Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2023 Edition

That's how Merriam-Webster defines the term "knick knack". However, this snowman certainly doesn't seem to consider himself trivial. Knick Knack follows his attempts to break out of his snow globe in order to join other ornaments in a summer-themed party.

Yet another one of Pixar's very first shorts, this one doesn't really try to go beyond the comedy of its own premise, but it doesn't need to do. It's just a simple short film full of funny gags and "physical" comedy and it succeeds in that.

The design of the snowman is very good, giving a vibe that moves between charming and mischievous. As the snowman tries to bump, drill, explode his way out of the snow globe, you kinda want him to succeed, but still enjoy watching him try and fail each and every time. Paving the way for future Pixar projects, this certainly isn't trivial at all.

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When we were kids we played with everybody; at school, at the park, everywhere. But as we grew up, we grew more selective and our pool of friends tend to become smaller and smaller, until? When does loneliness begin? At what point we are left with no friends and no one to "play with"?

Geri's Game, one of the first short films from Pixar, seems to play with that notion. The short film follows an elderly man in a park engaged in an aggresive game of chess against... himself? When did this begin?

The short is notable for being the first film from Pixar to feature a "human being" as its main character. Geri (Bob Peterson) is a wonderfully designed character that, unlike the baby in Knick Knack, feels real and loaded with emotions of happiness, anxiety, cockiness, and yes, loneliness.

I remember seeing this along with A Bug's Life and always sticking with me for feeling different. Yes, it is funny to see the old man playing against himself, but there's a tragic undertone to it, which is the loneliness of old age. As someone who was extremely close with his grandparents and that has always been moved by any media related to the elderly, this has always hit close to home. Let's hope that we can always find someone to play with and that this loneliness never begins for any of us.

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The above is a quote from the opening of Dumbo, where we see storks delivering babies all over the world. Being a kid, writer and director Peter Sohn wondered where the storks got the babies from and he deduced it was from the clouds. That is what inspired him to do this short film 20+ years later.

Partly Cloudy shows us groups of clouds creating babies of all sorts for every creature; kittens, puppies, human babies, everything. Our lead cloud, Gus, seems to have the task of creating babies for creatures like alligators, sharks, and porcupines, which ends up being the crux for his assigned stork, Peck.

It is a very simple short, but it's cute and fun, but I still think it says something about how we can always adjust for whatever we need to do. It applies to the storks, but also the expectant parents that the storks will visit. Those that will receive that baby, straight from heaven, for them to love.

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Fear tends to paralyze us. We refuse to move on, and more often than not, we later regret not doing the things we wanted to do because of fear. Still, there is something refreshing and liberating in having fear and still daring to do something, and then doing it! It makes us confident, lead us to discovery of new things, and it sometimes allows us to see things in a perspective that's totally different of how we were seeing things in the first place; which is kinda the basis of this short.

Piper follows a baby sandpiper as she's learning to find her own food in a seashore. but when a huge rising tide ends up soaking her, the fear to go through it again paralyzes her. It isn't until she dares to go at it again that she ends up not only discovering that she can, but also discovering new friends, and also discovering new ways to see things.

It's amazing how a short film can do so much in less than 6 minutes. First, the animation is amazing and the character design is charming and cute as hell. But most importantly, in a short time, you learn about growing up, overcoming fears, seeing things through a different lens, and also about making new unlikely friends. All things that the little piper found out, just by doing what she feared; things that I'm sure she's grateful in the end.

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The above is one of the climatic lines from "Hotel California", the popular song from The Eagles. The thing is that haunted hotels have been a staple of horror and mystery films since forever. There's something about staying in a foreign place where you're not necessarily in control of your surroundings that lends itself so well to this kinds of stories, which is probably why pioneering filmmaker Edwin Porter set this "sequel" in a "spooky hotel".

This is the second short film featuring the character of Uncle Josh (Charles Manley); the first one had him having spooky nightmares, so why not put him in a spooky hotel now? Uncle Josh gets to his room and starts having a conversation with the landlord, when a "spooky" presence starts to play some "spooky" pranks on both.

The film is basically a sketch of slapstick and physical comedy in a "spooky" setting, but it's fun to watch. Plus, as is usual with these shorts, at less than 2 minutes it's not much of a hassle to get through them. I did find the design of the ghost, the sheet and the eyes, to be effective and the physical comedy was well executed by Manley and his co-star.

Grade: N/A

That's one of the many lessons that veteran con-man Marcos (Ricardo Darín) tries to instill in the young Juan (Gastón Pauls) in this Argentinean film. Even if you can't see them, con artists are everywhere; so you better watch out cause when you least expect it, you might be the one being had.

Nine Queens follows the unlikely partnership between Marcos and Juan, as they set out to sell a set of counterfeit stamps. But as usual, things not always work the way you expect, as they constantly stumble upon "spitters, breakers, skin workers, blind fronts, hoisters, hooks, stalls, petermans, night raiders, mustard chuckers, fences, operators, swindlers", all of which are trying to get the best of them as well.

Even though it is not an American film, Nine Queens feels a lot like what you would expect from a 2000 American film would feel. The film has a clever, witty script, full of twists and turns, with a bit of a rushed up pace, which serves the film well. Darín and Pauls are both great in their roles to the point that you don't know whether to root for them or dislike them. Leticia Brédice also has a nice turn as Marcos' sister, who ends up reluctantly involved in his brother's "business".

This film was very well received, so I had been hearing about it since its release. However, for some reason I had never taken the chance, but I'm very pleased I finally did. The film is well structured, well paced, and well acted. As for the twists, even if you can't see them, they're there, and they're bound to get you one way or the other.

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Holocaust 2000 follows Robert Caine (Kirk Douglas), an industrialist that's in the middle of designing a revolutionary thermonuclear plant in the Middle East. However, this decision seems to unleash a series of mysterious and deadly occurrences that might end up paving the way for the arrival of the Antichrist himself.

Pollution, lack of resources, hunger, nuclear warfare... those are some of the ominous portents that Caine is warned about; that he might be directly responsible of. If all of this sounds suspiciously similar to The Omen, well, it's because it is. This film was released a year after, probably to cash in on its success. Still, for some reason, I had never heard of it until last week.

The film does have some pieces in the right place. The film walks a fine line between thriller and horror, and there are some neat deaths. There is an effective eerie ambience that probably peaks halfway through the film with a haunting dream that Caine has. Douglas is a competent lead; although being in his 60s, his romance with 20-something Agostina Belli (which includes quite a bit of nudity) feels a bit cringey.

The story does feel a bit muddled, and the logistics of how the Antichrist will take control feel more like just a bunch of things thrown randomly together, even if it doesn't make much sense. Finally, even though I understand them holding onto the antagonist for the sake of the twist, they could've done a lot more with him as far as how threatening he is, and how high the stakes should feel.

Despite my reservations with the film, I still think it is an interesting watch. Even though it could've used a better script and a stronger use of its apocalyptic stakes, there is a weird and eerie charm to it that I just felt drawn to. Plus, I've been a fan of Kirk Douglas' early stuff, so even if he's not in top form here, it was nice to see him hamming it up.

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Here's my summary for JULY 2023:

A film based on a video game (Nat'l Video Game Day, July 8): Mortal Kombat
A film with a title that starts with the letters M or N: Mission: Impossible - Fallout
A film about aliens or alien abductions (World UFO Day, July 2): Nope
A film from Ken Burns (born July 29): Brooklyn Bridge
A film from Argentina (Independence Day, July 9): Nine Queens


Other films seen, not for the challenge

Silent short films: Uncle Josh at the Moving Picture Show, Uncle Josh's Nightmare, Uncle Josh in a Spooky Hotel
The Hire short films: Powder Keg, Ticker, The Escape
Pixar short films: Tin Toy, The Adventures of André and Wally B., Knick Knack, Geri's Game, Partly Cloudy, Piper
Rewatches: Vertigo, Saludos Amigos, License to Drive
Theater outings: Elemental
Others: Holocaust 2000



Not counting rewatches, my favorite first-time watch was probably Nine Queens. Pretty cool, slick, and twisty thriller.

My least favorite was probably Mortal Kombat.

I forgot to post this, but I was a contestant in the Middle Class Film Class Trivia Tournament of Champions. If anyone's interested in checking out my appearances, here they are...

MCFC Movie Trivia Tournament - Round 1 Ep 1

MCFC Movie Trivia Tournament - Round 2 Ep 2

MCFC Movie Trivia Tournament - FINALE

Obviously, knowing that I made it into the second round and then the finale, is a bit spoilerific, but hopefully you can still enjoy the episodes. As for how I did in the Finale? That one I'll keep to myself, so it's up to you to find out.

I also recommend you checking out the other episodes of the trivia. Pete is a great host and all the contestants are a lot of fun to listen to.

For those that listen to The Movie Loot, we just put out a new episode: The Disappointing Loot. In this episode, me and my friend Sean (from the Review It Yourself Podcast) talk about disappointing films and share our most disappointing film experiences. Check it out!

The Movie Loot 86: The Disappointing Loot (with Sean from Review It Yourself)

Look for it also on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, etc.

My latest "assignment" episode is out and this is a special one!

The Movie Loot: The Birthday Assignment

In this one, I choose the usual set of 5 categories to guide me on what to watch during the month, but I also open it up for people to recommend films as some sort of "gift" to me I've been doing this for 3+ years now and it has always resulted in some fun recs.

You can also see the live broadcast I 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 AUGUST 2023:

A film from the 1980s:
A film from the Sight & Sound Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #8:
A film mostly set on a plane (Nat'l Aviation Day, August 19):
A film from William Friedkin (born August 29):
A film from Cote d'Ivoire (Independence Day, August 7):

Happy early/late birthday!

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IMDb
Letterboxd

Also, I hope you enjoy Sorcerer. It's great.

Thanks!

For those interested, I was a guest once again at Silver Screeners, with my friend Frank Mandosa. In honor of Alfred Hitchcock's birthday, we talked about two of his best films: his personal favorite, Shadow of a Doubt and my personal favorite, Vertigo. Check it out here or on any podcasting platform.

Silver Screeners, Episode 104: 1943's Shadow of a Doubt and 1958's Vertigo with special guest Carlo of The Movie Loot podcast

The Old Dark House follows a group of people who seek shelter from a storm in the titular house, inhabited by the mysterious Femm family. As they prepare to spend the night, a series of strange incidents are bound to keep them awake and alert all night. Will they go away and pray, or will they try to find answers?

The group of travelers include young couple Philip and Margaret Waverton (Raymond Massey and Gloria Stuart) and their friend Roger Penderel (Melvyn Douglas). They are later joined by Sir William Porterhouse (Charles Laughton) and his partner Gladys (Lilian Bond), a chorus girl that ends up falling in love with Roger.

Directed by James Whale, The Old Dark House features an ensemble cast that's mostly solid, even if their actions don't always make sense. Ernest Thesiger and Eva Moore are pretty good as the main Femm couple. The relationship between Gladys and Roger is one of those eye-rolling, instant love encounters; but Douglas and Bond had solid chemistry, and since that's a typical sign of the times, I can let it slide.

Aside from the above, the most notable cast member is obviously Boris Karloff who plays Morgan, the volatile mute butler of the Femm's. Although he seems to be the most tangible source of scares, Whale also uses light and sounds to successfully build an atmosphere of dread around the house and its main inhabitants.

The story does seem a bit scattered at times, as Whale seems to throw multiple things at us to see what scares us the most, but for the most part, it all works. So if you're looking for a classic haunted house film, that's short and to the point, and full of laughter and sin? Don't go away and pray; it's here.

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That's the warning given by local radio DJ Stevie Wayne (Adrienne Barbeau) towards the end of the film as the titular fog engulfs the town of Antonio Bay endangering its residents. But what is in the fog? Only the angry ghosts of sailors that were killed a century before by the eventual town founders, thus cursing the town.

The Fog follows a group of people that find out about what's happening while trying to alert the townspeople and survive. They include Stevie and her young son, town resident Nick Castle (Tom Atkins) and a young hitchiker he picks up (Jamie Lee Curtis). There is also Father Malone (Hal Holbrook) who finds out about the curse and is determined to make it public, and Kathy Williams (Janet Leigh), the organizer of the town centennial who is determined to cover it all up.

This is a film that I remember having seen back when I was a kid, but for some reason had not revisited it. However, I still had some memories burned in my mind, like the shadowy silhouettes of the ghosts against the eerie fog, or a woman climbing outside of a lighthouse to escape them. So even if I didn't remember the logistics of the plot, something was done right as far as ambience and mood.

Going back to it now, after 40+ years, I was glad to see how well it holds up. The best part is indeed the eerie and dread-filled atmosphere that the film patiently builds around the curse and the potential arrival of these ghosts. Carpenter takes his time allowing us to warm up to the characters, while giving us some doses of good scares in the process. There's some real talent in the way he builds his jumpscares that works so well, without feeling gimmicky.

As for the characters, they're all solid and strong characters, even if they're not fully dimensional. I don't think the relationship between Atkins and Curtis was entirely necessary, but they do have good chemistry. But as the title says, the real star is this fog that Carpenter uses to frame this threat, while making the most of the minimalist special effects and makeup as the ghosts are mostly hidden. After all, there is something in the fog, but you just need to see the fog to be afraid.

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In late January 1959, nine Soviet hikers ventured into the Siberian mountains. A couple of weeks later they were all found dead near the titular pass under mysterious circumstances. The above quote is the enigmatic yet ominous conclusion of the lead investigator of the case, Lev Ivanov.

The Dyatlov Pass Case is a short documentary by YouTube creator LEMMiNO that chronicles most of the facts about the case, presenting possible explanations, while trying to offer a potential conclusion to what could've been this "unknown compelling force". It is a fairly simple documentary but it is well structured and engaging.

I love how LEMMiNO goes as far as presenting all of the possible explanations, which go from something as "simple" as an avalanche to something as "far out" as UFO attacks, only to then present what seems like one of the most grounded conclusions. Still, it's interesting to see him raise questions and leave them out there.

The case still manages to generate interest and curiosity because of the nature of the deaths and how long it was until satisfactory conclusions were offered. There have been numerous sensible explanations offered before and after this documentary came out, and still, the mystery seems to have life of its own; like an unknown compelling force itself that people are unable to overcome.

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That is the statement given by the wife of wealthy French banker Victor Manzon (Bruno Cremer) as they discuss a story about soldiers and how they follow orders, how their actions affect others, and how more often than not fate plays a hand in how our lives and the lives of others end up. Something that Victor will experience hours after this discussion in this sorta "remake" of 1953's The Wages of Fear.

Sorcerer follows Victor, along with three other characters: Jackie (Roy Scheider), Nilo (Francisco Rabal), and Kassem (Amidou), all of which are wanted and on the run for different reasons leading them to the remote South American village of Porvenir. But as the above quote says, no one is just anything. The four of them are more than just wanted men, but what will fate have in store for them here? Turns out it is two trucks loaded with unstable dynamite.

This is a film that has been recommended to me for years, but being the completist that I am, I wanted to see Wages first (which I did last year). So when William Friedkin passed away a couple of weeks ago, I thought it was way overdue for me to check this out and I'm so glad I did. Much like Wages, this film is the perfect representation of "constant tension", which haunts these three characters from wherever they come from to every bar and every jungle road where they end up.

What Friedkin does different than director Henri-Georges Clouzot is to give a bit more depth and background to these characters. Now, granted, I don't think background and explanations are always necessary, but those first 30 minutes where you see how these four characters end up where they're at are really effective and give a lot of weight to what will happen in the rest of the film.

Also, the way that Friedkin puts us in those trucks, and how seamlessly he lets us see where they're driving and how they're driving it's extremely well done. Certainly, there is a bit of a stretch in believing that anyone would look at this rickety old-ass bridge and still think they can drive two big trucks through, but that still gives us one of the most breathtakingly tense moments of the film.

I also massively appreciated the many ways in which Friedkin managed to differentiate this film from The Wages of Fear, because as similar as they are, he still follows different beats and different paths in that last half that still kept me on my toes. So, even though some people would call this a remake, no film is just anything. And as good as The Wages of Fear is, this film is just a bit more.

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Yeah, I watched about the first half of that a while ago, due to that being all that was I able to find of it uploaded online, and lacking a "more legal" way to check it out, so I should definitely go back and finish it soon if I can.