Taking place in 1972, Dark Shadows is the tale of cursed vampire Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp), as he deals with the perks of the 70s after being inadvertently freed from two centuries of entombment.

Or perhaps it’s about his efforts to rejuvenate the family business, as his descendants (played by Michelle Pfeiffer, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloe Moretz, etc) are near bankrupt. Or perhaps it’s about him fending off the romantic advances of the witch (Eva Green) who cursed him in the first place. Or…. It’s about him finding a new yet not so new love interest (Bella Heathcote).

Or… Well, you get the picture.

Although it’s definitely not impossible for a 113-minute movie to contain all of those plot threads (and a few more), director Tim Burton and his writers fail to prioritize in Dark Shadows, and results feel gruesomely uneven. Subplots and backstories are inserted only to destroy the rhythm of the story, and transitions from referential humor to acts of brutality create a glaring imbalance in tonality. The movie, for all of its visual flair, is simply too unfocused to be enjoyable.

But that isn’t the only sin. With its main character living out of original time, Dark Shadows also relies too heavily on fish-out-of-water jokes. A few work, but most of them definitely fall flat. As a whole, these lame attempts to extract laughs fail to salvage Dark Shadows from being a total borefest.

As the writer and director for “Battle of Algiers”, Gillo Pontecorvo, has created a plot where it is based on the real event of the Algerian Wars on 1954 throughout 1962, who fought for the independence for their country against the French Government in North Africa. The Algerian Wars, is mostly known as an important decolonization wars which involves terrorism and torture from both the FNL and the French Army. The history that is told in this movie is adapted from facts that is written by historians. Pontecorvo has captured a historic moment with a beautiful accuracy with the tradition of Italian Neo Realism and French New Wave. The fact that he casted non professional actors creates the authentic relationship between the story and the acting. The visual style of Battle of Algiers involves a lot of experimental uses of the camera, the use of black and white are appropriate as it creates a more nostalgic, documentary feel and creates the impression that the film consists of archival footages.

A film commissioned by the Algerian government that shows the Algerian revolution from both sides. The French foreign legion has left Vietnam in defeat and has something to prove. The Algerians are seeking independence. The two clash. The torture used by the French is contrasted with the Algerian’s use of bombs in soda shops. A look at war as a nasty thing that harms and sullies everyone who participates in it.

Synopsis

A film commissioned by the Algerian government that shows the Algerian revolution from both sides. The French foreign legion has left Vietnam in defeat and has something to prove. The Algerians are seeking independence. The two clash. The torture used by the French is contrasted with the Algerian’s use of bombs in soda shops. A look at war as a nasty thing that harms and sullies everyone who participates in it. (IMDB)

Harry Clarke’s rendition of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic short story “The Tell-Tale Heart” was the first animation to be X-rated in Great Britain. Clarke introduced the short film with evocative narration: “This story is told through the eyes of a madman.” Following Clarke’s earlier illustrations for Poe’s “Tales of Mystery and Imagination”, this imaginative animation was vividly filled up with haunting mystique. Audiences are invited to experience a motion-picture production that was tensely packed with thrilling score, allowing your heart to thump in an erratic tempo. This 1953 cartoon was expressed in an enticing dark vibe, with storming emphasis narration by English actor James Mason. The notion behind this abstraction will trigger you to dig deeper into one of Poe’s highly regarded works.

If you have seen Ju-on or any of its sequels then this should be a treat. Katasumi and 4444444444 by director Takashi Shimizu is the precursor to the modern legend of Ju-on. Commissioned by Kansai Telecasting Corporation, Katasumi and 4444444444 two short films Shimizu made for a horror film compilation titled Gakko no Kaidan G, which was first shown on Kansai TV back in 1998. The story is as simple as a Japanese horror story gets, Kasatsumi tells the tale of two students in a school getting confronted by a ghost/demon after school, and 4444444444 has a school boy picking up a cellphone off the street and receiving very strange phone calls.

The films are a treat for those who are interested in Takashi Shimizu’s Ju-on, as we can see elements that he later used in creating one of the most famous horror saga. You may recall a certain crackling sound in these films, a pale little boy, a woman crawling on all fours, and perhaps the best part of Ju-on: senseless attack. What was striking about Shimizu’s work in Ju-on was its emphasis on the stories simply documents of events, happening at seemingly random moments to random people – the events do not need to be sensical, but they must be scary. This element is expressed in Katasumi and 4444444444 to great effect. Enjoy the films!

I believe most of us (at least in Indonesia) have been exposed to and has loved Japanese Sentai television shows featuring heroes battling the forces of evil in multicolored tights. Shows like Goggle V, Bioman, and for the younger folks, Power Rangers, have offered a new type of do gooder – one that do synchronized poses… in multicolored tights. Playing on the absurdity of having a sentai team in a real world situation, director Tetsuya Nakashima (Kamikaze Girls, Confessions) brought this surreal and fast-paced short film in 2005.

Our main character (played by SMAP’s Katori Shingo) is just a regular high school kid who is suddenly confronted by a team of do gooders in tights who figures that he is their arch nemesis. Having a sentai team in real life situations can only make one laugh at the absurdity, with them doing made-for-tv gestures and saying overly-dramatic statements (“You must be the messenger of evil!”) to the dead-pan yet bewildered reaction of the main character. The pacing of the film which is decided by mostly by fast cuts suddenly going into long takes that further exaggerate the situations, and make for an awkwardly fast-paced comedy. Enjoy this surreal piece of entertainment!

A film that begins with a man masturbating in the shower, TUB by Bobby Miller combines comedy and grotesque visuals in a short film. This Sundance-official selection is truly strange, with scenes involving masturbation, dumping babies in a garbage bin, and a sort of gory final scene (you must see). The absurdity of the short’s premise is depicted wonderfully via an awkwardly paced comedy-style editing, and with the sometimes exaggerated acting complementing it very well. What perhaps is the biggest draw, though, is the grotesque scenes. Close ups of everything including cutting an umbilical chord, bloody body parts and sandwich spread are gross, with slimy and chunky textures not unlike puke (and to be honest, made me a bit nauseous as I was eating while watching this). It is a strange and absurd affair, enjoy TUB!

A short British film that is lighthearted in its approach to a dramatic storyline, The Rules of the Game by Tom Daley is a very clever narrative and a hell of a short film. Taking place mainly in a huge estate, our protagonist (and sole character of the film) acts as narrator to the events in his love life – one that didn’t turn out so well. Speaking directly into the camera, he explains and reenacts the events that has unfolded, and through this convention brings about his personality. Sometimes awkwardly cold in his view of his own predicament, he takes us through his story almost like a tour of a house, which is paralleled by him walking around the giant estate. There’s a twist at the end, one that was pretty unexpected and tame if we didn’t get a clear idea of the character  (played by Christopher Harper).

Nepenthes, the New York-based menswear brand is showcasing its Spring/Summer 2012 collection. The brand born from the blend of heritage names of American brands and Japanese personality stayed in the realms of clean stylings workwear shirts and chino with elements of  Ivy-league-inspired flair via its sportcoats and cool weather riding jackets.
Accessories such as backpacks are also thrown in the mix, for a classic mountain rucksack appeal. For more click here.

A computer animated film that plays on conventions of horror filmmaking, Once It Started It Could Not End Otherwise is a scary short you must experience. Directed by Kelly Sears, the film recounts terrifying and strange occurrences that happened in a highschool in the 70s. Using cut outs from a highschool yearbook that moves slightly, Sears created an environment that eerily feels alive – and it adds to the suspense and horror of the film. In the context of scary movies, old pictures with their grainy quality and  can very much evoke a sense of fear – especially with Sears animating them slightly like puppets the characters’ stiff movements make the photographs seem sinister.

The soundtrack greatly adds to the suspense as well. With droning music going into static sounds, the soundtrack envelopes the viewers with an uncomfortable din, further pulling them into an anxious state before going into a fast and disturbing segment. Once It Started It Could Not End Otherwise is truly a horror feast for your senses. Enjoy the full film below.

‘Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey’ is a heartwarming look on the modest beginnings of Kevin Clash – the man behind the most adored children’s character on Sesame Street, Elmo. The documentary chronicles Clash’s early years in Baltimore, Maryland and his first exposure to the world of puppet that drew him to build his life long aspiration of being a Puppeteer. While occasionally facing mild oppositions from his school peers, his adornment towards the world of muppets and sesame street, turned his fate to one day meet the respected phenomenon behind Sesame Steet, Kermit Love and Jim Henson. Kevin’s lovable spirit and drive eventually landed him to reinvent Elmo’s beloved and huggable character we know of today, and made Kevin Clash the creative force behind Sesame Street as a producer, director, and trainer for other puppeteers around the globe.

Including interviews with Frank Oz, Rosie O’Donell, Whoopi Goldberg, Caroll Spinney, Marty Robin, and Fran Bill, this endearing documentary will inspire the forgotten childhood spirit in all of us.