Riding With 'The Wild Bunch' (1969)

That's right, it took me this long to finally watch one of the greatest western movies of all-time. The Wild Bunch might have been made 40 years ago (as of this writing), but it still proves to be just as entertaining nowadays. 

The film caused quite a bit of controversy when it was released in '69... and I can definitely understand why that would be. The movie is violent, bloody, raw and gritty. It contains swearing, nudity, the blatant slaying of women and children, and wanton sex and avarice. All of this may be quite commonplace with the films of the present, but it was truly shocking to the viewers and critics 4 decades ago. To tell you the truth, it's still somewhat jarring to see all of that if only in comparison to other films of that era. William Holden shouting, "Bitch!" and shooting a woman from 10 feet away is not something you see everyday.

The movie parallels a number of different movements of the time. The Vietnam War effort was starting to wear thin with a generation of the American public who, up until this battle, were being inundated with coverage of the glory and honor of combat. But, with the help of improved and simplified filming techniques, the public was finding out that this was sadly not the case. The Wild Bunch was right there with a hard-hitting, violence filled account that was very much a diversion from the mysteriously bloodless and romanticized westerns of old. However, there was an unintended side-effect to all of the guts and carnage. It was originally meant to expose violence and battle as the unglamorous human follies that they are. In a strange turn, though, the before-unseen editing style combined with the revolutionary action and stunt sequences proved more exciting than disturbing (in the long run) and left audiences wanting more. 

 That being said, The Wild Bunch does prove to be a classic western in a number of other aspects. I appreciated the amount if wordless information that was communicated with looks, body movements and revealing shots (camera shots, that is). The final walk at the end of the movie is bad-ass, character revealing and quietly iconic. Speaking of characters, the actors were ironclad in their skin... and by that I do not mean wooden, but solid and unwavering. They were time-honored but there weren't stereotypes, and it was interesting to see these characters dealing with their own mortality - and by that I mean both within the movie and the broader concept of the "myth of the old west" changing. Apparently, John Wayne blamed the film for destroying the myth of the old west, but when you're through changing - you're through. So perhaps it was time for the western to evolve. 

In closing, I feel that The Wild Bunch still holds up today. If you haven't seen it before, I highly suggest it. If you have, it could always use another watch. Hats off to not only one of the great westerns, but one of the overall greats. 'Nuff said.

Kovac Watches The Watchmen (2009)

Recently I had the pleasure of watching the movie adaptation of the much beloved graphic novel Watchmen. I had read the novel before and was anticipating the release of the film, which has certainly gone through it's fair share of tribulations before finally making it's way up onto the big screen. I must say that I was not disappointed.

To anyone who might not have seen the movie or have read the book yet - maybe stop reading now. 

First of all I think that the opening sequence that combined Bob Dylan's classic 'The Times They Are A Changin'' with some of the most iconic and influential images of the century was fantastic. It immediately set the mood, explained the universe and engaged the audience with something familiar while at the same time giving new and crucial information. The use of timeless/very much of the time music would be a running through-line within the movie that saw more greats like 'All Along The Watchtower' performed by Jimi Henrix, Janis Joplin's 'Me and Bobby McGee' and '99 Luftballoons' by Nena make appearances. The prototypical 'Hallelujah' by Leonard Cohen even made a showing... and in the midst of a steamy sex-scene at that - very appropriate indeed. Who can say no to those low, bass vocals backed up by soul singers?

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the film stuck pretty close to the source material, but I suppose that would be expected with Zack Snyder at the helm. The movie had a fairly long running time at 2 hours and 45 minutes, but it was interesting, visually stunning and, in short, I didn't get bored. To tell you the truth, a lot of the story contained in the initial 12 volumes of comic had to be paired down in order to make it into one movie - things like the Black Freighter story line, which is understandably absent from the movie, but will be appearing as an animated extra on the DVD. 

The casting of the film was near perfect with Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan, Patrick Wilson as The 2nd Nite Owl and Malin Akerman as the 2nd Silk Spectre. The show was easily stolen, however, by Jackie Earl Haley in the role of Rorschach. Mr. Haley delivered a performance that was tormented, exciting and just this side of insane without becoming nonsensical or alienating. I cared for the character and identified with him... acting success. The only dent in the cast-armor I could point out would have to be Carla Gugino as both the Silk Spectre of the past and of the present. I found her past Silk Spectre completely believable... but when I watched her play an older version of herself, I found myself feeling that I was watching an actress in old-person makeup trying to play an old person and ending up with a caricature of what it means to be elderly. 

The story of Watchmen is pretty vast and complex and, as such, the film in it's one and only installment was forced to deliver a lot of information in a short amount of time. Again, for the most part I feel that it achieved this to a high degree of success, but there were a couple of places that suffered as a result of these time constraints, the biggest of these being the emotional attachment and significance to some of the characters and the events in their lives. As needed exposition was delivered, some of the character's back-story or grounding had to be only hinted at, condensed or ushered out completely. In the end this left the job to the actors to convey a lot with only looks, short bits or dialogue and reactions. But again, I think they pulled this off in fine form. Rorschach's individual defeat-while-still-standing-proud as revealed when he takes his mask off is one of the most powerful images I have seen in a while. 

All in all, I feel that Watchmen was both a good adaptation and a good film standing on it's own. The special effects were amazing while still serving the story. The performances were top-notch and believable. The arc was quickly paced without losing the audience. The best comic-book movie ever? Probably not. A good contender for one of the greats? I'd say that's a pretty good call. 'Nuff said.

Goals!

And now... addressing some goals I have for the future:

1. I want to be able to do the Russian Splits, both on the ground and while jumping in the air. I feel that this is attainable with my handy stretching machine (that is built specifically for this purpose) and some dedication. Furthermore, I want to be able to be strong/flexible enough to pull off the "Van Dam Press" which is essentially the Russian Splits suspended between 2 chairs. Good times had by all... this is going to hurt.

2. I suppose it might have been more prudent to list this first, but also want to be able to touch my toes and eventually place my palms on the floor. What is hilarious is that I am actually closer to the Russian Splits than touching my toes... it turns out that I have incredibly tight hamstrings. 

3. I want to be able to do a standing backflip and land it well. 'Nuff said. 

Annnnnd that's about it for now, in all honesty. I'm sure that there will be more to come later... but these are a good start for the time being.

Wile E. Coyote = Super Genius

Wow. I am ill... and not in the urban, cool way of "That's so ill, son!" More in the, "Son, you are very ill." *shaking head*-way. But, that is not important at the moment. What is important is me spreading the word about a matter that I don't feel enough people have an appreciation for: Wile E. Coyote of Looney Tunes fame. 

It is my opinion that Mr. Coyote is both a comedic and storytelling super genius. He states it himself in a number of episodes, in fact. Now you may be asking yourself, "What makes Wile E. such a magnum force of entertainment?" I'll tell you. 

- For starters, just like films such as Titanic, great television series' like Rome and any good production of Romeo and Juliet, we generally know the ending before it begins. If you've seen one Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner cartoon, you've pretty much experienced the length and breadth of the story arcs of the rest of them. That being said, they are STILL engaging and entertaining! We can still identify with Wile E.'s struggle to get the Roadrunner - a task that we know he will never truly obtain - and be completely at ease with that.

- Also, Wile E. is technically the antagonist of the story (in comparison with the cute Roadrunner), but some place inside us feels sympathetic towards him, making him truly a human character in a coyote's body... touching. Truly touching.

- The cartoons are without dialogue and any written words are pretty easy to infer. Therefore the slapstick comedy is without borders and understandable to all audiences.

- The focus and specificity of Wile E. Coyote's movements and expressions never confuse and are generally a perfect study in physical (albeit a lot of the time impossible to actually pull-off... trust me, I've tried in the past and keep trying) comedy.

- Ever since his first appearance on September 16, 1949, Wile E. Coyote has managed to stay current and without a generation gap in understanding or enjoyment. 

I rest my case. Wile E. Coyote: Super Genius and a role model or physical comedians and storytellers everywhere. 'Nuff said.

Brand Spanking New...

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages... welcome to the first entry of straitjacket! I am Mike Kovac and this is my blog. First, to answer a question: What's the deal with the 'straitjacket'? - Well, much like an actual straitjacket binds and contains a person's body, I want to use this Straitjacket to contain and focus my ideas/views/hopes/thoughts/gripes/concerns-about-sentient-bicycles-taking-over-North-America/etc. However, whereas an actual straitjacket is (often) involuntary and restrictive, I intend to use this in a more liberating and exploratory way.  So, there you go. 'Nuff said.

And with that, may the blog posts begin!