My First Blog By Ada

Well here it is, my first blog... About a month overdue admittedly, but I've got them all written down so..... there's more to follow, it's just a question of when I can hijack a computer. Anyway, here goes.

Since I found out I'd been accepted onto the DFTV course, I've endeavoured (or at least attempted) to get to work on my List of Films What I Have Never Seen But Always Meant To. The list has been compiling for a few years, since Film Studies at uni opened my eyes to what 'real' films were, and ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous. So far I've ticked off American History X, Leon, See No Evil Hear No Evil and Rain Man, among others.
Considering my lack of fundage I've done pretty well, with donations from friends and family helping no end.
I told myself I'd watch them all regardless of what I'd heard about them, from start til finish. The only exception has been 'The Godfather', although I did make a respectable attempt at it. Unfortunately, I fell asleep halfway into it, and suddenly Startlingly Young Al Pacino was in Italy, his sultry Mediterrenean missus doing a fine job decorating their car with her cranium. A well made film, yes, with great performances all round. Sadly, though, it falls foul of what I have imaginatively dubbed the "Godfather Syndrome". This is when a classic or renowned film has been spoofed and referenced in so many other films and TV shows that it's nigh on impossible to watch them with an open mind or not think of other things I'd seen parodied. (see also- 'Star Wars'). My plan is to get all three and watch them in succession...some day.

I experienced no such problems with another film on my list, the trippy, ultra-violent, peerless 'Natural Born Killers'. My friend Stef had told me it was "your favourite film...you just haven't seen it yet". Since he is never wrong about these kinds of things, I was very much up for that.
And how right he was. WOW. I sat completely transfixed throughout the whole thing, only turning away to hang up on whoever was daring to phone/ disturb me. Written by Tarantino, directed by Oliver Stone- excellent combination. Much as I love QT, I sometimes prefer when he takes a back seat and lets someone else direct. ('From Dusk til Dawn' and 'True Romance' also feature pretty highly on my List of Films I Like To Watch More Than Other Films).

Performances were outstanding across the board- normally I think Juliet Lewis just plays Juliet Lewis, but her performance as Mallory Knox, troubled wild child turned mass murderess, is intense and mesmerising, balanced perfectly by Woody Harrelson's cold, calculated and depraved Mickey. Robert Downey Jr rarely puts a fiit wrongm and appears (relatively) fresh-faced as egotistical ratings whore Wayne Gale. The cumulative prison riot follows on from an interview between Gale and Mickey, in which the latter reveals why he is drawn to kill:

"I used to be you, then I evolved. From where you're standing, you're a man. From where I'm standing, you're an ape. You're not even an ape. You're a media person. Media's like the weather, only it's man-made weather. Murder? It's pure. You're the one made it impure. You're buying and selling fear. You say "why?" I say "why bother?"

Tom Sizemore deserves extra special mention for having his nose broken in real life, and keeping it in the film, blood, snot, reaction an'all. Rodney Dangerfield is also suitably sleazy and disgusting as Mallory's creepy pervert dad.
The crazed, frenzied tone and pacing of the film befits its two leading roles and it's a visual rollercoaster. When Mickey and Mallory trip out in the desert the lurid visuals and swooping camera work really disorientate the viewer, making you feel like you're there too, and unfortunate bystander allowed to bear witness to the glorious carnage.. They become international celebrities, spreading their doctrine to their devoted admirers by always leaving one victim alive to tell their tale. It's a brilliant, bloody, merciless thriller of a film and I can't recommend it highly enough. I just wish it hadn't taken me to long to see it, although I am making up for lost time. Since first seeing it in March I've watched it at least twice a month.

Anyhooooo, that's quite enough for now. Got to get to work on eeevvveeerrryything I've watched in the last three weeks