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2007 Screening Log
What are these ratings?
(s) = short film
* = Recorded on DVR
12/31
The Good Shepherd
(Robert De Niro, 2006) 
HBO-HD,
2nd viewing
12/29
Persepolis
(Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Parronaud, 2007)
Theater, 1st Satrapi/Parronaud film
The Big Lebowski
(Joel Coen, 1998)
DVD,
5th viewing
12/28
There Will Be Blood
(Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)
DVD (projected), 5th Anderson film
Primal Fear
(Gregory Hoblit, 1996) 1/2
DVD (projected), 3rd viewing
12/23
Dodsworth
(William Wyler, 1936) 1/2
TCM*, 7th Wyler film
12/22
Stripes
(Ivan Reitman, 1981) 1/2
DVD, seen countless times
12/20
Dreamgirls
(Bill Condon, 2006) No Stars
HBO-HD, 2nd Condon film
12/18
I Am Legend
(Francis Lawrence, 2007)
Theater, 1st Lawrence film
12/15
Raising Arizona
(Joel Coen, 1987)
Theater, 4th viewing
Evil Dead II
(Sam Raimi, 1987) 1/2
Theater, Raimi film
12/14
Lady
Chatterley (Pascale Ferran, 2007) 1/2
DVD,
1st Ferran film
Remarkably
efficient for a 2 1/2+ hour period piece, because Ferran avoids the
typical impulse to set the story in a broader social context or pause
for more than a few seconds to allow us to grasp the skepticism/disdain
certain people in the town may feel towards Lady Chatterley.
Instead, the focus remains on her sexual and emotional awakening as
well as that of her lover. The various sex scenes, each of which
is its own beast and shot in subtly varied styles, act somewhat like
chapter breaks, charting their increasing comfortability with their own
bodies and that of their lover. Ferran's use of nature is very
much in line with D. H. Lawrences sensual modernism, yet unlike so many
period pieces, she avoids simply allowing it to act as a stunning
visual
backdrop. While not as rigorous as Bresson, her editing patterns
combined with segmented shots of bodies interspersed with the
surrounding natural world allow simple movements and gestures to
operate on a similar, purely spiritual level. The subdued
performances, particularly that of Marina Hands, and rare use of music
in favor of heightened natural sounds give the film the feel of a quiet
storm, slowly building like the love between the two protagonists.
12/12
Tekkon Kinkreet
(Michael Arias, 2007)
DVD, 1st Arias film
12/11
Waitress
(Adrienne Shelley, 2007)
DVD, 1st Shelley film
12/10
Evan Almighty
(Tom Shadyac, 2007) No Stars
DVD, 6th Shadyac film
The Savages
(Tamara Jenkins, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st Jenkins film
12/9
Cassandra's Dream
(Woody Allen, 2007)
Theater, 19th Allen film
12/8
The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973)
DVD, 6th Friedkin film
12/7
Time
(Kim Ki-duk, 2007) 1/2
IFC*, 6th Kim film
12/6
(s) Dottie Gets Spanked
(Todd Haynes, 1993) 1/2
DVD, 5th Haynes film
Odd Man Out
(Carol Reed, 1947)
TCM*, 2nd Reed film
12/2
House of 1,000 Corpses
(Rob Zombie, 2003) No Stars
IFC*, 1st Zombie film
The Ox-Bow Incident
(William Wellman, 1943)
TCM*, 2nd Wellman film
12/1
After the Thin Man
(W.S. Van Dyke, 1936)
TCM, 2nd Van Dyke film
11/30
Regular Lovers
(Phillipe Garrel, 2007)
DVD, 1st Garrel film
The Thin Man
(W.S. Van Dyke, 1934) 1/2
TCM*, 1st Van Dyke film
11/29
Serpico (Sidney
Lumet, 1973) 1/2
DVD, 7th Lumet film
11/28
I Don't Want to Sleep Alone (Tsai Ming-Liang, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 4th Tsai film
Overnight (Mark Brian Smith & Tony Montana,
2003) 1/2
Sundance Channel*, 1st Smith/Montana film
11/27
Near Dark
(Kathryn Bigelow, 1987) 1/2
FLIX*, 3rd Bigelow film
11/25
After the Wedding
(Suzanne Bier, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st Bier film
11/24
Monty Python & The
Holy Grail (Terry Jones & Terry Gilliam, 1975)
Theater, seen countless times
The Life of Brian
(Terry Jones, 1979)
Theater, 3rd viewing
11/22
The Lord of the Rings:
Fellowship of the Rings [Extended Edition]
(Peter Jackson, 2001)
DVD, 3rd viewing
11/21
Force of Evil
(Abraham Polonsky, 1949) 1/2
DVD, 1st Polonsky film
11/20
The Walker
(Paul Schrader, 2007)
DVD, 1st Schrader film
(s) Outer Space (Peter Tscherkassky, 1999) 1/2
Computer,
1st Tscherkassky film
(s)
One
Week (Buster Keaton & Edward
F.
Cline,
1920)
Computer,
15th Keaton/12th Cline film
11/18
Gone Baby Gone
(Ben Affleck, 2007)
Theater, 1st Affleck film
11/17
No Country for Old Men
(Joel Coen, 2007)
Theater, 12th Coen film
11/16
Paris je t'aime
(Various, 2007) 1/2
DVD
11/15
Dans Paris
(Christopher Honoré) 1/2
DVD, 1st Honoré
film
11/14
The Ten
(David Wain, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Wain film
The less said about this
film, the better. I was a fan of Wain's underrated Wet Hot American Summer and I love
both "The State" and the short-lived sketch comedy "Stella", which Wain
did along with Michael Ian Black and Michael Showalter, so I have to
wonder who in the world could possibly find this film funny? The
premise is simple yet clever enough that it seems impossible that so
many funny actors couldn't mine more laughs. Or any laughs
really. The only time I actually chuckled out loud was when Liev
Schrieber mispronounced a word. That was the highlight of a
95-minute film. I suppose if I've learned anything from this and
the, only slightly less abysmal Reno
911 movie, it's that these guys need to leave behind their
sketch-based comedy in any of their future shots at the big
screen. Scratch that, maybe you guys should just stick to TV for
now...
11/13
Hush...Hush, Sweet
Charlotte (Robert Aldrich, 1964)
Fox Movie Channel*, 3rd
Aldrich film
The stays uncomfortably
between outright camp and a more typical gothic drama. Aldrich's
visual touches are certainly impressive, but the inconsistency of tone
showed a lack of commitment. Either go all out with the
expressionistic look or don't bother. Because of this, I failed
to buy into Davis's supposed insanity or to sympathize with her,
despite the hopelessness of her situation.
11/12
The Narrow Margin
(Richard Fleischer, 1952)
TCM, 2nd Fleischer film
At 70 minutes,
Fleischer's noir thriller breezes by, but the expressive use of
confined space and the inevitability of doom upon the train leaves
barely a moment free of tension. McGraw's performance is somewhat
one-dimensional, but the transition from a hard-edged, honest cop
completely in control of the circumstances to one being helplessly
manipulated by unseen forces is tragic, unsettling, yet somehow
amusing. Here's a cop who prides himself on never taking a bribe
and his moral superiority to other cops, yet it is these very traits
that leads to his being manipulated. I won't give away the twist,
but the dark territory it takes the film into makes what seemed to be a
fairly straight-forward noir into something completely invigorating.
11/11
American Gangster
(Ridley Scott, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 8th Scott film
A bland, forgettable film
that relies solely on Crowe and Washington's charisma to carry it
along. It plods along, weighed down by unfulfilling parallels
drawn between the two men, lame cliches like the cop who just can't
make time for his wife and kid, and the by-the-books unfolding of the
rise-and-fall gangster trajectory. Scott's direction shows less
and less individuality as time passes and he seems content to coast
through the rest of his career on name recognition and making mediocre
mainstream tripe. It's not, however, surprising that this is
receiving Oscar buzz as its just the sort of bland, safe, lifeless
biopic that voters froth over year in and year out.
11/10
Killer of Sheep
(Charles Burnett, 1977)
DVD, 1st Burnett film
Lyrical through it's
patient rendering of the mundanity of daily life in a poor town.
Small moments become both beautiful and immense due to their effects on
the characters lives. What's wonderful is how the tragic moments,
such as the motor falling out of the back of the truck, encapsulate the
constant struggle to get by, yet remain bittersweet and occasionally
amusing, making these small failures part of what makes the characters
so noble.
11/9
(s) Pas de Deux
(Norman McLaren, 1968)
Computer,
1st McLaren film
It's odd that a (partly)
animated film can capture the beauty of motion captured on film,
stretching each small movement out to a near-eternity and, eventually,
accepting its inherent romanticism by expanding it to two bodies
communicating solely through dance. There's certainly some Deren
influence in there, but the added animation expands on her thesis.
My
Best Friend
(Patrice Leconte, 2007)
DVD, 3rd Leconte film
11/8
Grey Gardens
(Albert
& David Maysles, Ellen Hovde, & Muffie Meyer, 1975)
IFC*, 3rd Mayles Bros./1st Hovde/Meyer film
11/7
12:08 East of Bucharest
(Corneliu Porumboiu, 2007) 1/2
DVD,
1st Porumboiu film
11/6
The Darjeeling Limited
(Wes Anderson, 2007)
DVD, 2nd viewing
11/5
Control (Anton Corbjin, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st Corbjin film
11/4
The Deep End
(Scott McGehee & David Siegel, 2001) 1/2
IFC*, 1st McGehee/Siegel
film
11/3
Snow Angels (David Gordon Green, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 4th Green film
11/2
Offside (Jafar Panahi, 2007)
DVD, 4th Panahi film
11/1
Phantom Love (Nina Menkes, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Menkes film
10/30
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Sidney Lumet, 2007)
DVD, 6th Lumet film
10/28
Reservation Road
(Terry George, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st George film
Nothing but a series of
increasingly unbelievable coincidences that
give the actors ample chances to outwardly emote and share their grief
with the audience. Unfortunately George mistakes this manipulative
outpouring of emotions with something profound, as if the film was, for
even a moment, concerned with anything human or real that those
emotions are rooted in. The drama is so contrived and calculated that
the otherwise tragic circumstances become laughable and the actors
histrionics more and more grating.
Starship Troopers
(Paul Verhoeven, 1997) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Verhoeven film
10/25
2 Days in Paris
(Julie Delpy, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st Delpy film
10/24
Paranoid Park
(Gus Van Sant, 2007)
DVD, 2nd viewing
10/23
Rescue Dawn
(Werner Herzog, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 17th Herzog film
10/22
The Diving Bell and The
Butterfly (Julian Schnabel, 2007)
DVD, 1st Schnabel film
Black Book (Paul Verhoeven, 2007)
DVD, 2nd Verhoeven film
10/21
Samaritan Girl
(Kim Ki-duk, 2004)
IFC*, 5th Kim film
Paranoid Park
(Gus Van Sant, 2007)
DVD, 9th Van Sant film
10/20
My Brilliant Career
(Gillian Armstrong, 1979) 1/2
IFC*, 1st Armstrong film
10/19
A Brighter Summer Day
(Edward Yang, 1991)
Theater, 2nd Yang film
The effects of cultural
displacement and the dissolution of
traditional values are so subtly explored through the minutia of daily
life that it never feels like Yang is making a "statement". We only get
brief glimpses of the bureaucracy and government stifling personal and
professional growth, but it's something that remains integral to nearly
every scene in the film. Films tackling this type of subject too often
veer towards a) bitter bashing of said gov't b) focus mostly on one
character and his journey to overcome or be tragically defeated by it.
Despite the running time being rather exhausting, I think it was
necessary for this film to avoid falling into either category. Its
portrait of a community leaves room for the small but inevitable signs
of personal change as well as the collective frustration of communal
stasis, which also remains inevitable under the communist blanket.
Without a cultural identity, the kids are left with gangs who adopt
American forms of entertainment and Japanese forms of violence and
adults left either poor or scrambling for any government job. There are
times when it feels like it's about to crumble beneath the weight of
its own audacity, taking on so many story lines and characters that
smooth, seamless editing becomes an impossibility, but that's something
I can forgive in a film so ultimately challenging and rewarding.
Overall, it's not as great as Yi Yi,
but still pretty damn impressive.
10/18
Juno
(Jason Reitman, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Reitman film
10/17
I'm Not There
(Todd Haynes, 2007)
DVD, 5th Haynes film
10/16
Redacted
(Brian De Palma, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 15th De Palma film
It's focus on the
importance of aesthetic and presentation
related to the influx of information we get on a daily basis is really
remarkable. I'm sure some will see it as a gimmick, but I see it an
attempt to deal with the situation on its own terms, rather than
relying on a single look or point of view. It's less an anti-war film
than one meant to make us consider how our own opinions are formed, or
rather, formed for us.
The Wind That Shakes the
Barley (Ken Loach, 2007)
DVD, 1st Loach film
10/15
Four Months, Three Weeks
and Two Days
(Christian Mungiu, 2007)
DVD, 1st Mungiu film
10/14
Death Proof
(Quentin Tarantino, 2007)
DVD, 2nd viewing
10/13
Margot at the Wedding
(Noah Baumbach, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Baumbach film
Michael Clayton (Tony Gilroy, 2007)
Theater, 1st Gilroy film
On the one hand, I admire
the film for touching on the complex web of lies and deception which
makes corporate corruption possible and on the other hand, I resent the
way it suggests that the solution lies in the hands of one man.
The Wilkinson subplot was ingenious because it shows the efficient,
calculating evil that capitalist cronies are willing to employ to save
their own skin along with the helplessness of any individual, despite
his knowledge, to combat against it. Embodying this notion in a
"holy fool" character was also a great touch, but one negated by the
film's desire for justice to ultimately prevail. At this point,
the film loses interest in the effects of the corruption and sits
comfortably within the thriller genre as Clooney meticulously goes
about setting things right. We walk out of theater feeling
empowered, but it's a false empowerment brought about by the pipe
dreams of (and for) disappointed liberals. As much as I count
myself among that group, I've still gotta call bullshit.
10/10
Lust, Caution
(Ang Lee, 2007)
DVD, 5th Lee film
It's a terribly
conventional film that, sans Tony Leung's ball sack, could just as
easily been mainstream Hollywood release. Not that that's reason
enough to dismiss the film, but it takes no risks and never delves into
the main characters conflict between loyalty to political activism and
her, criminally underexplored, feelings towards Leung's
character. I think Lee pulled a cheap shot by leaving the
audience in the dark (re: how she felt) throughout much of the film, so
as to disguise his money shot as some sort of meaningful
revelation. Even though I like most of his films, I just don't
find Lee an interesting filmmaker outside of Hulk and this shows of all his
weaknesses and few of his strengths.
10/9
The Letter
(William Wyler, 1940) 1/2
TCM*, 6th Wyler film
10/8
The Taste of Tea
(Katsuhito Ishii, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st Ishii film
10/7
Once
(John Carney, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st Carney film
10/5
Punishment Park
(Peter Watkins, 1971)
DVD, 3rd Watkins film
Watkins
style perfectly fits the content here and the way he edited between the
"courtroom" scenes and Punishment Park scenes was remarkable.
Aside from the incisive political commentary, it's incredibly intense
both in the way it continually builds tension through the cutting and
contrasts the judges increasing frustration with the cops escalating
violence. Considering it was made in the Vietnam era, it's
amazing (and frightening) that's it's even more topical today than it
was 36 years ago. This film should be shown in high schools and
colleges everywhere and, of course, it never will be.
The Darjeeling Limited
(Wes Anderson, 2007)
Theater, 6th Anderson film
I'm not sure where I'd
place this in the Wes
canon yet, but I do think it's his most emotionally potent
film. I'm not sure if it's necessarily because he finally let his
actors
emote (there have always been moments of that in his films - Bill
Murray in the elevator after his wife left him in Rushmore and after Owen dies in
along with numerous in Life
AquaticRoyal
Tenenbaums - but that there's no longer an ironic distance from
them. The character's in Darjeeling aren't
as trapped in their own safe, but limiting
personal traits. If
anything, their father's death snapped them out of this, hence the
importance of the, otherwise awkwardly placed, flashback in showing
their past uniformity. Once they reunite, they've already lost their
prior identities and are left to search for new ones - Brody trying to
come to grips with impending fatherhood by clinging to his own father's
possessions, Wilson literally left disfigured and bandaged as his face
reshapes itself, and Schwartzman wandering around barefoot. These
aren't the quirky traits that defined Wes's characters in the past, but
attempts at rebirth or closure or healing or, at the very least, a
striving for some sort of change. In other words, his
characters are no longer in stasis, but constant transition and I think
this is what will make it more dramatically satisfying to his
detractors while also putting off some of his fans. Either way, I don't
see how anyone can complain about Wes never leaving his safety zone
anymore.
10/3
Smiley Face
(Gregg Araki, 2007) No Stars
DVD, 2nd Araki film
10/1
The Way of the Gun
(Christopher
McQuarrie, 2000)
DVD, 1st McQuarrie film
9/29
Little Caesar (Mervyn LeRoy, 1931)
TCM*, 2nd LeRoy film
3:10 to Yuma
(James Mangold, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 2nd Mangold film
Spanking the Monkey
(David O. Russell, 1993) 1/2
IFC*, 4th Russell film
9/28
(s) Hotel Chevalier
(Wes Anderson, 2007) 1/2
ITunes, 5th Anderson film
9/27
Bug
(William Friedkin, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 6th Friedkin film
A Night at the Opera
(Sam Wood, 1935)
TCM*, 1st Wood film
9/26
Delta Farce
(C.B. Harding, 2007) No Stars
DVD, 1st Harding film
9/23
Resident Evil: Extinction
(Russell Mulcahy, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st Mulcahy film
9/22
To Live and Die in LA
(William Friedkin, 1985)
DVD, 5th Friedkin film
9/21
Body Double
(Brian De Palma, 1984)
DVD,
15th De Palma film
Private Fears in Public
Places (Alain Resnais, 2007)
DVD, 8th Resnais film
9/20
The Boss of it All
(Lars von Trier, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 8th von Trier film
9/17
Raising Cain
(Brian DePalma, 1991)
DVD, 14th DePalma film
9/16
The Hypothesis of the
Stolen Painting
(Raoul Ruiz, 1979)
DVD, 2nd Ruiz film
9/15
Eastern Promises
(David Cronenberg, 2007)
Theater, Cronenberg film
9/14
Away from Her (Sarah Polley, 2007)
DVD, 1st Polley film
9/1-9/12
Dark Star
(John Carpenter, 1974) 1/2
DVD, Carpenter film
Giants & Toys (Yasuzo Masumura, 1958) 1/2
DVD, 1st Masumura film
The Re-Animator (Stuart Gordon, 1985) 1/2
DVD, 1st Gordon film
Made in Britain (Alan Clarke, 1982) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Clarke film
Shoot 'Em Up (Michael Davis, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 1st Davis film
Modern Romance (Albert Brooks, 1981)
DVD, 4th Brooks film
8/30
This Is England
(Shane Meadows, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 1st Meadows film
8/27
The Holy Mountain
(Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1973) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Jodorowsky film
8/22
3-Iron
(Kim Ki-duk, 2004) 1/2
DVD,
4th Kim film
Superbad (Greg Mottola, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 1st Mottola film
8/20
Solaris (Steven Soderbergh, 2002) 1/2
DVD, 11th Soderbergh film
8/18
Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters
(Matt Maiellero & Dave Willis, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st Maillero/Willis film
8/17
TMNT
(Kevin Munroe, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 1st Munroe film
8/16
The Passion of Anna
(Ingmar Bergman, 1969)
1/2
DVD, 20th Bergman film
8/13
Loulou
(Maurice
Pialat, 1980)
DVD, 2nd Pialat film
I loved how the film
lingers on intense moments and extended
conversations yet in the larger scope of things, it remains elusive
through ellipses. It delicately balances the three main characters,
subtly bringing one to the forefront for a while before switching to
another. It's an odd mix of Cassavetes (in the emotionally charged
dialogue-driven sequences) and Bresson (edited to avoid psychological
explanation of the character's, well mostly Nelly in this case,
mysteriously shifting mindsets), but Pialat somehow pulls it off. The
film's strongest asset is really the construction of the characters -
Loulou's never painted as a saint yet remains oddly charming
throughout, Andre's a bastard yet his attempts to reclaim Nelly make
you forget that, and Nelly is, like the brilliant first dance scene,
constantly pulled to and repelled from them both. It's quite a powerful
that needs most of the running time to build these three sympathetic
and quite complex, fascinating characters.
8/8
Silent Night, Deadly
Night 2 (Lee Harry, 1987) No Stars (Bad Movie Masterpiece)
VHS, 1st Harry film
I don't know if I'd
recommend it when the 5-minute YouTube clip has all
the best parts, but Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 was SO different than
I expected. What was so great about it wasn't that it was trying to be
campy (which I assumed would be the case), but that most of the time
it's trying to be an insightful art film. Unfortunately, it's boring
and incompetent for much of the running, but the fact that we were
pointing out Bergman and Kurosawa references left and right made it
amusing enough. Half the movie is Ricky (who gives a performance so
bad, it has to be seen to be believed) walking around giving us and the
psychiatrist boring and pointless exposition and back story about his
brother. There are numerous attempts at aping Bergman through framing
and extreme close-up's, but it's hard to take it seriously when he's
talking about Santa near-raping and killing his mother. My favorite
shot was after he stabs a guy, there's like 20 second shot that slowly
zooms in on the bloody umbrella he used to kill him as a hard rain
pours upon it.
It feels like a student film from a director whose seen a lot of
great classic films, but has no idea how to employ them in his own film
nor realizes that the second installment of the Silent Night, Deadly
Night series might not be the best place to try them out.
Amusingly/sadly enough, Monte Hellman directed the third. Is there any
crappy franchise that aimed so high, yet fails so miserably.
8/7
Story of a Love Affair
(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1950)
DVD, 10th Antonioni film
8/5
The Bourne Ultimatum
(Paul Greengrass, 2007)
Theater, 3rd Greengrass
film
8/3
Strange Days
(Kathryn Bigelow, 1995) 1/2
OnDemand, 2nd Bigelow film
8/2
Symbiopsychotaxiplasm:
Take One (Bill Greaves, 1968) 1/2
DVD, 1st Greaves film
And speaking of
provocation, Symbiopsychotaxiplasm:
Take One
is one that would make Lars von Trier proud. It's a pretty bold
experiment, not simply because of all the meta-textual layers, but b/c
Greaves uses his role as director to examine the construction of art,
in turn creating a potent allegory for the failed revolution in '68.
The film was made with three cameras - one filming the "scripted" movie
(of which only Greaves is certain is never intended to be made) and the
other two filming back stage/behind the scenes footage, things going on
in the background of the frame, or the performing actors from a
different angle. Grieves involvement is constant, but so vague and
hands-off that the crew begins to question the purpose of making the
film. Their off-set discussions do occasionally descend into
psycho-babble, but watching them struggle to come to terms with their
role in, what turns out to be, a deconstruction rather than creation is
fascinating. All of the footage is edited together in a way that
illustrates the multiple levels of reality in any given situation as
well as the power that one can exert over them without even appearing
to be involved. Grieves is both the ringmaster and the joker and his
various manipulative techniques are a wonder to behold.
8/1
Sex is Comedy (Catherine Breillat, 2002)
DVD, 2nd Breillat film
7/31
Hot Fuzz
(Edgar Wright, 2007) 1/2
DVD, 2nd viewing
7/28
(s) Cat Soup (Tatsuo Sato, 2001) 1/2
DVD, 1st Sato film
The Simpsons Movie (David Silverman, 2007)
Theater, 1st Silverman film
7/27
Sunshine
(Danny Boyle, 2007)
Theater, 4th Boyle film
7/26
Exterminating Angels
(Jean-Claude Brisseau, 2007) 1/2
DVD,
2nd Brisseau film
7/25
Little Dieter Needs to
Fly (Werner Herzog, 1998)
DVD, 20th Herzog film
7/22
Transformers (Michael Bay, 2007)
Theater, 4th Bay film
7/21
Carnal Knowledge
(Mike Nichols, 1971) 1/2
DVD, 6th Nichols film
7/20
Catch-22
(Mike Nichols, 1970)
DVD, 5th Nichols film
I love the book dearly
and while I wouldn't call it impossible to
adapt, I was skeptical that a good film could come from it. I should've
had more faith in Mike Nichols, whose direction here nearly matches his
brilliant work on The Graduate.
The film's structure is actually more similar to Slaughterhouse-Five than Catch-22,
but I think the non-linear approach is really the only way to tackle
the wide array of characters and situations Heller brought forth in the
book. This approach, along with Alan Arkin's perfect portray of Captain
Yossarian, helped to keep the same tone of lunacy that makes the book
work so well. I do wish there was a bit more of Major Major Major
Major, but success it has dealing with the more complex Milo sub-plot
makes this just a minor complaint. Overall, it's a frustrating film,
but for all the right
reasons. It's possibly even more relevant today than in the Vietnam
era, given that our troops presence in Iraq is perhaps even more
dubious than it was in Vietnam, especially b/c of the film's sense that
the enemy is nothing but a ghost and the only violence experienced is
self-imposed.
7/19
Devi
(Satyajit Ray, 1964) 1/2
VHS, 8th Ray film
From what I can tell,
Satyajit Ray is one of the most consistent
directors of all-time. I've seen 8 films from him and even the minor
ones like The Stranger and The Chess Players have some
brilliant touches to them. Devi keeps
the streak alive and even an uber-shitty print
didn't stop me
from loving it. Ray subtly attacks blind faith, but is smart enough to
not stack all the cards against it either. It remains at least somewhat
understandable why so many of the men accept her as the goddess, making
the eventual consequences all the more devestating. Ray carefully
balances her struggle to come to terms with her new responsibilities
with her husband trying to bridge the generation gap to talk some sense
into his father and his cohorts. His focus on the minutiae of every day
life, carefully detailing the movements and gestures of his characters
adds a neo-realist edge to a film that moves into the surreal. Ray
expresses his world view not through platitudes or by taking easy shots
at those he disagrees, but by allowing it to naturally come through the
human drama he beautifully sets up.
7/17
The Bourne Supremacy
(Paul Greengrass, 2004)
DVD, 2nd Greengrass film
I had always heard
complaints about the shaki-cam in The
Bourne Supremacy. It's something that has bothered me in some
recent films (ie, MI:III and 28 Weeks Later), but it was used
rather skillfully and judiciously here. Although I disliked United 93, I never denied the
skillful directing behind it, so I'm glad to see that Greengrass is the
real deal. I liked the first Bourne
film, but this one definitely tops its in both story and filmmaking. It
was a pretty ballsy move to to off
his girlfriend so early in the film
- one that paid off by upping the stakes for the remainder of the film,
which pretty much had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Damon
is great at these blank slate roles; something he again proved in The Good Shepherd.
7/14
Black Snake Moan
(Craig Brewer, 2007)
DVD, 2nd Brewer film
7/13
La Caza
(Carlos Saura, 1966) 1/2
VHS, 2nd Saura film
Efficient and intense.
The quick edits and camera movements beautifully
expressed the tension and frustration that was building throughout the
film. I liked the fact that it dealt with the mindset of men who had
long since returned from war without ever hitting any of the cliches of
the "anti-war" film. It's more about the gradual process of
dehumanization that occurs when man becomes a killer and living
creatures become the hunt.
7/12
Blissfully Yours
(Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2001)
DVD, 2nd Weerasethakul film
7/11
Femme Fatale
(Brian De Palma, 2002)
DVD, 13th De Palma film
7/10
While the City Sleeps
(Fritz Lang, 1956)
VHS, 14th Lang film
7/9
You Kill Me
(John Dahl, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 2nd Dahl film
7/7
The Iron Giant
(Brad Bird, 1999) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Bird film
The agent was a great
character and I sure did hate his guts, but his
paranoia and obsessiveness is almost the entire impetus for everything
that goes wrong. I understand it's less an anti-military film than an
anti-prejudice/pro-compassion film, but I wish Bird would have
involved either society or the military more in his critique. It had
the Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
issue of accusing a bad egg of nearly ruining a perfect system. It's
something I could have completely forgiven had any of the relationships
been developed more successfully. Probably not a popular opinion, but I
didn't think any relationship between Hogarth, Dean
and/or the giant were particularly well-developed, so that part of the
film never completely gelled either.
Ocean's 13 (Steven Soderbergh, 2007)
Theater,
10th Soderbergh film
7/6
Paprika (Satoshi Kon,
2007)
Theater, 2nd Kon film
I had heard it described
by someone as Satoshi Kon's Inland Empire
and while that isn't entirely accurate, it at least prepared me for the
jarring yet wondrous experience I had in the theater. The blending of
dreams and reality certainly had a Lynchian feel to it, but Kon seemed
much less concerned with character or sensible construction of
plot/narrative. That said, I think the many nonsequitors work well for
this film concerned with hyperreality and the effects of technology in
reshaping our understanding the physical world, in this case literally
rewiring our brains. In a world becoming increasingly more mediated by
screens, it was a brilliant touch to have realities that shattered like
mirrors or stretched like a film screen. And of course the Japanese
girls with cell phones for heads was a hilarious as well. There was so
much going on that it was tough keeping up on a first viewing, but not
so confusing that it was impossible to appreciate the concepts Kon is
interested in.
7/5
Hearts of Darkness: A
Filmmaker's Apocalypse
(Bahr/Hickenlooper/Coppola, 1991)
VHS, 1st
Bahr/Hickenlooper/Coppola film
7/3
The Fountain
(Darren Aronofsky, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Aronofsky film
7/2
Hulk
(Ang Lee, 2003) 1/2
DVD, 2nd viewing
7/1
Escape from New York (John
Carpenter, 1981)
DVD, 7th Carpenter film
My old hard drive fried so I've
lost exact dates for these. I'll update in the regular format
from now on.
5/16-6/30
Live Free or Die Hard (Len Wiseman, 2007) 1/2
Black Sheep (Jonathan King, 2007)
Defending Your Life (Albert Brooks,
1991) 1/2
If.... (Lindsay Anderson, 1968) 1/2
Who Killed the Electric Car? (Chris Paine, 2006)
Mission to Mars (Brian DePalma,
2000)
Hostel 2 (Eli Roth, 2007)
Blackboard Jungle (Richard Brooks,
1955)
Hostel (Eli Roth, 2005) 1/2
Shoot the Piano Player (Francois Truffaut, 1960)
There's Always Tomorrow (Douglas
Sirk, 1956) 1/2
High Fidelity (Stephen Frears, 2000)
1/2
All or Nothing (Mike Leigh, 2002) 1/2
Valerie & Her Week of Wonders
(Jaromil Jires, 1970) 1/2
Knocked Up (Judd Apatow, 2007)
The Road Warrior (George Miller, 1981)
Room 666 (Wim Wenders, 1982) 1/2
Fay Grim (Hal Hartley, 2007)
28 Weeks Later (Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, 2007) 1/2
The Indian Fighter (Andre De Toth, 1955)
5/15
Fast, Cheap & Out of
Control (Errol Morris, 1997) 1/2
DVD, 6th Morris film
Duck (Nic Bettauer, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 1st Bettauer film
5/14
Goodbye, Dragon Inn
(Tsai Ming-Liang, 2003)
DVD, 3rd Tsai film
5/13
L'Eclisse
(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1962)
DVD, 2nd viewing
5/11
The Wicker Man
(Robin Hardy, 1973) 1/2
DVD, 1st Hardy film
Fat Girl
(Catherine Breillat, 2001)
DVD,
1st Breillat film
5/10
Dead Alive
(Peter Jackson, 1992)
DVD, 7th Jackson film
5/9
Spider-Man 3
(Sam Raimi, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 6th Raimi film
Easily my favorite of the
trilogy, though this is coming from someone
who didn't like the first and borderline hated the second. There was
much less lameass moralizing and Peter coming to grips with being a
superhero (we needed two films for this?) and more goofy, campy fun. No
more dealing with a job or getting loans from the bank with Aunt May,
thank freaking christ. It's almost as if Raimi finally realized he was
taking the franchise way too seriously and just decided to make a
comedy. Cake Girl was great feeding PP cookies (apparently she's always
cooking something!), Bruce Campbell's cameo was 10 times better than in
part 2 and James Franco is obsessed with food (cotton candy, pie AND an
omelette!). What's not to like? It's still not a particularly good film
and three villains was a bit of an overkill though it worked out fairly
well for the final battle. Nothing earth-shattering, but certainly the
most enjoyable and easily digestible of the trilogy and it went by much
faster than the last two.
5/7
Tokyo-Ga
(Wim Wenders, 1985)
DVD, 6th Wenders film
Poltergeist (Tobe Hooper, 1982) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Hooper film
5/6
Three Ages
(Buster Keaton, 1923)
DVD, 21st Keaton film
La Haine (Matthieu Kassovitz, 1995) 1/2
DVD, 1st Kassovitz film
5/5
Parade
(Jacques Tati, 1974)
Theater,
2nd viewing
Trafic
(Jacques Tati, 1971) 1/2
Theater, 2nd viewing
(s) Forza Bastia (Jacques Tati & Sophie Tatischeff,
2002)
Theater, 7th Tati/1st
Tatischeff film
5/4
(s)
Cops (Edward F.
Cline & Buster Keaton, 1922) 1/2
DVD,
11th Cline/18th Keaton film
(s)
My
Wife's Relations
(Buster Keaton, 1922) 1/2
DVD,
19th Keaton film
The Fall of the House of
Usher (Jean Epstein & Luis Buñuel, 1928)
DVD,
4th Epstein/19th Buñuel film
X-Men
(Bryan Singer, 2000)
DVD,
4th Singer film
5/3
(s)
The
Play House (Buster Keaton, 1921)
DVD,
17th Keaton film
(s)
West Bank Story
(Ari Sandel,
2005)
DVD,
1st Sandel film
5/2
(s) The Goat
(Buster Keaton & Malcolm St. Clair, 1921)
DVD, 16th Keaton film
4/30
The
Bloody Child (Nina
Menkes, 1986)
DVD,
1st Menkes film
4/27
Shortbus
(John Cameron Mitchell, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 1st Mitchell film
4/26
Memento Mori
(Tae-Yong Kim & Kyu-Dong Min, 1999)
DVD, 1st Kim/Min film
4/25
About Schmidt
(Alexander Payne, 2002) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Payne film
4/23
The Ghost Ship
(Mark Robson, 1943) 1/2
DVD, 1st Robson film
28 Days Later (Danny Boyle, 2002) 1/2
DVD, 4th Boyle film
4/21
Red Road (Andrea Arnold, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 1st Arnold film
4/20
Are We There Yet?
(Brian Levant, 2005) No Stars
HBO, 3rd Levant film
Hot Fuzz (Edgar Wright, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 2nd Wright film
4/19
Ringu (Hideo Nakata, 1998)
DVD, 1st Nakata film
4/18
Il Posto
(Ermanno Olmi, 1961)
DVD, 2nd Olmi film
(s) The Crush (Ermanno Olmi, 1967) 1/2
DVD.
3rd Olmi film
4/17
The Bird With the
Crystal Plumage
(Dario Argento, 1970) 1/2
DVD, 5th Argento film
4/16
Woman is the Future of
Man (Hong Sang-soo, 2004)
DVD, 5th Hong film
4/14
The TV Set
(Jake Kasdan, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 1st Kasdan film
4/13
Spider-Man 2
(Sam Raimi, 2004)
DVD, 5th Raimi film
What an interminably boring film.
Am I supposed to care about Peter's job security and his aunt's
financial trouble? The stabs at humor are painful (aw, he just missed the last h'oeure
d'oevres!) and the emotional arc is almost exactly the same as the
first film. In fact, where do we end up after 2 hours?
Peter again questions whether he wants the responsibility of being a
super hero and gets over, again struggles to keep his friendship to ---
together, and again tries to find a way to be together with Mary
Jane. Ok, so now they're engaged but is that development really
worthy of an entire film? Doc Oc's presence was almost a complete
throw-away - Molina was great, easily the best part of the film, but
his relationship to Peter was threadbare and wasn't given nearly as
much screen time as he should've been. Fortunately, the special
effects were a good deal better than the original, but it's so
concerned with Peter's "it's so hard to be a hero" storyline that it
overshadows everything else. I suppose that'd be okay if it
weren't such a freaking drag.
Stranger than Fiction
(Marc Forster, 2006) 1/2
DVD,
3rd Forster film
Going straight to a cheap comparison -
it's Punch-Drunk Love meets Adaptation with none of the visual
flourishes of the former nor wit of the latter. I mean really, a
suit confined to an uncomfortable working environment in a job he
hates, who gets by on routine until a musical instrument is the
catalyst for his internal change allowing him to reach out to
others? Seriously, I thought the blue coat Ferrell wore on the
cover was a joke (at least it's not in the movie), but instead of
portraying his change impressionistically, it's done through the ole
self-aware narrative trick. Not that I don't give the complexity
of the narrative its due - it's construction is impressive, but its
results are completely banal. Ok, if you play guitar, you'll get
laid. Rule #1 guys learned by the end of middle school.
Writing while disengaged from the world will lead to a final product
which is sterile and self-contained and only by engaging with one's
surrounding reality can any representation be meaningful...even if it
leads to more mediocre art. Right, so stasis = bad and doing
stuff
with people = good livin'. Great, "message" received.
4/12
Zombi 2
(Lucio Fulci, 1979) No Stars
DVD, 1st Fulci film
The dullest zombie movie ever
made. Ok, I haven't seen many other zombie films, but goddamn is
this tedious. Even the gore was pretty lame since half the time
they're getting shot through blankets because, I'm assuming it saved a
few bucks. The horrible plot (stealing at least a few elements
from I Walked with a Zombie)
isn't even campy enough to make it entertaining. One thing I will
say - underwater zombies eating a shark while topless scuba diver
freaks out = totally badass. Still, the rest was so painfully
dull I can't even throw 1/2 star its way just for that scene.
4/11
Christine
(John Carpenter, 1983)
DVD, 6th Carpenter film
4/10
The Life & Death of
Colonel Blimp
(Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1943)
DVD, 9th Powell/6th
Pressburger film
Finally another P&P film I can fully
embrace. There's still something theatrical that irks me about
their style, as beautiful as it is, but it was certainly less of a
problem here. The three time periods each give a unique
perspective on Clive Candy and the passing of time makes the cumulative
effect of aging, lost love and changing of the times quite
powerful. Given the release date, I was expecting something a bit
more preachy or didactic, but it's main concern regarding warfare was
the passing of the "gentleman's war" where fair play and honor were of
the utmost value. By placing everything through Candy's
perspective, it captures all of its time periods while also developing
a wonderful emotional arc of character.
Angels with Dirty Faces (Michael Curtiz, 1938) 1/2
TCM On-Demand, 8th Curtiz
film
4/9
The Hunted
(William Friedkin, 2003) 1/2
DVD, 4th Friedkin film
Donnie Brasco (Mike Newell, 1998)
DVD, 2nd Newell film
4/8
Unforgiven
(Clint Eastwood, 1992)
DVD, 2nd viewing
4/7
Croupier
(Mike Hodges, 1998)
DVD, 2nd Hodges film
4/6
Grindhouse
(Robert Rodriguez & Quentin Tarantino) 1/2
(Planet Terror 1/2, Death Proof )
Theater,
6th Rodriguez & 6th Tarantino film
4/5
The Lookout
(Scott Frank, 2007)
Theater, 1st Frank film
4/4
The Cook, The Thief, His
Wife & Her Lover
(Peter Greenaway, 1989)
DVD, 5th Greenaway film
4/3
Tenebrae
(Dario Argento, 1982)
DVD, 4th Argento film
4/2
Opera
(Dario Argento, 1987)
DVD, 3rd Argento film
Tideland
(Terry Gilliam, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 11th Gilliam film
4/1
Children of Men
(Alfonso Cuarón, 2006)
DVD, 2nd viewing
3/31
Blades of Glory
(Josh Gordon & Will Speck, 2007) 1/2
Theater,
1st Gordon/Speck film
Fast Food Nation (Richard
Linklater, 2006)
DVD,
11th Linklater film
3/30
Cowards Bend the Knee
(Guy Maddin, 2003)
DVD,
11th Maddin film
3/29
Deep Red
(Dario Argento, 1975)
DVD,
2nd Argento film
Night of the Hunter
(Charles Laughton, 1955) 1/2
DVD,
2nd viewing
3/27
Pulse (Jim Sonzero, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 1st Sonzero film
3/25
Pulse
(Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2001)  1/2
DVD, 2nd viewing
3/23
Rumble Fish
(Francis Ford Coppola, 1983)
DVD,
8th Coppola film
My Man Godfrey
(Gregory La Cava, 1936)
DVD, 2nd La Cava film
3/19
Doppelganger
(Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2003)
DVD, 5th Kurosawa film
3/18
Brotherhood of Death
(Bill Berry, 1976)
Theater, 1st Berry film
Johnny Tough
(Horace Jackson, 1974) 1/2
Theater, 1st Jackson film
3/16
Half Nelson
(Ryan Fleck, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 2nd viewing
3/14
The 300 (Zack
Snyder, 2007)
Theater, 2nd Snyder film
3/13
Vengeance is Mine
(Shohei Imamura, 1979)
DVD, 3rd Imamura film
3/9
The
Host
(Bong Joon-ho, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 1st Bong film
3/8
Eyes Without a Face (Georges Franju, 1959)
DVD, 2nd viewing
Bright Future (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 2004)
DVD, 4th Kurosawa film
3/5
(s) Hard
Luck (Edward F. Cline & Buster Keaton, 1921)
DVD,
10th Cline/16th Keaton film
(s)
The Blacksmith
(Buster Keaton & Malcolm St. Clair,
1922) 1/2
DVD,
17th Keaton/1st St. Clair film
(s) Light
is Calling (Bill Morrison,
2004)
Computer, 1st Morrison film
(several viewings)
Decasia
(Bill Morrison, 2002)
DVD, 2nd Morrison film
3/4
College
(James W. Horne, 1927)
DVD, 15th Keaton film
3/2
Zodiac
(David Fincher, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 6th Fincher film
After the camera shenanigans Fincher
brought to Panic Room, it's
nice to see he can scale back his style in service of the story.
This is a thoroughly engrossing story but while its scope is
impressive, the sheer amount of time over which it takes place does
hurt the fluidity of a couple character's development. Downey Jr.
is great, but I couldn't help finding the transition from the slightly
troubled reporter to full-fledged self-destructive alcoholic was choppy
and a bit sudden. The same, to a lesser degree, could be said
about Ruffalo's character though like Downey, he's good enough that
once the transition is over he's incredibly convincing in the
role. Of course, this is a relatively minor complaint as the
film's movement from the actual murders to Gyllenhaal's obsessive quest
to "look him in the eye and know it's him" is rather skillfully pulled
off.
3/1
Videodrome
(David Cronenberg, 1983)
DVD, 2nd viewing
2/28
The Dead Zone
(David Cronenberg, 1982) 1/2
DVD, 9th Cronenberg film
2/27
Our Hospitality
(John Blystone & Buster Keaton, 1923) 1/2
DVD, 1st Blystone/13th Keaton film
My favorite Keaton behind Sherlock, Jr. The final
chase is the most intense, invigorating and impressive sequence I've
seen in any of his films. There's also a pretty amusing running
gag about the absurdity and hypocricy of Southern hospitality.
Gee, who would've thunk it from the title...I know, but I was surprised
at how harsh an angle the film took on it.
(s) The Electric House (Edward F. Cline & Buster Keaton,
1921)
DVD, 9th Cline/14th Keaton
film
Just when I thought this was going to be
an episodic gag-fest, it turns into a insightful commentary on the
affect of technology on mankind's environment. Keaton doesn't run
into to various forms of inventions gone awry as much as they determine
his movement. By the end, it's almost as if the house has turned
into an M.C. Escher drawing, completely redefining the space around him
and continually tossing him out of the second-story window as if now
that it can operate without his assistance, he's nothing but a nuisance.
2/25
Reno 911!: Miami
(Ben Garant, 2007) 1/2
Theater, 1st Garant film
As a fan of the show, I knew even at 80
minutes it'd feel like an extended episode, but I figured it'd at least
have as many laughs as watching 3 or 4 episodes back-to-back.
Clearly being contained to the Reno environment and 23 minutes keeps
the comedy fresh even when it's repetitive. The feature length
forced them out of their safety zone, demanding not only a plot big
enough to fill the length but bigger, "bolder" jokes. The problem
is that, at least for me, the ingenious parts of the show are found in
its smaller more intimate moments that spiral into broader
physical/slapstick ones. Here, they relied on bigger situations
and tried to cram the smaller-scale humor into places where it simply
doesn't fit. I didn't have a good laugh until at least an hour in
when Patten Oswald takes his leave with what is by far the film's best
line. It's a shame that kind of comic timing was nowhere to be
found before then.
2/24
Three Kings
(David O. Russell, 1999) 1/2
DVD,
3rd Russell film
Deconstructing Harry (Woody Allen, 1997) 1/2
DVD,
19th Allen film
2/22
Blacula (William Crain, 1972)
DVD, 1st Crain film
2/20
Manhunter
(Michael Mann, 1986)
DVD, 8th Mann film
2/19
Out of Sight
(Steven Soderbergh, 1998) 1/2
DVD, 2nd viewing
2/17
Marie Antoinette
(Sofia Coppola, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 3rd Coppola film
Ghost Rider (Mark Steven Johnson, 2007) No Stars
Theater, 1st Johnson film
2/15
Grizzly
Man
(Werner Herzog, 2005)
DVD, 2nd viewing
2/14
The Proposition
(John Hillcoat, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 2nd viewing
2/13
Hard Candy
(David Slade, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 1st Slade film
Old Joy (Kelly Reichardt, 2006)
DVD, 1st Reichardt film
2/12
Troll 2
(Claudio Fragasso, 1990) No Stars
DVD, 1st Fragasso film
A bad movie masterpiece.
2/11
The Fisher King
(Terry Gilliam, 1991)
DVD, 10th Gilliam film
2/9
The Lives of Others
(Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006)
Theater, 1st von
Donnersmarck film
2/8
From Dusk Till Dawn
(Robert Rodriguez, 1996)
DVD, 5th Rodriguez film
2/6
Quinceañera
(Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 1st
Glatzer/Westmoreland film
2/3
Hustle & Flow
(Craig Brewer, 2005) 1/2
DVD, 1st Brewer film
A surprisingly focused and uncompromised
character piece that examines the process of a man living to achieve
his dream. Of course it sounds corny when I put it like that, but
Brewer is so adept at eliminating the fluff and excess that usually
pads these kind of stories that it makes the simplistic rather
engaging. I could've done without his main ho's character arc,
but everyone and everything around Terrence Howard takes a back
seat. It's not simply a strong performance, but a commanding and
captivating one that covers up little flaws in plot and
characterization because all eyes are on him while he's
on-screen. Brewer wrote a pretty good script, but Howard is the
glue that held everything together.
2/2
Wanda
(Barbara Loden, 1970) 1/2
DVD, 2nd viewing
2/1
The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre (Tobe Hooper, 1974)
DVD, 2nd viewing
Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton & Valerie Faris)
DVD, 2nd viewing
1/31
The Maggie (Alexander
Mackendrick, 1954) 1/2
DVD, 2nd Mackendrick film
1/30
Letters from Iwo Jima
(Clint Eastwood, 2006)
Theater, 7th Eastwood film
1/28
4 (Ilya
Khrzhanovsky, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 1st Khrzhanovsky film
1/26
Volver
(Pedro Almodovar, 2006)
Theater, 6th Almodovar film
1/25
C.R.A.Z.Y. (Jean-Marc
Vallée, 2005)
DVD, 1st Vallée film
1/24
The Good German
(Steven Soderbergh, 2006) 1/2
Theater, 10th Soderbergh
film
1/23
Water
(Deepa Mehta, 2006)
DVD,
1st Mehta film
1/21
The Descent
(Neil Marshall, 2006)
DVD, 1st Marshall film
1/20
I Am a Sex Addict
(Caveh Zahedi, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 1st Zahedi film
The Machinist (Brad Anderson, 2004)
DVD, 1st Anderson film
1/19
Pan's Labyrinth
(Guillermo Del Toro, 2006) 1/2
Theater, 2nd viewing
1/18
Inland Empire
(David Lynch, 2006)
Theater, 15th Lynch film
1/16
The Wicker Man
(Neil LaBute, 2006) No Stars
DVD, 3rd LaBute film
1/15
Battle in Heaven
(Carlos Reygadas, 2006) 1/2
DVD, 1st Reygadas film
Style over substance
in the worst possible way. Reygadas's use of non-actors backfires
because despite his somewhat impressive camerawork, nothing exudes from
them and the purity that he was seemingly aiming for comes off as a
contrived attempt at insightfulness. It's not only unfulfilling,
but dreadfull empty, not only of dramatic tension but genuine human
emotion while the spiritual struggle of the central character plays out
in the most banal way until the ridiculous ending attempts to justify
its title.
Gabrielle
(Patrice Chereau, 2006)
DVD,
1st Chereau film
|
Cinematic
Reflections