Lost In Translation

What We Do In The Shadows (TV)

I very much enjoyed Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi's vampire mockumentary What We Do in the Shadows, so I was pleased to hear that they were adapting it for TV. The TV series What We Do In The Shadows has its merits such as introducing an "energy vampire"-Colin Robinson (Mark Prosch). The main cast is a strength as well with Nandor the Relentless (Kayvan Novak), Lazlo Cravensworth (Matt Berry), and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou). But none of them are as funny as the original cast and the writing feels weaker here, since they have to pad out 10 episodes-basically hit and miss. I suspect I7llstay with it since each episode is under 30 minutes.

One, Two, Three

One, Two, Three (1961) is a Billy Wilder cold war comedy that was named as one of Martin Scorsese's favorite all-time films. Thus, I had high expectations for the film that feels very dated. All of the characters are stereotypes, rather than fully formed characters, which works in the farce but seems a bit too on the nose. There's a frantic pace with actors shouting lines-especially James Cagney in one of his last roles before semi-retirement, as a Coca-Cola executive , C.R. McNamara, who has to look after his boss's daughter (Pamela Tiffin) while she is in Berlin. While there she falls for a young East Geman (Horst Buchholz)-hilarity ensues. There are some sporadically good gags and set pieces-for example my favorite was the business dinner McNamara with Russians and his ditzy blonde secretary Lisolette Pulver who dances on the table with "The Sabre Dance" played by a worked up band in the background.

Fosse/Verdon

I was surprised how much I liked FX's Fosse/Verdon eight part miniseries. It is based on a biography of Fosse by Sam Wasson which recounts the relationship between the two creative forces that changed entertainment. I think a lot of it had to do with the great performances by Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams as the couple. It sent me back to watch All That Jazz, which was basically Fosse's own autobiography.

Tokyo Knights

The last film I watched in the Seijun Suzuki:The Early Years Vol.2 The Border Crossing and Action Movies boxset, was Tokyo Nights (1961). I had already watched one film in the collection, Eight Hours of Terror (1957), an overall quite enjoyed the collection. That being said, this might be the weakest film in the collection as it is a "typical teen" film in many ways. But Seijun Suzuki was far from a "typical" director, so there are some "atypical" moments in the film, starring Koji Wada as the son of a prominent yakuza family that is recalled from America to take over the "family business" after his father has an untimely death-falling from a cliff. Much of this plot calls to mind Hamlet. Koji is a talented boy at his new mission high school where he breezes through several athletic clubs and settles in for the music club to play jazz piano. There are several set pieces that stand out in this otherwise "typical" teen film: the cuff link theft scene in which Koji dons a Noh devil mask and cape to steal cuff links forma rival yakuza gang on a roof top overlooking neon signs of what I suspect was Ginza, the club scenes (which were always well-done by Suzuki (perhaps he liked to frequent them himself?), and the finale that take place on a mountain top that captures Mount Fuji in the background. This is minor Suzuki, but still good fun and bursts of artistry can be seen here and there in the production.

Arabian Nights: Volume 3: The Enchanted

Miguel Gomes' Arabian Nights: Volume 3 - The Enchanted (2015) was probably my least favorite volume of the series, that as a whole was something of a chore to watch. This volume in particular had a very long and tedious documentary-like section about bird trappers. There a number of inter titles throughout that were not translated, but I'm not sure that would have added anything to his volume. The first section is about the narrator Scheherazade, played by Crista Alfaiate. As Scheherazade tells her stories each night in a bid to stay alive, the Grand Vizier fears she'll soon run out of steam, and is at the same time reminded of the face of his dearly departed wife each time he lays eyes on his daughter. It's hard to know what we are supposed to read the fairytale figures — such as the happy thief — in the context of a film about a nation in a deep economical and psychological crisis, though it’s clear Gomes wants to suggest something about the transporting power of storytelling and the human need for stories.

Tora's Pure Love (18)

In Tora's Pure Love (1976) sees Tora (Kyoshi Atsumi) falling for the mother of Mitsuo's (Tora's nephew) substitute teacher Masako (Fumi Dan), Aya (Machiko Kyo who starred in Rashomon and recently died in May of 2019). The pre-credits sequence finds "Torance of Arabia" mired in intrigue in a North African port city. When he wakes he's in Besso Onsen in Umeda, Nagano where he runs into a traveling theater company that he feels compelled to throw a party for with money he doesn't have. His sister Sakura (Chieko Baisho) has to go and bail him out and pay his bill. This is when he meets Masako's mother and begins seeing her almost daily. This romance ends more sadly than usual.

Granta 28: 10th Birthday Special!

I recently came across Granta 28 from 1989 and decided to read it, because it has pieces from several writers I admired (Salman Rusdie, Nadine Gordimer, Leonard Michaels, Jay McInerney, John Updike, and Mario Vargas Llosa) as well as pieces from writers I have been aware of but haven't read (such as Guy Davenport, William Boyd, Jeanette Winterson, Joy Williams, and Colin Thurbron). There were also a couple of photography collections: Marketa Luskacova's "Pilgrims in Ireland" and Eugene  Richards' "Americans." Most pieces were of interest to me and some of the standouts included: John Simpson's tense non fiction piece ""Tiananmen Square, "Gordiner's "The Ultimate Safari," Boyd's "Transfigured Night," Russel Hoban's inventive meta-fiction "The Man with the Daggar," and "Jimmy" by McInerney. It is a good collection of interesting short pieces.

All That Jazz

I was inspired to pick up Criterion's Bluray reissue of Bib Fosse's All That Jazz (1979) after starting to watch the FX miniseries Fosse/Verdon-about that famous collaboration between Fosse and estranged wife/muse Gwen Verdon. It's somewhat ironic how much I am enjoying the TV show and how much I enjoyed revisiting the film, given that I am not a fan of musicals. I suppose much of that has to do with the great writing, acting, and production values of both productions. Also, I have to admit being a huge fan of Sam Rockwell (TV version) and Roy Scheider (film version). The opening of All That Jazz should be in the conversation of greatest per-credits sequences in history. The semi-autobiographical film doesn't pull any punches, so one has to give Fosse credit for a damning self-portrait. The Criterion treatment includes: new 4K digital restoration, with 3.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray, audio commentary featuring editor Alan Heim, selected-scene audio commentary by actor Roy Scheider, new interviews with Heim and Fosse biographer Sam Wasson, new conversation between actors Ann Reinking and Erzsebet Foldi, episode of the talk show Tomorrow from 1980, featuring director Bob Fosse and choreographer Agnes de Mille, interviews with Fosse from 1981 and 1986, on-set footage, Portrait of a Choreographer, a 2007 documentary on Fosse, The Soundtrack: Perverting the Standards, a 2007 documentary about the film’s music, interview with George Benson from 2007, about his song “On Broadway,” which opens the film, a booklet featuring an essay by critic Hilton Als, and Cover based on a theatrical poster; packaging includes new illustrations by Sean Freema.

The Man With A Shotgun

The Man With A Shotgun (1961) is another selection from the Seijun Suzuki:The Early Years Vol.2 The Border Crossing and Action Movies boxset. It is something of a curiosity-a borderless western set in the mountains of Nagano. Ryoji (Hideaki Nitani) is the lone drifter who arrives at a sleepy mountain town run by mill owner Nishioka (Akio Tanaka). The few locals who still live in the village mingle uncomfortably with the work force who work at the mill while Nishioka dominates the local economy by owning the only bar in town. After getting roughed up by three of Nishioka’s henchmen on the way into town, Ryoji makes the first of many enemies when he stands up to fellow drifter Masa (Yuji Kodaka) when he threatens to throw a man’s daughter to the sex starved workers unless he pays up. The sheriff gets himself seriously wounded, which results in the position becomes temporarily open. Ryoji volunteers only for Masa to do the same, but the argument is eventually settled to one side of their continued male posturing after a duel. This film was made in color to capture the majestic mountain scenery and remains a curiosity in the oeuvre of Suzuki.

Arabian Nights, Volume 2: The Desolate One

Having been impressed by a couple of earlier Miguel Gomes films, I have deiced to undertake the Arabian Nights trilogy. I have to admit that the first volume, The Restless One, was a bit of a chore to get through. Thus, I had a long hiatus between it and the second volume, The Desolate One (2015). I was worried that this volume might also be a chore with the first part of the film, "The Chronicle of the Escape of Siamo 'Without Bowels.'" It tells the story of Siamo (Chico Chapas) who becomes something of a folk hero by defying the much-hated authorities despite the six murders he committed. The second part, "Tears of the Jungle," feels as though it owes something to Jean-Luc Goddard in the mixture of politics, amateurish looking acting and props to make a political statement. A female judge (Fernada Loveiro) presides over crimes committed due the austerity of the government's policies. The final part, "The Owners of Dixie" is a compilation of vignettes centered around a dog named "Dixie"-this was my favorite part of the film. This is certainly a film only for the art film crowd.