Day 127: The Exorcist

"The Power of Christ compels you!"

I didn’t find the sound in The Exorcist to be that dynamic or interesting. In fact, had I not known that I was going to write a review for it I wouldn’t have remembered anything about it. Well, actually, I still don’t, really, and I paid special attention to it. The diegetic sound wasn’t all that good. The writing wasn’t magnificent. The delivery of the dialogue was nothing to go crazy about. The only thing that really peaked my interest was the backwards speak of the possessed girl. Then they went and explained it as backwards English, demystifying and therefore ruining that effect, too. There was lots of banging upstairs. It wasn’t mixed too well from what I recall.

Day 126: Catfish

"The Facebook family."

The methods that some studios use when marketing a film that isn't going to necessarily have you run to the theaters because of the star-studded cast, is going to attempt to reach you through the Internet. Especially nowadays since most filmmakers can find finance from people all over the web and still keep ownership of what they've created. We're entering that stage in film making where artistic integrity is beginning to once again be the most important aspect and money is slowly becoming a non-factor. Hollywood studios are having trouble selling movies that continue to pitch the same crap to audiences that are treated like idiots by these same exact studio companies. Think about it, were you as excited after watching the trailer for "Black Swan" than you were when seeing the 8-minute Comic-Con trailer for "Thor"? This is an exciting time in the genre and hopefully it'll  force studios to treat the audiences with respect and do something that they were once masters at: produce original films that force some sort of intellectual thought process. This takes me to this years Sundance hit, Catfish.

Day 125: The Bride Wore Black

"I am Julie Kohler."

Revenge films are slightly exploitative. They play on our attachments to good people by dropping them into horrific situations. Once we see these characters get violated, we often are thirsty for vengeance, a vengeance that must be achieved by any means necessary. Having this appeal allows us to ride along with our protagonists as they throw their moral conscience to the wayside and draw blood from those who did them wrong. Despite my interest in getting redemption, I often find myself asking one question: “What’s the price of revenge?” This question is often overlooked in most revenge films, especially the exploitation films that littered the 60’s and 70’s. Our characters don’t think twice about the violence that will be committed, nor do we as an audience. We gleefully follow along because we know those villains deserve it. Or do they? In most cases, the heinous acts done to protagonists in film are worthy of bloodshed, but can we knowingly go down a road to retribution if the motives of evildoers are ambiguous?

Day 124: No Country for Old Men

"What's the most you ever lost on a coin toss?"

After my first viewing of No Country for Old Men, I admit I was slightly disappointed, but more so due to my lack of ability in falling into the film than with the film itself. Please, let me explain. The film itself is good. It’s tight and well paced, on the slower side but with good reason, not only as a representation of the slower, more drawn out lives of the Texans that populate the landscape of the film, but also as a counterpoint to the rabid violence and tension that erupts frequently throughout the film.

Day 123: Juno

"Hi, I'm calling to procure a hasty abortion..."

Back in 2007, I was fortunate enough to attend a free preview screening of Juno. It stars Ellen Page, who you wouldn’t even recognize from her turn as a vicious vixen in Hard Candy, as a high schooler who gets pregnant. It is a quiet love story, an eccentric comedy, and a mature second feature from Jason Reitman, director of Thank You for Smoking and Up in the Air.

Day 122: Sex and the City 2

“Did I just f*** up?”

Every now and then there comes a movie that truly epitomizes the “girl power” train of thought; this is such a film.  First off let me just say that I made the mistake of watching this movie with a member of the opposite sex (obviously or why else would I choose it) and upon doing so opened up Pandora’s box of feminism.  It amazes me how you can take the most calm and chill of the female gender and introduce them to a man hating film, such as Sex and the City 2, and can watch them turn into something completely different.  Immediately came the bicker battle from hell as we engaged in debates that started off as simple and playful and ended up inquiring as to why we as humans exist.  **WARNING** This movie is a fight in a disc.

Day 121: Kramer vs. Kramer

"How much courage does it take to walk out on your kid?"

It’s kind of sad when a marriage disintegrates. Two people, who were once in love, are now bitter enemies fighting it out in a court of law for either money or custody of their offspring. One spouse’s intentions are probably their own, but at times it feels like the lawyer is the puppet master, making their client behave in ways that are meant to devalue their respective former lover. No matter how we cut it, divorce is a monstrosity. I say this from firsthand experience where my parents were at each other’s throats, just waiting for one another to make a misstep so they can run to their lawyer in attempt to have the gavel fall in their favor. Full well knowing the ramifications divorce can have on a family, I found myself undeniably connected to the 1979 film Kramer vs. Kramer, a film that magnifies the ruins of a once loving family.

Day 120: Aliens

"They're coming outta the walls. They're coming outta the goddamn walls. Let's book!"

I know, you're probably wondering why there is a review posted for “Aliens” before addressing the movie “Alien” first. Well, long story short, I found “Aliens” to be the better of the two and decided to jump right to the chase. That's not to discredit the first film of course, as I found “Alien” to be an enjoyable movie as well. On a personal level though, “Aliens” seemed to trump its predecessor. Known as “the Sequel King,” James Cameron may have been the biggest difference between both films. Although some see Cameron to a bit overrated as a director, he certainly did a job well done with with this movie  Taking over literally right where Ridley Scott left off with the first film, Cameron brings us back into the alien world for an unforgettable thriller.   

Day 119: Eastern Promises

"I can't become king if someone else already sits on the throne."

Eastern Promises is a good film. Good, not great. And one of the main reasons for that fact is that its director, David Cronenberg is a great director. Great, not good. Cronenberg has always been a favorite 
of mine, especially Videodrome. I love his old organic mutation/philosophical horror mode, but I respect his new direction. He is following a line of what he calls exploring transgressions. A History of Violence, thematically, is practically this films other half.

Day 118: Youth Without Youth

"Perhaps you'll take us back to a time before history."

I can't say you'll like Youth Without Youth because frankly, I'm not really sure I liked it. Sometimes the acting gets a little awry, sometimes the camera angles get too pretentious, and other times I wonder what the fuck is going on. Yet, at the same time, I had a rather emotional connection with the film and I loved its bizarre invitation to the outrageous. The score had something to do with this but I also think that some of the dream sequences do make up to something worth seeing. American critics didn't like it very much. It has a measly 30% rating on RottenTomatoes and some reviews are pretty scathing. I don't really think it's that bad but I guess I can't completely say it's quite good.

Day 117: Double Indemnity

"Do I laugh now, or wait till it gets funny?"

Double Indemnity is one of the best examples of film noir out there. To ask which elements of film noir were interesting in the film is simply to ask what was interesting about the whole movie. This film seethes, it festers in its own darkness. Film noirs are at their best when they portray the ordinary, generally decent people who are lured into a life of crime and violence due to human flaws and weaknesses. And those include greed, vanity, vengeance, and yes, love.

Day 116: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

"Meet me...in Montauk."

It's said that Romeo and Juliet is the greatest love story told. Perhaps it is. After all, both went to extreme lengths to be with one another. Yet, had Romeo and Juliet spent more time together, instead of  a handful of fleeting days, their relationship would’ve hit some rough patches. Romeo would’ve found Juliet's neediness to be annoying, while Juliet would’ve surely started to hate Romeo’s behavior when he was around his brood of idiots. In the case of Romeo and Juliet, love isn’t treated like the ticking time bomb that it is in real life. Love came easy to them aside from their war torn families. In some ways it was a right, but in reality it’s a privilege that’s constantly evolving between two people. Literature purists can have Romeo and Juliet. In my mind, the most spot on story (or film for this  matter)  to cover the honest ups and downs of a relationship is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a film that features one of the best screenplays of the last twenty years.

Day 115: Island of Lost Souls

"You! You made us in the house of pain! You made us... things! Not men! Not beasts! Part men! Things!"

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I have a hard time getting into movies dated before or around the 1950's. Yes, I know that there are some classic films before that time period, and I have seen my share of them, but recently I've had a hard time sitting through movies from the early 1900's. With that said, one of my “personal” favorites from long ago is “Island of Lost Souls.” Released in 1932, it really isn't considered one of the best from its time, but every time I watch this movie (which has only been twice) I seem to always enjoy it to the max. Directed by Erle C. Kenton and written by Phillip Wylie, the film is an adaptation of H.G. Wells book “The Island of Dr. Moreau” published in 1896.  

Day 114: Cries & Whispers

"I could feel the presence of their bodies, the warmth of their hands. I wanted to hold the moment fast and thought, "Come what may, this is happiness. I cannot wish for anything better. Now, for a few minutes, I can experience perfection. And I feel profoundly grateful to my life, which gives me so much. "

In "Cries & Whispers" director Ingmar Bergman and his team used 400 different shades of red. "I think of the inside of the human soul," Bergman writes in his screenplay, "as a membranous red." Each shade of the human psyche is amplified, from warm Amaranth to searing Scarlet. The one thing that every Red shares in the film is a sense of emotional claustrophobia. We get a few respites, mainly through brief idyllic shots of gardens and gorgeous greenery. Bergman stated that all of his films can be though of in Black & White, with the exception of "Cries & Whispers. It is easy to see why. The colors are resonant motifs of death, loneliness, love,blood,and finally,spirituality. If membraneous red is the color of the human soul, Bergman explores all its psychological perceptions in beautifully rendered chromatic celluloid.

Day 113: 2046

"Everyone who goes to 2046 has the same intention, they want to recapture lost memories."

To me, a Wong Kar-Wai movie is almost a religious experience. I'm not very religious but a film by him is one that thrusts you fully into the scenes. The effort his cinematographer puts into the frames, the choice of the soundtrack, the swing and style of the women, and the comfort to play with chronology is fully engrossing. He's officially become my favorite film director. (Sorry, Scorsese.) Mr. Kar-Wai (would that be his last name, or is Kar his middle name?) makes films the way I see life. A fade of slow motion here and there, a beautiful tint of light to overshadow the scene, sex, and beautiful music. (Sex, the unfulfilled obsession of all boys my age, probably dominates the other areas but you get the idea.)

Day 112: Due Date

“Dad… You were like a father to me.”

From the director of “Old School” and “The Hangover” comes yet another tale of stupidity and hijinx.  For this one though, the big guns were brought out.  Two-time Academy Award Nominee Robert Downey Jr. and the new “it” in the world of humor, Zach Galifianakis, team up in the classic sane and anything but duo comedy.  The classic “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” type of film is a blueprint that has been used frequently in the world of film.  Thus far it has not failed and so why not continue with the trend?

Day 111: Enter The Void

"Do you remember that pact we made? We promised to never leave each other."

Enter the Void is the incredible, and incredibly flawed, new film from Gaspar Noé. For fans of Noé’s previous work, I Stand Alone and Irreversible, the obscene and graphic thematic content of the work will not be surprising. Noé is an utterly uncompromising artist, for better or worse. There is much to love about this film, but also much to cringe at and be befuddled by. 

Day 110: Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Director Edgar Wright's adaptation of the Scott Pilgrim graphic novel series by Bryan Lee O' Malley is probably one of the quintessential films for the "nerds" born between the years of 1985-1990 (and I mean that in the absolute best possible way).  Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, released earlier this year, is an original, funny and charming film.  It's full of video game references, comic book style visuals, and humorous, witty dialogue.

Day 109: The Wrestler

"The only one that's going to tell me when I'm through doing my thing is you people here."

I’m not afraid to admit it. I was at one point a wrestling fan. Every Monday I’d come home from school and anxiously await for “Monday Night Raw” to flood my living room with the sound of body slams and feuds boiling. My mom never quite got the appeal of it as she constantly reminded me that it was fake. I knew it was fake, but that aspect never mattered to me. I was always able to get swept up into the action. Perhaps it was the melodrama, or the larger than life personalities. But, I think what got me so invested was a wrestler’s ability to put their body in harms way in order to give the crowd a pop. Sure, they may have been bulky men trying to fit into a speedo, but the grace and maneuvering they administered in the ring is reminiscent of the work of ballerinas. Their dedication and sacrifice is unmatched as they live on the road, hoping to feel the roar of the crowd via acts of mutilation.  Representing this commitment is Randy 'The Ram' Robinson, the main character from the underappreciated film The Wrestler.

Day 108: The Thin Red Line

"Private Witt: Do you ever feel lonely? 

First Sgt. Edward Welsh: Only around people. "

"The Thin Red Line" is perhaps Terrence Malick's most enigmatic picture, which is saying something if you're familiar with the works of the notorious recluse. Malick is the closest thing modern cinema has to the "poetic cinema" movement of yester-yore, releasing films that reflect an arcane vision of nature and life. Malick aims to tell stories in almost entirely visual terms, often filling the movies with coded images paired with evocative scores,dialogue becoming the last priority.

Day 107: Pirates of Silicon Valley

"This is better than Miss October. It's a computer."

Before there was The Social Network, there was this. With all the hype and buzz surrounding The Social Network—a film I have yet to see—how about we throw in a throwback to what is essentially the genesis of the personal computer. A film about Jobs, Wozniak, and Gates. So while The Social Network brings us back to those ancient years of the early 2000s, let's take a journey back to the prehistoric era of...the seventies. *cue music*

Day 106: I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell

"Oh, I'm onto your game, De Nils. Diamonds are worthless other than the value attached to them by the silly tramps you have brain washed into thinking that diamonds equal love. Guess what, sluts? Your quest for the perfect princess cut supports terrorism and genocide. Congratulations, your avarice has managed to destroy an entire continent!"

Now I was going to go with yet another horror movie in honor of Halloween and it is then that I realized that it is a new month.  Not only is it a new month, but a new week, hence it being my turn in the order.  But this is a movie review site, not a place for me to rant about the obvious so onto the actual review.