Celluloid #108

In Theaters

Kaboom (2010) Araki - While the actual theater-viewing experience was horrible (one man could not stop cackling or yelling inane things, while another man was eating the neverending bag of popcorn in a way that popcorn-chewing has never sounded so disgusting), I still found enjoyment in this admittedly stupid movie. Smith and his lesbian friend Stella are first year college students who have a lot of sex. Mysterious and sometimes supernatural events start to occur, leading them to believe that the world may be coming to an end. 3.5/5

In Home

Alamar (2009) Gonzalez-Rubio - This documentary features very little dialogue, but incredibly beautiful scenery and a fairly touching subject. A man and his wife have a child. After some time, they decide to split up and she decides to take their young son back with her to Spain. Before she leaves, they decide to let the 6 year-old spend a few weeks with his father. Together they paint, spear fish, identify plants and birds, and wrestle around. Nothing much really happens, but it is really great. 4.5/5

Breakin' (1984) Silberg - Fun campy movie where a traditional dancer with proclivities towards ballet befriends some breakdancers. The breakdancers are currently embroiled with another crew, so the three team up to win the battle. Anyway, lots of dancing, bad acting, sorta fashionable clothes, montages, and an awesome soundtrack. 4/5

Careful (1992) Maddin - Too much desire! In an isolated mountain town, there's incest, murder, curses from dead relatives, animals with their vocal chords removed, and the constant fear of an avalanche. Guy Maddin is a master of the dreamy feeling film, and this one is no exception. Pastel light filters, weird saturation of color, and overly shiny things. Despite some confusion over plot and characters, overall I just love Maddin's style. 4/5

the Craft (1996) Fleming - Silly teen film about a group of girls that try to be witches. At first their powers are an uniting force in an environment that belittles girls and where guys always take advantage. After a while, jealousy gets the best of the former leader and the new girl Sara (a natural witch). They use magic to become beautiful, to get revenge, and to make boys fall in love, but the balance is not kept, so there are consequences to bear. 3/5

Flirting (1991) Duigan - Since this movie can be found in the "Cult" section of my local video store, I expected more gags and camp. Instead, what we see is a pretty normal coming-of-age story combined with an interracial teenage love story. It's always enjoyable to root for the underdogs. The only thing I would have changed was leaving out any politics. In addition, you get to see a young Nicole Kidman (looking like an amazon woman) and Naomi Watts (as the ugly girl!) 3.5/5

Hardcore (1979) Schrader - A girl from a religious and conservative family in Michigan goes on a trip with her church to California. Shortly after her arrival, she goes missing only to be discovered in a porno. Her dad goes out to CA to find her, but due to the secretive nature of the porn industry and his square looks, he can't get any information. He basically has to get deeply entrenched in the porn world. I though this was a good '70s style film, but not really as sleazy as I would have imagined. 3.5/5

Persona (1967) Bergman - A former actress has suffered from immense depression or some other mental hangup to warrant a stay in the hospital. She doesn't talk and when her nurse is invited along for her recuperation trip by the sea, she fills the silence with anecdotes revealing all sorts of personal information. Something happens to the women where they don't exactly switch places, but a bleeding of personalities and disorders seems to occur. In Bergman's impressive filmography, his crazy lady psychological thrillers are my favorite. 4.5/5

Stripes (1981) Reitman - Bill Murray stars in this party movie where he and his friend decide to take a break from their dead end lives to have some fun in the ARMY! Unfortunately this film hasn't aged the best. The jokes aren't funny and there's a weird problem with a premature story climax. I guess at least excessive boob shots are always a popular choice...3/5

Test Pattern #6

America's Next Top Model (Cycle 15) - The high fashion cycle! (all though apparently cycle 16 will be a high fashion cycle). This cycle was good for all of the weirdos...big boobs Ester, spunky lesbian Kayla, the beautiful but shy Kendall, but there was never a doubt that the gangly awkward Ann would win the whole thing...I hope there's a little more tension next round.

Bored to Death (Season 1) - Hipster detective stories. I really like Jason Schwartzman. I think he's cute and weird and endearing. I've never really had a crush on him before, but this show makes it really hard to avoid. Basically "Jonathan" puts out a craigslist ad, offering his unprofessional detective services and occasionally people respond. He's also recently dumped and suffers from drinking too much white wine. Zach Galifinakis is enjoyable as is Ted Danson.

Caprica (Season 1) - Caprica was never going to be as good as the show it spun off from (Battlestar Galactica) but the season got kinda fucked by taking a long hiatus in the middle. This is the story of how cylons came into existence, but also features a heavy plotline focused on virtual reality. The religious differences between the colonies are more apparent than ever, and much drama stems from a fundamentalist monotheist group. There's a lot conceptually that could have worked for the show, but I have to admit that I got bored after a while, and I guess everyone else did too because it's been cancelled.

Dexter (Season 5) - Julia Stiles looks like a Cabbage Patch doll. I seriously got tired if seeing her every episode because she's not a good actor either. While I don't think this season was anywhere near the greatness of season 4, I did appreciate the break from the usual plot pattern.

Louie (Season 1) - Famously, I am known for not being into jokes and stand-up, so I was quite surprised to find myself enjoying Louis CK's new show. It helps that most of the twenty minute episodes are in skit format, and that Louis does a great job with self-deprecation and being a sympathetic slob.

Mad Men (Season 4) - The smaller version of Sterling Cooper was doing just fine, then the primary account, Lucky Strike decides to discontinue business. Of course this news hits everyone hard. Meanwhile, Don is dealing with being a divorcee and pursues a couple relationships. Betty continues to be a bitch. Peggy continues to be successful at her job, but less so in her personal life. Her friendship with Don is interesting and complex. Joan is back and I am worried for her for next season. The true star of the fourth season is Sally. She's approaching adolescence, the child of a broken home, and confused about the world. Every episode that featured her was a treat. For a more professional take on the show, read this article by Daniel Mendelsohn that just came out today.

Sons of Anarchy (Season 3) - Jax and his crew need to rescue his son from the IRA and somehow protect Gemma from ATF for a crime she didn't commit. I think this season spent way too much time in Ireland, but I am happy to see some characters meet their violent ends. Jax, Opie, and some of the more peace-oriented guys seem to be backing down from that position. It will be interesting to see if the action is upped next season.

Ugly Betty (Seasons 1-4) - While in Argentina on vacation, I got hooked on Betty Suarez and her great family and snotty work friends. This show had never really been on my radar before, but as something on in English to watch before going out..the best. After vacation, I had to watch the whole series. So melodramatic with the most ridiculous plots imaginable, but it's too hard not to love what you see here.

Celluloid #107

In Theaters

Biutiful (2010) Inarritu - Critics seem to be lambasting this film for two main reasons: 1.) It's too long (which I can agree with...a good 30 minutes probably could have been shaved) and 2.) It's too depressing. To the second point, I don't really care. This is Inarritu's best film since Amores Perros. I think Inarritu has a problem with moralizing, but at least this time, he has kept the focus on one compelling character rather than his usual gimmick of intertwining lofty global narratives. Bardem's praise is deserved for his portrayal of a man involved in low-level crime, yet always trying to do the right thing, especially when it comes to his children. The list of obstacles is almost comical as they reach Book of Job proportions: bipolar estranged wife, problems with immigrants, financial hardship, and oh yeah, terminal cancer. However, this is still a really gorgeous film with interesting imagery and I found it to be a huge improvement over Babel. 3.5/5

Rabbit Hole (2010) Mitchell - Parents dealing with the death of a child could have easily entered well-worn cliched territory, but instead John Cameron Mitchell departs from his homosexual and sex-positive stories to bring this unsentimental portrayal to life. Becca and Howie have each found their own secret ways to cope with their loss (domesticity and regular chats with the accidental killer or attending group therapy and smoking a lot of weed). The film doesn't go for any easy tears, and I was surprised at how much I liked what I saw. 4/5

In Home

Dogtooth (2009) Lanthimos - A strange Greek family. The three children, all in their late teens or twenties, have been shut off from the rest of the world. Only the father can leave their lush compound. They learn alternate vocabulary for problematic words (ex. "telephone" means salt) and the parents lie to them constantly. The dad brings in an outsider, a female security guard from his work, to satisfy his son's sexual needs. After a couple meetings, sex begins to permeate the house in a disturbing yet somehow innocent way. From there, some scenes get really graphic and dark, venturing into Michael Haneke territory. Maybe it sounds horrifying, but I thought this film was so stylish and interesting...the best thing I have seen for a while. 4.5/5

Last Tango in Paris (1972) Bertolucci - An American whose French wife has just killed herself and a young woman with a dumb boyfriend both look at the same vacant apartment. For some inexplicable reason, they spontaneously have sex. Marlon Brando as Paul is a total jerk and abuses Jeanne. I guess we are supposed to root for them, but ultimately I couldn't buy into Jeanne really being into this dude. She's young and hot, and maybe not the smartest, but at least seems like she needs someone who will at least pay attention to her, and Paul seems like the worst option. I was into the ending and the tango scene is really great...it just seems too fickle or rushed in the plotting to finish things up. 3.25/5

Celluloid #106

In Theater

Last weekend I had the pleasure of seeing two out of print films at the Castro Theater's noir festival...

Gaslight (1944) Cukor - In this B-movie noir, Paula falls in love with the shady Anton. He convinces Paula that they should move into the house that she has recently inherited from her dead aunt (whom Anton obviously killed). Once they arrive, Anton goes about convincing Paula that she is going crazy as a way to keep her confined in the house and in order to keep control over her. All in all, a pretty fun film. 4/5

Strangers in the Night (1944) Mann - This film was even more in the B-movie vein and had a plot that you could predict almost immediately (with perhaps one small twist). In any case the over-the-top performances make this short hour-long movie worth watching. Johnny has just been released from the Marines and has come to track down the girl who has been writing him letters. When he arrives at her address, he finds only her elderly mother and the mother's companion. The mom, Hilda, is a comedic, campy treat in her crazed expressions and her willingness to kill everyone around her in order to protect the secrets surrounding her daughter. It's totally ridiculous and gets wrapped up a little too fast. 3.5/5

In Home

Coal Miner's Daughter (1980) Apted - Sissy Spacek reminds you that in the 1970s and 80s, it was possible to be "weird-looking" and a great actor. She does a splendid job portraying the life of Loretta Lynn. Loretta got married at 15 and had four kids by her early 20s. Her husband initially encourages her to pursue singing at the local honky-tonks and then helps her get a song on the radio. However, with fame comes family strife. 4/5

Deliverance (1972) Boorman - Four friends from the Atlanta suburbs decide to take a canoe trip in the backwoods. Apparently the hillbillies are evil and commit violence and sexual assault for basically no reason. I don't really see what is supposed to be so great about this film. It tries to straddle the line between the men having conversations about philosophy, politics, and the environment, but then we are presented with such cartoonish villains. It just seemed like it was taking itself too seriously. 2/5

Celluloid #105

In Theaters

Blue Valentine (2010) Cianfrance - At once a romance and a break-up story, with the two narrative braided together. We see a charming young couple face some hard life situations, and perhaps irrationally decide to marry. In the break-up narrative, it's clear that booze, mild abuse, and disgust have entered the picture and hastened the demise of the relationship. While sometimes hard to watch, I never felt like I might cry (and I cry at everything). It was emotional with being very visceral and never going to the extremes that some critics may have you believe. You might be abele to predict where things are going, but that doesn't mean you still shouldn't watch this...Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling are both amazing actors. This is also the type of movie where it's interesting to have discussions with fellow viewers to see where they lay the blame (I personally think that Cindy was too hard on Dean, even if Dean is a little crazy threatening to kill himself and such...) 4/5

In Home

Henry Fool (1997) Hartley - Hal Hartley is so great with his dark, dry humor and stilted yet smart dialogue. This film is about the Grim family consisting of a quiet garbageman (Simon), his slutty sister (Fay) and their suicidal mother. Henry enters their lives by renting out the basement apartment, and encourages Simon to write poetry, while he pursues both of the ladies of the house. Simon's writing turns out to be brilliant if divisive among readers and publishers. He wants to repay Henry for the gift of expression by helping him get his mysterious "confessions" published. Drama. Estrangement. Etc. The only other Hartley film I've seen is Trust, but so far he's 2 for 2. 4/5

Valhalla Rising (2010) Refn - A saturated color spectacle about vikings on a journey home...or perhaps to Hell. This film manages to be deliberately paced while still incredibly gory. The imagery is so interesting and our protagonist is a one-eyed mute. The soundtrack and look and everything about this film was so stylish; I'm very curious to see Refn's other films, in particular the Pusher trilogy and the film Bronson from a couple years ago.

Celluloid #104

In Theaters

Somewhere (2010) Coppola - The new Sofia Coppola movie fits the usual parameters of visually interesting and slow-paced. I love how everyone of significance in this film has to perform in one way or another (pole dancing, ice skating routine, piano playing, Rock Band, etc.) Our sad, wealthy protagonist this time is Johnny Marco, a has-been medium successful actor. His life seems really boring and empty despite being full of parties, sex, and a fancy car. Due to some unusual circumstances, Johnny has to spend a lot of time with his 11 year-old daughter, and the two develop a really sweet bond. The emotional climax didn't seem fully earned, but overall I really enjoyed this film. 4/5

In Home

Children of Invention (2009) Chun - Sad story of a Hong Kong immigrant and her two children. Her husband has returned back to China, and she keeps getting suckered into sketchy get-rich-quick schemes trying to make any money at all. (Her normal job is as a real estate agent, but of course no one is buying). One pyramid scheme goes especially wrong and she gets picked up by the police. She can't get in touch with her kids and fears that the cops will put them in an orphanage if she tells them they are home alone. The kids are resourceful and try to make some money on their own, by selling "inventions." The desperation in this film is so tangible. 3/5

the Girl Who Played With Fire (2010) Alfredson - The second in the trilogy, Lisbeth is a little less compelling, and the story a little less exciting. This time one of Micke's co-workers wants to run a story about an illegal sex trafficking ring, but as government officials are linked with the story, the reporter and his girlfriend end up dead. Lisbeth gets framed for the double homicide, so she goes on the run looking for the real killer. All fine and good for a thriller, there's just a few too many surprise family reveals. 3.5/5

Police, Adjective (2009) Poromboiu - A police officer is working a case involving three teenagers who like to get high sometimes. The law in Romania is very strict, and can put someone away for 3-7 years just for smoking a joint. Cristi doesn't want to ruin these kids' lives and would rather arrest the supplier. His boss is placing pressure to make an arrest and to stop spending so much time on the case. The climax is incredibly boring, and basically consists of Cristi being belittled and forced to look up several words in the dictionary. 3/5

Soul Kitchen (2010) Akin - Charming and somewhat meandering film about a restaurant owner who faces many obstacles. His girlfriend has just moved to Shanghai and wants him to come. An old acquaintance is shadily trying to buy the property that the restaurant sits on. His brother has just been recently paroled and needs a job despite his proven ability to repeatedly fuck up. Lots of unnecessary scenes and diversions, but mostly their additions are welcome. Much more lighthearted than the other film I have seen from Akin, Head-On, but not as good either. 3.5/5

Sweetgrass (2009) Barbash & Castaing-Taylor - A surprisingly engrossing documentary about sheep and sheepherders in Montana. They are taking their last trip through some public lands. You see how benign yet infuriating the animals are, and how fragile these seemingly tough cowboys can be when pressed to push themselves to the end of their physical abilities. 4/5

Vengeance (2009) To - Basically a typical revenge story where a French man hires some Chinese thugs to avenge the death of his daughter and her family. The twist is that he has a bullet in his brain and is losing his memory. After some time, he doesn't even recognize his daughter's picture so the need for revenge would seem null. However, this is not the case, and despite danger and ample bloodshed, Costello keeps pushing on, using written down clues and assistance from those around him. 3/5

Working Girls (1986) Borden - A day in the life of a prostitute working at the equivalent of a brothel, but in upscale Manhattan. The film is a little repetitive as we basically see Molly service her johns for what seems like a 12 hour shift, interspersed with chats with the other girls. It's also clear that the film is pushing a bit of a feminist agenda, as Molly is a lesbian and none of the girls do things they don't consent to. Their prostitution is hard work, but seen as a means of financial freedom. 3.5/5

2010 Blow-Out!

Favorite Films Released in 2010

10. Tiny Furniture (Dunham)

9. Never Let Me Go (Romanek)

8. I Am Love (Guadagnino)

7. Exit Through the Gift Shop (Banksy)

6. Inception (Nolan)

5. Catfish (Joost & Schulman)

4. A Prophet (Audiard)

3. Black Swan (Aronofsky)

2. Winter's Bone (Granik)

1. Mother (Bong)

HMs: Social Network, Fish Tank, White Ribbon, and Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then

Most Fun in a Theater: Splice (Runner-Up: Machete)

5-Star Books Read in 2010 alphabetical order

American Rust - Meyer

Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - Diaz

Cloud Atlas - Mitchell

Conquest of the Useless - Herzog

Europeana: A Brief History of the Twentieth Century - Ourednik

the Halfway House - Rosales

History of Love - Krauss

Let the Great World Spin - McCann

Lost City Radio - Alarcon

Mythologies - Barthes

Best Singles

"Teenage Dream" - Katy Perry

"Yamaha" - the Dream

"Boyfriend" - Best Coast

"Sexy Bitch" - David Guetta ft. Akon

"4th of July" - Kelis

Favorite Albums

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening

No Age - Everything in Between

Beach House - Teen Dream

Robyn - Body Talk Pt. 1

Misc. TOP TEN

10. Waffles (so trendy!)

9. Aunt Jackie

8. Slobfests

7. Major Lazer "Pon da Floor" video

6. 3 am Taco Bell

5. Bar 355

4. (tie) [so many new] GAYS & homemade ice cream

3. Swimming at Lassen Volcanic Park

2. Argentina

1. Making out

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!