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Two 'out there' films that will provoke discussion and amusement

Two 'out there' films that will provoke discussion and amusement
by Rajkhet Dirzhud-Rashid - SGN A&E Writer V for Vendetta Directed by James McTeigue Starring: Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, John Hurt, Tim Pigott-Smith, Rupert Graves Now playing Hair High Animated film by Bill Plympton With voiceovers by: Dermot Mulroney, Matt Groening, Martha Plympton\ Keith and David Carradine, Sarah Silverman Opens at Northwest Film Forum March 23rd It's probably the best thing since the White House blew up in 'Independence Day', and believe me the Parliament building getting blown up in 'V For Vendetta' is not the only good thing in the film. In fact, the newest transfer from graphic novel to film screen (nope, graphic novels aren't comic books my dears), actually plays pretty well on the big screen. The up and short of it is that in the not to distant future, a vigilante named 'V' (we find out later that this name has come from his being given the number 'v' in an awful experiment similar to the 'Tuskeegee trials', along with a number of other unfortunate folks at a horrid institution called Larkhill) goes about stirring up revolution and causing mayhem in a future Britain. The country is ruled by an iron-handed dictator who resembles a mixture of Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin, and like in Orwell's 1984, everyone is under the thumb of The State, and monitored to the nth degree. This plot to get ordinary citizens off their keisters and into the streets to protest is joined by Evey (Natalie Portman), who is saved by 'V' (Hugo Weaving in a most disturbing mask) when some rogue cops try to rape her in an alley. And even though most of the film is a bit muddled by subplots and more on 'V's beginnings, the film is still watchable and filled with spot on references to today's troubles abroad and how that's linked to the Bush administration's refusal to pull out of the Iraq conflict. Bottom line, the film is worth seeing, if anything for the way this anti-hero is able to rally the public to stand against the larger power of the totalitarian government that has come to rule Britain in the future of 2020. Absolutely worth seeing on the big screen, if only for the spectacular fireworks that come with the destruction of Parliament. Think 'Carrie' meets 'Grease', meets 'Corpse Bride' and you might have a little bit of an idea of what awaits you in Bill Plympton's newest masterpiece 'Hair High' (which is an animated film, not a cartoon). And you can throw in every song from the fifties about teen angst and teens meeting with tragic ends at the end of dark roads after car races go bad, too. 'Hair High' is as wonderful to look at and equally disturbing as any anime I've ever seen, but so much funnier. And the core story of a geek who goes from slave to the tantalizing, but evil high school queen, Cherri, to her boyfriend du jour, is so delightfully perfect for Plympton's warped sense of humor. I particularly loved the witty double entendres and the way Plympton had of showing the world of teen cruelty without resorting to toilet humor like some animated shorts have done in the past. It's funny and down to earth, so much so, that one can easily forget that one is watching a 'cartoon' and become really involved in the story. Plays from the 23rd to the 29th at Northwest Film Forum with the animated short by Plympton, 'The Fan and the Flower', which is absolutely brilliant.