Topic: goodguy's Watch Log

[goodguy]

Dead Hooker in a Trunk (CA 2009) • IMDb Director:  Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska Writer: Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska Cast: Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska, Rikki Gagne, CJ Wallis DVD: Bounty Films (UK 2011) My rating:

Grindhouse movies aren't really my thing, neither those from back in the days, nor their revival in recent years by Tarantino, Rodriguez and the like. To bother with such a movie, there has to be something special to pique my curiosity, for example, a female take on the genre. Such is provided by Canadian twin sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska, who not only wrote, directed and produced their micro-budget debut feature, but also star in it. Plot? A gang of four friends, three tough girls and a choir boy, run an errand together and discover a dead hooker in the trunk of their car. Bloody and violent hijinks ensue, involving pimps, cops, chainsaw gangs, and a serial killer. All this is gleefully over-the-top and has a couple of jaw-dropping WTF moments and twists, only heightened by the girls' rather blasé attitude at their misgivings (while choir boy frequently pukes his guts out) and a certain trippy visual flair. Highly enjoyable f**k-yeah movie.

[Achim]

Is this in cinemas now or available on DVD anywhere? Looks good

EDIT:
Amozon.com didn't have it, but found it at Amzon.co.uk. Too bad my latest order from there just shipped out

[goodguy]

La passion de Jeanne d'Arc (FR 1928) • IMDb Director:  Carl Theodor Dreyer Writer: Carl Theodor Dreyer, Joseph Delteil Cast: Maria Falconetti, Eugène Silvain, André Berley, Maurice Schutz, Antonin Artaud DVD: Criterion (US 1999) My rating:

I think I made two mistakes when watching the film. First, I watched it immediately after Bresson's version, which I found far superior. Second, I watched it with Eichhorn's Voices of Light  as score, which is quite wonderful, but more than a little overbearing. Anyway. Especially the early grotesque caricatures of the judges and clerics during the trial were very distracting and severely diminished the experience for me. That includes Falconetti's performance as Joan, which in its juxtaposition becomes equally over the top. The film redeems itself somewhat in the second half and I can admire the sparse and stylized set design and some of the editing choices on a technical level, but overall I was nonplussed.

[goodguy]

For Lovers Only (2011) • IMDb Director:  Michael Polish Writer: Mark Polish Cast: Stana Katic, Mark Polish My rating:

"Love doesn’t conquer. It’s not some kind of a weapon that you wield." The Polish Brothers pay homage to the Nouvelle Vague with a melancholic and intimate story of two former lovers whose paths cross again in Paris. Shot more or less on the fly in France, digital, black-and-white, and with no budget to speak of, the film is an admirable effort and certainly has its moments, but ultimately remains a little shallow. It's sometimes beautiful, but more often just pretty.

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/22111423

[goodguy]

Sedmikrásky (CZ 1966, AKA Daisies) • IMDb Director:   Vera Chytilová Writer: Vera Chytilová, Pavel Jurácek, Ester Krumbachová Cast: Ivana Karbanová, Jitka Cerhová DVD: Second Run (UK 2009) My rating:

Anarcho-feminist slapstick about two girls deciding to go bad because the world has gone mad. It's quite fun, with often wildly creative use of images and sound, but also a little tiresome in its completely unrestrained approach. I'm not a big fan of slapstick and I lean more towards surrealism than dadaism, which is why I ultimately prefer Rivette's Céline and Julie over Chytilová's Marie and Marie. However, one should not forget where and when this film was made and I greatly admire Chytilová's ultimate f**k-you attitude that doesn't even deem her totalitarian opponents worthy of discourse.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJIown9SSXU

[goodguy]

Friday Night Lights 1x01 Pilot (2006) • IMDb

For five years I have ignored the NBC network series Friday Night Lights because, well, not only is it about sports, but about football of all sports. Earlier today I was stuck with a work problem and decided to watch something light and distracting. So I got my hands on the pilot episode. Boy, was I in for a surprise. That is some of the finest TV I've seen in a while. The pilot gives a very realistic feel of a Texas small town and also has a strong a poetic touch that defies the genre. I'm going to order the DVDs now.

[Najemikon]

I've heard the film is pretty good too. Not sure how much the series followed on from it.

[goodguy]

Hausu (JP 1977) • IMDb Director:  Nobuhiko Obayashi Writer: Chiho Katsura, Chigumi Obayashi Cast: Mimiko Ikegami, Miki Jinbo, Kumiko Oba, Ai Matsubara, Mieko Sata DVD: Eureka MoC (UK 2010)

I enjoyed the first half hour or so, everything that happens before the girls actually reach the house. Ohbayashi is already playful and silly here, but there is still some formal restraint at work. Once they are in the house, that no longer applies and the pure eclectic chaos becomes more and more tiring. I still kinda admire it, especially when considering (after reading the booklet) that back then this was thought of to become the Japanese answer to blockbusters like Jaws, but even if it is a thousand times more interesting than these, I'm afraid it's just not my thing.

[goodguy]

Another Happy Day (2011) • IMDb Director:  Sam Levinson Writer: Sam Levinson Cast: Ellen Barkin, Ezra Miller, Ellen Burstyn, Demi Moore, Thomas Haden Church DVD: Phase 4 Films (US 2012) My rating:

Another Happy Day is one of those shit-happens-at-a-wedding movies and it makes Rachel Getting Married look fluffy and heartwarming in comparison. So if you couldn't stand the latter due to its "unlikable" characters, this one probably isn't for you either. But if you enjoy a sharply written drama that has both acerbic wit and compassion, then you should give this a try.

In an all-around great ensemble cast, Ellen Barkin deserves special mention. She certainly seems on a roll lately and even more so than in Shit Year gives a truly terrific performance. Sadly, nobody seems to really notice though, judging by the number of IMDb voters for both films.

Sam Levinson's debut feature may lack some of the finesse and beauty that Demme's film had, but direction and cinematography remain competent throughout in an unflashy yet skilled way. Produced by Ellen Barkin, Another Happy Day clearly is an actor's film - and when it is as good as here, there is nothing wrong with that.

[Najemikon]

I'm guessing this might not be one for me! 

Have you watched any of Terence Davies' films? I'm currently writing up reviews for a marathon thread and I have a feeling his early works especially would suit you well, in particular Distant Voices, Still Lives and perhaps even more so his Trilogy.

[goodguy]

Have you watched any of Terence Davies' films? I'm currently writing up reviews for a marathon thread and I have a feeling his early works especially would suit you well, in particular Distant Voices, Still Lives and perhaps even more so his Trilogy.

Sorry, I meant to reply in that thread to at least show my appreciation for your reviews, but somehow I forgot. I was aware of Davies before, but still haven't seen anything. Probably should just get the BFI set with my next Amazon order.

[Najemikon]

It is a great value set. It's remarkable how each film shares themes with the others, yet they still work individually coming from different angles. I expected his documentary to be my least favourite, but it's incredible and well worth seeing.

[goodguy]

Too lazy to write a review, but here are some stills from the best film of the year so far.

















Jess + Moss (2011, Clay Jeter)

[goodguy]

Im Angesicht des Verbrechens (DE 2010, AKA In Face of the Crime) • IMDb Director: Dominik Graf Writer: Rolf Basedow Cast: Max Riemelt, Marie Bäumer, Misel Maticevic, Roland Zehrfeld, Alina Levshin, Katja Nesytowa DVD: Ascot Elite (DE 2010) My rating:

I took the plunge despite my reservations and it was completely addictive: I pretty much watched the 10 episodes in one go. All I hoped for and never got from The Sopranos. Those NJ wiseguys can't hold a candle to the Russian mafia in Berlin. The series is probably the best thing that happened on German television since Edgar Reitz's Heimat trilogy, although it is much more mainstream. Graf goes for broke and effortlessly shifts the tone between fairytale, gritty realism, trashy pulp fiction and unabashed romance. What a rush!

BTW, the German DVD includes English subtitles.

[Achim]

This might be one of the cases where our tastes intersect...

I think I will order it next time I get stuff fom Germany...