of belongingness that music gives to people through talking about the singers or bands that I grew up listening to such as Taylor Swift or Big Time Rush. I have personally developed many of my friendships through our mutual appreciation for these certain bands, showing that even if I do not attend concerts, music can still unite people.

However, music can also bring out the worst in people. In the context of anything fame-related, fanatics will always exist. These fans are those who develop unhealthy obsessions with those whom they idolize and will do anything for them. Though usually a fanatic is just an average person, it can be argued that in the film, Brian Slade was a fanatic of Curt Wild. He was obsessed with him; wanting to be involved in his career and life. This eventually led to Slade’s downfall as he grew increasingly hard to work with. Though I do feel that the trope of having a character become increasingly unlikeable as his fame grows to be rather overplayed, I do however appreciate how something as simple as feelings can shatter Slade’s image, showing that he is indeed a normal human.

I admired many things about the film but, perhaps more than any other movie shown in class so far, I felt myself resonate so much with scenes and themes that it tackled.

First of all, as a person who is extremely hemophobic and is a coward for horror films, I was quite worried for this film since it gave me a vibe that was more on the horror genre. I was very relieved when I found out the movie was going to be more on the punk rock genre so I was super glad to hear that. The beginning of the movie was extremely odd and confusing and weird all together. A guy gets stopped by a policeman and he opens the trunk and gets vaporized. In my head I couldn’t help but think to myself that is this movie gonna be another “Schizopolis” or something? A few scenes later, Otto’s in bed with his girlfriend and all of a sudden, when he leaves to get a drink, his girlfriend was cheating on him with one of his friends. In my mind, it was a “what the hell” moment since it escalated so quick and it was something I didn’t expect. Of course Otto became depressed but a guy named Bud asks him if he can drive his other car out of town. After he drives his car out the city, he realizes that bud is a “repo man”. I have never heard of a “repo man” in my life so I was quite confused. Was it a guy who just steals other’s cars and owns or something? From what the word “repo”, the first word that came to my mind was “repossession”. I just assumed at the time that it was just people who repossess cars which is why they bring them to an agency or office. From how the scenes portrayed what a “repo man” is, I then realized that a “repo man” is someone who retrieves cars or items with or without compensation. Which is why they just get the cars without telling the person who owned/borrowed it. Eventually the focus of the movie became about a Chevy Malibu (the car that vaporized the policeman at the beginning). This was when I understood the beginning of the movie or at least somewhat. The car had a huge bounty of $20,000. After scenes including the Malibu being stolen and a guy dying when he opened the trunk, the Malibu is glowing a green color and this was the second weirdest scene after the opening of the movie. I understood that there was speculations that aliens had something to do with the Malibu but that just got me off guard. In the end, it was nice how the movie was structured. As someone who didn’t understand what a “repo man” was, to the story of the Malibu, it was a movie that is still understandable and followable for viewers like me who didn’t understand much about the plot to begin with. I commend how the director was able to structure how “repo men” work and what they do as their job. As for the plot about the Malibu, it was funny and quite odd but overall, still made sense to the movie’s plot. It made sense of the opening scene and it was great how they tied everything from the Malibu from start to finish.

The film Velvet Goldmine (1998) was unlike any other film I’ve ever seen before. I found myself transported back to London in the 1970s where glam rock was immensely popular and was considered a cultural evolution. From the striking color patterns of outfits to the heavy makeup to the loud (??)  sound of music, it was truly captivating to watch the film. I never expected to enjoy it mainly because it is not a genre I would typically watch and the music genre is not something that I would normally listen to as well. However, the film surprised me and made me feel like I was watching an extended concert with some behind the scenes footage of the artists going about their regular lives. 

Aside from the trip down to glam rock lane, what really contributed to the overall success of the film in my opinion was the characters and their music. The characters, who were referenced to famous names in the glam rock music industry such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Louie Reed, put up a show performance that captured what it was like to be a glam rock artist in the 70s. It was such a thrilling experience to watch the performances of Brian Slade and Curt Wild since they fully immersed themselves in their respective characters. Between the two characters, I would say that I liked the music of Slade more since it felt like his songs embodied who he is as a person and what his feelings were at the time. The scene where Brian Slade performed live in the rock festival and the same scene where Curt Wild was introduced, showed how Slade started out — as a humble and authentic artist trying to find his place with the emergence of the glam rock scene in London.  It is in this scene where Brian was completely vulnerable. This scene painted a picture of how it all started for Slade and how his career would soon peak and maybe even lead to his downfall. Through the course of his career, it seemed like Brian Slade was just trying to find a way to escape himself and he did this through art — particularly through glam rock. 

On the other end, the film was not centered on the glamorous and extravagant lifestyles of the characters but it delved deeper on the impact of glam rock to people or fans. For them, glam rock became a cultural symbol and granted them the ability to express themselves freely. Arthur Stuart, for one, was deeply moved by the lives of the glam rock artists and in a sense he felt less of an alien in his own skin because of them. Overall, the film could be described as hollow yet full of meaning as it showed how Arthur came into terms with his sexuality. However, he was not able to fully express it. Throughout the film, it is clear to see that Arthur was detached from the world and even himself. For him, art became an avenue to be who he wants to be and to escape the reality he is in.