Cess Pool Cinema:
1. Waterworld (1995) Dir. Kevin Reynolds - US
The Banal, the Blah, the Banausic:
1. Deadgirl (2008) Dir. Marcel Sarmiento & Gadi Harel - US
2. Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) Dir. Charles E. Sellier Jr. - US
Guilty Pleasure Cinema:
1. Viva Maria! (1965) Dir. Louis Malle - France
Astounding Cinema:
5. Libeled Lady (1936) Dir. Jack Conway - US
4. Nosferatu: The Vampyre (1979) Dir. Werner Herzog - West Germany
3. The Red Shoes (1948) Dir. Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger - UK
2. The World's Greatest Dad (2009) Dir. Bobcat Goldthwait - US
1. It's A Wonderful Life (1946) Dir. Frank Capra - US
Theatrical Screenings:
4. The Men Who Stare At Goats (2009) Dir. Grant Heslov - US 6/10
3. The Private Lives of Pippa Lee (2009) Dir. Rebecca Miller - US 8/10
2. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) Dir. Werner Herzog - US 10/10
1. Avatar (2009) Dir. James Cameron - US 10/10
Rewatched Goodies:
1. Inglourious Basterds (2009) Dir. Quentin Tarantino - US 10/10
2. Red Headed Woman (1932) Dir. Jack Conway - US 8/10
3. Black Christmas (1974) Dir. Bob Clarke - US 9/10
4. Shadow of the Vampire (2000) Dir. E. Elias Merhige - US 8/10
Merry Christmas everyone! I was on vacation with the hubby's family for a week, so this roundup consists of two weeks worth of films.
Waterworld (1995): Boy, oh boy---this epic failure truly is one of the worst box office flops ever made. As this was kind of Kevin Costner's baby after the landmark success of his directorial debut, Dances With Wolves (1990), I can only imagine the number of temper tantrums on set. Awful score, shoddy effects, and some of the most unappealing performances in a mainstream film that even Dennis Hopper's over-the-top perfromance is cringeworthy. It doesn't help that Jeanne Tripplehorn as zero appeal, and even less with Kevin Costner and his gills. Putrid, nonsensical story.
Deadgirl (2008): What begins as a noteworthily creepy concept goes stagnant fast in this independent horror film. Two doofy highschool rebels discover a naked young woman shackled to a table in an abandoned mental hospital. Our protagonist leaves his red-necked friend behind in disgust while he attempts to have sex with the woman. Turns out, she's a monstrous thing that you can't kill, but this doesn't stop one of the young men from pimping her out to stoners as a sex slave. While obviously there's important issues to be explored here about violence against women, we never find out what the "deadgirl" really is, where she came from, etc. And it doesn't help that even the characters we're supposed to like are utter morons. I can only gather from this story that heterosexual mean are vicious morons, so ladies, it might be beneficial to switch teams.
Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984): Not a bad film, just utterly ridiculous and boring. A young child that witnesses the rape and murder of his parents by a man dressed in a Santa costume one Christmas. Of course, he grows up into a handsome young man that looks like he engages in amatuer porn (the debut of Robert Brian Wilson, who would never star in a theatrically released film again) who snaps every Christmas, and eventually starts killing people. The only notable fact about this picture are the Christian groups that get all upset about using Santa as a serial killer. Apparently the commerial previews frightened children. Well, don't let your fucking kids watch TV, what can I say? Read them books you don't censor, like the Bible or trashy Frank Peretti novels.
Viva Maria! (1965): Wow, what a strange (and sometimes fun) little picture, one of four features Louis Malle would direct starring Jeanne Moreau. Brigitte Bardot also stars, and the two French icons team up in 1907 Central America to invent the striptease and helm a revolution. Way over the top (sometimes so much so it's not quite funny) a young, tanned George Hamilton shows up as a latin man at the root of the revolution, for whom Moreau falls madly in love with. Definitely a must see if you love the pretty French stars, but it's a tad too long at moments.
Libeled Lady (1936): A rather tame, though nonetheless Jack Conway comedy nominated for Best Picture in 1936 starring Spencer Tracy, Myrna Loy, William Powell and Jean Harlow. Tracy is the head of a newspaper being sued for libel when printing yet another false story about a prim and proper socialite, played with bitchy exuberance by Myran Loy. Tracy hires Powell to make the incorrect story about Loy true, but first he has to make Powell a married man by marrying him to Harlowe, who happens to be Tracy's neglected fiancee. Slapstick ensues, but the highlight, of course, happens to be Harlowe.
Nosferatu: The Vampyre (1979): If you think Max Schreck was a weirdo (especially after just re-watching Willem Dafoe's pheonmenal performance as Schreck in the fictional account of F.W. Murnau's making of the original Nosferatu, 1921) then it's completely fitting that brilliant director Werner Herzog adapted his own version starring Klaus Kinski as the indefatigable vampire. French icon Isabelle Adjani gets to look white and pasty as Mina, but the film is worth watching mostly for some gorgeous cinematography (and Herzog's signature use of animals has bats in slow motion and creepy rats) and the forever fascinating Kinski.
The Red Shoes (1948): My first Powell & Pressburger feature, I loved The Red Shoes, and I have to agree, it is one of the most beautiful films ever made. Of course, the scenes depicting Moira Shearer dancing the actual ballet of The Red Shoes within the film is the most memorable portion. But I was also moved by the very fitting, very tragic, and unforgettable conclusion. Anton Walbrook as ballet impressario Lermentov is bitchily entertaining, but I couldn't help but thinking that Shearer's love interest, the composer played by Marius Goring, looked like a clown that had undergone a botched plastic surgery. In other words, I found him rather alarming to gaze upon, and I don't just think it was the technicolor. If you love film, The Red Shoes is a sight to behold.
The World's Greatest Dad (2009): Director Bobcat Goldthwait's extremely dark comedy didn't seem to get any attention whatsoever during it's theatrical release this year. Director John Waters placed this film on his top 10 of the year, and upon watching it, I do agree that it is a funny, depressing, touching, and beautiful film. Starring Robin Williams as a passive, middle-aged high school English teacher with a teenage son from hell, Dad seems to suffer most from mis-marketing. When Williams' son accidentally kills himself while engaging in auto erotic asphyxiation, Williams makes it look like his son committed suicide in order to avoid any embarrasment. Upon faking his son's suicide note, Williams' community becomes obsessed with the his son's suicide, creating a hero for themselves to worship. Definitely dark comedy, but Williams' manages a touching and very human performance in this film that deserves more attention.
It's A Wonderful Life (1946): Yes, it's the first time I've actually sat down to watch Frank Capra's masterpiece. I don't dislike Jimmy Stewart, but he can be a little much in some films (like Harvey, 1950, for instance). But his performance as George Bailey is nothing short of perfect. I had tears streaming down my cheeks like a little baby during the last ten minutes of this film. Therfore, Christmas Day, 2009, It's A Wonderful Life tops my weekly list, and it definitely is one of the best feel-good films I've ever seen. It really is a wonderful life, and my Christmas wish for everybody is that I hope everyone can have that joyous realization sometime in their life, because it's short and there's just too many fabulous things you'll miss out on if you're not looking. (And can I just add, about the film, that is, that Gloria Grahame is in here as the other female lead---besides Donna Reed---and she's just cute as a bug's ear. I love Gloria Grahame).
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