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Victim of The Night
I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell (2009)


A favorite of mine, and my girl surprisingly liked it as well (she wanted to watch by her request). It is obviously offensive to women (detestably so), but the humor is in line with other buddy-type comedies.
They made a movie out of that?!
A dude gave me his other book, Assh*les Finish First, and I thought it was one of the most awful things I ever read. Just the worst sort of Bro validating his own worst instincts.
Hopefully this movie was better.



Point taken. I am ashamed to admit that buying a gift card to make up for the intrusion did cross my mind. Alas, there's likely a "No Visitor Questions" sign on the front door akin to the "No Stairway to Heaven" sign in the Wayne's World guitar store.
You just gotta be subtle about it. Ease into it.
"The craziest thing just happened! On my way here a bird flew inside my car! Have you ever heard of such a thing?"



You just gotta be subtle about it. Ease into it.
"The craziest thing just happened! On my way here a bird flew inside my car! Have you ever heard of such a thing?"
Hmm...tempting.
"Got anything in Sateen? Ahem...satin?"



Victim of The Night
I absolutely LOVE Devil's Backbone. And I like Pan's Labyrinth even if I find that it feels overlong to me. I also like everything else I've seen from him, which apparently is everything except Nightmare Alley.

Shape of Water fell into the same category as a lot of his film for me, which is to say: neat premise, handful of great visuals, thin story. I think that the cast of Shape of Water does a good job of bringing something extra to their characters, but it isn't enough.
Devil's Backbone and Cronos are amazing films. But he's gone Spielberg on us.



I forgot the opening line.

Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6678907

Fanny and Alexander - (1982)

I watched the theatrical version of this last night, and really enjoyed it - over the next few days I might give the longer version a try. I almost thought the entire film was going to revolve around one Christmas, for we stay with the wealthy Ekdahls celebrating for quite a while, but I was engrossed in the visual beauty of their home and the joy of their Christmas, with Swedish touches which were unfamiliar to me. The rest of the film focuses on young Alexander and Fanny in this semi-autobiographical film, and it sometimes leans towards mysticism and magic - which I didn't mind. There was one character near the end - Ismael, (played by Stina Ekblad) - who is fascinating. She's almost an Antichrist kind of figure, locked in a room - and she can read minds, become one with people and even summon death. She's not a villain, though I think she certainly could be if let free. I didn't expect that in Fanny and Alexander - a film that feels like a fairy tale, with it's two young characters locked away by a wicked stepfather in a castle-like rectory/church/home. The film's long running time never bothered me - Ingmar Bergman knows how to make any scene compelling and interesting. I remember when this was released, because there was a great deal made out of it - but I would have been too young to really appreciate it at the time.

8/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 81/100
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Latest Review : Le Circle Rouge (1970)



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.

A Lion Is in the Streets (Raoul Walsh, 1953)
5.5/10
Funeral Home (William Fruet, 1980)
5/10
Cry of the Hunted (Joseph H. Lewis, 1953)
5.5/10
Cow (Andrea Arnold, 2021)
6+/10

Non-narrated documentary about the loneliness (the births aren't too lonely) and complete control of cows' daily life. Powerful ending.
Hullabaloo (Edwin L. Marin, 1940)
5.5/10
Ship Ahoy (Edward Buzzel, 1942)
6/10
Panama Hattie (Norman Z. McLeod, 1942)
5.5/10
Metal Lords (Peter Sollett, 2022)
+ 6/10

Two friendless high school metalheads (Adrian Greensmith & Jaeden Martell) need to form a group before the Battle of the Bands but the former's strict definition of metal causes problems.
Killer Party (William Fruet, 1986)
5.5/10
The Bubble (Judd Apatow, 2022)
5/10
Hell Night (Tom DeSimone, 1981)
5.5/10
Bull (Paul Andrew Williams, 2021)
6.5/10
Non-linear thriller/mystery about the chief hitman (Neil Maskell) of British crime lord David Hayman seeking revenge on his boss and his "family" for their many misdeeds.

The Drowning Pool (Stuart Rosenberg, 1975)
6/10
Beyond the Time Barrier (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1960)
4/10
Crash (David Cronenberg, 1996)
5.5/10
The Outfit (Graham Moore, 2022)
+ 6.5/10

Chicago, 1956. Not what he seems to be, English cutter (don't call him a tailor) Mark Rylance shows the evidence he has which can take out most of the crime world.
Alice (Krystin Ver Linden, 2022)
5.5/10
Stardust (Gabriel Range, 2020)
5/10
Coast (Jessica Hester & Derek Schweickart, 2021)
5.5/10
Bob le Flambeur (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1956)
- 6.5/10

Ironic telling of gangster Bob (Roger Duchesne) trying to win back money legitimately from a casino he's simultaneously trying to rob..
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Out of curiosity, have you guys seen A Moment of Innocence? It's similar to Close-Up in the sense it combines narrative and documentary filmmaking, but I liked it much more. It's not only my favorite Iranian film of all time, but also one of my favorite films of all time in general. It might be a bit hard to track it down, but if you're able to do so, I highly recommend watching it.
Haven't seen it, thanks for the recommendation!



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Chicago: The Terry Kath Experience - 10/10
One of the favorite bands. One of the first bands I ever heard as a kid. A legendary guitarist/singer.

It's Free on YouTube. Sad he died at 31 of an accidental gunshot to the head.




Sex and the Single Girl (1964) This was a blast! Natalie Wood is wonderful here and she has great chemistry with Tony Curtis. The film is witty, fun and laugh out loud funny. Really entertaining and enjoyable.



I forgot the opening line.

By Studio and or Graphic Artist - [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65211700

Freshman Year - (2020)

This film is called Freshman Year in Australia, which is strange, because the word "Freshman" isn't a thing here - and I don't think the original title would have caused much of a stir. Anyway, here we have Alex Malmquist (Cooper Raiff) - a university student who is struggling away from home. He frequently calls his mother, has no friends and talks to his stuffed animals. He meets Maggie Hill (Dylan Gelula), who just wants to have no-strings-attached sex with him, much to his consternation. In a first attempt he's unable to, but they end up keeping each other company during a drunken night where they bond, and then eventually have sex - but next morning she wants nothing to do with him, and this sends Alex reeling, desperately trying to reconnect. The film kind of criticizes both characters for either being too loose, or too uptight - but both have some depth and the film has a kind of realism to it that's nice. I wasn't sure about the ending though.

7/10


By Studio and or Graphic Artist - [1], Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65211700

The Girl on the Bridge - (2020)

Documentary about a survivor of numerous suicide attempts advocating for the mentally ill and suicidal and creating a web series about a friend she could not save. I was constantly worried through this as pressure comes to bear on Jazz Thornton, who has apparently survived 14 suicide attempts. She once ignored a message from a close friend (thinking, "here we go again") and it turned out this friend was about to take her own life. Thornton goes to schools to lecture about suicide, talks on radio shows and counsels families who have lost a loved one - she lives through the ups and downs and stresses of the work she does, but has somehow quelled the demons that used to haunt her. I'd still keep a close eye on her though.

6.5/10


By John Chrin - IMDb, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52867194

Operation Avanlanche - (2016)

I was disappointed in this film which follows a handful of CIA agents who discover NASA can't possibly land men on the moon by 1969 so assist them in faking the landing. First of all, the agents are played by what seem to me to be immature 16 year-olds. I know they're meant to be green, but these hopeless kids (who act like they're still in school) were annoying and even if this is meant to be farcical, I couldn't buy it. Secondly, the first moon landing is faked and everything is dismantled, burned and some people killed or driven away. What about the other moon landings? They had to have been faked as well. This film was so dumb it gave me a headache. I like the found-footage genre, and the way Stanley Kubrick is spliced into the film is clever - but the screenplay needed a lot more work. I understand it's meant to be a comedy, so realism is expected to be more elastic - and one scene where a suited up astronaut on the moon is brawling with a CIA guy made me laugh out loud - but I still disliked this film.

4/10


By IMP Awards / 2021 Movie Poster Gallery / Willy's Wonderland Poster, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66474492

Willy's Wonderland - (2021)

Despite the poor ratings this has been getting, I had to take a look. Nicolas Cage channeling crazy through facial expressions and body language (he never speaks in this film) was something I felt was just a little too restrictive, even for him. In one scene he plays a pinball machine while dancing, and it was a moment where I was far too aware that this was Cage doing a crazy dance because he's Cage and has the reputation. It lacked any semblance of the kind of crazy that comes naturally from him - it was Cage impersonating himself to a degree. There's a lot of that in this film, which is easily summed up as a slasher with killer robots who have adopted the souls of serial killers ala Child's Play. Cage is a badass who dispatched them with ease, as other kids meet their slasher fate. This movie offers nothing more than that - Cage locked in a novelty restaurant killing robots. It's fun, but so anemic - all of the other performers have zero screen presence or character.

6/10



We are X -


This is a very satisfying documentary about legendary Japanese rock band X Japan. It succeeds as an exploration of the band's history, how much they impacted popular Japanese music - the Visual Kei movement in particular - their highly devoted and cult-like fans, etc. It is perhaps more interesting as an exploration of death, particularly when it comes to its place in Japanese culture. After all, death is a big influence in the band, especially in drummer and bandleader Yoshiki's case, who provides most of the commentary. I was moved by how the documentary delves into how a death in his family affected him as a child as well as how he nearly plays himself to death at concerts, thus making him a case study on how death gives meaning to life. The movie's treatment of suicide also got to me, something that sadly impacted both the band and its fans. The movie is definitely not all doom and gloom, though: how it portrays the joy and passion the band has for making music and that their fans have for it is infectious. The movie comes close to being a hagiography at times, and even though Yoshiki probably should do most of the talking, I wish I got to know more about the rest of the band. I still think the band's biggest fans and casual ones like myself who recently got into them will get something out of it.




Inland Empire (2006, David Lynch)

Lynch's 3-hour tour de force of mind and time-bending 'dream logic' sorcery is 'Mulholland Drive' on steroids, but not quite as effective imo. There is some semblance of plot in the beginning but as the film progresses it turns into a literal nightmare that never ends — a non-linear, disorienting and absolutely impenetrable abyss of the subconscious. I'm sure there are lots of interpretations of what's going on there — my personal takeaway is that this type of cinema is best viewed not to be fully understood and analysed but to be dived into and experienced for what it is — a cinematic equivalent of a descent into insanity. The film is shot entirely on digital, which gives it a cheap but oddly uncanny look, replete with unsettling angles, lighting and handheld camerawork. Largely driven by Laura Dern's hauntingly distressing performance, almost teetering on the verge of nervous breakdown, Inland Empire rarely relents its grip on the viewer, who is perpetually stuck in a hypnotic twilight zone where the boundaries between dream and reality, time and place, causation and consequence are blurred and warped beyond comprehension.

Inland Empire is a difficult and often brilliant piece of filmmaking but it's also hellishly long (which means it has its ups and downs) and hard to understand, almost to the point of being confusing for confusion's sake. I adore Lynch but in this case I think he failed to properly rein in his sprawling experimentalism and marry it with a more cohesive and effective plot (imo).

I need to watch this again someday — I feel it has the potential to grow on me.




Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6678907

Fanny and Alexander - (1982)

I watched the theatrical version of this last night, and really enjoyed it - over the next few days I might give the longer version a try. I almost thought the entire film was going to revolve around one Christmas, for we stay with the wealthy Ekdahls celebrating for quite a while, but I was engrossed in the visual beauty of their home and the joy of their Christmas, with Swedish touches which were unfamiliar to me. The rest of the film focuses on young Alexander and Fanny in this semi-autobiographical film, and it sometimes leans towards mysticism and magic - which I didn't mind. There was one character near the end - Ismael, (played by Stina Ekblad) - who is fascinating. She's almost an Antichrist kind of figure, locked in a room - and she can read minds, become one with people and even summon death. She's not a villain, though I think she certainly could be if let free. I didn't expect that in Fanny and Alexander - a film that feels like a fairy tale, with it's two young characters locked away by a wicked stepfather in a castle-like rectory/church/home. The film's long running time never bothered me - Ingmar Bergman knows how to make any scene compelling and interesting. I remember when this was released, because there was a great deal made out of it - but I would have been too young to really appreciate it at the time.

8/10

Foreign Language Countdown films seen : 81/100
Do give the longer version a try too. Both are masterpieces.
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