Celluloid #65

In Theaters

Antichrist (2009) von Trier - I cannot really blame anyone for walking out of this movie. It’s disgusting in a way that I had to avert my eyes several times, containing legitimately shocking, potentially scarring scenes. Lars Von Trier also keeps up his ongoing theme of misogyny. In so many of his films, the women characters are tortured to incredible ends. This time around, for a while I thought that maybe the woman would finally get her revenge…and in a way she does, but not without reminding you how terrible/inherently evil ladies are. The first three chapters are incredibly slow. Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg are mourning the death of their child. She’s grieving and he’s a therapist in addition to being her husband, and comes off as arrogant in his pseudo-intellectual speak. THEN, the fox comes around and all hell breaks loose. You realize that the first three chapters have served to lull you into complacency before everything goes apeshit. I think this film is worth watching for how provocative and potentially thought provoking it is, but you should know what you are getting yourself into…I myself would rather watch this film because of its unique perspective than most films out there (and it makes a good conversation starting point), but its definitely viewing that would only appeal to a very small audience. 4/5

In Home

Romero (1989) Duigan - Raul Julia plays an archbishop in war torn El Salvador. He follows "Liberation Theology" which focuses on social justice and working with the impoverished. During the 1980s, El Salavador was suffering from widespread violence. Many left the country and many were killed, including priests. This film's release was important in informing and shaping public opinion in the United States, and as an indirect result, our government at least temporarily stopped supplying El Salavador with weapons. 3.5/5

Year in Film Retrospective: 2007

10.) Death Proof (Quentin Tarantino)

9.) Lars and the Real Girl (Craig Gillespie)

8.) Darjeeling Limited (Wes Anderson)

7.) Sunshine (Danny Boyle)

6.) Control (Anton Corbijn)

5.) There Will Be Blood (P.T. Anderson)

4.) 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (Cristian Mungiu)

3.) Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (Andrew Dominik)

2.) Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnabel)

1.) No Country for Old Men (Coen Bros)

Year in Film Retrospective: 2006

10.) Away From Her (Sarah Polley)

9.) the Wind That Shakes the Barley (Ken Loach)

8.) Reprise (Joachim Trier)

7.) the Host (Joon-ho Bong)

6.) Brand Upon the Brain (Guy Maddin)

5.) Pan's Labyrinth (Guillermo del Toro)

4.) This is England (Shane Meadows)

3.) the Lives of Others (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)

2.) Children of Men (Alfonso Cuaron)

1.) After the Wedding (Susanne Bier)

Year in Film Retrospective: 2005

I've been starting to think about my top films of this year, which got me thinking about Top Tens from years past...here's some that have been missing from my repertoire:

10.) A History of Violence (David Cronenberg)

9.) Jarhead (Sam Mendes)

8.) Squid and the Whale (Noah Baumbach)

7.) Brick (Rian Johnson)

 6.)Batman Begins (Christopher Nolan)

5.) Match Point (Woody Allen)

4.) Grizzly Man (Werner Herzog)

3.) Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee)

2.) Cache (Michael Haneke)

1.) the Proposition (John Hillcoat)

Celluloid #64

In Home

Drag Me to Hell (2009) Raimi - Gross-out horror film featuring lots of puke. Christina won't grant an extension to a gypsy woman behind on her mortgage. In turn, the gypsy places a curse on Christina that stipulates a three day period before she is "dragged to hell." Full of gags--I liked the scene where the gypsy attempts to gum Christina to death. Fun for the genre. 3.5/5

the Official Story (1985) Puenzo - Argentinian film that's very similar to the more recent Cautiva. The story deals with how families were affected by the Argentinian "Dirty War" where political dissidents were "disappeared" and some babies were born in prison. Those babies were given to government loyalists who didn't ask questions. In this film, the mother of an adopted girl begins wondering about her daughter's origins and discovers more about her country and her husband than she cared to know. 4/5

the Saragossa Manuscript (1965) Has - Somethings about this film just wasn't working for me. I'm not sure if it was the length (3 hours), the fact that it's a Polish film about Spanish people, or just too much meandering in the plot. I fell asleep twice before abandoning it, but from what I could tell, it's a story about a famous story involving soldiers, ghosts, and sexy Muslim sisters. NA/5

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) Clayton - A carnival comes to town, and weird things start happening to the townspeople. Namely, their dreams start to come true, but with a dark twist. Also, Pam Grier plays a witch! 3.5/5

Celluloid #63

In Theaters

A Serious Man (2009) Coen - I really want other people to see this movie, so I can talk to someone about it. I think it's a good sign when you leave the theater and either want to pick someone's brain or turn around and sit back down for the next showing. A Jewish professor in his very Jewish Minnesota suburb is up for tenure. His life starts falling apart around him, and the story starts to resemble a modern-day telling of the Book of Job. It's also a dark, dark comedy with a strange introductory five minutes and an odd, but somehow fitting, ending. 4.5/5

Where the Wild Things Are (2009) Jonze -  I bought into the hipster nostaglia and wasn't all together disappointed. This film is aesthetically really cool. I liked the Andy Goldsworthy-styled structures. However, this film is also pretty much a feast for the eyes, with little substance. Elements of "the Age of Reason" when children start realizing their mortality, isolation, and loneliness creep in, and I appreciated that addition to tone. 4/5

In Home

American Me (1992) Olmos - I think this is the end of the "cholo" section of my film class.  American Me is famous for its graphic depiction of Chicano gang life and incarceration. There are no less than three ass-rapings that occur (only two inside prison). However, for a film trying to be raw, there's also a ridiculous amount of rhyming inner monologue, and overall just too cheesy. 1.5/5

Crash (1996) Cronenberg - Bizarro movie about a group of people who get really turned on by car crashes. Some people recreate famous car crashes, others just like having sex in damaged cars. This movie doesn't necessarily make that much sense, but I can appreciate its connection of sex and death, as well as the perverse side of Western Civilization. 4/5

Pom Poko (1994) Takahata - In this movie, something definitely gets lost in translation. Japan has its own folklore and mythos that I am assuming influence this movie to a large degree. At first it seems like the story will play out like an environmental plea against humans encroaching on other creatures' habitats. However, the movie morphs into something entirely different. Raccoons apparently possess magical powers, namely the ability to transform themselves, and to use their testicles as a way to fly or fight. 2/5

Watership Down (1979) Rosen - Probably the bloodiest children's movie you will ever watch. This stylishly trippy feature is about a group of rabbits that need to leave their warren due to an upcoming housing development. The rabbits encounter traps, dogs, railroad tracks, and hostile rabbits from another warren. Fiver acts as a prophet, and therefore this very British film is given a religious slant. 4/5

Celluloid #62

In Home

the Adventures of Mark Twain (1985) Vinton - A really cool and weird claymation representation of some of Mark Twain's stories. There are a couple scenes involving Adam and Eve and a bizarro vignette with "Death" on an island in space. Meanwhile, Mark Twain and his creations, Tom, Huck, and Becky are aboard an airship trying to catch Halley's Comet. 4.5/5

the Crying Game (1992) Jordan - A member of the IRA is keeping a British soldier hostage. Captor and Captive actually become friends when Jody (the hostage) asks his kidnapper to check on his girlfriend if anything happens to him. Tragedy strikes and Fergus (the IRA member) keeps his word. He ends up falling in love with Jody's girlfriend, when a pretty infamous revelation occurs. This film has a lot more going on than I imagined. 4/5

Jacob's Ladder (1990) Lyne - Jacob keeps having hallucinations and vivid nightmares. The narrative switches between his time stationed in Vietnam, the present day, and time spent with his family several years earlier. This film incorporates interesting visuals, some Biblical touchstones, and gets off on being mind-bending, however, the ending is such a disappointing cop-out. 3/5

the Neverending Story (1984) Petersen - When I was a kid, I remember watching two movies over and over again: Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and the Neverending Story. Around the age of 12, I abruptly stopped watching either...Anyway, 15 years later, I still love Falcor, the racing slugs, the Rock Biter, and how dark this movie is for children. The "Nothing", or a tangible lack of hope, is a feeling that persists for many into adulthood, and I love that this movie champions a humanism that can overcome despair. 5/5

Zoot Suit (1981) Valdez - A musical play about cholos in the 1940s, filmed entirely within the walls of the Palladium in Los Angeles...sound like a bad idea? It is. Really cheesy. Edward James Olmos plays a mystical "pachuco" devil-on-your-shoulder figure and Tyne Daly makes me cringe. 1.5/5