The Globe and Mail has an article today in which we learn unhappily that Vancouver is getting new 'intelligent' parking meters. These ones will take a photo of your car's license plate as soon a sensors detect you driving into the space. This means not only that you will still be caught if you drive away without paying, but others can't benefit if you drive off leaving the remainder of your time. I can certainly see how this raises revenues for the city. However, until it gives you your money back when you don't use the full term or somehow charges you only what you use, I will avoid. There is also the question of privacy. It is not so much an issue in Britain where there are government plans to make every vehicle trackable but I wonder who will raise the challenge in the United States.

A thread on DVInfo.net had me thinking long and hard about all of the special effects throughout my movie watching life that had blown me away the first time I had seen them. This is really dating me but I watched the first Star Wars and left that theatre with my viewing life changed forever. Sicne then I've been an off-and-on reader of Cinefex magazine and a lover of effects-laden films. Now with the growth of CGI we can see wonderful examples of effects everywhere including feature-level effects on TV. Take a look at my long list here which I tried to place in chronological order.

By now all of Canada has woken up to the new Conservative minority government that been predicted by media pundits for the past two weeks. So Liberal and small "l" liberals had been cushioned for this development for a while now. The surprising developments was how federalist supporters in Quebec had switched their allegiances so entirely to the Conservatives from the Liberals, even at the cost to the Bloc while British Columbia did the same but to the NDP. In my riding of Vancouver Quadra there was no surprise but I did my duty. The voting process was smooth and quick. Let's do it all again in another year!

The past two weeks I've been filling my life with happy things. My brother was in town at the start of it and then I've been going out, shooting photos, seeing films, reading books, and working on contracts.

Munich Up until the pivotal character scene with Eric Bana character reuniting with his wife, "Munich" was a gripping, very enjoyable espionage thriller with betrayals, mysteries, operations, very much like a good 'realistic' 70s spy thriller. Indeed, it is filmed like one with grainy film and the world-trotting locales. The actual spy operation narrative is superb.

However, the writers and Spielberg himself have tried to weave the two themes: the need of everyone for a home, and the vengeance-Munich parallels together. This is unsuccessful. I found myself scratching my head at the decision to intercut the love-making scene with the final windup of the Munich flashback. The actual content of the flashback was well done, the raw, verite style showing the chilling attack on the athletes in the Olympic village, even the amateurism of the Black September terrorists combined with the fear and individual heroism of the victims. However, the odd juxtaposition with the love making (sounds strange? It is strange) I found thematically confusing. Perhaps it's because of that that I tend to dismiss the political criticism of the movie. I don't think Spielberg or the editor or the writer's execution was clear enough to even invite being taken to task on the political level.

Other stuff like the machinations of the Bana character's peripheral contacts like the French information merchants and his own handler (the Geoffrey Rush character) again are not as well defined. I can see the reason for their placement but the French characters, while interesting characters in their own right, could still have been pruned while Rush's character's importance to the "needing a home" theme could have been expanded upon.

I'm mystified actually by the political rhetoric about the movie. It seems like much of the criticism is aimed at the mere inclusion of the Palestinian viewpoint. As if it is a shock that the PLO or Black September actually have a motivation for what they do. Of course they do. One can disagree with that viewpoint or in the methods or in their reasoning but just merely putting in that viewpoint is not an intellectual or political crime. The one scene that at all applies to this is when Bana's character has an extended motivation dump with his PLO counterpart in the safehouse they both share. One thing viewers must keep in mind is that the PLO character is on the same level of understanding as Bana's character. Both are meant to represent the foot soldier motivation, not any high level leadership. So it is not right to equate the PLO character's motivation with say Yasser Arafat or the leadership of Black September at the time. Both Bana's character and his counterpart only know the simple motivations and don't know the tip of the iceberg.

Seen in this light the actual politics of Munich are not at all complex or controversial. The fact that warring on a stateless organization or terrorists just ebbs and flows without 'victory' is something any police organization can attest to. Have the police ever won the 'war on drugs', for example? No, they just put pressure on certain purveyors and others pop up. It becomes a matter of control. In the war on terrorism that the western world is engaged in there always seems to be another #3 in al Qaeda or yet another group popping up. In "Munich" the one successful theme, that of a soldier becoming tired and disillusioned because his posting keeps on getting extended and the goals no longer clear, is nothing new. We see it in lots of movies: war movies, police movies. The simplicity of this theme doesn't harm the movie and if Spielberg had stuck to it, then it would have remained a solid espionage thriller without encumbrances.

King Kong (2005) Although most reviews mention the three hour running time as a possible negative I will go against the prevailing opinion and say I could have seen a four-hour version of Peter Jackson's "King Kong". It really is that good.

Jackson has accomplished a few things with "King Kong". First and foremost, he's made a superbly enjoyable spectacle that fills almost all of its 187 minutes with feeling which will more than justify the ticket. Secondly, he's made me entirely comfortable with CG. With "King Kong" he and his effects people have successfully married live and computer generated imagery into a seamless fantasy. Nothing was jarring. It was all magic and hopefully sets the mark for the future. Thirdly, Jackson has established himself not as just 'the man who brought the Lord of the Rings to the big screen' but as a creator on par with James Cameron, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Any movie in the fantasy genre he makes from now on earns a ticket purchase from me. I'm serious.

I admit it, when I first heard that Jackson was taking on "King Kong" I yawned. The project invited bombast and histrionics. I had images of the 70s version in my head. Poor Jessica Lange and the mighty beating heart. The scarf floating down on Kong in the hold of a freighter. I thought: people are too familiar with this story. But Jackson and Wingnut Films embrace all of that. They have made a spectacle movie that harkens back to the epic first film. The score is bigger than life. Kong needs a screen at least as big as your largest theatre. You know what kind of film this will be when the huge title fills the screen. KING FUCKING KONG.

That expectation is delivered. Yes, the opening scenes begin in New York. Almost twenty minutes before they even set foot on Skull Island. But New York is like no New York that has ever appeared. It makes Batman's Gotham City look like the suburbs. Everything is colorful. The building that replaces the Empire State Building looks 300 stories tall and towers over the rest of the city like a space elevator. Hundreds of cars fill the streets. And in the middle of it, the totally gorgeous Naomi Watts looking every bit like she could travel back in time to the RKO Pictures lot and become an idol for the ages. What is that lighting they use for her and for almost every other person in the screen? This looks better than Technicolor. It's some color-grading sorcery that makes you go: wow.

When they actually get to Skull Island you immediately think back to the first scenes of "The Fellowship of the Ring" when you see the first BIG THINGS. The wall that separates the scraggly-assed natives from KONG could have come straight out of the mines of Moria or a Frank Frazetta painting. "There is an evil there that does not sleep". Yes, by all means, go through that gate into the jungle that promises digital monsters and fantastic vistas. Oh, twelve men on the search party, you say? I practically chortled thinking of how many different ways twelve men could bite it. My friend Dylan leaned over and said after hour two: "does everything in this island have fangs?" Happily, they do. Or have pincers, claws and other tearing things.

Who knows how many bajillion dollars went into Jackson's Kong only that it is fully justified with each dinosaur or creepy crawly they put on the screen. An extra million? Well, let's make it two no four T-Rexes. How about killer Wetas the size of your gut? How about centipedes, giant scorpions? How about disgusting worm things that have chompy things that squirt out of their foreskins? How about all of these within fifteen minutes? Ever go to a restaurant where the food is good but they give you these smiddly finger-sized portions? Why not have a whole smorgasbord of them? Whoever said that it spoils your appetite has never had the opportunity to have KFC bucket-sized caviar.

I was sad when they did leave Skull Island, just like when Dad comes to collect you from the arcade. But don't leave the theatre when they go back to New York (even though your bladder is screaming for attention). Otherwise, you'll miss Kong sliding on ice. Kong ice skating with Naomi. Kong throwing lots of cars around, stomping on people and kicking shit. And you'll also miss the thrilling depiction of the biplanes zooming in on Kong as he stands on top of the giant-sized Empire State Building. I thought as I watched that: I want to see Peter Jackson remake "Star Wars". Trench run, smench run.

KONG himself is one great actor. Heath Ledger take note: there is a 100 ton ape who can laugh, cry, and emote. Think I'm joking? Go see Kong staring off into the sunset with Naomi Watts hanging off his arm. The love that dare not speak its name! Yes, you can get weepy at a doomed romance between oversized digital monsters and glisteny-eyed but spunky human-sized heroines. We all know it will end in tears ... and in biplanes, and in the sad slow motion fall of pathetic Kong many many more miles higher up than in any of the previous versions.

Poor Kong! Poor Naomi! Now where's that bathroom?

This is a wideranging article in the Globe and Mail about how technology such as the iPods, Tivos and blogging has made it increasingly easy for consumers to only see things that they want to see, meaning the death of knowing what the 'general audience' is interested in whether it is politics, media or even other points of view. Kelvin pointed out to me that the same article was probably written fifteen years ago about Sony Walkmen and people shutting themselves off from each other.

Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance The first part of Korean director Chan Woo Park's 'vengeance' trilogy was followed up last year by the stunning "Old Boy" and continues later with "Sympathy for Lady Vengeance" which did very well in Korean cinema this year. The Pacific Cinematheque brought over "Mr. Vengeance" last weekend to see that we could see what all the fuss was all about.

"Mr. Vengeance" shows marks of Chan Woo Park's inventive direction and prediliction for stabbing, cutting, electrical torture and other body violating action. The story begins in a long first act in which a deaf factory worker is forced to consider various schemes to get a replacement liver for his sick sister. After he is scammed by an outlaw doctor (losing one of his livers) he is pushed by his politically radical girlfriend into considering kidnapping the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. However, the sad sack duo mucks up the job tragically, resulting the deaths of both the sick sister and the ransomee's daughter.

The story is a familiar one to Kurosawa fans and doubtless Chan Woo Park has considered how much "High and Low" could be twisted to fit the fissure between the poor and extremely wealthy in South Korean society today. In Kurosawa's film, the perspective is all on the industrialist and the mystery is who the kidnapper is and what his motives are. Park reveals all of this in the first act, one that is essentially tragicomic.

Unlike "Old Boy", "Mr. Vengeance" suffers from a driving narrative because it flips back and forth between the kidnapper (primarily the deaf factory worker) and the industrialist who we know very little about except that he has committed himself by all measures to destroying the killers of his daughter. I can accept this structure as it also concerns the desire for vengeance of the factory worker (on those scammers who took his own liver) but in the end it becomes more of an excuse for blood-letting. For me watching "Mr. Vengeance" served more for seeing the roots of Chan Woo Park's talent rather than for its own success.

Sarah's mother let me know that there was another film festival coming into Vancovuer this year, this one devoted to highlighting Canadian film. It has a nice website. It starts tonight with a screening of Philip Borsos' "The Grey Fox", probably the first Canadian feature film I saw. The "moving" part of the title refers to it being a travelling film festival, bringing the lineup to different cities. The rest of the festival goes from January 19th to the 22nd before moving onto other cities in B.C.

I know this is old but I haven't seen it before. It's a one-driver monorail that includes a station, a spur and night lights. Obviously, only an eccentric, inventive American would want to build such a thing. To crazy yankees such as this, I tip my hat. (Okay, I know at least one Canadian who is smart enough to build such a thing but you know, he is probably too polite to build it),

Here is a video that is making the circuits today. An aquarium int the U.S. had been wondering for some time why they kept on losing sharks in one of their tanks. So one day they set up a camera at night to see who got the munchies. Answer, an octopus. COOL VIDEO.

The Union Leader in New England reports on a bizarre find by police of a man who had constructed a self-guilloutine machine and also a timed molotov cocktail device that would burn down his house after his death. The man, a divorced electrician, had not properly designed it, however, and instead of dying a quick death, died of blood loss after staggering to his bed. He had not activated the bomb timer.

The Chicago Sun Times says that police have confirmed that for a fee you can buy the cell-phone records of anyone, even police or FBI agents. The Chicago police has warned its investigators that criminals could find out who have been calling them - including undercover contacts - by paying a company $150. They could receive that information in as little as three hours.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - Another long awaited fantasy adaptation following the footsteps of "The Lord of the Rings", "The Chronicles of Narnia" suffers from a too-familiar story and probably a lightning-paced adaptation that makes its characters slim indeed.

My memories of the C.S. Lewis book (never read beyond the first) are non-existant so any criticism of this is based only from what I saw on the screen. Unfortunately, what I saw was a lot of nice computer graphics, some charming children, a preening villain and not a lot of compelling story. It may all have been lost in the adaptation - the original was 800 or so pages - but what crossed into film was threadbare. Children enter a magical world menaced by a great evil. They are prophesized to overcome the evil and they do.

I may be the wrong audience but I've always had a problem with stories that have a prophecy at its base. If the heroes are meant to uphold a prophecy, then inevitably, they do (or if they were meant to break it, they do as well). Okay, we know good guys usually win, but part of what is compelling about a hero's journey are the decisions they are challenged with and how they overcome it. Some of the frustration in Narnia is that are critical points, the heroes don't do anything but nod their heads and go along for the ride. They win because they were meant to win.

What may be comforting to children in the audience - the sudden visitation of Santa for example - is a bit mystifying for an adult. Why is Santa there? What did the heroes do to warrant him dropping by in this fantasy world? Still others must have been set up better in the book than in the film - the explanation behind Aslan's return, for example.

Part of the reason behind "The Lord of the Ring's" success was that the characters really seemed to suffer from choices. Frodo had the weight of a terrible legacy and was challenged at many times to give up or take up the cause of evil (which he could have). In "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", the one tangible challenge is whether one of the siblings will tell the truth or not. Again, to a child, the consequences of not telling the truth is an important lesson. However, these choices are present for all four siblings. The youngest one, the innocent and charming girl, is well, innocent and charming. The two older ones are weak ciphers. It's not clear why they earn any importance at all except that it was, you see, foretold.

My Christmases had been becoming more austere in my adult life until I began my relationship with a girl whose family treats Christmas as a time to deliver loot until everyone. Lo, I did revel in it. Now this year even my family was infected (as this is the first loot-season for his newborn daughter) and the loot did spill. I am grateful for all I received and in particular, my brother's family surprised me with a Nintendo DS. My verdict? Bus rides need never be boring again (providing one has a seat). The DS is just perfect for commuting bus rides. Small enough so you can open it up and start playing and then snap shut when your stop comes up or your girlfriend becomes annoyed. And it has neat games. So, in the Christmas spirit, thank you my dear brother, wife and niece. Thank you for the loot.

Terence Malick
The LA Times has a good article about the auteur director Terence Malick, a director who makes great looking, frustrating art films that nevertheless will always draw me in. He has made only three films in the past thirty years: "Badlands", "Days of Heaven", "The Thin Red Line". Each of them extremely beautiful but laconic and sometimes storyless exercises in visual poetry. The reason for the LA Times story is that he is again tantalizing and mystifying viewers with a new epic: The New World, his take on the Pocohontas story starring Colin Farrell.

The LA Times story gives a good description of the qualities of a Terence Malick production that will tease Oscar voters but ultimately should doom it for contention come the Awards on March 5th. Malick films are concerned more about the visual impression than dialogue, story or performance. Indeed, he is rumoured to have a 30:1 shooting ratio. In his war movie about the battle for Guadalcanal, "The Thin Red Line", no actor was given dialogue, rather it was made up on the spot. His performers often wandered through beautiful jungle and swamps spouting soliloquies or were tortured with some internalized sorrow.