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I wanted to crank out four Nosferatus this month. Did not succeed but at least I caught the nost challenging subspecies. Also some truly wonderful flights and at least one piece of crap. Not many movies but a dandy variety.
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| HOME our dvd |
I don't think I've seen this since we moved back to California. So that's been a while. Though Lady Steed and I still speculate that we might be getting the black lung.
The oldest son was here over the break and wanted to watch the movie with us and so we did. And darn it—it's still very funny.
I don't have much else to say except the IMDB should change the top-listed rating to PG-13 since it was only rated R briefly and was pg-13 before it hit theaters and sver since. So it seems off. And I've seen the R in articles (recent example) which I suspect is IMDB's fault.
Anyway. Happy New Year!
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| HOME Kanopy |
I'm not sure when I've seen a worse-written movie. Yes, it's playing one note from a Poe story and masquerading as an educational film, but egad. I'm glad one of the characters called out another for being a ham because holy smokes but that's all that exists anywhere in this movie. It is truly abysmal.
And that, I take it, is its appeal
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| HOME son's dvd |
I read Crow Killer c. 2001, so it's been a minute. And I suspect the movie's more based on Fisher's take anyway. Regardless. We're talking about the movie.
Which made me want to rewatch Hundreds of Beavers. Or, more precisely, show it to the son we gave this to. We'd forgotten he was at college both times we've seen it. Dang it.
Jeremiah Johnson is wild and impressionistic and mad, confusing in time and space, I think intentionally so. As is the ending. Which is plenty ambiguous.
It could also really use a cleanup. The shots are lovely but they don't look that great on the dvd.
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| HOME Kanopy |
This film doesn't offer anything that new or any great surprises, but it makes the right choices in its concluding scenes which allows you leave it feeling respected and like you had a good time. As opposed to manipulated and annoyed. We've all had that experience. It also opens the door to a happy ending without cramming one down our throats.
It's hard to say how it pulls it off. Many plot bits, out of context, seem to betray what I said, yet it's true—the film works.
Truly, cinema is a mystery.
Anyway, this one's about a deaf boy whose mother has been hiding his absent father's awfulness from him through a game of penpal. Then things get complicated but never all the way to schlocky. Well done, team.
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| THEATER The Lark Theater |
I kinda wish they'd done a bit more curation on the music. Sometimes the Radiohead worked wonders, other times it was just background noise, and sometimes it didn't seem right. THAT SAID, sometimes it was amazing. And overall, I really liked the combo.
I haven't seen this since 2001 and so even though I know the story, I didn't remember exactly how things played out. They did add a visual element that, had I known about it, would have turned me off—but it was actually really great. Good work, team.
I am disappointed though that they didn't use a tinted version. As part of my plan to watch three Nosferatus before seeing the new one (yes, I am behind schedule), I intended to watch the tinted 1922. And I wish I had. Although I'm very happy I saw this version, it's so hard to tell suntime from nighttime without the tinting. And since I'm pretty sure there were people in my showing who hadn't seen many silents before, what a cool chance to educate people!
For most of the movie, I simply enjoyed it. But the final scenes with Ellen's heroism and some more hella creepy Orlock turned the entire experience into something deeply satisfying.
I loved it.
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| HOME YouTube |
Clue (1985)
So great. Solid mystery while taking the genre apart. Great comedic acting: face, voice, and body. Fabulous lines and silences. And no dumber than it has to be.
Perfection.
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| THEATER Rialto Cerrito |
I get why people like it to much but having seen it, I no longer view it as a darkhorse for the animated-feature Oscar. Inside Out 2 or The Wild Robot will take it.
That said, it's a great little film. The water's amazing. The characters alien but accessible. The setting mysterious but not distracting. I really liked it. And I think it will age well as it turns into memory.
But the comments about small children also liking it are debatable. Most of the kids in our theater seemed fine. Except our 8yrold.
Embarrassing.
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| HOME library dvd |
Another insanely wondrous fantasy from Karel Zeman. It's not hard to see his influences or who has been influenced by him, but he is very much his own thing, characters interacting with animations and illustrations and every mad notion a persona can imagine. I loved it so much and I wish someone—anyone!—would be bold enough to do this today. The trailer can give you only the slightest idea of what's in store for you.
Neither can any still image explain the marvelous majesty of the moving images, but here's one. Click it to see more.
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