Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2023 Edition

The Blair Witch Project follows three students (Heather, Joshua, and Michael) that ventured into the woods near Burkittsville, Maryland to record a documentary on the Blair Witch and ended up disappearing. Shot in the style of "found footage", the film presents what they recorded as if it was found a year later, in a much decidedly *not* happy ending.

I was already an avid film fan back in 1999, so I remember all the hoopla around the release of this film pretty well. I remember seeing it in theaters, and I still think I'm the only one that walked away really pleased with the film that night. I don't think a lot of people were prepared for what they were going to see, but this is a film that the more I rewatch, the more I appreciate, admire, and love.

As a matter of fact, I rewatched it for the umpteenth time this October and it never fails to feel creepy, eerie, and ultimately unsettling. It's been a while now, but I don't think I ever believed the "true story" marketing. However, as someone who had spent a good amount of my pre-teen/teenage years camping in the woods with friends, the film really has a way to get to you with how scary that experience might be.

But beyond the parts in the woods, I think the film does a great job setting everything up in the first act. I think the "interviews" with the townspeople are really effective and do a great job at putting you on edge. There are some fortuitous things, like the little child covering the mother's mouth when she starts to talk about the Blair Witch. I also seem to recall that the filmmakers didn't want the Mary Brown (Patricia DeCou) interview to be so grainy, and yet, I think that adds a whole different level to that moment.

I might also be in the minority, but I think the three "students" do a great job with their parts; moreover when you consider they were mostly inexperienced actors that the filmmakers just dropped into the woods and told them to improvise. With its 81 minutes, $200K package, The Blair Witch Project is many things: it is innovative and ground-breaking, a product of its time, but also unique and timeless, scary and ominous, with no happy ending.

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Several years after the events of The Blair Witch Project, James stumbles upon an online video that he believes shows his sister, Heather, alive. Determined to find her, he recruits a group of friends, including documentarian Lisa (Callie Hernandez). What they find, though, might be more than what they came for.

I've been a huge fan of The Blair Witch Project ever since I saw it in theaters (see my previous review), and let's say I was "a bit" disappointed with Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows. So I wasn't really clamoring for another sequel; I don't think it's necessary. But fate had it for me to eventually check it out.

Even though it follows the "found footage" format, Blair Witch doesn't really feel like that. It feels like a film shot with handheld cameras, which is my way of saying that the "found footage" element doesn't feel as organic or as realized as the original. In addition, the performances from most of the actors, although not bad, feel like performances. So, overall, that sense of naturality that was present all through the original is missing here.

Despite that, the film does manage to effectively build a sense of dread. It might rely too much on cheap jumpscares, to the point that even one character says at one point "can everyone stop doing that?". But beyond that, there is enough here to make it feel unsettling and creepy, in terms of atmosphere, setting, and visuals. The last act in particular has a couple of really intense sequences, particularly one with a character crawling through an underground tunnel that had me squirming and fidgeting all the way through.

Certainly Blair Witch doesn't compare to the original, and maybe it wasn't necessary in the end. Maybe it tries to explain too much, maybe it answers too much or it shows too much, but in a world where pointless sequels and endless franchises abound, I'm surprised that this one managed to be as effective and scary as it was, and you know that is what I came here for.

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Here's my summary for OCTOBER 2023:

A film written and/or directed by Clive Barker (born October 5): Hellraiser (1987)
A film about a reptile (Nat'l Reptile Awareness Day, October 21): Lake Placid
Any film version of Frankenstein (Nat'l Frankenstein Friday, October 27): Frankenstein (1931), Terror of Frankenstein
A disaster movie (Int'l Day for Disaster Reduction, October 13): The Swarm (1978)
A film from Nigeria (Independence Day, October 1): October 1


Other films seen, not for the challenge

Monsters and killers: The Meg, Barbarian, The Devil's Rejects, The Mummy's Tomb, Altered, Exists
Vampire movies: Dracula: Prince of Darkness, A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night, 30 Days of Night
Found footage: Creep, The Blair Witch Project, Blair Witch
Silent horror: The Fall of the House of Usher
Short films: Shake Hands with Danger, Birth of a Feminine Nation



A good amount of horror and monster stuff to go with the month. As far as favorites, Terror of Frankenstein and Barbarian stand out.

My least favorite was probably The Swarm, but at the same time, it was fun

Film noir is often defined as "pessimistic, fatalistic, and cynical" with characters that are "trapped in unwanted situations" they just can't control; whether it was in the cards, or fate, or a jinx. Even if they can't control them, they often end up making things worse with their actions, like a snowball effect, which is the case in this dark and twisted noir.

Criss Cross follows Steve Thompson (Burt Lancaster), who can't help but rekindle his relationship with his ex-wife, Anna (Yvonne de Carlo) even though she is now married to Slim Dundee (Dan Duryea), a mobster with no scruples. By the twists of fate, Thompson ends up leading Dundee into planning a heist to the armored truck company he works for.

This film is one of those perfect encapsulations of what film noir is. From the flashback narrative to the dim-lit cinematography, from the romance to the heist, from the lead man thrust into a situation he feels he can't control to the femme fatale you're never really sure where she stands on. It's all in there, in prime form.

In the last 5 years or so, I've seen more films from Burt Lancaster and Dan Duryea than I had before, and they both have become favorites. Lancaster has a unique mixture of tough-guy persona and charm that goes perfectly with the character of Steve, while Duryea can't help but be so good at being "slimy". The main cast is rounded by de Carlo, who I hadn't seen in anything other than The Munsters, but she's so good as the stone cold Anna.

Aside from the performances, I really loved how the story always keeps you guessing where things are at. As the title suggests, there's a cross waiting at every turn and every corner from every character. There's never a sense of certainty in it, and it's great to share that with the main characters, specifically Steve. We never know where the cards or fate would lead us, but we're going there anyway.

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PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie follows the crew of dogs as they try to stop Victoria Vance (Taraji P. Henson) from using a big magnet to capture a magical meteor from space. But when the meteor ends up destroying the PAW Patrol's headquarters, the dogs end up gaining superpowers from the crystals inside of it. As they explore their newfound skills, they must also learn to work together to save Adventure City.

PAW Patrol is a frequent watch for my kids. They have figures, coloring books, and other merchandise. So when the opportunity came to go to the movies this weekend, this was the easy option to choose. First, the animation is gorgeous, colorful, and vibrant, and the film is full of cool sequences and setpieces for them to cheer and celebrate as each dog gets some moment to shine.

However, from my perspective as an adult, the film is mostly competent. There is a decent story there about acceptance and overcoming insecurities, but it is a bit buried under all the shiny objects and cool gadgets. The thing is that most of what happens feels like just a set up to have the pups doing cool things and get new shiny uniforms and cooler vehicles that twist and turn to transform into cooler vehicles, just because.

In a similarly pointless way, there was also a significant amount of time spent in the climax to allow each dog to shine in some way, even if it didn't make much sense. Still, I suppose kids liked seeing each dog's name being called into action. They also seemed to be setting something up with Liberty, the only dog that apparently didn't get a superpower, but the payoff to that felt pretty anticlimatic and, well, lame.

But putting my insignificant adult quibbles aside, the point is that my kids had fun with it and enjoyed it. If they were writing this review, they would probably give it a 5/5; they had fun with it, they cheered and celebrated every victory, so it's safe to say that the film achieved its goal with its target audience.

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Detour follows Al Roberts (Tom Neal), a night club piano player that is determined to follow his girlfriend into Los Angeles. However, fate sticks out a foot to trip him on his way, as he stumbles upon deceit and murder in the form of Vera (Ann Savage), who decides to blackmail the poor man.

I saw Detour for the first time a couple of years ago when I took an online course on film noir. In it, Professor Richard Edwards used it to highlight most of the more iconic and emblematic motifs in film noir: flashbacks, foggy lighting, canted angles, our lead narrator beaten down and trapped by fate, and a wicked femme fatale. It's all here.

Both Neal and Savage were very good portraying the desperation from their characters. Her performance might've been a bit more forced, but the character called for it. Still, they worked pretty well off each other. Director Ulmer makes the most of what he got with some great use of shadows, lights, and music, which serves to create a unique and effective atmosphere.

Detour is a fairly simple film in terms of how it was made and what it was aiming for. Filmed by one of the Poverty Row studios, in 6 days and with about $100K, it ended up becoming one of the most popular film noirs ever made. A twisted and dark little story about life, death, and fate sticking out a foot to trip you.

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Murder, My Sweet follows private eye Philip Marlowe (Dick Powell) as he finds himself ensnared in a complicated conspiracy of theft, kidnapping, deceit, and murder where he's never clear of where he's standing. Hired by multiple sides to perform different jobs, Marlowe realizes they're all playing a dangerous game that might leave him blindsided.

Marlowe is a character that was popularized by Humphrey Bogart's performance in 1946's The Big Sleep. But although Bogey's performance is probably the best one, Powell doesn't have a lot to envy him. He really does a great job in the role, exuding confidence, wit, toughness, and charisma as he delivers Chandler's trademark verbal jabs at anyone.

Powell is surrounded by a solid cast, specifically Anne Shirley and Claire Trevor as Ann and Helen Grayle; both potential love interests, both potential femme fatales. Like Marlowe, we're never sure which side anybody's on. Otto Kruger is also very good as one of the potential masterminds in this twisty scheme.

The plot is indeed full of numerous twists and turns, right from the get go. In the first 30 minutes, Marlowe is hired by an ex-con to find her girlfriend, by a grifter to serve as bodyguard/muscle, and by a wealthy woman to find a lost jewel, all while he tries to figure out what side anybody's on.

In the same spirit, Murder, My Sweet manages to play many sides, being both witty and fun, but also somewhat dark and twisted. I might've found myself shaking my head at some of the twists, but much like Marlowe, I shook it off and pushed through. Even if we didn't know which side anybody's on, it was sure fun to see it all play out.

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That is the assurance that hitman Jef Costello (Alain Delon) gives to a group of poker-playing "friends" that will provide him with an alibi. He never loses, and based on what little we see of his "work ethic" and process, we believe it to be true, whether it is poker or his dangerous work. Costello is careful, methodical, organized, and precise.

Le Samouraď follows Costello, who lives in solitude in Paris as he goes from job to job. But when he is spotted after a hit, the circle starts closing in on him with both his employers and a determined police officer hot on his tail. What they don't know is that Costello never loses. Never really.

This film came highly recommended by many, and you can easily understand why. It is stylish as hell, and Costello is cool as ice. But in addition to that, Melville manages to create a very solid atmosphere of tension, despite the simplicity of the story. As we follow Jef, and we see the machinations around him, we can't help but root for him.

There are a bunch of strands that Melville could've gone down to expand the story; whether it is the background on Jef's girlfriend (Nathalie Delon), or the true motivations of the piano player that spots him (Caty Rosier). Instead, Melville keeps it lean and simple. Much like Costello, he's in and out of the story.

Part of me wishes there was a bit more to it. Maybe because we're left with questions, or maybe because we want to spend a little bit more time with this enigmatic character. Perhaps to see how else he confidently slips out of tight spots, or maybe to understand more of his mindset. But what is evident is that, even down to the end, he never loses. Never really.

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31 years ago, David Fincher shot his way into the world of cinema. Already a successful music video director, he got his first chance with a sequel to Aliens, an experience that, admittedly, left him scarred and bitter about the whole Hollywood machinery. Maybe it was that moment when he decided he would be "one of the few, not one of the many".

Ever since, Fincher has crafted a successful career anchored in isolated and obsessed characters; perfectionists, perhaps like himself. The Killer is no exception. The film follows the titular unnamed hitman (Michael Fassbender) as he meticulously prepares for a job, all while we listen to his random musings about places he's been, McDonald's, and life in general. But when the job goes wrong, he finds himself in the crosshairs of his employers.

Coming after films like Mank and Gone Girl, The Killer feels like a return to basics for Fincher. It is a fairly lean, simple, stripped down film about a man looking for revenge. But even though that might sound formulaic, Fincher is "not one of the many". So what we get is a cold, but technically impressive version of that as we look into the process of a meticulous hitman.

The main highlight is definitely Fincher's direction, which is flawless, but the cinematography and the use of sound are also impressive. Fassbender is great in a film that demands him to be, since it rests solely on his shoulders. But the sparse supporting cast, most notably Tilda Swinton, are just as good.

But where Fincher makes sure he's "one of the few, not one of the many" is in how he subverts our expectations on how this killer should operate, and what he's supposed to find as he goes up the ladder. Fincher takes the risk of not necessarily giving us what we expect, while instead peeling a few thin layers off of this character to try to understand why he does what he does.

I ended up seeing this film twice in a week, mostly because I was set to talk about it for a podcast, but that second watch surely helped. After my first watch, I wasn't really sure where I stood with it, but the second watch really helped me appreciate it more. Even though I still wish there was a bit more to chew on, Fincher elevates this above many other hitman films. That's why he is "one of the few, not one of the many".

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You never lose

Cambridge Dictionary defines being "addicted" as being "unable to do something". Addicts have described how they just can't stop doing this or that. Like some force is taking over their bodies. That is part of the basis of this supernatural horror film which asks "what if it's actually an external force that's making you do this or that?".

Lovely Molly follows Tim and Molly (Johnny Lewis and Gretchen Lodge), a young couple that moves into her childhood home. This, however, uncovers some painful memories as well as a potential entity taking over Molly's mind and body. Things are complicated by the fact that Molly is a recovering heroin addict, which leads most people to attribute her behavior to a relapse; but is it?

This is yet another film I see from Eduardo Sanchez, co-director of The Blair Witch Project, and I've found myself pleasantly surprised by his catalog. Despite whatever limitations he might have, he takes some interesting approaches to some horror staples like alien abductions, Bigfoot, or in this case, demon possessions.

Much like Cronenberg used The Fly to explore the effects of terminal illness, Sanchez uses this possession to explore the reaches of drug addiction and mental illness. The latter is a topic that really hits close to home for me and things that I'm currently going through. So when I heard the above quote, or when I saw Molly's sister, Hannah, with 9-1-1 already dialed on her phone but hesitating to push the button, I totally get that. I've said that, and I've been through that.

So maybe my personal experiences have me biased in favor of it, but that's what films are about. Regardless, I think that Sanchez successfully creates an eerie atmosphere where you're often trying to figure out what's going on. Also, Lodge is pretty good in the lead role conveying a wide array of emotions. There is a really important twist that I felt was very much underdeveloped, but I still think this was a rather effective supernatural horror film.

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Forgot to share my latest "assignment" episode!

The Movie Loot: The November Assignment (with Todd Sullivan)

In this one, I'm joined by filmmaker Todd Sullivan to choose a set of 5 categories to guide us on what to watch during the month.

You can also see the live broadcast we did via YouTube



...or listen to it through any podcasting platform like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or any other.

Here are the criteria we chose for NOVEMBER 2023:

A film about the occult (Occult Day, November 18):
A film noir:
A film widely considered one of the worst ever:
A film from Joe Dante (born November 28):
A film from Mike Nichols (born November 6):

Every country has its own traditions and beliefs. Some that seem just like fun, and others that might seem weird. The Hungry Ghost Festival is celebrated in China during the full moon of the seventh lunar month. It is believed that during this time, the gates of hell are opened allowing hungry ghosts to roam the Earth for food, or something to eat. That is why relatives leave offerings and sacrifices for them to feast on.

Seventh Moon is set in China during this celebration, and it follows newly married couple Yul and Melissa (Tim Chiou and Amy Smart) as they are enjoying their honeymoon in his native town. However, when they are left stranded in the wilderness by their tour guide, they have to find ways to avoid the hungry beings and survive the night.

Director Eduardo Sanchez has a talent to build dread and fear through silhouettes, blurry figures, and creatures in the distance. There's a talent there in how he can make you feel on edge with just that. The notion of some impending doom approaching creeps under your skin, especially through that first act as Yul and Melissa are trying to figure out what's going on.

Unfortunately, Sanchez also decides to use a "shaky cam" approach amped to 11, which hinders the overall effect. In addition, the last act doesn't feel as strong as the first two so I don't think the story quite sticks the landing. In the end, everything feels not necessarily scary, creepy, or affecting, but rather just weird-weird.

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Plan 9 from Outer Space follows a group of aliens, ahem, from outer space implementing a plan to stop humans from using "big guns" and "explosives" or, if that fails, destroy humanity. The plan? To resurrect the dead because, as their commander Eros says in the above quote, humans are "frightened by those who cannot [think]". So they think that, somehow, the undead and the ensuing chaos will help them to either grab humanity's attention or just finish them.

Written, produced, directed, and edited by Ed Wood, it is one of the most notorious examples of his skills, or lack of. The film has a mostly non-sensical plot, stilted performances, odd use of stock footage, and overall inept production values. The sets and costumes look like those from a school production and the pace of the film is, to put it mildly, awkward as it sputters along different plotlines loosely hanging from each other.

The main character is Jeff Trent (Gregory Walcott), a commercial pilot that witnesses the alien spaceships several times, but can't talk about it because of a non-disclosure agreement from his employer. He is then joined by the police as they try to investigate these appearances that are somehow tied to more weird occurrences happening in the cemetery next to his house.

Another notable star is Bela Lugosi, who plays an old man who dies in a car accident. His footage was meant to be for another film Wood was working on, but after Lugosi's death he decided to use it in this one. However, the final result which includes an obvious stand-in posing as Lugosi for some scenes, feels so out of place and awkwardly inserted that you can't help but laugh at it.

But I guess that's the charm of the film, and of Wood's career I assume. Sure, his films are badly written and made, but through all the ineptitude, you can still get the sense that he loves film and really wanted to make something that lasted. Seeing how his work is still remembered to the point of having a biopic made out of him, with this film still being talked about 60+ years after, I suppose he achieved what he wanted.

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That is part of the words being shared by Dr. George Waggner (Patrick Macnee) during a TV show. Seemingly inoffensive psycho-babble against the repression of impulses. But there's something darker and more savage behind those words, and maybe behind the doctor himself as news anchor Karen White (Dee Wallace) is about to find out.

The Howling follows White, as she recovers from a dangerous encounter with a serial killer. As part of her recovery, Dr. Waggner sends her and her husband to the "Colony", a country resort where he treats his patients. But things are not what they seem with most of the patients or with the "Colony" overall.

This is a film I must have seen a couple of times when I was a kid. I remember it being on TV often and I remember the transformation scenes quite well. However, for some reason, I hadn't seen it since the late 80s, and I barely remembered anything at all. That's part of the reason why I wanted to revisit it when I chose this category for my monthly challenge.

For the most part, The Howling manages to build an effective atmosphere of dread and uneasiness surrounding this resort and its assorted array of patients, and Wallace does a pretty good job as she transmits the trauma she's trying to recover from, the uncertainty of what's going on, and the fear of what she's about to find out.

However, the transition from the serial killer/rapist subplot to the whole werewolf cult thing feels a bit awkward. In addition, a couple of relevant characters feel a bit underserved, and the overall motivations of the antagonists doesn't feel as clear as I would've wished. On the other hand, the makeup and special effects of the werewolves are pretty amazing, especially for the time being, and they contribute to build that creepy and scary ambience.

Watching this as an adult now, I certainly wish there was a bit more meat to it, along with a tighter story that could've stuck the landing better. But going back to the times when I was a kid, and I enjoyed this on a superficial level of "werewolves are scary and cool!", I can't deny the "beast"; or in this case, how fun it is to see a couple of "beasts" wreaking havoc all around.

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I want to say it was in 2022...or maybe 2021, as time during those years kind of warps for me, but I watched both The Howling and Wolfen in the same evening, for the same reason you list here: I watched them both in the 80s, hadn't seen them since, and wanted to see how they held up. I recall liking Wolfen more, and thinking it was the superior film, but remember enjoying both.

Anyway, cool review, as usual!

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I don't think I've ever seen Wolfen, but werewolf movies definitely need more love. I'll check it out.

Charles M. Schulz first officially published the Peanuts comic strip in 1950. For 50 years, the strip graced both the pages of newspapers and the screens of old televisions with its smart and earnest humor. Through all those years, Schulz's stories never looked down on its readers, but rather offered a sincere look at life through the innocent lens of children.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown it's one of the best representations of that as it follows our group of children through various Halloween related interactions. The most notable one is Linus (Christopher Shea) belief that "the Great Pumpkin" will appear to him to give him toys, but there's also the perennial mishaps of Charlie Brown (Peter Robbins), and Snoopy's imaginary dogfight with the Red Baron!

Although there might be some lack of cohesion between some of these, specifically the Snoopy vs. Red Baron one, that doesn't make these sequences any less fun or charming. Through the short's 25 minute run, there's pretty much not a weak spot, but most importantly, not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.

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The Whistler follows Earl C. Conrad (Richard Dix), a businessman that hires a hitman through a middleman to kill himself, as he hasn't been able to recover from the death of his wife. The twist comes when he realizes later that his wife is alive, but he has no way to contact the hitman to stop the hit since the middleman was killed as well.

This was an interesting watch that I found out about when looking for short film noirs (its runtime is just 60 minutes). The premise is really interesting and Dix is a competent lead. However, the way the hitman behaves really doesn't make much sense as he seems determined in completing the job, but still spins his wheels too much when the time comes for some odd reasons.

Regardless of that, the atmosphere is effective and most of the cast does a solid job. The whole "whistling" thing ends up being a weird red herring, and there are some odd developments in the second act that I don't think were that well executed, paired with an unnecessary love interest. However, the breezy runtime helps smooth the rough edges a bit.

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