House, a gloriously peculiar 1977 horror film with its Japanese schoolgirls meeting absurd terrible fates in a possessed house. I thought it was a lot of fun. The incomprehensible trailer is actually pretty accurate despite seeming like it has scenes from three or four different movies. The film is funnier than it is scary. It's not every day you see a Japanese schoolgirl eaten by a grand piano while she makes humorous observations, and her dismembered fingers continue to play. Also watch the white cat. This is a very interesting white cat. For one thing, it seems to have been around a lot longer than your everyday ordinary cat, for another it has a peculiar tendency to appear in places it couldn't possibly be. For instance, as the emblem on the bus the girls take to the house.

The director likes odd cinematic effects, like starting out with a screen-within-a-screen, or cutting to a circle to highlight something. In one scene, he has a peculiar stroboscopic effect that seems to have no purpose except to have a peculiar stroboscopic effect. Fortunately, that one didn't catch on.

This film doesn't have anything to do with the several English language films of the same title. It exists in a universe all to itself. It's been issued by the Criterion Collection.

Annie Hall

It had been 11 years since I last heard "La di dah" and it was amazing how many scenes were still so fresh.

As I watched the film I was struck by the influence of European cinema on Woody Allen. Then i read the reviews calling the film an American classic. Ironic I guess.

We all know it's a wonderful movie. I'm just surprised how fresh and relevant it is almost 35 years later

9/10
Rob

Temple Grandin

Autism is on the periphery of my life. My girlfriend is the part-time caretaker of a young man with autism, and my little elementary school aged cousin is autistic. It can be a difficult thing to understand, in the sense that one understands other people by imagining what it's like to live their lives. While Temple Grandin is a flawed movie--it has maudlin tendencies and occasionally suffers from biopic scattershotism--it is an effective movie that has its moments of genuine bravura. It cares less about cohesion than it does about allowing its lead character to be understood, which it does with great sympathy inventiveness. For this movie, that's more than enough to forgive its issues.

Robin Hood directed by Ridley Scott

This is a decent, albeit workman like version of how Robin Hood became Robin Hood. A prequel of sorts to the more traditional tales regarding the outlaw. I did find myself wondering if there had ever been any plans for a sequel, and to be honest, if they did them, I would watch, as most of the problems that exist here are the same sorts of problems that exist for most stories that are the first entry into longer, more well known tale. (Star Wars Episode 1, Super Hero Origin Stories/Movies, etc.) That is, there's more emphasis placed on set up and moving the pieces into place, then there is for getting into the real meat of the story.

Other than Russell Crowe's overly morose interpretation of the legendary character, there's nothing terribly wrong with this version of the story, just as there's nothing truly great about it either. I thought Cate Blanchet as Maid Marion was fun to watch, but even some nice supporting performances can't help but cause this to be a bit of a drag at times.

2.5 stars out of 4.

-Jeremy

12

Acting wise and directing wise, it's a good movie and I do like it on that front. But to say it's better than Twelve Angry Men or even in the same league is idiot talk. It takes away all the ambiguity, all the relevant crime talk is replaced by personal stories that magically change the minds of most of the jurors, and it turns out that it's all a big conspiracy with a moronic ending was just a major mistake.

Like I said, it's a good movie despite all the attempts at self-sabotage but if you actually think it deserves greatness....you're a delusional pretentious moron who only like subtitled movies since it makes you deep.

7/10

I thought it was very good, but not in the class of the original. Who said it is better?
Rob

I thought I heard some general rumblings that it was in the same class

Two-Lane Blacktop

The film's description - two drivers challenge each other to a cross-country road race - is a bit misleading. Yes, that's the basic plot, but Two-Lane Blacktop is a film about loneliness, aimless drifting, the need to express oneself in a unique way but not knowing how to do it. I'd never seen the film before; it took me a while to figure out what it was really about, and by the time I did, it was almost over. I'm not sure what I think of it just yet. I'll have to re-watch this film sometime.

Man on the Train ***
Interesting little French character study of two very different men who happen to meet and strike up an unlikely friendship, finding that they envy each other's life. There are some interesting conversations in it though I think the film is a little too content to let the characters stand around philosophizing for its own good. This is available on Netflix streaming till January 1.

Repeat that last word there a few times, hated this even more once it was over; it's hokey, silly, clunky and dull. The religious allegory is obvious and takes total precedence over the plot, the acting sucks and the reliance on CGI for fucking everything in the movie removes any real film making off the cast and crews shoulders so that the film could easily be pushed out for a nifty buck for Disney. The fact that the film sits at 76% on Rotten Tomatoes is a sad one. One and a half stars out of four or more specifically three out of ten, this is a terrible movie and Tilda Swinton deserves much better.

Lovely & Amazing

I seem to be watching a lot of these lately--a brand of chick flick that understands women and isn't afraid to put that understanding on the screen, but isn't insightful enough, isn't engaging enough, isn't a pleasing enough aesthetic experience, doesn't go enough places, just plain isn't enough. It's like one of the crafty little chairs that are built and unsold by Catherine Keener's character: lightweight and inoffensive in the way that lightweight and inoffensive are almost offensive.

Saw this a while ago and really liked it. Glad it's getting some love

Rob

Magnum Force ** 1/2
The second Dirty Harry film, certainly inferior to the first (partially thanks to the change in directors). Dirty Harry tracks down a vigilante. The film seems to be in part motivated by the criticisms of the first film--look, Dirty Harry isn't really a vigilante, he'll help track one down. Eastwood is very good in his most famous character. This is avaiilable on Netflix Instant till January 1.

Black Swan - 8/10

Wow, holy dramatic over amped movie situation

Darren Aronofsky follows up his wresting movie by having Mickey Rourke in tights pirouetting round the New York Ballet and doing hot scenes with Mila Kunis.

Seriously, I was not sure half way through but then the film literally took off.

Natalie Portman is wonderful in the central role and Aronofsky deserves huge credit for making something as crazy as this actually work so well.

The audience liked it big time. I wonder, if it can do enough $$ and develop a ground swell, if it can surprise at Oscar time in a year of no obvious front runner.

Rob

Goodbye Solo (2008) 7/10
A cab driver picks up a client who he suspects intends to commit suicide in one week. Over the course of the movie he tries to show him another way.

When making a movie where the audience knows and expects emotional manipulation, careful steps must be taken so that the characters and don't show their strings and step over the line into mawkishness.

Goodbye Solo does not entirely succeed. But it's still fairly capable in keeping a balance between melodrama and a "safe" direction of the movie. A quiet character drama between a closed off elderly man and a younger ,more determined and upbeat fellow.

I was most thankful that the ending was what it was.

Quick reviews. Maybe more on them later.

Cemetery Junction

Just as funny as the "slice of life" genre hell that I've been trapped in lately, but more insightful. It does tidy up in a very Hollywood way in the end, which is disappointing, but unlike a lot of movies, this one earns the right to take a close look at a few small people and report what it finds.


The Fountain

A simple love poem relayed through endlessly creative and beautiful images. It's hard to believe that this is the same director who stumbled through the first half hour of Black Swan before finding his footing. There is nothing but confidence and bravery here.

Hmmmm I kinda feel the opposite. Hard to believe that someone who made the assured, masterful Black Swan could make such a muddled mess like The Fountain

So was I because

I saw this when it came out in theaters, and remember liking it. But I do tend to have a soft spot for those slice-of-life dramas.

Hah!

For me it was a little of both.