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Cairo Station (1958) VHS AFD 023

(Spoiler alert)

The urban poor of post-colonial Egypt stand at the center of Joussef Chahine’s dark masterpiece, Cairo Station. The characters central to the story remain in focus for the entire film, while the hectic setting of Cairo’s main train station bustles around them. The constantly shifting, moving surroundings reflect the themes of movement, change and the mixing of cultures which appear in the film. Western clothing, dress, ideas are all presented in passing within the station and on its trains, themselves a product of British colonialism. Meanwhile, distinctly traditional social groups cluster within the structure and maintain closely knit communities. From Islamic religious figures to women’s rights groups, a wealth of different, conflicting characters and attitudes appear, usually in passing and often with unclear messages and relations to the western technologies surrounding them.

When addressing the issue of the portrayal of western culture within the film, there exists an ambivalence which is not easily resolved or understood. Clearly the western-style train station, as a harbor for the urban poor and as the primary means of transportation within Cairo, maintains the livelihood of many characters within the film. Yet it is the portrayals of women, and female sexuality in a typically western magazine-fashion that drives the main character, Qinawi, into obsession and eventual insanity. This could clearly be interpreted as a criticism of the western willingness to portray sexuality in order to turn profit, and the means by which sexuality, specifically western-style sexuality, can become dangerous, or lead to violent mental illness.

If western standards of sexuality are to be seen as dangerous for an Egyptian man, then the film’s social commentary rests on the negative impact of western influences, yet if we see Qinawi as simply an unstable character from the beginning, who was merely susceptible to any violent influences, the social commentary lightens. After Qinawi’s employer, Farid, mentions a brutal murder in Egypt, Qinawi quickly changes his mood, quieting down and becomes visibly uneasy. Clearly this news influences Qinawi, and he leaves quickly to buy a large knife to develop his violent plans. This action does directly not support the argument that western influences were corrupting Qinawi, rather it implies that he needed only the idea of violence in order to commit murder. Furthermore, one of the few and short-lived joyous moments in the film is fueled by Hanuma dancing with western style rockabilly musicians on a train. In this scene, the music and the cheerful dancing counters the uneasy gaze of Qinawi, as Hanuma clearly attempts to neutralize tensions with the deranged man through offering him free soda. To this end western influences can be seen in a more positive light, where music and dance lightens to mood and lifts the character’s spirits.

Joussef Chahine’s complex portrayal of insanity within the post-colonial urban context defies simple categorization, leaving the viewer with a wealth of possible interpretations. I find that this film directly depicts modern Egypt without a specific negative or positive agenda, while maintaining a highly critical eye that focuses on the modern activities of lower-class Egyptians.

Destination Tokyo (DVD WHV 269)

Where’s the dividing line between cinematic escapism and wartime propagandizing? Shouldn’t an effective—as in manipulative—piece of wartime propaganda inspire a citizenry to re-double their efforts to defeat the enemy du jour? And shouldn’t an effective—as in manipulative, again—piece of cinematic escapism temporarily lobotomize the viewer into a laconic stupor? They may seem like opposites a first—fervent vs. stupefied—but both share a common goal: beguiling the viewing into a state of non-reflexivity.

With Destination Tokyo (1943), propagandist and escapist tendencies merge for a jingoistic underwater adventure. In this, Cary Grant’s only wartime movie, the submarine U.S.S. Copperfin sets off from SF for a secret reconnaissance mission of Tokyo Bay. This mission, in turn, gives Doolittle’s Raiders the info needed to inflict maximum punishment on the Imperial Fleet. Through a combination of racist rhetoric, diminutive special effects, an essentialized crew (e.g., hothead, rookie recruit, womanizer), and bombs-bombs-bombs, an escapist/propagandist haze reigns that makes no mention, of course, of the estimated 250,000 innocent Chinese that were killed by the Japanese as a result of the raids, or of the six Japanese schools that were accidentally bombed by the Raiders. So why watch it? Will it provide a lens through which we can better focus on today’s escapist, propagandist, and non-reflexive cinematic consumables?

The Sheik - 1921

In George Melford’s The Sheik (1921) the viewer is presented with a wealth of western orientialist clichés and stereotypes that must have appeared standard for the era. This silent adventure-romance, though set in the desert town of Biskra, remains vague as to its exact location within the French Middle Eastern colonies. The film unabashedly bases it’s wealth of generalizations on negative and often absurd portrayals and Arab culture or dress. While the actual town of Biskra sits in modern-day Algeria, a former French colony, the town itself lies within a complex region dominated by Berber, Turkish and Arab influences. None of these complexities fit within the simplified image placed forward in the film, which simply refers to all the explicitly non-western peoples as Arabs.

The portrayal of so-called Arab culture within the film may appear comical to some modern viewers, yet it is representative of an orientalizing impulse that appears throughout western literature and the arts of the time. As Edward Said, within the introduction of his groundbreaking work Orientalism writes: “…there emerged a complex Orient suitable for study in the academy, for displaying the museum, for reconstruction in the colonial office” This display, as illustrated in the film, could include harshly negative views of Arab culture as being barbaric, uncivilized, or cruel. The antagonizing forces within the film are Arab leaders and their henchmen. Furthermore, the Arab tribes never live within the city, and camp in the desert for no explicit purpose.

Sexuality and gender roles play a pivotal role within the film, driving the characters into their actions and defining their positions of power or submissiveness. The film largely capitalizes on the romantic, erotic and supposed barbaric elements within Arab culture, as defined through an orientalist framework. As Said makes note, cultural and racial generalizations on sexuality lead to “a great many Victorian pornographic novels [such as] The Lustful Turk”. The Sheik fulfills this orientist role as a lustful character, and he clearly asserts this along with a startling sexual dominance. After capturing Diana, the Sheik says to the distraught Diana :“I could make you love me”, clearly asserting his power of seduction and sexuality over the independent western woman.

The entire narrative revolves around this gradual shifting of power and gender roles, with the Shiek eventually re-affirming male dominance. Within the opening section of the film, Diana sees herself as clearly superior and more civilized than the Sheik, and at one point in the Casino, she draws a gun on the Sheik with a stern face and rigid posture. Within Biskra, she believes herself to be above the Sheik, yet after her capture by the Sheik in the desert, the roll reverses and Diana stays at the mercy of her captor, begging and crying before him, while eventually succumbing to his authority.

The Brotherhood of the Wolf DVD UNIV 204

The Brotherhood of the Wolf was not what I expected. I knew very little about it and had made my own judgments based on the fact that I knew it was 1) about Werewolves and 2) French. I had formulated an opinion that because it was French it would be a smarter better film than one about werewolves made in America. Wrong. I also assumed it would be about werewolves. Wrong again. Right off the bat I thought the movie was lame because the editor had slowed down the film so as to better see the crazy fight scene. But then I decided to stop being a snobby jerk and enjoy the movie. It was very entertaining and was a smarter than your average wolf/revenge of god movie. PLUS! Guess who plays the kick ass better than the stupid French Native American! Guess! THE CROW! That is right everyone who loved or pretended to love The Crow the TV series, Mark Dacascos has taken time out of his busy angsty schedule to help restore the balance between good and evil in 18th century France. All in all it was a good movie; it had good fight scenes and was deeper than your average mysterious beast slaughtering movies. I give it 3 out of 5.

Yellow Brick Road: A True Heartwarmer

Yellow Brick Road
DVD NVG 132

If watching a group of mentally disabled adults work to put on a stage production of The Wizard of Oz does not melt your heart, then I don’t know what will. And if it indeed does not, then I just have to say that you are a cold person who needs to spend more time with stuffed animals and rainbows. But I digress.

The film Yellow Brick Road, which has received a wide variety of awards at various independent film festivals (thereby proving its excellence), documents the four month-long process of Long Island’s ANCHOR (Answering the Needs of Citizens with Handicaps Through Organized Recreation) organization in their efforts to stage an extravagant production of the Wizard of Oz. Beginning with the announcements of everyone’s individual roles (which includes many joyful tears, excited jumps up and down and frantic phone calls to mom), the movie then goes on to depict the challenging rehearsals and the personal obstacles and triumphs that each actor works through, finally ending with the much-anticipated opening night.

Yellow Brick Road is certainly a film which will just make you feel good about life, which I think everyone needs once in awhile. Especially those cold-hearted people out there.

Written by Sarah

Cute Overload

The Film “Etre ed Avoir” or “To Be and to Have” DVD NYV 023 is perhaps the cutest film in our collection. This is as a result of our not having “Milo and Otis” which is the trump card of cute films. The film revolves around George Lopez, a teacher in a one room school house, and his students. The reasons it is so darn cute are as follows:

-The children, 3-11, are French and consequently speak French. Thus cuter being that is a well know fact that children speaking a language other than your own is cuter than children speaking your language. French speakers fear not these kids are cute enough on their own and do not need the heightened cuteness.

-One of the kids name is Jojo.

-One of the kids name is Axel.

-Lopez talks to the kids like they are adults.

-Kids driving tractors.

-When the kids are sledding one of them runs into another in a cute way not in a sad way.

-In the extras the children recite poetry. Cuteness ensues.

All cuteness aside this is a beautiful documentary about a wonderful teacher who is sure to inspire all those who work with kids especially those in the teaching field.

Reviewed by Anna

King Corn (DVD BFI 051)

I had been meaning to watch this documentary for a while, but I didn't get around to it until I stumbled upon its screening at the Media Center's Dawg Daze's film festival in Allen Auditorium.

It's a nice little film depicting the history and lifecycle of corn, sometimes with the use of cute animations. The film follows two friends as they return to their roots and explore the significance of corn in their lives. It addresses the following questions:

• How long will it take to plant 30,000 seeds of corn?
• How can I make my own high fructose corn syrup?
  
• Should cows be fed corn or grass?
  
• What is the relationship between Iowa farms and fast food restaurants?
  

I've been wary of high fructose corn syrup in beverages for a while, but I didn't realize how many other food products corn gets into. While almost anything is fine in moderation, it does seem that Americans tend to overdo it with the corn. I just came back from the Netherlands where colas were made with sugar instead of corn syrup. I'm not sure if that's actually better or not ... but it does make me wonder if there's a correlation between corn syrup and height/weight proportions. The film doesn't address how corn is used in other countries, though.

Immediately after watching King Corn, my co-worker pointed out the following commercials that were just put out by the Corn Refiners Association. There are some pretty good spoofs on YouTube.

Reviewed by Cecilia

The Worst Job in the World (FMG On Demand)

Work have you down? Feeling underpaid and overworked? Perhaps a bit of global perspective will improve your outlook.

What if it was your ”destiny” to clear excrement out of public latrines--with your bare hands? Maybe what you are doing right now would seem, um, not so bad. "The Worst Job in the World", an online documentary provided via FMG On Demand, profiles two Dalit families who are charged with such dehumanizing tasks. This 30 minute streaming video gives the viewer an overview of both public health and caste/class issues in modern day India. Though the film does open with a gut-wrenching look at the work done by these Dalit families, it ends with an interview with Bezawada Wilson—a hereditary latrine cleaner-turned-activist determined to free all Bhangis from what is arguably the worst job in the world. A hopeful end to a truly depressing story.

To view this movie click here. Note: this is a UW Restricted resource.

Reviewed by John Vallier

Rocket Science (DVD HBO 071)

I remember when the film “Rocket Science” came out. I remember because I stole a poster off of the wall of the HUB and then promptly lost it. I didn’t know anything about it I just liked the poster. Then as I was checking in items one day I came across the film and decided that in order to justify my stealing of the poster (it was really nice card board and everything) I should at least watch the film. So I did. Come to find out that the poster I stole was not that of the film “Rocket Science” and my remembering of when it came out was 2 years too early. Ignoring this fact after watching the film I felt better about both the stealing of the poster and my crappy High School Speech and Debate career. The film is about a kid, Hal, who has a bad stutter and is recruited by, Ginny, whom he has a monster crush on, to be her debate partner. Wonderful awkward High School drama ensues, including but not limited to: an awkward make out scene in a janitor’s closet, an awkward spying, awkward other peoples parents, etc. I would recommend this film to anyone who ever did policy debate, stuttered, or went to high school. You could even make it a High School double feature with the film “Welcome to the Dollhouse” (DVD CTHV 001) which is approximately 2.5 times more awkward than this film.

Reviewed by Anna

Lust, Caution (Se, jie) (DVD UNIV 195)

At the surface, Lust, Caution is a WWII spy thriller set in Shanghi during the Japanese occupation. A group of theater students get caught up in a plot of vengeance against a traitorous business man, Mr. Yee. They use one of the young girls in the troupe to gather information and get close to Yee.

Once you inject this premise with Ang Lee’s master story telling, you get an emotionally complicated and erotically charged drama. As we’ve seen in his other films like “Brokeback Mountain” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” Ang Lee is a true master of telling love stories. Lee knows he’s bigger than that standard "Boy meets girl-Boy wins Girls love- Boy and Girl live happily ever after" framework. Lee really takes time for the details; creating a deep level of intimacy with his characters.

Finally, if you revel in non-Hollywood ending’s, you will love the end of Lust, Caution.

AbrAxas: Guardian of the Universe (videorecord PRSM 001)

AbrAxas is the true life documentary of how Jesse “The Body” Ventura came to earth. You see, before he was a wrestler or a governor he was an alien, an intergalactic cop alien to be exact, a 10,000 year old intergalactic cop alien to be precise. Mr. The Body was sent on a mission by his superiors to catch a rebel 10,000 year old intergalactic cop alien who was seeking to impregnate a fertile member of the human race so as to create the “Comater” and get the anti-life equation. When first you learn that Secundus (the rebel) needs to impregnate a birthing member of our race you think, can they really show this old guy raping a teenager in a movie that seems to be marketed toward the teen preteen crowd, well he only kind of does, he puts his hand on her tummy and then 5 minutes later she has a baby while still fully clothed. Jesse Ventura gives perhaps the driest performance of his career in what can only be considered the Grand Poobah of Intergalactic Cop movies.

Gegege no Kitaro (DVD EAL 887)

I decided to watch this film because the cover was entirely inexplicable to me. There are 11 characters on the front cover. One might not be able to distinguish two such characters as being characters, but they are. You could not be able to distinguish them as characters because on is an eyeball and one is a roll of cotton. There is also an old woman with a tuft of hair growing down her face, a frightened child and a train with a head that is on fire on the front. The hero of the movie, Kitaro of the Ge Ge Ge Forest, is a ghost who is kind of an ambassador of the Yokai to the humans who shoots needles from his hair. The move is packed with weirdo Yokai monsters with police/birds that are reminiscent of The Never Ending Story. Plus at the end all the characters do the Thriller Dance.

Edward Said on Orientalism (DVD MEF 009)

Need to research the origins of post-colonial theory? Looking for a critical examination of the way Islam is portrayed in popular culture? The documentary "Edward Said on Orientalism" confronts these questions and more.

In it the late Edward Said speaks about his book Orientalism and its profound influence on a diverse range of disciplines: anthropology, political science, critical studies, sociology, etc. He describes the context in which this and other books were conceived, their main themes, and how their theses relate to our contemporary understanding of the Orient.

Said also delves into the finer points of his philosophy, describing Orientalism as a culturally constructed lens through which the West sees, understands, explains, and interprets the "Other". It's why the media and popular culture often depict people from the Middle East as threatening, different, fanatical, extreme, and--at times--sensual. Oreintalism's distanciating gaze, Said explains, supplants individual humanity with blanket stereotypes.

Said also traces Orientalism's origins back to Napoleon's invasion of Egypt and resulting influx of scholars and scientists. These intellectual legions did to the Egyptians what they couldn't do to themselves (or to the French): create a Western-sanctified body of knowledge/stereotypes about Egypt and the Orient as a whole.

So check this documentary out. It's short 40 minutes do much to reveal Orientalism's colonial bred, and still thriving, epistemology.

Reviewed by John Valier

Orchestra Baobab - “Pirates Choice” (CD NONE 022)

It’s a shame that it took nearly twenty years for Orchestra Baobabs “Pirates Choice” to be available to music lovers in the U.S. Now that it’s here, audiences can finally be introduced to the dance bands perfect blend of lush guitar styles and light, breezy vocals all laid over funky afro-cuban beats. Most American ears will probably be shocked to hear lyrics sung, not only in Wolof, but Spanish and French with familiar jazz rhythms. When listening to the album you get a sense that the band, who was based out of the international port city of Dakar in the 1980’s, was highly attuned to all of the best music from around the world that passed through. “Pirates Choice” is a lesson in globalization: Sounds, styles, and rhythms that are often generalized and attributed to Latin American or Western music are brought back home to West Africa and revisited- becoming something new and different once again.

Reviewed by Mwende Hahsey

Basket Case 2 (Videorecord SGHV 001)

The film Basket Case 2 is one’s classic early 90’s horror film. It centers around two previously Siamese-twin brothers Duane and Belial. The brothers are adopted and sheltered by Dr. Freak, a kindly psychiatrist who thinks that freaks are beautiful people too. The brothers and consequently Dr. Freak and her Freaks are being stalked by a tabloid reporter thus there is killing involved. The freaks of the movie look like they were designed by R. Crumb and made by Jim Henson. The plot is fairly predictable until the last 20 minutes. One might wonder why I would choose to review Basket Case 2 and not the first Basket Case. It is because of the last 20 minutes. If you are a fan of horror films from the 80’s and 90’s this movie is a must, if you are not I would avoid this movie with a 10ft pole. The first Basket Case is good but the last 20 minutes of Basket Case 2 are the best 20 minutes of horror film EVER!

Reviewed by Anna Lena Nash

Puffy Ami Yumi - Artist Profile

Though the Japan pop duo Puffy may be relatively unheard of in the U.S., they have achieved superstar status in Japan. Puffy, who are Yumi Yoshimura and Ami Onuki, originally busted onto Japan's pop music scene back in 1996 with their hit single "Asia No Junshin." Regularly appearing in magazines and on TV (even hosting their own show), Puffy has put out its own line of shoes, clothes, and toys. The youthful and attractive Puffy manage to combine traditional rock instrumentation, Japan pop sensibilities, and their energetic vocals into a coherent style all their own. Hints of rockabilly, disco, classic rock, country, surf, bossa nova, and still other styles pervade the sounds found on Puffy's five CDs. On these CDs, which include Jet CD, Fever*Fever, and the remixed compilation Puffy Re-Mix Project, Puffy collaborated with such musicians as Pizzicato Five's Yasuharu Konishi and former Jellyfish member Andy Sturmer. In 1997, Puffy released the double CD Solo Solo. With 1998 came five hit singles from the duo's Jet CD. Taking note of their growing popularity in China, Puffy recorded a song with Mandarin lyrics on this CD. 1999 saw the release of two CDs by this prolific and unflagging duo: Fever*Fever and PMRX, respectively. The former is somewhat reminiscent of the Posies and Rockpile, while their latter is a remixed amalgam of their most popular tunes. Such notables as Fantastic Plastic Machine, producer and DJ Yasuharu Konishi, the electro-techno Freddy Fresh, and one-time New York Dolls and Sex Pistols promoter Malcolm McLaren all lent helping hands in the sculpting of PMRX.

Click here to check out the Puffy Ami Yumi titles in the Media Center's Collection.

Ruins - "Burning Stone" (CD SHIMMY 001)

This early-90's release from Japan's premier complexi-core duo, Ruins, takes the listener on an unpredictable sonic journey. Like being blindfolded and put on a psychotic roller coaster ride, bandleader/drummer/singer Tatsuya Yoshida and bassist/singer Ryuichi Masuda toss the listener about by throwing hairpin-turn changes and free-fall melodic dementia into the mix. Driving polyrhythmic drumbeats, a heavily processed bass guitar, and vocal lines that dip into the operatic, comedic, and ominous characterize the tunes on this CD. Though the vocals sound and are meant to be nonsensical, their phonetic renderings are written down in liner notes in case you want to try following along.
Check it out from the Media Center today: Call # CD SHIMMY 001