Zamilované maso (Meat Love)
Jan Svankmajer 1989 US/UK/West Germany (1st time; YouTube)
Two lumps of raw meat fall in love.
Brilliant stop-motion animation, colourful, with old-fashioned music; there's nothing like a bit of raw love…love is a butchery?

Et Cetera
Jan Svankmajer 1966 Czechoslovakia (1st time; YouTube)
Three shorts within a short: a primate learns how to fly with four pairs of wings; a human whips an animal into submission three times; a man attempts to draw a house over and over again.
Brilliant, simple animation with a somewhat nightmarish feel; it feels like one of those fever dreams in which humans become tiny 2-D drawings. Thematic similarities with Beckett: the futility of life, as well as some sign of frustration with form: a figure drawing his way to curiosity, and thence to insanity.

Spiel mit Steinen (A Game with Stones)
Jan Svankmajer 1965 Austria 1st time; YouTube
A clock spits out stones every hour, and various patterns are formed.
Visual gags and poetry with the most mundane of all objects, rocks; the patterns get more ambitious and impressive as it goes on, but it could probably be shorter.

Flora
Jan Svankmajer 1989 US (1st time; YouTube)
A bed-ridden "vegetable", or a human comprising vegetables, rots and explodes.
A thirty-second short of such explosive visual power that it will linger for a while, before you want to watch it again. It sounds like a Lynch film, and is horrific to look at, in an attractive sort of way.

Kyvadlo, jáma a nadeje (The Pit, the Pendulum and Hope)
Jan Svankmajer 1989 Czechoslovakia (1st time; YouTube)
Black-and-white images of death and devilry to the sounds of an industrial furnace.
Industrial furnace indeed - if a literal meaning of that phase fails to register, the imagination might define it better. An atmospheric, rather frightening affair which clocks in under two minutes; most feature films fail to reach Svankmajer's level of intensity.

Rabbit-Proof Fence
Phillip Noyce 2002 Australia (1st time; TV)
In 1930s Australia, three young half-caste girls escape the camp intending to domesticate them into the white community, and trek across the Outback to their home.
The kind of film the general public are inspired by and critics fall in love with; it is impressively shot by Christopher Doyle, but you never really get a sense of the heartbreak the girls must be feeling when separated from their mother, the alienation they feel once in the camp, or the adversity they face when trying to get home. Short enough to be of passing interest.

Strangers on a Train
Alfred Hitchcock 1951 US (1st time; TV)
A tennis player has a chance encounter with a maniac, who suggests the two combine forces: the maniac is to kill the tennis player's wife, and the tennis player is to kill the maniac's father.
Cinematic story-telling at its finest; besides the initial conversation between the two, this could be told entirely in images, from the contrasting opening shots of feet walking to the same place but in different directions, to the suspense set-pieces around which the narrative revolves: the murder at the playground, the would-be attempt from Haines to warn Bruno's father, and the climactic merry-go-round scene - the macabre hilarity of which is telling of Hitchcock's sense of humour, even at the most seemingly inappropriate of times.

Last Days
2005/Van Sant

My first Van Sant. Contrary to how I thought I'd feel, I found his choice of incredibly long, un-moving shots to be almost refreshing against the backdrop of most other recent cinema. The best aspect of the film, to me, was Van Sant's work with subliminal audio manipulation, something I had only ever seen Paul Thomas Anderson do. At random points throughout the film, we hear a seemingly random collage of audio clips that, in some strange way, helps us to understand our main character's feelings. I loved this in Anderson's films and I loved it here too.

Van Sant's film clearly benefits from the lure and tragic mystery surrounding Cobain's death, even to someone like me who knows little about it. Rarely do I find myself so enamored in every nuance of a character's movements and speech patterns as I did here. This attests to Michael Pitt's performance, which I've been told is spot-on with Kurt. There was just a beautiful sense of complacency and tragedy surrounding this whole thing that I found fascinating.

It lived up to the hype.

Miami Vice

Review is coming

JACKASS: THE MOVIE (2002) - ***1/2

The entire MTV gang of the wildly-popular television series make for 90 miuntes of frathouse stunts, public spectacles of insanity, stupidity, and probably gastricide as well (I'm sure more than one person has vomited on watching some of the more disgusting sequences).

However, while I use the "Intellectual Logic" defense to piss on Michael Bay, Peter Jackson, Rob Cohen, Renny Harlin, and other hackjob mother fuckers, I can't stick my nose in the hair and call this retarded.

Okay, it IS retarded. However, like SUPER TROOPERS, except no cookie-cut plot(hell, no damn plot at all), this is hilarious for immature hijinks and well, for a good six-pack party.

In fact, I can't wait for JACKASS: NUMBER TWO either.

13 (Tzameti)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475169/

Gripping from start to finish. An independent roofer during his work overhears directions to earn a lot of money without knowing what is to be done. When the man the directions were intended for dies the young roofer decides to take his place. Little does he know he's risking his life and others in doing so.

Visually stunning shot all in black and white at intruging angles and the accompaning soundtrack really tweaks all your senses. My mate bought the film based on hearing the plot, I was lucky enough not to have a clue where it was going and that kept me at the edge of my seat. It was like a journey, I was exhausted at the end even though it runs for just less than an hour and half.

STAKE OUT(1987) - ***

Fun, amusing buddy-cop picture with Richard "Why so many shitty comedies?" Dreyfus and Emilio "What happened to him?" Estevez as coppers on a stake-out of an escaped convict's girlfriend's house. Shit hits the fan when Dreyfus gets involved with the girl. From the director of WARGAMES.

Followed up by lousy sequel.

Turi, I too wanted to see Tzameti at the cinema; a whole film on Russian Roulette can't be more attractive. But I missed it, and the DVD is too expensive for now. I'll keep an eye out for a bargain...

Mick, to see it on the big screen would have been immense. The sounds the visual aspects would have been amplified. Still it held its own on the small screen. It's something I know I've got to buy and own. Even if it's something I need to watch every 5 years or so if I'm lucky.

I need to be exposed to more films like this.

Vertigo ** 1/2
(Second Viewing)

Didn't enjoy it as much as I did the first time but I loved the shots of when Stewart would look down from a great height and the camera would zoom back.

Final Destination 3 ** 1/2
(Second Viewing)

The theme of these movies has definitely run its course by the third (and hopefully final) film of the trilogy.

Apart from the technical brilliance, Vertigo is also the story of a man who has fallen in love for the first time in his life. I thought it was a masterpiece.

Manchurian Candidate ***
Very entertaining thriller starring Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington. My roomie who watched this with me says that the original one was better and the new version is unnecessarily complicated. Any one seen the older version? Any thoughts?

Man, John Frakenheimer's original was a classic. Sure, the Cold War has gone the way of Super Nintendo, but its still great. Better yet, Frank Sinatra going totally acting-wise to which he never before or after acheived.

My problem with the remake was that:

*Edited and written way too much like an action story.

*Lack of technical sophistication. You see Frakenheimer pulling off a nightmarish sequence where you see the Commie Russians and Chinese brainwashing the Americans, but as well see them as their brain-washing image: A southern "flower society".

*As for the remake, its one of those premises that depends to work as a film on way too many coincidences for my liking. You know?

I thought the old one was great. The new one was horrible. However Frankenheimer's best film IMO, is Seconds.

Pierrot le fou
Jean-Luc Godard 1965 France/Italy (1st time; DVD)
A married man bored with his life runs away to the south of France with his babysitter.
Drenched in colour, politics and philosophy, this is often credited as the film which combined all of Godard's preoccupations. Most interesting is the constant self-reflexivity, attractive not only in itself but because of the sparkling performances from Karina and Belmondo; it looks absolutely gorgeous, too, with some incredible long-take sequences, the most impressive of which has the present and a flashback happen in the same take, with actors disappearing out of frame and re-entering in a different time, but the same space. Almost impossible to sum up.

Made in U.S.A.
Jean-Luc Godard 1966 France (1st time; DVD)
When she discovers her journalist fiancé has been killed, a woman investigates the circumstances of death and becomes involved in political corruption.
Incoherent and fragmented even by Godard's standards, and curiously titled, for the references to American culture aren't all that obvious (or scathing) besides the self-reflexive commentary on how the narrative is borrowed from Hollywood gangster films, or "a Disney film with Bogart". Karina has all the gorgeous charm in the world, but this is minor Godard all the same - though there remains a fantastic scene in a bar, with characters coming in and out of frame at will, with a short essay on language.

I'm guessing you made a typo...you only gave this one star on the film board.

Inside Man ***
(Second Viewing)

Just as good (if not better) the second time around. Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer and Willem Dafoe were all wonderful in their respective roles. I've missed a good ol' fashion Spike Lee joint.

The Last Temptation of Christ
1988/Scorsese

An interesting picture, directed with trademark Scorsese flair, but it's still noticeably different in style than his work in the early 90's. A bit overlong, yes, and a bit difficult to follow for someone not too familiar with the story of Jesus, but still thought-provoking, still amazing to watch. It's strongest points lie in Scorsese's journey into Christ's thoughts, nightmares, visions, and fantasies. And wow, what a performance by Willem Dafoe, which went sadly un-nominated at the 88 Oscars.

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
2006/McKay

Not exactly laugh-a-minute like Anchorman, but still a solid comedy with Ferrel and the gang assuming new identities and some Southern accents. McKay experiments with some more daring camera techniques, including some CGI, which worked well. Great supporting cast here as well, Amy Adams, Gary Cole, Michael Clark Duncan, John C. Reilly, David Koechner, Sacha Baron Cohen, Molly Shannon, even Andy Richter. Very enjoyable.

"Let's try and pry it out with a second knife!"

That was the biggest laugh of the whole movie for me. Hilarious.

ANGEL HEART (1987) - ***1/2

Someone at the time of this movie's release cited this Alan Parker picture as "Raymond Chandler meets THE EXORCIST". Very simplistic and unfortunately chides this movie as something it really isn't, but it works.

In this film-noir mystery tale of murder and supernaturalism in 1955, Mickey Rourke goes to work for Louise Cypher (Robert DeNiro) in looking for a missing singer named Johnny Favorite.

Really good cinematography with Rourke going gravy in a memorable way in this story that utlimately reveals itself to be based on the ancient storytelling device about accountability, and the futility of running away from it. Of course, those that haven't seen the film, just look at DeNiro's character name, and just realize whats really going on...

I couldn't agree more. One of my favorite Scorsese "underrated" films and definitely one of my favorite Willem Dafoe films. Harvy Keitel kinda stuck out like a sore thumb but the movie (especially as you said, Scorsese's journey into Christ's thought, etc) was unorthodox but bold and enjoyable by him.

I agree with Hagen and Irishman.

Its funny really. I still remember LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST being embargoed, directly or not, by so many theater chains and other companies. For example, as some people tell me, CHIK-FALA closed its doors during the entire run of the movie at this one local-plex.

Then the video stores in my area just refused to carry the movie. Blockbuster blacklisted the movie for years.

Yet now, some Theologists have sort of "rediscovered" this movie and realize, like many of us did beneath that religious right controversy bullshit, that the movie is only a dramatic and alternative meditation on the Jesus Christ of Nazareth myth. The finale sequence, the namesake of the picture, does ask the question: How willing are you to finish something that you don't want to do but believe must be done?

Besides, its easily the best J.C. movie, or at least the most interesting. Forget PASSION OF THE CHRIST or GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, or the very dull KING OF KINGS.

You all notice how the different groups within the movie are represented with differing accents? You have Keitel with a Brooklyn-accent. Harry Dean Stanton with his southern accent. Then the Romans, like David Bowie, being British. Just food for thought...

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST (1988) - ****1/2

Prénom Carmen (First Name: Carmen)
Jean-Luc Godard 1983 France (1st time; DVD)
A female terrorist tricks her insane filmmaker uncle, Jean-Luc Godard, into lending her video equipment so she can pull off a heist; meanwhile, a clumsy security guard falls in love with her.
Instead of jamming as many different threads as possible into one extended essay, Godard builds an entire film around a few ideas; the result is one of his most accessible films. The camera hardly moves at all, as it films waves crashing to the shore, trains passing in opposite directions, and a violin quartet, whose music is edited into the narrative, so that the score, usually added in post-production, is, for the most part, actually diegetic. A clever, mature, and often profound film, perhaps overshadowed by his flashier work from the sixties.

World Trade Center ** 1/2
(First Viewing)

I think this is only the 2nd Oliver Stone film I've seen in theaters (with Any Given Sunday being the first). This movie was powerful and bold but at times, and I know this might be harsh to say, but I was bored with it about halfway through. I still not sure if this was too soon or not. I also enjoyed United 93 more.

My friend called WORLD TRADE CENTER the "worst Frank Capra movie he ever saw".

OUCH

American History X
1998/Kaye

I really enjoyed Kaye's use of slow-motion here, a directing technique I often feel is unfairly labeled as cliched. Edward Norton delivers his first real powerful dramatic performance, with the look to match, and he's incredibly believable as the preaching supremacist. Furlong was good too. It was slightly dissappointing to find out that Christopher Nolan didn't come up with the idea of going from color to black and white to indicate different timelines. I had always credited him with that genius manuever. It worked well here too though. Overall, a very good film.

DENIRO, can you tell us how you felt about this movie, is it good?