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