Some Reviews of films I watched over my Cinematic Education. Part Three

This one is one of my favourite subjects, just because I'm interested in this sort of thing: Myth and Media. It was also one of the most fun, in terms of screening choices and just general silliness.

We also watched a few TV shows in this one.

The Odyssey (Giuseppe de Liguoro, 1912) and 'Favourite Son' Star Trek Voyager (Marvin V Rush, 1997)

These two started off the subject for Early films and basic intro into myth and Homer. Can't really remember the Voyager episode [though I'm sure I will if my memory is jogged enough] but the Odyssey was a nice early retelling of the myth.

Hercules (Pietro Francisci, 1957)

Topic of the week was 'Authorship, Audience, Orality and Hunky Herc' and was a fun week, if not for the fact that we are shown this fun flick about good old Hercules. Gotta love these Italian Sword and Sandal epics, with fun noises and such.

Dark City (Alex Proyas, 1998)

Plato, myth and fiction. I love this film! Very interesting tie-in for Plato's work, and just a great film on its own anyway.

"The Return of Wonder Woman" Wonder Woman (1976) and "Hooves and Harlots" Xena Warrior Princess (Jace Alexander, 1995)

Myth, Ideology and Warrior women was the topic. This was a fun week because Wonder Woman is a fun, silly show [Spin, Wonder Woman, SPIN!] and though I was more of a Hercules watcher than anything, Xena was also fun.

Jason and the Argonauts (Don Chaffey, 1963)

Week's topic was the epic. This was a childhood favourite along with the Sinbad films, and it really is a nice film, with fun effects and just general good times all round.

The Grifters (Stephen Frears, 1990)

Week's topic: Psychoanalysis, Freud, and myth. Odd film about con-artists, and a lad who has an unnatural relationship with his mother. Though something was a little off when I watched it, this film was still pretty interesting, and in a way reminded me of a much more subdued David Cronenberg somehow.

Stargate (Roland Emmerich, 1994)

Jungian archetypes and UFO mythologies. Another favourite film of mine. Sure it ain't no classic, but I love myth in film, and in particular the way Stargate incorporated Egyptian myth worked really well, for all it's lovable flaws. Ah, fun.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Steven Spielberg, 1989)

The Heroic Journey. My favourite of the Indiana Jones films [if not only for the fact that it has Sean Connery in it.] Lots of fun for this one.

Hulk (Ang Lee, 2003)

The Levi-Strauss approach to myth and how opposites attract. Say what you will about the Hulk, I thought it was done really well, especially given the fact that although I am a comic fan, I have never really known much about the Hulk other than the basic story for him and his general appearences in other comics. Even though the plot wasn't great, the way in which Ang Lee handled the film, in my mind, was very good.

Cube (Vincenzo Natali, 1997)

Myth and Ritual. This was a good low budget film which really keeps you on edge for alot of it. Also very mysterious which I like [no proper explanations for much of the film.] I've seen the second cube, but was kind of dissappointed by it, and I am a little worried about the third [though I know nothing about it.]

Mon Oncle (Jacques Tati, 1956)

Myth and Semiotics. Mon Oncle is a nice film which has little dialogue [compared to your usual film] but loads of visual delights which was great to see. Fun flick all around really.

'For Those of you just joining us" Hercules: the Legendary Journeys (Bruce Campbell, 1999)

Postmodernism and Myth. How can you possibly go wrong with a Bruce Campbell directed episode of Hercules? Well lots can go wrong, but in this case it didn't.

This was also followed by

'Storyteller'' Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Marita Grabiak, 2003)

Another fun episode which was also one of my favourites from the series.

As a side note to this subject, my final essay was on the vampire myth in media, which had me watching a heap of crappy [and some good] Vampire films, which was heaps of fun and resulted in wierd and wacky dreams about vampires for a few nights. Some just involved vampires just hanging around, loitering out the front of a store somewhere, which I just found perplexing and odd.