2010 Screening Log
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Films seen in January
01. Extract (2009, USA) Mike Judge - worth seeing [C+]
02. United States of Tara SSN 1 (2009, USA) Diablo Cody creator - above average
03. Up in the Air (2009, USA) Jason Reitman - a must see [B-]
04. White Lightnin' (2009, UK) Dominic Murphy - worth seeing [C]
05. The Chaser (2008, S. Korea) Na Hong-jin - a must see [B-]
06. Acolytes (2008, Australia) Jon Hewitt - has redeeming facet [D]
07. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973, USA) Peter Yates - Masterpiece
08. The Color of Money (1986, USA) Martin Scorsese - a must see
09. Just Another Love Story (2007, Denmark) Ole Bornedal - worth seeing [C+]
10. Dead-End Drive In (1986, Australia) Brian Trenchard-Smith - a must see
11. Into the Night (1985, USA) John Landis - Excellent
12. Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993, USA) Mel Brooks - has redeeming facet
13. Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009, USA) Phil Lord and Chris Miller - worth seeing [C]
14. Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009, USA) John Krasinski - worthless [F]
15. Lonely are the Brave (1962, USA) David Miller - a must see
16. Ginger Snaps: Unleashed (2004, Canada) Brett Sullivan - worth seeing [C]
17. Eastbound & Down SSN 1 (2009, USA) Jody Hill, Ben Best, Danny McBride [creators] - [2nd viewing; no change in rating ***]
18. Up (2009, USA) Pete Docter & Bob Peterson (co-director) - [2nd viewing; rating downgraded slightly from **** Masterpiece to **** Excellent]
19. Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008, USA) Sacha Gervasi - a must see [B]
20. Picasso Trigger (1988, USA) Andy Sidaris - worth seeing
21. The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans (2009, USA) Werner Herzog - a must see [B]
22. Wise Blood (1979, USA) John Huston - Masterpiece
23. Night of the Demons 2 (1994, USA) Brian Trenchard-Smith - worth seeing
24. Brief Encounter (1945, UK) David Lean - a must see
25. Perfect Getaway (2009, USA) David Twohy - worth seeing [C+]
26. Moon (2009, UK) Duncan Jones - a must see [B+]
27. The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus (2009, UK) Terry Gilliam - a must see [B]
28. The House That Dripped Blood (1971, UK) Peter Duffell - worth seeing
29. The Lovely Bones (2009, USA) Peter Jackson - has redeeming facet [D]
30. These are the Damned (1963, UK) Joseph Losey - Excellent
31. Wake in Fright (1971, Australia) Ted Kotcheff - Masterpiece
32. The Invention of Lying (2009, USA) Ricky Gervais & Matthew Robinson - a must see [B]
33. The Brothers Bloom (2008, USA) Rian Johnson - a must see [B]
34. The Getaway (1972, USA) Sam Peckinpah - Excellent
The ending is truly flawed, but given the cold control Peckinpah displays on the rest of the picture, one can forgive such a thing...
35. Bend It Like Beckham (2002, UK) Gurinder Chadha - has redeeming facet
36. 35 Shots of Rum (2008) Claire Denis - a must see [B+]
37. I Like Killing Flies (2004, USA) Matt Mahurin - a must see [B+]
38. Beyond Dreams Door (1989, USA) Jay Woelfel - worth seeing
39. Powder Blue (2009, USA) Timothy Linh Bui - worthless [F]
Just about everything I hate about Contemporary American cinema wrapped neatly into a star-studded-P.T. Anderson-plagiarized art film shell. To say I hated the fuckin’ thing would be an understatement.
40. Cujo (1983, USA) Lewis Teague - worth seeing
41. Whip It (2009, USA) Drew Barrymore - worth seeing [C+]
42. Big Fan (2009, USA) Robert D. Siegel - a must see [B-]
s1. Green Porno - Bon Appetit (2009, USA) [short] Isabella Rossellini & Jody Shapiro - average
43. This Is It (2009, USA) Kenny Ortega - worth seeing [C+]
44. The Resurrected (1992, USA) Dan O'Bannon - a must see
45. Man Push Cart (2005, USA) Ramin Bahrani - a must see [B]
Films seen in February
46. Bright Star (2009, UK) Jane Campion - a must see [B]
47. Triangle (2009, UK) Christopher Smith - a must see [B-]
48. House of the Devil (2009, USA) Ti West - Excellent [A-]
49. Age of Consent (1969, Australia) Michael Powell - a must see
50. Home (2008, Switzerland) Ursula Meier - a must see [B]
51. Conan the Destroyer (1984, USA) Richard Fleischer - worth seeing
52. Love Exposure (2009, Japan) Sion Sono - Masterpiece [A]
53. Phantom of the Paradise (1974, USA) Brian De Palma - a must see
54. Couples Retreat (2009, USA) Peter Billingsley - has redeeming facet [D]
55. The Cove (2009, USA) Louie Psihoyos - Excellent [A-]
56. Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009, UK) Phil Claydon - worth seeing [C-]
57. Cold Souls (2009, USA) Sophie Barthes - worth seeing [C]
58. Streets of Fire (1984, USA) Walter Hill - a must see
59. I Could Never Never Be Your Woman (2007, USA) [2008 based on DVD Premiere] - worth seeing [C]
60. Slime City (1988, USA) Greg Lamberson - has redeeming facet
61. 24 City (2008, China ) Jia Zhang Ke - a must see [B+]
s2. Cry Me a River (2008, China ) Jia Zhang Ke [short] solid stuff.
63. Revanche (2008, Austria) Götz Spielmann - Excellent [A-]
64. Coco Before Chanel (2009, France) Anne Fontaine - worth seeing [C-]
65. Shutter Island (2010, USA) Martin Scorsese - a must see [B+]
66. Container (2006, Sweden) Lukas Moodysson - Excellent [A-]
67. Drag Me to Hell (2009, USA) Sam Raimi [unrated Dir. cut?] 2nd viewing; no change in rating: ****
68. Air Guitar Nation (2006, USA) Alexandra Lipsitz - worth seeing [C+]
69. Death in a Garden (1956, France) Luis Buñuel - a must see
70. Link (1986, UK) Richard Franklin - worth seeing
71. The Box (2009, USA) Richard Kelly - a must see [B-]
72. Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (2009, USA) Ti West - worthless [F]
Ti West is one of the few in a new young generation of Horror filmmakers out there who genuinely excites me. It’s a goddamn shame that the DGA denied his claim to be discredited from this pathetic pile of shit, as I would hate for it tarnish the career of such a promising talent. Anchor Bay dvd does not win any fans with their DVD release either – West shot in a 2.40:1 scope, while the studio re-shoots are in a mismatching 2.35:1 – the DVD itself is anamorphically formatted for 2.35:1 so everything West shot is a squished disaster of pencil-faced people. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me, post-screening this DVD went straight into the trash can.
73. Foreignland (1984, Austria) Götz Spielmann [short] 16mm, 45 min. - below average
74. Black Dynamite (2009, USA) Scott Sanders - a must see [B]
"Your knowledge of scientific biological transmogrification is only outmatched by your zest for kung-fu treachery." -- This is borderline genius.
75. The Pit and the Pendulum (1991, USA) Stuart Gordon - a must see
76. High and Low (1963, Japan) Akira Kurosawa - Masterpiece
77. The Centerfold Girls (1974, USA) John Peyser - worth seeing
78. The Headless Woman (2008, Argentina) Lucrecia Martel - a must see [B]
79. The Forest for the Trees (2003, Germany) Maren Ade - Masterpiece
s3 . Wallace and Gromit in 'A Matter of Loaf and Death' (2008, UK) Nick Park [short] 28 min. - worth seeing
s4. French Roast (2008, France) Fabrice Joubert [short] 8 min. - a must see
s5. Granny O'Grimm' Sleeping Beauty (2008, Ireland) Nicky Phelan [short] 6 min. - has redeeming facet
s6. Lady and the Reaper (2009, Spain) Javier Recio Gracia [short] 8 min. - has redeeming facet
s7. Logorama (2009, France) François Alaux, Herve de Crecy, Ludovic Houplain - a must see
Films seen in March
80. Food, Inc. (2008, USA) Robert Kenner - worth seeing [C]
81. Duck (2005, USA) Nicole Bettauer - worthless [F]
82. Spetters (1980, Netherlands) Paul Verhoeven - worth seeing
s8. Estes Avenue (2005, UK) Paul Cotter [short] 3 min. Color - worth seeing
83. Alice in Wonderland (2010, USA) Tim Burton - worth seeing [C+]
84. Hi, Mom! (1970, USA) Brian De Palma - a must see
85. We Live in Public (2009, USA) Ondi Timoner - a must see [B]
86. The September Issue (2009, USA) R.J. Cutler - worth seeing [C+]
87. Alexander the Last (2009, USA) Joe Swanberg - worth seeing [C-]
88. The Long Riders (1980, USA) Walter Hill - a must see
Solid stuff all round, and Hill is clearly on his game (editing abounds!). The inventive casting goes a long way, but I just wish this wasn't so indebted to The Wild Bunch
89. Blue Collar (1978, USA) Paul Schrader - Masterpiece
Incisive, entertaining, maybe even timeless (it’s sure as hell still relevant today), this documents the woes and mischief of a trio of Detroit line workers as they uncover corruption in their union, and it's probably as good as anything I expect to see this year. Amazing that this was Schrader’s first film as it is arguably his finest. Pryor was never better.
90. Gentlemen Broncos (2009, USA) Jared Hess - has redeeming facet [D]
With the exception of Jemaine Clement, whose performance as a pretentious Sci-Fi author is one of those comic gems that it practically makes this thing worth recommending, this is ultimately a gigantic misfire from Hess. His brand of outcast humor and personal filmmaking simply does not lend itself to recognizable actors playing dress up; it needs an unknown to lend that uncomfortable hint of authenticity to the role (something Napoleon Dynamite had). In today’s YouTube age I can spare you the film and send you off with this…
91. Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009, USA) Lee Daniels - worth seeing [C+]
s9. Boat (2007, USA) David Lynch [short] Digital, 8 min. - a must see
93. In the Electric Mist (2009, USA) Bertrand Tavernier - a must see [B+]
94. The Cheerleaders (1973, USA) Paul Glickler - worthless
95. Alice in Wonderland (1933, USA) Norman Z. McLeod - worth seeing
96. Carriers (2009, USA) Àlex Pastor & David Pastor - has redeeming facet [D+]
97. Eyes of Crystal (2004, Italy) Eros Puglielli - worth seeing [C]
Modern day giallo has some moments, but remains a bit too predictable, especially in a genre known for its twists, to be anything major.
98. Just for the Hell of It (1968, USA) Heschell Gordon Lewis - worthless
99. Blast-Off Girls (1967, USA) Heschell Gordon Lewis - worth seeing
100. The Tin Drum (1979, West Germany) Volker Schlöndorff - a must see
Many of the complaints about this film failing to work as allegory are spot on, but its just too damn bizarre and unique to dismiss as a failure.
s10 . La Cabina (1972, Spain) Antonio Mercero (35mm Color, 34 min.) - Masterpiece
Here’s an uncovered treasure – a man enters a phone booth and becomes trapped, possibly the victim of some sort of human mousetrap, will he ever escape? – this surreal blend of Tati physical and Bunuel psychological storytelling is ripe for rediscovery. Antonio Mercero snatched an Emmy for his work on this, but besides some slight notoriety amongst cult/surreal film circles, the film remains all but forgotten today. Take the time and seek this one out, you wont regret it.
101. Broken Embraces (2009, Spain) Pedro Almodóvar - a must see [B-]
102. I Think We're Alone Now (2008, USA) Sean Donnelly - a must see [B]
A documentary about two troubled souls who are in love with the Pop singer Tiffany, and how their obsession has earned them the label of “stalker.” Low budget docs like this, rooted in Shirley Clarke’s masterpiece A Portrait of Jason, are potent reminders that flashy titles and dramatic scores have no place in a documentary film. It is enough to simply record a real person, one with real feelings and hardships, and let your drama take its own shape.
103. The Ghost Writer (2010, UK) Roman Polanski - Excellent [A-]
104. Afterschool (2008, USA) Antonio Campos - a must see [B-]
105. He Knows You're Alone (1980, USA) Armand Mastroianni - worthless
106. The African Queen (1951, USA) John Huston [3rd viewing; first in 10+ years, no change in rating ****]
107. The Fourth Kind (2009, USA) Olatunde Osunsanmi - has redeeming facet [D+]
s11 . "Telephone" - Lady Gaga music video (2009, USA) Jonas Åkerlund - has redeeming facet
108. Brothers (2009, USA) Jim Sheridan - worth seeing [C+]
A little too forced for my tastes, with musical cues on every scene telling us exactly how we should be feeling. Following In America though, I'm inclined to say that Sheridan might be one of the finest directors of children we have. He soars in those scenes...
109. The Watcher in the Woods (1980, USA) John Hough - worth seeing
Probably last seen back in 1986 -- I was six years old -- and I believe I had to turn the TV off. Too terrifying!
110. The Vicious Kind (2009, USA) Lee Toland Krieger - a must see [B-]
Described as "the best film Neil LaBute never made" by the Village Voice, and I can't say I disagree. LaBute himself Executive Produced, and while the film is a bit predictable and hard to swallow at times, the seething misanthropy beneath the surface makes me long for the LaBute of old to return to these types of pictures. Krieger handles the widescreen frame exceptionally well and his actors have the chops to carry his script. Solid stuff all around, I'm curious to see what's on the horizon.
111. Black Snake (1973, USA) Russ Meyer - has redeeming facet
112. Dread (2009, USA) Anthony DiBlasi - has redeeming facet [D-]
113. The Stepford Wives (1975, USA) Bryan Forbes - a must see
Films seen in April
114. Greenberg (2010, USA) Noah Baumbach - a must see [B-]
115. Ossos (1997, Portugal) Pedro Costa - Excellent
116. The Secret of Kells (2009, Ireland) Tomm Moore - worth seeing [C+]
117. Mr. Jealousy (1997, USA) Noah Baumbach - a must see
118. Bitch Slap (2009, USA) Rick Jacobson - worthless [F]
119. Carlito's Way (1993, USA) Brian De Palma - Masterpiece
120. Dirty Mary Crazy Larry (1974, USA) John Hough - a must see
121. The Devil, Probably (1977, France) Robert Bresson - a must see
122. How to Train Your Dragon (2010, USA) Dead DeLois & Chris Sanders - a must see [B-]
123. Beeswax (2009, USA) Andrew Bujalski - a must see [B+]
124. Chop Shop (2007, USA) Ramin Bahrani - a must see [B]
Slumdog stripped of all the hokey BS.
125. Treeless Mountain (2008, USA/South Korea) Kim So Yong - worth seeing [C+]
126. Westworld (1973, USA) Michael Crichton - a must see
127. The Giant Claw (1957, USA) Fred F. Sears - worth seeing
128. Serbis (2008, Philippines) Brillante Mendoza - worth seeing [C+]
129. Suburban Secrets (2004, USA) Joseph W. Sarno - worthless
130. Dark Star (1974, USA) John Carpenter - a must see
131. Blood Work (2002, USA) Clint Eastwood - a must see
132. I'm Gonna Explode (2008, Mexico) Gerardo Naranjo - a must see [B-]
133. The Young Victoria (2009, UK) Jean-Marc Vallée - worth seeing [C]
134. An Education (2009, UK) Lone Scherfig - a must see [B-]
135. The Hangover (2009, USA) Todd Phillips [2nd viewing; last seen Jul '09, no change in rating ***]
136. Zombies of Mass Destruction (2009, USA) Kevin Hamedani - worthless [F]
137. The Final (2010, USA) Joey Stewart - worth seeing [C-]
138. Lake Mungo (2009, Australia) Joel Anderson - worth seeing [C+]
139. Crazy Heart (2009, USA) Scott Cooper - a must see [B-]
140. The Witches (1990, UK) Nicolas Roeg - a must see
141. The Blind Side (2009, USA) John Lee Hancock - worth seeing [C-]
142. Kill Theory (2009, USA) Chris Moore - worth seeing [C-]
143. Uncertainty (2009, USA) Scott McGehee & David Siegel - has redeeming facet [D-]
144. The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970, USA) Sam Peckinpah - Excellent
145. It's Complicated (2009, USA) Nancy Meyers - worth seeing [C]
146. Armored (2009, USA) Nimród Antal - worth seeing [C]
147. The Keep (1983, UK) Michael Mann - worth seeing
148. Halloween II (2009, USA) Rob Zombie - worth seeing [C]
149. Passing Strange (2009, USA) Spike Lee - worth seeing [C+]
150. White Hunter, Black Heart (1990, USA) Clint Eastwood - Masterpiece
Films seen in May
152. The Car (1977, USA) Elliot Silverstein - a must see
153. Mammoth (2009, Sweden) Lukas Moodysson - a must see [B]
154. The Dead Pool (1988, USA) Buddy Van Horn - has redeeming facet
155. Lifeforce (1985, UK) Tobe Hooper - has redeeming facet
156. The Human Centipede (2009, Netherlands) Tim Six - worth seeing [C]
157. London in the Raw (1964, UK) Arnold L. Miller - worth seeing
Average Mondo film, strives for playfulness rather than shock value, which is a welcomed change of pace for that genre.
158. Tetro (2009, USA) Francis Ford Coppola - worth seeing [C]
Gorgeous cinematography, but what an awful script. Gallo carries this one on his back.
159. Easier With Practice (2009, USA) Kyle Patrick Alvarez - worth seeing [C+]
Potent indie stuff, along with The Vicious Kind, there seems to be a stream of hard edged Labute influenced indies out there, the perfect antidote to the Post-Juno nonsense.
160. Babies (2010, France) Thomas Balmes - worth seeing [C-]
A doc on babies. Works best when it isn't hammering home jokes with cross cutting, and simply let's the viewer find their way through the material.
161. Air Doll (2009, Japan) Hirokazu Koreeda - a must see [B-]
Too whimsical for my tastes but another solid effort from Koreeda who seems to always want reinvent himself.
162. The Haunted World of El Superbeasto (2009, USA) Rob Zombie - worth seeing [C+]
Surprisingly entertaining and creative, actually owes more to classic Warners cartoons and rises above being just a succession of horror film nods.
163. The Devil's Rejects (2005, USA) Rob Zombie - 3rd viewing; last seen 12/05; rating upgraded from *** to **** Masterpiece
Just keeps getting better, and now I think its something major. I think I had Zombie all wrong. Mosley should have been recognized for one of the best supporting performances of the decade.
164. Daybreakers (2009, Australia) Michael & Peter Spierig - a must see [B]
Boy my radar was off on this... I skipped it Toronto and it ends being one of the best genre films of last year. Potent is an understatement -- this script has something serious to say about the state of the global economy. Finally vampires are more than just a hip trend...
165. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, USA) Wes Craven - 3rd viewing; last seen ??; rating downgraded from *** to ** worth seeing
It's just not as great as most make it out to be. The De Palma copping at the end is also unforgivable.
166. The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976, UK) Nicolas Roeg - Excellent
Rather brilliant, and not just in a cult film sort of way, it’s a deeply realized bit of pulp philosophy. Derails slightly at the end, but I could care less by that point.
167. Fragile (2005, UK) Jaume Balagueró - has redeeming facet [D+]
Balagueró has skills but besides creating a little atmosphere and effectively reproducing the Jap ghost story for a different brand of audience, there is simply nothing to get excited about here.
168. A Talking Picture (2003, Portugal) Manoel de Oliveira - a must see [B+]
Dreamlike, philosophical, at times deeply pretentious, this picture snakes it way into a place you'd never expect it to reach and ends on a note so baffling that I had to wonder if I had missed something. It was only later upon reading some comments by Jonathan Rosenbaum that my suspicions were confirmed, this picture Bunuelian to the core.
169. Bad Timing (1980, UK) Nicolas Roeg - a must see
Plays like like the remarkable sex scene in Don't Look Now made into a feature film and exhibits just about every positive and negative inherent with such a concept.
170. BMX Bandits (1983, Australia) Brian Trenchard-Smith - worth seeing
Nicole Kidman's feature debut and Trenchard-Smith's most tame film, plays out like your typical "kids get mixed up with gang of goons, goons try to eliminate pesky kids, kids save the day." 80's camp factor of dudes popping serious BMX wheelies abounds though, which is always a plus.
171. Purana Mandir (1984, India) Shyam Ramsay &Tulsi Ramsay - has redeeming facet
My first exposure to Bollywood horror and let's just say I'm not rushin' out to see more. At 144 min this feels like a patch quilt of about 3 different films, although the horror elements do have a sort of visual charm that was simultaneously showing up in the States via Sam Raimi.
s12. Splatter (2009, USA) Joe Dante [short, 26 min.] - worth seeing
Roger Corman produced short by the great Dante, feels like a Hammer film hammered out on a mediocre budget.
171. The Messenger (2009, USA) Oren Moverman - a must see [B]
Incredible performances, with a pulse of Cassavetes-like realism, is more than just comment on the war, but a look at the human response to the inevitable confrontation with death we all deal with in our lives.
s13. Dead & Lonely (2009, USA) Ti West [short, 25 min.] - worth seeing
Serial made for IFC and available for free online. Keeps you watching, but the builds up to very little. West's understated horror works better at feature length.
172. [.REC] 2 (2009, Spain) Jaume Balagueró & Paco Plaza - a must see [B+]
Very strong sequel, picks up where the first left off, but abandons the long-take approach for a more choppy, special effects driven thrill ride. The scripting and pacing are spot-on and the resulting frenetic film is one of incredible control. Great stuff.
173. Cargo 200 (2007, Russia) Aleksey Balabanov - worth seeing [C+]
It's an eye opener to be sure, but I'd be lying if I said I could explain the politics behind it all -- and since almost everything Balabanov includes is a political jab of some form -- I must confess to not fully "getting it."
174. Gross Pointe Blank (1997, USA) George Armitage - worth seeing
I think Armitage is sharp, but this is one of those "witty scripts" that I have a hard time stomaching, like a precocious child you just want to smack.
175. Valhalla Rising (2009, UK) Nicolas Winding Refn - Excellent [A-]
Brutal and deftly executed, Refn has produced a purely primal film, a thinking man’s version of 300 blended with Malick’s The New World. If you think that sounds like a batshit crazy Herzog-riff you may be right, but wait until you have your breath taken away by the ever-gorgeous visuals that contrast lush lowlands with the shattering of human skulls. A case for further study for sure…
176. The Descent: Part 2 (2009, UK) Jon Harris - has redeeming facet [D]
Lame sequel which rehashes the first film's action but leaves out every bit of tension and character which raised the first film to greatness.
177. Tentacles (1977, Italy) Ovidio G. Assonitis - worthless
The worst movie I have ever seen constructed with a cast of great actors. Astonishing really, there is not a single thing to enjoy here...
s13. Trailers From Hell (2008, USA) Joe Dante, Edgar Wright, Mick Garris, Eli Roth
It's hard to complain about having some of your favorite directors spout off about some of their favorite films. The Dante commentaries are especially exceptional. VIEW HERE.
178. Explorers (1985, USA) Joe Dante - a must see
Falters a bit by the end, but not before hammering home a meaty philosophical point, and it's potency like this that makes Dante the true master of the Spielberg/Lucas family film adventure
s14. “Smack My Bitch Up” -- video for Prodigy (1997, UK) Jonas Ackerlund [umpteenth veiwing, ****]
With the exception of maybe Thriller, this remains one of the best music videos ever made.
Films seen in June
179. Cloak & Dagger (1984, USA) Richard Franklin - a must see
A childhood fav, that not only retains all of it's magic, but holds even richer treasures for the more mature viewer apt to pick out all of Franklin's Hitchcock nods as well as the deeper meaning of the film's father/son psychology.
180. Yatterman (2009, Japan) Takashi Miike - Excellent [A-]
Miike at his most anarchist is capable of out doing Tarantino and Eli Roth. Miike at his most playful, as is the case here, is capable of making some of the most inventive and enjoyable family films out there -- the kind that we convince ourselves Robert Rodriguez's is making -- in the world according to Adam, this movie would be on fucking lunchboxes!
181. Invaders from Mars (1986, USA) Tobe Hooper - has redeeming facet
Well, maybe if the kid could act...
182. Megane aka Glasses (2007, Japan) Naoko Ogigami - Excellent [A-]
Snuck up out of nowhere on me, don't buy into the negative buzz, this a zen film that approaches the mastery of early Kitano, mixed with an enthralling stasis that rivals Jarmusch, it combines culinary charm and the natural world in such a way that I didn't want to stop looking through Ogigami's glasses...
183. Avatar (2009, USA) James Cameron - [2nd complete viewing, last seen 12/09, no change in rating ****]
Far from perfect and the shortcomings only become more apparent on the small screen, however I can't shake the visionary scope of this film.
184. Splice (2010, Canada) Vincenzo Natali - worth seeing [C+]
Natali is not a "creature" nor a visceral director, so the cerebral first half of the film which sticks to the science is wonderful, while the final half, which is about as over the top as Verhoeven's Hollow man, the word "falters" would be putting it lightly.
185. The Wolfman (2010, USA) Joe Johnston - worthless [F]
I don't even know what this movie was about. No seriously. Not a clue.
186. Defendor (2009, Canada) Peter Stebbings - worth seeing [C-]
Clever film about a man who believes he's a super hero. It's odd how movie ideas seem to spawn in pairs (cf. Kick-Ass). This is a smaller more realistic approach, but for my money, the real star of this breed of film is the little seen Special.
187. Hachiko: A Dog's Story (2009, USA) Lasse Hallström - worth seeing [C-]
Devastatingly sad story, but not much of a film.
188. Tell-Tale (2009, USA) Michael Cuesta - worth seeing [C]
The whole "transplanted organ is possessed!" theme is better left in heydays of EC comic horror, but this tale about a vengeful heart, is compulsively watchable. Cuesta seems to be gravitating towards horror these days, and to my surprise, he has a knack for it, his unaired pilot for the zombie-themed Babylon Fields just picked up stock in my book.
189. Let the Right One In (2008, Sweden) Tomas Alfredson - [2nd viewing, last seen 3/09, no change in rating ****]
First viewing of the film with the correct subtitles, bullies become more cruel and foul mouthed, and some subtle humour is revealed in places, but for the most part the film plays the same. The young Lina Leandersson's performance is incredible.
190. Crows Zero (2007, Japan) Takashi Miike - a must see [B]
Like most Miike, it's hard to know how to approach this. Young thugs attend high school solely to beat the shit out of each other and gain rank. Things grow to a boil and eventually we have a 200 man brawl, at which point Miike decides to cross cut with a Jap-Pop musical performance, undermining the machismo vibe like a slap in the face. This is more than just Manga stylized violence, and surely not a comment on Japanese youth culture, Miike is out to lambast the yakuza picture. By portraying the gangster heroes/villians as a bunch of misguided youths posturing for power, we see the criminal underworld is nothing more than a schoolyard to live out their childish fantasies.
191. United States of Tara Season 2 (2010, USA) Diablo Cody creator - worth seeing
Cody wrote like one episode? This season felt like a neglected child...
192. Pink Cadillac (1989, USA) Buddy Van Horn - a must see
This movie is pure Eastwood and at the same time the anti-Eastwood film, anti-climatic with the ending, it's essentially a course on pathos, ethos, and logos in the Eastwood canon. All in all great stuff and vastly overlooked.
193. The Stepfather (2009, USA) Nelson McCormick - has redeeming facet [D]
The whole demystification of the suburbs thing has long been played out and the fact that the politically sharp edge of the 1980's Reagan era original is no longer pertinent did not stop Hollywood from remaking this one. With not a drop to say it leaves hardly an impression, but there is some suspense to had in between. Hey, where the hell is that Mandy Lane movie?? That shit was pretty good...
194. Achilles and the Tortoise (2008, Japan) Takeshi Kitano - a must see [B+]
The best in Kitano's recent self-relfection trilogy, this harkens back to the shit-eating grin humor of his early films (something that never ceases to get a belly laugh out of me), while also being a potent look at the struggle for artistic originality and the absurd lengths we go to achieve it.
s14 . Elevated (1997, Canada) Vincenzo Natali [short, 19 min.] - worth seeing
One of those shorts you aren't really crazy about, but you know the filmmaker is destined for a promising feature-length work.
195. Quid Pro Quo (2008, USA) Carlos Brooks - worth seeing [C-]
The cold and clinical melancholia we typical associate with Atom Egoyan is the method of choice from newcomer Carlos Brooks who employs this unusual approach to a script so absurd, it has to be taken with a dose of dark humor in order to work. The story deals with a subculture of folks who envy the paralyzed, pretending themselves to be crippled; they depend on their wheelchairs for a sense of self. There is a predictable twist, some fine acting (when is Farmiga bad?), and enough bizarre dysfunctional sorrow on display to keep things watchable, but it’s a tough pill to swallow, both as truth or as metaphor. Bunuel would have had a field day with a story like this, but Brooks barely seems to scratch the surface.
s15. Amazing Stories - SSN 2.16 -- "Family Dog" (1987, USA) Brad Bird [short] - a must see
Very entertaining little short, evokes classic Warner's 'toons and Tim Burton's unmistakable visuals give that skewed look to suburbia that plays nicely off Bird's traditional sense of humor.
196. Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971, UK) Roy Ward Baker - worth seeing
Doesn't nearly go far enough exploring the gender/sex/homosexual/transexual/etc possibilities set forth by the script, but Baker's classical approach to the material gives it all a very weird Paul Morrissey vibe. Definitely one of the more bizarre offerings from Hammer Studios ...
197. Death and the Maiden (1994, UK) Roman Polanski - Excellent
Masterfully crafted thriller that occupies a world where everything is a little “off,” from the strange choice of actors, to the fake exotic local, it plays out like a fever dream of pent up fears and anxieties, that explodes in a burst realist drama. Even the minor films in the Polanski cannon are something major.
198. The Night Flier (1997, USA) Mark Pavia - a must see
An overlooked gem that builds to a rolling boil, this is written and directed with an intensity sorely missing from the majority of contemporary horror films. The resolution is a bit of a letdown, but the journey is well worth taking. Happy to see this filmmaker has a sophomore project underway.
199. Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983, USA) Jack Clayton - has redeeming facet
In the early 80’s Walt Disney was producing some tremendously interesting, if not wholly successful live-action films aimed at child audiences, but carrying a darker more adult edge. This one is marred by an abundance of poor special effects so you are never really able to get your imagination going, but had you been given the chance, the story about a wicked carnival that overtakes a small town screams potential. Movies like this don’t get made in America anymore, which makes it hard not to appreciate this in some form.
200. North Face (2008, Germany) Philipp Stölzl - a must see [B-]
I expected Touching the Void, and I got an equal amount of suspense, but also a riveting love story and a wonderful pre-WWII setting wherein the doomed mountain climbers are a symbol for the bald-faced arrogance of the German empire. Stölzl displays remarkable control utilizing his landscapes to figure a larger role in the film
201. Seagull Diner aka Kamome Diner (2006, Japan) Naoko Ogigami - a must see [B+]
Appreciating the quiet, simpler pleasures of life is what Ogigami is all about, be it a well made cup of coffee, a cold Sapporo on a hot day, a comforting silence, the smell of a new place, and what it means to share these moments with another person. These intangible elements are difficult to capture on film, and they can’t be realized without the viewer bringing a bit of themselves to the experience -- film cannot tell us what coffee tastes like -- a character drinks coffee, most of us know what that character is tasting. It is this notion – the intangible senses -- that Ogigami uses to bring us into his filmic worlds, linking us to the characters on screen much as they are linked to each other. There is no room for hate, sex, violence, or money in these movies, their tone is “life” and they exude it effortlessly.
202. An American Werewolf in London (1981, USA) John Landis [2nd viewing, last seen 11/03] - a must see
This one has gotten better for me over the years and Landis is a great deal better than I’ve ever given him credit for. The key is not approaching this as a horror film.
s16. Day & Night (2010, USA) Teddy Newton [short] - worth seeing
Cute little love story showcases some clever animation. Oscar short film fodder.
203. Toy Story 3 (2010, USA) Lee Unkrich - worth seeing [C+]
These Pixar projects are beginning to feel like a brainstorming session wherein a dozen different people’s great ideas are pieced together to form one big crowd-pleasing picture. It’s hard not to enjoy, but movies are not an assembly line, and mass-produced media has never really been my cup.
204. The Maid (2009, Chile) Sebastián Silva - a must see [B-]
Very well acted little film about a bat-shit-crazy housemaid and her struggle to define a life of her own in a profession that requires her to live through others. Silva’s film is socially and politically relevant, but the picture is marred by some horrendous cinematography that does a disservice to scene after scene of brilliant material.
205. Youth in Revolt (2009, USA) Miguel Arteta - a must see [B-]
206. Escape to Witch Mountain (1975, USA) John Hough - worth seeing [rating downgraded; last seen many moons ago]
s16. La maison en petits cubes (2008, Japan) Kunio Katô [short, 12min, hand drawn] - worth seeing
207. Funny People (2009, USA) Judd Apatow - worth seeing [2nd viewing; no change; last seen 08/09]
208. Grand Prix (1966, USA) John Frankenheimer - a must see
209. Caged (1950, USA) John Cromwell - worth seeing
210. The Blues Brothers (1980, USA) John Landis - Excellent
211. Father of My Children (2009, France) Mia Hansen-Løve - a must see [B-]
I'm more or less ambivalent to this on first viewing. Hansen-Løve has something to show us and I'd love to explore more, but this is a little too novelistic for my tastes. Killer soundtrack.
Films seen in July
212. The Crazies (2010, USA) Breck Eisner - has redeeming facet [D]
Boom. Pretty dumb.
213. Cat's Eye (1985, USA) Lewis Teague - worth seeing
It's funny that all I hear about it the Troll segment, but in fact the first two are small marvels, harkening back to vintage EC comic horror, and the Troll bit borders on camp these days. Over the top morality parables are so underrated...
214. Hot Tub Time Machine (2010, USA) Steve Pink - worth seeing [C-]
Ok, so we could only come up with a half-dozen 1980's jokes??? The set-up is great, but is wasted on a bunch of "dick and fuck Apatow-humor" and throws the 80's setting to the wayside.
215. Caddyshack (1980, USA) Harold Ramis - a must see [umpteenth viewing]
s17. “Smack My Bitch Up” -- video for Prodigy (1997, UK) Jonas Ackerlund [umpteenth veiwing, ****]
s18. Impaled (2006, USA) Larry Clark [last seen: 07/08; no change in rating ****]
217. A Single Man (2009, UK) Tom Ford - worth seeing [C+]
218. Sleepaway Camp (1983, USA) Robert Hiltzik [3rd viewing: last seen 04/04; no change in rating ***]
219. Romancing the Stone (1984, USA) Robert Zemeckis [first viewing in many years; no change in rating ***]
220. Frownland (2007, USA) Ronald Bronstein - worth seeing [C+]
221. Suicide Girls Must Die! (2010, USA) Sawa Suicide - worthless [F]
222. Doghouse (2009, UK) Jake West - worth seeing [C]
223. Stand By Me (1986, USA) Rob Reiner [first viewing in many years; no change in rating ***]
224. Invictus (2009, USA) Clint Eastwood - a must see [B]
225. Point Break (1991, USA) Kathryn Bigelow [first viewing in many years; no change in rating ****]
226. Yes Man (2008, USA) Peyton Reed - worth seeing [C]
227. Life During Wartime (2009, USA) Todd Solondz - worth seeing [C+]
228. Midnight Madness (1980, USA) Michael Nankin & David Wechter [first viewing in many years; no change in rating ***]
229. Inception (2010, USA) Christopher Nolan - a must see [B]
230. Don't Look Back (2009, France) Marina de Van - worthless [F]
231. She's Out of My League (2010, USA) Jim Field Smith - worth seeing [C-]
232. Death Race 2000 (1975, USA) Paul Bartel - second viewing, last seen 11/03, no change in rating ***
233. Chloe (2009, Canada) Atom Egoyan - worth seeing [C+]
234. Summer Wars (2009, Japan) Mamoru Hosoda - a must see [B-]
235. Solomon Kane (2009, UK) Michael J. Bassett - worth seeing [C]
236. What About Bob? (1991, USA) Frank Oz - a must see
237. Year One (2009, USA) Harold Ramis - worth seeing [C+]
238. Galaxy of Terror (1981, USA) Bruce D. Clark - worth seeing
239. The Happiest Man in the Triple Cities: The Legend of Masty Huba (2010, USA) Kyle McKeveny - No rating assigned*, but please take the time to look this one up
A very honorable and personally felt look at one man's life, this rises above your standard talking heads bio pic and becomes a revealing and compelling look at the bygone era that gave rise to such an indomitable spirit and the community that faded away with him.
[* rating on hold given my personal relationship with the filmmaker and the fact that this may not have been a final cut]
240. A Town Called Panic (2009, France) Stéphane Aubier & Vincent Patar - worth seeing [C]
241. Forbidden World (1982, USA) Allan Holzman - worth seeing
242. La Belle Personne (2008 France) Christophe Honoré - worth seeing [C]
243. The Jerk (1979, USA) Carl Reiner - a must see
244. Lovely Rita (2001, Austria) Jessica Hausner - a must see
245. Dolly Dearest (1991, USA) Maria Lease - worthless [F]
246. Killer Nerd (1991, USA) Mark Steven Bosko & Wayne A. Harold - worthless [F]
Films seen in August
247. The Apartment (1960, USA) Billy Wilder - Masterpiece
248. Fat Girl (2001, France) Catherine Breillat [second viewing, no change in rating ****]
249. Gidget (1959, USA) Paul Wendkos - worth seeing
250. Monsters, Inc. (2001, USA) Peter Docter & David Silverman - a must see
251. Amazon Women on the Moon (1987, USA) Joe Dante, Carl Gottlieb, Peter Horton, John Landis, Robert K. Weiss - a must see
252. Vernon, Florida (1981, USA) Errol Morris - Excellent
253. Humanoids from the Deep (1980, USA) Barbara Peeters - a must see
254. Dexter Season 1 (2006) James Manos Jr. creator - a must see
256. After.Life (2009, USA) Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo - has redeeming facet [D]
Highly stylized nonsense executed with a poker faced seriousness that only a Euro-import director would dare attempt. Ricci nudity seems to be attracting many viewers, but her performance resembles nothing more than that of a walking corpse (literally), while the rest of the cast seems lost amidst the lofty arthouse aspirations.
257. Space Raiders (1983, USA) Howard R. Cohen - worth seeing
Childhood fav of mine, shows producer Corman in recycle mode utilizing cutting room fodder from Battle Beyond the Stars and the umpteenth incarnation of James Horner's awesome epic sci-fi score. For a young kid who would go batshit for anything resembling Star Wars this gets the job done, but it fails to stand on its own as anything substantial.
258. Graphic Sexual Horror (2009, USA) Barbara Bell & Anna Lorentzon - has redeeming facet [D]
Picture is structured much like its title, in that it aims to catch your attention and shock in its detailing of a notorious S&M website that pushed the limits until the department of homeland security stepped in, but beyond the initial horror, it is evident that the filmmakers are afraid or unable to dig deeper into the images they obtained.
s19. Don't (2007) Edgar Wright [short] 2min. 16mm [2nd viewing, last seen 04/07, downgraded from **** Masterpiece to **** Excellent]
s20. Thanksgiving (2007) Eli Roth [short] 2min. 35mm [2nd viewing, last seen 04/07, no change in rating ***]
259. Heartless (2009, UK) Philip Ridley - worth seeing [C]
Ridley has some serious chops, but the last thing this world needs is another horror film dealing with Faustian pacts. Here's hoping another project is less than 10 years down the road.
260. The Man with Two Brains (1983, USA) Carl Reiner - a must see
Why does my generation and those that followed seem to have no concept of the staggering genius that was early Steve Martin comedy?
261. Blood River (2009, USA) Adam Mason - a must see [B]
An absolute powerhouse performance by Andrew Howard, and a fairly reserved approach to some deeply metaphysical stuff by Mason elevates this above your standard Twilight Zone knock-off into something darker and more personal than most will be prepared handle, and this is exactly why I thought it was great.
262. The Lost Skeleton Returns Again (2009, USA) Larry Blamire - has redeeming facet [D]
Things take a major turn for the worse in this sequel, which is a shame, as the first film is a personal fav and something I hoped marked the presence of a bold new sensibility in low-budget spoofs. This one is poorly shot, poorly written, and the cast feels like they are merely going through the motions and nobody is in-tune with Blamire's vision. Major disappointment.
263. Evil Angel (2009, USA) Richard Dutcher - worth seeing [C-]
A real bitch of a demon jumps from body to body, and has done so for centuries, leaving a wake of dead men behind her. Passable marks all around for acting, execution, and liberal amounts of tasteful nudity and gore keep this one above late-night cable fodder, but Dutcher's story comes off like a meth-fueled bombardment of twists and turns, and could certainly have benefited from a few trims.
264. Piranha 3D (2010, USA) Alexandre Aja - worth seeing [C+]
Ever since he immigrated to the US to make films, Alexandre Aja has been responsible for a string uninspiring genre entries. With Piranha 3D he is still making bad films, but at least he is aware of that fact and this awareness goes a long way towards making this work enjoyable. A great time to be had, even if there is nothing defining on display.
265. Dark and Stormy Night (2009, USA) Larry Blamire - worth seeing [C]
A big improvement over the train wreck that is The Lost Skeleton Returns Again, but still a far cry from the first Cadavra film. It's nice to see Blamire once again adopt a cinematic style, as well as narrow the scope of what he is 'spoofing', something which plagued LSRA (which was all over the place and shot in hideous faux B&W ), and the cast of players does a terrific job exploiting their various "Old Dark House" tropes. Don't write this guy off just yet folks!
266. Dexter SSN 2 (2007, USA) Various - a must see
Addicting as all hell, this is cliff hanger serialization of the highest order. There are so many moral dilemmas worth considering, but I never took the time to think, as the show for better or worse, compelled me to simply watch watch watch.
267. Neighbor (2009, USA) Robert A. Masciantonio - worthless [F]
Um - what? America Olivio sticks a swizzle stick in a mans penis and then sits on him. Masciantonio has such a crude understanding of continuity that one scene had me rewinding as I thought my DVD skipped. How are people backing this dog?
268. Clash of the Titans (2010, USA) Louis Leterrier - worthless [F]
A perfect example of slapdash Hollywood filmmaking that reeks of dollar minded execs out to cash-in. Only barely does this constitute a film, it's more or less a bunch of CGI sequences held together by a few flesh and blood actors out to collect a paycheck and move on with their lives.
269. The Last Exorcism (2010, USA) Daniel Stamm - has redeeming facet [D+]
Sorry Eli. The concept of a preacher out to expose himself and his craft as a fraud is a potent set-up with lots of room to take jabs at the role of religion in the modern world, but when every scare is curbed from some other docu-horror movie, and the philosophical storyline abandoned for a twist that is more than a tad unconvincing in the established reality driven scenario, audiences will chuckle at your movie.
270. Marathon Man (1976, USA) John Schlesinger - worth seeing
It's shocking to think that this left a big enough impact on viewers in the mid-70's that it's reputation still lingers even though the on-screen torture would not earn a PG-13 rating in a torture-porn ruled 2010. A solid thriller, but heavily dated to the desensitized eyes of this viewer.
271. Must Love Death (2009, Germany) Andreas Schaap - has redeeming facet [D+]
Ok I'm officially done with this torture porn shit.
272. Brewster McCloud (1970, USA) Robert Altman - Masterpiece
And my faith is restored.
Films seen in September
273. Dexter SSN 3 (2008) Various - worth seeing
OK, commence movie watching.
274. City Island (2009, USA) Raymond De Felitta - a must see [B]
Took me by surprise. Dysfunctional family dramedy is usually not my cup, but like De Felitta's deeply underrated Two Family House, this is a small budget picture without lofty aspirations and executed with careful passion for the story that is evident in every scene.
275. Machete (2010, USA) Robert Rodriguez & Ethan Maniquis - has redeeming facet [D]
....
From the tacky performances right down to the horrific CGI (muzzle flares and ricocheting bullets -- really?) this was about as much grindhouse as the god awful Bitch Slip. A baffling misfire from a genuinely talented filmmaker.
276. Centurion (2010, UK) Neil Marshall - worth seeing [C-]
Lacks the scope for an epic, but comes across as a tad too serious for pure genre. Valhalla Rising trumps this one in just about every category and it's safe to say that the further Marshall strays from horror, the more he struggles. I appreciated the effort and Marshall's desire to dabble in just about every category of film imaginable is commendable, but with the exception of Axelle Carolyn in Marshall's now trademark "strong woman," this just doesn't kick enough ass.
277. True Blood SSN 3 (2010, USA) Various - has redeeming facet
I can officially move on with my life now.
278. Cop Out (2010, USA) Kevin Smith - worth seeing [C-]
Smith is a writer first and foremost, and to separate him from that writing in the service a lesser written script, is a complete and utter waste. He does his best with this formulaic cop picture, but it's never nothing less than awkward, even if a few clever ad-libs get you to crack the occasional smile.
279. Dexter SSN 4 (2009, USA) Various - a must see
Returns to the tricks of the first season, effective, but one feels the well going dry soon.
280. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010, UK) Banksy - Masterpiece [A]
Brilliant hoax/con/art project, Banksy has constructed a modern day F is for Fake that puts the entire art world, the audience, and himself on the chopping block. Love or hate it, there is no denying this film's ability to get into your head and spark a brushfire of ideas. Personally I'm still reeling...
281.The New Daughter (2009, USA) Luis Berdejo - a must see [B]
I love the feeling of popping in a straight-to-dvd horror film with little to no expectations, and discovering something that is better than 90% of what is getting released these days. Berdejo, who travels in the same circles as Paco Plaza and Jaume Balagueró, executes his fright show like a skilled veteran -- even though this is his first feature -- aiming for simple dread and atmosphere over clever scripting. The less you know, the better, don't even read a synopsis, and for God's sake don't look at that hilariously misleading cover art, just watch it. A new talent in horror awaits you.
282. At the Earth's Core (1976, UK) Kevin Connor - has redeeming facet
Points for the neat sets and campy art direction, however this is basically your low water mark for both Amicus and Cushing.
283. The Exploding Girl (2009, USA) Bradley Rust Gray - a must see [B]
Compared to the works of Hou Hsiao-hsien by Tony Rayns, this low budget indie in the mumblecore vein charts a few days in the life of a fragile young girl in need of affection while on break from college. Beautifully lensed by Eric Lin and with a magnetic performance by the adorable Zoe Kazan (Elia's granddaughter), this is fragile but rewarding filmmaking, and a fine example of some of the great things happening in American Indie filmmaking.
284. Sweet Karma (2009, Canada) Andrew Thomas Hunt - has redeeming facet [D]
Basic exploitation picture with a female revenge set-up that succeeds with an engrossing plot and a nice twist finale, but shies away from any political commentary while at the same time toning down the sleaze factor. If you are going to make a picture like this, at least be willing to take risks -- or perhaps thats what they were doing when they gave the central role of a penniless immigrant to a plastic surgery enhanced centerfold type? Call me bored.
285. When the Levee's Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2006, USA) Spike Lee - a must see [B]
Impressive throughout, but where many say this is one of Lee's finest, I find documentary filmmaking of this nature to be a bit irksome. Lee has drawn a line in the sand, you are either with him or against him, and while you can appreciate the angry nature of his approach given the subject matter, a 4-hour browbeat seems a tad like overkill. Lee is an artist unafraid to bring his soapbox to work, and frankly our country needs more influential artists like him.
286. The Town (2010, USA) Ben Affleck - a must see [B-]
An admirable sophomore effort from Affleck, who has proven to be a surprising talent behind the camera, this is fairly standard material (ie. banks heists, love interest doesn't know the crook is a crook, crook wants to go straight but can't, etc), elevated by some fine performances, as well as Affleck's reserved almost Eastwood-like approach to the material. One wonders if Affleck is still interesting when working outside of his comfort-zone of Boston based dramas, as the similarly set Good Will Hunting and Gone Baby, Gone were both excellent, and as he clearly thrives within the setting of his hometown, this is one viewer who hopes he doesn't stray anytime soon.
287. Paper Moon (1973, USA) Peter Bogdanovich - Masterpiece
288. Standard Operating Procedure (2008, USA) Errol Morris - a must see [B-]
s20 . Boardwalk Empire - Pilot Episode (2010, USA) Martin Scorsese - average
Crams quite a bit into its 70 min.runtime, feeling like a greatest hits of gangster pictures past, but with a cast like this there is no doubt that great things could be in store once it settles down.
s21. Nick of Time - The Twilight Zone 2.7 (1960, USA) Richard L. Bare - highly recommended
"A pair of newlyweds stopping in a small town are trapped by their own superstition when playing a fortune telling machine in a local diner." Vintage TZ, has to rank amongst my favs.
s22. The Lateness of the Hour - The Twilight Zone 2.8 (1960, USA) Jack Smight - below average
"The daughter of an inventor objects to their "perfect" home where they are waited on by mechanical servants." Shot on crummy looking video (one of six episodes to experiment in the format) causing everything to feel ridiculously theatrical.
s23. The Trouble with Templeton - The Twilight Zone 2.9 (1960, USA) Buzz Kulik - below average
"A nostalgic actor revisits his late wife and friends at their old haunt, only to find that he is now out of place there." TZ uses this time travel device many times, and it always feels like exactly that - a device - with Serling a crew failing to use it to make a larger statement in the story at hand.
289. Death at a Funeral (2010, USA) Neil LaBute - worth seeing [C-]
A remake of the 2007 British film of the same name supplanting well known black American comedians for the accented unknown Brits and changing very little else in its venture for the almighty dollar. This works as a passable entertainment, but from a talent like LaBute it seems like an awful waste of time. What the fuck dude?
290. Speed Racer (2008, USA) Andy and Lana Wachowski - a must see [B]
Reviled upon it's initial release (this and my dislike of all things Matrix related caused me to pass back then), I know a few people who consider this visionary work to be the finest film produced in 2008. I have to admit they are not far off in that assessment, as Wachowski and sister have laid the groundwork for dozens of films produced since. The "film-as-living-comic" style is in high demand these days, and it seems like only this film and Scott Pilgrim manage to get right to the essence of the cartoon/comic sensibilities at hand. Add to the laundry list of other positives Sarandon and Goodman's terrific job as Speed's parents -- lending the film a much needed emotional anchor -- and you have a work that is in great need for a critical reassessment.
s24. A Most Unusual Camera - The Twilight Zone 2.10 (1960, USA) John Rich - average
"When three dum-dum crooks get ahold of a camera that takes pictures of the future, they set out to make a quick fortune with their new toy" Pretty effective, but feels rushed. Definitely a concept that would play out better at feature length.
s25. The Night of the Meek - The Twilight Zone 2.11 (1960, USA) Jack Smight
"After a derelict Santa Claus is fired on Christmas Eve, he finds a mysterious bag that gives out presents. With this bag he sets out to fulfill his one wish - to see the less fortunate inherit the bounties of Christmas."
s26. Dust - The Twiligh Zone 2.12 (1961, USA) Douglas Heyes
"In a tragic, western town, a desperate father begs for clemency as his son is slated to die for an accident he could not have prevented. As the son's final hour draws near, the father is approached by a despicable salesman, who offers to sell him 'magic dust' that will evoke the townsfolk's sympathy."
291. Marker (2005, Canada) John Paizs - worth seeing [C]
292. My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done (2009, USA) Werner Herzog - Masterpiece [A]
Razzle them. Dazzle them. RAZZLE DAZZLE THEM. Thank you Werner, you have done just that.
293. Frozen (2010, USA) Adam Green - a must see [B+]
With this film, Green has cemented his place amongst the major players in contemporary horror cinema. The set-up is simple, three youngsters are mistakenly left on the ski-lift when the resort goes on holiday shutdown. Suspended 60 feet in the air, they must battle the elements (and a few other surprises) if they are going to escape the eponymous fate of the title. Most impressive is the way that Green manages to create some deep emotion from the material at hand, combined with some Hitchcockian suspense, as well as some over-the-top twists and gore (Green is a Jaws lover and it shows), this is a taut and remarkable bit of filmmaking.
294. Scream and Scream Again (1970, UK) Gordon Hessler - worth seeing
Mad scientists! Vincent Price! Peter Cushing! Christopher Lee! Karate chopping lab creations and deadly baths of bubbling acid! This is one convoluted picture, which plays like a greatest hits of British horror, but manages to keep you interested enough to stick around and see how it all comes together. The story has something to do with a serial killer who is draining the blood of swinging co-eds, a facist regime out for answers, and a poor sap in a bed who keeps waking up to find another limb has been amputated. Lacking the class of a Hammer or Amicus production, this is closer to the exploitation craze that was sweeping the drive-in's Stateside in the late 60's. It's not a great picture, but it's singular enough to deserve attention.
295. Luther the Geek (1990, USA) Carlton J. Albright - has redeeming facet
Geek (N.) a performer of grotesque or depraved acts in a carnival, etc., such as biting off the head of a live chicken. When Luther sees such a sideshow act at a young age, he is bowled over (literally), and has his front teeth knocked out. Fast forward 20 years and Luther, now a parolee, is sporting metal chompers, balks like a chicken, and bites the face off of any living thing that comes near him (a model rehabilitated prisoner). He heads to a nearby farm where he takes a family prisoner and your standard slasher carnage/climax ensues. Screenplays don't get much lazier than this. Albright seems to have a knack for the slasher stuff, but everything is done in the service of a story that couldn't be more underdeveloped and pointless. Horror is so much more than exploitive killing and this movie should have been too...
296. Waxwork (1988, USA) Anthony Hickox - worth seeing
A mysterious wax museum opens in town and the local teens get more than they bargained for when the attractions are revealed to be death traps. Hickox has a creaky device here wherein the waxworks transport their victim's into their own gruesome settings, basically allowing for a number of brief but effective set pieces -- the wolfman makes an appearance, as does Dracula and his brides, the Mummy, and even a nifty B&W Romero zombie piece -- but by the time the big climax rolls around, there is nothing left in the arsenal and things grow tiresome rather quickly. Interesting in an 80's-horror kind of way, but nothing more.
297. Salvage (2009, UK) Lawrence Gough - a must see [B-]
When a mysterious shipping container washes ashore, the missing contents of which have government helicopters circling the area, a nearby town erupts into violence and a single mother must fend for her life. Channeling the methods of [.REC], Gough creates a film that is in a genuine state of frenzied panic with fast pans, loud sounds, and sharp cuts. He also keeps, and to great effect mind you, most of the action off-screen. The results while very low budget, are highly effective and the film turns in genuinely frightening scenes that are hard to deny. A surprising little film that sneaks up on you.
298. House (1977, Japan) Nobuhiko Obayashi - has redeeming facet
I'm actually very surprised that this mediocre exercise in style over substance earned a wide cinematheque re-release as well as a DVD distribution slot from prestigious labels Masters of Cinema and Criterion. It's a story about a group of young girls who are taken prisoner by a haunted house, but the horror takes backseat to Obayashi's off-the-wall direction. It reminded me of some of the wild works you saw coming out of central Europe in the late Sixties by names such as Chytilová and Makavejev, but without any of the political subtext. Obayashi uses filters, double exposures, slow-mo, repeated jump cuts, and a borderline musical soundtrack to provide a highly stimulating, but ultimately empty experience. Mondo Macabro has been releasing works along this line for over a decade now, why aren't some of those releases getting the same recognition?
299. Left Bank (2008, Belgium) Pieter Van Hees - worth seeing [C+]
A movie that invites name dropping comparisons to Cronenberg and Lynch, I was repeatedly brought back to Lucile Hadzihalilovic’s underrated and under seen debut Innocence with Van Hees’ otherworldly and deeply metaphoric imagery. This is not quite as good as that film, but this story about a woman whose world starts to deteriorate following a sports injury and her obsessions with a black hole in the basement of her boyfriend’s apartment complex will keep you on the edge of your seat. I grew wearisome of the constant vaginal metaphors, and if they weren’t frequent enough, one character actually spells them out in one scene. Van Hees would have done better to allow his viewer’s imaginations an opportunity to find their own meanings in this puzzle rather than hammering home the obvious, but that having been said, he’s got some talent, and I’ll be the first in line to see what he produces next.
s27. Laughter (1993, UK) Simon Rumley [short, 11min, Super 8-mm B&W] - has redeeming facet
Pairs nicely with The Living and the Dead as it shows Rumley experimenting with externalizing a character's internal states. On its own it's basically a worthless.
300. The Living and the Dead (2006, UK) Simon Rumley - worth seeing [C]
A schizophrenic young man, when caring for his ailing mother, is unable to properly attend to her and as she drifts into unconsciousness he is convinced he has let her die, sending him off into a grief stricken breakdown. Time passes and his meds begin to kick in, glimpses of reality return, only now he believes the figure of his mother (recovered and healthy) is a ghost returned to haunt him. Things only get worse for him and tragedy is inevitable. Rumley dedicated this to his parents, and apparently wrote the film out of his own anxieties over his perceived helplessness in attending to his terminally ill mother. His catharsis is evident and while the handling of the schizophrenia is a bit gimmicky at times (think sped-up Trainspotting type imagery) in the end he makes it work in his favor with the help of some highly believable performances. The sheer bleakness of this picture is oppressive, but it's a hard one not to appreciate in some capacity.
301. Captain Kronos - Vampire Hunter (1974, UK) Brian Clemens - worth seeing
You are either taken with Hammer productions or you aren't. The commonality of the set and costume design, as well as the talent both, in front of and behind the camera, ensure that no picture will be without some value. This comes near the end of the great studio's reign, and while you can see them trying to branch out a bit (a samurai sword wielding vampire slayer is a far cry from the reserved Van Helsing embodied by Peter Cushing), it's the classic production values from their earlier efforts which shine through and makes you realize that they didn't need to change a thing.
302. A Return to Salem's Lot (1987, USA) Larry Cohen - a must see
Larry Cohen was without a doubt one of the finest screenwriters working in America in the 1980's. While many are taken aback by Matthew Moriarity's hammy delivery, he is the perfect embodiment for Cohen's pulpy dialogue and the movies the two of them made together stand as some of the most underrated horror films in existence. Cohen is firing on all cylinders with this one, and armed with the king of pulp Samuel Fuller himself (as a Nazi killing Vampire hunter), he uses the story of a community of cold blooded Vampires to take numerous shots at small town Republicans. Cohen uses horror not as a device to scare, but as a tool to exaggerate the horrors of the real world. One of the few names who actually deserved the title of "Master of Horror," bestowed upon him in the short lived series, the man deserves wider recognition as a master filmmaker.
303. The Slumber Party Massacre (1982, USA) Amy Holden Jones [Last seen: 03/04; no change in rating ***; original thoughts as follows with addendum]
In many ways this formulaic Halloween spin-off is a minor classic of the genre. The title advertises the few gratuitous breast shots that help sell the film while diverting attention away from director Amy Holden Jones’ sharp feminist sensibility. Don’t think it’s a stretch of the imagination when you see the killer chasing these scantily clad girls with an enormous phallic drill muttering, “I just want to love you.” It is possible to psychoanalyze a film with a dead pizza deliveryman! The ending has a very unique Hitchcockian moment involving a blanket and also manages to turn the “final girl” syndrome on its head. Recommended. [10/10 Addendum: I love how concise and to the point this film is. Having become more familiar with the Corman recipe, I can see Jones trying to instill as much of herself into project as she could while at the same time meeting Corman's requisite needs for T&A and Gore -- and she excels at the job! In a "Five Obstructions" sort of way she is Jorgen Leth and Corman her von Trier... too bad she never challenged herself to such material again -- but I guess Mystic Pizza and Beethoven's 2nd were not going to write themselves.
s28. Tumble (2000, USA) Neil LaBute [short; 4 min.] - a must see
In voice over a man recounts a tale of an attractive woman whom he raped because he felt "she needed it." On screen we see the man and the woman sitting next to each in a Laundromat, years have past, and each are squirming in their seats, unsure if the person next to them is who they think it is. The tension is unbearable. Classic LaBute, potent and searing. View here.
304. Death Machine (1994, UK) Stephen Norrington - worthless
FX guy from Aliens combines whatever he picked up on that production with a little Blade Runner, and a dash of Robocop for a recipe that looks good on paper but can't escape the fact that it's serving up someone elses leftovers. Not even Brad Dourif as a maniacal hacker who plays with He-men can give this one much life.
305. Messiah of Evil (1973, USA) Willard Huyck - Excellent
A young woman tracks down her reclusive father and discovers the secrets of a town under the spell of some sort of ancient evil. This flat out gorgeous, little seen gem, which practically writes the Argento handbook 3 years before Suspiria was even made, is virtually unknown in most horror circles. Far more talented writers like Tim Lucas have extrapolated on the groundbreaking work that is on display here, so seek those essays out if you want the real scoop. I'll simply say, this an essential work that deserves a place amongst the ranks of the greats.
306. The Loved Ones (2009, Australia) Sean Byrne - Excellent [A-]
A bitter young psycho bitch has her Daddy kidnap the beau of her dreams when he turns her down for the High School dance, in what could have been another tired retread in torture porn turns out to be an extremely stylized and original bit of horror cinema. Byrne has a knack for toying with the cliches of the genre, obviously a fan at heart, while at the same time inverting many of our expectations, his movie never once comes across as tiresome or predictable. Utilizing pops of vibrant color in contrast to the barren Australian landscapes and dank cellars, Byrne evokes the cutesy nightmare worlds found in the work of Lucky McKee, but with a more youthful view on things. The teeny pop title track proves wholeheartedly that the line between playful and disturbing might be finer than we think, and the talent involved -- from make-up to performers -- are all extremely polished. Far from another facile horror film, this one actually had me applauding.
307. American Gothic (1987, USA) John Hough - worthless
Yuppies in a sea plane are trapped on an island inhabited by a family living like it's still 1904 and are terrorized by the misfit children who are actually adults stuck in adolescence. Nothing but cringe worthy over the top performances, the likes of which were common from over the hill Hollywood types in 1970's/80's genre films. Believe it or not this odd duck of a film has its supporters, personally I couldn't wait for it to end.
308. The Devil's Chair (2006, UK) Adam Mason - worth seeing [C+]
Mr Mason has some real skill, but I think the real standout in this and the last Mason film I viewed, Blood River, is the performance by Andrew Howard. He has a genuine knack for delivering the creepiness his role demands, and he does it with such ease and confidence, I wouldn't be surprised to read he is a formally trained, serious method actor. Recanting the plot of this one is a moot point as it snakes and folds all over the place, but Mason is clearly paying hommage to the worlds of Clive Barker and H.P. Lovecraft. It's a little too fragmented for my tastes, but there are several gruesome and highly effective set pieces on display that make this worth checking out.
309. Hardware (1990, USA) Richard Stanley - worth seeing
Stanley is something of a cult figure, with controversy surrounding every production he has been involved with; the most notable being his firing from The Island of Dr. Moreau after which he proceeded to live in the jungle and spy on the production. This one got tied up in legal suits after it was revealed that Stanley based his script on a short comic he was a fan of, causing the wolves to come running looking for a cut of the profits ( it only recently became available in the States some 20 years after it's release). The craze in the 90's, like vampires today, was cyborgs and robots. This is a standard riff on Cameron's terminator, but it is made interesting by Stanley's deeply stylized mise-en-scene which channels Bava and Argento at every opportunity. The story is a bit creaky, making it hard to call this a movie great, but there is no denying the visionary talent behind the project.
s29. The Sea of Perdition (2006, UK) Richard Stanley [short] - average
A single episode from an online serial, features some ugly lo-fi digital landscapes, but the live actor stuff is impressive.
310. The Pit (1981, Canada) Lew Lehman - a must see
Little boy discovers a hole in the ground home to a pack of little beasties and proceeds to feed his neighbors to them. There is a great deal of psychology behind this one as the young boy is in woes of puberty, while at the same time the surface stuff is classic monster fun. It's a rare combination, and an awkward enough mix to have some undeservedly label this as camp, but believe me when I say this is one movie where a banana is most certainly never just a banana.
311. Beyond the Door (1974, Italy) Ovidio G. Assonitis - has redeeming facet
Italian rip-off of Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist, fairly incompetent for the most part but like much Italian horror, it's that very incompetence that lends a dreamlike quality to the proceedings and ensures things are never less than compelling.
312. The Horde (2009, France) Yannick Dahan & Benjamin Rocher - worthless [F]
Believe it or not there are actually people out there who think this is good moviemaking. Essentially 90-minutes of dead serious zombie violence, this is about as mindless a movie as you can get. There is no real plot or character development, for the most part it's like watching 28 Days Later and Land of the Dead but fast forwarding through the talking so that only the carnage remains. I suppose there is a time and a place for that kind of entertainment, but when the main characters pause to degrade an incapacitated female zombie, misogyny and rape fantasies boil to the surface, and the film reveals itself as the superficial pile of shit that it actually is.
313. Mr. Sardonicus (1961, USA) William Castle - worth seeing
Castle seems to be going for a Hammer horror vibe with this gothic tale about a baron whose face was frozen in a horrible grimace after he received a terrible scare. He now leads a reclusivePphantom of the Opera-like existence in an old castle where he tortures his servants in an attempt to cure his ailment. It's a fun little movie, even if it's nothing of any great significance. Castle's gimmick this time around was to let audiences vote on the villain's fate at the end... guess what my audience voted for? DEATH!
314. Orca (1977, USA) Michael Anderson - has redeeming facet
Where Jaws had the shark as a force of pure evil, hellbent on the destruction man, this picture moralizes the animal in question, playing man out to be the true villain. Sir Richard Harris is Captain Nolan, out to score a quick buck bagging marine life to sell to aquariums when he makes the mistake of biting off more than he can chew and tries to snag a killer whale, or Orca. Things go bad -- he wounds the male, snares the female, unaware she is carrying young -- and amidst Nolan's inability to handle the situation, the helpless animal miscarries her calf, and eventually bleeds to death. Her mate is mortified and will stop at nothing until he kills Harris and his crew. Animal attack movies tend to work best when the animal works as a stand in for a psychopathic killer. Motives and morals are pushed aside, and the animal -- in all of its mystery -- is simply a device to create suspense and illicit terror. In fact it is this very mystery, the fact that we the viewer's, in most cases, know very little about these creatures, that makes these stories so effective. They serve as a shocking reminder that nature is a cruel and brutal place and man does not have what it takes to truly tame it or fully understand it . Orca tries to rewrite this scenario, and if like me you saw The Cove and wished those slaughtering assholes a cruel and unusual punishment, then you will get an idea for the sort of revenge setup/button pushing scenario this creates. Nevermind that the Orca whale in this film is smarter than a fucking supercomputer, knows everything that is going on miles inland, and frequently performs spectacular leaps in front of a travel guide worthy setting sun, even without these lame touches, this film still would not work. It fails for the simple reason that you cannot take the monster out of the monster movie and still expect to have a movie.
315. The Ninth Gate (1999, Spain) Roman Polanski [2nd viewing; last seen 2003; rating upgraded to **** Excellent]
Polanski essentially re-made this with The Ghost Writer, but I think this little devil of a picture might be superior. To quote the wife "why aren't all the directors you make me watch this good?"
316. The Lady in White (1988, USA) Frank LaLoggia - worth seeing
There is a very strong story at the center of this nostalgic look back at the days of childhood. Too bad it is frequently derailed by LaLoggia's poor choice in the FX department, as the dated blue screen work and the other ghostly touches have a tendency to rob scene after scene of the magic that came before them. The suspense remains, despite the cinematic shortcomings, so it's worth a look and it's easy to see why LaLoggia had quite the reputation back in the day.
317. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (1988, USA) James Signorelli - worth seeing
318. Nightmare Detective (2006, Japan) Shinya Tsukamoto - worth seeing [C+]
319. Paranormal Activity 2 (2010, USA) Tod Williams - worth seeing [C+]
320. Night of the Demons (2009, USA) Adam Gierasch - has redeeming facet [D+]
321. Dead of Night (1977, USA) Dan Curtis - a must see
322. Giallo (2009, Italy) Dario Argento - a must see [B]
*spoiler alert* I won't win anyone over by saying this I'm sure, but I believe this is one of Argento's stronger films of late. It plays out as a meta-film of sorts, the usual set-up of a killer who likes to cut up beautiful women is turned upside down when everything plays out EXACTLY as planned, so the fact that there is no big twist, actually is the twist. Argento is critiquing his own style in every scene, inverting everything you'd expect him to be toying with at this stage of his career, abstaining from sex and violence when you'd expect him to be pandering to the fan boys; it's baffling really (or brilliant if you are myself or Brad Stevens) -- which might explain the universal hatred that seems to be floating out there for this work (Stevens actually goes so far as to compare this one to Bresson). Not to be outdone, Adrien Brody is playing the same game as maestro Dario in a duel role as both the cop and the killer -- the credits list this "other" as the anagram "Byron Dreida" but there's no hiding a nose like that -- and scene after scene finds him exploring good and evil as if they were elements of the same person, ie. he is literally acting out his homicidal fantasies. The incredible final shot which closes the picture in media res, has Dario content not to have closure, because in his eyes, as long as he is still making films, there is no ending in sight. The killer is still out there.
323. Big Tits Zombie (2010, Japan) Takao Nakano - worthless [F]
Believe it or not I was expecting a bit more from the maker of "Killer Pussy," but I digress... this film sucks.
324. Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story (2007, USA) Jeffrey Schwarz - worth seeing [C+]
Very thoughtful and compelling biography of one of my favorite directors, it could have benefited from a section where they actually acknowledge Castle as a great filmmaker, that little point seems to have eluded most of the interviewees involved -- including Castle's own daughter.
325. Homicidal (1961, USA) William Castle - a must see
326. Black Death (2010, UK) Christopher Smith - a must see [B]
327. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992, USA) Francis Ford Coppola - a must see
328. The Little Shop of Horrors (1960, USA) Roger Corman - a must see
329. Blood Diner (1987, USA) Jackie Kong - worth seeing
330. Trick 'r Treat (2007, USA) Michael Dougherty [2nd viewing; last seen 10/09; no change in rating ***]
Films seen in November
s30. Good Boys Use Condoms (1998, France) Lucile Hadzihalilovic [short; 6 min.] - worth seeing
331. The Social Network (2010, USA) David Fincher - a must see [B]
332. Winter's Bone (2010, USA) Debra Granik - a must see [B+]
333. Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988, USA) Stephen Chiodo - worth seeing
334. Everyone Else (2009, Germany) Maren Ade - Masterpiece [A]
335. Please Give (2010, USA) Nicole Holofcener - a must see [B-]
336. Due Date (2010, USA) Todd Phillips - worth seeing [C+]
337. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2009, Sweden) Niels Arden Oplev - a must see [B]
338. Iron Man 2 (2010, USA) Jon Favreau - worth seeing [C-]
339. Get Him to the Greek (2010, USA) Nicolas Stoller - worth seeing [C]
340. Perrier's Bounty (2009, Ireland) Ian Fitzgibbon - worth seeing [C]
341. The Walking Dead -- Pilot Episode (2010, USA) Frank Darabont - a must see
342. Pontypool (2008, Canada) Bruce McDonald - [2nd viewing; last seen 10/09; no cnage in rating ****]
343. Summer's Moon (2009, USA) Lee Demarbre - worth seeing [C-]
344. Dust Devil (1992, UK) Richard Stanley - worth seeing
345. Real Genius (1985, USA) Martha Coolidge - worth seeing
346. Howard the Duck (1986) Willard Huyck - worthless
347. Solitary Man (2009, USA) Brian Koppelman & David Levien - worth seeing [C]
348. Grown Ups (2010, USA) Dennis Dugan - has redeeming facet [D+]
Enough billboard talent involved to keep things watchable, but Dugan's penchant for comedic timing is approaching zero. His formula -- place the punchline at the end of the scene, then cut, repeat 45 times, roll credits.
349. Best in Show (2000, USA) Christopher Guest [umpteenth viewing; no change in rating; ***]
350. Hahaha (2010, South Korea) Hong Sang-soo - a must see [B+]
351. The Earth Dies Screaming (1964, UK) Terence Fisher - worth seeing
352. Puppet Master (1989, USA) David Schmoeller - has redeeming facet
353. The Crater Lake Monster (1977, USA) William R. Stromberg - worthless
354. Prizzi's Honor (1985, USA) John Huston - a must see
355. Modern Times (1936, USA) Charles Chaplin [3rd viewing; no change in rating; ****]
I laughed until I cried even though I already knew every punch line. I was moved by unexpected touches I had forgotten. Was there ever really an artist, no matter the medium, who could rival the sheer perfection of Chaplin? I'm thinking not...
s30. Nosebleed (2008, USA) Jeff Vespa [short, B&W, 9 min.] - worth seeing
356. The Karate Kid (2010, USA) Harald Zwart - worth seeing [C]
357. Best Worst Movie (2009, USA) Michael Stephenson - worth seeing [C+]
358. The Poseiden Adventure (1972, USA) Ronald Neame - worth seeing
359. Adam (2009, USA) Max Mayer - worth seeing [C]
360. What's Up, Doc? (1972, USA) Peter Bogdanovich - Masterpiece
361. True Grit (1969, USA) Henry Hathaway - Excellent
362. Poetry (2010, South Korea) Lee Chang-dong - a must see [B-]
363. S.O.B (1981, USA) Blake Edwards - a must see
364. Predators (2010, USA) Nimród Antal - worth seeing [C+]
365. The Green Slime (1968, Japan) Kinji Fukasaku - worth seeing
366. Inferno (1980, Italy) Dario Argento [2nd viewing; last seen 07/04; no change in rating ****]
367. Love & Other Drugs (2010, USA) Edward Zwick - worthless [F]
Everything from the portrayal of a supposed "business world" to the coping with a "sick loved one" to the "raw sexuality" reeks of fallacies aimed at serving a story that is really nothing more than the same old feel good bullshit that's been peddled across the big screen on a monthly basis for the last 30 years.
368. Shampoo (1975, USA) Hal Ashby - a must see
Films seen in December
369. Me and Orson Welles (2008, USA) Richard Linklater - a must see [B+]
370. One, Two, Three (1961, USA) Billy Wilder - Excellent
371. Meet Me In St. Louis (1944, USA) Vincente Minnelli [2nd viewing; last seen ?; no change in rating ****]
372. A Christmas Carol (2009, USA) Robert Zemeckis - has redeeming facet [D]
373. Bug (1975, USA) Jeannot Szwarc - a must see
374. ...All the Marbles (1981, USA) Robert Aldrich - a must see
375. Rumba (2008, Belgium) Dominique Abel, Fiona Gordon, Bruno Romy - worth seeing [C-]
376. Saint Jack (1979, USA) Peter Bogdanovich - a must see
377. Coogan's Bluff (1968, USA) Don Siegel - a must see
378. Mad Men SSN 4 (2010, USA) Matthew Weiner creator - a must see
379. Bored to Death SSN 2 (2010, USA) Jonathan Ames creator - worth seeing
380. Boardwalk Empire SSN 1 (2010, USA) Terence Winter creator - a must see
381. Screwballs II: Loose Screws (1985, Canada) Rafal Zielinski - worth seeing
382. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992, USA) Chris Columbus [last seen?; raing upgraded from zero to *]
383. Tiny Furniture (2010, USA) Lena Dunham - a must see [B]
384. The Walking Dead SSN 1 (2010, USA) Frank Darabont creator - a must see
385. White Material (2009, France) Claire Denis - a must see [B-]
386. Metropolis [Buenos Aires reconstruction] (1927, Germany) Fritz Lang [3rd viewing; last seen ?; no change in rating ****]
387. Not of This Earth (1957, USA) Roger Corman - worth seeing
388. The Unpolished (2007, Germany) Pia Marais - a must see [B+]
389 & 390. Indian Epic - The Tiger of Eschnapur & The Indian Tomb (1959, Germany) Fritz Lang - a must see
391. The Kids Are All Right (2010, USA) Lisa Cholodenko - worth seeing [C+]
392. Nothing But Trouble (1991, USA) Dan Aykroyd - has redeeming facet
393. 17 Again (2009, USA) Burr Steers - has redeeming facet
394. The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009, UK) J Blakeson - worth seeing [C+]
395. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964, USA) Kizo Nagashima & Larry Roemer - worth seeing
396. The Baxter (2005, USA) Michael Showalter - worth seeing [C]
397. Eclipse (2010, USA) David Slade - has redeeming facet [D]
398. Easy A (2010, USA) Will Gluck - has redeeming facet [D+]
399. Jingle All the Way (1996, USA) - a must see
400. Devil (2010, USA) John Erick Dowdle - a must see [B-]


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