Celluloid #72

In Theaters

Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire (2009) Daniels - Story about a Harlem teenager facing the harshest of life circumstances. She lives in extreme poverty, practically illiterate, overweight, has one child with Down's syndrome, and pregnant with another kid. Both pregnancies are results from being raped by her father. The actual plot in this film revolves around Precious' new alternative school and the improvements she makes while attending there. The acting all the way around is quite good and the story avoids most sappiness and false hopes. 4/5

Up in the Air (2009) Reitman - So, I've been staying at my parents' house for the last week. We all wanted to go see a movie, but honestly my tastes and their tastes are at near opposite ends of the spectrum. That being said, this was a film that we all enjoyed. I don't think any of us thought it was amazing, but it had enough to merit watching. George Clooney plays a guy whose job is to fire people for other companies. He's the type of guy who takes pride in his work, and he feels most at home travelling around, working towards airline elite status. Natalie is a recent college graduate who tries to reduce costs by implementing a video conferencing model; a move that would threaten Ryan Bingham's (Clooney) way of life. While Bingham shows Natalie the ropes, the story incorporates musings about life and marriage. 3.5/5

In Home

Casino Royale (2006) Campell - My dad is pretty into action movies and has always been a fan of the James Bond films. I remember watching several marathons as a kid, but I have a hard time distinguishing one film from another. I enjoy this new style of Bond featuring Daniel Craig, and nearly eliminating the quippy one-liners and portraying Bond in a much more ambiguous light. It's very anti-hero, Bourne series-feeling. The story is probably always secondary to the stunts and the dashing style, and this film is no exception. The main story has to do with a high stakes card game, but the memorable parts have to do with racing around a construction site and lots of fighting. I also enjoyed Mads Mikkleson taking a turn as the villain. 4/5

Frozen River (2008) Hunt - A mother who is struggling financially comes across a Native American woman on the nearby Mohawk Reservation. That woman makes good money smuggling immigrants across the US/Canadian border. Ray collaborates with her for a while in order to get her kids Christmas presents and a new trailer. 4/5

In America (2002) Sheridan - Great drama about an Irish family who comes to New York to start over shortly after their youngest child dies. It's the early '80s and New York is still sketchy. The girls see events through an unique lens and befriend people normally considered undesirable in the neighborhood. I cried and cried watching this film (and I'm pretty sure that I've seen it years ago too), but I never felt like Sheridan was manipulating the tears. 4.5/5

the Limits of Control (2009) Jarmusch - I guess in a form of film watching revenge, my parents ended up watching this film with me. Technically labelled a thriller, but still slow paced and featuring a protagonist that rarely speaks. The film is very beautiful and I liked the soundtrack of Boris songs (Jarmusch is too cool for his own good sometimes). However, even though I love most of Jarmusch's filmography, this one was disappointing for me. The whole thing comes off like a giant scavenger hunt, where the man gets a clue, meets a character that philosophizes about film, or music, or bohemians, or science, and gives him another clue, where he meets another character, etc. Needless to say, my parents both fell asleep. 3/5

the Proposal (2009) Fletcher - So, like I said...staying at my parents' house, both my mom and my sister enjoy romantic comedies. This one in particular was very formulaic...you could predict the whole movie in the first two minutes. Sandra Bullock plays Ryan Reynold's bitchy boss. She's Canadian and about to get deported, so she forces her assistant to marry her by threatening to fire him. In order to convince INS that this isn't a sham marriage, she accompanies Andrew on his trip back home- to Sitka, Alaska. Wackiness ensues and of course they grow to love one another. Blah. 1/5

Sunshine Cleaning (2008) Jeffs - This was my sister's suggestion, incorporating her like of indie cutesy films. Amy Adams plays a single mom struggling to raise her son when she finds out about a job that pays pretty well. She has experience as a maid, and this job is essentially cleaning up crime and trauma scenes. You find out early on that her own mother was a suicide, and most of the film centers around her relationship with her sister, her father, and a few other people in the community. 3/5

Favorites of 2009

It is time for the annual listing of my favorite films released in the past year. Some titles may have been featured on critics' lists from last year, but they didn't play on a screen in the Bay Area until at least January. I was able to make it out to the theaters at least 26 times this year, and have watched more than 10 other films at home that also came out this year...These were the films that I enjoyed or affected me the most.

10.) Medicine for Melancholy (Barry Jenkins)

9.) An Education (Lone Scherfig)

8.) the Brothers Bloom (Rian Johnson)

7.) Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (Werner Herzog)

6.) Revanche (Gotz Spielmann)

5.) the Wrestler (Darren Aronofsky)

4.) Hunger (Steve McQueen)

3.) Moon (Duncan Jones)

2.) A Serious Man (Joel & Ethan Coen)

1.) Inglourious Basterds (Quentin Tarantino)

Art Garfunkel Memorial Reading List (July - December 2009)

1.) the Vulture & the Nigger Factory- Scott-Heron (7/14)

2.) the Invention of Morel- Casares (7/23)

3.) Under the Volcano - Lowry (8/10)

4.)  Easy Riders, Raging Bulls - Biskind (8/12)

5.) Drown - Diaz (8/22)

6.) Gravity's Rainbow - Pynchon (8/28)

7.) Switch Bitch - Dahl (9/8)

8.) Underground - Murakami (9/13)

9.) the Art of the Story - Halpern (9/16)

10.) Graceland - Abani (9/17)

11.) Ten Little Indians - Alexie (9/19)

12.) Gogol's Wife - Landolfi (9/29)

13.) the Bark Tree - Queneau (10/15)

14.) As She Climbed Across the Table - Lethem (10/16)

15.) Real Cost of Prisons Comix - Ahrens (10/19)

16.) Difficult Loves - Calvino (10/29)

17.) Quantity Theory of Insanity - Self (11/11)

18.) Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch - Dick (11/19)

19.) Harvest of Empire - Gonzalez (12/5)

20.) Thanksgiving Night - Bausch (12/5)

21.) Born in Flames - Hampton (12/10)

22.) History of Sexuality - Foucault (12/25)

23.) Divisadero - Ondaatje (12/25)

24.) High Rise - Ballard (12/28)

Highlights for the Year

Invention of Morel (Casares), Nowhere Man (Hemon), Death and the Penguin (Kurkov), Book of Laughter and Forgetting (Kundera), the Guiltless (Broch)

Highlights in Nonfiction

Kill All Your Darlings (Sante), Born in Flames (Hampton)

Total Books: 45

Celluloid #71

In Theaters

the Road (2009) Hillcoat - aka "The Most Depressing Film of the Year! (Decade?)" The "End of the World" has already happened, and a man and his son trudge along trying to find food and escape from cannibals and thieves. They head towards the coast, all though it is difficult to see how anything will be different there. This film is bleak- the colors are all grays and browns. Nick Cave provides another harrowing soundtrack (much like his contribution to another Hillcoat film the Proposition). Some of the most tragic scenes involve the man teaching his boy how to commit suicide with their pistol. If one can handle the heavy weight of this film, I think it is really well done, and worth watching. 4/5

In Home

Beat Girl (1960) Grenville - Total B-movie with lots of dancing, lip-synching, and angst. Jenny finds out that her new young stepmother used to be a stripper...and perhaps Jenny will become one too. In addition to the stripper storyline, there's a lot of talk about the generation gap, as these teenagers were born right as World War 2 was ending. 3.5/5

Dead Man (1995) Jarmusch - William Blake comes out West after his parents' deaths. The job he was promised has been filled and through the course of some events, he accidentally ends up killing the son of the factory boss in town. Blake is taken in by an American Indian who thinks Blake is the poet William Blake. This Blake's poetry now becomes his shooting. Very stylish, deliberately paced, funny, and extremely grotesque. I first saw this film while I was in college, and I still love it. 5/5

Five Days (2007) Curtis - I'm not really sure why my parents own this BBC/HBO co-production miniseries, but we've been watching it the last couple of nights. The story is a pretty simple detective story about a woman and her children who get abducted. Both children are discovered within days of the kidnapping, but the mother provides a bigger mystery. I thought the story was fine, but I'm not sure why it had to be stretched out to a five hour ordeal. 3/5

Medicine for Melancholy (2009) Jenkins - Definitely captures the San Francisco hipster experience (down to the lax hygiene and weed culture) and tackles the idea of modern romance (or lack thereof in some cases). Micah and Joanne have a drunken one-night stand that neither remembers the following morning, but after some time of embarrassment and awkwardness, the two decide to spend the day doing stuff around the city. In addition to this sorta love story, the film also addresses the complexities of race. Micah and Joanne are both black hipsters in a city where only 7% of the population is African-American; of that 7%, perhaps 1% is a part of their scene. They talk about gentrification and racial identity without coming off as preachy, and meanwhile hit up the MoAD and the Knockout. 4/5

Sugar (2009) Boden & Fleck - Sugar is a baseball player from the Dominican Republic. He gets called up to play in the minor leagues in the US. Immediately he is confronted with culture shock and a sizable language barrier. Under a lot of pressure, he succumbs to injury and a few bad games. He's all too aware that this arrangement in the leagues serves to use players until there's really nothing left, then send them back to wherever they came from. Also, filmmakers: stop using "Hallelujah" in your movies...even if it is in Spanish! Enough! 4/5

Superstar: the Karen Carpenter Story (1987) Haynes - Notorious biopic using Barbie Dolls to tell the story of the Carpenters and Karen's struggle with anorexia. The performance scenes are actually pretty amazing to watch. In between Barbie-acting, the film is interspersed with stylish found footage and facts about anorexia. It's pretty hard to find because Haynes never got permission to use Carpenter's songs legally, but such a fascinating approach to a usually boring genre. 4.5/5

Celluloid #70

In Home

the Cook, the Thief, his Wife, and Her Lover (1989) Greenaway - This has to be Greenaway's most controversial film. It takes place primarily in a restaurant where a pompous (and perhaps inadequate) thief, his wife, and his cronies dine nearly every night. The wife begins an affair with another patron. Outrageous revenges ensue. Some argue that the disgusting nature of this film is supposed to represent the excesses of capitalism or politics of Thatcherite England, but even if you don't want to read that in, the aesthetics are amazing and the film nothing short of memorable. 4.5/5

Greenaway: the Shorts (1969-78) Greenaway - Greenaway's early short films are detail-oriented and somehow scientific feeling, even though they include many pastoral scenes. One is about a bunch of maps given to an ornithologist, another about windows. Then there's the one about water and another about a phone call. A couple of the films are narrated in this proper English voice but the cadence becomes totally spastic. 4/5

Helter Skelter (1976) Gries - A made-for-TV movie about the Manson Family murders in 1969. Charles Manson believed himself to be Jesus Christ and attracted runaways and outcasts - mainly women. The quality of the film is pretty average, sometimes cheesy, but the story is so bizarro and compelling that it was able to hold my attention for the entire three hours. 3.5/5

Idiocracy (2006) Judge - A stupid film about stupid people. The premise that the world might becomes stupider because the upper class is reproducing at a much smaller rate than lower classes was intriguing to me. However, that means you are actually watching the stupidest people ever for an hour and a half. Jokes about damage to balls, replacing water with sports drinks, and grunting gets old after a while. 1.5/5

Opposite of Sex (1998) Roos - Christina Ricci plays a 16 year old terror who runs away from home to hit up her wealthy, gay half-brother and promptly seduces his boyfriend to cover up a pre-existing pregnancy. The film is totally snarky with a bratty voiceover narration and frequent breaking of the fourth wall. Surprisingly, I found the self-reflexivity enjoyable and only occasionally cheesy. 3.5/5

the Pervert's Guide to Cinema (2006) Fiennes - Zizek philosophizes about the "magic" and "reality" of films. His thesis seems to be that "we need the excuse of a fiction to show what we really are." He focuses on clips from Hitchcock, David Lynch, and Charlie Chaplin to back up his argument, meanwhile dissecting form, motifs, and our emotional attachment to images we only believe conditionally. 4/5

Celluloid #69

In Theaters

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) Anderson - I think stop motion animation will always be an enjoyable sight to see. It holds true for this film, especially in moments of scurrying or eating at fast speeds. In many ways this feels more like a children's film than the other hipster nostalgia film of the season, Where the Wild Things Are. A lot of the adult situations and dialogue will undoubtedly go over the heads of most kids, but at the same time, this is a pretty silly movie. The villains are cartoony and there's plenty of spectacle. 4/5

In Home

Atlantic City (1980) Malle - A failed, aging  mobster falls in love with a young woman who works at a casino. He seems like he just needs to prove his masculinity through his relationship with Sally and by offing a couple of bad guys. Sally is trying to make a life for herself in the wake of her estranged husband's death. I found the May-December relationship very unbelievable, but I know Malle has addressed similar themes in his French films to greater success. 3.5/5

Dark Habits (1983) Almodovar - Oh those crazy nuns with the heroin, acid, lesbianism, and erotic novels. Totally campy, encompassing the zaniest fantasies one could dream about a convent while kicking off Almodovar's filmography in fine fashion. 4/5

51 Birch Street (2006) Block - At first I was put off by the self-indulgent nature of this documentary. Who really finds their family so interesting to make a film about it? However, the issues surrounding how marriages function, ideas about love and romance, happiness, how one expresses themselves outwardly compared to inner emotions all proves to be pretty universal. I found myself fascinated by family dynamics, particularly between children and their parents. 3.5/5

the Hurt Locker (2009) Bigelow - A tense and seemingly realistic portrayal of the war in Iraq. We follow a group of soldiers who are responsible for dismantling bombs. While we might not know much about the soldier's individual backgrounds, its easy to see how war has affected their psychological make-up, rendering some useless for anything besides adrenaline-driven tasks, and other reduced to whiny babies. I appreciated the visual style, shifting from filmic artsy sequences to shakier digital-feeling scenes of combat. Lastly, without being too overt, the film makes the war look confusing and lacking in reasonable or tangible goals or objectives. 4/5

Like Water for Chocolate (1992) Arau - This was one of the first successful crossover films from Mexico. The novel and movie gained notoriety for their eroticism, especially linked with food. A daughter is prevented from marrying her love because her mother wants her to become her caretaker in old age. Because Tita is not allowed to express her emotions, she channels them through her cooking. When she is sad, her tears alter the recipe. When she bleeds into another dish, her pent up sexuality gets eaten by everyone else. I'll be writing a paper on this film in conjunction with the Cook, the Thief, the Wife, and her Lover in the next couple weeks. 4/5

Celluloid #68

In Theaters

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) Herzog - The trailer for this movie made it seem like the film was going to be totally ridiculous, and potentially terrible. You've got Nic Cage setting off red flags, Xzibit rolling around like a pimp, and what could have been a glorified "Law & Order" episode. That being said, this is like the craziest, druggiest, and most bizarro "Law & Order" that I have ever had the pleasure to watch. Nic Cage is totally over the top and out of his mind as the shady protagonist and I loved watching him and laughing more than I have in long time in the theater. Herzog doesn't fail to deliver his "adequate images" including nearly serenading iguanas, close-ups of crocodile roadkill, and a hilarious scene of someone's soul dancing. It's a campy, cop genre movie, and the plot itself could be fairly forgettable, but you will have a hard time not enjoying what appears on screen. 4.5/5

In Home

Cocaine Cowboys (2006) Corben - Whatever documentary about Miami. During the 1970s, the drug trade ran rampant, mainly due to a large unprotected coast. In the 1980s, things started getting ugly to the point where Miami became the most violent city in the United States. The documentary focuses a lot on how drug money pretty much built present-day Miami, and kept that city safe from recessions in the past. 2.5/5

Solo Con Tu Pareja (1991) Cuaron - A slutty yuppie dude goes around trying to sleep with as many ladies as possible. He hooks up with his nurse, but she quickly finds out about his scheming ways. As punishment, she alters his test results to make it seem like he's tested positive for AIDS. Meanwhile, he has legitimately fallen in love with his neighbor. 3.5/5

Celluloid #67

In Home

Fear of Fear (1975) Fassbinder - A woman has just had her second child and feels as if she is going crazy. Her husband does not take her seriously, her in-laws criticize her constantly, and even her doctor only seems to recommend sex with him as a remedy. She's afraid of some feeling...basically the worst post-partum depression ever. 3.5/5

Gabbeh (1997) Makmalbaf - A young Iranian woman wants to get married, but her father keeps coming up with excuses for postponement. A very colorful, beautiful, and simple tale featuring nomadic rug makers. 3.5/5

Goodbye Solo (2009) Bahrani - Solo is a charismatic African immigrant cab driver. William is an elderly man, a former biker, and seems on the verge of being ready to kill himself. William is one of Solo's regular clients and the two become friends at Solo's urging. Solo is a part of a community, and William desperately needs one. 3.5/5

Gun Crazy (1949) Lewis - Precursor to Bonnie and Clyde, where a gun enthusiast falls in love with a sharpshooter. Laurie has a shady past and convinces Bart that they should engage in bank robbing to maintain her lifestyle. He has a conscience and feels terrible about their crimes, but can't turn back and can't leave her. 4/5

Humpday (2009) Shelton - Ben's old friend Andrew drops by unexpectedly one night. Ben is married and living a pretty traditional life. Andrew lives more like a hippie; traveling around and hanging out with artists. At a party with some of Andrew's new friends, Ben and Andrew start talking about an amateur porn festival. Unbelievably, but somehow believably within the context of the conversation, the two decide that they should not only enter, but that they should fuck each other. Some bizarre one-up-manship at work. 3.5/5

Irma Vep (1997) Assayas - Meta movie about making a movie. The boy from 400 Blows has grown up to become the fake director in this film, and he wants to remake a 1919 silent film about vampires thieves with Hong Kong actress Maggie Cheung as the lead. Maggie plays herself and mostly walks around in a latex catsuit. A very stylish full of movie references that even manages to throw in some Sonic Youth. Very enjoyable, especially for anyone who knows a bit about the history of French cinema. 4/5

La Femme Nikita (1990) Besson - Very stylish French action film about a street punk girl sentenced to life in prison, but given the opportunity to work off her debt by becoming an assassin for the government. 4/5

Time Bandits (1981) Gilliam - A cross between Life of Brian, the Neverending Story, and Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure (I probably would have loved this movie as a kid!). A boy gets captured by a bunch of midget robbers who can time travel. They start out searching for famous artifacts to acquire wealth, but their mission morphs into saving the world from evil. 3/5

Test Pattern #2

Time for another installment of television shows that I have been watching for the past few months!

Breaking Bad (Season 2) - Walter and Jesse are struggling to find a good way to distribute and sell their quality meth. Walter's wife is becoming increasingly more suspicious of how Walt is spending his free time. Meanwhile, their family is still coping with Walter's cancer in addition to a new baby. Jesse has had a rough time as a drug lord, but does have a love interest this season. Still my favorite drug dealers, and this season is even better than the first.

Dexter (Season 3) - Jimmy Smits plays Miguel, Dexter's adversary this season. (A huge improvement from Lila in Season 2). Miguel is a crooked lawyer that seems sympathetic to Dexter's activities and moral code. Also, Dexter's girlfriend Rita (one of the most boring characters on the show) becomes pregnant. 

Mad Men (Season 3) - This show has yet to really disappointment me. This 1960s are progressing, and it's even more clear that the ideals of the 50s will have to move aside. Marilyn Monroe and JFK both die, causing huge shake-ups. Don and Betty's marriage continues to crumble and Don's secret life is not as secret as it used to be. I miss Joan this season, but Peggy has really come into her own.

Oz (Seasons 1-6) - Jon and I devoured all six seasons of HBO's first hour-long drama in a matter of a couple months. The Oswald State Penitentiary resides in a fictional town in upstate New York. "Emerald City" is the experimental wing of the prison consisting of see-through cells and rehabilitation programs. The show was notorious for male nudity and graphic depiction of prison rape, but rapes happens on screen far less than you would believe. The philosophical monologues were quite annoying and heavy-handed, but eased up as the seasons progressed. Very rarely are any of the characters completely evil or good. I found myself rooting for several inmates even though they commit heinous acts on screen, and if I had to pick the most evil person on the show, it would have to be the governor.

True Blood (Season 2) - This season the town of Bon Temps, LA had to deal with far more supernatural entities than vampires and shapeshifters. The mystical stuff got a little ridiculous (but I think any viewer would have accepted the over-the-top style of this show by now), but a religious war between fundamentalists and vampires also contributed to the story lines. Eric is playing a larger role and Bill is not looking quite as moodily-attractive as he did first season. 

Guilty Pleasures

These shows are real guilty pleasures..things that I am semi-embarrassed to admit that I watch, but at the same time provide entertainment and I look forward to them even though I know they damage my perceived credibility..haha.

America's Next Top Model (Cycle 13) - I have not been a regular viewer of this show until last cycle. Cycle 13 tackles short (under 5'7" and under) models. The girls are always ridiculous and annoying (they usually are only 18 or 19), but I always find a favorite or two to root for. The photoshoots are usually pretty cool (except for the odd semi-racist hybrid ethnicity shoot...what were the writers thinking?) and I get sucked into the competition. I personally have no delusions about becoming a model (too old, too short-even for this season, and enjoy eating and drinking too much) but I still can't help but look forward to watching Tyra be totally out of control and griping about the bitchy girls, looking at the clothes, styling, and pictures. The finale for this cycle is this week, and my two favorites actually made it to the end.

the O.C. (Season 1) - Two friends in Portland, whose tastes I respect, and Ira Glass from This American Life have all watched the O.C., or at least the first season. I also have a thing for shows about teenagers, even those with predictable drama, so it's not a big surprise that I would enjoy this show. I grew up not too far from where it is supposed to take place, so I recognize that most of Orange County is nothing like the lifestyle portrayed in the show. The kids are spoiled and the adults have mostly forgotten how anyone but the upper class lives. However, Sandy, the surfer-lawyer husband-dad is totally likeable and takes in Ryan, and kid from Chino, starting off the premise of the show. I don't know if I will get through all four seasons, but for high school soap opera, this show hits the spot.

Celluloid #66

In Theatres

An Education (2009) Scherfig - Even on a superficial level, there's plenty to like about this film: the style, the clothes, the cool nightclubs. However, I also found myself relating to Jenny quite a lot...not the whole older man aspect, but her opinions about life. This movie takes place in early 1960s England, years before any semblance of a feminist movement, but you can easily see Jenny as a proto-feminist. On one hand she wants to go to Oxford, and on the other, she wonders whether a degree will do her any real good as a woman. She wants to read what she wants, see art, travel, listen to what she wants, and have fun if she isn't allowed to do anything significant. Peter Sarsgaard is super cute and charming, yet plays the role of a sleazebag perfectly. It's not hard to see how Jenny could become enamored with him as the older man. 4/5

Men Who Stare at Goats (2009) Heslov - Well, I suppose this movie is fun if not instantly forgettable. Ewan McGregor plays a journalist whose marriage has failed so he decides to go to Iraq to prove he's a man and not a complete failure. While in Iraq trying to get a story, he meets Lyn, a former member of a top secret unit of the military focused on New Age influenced-ideas about peace, "remote viewing", and walking through walls. Incredibly silly. 3/5

In Home

Brother From Another Planet (1984) Sayles - A black-skinned alien slave lands in Harlem. He can't speak, but understands when spoken to. He goes through a period of assimilation, but a group of black dudes in a bar take him under their wings, pretty much just because he's black and  seems to need help. When his masters come to take him back, they have to face numerous concerned friends in Harlem. 3.5/5

the Flower of My Secret (1996) Almodovar - A romance novelist gets a job at a newspaper under a pseudonym. Meanwhile she's in love with her husband who's obviously away at war because he doesn't care for her anymore. Typical Almodovar soap opera-inspired stuff, but still completely entertaining and enjoyable. 4/5

the Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978) Olmi - A long film about the lives of a group of peasants in Lombardy, Italy circa 1900. The conflicts range from issues surrounding the crops, to what to do about an excess amount of children, to the ritual of courtship. While the film does a great job of showing people taking pleasure from simpler things, it does not come off as saccharine. 4/5

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

Celluloid #61

In Home

Boulevard Nights (1979) Pressman - We have now moved into the "cholo movies" portion of my film class. This movie was notable for employing Latino actors and for being one of the first Hollywood depictions of Latino-Americans (after West Side Story). Stereotypes surrounding gangs and car clubs abound, but overall not very offensive. It reminded me of a shorter, toned-down version of Blood In, Blood Out. 3.5/5

the Dark Crystal (1982) Oz - I'm not sure who exactly this movie was intended for...while it features a land of puppets and the aesthetic of 1980s kid movies, it's too boring and confusing for most children to enjoy. There are only two Gelflings left and they need to reunite a shard with the rest of its crystal before the three suns converge, or else they face extinction. Too bad the Gelflings are bland and a little dumb to really root for. 3/5

Labyrinth (1986) Henson - Jennifer Connelly plays a RenFayre obsessed teenager who wishes that the goblins would take her baby brother away...and they do. The only way she can rescue him is by completing a giant maze in 13 hours. Along the way she learns to ask straightforward questions and to stop taking things for granted. David Bowie and his oft-cited package do not disappoint. 4/5  

Celluloid #60

In Home

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967) Kramer - While I certainly applaud the social message of this film--that's exactly what this feels like: "a social issue movie." Rather than being impressed by the actors or entertained by the story, I felt like I was being taught a lesson about interracial love, accompanied by cheesy music. Poitier and Katharine Hepburn are both good, I think this film just hasn't dated that well. 3.5/5

Maitresse (1973) Schroeder - A man starts dating a woman who works as a dominatrix. At first, he's kinda into it, but becomes increasingly jealous. Gerard Depardieu plays the lead and it's fun to see him young and handsome, yet still looking like a bruiser. Despite the potential kinkiness, this film had a hard time holding my attention. 3/5

Memories of Underdevelopment (1968) Gutierrez Alea - Sergio's wife and family leave Cuba for the United States. He stays behind for unknown reasons. He's an intellectual who finds Europe superior to Cuba which is stuck in "underdevelopment." Not only does he possess condescending sentiments towards his countrymen, but doubly so towards women. A Cuban film that looks and feels like a French New Wave feature. 4.5/5

Portrait of Teresa (1979) Vega - Another film from my Latino film class. Teresa works at a factory, choreographs the Union's cultural dance group, and takes care of her family. She and her husband fight often about her being too busy, but he holds many macho ideals of that era. This is a film that champions the need for sexual equality and revised gender roles. It's also stylish. 4/5

Purple Rain (1984) Magnoli - I don't really care if this movie is just a vehicle to see multiple performances by Prince. The "Kid" is a musician in the Minneapolis scene. His parents fight constantly, and his mom is often beat up. He possesses an intense anger streak, and is falling in love with Apollonia. However, Apollonia has musical desires of her own. Basically, the plot is mostly forgettable...You watch this movie because Prince is oddly sexy for a small hairy man, and these songs are great. 4/5

Celluloid #59

In Home

Diva (1981) Beineix - Very stylish French mystery thriller about a young man obsessed with an opera singer. He makes an illegal recording of her concert for his own listening pleasure, but that recording later gets mistaken by criminals and the police department as a tape made by an informant in a sex trafficking ring. Also, some Taiwanese gangsters are really trying to get a hold of his recording. 4/5

Kings and Queen (2004) Desplechin - Similar to Desplechin's latest offering A Christmas Tale, in that a group of intertwined people have to deal with their shit in the face of tragedy. This particular story centers around Nora and the men in her life. Her dying father, her son, her son's father, her ex-lover, and her fiance. 4/5

Lost Highway (1997) Lynch - Easily seen as the beginning of the latest David Lynch era that includes the films Mulholland Drive and Inland Empire, all though this film does make a little more sense and follows a somewhat cohesive story (only somewhat though...). A couple receives a videotape in the mail of themselves in their own house sleeping. The wife (a very attractive-looking Patricia Arquette) dies and her husband Fred is sentenced to death for her murder. In jail, Fred takes some drugs and physically changes into a different person. This new person is a young mechanic who also falls in love with someone who looks like Patricia Arquette. 4/5

Night of the Hunter (1955) Laughton - Movie that features the famed "Hate" and "Love" knuckles. A fake preacher gets locked up. While incarcerated, he overhears his cellmate talking about stashed money in his sleep. Upon his release, Powell attempts to find the location of the cash by courting his cellmate's wife and trying to get chummy with the kids. Little Johnny isn't having it though...4/5

Robocop (1987) Verhoeven - A cop gets killed on duty and his corpse is given a total body prosthetic. He becomes a robot with a human face and retains some mannerisms from his previous life. He is programmed to be a more effective means to control crime. Robocop realizes what happened to him while he was alive and seeks to get revenge on those who killed him. Unfortunately, some of the higher-ups responsible for his design are also implicated. 4/5

Salt of the Earth (1954) Biberman - A film made by one of the Hollywood Ten directors about a zinc miners' strike in New Mexico. The strikers are Mexican-American and eventually the women in the town have to take over the strike. Melodramatic in music and speeches, so a little cheesy at times. This film was banned upon release and only shown in extremely limited capacity in the early 1970s due to its perceived Communist agenda. 3/5

Taboo (1999) Oshima - Two young recruits enter into a samurai militia. One is quite effeminate and the two become lovers. Many senior officers also attempt to court Kano, but he rebuffs them all. 3.5/5

Celluloid #58

In Theaters

Away We Go (2009) Mendes - During my recent trip to Portland, friends and I decided to see a movie. Lack of decent fare, and indecision, led to a viewing of Away We Go. I already had doubts just watching the trailer, but it wasn't worth arguing about for the $3 admission. Anyway, a dumb movie featuring some of the most irritating supporting characters to grace the screen. Even the protagonists are not particularly likeable, suffering from dopeyness or blandness. The story is trite, cutesy, too forcefully trying to appeal to my demographic, and above all cheesy- not that one should expect differently from a Eggers/Mendes pairing of writer and director. 1.5/5

In Home

Adventureland (2009) Mottola - James comes home after college and needs to save up money for grad school. He has no real work experience so ends up at the local amusement park, Adventureland. He meets Em and promptly falls in love. She has a more troubled life than he realizes. Not a very deep film, but enjoyable enough, and features a great soundtrack. 3.5/5

the Child (2005) Dardenne - Bruno is immature and thinks only of himself. He makes money by stealing and selling things and says that jobs are for fuckers. It's telling that his main associates are kids. He hits an all-time low when he sells his 9 day-old son without his girlfriend's consent.  4/5

Element of Crime (1984) von Trier - A detective undergoes hypnosis in order to solve the case of Harry Gray. By retracing the serial killer's path, he ends up meeting a prostitute and the mother of Harry's child. Very dark--a little in the vein of Blade Runner, but also clearly influenced by film noir. 3.5/5

the Pornographers (1966) Imamura - Bizarre imagery permeates this story of a family whose dad and husband has recently died. The wife starts sleeping with a new man who makes his living producing pornography. Her children are selfish and terrible, but this is a film where no one walks away blameless. 3.5/5

the Princess and the Warrior (2001) Tykwer - A nurse falls in love with a troubled hoodlum after she gets run over by a semi. Bodo saves her life, and she cannot stop dreaming about him. Sissi's life has been smothered by working for an insane asylum, so she longs for a change. When she locates Bodo, he wants nothing to do with her, but she is quite persistent. 3.5/5

the Wind Will Carry Us (1999) Kiarostami - An engineer leaves for an isolated village. He befriends a young boy whose grandmother is dying. Meanwhile he gets to know some other people in the community. That's it. Really nothing happens. 2.5/5

Wolf Creek (2004) McLean - A group of friends decide to go backpacking in isolated Western Australia. After reaching their destination at Wolf Creek, their car battery dies and they are forced to accept help from a local man. He's a serial killer...obviously. Based on a true story, very simple plot, but well done for the genre. 3/5

Celluloid #57

In Theaters

District 9 (2009) Blomkamp - An alien ship stops over Johannesburg, and once evacuated, the aliens are placed in refugee-style camps segregated from other South Africans. The first half of the movie sets up characters, history, and intersperses documentary-style footage with more traditional scenes. The second half gets a bit boring for me when the relentless gunfire and explosions take the forefront, but without much plot advancement. Many critics have tried to find an allegory regarding apartheid...a notion that makes sense given the setting, but a problematic correlation--the aliens don't outnumber the South Africans, they don't want to be in South Africa, and they are destructive to the point that it even makes sense for their segregation. I can go along with the idea that this film is smarter than your average blockbuster, but overall I found it lacking. 3/5

Inglourious Basterds (2009) Tarantino - A fictional tale about a group of misfit and Jewish soldiers and their plot the kill the most notorious Nazis. The "Basterds" are presented as an ultraviolent arm of the secret service. Brad Pitt is funny and the Nazi Exploitation is so over the top, that you can't help getting a little pumped. There are a few elements that seem really out of place (Mike Myers, I'm looking at you) but in general a really fun, silly, gory movie. 4/5

In Home

Beau Travail (1999) Denis - Stylish film about French legionaires stationed in North Africa. One soldier, Sentain, is a particular favorite of the troop and the senior officer, but not his immediate supervisor. Interesting use if the soundtrack, beautiful scenes, and a worthwhile climax after so much tension...plus any movie featuring a crazy dance scene brightens my day. 4/5

the Boys of Baraka (2005) Ewing - This is a documentary about a group of middle school boys from Baltimore chosen to participate in a program in Kenya. It's fun to see the boys act like boys (picking up lizards) rather than junior thugs. Unfortunately, the program was supposed to last two years, but the school closed after the first year due to security issues. This makes the documentary much less interesting and made me upset for the boys...adding one more disappointment to their lives. 3.5./5

the Brave One (2007) Jordan - A revenge vigilante film, much in the vein of Ms. 45, but takes itself way too seriously. Erica and her boyfriend are beaten up--she ends up in a coma for a few weeks, but he dies. She gets herself a gun, and instantly a ton of bad things begin to happen around her. Erica also intentionally places herself in dangerous situations where she inevitably ends up killing a bunch of criminals. 3/5

Kikujiro (1999) Kitano - A little kid wants to see his mother during his summer break. His retired gangster neighbor agrees to take him, but with plenty of detours along the way. The music is cheesy, and the movie most resembles a Disney live-action picture. A very disappointing and out-of-character movie for Kitano. 2/5

Manderlay (2005) von Trier - First off, this is basically the sequel to Dogville...and if you hated that, you probably won't like this either. It's filmed in the same basic style (no real set, houses marked by lines on the floor, looks like a play, etc.). The story this time deals with a slave colony in the Deep South in the 1930s. Grace, a young woman, decides to emancipate the slaves and write up deeds to the land. She thinks she knows best and is being helpful, but turns preachy about "democracy" and "liberation." Throw in a dose of fetishism on her part, and ultimately she proves to cause more problems than good. 3/5

Sweet and Lowdown (1999) Allen - Emmett Ray is a fictional character known as "the second best guitarist in the world." The film is set during the Depression and plays out like a biopic. Lots of oranges, browns, and reds, and a great couple of supporting actresses (Samantha Morton & Uma Thurman). 3.5/5

Year in Film Retrospective: the 1990s

So, I've realized that I can't really play along any more with Filmspotting's "Top Films of such-and-such year" because before the year 2000, I wasn't even 18, and was barely watching enough current movies to fill up a Top 5, let alone a Top 10. However, I do have a certain appreciation for the '90s as they comprise my formative years (age 7 at the start of 1990 and barely 17 by the end of 1999, all though my first viewing of many of these films occurred years later)...so to finish up this feature, I present my top 50 for the entire decade...

All About My Mother - Almodovar (1999)

Audition - Miike (1999)

Babe - Noonan (1995)

Barton Fink - Coen (1991)

Beauty and the Beast - Trousdale (1991)

Being John Malkovich - Jonze (1999)

the Big Lebowski - Coen (1998)

Blue - Kielslowski (1993)

Bottle Rocket - Anderson (1994)

Boyz N the Hood - Singleton (1991)

Breaking the Waves - von Trier (1996)

Buffalo '66 - Gallo (1998) 

the Celebration - Vinterberg (1998)

the City of Lost Children - Jeunet (1995)

Clueless - Heckerling (1995)

Dark City - Proyas (1998)

Dead Man - Jarmusch (1995)

Delicatessen - Jeunet (1991)

Fargo - Coen (1996)

Fight Club - Fincher (1999)

Funny Games - Haneke (1997)

Gattaca - Niccol (1997)

Ghost Dog - Jarmusch (1999)

Glengarry Glen Ross - Foley (1992)

la Haine - Kassovitz (1995)

Hoop Dreams - James (1994)

the Iron Giant - Bird (1999)

Jackie Brown - Tarantino (1997)

Jurassic Park - Spielberg (1993)

Live Flesh - Almodovar (1997)

Magnolia - Anderson (1999)

the Matrix - Wachowski (1999)

Night on Earth - Jarmusch (1991)

Pi - Aronofsky (1998)

the Piano - Campion (1993)

Pulp Fiction - Tarantino (1994)

Red - Kielslowski (1994)

Reservoir Dogs - Tarantino (1992)

Rushmore - Anderson (1998)

the Sandlot - Evans (1993)

the Shawshank Redemption - Darabont (1994)

Slacker - Linklater (1991)

Total Recall - Verhoeven (1990)

Toy Story - Lasseter (1995)

12 Monkeys - Gilliam (1995)

Underground - Kusturica (1995)

the Virgin Suicides - Coppola (1999)

White - Kielslowski (1994)

Wild at Heart - Lynch (1990)

Honorable Mentions to Kids (1995) and Gummo (1997)...both of which I find to be memorable, and to be appreciated on some level. However, both films also make me want to vomit.

Celluloid #56

In Theaters

Thirst (2009) Park - This film was a bit of a disappointment for me, considering how great Chan Wook Park's films are normally. A priest volunteers to get infected with a deadly disease in order to help people. He survives because his blood transfusion contains "vampire cells." Unfortunately for Park, this film suffers a bit just because of its timing; I'm already getting burnt out on vampires due to their increased exposure since last year's Let the Right One In, Twilight (which I haven't seen, but still permeates pop culture), and HBO's True Blood. Despite the possibly of oversaturation, I was interested in Park's Korean take on vampire mythology. What really turned me off about this film was its repetitive nature. The sex scenes are awkward (which was fine with me) but too numerous, and I lost count of how many times we see the priest noisily suck someone's blood. I get the point...I don't need to see variations on the same image twenty times. Lastly, this film is on the long side- somewhere around 2 hours and 15 minutes, only frustrating because the movie felt like it could have ended at two distinct times before it actually does. Aesthetically, it still looks great, and possibly I would enjoy it better at a time when vampires aren't the latest trend, but for now I think it's only okay. 3/5

In Home

la Commare Secca (1962) Bertolucci - A woman is killed and the various suspects are interviewed by the authorities. Each version of the story is played out on screen in an effort to discover the real murderer. 3.5/5

the Iron Giant (1999) Bird - In 1950s Maine, a boy makes friends with a giant robot of unknown origin. The late 50s were a time where Sputnik and the Bomb were part of the general zeitgeist. The government wants to destroy the robot for no reason other than the belief that the robot could not have originated in the United States, and therefore poses a threat. Strong humanistic themes of anti-gun, anti-violence, and anti-revenge. One of the best animated films I have seen. 4.5/5

the Reader (2008) Daldry - A 15 year-old boy has an affair with an older woman who turns out to have been an illiterate Nazi guard. He initially meets her years after the end of the Holocaust and doesn't discover her secret until he's in law school and she's on trial for her role in killing Jews. Supposed to be an emotionally charged film, but ultimately falls very flat. 3/5

Superfly (1972) Parks - I love Curtis Mayfield, but "Superfly" isn't even my favorite of his albums. Super low budget movie about a coke dealer trying to make one last score so he can quit for good. However, this is perhaps the slowest moving exploitation movie I have ever seen. 2/5

the Way of the Gun (2000) MacQuarrie - Two inexperienced criminals kidnap a pregnant woman believed to be a surrogate for a rich family. Very violent film that seems like it's trying to make some kind of point, but ultimately doesn't amount to much of anything. 2.5/5

Year in Film Retrospective: 2000

10.) Little Otik (Jan Svankmajer)
9.) the Day I Became a Woman (Marzieh Meshkini)
8.) O Brother, Where Art Thou? (Joel Coen)
7.) Memento (Christopher Nolan)
6.) Amores Perros (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu)
5.) Battle Royale (Kinji Fukasaki) & Wild Zero (Tetsuro Takeuchi)
4.) Sexy Beast (Jonathan Glazer)
3.) Werckmeister Harmonies (Bela Tarr)
2.) In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar Wai)
1.) Devils on the Doorstep (Jiang Wen)

Celluloid #55

In Home

the Circle (2000) Panahi - A group of women escape from prison for unnamed crimes. One is seeking an abortion, and they all run into numerous obstacles at every turn. Women are not allowed to travel or stay in hotels without the accompaniment of a man. A bleak portrait of fundamentalist Iran. 3.5/5

Hard Candy (2005) Slade - At first this movie seems like it was going down the path of an Internet predator taking advantage of a young girl. Instead the tables are turned a bit and could have ventured into Audition-like territory, but unfortunately has a heavy-handed agenda and takes itself way too seriously. It's stylish, but the dialogue is terrible. 2/5

Mysterious Object at Noon (2000) Weerasethakul - This Thai film takes inspiration from the Surrealist game "Exquisite Corpse," where one person begins telling a story and different people continue the story. This narrative happens to focus around a young crippled boy and his teacher, but the film itself often breaks the 4th Wall by showing the director, talking about shots, having characters break scene, etc. 3/5

Tears of the Black Tiger (2000) Sasanatieng - Another Thai film, but completely opposite in tone. Tears is full of saturated colors; and homage to technicolor and spaghetti westerns. At times, the set reminded me of "Pee Wee's Playhouse." Basically a silly, cartoonish love story about childhood friends who promise to wait for one another. The girl is upper class and her father wants to marry her off. The boy is from a lower class has to resort to a life as a gunslinger after his father dies. Hilarious the amount of times the girl needs to be saved. 4/5

Celluloid #54

In Theaters

(500) Days of Summer (2009) Webb - Last week was a very long and frustrating week at work. By the time I got off on Friday, all I wanted to do was watch something a little dumb. 500 Days may have fit the bill a little too well...Tom meets Summer. They have a several month relationship, break up, and Tom is left to deal with his emotions. Basically, a super gimmicky hipster romantic comedy. I was more than a little irritated with the voice over narration and yet another love story based on the idea of love being "fate" or "destiny." Also, the ending pretty much made me want to barf. Despite all of that, I didn't completely hate the movie. If one can shut their brain off from the usual influx of cynicism, there are plenty of enjoyable bits in the film. Also, Joseph Gordon Levitt is pretty darn cute, as is Zooey Deschanel (all though I still think she's highly overrated). 3/5

In Home

the Day I Became a Woman (2000) Meshkini - Three stories told by the sea about women at various stages in their lives. 1.) A girl turns 9, the age when you become a woman. She pleads for one more hour of her childhood where she can be free to play. 2) A woman participates in a bicycle race and disobeys her husband when he tells her to get off the bike. 3.) An old lady inherits a bunch of money and proceeds to go on a spending spree for all the things she never had in her life. However, she doesn't have a good place for her goods, and for a time they end up spread over a beach. Each plot line is really simple, but the scenes and visuals are very striking. 4.5/5

Lust, Caution (2007) Lee - For once, Tony Leung plays a villain! A group of college students get involved in a resistance movement set on assassinating Chinese traitors. Wong Chia Chi goes undercover in order to seduce the main target and become his mistress. They have an erotic/violent affair where neither seems to completely trust the other, and yet something akin to love begins to develop. 4/5

Songs From the Second Floor (2000) Andersson - Sweden's economy is collapsing and people are taking desperate measures including arson and child sacrifice. The film is totally absurd, full of fascinating scenes, and often makes very little overt sense. Interestingly, you barely see anybody's face close up. 3.5/5

Suzhou River (2000) Lou - the River is supposed to be a place full of stories and myths. This particular story is a love story about Mardar (a motorcycle messenger) and Moudan (one of his customer's daughters). They fall in love, but Mardar is forced to hold Moudan for ransom and she jumps off a bridge. Meanwhile, Meimei works as a "mermaid" in a nightclub, and looks exactly like Moudan. 3.5/5

Taken (2009) Morel - Liam Neeson's daughter gets kidnapped...and then he goes fucking batshit crazy. (Seriously. I think he kills like a 100 people). 3.5/5

Together (2000) Moodysson - A bunch of Swedish hippies live in a commune in the 1970s. The sister of one of the members moves in with her children in order to escape her abusive husband. The hippies seem weird to the kids, especially with their politics, free love, homosexuality, vegetarianism, etc. However, while the film pokes fun at the hippies a little, it also stresses that people aren't meant to be alone. 4/5

Epilogue to Test Pattern #1

Apparently, as a Mad Men character, I would be a drink stealer...

http://www.amctv.com/originals/madmen/madmenyourself/

Test Pattern #1

For over a year, I have been writing my brief weekly reviews of the films I have watched in the previous week. Admittedly, I am a film junkie, but sometimes my film-watching habits get derailed by another related pastime: TV. After this week, I will probably return to my usual format, but every once in a while, I would like to share my other viewing activities.

There are a couple shows that I watch as the episodes air on television, but many others that are consumed in giant chunks via DVD. I really don't think that I actually got a chance to watch a real film this past week, and I primarily chalk that up to my Mad Men obsession (my roommate and I watched 7 episodes on Sunday). Here are the series that I have enjoyed in the past months:

Breaking Bad (Season 1) - A high school chemistry teacher realizes that he has cancer and potentially has only a couple more years to live. He is worried about leaving his family with enough money to survive and begins to look for an easy way to make some more cash. The answer: making meth with one of his former students.

Flight of the Conchords (Season 2) - Honestly, the first half of the first season of this show will probably always be the best, but I enjoy watching Bret and Jemaine be hipsters around New York. Supporting actors get to contribute a lot more to the songs this time around (to mixed success). I think the episode about Bret buying a new cup is a highlight. Silly and at 20 minutes a sitting, why not give in?

Friday Night Lights (Season 3) - This is the show that I am probably most embarrassed to admit watching to other people. However, I will easily stand by the opinion that the first season is really good. A football game probably does happen every episode, but takes up 5 minutes out of 45. And yes, the actors playing the high school students are all in their 20s and ridiculously attractive. That being said, production-wise, this show looks great. Story wise, it's more about life in a small town--regular drama, racism, sexism, community, etc. The second season took some unbelievable/cheesy turns, but I cannot say the same for this third season; if anything it is a return to form. By now, I have quite a bit invested in these characters and it was hard to hold back the tears some episodes...it is a show that I wish some people would give a chance.

Mad Men (Season 2) - Still continuing the stylish loose storylines of the first season... I love the clothes, I love the characters, and I even love how the show makes drinking and smoking look so appealing. As the audience, we still don't know much about Don Draper's secret life, and things are shaking up in the office. Peggy is learning how to deal with the boys' club and we see a less bitchy side of Joan on the occasion (all though I love her sass). I think if people have any complaints about this show, it's that it can seem like not much happens plot wise...I think it's deliberately paced and enough to grab onto, and really, such a great piece of television.

the Office (Season 5) - A popular favorite, and one of the only shows I watch when it airs. Season 5 has its moments, but ever since Jim and Pam have gotten together, I think a lot of the tension this show thrives on is missing. The side plot around Michael Scott's Paper Company made for some laughs, but ultimately seemed a bit like filler. I like what's (not) going on with Holly, and I appreciated the presence of Charles Minor for his brief tenure as the straight-man. I'm still looking forward to watching season 6, but I think it's possible that the show has already passed its peak.

30 Rock (Seasons 1,2, & 3) - I just started watching 30 Rock this year, originally because it comes on directly after the Office, but now it makes me laugh more consistently than the other show. I caught up with the first two seasons online. There is really no point in summarizing the plot or storylines of this show...really, you just need to see how Kenneth views the world in Muppets. If that doesn't make you crack up, then there probably isn't much here for you.

Transgeneration - This was a Sundance channel documentary series that aired a few years ago. It follows four college students that are identified as transgendered, and observes their process of taking hormones, or prepping for sex reassignment surgery, and probably most fascinating--coping with being in college, dealing with family, making friends in a society still mostly afraid or hostile to their presence.

True Blood (Season 1) - Vampires are now a part of society, fighting for their rights, and living mixed in among humans. Sookie Stackhouse is a waitress who falls in love with Bill, a 200+ year -old vampire. Not all vampires are interested in conforming, and many are scapegoated for murders and violent crimes. During the first season, a series of murders takes place in Bon Temps, Louisiana. I love the campiness of this show, and the Southern Gothic element. The magical stuff, and the feeling that nearly every one in this town has supernatural powers, at times puts me off, but ultimately I couldn't watch this season fast enough. I'm in the middle of the second season now, and while I still enjoy it, something seems off, but I'm reserving complete judgment until the end.

Twin Peaks (Season 1 & 2) - Classic David Lynch creepiness combined with humor, visual dreamlike sequences, characters to attach to, and a decent murder mystery that jumps the rails sometime during the first season. Laura Palmer was a 17 year-old homecoming queen, murdered at the outset of the show. Special Agent Dale Cooper is brought in to solve her case, as the local police department might have 3 employees. Even though it's clear that the show gets super weird while David Lynch was away filming Wild at Heart during the second season, it shouldn't feel like an abrupt change considering how bizarro this show gets on a regular basis...you just have to go with it. I loved it, but could not stop being amazed that this ever actually aired on prime time network television.

Celluloid #53

In Home

In the Mood for Love (2000) Wong - Two neighbors become friends after realizing that their spouses are having an affair. Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung have to be two of the most attractive people ever and Maggie has the BEST dresses in this film. It is a moving story about people who fall in love, but have a strong sense of character...in addition it is a gorgeous film to look at. 5/5

71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (1994) Haneke - I have a sneaking suspicion that I may have seen this Haneke film before...even so, I couldn't really remember it, nor do I place it with the best of his work. Intertwining stories about a 19 year-old student, a family adopting a girl, an unhappy couple with a newborn, and a teenage runaway from Bosnia. Experimental and of course, a bit shocking. 3.5/5

Thin Blue Line (1988) Morris - A documentary about a man falsely accused of murdering a cop. Randall is targeted essentially for being a bit of a drifter, and because the other likely suspect was a sixteen year-old kid. Compelling to watch even if it comes off a bit in the vein of a 20/20 investigative report. 4/5

Celluloid #52

In Home

the Believer (2001) Bean - Danny is a neo-Nazi, but secretly grew up Jewish. His background sets the film up for a severe conflict of beliefs and an incredible amount of self-hatred. Ryan Gosling is good, but so much of the movie is totally unbelievable, plus, I still can't stand slow motion effects. 3.25/5

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) Meyer - Russ Meyer loves boobs! This film is notorious for being partially written by Roger Ebert. Three girls in a rock band from Texas drive out to L.A. There's plenty of money, drugs, betrayal, and murders going around...enough to keep things campy, but it wasn't as much fun as I would have liked and the voice over at the end made me want to tear my ears off. 3/5

the Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant (1972) Fassbinder - This is a film comprised entirely of ladies. Petra is a recently divorced fashion designer who treats her assistant like shit and falls in love with her new model. The two become lovers for a while, but when Karin decides to return to her husband, Petra has a complete meltdown. 3/5

Mad Max (1979) Miller - Apocalyptic Australian film where gangs race around in souped up cars. Mel Gibson plays Max, a motorcycle cop, who manages to kill one gang's ringleader. For the rest of the film, the gang seeks revenge, specifically aimed at Max's wife and young son. Admittedly, this movie doesn't always make the most coherent sense, but for car racing, explosions, and clear-cut villains and heroes, it satiates. 3.5/5

Or: My Treasure (2005) Yedaya - An Israeli film about a sixteen year old who tries to take care of her mother, an aging prostitute. Or works so much that she barely has time to attend school, but her mother will not stop "working." Seeing that pursuing legit means of making money will not provide enough cash flow in the house, Or resorts to using her own body in order to make ends meet and to protect her mother. 3.5/5

Role Models (2008) Wain - So, I was definitely two Black Velvets deep while watching this movie, and therefore probably laughed a lot more than this movie deserved. Made by the same team responsible for Wet Hot American Summer, a cranky Paul Rudd and ever-doofy Seann William Scott are court-ordered to perform community service as participants in a Big Brother-type program...silliness ensues. 4/5

Videodrome (1983) Cronenberg - Sharing many themes as Cronenberg's later film Existenz, but without so many painful twists. In this film, a video induces hallucinations, turning people with "sick fascinations" into assassins or worse. Cronenberg is still messing with the perception of reality and hung up on technology as a means of destruction of the flesh. We also still get grotesque, fleshy effects, namely inserting VHS cassettes into a slot in one's stomach. Also, Debbie Harry makes her film debut (as a brunette). 3.5/5

Art Garfunkel Memorial Reading List (January - June 2009)

1.) In the Heart of the Heart of the Country - Gass (1/5)

2.) Murphy - Beckett (1/11)

3.) Bottomless Belly Button - Shaw (1/19)

4.) Kill All Your Darlings - Sante (1/21)

5.) the Group - Mary McCarthy (1/27)

6.) Out Stealing Horses - Petterson (2/3)

7.) Watchmen - Moore (2/4)

8.) Helen and Desire - Trocchi (2/4)

9.) Real Life of Sebastian Knight - Nabokov (2/16)

10.) Death and the Penguin - Kurkov (2/22)

11.) the New York Trilogy - Auster (3/18)

12.) the Guiltless - Broch (3/23)

13.) Book of Laughter and Forgetting - Kundera (4/5)

14.) Plainsong - Haruf (4/26)

15.) Midnight's Children - Rushdie (5/18)

16.) Spring Snow - Mishima (5/25)

17.) At Swim-Two-Birds - O'Brien (5/28)

18.) Pussy, King of the Pirates - Acker (6/3)

19.) the Immoralist - Gide (6/10)

20.) Cosmicomics - Calvino (6/15)

21.) Nowhere Man - Hemon (6/26)

Year in Film Retrospective: 2001

10.) Ichi the Killer (Takashi Miike)
9.) Fat Girl (Catherine Breillat)
8.) Mulholland Drive (David Lynch)
7.) Y tu mama tambien (Alfonso Cuaron)
6.) Ghost World (Terry Zwigoff)
5.) Happiness of the Katakuris (Takashi Miike)
4.) Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet)
3.) the Man Who Wasn't There (Joel Coen)
2.) the Piano Teacher (Michael Haneke)
1.) the Royal Tenenbaums (Wes Anderson)

Celluloid #51

In Theaters

Moon (2009) Jones - Moon is a "space madness" movie that starts off seeming like a potentially derivative hybrid of 2001 and Solaris, but instead recognizes that viewers will likely be familiar with those films and toys with the audience's pre-conceived notions. It's hard to talk about this film without giving things away, so I will just say this: It's David Bowie's son's debut feature film. I enjoyed the low-budget aesthetic (as opposed to shiny looks/CGI expected of modern sci-fi). I thought Sam Rockwell was enjoyable as the nearly sole actor. I also got in an argument with a strange older lady in Berkeley, who acted like she was confused about certain aspects and wanted to ask a question, but when said questions were answered, she countered with nonsensical data and had to be told that she must not have been paying attention...Irregardless, I liked the film a lot upon exiting the theater, and perhaps even increasingly in the days that have passed. 4.5/5

In Home

All About Lily Chou-Chou (2001) Iwai - One teenager is obsessed with a pop star named "Lily." Her music is a bit dark and strange and her fans communicate using Internet message boards and chat rooms. This film follows a class of students from middle school to their first year in high school. Each student has a screen name and uses the message boards. They are changing and becoming more rebellious; shoplifting and jumping each other. I got bored with the Internet gimmick after a while and the story also had problems keeping my interest. 3/5

Baran (2001) Majidi - Iranian film about workers at a construction site; namely focusing on Latif and Rahmat. Latif is 17 and Iranian. Rahmat is also young, but Afghani and considered an illegal worker, and thus gets paid a lower wage, has to travel far distances just to reach work, and has zero job security. Latif makes several mistakes in his job to the point of demotion. His position is given to Rahmat. At first, Latif is furious, but when he learns that Rahmat is actually a female in disguise, trying to support her family, he begins feeling extremely sympathetic. 3.5/5

Man Bites Dog (1992) Poelvoorde - A satirical Belgian mockumentary about a serial murderer. He goes around killing senselessly while his film crew captures everything. At first the crew is merely witness to these crimes, but as time passes they become increasingly involved. The film plays with ideas of violence and how the media perpetuates it. 3.5/5

Paris is Burning (1990) Livingston - Famous documentary about the tight-knit gay scene in Harlem. The scene revolves around "Balls" where individuals do a version of walking the runway in a variety of categories ranging from drag queens to dressing like business executives to "realness" (being able to pass as straight). This particular scene is also famous for the dance battles involving "vogueing." The documentary is fairly short and quite engrossing. 4/5

Celluloid #50

In Theaters

Up (2009) Docter - An old man decides to move his entire house to Paradise Falls; a place he and his late wife had dreamed of adventuring to since their childhoods. Carl is accompanied by a young wilderness explorer, a giant bird, and a dog that can speak in a human voice. I felt a little silly crying at least three separate times behind my 3-D glasses, but when it comes down to it, the film is dealing with pretty universally sad situations...losing your loved one, not fulfilling your dreams, etc. 4/5

In Home

Fat Girl (2001) Breillat - Anais and Elena are sisters. One is 12, the other 15. One is overweight, the other thin. They love and hate each other the way sisters do. Elena meets a guy in college who is determined to claim her virginity...a goal he eventually achieves, with Anais in the room. Anais is a fascinating character and the film ventures into unexpected places. 4/5

Five Easy Pieces (1970) Rafelson - Bobby comes from a family of musicians and upper class values. He abandons them and their Washington island to work on oil rigs. His wife, Rayanne, is nice but clingy, dense, and decidedly lower class. Bobby treats her terribly and frequently cheats. He discovers that his dad is dying and goes to see his family again, realizing that he doesn't really fit in either way of life. 4/5

Happy-Go-Lucky (2008) Leigh - Poppy is always bubbly and cheerful. She has her group of friends and a job she likes. Not everyone appreciates her happy demeanor, but she lets their negativity roll right off her. I appreciate that this film champions a nontraditional path (you don't have to get married or settle down to have a good life), but I found Poppy pretty irritating and would have liked a little more conflict in the course of the narrative. 3.25/5

Little Otik (2001) Svankmajer - A couple cannot have a baby and the woman is going crazy. To help ease his wife's grief, the husband finds a tree root that he carves to look a little like a child. At this point, the wife is practically delusional. After faking a pregnancy and birth, the root comes alive and is very hungry...I love the creepy style of the film--it's like the weirdest kids' movie ever. 4/5

Sleepaway Camp (1983) Hiltzik - Angela and her cousin attend summer camp...and staff and campers begin dying off. A particularly campy 80s slasher with lots of ripped teenage boys in short shorts and half-shirts (to a degree that cannot be solely attributed to 80s fashion). Instead of the normal horror movie morality tale surrounding promiscuity, this film may be making a statement about gender and sexuality...or I may be reading too much into it. Either way, enjoyable for the genre. 4/5

Celluloid #49

In Theaters

Brothers Bloom (2009) Johnson - Two brothers grow up depending on each other, and starting in childhood, become skilled con men. Stephen comes up with crazy cons/scenarios complete with literary references, and enables Bloom (the younger brother) to act out his fantasies (or Stephen's perceptions of them). Bloom grows up wanting out because he wants something real...Stephen has one last con for them. Rian Johnson makes clever movies for people who love movies, and I have never found Adrien Brody as attractive as he is here. Dysfunctional family combined with stylish crime film hit the spot for me. 4.5/5

In Home

Spider (2002) Cronenberg - Ralph Fiennes plays the crazy main character, who I believe is a schizophrenic. He mumbles, has strange habits, and frequent flashbacks of his childhood. As a boy, he witnesses his dad commit a crime against his mom, starting a string of elaborate events. 3.5/5

Terminator (1984) Cameron - Sarah Connor must be saved so that her future son can grow up to be a leader of men. Arnold the Terminator, has come from the future to execute her, but a lone fighter has also been sent to protect her. First time I have ever seen this classic action film, and it holds up pretty well...I still continue to have problems with James Cameron's cheesy dialogue. 4/5

Tout va Bien (1973) Godard - Workers at a meat factory are on strike. They have locked up the manager along with a reporter and her husband. Talks a lot about May 1968 and politics concerning class struggle, in addition to defining marriage as "sex, food, and occasional activities." 3.5/5