May 2011
24 posts
152. I Spit on Your Grave [Monroe.2010.US]
This pretty bad remake of a classic 70’s horror movie was just what I needed to ruin my night last Sunday. The original film was a schlock-fest heralded for it’s gratuitous rape scene and explicit violence. This 2010 version just felt uninspired and a mere rehash of the original. In 1978, I Spit on Your Grave was one of many sexploitation films that cropped up juxtaposing extremely...
151. Twist of Fate: The Matt and Jeff Hardy Story...
I think I’ve finally reached the bottom of the barrel in terms of WWE documentaries. If it wasn’t for the fact that this was terribly put together, it probably would have been a half decent. Unfortunately, the director decided it would be advantageous to split the documentary in two dedicating the first half to Matt and the second to Jeff. Seeing as they’ve lived practically...
150. CB4 [Davis.1993.US]
MOVIE #150!!! CB4. A mockumentary that inspired the name behind my best friend’s high school band (Locash). It’s your classic 90’s faire starring Chris Rock, Phil Hartman, Chris Elliot, and a parade of famous rappers at the time. CB4 is most inspired by NWA, their #1 fake hit single aptly entitled “Straight Outta Locash”. It’s a comedic look at rap...
149. Under our Skin [Wilson.2008.US]
Continuing my bloodlust for documentaries I watched this Netflix Instant gem on Lyme disease. The means the mainstream medical industry will use to cover-up this national epidemic is frightening. I prefer to remain skeptical when it comes to conspiracy films such as this, but the evidence presented in this is truly staggering. There are a variety of myths that are perpetuated regarding this...
148. Divine Trash [Yeager.1998.US]
As you well know, I love me a solid documentary especially one related to filmmaking. Divine Trash as you may have guessed takes focus on John Waters. It came out in 1998 so it’s not especially current, but then again Waters hasn’t been extremely active in the past decade so whatever. This got hyped at a bunch of film festivals upon its release, and for good reason. It’s...
147. Blue Valentine [Cianfrance.2010.US]
Time will only tell, but Blue Valentine will probably go down as the feel bad movie of the year. It’s the most intense and raw love story that I have seen in quite some time. It’s quite unbelievable that Ryan Gosling wasn’t nominated for an Academy Award, but at least his co-star and real life wife Michelle Williams was even though she didn’t win. Its disjointed plot...
146. And God Created Woman [Vadim.1956.France]
Roger Vadim’s controversial And God Created Woman expressed all the minimalism that is inherent in most films of the French New Wave. It also propelled Brigitte Bardot into the minds and pants of every teenage boy in France at the time. Her persona as a sex object was solidified within the first 10 minutes of the film in one of the most erotic scenes in all of cinema. ...
145. Bad Seed [Bokenkamp.2000.US]
This is a pretty middle of the road thriller. Luke Wilson just doesn’t have the acting chops to pull off a serious role such as this, but Norman Reedus’ performance somewhat makes up for it. The twist that seemingly sets this apart from most other thrillers is that there really isn’t a clear hero OR villain. I’m not sure if that’s intentional or not, but I...
144. Kick Ass [Vaughn.2010.US]
This was an utter disappointment. I suppose not being a comic nerd / sociopath / fan of the Kick Ass comic series didn’t help, but still this was pretty bad. Conceptually, it’s very similar to Super but with polar opposite execution. If you haven’t seen either film, the general premise is as follows: average joe decides to become a superhero, adopts a little girl as a...
143. Marwencol [Malmberg.2010.US]
Marwencol is just pure whimsy wrapped up in tragedy and intrigue. The film’s primary focus is around Mark Hogancamp, who was brutally beaten and brought within inches of losing his own life. Memories as well as Hogancamp’s natural drawing ability was completely washed away. After an extensive hospital stay and months of physical therapy, Hogancamp attempts to piece together a new...
142. Cruising [Friedkin.1980.US]
Al Pacino has a rather unorthodox role in this post-Godfather crime drama directed by William Friedkin. Friedkin of course is best known for directing The Exorcist, and his style comes through tenfold in the cinematography of this film. Pacino goes undercover as a leather-clad homosexual in order to catch a serial killer who is hunting down unsuspecting gay men at clubs. Things start unraveling...
141. Beyond the Mat [Blaustein.1999.US]
I’ve seen many a wrestling doc in my life, but this one is right up there as the best one I’ve ever seen. Released over a decade ago, the footage and wrestlers featured in it are obviously dated, but the content is as relevant today as it was back then. What puts this film above most other pro wrestling documentaries is the fact that it runs the gamut in terms of storylines. It...
140. Home Movie [Denham.2008.US]
If Paranormal Activity was crossed with The Omen, Home Movie would be the end result. That’s the most accurate description I can give without giving too much away. An upstate New York couple unknowingly raises the devil’s spawn, kids give creepy vacant stares for an hour, ending is about as much you’d expect. That’s the movie in a nutshell. It’s super low budget...
139. Team America: World Police [Parker.2004.US]
Have you ever stalled on watching a movie for so many years, that when you finally got around to watching it you were already familiar with most of the movie? That was basically my exact experience with Team America. I already knew the lyrics to every song, I had all the funniest lines memorized, and was pretty well versed with the overall plot. There were no surprises and that hindered my...
138. Scarface [De Palma.1983.US]
Scarface is rumored to drop more ”F” bombs than any movie ever, which is seemingly every other word out of Montana’s mouth. Al Pacino was essentially born to play Montana, which is surprising because he was also born to play Michael Corleone. Each character couldn’t be any more polar opposite from one another, but he plays them both to perfection. Basically, Pacino is in...
137. Goodfellas [Scorsese.1990.US]
What ever happened to Ray Liotta? That guy had such a promising acting career and then he kinda just fell off the face of the planet, resurfacing every now and then in some pretty crummy supporting roles. Actually, the ending of Goodfellas made me laugh because it shows Liotta’s character fading into obscurity as he enters himself in the witness protection program, which seemingly...
136. The Godfather Part II [Coppola.1974.US]
The second installment in The Godfather trilogy starts out rather slow in my honorary opinion. It takes a while to settle in, but once it hits its stride (about 30-45 minutes in) it’s highly enjoyable. The film is interesting in the fact that it is both a prequel AND a sequel, which when I come to think of it, I can’t recall another film that is like that. There are two overarching...
135. Casino [Scorsese.1995.US]
I believe this is my first Scorsese picture of the year, maybe not. In any regard, much like The Godfather, Casino is a film that I’ve seen in small parts here and there over the past decade or so…but never in its entirety from start to finish. It was good not great, and definitely had the feel of a Scorsese helmed movie. De Niro and Pesci were brilliant in this. Sharon Stone...
134. Bonnie and Clyde [Penn.1967.US]
I’m not sure how historically accurate this was, but in any regard it was pretty ho-hum. Bonnie is played by Faye Dunaway and Clyde by Warren Beatty respectively. They both did a standup job, but the film was just kinda boring. Given the notorious and violent nature of their crime spree, it’s actually surprising how lackluster this was for the most part. Gene Wilder and Gene...
133. The Godfather [Coppola.1972.US]
My gangster movie week was a little bit of a bust, having only watched a total of 6 films. It wasn’t a complete waste of time though, I managed to finish a slew of movies that I previously had only seen a portion of. I started with The Godfather because for all intents and purposes it’s the end all be all of the genre. What’s to say that hasn’t been said before? ...
132. I Love You Phillip Morris...
I first saw a preview for this at Keystone Art Cinema and thought it looked absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, this film fell short for me. Jim Carrey plays a con-man who is perpetually on the lam, meanwhile he meets the love of his life while in jail (played by Ewan McGregor). They ultimately start up a rocky relationship that is chronicled by multiple stints in jail between living lavishly...
131. Best Little Whorehouse in Texas...
My girlfriend, being a fan of country music, brought over this delightful gem the other night. I really don’t much care for musicals in general but this was a toe-tapping good time to say the least. Dolly Parton stars in what is probably her most famous film role alongside Burt Reynolds. Jim Nabors and an unrecognizable Dom DeLuise round out the lineup as well. For years I was told that...
130. Niagara [Hathaway.1953.US]
Niagara “stars” Marilyn Monroe in quite possibly one of her most unorthodox roles ever. The reason I put stars in quotations is because she is in this movie but she is certainly not the lead role or even in the supporting role, yet back in 1953 when this was released she still managed to steal the show. Due to Monroe’s contribution to the movie, this became one of the best...
129. Win Win [McCarthy.2011.US]
This awesome little comedy/drama/sports movie starring Paul Giamatti surprised me a bit. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but what I came away with was pure joy. It’s the perfect mix of humor and drama. Amy Ryan is brilliant in the supporting role, her and Giamatti play a married couple (the cutest I’ve seen in quite some time) who take in a troubled youth. As they soon...
