Blogcritics Author: Cameron Graham

Announcement: Short-content feeds

Phillip Winn — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT

Sunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding.

Music Review: Cat Empire - Two Shoes

Cameron Graham — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:36:17 EDT

After their fabulous self-titled debut, Australian band Cat Empire has returned with a new album Two Shoes. Of course, after creating a stunning debut, the band has some large shoes (no pun intended) to fill. In an act of great timing, the record comes just at the start of summer (2007 in America, it's been out for a year in Australia) when the type of upbeat Latin-tinged, trumpet laden songs that Cat Empire specializes in are most appropriate and likely to be played. The premier song "Sly" is one of the standouts of the album, and a fitting way to start things off. It's a fast-paced tune with reggae and pop stylings that make it ridiculously catchy. It's only a warm up for over-the-top energy to follow, however. While Cat Empire is a fairly new name stateside, the Australian sextet are huge on their native continent. The band has two vocalists, Felix Riebl (also on percussion) and Harry Angus (also on trumpet) who share the singing duty on Two Shoes. Both have distinct voices, and equally good tracks. Felix has a deeper more typical reggae-esque voice, and his songs include "Sly", "Lullaby" and "The Night That Never End". Angus' voice is higher pitched, but works very well on numbers such as "In My Pocket" and fairly well on others (the mediocre "Protons, Neutrons, Electrons"). Occasionally, the two appear side by side in songs like "Party Started", which with its hip-hop vibe and rapped vocals will certainly, well, uh, get parties started. While most of the songs aim to have you dancing and groovin', Cat Empire turns the volume down a few notches for "Two Shoes", a catchy yet fairly slow-paced tune with rich trumpets. "On my feet I wear two shoes for dancing / 'Dancing to be free' / My feet they're paying tribute to / The Bobby Marley legacy." Another notable song on Two Shoes is Angus' rowdy "The Car Song", an ode to daydreams and carefree thinking. "Someday I'll buy an old car / Someday I'll get that car to start / Someday I'll learn how to drive too / And then someday imagine all the things I could do." It's a silly song with no pretensions, but it's hard to resist falling under it's pure-entertainment spell. While Cat Empire is an Australian band, the album itself was recorded in the famous Egrem Studious in Havana, Cuba. The band didn't turn into a Latin rhythm group over there, but it's clear the setting influenced the sound of the album. "Sol Y Sombra" the only foreign language track (it's in Spanish) present, is the best example of this with a swinging Latin rhythm and heavy piano throughout. The album may end on a slightly deeper note with "The Night That Never End" but overall, Two Shoes is a funked-up party album, and a strong contender for best feel-good album of the year.

Cameron Graham is a young but enthusiastic critic who is passionate about movies, books, and (some) music. He is a published author and enjoys writing.

Music Review: The Fratellis - Costello Music

Cameron Graham — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 08:26:43 EDT

There have been quite a few retro-inspired British indie rock bands jostling for attention lately (The Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and Bloc Party to name just a few). You might even be thinking that you're just about done with all of them and it's time to move on. Well, The Fratellis are here with their debut CD Costello Music to prove you wrong.Taking cues in equal part from David Bowie, the early Beatles, and The Clash, the Fratellis craft an infectious blend of indie rock. Kicking off the album is "Henrietta" a fast-paced tale of lusting after a married woman. The song is a great example of The Fratellis style: straightforward racy lyrics with a liberal amount of guitar and a pub-rock attitude. "Henrietta we got no flowers for you / Just these three miserable cunts / Sitting on the back seat banging on the off beat / We know you love us and you probably do."Of course, "Flathead" (from the latest iPod ad) is a highlight of the album, certainly one of the most catchy tracks, and has a great "bara bop a bara a ra ra ra" yodel. "Whistle For The Choir" echoes fellow Brit rockers The Libertines in its downbeat yet infectious stylings and provides a little downtime before "Chelsea Dagger" comes bursting in leading a T.Rex inspired wave of glam-rock that continues until the end of the album, disrupted only by slower-paced "Doginabag". "For the Girl" gives lead singer Jon Fratelli a chance to reminisce on failed romances and throws around more "la la la"s for than most full albums contain, let alone one song. "Vince the Loveable Stoner" is a sublime song that shows off the band's playful, rowdy lyrics. "And I haven't seen a pupil in his eyes for 16 days / The catholic girls love him in a hundred million different ways / An he's been up for days / In a big malaise / He's only living 'till the salad days."It's crude rock (perhaps even juvenile) to be sure, but The Fratellis put so much passion into the music, create such catchy tunes, and charge ahead with such self assuredness (the album has 13 songs and not one can be called filler) that you'll end up spinning Costello Music for months.Sure, the British rock-revival genre may be getting a bit cramped, but the Fratellis prove it's certainly not running out of steam, or fresh sounds.

Cameron Graham is a young but enthusiastic critic who is passionate about movies, books, and (some) music. He is a published author and enjoys writing.

Mac Game Review: SketchFighter 4000 Alpha

Cameron Graham — Mon, 8 Jan 2007 00:11:00 EST

When you play a game such as Ambrosia's SketchFighter for Mac OS X, the word "novelty" springs to mind. As the name implies, SketchFighter looks as if it was sketched directly onto graph paper, albeit better drawn than my doodles. This means most of the game is played out in black and white. Color is used sparingly, alternately to attract attention (flashing red boxes warn you when a boss is ahead) or to show you objectives (you'll need to find the right colored gun to break through corresponding colored barriers.) The lack of color and offbeat graphics give the game a clean, minimalist design that works well.A look at the program's full name, SketchFighter 4000 Alpha, shows you that Ambrosia is clearly trying to replicate the semi-ridiculous arcade games of the '80s. In keeping, the game play harkens back to simple joystick games such as Galaga or any 2D fly-and-shooter. Using the arrow keys to control your ship (along with the spacebar to fire), the game is simple to pick up and nice for laptop gaming. Basic play consists of flying around the level and shooting the enemies you run into. Slightly more advanced objectives have you tracking down various lasers and guns to proceed to new levels (i.e., you'll need a green gun to open green barricades, a red gun to open red barricades). At the end of each level is a boss, defeating the boss will unlock new weapons and gear, and also allow you to continue onward.While the game doesn't offer much depth, its simplicity and ease-of-play makes it quite addictive. There's not much of a learning curve involved, but some of the boss battles can be fairly tricky and strategically placed save-points mean you'll probably end up repeating a few sequences over.The fairly catchy game play, retro-inspired design and pen-and-paper graphics don't make SketchFighter a great arcade game, however. No, the multiplayer mode makes it great. You can play in either co-op or versus mode over the Internet or on the same computer. What makes SketchFighter's multiplayer unique is that both player's ships are tethered together, turning versus battles into a strange, and very entertaining, tug-of-war situation. Overall, SketchFighter 4000 Alpha should satisfy both casual players who want a game they can enjoy in small 30-minute bursts without too much challenge, and also more experienced gamers wanting a slightly quirky game inspired by old arcades.SketchFighter is not rated by ESRB, but contains mild violence. It is available for Mac OS X as a download from the Ambrosia Software website. It retails for $19.00.

Cameron Graham is a young but enthusiastic critic who is passionate about movies, books, and (some) music. He is a published author and enjoys writing.

DVD Review: Superman Returns

Cameron Graham — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 16:24:03 EST

Not having seen, beyond a few ten-minutes scenes, either of the original Superman films (Superman and Superman II), there won't be many comparisons of Brandon Routh (Superman) to Christopher Reeve or Kevin Spacey (Lex Luthor) to his predecessor, Gene Hackman. If that's what you're after, there are plenty of other reviews seemingly centered solely on those criteria.Superman Returns, directed by The Usual Suspect's Bryan Singer, picks up where Superman II left off -- with Superman going into outer space to find the remains of his home planet, Krypton. While he's gone, his former love interest Lois Lane has written a Pulitzer Prize-winning essay entitled "Why The World Doesn't Need Superman", married a clean-cut man who works with her at The Daily Planet newspaper and has had a child.All of the above seems to point towards a re-imagining of the Superman series and character. However, Returns is more of a faithful continuation than a new start. Singer brings Superman into the modern age but he's not out to reshape Clark's fundamental character like Batman Begins did with the Caped Crusader.Brandon Routh, assuming the role of Superman, does a good job blending the very masculine aspects of Superman (strength, charisma, etc.) with the geekiness of Clark Kent. He fits the role well, embodying the values that Superman has always represented -- integrity, honor, good citizenship, and justice.Perhaps equally as important to the film's success is Kevin Spacey in the role of Lex Luthor, Superman's eternal nemesis. Spacey's version of Lex Luthor is incredibly bored and very smart - smart enough to realize that he's more intelligent than Superman. Just because Luthor wears a perenially bored look doesn't mean Spacey is boring to watch however -- his deadpan wit and impatient glares make him a great choice for Lex.Unfortunately, for all the good acting and great-looking special effects, the film fails to achieve the velocity that Superman is known for. The plot is logical (for a super-hero action movie, at least) and most of the points build upon what came before. However, the suspense and momentum fail to follow suit. The end result is action sequences that you really wish were more entertaining. The only scene which truly gives you the "wow" sensation happens far too soon, occurring within the first 30 minutes of a two-hour film.Superman Returns is still worth watching for Bryan Singer's directing, Routh's acting, and Spacey's take on Lex Luthor. And, of course, those occasional times when the film's momentum matches its ambition. Plus, the special effects sequences are a nice way to show off your new home theater gear.The DVD is unfortunately very sparse, including only the feature film and no extra content. There is, however, a special two-disc edition with all the trimmings. Still, it's a pity that Warner Brothers couldn't find any material to include in the regular version.

Cameron Graham is a young but enthusiastic critic who is passionate about movies, books, and (some) music. He is a published author and enjoys writing.

Candy Review: Jones Activated Energy Boosters

Cameron Graham — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 07:43:14 EST

Being a fan of Jones Soda and energy drinks in general, I was quite excited by the recent release of Jones Activated Energy Boosters. They’re not energy drinks but, rather, small white mints. Jones Soda Co. and Big Sky Brands -- the respective makers -- call them "high energy candy." The metal tins are wrapped in protective plastic. Each tin is sold individually for around $1.99-$2.99 and is shaped rectangularly. They're fairly slim and deep, which makes them slide smoothly into and out of pockets, a must for quick energy fixes. Overall, the case is about the same quality as an Altoids box. The weak spot is definitely the lid, which is held to the body of the case by only a thin bent piece of tin. This shouldn't be a problem, though, unless you tend to abstractly open and close the lid a few hundred times daily like I do. Each black tin is embossed with the word "JONES" in large silver letters across the side. Below that, the word "ENERGY" appears -- each letter surrounded by a splattering of bright pink dots. On the lid is a sole decoration, a large "J" with a figure leaping onto it. The tins aren't bad looking. They're exactly what I'd expect "energy candy" to come in, but I was disappointed that Jones couldn't find a spot to sneak in their trademark photos. They did, however, put the text "Got a jones for a Jones?" on the inside of each lid. With three tins of Jones Boosters, I decided to do more than just hoard them to myself. I liberally gave them out to friends and acquaintances I ran into. One of the first people I gave a candy, Tom, couldn't quite decided whether he liked them or if the aftertaste was a bit too strong. He did ask for a second when I saw him again. Another friend, Erik, definitely enjoyed the candies the most. He stated they were almost "perfectly flavored," even asking me to find out where he could purchase a few tins himself. My last taste-tester Meg, who doesn't consume energy drinks, thought they were "terrible" and refused to try another. This reaction represented an extreme, however, and most people seemed to be favorably disposed toward the candies.Personally, I found the Energy Boosters to taste very similar to most Energy Drinks such as Red Bull or Sobe's Adrenaline Rush. If you don't enjoy or drink most energy drinks, you probably won't find Jones Activated Energy Boosters to your liking. However, if you're like Eric and regularly consume one or more drinks a day, you'll be buying them in bulk. As one container (30 pieces) is equal to one full Jone's Energy Drink you won't find yourself becoming overly-hyper when eating the candies, but you should notice a subtle uptick in your energy -- especially if eaten two at a time.Overall, the Jones Boosters are a great idea that hopefully other energy drink makers will imitate. They allow for easier storage and transportation than energy drinks do and can be taken into buildings or rooms where beverages are prohibited. Couple this with a taste that subtly improves on the standard flavor of energy drinks and it looks like Jones has come out with another great product.Jones Activated Energy Boosters retail for $1.99-2.99 per individual tin and can be purchased at Target, Kroger, 7-Eleven, Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, Hot Topic, Zumiez, Spencer's, and other stores.

Cameron Graham is a young but enthusiastic critic who is passionate about movies, books, and (some) music. He is a published author and enjoys writing.

Mac Game Review: Redline

Cameron Graham — Sun, 5 Nov 2006 21:23:34 EST

Redline, a new racing game for Macs by Ambrosia Software, has almost nothing to live up to. As a first time effort in a field that is far from crowded (can anyone even name -- without going to Amazon.com -- more than one Mac racing game?). Let me name a few: 4x4 Evolution 2 (terrible), Ford Racing (mediocre), and NASCAR Racing 2002 (generally the most widely applauded Mac racing game). There's no Gran Turismo or Forza Motorsport series for the Mac, no 800 pound gorilla that racing games are judged against. Not that it would matter to Redline. The game isn't out to be the definitive Mac racing sim - it just wants to have fun. There are three standard modes offered, including Quick Race, Time Trial, and Challenges. Quick Race allows you to race on any of Redlines six tracks and with up to 11 AI controlled opponents. Time Trial lets you set and save lap times for each track with separate cars. Besides racing against you're "ghost," each subsequent lap you're competing to make it onto Redline's always updated Internet list of top track times. The fastest time for whatever track your racing on (and which player set it) is displayed in the upper-right hand corner while in Time Trial. By far the most fun of all the single player modes offered, Challenges, lets you try to complete things like S-Curves, Slaloms, and Canyon Corners within certain amounts of time for Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals. More than just medals though, each successful challenge you complete unlocks a new car. This mode really represents the best elements of Redline, it's fun, addictive and hard enough to make you try but not overly frustrating.Both Quick Race and Time Trial let you choose between Simulation, Arcade, and Turbo Arcade game modes. Each changes the game play significantly, the biggest difference being between Simulation where each car handles realistically and differently, and Arcade in which all cars handle pretty much the same. I spent most of my time in Arcade mode as it allowed me to power-slide much easier and for longer times. Gotta' love those power-slides!Redline also includes a Multiplayer game mode where you can join other player's games, host your own games, or chat with players in the lobby. Besides the Challenges mode, it's certainly where the fun is. The game even has a menu in the Options panel allowing you to configure custom multiplayer taunts that can be launched with the press of a button. I found multiplayer games (even ones with over six cars) to run smoothly with virtually no noticeable lag.The graphics, while certainly not PGR3 or Gran Turismo 4 quality, are completely adequate for the game and allow Redline to run on -- as the Ambrosia Software Web site states -- "almost any Mac." My PowerMac G5 handled it with ease and my MacBook with integrated graphics card didn't have any problems either. This meant I was able to run Redline in windowed mode and switch between it and iChat conversations or web browsing with ease. When in windowed mode the game automatically pauses itself when you switch to another program, or click outside it's frame. There is no damage modeling so car crashes sadly, so you won't end up with scraped bumpers, dented sides or broken headlights. Again, this is one of the trade-offs for low system requirements.Another small touch that separates Redline from other Mac racing games is it's integration with iTunes. When iTunes is open and playing a song, a small semi-transparent text block along the bottom of the screen will display the song title and artist when the song first starts. Afterwards, you're notified the same way when the next song starts. It's a nice feature that won't convince anyone to either buy or not-buy Redline but makes the game play experience that much better and immersive. As racing game go, Redline is an above average one that shows quite a bit of potential for future versions. It's lack of depth and limited amount of tracks are disappointing, but the game's multiplayer is great fun and the Challenges mode is almost perfect. Hopefully Redline will continue to evolve and potentially become a staple of Mac racing games. Redline is not rated by the ESRB. It retails for $25.00 and can be downloaded from the Ambrosia Software Web site. It is available as a Universal Binary and the minimum system requirements are Mac OS X 10.2 or later, 300 MB of free HD Space, 16 MB of Video RAM, 512 MB' of system memory and an 800MHz CPU or faster

Cameron Graham is a young but enthusiastic critic who is passionate about movies, books, and (some) music. He is a published author and enjoys writing.

Movie Review: Marie Antoinette

Cameron Graham — Sun, 5 Nov 2006 17:40:10 EST

Before I saw Marie Antoinette I had made up my mind not to like it. Sure, Sofia Coppola is a good director and I enjoyed Lost in Translation a lot. The subject matter, the life of French queen Marie Antoinette, wasn't uninteresting to me either. I'd heard both good and bad things about it. However, the whole premise - an arty retelling of Marie Antoinette's life with a modern rock soundtrack, flashy visuals, and hardly any dialogue - just sounded a bit pretentious. Or at least very self-indulgent. Then I went out and watched the movie. One thing I was never worried about was Kirsten Dunst in the lead role and it turns out I was correct in not doubting her. She brings the right amount of girlish naiveté and seems very comfortable on screen, especially during scenes with absolutely no dialogue. And while the movie does have very limited dialogue it never feels empty and the actors express emotions well enough that you won't be bored. The film might even do a better job of this than the similarly sparse Lost in Translation, during which (often in scenes lacking Bill Murray's presence) I found myself a little bored. What I hadn't expected Marie Antoinette to be was understated and subtle. From the trailer it came off as a fast-paced, flashy, and, in a way, irreverent movie. It is, however, none of these things. The movie is paced very deliberately and mostly impeccably. It lingers for ten to twenty minutes on small everyday items for Antoinette, establishing things the audience can relate to and really bringing the viewer into her life inside Versailles. Other details - some would argue main events in her life (e.g., her third child's birth and death) - are skipped over in less than a minute. Off-putting? Not at all. The events that Coppola hardly acknowledges don't really concern us or Antoinette. We understand the meaning of them without having to be bludgeoned over the head with them. That's what's great about this film - it's laying out the small events and items that made up Antoinette's life, not the big supposedly "important" ones, and not telling you how to feel. Oh, and the soundtrack works great.

Cameron Graham is a young but enthusiastic critic who is passionate about movies, books, and (some) music. He is a published author and enjoys writing.

What to Read? My Constant Dilemma

Cameron Graham — Mon, 2 Oct 2006 10:49:55 EDT

Hmm... which book to read? Maybe I'll go for something lightweight, a nice easygoing Christopher Moore never hurt anyone. On the other hand, sure would be nice to delve into something deeper. I still haven't read that Scott F. Fitzgerald book The Beautiful And The Damned or even the first pages of Lolita yet. Those are contenders. Wait, what's that on the bottom shelf? Oh, The Thoughts And Opinions Of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, that dense but comedic 18th-century novel. I could give that a go, I've been wanting to see the movie. But 500 pages in über-small type? I just finished up a long book, better to pace myself. Need to start up a political book again, too (Hunter S. Thompson, perhaps?), although I'd rather stick with fiction just now. Maybe I'll postpone the non-fiction until my next visit to Barnes & Noble, I hear Al Franken has a new book out. Hmm... have I decided on a book yet? No. I'd better go eat a snack and look through the books in the study room; maybe I've missed something. I should make a list. More or less, that's about what goes through my head each time I try to select the next book I'm going to read. I'm not entirely sure why I do this, but I've come up with a few reasons that I think might contribute to it. I love to read, but don't have a lot of time. This I believe, is the main reason. When you're trying to balance classes, papers, keeping a blog (okay, not so much a chore, but... ) along with eating, sleeping, bathroom breaks, keeping up on personal hygiene and watching the news (among other things) you'll soon find your reading time gets cut down significantly. Because of this, a book can last longer than it normally would. On vacation with plenty of free time I can easily read a 200-300 page book in three to four days or less. At home though, during classes, the same book is likely to stretch on for two or three weeks. All this contributes to making a book selection seem like a much bigger decision. I don't want to read something for a month only to have it be disappointing. I'm jealous of my time. I consider this a good thing, though. While I'm reading a book I could be listening to music, watching a movie, finishing up an essay, researching things, writing a blog entry or a story, watching the TV, looking at art, etc. With so many things competing for space, reading time can get limited. Movies, my other passion. If asked whether I prefer reading or watching a movie, I'd be really stumped to give an answer. I love both, an avid devourer of both mediums so to speak. I used to not watch movies so much, which made my reading time greater. However, in recent years my movie viewing habit has expanded exponentially. I try to keep up on both equally, but my movie watching time has a tendency to be longer than my reading time since films serve as not just entertainment but also social events (although whenever I go with a group we see terrible movies, what is up with that?). So, there you have it. I'm pretty sure the above reasons don't fully explain my peculiar dilemma, but it's the best I've come up with right now. So, does anyone else share this problem?

Cameron Graham is a young but enthusiastic critic who is passionate about movies, books, and (some) music. He is a published author and enjoys writing.

CD Review - Martin Gordon's How Am I Doing So Far?

Cameron Graham — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 10:17:07 EDT

When approaching an artist such as Martin Gordon for the first time, it can be appealing to just grab the best-of set instead trying to wade through his vast discography which spans not only 3 solo albums but a multitude of other bands. How Am I Doing So Far? makes that option even more appealing than usual. Culled from Gordon's three previous solo records it does a good job representing his finest material and even adding in some unreleased tracks. Known for making witty and clever power pop, the main thing Gordon has to worry about is becoming too punn-y for his own good. Featuring songs with titles like "Her Daddy was a Dalek, Her Mummy was a Non-Stick Frying Pan" and "(Oh Dear What Shall We Do) Daddy's Lost His Head in a Coup" some might say it's already crossed that line. However, even during those songs Gordon avoids (narrowly) the novelty category, in part because of how much breezy fun the songs are to listen to. Every track on the CD has a playful quality to it. Rockers like "Fuss Me", "Plug'N'Play" and "Fickle" make up a fair amount of the album and each have plenty of puns and references contained in them. Track #13 "Bad Light Stops Play" uses a phrase from the game Cricket to form a delectable pop piece. On slightly darker material such as "Anyway Goodbye", the upbeat spirit still comes through. Here, in the way of a bubbly chorus. "Only One Dream Per Person" may be the most somber song on the album and it's premise is a re-imagining of Heaven if run by Germans. If there's one thing this record wants to get across it's that you shouldn't take most of it seriously. Occasionally the songs feel a bit too polished with great guitars, excellent vocal arrangements, and a fantastic backing band making you wish for a slightly more raw and less sincere feeling. It can almost seem as if Gordon is trying too hard to make each song a model of sophisticated power pop. When you come near the end of the album you may feel worn out on it all. Thankfully, "Girls Fight Over Me" and "Good Girls Gone Bad Remix" serve up a bit more edgy, immediate fair. Overall, How Am I Doing So Far? is a great CD on it's own and will serve as a good intro course on Martin Gordon for newcomers. He knows how to craft slick, catchy pop songs that would otherwise come off as novelty items.

Cameron Graham is a young but enthusiastic critic who is passionate about movies, books, and (some) music. He is a published author and enjoys writing.

Film Noir Thursday #10: High and Low

Cameron Graham — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 01:59:13 EDT

Yep. I finally watched it and am ready to conclude this Film Noir marathon. It's been a pretty fun ride, with only one film that I wouldn't recommend to people (Kiss Me Deadly). The last film is High and Low, directed in 1960 by Akira Kurosawa. Below is my review and then my pick for the best, must-see, Film Noirs of the marathon. High and Low Clocking in at 2 1/2 hours, High and Low can more accurately be described as two movies. The first centers around wealthy business man Gondo who, when poised to take over the companies he's worked at for years, has his son kidnapped. Well, not his son actually (as the kidnappers soon learn) but his chauffeur's son. The kidnapper's however still want him to pay the 30 million ransom to save the boy. This leaves Gando in an interesting position -- pay the ransom and lose his job, social standing, and way of life or don't pay the ransom and let the boy die. OK, I know what you're all thinking. "Sounds weighty. Sounds heavy handed. Sounds like material for Kevin Costner's next directorial outing." However, High and Low doesn't go down that road. It focuses instead on the character's actions, movements, and the small seemingly insignificant things that people do when under such stress. As such, it becomes an acute but low-key character study instead of a deep, somber meditation on good and evil (which would be boring). The second part of the film details the police tracking and building a case against the kidnappers. Both parts have their own climaxes and endings, so the effect is something like watching a two volume film back to back. Of the two, the first is more intriguing and nuanced whereas the second is a bit more of a straightforward police movie, albeit with Kurosawa touches. Each frame in the film is composed with intricate skill, and the acting is also very good. The actors can seem stiff in the beginning, but after you start slipping into the rhythm of everything the performances improve greatly. So, at the end of the film noir marathon, I think High and Low is a pretty good way to end things. Not the best film so far, but nuanced, well acted and entertaining. The Top 3 That You Need To See 1) Out of the Past -- Paul Valentine, Kirk Douglas and Robert Mitchum all at the top of their form. Oh, and throw in a cynical tone with great visuals and a twisted plot. Need I say more? 2) Rififi -- Great performances, great build up, excellent cinematography. The heist scene itself is almost it's own film. 3) Sunset Boulevard -- The performances are all great, every other line of dialogue seems to be a classic one, and the ending performance by Gloria Swanson is scary in it's immediacy. Honorable Mention: The Third Man -- Worth watching if only for Orson Welles' genius performance. The first half is so-so and rather dull, but as soon as Orson steps in you'll find yourself unable to turn away. If you have any ideas for future marathons please feel free to comment or email. Peace out.

Cameron Graham is a young but enthusiastic critic who is passionate about movies, books, and (some) music. He is a published author and enjoys writing.