874. The Last Seduction (1994)

Running Time: 110 minutes
Directed By: John Dahl
Written By: Steve Barancik
Main Cast: Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, Bill Pullman, Michael Raysses, Bill Nunn
Click here to view the trailer

STEAMY

I'm off today, work tomorrow and off again on Friday, so I'm hoping to take advantage of the situation and get more than a few movies out of the way. FYI, I'm also going to be working on the FRIGHTFEST movies this week and plan to have them all done in time for next Friday, when I'll start posting one per night. Anyway, "The Last Seduction"...

The film is a neo-noir for the uninformed and stars Linda Fiorentino ("Men In Black", "Dogma") as Bridget, a self serving bitch who, as the trailer puts it, is "bad to the bone". The film starts with Bridget's husband, Clay (Pullman) finalizing a drug deal. He gets a brown bag full of cash for his trouble and takes it home to Bridget. Before Clay knows it, Bridget snags the cash and takes off, destination Chicago. However, when she runs out of gas one night in Beston (near Buffalo) she decides to spend the night. She visits the local watering hole and "hooks up" with young Mike (Berg). They end up back at his place and the next morning, Bridget consults her lawyer. He tells her to stay put, that Chicago would be the first place Clay would go looking for her. As much as she doesn't want to bed down in Sticksville, she decides to make a go of it, for the sake of eluding Clay and keeping the cash. She changes her name to Wendy Kroy (New York backwards...sort of) and begins a semi-relationship with Mike, who wants more out of the partnership than just casual sex. Meanwhile, Clay hires a personal detective to help him track down Bridget, but she may be a little too savvy for his tricks. From there, Bridget/Wendy puts a plan into motion that will allow her to keep the old cash, earn some new and get off scott free.

SPOILER ALERT!

I've got to tell you that "The Last Seduction" didn't start out that good. Therefore, my first advice for newcomers to this film would be to stick with it, through thick & thin, because at first it resembles one of those cheap, 90s, straight to video pieces of garbage of which there were too many to count. At first, it's not so much a neo-noir, as much as it is plot loosely draped around excuses for the two mains to have meaningless sex, thus giving it an almost softcore porn feel, but even tamer, as there isn't a lot of nudity. I was all prepared to give this movie somewhere in the neighborhood of a '4' and then the pace started to pick up and the plot thickened to very interesting proportions. The film could have been about thirty minutes shorter and the score could have been a little more threatening, but by the time the credits rolled, I have to say I was impressed that the film was actually able to turn me around so drastically.

Well, it was definitely the ending that did it, which I loved. I kept expecting typical Hollywood fodder, but didn't realize that this film originally aired on HBO, a channel that is known for pushing the envelope a little further than the rest. Anyway, I kept expecting Bridget to calm down and live happily ever after with Mike, with their millions in cash in tow, as they sauntered down a lone street, not unlike the Tramp in "Modern Times". However, the film got more noirish as time went on and was complete with plot twists that reminded me of "Body Heat", in a way - one of the more impressive neo-noirs. So, in conclusion, hang in there if you give it a shot and I promise the payoff will be worth it. Plus, Fiorentino has never looked better, sporting heels and stockings for almost the entire duration of the picture and turning in a fantastic performance to boot. Unfortunately, she peaked in the mid-90s and then just sort of fell of the face of the Earth.

RATING: 6.5/10  I could see myself going higher come RECAP time, but for now we'll play it safe. Seriously though, this is a really good, really fun little noir, that I'd easily recommend.

MOVIES WATCHED: 744
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 257

October 16, 2013  3:51pm

884. Muriel's Wedding (1994)

Running Time: 105 minutes
Directed By: P.J. Hogan
Written By: P.J. Hogan
Main Cast: Toni Collette, Rachel Griffiths, Bill Hunter, Sophie Lee, Jeanie Drynan
Click here to view the trailer

NOTES FROM A NEWLY CONVERTED ABBA FAN

"You can dance, you can jive, having the time of your life 
See that girl, watch that scene, diggin' the dancing queen" 

Man alive, did I love those ABBA tunes! The only previous exposure I'd had to ABBA was watching an very early episode of Saturday Night Live (one of the first five, I think) where they were the musical guest. Anyway, for the unaware, this film is jam packed with ABBA songs, but that's just the start of it.

Toni Collette is Muriel Heslop, an unemployed, overweight, wannabe bride from Porpoise Spit, Australia. The film starts with Muriel catching the flying bouquet at a wedding and only getting a moment to bask in the glory of it all, before her "friends" yank the flowers from her hand and give them to another, more popular friend, as we get a look at the pitiful world that Muriel exists in. Her father insists that she (and her four siblings) are useless and constantly berates them, on his way for running for public office. Muriel's mother is constantly in a daze, as she tries to stay afloat in a loveless marriage, that is being held together with scotch tape and dental floss. One day Muriel sees an opportunity to reinvent herself and begins with a vacation, where she runs into and reunites with former school chum, Rhonda (Griffiths). The two reconnect swimmingly and soon are inseparable. From there, Muriel changes her name to Mariel, moves to Sydney and drastically alters her appearance, beginning with a dash of self esteem, something that was seriously and blatantly lacking. Muriel gets a few dates, but the reinvention of her life is put on hold when Rhonda is diagnosed with cancer. Muriel spends her days taking care of Rhonda and her nights dreaming of an old fashioned, white wedding, while trying to avoid her parents who want her to return home.

SPOILER ALERT!

You know, I really liked this, but I also had some issues with it that I want to take care of first. Let's start with the fact that the film doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be a comedy or a drama and constantly switches gears throughout the duration of the movie. The film also incorporates about two too many subplots and by the time the end rolls around, it's almost inevitable that a loose end will be left untied. Not only do you have the central plot of Muriel's life reinvention in Sydney, but you also have Rhonda's cancer, Bill's political scandal, Muriel's family and the wreckage of their home life, Muriel's impending and eventual nuptials to David and Bryce, who is shown to some dramatic effect near the end, but nothing ever happens with him. I have to tell you it felt like a great foundation that needed just a bit of tweaking to be made flawless. I could have done without the mother's suicide and the sudden change in heart of Muriel's father, a character development that seemed flat out unnatural and forced for the sake of a happier ending. It just seemed like the film had a mild case of ADD and couldn't keep it's focus straight and in my opinion, it only hindered the flow of an otherwise fine film.

However, a mainly interesting and inspiring central plot, coupled with the outstanding work of Toni Collette (who is fast becoming a favorite of mine) makes this a win, in my book. I watched about forty-five minutes of this last night and then had to stop & catch some sleep and honestly, I couldn't wait to get home tonight and finish it off. Despite being foreign, the atmosphere seemed oddly familiar and the film DID take the rom-com genre, mixed in a few special ingredients and presented us something with a kick. Little girls who grew up to be wannabe brides are going to go gaga for this, as are die hard ABBA fans (the films soundtrack is comprised exclusively of ABBA tunes) and anyone with a soft heart, who enjoys squirting a few tears when they watch movies. Check it out, I highly doubt you'll be disappointed, as there's a little something for everybody.

RATING: 7/10  The problems I spoke of hitched this one up a bit, but a '7' is nothing to sneeze at and considered a part of that upper echelon of really good - amazing movies.

MOVIES WATCHED: 743
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 258

October 15, 2013  11:29pm

898. UNDERGROUND (1995)

Running Time: 163 minutes
Directed By: Emir Kusturica
Written By: Dusan kovacevic, Emir Kusturica, from the novel Bila jednam jedna zemlja by Dusan Kovacevic and play Prolece u januaru by Dusan Kovacevic and Emir Kusturica
Main Cast: Miki Manojlovic, Lazar Ristovski, Mirjana Jokovic, Slavko Stimac, Ernst Stotzner
Click here to view the trailer

"A WAR ISN'T A WAR UNTIL A BROTHER KILLS HIS BROTHER..."

As I finished "Underground" last night, I had a lot of thought swirling through my head. Unfortunately, I had to be up for work at seven o'clock this morning and didn't finish the movie until about 11:58 last night, therefore I had to turn in before I could come and share my experience with you all. Let's just say it weighed heavily on my mind all day today.

The film is so serious and so unique that writer/director Kusturica uses comedy to set-up what turns out to be a very bleak film. Your main characters are Mark Dren (Manojlovic), a leader of in the Communist party and his best friend Petar Popara a.k.a. Blacky (Ristovski), who, on what seems like a drunken whim, Marko talks into becoming a Communist just days before the Nazi's invade Yugoslavia (where the film is set and where our main characters are from). With air raids becoming a nightly inconvenience and the threat of the Nazi's looming, Marko sets up camp for his friends & family in the basement of his grandfather's house, which doubles as a bomb shelter. It also works as a place to store all the arms that he and Blacky are heisting from the Germans. While in the cellar, Blacky's wife gives birth to his son (although he also has a mistress, Natalija), Jovan and dies while doing so. Three years later and Blacky is a proud papa, while still mourning the loss of his wife, but still very excited about his future with Natalija (Jokovic). However, Natalija isn't as optimistic about a future with Blacky and instead opts to spend her days with Franz (Stotzner), a German. When Blacky and Marko have one too many drinks, they decide to kidnap Natalija and force her into marrying Blacky. However, before the nuptials can commence, the three are captured by the Germans (WWII still raging on) and Blacky is tortured. Meanwhile, Marko puts the moves on Natalija, all the while scheming to get Blacky out of the Germans' clutches. Once free, Blacky stows away in a trunk where he accidentally sets off a grenade, injuring himself severely. He is taken back to Marko's grandfather's cellar, with the rest of the gang, to recuperate. Whilst in the cellar, Marko and Natalija flourish, becoming a hot item, while Marko alone becomes one of Tito's closest allies - Tito being the 1st Yugoslavian president and leader of the anti-Nazi movement, a movement credited with the liberation of Yougoslavia. Fast forward twenty years and the cellar is still occupied, the people below still under the impression that WWII rages on...

SPOILER ALERT!

...And really, I haven't even scratched the surface, although I guess if you're reading below the "spoiler alert" you either already know that or you're just a rebel. So, Friday night rolls around and I decide to watch this film "Underground", which I'd been putting off for a week or two now. For one, I has "Satantango" on my plate - a seven hour epic - and just didn't feel like adding another three hours to that so soon and two, I knew it had something to do with war, my most despised genre. So I get about an hour in before my eyelids can't hold open anymore and I'm astonished at what I'm seeing. A winner of the Palme d'Or, a lauded film from foreign shores is a COMEDY?! And not JUST a comedy, but a silly one at that! Was I watching the right movie? What was going on? Now, keep in mind that the political stuff was going WAY over my head (at the time), but I couldn't believe what I was watching and was curious where this was all going. Then, the next night rolled around (last night) and I started to piece some things together. It was still a comedy, but I started to realize that there was much more to it than that, even though I had no idea what. I just knew that there was SOMETHING I wasn't quite grasping, some plot points and possible symbolism that were going over my head. The funny thing was, that despite all that stuff going over my head, I was really starting to enjoy this film. It was like laughing at a joke, not because you understood the punch line, but because the laughter of others tickled you too - you still had a good reason to laugh, but just not the intended reason.

When the film finished, I was a little annoyed and the question I asked myself was this: "Did I like it for the right reasons?". From there, I asked myself "Is there a right and wrong way to like a movie?". Hmmm it begged an interesting question. Here I was, fresh off a movie that I thoroughly enjoyed and wondering whether or not I should've enjoyed it or not. I guess it was the fact that it has such powerful undertones, so powerful in fact that I KNEW for a fact they were there and that I wasn't getting them, that I felt bad for not understanding - I wanted to laugh at the punch line, not just the laughter of others. So, before bed last night, I did a little, quick research. Yada yada yada communism, yada yada yada Yugoslavia isn't even a country anymore yada yada yada controversial film. I say "yada yada" not because I make light of what I read, but because I'm not that smart when it comes to politics and especially foreign politics and so some of what I read was Greek to me.

I slowly began to understand what I wasn't getting, but I still knew I liked the films for the wrong reasons. Sure, there's no right and wrong way, but for some reason I wasn't going to allow myself to fully embrace this film without knowing what I was missing. I liked the characters, the comedy, the music, the situation and the actors (especially the two male leads). However, at the time, I didn't know about the raging symbolism about communism and how certain citizens were kept in the dark, while Communists profited. Like the Holocaust and the East/West Germany conflict, it makes me wish I'd paid better attention in school (not that they were teaching Yuogslavian history anyway), so that I could watch this while both laughing and understand.

All in all, I had an experience with this film. For further reading, check out Notes from the Underground: The Cinema of Emir Kusturica. I found a few excerpts online and they were most helpful. I still don't get it all, but the fact that I cared enough to go and seek out answers speaks volumes, considering I almost NEVER do that. Perhaps Kusturica's intentions were not to alienate any viewers: IF you knew the whole story, it was going to be a masterpiece and if you didn't; well, at least you can have a laugh or two. I kind of fell somewhere in between, where I probably enjoyed the comedy too much, wanting all the while to see the whole masterpiece. I'll stop there, because I'm getting very rambly.

RATING: 7.5/10  I can't talk that much without giving a good rating - you should know that by now. It may require some studying on my part and another viewing, but I would love to really love this film.

MOVIES WATCHED: 742
MOVIES LEFT  TO WATCH: 259

October 13, 2013  11:49pm

869. Forrest Gump (1994)

Running Time: 142 minutes
Directed By: Robert Zemeckis
Written By: Eric Roth, from novel by Winston Groom
Main Cast: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Mykelti Williamson, Sally Field
Click here to view the trailer

STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES

I think I've mentioned it before, but I'll mention it again: I've been sort of jumping all over the place, yet staying in the same, general area, never moving further than a year away from where I'm supposed to be. The few movies I've just recently watched are from 1994, while I still have two from 1995, which I plan to take care of soon. Anyway, "Forrest Gump"...

If you've never seen "Forrest Gump" then you must have been living under a rock for the past twenty years. It's one of the most popular movies to come out of Hollywood in that same amount of time and stars Tom Hanks as the title character, whom we first see sitting on a bus stop bench, waiting for the #9 bus. As he sits on the bench, a suitcase and a box of chocolates in tow, he recounts his life story to anyone within earshot. It's apparent from the beginning that Forrest isn't up to snuff mentally, but that doesn't stop him and his mother makes sure he's well cared for. In fact, Forrest has an IQ of 75, just below the average marker, but his "mama" makes sure he gets to go to public school, with all the other kids his age. On the bus, he meets Jenny, a girl his age who allows him to sit with her, despite other kids making fun of him and despite leg braces which are meant to straighten his back. From that point on, Forrest and Jenny are like "peas & carrots", inseparable and best friends. Through the years, the two stay in touch, despite taking very separate paths in life. While Forrest becomes a model citizen - going to college on a football scholarship, joining the Army & fighting in Vietnam, being given the Medal of Honor, participating in the Olympics as an expert ping pong player, meeting three U.S. Presidents, Elvis & John Lennon and becoming a millionaire in the shrimping business - Jenny (Wright) becomes an unsuccessful part of counterculture, joining the hippie movement and doing heavy experimenting with drugs. The film also stars Gary Sinise as Lieutenant Dan Taylor and Sally Field as Mrs. Gump.

Who doesn't love "Forrest Gump", at least a little bit? Oh, I'm sure there's someone out there who can't stand Hanks' performance, the fact that it beat "Pulp Fiction" and "The Shawshank Redemption" for Best Picture or the overly sensitive directing of Robert Zemeckis. But it's such an easy picture to get lost in. Was Tom Hanks brilliant? I think so. Did it deserve the "big award" over the two aforementioned films? Nope. The honor should've gone to "Pulp" in my opinion and then "Shawshank", but I think we can all agree that 1994 was just a kick ass year for movies. Did the film go overboard on the sensitivity, just a little bit? Yes, it sure did...but, like I said, just a little bit. Actually, it didn't even bother me, but I can admit that it was just a little too sappy. I liked it, as I embraced the water welling up in the corners of my eyes during so many scenes. However, I think we all can admit that there's a big audience out there for sappy films like this and in that respect, it did what it set out to do. Not only did it blend comedy and drama perfectly, but it also scored home runs with it's score and it's performances. It also gave everyone something to identify with, with it's frequent uses of placing it's main character into the center of pop culture and U.S. history, with clever camera tricks that saw Forrest Gump sit side by side with the like of Lennon and Nixon. It made you feel each decade, not only with it's use of Jimi Hendrix and The Doors, but also through the images on the screen. I wasn't born in the 70s, but the film gives me a little taste of what it might have been like.

This picture was a big deal when I was growing up. I still remember all the hubbub about "Forrest Gump", Tom Hanks and everyone involved. I remember seeing it for the first time with my parents, on VHS rental and loving it. It's a film that I almost always forget to mention when I talk about my favorite films, but I fall in love with every time I watch it, remembering why I love it and forgetting why I consider it a guilty pleasure. Why do I consider "Gump" a guilty pleasure? Oh, that's right. Because the cool kids don't like "Gump", the film snobs seem to look down on "Gump" and anything else that seems to get any sort of recognition and that rolls down the Hollywood carpet. If you want to keep your fancy film buff card, then you have to denounce "Gump" and embrace the classic and the foreign. Well, I love classics, I love foreign and I love Gump.

RATING: 10/10  Not gonna' be the popular choice, but that's okay. Paired with "Crumb", this was just what the doctor ordered to reinvigorate me and get me back in the game.

MOVIES WATCHED: 741
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 260

October 11, 2013  5:27pm

879. CRUMB (1994)

Running Time: 119 minutes

Directed By: Terry Zwigoff

Main Cast: Robert Crumb, Charles Crumb, Aline Kaminsky, Maxon Crumb, Robert Hughes

Click here to view the trailer

"...WHEN I WAS ABOUT FIVE OR SIX, I WAS SEXUALLY ATTRACTED TO BUGS BUNNY..."

As I sat down to watch a movie last night, the only thoughts in my head were, "Please God, let this be something good. I NEED something good!". Following the watching and reviewing of "Satantango", "Crumb" was just what the doctor ordered!

For the unaware, "Crumb" is a documentary feature about the life and rise to fame of underground, controversial cartoonist Robert Crumb, better known to his fans as R. Crumb and to the public as the creator of Fritz the Cat. Not only does the film chronicle the life of Robert, but also climbs a little higher on his family tree and shows the lifestyles of his brothers, Charles and Maxon. Charles Crumb, a suicidal, recluse who lives with his mother, confining himself to a book filled room, is constantly doped up on anti-depressants. Robert's other brother, Maxon (or Max) lives at a hotel and also clearly has depression and anxiety issues. We learn that the troubling adulthood of the three boys could have been caused by an overbearing, tyrant of a father who physically punished the boys on a regular basis. In addition to the family lifestyles, we also get a heaping helping of Robert's career, getting to see hundreds of his drawings, many of which he shows off personally and describes the motivation behind them. In the 60s and 70s, Crumb became controversial for his less than flattering portrayal of women and his elevated sexual overtones. Robert also discusses his sexual interests and how those interests have sculpted and sometimes defined his drawings.

Charles Crumb

Man, it's just so hard to write about a documentary. It has been a while since I've reviewed one (perhaps the Michael Moore ones?) and I kind of forget how to do it, to be honest with you. Documentary pictures are odd in that you either take to the subject matter or you don't, meaning you pretty much either love it or hate it. Growing up and still today, my brother was a self professed comic book nerd, so I'd actually heard the name Robert Crumb mentioned a few times (not that my brother read any of Crumb's stuff - strictly superheroes for him). Also, gracing my DVD shelf is a copy of "American Splendor", a biopic starring Paul Giamatti, about the life of Harvey Pekar, who wrote the comic book of the same name, which was sometimes drawn by Crumb. With all that being said, I took to the subject matter and loved what I saw. Not only was it a straight up documentary about one man's rise to fame and his refusal to sell out, but also a portrait of his childhood, what sculpted his eccentric personality and the troubled lives of his two brothers. You don't have to have an interest in comic books to come out of this film with a positive critique. All you have to have is an interest in people and their - what can be sometimes considered weird - behavior.

RATING: 8/10  Okay, so that wasn't really a review, so much as me blabbing for a couple of paragraphs and letting my rating speak for itself. Oh well, you win some, you lose some. We'll get 'em next time!

MOVIES WATCHED: 740
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 261

October 10, 2013  2:16pm

880. Satantango (1994)

Running Time: 432 minutes
Directed By: Bela Tarr
Written By: Bela Tarr, from novel by Laszlo Krasznahorkai
Main Cast: Mihaly Vig, Putyi Horvath, Laszlo Lugossy, Eva Almassy Albert, Janos Derzsi

GOT LOST ON THE WAY FROM HUNGARY

Let me just start this post off with one word: WOW! No, that's not a good "WOW" either. That's the type of "WOW" you'd use after a long night, after your car broke down, you slipped in mud, spilled wine on your jacket, broke your arm and got chased down by a pack of wild dogs. Just WOW...

I don't even know how to get going here, so I'll just try to dive right into it and hope for the best. As far as the plot synopsis for "Satantango" goes, I don't think I can really give you one, because a lot of the time I didn't know what the hell was going on. The film (yes, it's a film and should, in no way, be referred to as a movie) starts off with a group of people, farm owners, dividing up cash they got, presumably from selling their land. Then they find out that someone (Irimias) they thought was dead, actually isn't and that he's coming back. They get all scared and decide that it would be best to leave town, but they never do...I don't think. Again, there were times when I was really lost. Umm let's see here - after that there was a good two hours where nothing of note seemed to be happening. A drunken doctor stumbling around in the night, trying to buy a bottle of plum brandy and a child torturing a cat, each segment at least one hour in length. Then Irimias talks to the people from the beginning, as well as a few others (I think) and basically gives this great speech which compels them to hand over all their money to him, as he convinces them that there are greener pastures, if only there were more funding. I'll stop this horrid synopsis there and get on with the opinion portion of the post.

This is my 739th movie watched and never have I had a more difficult time with a film - not even close. Not with "Shoah", which had a running time of two hours longer than this, but went a lot smoother and was a lot more interesting (and didn't take me as long). Not with "Henry V", which I despised, nor "Ivan the Terrible", "1900", "Chimes at Midnight" or "The Birth of a Nation". This was the one that actually made me, for just a split second (literally) contemplate throwing in the towel on this whole project. I started this movie on Wednesday night, October 2nd and every night since then, when I had to think about watching a little bit more, I hated life. There were nights when I just couldn't bring myself to watch anymore and I had to take the night off and on night that I did work on it, I couldn't stand it for more than an hour at a time. The dialogue, even when translated to English, was like speech from another world and a lot of times, they'd talk, I'd read and it'd be like a 12-year-old trying to decipher Shakespeare. I don't want to bare my lack of intellect, but I was lost a lot of the time and pretty much had no idea what was going on. The only times when the film actually held my attention long enough to matter, was during the scene where the cat was being tortured and even that was like watching a car crash - horrible, but unable to look away. I mean, that shit was depressing and I was later relieved to hear that a vet a was on set the whole time.

Was the film beautiful? YES! My God, it was one of the best looking films I'd ever seen. Were all the long takes brilliant? Sure, but in my opinion unnecessary. This sometimes came off like a "How To" video on the art of shooting a long take. It seemed as though Tarr just kept throwing them in for the sake of doing so, with no real rhyme or reason to why they were present. Was the length necessary? Absolutely not! Like the long takes, I got the feeling that the length was just in place for the sake of making a long picture. This was mind numbing for me and it really didn't have to be. However, of course I'm going to say that, because I didn't like it. I'm sure there are fans of this film out there saying that it could've gone nine or even ten hours and they'd have been happy. Oy vey, can you imagine? UGH!

This film was definitely an experience for me. There were times, like two nights ago, when I was working on the sixth hour, that I felt guilty for not liking it. It's just such a gorgeous film that it screams masterpiece even when the word "masterpiece" seems out of sight. For a minute, the other night, I kind of started to get reinvested in the film, when I realized that Irimias was basically con jobbing these people and I started to feel like maybe I just didn't pay enough attention or made to much of a big deal out of a few boring scenes, that I wound up making the whole film boring for myself. Then other times, I just wanted it to end so I could come here, give it a '1' and be done with it forever. At this point, I can tell you that a part of me doesn't ever want to see it again, as long as I live and another part wants to someday take another crack at it. Part of me wants to call it the most boring movie ever made, while the other half just wants to stress how beautiful and masterpiece-esque it is. I'm torn and I can tell you that this movie did a number on me. As to what kind of number, I don't know. Unsure of my own feelings toward this picture. I'd compare it to a really beautiful woman who's a massive bitch. You don't really want anything to do with her, but you love to look at her. However, maybe I'm just sugar coating it, because while I was watching it, I hated it. Maybe I'm just trying really hard to be a part of the snooty film club and that's definitely something I don't want to do.

RATING: 4/10  Still trying to sort out my feelings toward the film. Suffice it to say that it's boring as hell, but your eyes will be forever grateful. Comes off like a masterpiece, but the length and too many long takes make it a VERY rough watch. In other news, I'm off until Saturday so I'm really going to try and bang out a few more reviews during my off days. It's a shame that it's the 9th and this is my first movie watched for the month.

MOVIES WATCHED: 739
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 262

October 9, 2013  11:40am

September 2013 Recap and Other News (Including Final FRIGHTFEST films!)

For the curious, I've been away from the blog for a few days due to a couple of tough work days and the fact that, for the past twenty-four hours, I've been working on "Satantango" - the 7 1/2 hour epic from Bela Tarr. Now then...let's get to it...

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die - As seen in September 2013
1) Gabbeh (1996 - Mohsen Makhmalbaf) 3/10
2) Back to the Future (1985 - Robert Zemeckis) 7.5/10 - Still a personal favorite of mine, but very willing to admit that there's better stuff out there.
3) Breaking the Waves (1996 - Lars von Trier) 7/10 - Feelings haven't changed much here.
4) Lone Star (1996 - John Sayles) 4/10 - Totally forgettable flick here. Didn't care much for it at all, except for Cooper's performance...and maybe the end.
5) Taxi Driver (1976 - Martin Scorsese) 10/10 - So far, this is the #1 spot of the next TOP 20.
6) Raging Bull (1980 - Martin Scorsese) 10/10 - Decided to jack it up to the full monty. Who am I trying to fool, this is brilliant filmmaking.
7) Mean Streets (1973 - Martin Scorsese) 7/10 - It's grown on me a little bit, for sure. It's not nearly as good as TD or RB, but if you accept that it's a much smaller scale Scorsese piece, then it's really good.
8) The King of Comedy (1983 - Martin Scorsese) 8/10
9) The Usual Suspects (1995 - Bryan Singer) 7/10 - BARELY a '7', but '6.5' seems too low.
10) Shine (1996 - Scott Hicks) 6/10 - Rush's performance is a '10', but the rest of the movie falls flat.
11) Casino (1995 - Martin Scorsese) 5.5/10
12) Goodfellas (1990 - Martin Scorsese) 9/10 - Probably, technically a '10', but it's not as good as TD and RB, so I can't go quite that high. Still great though.
13) Heat (1995 - Michael Mann) 8/10
14) Smoke (1995 - Wayne Wang) 7.5/10 - I had such a good time with this. Keitel's ending monologue is the scene of the film.
15) Clueless (1995 - Amy Heckerling) 4/10 - The 90s nostalgia was nice to re-live, but I was kidding myself when I called this average.
16) Babe (1995 - Chris Noonan) 7.5/10 - Went a LITTLE too high, but still, I'm fully prepared to consider this a guilty pleasure. Loved Cromwell.
17) Three Lives and Only One Death (1996 - Raul Ruiz) 6/10

NON-1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die - As seen in September 2013

Quick words this month, because I have a lot of ground to cover with this recap. Keep scrolling...

1) Stir of Echoes (1999 - David Koepp) 4/10 - My wife and I continuing to go through our massive DVD collection and restructure it. This was just awful this time around and somehow, this is a movie I used to be bat crap crazy for. This is a poor man's "The Sixth Sense", with way worse performances and worse execution. To the "sell" pile.

2) The Machinist (2004 - Brad Anderson) 8.5/10 - Man, if you haven't seen this gem, you are in for a real treat someday when you finally get around to checking it out. Bale proves why he was given the bat suit with a performance that comes complete with a physical transformation. This film is one giant puzzle and will surely have you guessing down to the final scene. Great stuff!

3) Amour (2012 - Michael Haneke) 10/10 - Yep, it's that good and while I haven't seen the other contenders for Best Picture of 2012, I can't imagine any of them being better than this. At times, it's really difficult to watch and one of the saddest flicks I've ever seen, but ultimately it's a masterpiece in movie making as Haneke continues to cement his legacy as one of the greats.

TOP 20 TRACKER
1) Open Your Eyes (20)
2) Happy Together (20)
3) Winchester '73 (10)
4) Back to the Future (20)
5) Breaking the Waves (20)
6) Taxi Driver (20)
7) Raging Bull (20)
8) Mean Streets (10)
9) The King of Comedy (20)
10) The Usual Suspects (10)
11) Goodfellas (20)
12) Heat (20)
13) Smoke (20)
14) Babe (10)

ME vs. TV

My wife and I have been checking out TONS of the new fall shows that have premiered in the past week or so and I decided to share some of my thoughts on what the big three networks came up with for the 2013-2014 season.

1) The Blacklist - Probably the best new show this season and definitely the best drama. Kind of has a Silence of the Lambs feel to it and James Spader is magnificent. This has a long shelf life.

2) Hostages - Loving this too. I hear the ratings aren't that great, but I really don't know why because it's a fine show and the surprises and twists just keep on piling up.

3) Ironside - *MEH* This is just "House, MD", except he's a cop and it's a wheelchair instead of a cane. I'm thinking it probably lasts because so many people LOVE cop shows, but I'm not feeling it. I'll give it another try though. Everything I say is based off of only one episode.

4) Betrayal - Could end up being great, but so far I'd just call it pretty decent. There's tons of potential though and hey, it's got James Cromwell.

5) Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Watched three episodes of this and decided to give up. Andy Samberg annoys me so much, for no reason. I just don't find him funny AT ALL.

6) Dads - This is getting awful reviews and ratings and seemingly on the brink of extinction, but I find it hilarious, as does my wife. I'm loving Giovanni Ribisi here and think that Seth MacFarlane does much better with live action tv, as opposed to live action films.

7) Mom - Liking it enough to stick with it, but the ratings are hideous...or so I've heard.

8) We Are Men - Only saw Episode 1 and it was just okay. I'll check out a few more before I pass final judgment, but I could see this one getting axed.

9) The Goldbergs - I could see this one getting axed too and there are far funnier comedies on this year, but this isn't too bad. I'll stick with it for a while anyway.

10) Trophy Wife - This is hilarious! Really hope this sticks around.

11) The Millers - Only one episode in, but I could see this one doing really well. Arnett is always funny.

12) The Crazy Ones - Only one episode in on this too. Didn't care for the pilot that much, but I'll do a few more before I call it quits. Williams will end up irritating me though, I know it.

13) The Michael J. Fox Show - Pilot wasn't good, but episode two redeemed it. I'll probably continue with this.

FRIGHTFEST 2013

Okay, so the post I made got a lot of attention and I've finally narrowed down the field to seven horror films that WILL comprise this years FRIGHTFEST festivities. Just a reminder, these films will be the first seven, NON-BOOK films to receive formal reviews on the blog. The seven films are....

1) Day of the Dead (1985 - George A. Romero)
2) Dawn of the Dead (2004 - Zack Snyder)
3) The Omen (1976 - Richard Donner)
4) Village of the Damned (1960 - Wolf Rilla)
5) Pumpkinhead (1988 - Stan Winston)
6) The Collector (1965 - William Wyler)
7) To Be Announced

Okay, let's talk about #7 there, which will segue me into a new feature that I plan to do monthly here on the blog. The new feature will be called....

SINS OF OMISSION

"Sins of Omission" will be done once a month here at the 1001 Movies I (Apparently) Must See Before I Die blog and I think it's pretty self-explanatory. It will be a feature highlighting THE BOOK's biggest sins of omission and films that I think should've been included in THE BOOK. Each month, I'll formally review one title and that title will then be placed onto my personal list of the 1000 Greatest Films, which can be viewed by clicking here.

The only rules for the Sins of Omission films is that 1) Can't have been in THE BOOK (obviously) and 2) Can't be on my next list of 1000 films that I plan to watch when I'm done with THE BOOK. That means no "Dial M for Murder", no "Scenes from a Marriage", because they're both on that next list.

This month, the Sin of Omission will also be the conclusion to FRIGHTFEST, the seventh film - yep, that's right, my first sin of omission is a horror movie...sort of.

That's all I'm going to say for now, but not only am I within 300 films of finishing THE BOOK, but I'm also cooking up new things so that this blog can continue. We're getting to that stage where this blog will begin to transform into being a countdown of one man's journey in watching all 1001 films in the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book to one man's journey to comprise his own BOOK, his personal collection of 1000 (because 1001 is just an odd number to work with) films that have shaped his cinematic tastes, 1000 favorites.

October 4, 2013  12:38am