Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2021 Edition

I watched Cool Hand Luke earlier this year and I think it does a better job at capturing the anti-establishment themes which Bonnie and Clyde did without feeling heavy-handed. I like BaC a lot, but I don't think its better than Rosenberg's film.

__________________
IMDb
Letterboxd

Traditionally, "black magic" refers to the use of supernatural powers for "evil" purposes, with its practitioners being shunned or persecuted. So when several young boys mysteriously start turning up dead in a small village in this Lucio Fulci film, it's natural that most of the blame will fall into the hands of the mysterious gypsy who allegedly practices it. But, is she the only one interested in such magic? Is "black magic" actually behind the murders, or is it "nonsense"?

That is the premise of 1972's Don't Torture a Duckling, which follows the events surrounding the murders of several young boys in the small Italian village of Accendura. As the police scrambles in search for the killer, a clever journalist called Martelli (Tomas Milian) follows his own clues on his search for answers.

This was an interesting watch, randomly recommended by a good Twitter friend. It is only my second Fulci film (the other being the 1975 western Four of the Apocalypse) and overall, I can say I enjoyed it. Even though Fulci is more associated with horror, this film is more of a whodunit thriller, as we try to figure out who's behind the murders. There is violence and some gore, but it is more scattered than what one might be lead to expect from his other films.

However, despite an interesting premise, Fulci tries to juggle too many subplots at once. I mean, there's the policemen investigating the murders, there's the journalist, there's a mysterious affluent woman (Barbara Bouchet) that's seeking refuge in the village for some reason, there's the gypsy that practices voodoo and black magic, and there's the affable priest that leads a school/home for boys where most of the victims come from.

During the first half of the film, the plot feels very scattered, and I don't think the characters were integrated effectively into the story. The pace is a bit clumsy, and there is a character that is somewhat problematic, especially by today's standards. For better or worse, the second half was more focused and the overall execution felt more assured. At first glance, the resolution might feel too "twisty" for "twist" purposes, but upon closer examination, I think it makes more sense than one might think.

Grade:

__________________

The only thing I've retained from Duckling was that someone falls off a cliff and Fulci treats us to multiple closeups of the guy's face hitting the side of the mountain.

__________________
Captain's Log
My Collection

Yep

There are dozens of quotes about what expectations mean to people. They're the "root of all heartache", the reason for "disappointment", or the framework of "high achievement". Truth is that what we expect of something or someone can be both a comfort and a burden. We expect life to be good and full of opportunities; a certain work is framed in the expectations from whoever provides it or whatever preceded it; and sons and daughters are often measured against the expectations of who their parents were. Those are some of the things that hang over the latest entry in the Rocky/Creed franchise.

Creed II is both plagued and helped by expectations on all sides. From its inception to its story beats to the inner struggles of most of its characters. When Creed was conceived in 2015, expectations were a mixture of what new could this "universe" bring to the table with the tediousness of yet another entry in the Rocky Balboa catalog. Fortunately, director and co-writer Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan, along with Sylvester Stallone, they all managed to defy those expectations with a film that knew how to build on top of them, evolving the old characters while also giving us new ones with depth, wrapping everything in a way that felt genuine and fresh.

Creed II follows Adonis Johnson (Jordan) as his rise to success is challenged by Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of none other than Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) who was responsible of his father's death 30+ years ago. Expectations rise cause he's the defending champion, everybody wants him to fight to "avenge" his father; everybody except Rocky and those close to him. So what to do when those expectations become a burden? when they make you afraid for not being able to fulfill them?

When I heard that Lundgren was set to reprise his role for this film, my expectations weren't that good. "Yeah, yeah, here they come trying to now stick any popular Rocky character into this franchise to try to make it appealing". But the truth is that, much like the previous film, the script by Stallone and Juel Taylor manages to find a great balance between the new and the old.

The most notable and surprising trait for me was the development of the character of Ivan Drago, a character that was pretty much an "object", a "force", or a "symbol" in Rocky IV. You see, expectations have also plagued Drago's life. Rebuked by the Russian government and abandoned by his wife after his defeat to Rocky, he is now burdened by what was expected of him then and what he expects to achieve now, through his son. There's a great deal of emotional weight put into this character and his relationship with his son, and those around him. This fight is something that he feels he needs as much as Adonis.

And speaking of expectations, if I were to mention a flaw to the film it would be that its narrative beats are, well, expected. There is little to no surprise to how things will unfold. When I saw that Adonis was about to fight Drago by the 40-minute mark, I could already trace where the story would go for the remaining hour. But despite those expectations about the bigger picture, the film still managed to surprise me with the more personal moments, the more nuanced conversations, and the little details. Those were the ones I wasn't expecting.

Grade:

That's the conversation that sets the stage on this iconic "romcom" from Rob Reiner. The film, which covers the span of 10+ years, follows the relationship between the titular couple (Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan) as they go from bickering carpoolers to inseparable confidants, from unfriendly to friendly and eventually, well, something more.

Harry and Sally are essentially opposites; as far apart from each other as East is from West, at least on the surface. She's too structured and uptight, he's too carefree and laid-back. She's a jolly, unfettered optimistic, he's a cynical pessimistic that always reads the last page of a book first in case he dies before finishing it. And those differences are perfectly portrayed by Crystal and Ryan.

But despite those differences, Harry and Sally do end up becoming friends — an "amendment to the earlier rule", he calls it — perhaps answering the above question, or perhaps not, considering where their relationship leads them. Will they remain friends? will they end up together? will they stray apart from each other? Regardless of the answers, this film always helps put in perspective that a film's "happy ending" is entirely dependent of when you end the film.

The undeniable strength of the film is in Crystal and Ryan's chemistry, which is excellent. But a lot of the credit also goes to Nora Ephron's witty script, which was partly inspired by Reiner's own ventures into single life after a divorce. Reiner's direction itself is simple, but effective. He recognizes that Crystal and Ryan are the stars and he lets them shine all the way.

But if there's one thing that the film encapsulates, be it through Harry and Sally's relationship, or that of their best friends Jess and Marie (Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher), or the many interspersed interviews with "fake" older couples is that relationships are not standard; that you can't define your current relationship by your past ones, compare it with those beside you, or encase them in rigid boxes and classifications, but rather to let it flow, grow, and become what it wills.

Grade:

FWIW, this is a rewatch. It has been my favorite romcom since forever.

For those following, latest episode of Thief's Monthly Movie Loot is out. This is my fourth special episode in which I take a scene from a film I love and analyze it. In this case, I went for a scene from When Harry Met Sally. Check it out!

Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - Special Episode IV (When Harry Met Sally...)

Spotify users, click here

Saw this last night and I'm leaning towards this. Trippy, but yeah.

Puzzles are an engrossing and usually rewarding activity for some. But it's one where you have to always ensure that you have all the pieces with you. Not doing so will probably make the task impossible, frustrating, and maybe even infuriating. Director Robert Altman takes that premise into the life of a young woman in this little-heard mind-bender.

Images follows Cathryn (Susannah York), a children's author that starts receiving a series of mysterious calls that hint at the potential infidelity of her husband Hugh (René Auberjonois). But when she starts being haunted by unsettling visions, Hugh deduces that she might be suffering from too much stress and decides to spend some time on a remote country cottage. Unfortunately, Cathryn's visions and hallucinations grow worse, which includes alternating appearances from two former lovers, as well as visions from her own doppelganger around the house.

There's not much that can be said about Images without spoiling some of its mystery, and yet, there's so much that can be said without even beginning to understand it either. Borrowing a bit from Bergman's Persona, Altman seems to revel in the mind-games he throws at the audience as this couple tries to make ends meet. And if there's something that can be said without a doubt is that York is great in the lead role.

As for the mystery, it's a puzzle indeed. One that Altman doesn't give us all the pieces for, just like he doesn't give them to Cathryn, or any other character. It's the kind of film that you sense has a purpose and motive for everything that's on screen, but that I'm sure everybody might perceive in a different way. The main theme that seems to hang above the characters is that of guilt and duality, but there also seems to be hints of abuse, repression, and depression.

Regardless of how many pieces of the puzzle are missing, Images ended up being a surprisingly good watch. One that is both engrossing and yes, frustrating, but in a good way.

Grade:

Yay!

I am so glad you liked it!

From that first moment when I was hooked.

Yeah



Definitely one I would probably watch again soon.

Anyway, I just watched Two Lovers (2008) (from James Gray and starring Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow) and I'm still trying to figure out if the ending was happy or tragic

When Harry Met Sally is one of my favorite movies. I'm looking forward to listening to your podcast about it.

__________________
.
If I answer a game thread correctly, just skip my turn and continue with the game.
OPEN FLOOR.

Great. Look forward to your thoughts on it. Enjoy!

I had a brief career as a movie theater usher in 1989-90. Part of my job was to walk the aisles periodically during the films. To do what, exactly? That was never clear. My approach was basically "Have any customers died since the last time I was in here? Cool- next room." Anyhow, there's lots of movies from that era that I feel like I've seen, even though it was only as fragments during my patrols. UHF is one of those movies. Didn't think anyone else remembered that one.

ps-- another good episode, by the way. He seemed to be a chatty guy, which I'm sure makes things easier

Only managed 6 this month, which is about my average I guess


A film with the number 2 (Two, Second, etc.) in its title: Too Young the Hero (sorry, that's all I got.) (1988)
Ricky Schroeder in the true story of a 12-year-old that enlists in the Navy during WWII

A film with a title that starts with the letters C or D: Darlin' (2019)
Part 3 of the Offspring/The Woman story, this one written and directed by The Woman herself, Pollyanna McIntosh. I'd rank it somewhere between the first and second films. Not without its problems, but worth a watch if you're at all invested in that series.

A film from the Criterion Collection whose number includes the #2 (i.e. 12, 82, 912): Stray Dog (#233)
Part of my "Watch Every Kurosawa Film" project that I've assigned myself. One day I'll get around to reviewing them. (this was a good one.)

A film from the 1920s: Doomsday (1928)
Soooo a poor farm girl finds herself being wooed by a wealthy old dude and a broke-a$$ young farmer. She chooses the handsome farmer only to change her mind before the wedding and marries old guy instead. She quickly realizes the error of her ways and begs farmer boy to take her back, but he's still sore about the jilting thing. So to prove her devotion to him, she moves in with him as a servant, doing all the cooking/cleaning, etc. and after six months of platonically being his slave, he decides that she's proven herself and marries her. YAY Happy ending??!!??
PS the farmer was played by Gary Cooper who appears to be about 10 years old here.

A sequel: Son of Frankenstein (1939)
Part of my "Watch Every Rowland V Lee Film" project (see also Doomsday and Service De Luxe)

A comedy film: Service De Luxe (1938)
Here's a charming story about a young lady who runs her own company. When she meets a handsome suitor she lies about the owning-a-company thing so that he won't think that she's "bossy". He eventually finds out of course and is sore for a while but marries her anyway. The film literally ends with a line about how she doesn't have to be a boss anymore now that she's married. (It wasn't a good month for feminism) Despite the problematic elements it was mildly entertaining and is notable for being the film debut of a very handsome, 27-year-old Vincent Price.

My main association with this film is someone I know watching it, and I asked her how it was. She hated it and said "It should have been called Two Horrible Sex Scenes.

LOL, like I said in the episode, UHF holds a special place within me and my best friends. It was a frequent watch and a frequent source of quotes

As for Steve, yeah, he was chatty. Make things easier for the interview, harder for the edit

LOL, Overall I'm leaning towards positive, even if it wasn't anything groundbreaking. Might write something later tonight or tomorrow.

Still need to knock a Serbian film tonight to complete the challenge