D: Wim Wenders; with Wenders and Yohji Yamamoto.
VHS Home Video
In this spare but provocative documentary, German director Wim Wenders
explores new terrain in both form and content as he profiles minimalist
Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto. Working in film and video, Wenders’
movie is as much about his own experience with a new medium (small-format
video) as well as an examination of Yamamoto’s graceful designs and equally
fluid philosophy about life. Yamamoto designs by thinking about the clothes as
much as the people who will be wearing them, and this approach explains why
issues of identity and geography play an essential role in Yamamoto’s creative
process. Notebooks is like a Zen Unzipped; it is a portrait of
two artists at work, making connections between their respective fields and
sharing thoughts about the importance of the past as it relates to the present,
and how both influence the future. — Alison Macor
I Am From Hollywood
D: Lynne Margulies and Joe Orr; with Andy Kaufman, Jerry “The King”Lawler.
VHS Home Video
Waterloo Video, 1016 W. Sixth
Kaufman’s comic genius shines in this frighteningly funny docu-comedy about
the late actor’s brief and baffling, intergender pro-wrestling career. Claiming
invincibility over all grappling females, Kaufman smugly taunts and bitch-slaps
his way through Memphis, Tennessee’s baddest babes until local wrestling hero
Jerry “The King” Lawler catches wind of Andy’s shenanigans and piledrives him
all the way to the hospital. The ensuing verbal warfare between the combatants
is hysterical as Kaufman incenses the locals by suggesting they might alleviate
their collective stench by raising bar soap awareness and toilet paper usage.
This phase of Kaufman’s career may be marked by obscure humor and perceived
misogyny, but the film’s female co-director seems to be okay with the joke. — Taylor Holland
Writer’s Edge
CD-ROM (or floppy discs) for Mac* or PC
IdeaFisher Systems, Inc.
A certain reviewer said that Writer’s Edge was something like “a
thesaurus on steroids.” Well, that got my attention. Now that I have it, I’m
uncertain. Install this program in your word processor (it can be accessed
under the Commands menu in MS Word 6.1, but not on earlier versions) and type
“uncertain.” Writer’s Edge suggests a number of branching opportunities.
Under Ideas/Words/Phrases, several hundred alternatives to “uncertain” include
“apathetic, bleak, cynical, detached, diffident, disappointed, impatient, mad
as a wet hen, unsure” and “yellow-bellied.” I think I’ll stick with
uncertain and, using a phrase I came up with without the help of
software, assert that Writer’s Edge comes across like an office temp on
too much cappuccino.
— Jesse Sublett
The Blade
D: Tsui Hark; with Cheu Man-check, Chan Ho, Song Ni, Xiong Xin Xin, VeronicaChow, Wei Tin-chi.
VHS Home Video
Hong Kong movie mogul Tsui Hark, best known for producing the extremely
popular Chinese Ghost Story series and directing such breathtaking,
politically charged adventure pictures as Once Upon a Time in China and
the dazzling Peking Opera Blues, returns to the dark, slyly subversive
style of his earlier films with this latest effort. A complex tale of identity
and loss disguised as a period martial-arts melodrama, The Blade stars
fighting ace Cheu Man-check (Once Upon a Time in China IV and V)
as the orphaned kung fu master who must retrain himself when he loses his sword
arm in combat. Bursting with raw energy, delirious cinematography, vicious
action sequences, and intense performances, The Blade is — from its
disturbing opening moments through the haunting denouement — a vital, inspired
work from one of the world’s most dynamic filmmakers. This Long Shong video
release can be found only at Austin’s premier Chinese video store, Skyline
Video, which recently moved to 1601 Ohlen Road, Suite D; 873-0585. — Joey
O’Bryan
Tunnelvision
D: Neal Isreal, Brad Swirnoff; with Chevy Chase, John Candy, Al Franken,Laraine Newman, Howard Hesseman, Joe Flaherty, Gerrit Graham, Betty
Thomas
VHS Home Video
Vulcan Video, 609 W. 29th
This was the full-blown comedy genre’s answer to that other futuristic media
vision of 1976, Network. In the unimaginable world of 1985, they’ll
allow just any old crazy thing on TV. From ads for proctology school, featuring
a row of hairy butts, to Henry Kissenger calling Nixon an asshole — ha ha. The
humor’s a little dated, but you’ll see precursors to gags which became huge
hits as much as a decade later. Damon Wayans’ “The Head Detective” was flat-out
stolen from a 30-second bit in this skit-packed, not-yet-stars studded effort.
If you’ve already seen every SNL/SCTV available, find all your favorite stars
in Tunnelvision.
— Kayte VanScoy
This article appears in August 9 • 1996 and August 9 • 1996 (Cover).