I came across this link through Andrew Sullivan, who never ceases to offer challenging and insightful views (even if I often disagree with him.)
Here’s a letter from a U.S. soldier in Fallujah, recounting his experience of the battle and what the U.S. soldiers found there. A riveting read. And all the more reason for us to keep our troops supported with prayer.
Poland, as usual is an interesting read, but I find it hard to be lectured on “style over substance” by a guy who found Man on Fire to be a “good” example of this.
I enjoyed bits of Man on Fire, but in the end Tony Scott’s films are almost unwatchable due to his “visual stylings”, which usually involve tons of jump cuts, high contrast elements and spinning cameras (see his BMW short “Ride With the Devil” to see how he can take a good idea and ruin it.
As for blowing off Sin City merely because you don’t want to be “assaulted with sex and violence”: fair enough. I wouldn’t recommend the film to everyone. But at the same time, it’s not because “it’s something we’ve never seen before.” I’ve seen plenty of noir and plenty of Tarantino-esque stuff, but Sin City boils these things down to their elements and I think illuminates some of the things that make noir a popular genre. IIRC, you really liked Sky Captain. I think this film is similar, but instead of old pulp adventures we have a pulp noir.
Check out David Edelstein’s surprising rave over at Slate.
http://www.slate.com/id/2115999/
I haven’t seen the film yet (probably will tomorrow). But the question I have is this: can it really be that much more violent and disturbing than the films of Rodriguez’s “El Mariachi” trilogy?
Jeffrey, read your own words:
“Pokes fun at itself, and then turns on a dime to deliver some profoundly moving scenes near the end. Sure, it’s a hyperviolent revenge flick, but it never puts on airs to be anything more than a genre flick, and it plays that game with groundbreaking style, and a brilliant mix of fusion, homage, and parody.”
Your thoughts on Kill Bill 2. Hmmm, could have applied to Sin City in my book. 🙂