Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2022 Edition

Tools    





BLADE RUNNER
(1982, Scott)
Freebie



"My birthday is April 10, 2017. How long do I live?"

That's a question that most of us have, probably in the back of our minds. How much more time we have to live, and how can I extend that. Whether by medical intervention, health precautions, or religious beliefs, we would like our time to be more than what we have. That is one of the key questions in Ridley Scott's iconic sci-fi film.

Blade Runner follows Deckard (Harrison Ford), a retired "blade runner" tasked with eliminating replicants, human-like androids that are revolting across the galaxy. When a group of four, led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), end up rogue on Earth, Deckard is reluctantly brought back to the fray and sent to find them and terminate them.

I've seen this film a bunch of times, and yet every time I see it, I end up getting more out of it. Whether it is in the contrast between Deckard and Batty, "human" and android, and how they choose to operate, or in Batty's struggle and desire to survive despite his impending and unavoidable doom.

The way that Scott injects all this religious imagery and subtext into the film, sometimes subtly and sometimes right in your face, is excellent. But I also appreciate how he instills the film with this noir-ish vibe, a genre/style that was so preoccupied with how characters can't stop fate. You can meet your "maker", and yet that's not enough to stop the clock.

I rewatched this in preparation for a guest spot on a friend's podcast, but it's always a treat to revisit it, and always a treat to ask ourselves the same questions that Batty and his people ask. How long do I live? and what do I do with the time I have? That's a question we should answer and act on, before things are lost in time... like tears in rain.

Grade:
__________________
Check out my podcast: The Movie Loot!



THE ANDERSON TAPES
(1971, Lumet)
A film from Sidney Lumet



"You want what you can't have. I mean you're always hammering on that locked door."

The Anderson Tapes follows Duke Anderson (Sean Connery), a thief that walks out of a 10-year stint in prison only to plan an elaborate burglary in the apartment building of his girlfriend Ingrid (Dyan Cannon). After getting financed by the Mafia, he recruits a four-man crew for the job. What Anderson doesn't know is that he's the subject of various surveillance groups: the FBI, the IRS, the BNDD, and even a P.I. hired by Ingrid's former wealthy lover.

If you've seen Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven, this is pretty much the same vibe (although maybe a tad more serious). Like Clooney, Connery is a cool-ass motherf**ker in the role of Anderson, but also shows significant shades of morality. It was nice to see him in this role right after his James Bond turn as it shows a bit more range from him. Cannon was also great as his lover, even though I felt her character was undercut. The rest of the supporting cast includes a really young Christopher Walken, a very slick Dick Anthony Williams, and an extremely enjoyable Martin Balsam.

Lumet's direction and use of sound is very effective, as he creates this constant sense of paranoia. He often shoots characters from a distance as we hear static sounds, hinting that we're not alone at any moment. The "recruiting" and planning portion of the film was perhaps my favorite part as we get to see how the interaction between all these characters unfold. I think it would've been good to be more aware of the logistics of who's listening on the other side, maybe to create a better balance of who's against who, but the film leaves them in anonymity for the most part.

I also had some slight issues with the whole last act. I think it lacked the pizzaz that the first two acts had. Still, this was a very cool and enjoyable film with some solid performances, likable characters, and a kinetic direction. One that I wouldn't have an issue to put near the top of the Lumet films I've seen.

Grade:



KUNG FURY
(2015, Sandberg)
A film that starts with the letters K or L



"Before I could pull the trigger, I was hit by lightning and bitten by a cobra. I blacked out, and saw images of ancient Shaolin temples and monks mastering the art of kung-fu. There was an ancient prophecy about a new form of kung-fu so powerful, only one man can master it: The Chosen One. When I woke up, I saw the kung-fu master running towards me. I could feel my body mutate, into some sort of kung-fu freak of nature."

I don't know why, but there's something so profoundly satisfying when you stumble upon a film you know nothing about, and it still manages to surprise you. That's exactly what happened to me when I was looking for something short to watch and found an article that listed a bunch of short films. I chose this one because it fit my criteria ("title that starts with K or L"), barely read what it was about, and just hit PLAY, and what a crazy surprise it was.

If you haven't seen Kung Fury, but most importantly, if you don't know anything about Kung Fury, my advice is to read no further and just look for it. It's only 30 minutes long, and if you have a sense of humor, you'll probably thank me later. For those that choose to read anyway, the film follows the titular character (David Sandberg), a Miami detective with kung fu superpowers that has to stop Adolf Hitler, a.k.a. "Kung Fuhrer", from taking over the world with his army.

If that premise sounds crazy, brace yourself cause that's not even half of it. The film includes a half-man, half-Triceratops cop called *wait for it* Triceracop, an arcade machine robot gone crazy, the norse god Thor, and David Hasselhoff. The film plays on a ton of tropes from 80's action and cop films, while pushing the very limits of absurdity, which you can kinda see in the above quote. The thing is that it does so in a way that's hilarious and earnest at the same time. I think I spent most of the 30 minute runtime laughing at *something*.

The film does feel like its straining a bit to keep the schtick during the last minutes, but I'd say it succeeded. When I finished watching this short film, I felt like I had watched the "best film in the world", which obviously it isn't... but when you see a detective/kung fu master beating Adolf Hitler's ass, while a giant Thor watches, then maybe that's the closest you can get to it.

Grade:



DRAWINGS OF MY BF
(2021, Cooper)
A film about LGBTQ+ lifestyles



"The drawing of the muse so... incessantly has got to say a lot about the relationship for the people. It's not just someone; it's this important person to the artist."

A muse is defined as the "source of inspiration for a creative artist", something or someone that drives them to produce art, music, poetry, sometimes obsessively. That is the case of artist Wilfrid Wood and model Theo Adamson, who met through Grindr when the former was looking for a model. The result was over 1000 drawings, a relationship, an art show, and a documentary short.

Drawings of My BF is that documentary short directed by James Oliver Cooper. It chronicles Wood's incessant drawing of Adamson. But as Wood puts it, "what was a model/artist relationship turned into a bit more". Whether the art drove them to love, or vice-versa, is up to them to decide, but to see the obsessive drive in Wood is quite something.

The documentary is fairly short and simple, featuring voiceovers by both Wood and Adamson talking about their relationship as we see Wood drawing non-stop. What I found more impressive is to see the huge variety of drawings by Wood, all in different styles and sizes. It's not a groundbreaking short film, or something that would probably stick with me years from now, but it's lovely to see that creative connection between two seemingly different people working on so many levels.

Grade:



I WALKED WITH A ZOMBIE
(1943, Tourneur)
A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #6 (#634)



"There's no beauty here, only death and decay."

That's how plantation owner Paul Holland (Tom Conway) describes the island of Saint Sebastian to nurse Betsy Connell (Frances Dee). He knows because he has seen "death and decay" among the slaves his family has brought there, and now sees it in the state of his wife Jessica, who's been in a catatonic state due to a serious illness, and who Betsy has been hired to take care of.

I Walked with a Zombie follows Betsy's attempts to heal Jessica through various methods, including through voodoo rituals that are common in the island. As she discovers the truth behind these rituals, she also finds herself entangled in the family problems between Paul and his half-brother Wesley (James Ellison), as well as their mother (Edith Barrett).

Although I've seen this film attributed more to producer Val Lewton, with whom I'm not that familiar, my main drive to see it was director Jacques Tourneur, who four years later would direct my favorite film noir, Out of the Past. In that department, the film totally delivered. Tourneur uses some great direction and camera movement to build up dread, whether it is through a tense walk through the woods or in a dark humid basement.

The story, on the other hand, I found more lacking. The relationship between Betty and Paul is poorly constructed and feels half-baked (even unnecessary?), and the two actors have no chemistry. Plus, what seems to be the main issue with Jessica's condition feels more like a plot device than something we should really care for. Finally, I wish more had been done with the interference of white colonizing characters like the Holland/Rand's or Dr. Maxwell in black Caribbean cultures, slavery, and racism, but for the most part, it is only brushed over.

Still, the film owes a lot to its atmosphere and the aforementioned direction by Tourneur. There's a lot of imagery that's effective and kinda creeps under you. Paul Holland is right; there is only death and decay, but in Tourneur's hands, there is beauty in that.

Grade:



UNDYING LOVE
(2011, Hauksson)
A film from Iceland



"You have to eat, darling"

During the last 10-20 years, the zombie horror sub-genre has been beaten to death (no pun intended) by filmmakers and studios with great and not so great results. From the horrific to the comical, from the endless thrills of Train to Busan to the seemingly interminable Walking Dead, and its spin-offs.

Despite this long parade of films, series, and short films, it is fun to still find some efforts that don't try to reinvent the wheel, but are still effective to some extent. That is the case of this short film from Icelandic filmmaker Ómar Örn Hauksson. Undying Love is a fairly simple short about a lonely man (Hilmir Jensson) trying to survive in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse.

At roughly 12 minutes, it's hard to talk about it without spoiling anything, but I'll just say that it was fairly well made, and well acted. With that little time, Jensson does a solid job conveying all the mixture of emotions that his character goes through. It might not bring the genre back to life, but it sure gives it a jolt.

Grade:



Now that I got all my reviews for the month in check, here is my final tally for JUNE 2022:

A film with the number 6 (Six, Sixth, etc.) in its title: Six Men Getting Sick
A film that starts with the letters K or L: Kung Fury
A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #6 (i.e. 16, 621, 906): I Walked with a Zombie (#634)
A film from the 1960s: The House Is Black
A horror film: Near Dark
A film with the word "Summer" in its title: Summer School
A film about LGBTQ+ lifestyles (Pride Month): Drawings of My BF
A film about fathers: Brats
A film from Iceland (Independence Day, June 17): Undying Love
A film from Sidney Lumet (born June 25): The Anderson Tapes

Freebie: The Heart of the World, A Gun for George, Blade Runner






Taking a cue from the 5th Short HoF, I went crazy with short films last month 8 out of the 13 films I saw were short films, which, given my current situation, was extremely convenient. But other than that, it was interesting to dive into that "subgenre" of films.

Anyway, as far as favorites go, Blade Runner was the clear winner. But if we discount rewatches, I have to say that Kung Fury tickled my funny bone like few comedies have done But other than that, The Anderson Tapes, A Gun for George, and The House is Black, were all pretty good entries.

As for least favorite, probably Drawings of My BF, which probably has more to do with the simplicity of its topic rather than its quality.



Aaaand here are the criteria for JULY 2022

A film with the number 7 (Seven, Seventh, etc.) in its title: Seven
A film that starts with the letters M or N: Nu, Night and Fog
A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #7 (i.e. 17, 743, 671):
A film from the 1970s: Hedgehog in the Fog
A musical:
A film with "America" in its title:
A film about aliens or alien abductions (World UFO Day, July 1):
A film about Islam or Islamic characters (Eid al-Adha, July 19):
A film from Vanuatu (Independence Day, July 30):
A film from William Wyler (born July 1):


As usual, recommendations are welcome!



Here are some suggestions:

A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #7 (i.e. 17, 743, 671): L'Argent (#171)
A musical: Tokyo Tribe, a Japanese rap musical about the Yakuza.
A film with "America" in its title: In America
A film about aliens or alien abductions (World UFO Day, July 1): The Vast of Night



A musical: Tick Tick BOOM, The American Astronaut, The Lure, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
A film with "America" in its title: The American Astronaut, In America, The American Friend, American Utopia
A film about aliens or alien abductions (World UFO Day, July 1): If you're still on a short kick, check out Abductees (below); Brother From Another Planet, Liquid Sky
A film about Islam or Islamic characters (Eid al-Adha, July 19): Four Lions, Battle of Algiers, Osama
A film from William Wyler (born July 1): The Best Years of Our Lives, Dead End




SEVEN
(2018, Morgan)
A film with the number 7 (Seven, Seventh, etc.) in its title



"My father once told me that up here, this far north, with no day and night, it's easy to get lost. To think you're right when you're wrong."

Life is full of choices; choices we make because we know it's right, choices others make for us, and choices we make because others expect it from us, even though we know it's wrong. The latter seems to be at the center of this short film from James Morgan.

Set in a remote Scandinavian village, Seven follows Yohana (Dagny Backer Johnsen), a young woman that has to decide the fate of a kidnapped oil worker (Nicholas Boulton). We are told that oil companies and rigs have been threatening the peace and environment of their village, and apparently a conflict of some kind resulted in the death of Yohana's father and leader of the village.

But we don't get to see any of that; just the aftermath, the moral conflict of what to do. Should we pay an eye for an eye? Are there other motives to have this outsider die? Yohana is accompanied in her task by the village elder (Trond Teigen), who begs of her to go forward: "It's important you go through with this. We need to send a message."

So the film becomes a game of choices. Choices others make for us, like the elder stepping up after the death of their leader; and choices we make because others expect it from us, like Yohana's choice to carry on this trial or not. All three of them dealing with hesitancy in the face of tough choices and unknown consequences, trying not to get lost.

This is a great short in pretty much every aspect. First of all, it is beautifully shot, with some gorgeous cinematography and skilled editing. Second, all three main performances are pretty good, with Teigen being particularly notable for me. The way he conveys strength in spite of insecurity, with a little bit of shadiness, is perfect.

I like that the short film doesn't really try to take sides. It just puts us right in the middle of this ritual, along with the characters. It's up to us to decide what we think it's right or wrong.

Grade:



Here are some suggestions:

A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #7 (i.e. 17, 743, 671): L'Argent (#171)
A musical: Tokyo Tribe, a Japanese rap musical about the Yakuza.
A film with "America" in its title: In America
A film about aliens or alien abductions (World UFO Day, July 1): The Vast of Night
Haven't seen any, but I'm interested. Thanks!



A musical: Tick Tick BOOM, The American Astronaut, The Lure, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
A film with "America" in its title: The American Astronaut, In America, The American Friend, American Utopia
A film about aliens or alien abductions (World UFO Day, July 1): If you're still on a short kick, check out Abductees (below); Brother From Another Planet, Liquid Sky
A film about Islam or Islamic characters (Eid al-Adha, July 19): Four Lions, Battle of Algiers, Osama
A film from William Wyler (born July 1): The Best Years of Our Lives, Dead End

The only ones I've seen from this list are Four Lions and Battle of Algiers. I tried to see Osama a couple of years ago, I think it was on Prime, but I gave up because I think the captions were not working properly or some other malfunction with the video. Anyway, will consider. Thanks!



HEDGEHOG IN THE FOG
(1975, Norstein)
A film from the 1970s



"If the horse goes to sleep, will it sink in the fog?"

That's the question that little Hedgehog (Mariya Vinogradova) asks himself as he stumbles upon a magical-looking white horse in the midle of the forest. Will it sink in the fog? Should he go explore? You see, little Hedgehog seems to be a bit too preoccupied about "creepy creatures" in the fog, but should he be?

Hedgehog in the Fog is an impressively made short, in terms of animation. But more importantly, an incredibly charming one. It follows Hedgehog as he embarks on a journey to meet his friend Bear (Vyacheslav Nevinnyy). But on the road, he gets lost in the fog as anxiety kicks in and he starts feeling terrified about the different creatures around him: an owl, a snail, a bat, an elephant, and much, much more.

But not the horse. The horse draws him in, and perhaps helps him realize that not everything has to go wrong; not everything has to be bad or terrifying. The fog doesn't have to be bad, not every creature is out to get him, things that were lost can be found, paths that were missed can be retaken, and true friends will always worry for you and wait for you.

Grade:



BLADE RUNNER
(1982, Scott)
Freebie





That's a question that most of us have, probably in the back of our minds. How much more time we have to live, and how can I extend that. Whether by medical intervention, health precautions, or religious beliefs, we would like our time to be more than what we have. That is one of the key questions in Ridley Scott's iconic sci-fi film.

Blade Runner follows Deckard (Harrison Ford), a retired "blade runner" tasked with eliminating replicants, human-like androids that are revolting across the galaxy. When a group of four, led by Roy Batty (Rutger Hauer), end up rogue on Earth, Deckard is reluctantly brought back to the fray and sent to find them and terminate them.

I've seen this film a bunch of times, and yet every time I see it, I end up getting more out of it. Whether it is in the contrast between Deckard and Batty, "human" and android, and how they choose to operate, or in Batty's struggle and desire to survive despite his impending and unavoidable doom.

The way that Scott injects all this religious imagery and subtext into the film, sometimes subtly and sometimes right in your face, is excellent. But I also appreciate how he instills the film with this noir-ish vibe, a genre/style that was so preoccupied with how characters can't stop fate. You can meet your "maker", and yet that's not enough to stop the clock.

I rewatched this in preparation for a guest spot on a friend's podcast, but it's always a treat to revisit it, and always a treat to ask ourselves the same questions that Batty and his people ask. How long do I live? and what do I do with the time I have? That's a question we should answer and act on, before things are lost in time... like tears in rain.

Grade:
Well, I like it better now than I used to, but I'd still Villeneuve's sequel outdid it: https://letterboxd.com/stusmallz/fil...runner-2049/1/



Well, I like it better now than I used to, but I'd still Villeneuve's sequel outdid it: https://letterboxd.com/stusmallz/fil...runner-2049/1/
I feel like I owe BR 2049 a rewatch. I actually started rewatching it the day after I rewatched Blade Runner, but I dozed off in the middle. Not the film's fault, though. It was pretty late... but overall, the film really didn't stick with me when I first watched it.



I feel like I owe BR 2049 a rewatch. I actually started rewatching it the day after I rewatched Blade Runner, but I dozed off in the middle. Not the film's fault, though. It was pretty late... but overall, the film really didn't stick with me when I first watched it.
Was your first time in a theater, out of curiosity?