Thursday, June 25, 2009

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Some recent viewing experience

The Filth & the Fury (2000)- ***1/2. As with the Joe Strummer film Temple tends to get a tad too 'cinematic' for my documentary tastes. Sometimes I just want talking heads, not a whole montage movie. I'm glad McLaren's importance was downplayed, bringing the focus to the music.

A Scanner Darkly (2006)- **. I spent most of my time wondering why they chose to animate this, then I was reminded of those rotoscoped commercials I hate. Maybe it was to make Downey, Harrelson, etc. look younger so we would buy them as stoner/slacker types.

Hells Heroes (1929)- ****. Sure all the cliches are there, this is where they were invented! First talkie version of Three Godfathers is the best. Film still retains silent cinema's majestic establishing shots, while Raymond Hatton & Fred Kohler are excellent supporting Charles Bickford through the desert. Early William Wyler.

Romance & Cigarettes (2005)- * 1/2. Just when I was about to enjoy this as some John Waters-like campy sex musical, it turns into this deadly cancer film. Literally feels like two completely different movies stuck together with tar. Cast appears to be having a blast in the first half with redheaded Kate Winslet! Yowza!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Thursday, June 4, 2009

My opinion counts dammit!!

Simon of the Desert (1965)- ***1/2. I've been wanting to see this for twenty years, it was worth the wait. While most of Bunuel's later work leave me scratching my head, I found this to be a immensely entertaining. I wasn't expecting it to be so funny!! His depiction of hell at the end is priceless (I wont spoil it). Run don't walk to see this one, folks!

Halloween (2007) - * 1/2. Since I liked Devils Rejects, I had high hopes for Zombie's reworking. Besides playing "name that B-movie actor" this was a struggle. Zombie, like most of today's horror directors, cannot build a suspenseful scene. Empty headed gore abounds (yawnsville, dude).

25th Hour (2002) - **. With Ed Norton, Rosario Dawson, Philip S. Hoffman you can expect some great acting involved. With Spike Lee you can expect pretentious touches, long drawn out scenes, unnecessary flashbacks. This should've been a riveting experience, instead I was squirming in my seat when I wasn't checking the clock.

The Lost Patrol (1934) - *** 1/2. This was one of my favorite films as a kid, and it still works. A British troop is stranded in the desert while being picked off by an unseen Arab enemy. Economical filmmaking at its best, where a glance or a few lines tells a whole story. Karloff's fanatical Saunders is one of his best roles, and one of his scariest! All this in only 73 minutes too, Spike!