Movies the giraffe watched in 2017: July

First viewing - July 9th

Best new-to-me film for July

I kicked off my Sunday morning with another trip to the theatre, this time with far better results than the day before. I don't want to go into too much detail about the film (go watch the trailer if you haven't yet & are curious), but I will say that it almost earned a perfect score from me & it's just the kind of film I needed today. Looking forward to seeing it again more than a few times.

First viewing - July 15th

Very close 2nd place film for July

This one seems to be underappreciated, which is a shame because it works beautifully. The Trouble With Harry proves that Hitch could do comedy as well as he does suspense, so it’s surprising the film didn’t lead to more comedies from him. Or at least it surprised me until I found that initially the film tanked in America & did better in Europe. The ensemble cast is perfect and I found myself laughing often throughout the run-time. I’d gladly watch it again, and if I can track it down I’ll add it to my collection as well. Highly recommended.

First viewing - July 7th

Best hidden gem

I remember seeing trailers for The Congress and thinking it was a really interesting idea & a film I'd want to see. Unfortunately I failed to catch it during its theatrical run, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a copy at the library so I could finally check it out. I've got to say that I'm surprised I haven't seen more talk about it.

The concepts the film explores are really thought-provoking, and the way the film unfolds its story was unexpected and impressive. It was pretty amusing too to see Robin Wright play a fictionalized version of herself & poke some fun at her career. If it's got any flaws it's that the whole film could be a little shorter as it's a bit overlong. However I really enjoyed it and would gladly watch it again at some point.

Just a thought: Totally didn't realize until this film got underway that I was watching two films in a row with Kodi Smit-McPhee in them.

First viewing - July 14th

They're here for A Ghost Story I think.

Worst film for July

More like AVOID. This had played at my neighborhood theatre, but when I watched the trailer I wasn't convinced I needed to spend money to watch it. Turns out free wasn't a good idea either as I made it maybe halfway through it before giving up. 45 minutes into it I realized I didn't really know any of the characters nor give a shit about what was going on around them. Perhaps whatever questions the film raises eventually get answered, but I no longer cared because there's no investment into anything. The dialogue is awkward for no good reason (most of the time people speak to one another but don't reply or if they do it's with an unrelated statement, and I found this maddening). There's a creature effect that looked decent, but it just emerges out of nowhere the first time and there's no real build up or payoff to it appearing. And the acting is very average, though with such a crap script it's ridiculous to expect the cast to rise above it. So yeah, I turned it off & caught up on some TV shows I'm working my way through instead. Don't bother.

Funny how things are connected: This and The Big Sick both feature scenes from Night of the Living Dead on a TV, which given Romero's passing seems kinda fitting & well-timed.

Currently streaming on Netflix

P.S. - Normally this would go under "I tried, but I gave up".

First viewing - July 1st

I was done with this series the moment they announced Minions, but the kiddo loves the films & since this arrived on our weekend I took her to see it. And much as I suspected there's no reason for this film to exist. The animation is still of decent quality, and there are a handful of moments that are amusing. Overall, however, the film is a bore, a fact not helped by the decision to show most of the best parts in the trailers. Indeed, the first two scenes in the film were mined heavily for trailers, so if you've seen them enough then you'll be watching the same crap again for the first 10 or so minutes. Unlike the first two films in the series, there's no emotional center to any of it which is complicated by an abundance of subplots that mostly don't matter. And while Minions had some highly amusing moments this film is mostly devoid of anything memorable. I spent most of the run-time ready for it to be over with. The kiddo, on the other hand, was entertained with it & thought it was worth sitting through. Though I'll point out she only laughed a couple of times & it's tough to say which of us laughed the least.

First viewing - July 6th

As has been stated elsewhere this was my daughter's most anticipated new movie for 2017 and was high on my list as well. So I took her to one of the local theatres on opening night so she could have that experience with it, and she walked out saying it's now her favorite film ever & she wants to go see it again. So this may get updated later this month if we get the time to revisit it.

I thought it was the best Spider-Man film we've had yet, and you can keep your beloved Raimi entries. Tom Holland kills it as both Parker & Spidey at every turn, delivering on the promise he showed in Civil War. The stakes are lowered which best suits the character, and it's refreshing to see a superhero who is flawed because he's still a kid. And the teen aspects of the film worked well too, a fact helped by the believable characters & relationships created between Peter & his classmates. The only complaint I had was that the opening stretch took me a little time to fall in with what was going on on screen, and that may be attributed to the excellence of Baby Driver being fresh in my head & having raised the bar for action movies. But as it rolled along I got more into it, and like my daughter I'll gladly watch it again more than once. Perhaps a repeat viewing will help me better flesh out my feelings on it and/or adjust my rating, but for now it falls just shy of greatness.

Re-watch - July 30th

I had promised my daughter I'd take her to see Homecoming again, and found out she'd told her mom & stepdad at one point she'd been upset about having not seen it already. Heh. So we took another spin with Spidey, and this time I got into the swing of the film more easily (pun intended? Perhaps...). One thing I failed to mention above is how wonderful it is having a villain whose motives are easily understood & isn't just some poor sketch bent on world domination/destruction. I now think it's borderline for being a great film, but I definitely enjoy it from start to finish & expect to watch it several more times in the years ahead. Here's hoping they can maintain the quality throughout the next two Spidey films.

First viewing - July 8th

Prior to The Bad Batch was this short from the same director, Ana Lily Amirpour. It's cheaply shot and there's not much to it really. It's odd enough that I'll likely remember it but not something I'd suggest others check out.

First viewing - July 8th

I feel like there's a good movie here, but it's buried beneath a slew of scenes that could have been excised. Perhaps Ms. Amirpour needs a better editor to work with her going forward, because holy crap does this drag along for no good reason. I'm sure she'd defend it as her unique vision, but originality doesn't always equal good quality. If you took out 30-45 minutes of the film and left the parts that work I'd be giving this a much higher rating, because there were moments I felt were worth my time. There are some scenes that will definitely stick with me as the world she builds is wonderfully realized, and some interesting characters I'm likely to recall (especially Jim Carrey's; worth mentioning though that two of the most prominent characters are saddled with unfortunate accents that don't help matters), but mostly I'll remember wishing it was over which is not a good thing at all. This is a huge disappointment because A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night showed great promise & now I'll be really skepitical the next time Amirpour makes a film as to which filmmaker will show up. If she persists down this direction instead I won't keep coming back for her work.

Re-watch - July 10th

Yep, still pure cinemagic & a master class in filmmaking. It'll take one hell of a film to knock this out of the top spot for 2017.

First viewing - July 21st

Giallo Fest

When I found out my neighborhood theatre was hosting a Giallo festival & I could see all 3 films for $25, I jumped on the festival pass & planned to spend time each night over this weekend watching the films. (They did weeknight screenings as well, but my weeknights are busy enough as it is.)

They kicked off the festival properly with the film that's considered the first true Giallo film & the blueprint for those that followed, Mario Bava's Blood and Black Lace. I appreciated how it kept me guessing along the way, loved the artistic visuals along the way, and thought the cast did a solid job. I don't know that I'd go so far as to say it's Great, but its influence can't be denied and I'd gladly watch it again.

First viewing - July 22nd

I got out early on Saturday morning and caught the first screening of Valerian before the crowds could gather. Overall I thought it was worth watching, especially on the big screen. The visuals are so impressive that they're meant to be seen in the theatre, and if you miss its run you won't get the full experience at home. I loved the worlds created & the character designs, and even caught a couple of nods to The Fifth Element. I thought the story was well-told, though its flaws lie with some of the casting choices, especially its titular character. While I appreciate not seeing a typical hero in the lead role, DeHaan is not that great of an actor & can't pull off what his character should be. Had he played a villain that'd be fine, but he lacks the charisma & comedic timing required of Valerian. Some have also complained about the chemistry between him and Cara Delevingne, which I can see somewhat though I felt like they wanted us to question whether or not they really fit together aside from being partners. So in that sense I didn't have as much issue with their interactions as I did with DeHaan's performance. He does his best, don't get me wrong, but he's just not right for the role. Still, I did think it was worth watching & might even watch it again if it finds its way back to the big screen in the future.

First viewing - July 22nd

Giallo Fest

Of the three films I watched over the weekend this was my least favorite, though still well worth a look. My biggest problem is the lack of characters to really latch onto in any meaningful way, but the mystery aspects help make up for that weakness somewhat. The pacing could have been better too, but overall the story kept me engaged enough that I walked away satisfied with having seen it but not especially impressed.

First viewing - July 23rd

Giallo Fest

I actually tried watching this a few years back but quickly realized I wasn't in the mood for it. Fortunately after two nights spent with other Giallo films I was more open to it this time around. I appreciated the ways it worked to throw off the audience from who the killer is, and for most of the movie it kept me guessing. So the story side of things works really well, though it's possibly a little too long. Now whether it's due to the dubbing or just the acting I wasn't very impressed with the cast though they at least did a solid job. And the effects at the end are a mix of awesome & cheesy which had me chuckling. Anyway, I can see why this has a strong reputation & it's definitely worth seeing. I don't know that I'd need to see it again, but if someone wanted to watch it with me I'd join them.

Re-watch - July 2nd

I haven't seen any of the Police Academy movies since either the late 80s or early 90s, but back when I did I believe I saw 1-5 thanks to their routine airings on cable. So when this one popped up on Netflix I figured I'd finally revisit it, and turns out it still amuses me. It's nothing great of course, but it's consistently entertaining with some moments I'd surprisingly still remembered. I don't find it as fun as I did when I was a teenager, but I enjoyed it for what it is & didn't regret giving it another look. I doubt I'd need to watch it again, but wouldn't mind another viewing down the road.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - July 3rd

This was loaned to me by a couple I've befriended due initially to their son being good friends with my daughter. I can't say I knew what to expect from it beyond the description on the cover, but I thought it was pretty well-made overall. The acting is so good I occasionally forgot I was watching actors which is admirable. The whole thing is very slice of life in a way, to the point of occasionally feeling more like a documentary than an actual movie. As such I can't say I connected deeply with it in any meaningful way, but it was certainly interesting & fairly entertaining for what it is. I have no doubt others will find more to appreciate than I did, but I felt it was worth watching once.

Just a thought: It was amusing to me to see Selenis Leyva play a cop after mostly knowing her as one of the inmates on Orange Is the New Black. Also was surprised to see her turn up in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

First viewing - July 6th

Since I'm on vacation from work I figured I'd pick up some movies to watch from the library, including a pair of films from Studio Ghibli to watch with the kiddo. I set the expectation with this film that we'd watch it in Japanese with English subtitles, but if she didn't like it we could switch to the English dub. She hung in with it all the way through, and never once had issues with it...unless you count the occasional subtitles that gave more detail than what was actually said, which she pointed out every time ("He said her name, not 'Come here'). This makes me ecstatic because it means I won't have to worry about watching foreign films with her in the future. Add to that the fact that she really enjoyed the movie & wants to watch more of the Ghibli films, and I'm super proud of her.

I really enjoyed this film as well. I appreciated the story of friendship and the interesting designs of the various modes of transportation on display throughout. The film managed to keep me guessing more often than not & I got lost in the world it created. I'll gladly watch this again & may have to add it to our collection in the future.

First viewing - July 7th

On our way home from watching Homecoming, my daughter asked if we could watch this after breakfast the next morning & I agreed. Once again she enjoyed the whole thing & is now even more on board with watching more films like it. I liked this one almost as much as Castle in the Sky, though I did think there were a couple places where it dragged a little. Much like the previous film we watched, however, the world-building and characters were impressive and engaging enough that I hardly minded the moments it ran out of steam. I don't know that I'd go out of my way to revisit this one, though if the kiddo wants me to watch it with her again down the road I won't argue.

First viewing - July 7th

Friday evening I dropped the kiddo off to be with her mom for the weekend, which meant I could spend the rest of my vacation with the films I checked out from the library for myself. I decided to kick it all off with Slow West which Listalites like Xanadon't & PvtCaboose91 put on my radar.

Overall I thought Slow West was worth checking out. The story isn't predictable despite using a lot of familiar elements of the Western genre, and the cast is solid. The characters felt pretty realistic in that most had shades of good & evil in them, and it was really nice to see such a strong female character. I can't say I fell in love with the film though, despite the aspects I appreciated. It's entertaining but didn't give me anything deep or endearing to walk away with, so I won't be surprised if I eventually forget about it. But for a one-time watch it was fine.

First viewing - July 8th

Always nice to see an American remake of a foreign film that's not a waste of film. While I prefer Infernal Affairs, I won't argue that Scorsese did an outstanding job here & I get now why it's so well-liked. I'm sure everything complimentary I could say about it has been said, and it seems like I'm probably the last film buff to see it anyway, so feel free to fill in those blanks yourself. I will say, however, that I felt like the romantic subplot was unnecessary & a bit unbelievable to boot, but aside from that there's nothing else I can find to complain about.

First viewing - July 9th

Between lunch & dinner I decided to finally sit down with Creed because I keep running into praise for it on a regular basis. I was also encouraged to give it a shot after watching the excellent Fruitvale Station, plus the fact that Jordan & Coogler will be working together again on the upcoming Black Panther which I'm very excited for after seeing the 1st trailer.

Anyway, despite the fact that it's obviously following a formula as well as the template set forth by the original Rocky I wound up enjoying this more than I'd anticipated. I don't know that it's a necessary entry into the franchise, but it's better by far than most of the sequels that preceded it thanks to the emotional throughline & excellent performances & thus worth taking the time to watch. Evidently a sequel is in the works, and depending on the creative elements behind it I may be willing to check it out. My hopes are now even higher though for Black Panther to be excellent.

First viewing - July 9th

Ended my weekend with this film from Jarmusch, which was fine but didn't match up to either of the films that preceded it on this day. The acting is really good & I dug the concept & fresh take on vampires, but overall I just wasn't that deeply impressed or in love with it. On the one hand it allows you to fill in some gaps yourself which I appreciated, but on the other hand there are some story aspects that don't entirely make sense & required some further explanation beyond what you get. Not to mention the third act could have been wrapped up in a potentially better way for the long-term for our protagonists, and yet they skip that option with no discussion of its obvious merits (though no doubt Jarmusch wanted the film to end the way it does). Anyway, it's worth watching once provided you're open-minded about it.

First viewing - July 11th

Take Me is the directorial debut of Pat Healy, a character actor who I've appreciated for a long damn time now. He also stars in the film, and somehow manages to not only give an excellent performance but also keep the film together so that it works pretty well. Taylor Schilling also plays her role very well, and the script is kinda bonkers but it works. There's dark humor and a lot of fun to be had here, and I can't help wondering now that I've seen it whether it will play even better on a second viewing. I may have to find that out at some point.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - July 15th

I’m still trying to catch up on Hitch’s films (or at least the ones with good reputations), so I picked up a pair from the library to watch together. This one took me a little bit to get into due to a slow & fairly weak opening, but as we got to know the protagonist better it hooked me over time and I wound up enjoying it overall. The story idea isn’t especially new, though it was for its time & I can respect that. I might even be willing to watch this again, if for no other reason than to see if I like it better now that I know what to expect from it.

Re-watch - July 15th

Full disclosure: I picked this up because I forgot I’d already seen it. Oops. As the film began I realized I’d seen it though, and since I enjoyed it so much last time around I stuck with it. Turns out this was very worthwhile though, because I picked up the recent Criterion release which comes from a 4K restoration. The film looked great all around, and while last time I’d noticed some editing flaws there were none that were obvious this time around (must have been from the transfer for whatever version that was). So if you’ve already seen One-Eyed Jacks & enjoyed it I’d recommend giving the Criterion edition a look.

First viewing - July 16th

I wrapped up my weekend with this last pick from the library, which honestly I could’ve gone on ignoring. I thought since it was a movie about Ip Man it’d be worthwhile, but I spent most of the film bored out of my mind. The fight scenes are overrun with slo-mo that makes them less powerful, which seems like a waste of having Yuen Woo-ping choreograph your fights. Then the story tries to do the work of 2 or 3 films in less than two hours, which fails miserably. We spend more time hearing Ip Man tell us what he went through via narration than being shown anything that happened, which is frustrating. The parts with Ziyi Zhang were far more interesting & the highlights of the film, so that by the end I wished the film had just focused on her life & left Ip Man out of it. Having him randomly drop in & out of her life doesn’t work so well. So if you want Ip Man movies, stick to the ones with Donnie Yen.

First viewing - July 17th

Finding out Romero died knocked the wind out of my sails on Sunday, and I’d intended to watch this that night. Unfortunately when I went to my shelves it wasn’t there & at that point I remembered I’d loaned it to a friend who never gave it back. And at the time I looked for it it was after 8pm so there was nowhere I could go to find another copy that night. Thus I went out right after work Monday & was rewarded when I found a used copy for $10 that was signed by Savini. No idea why the store had it for so cheap (maybe because Savini lives here & his autograph is easier to obtain?), but I wasn’t going to argue & it pairs nicely now with my copy of NOTLD signed by Romero.

As for the movie itself, it’s still great but I prefer NOTLD. I dig the characters in this one, the score is terrific, and Savini’s gore effects are such a great step forward for the time. I personally wish the zombie make-up looked more realistic, but aside from that I don’t have any real complaints. It just doesn’t blow me away to the degree NOTLD does, even after almost 50 years. Sad that Romero won’t be with us when it turns 50, but at least he left behind plenty of films that are worth watching & revisiting, and hopefully as time goes by he’ll get the respect he always deserved for his work.

First viewing - July 19th

Another round with MST3K, and this one was time well spent. The film is pretty lame (which is to be expected) but they get in a lot of good jokes on it which I laughed at most of. I don’t think I’d need to watch this one again, but I wouldn’t mind sitting through it once more.

Film rating: 3/10

First viewing - July 22nd

My friend let me borrow this a while back, but until today I haven't been either in the mood for it or had enough time to sit down with it. I'm not a big sports guy in general, so initially I didn't have much enthusiasm for checking this out beyond its reputation. Fortunately a love of sports is not at all required to enjoy the documentary, as it more explores the ups and downs of chasing your dreams with some very realistic depictions of lower-class African Americans & their daily struggles. The whole thing is pretty fascinating, and I like how it never glosses over the events we see. And because I don't follow sports I had the added benefit of not knowing where this was headed other than that the two main boys clearly aren't modern-day superstars. It's very much worth a watch, and I'm glad I finally sat down with it.

First viewing - July 20th

I know at some point in my childhood I watched the original Pete's Dragon, but I haven't seen it since the '80s & therefore couldn't tell you anything about the plot points anymore. I know there was a boy & a dragon who was a cartoon, but that's about it. I'd heard good things about this version, so I was willing to give it a chance. I thought maybe the kiddo would watch it with me, but she's not interested and honestly after watching it I don't think she's missing much anyway.

Some things I took away from this film:
1. Disney loves making kids orphans.
2. If the dragon had floppy ears Pete could've named it Falcor.
3. According to Disney if you lose your family you can find both magic and a new family that's just as good if not better than the one you lost.
4. Destroying nature is bad, mmkay?
5. Robert Redford is freaking old.

Overall it was fine for one viewing, despite often being predictable. I didn't enjoy it enough though to encourage the kiddo to give it a look, nor to bother with sitting through it again.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - July 24th

Since this wound up nominated for some Oscars I figured I'd give it a fair shake & see what I thought of it. Nicole Kidman rocks her role wonderfully, as does the young actor playing the child version of Saroo. The first half of the film plays far better than the second, mainly because adult Saroo is less easy to connect with than child Saroo. That's nothing against Dev Patel's performance, which is pretty good, but more the script which doesn't let us really connect with him in any powerful way. So I was left feeling mildly disappointed by the movie in the end despite finding it worthwhile overall. Perhaps I'll check out the book and see if it better delivers.

Currently streaming on Netflix

Re-watch - July 29th

After we ate dinner on Saturday I wanted to watch a movie with my daughter, and to my surprise she suggested Back to the Future. So we curled up on the couch together with it, and she really enjoyed it. In fact, the moment it ended she told me she wanted to watch part 2 right away. Too bad for her that it was bedtime at that point, but also that I don't own the sequels (her mom does). So she had to wait. She definitely noticed the profanity throughout the film, and I stressed that she shouldn't repeat any of it outside our home. We'll see how long that lasts. I won't go into my thoughts on the film again, as it hasn't been too long since I last watched it.

First viewing - July 31st

I ended the month with Lucy, which I picked up from the library with three other movies that will get watched over the weekend. I originally ignored it, but seeing it come up a handful of times in press for Valerian made me curious to give it a shot. The film starts out very strongly, and the first hour or so flew by and kept me very entertained. Once she gets to the university the film kind of loses momentum though, a fact not helped by everything devolving into a cliche shootout. I'd hoped there would be something at the end that would make up for it, but in my book the ending was kind of anticlimactic and not as impressive as all the build-up suggested. Still, I thought it was worth watching overall, it's just that the ending left me feeling like I don't need to sit through it again.

Re-watch - July 23rd

I loved Chef when I caught it during its theatrical run, and I still love it. The father-son bonding stuff works like gangbusters and stirs up my emotions, the food makes my mouth water, and the music throughout is well-suited to the scenes it supports. And now that I'm removed from Austin, I also appreciate the chance to visit my previous home vicariously through the film. You can tell this was a passion project for Favreau, and that passion transcends the screen & infects the audience. Its exit from Netflix will only justify my adding it to my collection in the near future.