Celluloid #131

In Theaters


Weekend (2011) Haigh - A love story between Glenn and Russell. They meet at a club on a Thursday and go home together. After the awkward morning after, they end up spending the afternoon together as well. Glenn finally reveals that he is leaving for the U.S. (P.S. this film is British) the next day. Glenn is significantly more political while Russell is more reserved and closeted about his sexuality. There are lots of conversations about being gay, and specific issues affecting that community that somehow don't come across as preachy. I also appreciate the fairly realistic portrayal of drug use in this film. Overall an enjoyable indie romance. 4/5

In Home


Evil Dead (1981) Raimi - Five friends rent a cabin in the woods. One of the former tenants happened to be an archaeologist who reproduced some type of Book of the Dead - causing the woods to come alive with evil spirits. Cheryl essentially gets raped by some tree limbs and roots and then one by one the friends all turn into the undead, except for Ash, which isn't very consistent. Gets really gory by the end, but the special effects are ridiculously bad. 3.5/5

Friday the 13th (1980) Cunningham - This summer camp is apparently cursed. Jason was  a kid at camp who drowned while his counselors were fucking. Now his mom is out for revenge and trying to prevent the camp from opening. Hilarious to see Kevin Bacon in a small part, but I kept yelling at the "last girl" for being too much of an idiot. 3.5/5

Celluloid #130

In Theaters


Abduction (2011) Singleton - This could have been a perfectly fine thriller, but just ended up being too dumb. Taylor Lautner can't hold a movie together - he's just a dopey smile and muscles. The dialogue is really dumb and the plot gets super ridiculous (ex. declaration that there is a bomb in the oven seconds before it goes off). I was fine with the premise of a teenager discovering his picture on a "Missing Children's" website, but this delves into weird government secret spy territory. Also, the teenage romance is unwatchable. I wish she would have just gotten left somewhere. 2/5

the Room (2003) Wiseau - What to say about this cult favorite? Worst movie ever? Actually, probably not because the production value is better than I expected. However, this is certainly a great unintentional comedy about a man (Johnny - played by the director) and his fiancee who cheats on him with his best friend. The dialogue is hilariously bad, lending itself to many quotable moments. The sex scenes are also laughably bad (and one sequence is even repeated). I don't know...I feel like you should know what you are getting yourself into with this movie, but it is a "so-bad-it's- good" classic. ??/5


Take Shelter (2011) Nichols - A man keeps having nightmares and daytime hallucinations about a huge apocalyptic storm, followed by a variety of horrific events. Curtis starts expanding his backyard tornado shelter. He knows he's being irrational, but can't shake this feeling that something terrible is about to happen. His wife and young deaf daughter mean everything to him, so he feels the need to protect them  at all costs, even though they have real pressing issues. As a viewer, one gets caught up in constant tension about whether Curtis is actually losing his mind. Deliberately paced, with memorable and scary imagery. 4.5/5

In Home


Haunting (1963) Wise - A professor interested in the supernatural comes across Hill House, where stories indicate that it is haunted. He has a few people come stay at the house who have had some connection to the supernatural (ESP, poltergeists, etc). Eleanor's mother has recently died and she feels like she is finally free to live her own life. Up until this point, she feels like nothing has happened and Hill House is the thing that she has always been waiting for. Eleanor is quite sheltered and fears being left out or being alone. The house singles her out for destruction, but she still wants to stay. While not very scary, this film has held up pretty well. 4/5

Interview with the Vampire (1994) Jordan - Starting in present-day San Francisco, Louis is being questioned by a journalist about his life  - which happens to have started more than 200 years ago as a vampire. Back in 1700s Louisiana, Lestat becomes Louis' maker after he loses his wife and child. Lestat wants a companion, and Louis wants something other than his tragic life. Lestat is far more bloodthirsty than Louis, who prefers to spare humans when possible. During the Plague, Louis almost kills a girl after her mother dies, but instead Lestat turns her too. In a way, she is like a daughter to them, but even more aggressive than Lestat. I liked seeing Kirsten Dunst as a young thing, but something about this film fell fall for me. 3/5

Rabid (1977) Cronenberg - A woman who gets injured in a motorcycle crash has to undergo an experimental operation. She survives, but develops a need for blood. Her victims develop the same bloodlust. At first the community thinks there is some mutated outbreak of rabies, but in reality victims are turned through a bizarro stab inflicted through Rose's armpit. An early example of Cronenberg's penchant for body horror and a welcome twist on the typical vampire story. 4/5

Scream (1996) Craven - Casey and her boyfriend Steve are killed by a masked murdered obsessed with horror films. After their deaths, the focus is turned on Sidney, whose mother was killed just the year before. In a key scene, the rules of horror are explained (sex=death, vices=death, etc) just as Sidney is having sex with her boyfriend. In another reflexive scene, Randy is yelling "look behind you" while he's about to get stabbed himself. I hate Matthew Lillard, but I like that this film keeps you guessing. 4/5

Test Pattern #9

Breaking Bad (Season 4) - Season 4 has only solidified Breaking Bad's position as the best show on air. Walt and Jesse are locking horns again, but both afraid of Gus and the power he has over their lives. Hank is recovering from his injuries, but still able to get dangerously close to discovering the meth lab and producer. Skylar is actually pretty down with helping out with money-laundering; a welcome change from her bitchy persona of the last season. I really think this might be the best season yet. It started off with so much great tension, to the point that I was worried that it wouldn't be able to maintain that emotional height throughout the season. Basically, I was wrong...some episodes might be quieter, but it all pays off with the finale. I can't wait for next season already.

Louie (Season 2) - I don't really like stand-up, but something about Louie CK and all of his self-depreciation works for me. I enjoyed Season 1, but I think this past season was even better, and darker. Louie seems to be addressing topics that affect many working in the comedy business (aging with Joan Crawford, joke stealing with Dane Cook, selling out, etc). However, some of the highlight episodes center around surprising laughing because you are uncomfortable moments (the decapitation and the bum bath scored by classical music come to mind). Also, anything with his daughters is pretty much amazing...ONE DUCKLING!

Skins (UK) (Seasons 1-3) - I've been pretty vocal about my love of teenage drama in the past, so it was really only a matter of time before I would succumb to the lure of Skins. The first two season follow a group of 17 year-olds in Bristol. The center of the group is popular Tony. There are some virgins who need to get laid, a romance with a teacher, eating disorders, a love triangle, a stalker, a pregnancy, a death, excess drinking, and fucked up family lives all around. It's really only one step removed from a traditional soap opera, and takes some pretty ridiculous turns, but by the end of the second season, I couldn't help but feel emotional about Jal and Sid and all of their futures. Apparently Skins changes casts every two seasons to introduce a new group of friends. I'm only halfway through the "second generation" that centers around Tony's younger sister Effy. Effy is pretty, but far less charismatic than Tony. Also, this group of friends seems more unlikely than the first group and the main drama focuses on two boys fighting for Effy's affection. In addition, you have girls exploring their sexuality, twin rivalry, Asperger's, growing up sheltered with a super religious mother, a new immigrant from Congo, excessive fucking in nearly every permutation, etc.

Sopranos (Season 2-6) - It's a great show. I cried when several people died, and with the exception of one, I had seen all of those characters commit really awful crimes on-screen. It's powerful how much you get sucked into this world, and Tony's convoluted sense of how life should be lived. Edie Falco as Carmella and Michael Imperioli as Christopher are the main highlights in all of the series. Carmella can be a materialistic bitch, but she has so much inner turmoil that she is probably the most sympathetic. Christopher starts off as the go-to guy for offing enemies, but he morphs into something much more than a cold-blooded killer. The ending was frustrating for me, as I'm sure it was for most people watching it, but I appreciate that this show often defies convention both in story and format.

True Blood (Season 4) - While I would still never recommend this show to anyone, Season 4 was a serious step up from the last couple seasons. The new "supernatural" introduced this time around was all the witches, and I found them easier to go along with than maenads and even the werewolves (all though they are still around, and better in limited doses). Bill and Eric's rivalry over Sookie finally comes to an apex, and then gets really weird. Jessica and Hoyt finally split up, and Sam's brother is thankfully out of the picture. I was glad to see less Tara and more Pam. Whatever happened to that Werepanther storyline? Anyway, it's also possible that this show isn't really getting better, but rather that I am getting used to its bizarro twists and introductions.

Celluloid #129

In Theaters


Restless (2011) Van Sant - Harold and Maude-type boy falls for an Annie Hall-styled manic pixie girl. Annabelle has terminal cancer and only three months to live. Enoch is death-obsessed, as evidenced by his hobby of attending strangers' funerals and chatting with the ghost of a kamikaze. This movie is just off. The pacing is wrong. The outfits are too precious. The soundtrack is too twee. Even the montage of them getting to know each other is too disgustingly cute, and the dialogue too awkward. The only thing I really liked about this movie was the way it looked, and seeing Portland settings. 3/5

In Home


An American Werewolf in London (1981) Landis - David and his friend Jack are backpacking around England. In a northern town, they stop into a pub only to be greeted by strange, unfriendly people. After getting kicked out, they are attacked by a werewolf. Jack dies, but David survives in a coma for a few weeks. Unfortunately, his injuries mean that he will turn into a werewolf himself at the next full moon. The Ghost of Jack informs David that the only way to prevent this catastrophe is to kill himself. A young nurse takes David in, where they have a pretty sexy time, only making it harder for David to accept his fate. This film has actually dated pretty well. 4/5

Bad Teacher (2011) Kasdan - Cameron Diaz takes a turn as the crass female lead. After Elizabeth gets dumped by her rich fiancee, she is forced to return to her teaching job in order to pay for a boob job. Totally unsympathetic and never really manages to redeem herself. Her new co-worker (Justin Timberlake) comes from some old money - setting off a rivalry between Elizabeth and Ms. Squirrel for his affection. Nevermind that he is a huge dry-humping dork. Jason Segel is the secret love interest, but even he deserves better. Just not very funny or all that scandalous, but not exactly the worst. 2.5/5

Foxes (1980) Lyne - Not a lot happens, but instead we get a feel for late 1970s L.A. Drugs, parties, sex through the perspective of four teenage friends. One friend, Annie, has a particularly difficult time dealing with her abusive father, and making poor decisions that make her vulnerable to other men. Janie tries to look out for her other friends, and is the most responsible, probably because her major problems stem from a strained relationship with her single mother. All in all a pretty bleak portrait of life and options for ladies at that time. 3/5

Gremlins (1984) Dante - An inventor comes across a cute creature at a store in Chinatown and decides to get it as a Christmas present for his son. The rules are that it can't get wet and can't eat after midnight. Of course, these rules get broken, causing scary gremlins to take over the town. Most of the film after the set-up and gremlin incubation, is just the gremlins goofing around. They break things, get drunk, skateboard, etc. Maybe that's the appeal for kids, but it gets a little boring. 3/5

Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) Craven - Introduced the world to Freddy Krueger - a child-killer who was burned to death and now attacks young people through their dreams. This film has pretty cool special effects. It also introduced young Johnny Depp as a pretty chill boyfriend to our protagonist Nancy. No one believes her, so she is forced to take matters into her own hands by bringing Freddy out of her nightmare and into the present reality. 4/5

Poison Ivy (1992) Ruben - Drew Barrymore plays a bad girl who befriends a rich but awkward girl. Ivy essentially ends up moving in. The mother is dying of cancer and the father is a creepy alcoholic who finds lvy attractive. What started out as a rebellious friendship, soon morphs into a competition between the girls for the affection of the parents, with deadly results. Really great if you are in the mood for 90s-style erotic thrillers. 3.5/5

Celluloid #128

In Theaters

Drive (2011) Refn - Really stylish film where Ryan Gosling plays a nameless stunt car driver/getaway driver for hire. "The Kid" develops a relationship with his young neighbor and her son. When her husband returns from prison, the driver decides to help him reconcile his debt with a "one last job" situation. Technically this is an action film, all though it can be quite deliberately slow-paced, which only serves to ratchet up the tension. While Gosling's character seems a bit of a Christ-archetype, he also represents the scorpion in the famous fable. A complicated hero, but really the strength of this film is the soundtrack, aesthetic, and attitude. 4.5/5

In Home

Martin (1977) Romero - A weirdo teenager thinks he may be a modern-day vampire. He satisfies his bloodlust by drugging young women, raping them, then cutting them with razor blades and drinking their blood. Then a local housewife takes interest in him and they start an affair. For a time, the presence of these fairly normal sexual encounters curbs his need to commit violence. 3/5

the Ruins (2008) Smith - Last summer, my book club read the book that serves as the basis for this film. Both are very silly tales of four friends on vacation in Mexico that encounter some very bad luck on a hike. Out near some Mayan ruins, a sinister vine grows that can kill and even psychologically torment people. The natives will also kill anyone who tries to leave for fear that the vine will spread. Besides the ridiculous premise of killer plants, this film is really gory, relying on squeamish shots to elicit reactions. 2/5

Celluloid #127

In Theaters

Circumstance (2011) Keshavarz - Admittedly I do not know enough about Iranian politics or what the Revolution was really about. One outcome that seems certain is that the culture has become increasingly conservative and restrictive - as evidenced by the presence of "morality police." Two high school girls are very close friends, who develop deep feelings for one another that leads to sexual experimentation. They also like to have fun drinking and dancing in clubs, but after getting in trouble, Atie's religious fanatic brother offers Shireen (an orphan) a way out of punishment by marrying him. You can imagine the complications... 4/5

the Interrupters (2011) James - Documentary about the incredibly high homicide rate in Chicago. Most of the violence is not gang-related, but rather interpersonal disputes over seemingly petty things. These initial disputes lead to a long chain of revenge killings, and the targets seem to be getter younger and younger. The "Interrupters" are a group of former gang members and street hustlers that have decided to turn their lives around, and to also do something about preventing or stopping deaths. Ameena, one of the Interrupters, is such an commanding on-screen presence. An appropriate companion piece to James' other documentary Hoop Dreams. 4/5

In Home

From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) Rodriguez - Silly 90s movie that starts out as brother thieves taking a family hostage to escape to Mexico. However, when they arrive at a sleazy club across the border, the vampires start appearing. Most of what happens after that point is a series of ridiculous or gruesome ways to kill a vampire. It's like Tarantino just wrote anything he could think up. Also, so bizarre, but kinda cool that George Clooney is the lead in this B+ film. 3.5/5

Poltergeist (1982) Hooper - A strange paranormal presence is coming from the television or lightning. It causes inanimate objects to move. The tree outside tries to eat one of the children, and another goes missing during a storm. Carol Anne has apparently been sucked into another realm through the television, but can still be heard inside the house. The family has to hire a couple of mediums, and the mom has to go to the other side to get her daughter back. Number one lesson, don't live on top of cemeteries. 4/5

the Thing (1982) Carpenter - A crew of scientists are stationed in Antarctica. Strange things begin happening to a Norwegian crew and one the dogs morphs into a creepy alien creature. Thus creature has the ability to look like any living person or animal it comes into contact with - making it very difficult to be sure of the crew's identities. This film delivers on the physical/visceral end, while providing enough tension and questioning for your brain. 4.5/5

the Wicker Man (1973) Hardy - A girl has gone missing from some remote Scottish islands. The island people all practice some kind of paganism, and all sorts of weird naked hippie things happen. A detective from the mainland comes to investigate the missing girl, and he is a very devout Christian scandalized by the events he sees taking place. This movie is really not scary at all, hasn't dated very well, and includes a Burning Man scene. 3/5

Celluloid #126

Going on a horror binge for the next couple months...

In Home

Carrie (1976) De Palma - So good! Misfit teenager is warped by her religious nut mother. She gets picked on in school for being strange (not to mention telekinetic) and for freaking out about getting her period in the gym shower. Some girls get in trouble for the gym incident and threatened with exclusion from the Prom. One girl has a conscience and convinces her boyfriend to take Carrie to the dance, so that she can have some type of normal experience. However, some of the other girls treat this as an opportunity to play an awful prank. This is a great extreme portrayal of the already horrifying process of adolescence, and mean girls receiving their revenge. 5/5

Children of the Corn (1984) Kiersch - A couple is driving across Nebraska to relocate when they hit a strange boy on the roads surrounded by cornfields. Upon further inspection, they realize that he was already dead due to a slashed throat. They are forced to stop in Gatlin; a small, extremely religious town. Not very populated to begin with, it's even eerier because there are no adults. They've all been killed by a group of culty kids who even sentence their own to death on their 19th birthdays. Campy effects and generally enjoyable creepy story. 4/5

Dawn of the Dead (1978) Romero - Four people get trapped in a mall with zombies. I find both of those things pretty horrifying, and their combination pretty awesome. 4/5

Halloween (1978) Carpenter - The slasher film that created the tropes for all films to follow. Laurie is a brainy teenager who doesn't have much luck with guys. Her two friends, Annie and Linda are sluttier. On Halloween night, Laurie and Annie find themselves babysitting, all though Annie also has plans to hook up with her boyfriend. Meanwhile, the local myth, Michael Myers, has escaped from the mental institute he was locked in 15 years earlier after killing his own babysitter....4.5/5

Onibaba (1966) Shindo - A lady and her daughter-in-law survive war-torn Japan by killing samurais and trading their bodies for grain. Then the son/husband's neighbor returns from war and informs the ladies that their man is dead. The daughter begins an affair with the neighbor. The mother tries to stop them by warning about Hell and demons as punishment for sin. The mother meets a samurai with a demon mask. When he dies, she puts the mask on to really scare the daughter. This movie is really cool looking and totally frantic at times. 4.5/5