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| I watch obscure films...deal with it! |
I cheated. I watched quite a few movies I shouldn’t have. I
know it’s bad but I’m starting to think ferreting out good movies has become
somewhat of an impulse. Another month with over thirty overall decent films the
lion’s share of which, no one has heard of. Another month of little torture…oh
whoah is me!
The month started off strong; I rented some of the past decade’s
entertainment that I missed including the underrated Incredible Burt Wonderstone (2013), which don’t get me wrong, was
stupid but I felt provided enough silliness to be amusing. No more of a chuckle
came out of me while watching it but if I saw it in theater’s I’d muster a few
belly laughs. I also saw The Place Beyond
the Pines (2012) certified watchable by a friend who swears by its
gravitas. I was a little disappointed by it largely because of its deliberate
pacing, conflicting themes and long running time. The movie about a motorcycle
driving bank robber (Ryan Gosling) whose choices affect quite a few people down
the road is interesting. Interesting enough to warrant a meditative trilogy
where its more salient themes would have had time to cook properly.
Unfortunately that is not the case and Place
Beyond the Pines remains in my view a decent film but not a necessary one.
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| Ryan Gosling sad... |
I further beefed up my “hip-with-it” cred by watching The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug
(2013) and Oblivion (2013). Yes I
know I had plenty of opportunities to see them in theaters but I wasn’t
chomping at the bit for another helping of Bilbo, Gandolf and the rest of
Middle Earth after such an underwhelming prequel. In Oblivion’s case, it just didn’t look that good. Desolation of Smaug was an improvement
from the first film movie-wise but as an adaptation of the book, fans might be
a little perplexed by some additional characters. In Oblivion, I was right to deride it without even seeing it. While
visually interesting, the narrative tried to be both labyrinthine and touching.
Unfortunately such ambitions were just not met in the screenplay resulting in a
film that was neither.
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| Even the kisses had too much going on |
Don’t worry I did manage to make it to the theaters last
month too. I’m still not sold on the new Spider-Man franchise. The new movie The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) was busy
and clunked along to box office gold but who are we kidding; three villain
origin stories in one movie? When was the last time that happened? Ah yes, Spider-Man 3 (2007). As I recall fanboys
weren’t too thrilled about that. I have more complaints but we must move on to
better fare.
Like Oculus (2014); an
underrated horror flick sure to churn out a couple of inferior sequels in the
near future. It’s the story of a woman (Karen Gillan) and her formerly
institutionalized brother (Brenton Thwaites) who try to piece together their
mother and father’s deaths which featured a supernatural soul-snatching mirror.
The movie cuts back and forth between the past with the two as children and
present with them investigating as adults; with some pretty nifty build-up.
Many poo-poo the ending as predicable and disappointing but I would describe it
as foreboding. In both set ups we basically know what the endgame will be,
which allows the audience to enjoy the ride. Once the hammer falls, as it were,
we feel the movie’s most terrifying horror, the dictum that we can’t always
prepare for the worst.
Speaking of preparing for the worst; Godzilla (2014). I half-expected the movie to be a huge let down,
especially when the trailer featured a frantic Bryan Cranston weaving
conspiracy theories as chaos fills the screen. You’re Heisenberg man, have some
dignity. All in all however, Godzilla
was actually pretty good; much better than the corny 1998 rendering featuring
Matthew Broderick and a lot of fish. Still the acting was a little stilted,
especially by non-reptilian lead Aaron Taylor-Johnson who isn’t quite ready for
primetime. He’ll make a leading man yet but those of the Judd Apatow school of
2000’s comedy have certainly worn out their welcome. Neighbors (2014), while being acceptably funny for fans of Seth
Rogen, nonetheless enforces the theme set-up by last year’s This Is the End (2013); we’re getting
old and we know it. Thing is eventually that joke will wear thin too and you’re
left doing a Dr. Seuss rip-off and standing awkwardly next to Kanye West.
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| Still hilarious... |
Most underrated film I’ve seen in theaters was the British
import Belle (2013) starring Guru
Mbatha-Raw, Emily Watson and Tom Wilkinson. I went in expecting a Pride & Prejudice (2005) type period
piece but what I wound up with was…well that plus a true story about a
mixed-race aristocrat’s daughter who helped facilitate the end of the slave
trade in England. Ms. Mbatha-Raw is an absolute revelation as the female lead.
I sympathized with her character; trapped between two worlds unable to break
free from expectations and the metaphorical chains that feature prominently in
17th Century England.
The best film I saw in theaters last month was X-Men: Days
of Future Past (2014) which I previously called “the best mulligan ever made”.
It’s a film with an epic scope and some shining moments from many X-Men fan
favorites. It truly is the triumphant return of what I still deem to be among
the best comic-book superhero franchises. It will of course be in theaters for
a while so if you haven’t seen it I suggest you do so as soon as you have a
free night and $10 to waste.
In addition to brushing up on current events, I sat back to
watch some childhood “classics” I missed. First up: The Dark Crystal (1982). I’m sure in the 80’s The Dark Crystal was a sight to behold. As a fan of Jim Henson and
his menagerie of puppet characters I am well aware of his impact on the world
and the childhood dreams of many. That being said, The Dark Crystal has no sense of urgency in the story. There seems
to be an elaborate mythology embedded in the plot that we as the audience are
supposed to already know. Thing is we don’t, and what we may otherwise see as
grandiose and creative, the main puppets force us to understand it as everyday
and mundane.
At least The Dark
Crystal was somewhat mundane and not offensively stupid. Harry and the Hendersons (1987) made me
question the sanity of John Lithgow, Melinda Dillon and Don Ameche. You
seriously expect me to believe a family of four would run over a big-foot,
mount it on the back of a station wagon and proceed to make a series of
incredibly daft decisions? Daft decisions which include: leaving the supposedly
dead body atop of the car overnight after getting back from their vacation.
Once finding out the raging seven foot animal you ran over with your car was
still alive, not thinking once to run to the neighbors to dial 911. Waiting so
long to finally dial 911 only to tell the operator “there’s a bigfoot in my
home”; how about saying something like, “There’s an intruder” or “I don’t know
what it is but it’s a big creature and its eating my goldfish.” Then of course
there’s the moronic decision to keep the damn thing in your home thus the plot
of the entire movie…which is just stupid, stupid, stupid!
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| Yikes |
…And we’re back. Back to accentuating the positive via
obscure artsy-fartsy flicks no one knows. But if you’re looking for
recommendations guaranteed to blow your mind (provided you’re not one of those
weirdoes who hates black and white) look no further. In fairness I have
enablers when it comes to watching obscure movies versus better known ones. My
first enabler is my girlfriend who has a soft spot for animation. She
recommended an interesting German import caller Felidae (1994). The story follows Francis the cat as he
investigates a series of grizzly cat murders in his new suburban neighborhood.
Influenced by film noir and topped with heavy doses of Watership Down (1978), Felidae
is a slinky, menacing adult-themed cartoon with some pretty heavy messages you
may not expect.
My girlfriend also insisted we watch The City of Lost Children (1995) directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and
Marc Caro who previously worked together in the macabre but spirited Delicatessen (1991). City of Lost
Children share’s far-out visuals and a darkly humorous tone to its predecessor
yet in comparison it is the weaker of the two. Still the story of a mad
scientist stealing the dreams of children to elongate life has a certain
surrealistic charm to it.
The lady also adored The
Horse’s Mouth (1958) the story of a crude artist (Alec Guinness) who
struggles to realize his full potential yet never ceases the irritate those
around him. The Horse’s Mouth is a
rare treat for me as I rented it only with the information that it was part of
the Criterion collection and starred Alec Guinness. It was zany, vulgar,
high-spirited and high-minded often within the same frame; I likewise adored
the film. If given the chance to see arguably the best film about an artist
struggling with his vision, check out The
Horse’s Mouth. And lest you be a philistine let me assure you the film is
in gorgeous Technicolor.
Speaking of gorgeous Technicolor, many years ago there was a
director by the name of Douglas Sirk who made a small collection of worthwhile
melodramas all saturated in deliberately vibrant colors. Dismissed as fake and
tone-deaf, future generations have honed in on the director’s post-modernist
take of his film’s mis en scene. While I’m a sucker for All That Heaven Allows (1955), most people believe Written on the Wind (1956) to be his
crowning achievement. Indeed it is a sight to behold; the story of an oil
tycoon/alcoholic playboy (Robert Stack) who marries a woman (Lauren Bacall) he
hardly knows is old school soap opera. She loves him but also secretly pines
for his best friend (Rock Hudson) who in turn is pursued by the tycoon’s
nymphomaniac sister (Dorothy Malone) it’s all water cooler fodder in a time
when typewriters were a thing. Nowadays we discuss the machinations of Game of Thrones (2011-Present) instead
of Day of our Lives (1965-Present)
but we couldn’t have any of that without Sirk putting the mush in mushiness.
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hmm...according to this men are from Mars and women are
submissive fools. |
Of course if you’re looking for mushiness you can’t go wrong
with a bland romantic comedy like You’ve
Got Mail (1998). No I haven’t seen it yet but I did see the film it was
based off of The Shop around the Corner
(1940) directed by Ernst Lubitch. Yes I did get around to watching another
Lubitch film and once again my expectations were met. If you’re a
post-modernist feminist there is plenty to object to in 1940’s romantic
comedies a la rude “go back to the kitchen” type dialogue yet with James
Stewart and Margaret Sullivan as the headlining leads, I personally couldn’t
help but find it entertaining in addition to being an interesting historical
relic.
Of course pretentious foreign and obscure film watching
can’t be done without the occasional dud. In this case the dud was Luchino
Visconti’s The Leopard (1963). Burt
Lancaster plays an Italian nobleman during the opening days of the Italian
Republic during the 1860’s. His character tries to maneuver the path between
the dying aristocratic class and the new democratically elected government
while trying to keep his family intact. I really enjoyed Visconti’s Senso (1954) so I was surprised a film thought
of so highly failed to keep me interested and immersed. Perhaps it was the time
of day or Lancaster’s less than solid Italian but my recommendation would be to
find something better to do with 205 minutes.
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| This scene alone was about as long as the wedding in The Deer Hunter |
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| Didn't you say something about a holy trinity? |
Luckily after watching The
Leopard I was saved by Vicky Cristina
Barcelona (2008) which along with Interiors
(1978) and Bullets over Broadway (1994)
is one of the few “good” Allen films I haven’t seen yet. I have a friend who grumbles
about Allen’s blasé treatment of infidelity in his movies. That friend would
have probably hated Vicky Cristina
Barcelona which not only features infidelity but is one of the better films
exploring poly-amorous relationships. This friend of mine does make a valid
point when he posits that many of Woody’s relationships in his films are
partially meant to explore, rationalize and excuse his own sexual sins. I’m not
sure if I agree 100% but I can see where he’s coming from.
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| Also featured...phallic imagery |
This same friend has a fascination and love for movies just
as deep as my own and we have made a habit this past month to go to the local
video store and pick out movies for each other. Among the ones he chose for me
was I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang
(1932) which was a really good movie not only for its time but for any time. He
also recommended The Thief of Bagdad
(1924) starring Douglas Fairbanks. While a silent film which, believe me even I
have my limits, Thief of Bagdad is
nonetheless a benchmark film with some pretty fabulous old-school special
effects. Also in the mix was Charlie Chaplin’s A King in New York (1957) which was released in a DVD that also
held A Woman of Paris (1923). A King of New York was a pretty decent
feature considering Chaplin was in his twilight years and fading fast in the
midst of the red scare. At the time the film was so tone-deaf and against the
grain politically speaking that it tanked and didn’t see the light of day for
many, many years. Is it a step down from classics like Modern Times (1936) and The
Great Dictator (1940)? Well it was certainly better than A Woman of Paris.
Marat/Sade (1967)
was another politically themed film that I enjoyed this past month (and was
found during my video store excursions). Set just after Napoleon came to power,
the film dramatizes the Marquis de Sade’s (Patrick Magee) time in the insane
asylum and the production of his play about Jean-Paul Marat (Ian Richardson).
The whole thing is a play within a movie which gives an interesting and intense
perspective on The French Revolution and its consequences.
Another movie based on a popular play that was brought to my
attention was Escanaba in da Moonlight (2001)
written and directed by native Michigander Jeff Daniels. In it Daniels and kin
are what we in Michigan call Yuppers; those who live in Michigan’s northern
peninsula. With some supernatural elements pulled in for good measure, Escanaba is basically a mediocre Northern Exposure (1990-1995) episode
channeling The Evil Dead (1981). As
far as deer hunting movies go though The
Hunt (2012) takes the proverbial cake. Though I suppose it’s not really a
deer hunting film insomuch as it’s an embattled teacher film. Mads Mikkelsen,
of Casino Royale (2006) fame, plays
an elementary school teacher who is accused of sexually molesting a student. A
brilliantly foreboding film, The Hunt
is also a great study on the folly of groupthink and the effect on those
excluded from civil society.
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| Now who'd believe this was the face of a sexual predator? |
One film that certainly snuck up on me was Ordinary People (1980) starring Timothy
Hutton, Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore. It won Best Picture at the
Academy Awards when it was released yet most people in the know knock it
because it won against Raging Bull
(1980). I found the foibles of a grief stricken family to be very engrossing
and I dare say a lot of critics have it wrong when it comes to this Robert
Redford directed masterpiece. Check it out if you can and judge for yourself.
Another Best Picture movie that crept under my radar was The Lost Weekend (1945) starring Ray
Milland. Up to now I don’t quite know why I hadn’t seen it until now. I am a
huge Billy Wilder fan and am convinced the auteur can do no wrong. The Lost Weekend was a little of a
letdown but certainly mint enough to recommend. Ray Milland plays a chronic
alcoholic who struggles with his addiction, his relationship with his
girlfriend played by Jane Wyman and his brother played by Phillip Terry. I
wouldn’t even put it in my top five Wilder films which are less a testament to
the films quality as it is to the overall quality of the filmmaker’s body of
work.
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| Little known fact: Notorious was a big influence on Hitchcock |
Speaking of those with an impeccable body of work, I also
sat back to expand my understanding of the infamous Alfred Hitchock. Notorious (1946) was the new pick this
month and I certainly didn’t regret the film currently ranked at #199 on imdb’s
Top 250. In the film a woman (Ingrid Bergman) is asked to spy on her dead
father’s old friends who are Nazis hiding out in South America. Her contact is
a CIA agent known as Devlin (Cary Grant) who becomes enamored by Bergman’s
self-destructive personality. Notorious
is certainly one of the better Hitchcock films out there though for my money Dial M for Murder (1954) takes home the
blue ribbon. Of course there’s no denying Dial
M doesn’t have the fabulous Claude Rains as the principle villain.
To complete the recommendations portion of the monthly
review there’s Anchors Aweigh (1945)
starring the multi-talented Gene Kelly and the smooth crooner Frank Sinatra as
two sailors on shore leave. There are some very catchy tunes, lovely lady leads
a la Kathryn Grayson and Pamela Britton and of course a sunny disposition that
overlaps the plot inconsistencies. I’m convinced you really can’t go wrong with
Gene Kelly in a movie musical and Anchors
Aweigh only belabors that point.
Random add on: I have also seen a few stand-up specials this
month. Do I count them towards my goal of 4000 films? Of course I do. Is it a
little cheap? Perhaps; but if Un Chien
Andalou (1929) and A Trip to the Moon (1902) are universally considered
movies than surely a fill length comedy special released and distributed on DVD
also counts. From favorite to least the films I watched were: Mike Birbiglia: My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend
(2013), Aziz Ansari: Buried Alive
(2013), Chris Porter: Angry and Ugly (2014)
and John Hodgman: Ragnarok (2013).
Overall I am disappointed with the state of standup comedy though in fairness I
haven’t seen Comedy Central in years because, cable is expensive.
That in a nutshell are the films I watched this past month. The merry month of May as been ripe with some pretty cool films I must say and as the summer heats up, I can't wait to catch up on some theatrical releases, old favorites and embarrassing absentees. Check out the retrospective coming up in June, otherwise, enjoy the lists, reviews and random waxings on my humble little blog.
