The Week That Was, Issue 1

Trying something new.

I still intend to write more lengthy reviews and post my best of lists, but those take a lot of time. In order to stay current, I’m posting a weekly update on what I’ve seen, why I watched each film, and my short initial impression.

The Week That Was

October 26, 2015 – November 1, 2015

Monday, October 26, 2015

1) Empire of the Sun (1987)

Why I watched: Included in the IMDB top 1000; one of the few Spielberg films I haven’t seen.

Impression: Young Christian Bale is great. I love Miranda Richardson, but she’s wasted here. Malkovich is good, but doesn’t do anything spectacular. This film is too ambitious and tries to do way too much in two hours.

3 stars.

2) Decasia (2002)

Why I watched: In the National Film Registry.

Impression: Nice metaphor, using decaying silent film footage to comment on the passage of time, but it shouldn’t have been so long.

2 stars.

3) Joe Dirt (2001)

Why I watched: Have heard a lot about it, finally bit the bullet.

Impression: Exactly what you’d expect. Spade w/o Farley is not able to carry a feature film. There are a few moments, but not nearly enough.

2 stars.

4) The Son of the Sheik (1926)

Why I watched: In the National Film Registry.

Impression: Valentino is fine, but I prefer The Sheik (1921).

2 stars.

5) Back in Time (2015)

Why I watched: Netflix recommended + I love Back to the Future.

Impression: Great for fans of the movie. A few interesting tidbits. Fun to see how obsessed people can be.

3 stars.

6) Somers Town (2008)

Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.

Impression: This film about modern British life with the realities of multiculturalism didn’t do much for me.

2 ½ stars.

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

7) Last Days (2005)

Why I watched: In a list of the 1000 best reviewed films of the 21st century.

Impression: The concept sounded great: Gus Van Sant doing a film inspired by the final days of Kurt Cobain’s life, but it was really boring.

2 stars.

8) The Fog (1980)

Why I watched: In a list of the top 500 horror films

Impression: Way too cheesy. I love Hal Holbrook, but that wasn’t enough.

2 stars.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

9) The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call, New Orleans (2009)

Why I watched: In a list of the 1000 best reviewed film of the 21st century.

Impression: Cage is deliciously, uncomfortably evil, but two hours of Nic Cage being evil does not make a great movie.

2 ½ stars.

10) The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

Why I watched: In Paramount’s vault available on Youtube

Impression: I was surprised how much I loved the original, and was semi-excited for this. I was really disappointed. The energy of the original is completely missing and it feels derivative of the 80s horror like the Friday the 13th and the Nightmare on Elm Street series which were themselves derivative of the original.

2 stars.

11) Insomnia (2002)

Why I watched: One of the few Christopher Nolan films I hadn’t seen, and Robin Williams.

Impression: Bleh. It’s decent, but there’s not enough going on to keep me interested.

2 ½ stars.

12) Antares (2004)

Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.

Impression: While I liked director Spielman’s later work in Revanche, this was not particularly exciting.

1 ½ stars.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

13) Down Argentine Way (1940)

Why I watched: In the National Film Registry.

Impression: Don Ameche is very underrated. Betty Grable is fun. Carmen Miranda’s debut film showcases her tremendous charisma, and any excuse to see the Nicholas Brothers in action is worth taking. Solid, but not quite spectacular film.

4 stars.

14) The Adventures of Shakrboy and Lavagirl (2005)

Why I watched: Netflix recommended.

Impression: A cute concept, but poorly executed. I can’t believe this was released to theaters. It feels like a Disney special.

2 stars.

15) The Errand Boy (1961)

Why I watched: In Paramount’s vault on YouTube.

Impression: As a director, Jerry Lewis shows a sophistication and experimental streak you wouldn’t expect. This bizarre film is a pretty scathing attack on Hollywood. I liked it more than I thought I would.

3 ½ stars.

16) Every Day (2015)

Why I watched: ESPN 30 for 30 short

Impression: I’m a sucker for anything with elderly people in it. The story of Joy Johnson, who took up running at 59 and went on to run in 25 New York Marathons, was pretty cool. I loved it, but not sure others will.

3 ½ stars.

17) Frankenweenie (1984)

Why I watched: On TCM, I like Tm Burton, and enjoyed the 2012 remake.

Impression: Really fun seeing vintage Shelley Duvall and a young Daniel Stern, but I understand why Disney was upset with the final product. There’s just not enough going on to recommend.

2 ½ stars.

18) Tulpan (2008)

Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.

Impression: A nice film about life in Kazakstan, but nothing spectacular.

2 ½ stars.

19) Vincent (1982)

Why I watched: On TCM, I like Burton, and curious to see his early stuff.

Impression: Unlike Frankenweenie, this was full of personality. This love letter to Vincent Price may be the best view into the mind of Tim Burton.

3 ½ stars.

Friday, October 30, 2015

20) Enter the Void (2009)

Why I watched: In a list of the 1000 best reviewed films of the 21st century.

Impression: The concept of a soul wandering between time and space observing his own past and the future of those he loved is great. The first half was worthy of the concept, but the second half was puerile and made sex boring.

2 ½ stars.

21) Bright Star (2009)

Why I watched: In a list of the 1000 best reviewed films of the 21st century.

Impression: I’m not a huge fan of Jane Campion, but this film about the unfulfilled love affair of John Keats and Fanny Brawne was excellent.

3 ½ stars.

22) Tess of the Storm Country (1922)

Why I watched: In a list of the top 300 silent films.

Impression: It’s so steadfastly old-fashioned, it feels older than it is.

1 ½ stars.

Saturday, October 31, 2015

23) Requiem for a Vampire (1971)

Why I watched: MUBI’s films of the day.

Impression: Jean Rollin’s work is interesting, and his efforts to blend erotica and horror have been influential, but this film is a little too graphically sexual for my taste.

½ star.

24) Mr. Holmes (2015):

Why I watched: I love Sherlock Holmes. I love Ian McKellen.

Impression: This was very good, and the idea of an elderly Holmes reflecting back on his life is fantastic, but this film probably spreads itself too thin.

3 ½ stars.

25) Archangel (1990)

Why I watched: In the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die list.

Impression: A noble attempt to appropriate a genre to comment on a historical situation, but I never connected to it.

1 ½ stars.

26) Cobain: Montage of Heck (2015)

Why I watched: I heard great things. I grew up with Nirvana.

Impression: With unprecedented access to Kurt Cobain’s personal letters, home videos, and surviving family members, Brett Morgen creates a searing portrait of the rock icon.

While the film wisely avoids portraying Cobain as a stereotypical tortured artist, it’s clear his unstable home life contributed to the angst and rage in his music.

Nirvana’s music was an important part of my adolescence, so I found this fascinating. The only omission was the absence of the band’s drummer Dave Grohl.

3 ½ stars.

Sunday November 1, 2015

27) Her Name is Sabine (2007)

Why I watched: MUBI’s film of the day.

Impression: A poignant film about the horrendous way we treat people with mental health issues and our inability to adequately address their needs.

3 ½ stars.

28) The End of The Tour (2015)

Why I watched: I loved Infinite Jest and I’m fascinated by David Foster Wallace.

Impression: After the suicide of David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel), David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg) reflects on the time he interviewed the author during a book tour for his seminal novel, Infinite Jest.

I love Wallace’s challenging and ridiculously long novel. It’s a bizarre work about tennis prodigies, a dysfunctional family, the trappings of television, a Canadian separatist group, and a group of terrorists who travel in wheelchairs.

This film provides a rare, unfiltered insight into the mind of a genius. The rambling, intellectual conversations about fame, art, women, love, expectation, depression, alcoholism, and abuse feel like a 21st century update of another of my favorite films, My Dinner with Andre.

I knew I would like the film because I find Wallace fascinating, but I loved it more than I could have anticipated.

4 ½ stars.

29) The White Balloon (1995)

Why I watched: In the 1001 Movies to See Before You Die list.

Impression: This sweet domestic film is proof to the Western world that life in the rest of the world is not incredibly different from life here.

3 stars.

Best film I saw last week: The End of the Tour (2015)

Worst film I saw last week: Requiem for a Vampire (1971)

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