Your Year Of Living OCD: 2011 style!

Talk Radio, the play, is much better. Stone weighs it down (no pun intended). I agree with you about Hard Eight. I think the studio got into Anderson's way a little bit, although I don't know what that means about how it would be different. I might give it a B, but I bet if I re-watched it'd be the same as your score.

I think I'm going to do this in 2011. I'll use this method. Bold=re-watch. Italics=new.

A Night at the Opera. (1935)
Incredible. I know a lot of people discredit it slightly because of the musical numbers and the less anarchic tone of the Brothers Marx, but I was delighted. Loved Harpo playing the Harp and Chico (my favorite Marx) playing the piano. And Groucho's never been funnier.

I like Tommy's "keep it simple" style, so here goes nothing:

Have not seen before
Saw it already.

# - MOVIE - (Director, Year) - Format - Location if Applicable

1/1/11 - 1. INCEPTION (Christopher Nolan, 2010) - BluRay - It was all right. Nah, I'm just kidding. I really loved this, though the movie I'd compare it most to at this moment would be BLADE RUNNER. That was a movie that I wasn't completely blown away by the first time I saw it, but as years have gone by, it's grown in my estimation and is one of my favorite movies of all time. My first viewing of Inception -- which wasn't ideal, as I kept pausing it to have the girlfriend explain it to me -- was a far more potent experience than my first of BLADE RUNNER or even THE MATRIX. I found myself marveling at just how good it looked, and I think my awe at the cinematic acrobatics on display -- music, editing, production design, sound -- kept me from emotionally connecting with those final moments. It might make the second half of my top ten of the year, but I'm sure this is one I'll be returning to before the month is out.

Did the movie end with the protagonist and antagonist having a sledgehammer fight under an elevated train? No.
Would the movie have been better if that happened? Nah, because the snow siege and the halway fight more than made up for it.
Grade: A.

Ongoing Total:

Overall: 1
New: 1
Previously Seen: 0
In Theaters: -2

Well, why not.

1. Knowing (2009) - Garbage. A huge waste of time and effort from a filmmaker I once loved (yeah, I know Dark City isn't popular around here, but I love it). This film is just bad, and it doesn't even have the decency to be fun bad like The Happening. The film would have benefited greatly from more manic Cage; really would have livened up the proceedings.
2. The Golden Compass (2007) - Bland in every way possible. Also, I'm shocked that this beat Transformers for the Best Visual Effects Oscar that year (and this is coming from someone who hated nearly everything about Transformers). Of course, I'm not really in the target market for this flick anymore, but then again, I can't really figure out who the target market is.
3. Stardust (2007) - I've got it on in the background while I do other things.
4. Convoy (1978) - I love Peckinpah.
5. The Chess Players (1977) - Prior to this, the only Satyajit Ray films I had seen were the three that comprised the Apu Trilogy (which is fantastic). This was very good, though I was much more invested in the tale of the chess playing nobles than in the British takeover of India. Those scenes were a bit dry and tended to drag, though the scene where the king talks about the verse he composed was rather nice. Overall, this was a really good film that had some genuinely funny moments.

What makes that scene really special for me is the kids surrounding and watching them. Their reactions seem absolutely genuine and they couldn't look more delighted. And as I was watching it, I realized I had almost the same expression on my face. And you're right, Chico has such a playful style of playing. When he plays the last couple of notes with his finger pointing like a gun, I cracked up.

Awesome.

1. A PERSONAL JOURNEY WITH MARTIN SCORSESE THROUGH AMERICAN MOVIES - first of all, I'd be happy to sit at Scorsese's feet and just listen to him talk about the movies he loves and respects because the man is such a wise and warm raconteur. Watching this three-hour doco, though, I was also taken with the energy and vibrancy of the B-movies he champions. It prompted me to make a list of obscure B&Ws to check out over the course of the year. Highly recommended.

2. THE ECLIPSE - understated to the point of downright fucking muted, this Irish character study/sorta ghost story isn't exactly gripping but it is mildly compelling. The people are so interesting and likeable (well, not Aidan Quinn, having a blast as a self-enchanted douche of a novelist) that you're keen to see where the events of the story take them. Great showcase for the marvellous Ciaran Hinds, who reminded me of Mitchum once or twice.

3. SHE - I've got this big-ass box set of Hammer Horrors, and I've resolved to go through it from go to whoa, starting with this Ursula Andress vehicle based on the H. Rider Haggard novel about a shapely goddess/witch/whatever trying to seduce the reincarnation of her long-dead lover. Pretty blah stuff, interesting only for the hotness of Andress.

4. PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM - I'd seen clips of this before but not the whole thing, and I was surprised by the antic energy displayed by both the film and by Woody Allen (who would have been around 37 at the time). I guess I was so used to Allen's neurotic nebbish persona that his affinity for goofy physical comedy had slipped my mind but the scene in his apartment where he is the world's worst host is hilarious. Emotionally and especially sexually, though, it's kind of an immature piece (there are some rape-y gags that are downright awkward), but it also has this scene, a textbook example of comic timing. (Also, that actress. Damn.)

5. THE BOX - I can see why this frustrated and even angered a lot of people. Tonally it seems all over the place, and Richard Kelly seems unable to get out of his own way at times. But the strange, suffocating nature of it is clever in how it echoes the strange situation at the heart of the film, placing you as the viewer in the shoes of Cameron Diaz and James Marsden. It occasionally has the same off-balance quality as something like THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE or the underrated WINTER KILLS, even if it's nowhere near as compelling and coherent as those movies. Also, early role for COMMUNITY's Gillian Jacobs.

1. Hot Fuzz (2007) - An advanced satire of police services and elitist societies. A
2. The Deer Hunter (1978) - The only great John Savage and Meryl Streep have ever done. A-
3. Yojimbo (1961) - Sanjuro fucks up a gang war and gets his ass beat while fighting for the greater good. A+

It's great, infectious enthusiasm for movies. <kids today rant>And you're lucky - I had to wait 15 years for someone to release The Phenix City Story on home video after seeing this doc, but you could probably be watching it within a week.

Uhh, that's a bit much, isn't it?

That opinion is based on Door to Silence, Where Truth Lies and a general distaste for Meryl Streep on screen. Regarding the A-, I'd gauge the film higher if it weren't for the pacing and certain over-extended sequences. I consider the film to be one of the best of it's kind. Compared to other bland and monotonous war movie/character studies, The Deer Hunter is near the top of the curve. I just figured I'd mention those 2 actors and avoid redundancy by praising Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken for their excellent portrayals and intensity.

Highlights: "One shot." "This is this." "God bless America."

All right. I'm in.

Have seen before
Have not seen before
In theater = CAPS

1. ANOTHER YEAR-- another absorbing slice of life from Mike Leigh. Often brutally sad, though.

2. Winter's Bone -- my second helping of one of my faves of 2010. Hawkes NEEDS to get an Oscar nom for this.

Seeing as my CHUD Christmas Exchange involvement went well, I am in for this as well.

1. Alien I know what you are thinking, really? But I had never seen it in full before. But thanks to some Christmas loving, I watched it today in Bluray. For some time, as a kid, I thought Aliens was the first movie. I have seen Aliens and Alien3 dozens of times. The tension through out is great, and I had to chuckle at the number of cat jump scares (Bless you Community). Some of the effects show their age. The Alien's feet were jarring to me for some reason. There was a great sense of character for nearly everyone except the poor guy who died first. Overall, still a great sci-fi horror film.

2. Quantum of Solace- For the first time, I was struck with a case of the mehs. I have defended the film before, because it has some great mythology building portions. But the opening song sets the field for the rest of the film. 'Ooh, great start...zzz.. ugh, what horrible thing is Jack White doing to make Alicia Keys sound that bad?'

To note:
'Ooh, nice opening...zzz... wait, why is Bond beating down this guy?'
'Ooh, he was an assassin!... zzz... Wait? Why is hottie Bolivia shooting at Bond?'
'Ooh, boat chase...zzz... I guess that is a luxury boat in his country.'
'Don't they understand, it's not Oil, CIA, it's water!...zzz... Wait...this movie is about water?'
'Ohh, it's that guy I thought was cement booted in the first film...zzz... Ooh, I guess he is dead. Bond has wrapped him in a carpet.'
'Oh the irony of being destroyed in an enviromentally friendly, green hotel...zzz... What was the obvious Hugo Chavez stand in's crime again?

Overall, I still like Dame M. Haters can go watch her put on a show. But I can't say QoS was a good film.

Seen before
First viewing

1. Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - Looks pretty, but ultimately as lifeless and soulless as the characters' eyes.
2. The Ladykillers (1955) - So ineffably and darkly (and fabulously) British, it makes me wonder why the Coens ever got near it.
3. Kung Fu Hustle (2004) - Sheer giddy exuberance. Even dubbed on Comedy Central.
4. Fantasia (1940) - The live-action segments are a lot drier than I remembered. Not Fantasia 2000 levels of bad, but still pretty dull.

5. The Quick and the Dead (1995) - Gets a little less fun once the great supporting cast starts getting killed off, but still a great time.

Edited by Richard Dickson - 1/6/11 at 7:35pm

LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN.

Seen it
Never seen it


1. Gran Turino - Walks a thin line between being really sweet/poignant/entertaining, and being Ol' Dirty Harry: The Cartoon. Still liked it, though.
2. The Red Shoes - The same Holy Shit reaction I had after Black Swan, but, y'know, less brainfucked. Just brilliance. This WILL be mine on Blu Ray this month. Oh yes. It will be mine.
3. True Grit (2010) - Entertaining. Actors are all amazing, some with barely anything to go on. "Don't get it twisted, this cinematography shit is mine."--Roger Deakins. And yet, overhyped to hell. It's a good time at the movies, but not much else.
4. The Insider - The proto-Zodiac. Doesn't get as interesting with the entirety of its supporting cast like that film, but a tense as hell statement on gathering the balls to do what's right in the real world. Everybody's great. Bruce McGill blowing up in that courtroom is the best shit ever, though.
5. Jackass: The Movie - In many ways, more of a horror treatise on the nature of Death than Final Destination. That is, Death is being teased and taunted for 90 minutes by the uncivilized, unworthy, and unwashed, and he WILL. NOT. STRIKE. That's fucking depressing.
6. Following - A solid first movie, though not as contemplative as the premise made me hope. Meeting the robber, i figured, would happen halfway through, with the first half all being following people through mundanities. Still, good film. Also, why has no one else made a big deal that the thief's name in this film is Cobb??
7. Se7en - Still brilliant. The little character moments stand out more than the actual crimes/procedural stuff the more I watch it though. And damn, did I forget how crushing/lifting "You spoil that kid every chance you get" was.

8. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)  - Gargoyle Costanza is a one way ticket out of the goddamn movie anytime hes onscreen but this was still surprisingly great. Frollo's easily on my top 5 favorite Disney villains list. Its still not as bleak as I understand the novel gets but this is probably the darkest G movie ever. I miss Disney's 2D department having this kind of balls.

9. Coraline - Henry Selick. Still an unsung animation hero. And that's on top of having Neil Gaiman feeding him ideas. Just stunning animation here. Having said that, fuck Stereoscopic 3-D.

10. The Matrix Reloaded - Yep. Still love it.

11. The Matrix Revolutions - This too. Suffers from many of the flaws of Return of the Jedi, but handled with a far more ambitious grip on things. And goddamn do I still love the Superbrawl.

12. Repo Men (2010) - I feel like if the great ideas could be harvested out of Repo Men and Repo The Genetic Opera, of which there are myriad, something spectacular could result. As it stands, though, both those movies don't do their great ideas nearly enough justice. Which is really disheartening. Repo Men still wins out of the two though.

13/14. El Mariachi/Desperado - Wants really bad to be the Mexican The Killer, but Rodriguez is just too damn quirky. That's a good thing, actually. Still not sure what the fuck he was going for with making Desperado a sequel, since the tone is ENTIRELY different, and no offense Carlos, but Banderas is so goddamn great in this role its ridiculous, but both films still work on their own terms. Also, SALMA.

15. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls Of Ga'Hoole - If I was, like, 7 or 8, this might be my favorite thing ever. So, to that end, i think it's pretty effective. For an adult, though, it's nothing special. Though, Jesus it's pretty. And the action's surprisingly good for being just owls screeching at each other.

16. The Town - Somewhat standard story, but Affleck directs and acts the shit out of it. Everyone else is on their game as well. R.I.P. Pete Postlethwaite. Now, what else you got in you besides Boston crime dramas, Ben?

17. The Social Network - Every subsequent viewing, the Facebook aspect kinda disappears into the background, and it really just becomes a portrait of the new high society in this country. It's the anti-Wall Street.

18. The Green Hornet - It's a film on a wire, in danger of becoming shitty at every single moment, and yet it never falls, and still easily reminds you it can be fun, often, before getting wobbly. Thats almost goddamn miraculous. Jay Chou is worthy of that Bruce sketch. Christoph Waltz is awesome. James Franco is more so.

19. Piranha - It's an okay slice of schlock for most of its run, just with rather spectacular tits involved. Kelly Brook needs to cavort nakedly underwater in every movie. And I laughed harder at Dreyfuss/Matt Hooper getting eaten than I probably should've. But then, the third act happens. Like the last act of Titanic, except there's carnivorous fish in the water. I can't even remember the last time a horror movie went this balls out in terms of mayhem. Half an hour or schadenfreudic laughter and horrific mouth covering in equal measure. Terrible/wonderful things happen to "Joe Francis'" dick. Worth the price of admission for that alone.

20. Hard Eight - I'd been wondering what a Paul Thomas Anderson modern crime flick would look like. Never mind, then. Philip Baker Hall is just fucking amazing here. Paltrow and Reilly are less so, but, they get better. Well, Reilly did anyway.

21. Observe And Report - Another Seth Rogen high wire act but in terms of tone, not quality. As much of a monster Ronnie is, as scared as we are, there's this weird, undying part of the film that WANTS you to want Ronnie to succeed, to make his mama proud. And yet the film goes frighteningly, ridiculously, painfully out of its way to make you hate yourself for it. Hill spectacularly failed at that with Foot Fist Way. He nails it here.

22/23/24. The X-Men Trilogy - I actually think the first film's the weakest in the trilogy overall. It makes for a strong foundation, yes, but as a film, it never reaches any sort of dizzying highs. X2, different fucking story. On the other hand, X3 reaches some truly fantastic highs (Everything Magneto), and some reprehensible lows (Everything Phoenix). Its the most frustrating just because another couple months of polish could've forged this into something great. Right now, it's the definition of a cinematic rush job.

25. Red (2010) - Don't know how it's possible to have a cast have this much fun classing up the joint, but they accomplished it. Light, breezy, disposable, but definitely fun. Helen Mirren needs to have a sniper rifle more often. This cancels out Jonah Hex for you, Malkovich. Karl Urban's slowly becoming one of my favorite actors. Guy grows on me more with every movie. Mary Louise Parker needs to just call me sometime.

26. The A-Team - Way more fun than it has any right to be. Sharlto Copley's just brilliantly crazy here. Neeson's having a ball. UFC guy's no Mr. T, but still good. And the action just had me grinning all the way through. God dammit, Hollywood, stop making the 80s look good.

27. Being John Malkovich - Greatness. The definition of a modern, surrealist fairy tale, and I couldn't explain why it works if I tried. Pretty much the same problem I have trying to define my love for Synechdoche New York. Also, maybe I'm batshit, but this movie highlights just how much shit Cameron Diaz needs to slather on her face to look like she does. The irony is, fix her hair, she'd be prettier here than in any other movie. Except maybe The Mask.

28. Blue Valentine - Fucking BRUTAL, if you've ever been in a relationship that had a natural, slow descent into nothingness. Pretty much their entire time in the Future Room was just knives in the stomach for me, every single minute. But god, executed so damn well. Gosling's channeling some strange, secretly-a-pussy DeNiro here that's just endlessly compelling. Williams earns that Oscar nod. Brilliance.

29. Dogtooth - I've seen horror movies. I've seen gore. Torture. I've seen psychological mind games, visions of humanity twisted in ways that cannot be possible. This fucked me up worse than any of them.

30. Cyrus - The whole mumblecore genre of films usually annoys the piss out of me, but the right actors--these actors--elevate the shit out of it. This is the kind of work Jonah Hill should be doing from here on. Reilly's amazing as always. I have more of a crush on Marisa Tomei as time goes on than I ever did back in the 90s. particularly here, where the loneliness and embarrassment and fear is on her face just as much as the immense happiness and joy. Still not a fan of the genre, but passive aggressive bullshit is not all it has to offer, thank Christ.

31. Let Me In - Still criminally underseen and underpraised. In terms of cinematic cover tunes, it's not quite a Hendrix All Along The Watchtower, but definitely on par with a Johnny Cash version of Hurt. Never betrays, or sinks below its source material, and in fact, occasionally rises above (read: no unintentionally hilarious CG cat lady scene). Moretz and Jenkins are stellar in ways you cant imagine here.

32. Coming To America - Still so sad how many people in this movie would never be this brilliant again. It never struck me just how sweet this movie is, despite being profane as hell at the same time.

33. Paranormal Activity 2 - Not as consistently tense a build as the first, but still pretty nerve wracking. Worth it for the sequence where the wife bites her husband, and all the lights go out. Not sure how I feel about the lead in for a third film, ut if it means more Katie in a bikini, they can make this the next Saw franchise for all I care. Addendum: Seriously, please dont.

34. Greenberg - Fantastic film, even while realizing my need to be in that place around those people ever again is zero. I do love when Ben Stiller remembers how to act though.

35. Zoolander - Oh, this was amazing. Not exactly sharp satire of the fashion industry, but completely hilarious nonetheless. Will Ferrell's the weakspot, though, going just that crucial inch over the line to make his character work, or even matter, really. And even then, the brainwashing sequence makes me forgive him.  And Jesus Christ, every famous person who ever lived is in this movie.

36. Tropic Thunder - Yeah, went for the Stiller hat trick. Still great. And, yes, still thoroughly impressed Downey went there, and survived.

37. Superman Returns - Is it still too slow and elegiac for a big summer tentpole blockbuster? Maybe. Do I give a fuck? Nope. It's a wonderful little study of Superman's character, weird, stilted, and yet still inexorably noble as he is. Ask me to choose between that and robot punching, guess which one I'll take. Kate Bosworth being lame as hell, I'll give you, though.

38. Brotherhood of the Wolf - My inner weird history nerd, martial arts fan, and horror movie geek get stroked all at once. LOVE.

39. Trading Places - Still great. Murphy gets most of the attention, rightfully, but Aykroyd's the star here. Probably the only guy that could handle that entire sequence in the Santa suit with the right balance of disgust and hilarity. Also underrated: Denholm Elliott. Guy does more with a facial expressions than some people do in entire films.

40. Let The Right One In - Said this before, but I happily and proudly own this and Let Me In. They succeed on different levels, falter on others, and each has a different timbre, both worthwhile. Just depends on my mood. I will say, though, the quiet melancholy of Eli visiting her "father" in the hospital is stomped by how completely heartbreaking it is in the remake.

41. The Illusionist (2010) - Amazing. Beautiful. A bittersweet love letter from a performer to his daughter that goes bungee jumping with the heartstrings at every turn. Also reminds me I haven't seen Triples of Belleville since it first came out on DVD. Should probably rectify that. Too bad this has the same non-shot in hell at the Oscar Persepolis had.

42. Get Him To The Greek - Better than I ever expected. There's a ton of things that could tweak this from a surprisingly good movie to being a genuinely great one--Streamline the tone to better handle the melancholy at its core, get better music all around, make Aaron have a more satisfying arc as a fan of music more than a studio stooge, give him a stronger female lead to play off of, get deeper into the life of the musicians around Aldous--and then you realize that movie already exists. The fact that a movie with a strong Russell Brand performance, Puff Daddy eating his own head, and Rose Byrne singing catchy pop songs about her tight little posie (she means her asshole) gets that close to AF is a shock.

43. Scott Pilgrim vs The World - Still amazing, though I am noticing how the third act isn't nearly as tight as the first and second, though the books have that problem too. But considering how great even that third act is, it's barely even worth bitching about.

44. Chinese Connection (a.k.a. Fist of Fury) - This is what persistent pissed off looks like. Which is why someone with Bruce's capabilities shouldn't be allowed to have it. Shit gets fucked up that way. What really strikes me about this and other kung fu movies from the era that doesn't really happen any more is how much of these fights is stillness, making the bursts of violence hit home more. Newer directors need to take note of that, I think.

45. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) - Holy shit. I don't know why I wasn't expecting this to be as genuinely frightening as it was, but this is easily one of those remakes that one-ups the original, and not just because it's a more gruesome affair. The paranoia of this film, and the systematic bleeding out of free will and trust is just tense as fuck, without all that much blood being spilled.

46. The King's Speech - Without resorting to hyperbole due to the Oscar win, it's a solidly constructed, but decidedly minor film, bolstered more by truly great work from Rush and Firth, and some interesting cinematography. That's about it.

47. Faster (2011) - Could've been a great piece of revenge flick, but just never goes the extra mile to become that. Still, The Rock's a fucking monster in this flick, and except for the laundry list of missed opportunities for Killer and that chick from lost, the characters all have sparks of interesting.

48. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker - A PG-13 animated DC flick is no big deal but I still remember when this movie was a holy shit experience bar none. It still is to a degree, but the violence isn't it. It's more Batman's reaction to the Joker blowing his cover. He's NEVER been that pissed. Oh and, yeah, the rest of the film's good too, more of a solid epilogue and final statement on what Terry McGinnis would have to deal with to be Batman than the Justice League episode, too. And the Justice League episode was damn good.

49. Fast Times At Ridgemont High - Didn't really do much for me. Somehow, the teen films from the age of apathy (the 90s) managed to have kids who actually do something with their flawed lives, as opposed to this one, where the kids seems absolutely fucking doomed to it. Amazing tits are involved, however.

50. Sid and Nancy - Just a dirty fucking monster of a brilliant film. I've seen Oldman vanish in a role before, but never, ever like this. Knocks the rest of his career down a notch of two in my estimation as a result.

I'll try and update this at the beginning of each month. So far in January I have

[n] = New
[r] = Rewatch
[c] = Cinema

1. Eddie Murphy - Raw [n] - Watched this in Hi-Def on a 76” inch TV with a bunch of friends at about 3am on New Years Day. Makes me pine for the days that Murphy was genuinely funny. A-
2. Fantasia [r] - Just gorgeous, looks and sounds amazing and is one of the great love letters to music. A-
3. Rocky Horror Picture Show [r] - A perennial favourite, I kind of love the film but loathe its fan base. B+
4. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World [r] - Love this film, love it even more because it irritates other people. A-
5. Spider-Man - [r] - A lot better than I remember but the presence of Macy Gray is an irritant B+
6. Spider-Man 2.1 [n] - Never seen this cut of the film before, works really well. Spider-Man 2 is still my favourite superhero film and watching it again does little to change that. A
7. Spider-Man 3 [r] - I love elements of the film and individual scenes and sequences are perhaps the best in the entire trilogy but it feels edited out of sequence and never really holds together and it’s undone by a largely wretched final twenty minutes (but I love the Jazz club dance). C+

A Night at the Opera. (1935)
Incredible. I know a lot of people discredit it slightly because of the musical numbers and the less anarchic tone of the Brothers Marx, but I was delighted. Loved Harpo playing the Harp and Chico (my favorite Marx) playing the piano. And Groucho's never been funnier.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. (2010)
Should be called the Potter thief. Terrible, although occasionally amusingly wrong-headed. I don't think the film is smart enough to deal with any of the indifference of the gods stuff, but man do Percy and his friends treat regular humans like crap, and do does the movie. They get their hands cut off, run over by cars, shot with arrows and turned into stone (as a practical joke!) Probably the worst movie I saw this year. I can't believe I made it through the whole thing.

Man, it's been a while since I've kept track of my intake.

NEW TO ME
RE-WATCH

CINEMANIA - I saw this doc when it first aired on IFC something like 8 years ago. I recall feeling an odd mix of affirmed and disturbed as a result when I saw it the first time. It didn't really hold that impact this time around, perhaps because my filmic appetites are more developed critically and not quite as voracious as when I was 20. I still dig that there are other people like me who love movies for any variety of reasons, but watching a documentary about it doesn't inspire me the way it did back then. Plus, this thing was a bit on the dry side. (B-)

1. Cannibal Holocaust

I actually really liked it, it's not a film I'd just sit down and watch on a whim, but it's arguably the most important exploitation film ever made, and really is an interesting piece of cinema as a whole. I was surprised at how much story there was, I expected just blood.

Didn't really freak me out at all, nor disgust me, it was just another film in that respect. A very important film, but not that shocking...

edited 1/2/11, 11:20 PM:

2. Shaolin vs. Lama


Radical film, good to know where all those Wu-Tang quotes were coming from. Awesome action, funny dialogue. I'd recommend it to anybody who likes kung fu.

"Allow me demonstrate the skill of Shaolin: The special technique of Shadowboxin'!"

Edit: January 3rd, 2011 - 3:53 PM

3. True Grit

Really good movie, my full thoughts are in the post release thread. I liked it.

4. Seven Samurai

Fucking awesome. Loved it. One of my new favorites.

I've not done this before, and am a bit confused about one thing: are we supposed to keep editing the original post, or just make new ones every time we watch something?

ETA: Cannibal Holocaust is great, but the animal cruelty really affected me. Also, we watched it as part of our film club back during my college days, and reserved one of the lecture halls to watch it. I have never been more nervous about someone walking in on us while watching a movie.

Up to the chewer. Last year, most of us updated in batches of 20 or 10 movies.

I'll update every 10. On 3 new films so far.

I'm legitimately curious - why do you dudes keep track of re-watches? I thought about doing that this year but I honestly don't see a point in it. One could argue that there doesn't HAVE to be a point, and that's totally fair (as I would be hard-pressed to come up with an intelligent, satisfactory answer as to what the point is at ALL to someone who doesn't get into this), but I'm curious as to what the motivation is for films you've already seen.

Tracking viewing habits for one. And if the rewatch is some special event (big screen restored print, Wright Stuff fest, etc.), why wouldn't you count it? Lastly, some of these rewatches are the first viewing in 20 plus years. It's a new experience.

Those are both very good points. I guess I never really thought about it like that, like I never get the chance to see a film restored in theaters and such and there's so much that I missed out on over the years that I'm more prone to catching up on things and my rewatches almost always fall into the category of background noise, comfort food or introducing someone else to something I love.

Which may end up being a missed opportunity, as there are films I've kinda wanted to go back and revisit with my new tastes and sensibilities, but then I always end up opting for the unseen.

4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Three men go for the gold. The American Civil War comes second in this great tale of ambition, dedication and greed. A+
5. The Rules of Attraction (2002) - Youths live and learn. A wonderful study of irresponsibility. A
6. Se7en (1995) - A bad job turnover only gets worse until one man just can't take it anymore. A+

7. Rear Window (1954) - In a packed apartment complex, one tenant with an injury utilizes his time away from work to observe his neighbors. Individual privacy is infringed upon and illegal acts are committed. A

8. A History of Violence (2005) - A family beats their peers, outsiders and each other. The father commits murder. Angry sex and full frontal nudity happens. C

9. The Maltese Falcon (1941) - Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade owns an excellent detective story. A+

10. Halloween (1978) - Many young adults get murdered for not paying attention while a psychiatrist distracts the police. A

11. From Here to Eternity (1953) - Many stories permeate this Hawai'i set WWII Army movie. Ernest Borgnine fights Frank Sinatra! B

12. Shutter Island (2010) - A US Marshal investigates a case at a mental institution for the criminally insane and becomes the subject and victim of s deceit filled conspiracy. A+

13. The Green Hornet (2011) - Two guys have fun, kick ass and then have some more fun. An interesting villain is present. Fun in 3D! A-

14. Less Than Zero (1987) - I can't wait for kids born after 2000 to discover this movie. James Spader is a pimp. B

15. The War of the Roses (1989) - A good and brutal movie made by Mr. Martini. Somebody almost gets their bits bitten off. Dinnertime hijinks happen. A-

16. Cop Out (2010) - This was a bad movie. A funny death (sike!) that should have been in Final Destination occurs. Jason Lee pops up as a rich. F

Edited by andrewhawkins - 1/15/11 at 4:00pm

I'll go ahead and grab some real estate for this.

I'll play along.

First viewing
Seen before

Jan 1. Pickpocket. Netflix streaming. My first Bresson and I definitely see myself going back to his work because while I did enjoy it, it sure is a different type of film and I'm not totally sure I "got" it.
Jan 2. The Hudsucker Proxy. Netflix streaming. A total blast, even though it seems to slightly run out of steam after reaching its peak, the whole Hula Hoop sequence.

Saw in Theaters
Saw at Home
Have seen before
Have not seen before

1. Brokeback Mountain - First time rewatching the film since its theatrical release. A lovely film that didn't fully affect me then. It affected me more now in its small moments, but its final moments still leave me unaffected for some reason. Heath Ledger deserved all the praise he got, but I feel like Gyllenhal's performance was unfairly overlooked.

2. True Grit - A more traditional western. Very enjoyable, though it felt a bit light. Features characters I'd love to see more of. I wasn't highly affected by it in the end, but that was OK. It is a film I'll need to see with subtitles.

Jan 1: The "Complete" Metropolis on DVD. I caught it previously at the SF Silent Film Festival with the Alloy Orchestra playing live, but I think I prefer the original score.

Jan 1:  Burden of Dreams. The Criterion DVD. Nick was my Gift Exchange buddy and did not disappoint.

Jan 4: Rare Exports. Twisted and amazing.

 

Jan 6: Tiny Furniture. I have a habitual resistance to stories about bored, privileged Bohemians but this one won me over.

 

Jan 6: 127 Hours. Talk about a film that (ahem) strikes a nerve. May have to pick up the soundtrack.

 

Jan 8 (am): Coraline. Just what I was in the mood for after a long night.

 

Jan 8 (pm): Hellzapoppin'. One of those pictures I've heard about off and on for years, mostly from British critics. And it's as anarchic and ahead of its time as they said.

 

Jan 14: Fantasia at the Oakland Paramount. Love me some Bald Mountain. Had forgotten how much fun the 'Dance of the Hours' sequence is.

 

Jan 17: The Fifth Element. Still holds up, especially on the big screen. Too bad there are so few SDDS-equipped theatres around.

 

Jan 17: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Sigh. I wish this was better than I remembered but no, still a lifeless wasted opportunity.

Edited by Hammerhead - 1/17/11 at 4:00pm

If I had done one of these last year it would make my current Chud blog a lot eaiser to write.

seen before
SEEN IN CINEMA
First time viewing.

The Incredible Hulk - better second time round, I think it's got the slight edge of Ang Lee's version
Sex and the City 2 I was forced to sit through this with my wife (who loved it). Offensive raciest crap.
Hot Tub Time Machine funny as hell although Crispin Glover and Chevy Chase steal the show.

Welcome to the club, brother. You're safe here.

Anyway, I kind of disagree with you. Most everything in the movie involving Samantha or Abu Dhabi is a giant pile of suck, but there are still some decent moments. The scene where Carrie tells Big she kissed Aiden shows that Chris Noth really should have had his shot at being a movie star, and I love the moment between Charlotte and Miranda where they talk about just how goddamn hard being a parent can be. I'm not a parent, but I really felt for them both in that scene. It's a shame that they reduced Cynthia Nixon to a chattering tour guide in the second half, because she always acts her ass off in these flicks, and there are moments in it where this is no exception. But yeah, they should probably make a third one so they don't go out on this turd.

I was confused as to why one of the characters was portrayed by a transvestite donkey-witch

Yes, the "let's make fun of how old and haggard the women of that show/film series look" defense. That always makes your argument undefeatable, and doesn't stink of juvenile misogyny at all. At all.

You'll fit right in here.

However, "transvestite donkey-witch" is going in the lexicon.

When I did this a few years ago, I also tracked movies seen on TV and netflix (I wanted to assess whether it was worth paying for those services), as well as TV shows watched via DVD. Tracking this stuff is less about counting movies (though I do that) and more about understanding my viewing habits.

A Night at the Opera. (1935)
Incredible. I know a lot of people discredit it slightly because of the musical numbers and the less anarchic tone of the Brothers Marx, but I was delighted. Loved Harpo playing the Harp and Chico (my favorite Marx) playing the piano. And Groucho's never been funnier.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. (2010)
Should be called the Potter thief. Terrible, although occasionally amusingly wrong-headed. I don't think the film is smart enough to deal with any of the indifference of the gods stuff, but man do Percy and his friends treat regular humans like crap, and do does the movie. They get their hands cut off, run over by cars, shot with arrows and turned into stone (as a practical joke!) Probably the worst movie I saw this year. I can't believe I made it through the whole thing.

Modern Times (1936)
One movie I've seen more times then I can count. The criterion print is incredible and the supplements even better. I never knew about the alternative ending which is far less saccharine; it's downright creepy. The Gamin becomes a nun after the Tramp has another nervous breakdown. After they say their goodbye outside of the hospital, the Gamine's "spirit" (which looks like her former, non-Nun self) runs after him, urging him back, but the Tramp doesn't hear or can't listen and just walks down the road, alone. I don't know why, but I find that terribly eerie and fascinating.

Note to guys jumping in: if you decide to keep editing the original post to add films, you're going to have to prune your blurbs because you will eventually hit the character limit. We eventually got so many that we were typing single sentences, and discussing the films at length in other threads.

Prune your blurbs! I just like saying it.

I figured that would happen, but I really want to write about the films more then a single sentence. I figure I'll just run multiple posts when it gets too long and keep everything numbered at that point.

Actually I agree with you on that one, I did buy the emotion in that scene a lot more than anything else in film. As for the telephone scene i think my hatrid of Sarah Jessica Parker clouded my judgement.

6. UNSTOPPABLE - I'm glad Tony Scott didn't delve too deeply into his bag of editing tricks this time around (well, for the most part), but I've gotta say this felt slighter than a Scott film starring Denzel and Pine (both of whom are strong here) would be. Enjoyable but unmemorable.

7. MACGRUBER - the bits that work work a treat (MacGruber's telling the awful story of why Cunth is his nemesis, MacGruber making the worst sex noises since Frank Booth), but a lot of bits don't work, sorry to say. Forte's a talent but not a lead. ARCHER basically does the whole premise better.

8. THE NANNY - my next Hammer Horror was a surprisingly thoughtful and emotionally complex psycho-drama about a dysfunctional family basically held together by a nanny (Bette Davis) who may or may not have evil intentions. Not so much a horror movie as an intense character piece. At first I thought Davis was just cashing a cheque but she does some stunning stuff late in the film.

9. DIE HARD 4.0 (a.k.a. LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD) - watched this with the Len Wiseman/Bruce Willis commentary, mainly so I could return the borrowed DVD. (My Blu-Ray copy doesn't have the commentary - what the fuck?) Not the most engaging of commentaries - it reinforces the idea that Bruno's kind of a dull guy when he's not playing a character - but the movie was a bit better than I remembered. Wiseman's actually quite the capable action helmer.

10. THE LONG FIRM - Three-hour UK miniseries about the rise, fall and legend of London gangster Harry Starks, supposedly based on the notorious Kray twins. I'd had this on stand-by for a while and was only gonna watch the first of four parts but ended up devouring the whole thing. Lively, compelling story told from four different viewpoints but always focusing on Harry, a keenly intelligent, mentally unbalanced, hopelessly romantic, openly homosexual, horribly violent and undeniable charismatic career criminal. He'd been working for a while before this but Harry's the role that really got people talking about Mark Strong, and deservedly so. He's brilliant here.

I figure I'm just going to do four or five per post.

To wit:

6.  Avatar (2009) - Yeah, yeah...back off. I like it, and think it works just fine when taken as pure spectacle (plus I'm a sucker for pulpy sci-fi, and it definitely has that vibe for me). My mom got me the DVD for Christmas, and this is the first time I've had a chance to watch it and make sure it works. Right now, I've got it on in the background while I do other things.

7.  The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008) - I fear my expectations may have been too high, because I ended up really, really liking this instead of flat out loving it like I had hoped.  It's so inventive and fun, and the climax features one of the best sustained action sequences I have ever seen.  Just a complete blast, and Song Kang-ho just continues to be one of the best actors in Korean cinema.

8.  Night of the Hunter (1955) - I love the artificiality of the staging on this one, and Mitchum is just great, bringing a real sense of menace and creepiness to the role.  The kids are kind of terrible, but the movie is just so damned engaging it's easy to look past them.

9.  Shock Corridor (1963) - I love this movie.  It's so crazy and wild, and just all around entertaining.  Fuller is really one of the all time greats, and deserves much wider recognition that he seems to get.

10.  Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - I really hated this one.  I had the same problem with this film as I did with Garden State; everything just feels so phoney and calculated, and there isn't a genuine moment to be found during the film's interminable running time.  After a while, all the faux quirky bullshit just became grating, and I found myself tuning out.  I think I'm just not in the target market for the "white people with problems" genre.

 

Went over to a buddy's place, and gorged on some flicks tonight.  I'll update these with some thoughts later, but for now I just wanted to get them down.

Edited by Chris Olson - 1/7/11 at 12:33pm

1. A Night at the Opera. (1935)
Incredible. I know a lot of people discredit it slightly because of the musical numbers and the less anarchic tone of the Brothers Marx, but I was delighted. Loved Harpo playing the Harp and Chico (my favorite Marx) playing the piano. And Groucho's never been funnier.

2. Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. (2010)
Should be called the Potter thief. Terrible, although occasionally amusingly wrong-headed. I don't think the film is smart enough to deal with any of the indifference of the gods stuff, but man do Percy and his friends treat regular humans like crap, and do does the movie. They get their hands cut off, run over by cars, shot with arrows and turned into stone (as a practical joke!) Probably the worst movie I saw this year. I can't believe I made it through the whole thing.

3. Modern Times (1936)
One movie I've seen more times then I can count. The criterion print is incredible and the supplements even better. I never knew about the alternative ending which is far less saccharine; it's downright creepy. The Gamin becomes a nun after the Tramp has another nervous breakdown. After they say their goodbye outside of the hospital, the Gamine's "spirit" (which looks like her former, non-Nun self) runs after him, urging him back, but the Tramp doesn't hear or can't listen and just walks down the road, alone. I don't know why, but I find that terribly eerie and fascinating.

4. The Forest for the Trees (2003)
From what I can tell, this is the debut feature length from German director Maren Ade who made last years excellent Everyone Else. This isn't as good, but it's compelling, well acted and sticks with me in a huge, personal way. It reminds me of my substitute days and my worst fears becoming a teacher. Much better then the overrated "The Class." It piles endless tragedy on Melanie, the naive fledgling teacher, a bit too much, but the last sequence is breath taking and I couldn't take my eyes away. Worth checking out. On Netflix Instant, but the quality is lacking (although I'm not sure if that's just how it looks).

3. Curse of the Demon -- Jacques Tourneaur classic bit of demonic curses goodness. I hadn't seen this in ages and was surprised to discover how much Raimi riffed on it for Drag Me To Hell. Some great jump scares in this.

4. For A Few Dollars More -- the last of the Leone/Eastwood westerns I had not seen. Liked it, but it's the least of the series. Seemed weird seeing Cleef and Eastwood on the same team this time.

I don't count those, only focused viewings. Example: technically I have not yet watched a movie this year, but I've had maybe ten on the tv while I did other things. I don't count those as viewings.

Seen
Never Seen

1. Gran Torino - The young priest with the ruddy cheeks pulled me out of the movie every time. Torino has an entertaining middle act, but the kids in this movie are awful. It's Ozu-style non-acting without the awareness. The ending was earned, but I found it too telegraphed. C

2. Taken - I discovered that this was a hilarious comedy. "It wasn't a building, it was a trailer!" "Send my apologies to your wife." It's like a two-hour long Saints Row mission, complete with a brutal yacht assault finale. HA! B

3. The Crucible (1996) - Hugo Stiglitz, this movie is shrill! I have a hard time judging this one. It certainly gets my blood boiling and it's mostly effective. But it is a film I haven't thought about in a long time till Kate and Rath mentioned it recently. Strong performances, but not totally remarkable as a film.

I think I'll post each of these in batches of five so that I'm not obnoxiously re-posting the same bits over and over again. So...here's the first batch.

1. A Night at the Opera. (1935)
Incredible. I know a lot of people discredit it slightly because of the musical numbers and the less anarchic tone of the Brothers Marx, but I was delighted. Loved Harpo playing the Harp and Chico (my favorite Marx) playing the piano. And Groucho's never been funnier.

2. Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief. (2010)
Should be called the Potter thief. Terrible, although occasionally amusingly wrong-headed. I don't think the film is smart enough to deal with any of the indifference of the gods stuff, but man do Percy and his friends treat regular humans like crap, and do does the movie. They get their hands cut off, run over by cars, shot with arrows and turned into stone (as a practical joke!) Probably the worst movie I saw this year. I can't believe I made it through the whole thing.

3. Modern Times (1936)
One movie I've seen more times then I can count. The criterion print is incredible and the supplements even better. I never knew about the alternative ending which is far less saccharine; it's downright creepy. The Gamin becomes a nun after the Tramp has another nervous breakdown. After they say their goodbye outside of the hospital, the Gamine's "spirit" (which looks like her former, non-Nun self) runs after him, urging him back, but the Tramp doesn't hear or can't listen and just walks down the road, alone. I don't know why, but I find that terribly eerie and fascinating.

4. The Forest for the Trees (2003)
From what I can tell, this is the debut feature length from German director Maren Ade who made last years excellent Everyone Else. This isn't as good, but it's compelling, well acted and sticks with me in a huge, personal way. It reminds me of my substitute days and my worst fears becoming a teacher. Much better then the overrated "The Class." It piles endless tragedy on Melanie, the naive fledgling teacher, a bit too much, but the last sequence is breath taking and I couldn't take my eyes away. Worth checking out. On Netflix Instant, but the quality is lacking (although I'm not sure if that's just how it looks).[/QUOTE]

5. Somewhere (2010)
Not Sofia Coppola's best film, but certainly not a minor work either. I love how dialogue gets increasingly useless in her films as she develops. I guess this builds into how "disaffected" her characters are, but really I think it's about more then that; her characters are often so insecure about themselves or what's happening to them. The climax of the movie is arguably Dorff trying to connect with someone with words and failing miserably.