Caution: Spoilers ahead.
It seemed that each character in Transsiberian had something to hide. Jessie had an adventurous past, and despite Roy's good nature he did things in the course of the movie that he would later keep quiet. A seemingly normal couple, Jessie and Roy boarded the Trans-Siberian train after a stint in China and headed to Moscow. On the way, they encountered Abby and Carlos--a much different couple--with much more to hide.
In a pivotal scene, Carlos locked the cabin door with just himself and Jessie inside. He pulled out a bag of Russian Nesting Dolls and showed them to Jessie. He took special care to show her one specifically--the sad doll, with rosy cheeks and no smile--his favorite.
When Jessie discovers that the dolls are holding much more than wood--they are vessels for smuggling heroin--she tries to dump them off the train, flush them down the toilet, and leave them near a pile of burning rubble.
But let's be honest, she's not actually trying to hide heroin--she's hiding something much more serious. Lying dead and frozen in a deserted Russian snow bank was a man who claimed he had a hobby for collecting small Russian dolls--a man that had gone one step too far, and then fell to the ground bleeding. The rosy cheeked doll with the sad mouth wasn't hiding drugs, it was hiding murder.
Each character was their own stacking doll. Each layer had something new--something hidden--something that they wanted to protect. Whether the outer shell of the doll had a smile, a frown, dark makeup, or nerdy-off-brand glasses--each doll underneath had a secret.
Ride the Trans-Siberian with care--you never know what you will find.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Skadoosh
Jack Black has put a hot new phrase on the lips of movie-goers of all ages. In Kung Fu Panda, Po, a fat, noodle-making Panda turned Kung-Fu warrior is about to perform the wushi finger hold on his enemy. Po raises his eyebrow, lowers his pinky, and says the famous catch phrase, "Skadoosh!"
To use the word skadoosh, you don't even have to know what it means. You can make your own context for skadoosh, you can make your own definition. Urban Dictionary has compiled a few defintions, and the second one is most appropriate. It says that Skadoosh means to say goodbye or peace "in the baddest sense" (Urban Dictionary).
According to Jack Black in an interview for CRAVEONLINE.COM, the catch phrase "skadoosh" was improvisation. However, in the movie the character Oogway says, "There are no accidents." We may never know what prompted Black to come up with the word, and we may never know it's true meaning. We can only give it meaning--we can give it our own context and defintion.
The rest of Kung Fu Panda is equally excellent and hilarious. "Skadoosh" is not the only funny phrase. IMDB.com has collected several funny quotes that fill the movie from beginning to end. This movie can be enjoyed by adults, and children--especially those who already have an appreciate for Jack Black's humor. As Po says "There is no charge for awesomeness, or attractiveness," and even though there is a charge to see the movie--it is well worth the money and the time. Go see the movie, go and experience culture in-the-making. Enjoy, and skadoosh.
To use the word skadoosh, you don't even have to know what it means. You can make your own context for skadoosh, you can make your own definition. Urban Dictionary has compiled a few defintions, and the second one is most appropriate. It says that Skadoosh means to say goodbye or peace "in the baddest sense" (Urban Dictionary).
According to Jack Black in an interview for CRAVEONLINE.COM, the catch phrase "skadoosh" was improvisation. However, in the movie the character Oogway says, "There are no accidents." We may never know what prompted Black to come up with the word, and we may never know it's true meaning. We can only give it meaning--we can give it our own context and defintion.
The rest of Kung Fu Panda is equally excellent and hilarious. "Skadoosh" is not the only funny phrase. IMDB.com has collected several funny quotes that fill the movie from beginning to end. This movie can be enjoyed by adults, and children--especially those who already have an appreciate for Jack Black's humor. As Po says "There is no charge for awesomeness, or attractiveness," and even though there is a charge to see the movie--it is well worth the money and the time. Go see the movie, go and experience culture in-the-making. Enjoy, and skadoosh.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
The Animation Show
Whenever I sit down and watch something with my brother, he never fails to show me something that I have never seen before. This weekend, he introduced me to The Animation Show--something that every serious film connoisseur should see. Whether you watch movies for their literary merit and intellegence, or you just love to kick back with some popcorn, yogurt covered raisins and a good flick--The Animation Show is an excellent pick.
The animations that really made me laugh out loud (as well as the people sitting next to me) were created by Don Hertzfeldt. He provided the opening, intermission, and ending for the animation show. He also had another animation called Billy's Balloon that was disturbingly hilarious. Billy, a small child, has a balloon with a personality of its own--and its sheer simplicity is only part of what makes it so enjoyable.
My favorite animations were much more serious in subject. Adam Elliot did three animations titled Cousin, Uncle, and Brother. They are clay-mations and they are brilliant. Each one of them is depressing, yet fascinating. The narrator tells the story of these three characters, and there seems to be no plot at all until the animation has finished. For an example of his work, Harvie Krumpet--though a much longer film, it is still excellent.
The Animation show is on sale, and I highly recommend watching it--for culture or for entertainment--and both. You'll laugh, and cry--and you will never want to give a child a balloon ever again.
The animations that really made me laugh out loud (as well as the people sitting next to me) were created by Don Hertzfeldt. He provided the opening, intermission, and ending for the animation show. He also had another animation called Billy's Balloon that was disturbingly hilarious. Billy, a small child, has a balloon with a personality of its own--and its sheer simplicity is only part of what makes it so enjoyable.
My favorite animations were much more serious in subject. Adam Elliot did three animations titled Cousin, Uncle, and Brother. They are clay-mations and they are brilliant. Each one of them is depressing, yet fascinating. The narrator tells the story of these three characters, and there seems to be no plot at all until the animation has finished. For an example of his work, Harvie Krumpet--though a much longer film, it is still excellent.
The Animation show is on sale, and I highly recommend watching it--for culture or for entertainment--and both. You'll laugh, and cry--and you will never want to give a child a balloon ever again.
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