The Day the Earth Stood Still [Robert Wise, 1951]

• beautiful screen cap, I know. i'm simply way too lazy to make any myself. anyway, in celebration of a (undoubtedly) shitty Hollywood remake, I watched the '50s sci-fi classic for the first time.
• the film's first 15 or so minutes are interesting because its driven solely by news reports and crowd shots surrounding the arrival of a spaceship. its not until Michael Rennie's Klaatu is shot are we introduced to any characters.
• I discovered that Robert Wise's film isn't so much a sci-fi film as an anti-war global commentary. Edmund North's script is written with the best intentions, and our protagonists' struggle to simply be heard by all the nations provides a great opportunity for satire and commentary--though it singles out any one nation.
• the ending is admirably ambiguous, quite clearly saying "so Earth...what are you gonna do?" unfortunately, the film is obviously still relevant in 2008 so.
• Bernard Hermann provides one of his best scores, helping to raise the tension and leave people remembering a lot more action than there actually was.

9/well-intentioned, engaging social commentary masquerading as a science fiction film

Straight Out of Brooklyn [Matty Rich, 1991]

• back on my grizzy, young money where ya at // two tables and a mic tell the dj run it back
• in contrast to the swelteringly hot NYC of Spike Lee's '80s films, Straight Out of Brooklyn puts forth a chilly Red Hook, in the weeks just before snowfall
• directed by Matty Rich, a 19 year old who dropped out of NYU Film after a month, pic is quite obviously low budget and direction is framed more by the heart than the head
• the "plot" of the film is as simple as can be, but only about five of its eighty minutes are concerned with plot. rather, the action of S.O.B. (apt acronym) takes place in character's eyes, between dialogue and in contemplative silence. one impressive scene of many is one in which the kids are getting their gun from an older friend. upon receiving it, Kevin smiles and is satisfied. he's forgotten something, though, and the older man returns with a case of bullets. Kevin's smile disappears momentarily, as he now realizes they might actually need to use the weapon. 
• the film's conclusion seemed inevitable from the start. the money brings much more good than bad, and one is left to imagine what ultimately happens to Dennis and his sister. the film ends perfectly, though, with the message "First things learned are the hardest to forget. Traditions pass from one generation to the next. We need to change." Still applicable today.

8.5/pivotal culture cinema