Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai is a curious addition to the filmography of Jim Jarmusch. However, its style and fascination with various juxtapositions create the type of film that only could come from the mind of Jarmusch. The film begins as we follow Ghost Dog (Forest Whitaker) as he walks around a nameless city (located in a place only known as “The Industrialized State” by the license plates). He steals a car using a card reader device (one of the many homages to Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samourai) and drives to his destination to assassinate a gangster. Much like Alain Delon in Le Samourai, he is cool and meticulous about who he is and what he does. As the film progresses, we slowly learn a couple of odd details about the character of Ghost Dog—he lives on a rooftop, he communicates to his boss solely through passenger pigeons, he demands payment once a year on the first day of autumn, he lives by a strict code of the samurai. All these traits seem very strange, an opinion also shared by Ghost Dog’s boss, a local mobster who once saved Ghost Dog’s life. However, he accepts Ghost Dog’s eccentricities because he is an impeccable contract killer.

Jarmusch seems interested in creating a melting pot of styles and cultures, all seemingly ready to clash against one another. Even though Ghost Dog lives strictly by an ancient code of the samurai, he also lives in an urban jungle and has seemingly unlimited access to an endless cache of weapons and modern technology such as his carjacking card reader. His best friend is a Haitian ice cream vendor (played by Jarmusch regular Isaach De Bankolé), but Ghost Dog doesn’t know a word of French and the vendor doesn’t know any English. As with most Jarmusch films, characters often speak in a deadpan fashion, not giving much away through their words. It’s these type of oddities that become the life force of the movie, and it poses some curious questions that permeates throughout the movie—how are we defined by the culture around us? It may be an obvious question, but it’s one that the main character seems to face and struggle with at every turn. Even the end of the film (spoilers), Ghost Dog’s strict adherence to the code is what ultimately brings his downfall, even when he refuses to use to simple resources provided to him by the modern world in which he lives in. However, it’s clear that Jarmusch seems to side with Whitaker’s character, a sort of man out of time, both emotionally and quite literally by the end. In the title role, Whitaker does an excellent job portraying the introspective hitman, playing him with a quiet menace and determination, all while earning our sympathy by hinting at a deep sadness to his character. The soundtrack by The RZA is also largely excellent, enhancing the cool atmosphere of the film.

While the film doesn’t always work from a logistical standpoint, it seems to work better if viewed as a piece of music or visual poem. Jarmusch seems to also treat the film instinctively, where the rhythms and beats of the characters seem to ebb and flow with the atmosphere of the world around them. There are times where the stylistic aspects seem to envelop the characters, while other times we see Italian gangsters extolling the virtues of Flavor Flav. The film seems to relish in the realm of juxtaposition—Eastern vs. Western culture, gangsters films vs. samurai films, and sly comments on race, technology and language. Jarmusch is clearly having fun in seeing how all these cultures tie together, and while the film may not hold up to his very best work, it’s also not hard to get lost in the atmosphere.

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

Bubba Ho-Tep takes an incredibly wacky (yet winning) premise of wish-fulfillment fantasy mixed with a slice of irony to create an offbeat horror-comedy that will (at the very least) have fans of the genre intrigued and probably slightly bewildered. The main idea (based off a short story by Texas writer Joe R. Landsdale): what if Elvis was still alive, but instead of reclaiming his fame, he was forced to spend the rest of his life in a drab Texas nursing home because of back problems? What if the Elvis that actually died was an Elvis impersonator, who agreed to switch places back in the 70s? What if Elvis’s best friend in the nursing home is an old black man (played wonderfully by Ossie Davis) who thinks he is actually JFK? What if their goal is to stop a mythical cowboy-mummy who begins to haunt the residents of the nursing home? It’s all very bizarre, but thankfully the film maintains the balancing act of horror and comedy long enough leave an impression. One would think that the film keeps the proceedings light with this kind of concept, but it actually goes for a darker tone, dealing with loneliness and the inevitability of old age and death. There is humor to be sure (one bit involves Elvis’s contract with the impersonator becoming lost during a freak barbeque explosion), but there is a surprising sadness of the characters’ situations that undercuts some of the craziness found in the offbeat storyline.

One of the main reasons the film works as well as it does is the excellent performance of Bruce Campbell as the aging Elvis Presley. Famously known for his slapstick swagger played to comic perfection in the Evil Dead films, Campbell here seems much more restrained, especially under layers and layers of old-age makeup. Thankfully, his face is still expressive as ever, and he’s able to portray Elvis as a man who’s down but not out. It makes it all the more impressive that his performance is not a straight up Elvis impersonation, but his wit, humor, and swagger all shine through the lonely character he’s playing, and you get a sense that this really could have been Elvis: The Elderly Years. Director Don Coscarelli (of Phantasm and Beastmaster fame) and the filmmakers also thankfully have a sense of reverence towards Elvis, so instead of becoming a punchline, he becomes a real character who just seems to be stuck in an uncanny situation. The other main performance, Ossie Davis as JFK, is hilarious because the way Davis ramps up the paranoia, believing everyone is out to get him, be it Oswald or Johnson. Together their chemistry and comic timing provides for some great laughs as they scuttle around the nursing home trying to deal with the mythical villain.

The movie is obviously influenced by the horror-comedy that preceded it, and it’s hard not to mention the Evil Dead films as a major influence, especially when you have Bruce Campbell in the title role. There is one hilarious bit with Campbell’s Elvis fighting off a persistent scarab beetle in his room that would probably feel right at home in Sam Raimi’s classic series. Unfortunately, for all its offbeat qualities, the film loses steam in the second half (the final standoff against Bubba Ho-Tep fells oddly rushed and a little anti-climactic), and there are times where the filmmakers seem to be trying a little too hard to make an instant cult hit. However, it’s bizarre concept and great first half keeps things enjoyable, so if you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Elvis and JFK teamed up to fight mummies, you’d be hard pressed not to find some sort of strange answer here.

Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)

Muhammad and Larry (2009)

Muhammad and Larry, part of ESPN’s 30 for 30 documentary series, is a mesmerizing story of the downfall of a giant, the promise of another great, and the muddled grey area in between. The film was directed by Albert Maysles (one half of the famed documentary team in charge of Gimme Shelter, Salesman, and Grey Gardens fame) and Bradley Kaplan, using archival footage from a shorter, unreleased documentary shot by Maysles and his brother David. This film allows Maysles to use some of his footage from almost 30 years ago and expand on it with new interviews and footage for the “30 for 30” segment. What has been released not only provides a wealth of unseen footage from the era, but it also provides a nice look into how this fight affected all parties involved.

The film chronicles the events leading up the 1980 championship bout between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes. Holmes had been consistently defending his WBC Heavyweight Champion title over the past couple of years by defeating the likes of Ken Norton, Mike Weaver, and Earnie Shavers. Meanwhile, Ali had not boxed professionally in well over a year but was looking for a return for a fourth heavyweight championship. The two had been friends and sparring partners, and Holmes regarded Ali as a mentor and hero. The idea of Ali returning was met with speculation, as nobody thought Ali could make such a strong comeback. The movie begins two months before the fight, and we see Ali, at age 38, looking weathered and tired from the gate. He is overweight (for his class) and sporting a moustache, making him look far older than his age would suggest.

What’s fascinating here is that we are allowed a backstage pass into Ali’s training facility, a sort of grimy, DIY-like arena where you can almost smell the wood and vinyl surrounding the interiors. Here Ali becomes a sort of master of ceremonies, entertaining the crowds with witty speeches and amazing kids with magic tricks. However, it becomes obvious Ali’s keeping his cards close to his chest, never revealing his true self. There is even a moment in a limo ride where Ali is asked about Holmes as a friend, and Ali says he is a friend to Holmes, but the look in his eyes shows nothing but contempt. He is nervous, paranoid of those around him, audibly slurring (unbeknownst to anyone at the time, Ali was only four years away from being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease). Holmes, on the other hand, is seen as much more open to the camera, often seen kissing his baby, singing songs about himself or talking to his wife on his (oversize) car phone. It becomes obvious that he really doesn’t want to fight his friend, but on the day of the fight he will do what he always does. He also knows that he has the talent, and we are reminded that Holmes was a great fighter who probably isn’t considered one of the greats because he came right after Ali’s reign. Even In the days leading up to the fight, Holmes is confident in his skills that he will win, but the hype falls in Ali’s favor, and it proves to be just a little frustrating for Holmes.

The actual fight, almost predictably, proves to be brutal for Ali. The footage is difficult to watch, as Holmes takes the lead from the first round landing punch after punch on Ali, and there are rounds where it seems that Ali has long since given up, not even trying to throw any punches. Holmes even seems to take pity on Ali mid-fight, not wanting to deliver the final blow to his friend. The fight was finally called in 11^th round, and Holmes was declared the champion. However, the damage had already been done. Holmes was cast as the villain by the press and fans alike for taking down their hero, and it’s a reputation that he has long since tried to correct (as seen in the newer footage). Ali, rather surprisingly, would fight one more time in 1981 before retiring permanently from the sport. The Ali-Holmes fight is fondly remembered as “crime against all involved”, an “abomination”, clearly a money ploy for the promoters, trainers and sports media. No one person was to blame, yet almost everyone knew the outcome well before the fight.

Muhammad and Larry proves to be so captivating because of not only all the archival footage that allows us into the world of the training areas, but it also shows a heartbreaking story of two greats. One, beloved by both the media and the public (still to this day), was well aware that his chances were slim but gambled anyway—and had an embarrassing downslide to his professional career to show for it. The other, even though he came out the victor by defeating one the greats, was outcast as a villain and was never given the chance to fully redeem himself. The film doesn’t take sides on who’s really the hero here—it just shows the two in the natural habitat, just trying to make sense of what is about to happen and how some wrongs can never be made right.

Rating: 4 ½ stars (out of 5)