Every watch and revisit for the month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2714\ufe0f= Recommend <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\ud835\ude53 = Don’t Recommend<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\uff5e= Mixed<\/p>\n\n\n\n
September had solid watches throughout and introduced me to new filmmakers and classics from some of my favorites. Unfortunately the last few days were on a pretty rough streak and include a few divisive opinions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hard Eight [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n PTA\u2019s first film is ripe with moodiness, neon-colored casino lights, and quirky characters. I comfortably settled into the atmosphere and found myself appreciating just how solid his first foray into feature filmmaking was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thief [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Solid payoff, but not exactly the most engaging film on the whole. Great Caan, great score, great colors, decent story and thematic ideas. Michael Mann is able to manifest strong moods, and Thief is no exception.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) [\uff5e]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The concept is admirable, but lacked a compelling heart. The performances are nothing special and found myself appreciating the filmmaking much more than the story. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Blue Valentine [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n An emotionally exhausting meditation on love, lampooned by two extraordinary performances. Michelle Williams is absolutely perfect for roles like this, even though they are depressing haha. Engaging and stomach-churning, beautiful and nostalgic. Sometimes it’s a little too silly and on the nose for my taste, still left me feeling hollow in the best ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Sheep Detectives [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n My girlfriend and I had a good time. Turned our brains off, and enjoyed the whimsy, even if it’s the only thing the film has going for itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Punch Drunk Love (Rewatch) [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the greatest films ever made. The score, the colors, the shots, the acting, the direction, the lines, it all works in unison to create such an unforgettable experience. Won’t be the last time it appears on one of these lists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Road [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Truly a stellar film that operates on pure faithfulness to its source material. Adapting\u00a0The Road<\/em>\u00a0or any McCarthy for that matter is incredibly difficult to do well but Hillcoat doesn\u2019t seek to reinterpret his writings, he photographs it. The novel is a beacon of American storytelling, no adaptation can fully capture it, but I\u2019m lucky to have gotten one so solid. Viggo is amazing and on my latest watch, I found Robert Duvall\u2019s performance especially captivating. A completely hopeless world, a hopeful ending. Beautiful\u00a0contradiction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n A Serious Man [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Coens, at their bleakest possibly? Just relentless in its melancholy and nihilism. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Licorice Pizza [\ud835\ude53]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This film never connected with me once. Performances were ok from actors that I just don\u2019t see what everyone else does and the humor never really landed with me. Felt way longer than it was, along with the age gap, why would anyone want to watch a story about her? Yes, she is seeking validation wherever she could find it. So what? It\u2019s more understandable that she is dating a teenager? Someone please explain why that works I\u2019ve yet to have read anything that does.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n They Live [\uff5e]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I wasn\u2019t feeling it until Roddy Piper and Keith David started beating the shit out of each other for like 20 mins, for no reason either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Coyote vs. Acme [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Went in an excited fan, left pleasantly surprised. Coyote v. Acme works not only as a great family film, but as a looney tunes re-ignition point. An enormous amount of love for the franchise was poured into the film, without the need for explicit fan service or an abundance clich\u00e9 \u201cremember whens\u201d. The gags stay true to what makes Looney Tunes accessible and timeless. Lean gags, contained stories, entertaining characters with clever writing and appropriate silliness. Along with the world building and recurring characters Coyote v. Acme focuses itself as a true Coyote and Roadrunner story + his relationship with our main character. Enjoyed this a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Invite [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u00a0I admire any movie that can be incredibly engaging solely off of dialogue alone. The great cast turns what could have been an emotionally exhausting slog into something hopeful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Miller’s Crossing [\uff5e]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Definitely should give this one another shot. I just could not get into it at all. Miller\u2019s introduces characters so quickly it becomes tough to follow at times. Hard to get engaged with a film that is deliberately confusing in ways. Take what I say with a grain of salt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n First Reformed [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ethan Hawke is worth the price of admission alone. Other than his obviously elevated performance,\u00a0First Reformed\u00a0<\/em>moved me with its textured, thick atmosphere and engrossed, slow-burned tension. The film is so cold and bleak, with every shot forcing your eyes to pay attention. The film asks a few heavy questions without answering any of them. While sometimes undesirable, I feel Schrader\u2019s attempt to lean you in a certain direction while allowing you to make your own decisions comes off\u00a0inspired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Dawn of the Dead (1978) [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A tight rollercoaster ride that culminates in a wacky, epic finale that sometimes feels disconnected, yet remains consistent with the film\u2019s campiness. That\u2019s not much of a critique, as the film is largely satirical. It\u2019s obvious and fun. Had a great time. Would love to own a 4K copy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Day of the Dead [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even though the story\/characters aren’t as polished or memorable as the previous films, Day of the Dead is still an impressive showcase of practical effects and moral dilemma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Magnolia [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n See ’10 Great Films Over 150 Minutes’ for a longer review.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Inherent Vice [\ud835\ude53]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n PTA at his most disconnected and uninteresting. The film is sprawling and loses direction, something I see PTA do from time to time. Scenes run too long and in my case, if you’re even dejected for a second, you’re gone. To give Inherent Vice the benefit of the doubt, I’ll eventually give it a rewatch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Killing [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Kubrick at his leanest. A solid, to-the-point heist film.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Wicker Man (1973) [<\/strong>\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Consistently thick with atmosphere and quiet tension. I admire the film on a conceptual level and its long-lasting ability to influence modern day film. It\u2019s genuinely pretty creepy at times, though pretty obvious in its mystery. Not sure if that sentiment would be the same if this were my introduction into folk horror. That constant unease was skillfully rendered until hitting a large bump in its 3rd act. We are given a large exposition dump before reaching our climax. During said climax, that exposition is reiterated and the intentions of the islanders is spelled out. To me, that underwhelmed everything that had come before. A film of this caliber, rich with strangeness, could have been more effective without being so on-the-nose. In the end, I can\u2019t knock those final minutes. The depravity drips into the credits, saving a haunting but flawed execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Long Goodbye [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Had to let the film sit with me for a few days. Elliot Gould is\u00a0The Long Goodbye<\/em>\u00a0and the film is at its best when we can watch him look cool. Just full confidence in character, with a slightly subtle sense of melancholy. Those kind of characters are my favorite (i. e. any Tony Leung role). \u00a0Loved to see the parallels\/inspiration to Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop. Enjoyed this and look forward to more of Altman\u2019s\u00a0filmography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Resident Evil (2026) [\uff5e]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I still have plenty of stock in Zach and am excited for his next film, just a little disappointed. See Letterboxd for long-form review.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Videodrome [\uff5e]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Cronenberg is a director I am trying to get more familiar with. So far, the couple of films I’ve seen have not been my favorite. I admire the concept of Videodrome and enjoyed sinking my teeth into the mystery. Unfortunately, the film lost me as we entered its 3rd act. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Jurassic Park (Rewatch) [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It has been a number of years since my last Jurassic Park experience, and I\u2019m happy to say it hits just the same. The film is a \u201990s time capsule, yet still able to surprise any new viewer. The aesthetics, the props, the animatronics, the special effects, the quotes, the Goldblum, mixed with the wonder and suspense, create a true \u201cmovie\u2019s movie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n 2010s Planet of the Apes Trilogy (Rewatch) [\u2714\ufe0f]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Decided to lump the three together as they all bounce off each other, and improve on something from the previous in a grand fashion. Rise is an underrated sci-fi gem, lighter in tone, and interested more in the wonder and science than action. Dawn is a fully-fledged action film, this time with ripe human characters\/relationships. It’s the film where the character of Caesar blossoms into one of pop-culture’s most inspiring leaders. War wraps up the trilogy, going darker in tone, asking more intriguing questions of humanity’s will and the role of darwinism. The finale extends past the previous’ emotional core leaving you satisfied yet with an everlasting feeling of sorrow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Lost World: Jurassic Park (Rewatch) [\ud835\ude53]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Simply not a good film across the board. Sometimes close to a great moment, but ruined before fruition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Primetime [\ud835\ude53]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A surface-level reading of a very nuanced and culturally relevant discussion. The film never opens the idea that the sting operation could have had a positive effect or proposes a possible solution to the issue. Not that it has to by any means, and the issues the film does bring awareness to are valid, but if you’re casting stones, you probably should back it up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Substance [\ud835\ude53]<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Starts with an interesting, sadly timeless, surface level social commentary then it reiterates it again and again and again. Probably could have cut the film by an hour because that last act is a slog.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Every watch and revisit for the month. \u2714\ufe0f= Recommend \ud835\ude53 = Don’t Recommend \uff5e= Mixed September had solid watches throughout and introduced me to new filmmakers and classics from some of my favorites. Unfortunately the last few days were on a pretty rough streak and include a few divisive opinions. 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