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The breakdown: 30 movies watched, 18 were via Netflix, one via Amazon, one on DVD, and 10 in the theatre. Of those 28 were first views, 2 were re-watches, and they came from the following decades: 1940s, 50s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 00s & 2010s.
Well, this month wound up being more productive than I'd anticipated. Of course the fact that 4 of the 6 times I went to Drafthouse I caught 2 movies in a row certainly helped, as did the motivation of having something like 15 films leave my Netflix queue. I also have to say a big thank you to those who participated in my latest list project, as your votes encouraged me to whittle down my queue even more. Expect me to carry that on into the next month as well.
This month I attended the Film Noir Festival for the first time, and I'm pleased to see a pair of them easily take hidden gem spots. My co-worker friend chose well from the offerings, and I'm glad I was able to join him for them. I'd definitely attend that again.
So yes, the summer is off to a good start I'd say. Beyond that I think I've said enough about the films I watched below, so read on for that.
Best new-to-me film for May: The Conjuring 2 (admittedly a big part of my love for it was the surprise factor)
Best hidden gem: Blind Spot / Flesh and Fantasy (tie)
Worst film: Belladonna of Sadness
Well, this month wound up being more productive than I'd anticipated. Of course the fact that 4 of the 6 times I went to Drafthouse I caught 2 movies in a row certainly helped, as did the motivation of having something like 15 films leave my Netflix queue. I also have to say a big thank you to those who participated in my latest list project, as your votes encouraged me to whittle down my queue even more. Expect me to carry that on into the next month as well.
This month I attended the Film Noir Festival for the first time, and I'm pleased to see a pair of them easily take hidden gem spots. My co-worker friend chose well from the offerings, and I'm glad I was able to join him for them. I'd definitely attend that again.
So yes, the summer is off to a good start I'd say. Beyond that I think I've said enough about the films I watched below, so read on for that.
Best new-to-me film for May: The Conjuring 2 (admittedly a big part of my love for it was the surprise factor)
Best hidden gem: Blind Spot / Flesh and Fantasy (tie)
Worst film: Belladonna of Sadness
First viewing - May 4th
Since this film was the first to rise to the top of my new Netflix list, I figured I'd kick off the month with it once I finally got time to sit down with it. And part of me wants to thank those who encouraged me to watch it ASAP, because it's a really well made film with a wonderful cast. The other part of me wants to thump y'all on your noses, because holy hell did this film piss me off most of the time. I find it a little hard to swallow that people would blow a situation like this so far out of proportion with so little evidence, and yet I know that there are cases where exactly that happens. I don't know that it often does with the issue in question in this film, but certainly it has with others. I think, for example, of how the West Memphis Three were thrown in jail for murder with no actual proof ever presented to connect them with the murders.
And so rating this one is not easy for me. On the one hand I think it's probably a great film given the way it's made & how it affected me, but on the other hand the ways it pushed my buttons makes me want to rate it nothing higher than a seven because I doubt I'd want to go through that experience a second time. Powerful stuff, to be sure.
Currently streaming on Netflix
Since this film was the first to rise to the top of my new Netflix list, I figured I'd kick off the month with it once I finally got time to sit down with it. And part of me wants to thank those who encouraged me to watch it ASAP, because it's a really well made film with a wonderful cast. The other part of me wants to thump y'all on your noses, because holy hell did this film piss me off most of the time. I find it a little hard to swallow that people would blow a situation like this so far out of proportion with so little evidence, and yet I know that there are cases where exactly that happens. I don't know that it often does with the issue in question in this film, but certainly it has with others. I think, for example, of how the West Memphis Three were thrown in jail for murder with no actual proof ever presented to connect them with the murders.
And so rating this one is not easy for me. On the one hand I think it's probably a great film given the way it's made & how it affected me, but on the other hand the ways it pushed my buttons makes me want to rate it nothing higher than a seven because I doubt I'd want to go through that experience a second time. Powerful stuff, to be sure.
Currently streaming on Netflix
the giraffe's rating:
First viewing - May 5th
I've now sat through 6 of Wes Anderson's films, and have only really enjoyed two of them so clearly this guy just isn't on my wavelength. Again here we have a bunch of quirky characters that are tough to connect with in a situation that's mildly entertaining. I'll admit that it's not a BAD movie, and on the upside it didn't irritate me often, but it's definitely not my taste & I easily could have gone on without watching it.
Currently streaming on Netflix
I've now sat through 6 of Wes Anderson's films, and have only really enjoyed two of them so clearly this guy just isn't on my wavelength. Again here we have a bunch of quirky characters that are tough to connect with in a situation that's mildly entertaining. I'll admit that it's not a BAD movie, and on the upside it didn't irritate me often, but it's definitely not my taste & I easily could have gone on without watching it.
Currently streaming on Netflix
the giraffe's rating:
Hush (2016)
First viewing - May 6th
It was Friday night & I wanted some new horror so I took this one for a spin. Hush does a good job of ramping up the tension, and the lead performance from Kate Siegel is easily the most impressive thing about it. I was definitely entertained, and yet overall there's nothing particularly new about this film. Our protagonist is intelligent, but still falls into the horror movie cliches of doing dumb shit instead of figuring out how to defend oneself properly. It's only fresh touch is giving us a main character with disabilities, which certainly helps keep things interesting. And so it was worth watching once.
Currently streaming on Netflix
It was Friday night & I wanted some new horror so I took this one for a spin. Hush does a good job of ramping up the tension, and the lead performance from Kate Siegel is easily the most impressive thing about it. I was definitely entertained, and yet overall there's nothing particularly new about this film. Our protagonist is intelligent, but still falls into the horror movie cliches of doing dumb shit instead of figuring out how to defend oneself properly. It's only fresh touch is giving us a main character with disabilities, which certainly helps keep things interesting. And so it was worth watching once.
Currently streaming on Netflix
the giraffe's rating:
Witness (1985)
First viewing - May 7th
It's a good thing Harrison Ford is so damn good in this movie, because otherwise I'd be pretty unimpressed. In weaker hands the movie would fall apart. The film starts out like it might be a police thriller, then detours into a forbidden romance film for most of the run-time before pulling both threads back together again. Ford & Kelly McGillis have good chemistry on screen, so the romantic elements work well enough. I liked the ways the film explores variations of witnesses too, and the ending was a nice relief from the way these films typically end. The Amish setting makes the whole film a bit different, and I liked that most of the cast playing the Amish were believable enough. Kinda odd though seeing the blond German bruiser from Die Hard among them, and I kept waiting for him to mention that he was planning a trip to L.A. with his friend Hans. And hey, look, there's Viggo in a bit part too...that was an amusing surprise.
Anyway, it was entertaining enough to check out once, but I doubt I'd watch it again.
Currently streaming on Netflix
It's a good thing Harrison Ford is so damn good in this movie, because otherwise I'd be pretty unimpressed. In weaker hands the movie would fall apart. The film starts out like it might be a police thriller, then detours into a forbidden romance film for most of the run-time before pulling both threads back together again. Ford & Kelly McGillis have good chemistry on screen, so the romantic elements work well enough. I liked the ways the film explores variations of witnesses too, and the ending was a nice relief from the way these films typically end. The Amish setting makes the whole film a bit different, and I liked that most of the cast playing the Amish were believable enough. Kinda odd though seeing the blond German bruiser from Die Hard among them, and I kept waiting for him to mention that he was planning a trip to L.A. with his friend Hans. And hey, look, there's Viggo in a bit part too...that was an amusing surprise.
Anyway, it was entertaining enough to check out once, but I doubt I'd watch it again.
Currently streaming on Netflix
the giraffe's rating:
First viewing - May 8th
I picked this one up on the cheap recently, and have been curious about it ever since the first time I watched Carpenter's The Thing. And while this one doesn't hold a candle to Carpenter's version, for its time it's a really damn good movie. I appreciated the playful banter throughout, dug the characters, and found it thoughtful entertainment. It didn't quite cross my personal line of greatness, but I'm glad it's part of my collection so I can watch it again.
I picked this one up on the cheap recently, and have been curious about it ever since the first time I watched Carpenter's The Thing. And while this one doesn't hold a candle to Carpenter's version, for its time it's a really damn good movie. I appreciated the playful banter throughout, dug the characters, and found it thoughtful entertainment. It didn't quite cross my personal line of greatness, but I'm glad it's part of my collection so I can watch it again.
the giraffe's rating:
Fantasia 2000 (1999)
First viewing - May 12th
So both this film and the original have been sitting in my queue for a while now, and I'd planned to revisit the original before diving into this one. However on this night when I pulled up my queue to watch something that had earned multiple votes, this was the shortest film available & thus perfect since it was already after 9pm when I sat down. Plus, I understood there wouldn't be any connections between the two films plot-wise that I'd need to see the other one for.
And I can definitely say I enjoyed this one. I really dig the ways each musical piece is tied to the animation, and the introductory interludes were amusing. I especially appreciated that each short has its own individual visual & tonal style, which kept them from all running together. My favorite short was easily the finale "Firebird" which was the most powerful and impressive and reminded me a little of Princess Mononoke, followed closely by "Rhapsody in Blue" with its interlocking stories. I'll definitely be watching this again down the road, and look forward to watching it with the kiddo at some point.
Currently streaming on Netflix
So both this film and the original have been sitting in my queue for a while now, and I'd planned to revisit the original before diving into this one. However on this night when I pulled up my queue to watch something that had earned multiple votes, this was the shortest film available & thus perfect since it was already after 9pm when I sat down. Plus, I understood there wouldn't be any connections between the two films plot-wise that I'd need to see the other one for.
And I can definitely say I enjoyed this one. I really dig the ways each musical piece is tied to the animation, and the introductory interludes were amusing. I especially appreciated that each short has its own individual visual & tonal style, which kept them from all running together. My favorite short was easily the finale "Firebird" which was the most powerful and impressive and reminded me a little of Princess Mononoke, followed closely by "Rhapsody in Blue" with its interlocking stories. I'll definitely be watching this again down the road, and look forward to watching it with the kiddo at some point.
Currently streaming on Netflix
the giraffe's rating:
Basic Instinct (1992)
First viewing - May 16th
At the time this came out the only way I could've watched it is if my dad had taken me, and if you've seen this then it's pretty obvious why he didn't. Granted at the time I had no real interest in seeing it anyway, and so over the years what I've known about this film is what's in the trailers that I'd seen and the various elements that have been spoofed.
So I was surprised by how well I enjoyed it. The chemistry between Stone & Douglas totally works, it's got some effective humor mixed in which I hadn't anticipated, and the story is well-constructed in a way that keeps you questioning what will happen. It's not a great movie, but it's consistently entertaining and I dug it. I might even watch it again at some point, though I doubt I'd need to.
Currently streaming on Netflix
At the time this came out the only way I could've watched it is if my dad had taken me, and if you've seen this then it's pretty obvious why he didn't. Granted at the time I had no real interest in seeing it anyway, and so over the years what I've known about this film is what's in the trailers that I'd seen and the various elements that have been spoofed.
So I was surprised by how well I enjoyed it. The chemistry between Stone & Douglas totally works, it's got some effective humor mixed in which I hadn't anticipated, and the story is well-constructed in a way that keeps you questioning what will happen. It's not a great movie, but it's consistently entertaining and I dug it. I might even watch it again at some point, though I doubt I'd need to.
Currently streaming on Netflix
the giraffe's rating:
First viewing - May 27th
The kiddo picked this for us to watch together, and overall she dug it. I thought it was all right...the humor is hit & miss for me, and most of what hits makes me chuckle rather than producing hearty laughter. Fortunately there's enough going on that it moves rather quickly, though I wouldn't say I was deeply invested. I'm guessing that Wallace & Gromit just aren't my cup of tea, as I have yet to find anything especially impressive about them.
The kiddo picked this for us to watch together, and overall she dug it. I thought it was all right...the humor is hit & miss for me, and most of what hits makes me chuckle rather than producing hearty laughter. Fortunately there's enough going on that it moves rather quickly, though I wouldn't say I was deeply invested. I'm guessing that Wallace & Gromit just aren't my cup of tea, as I have yet to find anything especially impressive about them.
the giraffe's rating:
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Big screen attractions
Films I caught in a theatre
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
First viewing - May 8th
After my first viewing (and it won't be my last, btw) I was left feeling that this one almost reached the status of Great. It came so close that it's borderline between 8 & 9 for me, so when you see that 8/10 below know that it's a high one. I love the ways the films before have built together to make the elements of this film work, and yet you don't have to have watched the full run for this film to succeed. And a big part of this film's success is the way the characters are given enough room to breathe, arcs that tie into the storyline as well as have implications for the future, and are handled with respect. Best of all the film uses its less-impressive villain in ways that are an asset to the story instead of something to lament. There are flaws along the way, to be sure, and the fact I was aware of them is why I'm reluctant to push this to a 9/10.
However, the airport battle (not a spoiler really, you've seen glimpses in the trailer) is so epic and wonderful that it's earned distinction as one of the best scenes of the year, if not my favorite scene in any superhero movie. It's everything I've ever wanted from superhero movies since they started up with Burton's Batman, and brought me & my inner child so much joy I nearly cried. I may even catch this film again this month just to watch it again on the big screen, because I know it won't play as well on my TV at home. Ah, but most of what makes this scene work is, again, the care & attention given to the characters involved.
Let's hope subsequent entries in this series continue to deliver such strong writing & overall care. If so then I'll gladly dive into anything the MCU throws at us.
Just a thought: For the first time since Spider-Man 2 I'm actually genuinely excited for a new Spidey movie. Tom Holland nailed the role & I'm completely satisfied with this choice.
And another thought: Evidently I'm the only one in the theatre that noticed the Arrested Development nod, or if not then I'm the only one who laughed out loud at it.
After my first viewing (and it won't be my last, btw) I was left feeling that this one almost reached the status of Great. It came so close that it's borderline between 8 & 9 for me, so when you see that 8/10 below know that it's a high one. I love the ways the films before have built together to make the elements of this film work, and yet you don't have to have watched the full run for this film to succeed. And a big part of this film's success is the way the characters are given enough room to breathe, arcs that tie into the storyline as well as have implications for the future, and are handled with respect. Best of all the film uses its less-impressive villain in ways that are an asset to the story instead of something to lament. There are flaws along the way, to be sure, and the fact I was aware of them is why I'm reluctant to push this to a 9/10.
However, the airport battle (not a spoiler really, you've seen glimpses in the trailer) is so epic and wonderful that it's earned distinction as one of the best scenes of the year, if not my favorite scene in any superhero movie. It's everything I've ever wanted from superhero movies since they started up with Burton's Batman, and brought me & my inner child so much joy I nearly cried. I may even catch this film again this month just to watch it again on the big screen, because I know it won't play as well on my TV at home. Ah, but most of what makes this scene work is, again, the care & attention given to the characters involved.
Let's hope subsequent entries in this series continue to deliver such strong writing & overall care. If so then I'll gladly dive into anything the MCU throws at us.
Just a thought: For the first time since Spider-Man 2 I'm actually genuinely excited for a new Spidey movie. Tom Holland nailed the role & I'm completely satisfied with this choice.
And another thought: Evidently I'm the only one in the theatre that noticed the Arrested Development nod, or if not then I'm the only one who laughed out loud at it.
the giraffe's rating:
Creepshow (1982)
Re-watch - May 10th
As many times as I've seen Creepshow over the years, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to finally see it on the big screen for a change. Though I did have a debate with myself before I bought my ticket, because the screening was after 10pm on a weeknight at a theatre about a 20-30 minute drive from home. Nonsense, I told myself, this is Creepshow and therefore worth losing a decent night's sleep for seeing again.
And overall, yeah it was. I do wish the print had been better (it's one of the few originals still floating around & has been screened a LOT over its years), but most of the time the excellence of the story & cast & soundtrack & effects & so on outweighed the worn-out visuals. "The Crate" remains my favorite segment as it's just perfect all around, and I'm pretty sure it hasn't been too long ago I last watched this so I won't go into detail on all of them.
What I DO want to note is that for the first time EVER in my many years of watching this I noticed that there's an object that appears in every segment. The ashtray used to kill the father in "Father's Day" shows up somewhere throughout the other tales, and I'd never noticed this because I've always watched this film on TV (whether that be cable, VHS, or DVD). And finally noticing it reinforced my burning desire to watch any films I'm interested in seeing or revisiting on the big screen whenever the opportunity to do so arises. No telling what other details I've overlooked elsewhere.
As many times as I've seen Creepshow over the years, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to finally see it on the big screen for a change. Though I did have a debate with myself before I bought my ticket, because the screening was after 10pm on a weeknight at a theatre about a 20-30 minute drive from home. Nonsense, I told myself, this is Creepshow and therefore worth losing a decent night's sleep for seeing again.
And overall, yeah it was. I do wish the print had been better (it's one of the few originals still floating around & has been screened a LOT over its years), but most of the time the excellence of the story & cast & soundtrack & effects & so on outweighed the worn-out visuals. "The Crate" remains my favorite segment as it's just perfect all around, and I'm pretty sure it hasn't been too long ago I last watched this so I won't go into detail on all of them.
What I DO want to note is that for the first time EVER in my many years of watching this I noticed that there's an object that appears in every segment. The ashtray used to kill the father in "Father's Day" shows up somewhere throughout the other tales, and I'd never noticed this because I've always watched this film on TV (whether that be cable, VHS, or DVD). And finally noticing it reinforced my burning desire to watch any films I'm interested in seeing or revisiting on the big screen whenever the opportunity to do so arises. No telling what other details I've overlooked elsewhere.
the giraffe's rating:
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
First viewing - May 13th
Well well well this was a pleasant surprise. Drafthouse had advertised for a free screening of The Conjuring to celebrate Friday the 13th, and since I haven't seen it since it was in theatres I figured I'd go see it again. Turns out we got to be the first audience worldwide to watch the sequel, and James Wan even showed up to introduce it for us.
I'm not going into details on it, but I will say that it's a sequel worth seeing especially if you're into Wan's horror offerings in the past few years. This is not a lackluster cash grab by any means.
Well well well this was a pleasant surprise. Drafthouse had advertised for a free screening of The Conjuring to celebrate Friday the 13th, and since I haven't seen it since it was in theatres I figured I'd go see it again. Turns out we got to be the first audience worldwide to watch the sequel, and James Wan even showed up to introduce it for us.
I'm not going into details on it, but I will say that it's a sequel worth seeing especially if you're into Wan's horror offerings in the past few years. This is not a lackluster cash grab by any means.
the giraffe's rating:
First viewing - May 13th
This film caught my eye on the Drafthouse website, and since it was timed to start with enough time between it & the previous film I bought a ticket. As it turned out I barely had time to make it to the theatre before it began, as the film above was delayed a little. In fact, I walked in at the start of the final trailer before the film played.
And I'm glad I used a gift card I won to buy my ticket, because it was barely worth sitting through. The art of it is often impressive & if visuals were all that matters it'd get a very high rating from me. The animation is minimal however, as the film is largely comprised of stills, which prevents the film from feeling like it's actually going somewhere at times. The story is all right, but I felt like the messages it had were mixed up & the overall tale tries to be justified with an ending which didn't work for me at all. And it's really tough to connect deeply with the main character, which also hinders the effect of the film. Overall I felt like I was just watching it, not being brought into the experience beyond passive voyeurism (and I do mean voyeurism, as the majority of the film is heavily sexual in nature). When I'm spending the ending of a film struggling to stay awake & wishing it were done already, these are signs a film isn't working, and why my rating is pretty low.
Oh, I do want to note that most of the music was really well done. If I thought a soundtrack would be easy to track down & not outrageously expensive, I might pick that up.
This film caught my eye on the Drafthouse website, and since it was timed to start with enough time between it & the previous film I bought a ticket. As it turned out I barely had time to make it to the theatre before it began, as the film above was delayed a little. In fact, I walked in at the start of the final trailer before the film played.
And I'm glad I used a gift card I won to buy my ticket, because it was barely worth sitting through. The art of it is often impressive & if visuals were all that matters it'd get a very high rating from me. The animation is minimal however, as the film is largely comprised of stills, which prevents the film from feeling like it's actually going somewhere at times. The story is all right, but I felt like the messages it had were mixed up & the overall tale tries to be justified with an ending which didn't work for me at all. And it's really tough to connect deeply with the main character, which also hinders the effect of the film. Overall I felt like I was just watching it, not being brought into the experience beyond passive voyeurism (and I do mean voyeurism, as the majority of the film is heavily sexual in nature). When I'm spending the ending of a film struggling to stay awake & wishing it were done already, these are signs a film isn't working, and why my rating is pretty low.
Oh, I do want to note that most of the music was really well done. If I thought a soundtrack would be easy to track down & not outrageously expensive, I might pick that up.
the giraffe's rating:
Flesh and Fantasy (1943)
First viewing - May 21st
For a couple of years now Drafthouse has hosted Noir City Film Festival, presented by the Film Noir Foundation and hosted by Eddie Muller. I skipped it last year for a variety of reasons, but this year I found out one of my co-workers was going & he & his wife let me join them (which was good because I didn't know any of the films & they'd already bought tickets). Friday through Sunday Drafthouse paired up the films & sold tickets for double-feature screenings. We hit up one screening Saturday & another Sunday, which meant 4 films in all. Eddie Muller was there to introduce each film, and was kind enough to hang out in the lobby between screenings to answer questions and talk to anyone who wanted to talk to him. Best of all, each print was a wonderful 35mm print that's been carefully preserved over time which made it all the more worthwhile.
We kicked off the weekend with Flesh and Fantasy, which isn't what most of us think of when we think of film noir but more of an anthology similar to The Twilight Zone as each tale revolved around superstitions & premonitions. I was very impressed by the whole thing, though one look at the cast and you wouldn't be surprised by that fact. The effects in Edward G Robinson's tale were especially exciting & you can see a hint of that above. Each story was given enough screen time to work well, and there's a frame device that goes along with it. All in all it was an excellent start to the weekend.
Noir City Film Festival double feature
For a couple of years now Drafthouse has hosted Noir City Film Festival, presented by the Film Noir Foundation and hosted by Eddie Muller. I skipped it last year for a variety of reasons, but this year I found out one of my co-workers was going & he & his wife let me join them (which was good because I didn't know any of the films & they'd already bought tickets). Friday through Sunday Drafthouse paired up the films & sold tickets for double-feature screenings. We hit up one screening Saturday & another Sunday, which meant 4 films in all. Eddie Muller was there to introduce each film, and was kind enough to hang out in the lobby between screenings to answer questions and talk to anyone who wanted to talk to him. Best of all, each print was a wonderful 35mm print that's been carefully preserved over time which made it all the more worthwhile.
We kicked off the weekend with Flesh and Fantasy, which isn't what most of us think of when we think of film noir but more of an anthology similar to The Twilight Zone as each tale revolved around superstitions & premonitions. I was very impressed by the whole thing, though one look at the cast and you wouldn't be surprised by that fact. The effects in Edward G Robinson's tale were especially exciting & you can see a hint of that above. Each story was given enough screen time to work well, and there's a frame device that goes along with it. All in all it was an excellent start to the weekend.
the giraffe's rating:
Destiny (1944)
First viewing - May 21st
Next up was Destiny which was originally part of Flesh and Fantasy but the producers decided to split it off from that film & release it on its own with a more fleshed-out story (no pun intended...or is it?). As such the film understandably isn't as good. The part that obviously fits in with Flesh and Fantasy is decent but a bit absurd, and it made me wonder if they weren't right to remove it after all. The rest of the film tries to turn the lead into a more sympathetic character & those parts were pretty average and didn't tie into the original story as well as they could have. Fortunately for all its flaws it was still entertaining, though of the four films I watched during the festival it's the only one I have no interest in ever revisiting.
Noir City Film Festival double feature
Next up was Destiny which was originally part of Flesh and Fantasy but the producers decided to split it off from that film & release it on its own with a more fleshed-out story (no pun intended...or is it?). As such the film understandably isn't as good. The part that obviously fits in with Flesh and Fantasy is decent but a bit absurd, and it made me wonder if they weren't right to remove it after all. The rest of the film tries to turn the lead into a more sympathetic character & those parts were pretty average and didn't tie into the original story as well as they could have. Fortunately for all its flaws it was still entertaining, though of the four films I watched during the festival it's the only one I have no interest in ever revisiting.
the giraffe's rating:
Framed (1947)
First viewing - May 22nd
We kicked off Sunday with Framed, which is definitely a noir film, and one closer to what I'd anticipated we'd be watching all weekend long. Glenn Ford makes a pretty good leading man (ashamed to say this is only the 2nd film of his I've seen), the rest of the cast does a pretty good job, & the story is entertaining if occasionally obvious about where it's headed. There are echoes of The Postman Always Rings Twice, but I'd say I enjoyed this film a bit more than that one.
Noir City Film Festival double feature
We kicked off Sunday with Framed, which is definitely a noir film, and one closer to what I'd anticipated we'd be watching all weekend long. Glenn Ford makes a pretty good leading man (ashamed to say this is only the 2nd film of his I've seen), the rest of the cast does a pretty good job, & the story is entertaining if occasionally obvious about where it's headed. There are echoes of The Postman Always Rings Twice, but I'd say I enjoyed this film a bit more than that one.
the giraffe's rating:
First viewing - May 22nd
The weekend festival run ended for us on a high note with Blind Spot. I figured out "whodunit" early on, but the road the characters take to get there wound up being totally worthwhile. Chester Morris brings serious charm & charisma to his role, and the dialogue is full of witty lines he delivers expertly. Matter of fact I enjoyed the storytelling throughout, and thought all the actors & the sole actress Constance Dowling gave believable & quality performances. This is definitely a hidden gem I'm glad I found my way to.
Noir City Film Festival double feature
The weekend festival run ended for us on a high note with Blind Spot. I figured out "whodunit" early on, but the road the characters take to get there wound up being totally worthwhile. Chester Morris brings serious charm & charisma to his role, and the dialogue is full of witty lines he delivers expertly. Matter of fact I enjoyed the storytelling throughout, and thought all the actors & the sole actress Constance Dowling gave believable & quality performances. This is definitely a hidden gem I'm glad I found my way to.
the giraffe's rating:
The Nice Guys (2016)
First viewing - May 29th
My friend who lives in Houston came to town & agreed to join me in back-to-back screenings at Drafthouse. We began with The Nice Guys, which is yet another mismatched partner action-comedy from the always wonderful Shane Black. As such parts of this are easily anticipated, but Crowe & Gosling have good chemistry & the whole thing is so well-written and quickly paced that any feelings of having seen this before can slide a bit. I was consistently entertained & would gladly watch it again down the road, but it didn't cross the line of greatness for me.
Just a thought: I was pleasantly surprised to see a Kiss Kiss Bang Bang reference.
My friend who lives in Houston came to town & agreed to join me in back-to-back screenings at Drafthouse. We began with The Nice Guys, which is yet another mismatched partner action-comedy from the always wonderful Shane Black. As such parts of this are easily anticipated, but Crowe & Gosling have good chemistry & the whole thing is so well-written and quickly paced that any feelings of having seen this before can slide a bit. I was consistently entertained & would gladly watch it again down the road, but it didn't cross the line of greatness for me.
Just a thought: I was pleasantly surprised to see a Kiss Kiss Bang Bang reference.
the giraffe's rating:
The Lobster (2015)
First viewing - May 29th
We chased The Nice Guys with The Lobster, and the only common thread between the two films is that they made me laugh. This is a brilliant exploration of romance & relationships, and I'm surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did given how much I hated the director's previous film (Dogtooth). Colin Farrell plays completely against type and actually acts, which is one of several reasons the film is worth checking out. There are some genius observations along the way & the approach to the subject is so fresh and unique. I could ramble on & on, but instead I'll just encourage you to check it out. I'm kind of on the fence whether it's an 8 or a 9, but leaning more toward a 9 for now due to the originality of the film. A re-watch down the road will certainly help me confirm that.
We chased The Nice Guys with The Lobster, and the only common thread between the two films is that they made me laugh. This is a brilliant exploration of romance & relationships, and I'm surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did given how much I hated the director's previous film (Dogtooth). Colin Farrell plays completely against type and actually acts, which is one of several reasons the film is worth checking out. There are some genius observations along the way & the approach to the subject is so fresh and unique. I could ramble on & on, but instead I'll just encourage you to check it out. I'm kind of on the fence whether it's an 8 or a 9, but leaning more toward a 9 for now due to the originality of the film. A re-watch down the road will certainly help me confirm that.
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Netflix Instant Project for 2016
Netflix Instant Project for 2016
The ongoing Netflix Instant Project involves recommendations from my fellow Listalites of lesser-known/lesser-seen films that are currently streaming on Netflix. If you use Netflix Instant Watch & want to participate, please check out the list above & submit your recommendations.
I Know That Voice (2013)
First viewing - May 6th
I've got to say it was very very cool to get a behind-the-scenes look at the profession of voice acting. I've long respected voice actors, going all the way back to the original king Mel Blanc, but have rarely been able to put faces to the names I recognize. Kudos to John DiMaggio for putting this film together to sing the praises of his profession & fellow actors and directors. The doc isn't especially great, but it accomplishes everything it sets out to & was entertaining enough I might even watch it again down the road...though most likely I'll revisit it with the kiddo when she's old enough to appreciate it.
Just a thought: It's pretty disappointing that the dude who did the voice of Wakko from Animaniacs fails to do his voice right each time it comes up. For some odd reason he does Yakko's voice instead.
Recommended by Ricky49er
I've got to say it was very very cool to get a behind-the-scenes look at the profession of voice acting. I've long respected voice actors, going all the way back to the original king Mel Blanc, but have rarely been able to put faces to the names I recognize. Kudos to John DiMaggio for putting this film together to sing the praises of his profession & fellow actors and directors. The doc isn't especially great, but it accomplishes everything it sets out to & was entertaining enough I might even watch it again down the road...though most likely I'll revisit it with the kiddo when she's old enough to appreciate it.
Just a thought: It's pretty disappointing that the dude who did the voice of Wakko from Animaniacs fails to do his voice right each time it comes up. For some odd reason he does Yakko's voice instead.
the giraffe's rating:
The Panic in Needle Park (1971)
First viewing - May 22nd
Drugs are bad, mmkay? Heroin's bad...you shouldn't do heroin, mmkay?
That pretty much sums up the whole film. Oh sure the performances are really good, especially Pacino since it's back when he was trying to prove himself. And yeah it's pretty graphic & realistic in its depictions of junkies and the hell they put themselves through as addicts. But it's not a very fun film aside from a handful of moments when Pacino is goofing off. At least Trainspotting has interesting characters, a wonderful sense of humor, and a killer soundtrack to supplement its look at heroin addiction. This is too busy trying to accurately portray the dangers of heroin and as a result takes itself far too seriously. Which is fine I guess, but not anything I'd make an effort to revisit.
Recommended by moviewatcher122
Drugs are bad, mmkay? Heroin's bad...you shouldn't do heroin, mmkay?
That pretty much sums up the whole film. Oh sure the performances are really good, especially Pacino since it's back when he was trying to prove himself. And yeah it's pretty graphic & realistic in its depictions of junkies and the hell they put themselves through as addicts. But it's not a very fun film aside from a handful of moments when Pacino is goofing off. At least Trainspotting has interesting characters, a wonderful sense of humor, and a killer soundtrack to supplement its look at heroin addiction. This is too busy trying to accurately portray the dangers of heroin and as a result takes itself far too seriously. Which is fine I guess, but not anything I'd make an effort to revisit.
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Netflix exorcisms
Films I caught before Netflix removed them from my queue
First viewing - May 19th
Kinda reluctant to put this on the list, but evidently it's considered a movie despite the 34 minute run-time so what the hell. I dig the Riddick movie series, but this was a mixed bag. The animation suits the world well aside from the randomly inserted bits of 3D computer animation that look completely out of place among the cel animation. The whole thing moves quickly enough that it's entertaining, but it's so short that you don't have enough time to get deeply invested unless maybe you're watching this along with Pitch Black and/or Chronicles of Riddick. So I was left feeling like this could have been far better, or better yet never made if they didn't care about the end product.
Kinda reluctant to put this on the list, but evidently it's considered a movie despite the 34 minute run-time so what the hell. I dig the Riddick movie series, but this was a mixed bag. The animation suits the world well aside from the randomly inserted bits of 3D computer animation that look completely out of place among the cel animation. The whole thing moves quickly enough that it's entertaining, but it's so short that you don't have enough time to get deeply invested unless maybe you're watching this along with Pitch Black and/or Chronicles of Riddick. So I was left feeling like this could have been far better, or better yet never made if they didn't care about the end product.
the giraffe's rating:
In the Bedroom (2001)
First viewing - May 20th
This wasn't the most uplifting way to kick off my Friday night, but with all the films leaving Netflix at the end of the month I had to start somewhere. I felt like this was a little misleading, because it starts off like the younger couple is the film's center but then it turns out the older couple is. It's an interesting approach, but I felt like it could have been handled better at least. The story is interesting, though I wouldn't say it connected with me deeply. The pacing could be better and some of the scenes feel like filler that could have been excised. The cast is solid though, which helps keep it all afloat and made it worth sitting through once. I'm not sure it's a film that'll stick with me though as time goes on.
This wasn't the most uplifting way to kick off my Friday night, but with all the films leaving Netflix at the end of the month I had to start somewhere. I felt like this was a little misleading, because it starts off like the younger couple is the film's center but then it turns out the older couple is. It's an interesting approach, but I felt like it could have been handled better at least. The story is interesting, though I wouldn't say it connected with me deeply. The pacing could be better and some of the scenes feel like filler that could have been excised. The cast is solid though, which helps keep it all afloat and made it worth sitting through once. I'm not sure it's a film that'll stick with me though as time goes on.
the giraffe's rating:
Nightwatch (1997)
First viewing - May 20th
Nightwatch is a neat little thriller that kept me guessing for most of its run-time, which is as it should be. Ewan McGregor does a wonderful job of bringing his character to life & making him someone you care about. Cool to see Josh Brolin in this too, and you can see his acting potential through the supporting role. The rest of the cast does a mostly good job as well, and there are some truly memorable moments along the way. The soundtrack is pretty good too. Overall I enjoyed this enough that I'd be willing to watch it again at some point, though I doubt I'll need or want to just because I'm positive I caught everything the first time around.
Nightwatch is a neat little thriller that kept me guessing for most of its run-time, which is as it should be. Ewan McGregor does a wonderful job of bringing his character to life & making him someone you care about. Cool to see Josh Brolin in this too, and you can see his acting potential through the supporting role. The rest of the cast does a mostly good job as well, and there are some truly memorable moments along the way. The soundtrack is pretty good too. Overall I enjoyed this enough that I'd be willing to watch it again at some point, though I doubt I'll need or want to just because I'm positive I caught everything the first time around.
the giraffe's rating:
Stir of Echoes (1999)
First viewing - May 24th
This was a solidly entertaining thriller, albeit an average one. They do a good job of keeping you from knowing who did what until late into the film, but the finale is kinda clumsy & nonsensical. There's definitely some memorable images throughout the film, however, and the cast is decent so that adds up to a film that was worth sitting through once.
This was a solidly entertaining thriller, albeit an average one. They do a good job of keeping you from knowing who did what until late into the film, but the finale is kinda clumsy & nonsensical. There's definitely some memorable images throughout the film, however, and the cast is decent so that adds up to a film that was worth sitting through once.
the giraffe's rating:
Monument Ave. (1998)
First viewing - May 24th
I wanted to watch this because it reteams Denis Leary & Ted Demme who had previously worked together on The Ref which is among my favorite films. Monument Ave. never reaches those heights unfortunately, as the crime drama story is fairly predictable & delivers nothing especially new. What works in its favor, however, is a strong cast, a decent sense of humor (which is underused in my opinion, but when used it works), and a handful of scenes that are strong enough I won't soon forget them. It's just too bad there's not more of the strong moments.
I wanted to watch this because it reteams Denis Leary & Ted Demme who had previously worked together on The Ref which is among my favorite films. Monument Ave. never reaches those heights unfortunately, as the crime drama story is fairly predictable & delivers nothing especially new. What works in its favor, however, is a strong cast, a decent sense of humor (which is underused in my opinion, but when used it works), and a handful of scenes that are strong enough I won't soon forget them. It's just too bad there's not more of the strong moments.
the giraffe's rating:
Hellraiser: Inferno (2000)
First viewing - May 29th
First, an aside...I pulled up the queue on this night & had no idea what I was in the mood to watch but I knew it had to be something that was leaving at the end of the month. So first I tried The Young Girls of Rochefort, but it didn't take me long to realize I was not at all in the mood for a musical. So then I thought maybe I'd attempt a double feature of Hellraiser III & Inferno. However, after about 20 minutes of the former I decided I was better off just watching the latter instead of forcing myself to sit through it...from what I saw the storytelling was really disjointed, far more so than I'd recalled.
Which brings us to Inferno, the one film I was able to sit all the way through on this night. This was the first film in the series that didn't get a theatrical release, and the rest of the series suffered the same fate. Probably just as well, I'm sure, as this one plays like a decent-quality made-for-cable-TV movie. It's clear the filmmakers knew they didn't have much of a budget, so they made the best of what they could do effects-wise by using them sparingly. Plus they take the story & make it fairly simple, grounding it as more of a detective tale. Possibly my lowered expectations worked in its favor, but I actually mildly enjoyed the damn thing. It's never great, and I have no need to sit through it again, but it wound up being better than I'd anticipated.
First, an aside...I pulled up the queue on this night & had no idea what I was in the mood to watch but I knew it had to be something that was leaving at the end of the month. So first I tried The Young Girls of Rochefort, but it didn't take me long to realize I was not at all in the mood for a musical. So then I thought maybe I'd attempt a double feature of Hellraiser III & Inferno. However, after about 20 minutes of the former I decided I was better off just watching the latter instead of forcing myself to sit through it...from what I saw the storytelling was really disjointed, far more so than I'd recalled.
Which brings us to Inferno, the one film I was able to sit all the way through on this night. This was the first film in the series that didn't get a theatrical release, and the rest of the series suffered the same fate. Probably just as well, I'm sure, as this one plays like a decent-quality made-for-cable-TV movie. It's clear the filmmakers knew they didn't have much of a budget, so they made the best of what they could do effects-wise by using them sparingly. Plus they take the story & make it fairly simple, grounding it as more of a detective tale. Possibly my lowered expectations worked in its favor, but I actually mildly enjoyed the damn thing. It's never great, and I have no need to sit through it again, but it wound up being better than I'd anticipated.
the giraffe's rating:
Incident at Oglala (1992)
First viewing - May 30th
Man, this documentary pissed me off. Fortunately by the end of it my anger had somewhat waned as it focuses on some more positive, hopeful aspects, but when it's examining how corrupt our government can be & was in this situation it had me seeing red. To be fair, I wouldn't have even watched this had I not first heard about Leonard Peltier back in the '90s thanks to Rage Against the Machine, but I didn't know the full details until now. Atrocious. The doc itself is totally worth watching, though the one complaint I have is that it never introduces any of the speakers. Now you can't sit through a doc without each person's name popping up on the screen, which seems unnecessary when it's done for celebrities for example, but here it would've been a welcome addition given nobody is especially well-known.
Man, this documentary pissed me off. Fortunately by the end of it my anger had somewhat waned as it focuses on some more positive, hopeful aspects, but when it's examining how corrupt our government can be & was in this situation it had me seeing red. To be fair, I wouldn't have even watched this had I not first heard about Leonard Peltier back in the '90s thanks to Rage Against the Machine, but I didn't know the full details until now. Atrocious. The doc itself is totally worth watching, though the one complaint I have is that it never introduces any of the speakers. Now you can't sit through a doc without each person's name popping up on the screen, which seems unnecessary when it's done for celebrities for example, but here it would've been a welcome addition given nobody is especially well-known.
the giraffe's rating:
Albino Alligator (1996)
First viewing - May 30th
I like the idea behind this film, but the execution is rather lacking. There's nothing wrong with throwing all these characters into one room to see what happens, but unfortunately there aren't many surprises. In fact, a couple times I anticipated the exact dialogue that was coming next, which tells you how average & obvious the writing is here. The cast is all right, the only one who really impressed me was William Fichtner though. The film is kept short enough that it moves along quickly enough, and as such I wasn't bored with it. But I wouldn't need to watch it again either.
I like the idea behind this film, but the execution is rather lacking. There's nothing wrong with throwing all these characters into one room to see what happens, but unfortunately there aren't many surprises. In fact, a couple times I anticipated the exact dialogue that was coming next, which tells you how average & obvious the writing is here. The cast is all right, the only one who really impressed me was William Fichtner though. The film is kept short enough that it moves along quickly enough, and as such I wasn't bored with it. But I wouldn't need to watch it again either.
the giraffe's rating:
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002)
Re-watch - May 31st
OK...so I had several films still left that I needed to watch before they left, and the majority of them were films I hadn't seen before. However, my rating for this film was previously a 4/10, and given my love for Chan-wook Park I felt I should give it another chance rather than skip it because I had a feeling my rating was wrong. If I recall correctly, the first time I watched it I could barely stay awake & I found at least one aspect especially ludicrous, which led to the low rating.
So on this day I watched it in the afternoon, and had no issues with sticking with it. I noticed that I'd forgotten the majority of it from before, which meant I wasn't easily anticipating whatever came next. I still think the pacing could be better, as it is rather slow throughout, but I was much more deeply engaged with the story this time around. The film ultimately delivers a thought-provoking exploration of revenge, which I appreciated. The cast does a wonderful job, and I found myself occasionally impressed by the way shots were framed. It didn't cross the line of greatness for me, but I'm glad to say I enjoyed it far more on my second attempt & I might even be willing to watch it a third time.
P.S.--I still find it kinda ridiculous that Dong-jin Park winds up in the right place at the right time to hear the radio broadcast...seems like astronomical chances for that to actually happen.
OK...so I had several films still left that I needed to watch before they left, and the majority of them were films I hadn't seen before. However, my rating for this film was previously a 4/10, and given my love for Chan-wook Park I felt I should give it another chance rather than skip it because I had a feeling my rating was wrong. If I recall correctly, the first time I watched it I could barely stay awake & I found at least one aspect especially ludicrous, which led to the low rating.
So on this day I watched it in the afternoon, and had no issues with sticking with it. I noticed that I'd forgotten the majority of it from before, which meant I wasn't easily anticipating whatever came next. I still think the pacing could be better, as it is rather slow throughout, but I was much more deeply engaged with the story this time around. The film ultimately delivers a thought-provoking exploration of revenge, which I appreciated. The cast does a wonderful job, and I found myself occasionally impressed by the way shots were framed. It didn't cross the line of greatness for me, but I'm glad to say I enjoyed it far more on my second attempt & I might even be willing to watch it a third time.
P.S.--I still find it kinda ridiculous that Dong-jin Park winds up in the right place at the right time to hear the radio broadcast...seems like astronomical chances for that to actually happen.
the giraffe's rating:
Innocent Voices (2005)
Re-watch - May 31st
Someone on here recommended this film to me ages ago, and it's been sitting in my queue ever since. I figured I'd finally give it a shot & wound up ending the month with it (though I did try to watch Hardware after it ended, but was falling asleep despite digging it & gave up in favor of going to bed).
I can't fully understand how anyone could actually live through a situation like this. I realize that there are countries in which war in your backyard is an actuality, but as an American I'm completely disconnected from that reality & a film like this can only give me an approximation of the experience. Innocent Voices certainly delivers as best it can, and had me on edge for fear of whether the family at its center would survive. As such it's kind of an emotional drain, but it's still totally worth watching. I'd even be willing to watch it again if someone hadn't seen it & was wanting to check it out, but otherwise I doubt I'd revisit it on my own. That says a lot for its power, a power which is helped along by the stellar cast.
Definitely seek this one out.
Someone on here recommended this film to me ages ago, and it's been sitting in my queue ever since. I figured I'd finally give it a shot & wound up ending the month with it (though I did try to watch Hardware after it ended, but was falling asleep despite digging it & gave up in favor of going to bed).
I can't fully understand how anyone could actually live through a situation like this. I realize that there are countries in which war in your backyard is an actuality, but as an American I'm completely disconnected from that reality & a film like this can only give me an approximation of the experience. Innocent Voices certainly delivers as best it can, and had me on edge for fear of whether the family at its center would survive. As such it's kind of an emotional drain, but it's still totally worth watching. I'd even be willing to watch it again if someone hadn't seen it & was wanting to check it out, but otherwise I doubt I'd revisit it on my own. That says a lot for its power, a power which is helped along by the stellar cast.
Definitely seek this one out.
the giraffe's rating:
May means the start of blockbuster season, and this month we get two movies from Marvel Comics which I'm certain to catch. And looking ahead it seems I'll spend a fair amount of time at Drafthouse this month, so that should be fun.
As of May 1st, Netflix added a bunch of stuff I've already seen & a bunch of stuff I don't care about seeing, which means my queue is in the same place it was at the end of April. Fortunately I have a new project which will motivate me to tackle the films that keep staring back at me wondering when I'll watch them. Feel free to drop by that link & help me out!
As of May 1st, Netflix added a bunch of stuff I've already seen & a bunch of stuff I don't care about seeing, which means my queue is in the same place it was at the end of April. Fortunately I have a new project which will motivate me to tackle the films that keep staring back at me wondering when I'll watch them. Feel free to drop by that link & help me out!
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