Monday, April 30, 2018

Film Discoveries - March 2018


Hello everyone!  Again, my apologies for the lateness of this post. I've been getting some ducks in a row and should be more timely in my posting going forward.  This update will cover my top four first time watches for the month of March 2018.  This month's picks are pretty eclectic, with everything from Japanese crime to new existential sci-fi and comedy represented.  So, without further ado...

Annihilation - 2018


First up, from Alex Garland (whose film Ex Machina, I love) is Annihilation.  I don't want to go into too much detail, but this movie hit me like few ever have.  I do take issue with a few character reactions and with some of the dialogue, but I can't remember the last time a film filled me with so much pure existential dread.  Natalie Portman, a performer who doesn't typically impress me, does solid work here, but it's the ideas embedded in the story that really elevate it.  

My Letterboxd review:

Availability 
Annihilation will be coming to home video on May 29th.



High and Low - 1963


Last month's list also featured a foreign crime movie from a noted director (1967's Le Samouraï), so I might be becoming a bit predictable.  I don't care, though, because this movie is exceptional.  The sheer creativity on display is staggering, from the framing of interior scenes, which utilize the full frame in a way so few movies do, to the way it sustains tension through a very long run time.  It also gives us a lot to chew on with its presentation of uncomfortable moral choices and its theme of the haves and the have nots.  I have appreciated Kurosawa films in the past, but this is easily my favorite film of his that I've seen.

My Letterboxd review:

Availability
High and Low is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection. 



Johnny Belinda - 1948


Johnny Belinda is a movie that snuck up on me.  It isn't flashy.  It's not really swinging for the fences in any way (although its subject matter was probably pretty controversial for 1948).  That said, it gives us relatable characters that we root for and want to spend time with.  By the time the film's third act began, I was surprised how much I cared about their plight and that's a testament to the power of simple, good storytelling.

My Letterboxd review:
Johnny Belinda is currently available on DVD from Warner Brothers.  Digital options are also available.



Game Night - 2018


Comedies rarely appear on my monthly discoveries lists.  That's largely because I'm very particular about my funny films.  I enjoy many, but love few.  So for Game Night to be on this list is a very big deal.  I had a blast with it!  The jokes come fast, there are actual character arcs (!!!), and the cast is outstanding.

My Letterboxd review:

Availability
Game Night will be coming to home video on May 29th.

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Hullabaloo!





A little over a week ago (April 14th), I had the good fortune of attending the Houston Alamo Drafthouse’s fourth Hullabaloo event.  An annual movie marathon programmed by Rob Saucedo, Meredith Borders and Alan Cerny, rather than having a strong unifying theme, the programmers simply choose movies that they would like to share with an audience.  That simple guiding thought has resulted in some very eclectic lineups (see Houston Hullabaloo Lineups) over the years and, as someone who eyes the film scenes in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago with envy, I’m grateful that Houston has an event of its own like this.

As opposed to last year’s Hullabaloo, which consisted of four comedies, Hullabaloo 2018 was possibly the most diverse in terms of the genres and tones represented.   This year’s movies (all first-time watches for me) ran the gamut from science fiction and horror to comedy and animated drama.  

The event kicked off with Alan’s pick, which was 1981’s Arthur.  A really good romantic comedy, it rests to a huge extent on Dudley Moore’s performance as the charismatic drunk of the film's title.  At turns touching and hilarious, I'd definitely recommend seeking it out if you haven't seen it yet.  While this was probably my favorite film of the day, there was still a lot of great entertainment ahead.   
       
Next up was American Pop, an animated journey through the bulk of the 20th Century seen through the eyes of multiple generations and set against the background of America’s evolving popular music scene.  I’ll be upfront here: this movie was not for me.  I think I see what director Ralph Bakshi was attempting to convey with it, but I don’t think it's successful in getting much meaning across.  I do feel the film is extremely interesting, though, and I would love to speak with more of its fans about its appeal.  Maybe I’m just missing something.

Following American Pop, we were fortunate to see the Houston premiere of Hearts Beat Loud.  A really solid movie about a father and daughter who make music together, it’s elevated by the performances of Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons and bolstered by supporting turns from Ted Danson and Toni Collette.  It’s rousing but real, and doesn’t go for sentiment at the expense of realism or consistency.  Look for it when it’s released in June!

Next up was Meredith Borders’ pick: David Lynch’s adaptation of Dune.  I’m wrong to like this movie, aren’t I?  It would be easy for me to nitpick the performances, the Cliff’s Notes feel of the second half of the story, or a dozen other things, but I didn’t find myself doing that.  Instead, I was impressed by this attempt at bringing Herbert’s story to the screen with 1980s technology and grateful that this blockbuster-style film feels like it was made from a very specific perspective, rather than engineered to hit all four quadrants.  It feels personal.  So, for all its weirdness, I enjoyed myself and feel blessed that something so weird can exist.

The final movie of the day was the Houston premiere of Ghost Stories.  I’m going to do my best to tiptoe around any spoilers here.  Suffice it to say that this is a well-constructed little anthology horror film with some very creepy moments and some truly excellent performances.  Martin Freeman takes to his role with relish and Alex Lawther, here playing a very disturbed young man, gives what may be my favorite supporting performance of 2018 thus far.  Seek this one out when it’s released!

I always come to Hullabaloo with high hopes and I've never been disappointed.  I'll be looking forward to next year's event with my usual enthusiasm, excited for what the organizers cook up.  In the mean time, feel free to let me know what you think of any of the movies from this year's lineup.  Was I too hard on American Pop?  Too easy on Dune?  I'm always down for good, thoughtful discussion.

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Film Discoveries - February 2018

Hello everyone!  My apologies for the lateness of this post.  Things in my personal life have been hectic, but I'll try to be more timely after this bit of catch-up.  This update will cover my top four first time watches for the month of February 2018.  Lots of crime and darkness in this month's discoveries! 

Angel Face - 1953

As with January's list, February's batch of new discoveries begins with a great 1950s film noir.  I may be a sucker for old crime films, but because I've seen so many, I'm pretty hard to impress.  Please take that into account when I say that Angel Face is excellent.

I'd heard the movie brought up a few times before, but I'm surprised it isn't praised more highly because this is really top tier film noir.  It's bleak, twisted and morally complicated, with a focus on consequences that is really powerful.  It doesn't hurt to have Robert Mitchum and a wonderful Jean Simmons performance either.  

My Letterboxd review:

Availability

Angel Face is currently available on DVD from the Warner Archive.



Le Samouraï - 1967

Next, we move from 1950s California to France in the 1960s for Jean-Pierre Melville's classic Le Samouraï.  I'm always a little disappointed when I have to highlight a film that is so well-known and highly-regarded because a) it may be a "discovery" to me, but it certainly isn't to the majority of serious film fans and b) there is very little I can add to the conversation surrounding it.  I will say that it is a masterpiece of direction as you feel Melville's hand in every tiny aspect of the movie.  

While I enjoyed the director's Le Cercle Rouge, I found its coldness to be off-putting.  Here, and maybe the difference is that Le Samouraï is more focused, I had no such issue.

If you've been putting off seeing this because it's an oldie, stop!  It's about as cool as they come.

My Letterboxd review:

Availability

Le Samouraï is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection. 



Klute - 1971

We continue our dive into the darkness with Klute.  Klute is many things, most ostensibly a mystery, but it's also an exploration of addiction and a meditation on human connection.  I'd argue that it's solid as the first of those and far better as the other two.

Jane Fonda gives a truly great performance as the prostitute at the center of the story.  Not to be missed!

My Letterboxd review:

Availability

Klute is currently available on DVD from Warner Brothers.  Digital options are also available.



The Curse of the Cat People - 1944

The Curse of the Cat People is one of the few Val Lewton movies I have yet to check out.  While I don't love every one of his films, they are always interesting and often display a great command of tone and suspense.  It's not surprising to me, then, that this movie is one of my best first time watches.  

First of all, if you're a fan of 1942's Cat People, do not expect this to be a standard sequel.  Rather, The Curse of the Cat People uses the original movie as background for a story about childhood and the ways in which adults allow their own fears to control their relationships with their children.  That could get ugly fast, but there's real beauty to the visuals here, rendering the film evocative and meaningful instead of harsh.

My Letterboxd review:

Availability

The Curse of the Cat People is available in several DVD versions that appear to be out of print.  A brand new Blu-ray from Scream Factory is scheduled to be released June 12, 2018.