Mostly Mediocrity

I am on some kind of with watching movies that are neither good nor bad. Well, some bad, but most of them fall smack dab in the middle, which is to be expected, I guess.

The Vixen (Les femmes) -- Jean Aurel

I totally get the appeal of Brigitte Bardot. She's beautiful and has amazing eyes, but dear lord, has she been in some bad movie! The Vixen exists pretty much to play to Bardot's sex appeal, but it fails at being remotely sexy. OK, not entirely. The credits are somewhat sexy, but they are still photos and Bardot's lips. The rest of the film is about a writer who recounts his sexual mores to his new secretary (Bardot). Eventually, she falls for him, even though his history (of which she's very aware) shows he's fickle, fickle man. I don't even care about the plot. The movie is supposed to be sexy and it's simply boring.

Howl's Moving Castle -- Hayao Miyazaki

I really didn't like Princess Mononoke (I post as ncapp24). My expectations for Miyazaki were relatively high given his reputation and the film failed on many respects. I was very pleased to discover that all of the failings I felt Mononoke had, Howl's Moving Castle didn't. It was everything I hoped Mononoke would be. The animation is wonderful and dreamy. The fantasy is imaginative and the characters run the gamut of gruesome to cute to just awesome (I love the weird black, blobby agents of the Witch of the Waste). The film kind of falls apart at the end, rushing to try to bring everything back together without doing an adequate job of explaining what's happening aside, "it's magic!" That aside, the film is great and I'm now looking forward to more Miyazaki (though that could change if I run into another Mononoke scenario... now I'm the fickle one).

Shadows -- John Cassevetes

My thoughts can be found here (I'm really whoring out Sunday Screenings today. And for some reason I post as Nate Capp on that thread. Shouldn't be confusing for you smart people). Short review: I liked it!

Muppets from Space -- Tim Hill

It's remarkable that it took me this long to see Muppets from Space. In my mind, it was more like Pigs in Space than the actual film than it is. I kind of wish it had been Pigs in Space. It's not that Muppets from Space is bad, just that it's disappointing. I love the Muppets. They have always been huge part of my life as Capp. The elements were there to make a funny, touching movie, something The Muppets have always been good at, but it wasn't, and I think I know why: funk music. I couldn't believe that the film opened with Brick House and continued with all sorts of other funk songs. One of the great things about Muppet movies has always been the original music. Yes, Muppets from Space needed a Paul Williams injection. It could have been a poignant exploration of identity and what a family is, but it's just a mildly amusing diversion in the vast world of Muppets.

Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts -- Scott Hicks

I got to see Philip Glass speak at the Portland Art Museum shortly after I moved here and it was very inspirational, though all I appear to have taken from it is that it's OK to not achieve your dreams until you're 40. Regardless, the experience (along with his music for Koyaanisqatsi, which I just spelled correctly on my first try) instilled an interest in Glass that moved beyond, "I can't believe he did the score for Candyman." The problem with A Portrait in Twelve Parts is that it thinks we want to know about Glass' domestic life. Unfortunately, like most people, his domestic life is pretty boring. Pleasantly boring for him, but not for the viewer. I don't think I'm going out on a limb too much to suggest that the reason people are watching this documentary are to get insight into Glass as an artist. What goes in to writing an opera? Where do his influences come from? What's the creative process like? Instead we get to see him make pizza and hear his wife talk about how they're drifting apart (and giving away her computer passwords).

Come and See -- Elem Klimov

Come and See is World War II seen through the eyes of a child and maybe that's why the film seems so damn simplistic. The only thing I got out of the film is that war sucks and you don't need two and a half hours to tell me that (and really, I've already been told that by a million other movies, books, news broadcasts, etc, but I won't give it too much offense since the movie came out when I was three and could have affected me more so had I seen it before I became jaded). I always feel callous when I say that about a film that depicts the horrors of war so realistically, but just because it was real doesn't mean it's a movie. I think the biggest problem is that the main character never seems to be doing anything but reacting to the horrors. He does have an arc, but it all has to do with his frustration at the war. I didn't not like the film, but at this point, it feels like well-worn territory (again, not the film's fault).

The Case of the Grinning Cat -- Chris Marker

Marker uses the Grinning Cat tags as a jumping point to do a documentary about protests in Paris around 9/11/01. I don't think it works completely, but it's nice to see someone doing something different with the form (which he's done for years, even though I couldn't really make it through San Soleil even with its Vertigo hook). The film is frequently funny in a dry sort of way and the subject matter is interesting, though I think there's a gap since I never followed French politics. One thing I do know, the French people will protest and riot for anything. My mind started to drift off toward the end, which tells me it could probably have been shorter to make its point. At one hour, though, it wasn't much of an issue. It's kind of the perfect movie for our cat-meme obsessed culture.

The Killing Fields -- Rolande Joffe

I had a similar reaction to The Killing Fields that I had to Come and See, though it was a take on the war (conflict) in Vietnam that we hadn't seen much of: the expansion into Cambodia. At first, the film felt like a self-indulgent piece based on the writings of journalist-subject Sydney Schanberg, but then I found out that not only is it an original screenplay, but it was written by Bruce Robinson (who wrote/directed Withnail and I, which kind of blows my mind). The story of Dith Pran is pretty amazing and you should look it up. While you're at it, you should look up Haing S. Ngor because his story is similarly amazing and sad. The following story (taken from IMDB) greatly endeared me to him:

At the Oscar's, when Haing S. Ngor won the Oscar for best supporting actor, he walked onto the stage with his 15-year-old niece. Upon walking up to the stage, John Malkovichjokingly shouted something in Cambodian to him which shocked his niece and made Haing Ngor laugh. He shouted, "The award's mine, asshole!" In Haing Ngor's autobiography, he describes John Malkovich's keen interest in learning Cambodian swear words.

Sid and Nancy -- Alex Cox

I'm not a fan of the Sex Pistols, but I'd heard lots of good about Sid and Nancy (plus, we have a poster of the film autographed by Alex Cox at the theater), so I'd figure it's worth a shot. The film didn't make me a Sex Pistols fan, but I really wasn't expecting it to (just like Rock 'n' Roll High School didn't make me a Ramones fan, but that movie still owns). Aside from a great performance by Gary Oldman and the film's grungy aesthetic, I didn't really care much for it. I didn't know much about the Sex Pistols and Sid and Nancy didn't do much to fill in the gaps, which is fine, it's not about the Sex Pistols, but the film turned out to be little more than I thought it was going to be, which is some junkies being assholes. And they were assholes. I couldn't wait for Nancy to die, she was so obnoxious, and I wouldn't have minded if Sid died either. The story that I found far more interesting that's just touched upon is Johnny Rotten's attempts to keep the band together despite the destructive force of Sid Vicious, Nancy, and heroine. Because, from what I understand, the Sex Pistols needed Sid. He was a Personality. As it stood, I watched people I didn't like destroy their lives. Good. Fuck 'em.

Where I Watch a Bunch of Serviceable Movies

The Shape of Things -- Neil LaBute
I'm one of those people who believes that Nic Cage and Neil LaBute conspired to make The Wicker Man remake a comedy without telling anyone else involved. LaBute has a fair reputation as a playwright and I'd heard good things about his movies, so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. The Shape of Things didn't alter my conviction about The Wicker Man, but it definitely makes my case harder to argue. The film was drag for the first hour or so and reeked of contrivance. It almost redeemed itself with the reveal at the end, but, much like the rest of the film, didn't allow characters to ask the questions that were actually pertinent to them or makes the logical points to counter the questions that are asked. The film eschews realistic human interaction in order for the director/writer to make his point. That makes for a pretty crappy movie. Also, Fred Weller is a horrible actor.

Tango and Cash -- Andrei Konchalovsky
Kurt Russell is awesome. Sylvester Stallone has been in some pretty good movies (and has even been good in some of them). But Tango and Cash is pretty much your standard action buddy movie. Two cops with opposite approaches to life but equal success at their jobs are framed and sent to jail. Comic banter and jailbreak ensues. Vengeance. More banter. Kurt Russell in drag (ugliest woman ever). It's so by the numbers I'm kind of bored writing about it. Not a bad movie, just bland. Also, Teri Hatcher plays a plot point.

Catfish -- Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman

That's the trailer for Catfish. Now... don't watch Catfish. Ever. The trailer is intensely misleading, but I don't care about that. Catfish is boring. The men we follow around through this movie are dull, slightly obnoxious young professionals. Then somehow, when the reveal finally comes, the movie gets even more boring. The only reason this movie has received any attention is because of the "is it real or fake?" controversy. Quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of these documentarians who think they're clever by making a possibly real/fake documentary. It's not new. It's not original. And it's not clever. It's a publicity stunt. Please, everyone. Ignore Catfish.

Late Spring -- Yasujiro Ozu
I've come around slightly on Ozu, having watched more of his films. I think it's that I've adjusted to his rhythms. The films of his I've seen take place in an almost fantasy world, at least to me, where everyone's greatest concern is for their children to marry and for their parent(s) to not be alone. It doesn't always make for the most scintillating drama since conflict doesn't pour off of the screen and many of the practices are fairly outdated, but it's a nice place to visit periodically. And I've grown to love Chishu Ryu's particular brand of acting, which I found so stilted in the first Ozu film I saw, Tokyo Story. I'm told Ozu does get edgier, but I haven't gotten their yet, and he really does tread on the same subject matter, so I don't know when I'll revisit him, but I'm happy I've learned to appreciate his films all the same.

Manhattan Murder Mystery -- Woody Allen
I'm beginning to think Woody Allen and I will never have much of a relationship. I much prefer his wackier films like Bananas and Sleeper, but can't even say I like all of those (Take the Money and Run was a chore). Manhattan Murder Mystery felt like it must've been a huge inspiration on the mumblecore movement what with the handheld camera and all of the relationship talk amongst upper class white people. It only really held my interest when the titular murder mystery picked up speed. There were aspects of the film that reminded me of Rear Window, which isn't really a bad thing. And, when all was said and done, I felt like I'd gone on a real emotional journey with the characters and that they'd earned their happiness in the end. One of the more enjoyable Woody Allen experiences, but I still haven't been hooked.

The Town -- Ben Affleck
The Town made me miss Boston. That's mostly what I got out of it. It's a beautiful city and I wanted to be their, even if people are robbing banks and baseball stadiums. I don't really have too much to say about the time. Everything was fine. An enjoyable way to spend a few hours, but in one eye and out the other.

Black Mama, White Mama -- Eddie Romero
There's a point where you start to feel like you're viewing a certain genre in the complete wrong way. Exploitation movies just aren't supposed to be seen at 9 or 10 in the morning alone (or in this case, with someone working at her computer). They're about shock and titillation and they need an audience to interact with. I'm not sure I've rated any of these movies higher than 3 stars on Netflix, though I know I've wished I'd seen them in a packed theater. Of course, how many of us have that opportunity? Black Mama, White Mama is definitely one of the better exploitation films I've seen and makes a good companion with Tango and Cash in subject matter. It's everything you expect it to be, but with the added bonus of an amazing Sid Haig performance.

Count Dracula -- Jesus Franco
Since Nightmares Come at Night seems to have gotten lost in the mail, I had to continue on watching Jesus Franco's films as they came (due to an arbitrary rule I gave myself). Even if that movie had come, I probably still would've watched Count Dracula because it features both Christopher Lee and Klaus Kinski. For all of my raggin on Franco (all of it deserved), Count Dracula wasn't bad. It's surprisingly faithful to the novel and looks like someone competent made it. The biggest problem is that the material is so familiar that it's almost impossible to do anything unexpected. But kudos to Jesus Franco for making a movie that doesn't suck!

The Night Porter -- Liliana Cavani
The Night Porter was strongly recommended by a coworker who practically forced me to put it at the top of my queue (he wanted me to remain logged into Netflix so he could add a bunch of stuff, but I don't trust him that much). It's a well-made, well-shot, well-acted film about the complicated sexual desires of people with a complicated past. I don't typically care for movies with a prominent flashback structure, but that's handled elegantly here (aside from one moment, which I didn't care for). I definitely recommend The Night Porter even if I'm in no hurry to see it again. It's got a controversial reputation for using post-War Europe as a backdrop for it's sexually charged plot. I think that's being a little ridiculous. Plus, that setting makes for a great cover to the Criterion release.

Orson Welles, Con Artists, Aliens, Crime Solvers, and British Stuff

Night of the Creeps -- Fred Dekker
Pretty much everything I expected from the director of Monster Squad, though it doesn't reach the same highs. Night of the Creeps is fun '80s horror through and through. Jerk-ass frat boys. Nerdy protagonist who desires an unattainable girl. Wacky sidekick. Alien slugs that will enter you through any available orifice and turn you into a braindead zombie. Nearly all of the characters are named after horror directors, not to mention the school is Corman University. Perhaps my favorite realization of all is that Jason Lively plays the main character, Chris Romero. He looked familiar, but I couldn't place him. It's Rusty from National Lampoon's European Vacation! I'm just happy that he has more than one credit even if he is the least of the Rusty's.

Who's Harry Crumb? -- Paul Flaherty
While Night of the Creeps is everything great about '80s horror, Who's Harry Crumb? is pretty much everything you expect out of '80s comedy, which is a mixed blessing. The music is horrible, the movie looks pretty terrible, and many of the gags must have felt tired upon release let alone watching it today. But there's something about John Candy playing a lovable (and occasionally competent) goofball that's totally winning and there's some inspired silliness. The cast is really the best part of Who's Harry Crumb? and while it's not bad, I feel like it could have been a lot better, which is the status quo with most '80s comedy. Incidentally, director Paul Flaherty is Joe Flaherty's brother.

Elmer Gantry -- Richard Brooks
Elmer Gantry kind of blew me away. Whenever I get a movie from Netflix that's over two hours, I get a little nervous, but I was hooked the whole way through the 2.5 hour run time. It's rare that I think about a performance in terms of awards, but it didn't take long for Burt Lancaster to have me thinking, "If he didn't win the Academy Award, there is something terribly wrong with the world." I guess the world is OK since he did win (and the film won a few other awards, too). Shirley Jones' (who also won and Oscar) presence is interesting to me for two reasons: until I saw The Music Man a few weeks ago, I was unaware she had a career outside of The Partridge Family and both films she's in that I've seen are about flim-flam men/salesmen. Great film.

Never Let Me Go -- Mark Romenek
Never have I seen a movie about cloning and organ harvesting that is so boring. It doesn't even matter to me that the film is so deliberate as much as that I don't give a damn about the characters. And maybe I'm remembering Never Let Me Go with hate-tinted sunglasses, but it feels like the film was nothing but exposition. I'm getting impatient even trying to remember specifics about the film. Moving on...

A Man for All Seasons -- Fred Zinneman
I'm not sure why I was interested in seeing A Man for All Seasons except that I'm reading This Is Orson Welles right now and Robert Shaw is awesome. I'm not unhappy I saw it, but it took a while for the film to hook me. Once Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) started getting pinned in a corner and Thomas Cromwell (Leo McKern, who rules in the role) starts getting angry, the film is a lot of fun. It just takes a while to get to that point. The best thing to say about it is that the acting is pretty amazing. I just wish Robert Shaw's King Henry was more prominent.

The Stranger -- Orson Welles
Speaking of Welles, this is direct result from reading the aforementioned book. I had to watch it before Peter Bogdanovich and he talked about it. There isn't a whole lot of love between those two for The Stranger, but it's an effective thriller about a Nazi hiding out in America. It's notable as being one of, if not the, only film directed by Welles to turn a profit and for being the first film to show actual Holocaust footage. I'm inclined to be easier on the film and say it's definitely worth checking out.

Stray Dog -- Akira Kurosawa
Toshiro Mifune. Takashi Shimura. Kurosawa. C'mon. How can it not be good. A rookie cop has his gun stolen on a bus and someone starts killing people with it. The rookie cop delves into Tokyo's underworld to get it back. Simple, but awesome. I was particularly fascinate by set piece that takes place at a baseball game. Knowing little about Japan's relationship with baseball, I don't know how long they'd been playing, but I certainly didn't know their professional league existed in 1949. Maybe it's because I currently have baseball fever, but I was fascinated by the footage. I think I might have to start considering Kurosawa one of my favorite directors in light of how many of his films I like.

The Grifters -- Stephen Frears
I was totally on board after the opening credits (with amazing music by Elmer Bernstein) and the triple split screen, but The Grifters did not follow a path that a expected or particularly enjoyed. It's a fine movie and all that, but if I'm watching a movie about grifters, well, I want to see more grifting! It did offer the surprise of seeing Annette Bening naked. A lot. And I swear that Jane Leeves is an extra in a scene inside of an office (no confirmation on that, though). But overall, I was disappointed. I'd think a lot higher of the film if they made one minor tweak to the ending, but it's too late for that now (unless you're George Lucas).

Evolution -- Ivan Reitman
I vaguely remember some of the complaints about this film upon it's release, mostly that it was lacking in humor. And they're right. For a comedy, it's not all that funny, but it's never boring, which is an important distinction (I think, at least). It's mildly amusing (although it goes to low-brow humor a bit too frequently) but it's fun to watch the aliens evolve. It's kind of like when Will Smith's character in Men In Black goes into the headquarters for the first time and sees all of the aliens. The script was initially a straight forward sci-fi horror effort until Reitman got a hold of it. I'd say the biggest reason this didn't turn out like Ghostbusters is that the rapport between Duchovny, Jones, and Scott is a pale comparison to that of the Murray, Ramis, and Ackroyd (who makes an appearance). It also helps that the latter three honed their comedic chops in improv and SNL for years.

Netflix Week

I think I'm going to get rid of the "Weekly" aspect of my film recs/wrecks. The only predictable part of my schedule anymore is waking up an watching a movie, so I keep missing the weekly stuff. Plus, I'm usually trying to write from a perspective removed from the viewing experience, so the pieces aren't as good as they always could be. From now on, it will be when I'm particularly moved as opposed to shoe-horning it in there. For those curious, here are some films I planned on writing about, but won't now:

Recs: Body Double
The Shootist
Pieces
Waxwork

Wrecks: The Matrix
The Departed
The House of the Devil

Onto the main event!

Season of the Witch -- George A. Romero
Speaking of Film Recs, I wrote a post dedicated to Romero's non-zombie films, pretty much recommending all of them that I'd seen. Well, no longer. Season of the Witch isn't bad, really, it's just incredibly boring. It's the story of a bored housewife who turns to witchcraft, but is really just a whole lot of talking politics, either overtly of subtextually (no evidence that this is a word). It's the sort of personal drama I don't really care for to begin with, but it could've been handled a lot better. A Woman Under the Influence of Witchcraft kind of thing. Instead, Season of the Witch just kind of sits there.

Fantastic Mr. Fox -- Wes Anderson
I don't really remember the book much, so I more or less came to this film with a clear mind. It was enjoyable. I don't know if I loved it as much as some of Anderson's other work, but it has a fun style. Even though it looks exactly like a Wes Anderson film, it looks completely unique, too. Definitely something to revisit, though there are two things I hate about it: the annoying whistle that is Mr. Fox' "thing" and (and this goes for so many films) that dancing is the distillation of pure joy. I pretty much hate pointless dancing scenes in films and have been mentally preparing a screed against them for a while.

After.Life -- Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo
The main reason to see this movie is if you want to see Christina Ricci's boobs. A lot. It's a decent enough film with enough to make the viewer question what is real or not, but it's mildly repetitive. Justin Long plays essentially the same role he played in Drag Me to Hell only less likable. Really, neither Ricci nor Long are likable in this film, which leaves Liam Neeson, who is good, but I much prefer him kicking some ass. On the other hand: boobs...

Dead Presidents -- The Hughes Brothers
I remember when this came out I had no interest in it. The ads did nothing for me, which is ridiculous because the ads made it seem like nothing but a heist film and heist films are awesome! Instead, Dead Presidents is a melodrama about black men who fight for their country in Vietnam and come back with nothing. In some ways, it's a bit like The Best Years of Our Lives meets Le deuxieme souffle (not the best known of heist films, but they rob and armored car and it's amazing). Probably the most remarkable aspect of Dead Presidents is that it features Chris Tucker and he's not unbearable! Plus, any film that features Keith David prominently must be seen. It's a rule.

No Direction Home (Part 1) -- Martin Scorsese
I'm halfway through this documentary and while I haven't learned much I didn't already know, it's very good. Scorsese cuts between early footage of Dylan during his "folk music" days and a performance at the Manchester Free Trade Hall in Manchester England. I could watch footage from that concert all day because, contrary to the reactions of the audience (who largely seemed to hate that he wasn't alone with his acoustic guitar), the show was amazing! The crowd is hilarious in retrospect, but it's fun to hear other concert-goers argue with the interviewees that they are witnessing something unique. Probably my favorite talking head personality is Dave Van Ronk who is funny, likable, and has a great look about him. Definitely looking forward to Part 2.

Conquest -- Lucio Fulci
For those who love ridiculousness with your nudity. The main villain wears a mask the whole film, but remains topless (frequently writhing around on the ground with a boa constrictor wrapped around her). There are bizarre rat-faced Wookies, swamp zombies, shape-shifters, laser arrows, and so much more. With all of that, you'd think it would be great, but after an amazing start (think "wishbone"), the film derails fast. Oddness alone sustains it for most of the run time, but that's not enough. And soft-focus doesn't lend a dream-like state. It makes a movie look hazy. One could cut a hell of a trailer out of this, though. Let's see if they did:

Nope. And now you've seen the movie.

Hatchet 2 -- Adam Green
Oh boy. This is going to take a post of it's own...

My Week in Netflix II

It was a busier week for me this week (Portlandia Premiere and a beach trip), which is good in several ways, but it also means I didn't go through as many Netflix movies (which may be just as good for you). One thing I like about doing this is that it forces me to pay attention to the type of movies I'm watching. This week's film selections aren't quite as diverse as last week's in era or genre (which was moderately diverse to begin with). I can only ask that you bear with me (especially if you get bored with horror/thriller genres), I promise there's more to me than that.

J.S.A.: Joint Security Area -- Chan-wook Park
I was surprised by the restraint Park shows in JSA. His camera is typically so fluid and everything so operatic that going back to one of his earlier films, it's easy to forget he didn't start that way. JSA is a very engaging tale of friendship between enemies on the border between North and South Korea (the Joint Security Area). It's a small story, little like Park's Vengeance Trilogy or Thirst, but highly effective. It also solidifies that Kang-ho Song is absolutely one of my favorite actors working. The man is charisma.

The Boston Strangler -- Richard Fleischer
Perhaps the biggest surprise in The Boston Strangler is Tony Curtis. He gives easily the best performance I've ever seen out of him. He's not stilted or putting on airs; he simply is Albert DeSalvo. The Boston Strangler goes from "slasher" (though the phrase wasn't around yet and he wasn't cutting people up, but all the genre markings are there) to character study without batting an eye. I was very impressed with the film, de Palma-ing it up with the split-screen before de Palma could make it his own. Plus, it's always nice to hang out with Henry Fonda and George Kennedy.

Falling Down -- Joel Schumacher
There's been a bit of synchronicity around my viewing of this film. Patton Oswalt was Tweeting while viewing the film and it was mentioned in Sleazoid Express as the last film shown at one of the last Grindhouse theaters in New York. Schumacher has become kind of a joke, mostly due to his Batman contributions, but also because his films just aren't that good. I've always carried Tigerland in my back pocket if I felt the need to defend the man, so I'm happy to have two films to offer as a counterpoint (and no, The Lost Boys is not a good movie). Michael Douglas' character isn't particularly likable and I found myself frequently siding with outsiders, but it's just so fun to watch him try to maintain a rational mind even as it deteriorates. It's like screenwriter Ebbe Roe Smith was thinking of everything that annoyed him in the world and built scenes around them with a little rant as to why it's stupid. Just an immensely enjoyable black comedy.


The Stepfather II: Make Room for Daddy -- Jeff Burr
The original The Stepfather is a pretty awesome view into the life of a psychotic man who yearns for the perfect family. It's hard to keep the lies straight and watching it all unravel is a lot of fun. The Stepfather II doesn't really deal with that too much. There's no one really chasing him, so the threat is all pretty minimal. Perhaps the worst thing about the film is that aside from Terry O'Quinn, the rest of the cast is either dull or given nothing to do (including the young Jonathan Brandis).

To Catch a Thief -- Alfred Hitchcock
I've got to say, I was hoping for a bit more from To Catch a Thief. It's not bad by any means, just sort of in the middle. Given it's pedigree (Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, and Hitchcock) and it's location (the French Riviera) it could have been much more. Maybe I was too distracted by the disturbingly tan Grant, or the fact that he'd be better suited falling in love with Kelly's mother in the film than Kelly. The idea of a thief trying to use his skills to anticipate the next move of another thief is pretty great, but there is very little of that going on. Instead, the film spends its time having Kelly try to find out who Grant really is. And if I was a retired jewel thief and everyone suspected me, I would welcome the police into my home so they could observe definitively that it was not me. Of course, then there's no movie...

A Simple Plan -- Sam Raimi
I shot this film to the top of my queue on the recommendation of a coworker. Really, it's a surprise I hadn't seen it already since I went through a huge Raimi phase (spurred on by my discovery of the Evil Dead trilogy). A Simple Plan is easily the least Raimi of all of his films. There's a minimum of stylistic flourishes and just about no silliness. I don't typically care for Billy Bob Thornton or Bill Paxton, but both are reigned in here (and for the better because it wouldn't make sense otherwise). It's a little weird not having Thornton be a duplicitous ass and even though I knew better, I kept expecting for his character to turn into one. And, to draw a connection to The Boston Strangler, Bridget Fonda does her best Lady MacBeth to spur on Paxton. The film doesn't make anything easy on its characters and even though you may question their actions, you can at least understand them. All I know is that I'm keeping that money if I find it.

My Week in Netflix

I'm going to test this out for a few weeks to see how it goes. It's not like I need to write about movies more and I've already got Weekly Film Rec/Wreck where some of the movies I write about here may pop up, but the fact is, most films fall in between. I'm not going to do big write-ups or even post trailers (unless I find that useful). I just happen to watch a lot of movies during the week and thought it might be fun to track them. And even though I've complained about Netflix a lot, I'm all talk it seems and am starting a feature around having it (and I didn't cut my subscription back, either). So off with the first My Week in Netflix!

Young Sherlock Holmes (1985)
Young Sherlock Holmes is basically an origin story. Sherlock meets and befriends Watson (and another important figure in his life to come) and they have their first case together tracking down the cause of several mysterious deaths. The 1980's were big on adventures featuring children: The Monster Squad, The Goonies, Explorers, just to name a few. I'm of the mindset that The Goonies is typically the least of these films and Young Sherlock Holmes fits under The Monster Squad (the absolute best). It's fun and features everything we love about the character (even if the events that lead to him getting his trademark hat and pipe seem shoehorned in). It's directed by Barry Levinson and written by Chris Columbus, the latter striking me as more than a little bizarre, though there is a distinctly Harry Potter feel to it, so maybe his work on that franchise makes sense after all. And definitely watch through the end credits.

Waxwork 2: Lost in Time (1992)
I used Young Sherlock Holmes as an excuse to watch Waxwork 2 (the first of which will be getting Film Rec treatment) because Sophie Ward plays roles in each. Waxwork 2 also features an amazing performance (aren't the all?) by acting god, Bruce Campbell. The film picks off right where the first ends and is somehow even more bizarre. The two don't really make sense with each other, but this one is basically an excuse to parody different genres and films (The Haunting, Invasion of the Body Snatcher, Alien, among many others). Zach Galligan (Gremlins) reprises his role, but unfortunately Deborah Foreman doesn't. It's an immensely silly movie, but fun, especially The Haunting parody with Bruce Campbell. Don't see this without watching Waxwork (which is awesome) first. There is this amazing music video under the end credits, though.


Tideland (2005)
The critical response to Tideland was astoundingly negative. I don't think it's nearly as bad as that. The visuals alone are pretty amazing. It's not exactly a pleasant film though. There's lots of disturbing imagery and people are frequently shot in unpleasant wide angle lens close-ups. Gilliam's DVD intro is also a little off-putting. It's true, critics generally missed the point of the film, but there's no need to insult the intelligence of everyone watching. Still, you have to admire Gilliam. It's better to fail doing your own thing than to compromise your vision for "mass appeal." This is definitely not introductory Gilliam, though. Incidentally, star Jodelle Ferland (who is quite good) has had quite a career for a 16-year old.

Wendy and Lucy (2008)
I already expressed my feelings about this film.

World Trade Center (2006)
I never really had much interest in watching this film. I thought it would just make me sad and didn't know what new it could tell me (and until recently, I didn't care much for Nic Cage), but Josh Becker (who seemingly hates every new movie) said he enjoyed it on his Ask the Director page, so I thought I'd give it a chance. I could have done without the emotions of the family stuff because that falls under the "what new are you telling me" topic, but the scenes of the PAPD getting prepared to help, the buildings collapsing, and subsequently getting trapped are incredibly well done. One kind of expects director Oliver Stone to be a bit too blunt with the subject, but it's all handles very elegantly. The viewer really understands the confusion and fear these men must have felt.

Frozen (2010)
I unequivocally love Adam Green's Hatchet. It's everything a slasher movie should be. So I was pretty excited for Frozen. I'm not sure why, since Green's other films I've seen, Spiral, was mediocre at best. Frozen essentially falls directly in-between those films. Three friends get trapped on a ski lift after the mountain is closed down until the next weekend. It's one of the movies where you watch the characters and can't help but comment on how stupid they are being. There's a lot to like and the tension is high, but there is just as much that feels contrived. Still, it's a pretty effective film using only one location.

Zelig (1983)
Woody Allen can take his place along side Godard and one other filmmaker on this list of highly regarded directors whose films I just don't care for. I'm not giving up hope on any of them, but nothing has struck me yet. I do like Allen when he's wackier (Sleeper, Bananas), but Zelig was simply short of laughs. It's a mockumentary about a man who shapeshifts to match his company (black man, fat men, Chinese men, doctors, Nazis, etc). It sounds like a great concept, but I feel it's ultimately hurt by the documentary format.

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)
I love John Cassevetes as an actor. As a director, he gets some amazing performances out of his repertory. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie is no different. Ben Gazzara is astounding. I had high hopes for this film because multiple friends told me how great it is. While this is my favorite Cassevetes film so far, Cassevetes the director is the third filmmaker I just don't care for. I'm not a huge fan of intense personal dramas (psychoanalyze as you will) and his films have this deliberate pace that I simply don't have the patience for. They also tend on the long side (which is why I didn't even attempt to make it through all of Opening Night). I fully acknowledge the man is doing something different. That thing just isn't for me (my former professor would roll over in his grave, were he dead, should he ever read this)

The Crazies (2010)
In my Romero piece, I stated that I'd probably never see this film. Well, thanks to the recommendation of my former roommate, I did. I'm glad he changed my mind. The remake goes its own way and better yet, isn't overly flashy the way the Dawn of the Dead remake is. The characters are strong and it doesn't veer far from believability. Best of all, it doesn't rely on cheap scares. It's legitimately tense. It may not be better than the original, but it gives one hope that all remakes aren't just a quick cash in on a name property (then again, the original The Crazies is hardly well-known).

The Hawk Is Dying (2006)
My interest in this film stems from a time when I was really into Paul Giamatti. That time has since past and my interest waned. When The Hawk Is Dying showed up at my house, my enthusiasm was pretty low. I watched it anyway and it's exactly what I thought it would be: a story of a depressed man (Giamatti's niche) and the world shitting on him. Even though my interest was lacking, the film did strike an emotional chord at the end, so I can't tell you to stay away. If you're into this type of film, you'll probably like it a lot. I'm mostly taking away that my taste in films and Michelle Williams' taste in scripts are apparently diametrically opposed (with Dick as an exception).