Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2024 Edition

Hellscape is definitely an appropriate term. One thing that I think I noticed more this time was the hellish conditions that the people lived in the Ghetto. Every time you see Szpilman walking on the street, there are emaciated beggars first, and then rotten corpses just laying there, all while people walk past them. Polanski doesn't really dwell on it that much, but they're there; and that normalization of death and suffering is certainly terrifying.

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That is one of the many lessons that hunter and fur trapper Joseph (Devon Sawa) tries to pass on to his daughter Renee (Summer H. Howell). The two live with their wife and mother Anne (Camille Sullivan) in a remote cabin with just the bare necessities. But when the threat of a lone wolf arises, they have to find ways to survive which also brings up buried tensions between the couple.

It is such a beautiful thing when the Internet and social media can do its trick. This is a film I don't think I had heard or read about, until someone brought it up on Twitter. I think Sawa himself replied to someone's praises by acknowledging how much he liked working on the film and how he wished for more people to see it. I read the synopsis and thought "why not?" and what a pleasant surprise it was.

Hunter Hunter lives mostly on the atmosphere of dread it manages to build around its main characters. It has its spurts of thrills here and there, but for the most part, it's just the uneasiness it transmits what gets to you. Just like the family is on edge, waiting for the worst, we are on edge wondering when the "lone wolf" will attack.

As the film progresses, we realize that the "lone wolf" might not be as "lone" as one might think. Still, Hunter Hunter takes its time to prey upon us as the audience; but when it does come at us, it doesn't really pull his punches. Much like a predator, the film is patient and methodical and first, but ultimately unapologetic and brutal in its attack.

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How do you explain to a 5-year old kid that a whole group of people, or that entire governments, hate who you are? The above is one of the ways that Guido (Roberto Benigni) tries to shield his son Giosué (Giorgio Cantarini) from that, right after they see a sign at a store that reads "No Jews or Dogs Allowed" in 1944 Italy. But as time passes and war grows stronger, Guido will have to do much more to protect his son and his family.

Directed and co-written by Benigni, Life is Beautiful follows the relationship between Guido and Dora (Nicoletta Braschi) in the wake of World War II and the Holocaust. The film is clearly divided in two parts. The first one in 1939 when Guido and Dora meet and fall in love, plays more or less like a traditional romantic comedy. There's your "meet cute", the flirting and courting, an "evil" boyfriend to "defeat", and ultimately a "happy ending".

The second half, though, is a serious war drama. Set in 1944 as the Nazi occupation of Italy takes place, we see Guido and Dora, now a married couple, being forced into a concentration camp along with their young son. As the parents are split, and Giosué is trying to figure out what's going on, Guido makes an effort to convince him that everything is just a game in order to protect him from the horrors around them.

This is yet another film that is one of my wife's favorites, and another one that I've seen four or five times. However – and my wife knows this – I will admit that I wasn't that crazy about it when I first saw it. But with every rewatch, my esteem for the film grows more and more. I think that I was initially turned off by the tonal shift; I probably got whiplashed by it, which is weird cause now, even though the shift is clear and evident, I feel that it's quite genius how harmoniously it all works.

The performance from Braschi is pitch-perfect, but special note goes to Cantarini who delivers an impressively charming performance, especially for such a young age. But the biggest reason of why it all works is easily Benigni who, as a director, co-writer, and lead actor imbues this film with such a unique charm in the midst of all these terrible things. The way it all moves from naïve humor and physical slapstick, into heartfelt romance and touching drama is magical, and well worth a fourth or fifth watch.

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Set in a dystopian near future, The Purge follows the annual titular event: a period of 12 hours where any type of crime is permitted as a way of controlling population and improving the economy. Right in the middle of it is James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) who makes a living selling security systems designed to withstand the event. But when he and his family are targeted by a ruthless gang of murderers, they have to find ways to make it through the night.

Despite mixed reviews, the film made a lot of money, which has resulted in multiple sequels and a TV series to come out. It is probably because of those initial mixed reviews that I had stayed away from it, but I had always been curious to jump in. I've read that most of the sequels are better than this one, but being the completist that I am, I wanted to start at the beginning, if I was to jump in.

The thing is that The Purge presents a compelling premise; a society that has essentially found a way to justify and condone crime by giving up to primal impulses, while creating social safeguards around it to pretend that they care. Unfortunately, that premise is then limited for the most part to a basic home invasion film. The novelty of what "the purge" is gets lost in a movie that's really not different from any other home invasion movie.

Hawke and Lena Headey do their best as the lead couple, but they really don't have a lot to do, while their two children range range from obnoxious to irrelevant. The only actor who stands out is Rhys Wakefield as the "polite leader" of the gang. Surrounded by mostly a horde of faceless thugs, his whole demeanor and delivery makes for an antagonist that's at least interesting and fun to watch.

Behind all the main premise, there seems to be an underlying message of not succumbing to these instincts and actually help others, but the whole argument feels muddled and without focus. There is also a twist in the very last act that I wish would've been executed better. If it had, it could've put the main theme back into focus; the realization that everything is a façade and that nothing is ever going to be okay again.

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For this month, I sorta took a break from my usual challenge. Since it was my wife's birthday in May, as well as Mother's Day, I decided to highlight four films that she loves and either led me to, or helped me appreciate more.

So this is my summary for MAY 2024:

Piñero
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
Life is Beautiful
The Pianist


Other films seen during the month:

Short films: Mirror of Holland, Hair-Raising Hare, The Golden Louis, Parent Teacher
80s action films: Big Trouble in Little China, Commando
Horror/thriller films: Cult of Chucky, Hunter Hunter, The Purge
Other films: A Mystery on the Cattle Hill Express, Thor: Love and Thunder


My favorite first-time watch of May was probably Hunter Hunter, which was a very pleasant surprise. Jim Cummings' short, Parent Teacher, is also up there.

The weakest first-time watch was probably A Mystery on the Cattle Hill Express. I could lean into the fact that I'm not the target audience, but my kids weren't that grabbed by it either. They "enjoyed" it, but that's it.

And on that note, back in May I recorded a brief episode of the podcast where I talked about those four films my wife likes, so feel free to check it out.

The Movie Loot 109: My Wife's Loot

Also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other streaming platforms.

Enjoy!

Escape from the Planet of the Apes is the third installment in the original Planet of the Apes franchise. Set immediately after the events of Beneath the Planet of the Apes where Earth was destroyed, it follows the surviving chimpanzees Cornelius and Zira (Kim Hunter and Roddy McDowall) who have just ended in "present" Earth as a result of a time warp. As the two chimpanzees adjust to life on the planet, they have to also adjust to human's violent nature, which could ultimately threaten them.

The main threat against them comes from Dr. Otto Hasslein (Eric Braeden), a science advisor to the President who doesn't trust them, especially after finding out what will happen to humans. But how far will he go to save humanity? On the other hand, Cornelius and Zira are welcomed and helped by two other scientists: Dr. Lewis Dixon and Dr. Stephanie Branton (Bradford Dillman and Natalie Trundy). The two offer some balance against Hasslein's mistrust as they offer the chimpanzees their friendship and eventually their help.

Escape from the Planet of the Apes does have its share of plot contrivances and "silly" moments, particularly in the middle act as we see the many ways that Cornelius and Zira are embraced by the general public. However, it does present an interesting dilemma for its human characters. What do you do upon learning the fate of humanity from Cornelius and Zira? What if you could change things, stop them from happening?

One of the things I like about the film is that, even though Hasslein is clearly an antagonist, you kinda understand why he does what he does. His reasonings to try to save humanity made for a compelling character and story in the midst of the silliness. I remember seeing most of these films on TV when I was a kid and, even if I didn't remember the bulk of what happened, there is a shot in particular that always stuck with me. So it was quite interesting, and still shocking, to see it unfold now. To go back to that question, how far would you go to "save humanity"? How much are we willing to "destroy" to avoid "destruction"?

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The Borderlands follows a Vatican team sent to investigate a series of supernatural occurrences in an old church in the England countryside. The first two to get to the place are Deacon and Gray (Gordon Kennedy and Robin Hill). Despite working for the church, Deacon is a skeptic, but also seems to be hiding something. Meanwhile, Gray is an enthusiastic but mostly non-religious technician that is in charge of setting up cameras to conveniently monitor everything. As the two get deeper and deeper in their investigation, they realize that there might be bigger forces at play.

This is a film I had seen mentioned often on social media, but also while browsing some streaming services. Your enjoyment of it might depend on two key things: first, your tolerance for "found footage" films and second, your tolerance for slow-burn type films. Regarding the former, I guess the film does its best to try to make the constant presence of cameras and headsets feel organic, but you can still see the seams here and there of moments where characters will somehow justify the camera being there.

As for the second aspect, the film does manage to build an atmosphere of dread and uneasiness. Not necessarily because of anything supernatural, but mostly because of the attitude of locals towards their presence. I felt that aspect was mostly successful, and I really liked Kennedy's performance in response to that. Like I said above, it is evident that these people are fighting against things bigger than themselves, but it is also evident in Deacon that there is something consuming him from the inside.

The overall reasonings behind what's happening do feel muddled and for the most part, not properly set up, which I think hinders the payoff a bit in the end. That said, the very last act does ramp up in that uneasiness and pushes things full into horrifying levels. I know I was squirming and fidgeting myself, even if the road to get there wasn't as smooth as I would've wanted.

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Trespass follows Vince and Don (Bill Paxton and William Sadler), two firemen from Arkansas that stumble upon a map for a cache of gold valuables hidden in an abandoned building in Illinois. However, as they set out to retrieve it, they find themselves targeted by a street gang led by King James (Ice T) after they witness them killing someone. Trapped inside the building, Vince and Don must find a way to get out and survive.

Back in the day, I remember often getting this film mixed up with Judgment Night, since both films feature regular men ending up in the wrong place at the wrong time. I remember I saw that one but not this one, so it was fun to take the trip back to the 90s. And Trespass is very much a product of its time. From the portrayal of the street gang to the cast, which is a microcosm of 90's movie stars.

The film doesn't really lose much time. The setup is brief and it doesn't take that long to get things rolling. Once it does, it creates an atmosphere of both claustrophobia and fear as they are unable to escape, mixed with mistrust in both parties. While Vince and Don's friendship crumbles because of greed, King James has to deal with the defiance of his lieutenant Savon (Ice Cube) who wants to have power. It is an interesting dichotomy even if the film doesn't fully take advantage of it.

I have some issues with the choices and decisions of some of the characters, and the film does feel like it should've been 10 or 15 minutes shorter, but the cast makes it worth your while. All of the actors have solid chemistry and it's always a treat to watch Paxton in anything. At the end of the day, Trespass is still a fun watch that plays on the realms of crime, thriller, and survival film that should be worth a watch.

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The characters of Wallace and Gromit debuted in a short film back in 1990. Created by Nick Park using stop-motion technology, they have since appeared in three more short films, two TV series, one feature film, as well as an upcoming one. And yet, this one was my first dive into the characters and what a lot of fun it was.

The Curse of the Were-Rabbit is set in the wake of Tottington Hall's Giant Vegetable Competition. As residents are preparing for it, Wallace (Peter Sallis) and Gromit provide pest control to protect the crops from rabbits. However, they soon find themselves the target of a giant "hideous creature sent to punish them all".. the Were-Rabbit!

There are a bunch of things I really liked about this. From the stellar voice work that includes Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter to the clever visual gags and running jokes, it all worked perfectly. The script doesn't hide the mystery for that long, but I still found myself largely entertained by it all.

Being my first experience with the characters, I found myself captivated by Gromit. He might have just jumped into my Top 5 favorite animated "pets", along with Snoopy, Winnie the Pooh, and Garfield His whole demeanor and his interactions with Wallace were brilliant.

There's also a lot of creativity in the design of Wallace's gadgets and how they work, and I found a lot of the setpieces to be quite thrilling and well shot, especially for a stop-motion animated film. Worth noting that I saw it with one of my kids and he was laughing all the way. Overall, a very pleasant surprise and a lot of fun to watch. Look forward to the short films.

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That's the reassurance that Jae-hyeok (Kim Nam-gil) gives to one of his friends as they're about to walk into certain death. But the possibility of saving more lives goes above their own lives. That is one of the main premises of this South Korean disaster film. Set in a small town whose economy is mostly dependent on a nuclear plant, Pandora follows what happens after an earthquake causes a nuclear meltdown.

Although the film covers many stories, the main focus is on Jae-hyeok, an immature young man that works at the nuclear plant. Still struggling with the loss of his father and brother and anxious to leave town, he is faced with some impossible situations that force him to sorta put the "big boy pants" finally. This reminded me a bit of the character of Gang-du in The Host, although the execution here is not as good.

There are a lot of things that work on the film. There are some genuinely thrilling moments here and there, the special effects and the visuals of the disaster are effective, and for the most part, the majority of the characters are likable and easy to root for. Unfortunately, the film tries to juggle too many little stories that mostly feel like the stereotypical disaster film tropes and that play too much into the melodrama.

There is also a fairly notable subplot surrounding the Korean government and their inability to make the right decisions. I don't think the way this subplot integrates with the main one was entirely successful, but most importantly, its beats feel extremely forced and preachy (nuclear energy = bad). Even though I generally agree with the sentiment about the use of nuclear power, the dialogues about it didn't feel as natural and organic as I would've liked.

Pandora still offers some decent thrills, solid performances, and well-intentioned human moments, but suffers from trying to cover too many bases as well as some excessive melodrama. If you like disaster movies, there are definitely worse ones out there, but there are also definitely better ones out there as well.

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That's one of the ways the bad guy in this film justifies his use of time travel. By doing that, he's essentially several steps ahead of everybody and can plan accordingly, which gives him the reassurance to keep doing his "bad guy" stuff. That is until he stumbles upon Jean-Claude Van Damme's boot. But of course, the bad guy has the reassurance of knowing that so he plans ahead.

TimeCop follows Van Damme's Agent Max Walker, a police officer that becomes a federal agent for an agency created to prevent time travel crimes shortly after his wife (Mia Sara) is killed. The bad guy in question is Aaron McComb (Ron Silver), an ambitious and corrupt politician who has been using time travel to fund his presidential campaign, and who might have something to do with the murder of Walker's wife.

I'm pretty sure I saw this film in theaters, or shortly after, and I've always regarded it as one of Van Damme's best efforts. Rewatching it now after 15 years, I can say it has held up rather well. Even though it has the plot holes and contrivances that are typical of both 90s action movies AND time travel movies, it is still pretty entertaining and fun to watch. Van Damme is serviceable as the lead, but Silver makes for an amusing villain.

Unfortunately, I don't think the film fully takes advantage of its premise. The opening scene with a time-traveling thief stealing a gold bullion from Confederate soldiers is excellent, and the 1929 recreation in the first act is quite good as well. However, in some ways the film doesn't grab my interest later as it does with those two sequences. It's almost as if it was clamoring for the TV treatment with each episode set in a different era (I know there was a TV series like that, but I don't know if it was any good).

Despite those slight issues, TimeCop does stand as one of Van Damme's best. The film still delivers with some pretty decent action and twists, and a pretty good villain. It's not much that we haven't seen in other of his action films, but I find it reassuring to know what the future holds, don't you?

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Our lives are full of thresholds and crossroads; key moments where we have to choose whether to follow a "dream" or just give up on it for the "better good". Those choices can effectively alter the course of our lives, and although we can never go back to figure out what would've happened, the burdens of the "what ifs" are sometimes too heavy. What if I had followed what I wanted? Being on those crossroads is part of what lies within the core of Ti West's X film trilogy.

Pearl follows the titular character (Mia Goth) who was introduced as an old woman in the previous film. Here, we see a young Pearl at one of those crossroads. With dreams of being a movie star and escaping her abusive mother, she is determined to get what she wants. That is until her dreams hit the walls of rejection. That, and the fact that she is, well, a sociopath. All those factors push her into forgetting her dreams and making the best of what she has.

I thought X was a pretty good "slasher" with a bit more depth under the hood. Pearl is not that far from it as it builds on that duality between the title character and Maxine, both played by Goth. Both women have similar backgrounds, raised within abusive environments. Then comes the crossroad. In one key moment from the first film, Maxine defiantly says "I will not accept a life I do not deserve", which immediately puts her on a different path than Pearl, leading up to the third film (which I haven't seen yet).

But it is interesting to see the way that West and Goth, both credited as co-writers, dig into the psyche of Pearl and why she chooses the other path. There is a climatic monologue in the last act, which ends with the above quote, which shows us the frame of mind she's at and what might have led her there. This, and her audition, are peak moments for Goth who elevates this film through and through.

Kudos also to West for his committed recreation of early 20th Century cinema. The way that he evokes that vibe and feeling through music, lighting, set decoration, fonts, etc. especially during the first act, is impressive. Pair that with the fact that all three films probably cost less than $15-20 million to make, ALL THREE, and all of them making more than twice their budget... well, it gives a different meaning to making the best of what we have.

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Imagine staying in a hotel room where you actually can do nothing; just sit back and relax. Pioneering filmmaker Segundo de Chomón gives you a glimpse of that in this early silent film where the hotel itself does everything for you. Hôtel Électrique follows a couple staying at the hotel, while different objects do everything for you. From storing your luggage and polishing shoes to brushing your hair.

Every time I see one of De Chomón's films, I'm just amazed by his skills and trailblazing work. Here, he makes some effective use of stop-motion animation to make it seem like these objects come to life. For 1908, it's an amazing achievement. Like most short films of the time, there's not much else to it in terms of plot and story; but as a showcase of technical ability and prowess from De Chomón, it is impressive.

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That seems to be the sentiment of the three kids depicted in this classic short. Yet another one directed by Segundo de Chomón, Le Théâtre de Bob, or Miniature Theatre, features three kids that put up a miniature show in their room. The short then turns in another impressive showcase of stop-motion animation.

The "miniature show" is split in three parts: a fencing match, a boxing match, and gymnastic show. All three are fun to watch and a visual treat, as far as special effects go. Plus, at a little over 4 minutes, the short is a breeze to get through. After that, I'm sure the three kids went back and said "I'm bored..."

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That's how an online reviewer describes one of George Méliès early short films (read here). La Sirène, or The Mermaid, follows the template of many of the director's early short films, which take advantage of his background as a magician and illusionist. This leads to some wonderful things indeed.

The short features a gentleman (played by Méliès) going through various steps to prepare and fill a fish tank. After various tricks, the camera closes in on the fish tank where a mermaid now lies. Méliès then keeps building on top of it adding more and more things. "Wonderful things" I might say, in a "tiny package" of 4 minutes.

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With the above Bible quote, Paul was warning the people of Corinth of the many ways that the devil can hide amongst us. That premise is part of what kickstarts this thrilling short from George Méliès. The Devil in a Convent starts with a priest addressing a group of nuns only to reveal he is a devil or trickster, and follows what ensues afterwards.

Like many of Méliès short films, this one makes frequent use of illusion different things appear and disappear in the convent. What I really like about this one is how lively and energetic everything is. It borderlines in frenetic, but Méliès still manages to maintain a dance-like nature to it all, which makes it a treat to watch.

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That was a nice stretch of classic short films I caught up with during June. Hope anybody here can check them out. They're short and easy to find.

Ultraman, or Ultras, are gigantic superheroes that protect Earth by combating monsters and aliens; kaijus. The franchise began in 1966, becoming an international success afterwards. My earliest memory of it is either Ultraman or Ultraseven just slamming big monsters and beating them from left to right. But as this new installment would tell us, Ultraman is more than that.

Ultraman: Rising follows Ken Sato, a star baseball player who has to reluctantly take over the role of Ultraman from his estranged father, Professor Sato. But, as luck may have it, he ends up taking care of a baby kaiju, that hatched from one of the creatures he fought. Meanwhile, Dr. Onda, the leader of the Kaiju Defense Force is determined to stop both the kaijus and Ultraman.

The film opens with visuals from a kaiju rampaging through a city, as a narration from Ken says "not a hero, but not a villain either"; so that more or less sets the stage of what the film is aiming for. To perhaps present another perspective of kaijus not as monsters, but as creatures that are not necessarily "guilty" of the damages they're causing; something that is represented by Gigantron, and her baby kaiju.

Regardless of its moral attempts, the film is a lot of fun. There are some pretty cool action setpieces, the characters are well constructed, and the animation is superb. I think that some of the plot threads it lays down could've been executed better; like Ken's relationship with his father, or the parallels that the film tries to draw between Ken's role as Ultraman and his career as a baseball player.

I sat down to watch this with one of my kids. It was my first watch and his second, which means that he really enjoyed it. Even though I'm not a big Ultraman fan, it's something that I remember from my youth. So it was nice to go back to that world, this time with my kid, and see him enjoy the journey.

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General William Sherman, who served during the American Civil War, famously said "War is hell" and that "it is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation." This highlights the impact and effect that war has on those that are right in the middle of it. To this point, a significant number of soldiers from the wars on Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with PTSD. This leads us to the above question: how can we "turn it off" and regain some sort of normalcy?

The Hunted follows a soldier struggling with this: Sergeant Aaron Hallam (Benicio del Toro), a highly skilled Delta Force soldier that has gone rogue as he is burdened by the guilt from all the atrocities he has done and witnessed. Tasked with tracking him down is L.T. Bonham (Tommy Lee Jones), a retired Special Forces instructor that was in charge of training Hallam, and therefore feels responsible for what he's doing.

Director William Friedkin doesn't really waste a lot of time. After a brief prologue showing us what Hallam experienced in the Kosovo War, he drops us right in the middle of his search. Most of the film consists of this cat-and-mouse between both Hallam and Bonham. Coming 10 years after The Fugitive, it's interesting to see how Jones approaches his character. This is not the confident Samuel Gerard. Bonham is soft-spoken, determined but still hesitant at times. On the same note, Hallam is not Kimble. Although we might empathize with his struggle, his actions push him farther from us.

That contrast and duality between Hallam and Bonham is one of the best things about the film. Both characters are burdened and guilt-ridden, unable to "turn it off" and forced to go at each other. I wish the film would've done a better job at making this bond between the two feel stronger. The flashback scenes are there, but I don't think they do enough. The same can be said about Hallam's relationship with his ex-girlfriend or with the soldiers from his former unit, who are also trying to track him down. That would've given the film a bit more weight. Still, Friedkin delivers a pretty solid action thriller with some solid performances and great fight choreographies which, at 94 minutes, is quite breezy to get through.

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