After years of debating about film, The Cinesthete and LCD have decided to take it to the streets. A few weeks of HTML later, ReelFriction.com is born! I have decided to concentrate my reviews on films that many people have not seen, films that I would like to discuss more, or even films that I think people should avoid. (ahem… most likely anything on LCD’s side.) I would love for this to be a place of discussion, and a part of my own film education. If you would be interested in discussing the films, please comment and leave your opinion. Also, don’t forget to check out LCD’s page, and our “Head to Head“’s. Watch as I slowly try to introduce him to films he would normally never see.

Above are a selection of reviews that I have written. I have chosen to start off a little more mainstream. A review of Superman Returns lets you know where I stand on those types of films. Two reviews of contemporary American Independent films follow that, along with a review of Tampopo, a lovely little Japanese film.

Stay tuned for reviews of films such as Aniki Bobo, Death by Hanging, Asthenic Syndrome, and maybe even Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. This is not going to be a page where you can read up on celebrity gossip, hear about the American remakes of Asian horror classics, or listen to inane fanboy posturing. (I hope not at least.) Enjoy!

Out of the few good films made about food, Tampopo is one of the most entertaining and one of the most touching. Written and directed by Juzo Itami, this film is a succession of skits that are contained within one main story ark. The segments are mostly comic, sometimes tragic, but always fresh and unique. Itami seems to be trying to pack as much fun, food filled celluloid into this film that it almost becomes a meal of its own. A big warm Japanese family feast.The main story involves a single widowed mother, Tampopo, complacently cooking sub-par noodles at the noodle shop she owns. In comes the truck-driving cowboy-esque Goro, played by Tsutomu Yamazaki. Goro and his young companion Gun, (Ken Watanabe in one of his early roles), along with a interesting cast of characters they meet along the way, set out to turn Tampopo’s noodles into the best there can be.

The main story is entertaining in itself. The effort that goes into perfecting the noodles is infectious. Every time Tampopo learns something new, the various teachers find something else that needs to be corrected. First the water, then the service, then the soup, then the noodles, then the recipe, then the atmosphere. Of course,

Tampopo starts to fall for her hard-nosed teacher, Goro, but the movie gladly keeps the focus on the food.

All that is expertly woven around various unrelated segments. A dying woman keeps herself alive to cook one last meal. A supermarket clerk tries to stop a crotchety old woman from squeezing his produce, and a dinner-table etiquette class gone wrong, amongst others.

Amongst these is the story of a couple whose relationship is defined by food. What seems like a yakuza made-man and his wife. The opening scene shows them sitting down in a movie theatre in front of a gorgeous meal. His monologue about how he hates those people in the theatre that make noise while the movie is playing will make any film-fan smile in agreement. These two come in and out of the film at various points which include the beginning and the
end of their relationship, and a sex scene full of, you guessed it, food.

The film revolves around food, but what I think Itami was going for here wasn’t
just food, but something more. The food here is an analogy for what we need from other people. Love, companionship, support. If you substitute this intangible idea with the act of eating, cooking, or the food itself, this film begins to show a deeper level.

Tampopo didn’t need to learn to cook noodles, she needed to learn to connect with people after the death of her husband. Goro and her teachers showed her this. The old man at the beginning that is teaching Gun how to appreciate soup is really teaching him how to appreciate those around him. The final simple shot of a woman breast feeding a child is perfect. The simplest form of nourishment.

What better connection between people than that of a mother and her baby?

Every story of this film fits well with this analogy. Every story of this film fits well with this analogy. Itami knew what he was doing when he made this.

What Tampopo does is take something we all can understand and visualize and use it as a substitute for something that many people would have a heard time grasping. Sure, its not subtle when you think about it, but it works. Its a film that will maybe make you appreciate some things in your life a little more. Or at least make you smile. Also, it will probably make you very hungry.

I’m disappointed. But first lets start at the beginning. Flash back to the 2004 Philadelphia Film Festival. I saw 42 movies (my lucky number) there that year. A nice mix of films from around the world. The second day of the festival I spent my day at the same theatre to see five films. Hmmm… It was a fine line-up. The Park, One Point O, Lightning Bug The Smallest Thief in the World, and The Toolbox Murders. Not bad! Nestled in the middle was one I really just saw for convenience, Lightning Bug. The film didn’t interest me. The little blurb in the festival program didn’t help: “This heartfelt and inspiring drama stars Laura Prepon as the girlfriend of a teenage horror movie fan growing up in Alabama, where the real monsters are in the home.” - Travis Crawford Now, I’ll be very up front and say that Lightning Bug is a flawed film. There are a lot of things wrong with it, but I choose not to write about them or even think about them. This film is good. What it lacks it makes up for big time.The movie is based on real events in writer/director Robert Hall’s life. (70% real, says he, in a Q+A afterward). In case you didn’t know, Robert Hall is the make-up effects artist behind such (unwatched by me) shows as “Buffy: The Vampire Slayer” and “Angel.” Anyway, the story concerns exactly what Travis Crawford said above. Simple story, really. A teenager, Green Graves, with dreams of being a make-up effects artist gets stuck living in the rural south, and even worse, with an abusive step-father.

The directing/script/cinematography are all fine and dandy. Their are some stand-out performances however. Hal Sparks is fun and unpredictable as the small-town sheriff with his own morning show. The step-father, Kevin Gage, is a very intense roll and is played quite well. Most interesting, though, is one of Green’s best friends, played by the surprisingly funny and charming George Faughnan. This character is a real class act and if there is one thing that will make you enjoy this film it is him.

And yes, that is Donna from “That 70s Show” above. Its fun to watch her act sad in her goth gear.

But what really impressed me was that Lightning Bug belonged in one of those small categories of films that I tend to like which I will refer to as “Labor of Love” films. Its an independent film. Financed entirely by Robert Hall with the help of friends and family. A film made because he had a story he wanted to tell, not because he wanted to make some money. I can go on and on about this… but suffice it to say that the film is extremely heartfelt and honest. It nicely mixes the humor and the dark elements and throws in a nice ending to boot. With a lack of studio involvement, and everyone caring about the film and giving it their very best effort, they created a very fine viewing experience.

What’s not to like? After the screening I gave the film a high rating and then later on that year took some friends to see it at another festival. They all shared my opinion. After that I checked the news on the film a few times to see if they found a distribution deal. I was really pulling for them. Then the news came that they landed a DVD release with Anchor Bay. Not bad! Even though it sported a horrible tag line (Sex, Bugs, and Rock & Roll), I eagerly awaiting the DVD and purchased it when it arrived in stores.

Here is where the disappointment shows up. The festival version I saw ran about about 118 minutes. Long, I know. There of course was opportunity to trim a bit off. The DVD cut, however, was 95 minutes. Twenty minutes were taken out. This included all of the humor and a bit of the dialog between characters. Also, a bit of the ending was adding to the opening of the film. Now, my first reactions upon seeing this was that Anchor Bay (known for their horror DVD catalog), tried to live up to their reputation and release the film as a horror/thriller. No humor, and a tacked on opening to make sure the viewer knows there is going to be some violence later on.

After watching the commentary with Robert Hall, he obviously hates the loss of the scenes he cut (including a great one right at the beginning involving Green trying to cash in food stamps.) He keeps alternating between saying how it should have been taken out and then how it should not have been taken out… same thing for several other scenes that were left on the cutting room floor.

Having seen both cuts of the film, I can say for certain the the first one was stronger. Without the humor and the added character development, Lightning Bug seems rushed and uneven. There are strange cuts where scenes should have been and even a character popping up in the end of the film without a scene to introduce him.

Listening to the commentary, I think Robert Hall regrets the cuts, and I do feel sorry for him. The film was great the way it was because he had no one to answer to. He knew what he wanted and he made it, without worrying about making money. When Anchor Bay got their hands on it, they needed it to appeal to their audience. So instead of trusting Lightning Bug, they decided to kill it.