For those not in the know, check it this highlight of Fedor Emelianenko...if you don't, then you deprive your senses of majesty and a context for what I'm writing about.
There's been a lot of writing going on around the mma blogs and sites in response to hearing about Fedor splitting from his management team and being back on the market; as if he had realistically left it in the first place. The majority of fight fans have gotten really tired of the neverending charade of where Fedor is going to end up, and rightfully so. Although, in a bit of misdirected irritation, everyone seems to be attacking Fedor's mantle of the greatest modern mma fighter. To dispute this mantle is far beyond me, but every internet jock and their spotter seem to be taking Fedor to task over his less than stellar opposition over the past couple years. Granted, he hasn't exactly set the world ablaze with his more recent victories over natural middleweight Matt Lindland and superfreak Hong-Man Choi but all this talk about what necessitates a "greatest" title brings to light an interesting debate.
First, one can't simply go by records. Fedor has a highly touted record of 27 wins with only one loss...that loss coming by cut and on top of that it wasn't even under modern mma rules(Ring of Rings had no striking once the fighters hit the ground). In comparison, Randy Couture has record of 16-8 which is definitely respectable but not really indicative of his current status. Even the most objective of figures can be completely misleading, especially when it doesn't take into account the quality of opposition. When you look at quality of opposition, Fedor(coupled with his record) is without the shadow of a doubt, the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time. Pride had what is widely regarded as the greatest stable of heavyweight fighters in the world(not an easy task since their just aren't that many). During this time, he tore through every single one of them and made it look relatively easy. No opponent throughout the stretch even came close to defeating Fedor. The exceptions to that was a slam from hell courtesy of Kevin Randleman and a haymaker from Kazuyuki Fujita, to which Fedor responded with a quick submission attempt only moments later. And on top of all of this, Fedor is a small heavyweight who measures in at only 6' 0'' tall and weighs on the smaller end of the heavyweight scale at 230lbs. No other modern champion even enters the conversation at having simultaneously had such a decorated record against the greatest era of their weightclass...so far. A lot of people might call into question his questionable decision victories over Babalu and Ricardo Arona, but every fighter has questionable decision victories. This isn't meant as a cop-out but if it is a constant with most fighters then it seems unfair to hold it against him. Ultimately, it's not his record or his quality of opposition(both of which are empirically top-notch), it's how he dominated every single one of his opponents. Pure and simple.
Personally, the easiest way to determine if Fedor deserves his status of the best heavyweight fighter is what is known affectionately around the sport world as the "smell test". If you feel Fedor isn't the best heavyweight fighter in the world, then you have to be prepared to place someone ahead of him. Just say that person's name out loud and if it doesn't make you feel odd, then you're on track. I have a hard time believing anybody who says someone other than Fedor doesn't snicker to themselves. In terms of quality of recent opponents, I have a hard time holding his bad business sense against him as a fighter. Fedor, as a fighter, is not at fault for being with an incompetent management team that signed you with C-level Bodog and one-off New Year's Eve show. As far as I'm concerned he's already cemented his legacy as the greatest heavyweight fighter of all time and it's up to his opposition, not the internet fanboys and loudmouthed pundits, to prove otherwise.
Now the concept of greatest pound for pound fighter of the modern, or any other era for that matter, is a debate for another time.
And now a quote from the ever quotable Shonie Carter in regards to Forrest Griffin: "Man, he can’t bust a grape in a food fight if he had hammers in his hand." He may look goofy as hell but he makes a damn fine point.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
Vicious Kneejerk: Reactions to UFC 82
Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson:
What else is there to say? Anderson Silva is simply the man at middleweight. The first round was textbook Henderson with some wild strikes and a takedown into halfguard where Hendo peppered away with punches to the cranium for the better part of the round. Henderson wins the round. The second round rolls around and it's all Silva, with pinpoint strikes that set up back control on the ground. Anderson then nailed Henderson 2 or 3 times on the side of the head with half-moon arced punches that rattled Dan. With only a dozen seconds in the round, Anderson sunk in a rear naked choke and Dan was forced to tap out. Silva wins the fight. That pretty much says all that needs to be said, Henderson won a round, but Silva won the fight. While Silva certainly isn't invincible nor the best p4p fighter in the world(still belongs to Fedor until an opponent shows otherwise), it's hard to see Anderson being beat by anyone other than himself.
Heath Herring vs. Cheick Kongo:
So much for my prediction of a standup fight, and who would've thought that it was Kongo's fault that it was a mostly ground affair. While Cheick looked vastly more improved on the ground, it wasn't enough to secure the decision victory. Looks like Cheick seems to have figured out the ground game but not how to escape from side control, where Herring was able to score 90% of his points by knees to the body. Herring ran away with decision, leaving the heavyweight division looking murkier than ever.
Alessio Sakara vs. Chris Leben:
Oh, Alessio, how I so desperately want to be a fan. While his showing wasn't terribly disappointing, he failed to implement a good gameplan. He was backed up and pushed around all of the octagon and lost any reach or technical advantage. While he was able to land some very good clean shots, Leben is just too tough and throws too hard for Sakara to handle. Who knows what the future holds for Sakara, but for Leben...it's surely more brain trauma.
Yushin Okami vs. Evan Tanner:
Man, do I feel bad for Tanner. Tanner was outstruck on his feet and knocked out by a knee that come almost at a perpendicular angle to his temple. Not sure what Tanner did to deserve a fight after a two-year hiatus against at top-5 middleweight. Looks like we have an Okami vs. Silva rematch for July, or so, in the future.
Chris Wilson vs. Jon Fitch:
Hello Chris Wilson as a new force in the welterweight divison and goodbye to Jon Fitch as a legit title contender. This match basically exposed Fitch as a wrestler with moderate striking that can easily be taken advantage of by utilizing superior striking and implementing takedown defense. Fitch walked away with his decision victory, but his hopes of beating top-tier talent at welterweight left that night as well.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake O'Brien:
While Arlovski impressed with his takedown defense, the prospect of his former glory still seems out of reach. And with rumors of his imminent departure from the UFC, it makes his victory that much more bittersweet.
Luigi Fiorvanti vs. Luke Cummo:
Damn you, Luigi! Not only did you rob Cummo of a victory, you also robbed my interest in watching this fight. From all the play by plays I've read, it sounded like a lay and pray fest, and that's just too depressing for me to watch.
Dustin Hazelett vs. Josh Koscheck:
Is Koscheck turning into the Chuck Liddell of the welterweight division? Some of those strikes were so wild, I was led to believe he was aiming for whatever magical fairies were giving Dustin Hazelett so much success in the first round. While I would've loved for McLovin' to have secured the victory, simply by name alone, Koscheck's wild strikes finally found a home on Hazelett's head and secured the second round tko. Man, somebody should've given McLovin' a hug after that fight.
Diego Sanchez vs. David Bielkheden:
This looked like a Diego Sanchez fight of yesteryear, with signature ground n pound, greasy hair, and thorough domination. Next time, please show his fight...please????
John Halverson vs. Jorge Gurgel:
Honestly didn't watch the fight and not sure if I should've. Gurgel's only lifeline in the UFC is consistent events in his home-state...or the fact that he won again by decision.
And as a reward for all that reading check out genghiscon.wordpress.com for a tremendous amount of quality mma highlights. Good day!
What else is there to say? Anderson Silva is simply the man at middleweight. The first round was textbook Henderson with some wild strikes and a takedown into halfguard where Hendo peppered away with punches to the cranium for the better part of the round. Henderson wins the round. The second round rolls around and it's all Silva, with pinpoint strikes that set up back control on the ground. Anderson then nailed Henderson 2 or 3 times on the side of the head with half-moon arced punches that rattled Dan. With only a dozen seconds in the round, Anderson sunk in a rear naked choke and Dan was forced to tap out. Silva wins the fight. That pretty much says all that needs to be said, Henderson won a round, but Silva won the fight. While Silva certainly isn't invincible nor the best p4p fighter in the world(still belongs to Fedor until an opponent shows otherwise), it's hard to see Anderson being beat by anyone other than himself.
Heath Herring vs. Cheick Kongo:
So much for my prediction of a standup fight, and who would've thought that it was Kongo's fault that it was a mostly ground affair. While Cheick looked vastly more improved on the ground, it wasn't enough to secure the decision victory. Looks like Cheick seems to have figured out the ground game but not how to escape from side control, where Herring was able to score 90% of his points by knees to the body. Herring ran away with decision, leaving the heavyweight division looking murkier than ever.
Alessio Sakara vs. Chris Leben:
Oh, Alessio, how I so desperately want to be a fan. While his showing wasn't terribly disappointing, he failed to implement a good gameplan. He was backed up and pushed around all of the octagon and lost any reach or technical advantage. While he was able to land some very good clean shots, Leben is just too tough and throws too hard for Sakara to handle. Who knows what the future holds for Sakara, but for Leben...it's surely more brain trauma.
Yushin Okami vs. Evan Tanner:
Man, do I feel bad for Tanner. Tanner was outstruck on his feet and knocked out by a knee that come almost at a perpendicular angle to his temple. Not sure what Tanner did to deserve a fight after a two-year hiatus against at top-5 middleweight. Looks like we have an Okami vs. Silva rematch for July, or so, in the future.
Chris Wilson vs. Jon Fitch:
Hello Chris Wilson as a new force in the welterweight divison and goodbye to Jon Fitch as a legit title contender. This match basically exposed Fitch as a wrestler with moderate striking that can easily be taken advantage of by utilizing superior striking and implementing takedown defense. Fitch walked away with his decision victory, but his hopes of beating top-tier talent at welterweight left that night as well.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake O'Brien:
While Arlovski impressed with his takedown defense, the prospect of his former glory still seems out of reach. And with rumors of his imminent departure from the UFC, it makes his victory that much more bittersweet.
Luigi Fiorvanti vs. Luke Cummo:
Damn you, Luigi! Not only did you rob Cummo of a victory, you also robbed my interest in watching this fight. From all the play by plays I've read, it sounded like a lay and pray fest, and that's just too depressing for me to watch.
Dustin Hazelett vs. Josh Koscheck:
Is Koscheck turning into the Chuck Liddell of the welterweight division? Some of those strikes were so wild, I was led to believe he was aiming for whatever magical fairies were giving Dustin Hazelett so much success in the first round. While I would've loved for McLovin' to have secured the victory, simply by name alone, Koscheck's wild strikes finally found a home on Hazelett's head and secured the second round tko. Man, somebody should've given McLovin' a hug after that fight.
Diego Sanchez vs. David Bielkheden:
This looked like a Diego Sanchez fight of yesteryear, with signature ground n pound, greasy hair, and thorough domination. Next time, please show his fight...please????
John Halverson vs. Jorge Gurgel:
Honestly didn't watch the fight and not sure if I should've. Gurgel's only lifeline in the UFC is consistent events in his home-state...or the fact that he won again by decision.
And as a reward for all that reading check out genghiscon.wordpress.com for a tremendous amount of quality mma highlights. Good day!
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The Spider, The Pitbull, and The Kos...oh my
Ok ladies and gents, now it's time for my official UFC 82 predictions. If you're eager to impress your friends with your pre-cognitive abilities, then by all means, read on!
Main fight: Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson
This fight is something of a middleweight unification titlefight between UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva and Pride welterweight(their welterweight is our middleweight...ask the metric system) champ Dan Henderson. This match is definitely a dream match for mma fans out there as, on paper, this match couldn't be any closer to call. My pick is going to have to be for Anderson Silva though. This pick is largely by virtue of the fact that there are far less what-ifs for winning the fight than with Henderson. Can Henderson land a right on the most technical striker of the division who also has a definitive reach advantage?(anythings possible) Can Henderson take Anderson to the ground and not succumb to the submission game(Anderson has a blackbelt from the Nogueira brothers who have both submitted Dan)? Will Dan not be sluggish(his history of Pride fights at this weightclass have been very inadequate)? Whereas the questions surrounding Silva revolve around his cardio(never fought 5 5-minute rounds) and his chin(which while looked good against Franklin, Dan punches much harder). In the end, due to Henderson's granite chin, it's a much better bet that it'll end by submission in fact...Anderson Silva by 3rd round submission.
Heath Herring vs. Cheick Kongo:
This should be a very tough match to predict since I've waffled on my pick 3 or 4 times. Cheick Kongo has incredibly impressive striking, but unfortunately not one punch ko power, but is a mess on the ground. Heath Herring is a veteran of the game who can't seem to beat A-level fighters but does well against B-level fighters. Heath Herring should win this fight with relative ease because his ground game is far better than Kongo's but he may feel emboldened by his new striking trainer Rob Kaman(!!!!). As much as Herring could learn from a trainer of that caliber, his striking won't be up to snuff against Kongo and odds are he'll be too bull-headed to take him down early and by the time he realizes he needs to do that, he'll already be too worn out to take down the Frenchman. Cheick Kongo by decision.
Alessio Sakara vs. Chris Leben:
This fight should be a very entertaining fight to watch...especially if you don't like Chris Leben. After dropping down the middleweight and now under the training eyes of American Top Team, Sakara should have no problem dispatching of Leben. While Leben is always a dangerous striker with serious knockout power, his gas tank was called into question in his last fight with Terry Martin. Expect a gassed Leben to get caught with a left cross in the second round. Alessio Sakara by 2nd round TKO.
Yushin Okami vs. Evan Tanner:
This match is about as evenly matched as it can get. The two fighters are virtually mirror images of each other, but with Tanner having the edge in striking and Okami with the edge in strength. Although, that advantage for Tanner won't help out since this fight is going to the mat early and often. Okami gets the edge in this fight because of his strength and wrestling skills and the fact that Tanner is coming off of a 2 year hiatus. The x-factor in this fight will be how good is Okami off of his back if he is taken down. Yushin Okami by decision.
Chris Wilson vs. Jon Fitch:
Y'know, if the UFC is getting ready to market Fitch as a possible title contender, then they need to put him up against people better than Chris Wilson. It's tough to swallow such a drastic drop in talent from Diego Sanchez to Chris Wilson, but I suppose most of the other welterweights are busy elsewhere...but I digress. Chris Wilson is a tough kid from Team Quest but Fitch is far too good and while it's a definite possibility that Fitch will be able to submit Wilson, I'm banking on good training to keep him out of danger with submissions, but not good enough for the win. Chris Wilson will hold his own, but not much else. Jon Fitch by decision.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake O'Brien:
This fight causes me considerable nightmares. Does the nightmare consist of Jake "The Irish Blanket" O'Brien laying on Arlovksi for 15 minutes? Or is it the prospect of Arlovski having his last fight in the UFC? A little bit of both. But sometimes I gather the gumption for optimism and will suspect that Arlovski will get the timing down on Jake O'Brien's takedown attempts and finish with right straight. Andrei Arlovski by 2nd round tko.
Luigi Fioravanti vs. Luke Cummo:
For the record, it's Cummo as in "Koomo" not...well...the other way around...the other way sounds like a porno mascot. Anyways, another very evenly matched fight with two very disciplined strikers coming from two highly-regarded camps. Whereas Luigi excels at the boxing aspect of striking, Luke excels at the kickboxing aspect and when comes to boxing vs. kickboxing fighters squaring off...I tend to side with the kickboxer. Bear in mind Luigi comes from American Top Team and I always have a rough time picking against them. Although, I must confess that a big reason I'm picking Luke is because of an unrequited man-crush. Is it the unibrow? Is it the fact that he drinks his own urine? Who knows? Luke Cummo by decision.
Josh Koscheck vs. Dustin Hazelett:
While I'd love to pull for the hometown kid, Hazelett's in a world of hurt against Koscheck. Hazelett's no slouch but he will not be able to defend Koschecks fantastic takedowns and does not have jiu-jitsu good enough to force Koscheck to make a mistake. Coupled with the fact that Koscheck was embarassed in his fight against Georges St. Pierre, expect Koscheck to take it out on Hazelett. Although, Koscheck's ground and pound isn't that good and he seems to have fallen in love with his overhand right-happy style of striking, I don't expect Koscheck to finish the fight. Koscheck by decision.
Diego Sanchez vs. David Bielkheden:
Bielkheden is a sexy choice for the gambler crowd out there(he's +400 against Diego) but while it may be a smart bet, it's still not the right choice. Training with Brazilian Top Team and having a very respectable submission game won't help much against Diego who tends to eat tentative ground fighters for breakfast. Also, I'm taking into account that Bielkheden lost a decision to Mitsuhiro Ishida who shares a very similar style with Diego's...if slightly less wild. Bielkheden's a tough guy though and he should be able to avoid being finished. Diego Sanchez by decision.
John Halverson vs. Jorge Gurgel:
It's just not a good night to be fighting in front your hometown crowd...again, for Jorge Gurgel. While he is a very capable fighter, he's far too tentative and will invariably be eaten alive by Halverson through aggressive wrestling and striking from the guard. The key to beating Jorge is aggression, and Halverson has that in spades. John Halverson by decision.
Now I know it looks like a lot of decisions and decisions don't always scream excitement, but by and large, the card should be very entertaining. You can expect me gloating or pointing out my horrific predictions come next week. And next week...why Gomi vs. Bang Ludwig has me all giddy.
Main fight: Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson
This fight is something of a middleweight unification titlefight between UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva and Pride welterweight(their welterweight is our middleweight...ask the metric system) champ Dan Henderson. This match is definitely a dream match for mma fans out there as, on paper, this match couldn't be any closer to call. My pick is going to have to be for Anderson Silva though. This pick is largely by virtue of the fact that there are far less what-ifs for winning the fight than with Henderson. Can Henderson land a right on the most technical striker of the division who also has a definitive reach advantage?(anythings possible) Can Henderson take Anderson to the ground and not succumb to the submission game(Anderson has a blackbelt from the Nogueira brothers who have both submitted Dan)? Will Dan not be sluggish(his history of Pride fights at this weightclass have been very inadequate)? Whereas the questions surrounding Silva revolve around his cardio(never fought 5 5-minute rounds) and his chin(which while looked good against Franklin, Dan punches much harder). In the end, due to Henderson's granite chin, it's a much better bet that it'll end by submission in fact...Anderson Silva by 3rd round submission.
Heath Herring vs. Cheick Kongo:
This should be a very tough match to predict since I've waffled on my pick 3 or 4 times. Cheick Kongo has incredibly impressive striking, but unfortunately not one punch ko power, but is a mess on the ground. Heath Herring is a veteran of the game who can't seem to beat A-level fighters but does well against B-level fighters. Heath Herring should win this fight with relative ease because his ground game is far better than Kongo's but he may feel emboldened by his new striking trainer Rob Kaman(!!!!). As much as Herring could learn from a trainer of that caliber, his striking won't be up to snuff against Kongo and odds are he'll be too bull-headed to take him down early and by the time he realizes he needs to do that, he'll already be too worn out to take down the Frenchman. Cheick Kongo by decision.
Alessio Sakara vs. Chris Leben:
This fight should be a very entertaining fight to watch...especially if you don't like Chris Leben. After dropping down the middleweight and now under the training eyes of American Top Team, Sakara should have no problem dispatching of Leben. While Leben is always a dangerous striker with serious knockout power, his gas tank was called into question in his last fight with Terry Martin. Expect a gassed Leben to get caught with a left cross in the second round. Alessio Sakara by 2nd round TKO.
Yushin Okami vs. Evan Tanner:
This match is about as evenly matched as it can get. The two fighters are virtually mirror images of each other, but with Tanner having the edge in striking and Okami with the edge in strength. Although, that advantage for Tanner won't help out since this fight is going to the mat early and often. Okami gets the edge in this fight because of his strength and wrestling skills and the fact that Tanner is coming off of a 2 year hiatus. The x-factor in this fight will be how good is Okami off of his back if he is taken down. Yushin Okami by decision.
Chris Wilson vs. Jon Fitch:
Y'know, if the UFC is getting ready to market Fitch as a possible title contender, then they need to put him up against people better than Chris Wilson. It's tough to swallow such a drastic drop in talent from Diego Sanchez to Chris Wilson, but I suppose most of the other welterweights are busy elsewhere...but I digress. Chris Wilson is a tough kid from Team Quest but Fitch is far too good and while it's a definite possibility that Fitch will be able to submit Wilson, I'm banking on good training to keep him out of danger with submissions, but not good enough for the win. Chris Wilson will hold his own, but not much else. Jon Fitch by decision.
Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake O'Brien:
This fight causes me considerable nightmares. Does the nightmare consist of Jake "The Irish Blanket" O'Brien laying on Arlovksi for 15 minutes? Or is it the prospect of Arlovski having his last fight in the UFC? A little bit of both. But sometimes I gather the gumption for optimism and will suspect that Arlovski will get the timing down on Jake O'Brien's takedown attempts and finish with right straight. Andrei Arlovski by 2nd round tko.
Luigi Fioravanti vs. Luke Cummo:
For the record, it's Cummo as in "Koomo" not...well...the other way around...the other way sounds like a porno mascot. Anyways, another very evenly matched fight with two very disciplined strikers coming from two highly-regarded camps. Whereas Luigi excels at the boxing aspect of striking, Luke excels at the kickboxing aspect and when comes to boxing vs. kickboxing fighters squaring off...I tend to side with the kickboxer. Bear in mind Luigi comes from American Top Team and I always have a rough time picking against them. Although, I must confess that a big reason I'm picking Luke is because of an unrequited man-crush. Is it the unibrow? Is it the fact that he drinks his own urine? Who knows? Luke Cummo by decision.
Josh Koscheck vs. Dustin Hazelett:
While I'd love to pull for the hometown kid, Hazelett's in a world of hurt against Koscheck. Hazelett's no slouch but he will not be able to defend Koschecks fantastic takedowns and does not have jiu-jitsu good enough to force Koscheck to make a mistake. Coupled with the fact that Koscheck was embarassed in his fight against Georges St. Pierre, expect Koscheck to take it out on Hazelett. Although, Koscheck's ground and pound isn't that good and he seems to have fallen in love with his overhand right-happy style of striking, I don't expect Koscheck to finish the fight. Koscheck by decision.
Diego Sanchez vs. David Bielkheden:
Bielkheden is a sexy choice for the gambler crowd out there(he's +400 against Diego) but while it may be a smart bet, it's still not the right choice. Training with Brazilian Top Team and having a very respectable submission game won't help much against Diego who tends to eat tentative ground fighters for breakfast. Also, I'm taking into account that Bielkheden lost a decision to Mitsuhiro Ishida who shares a very similar style with Diego's...if slightly less wild. Bielkheden's a tough guy though and he should be able to avoid being finished. Diego Sanchez by decision.
John Halverson vs. Jorge Gurgel:
It's just not a good night to be fighting in front your hometown crowd...again, for Jorge Gurgel. While he is a very capable fighter, he's far too tentative and will invariably be eaten alive by Halverson through aggressive wrestling and striking from the guard. The key to beating Jorge is aggression, and Halverson has that in spades. John Halverson by decision.
Now I know it looks like a lot of decisions and decisions don't always scream excitement, but by and large, the card should be very entertaining. You can expect me gloating or pointing out my horrific predictions come next week. And next week...why Gomi vs. Bang Ludwig has me all giddy.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
From Brilliance to the Nadir and Back Again
Dario Argento's third and final entry into the Three Mothers Trilogy has finally concluded with the release of, the appropriately(if slightly uninspired), The Third Mother. For the uninitiated, Dario Argento is something of a deity in horror cinema. He burst onto the italian cinema scene with his inventive and wildly imaginative giallo films but really cemented his legacy with Suspiria, the first in the Three Mothers trilogy. For horror afficianados, Suspiria carries the same weight as other horror classics such as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Halloween, The Exorcist, and The Evil Dead that arrived in the post-60's era of horror movies. The film follows American ballet dancer Suzy Banion as she arrives at a German ballet school and encounters a coven of witches behind the many gruesome and outlandish murders shown throughout the movie. Highly stylized with its nightmarish swath of primary colors bathing the screen and its tremendously effective soundtrack, Suspiria is a clinic on bringing surreality of nightmare to the silver screen. Argento followed shortly after with the release of Inferno, the second part of the trilogy, with mixed feelings on the fan side. While still showing flashes of brilliance, many saw it as a step down from Suspiria in nearly every aspect, and they would be correct. This was akin to following Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band with Phish, suffice to say anybody would be let down. Argento would finish out the decade with Opera. While being very entertaining, if sometimes wildly inconsistent(murder scenes are accompanied by Iron Maiden wailing!), it did mark the end of Argento's brilliant streak of horror films. The films that followed ranged from tepid to downright awful.
And now, after over twenty years of anticipation, Argento finally finished his beloved trilogy, but with what results? Suffice to say, when held next to Suspiria the Third Mother feels woefully inadequate. Although, in and of itself, it does fare better than Inferno did but for very different reasons. For reasons not entirely known, Argento ditched the nightmare aesthetic of the previous two entries for a tone that evokes a true sense of evil not really found in his other movies. The film revolves around Sarah(played by Argento's daughter, Asia) and her adventure in bringing down the titular witch. All the while Sarah tries to avenge her mother's death and dispose of the Third Mother once and for all, she has to deal with a Rome that's on the brink of madness. The streets run rampant with suicide, murder, and wholesale carnage. All the while, the witch's followers chase Sarah all around the country killing anyone they come across. Suffice to say, with it's satanic tone and gnostic imagery the movie comes across as far more evil and sinister than any other film Argento has made. Although while there's a heaping helping of baby-killing evil, there's very little suspense or tension to speak of. While not a true return to form for Argento, it is an extremely enjoyable shocker that is a welcome addition to his pantheon of horror.
Now, I suppose is the time for the real crux of writing this. How is it that an extremely talented filmmaker can suddenly veer from the brilliance of Suspiria to the ho-hum Sleepless? And it's not just Argento, you can count in Francis Ford Coppola(from The Godfather to Jack), Brian De Palma(from The Untouchables to Mission to Mars), and John Carpenter(The Thing to Ghosts of Mars), just to name a few. It's not like aging athletes whose bodies breakdown and can no longer attain their previous glory. Do the creative juices stop flowing? Even if they do, the films lack the technicality and skill previously showcased in their better films. Do many filmmakers just have so many stories to tell and after that they just don't have the motivation to infuse the less personal movies with the same flourish and dedication that they normally would? We may never know because for the filmmakers themselves this would seem a pretty intangible concept and I, for one, sure as hell am not going to ask John Carpenter about the creative process behind Escape From L.A. It begs to question, is Sofia Coppola walking down a similar path? While Marie Antoinette was no Waterloo, it lacked the same verve and vitality as her previous works. But then again, why should I care? My lack of enthusiasm for Marie Antoinette doesn't detract from my enjoyment of Lost in Translation nor will the image of Snake Plisskin catching a gnarly wave take anything away from my immense love for The Thing. It's far more prudent to enjoy the movies you love and look back on them fondly and with appropriate reverence. For the sheer amount of work and passion that these filmmakers pour into their works, it's usually better just to cut them a break on their crappy movie and enjoy what you enjoy. This same principle extends to watching movies in general, but I suppose I should leave that for another discussion.
And now, after over twenty years of anticipation, Argento finally finished his beloved trilogy, but with what results? Suffice to say, when held next to Suspiria the Third Mother feels woefully inadequate. Although, in and of itself, it does fare better than Inferno did but for very different reasons. For reasons not entirely known, Argento ditched the nightmare aesthetic of the previous two entries for a tone that evokes a true sense of evil not really found in his other movies. The film revolves around Sarah(played by Argento's daughter, Asia) and her adventure in bringing down the titular witch. All the while Sarah tries to avenge her mother's death and dispose of the Third Mother once and for all, she has to deal with a Rome that's on the brink of madness. The streets run rampant with suicide, murder, and wholesale carnage. All the while, the witch's followers chase Sarah all around the country killing anyone they come across. Suffice to say, with it's satanic tone and gnostic imagery the movie comes across as far more evil and sinister than any other film Argento has made. Although while there's a heaping helping of baby-killing evil, there's very little suspense or tension to speak of. While not a true return to form for Argento, it is an extremely enjoyable shocker that is a welcome addition to his pantheon of horror.
Now, I suppose is the time for the real crux of writing this. How is it that an extremely talented filmmaker can suddenly veer from the brilliance of Suspiria to the ho-hum Sleepless? And it's not just Argento, you can count in Francis Ford Coppola(from The Godfather to Jack), Brian De Palma(from The Untouchables to Mission to Mars), and John Carpenter(The Thing to Ghosts of Mars), just to name a few. It's not like aging athletes whose bodies breakdown and can no longer attain their previous glory. Do the creative juices stop flowing? Even if they do, the films lack the technicality and skill previously showcased in their better films. Do many filmmakers just have so many stories to tell and after that they just don't have the motivation to infuse the less personal movies with the same flourish and dedication that they normally would? We may never know because for the filmmakers themselves this would seem a pretty intangible concept and I, for one, sure as hell am not going to ask John Carpenter about the creative process behind Escape From L.A. It begs to question, is Sofia Coppola walking down a similar path? While Marie Antoinette was no Waterloo, it lacked the same verve and vitality as her previous works. But then again, why should I care? My lack of enthusiasm for Marie Antoinette doesn't detract from my enjoyment of Lost in Translation nor will the image of Snake Plisskin catching a gnarly wave take anything away from my immense love for The Thing. It's far more prudent to enjoy the movies you love and look back on them fondly and with appropriate reverence. For the sheer amount of work and passion that these filmmakers pour into their works, it's usually better just to cut them a break on their crappy movie and enjoy what you enjoy. This same principle extends to watching movies in general, but I suppose I should leave that for another discussion.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Primordial Ooze
Ladies and Gents, this is the beginning of yet another personal venture into the blogging world. Hopefully, I'll have the discipline and gung-ho gumption to keep this updated 4-5 times a week. Shocking, I know. You can expect to see posts varying from MMA rants to movie reviews to weekly Degrassi rants. If that doesn't have you salivating uncontrollably, then I would suggest getting a bag of salt and vinegar chips because that'll do the trick(or does that only work on me?). Either way, thanks for coming!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)