Kill Bill vol. 1 Review: SPOILERS
(Actually more of a explaination of my preferences of cinema)
































I would have to say that Kill Bill is possibly one of most "Film geek" movies out there. This movie firmly fits into the category of movies titled "Great movies that deserved to be appreciated no matter what". And of course it does deserve my appreciation. But like acclaimed movies such as Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Pulp Fiction, Titanic, From Russia With Love, Spiderman and many others I don't want to mention; Kill Bill is a movie that ultimately comes down to my reaction: It's not bad.

No really...seriously I'm not in love with it, but it doesn't mean I hate it. Now granted somethings were a bit off, much like the un-consistent sound; much of which attributed having to keep a certain degree of volume in order not to wake the entire house, and the pretty bad quality compared to a theatre or even regular TV copy. Not to mention I don't have the extensive knowledge behind all the homages that lie strewn throughout the movie. But that is what I want to touch on.

I think I might be feeling the exact same thing that Rob felt when he finally saw the film with a bit of a difference. Even beneath his great sense of joy over the film, there was still this small patch of apprehension that was basically removed from when Rob looked up and read up on the references that KBv1 had. And that made the movie so much better for him. However where Rob has the enthusiasm to look up that stuff, to a certain degree I don't. It could be because I wasn't stirred like Rob to dig deeper behind the film, but I would rather bet more on my lack of movie viewing history.

It's quite a funny thing really, because watching movies, even though I love it, I don't have the extensive knowledge most associated with Film Geeks. If anything I more have the indirect knowledge of pop-culture references. Somehow pop culture has permeated my mind so much that I knew all about Star Wars before I had a chance to sit down and watch it all, full acknowledging it as a film (not just some doe-eyed child jumping around and watching bits and pieces of a film). The horror, the horror; Rosebud; What is your major malfunction, all parts of my collective cinematic knowledge.

But even though I can still watch those films via tape, I have this notion that what will affect me the most in liking a film is my relationship with it from a historical cultural standpoint. Being that I feel more acquainted with the media of the current than that of the past. It's much like how this author stated that he'll always think Queen (or some band around that time) is just as good or if not better than Radiohead; not because they are actually better, but Queen was around "with him" in a time when he was late teens and early 20's where everything is impressionable upon him and how it was during his time, his experience.

If anything using an outside comparison, with Mike. I was once over at his place and he showed me an ep of "Clerks" the animated show. It started with the Clerks fucking with a customer by hiding and repeatedly saying "Is it safe?". No matter what question the customer answered they still repeated it. Of course the funny part of the whole thing was that I recognized the reference from "The Marathon Man" with Dustin Hoffman (not to be confused with "The Running Man" with Auh-Nuld). Lawrence Olivier played a Nazi dentist who asked Hoffman's character this question repeatedly despite whatever answer he gave whether "Yes it is safe" or "No it's not safe at all" with Hoffman knowing nothing really.

Now I can imagine that Mike might still not enjoy it as much as I do, even after watching the Marathon Man, because another aspect of my enjoyment has passed...reference material "after" the fact. I kinda see it, why bother really, kinda like counting out of order. But since I made that connection instantly it'll always be forever with me.

It's very much the same thing with KBv1. Before, Rob wanted me to go through this crash history binge to see all the films he can get his hands on that reference to KBv1. There's nothing wrong with his intentions, I want to make that very clear. But like I said before, that is very much like cramming for study session or binge drinking. There isn't really a way for me to enjoy it because I lack enthusiasm due to my state of mind that I can't really enjoy some sort of dated material unless:

A) I really want to.
B) The dated material is more permiating/wide spreading than it's cultural era, aka it's better than good.

Sure I'll have this knowledge, but will I have all this "experience" of the film? I might get the reference, but not in a natural almost instinctual level, but in a more recollective level of "Oh that happened in that film". And in some ways that the guteral thing I want to have in order to enjoy a film such as KBv1. It truly is a geek film because the film has a much more "technical" filming execution that is to be appreciated. This is, however, different from the "technical execution" I refer to in my other reviews, The Hulk and Matrix Reloaded/Revolutions; because the technical exectuion was more on the content of film, not the cinematography of the film.

Upon point B), you might ask "Well a lot of those films are classics, why don't you like them etc. etc.?" Well I have no actual objective point defending this except for it's just subjective preference. Classic does not instantly = I *must* like it.

But points: Music great; fight scenes ok; animation fantastic; violence kinda mindless, but not fun-mindless like Equilibrium or Fight Club; story pretty good; dialogue/acting so-so; etc. etc.

Overall I give the film a 3.7/5.0 stars because I can appreciate it, but it doesn't bring a deeper connection with me to the table.

Fort St. John

Rob's friend Joe aptly called Fort St. John a black hole that you can't escape from. In most cases I would agree. A sort of drab place that is was the butt of my English 12 teacher's story of how FSJ is a large contributer to "paternity tests" conducted in the Lower Mainland. A place where no matter wherever the hell people went, they always came back...more broken and seemingly more pathetic. A sort of sad place where it hovers between lower class poverty and a depressingly good job that ends up in consuming either drugs or alcohol in order to make up for your depression....a depression that often is the result of you having no money.

Sure there are some nice things to say about FSJ. But we all know "nice people" that quite often we don't want to associate with. I wouldn't say that the cons outweigh the pros of this city, or vice versa. I'd rather say that the "perception" of cons outweigh the potential pros of this city. People are too wrapped up in being silly hill-billies (while first being a rapper skater thug in their teens) to decide what could be better for FSJ.

To tell the truth, I don't hate this town. I don't hate the people living here, because I know enough people here to know that it's a good place. That this is a pretty good place to grow up often. And if I were to voice my opinion on how much I disliked this town, it would be more of an echo of some other people's mind. In reality if you give me a comfy house, an ample theatre and some sort of art cultural centre...I'd be peachy keen for the rest of my life...generally speaking. Hopefully it hasn't come down to that yet.

I don't think that there's nothing to do in this town, because in reality.....there's never anything to do in a city you live in. Why on earth do they call Vancouver the most boring city in Canada when it plays host to the VIFF, the Internation Jazz Fest and many other fests that go through it?

And yet all the time I spent there, it was really me who didn't go out to explore all it's potential. There's nothing boring about life in FSJ because in reality, FSJ probably gives you a better opputunity to start something new, rather than waiting for something to happen. Small enough so everyone knows and cheaper compared to larger places, but large enough to give you the resources to pull it off.

I never realise that a lot of things that happen to me is really my fault. There really isn't an agruement against that because no one really knows how shitty and faulty I can really be...except Rob which he had the most wonderful privilage to actually call me out, which was refreshing for a change. And because of that revelation that there is a sort of animosty waiting and lurking for me to exploit and know that my friends have....kinda make me respect them more really. Much like how I respect FSJ as a town known for it's cons, but less recognized for it's pros.

The most addictivly fucked up place for online confessions ever.

Matrix Reloaded Review




*****OBVIOUS SPOILERS****











































I really didn't have any thoughts right after the film, but after I was driving home it kinda hit me. It all came down to choice.

As we all know Neo is part of the source code, because he's the anamoly. For ever reincarnation of the Matrix, it was always resetted by the previous "Ones" choice in saving Zion *and* the machine world by taking the right door, instead of the left door. As we all know, the architect is there to balance out the equation of the Matrix...hence he's there to keep order.

It seems pretty interesting because every single time, no matter how hard the Oracle tries to "un-balance" the Matrix, the point always come down the same choice of "The One" having to make a "choice". To return to the source, or to re-enter the Matrix, thereby sealing it's doom.

I think it might be safe to say the re-incarnation of each 'Doom of the Matrix' could be different or could be the same; this incarnation of the Matrix was the Virus Smith. When I saw the trailer with all the Agent. Smith's, I wonder...what if Smith was going to destroy both the humans and the machine world? What if that was the doom that the Architect was forseeing?

*Note: I think why Smith could trancend the Matrix and be in the real world is due to him also posessing part of the "Source Code" that is part of Neo. But perhaps it just could be if he takes over a code/human he can just go into the real world. I think the former holds more sense, but I've always thought the latter was usable too.

Anyway back to the point at hand. I think the architect's role is to always to most efficiently convince the "Ones" that they must re-enter the source in order to save the human race, it's like prevention of doom rather than causing doom. Another form of control.

However despite that, it has always been the Architect who gets the last word in for "The One" before they choose whether or not to re-enter the source code or re-enter the Matrix, not the Oracle. Because the Oracle is there to un-balance the equation, she can only do so much, except for this time. I think that she has always been there to guide people in certain ways...manipulating them in order to further her goals. Which apparently is to end the war.

The thing is, I don't think that she was there to "end the war" but more to "end the war for the sake of unbalancing the equation". So what does that mean? It's the resetting of the Matrix, but through her method. The chaotic method. You at the end Neo most likely get's return to the Matrix, and the Matrix is resetted, and the Architect says "You played a dangerous game there".

That leads me to believe that she didn't really care for the humans, but more the idea of "switching the status quo" and she did. She has indeed switched the status quo, not so much saying that Zion will prevail, but the fact that Zion still exists.

I mean really, fuck Zion would need decades to rebuild everything and sure the Machines might keep the peace. But seriously "THE WAR IS OVER?" EVEN WHEN THOUSANDS OF SENTINALS ARE HOVERING ABOVE YOUR ASSES? WHAT THE FUCK? I bet that they will attack again, and around that time 'The One' will appear again, producing the entire cycle again.

How did the source reset? Well take a look at it. They might indicate that Neo and Smith are opposite codes and they balanced out when they got together, but remember what "Merv" said:

"It is a gift that cannot be taken but given, the Oracle's eyes"

So we have Smith with the Oracle's powers but entirely seperate from the Matrix. We know the Oracle is the most powerful (and perhaps the mother but reloaded contradicts it) of the Matrix. In fact I think she might be the "Intuitive Program" of the Matrix due to the fact that she plays on people's intuition. She throws them off course giving them just enough to manipulate them.

Anyway back on course. So we have the Oracle assimilated by Smith, who has both the source code of Neo, the Oracle's power *and* being seperated from the Matrix, aka. a rogue program. The Matrix has no way of controlling it and it threatens the system because it wants the end the system.

So who do we have? We have Neo directly connected with the Matrix not through the transmission of the ships, but right back with the machines again. I can only assume that even though the Matrix can control people, they cannot seperatly control the source program embedded in "The Ones" (hence the idea of choice) and Agent Smith with the source program (since he is serperated from the Matrix).

The machines prolly could only watch their toys being used by Smith. But when Smith assimilates Neo, the machines finally have a human, connected directly to the Matrix, with source code *and* access to the Oracle's power which was given to them by Smith assimilating Neo. Hence the light coming from Agent Neo Smith's eyes.

*EDIT: Of course we can speculate it was the Oracle who started the chain reaction, not the Machines.

So now instead watching of Smith playing with the Matrix's toys, they can walk up and bitch-slap him. They resetted him possibly using the Orcale's power (which is still pretty much unknown but still powerful) and thus resetted the Matrix once again, this time with a living Zion and peace...for now.

Overall I felt the movie was still as lukewarm as Reloaded, if not a bit more for the dialogue. Smith fucking rocked, I loved when he tossed that dish aside and spewed out so much crap like that. But after this revelation once again it makes the movie so much enjoyable. I think once you "get it" it makes the movie kinda fun even though it sucked. I loved the final battle because Rob said the right thing...it's a superhuman battle. A lot of people thought DBZ apparently, but I sure the hell didn't. I thought superhuman battle.

I don't know it just seemed much more better perhaps the rain helped greatly to blur and make it more real. I loved how they did the "bubble" effect, and it was the right length. The sentinal swarm was just amazing. Just when it seemed they were winning, they just flood out...fuck that freaked me.

Like I said before, this was once again like Reloaded, a movie that was executed well, but had shitty content. The fact that Neo was more dense that he usually was, "Bane calling him Mr. Anderson"...geez. Anyways it deserves a 3.5 really...nothing great, but great only in the big picture.

More later