Mondo Cane (1962): Italy – directed by Paolo Cavara, Gualtiero Jacopetti, and Franco Prosperi

Not rated by the MPAA – contains real-life violence, “scientific” sexual content, animal violence, and some disturbing material

Mondo Cane was, I believe, the first of the mondo documentaries.  They were generally produced like the travelogues of the earlier years of cinema, but focused on shocking locations and peoples and cultures.  Some of the films were much reviled upon release, and probably with good reason.  Mondo Cane is, when viewed with mature eyes, actually a fascinating and enlightening film.

That’s not to say that there isn’t a great deal of shocking behavior and customs exhibited in the film.  Rather, the footage is almost always engaging and the technique with which it is presented is remarkably effective.  The narrative, which attempts to make grand comments on life around the globe, is best viewed from a skeptical perspective: very few of the scenes are as truthful as the narrative would imply.

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A Walk in the Sun (1945): United States – directed by Lewis Milestone

Not rated by the MPAA – contains a little war violence, walking

In some respects All Quiet on the Western Front hasn’t aged particularly well.  Acting as an art wasn’t that advanced in 1930, and many scenes feel, today, forced and obvious.  In spite of these small complaints, I am rather fond of the film, as the final act is remarkably powerful.  My appreciation of Lewis Milestone’s All Quiet on the Western Front makes his 1945 effort, A Walk in the Sun, that much more disappointing.

The story follows the landing of an infantry platoon on the Salerno beachhead, in 1943 Italy.  The squad has vague orders to penetrate inland, and a farmhouse and bridge are given as primary considerations.  In spite of this brief historical context, the film isn’t really about any historical incident or battle.  It is more concerned with the soldiers who do the walking and fighting.

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Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. (1999): United States – directed by Errol Morris

Rated PG-13 by the MPAA – contains some disturbing subject matter and mature content

Errol Morris is one of the most revered documentarians of all time, and he proves why in Mr. Death: The Rise and Fall of Fred A. Leuchter, Jr. In the past Morris has taken a mundane story (Vernon, Florida [review here] for instance) and made it fascinating.  Or covered injustices or odd characters in films like The Thin Blue Line and Gates of Heaven.  Mr. Death is slightly different, as he takes a polarizing character and presents him from a number of viewpoints.

The way Morris can sway audiences’ sympathy through the simple revelation of information is incredible.  If one is familiar with the story of Fred Leuchter, perhaps he or she might not be as affected by the film, but in Morris’ hands a newcomer will be twisted apart, torn to the core as the good guys and bad guys become fuzzier and more convoluted.

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All About Eve (1950): United States – directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Not rated by the MPAA – contains wittiness and extreme bitterness

It is quite remarkable how well All About Eve has withstood the pressures and passage of six decades.  It is all the more incredible given that it was nominated for fourteen Oscars and won six.  Neither before nor since has their been such a witty, biting attack on fame, stardom, and the theater.  The fact that the Academy looked so highly on the film makes its themes even more ironic and delicious.

The film is constructed of four strong central characters, and a bevy of supporting acts.  First is Margo (Bette Davis), an aging actress.  She is the queen of the stage, admired by everyone around her.  Her fears of soon becoming old and discarded are not assuaged by the sudden appearance of Eve (Anne Baxter), a young woman who idolizes and attempts to ape Margo’s every move and gesture.  Eve is initially helped by Karen (Celeste Holm).  Karen is a close friend of Margo, and her husband, Lloyd Richards (Hugh Marlowe) is Margo’s leading playwright.  Lloyd’s role is slightly less substantial, leaving room for theater critic Addison DeWitt (George Sanders) to claim the fourth key role.

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Tales from the Script (2009): United States – directed by Peter Hanson

Not rated by the MPAA – contains some strong language

Tales from the Script sounds like a great idea for a documentary: get a number of famous and unknown screenwriters to give interviews on a variety of subjects ranging from the joys of seeing their imagination come to life to the drudgery and despair of having extra writers hired to replace you.  And the film is interesting, in a way, at least for someone with an interest in the creative and business process each Hollywood film undergoes.  But it is also rather sterile, with little B-roll, and poorly constructed; without having access to a number of its famed writers I imagine it would have made a great extra on a DVD.

The film is broken into a number of chapters, and in each one a number of screenwriters weigh in on a particular aspect of the filmmaking process from a writer’s point of view.  Some of the sections are rather ambiguous, and certain snippets do not seem to make particular sense within their section.  Nearly 50 writers make up the interviews, and the diversity brings a certain level of freshness that otherwise would have been lost among the dullness of talking heads.

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Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991): Hong Kong/Japan – directed by Ngai Kai Lam

Not rated by the MPAA – contains extreme and ridiculous violence and gore, and some drug content

Note: This review contains some descriptions of violent content, and a picture that might offend those not expecting cartoonish, ridiculous violence.

Riki Oh: The Story of Ricky is one of the most amazing movies ever committed to celluloid.  It is nearly inconceivable that it was ever made, and a pure joy to watch if one is blessed with the right mindset.  It must be understood that Riki Oh: The Story of Ricky is not a good movie.  It is not a work of great art, or hardly any art, for that matter.  In some ways it is a wretched film, truly awful; the joy lies in that it appears its creators were taking it seriously, as is the case with Troll 2 [review here].

The story is a little bit silly, the gore effects are absurdly violent, and the acting and technical skills are lacking.  However, despite its shortcomings (all of which add to the true charm of the film) Riki Oh: The Story of Ricky is, at its core, the story of a very strong Jesus-figure.

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Henry V (1989): United Kingdom – directed by Kenneth Branagh

Rated PG-13 by the MPAA – contains some battle violence

It would be interesting to compare Kenneth Branagh’s Henry V with Peter Greenaway’s Prospero’s Books [review here], another take on Shakespeare that turned out far differently.  While both use the Bard’s original text for dialogue, Greenaway’s version is a piece of celluloid turned into art, with a variety of unconventional editing and aesthetic techniques that give it a life of its own.  Meanwhile, Henry V is a perfect example of a standard adaptation, lushly staged with a focus on acting, the play’s original words, and little else.

Not that there’s anything wrong with using Shakespeare’s words verbatim; indeed, it would be almost sacrilegious to alter or modernize them.  With Branagh’s direction, Henry V feels the epitome of a British filmed play, albeit with enough cinematic flourishes to make it theatrically feasible.

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The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009): The Netherlands – directed by Tom Six

Not rated by the MPAA – contains exceedingly disturbing material, nudity, bizarre and disturbing gore, blood, language

Note: If you have heard of The Human Centipede and are still interested in watching it, you may be curious to read this review.  If you have not heard of the film I strongly urge you not to continue reading or look up other information concerning the film.

Looking back at cinema certain countries have created more disturbing and disgusting films than others.  Germany is responsible for trash such as Nekromantik and a number of others.  Italy has thrived for many years, granting cinema-goers a great many sick and twisted giallo and horror films, with titles like Cannibal Holocaust and Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom topping them all.  Japan has been the master for the past 20 years, with Takashi Miike’s entire oeuvre leading the way.  But most of these films remain hidden in niche markets among movie lovers, something that has changed a bit with the release of The Human Centipede (First Sequence).

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Fido (2006): Canada – directed by Andrew Currie

Rated R by the MPAA – contains violence, most of it zombie-related

Fido is a pleasant zombie film, one of the most peaceful ones in recent memory.  There is little frantic scurrying around to escape zombie teeth and no one freaks out when their first shot hits a zombie in the chest instead of the head.  This is because Fido exists in an alternate history, one where the zombie apocalypse has come and gone.  The humans have won, and zombies are now slaves.

The setting feels like mid-1950′s suburbia.  A visionary scientist has crafted a collar that allows zombies to exist and serve humans; their appetites dulled, they are still receptive to a small amount of corrective training.  This has led to the existence of a lower class, the zombies.  They are for sale, and the more affluent citizens sometimes have several of them in the house.  They serve as butlers, maids, “friends,” and crossing guards.

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The Fountain (2006): United States – directed by Darren Aronofsky

Rated PG-13 by the MPAA – contains violence, mature themes, very brief nudity, and a little sexual content

Darren Aronofsky is one of this generation’s most interesting contemporary directors, one whose most outrageous and daring projects are interesting even when they don’t entirely succeed.  Starting with Pi in 1998 he made a name for himself, following that up with the best film of the past 10 years, Requiem for a Dream [writeup here].  It took six more years for The Fountain to see the light of day, thanks to a variety of production issues, but only two years after that he gave the world The Wrestler, itself a fantastic movie.

The Fountain is not Aronofsky’s best-received film, with some saying that it was a failure, but an interesting one.  I don’t believe it is a failure at all, just a film with more outstanding flaws than one might expect from Aronofsky.  Some may say it’s pretentious and hollow, and this criticism, while more to the point, is also not entirely accurate.

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