Review: Room 237

To properly enjoy Room 237, director Rodney Ascher's documentary exploration of oddball interpretations of Stanley Kubrick' The Shining, you have to understand one thing:

It's not really about The Shining.



Granted, Room 237's interviewees all have a lot to say about The Shining. One thinks it's a metaphor for the genocide of the Native Americans, another for the Holocaust. A third thinks it's all tied up in how Kubrick faked the moon landing footage. (No, really.) It's insane: All these different theories springing from the same (dense, detailed, fascinating) 146 minutes of film.

The idea that anyone can "figure out" The Shining is preposterous. We'll never know all of what Kubrick intended to put into the film. Some of the interviewees acknowledge that: They note that they're reading things into the film that Kubrick didn't probably intend. It's film critique as a mental exercise.

And then you have the moon landing guy, who seemed absolutely sure that his interpretation was objectively true.

To me, Room 237 is a study of eccentrics, of people's need to take insanity and make order out of it. Specifically, the intersection of that type of person (and we're all that type of person to a certain extent) and film nerds. And what better lens is there for that than Kubrick, film history's number one eccentric?

One of the parts I liked best about Room 237 was seeing how people interpret the exact same aspect of The Shining in different ways. The Gold Room is hat tip to the Gold Rush. No, it's World War II-related! And both talking heads use as evidence the fact that Kubrick, or Kubrick's people, extensively researched Colorado's history and the Holocaust. Of course he did! He's Stanley Kubrick. He researched everything!

Room 237 did change my view of The Shining. I'm now leaning toward Kubrick being an absolute troll who worked all these crazy things into The Shining to A) establish mood—nothing troll-like there, and B) fuck with people who like to read really complicated things into films.

Don't read too much into this film. Don't think you're going to have a lightning bolt moment and discover the ~secret~ of The Shining. This movie isn't that complicated. But as an exploration of eccentricity and our personal (at times maybe too personal) connection to film, it's quite fun.

Vikings Recap, Episode Five, "Raid"

The title of the episode is Raid, but I will refer to it as The One Where Shit Gets Real.

Gimme the Loot Is the Best Parts of Film, New York—Hell, Life—All In One Film

Gimme the Loot is a small, personal film in which nothing much happens—or, rather, nothing much happens that wouldn't happen any other day of its two main characters' lives. And yet it's every bit as vibrant and engaging as New York, the city in which it's set.

(Actually, it's more of those things than New York sometimes is. Take the best parts of the spirit of New York and distill it. This is that film.)

Vikings Recap: Episode 4, In Which Rollo Is a More Complex Villain Than I Initially Thought and Lagertha Is Just As Wonderfully Badass As She Always Has Been

The episode starts with Ragnar and company taking the next step on their Big English Adventure by being led by an Englishman they've captured to city of Hexam. Rollo wants to rush in and start busting heads, because he's Rollo, but Ragnar says no, bro, chill out, let's get in a good sleep and murder and pillage tomorrow.

Vikings Recap: Episode 3, In Which Athelstan's Life Sucks and Lagertha Is Better Than Everyone

The episode starts with Ragnar & co. sailing back from Lindisfarne with all their treasure; among said treasure is Adorable Monk (™) Athelstan, whom Ragnar elected not to kill in episode two because he speaks the Vikings' language. Lucky dude. Not so lucky is the monk sitting next to him, who died during the journey and whose body gets unceremoniously thrown overboard. This is instance number one of approximately 15 dozen in this episode of Athelstan's life being complete and utter shit.

Cristian Mungiu's Beyond the Hills Is Amazing, Intelligent, Depressing As Hell

Beyond the Hills is a dreary, depressing, dismal film. It's also a brilliant film, though you don't really realize how brilliant until the end.

The film starts with Alina (Cristina Flutur) visiting her best friend Voichita (Cosmina Stratan), who moved from the orphanage they both grew up in to a convent run by the somewhat ominous Mama and Papa. Alina tries to convince Voichita to leave the convent with her; when she refuses, Alina elects to stay despite her minimal religious faith and problems with authority.

Five Shows I Want to Replicate Veronica Mars' Kickstarter Success

So there's a Kickstarter to create a Veronica Mars movie that earned $2 million plus in less than a day. Thus: The movie is happening. Here are five shows that I'd like to see get a similar treatment.

1) Daria. The world needs it right now.

2) Pushing Daisies. I want to know what happens with Ned's father!
 
3) Merlin. If the fandom can see through their tears well enough to navigate Kickstarter, raising the production budget for a modern-day reincarnation movie sequel (it could still fit within canon!) would be easy peasy.

4) The Adventures of Pete and Pete. Actually, it might be better to leave this one to the halcyon days of the '90s. I'm not sure any return to P&P could live up to the original.

5) Community. Yes, the show's still on the air. But not for long. You know it. I know it. We need to start the rescue effort ASAP.