Films seen in May
[10/2] Note – New commitments at work have proven to deprive me of all my writing time. I will put a couple of sentences on everything from now on to share my thoughts, however I don’t see myself churning out anything substantial anytime soon…
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01. Wicked Little Things (2006, USA) J.S. Cardone - has redeeming facet [D]
02. The Sticky Fingers of Time (1997, USA) Hilary Brougher - a must see
Why can’t Hal Hartley’s new sci-fi be this interesting?
03. Old Joy (2006, USA) Kelly Reichardt - Excellent [A-]
Formally, this wasn’t at the level of a Joe W. or a Gus Van Sant (as I was expecting), it is actually closer in just about everyway to the vitriolic early work of Jon Jost. A prime example of critical buzz (and buzzwords) steering one in the wrong direction and causing you to approach art in the wrong way. I plead guilty as charged and hope to connect with the film at a deeper level on a later date. For now let me just say that the film is still great, but my great, not their great. Confused?
04. To Be Twenty (1978, Italy) Fernando Di Leo - worth seeing
A vile and misogynistic piece of exploitation trash, or a deeply feminist critique of a political climate (Italy cirque ’76) that today’s youths couldn’t be further removed from? I’m sort of undecided. If you listen to Eli Roth, it’s a masterpiece. I personally found it most interesting as proof that films like Baise Moi were being made 30 years ago and will probably still be made 30 years from now.
05. Andrei Rublev (1966, Soviet Union) Andrei Tarkovsky - a must see
Even though some passages in this are sheer cinematic bliss, there are times in Tarkovsky where narrative gets in his way. Rublev is a perfect example of a filmmaker falling in love with “the sequence,” and ignoring the material at hand. It is at once perfect, and deeply frustrating.
06. Night of the Comet (1984, USA) Thom Eberhard - a must see
07. The Atomic Submarine (1959, USA) Spencer Gordon Bennet - worth seeing
08. Asylum (1972, UK) Roy Ward Baker - worth seeing
09. Johanna (2005, Hungary) Kornél Mundruczó - worth seeing [C]
10. Faceless (1988, Spain/France) Jess Franco - worth seeing
11. The Queen (2006, UK) Stephen Frears - a must see [B+]
12. Reeker (2005, USA) Dave Payne - worth seeing [C+]
13. Black Book (2006, Netherlands) Paul Verhoeven - Excellent [A-]
14. Shock Waves (1977, USA) Ken Wiederhorn - worth seeing
15. Sleeping Dogs Lie (2006, USA) Bob Goldthwait - worth seeing [C+]
16. Ubalda, All Naked and Warm (1972, Italy) Mariano Laurenti - has redeeming facet
17. Dont Go in the House (1980, USA) Joseph Ellison - a must see
18. The Station Agent (2003, USA) Thomas McCarthy - Excellent
19. The Fireman's Ball (1967, Czechoslovakia) Milos Forman - Masterpiece
20. Opening Night (1977, USA) John Cassavetes - Masterpiece
21. Sublime (2007, USA) Tony Krantz - has redeeming facet [D]
Decent concept/script, but why direct the film like a TV sitcom?
22. The French Connection (1971, USA) William Friedkin - Masterpiece
23. Hot Fuzz (2007, UK) Edgar Wright - a must see [B+]
24. Smash Palace (1981, New Zealand) Roger Donaldson - worth seeing
25. The Ice Pirates (1984, USA) Stewart Raffill - has redeeming facet
26. Grey Gardens (1975, USA) Ellen Hovde, Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Muffie Meyer - a must see
27. Skin Crawl (2007, USA) Justin Wingenfeld [video] - worth seeing [C+]
Home video is the Drive-In Theater of today and the Z-grade genre companies have been filling that niche liberally with cheaply made straight to video flicks since the early Eighties. Back then it was Troma films, now it is Shock-O-Rama (aka Pop Cinema aka EI Cinema). Functioning like a Porn Studio, and with a fair share of soft-core output, Shock-O-Rama has contract stars, which it pimps as the latest genre starlet, and consistently parodies popular films (cf. Spiderbabe, Lord of the G-Strings). I’ve never seen one that I’ve liked -- until now. Skin Crawl starts off like the usual supernatural effects-heavy schlock, but quickly evolves into a hard-edged noir. First time director Justin Wingenfeld modestly lets the story take form, then backs things up a few times to fill in some important off-screen details. It’s sort of a hokey narrative technique to be sure, but it tends to work and like everything in this film, comes off better than you feel it was intended to be. Julian Wells carries the film as the devious slut Femme Fatale and Debbie Rochon (impressive in yet another video noir -- Nowhere Man before this) plays the rich wife who gets knocked off. The video cinematography walks the line of competency but to its credit only helps to heighten the sleaziness of it all. Things sort of fall apart when the EC comic’s morality rears its monstrous face for the finale, but I have to say my interest was piqued. Here’s hoping that this is a sign of better things to come from Shock-O-Rama.
28. The Dead Girl (2006, USA) Karen Moncrieff - worthless [F]
29. Winter Soldier (1972, USA) Winter Collective - a must see
30. Fando and Lis (1968, Mexico) Alejandro Jodorowsky - has redeeming facet
31. Hell Night (1981, USA) Tom DeSimone - worth seeing
32. Zidane: A 21st Century Portrait (2006, France) Douglas Gordon & Philippe Parreno - a must see [B-]
33. Ascent to Heaven (1952, Mexico) Luis Buñuel - a must see
34. I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958, USA) Gene Fowler Jr. - worth seeing
35. The Ultimate Degenerate (1969, USA) Michael Findlay - worth seeing
36. 28 Weeks Later (2007, UK) Juan Carlos Fresnadillo - worth seeing [C]
37. Hundra (1983, USA) Matt Cimber - has redeeming facet
38. The Aura (2005, Argentina) Fabián Bielinsky - a must see [B-]
39. Spirals (1926, Germany) Oskar Fischinger [short] - Masterpiece
40. Studie Nr. 6 (1930, Germany) Oskar Fischinger [short] - a must see
41. Studie Nr. 7 (1931, Germany) Oskar Fischinger [short] - worth seeing
42. Kreise (Circles) (1933, Germany) Oskar Fischinger [short] - a must see
43. Allegretto (1936, USA) Oskar Fischinger [short] - Masterpiece
44. Radio Dynamics (1942, USA) Oskar Fischinger [short] - a must see
45. Motion Painting No. 1 (1947, USA) Oskar Fischinger [short] - Masterpiece
46. Wax Experiments (1926, Germany) Oskar Fischinger [short] - has redeeming facet
47. Spiritual Constructions (1927, Germany) Oskar Fischinger [short] - worth seeing
48. Walking From Munich to Berlin (1927, Germany) Oskar Fischinger [short] - worth seeing
49. The Brood (1979, Canada) David Cronenberg [3rd viewing; no change in rating ****] fix in top 10's
50. We're Going to Eat You (1980, Hong Kong) Tsui Hark - worth seeing
51. Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968, USA) William Greaves - worth seeing
52. Bedazzled (1967, UK) Stanley Donen - worth seeing
53. Nightmare City (1980, Italy) Umberto Lenzi - has redeeming facet
54. The Night of the Hunter (1955, USA) Charles Laughton [2nd viewing; no change in rating ****]
55. Alone With Her (2006, USA) Eric Nicholas - worth seeing [C+]
56. Bug (2006, USA) William Friedkin - a must see [B]
57. Broken (2006, UK) Simon Boyes & Adam Mason - worth seeing [C+]
58. Hostel (2005, USA) Eli Roth [2nd viewing; last viewing Jan '06; no change in rating ***]
59. Backstage (2005, France) Emmanuelle Bercot - a must see [B-]
60. The Key (1983, Italy) Tinto Brass - worth seeing
61. Phone (2002, South Korea) Byeong-ki Ahn - worthless
62. Soft for Digging (2001, USA) J.T. Petty - a must see
63. The Lunch Date (1990, USA) Adam Davidson [short] - a must see
64. Vincent (1982, USA) Tim Burton [short] - Excellent
65. Five Feet High and Rising (2000, USA) Peter Sollett [short] - a must see
66. Freiheit (1966, USA) George Lucas [short] - has redeeming facet
67. Terry Tate: Office Linebacker (2002, USA) Rawson Marshall Thurber [short] - worth seeing
68. Daybreaker Express (1953, USA) D.A. Pennebaker [short] - a must see
69. Terminal Bar (2003, USA) Stefan Nadelman [short] - a must see
70. Necrology: Roll Call of the Dead (1971, USA) Standish Lawder [short] - Masterpiece
71. The Discipline Of D.E. (1982, USA) Gus Van Sant [short] - Excellent
72. The Wraith of Cobble Hill (2006, USA) Adam Parrish King [short] - has redeeming facet
73. Feelings (1984, USA) Todd Solondz [short] - worthless
74. George Lucas in Love (1999, USA) Joe Nussbaum [short] - worth seeing
75. Carmen (1985, USA) Alexander Payne [short] - worth seeing
76. Paperboys (2001, USA) Mike Mills [short] - Excellent
77. Screen Test #2: Helmut (1965, USA) Andy Warhol [short] - a must see

 


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