ADVENTURELAND (2009, USA; Miramax) Dir. Greg Mottola RATING: B+
THE BAKER'S WIFE (1938, France; Baker's Wife, Inc [1940]) Dir. Marcel Pagnol
RATING: A-
BULLITT (1968, USA; Warner Bros./Seven Arts) Dir. Peter Yates RATING: A
CARNIVAL IN FLANDERS (1935, France; American Tobis Company [1936])
Dir. Jacques Feyder RATING: A-
THE CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKSMITH (1978, Australia; New Yorker Films [1980])
Dir. Fred Schepisi RATING: A
CORALINE (2009, USA; Focus Features) Dir. Henry Selick RATING: B
CRIA CUERVOS (1976, Spain; Jason Allyn [1977]) Dir. Carlos Saura RATING: B
DECISION AT SUNDOWN (1957, USA; Columbia) Dir. Budd Boetticher RATING: A-
DESPERATE HOURS (1990, USA; MGM) Dir. Michael Cimino RATING: F
DUPLICITY (2009, USA; Universal) Dir. Tony Gilroy RATING: B
GALLIPOLI (1981, Australia; Paramount [1981]) Dir. Peter Weir RATING: A-
GOMORRAH (2008, Italy; IFC Films [2008]) Dir. Matteo Garrone RATING: B+
THE GREAT RACE (1965, USA; Warner Bros.) Dir. Blake Edwards RATING: D+
THE HISTORY BOYS (2006, UK; Fox Searchlight [2006]) Dir. Nicholas Hytner
RATING: D
THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD (1970, UK; Cinerama Releasing [1971])Dir. Peter Duffell RATING: C-
I LOVE YOU, MAN (2009, USA; DreamWorks) Dir. John Hamburg RATING: B
THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT (2009, UA; Rogue Pictures) Dir. Dennis Iliadis
RATING: D+
MALA NOCHE (1985, USA; Gus Van Sant [1988]) Dir. Gus Van Sant RATING: C-
NOTE: Should have been retitled, "Dude, He's Just Not That Into You." At best an early look at the themes and style Van Sant would develop further throughout his career, at worst, an at times offensive look at gay desire (with Van Sant romanticizing this guy's stalking of the Mexican street kid), with atrocious acting on top of it all.
MARTYRS (2008, France/Canada; Weinstein Company [film fests, 2008/DVD release '09])
Dir. Pascal Laugier RATING: B -
Notes: An important horror film. Difficult to watch, and hard to forget.
Here's the great British film critic, Mark Kermode, discussing the film:
OF TIME AND THE CITY (2008, UK; Strand Releasing [2009]) Dir. Terence Davies
RATING: B
THE PARALLAX VIEW (1974, USA; Paramount) Dir. Alan J. Pakula RATING: A
PARANOID PARK (2007, USA; IFC Films [2008]) Dir. Gus Van Sant RATING: B-
Notes: If you're a fan of Gus's Bela Tarr-influenced trance films, you should like this. If you're not, it might be worth checking out anyway just for one horrific shot that comes late in the film. For horror fans, it'll be right up your alley. (For me, aside from The Shot -- not so much.)
PHENOMENA (1985, Italy; New Line Cinema [1985]) Dir. Dario Argento RATING: C-
Notes: An interesting (if not very good) reworking of Suspiria, with a young Jennifer Connelly in a role similar to the one Jessica Harper inhabited back in 1977. Donald Pleasance is a nice touch, as is crazy ass Daria Nicoldi, who can maniacally cackle like nobody else. Incoherant. Howlingly silly dialogue. A soundtrack that consists of music from Goblin, Motorhead, Iron Maiden and Frankie Goes to Hollywood (I swear). AND, a razor-wielding monkey to boot.
REMORQUES [aka STORMY WATERS] (1941, France; MGM [1946]) Dir. Jean Gremillon
RATING: B-
RUMBLE FISH (1983, USA; Universal) Dir. Francis Ford Coppola RATING: C
SIMON OF THE DESERT (1965, Mexico; Altura Films International [1969])
Dir. Luis Bunuel RATING: A-
SLEEPAWAY CAMP (1983, USA; United Film Distribution Company)
Dir. Robert Hiltzik RATING: D
TO BE TWENTY (1978, Italy; [never distributed in the USA]) Dir. Fernando Di Leo
RATING: D+
Notes: This film starts out and plays for most of its 94 minutes like any sub-Emmanuelle soft-core knockoff from the 1970s: 2 young girls, running around Italy, getting into mischief, disrobing, having sex with random guys, with each other -- whatever.... "not thinking of the consequences of their actions".... until the last ten minutes..... Yeech! Kind of a reprehensible film. But for fans of extreme cinema, the film contains one of the great sucker punches in the history of film. At the library where I work, I went and looked up our clippings file for this film (which was never released in this country). A large advertisement in Variety in 1978, contains the title of the film, the director's name, and the subtitle: "A film with young people. For young people." Mr. Di Leo is one sick, sick, sick man. If you're interested in film structure, and can kind of look at it beyond it's disgusting "message," it's pretty fascinating... This is a very difficult to "rate" -- because obviously it's very effective, but it's politics and attitudes towards women are pure shite. Watch at your own risk!
TROPIC THUNDER (2008, USA; Paramount) Dir. Ben Stiller RATING: D
WATCHMEN (2009, USA; Warner Bros.) Dir. Zack Snyder RATING: C+
