Movies the giraffe watched: January 2013

Re-watch - Jan. 1st

Kicked off the new year by watching this (appropriate, yes?) in the brief couple hours before it left Netflix instant. This time around, however, I watched it with my "wife" who had been busy doing other things around the house when I first watched it last year. It gave me the chance to revisit the only film I watched last year that earned a spot in my top 10 films of all time, a spot I'm now even more confident it's earned.

Just a thought: Is it weird that I found Gloria Swanson kinda hot at times?

Re-watch - Jan. 1st

Watched this one with the family, after receiving the DVD for my birthday last month. The kiddo predictably loved it & wound up asking to watch it again the next day shortly after waking up. I highly enjoy it for the most part & love that there's a villain as the central character. But I feel like the ending goes on a little longer than necessary (a feeling I often have whenever a non-musical film closes with a musical number). Still, it's definitely original, very funny, and has a heart too, all of which is admirable.

First viewing - Jan. 1st/2nd

I figured after all the times last year that I planned to watch this & wound up leaving it sitting on the shelf I should get it watched the first opportunity I had this month. And so I did.

Here we have a visually Amazing film all around, including a nice touch where it makes the subtitles visually interesting too. Never seen that done before & it was refreshing. The acting is excellent too, though it's possible that I was as much impressed by the lack of actors I knew/recognized as their talents. As for the plot, while I dug the mythology established it wound up being, really, nothing new. There's a big battle between good & evil & a chosen one is on the way to tip the balance. *yawn* It may not play out exactly as you'd expect, but still. And I felt like the opening set a high bar that the rest of the film (once we time-jump from 1992) fell short of living up to.

Still, definitely worth watching for the visual feast.

Just a thought: When Yegor asks about "the Others" I was really hoping they'd discuss the Nicole Kidman film.

First viewing - Jan. 3rd

I thought I'd seen this as a kid, but since I remembered almost none of it I'm guessing I'd simply seen parts of it back then. Anyway, I watched this one with the kiddo & neither of us really got into it much. Honestly it seems too depressing for a kid movie, but there's not much to endear it to adults so I'm not entirely sure who the audience is here. Not a bad way to pass the time I guess (though at one point it was putting me to sleep so maybe it has other applications), but if she asks to watch it again I'll find something else to do instead of watch it again with her.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Jan. 5th

This one came highly recommended among my fellow Listalites so I felt I should check it out. And...it was OK. I think my main problem was that I never had a reason to care much about the main character, no matter how good of a job the young actor did portraying him. I felt a little bad for him, but I never found a reason to like him or anything to relate to & so for me this one just fell flat. This is one of those cases where I feel like I missed something, but more likely this just simply isn't to my taste. Which means you may get more out of it than I.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Jan. 10th

Dear lord that's a lot of bitching. Don't get me wrong, I'm mostly in agreement with the various fans assembled here as anyone who has seen my Stop ruining my childhood list should be aware. Lucas's choices post-Jedi have been disappointing across the board, and after watching this what I've figured out is how that happened. He's currently surrounded by employees who are all in service of him. Nobody has the balls (apparently) to stand up to him & tell him "no" or "that idea sucks" or "why not try something like..." which leads to him turning the prequels into highly kid-friendly affairs & writing an intelligence-insulting script for Indiana Jones. Which is a bummer, kind of like the fact that this documentary spends so much time allowing its interviewed subjects rehash the same issues to death. Fortunately there are some genuinely insightful moments, and much of the fan-created videos & art are worth checking out. But the bitching does get tedious.

Just a thought: If this were a real case, I think it's safe to say nobody would win.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Jan. 12th/13th

Consistently funny & entertaining, with a stellar cast & outstanding soundtrack. It never quite crosses the line into Greatness territory for me, but I'll happily watch this again more than a few times & am glad I bought it so I could finally see it. And for those of you who watch & enjoy this movie like I did, I can honestly say that this is one of the few films whose deleted scenes are well worth watching (a couple I felt should have been left in the final cut, which almost never happens with deleted scenes).

First viewing - Jan. 14th

Visually this film is astounding. The majority of the shots could easily be framed & hung on a wall as art, which I found myself frequently impressed by. The story is excellent too, though I expect nothing less from the Coen Brothers. I was also very impressed by the acting, especially Billy Bob Thornton who had me wondering why he hasn't done more good movies. Can't recall the last time I saw a trailer for a film of his I wanted to see.

And so while I did thoroughly enjoy this movie & can't think of a single thing to change about it, it fell just short of crossing the line over into greatness for me for some reason. Perhaps a revisit down the line will change my mind on that, but I can say that this is one Coens' film that deserves more recognition than it gets.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Jan. 15th

It actually took me a couple tries to get all the way through this one. Which isn't to say that it's bad, just that the other times I sat down to watch The Lorax with my daughter something else came up & I wound up not being able to watch it all. But on this day I finally managed to watch it all, and I can say now that it's OK. It's entertaining enough with some very funny moments, but they've gone to great lengths to stretch the source material to reach feature film length & unlike the recent film version of Horton Hears a Who it doesn't really work. It's neat I guess that the main characters are named after the Geisels, though I doubt most people even know that, and the book's main message is retained here (and given almost as much gravity as it is in the book). On the other hand some of the characters are annoying (which in the case of the Once-ler's family that seems to be the point), some of the events don't make much sense (like the ease with which Ted is able to get in & out of town every time), and there's one song in particular that's made into quite a spectacle as if it's to be celebrated despite the song's message of greed & destruction (kind of annoying that my daughter dances around singing with it given that it's the one song you're not supposed to like). Still, it's visually interesting & as I said there are some amusing/entertaining moments. It could be a lot better, but I definitely don't hate it.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Jan. 25th

I think it's safe to say that this is the best movie I've seen for the first time this month (Sunset Boulevard is tough to top). I loved every moment of it & got that magical feeling that 10/10s leave me with. Big big thanks to Ella:) for recommending I check it out!

Just a thought: I think the toilet scene in this one is even more gross than the one in Trainspotting.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Jan. 28th/29th

I hadn't intended to watch this film on this night, but there was some issue preventing Netflix from working through the app on my TV. Thus I turned to the unwatched films on my shelf & chose this one I have on loan from phillydude.

For a film with the word comedy in the title, I didn't find much to laugh at which was a little confusing. But overall I did enjoy it, thanks largely to the brilliant performance by De Niro who creates a very unique character & one that's unexpected given his usual tough-guy roles in Scorsese's films. And yet there's something very menacing about his character despite his outward demeanor. I also really dug the commentary on celebrity, which was ahead of its time but now fits right in.

I personally didn't think it was Great though, or at least it didn't earn a deeper love from me for whatever reason. But it's still definitely worth a look & I'm glad I watched it.

Just a thought: Unsure how Sandra Bernhard ever became an actress...she plays her role here well enough but damn is she annoying.

First viewing - Jan. 4th

Recommended by phillydude

I've seen the so-called remake of this film & now like it even less than I did before. Everything here is top of the line from the cast to the tension to the music to the attention to detail displayed throughout. I loved watching the ways the Jackal worked to keep from getting caught by the authorities, and the methods he used to prepare for his mission seem dead-on. As it ended I didn't have that feeling I get when watching something I'd rate a 10, but it came damn close to achieving it.

Highly recommended, and I thank phillydude for recommending it to me.

Just a thought: The film takes place in Europe, and a good portion of it in France specifically. And yet I never heard a single word uttered in French, and if any other language besides English was spoken I missed it. Mildly irksome.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Jan. 18th

Recommended by Mackenzi

I heard nothing about this film prior to its Academy Award nominations, and some mixed feedback around here kept me from watching it sooner. Personally I felt it was worth watching for the performances alone, which are excellent across the board. The characters are so realistic they gave the film a documentary feel, and their mannerisms & behaviors had me thinking of The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia at times. I personally felt that the film's pace & atmosphere was perfectly suited to a viewing on a cold winter night, so that may also account for how well it worked for me overall. However, while I thought it was excellent on technical levels this wasn't a film I was ever deeply engaged with which I'm guessing was mostly due to personal taste. The story was OK but left some loose ends & unexplained events along the way. Not that everything in a film needs to be explained of course, but I felt like a few moments would have benefited from more details.

Still, I do think it's worth watching. But I know I won't go out of my way to watch it again.

Thanks to Mackenzi for the recommendation. :)

First viewing - Jan. 21st

Review by PvtCaboose91

Recommended by jaytoast

As the above review also notes, a strong cast & excellent script work well together to make this film memorable despite the cliches on hand. I personally really enjoyed it & would definitely watch it again.

Thanks to jaytoast for the recommendation!

Just a thought: Peter Dinklage is a better actor than he seems to get credit for.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Jan. 4th

The Netflix recommendations project got off on a good start with this little film I'd noticed pop up on Instant but wasn't sure whether to check out. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but I deeply enjoyed it all the same. It's smart, funny, and endearing. Dug the cast, dug the story, and was pleased with all aspects. Course I'm a sucker for films that break the 4th wall, and here I felt it was well done. Oh yeah, and this is a true story that's actually true, not one of those cases where it's "based on a true story" with little resemblance to something that actually happened.

Big thanks to Lydia :] for the recommendation!

(By the way, my rating on this is largely due to how hard & often it made me laugh, which endeared it to me all the more. Your sense of humor may yield a different rating.)

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Jan. 9th

When VierasTalo mentioned Civil War-era zombies, I had to check this one out. And overall I'd say it was worthwhile. The acting is solid, the story idea is excellent, and the story itself is good. There are some animated sequences which improve the visual side of the storytelling, which are especially welcome due to the heavy reliance on narration. Also the effects/make-up is well done across the board. Oh, and the score is good too.

On the downside, the film utilizes a slow pace which could benefit by a great deal of tightening. It rarely manages to create suspense, which is also problematic. There's some repetition/sameness in some of the middle scenes that could definitely have been trimmed down. Also, there's a lot of screaming & most of it is wordless which gets tedious after a while. Pretty sure you could play a drinking game whereby one drinks every time anyone screams, though I'm not sure what the risk of alcohol poisoning would be as a result. And I noticed a couple early instances of what seemed like shoddy camera work, though probably that was done intentionally to be "artistic" especially considering I wasn't bothered by any camera work the rest of the film.

Anyway, the film gets points for its ideas & visuals & thus is worth watching I think. Just don't expect perfection.

Just a thought: Reloading those old guns would be a big pain in the ass when you've got zombies swarming you. Pretty sure you'd learn to improve your shooting quickly or else die even quicker.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Jan. 11th

Decided to make a double-feature horror night & thanks to this project I had two films that were up to the task. First we have Zombieland: the vampire, comedy-free, no-famous-actors version. It was entertaining enough, with some excellent acting & memorable moments, but I just didn't fall in love with it like some others have.

Just a thought: Kelly McGillis looks like shit now.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Jan. 12th

Review by Mackenzi

For whatever reason, this film worked far better for me. I loved the way they slowly unfolded the back story, the effects were strong across the board, the acting was mostly solid, and the tension was handled well enough I was all wound up for most of the film. It's nothing revolutionary or original, but it's damned entertaining & well worth a look.

Just a thought: "It's not easy being green..."

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Jan. 26th

After spending time in Norway with Headhunters I figured I'd spend some more time there by watching this film, recommended by Starweevil. It's a downer of a film, but I mostly enjoyed it due to the performances & a good story. There were some stylistic techniques I found annoying though that kept breaking the film's spell for me. So while it does earn a recommendation from me, it's not a film I'd want to watch a second time.

Just a thought: Between this & Headhunters it seems that Norwegians use large rocks to sink bodies in water.

Currently streaming on Netflix

First viewing - Jan. 26th

The "wife" & I caught a break on this night as my parents took the kiddo for her first overnight stay. So we hit up a late movie & this was the only thing playing at Drafthouse we wanted to see but hadn't yet (otherwise we would probably have re-watched Django Unchained).

And it was OK. As far as I can tell the main selling point of this film is the performances, which are stellar. Much like The Fighter you feel like you're watching actual people most of the time thanks to the cast disappearing into their roles. I can't remember the last time I was at all impressed by one of DeNiro's performances, so his turn here was a pleasant surprise. However the film starts off rather clunky & never really connected with me until Jennifer Lawrence first shows up. And what follows that is definitely entertaining enough to get lost in, but then it's kinda blown by being often predictable & delivering a feel-good hokey ending. Which is fine I guess but in the end I mostly felt like it could've been better had the film taken a different route.

Worth watching, but rather overrated in my book.

Just a thought: I have a feeling Bradley Cooper must have geeked out big time making a film with DeNiro, who evidently was a big inspiration toward his decision to pursue acting.

First viewing - Jan. 5th/6th

Okay, I'm not going to call this a masterpiece or anything. But this movie was significantly better than I would've ever guessed. Sam Rockwell flexes some comedic muscle here, but the script allows him room for some surprisingly compelling dramatic work as well. On the surface, this looks like a predictable, bland, throw-away teen sports comedy. But it's got enough of its own identity to keep me quite entertained. I'm giving it a 7/10, but if judged within its genre it's more like an 8.5 Give it a look if you're in the mood for something light that won't completely insult your intelligence every chance it gets.
--Xanadon't from his January Movie Journal (2012) which led me to add this film to my IQ

Just a thought: I really want to re-watch Hoosiers now.

First viewing - Jan. 15th

This film seems perfectly timed in Affleck's career now that I've looked into it. As he went into Hollywoodland he'd had a series of box-office failures (Gigli, Daredevil, Jersey Girl, etc.) & many had written whatever talent he possesses off. So along comes this film where he plays a fictionalized version of a former star who find himself stuck in a lesser position than he feels he deserves & could earn & as a result possibly (not certainly, as put forth by both actual history & the film) kills himself. Ah, and Mr. Reeves was planning a directorial career, a career which Affleck now finds himself successful in. So I'd say Affleck was the best person to play this role, and he steps into it & does a successful job of bringing George Reeves to life. And after it ended, the mystery surrounding what happened to George Reeves (fictional or not) is still spinning in my head as I wind down toward sleep, much as I'm sure the real-life events swirled in the minds of some back then.

As for the other half of this film, the story of the detective pursuing the case while working on another & trying to figure out his relationship with his ex-wife & son, well that's kind of a mixed bag & the thing that prevents the film from being truly Great. Adrien Brody's detective is an interesting character, there's just too much tied to him whereas a bit less would have been better. He clearly has fun with his role though, and is fortunately surrounded by a mostly excellent supporting cast that helps distract somewhat from the excesses of his side of the story. Overall, I enjoyed the film but I can see ways it could be better.

Definitely worth a look though.

Just a thought: This would have been a nice companion piece to The Man Who Wasn't There, and I'm mildly bummed I didn't watch them in the same night/day.

Oh yeah, and funny enough this comic got published online the day this film left Netflix.

Re-watch - Jan. 19th

After Winter's Bone I needed something to pick my spirits up before sleep & this did the trick. It's easily been over 20 years since I last watched it (kinda makes me feel old saying that), so this time around I picked up on a couple jokes that were lost on me when I was a preteen. But aside from that I well remembered everything about the movie & still really enjoy it. There are various technical aspects that prevent this from ever being a masterpiece (including an obvious voice edit that changes the word "fuck" to "pork" which I'm guessing was done to get a PG-13 rating instead of an R), but I'm willing to let that slide since this was DeVito's first directed film (prior to this he'd directed several TV episodes). DeVito & Crystal play awesomely off each other & create believable characters, Anne Ramsey is excellent as Momma, and the rest of the cast is solid. I also especially appreciate the slapstick, which made me laugh even though I was expecting & anticipating it.

Very glad I watched this one again before it left Instant.

First viewing - Jan. 20th/21st

Yeah, it's good. Excellent performances & atmosphere with a pretty good story. Lots of memorable moments along the way & whatnot. And yet for some reason I wasn't completely blown away by it. Maybe that's because I wound up watching it in 2 sittings instead of one (not my intention, it just worked out I watched half of it Saturday night & the rest Sunday night). But while I did think it was excellent I'm just not as enamored with it as some/most others are I guess. Definitely worthy of its classic status.

First viewing - Jan. 22nd

Solidly entertaining, but otherwise I wasn't too impressed by it. In fact I found myself mocking it at times, though that may be due to my watching a comedy right before this one. And it's pretty amusing seeing Brits dismiss the possibility of a werewolf being among them, which had me thinking of An American Werewolf in London at times (and I have a feeling this was somewhat influential to that movie).

Worth a look if you're into old-school horror, but I wouldn't call it essential.

Just a thought: Now I've got Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" stuck in my head.

Re-watch - Jan. 24th

Yep, that's Steve Buscemi & Christian Slater. Julianne Moore is in this too. And yet of those the only one I recalled being in this was Christian Slater, probably because I haven't seen it since I watched it repeatedly on cable in the early '90s. And perhaps because of my pre-established connection with the film I thoroughly enjoyed it all over again. Sure, it's far from perfect & if I wanted to pick at it I could come up with reasons to like it less, but that seems unnecessary.

Unsure which tale is my favorite here. The first one is a lot of fun but not really scary. The second one has always creeped me out & can probably be in part to blame for my general dislike toward felines. And the third one was just entertaining if a bit predictable...oh & for it being a love story it could have been improved by hiring actors that actually have on-screen chemistry. As for the wraparound tale that binds them all together, well, that's probably my least favorite aspect of the film.

Still, I found it worth revisiting & now I probably won't have to watch it again unless I come across it.

First viewing - Jan. 30th

What a fucking chore. As much as I thoroughly enjoyed Three...Extremes, this one really tried my patience. I found myself mostly bouncing between boredom & mockery as all three of these tales took themselves deadly seriously without really doing much of anything else. Matter of fact, I even skipped past the 2nd tale midway through out of boredom with it. So unless you're a fan of the directors here (Kim Jee-woon, Peter Chan, & Nonzee Nimibutr) & have to see everything they've done for completion's sake, don't bother.

First viewing - Jan. 31st

I couldn't let myself end the month on such a low note as the film above, so I gave this one a shot since it was the only film left in my IQ that's leaving but I hadn't seen yet. And it turns out it was better, if not by much.

This is the 2nd of Jack Hill's films I've seen (the first being the excellent Spider Baby) & while it wasn't as good as the other one it's still solidly entertaining. Sid Haig and Pam Grier are the other reasons I gave this one a shot & both did a decent job in their respective roles (Haig being especially fun to watch). Overall the film is clearly an exploitation film, one of those women-in-prison things which is just a few steps away from being porn. But it's got a plot, though nothing exceptional & one that the ending renders somewhat pointless. Or maybe there was a message here that wasn't as well conveyed as they thought?

Whatever the case, I didn't regret the time spent watching this movie (all the eye candy does help) but I wouldn't watch it again nor strongly recommend it.