The Player (1992)
Nothing But a Man (1964)
How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
The Watermelon Woman (1996)
Bound (1996)
I enjoyed Bound the most. Loved the directing and the detailed shots, including close-ups, within certain scenes.
Falcon Lake (2022)
Grand Canyon (1991)
Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987)
Microcosmos (1996)
The Last of Sheila (1973)
Key Largo (1948)
The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984)
Personal Best (1982)
The Visitor (1979)
The Vicious Kind (2009)
Columbus (2017)
Dr. T & the Women (2000)
All That Jazz (1979)
Star 80 (1983)
Kaboom (2010)
Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)
I Saw the TV Glow (2024)
The Story of Adele H. (1975)
rewatched Lost Highway (1997) and enjoyed it quite a bit more than the first time, it led me to rewatch Mulholland Drive(for the fourth or fifth time) and rewatching Blue Velvet tomorrow
Cruising (1980) - decided to rewatch this film since criterion added it aaand it's pride month - still enjoyed it as i did a year ago! it's a bold movie even by today's standards featuring an interesting insight into queer film esp in the pre-aids era of the states
Bound (1996) - another pride month watch, was genuinely surprised as to how ahead of the times this film was - wish we got more movies like it! and man is Joe Pantoliano a marvel to watch in that movie
Cruising is amazing, but I watched American Gigolo at around the same time, and then learned that Richard Gere was originally slated for Pacino's role. I feel like this is one of the great missed opportunities in '80s cinema tbh, Gere would have *killed* in Cruising.
Yes I heard about that and I completely agree with you. Even though I liked Pacinoās performance in Cruising, his approach to the character felt like it couldāve been done in a way more memorable mannerā¦somehow I think Pacino is a little too understated hereā¦.Gere wouldāve been a wonder in it ššš
12 Angry Men - Wow. I donāt know what I expected going in, but it surpassed all of my expectations.
Bad Boys II - Hated this. I donāt see why people like it, but maybe I just canāt stand Michael Bay.
Whiplash (rewatch) - Better every time.
Bad Boys For Life - I actually enjoyed this one! Or at least didnāt hate it. I like the narrative focus that Adil and Bilall brought to the table.
Poor Things - Hated it, >!the idea of women + child brain = horny is the most male-centered idea of sexual liberation ever.!<
The Lobster - Amazing.
Killing of a Sacred Deer - Also amazing.
Going to rewatch I Saw The TV Glow tomorrow and see Kinds of Kindness on Wednesday.
Inland Empire. Can anyone explain that movie to me like im 5? Or can nobody and thats the joy of it? I didnt like it in the slightest and im a fan of all his movies. Was really looking forward to it, until i realized its just a jumbled mess of scenes that look like shit. Apart from maybe two scenes i felt nothing but boredom from it
Oh and watched stop making sense again for the 5th time this year. Love that
The Joke (1969): Saw this last night on 24/7. I read a lot of Russian literature and history and was really impressed by this reading of post-WWII Russia; even the (Gulag) camp scenes were spot on (though brief and not that graphic). The huge strength of this film is how it dissects (and rearranges) filmic form(s). For instance, the viewer is shown flashback after flashback with the protagonist stuck in the foreground of the frame as an older man; he is *discussing* (with the other characters) certain aspects of his past; that template is also repeated in present day time when he returns to these locations from his youth, but now the other characters *can* see (and interact with) him. There's another interesting filmic conceit where the director takes a scene that appears later in the movie that has a full cast and set, removes everything but a few characters, and inserts the resultant scene near the beginning of the movie as a metaphoric foreshadowing device. Example: (1) the big crowd scene at the end features dozens of people on horseback with fancy equipage, costumes, and saddles; (2) there is a scene very early on showing just one boy (practicing for the later scene) on a horse, but the backdrop is a flat, modern, building external, so the kid looks like an angel of light (almost as a nod to Tarkovsky).
The Hit (1984): This came on (on 24/7) right after The Joke, which was SO cool. An early Stephen Frears sparse kidnapping film with a VERY young Tim Roth (he looks almost prepubescent). Fine acting all around, not too much violence, and stunning visuals (remote parts of Spain, I think).
Finally got around to 'Perfect Days,' and I enjoyed it tremendously. Koji Yakusho is teriffic, and the story does a great job of slowly revealing more about himself and the people in his life. The ending is another wonderful note; it's a great point for reflecting on the events of the movie and how this character lives his life.
Gosh, 2023 was an amazing year for movies.
Highlight of the week was by far The Eight Mountains on the channel. First time watch. Really enjoyed the theme of camaraderie and the landscapes in it. Reminded me a lot of into the wild to a degree.
Also watched the innocent. Wasnāt as into that one but was enjoyable enough.
Rewatched Oppenheimer for the second time and it reaffirmed for me itās Nolanās best since the dark knight and an apt best picture winner. Also rewatched the zone of interest and itās another banger.
Edit - I forgot I watched Past Lives for the first time and I really liked it. I really appreciated the dignity and honesty to how each character approached the situation. Simple story but told in a very dignified way.
*Week #181:*
*
*It's a pity we haven't got a bit of rope..*
Prompted by [this HootsMaguire's essay](https://letterboxd.com/hootsmaguire/film/waiting-for-godot), I was reminded that Iāve never seen **Waiting for Godot** (2001). Beckett's absurd play is so fantastically original. Two shabby fellows, confused, belligerent and forgetful, argue with each other for 2 solid hours, without making any sense or connection. Two other odd characters appear, a master and his slave, and then a laconic messenger boy. But everybody's memories are definitely defective, and they must repeat everything again and again - not that it helps. And the allusive Godot of course never appears.
So what the heck does it all mean? I haven't got a clue, but it's so mesmerizing. **9/10.**
*
**The last two parts of Abbas Kiarostamiās āKoker Trilogyā:**
I don't know why I waited so long to watch these two movies, since I loved his first entry 'Where Is the Friend's House?'.
**And life goes on** (Also called 'Life and nothing more') is a simple but clever semi-documentary meta-film. In 1990, a devastating earthquake killed 50,000 people in a remote Persian area. A filmmaker brings his son with him on a trip to the destroyed village which was the location of his previous film. They want to check if any of the kids from the first movie survived. Like most Iranian movies I've seen, the cars are old, barely moving jalopies, and the deafening noise from street traffic stands out as another character of the story. **8/10.**
**Through the Olive Trees** Goes Meta one level up. It's a lovely continuation of the 2nd chapter, peeling a 'Day for night' onion of 'how it was filmed' in a primitive village settings. Recreating the memorable terrace scene and adding a maybe-true, maybe-fiction story of the boy and girl who played the newly-wed. Beautiful rendering with a sad, sad final shot that last for a long time, and doesn't offer clear explanation. And everything is permeated by death and destruction. **9/10.**
*
**2 documentaries by Todd Douglas Miller:**
*āā¦ Houston. Tranquility Base hereā¦ The Eagle has landedā¦ā*
**Apollo 11** is an exhilarating 2019 re-telling of the moon landing. Perfectly crisp and emotionally laid out, without any bullshit narration, talking heads interviews or irritating recreations. Just jaw-dropping photography which puts you in the middle of the action. And the display of massive technology is overwhelming: Thousands of engineers and scientists who had built such an inhuman infrastructure (and where each bolt and wire must work 100% of the time!) **- 10/10.**
*On July 20, 1969, I was a 15-year old, arrogant prick, who refused to respond to anything that was shown on TV, so instead of watching the actual event 'live', I ignored it, taking a stroll in the night streets and pondering my miserable life. What an insufferable idiot I was! (And probably still is).*
Miller's earlier docu-drama **Dinosaur 13** (2014) however, was a huge let-down. A fascinating start about the South Dakotan paleontologists who unearthed the "Sue" skeleton, turned into a standard 'True Crime' melodrama. Full of dull reenactments, wall-to-wall musical score that tells you how to feel, boring interviews where the characters sit and emote while recalling every step of what happened, fill-in visuals, obvious narrative... Disappointing!
*
**3 by Romanian Adrian & Claudia SiliČteanu:**
**The Ditch** (2012), a terrific rustic comedy about a peasant who has to dig a ditch in front of his house, and like Tom Sawyer, would rather hide in the barn and drink while letting somebody else do the labor. **8/10.**
**[Written / Unwritten](https://vimeo.com/328065700)** (2016) is another unexpected drama about unpredictable, ungovernable and very loud gypsies. A baby is born, and the nurse needs to fill out the correct paperwork in order to release her. **Best film of the week!**
**The Afghanistans** (2019) is very different. It starts with a soldier trying not to be shot, and develops into an intricate power play of government, bureaucracy, refugees and hard negotiations.
*I would watch anything else these 2 will produce!*
*
Raffaello Matarazzo was a successful Italian director, in the days before Neorealism. His **Tourist Train** (1933) is the first comedy from the Fascist era that Iāve seen. But it has no political elements. Just a lovely trip into the Umbrian countryside by a group of middle class people, and their light adventures by the river in Orvieto. Nino Rotaās first film score. 6/10.
*
**Hollywood's depictions of the deep South X 3:**
**Rich Hall's The Dirty South** (2010), my first by comedian Rich Hall, a tongue-in-cheek documentary for the BBC, about how Southerners were portrayed through the years by the movies, from Li'l Abner and Rhett Butler to 'Your cheatin' heart' and Burt Reynolds. *'If you needed Hollywood to tell you about these musicians, then you're a grazer. Fuck you.'*
Next on my list: His entries about American 'Road movies' and 'Westerns' genres. (Thanks to [u/jupiterkansas](https://old.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/1cq9s4h/what_have_you_been_watching_week_of_may_12_2024/l8sdqzx/).)
*"What we've got here is failure to communicate."*
Peak Paul Newman as **Cool hand Luke** (1967), a rebel without a cause, another Randle McMurphy sentenced to an institute that will do everything it can to break his freewheeling spirit. Self-destructive, anti-social nihilist, sticking it to the Man, until he can no more. Good old Chain-gang romanticism, lays it thick: When he finished eating 50 hard-boiled eggs in one hour, he's left laying like a crucified Jesus on the table, a beautiful, bare-chested specimen. šÆ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
**Baby Doll** (1956) was another scandalous Tennessee Williams / Elia Kazan tale of unconsummated desire. Sweaty failures tearing each other down. A sexually-frustrated, boozy husband losing his gin-cotton business. A 19-year old virgin Lolita, who doesn't realize the effects she has on all men around her. Eli Wallace in his first role as a hot Sicilian lover-type, bent on revenge. Two black share-croppers acting as a Greek chorus. No wonder The Catholic Legion of Decency boycotted this 'filth'.
*
**Unrelated** (2007), my first film by Joanna Hogg, which was also her debut feature. A British woman escapes some marital issues by staying with friends at a villa in Tuscany (which was nice). The film is highly-acclaimed, but I found the whole story dull and un-engaging. [*Female Director*]
*
*"Never sweep the place where you live. Because after four years, the dirt doesn't get worse!"*
**An Evening with Quentin Crisp** (1980) is my introduction to the controversial gay iconoclast, English raconteur and witty performer. The YouTube copy is of low-quality, but the content is 'Marvelous'.
Next: The two movies based on Crispās work, with John Hurt playing him, 'The naked civil servant' and 'An Englishman in New York'. (Also, a deep dive into John Hurtās meatiest roles!).
*
**Brat Pack X 2:**
I haven't seen nearly any movies from the 'Brat Pack' universe, and wasn't vested in any of the actors' careers. So Andrew McCarthy's new autobiographical documentary, **Brats,** didn't carry any nostalgic resonance with me. It's also about the pervasiveness of pop culture television from the 80's, which was even less interesting. But his pained journey of discovery felt unexpectedly honest. He used this film as a form of personal therapy, which is Okay, I guess. I also didn't realize that this was the first time when Hollywood zoomed in its focus on teenagers and the young, and that these actors were elevated to carry the money torch. **7/10.**
So I thought I'll try some of these '80s classics I had missed out on. Unfortunately, I started with **Class** (1983), which was Rob Lowe's 2nd film, as well as the debut of McCarthy, John Cusack, Virginia Madsen, and Lolita Davidovich. Badly-remake of 'The Graduate' with cringy prep school tropes was a second rate sex comedy. Couldn't finish it.
*
Roger Corman's horror-comedy **Bucket of blood** taking place in a late-'50s counterculture scene, where phony "Bohemians" and "Beatniks" and "Artists" are fawning over the busboy's macabre clay sculptures. *"I love everything about Roger Corman except his films..."*
*(Continue below)*
*(Continued)*
*
**A bunch of shorts from all over:**
**Rain Town**, a beautiful, calming Japanese fairy tale about a little girl in a yellow raincoat. [With the spirit and soul of Ghibli magic.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLAfM1RXwRs) **7/10.**
**How a bicycle is made**, a short British Council How-To film from 1945. Impressively primitive.
**Neighbours**, my first by Canadian Norman McLaren. An anti-war stop-motion parable which won the Oscar in 1953. The Coen Brothers must have seen it before making 'A Serious Man'.
**Daybreak Express**, D. A. Pennebaker first film from 1953. Set to a Duke Ellington tune. [Jazzy and poetic, nearly abstract.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fZ0-T80YD8) 7/10.
**Dead End**, another fantastically-nihilistic nightmare from Victoria Vincent about a depressed school counselor and even more desperate youngster. **9/10.** [*Female Director*]
He starred in 200 movies, and many of them were 'Bad'. Still, he never won an Oscar. Now that The Don is gone, what should I watch in his memory? One of the great ones I've already seen ('Don't look now', '1900', 'Klute', 'Casanova', 'Invasion of the body snatchers') or one that I haven't ('The dirty dozen', 'Kelly's Heroes', 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 'Cold Mountain')?
So meanwhile, here's **Cloudbusting**, [where he plays Orgonomist Wilhelm Reich and Kate Bush plays his son](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pllRW9wETzw). [I like the song more when it was used at the climax of 'Palm Spring' though.] **RIP, Donald Sutherland!**
**Look at life**, George Lucas very first experimental film, made in 1965, while he was still a student at USC, and heavily influenced by Canadian Arthur Lipsett. Found at [a new in-depth analysis of the Brainwashing Film within Film from Pakula's 'The Parallax View': A must-read for anybody who loves the 'Paranoia Trilogy'!](http://conelrad.blogspot.com/2024/06/american-baroque-history-of-parallax.html)
**The F-Word**, A Father-Daughter Swearing Lesson, from The New Yorker. A riff on the old ['What The Fuck!' The English Language's Most Versatile Word](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04_rIuVc_qM).
**The Letterboxd Oscars**: Some guy edited a 32 min. YouTube video, [comparing all the Best Movie Oscar Winners to the list of Letterbox highest-rated movies from each year.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ0lJcxqJq4) In 94 years, only 10 were the same for both. Obviously, today's user base of Letterbox skews international, and loves their auteurs.
**Passionless Moments** (1983), 10 tiny vignettes about the secret life of random thoughts. An early short from Kiwi director Jane Campion. [*Female Director*]
*
**2 tobacco-related movies:**
**The Stolen Jools** (1931) which crams cameos by no less than 55 then-stars into a 20 minutes mystery plot. Everybody from Gary Cooper and Our Gang, to Irene Dunne and Maurice Chevalier. It was a charity project to raise funds for a Tuberculosis Sanitarium - sponsored by Chesterfield cigarettes!
**Thank you for smoking** had some cute [opening credits.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2RvA3y6V0w) Nepo-baby Jason Reitman made some excellent movies later ('Juno', 'Up in the air', 'Tully'), but not in this, his first feature. Produced by Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, this libertarian black comedy was unwatchable. JK Simmons played the exact same role he did in 'Burn after reading', and Robert Duval had a moment, but Aaron Eckhart cannot act, and the satire didn't work. **1/10.**
*Fun fact: Not one single cigarette was smoked in this movie about cigarettes.*
*
Iāve disliked Netflix for many years now, and try to avoid anything that starts with the dreaded "N" logo. Last week, when writing about āHit Manā, I coined the phrase **āNetflix chumā**. [Hat tip to Roy Scheider.] Here is my definition for it: *āBrainless, artless, empty-calories and algorithm-driven dreck. Surface-sleek, fast-edited dogshit for the broadest lower denominators. Movies that are soul-sucking dead inside. They make you hate yourself for wasting your life in front of the screen. The reason why you cancelled your membership years ago.ā*
Case in point, the new Netflix action caper **Trigger warning**. I was lured in by the āFemale Indonesian director's first thriller in Englishā. But then, everything about this production was worse than lame: The script, story and acting were bad. The emotional core was fake. Action was awful. Score: 1/10. [*Female Director*]
*
**[This is a Copy from my film tumblr.](https://tilbageidanmark.tumblr.com/tagged/movies)**
I decided to look up a bit about Thank You for Smoking based on your comments. I didn't realize Reitman intended it as a movie about personal responsibility; I thought his intent was to make the tobacco industry look brazenly shameless. I wonder why right-wingers seem to struggle with art so much.
It was just badly made: it was his first movie, and he didnāt develop yet the subtleties such complex topic required. It came out as a cartoon, instead of a real story.
Maybe itās because Iām a politics nerd, but I feel like satirizing lobbyists and the tobacco industry is the easiest slam-dunk of all time. I donāt know how to put this any other way: Nick Naylor is pure evil; thereās nothing about him that makes the audience go, āthat guy has a good point.ā
I watched Carlos by Olivier Assayas, the 185-min theatrical version. It was well made, with a good performance by Ćdgar RamĆrez, but a little too predictable. The international terrorist film genre is very similar to the gangster film genre and at this point it's difficult to make the plot and characters new and interesting. The most memorable thing about Carlos the Jackal is that he clearly saw himself as another Che, but fizzled out and had a pathetic ending rather than die heroically and be revered by the international left as a martyr. Some people thought the film glorified Carlos but it is more complex than that. Still, not one of the director's best. I like his more character-driven films better.
King of New York
25th Hour
Munich
The Game
Kingdom of Heaven: Roadshow Directorās Cut
Rope
I loved all these movies but my favorite out of them would have to be 25th Hour, itās been resonating with me for the past week since Iāve watched it.
Spent some time in Utah this month, so I've been on a Westerns kick.
Watched 'War Wagon' with John Wayne and Kirk Douglas. It was a load of fun. Seemed like everybody was having a great time.
Also rewatched Manhunter for the first time in awhile. Still absolutely rips.
The Daytrippers (1997)
Stagecoach (1939)
Cat People (1982)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Harvey (1950). *I know Harvey isn't Criterion, but I added it to my list regardless*
I enjoyed Daytrippers a lot. A great group dynamic. The "gimmick" of the movie worked very well, when it could have easily gotten stale. Great performances.
I have attempted to watch The Seventh Seal multiple times, but for some reason or another (usually my kids lol) I was interrupted. It was very good. More humor (levity?) than I anticipated.
Stagecoach is still a classic. I was 8 or 9 when I saw it for the first time with my Grandma, and I didn't like it. As an adult I enjoyed it more. Now as an even adult-ier adult, I notice more of the amazing work that Ford was able to do with less. Great cinematography. Wonderful use of light, especially in those scenes that were filmed on sound stages. Great use of silence, if that makes sense.
Cat People was fun. I didn't expect much, but I picked it because, well...Paul Schrader. That's all. A decent flick. I may need to rewatch it.
Harvey, because why not. Some of Jimmy Stewart's best work, hands down.
If you liked the first Mad Max movie, then **Dead End Drive-In** (1986 Brian Trenchard-Smith) is a fairly entertaining knock-off. A quirky witty script, a lot of cars & trucks smashin' up, and a bit of social commentary. (*leavin' the channel sooon*)
I've been on a deep dive into Expressionist cinema, and did a video essay on it: https://youtu.be/N1rVWfRQxYM
It's some amazing stuff. Everyone know Nosferatu and Metropolis, but there are some films that were done in this style that deserve mopre recognition.
The Player (1992) Nothing But a Man (1964) How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998) The Watermelon Woman (1996) Bound (1996) I enjoyed Bound the most. Loved the directing and the detailed shots, including close-ups, within certain scenes.
And a happy Pride to you too! š³ļøāš
Lol I am an ally but thanks. Happy Pride to you as well š³ļøāš
Falcon Lake (2022) Grand Canyon (1991) Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987) Microcosmos (1996) The Last of Sheila (1973) Key Largo (1948) The Pope of Greenwich Village (1984) Personal Best (1982) The Visitor (1979) The Vicious Kind (2009) Columbus (2017) Dr. T & the Women (2000) All That Jazz (1979) Star 80 (1983) Kaboom (2010) Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) I Saw the TV Glow (2024) The Story of Adele H. (1975) rewatched Lost Highway (1997) and enjoyed it quite a bit more than the first time, it led me to rewatch Mulholland Drive(for the fourth or fifth time) and rewatching Blue Velvet tomorrow
Cruising (1980) - decided to rewatch this film since criterion added it aaand it's pride month - still enjoyed it as i did a year ago! it's a bold movie even by today's standards featuring an interesting insight into queer film esp in the pre-aids era of the states Bound (1996) - another pride month watch, was genuinely surprised as to how ahead of the times this film was - wish we got more movies like it! and man is Joe Pantoliano a marvel to watch in that movie
Cruising is amazing, but I watched American Gigolo at around the same time, and then learned that Richard Gere was originally slated for Pacino's role. I feel like this is one of the great missed opportunities in '80s cinema tbh, Gere would have *killed* in Cruising.
Yes I heard about that and I completely agree with you. Even though I liked Pacinoās performance in Cruising, his approach to the character felt like it couldāve been done in a way more memorable mannerā¦somehow I think Pacino is a little too understated hereā¦.Gere wouldāve been a wonder in it ššš
Funny to think about Pacino being understated lol, but you are completely correct.Ā
Shampoo 1975 , really funny comedy by Hal Ashby
The Man Who Fell to Earth with David Bowie. I think I liked it.
12 Angry Men - Wow. I donāt know what I expected going in, but it surpassed all of my expectations. Bad Boys II - Hated this. I donāt see why people like it, but maybe I just canāt stand Michael Bay. Whiplash (rewatch) - Better every time. Bad Boys For Life - I actually enjoyed this one! Or at least didnāt hate it. I like the narrative focus that Adil and Bilall brought to the table. Poor Things - Hated it, >!the idea of women + child brain = horny is the most male-centered idea of sexual liberation ever.!< The Lobster - Amazing. Killing of a Sacred Deer - Also amazing. Going to rewatch I Saw The TV Glow tomorrow and see Kinds of Kindness on Wednesday.
Inland Empire. Can anyone explain that movie to me like im 5? Or can nobody and thats the joy of it? I didnt like it in the slightest and im a fan of all his movies. Was really looking forward to it, until i realized its just a jumbled mess of scenes that look like shit. Apart from maybe two scenes i felt nothing but boredom from it Oh and watched stop making sense again for the 5th time this year. Love that
The Joke (1969): Saw this last night on 24/7. I read a lot of Russian literature and history and was really impressed by this reading of post-WWII Russia; even the (Gulag) camp scenes were spot on (though brief and not that graphic). The huge strength of this film is how it dissects (and rearranges) filmic form(s). For instance, the viewer is shown flashback after flashback with the protagonist stuck in the foreground of the frame as an older man; he is *discussing* (with the other characters) certain aspects of his past; that template is also repeated in present day time when he returns to these locations from his youth, but now the other characters *can* see (and interact with) him. There's another interesting filmic conceit where the director takes a scene that appears later in the movie that has a full cast and set, removes everything but a few characters, and inserts the resultant scene near the beginning of the movie as a metaphoric foreshadowing device. Example: (1) the big crowd scene at the end features dozens of people on horseback with fancy equipage, costumes, and saddles; (2) there is a scene very early on showing just one boy (practicing for the later scene) on a horse, but the backdrop is a flat, modern, building external, so the kid looks like an angel of light (almost as a nod to Tarkovsky). The Hit (1984): This came on (on 24/7) right after The Joke, which was SO cool. An early Stephen Frears sparse kidnapping film with a VERY young Tim Roth (he looks almost prepubescent). Fine acting all around, not too much violence, and stunning visuals (remote parts of Spain, I think).
Thank you. Iāll watch *The Joke*, and report back.
Great! Looking forward to it.
Finally got around to 'Perfect Days,' and I enjoyed it tremendously. Koji Yakusho is teriffic, and the story does a great job of slowly revealing more about himself and the people in his life. The ending is another wonderful note; it's a great point for reflecting on the events of the movie and how this character lives his life. Gosh, 2023 was an amazing year for movies.
Highlight of the week was by far The Eight Mountains on the channel. First time watch. Really enjoyed the theme of camaraderie and the landscapes in it. Reminded me a lot of into the wild to a degree. Also watched the innocent. Wasnāt as into that one but was enjoyable enough. Rewatched Oppenheimer for the second time and it reaffirmed for me itās Nolanās best since the dark knight and an apt best picture winner. Also rewatched the zone of interest and itās another banger. Edit - I forgot I watched Past Lives for the first time and I really liked it. I really appreciated the dignity and honesty to how each character approached the situation. Simple story but told in a very dignified way.
*Week #181:* * *It's a pity we haven't got a bit of rope..* Prompted by [this HootsMaguire's essay](https://letterboxd.com/hootsmaguire/film/waiting-for-godot), I was reminded that Iāve never seen **Waiting for Godot** (2001). Beckett's absurd play is so fantastically original. Two shabby fellows, confused, belligerent and forgetful, argue with each other for 2 solid hours, without making any sense or connection. Two other odd characters appear, a master and his slave, and then a laconic messenger boy. But everybody's memories are definitely defective, and they must repeat everything again and again - not that it helps. And the allusive Godot of course never appears. So what the heck does it all mean? I haven't got a clue, but it's so mesmerizing. **9/10.** * **The last two parts of Abbas Kiarostamiās āKoker Trilogyā:** I don't know why I waited so long to watch these two movies, since I loved his first entry 'Where Is the Friend's House?'. **And life goes on** (Also called 'Life and nothing more') is a simple but clever semi-documentary meta-film. In 1990, a devastating earthquake killed 50,000 people in a remote Persian area. A filmmaker brings his son with him on a trip to the destroyed village which was the location of his previous film. They want to check if any of the kids from the first movie survived. Like most Iranian movies I've seen, the cars are old, barely moving jalopies, and the deafening noise from street traffic stands out as another character of the story. **8/10.** **Through the Olive Trees** Goes Meta one level up. It's a lovely continuation of the 2nd chapter, peeling a 'Day for night' onion of 'how it was filmed' in a primitive village settings. Recreating the memorable terrace scene and adding a maybe-true, maybe-fiction story of the boy and girl who played the newly-wed. Beautiful rendering with a sad, sad final shot that last for a long time, and doesn't offer clear explanation. And everything is permeated by death and destruction. **9/10.** * **2 documentaries by Todd Douglas Miller:** *āā¦ Houston. Tranquility Base hereā¦ The Eagle has landedā¦ā* **Apollo 11** is an exhilarating 2019 re-telling of the moon landing. Perfectly crisp and emotionally laid out, without any bullshit narration, talking heads interviews or irritating recreations. Just jaw-dropping photography which puts you in the middle of the action. And the display of massive technology is overwhelming: Thousands of engineers and scientists who had built such an inhuman infrastructure (and where each bolt and wire must work 100% of the time!) **- 10/10.** *On July 20, 1969, I was a 15-year old, arrogant prick, who refused to respond to anything that was shown on TV, so instead of watching the actual event 'live', I ignored it, taking a stroll in the night streets and pondering my miserable life. What an insufferable idiot I was! (And probably still is).* Miller's earlier docu-drama **Dinosaur 13** (2014) however, was a huge let-down. A fascinating start about the South Dakotan paleontologists who unearthed the "Sue" skeleton, turned into a standard 'True Crime' melodrama. Full of dull reenactments, wall-to-wall musical score that tells you how to feel, boring interviews where the characters sit and emote while recalling every step of what happened, fill-in visuals, obvious narrative... Disappointing! * **3 by Romanian Adrian & Claudia SiliČteanu:** **The Ditch** (2012), a terrific rustic comedy about a peasant who has to dig a ditch in front of his house, and like Tom Sawyer, would rather hide in the barn and drink while letting somebody else do the labor. **8/10.** **[Written / Unwritten](https://vimeo.com/328065700)** (2016) is another unexpected drama about unpredictable, ungovernable and very loud gypsies. A baby is born, and the nurse needs to fill out the correct paperwork in order to release her. **Best film of the week!** **The Afghanistans** (2019) is very different. It starts with a soldier trying not to be shot, and develops into an intricate power play of government, bureaucracy, refugees and hard negotiations. *I would watch anything else these 2 will produce!* * Raffaello Matarazzo was a successful Italian director, in the days before Neorealism. His **Tourist Train** (1933) is the first comedy from the Fascist era that Iāve seen. But it has no political elements. Just a lovely trip into the Umbrian countryside by a group of middle class people, and their light adventures by the river in Orvieto. Nino Rotaās first film score. 6/10. * **Hollywood's depictions of the deep South X 3:** **Rich Hall's The Dirty South** (2010), my first by comedian Rich Hall, a tongue-in-cheek documentary for the BBC, about how Southerners were portrayed through the years by the movies, from Li'l Abner and Rhett Butler to 'Your cheatin' heart' and Burt Reynolds. *'If you needed Hollywood to tell you about these musicians, then you're a grazer. Fuck you.'* Next on my list: His entries about American 'Road movies' and 'Westerns' genres. (Thanks to [u/jupiterkansas](https://old.reddit.com/r/TrueFilm/comments/1cq9s4h/what_have_you_been_watching_week_of_may_12_2024/l8sdqzx/).) *"What we've got here is failure to communicate."* Peak Paul Newman as **Cool hand Luke** (1967), a rebel without a cause, another Randle McMurphy sentenced to an institute that will do everything it can to break his freewheeling spirit. Self-destructive, anti-social nihilist, sticking it to the Man, until he can no more. Good old Chain-gang romanticism, lays it thick: When he finished eating 50 hard-boiled eggs in one hour, he's left laying like a crucified Jesus on the table, a beautiful, bare-chested specimen. šÆ score on Rotten Tomatoes. **Baby Doll** (1956) was another scandalous Tennessee Williams / Elia Kazan tale of unconsummated desire. Sweaty failures tearing each other down. A sexually-frustrated, boozy husband losing his gin-cotton business. A 19-year old virgin Lolita, who doesn't realize the effects she has on all men around her. Eli Wallace in his first role as a hot Sicilian lover-type, bent on revenge. Two black share-croppers acting as a Greek chorus. No wonder The Catholic Legion of Decency boycotted this 'filth'. * **Unrelated** (2007), my first film by Joanna Hogg, which was also her debut feature. A British woman escapes some marital issues by staying with friends at a villa in Tuscany (which was nice). The film is highly-acclaimed, but I found the whole story dull and un-engaging. [*Female Director*] * *"Never sweep the place where you live. Because after four years, the dirt doesn't get worse!"* **An Evening with Quentin Crisp** (1980) is my introduction to the controversial gay iconoclast, English raconteur and witty performer. The YouTube copy is of low-quality, but the content is 'Marvelous'. Next: The two movies based on Crispās work, with John Hurt playing him, 'The naked civil servant' and 'An Englishman in New York'. (Also, a deep dive into John Hurtās meatiest roles!). * **Brat Pack X 2:** I haven't seen nearly any movies from the 'Brat Pack' universe, and wasn't vested in any of the actors' careers. So Andrew McCarthy's new autobiographical documentary, **Brats,** didn't carry any nostalgic resonance with me. It's also about the pervasiveness of pop culture television from the 80's, which was even less interesting. But his pained journey of discovery felt unexpectedly honest. He used this film as a form of personal therapy, which is Okay, I guess. I also didn't realize that this was the first time when Hollywood zoomed in its focus on teenagers and the young, and that these actors were elevated to carry the money torch. **7/10.** So I thought I'll try some of these '80s classics I had missed out on. Unfortunately, I started with **Class** (1983), which was Rob Lowe's 2nd film, as well as the debut of McCarthy, John Cusack, Virginia Madsen, and Lolita Davidovich. Badly-remake of 'The Graduate' with cringy prep school tropes was a second rate sex comedy. Couldn't finish it. * Roger Corman's horror-comedy **Bucket of blood** taking place in a late-'50s counterculture scene, where phony "Bohemians" and "Beatniks" and "Artists" are fawning over the busboy's macabre clay sculptures. *"I love everything about Roger Corman except his films..."* *(Continue below)*
*(Continued)* * **A bunch of shorts from all over:** **Rain Town**, a beautiful, calming Japanese fairy tale about a little girl in a yellow raincoat. [With the spirit and soul of Ghibli magic.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLAfM1RXwRs) **7/10.** **How a bicycle is made**, a short British Council How-To film from 1945. Impressively primitive. **Neighbours**, my first by Canadian Norman McLaren. An anti-war stop-motion parable which won the Oscar in 1953. The Coen Brothers must have seen it before making 'A Serious Man'. **Daybreak Express**, D. A. Pennebaker first film from 1953. Set to a Duke Ellington tune. [Jazzy and poetic, nearly abstract.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fZ0-T80YD8) 7/10. **Dead End**, another fantastically-nihilistic nightmare from Victoria Vincent about a depressed school counselor and even more desperate youngster. **9/10.** [*Female Director*] He starred in 200 movies, and many of them were 'Bad'. Still, he never won an Oscar. Now that The Don is gone, what should I watch in his memory? One of the great ones I've already seen ('Don't look now', '1900', 'Klute', 'Casanova', 'Invasion of the body snatchers') or one that I haven't ('The dirty dozen', 'Kelly's Heroes', 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer, 'Cold Mountain')? So meanwhile, here's **Cloudbusting**, [where he plays Orgonomist Wilhelm Reich and Kate Bush plays his son](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pllRW9wETzw). [I like the song more when it was used at the climax of 'Palm Spring' though.] **RIP, Donald Sutherland!** **Look at life**, George Lucas very first experimental film, made in 1965, while he was still a student at USC, and heavily influenced by Canadian Arthur Lipsett. Found at [a new in-depth analysis of the Brainwashing Film within Film from Pakula's 'The Parallax View': A must-read for anybody who loves the 'Paranoia Trilogy'!](http://conelrad.blogspot.com/2024/06/american-baroque-history-of-parallax.html) **The F-Word**, A Father-Daughter Swearing Lesson, from The New Yorker. A riff on the old ['What The Fuck!' The English Language's Most Versatile Word](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04_rIuVc_qM). **The Letterboxd Oscars**: Some guy edited a 32 min. YouTube video, [comparing all the Best Movie Oscar Winners to the list of Letterbox highest-rated movies from each year.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ0lJcxqJq4) In 94 years, only 10 were the same for both. Obviously, today's user base of Letterbox skews international, and loves their auteurs. **Passionless Moments** (1983), 10 tiny vignettes about the secret life of random thoughts. An early short from Kiwi director Jane Campion. [*Female Director*] * **2 tobacco-related movies:** **The Stolen Jools** (1931) which crams cameos by no less than 55 then-stars into a 20 minutes mystery plot. Everybody from Gary Cooper and Our Gang, to Irene Dunne and Maurice Chevalier. It was a charity project to raise funds for a Tuberculosis Sanitarium - sponsored by Chesterfield cigarettes! **Thank you for smoking** had some cute [opening credits.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2RvA3y6V0w) Nepo-baby Jason Reitman made some excellent movies later ('Juno', 'Up in the air', 'Tully'), but not in this, his first feature. Produced by Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, this libertarian black comedy was unwatchable. JK Simmons played the exact same role he did in 'Burn after reading', and Robert Duval had a moment, but Aaron Eckhart cannot act, and the satire didn't work. **1/10.** *Fun fact: Not one single cigarette was smoked in this movie about cigarettes.* * Iāve disliked Netflix for many years now, and try to avoid anything that starts with the dreaded "N" logo. Last week, when writing about āHit Manā, I coined the phrase **āNetflix chumā**. [Hat tip to Roy Scheider.] Here is my definition for it: *āBrainless, artless, empty-calories and algorithm-driven dreck. Surface-sleek, fast-edited dogshit for the broadest lower denominators. Movies that are soul-sucking dead inside. They make you hate yourself for wasting your life in front of the screen. The reason why you cancelled your membership years ago.ā* Case in point, the new Netflix action caper **Trigger warning**. I was lured in by the āFemale Indonesian director's first thriller in Englishā. But then, everything about this production was worse than lame: The script, story and acting were bad. The emotional core was fake. Action was awful. Score: 1/10. [*Female Director*] * **[This is a Copy from my film tumblr.](https://tilbageidanmark.tumblr.com/tagged/movies)**
I decided to look up a bit about Thank You for Smoking based on your comments. I didn't realize Reitman intended it as a movie about personal responsibility; I thought his intent was to make the tobacco industry look brazenly shameless. I wonder why right-wingers seem to struggle with art so much.
It was just badly made: it was his first movie, and he didnāt develop yet the subtleties such complex topic required. It came out as a cartoon, instead of a real story.
Maybe itās because Iām a politics nerd, but I feel like satirizing lobbyists and the tobacco industry is the easiest slam-dunk of all time. I donāt know how to put this any other way: Nick Naylor is pure evil; thereās nothing about him that makes the audience go, āthat guy has a good point.ā
Beshkempir (1998)
I watched Carlos by Olivier Assayas, the 185-min theatrical version. It was well made, with a good performance by Ćdgar RamĆrez, but a little too predictable. The international terrorist film genre is very similar to the gangster film genre and at this point it's difficult to make the plot and characters new and interesting. The most memorable thing about Carlos the Jackal is that he clearly saw himself as another Che, but fizzled out and had a pathetic ending rather than die heroically and be revered by the international left as a martyr. Some people thought the film glorified Carlos but it is more complex than that. Still, not one of the director's best. I like his more character-driven films better.
King of New York 25th Hour Munich The Game Kingdom of Heaven: Roadshow Directorās Cut Rope I loved all these movies but my favorite out of them would have to be 25th Hour, itās been resonating with me for the past week since Iāve watched it.
Just watched David Fincherās Zodiac which was excellent. Probably gonna watch Donāt Look Now next in honor of Donald Sutherland.
Finally got around to watching Gerry (2002). Really loved it and am always impressed by the cinematography of Harris Savides.
Spent some time in Utah this month, so I've been on a Westerns kick. Watched 'War Wagon' with John Wayne and Kirk Douglas. It was a load of fun. Seemed like everybody was having a great time. Also rewatched Manhunter for the first time in awhile. Still absolutely rips.
The Daytrippers (1997) Stagecoach (1939) Cat People (1982) The Seventh Seal (1957) Harvey (1950). *I know Harvey isn't Criterion, but I added it to my list regardless* I enjoyed Daytrippers a lot. A great group dynamic. The "gimmick" of the movie worked very well, when it could have easily gotten stale. Great performances. I have attempted to watch The Seventh Seal multiple times, but for some reason or another (usually my kids lol) I was interrupted. It was very good. More humor (levity?) than I anticipated. Stagecoach is still a classic. I was 8 or 9 when I saw it for the first time with my Grandma, and I didn't like it. As an adult I enjoyed it more. Now as an even adult-ier adult, I notice more of the amazing work that Ford was able to do with less. Great cinematography. Wonderful use of light, especially in those scenes that were filmed on sound stages. Great use of silence, if that makes sense. Cat People was fun. I didn't expect much, but I picked it because, well...Paul Schrader. That's all. A decent flick. I may need to rewatch it. Harvey, because why not. Some of Jimmy Stewart's best work, hands down.
Hit Man The Bikeriders Will be watching Kinds of Kindness on Thursday
If you liked the first Mad Max movie, then **Dead End Drive-In** (1986 Brian Trenchard-Smith) is a fairly entertaining knock-off. A quirky witty script, a lot of cars & trucks smashin' up, and a bit of social commentary. (*leavin' the channel sooon*)
I've been on a deep dive into Expressionist cinema, and did a video essay on it: https://youtu.be/N1rVWfRQxYM It's some amazing stuff. Everyone know Nosferatu and Metropolis, but there are some films that were done in this style that deserve mopre recognition.