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MAD DETECTIVE
Co-directed by Johnnie To and Wai Ka-Fai, this is a twisted yet strangely melancholic police procedural. Mesmerizing from start to finish it tweaks the investigative aspect of police dramas, turning it into a strange brew of a cop flick. At the core is a captivating performance from Sean Lau augmented by crisp and deft direction by To and Wai.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AL1fZqfvgA
UN 32 AOUT SUR TERRE (August 32nd on Earth)
Denis Villeneuve’s debut feature is a quirky Quebecois quasi road trip romantic dark comedy drama that is peak late 1990s indie bliss.
I really dig his first four films, which he both wrote and directed, much more than his later English language Hollywood output.
Highly recommended.
FWIW, the trailer really doesn’t do the film justice…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_eD_-ZrAHE
THE THICKET
I am a sucker for a good Western; it’s one of my favorite genres of film.
I was a bit hesitant to dive into this one, however, because I really loved the source novel (it’s one of author Joe R. Lansdale’s best efforts and highly recommended).
I was pleasantly surprised by the film, but then again it had a stellar cast (who knew James Hetfield could act?).
While the screenwriter took some liberties with the source material and definitely tones down the language and violence of the original story, it all still worked and made for an engaging revisionist Western.
The pacing was deliberate, the acting taut, and the winter setting was used to excellent effect, too.
Recommended if you dig Westerns.
Read the novel, too!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTlgS4SyGyE
THE LINGUINE INCIDENT
I have been discovering some pretty cool quirky cult films from the late 80s/early 90s that I somehow missed when they weee originally released.
This particular nugget features David Bowie and Rosanna Arquette in an off-kilter heist comedy. The dialogue is priceless, the humor wry, and the fashion glitzy and over-the-top.
In short, they don’t make ‘em like this anymore.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Yrq5oA98qY
Just noticed that the recut version of Caligula (supposedly more faithful to Gore Vidal's original vision, and reconstructed in various ways, including removing the various blowjob closeup scenes that Bob Guccione thrusted into the theatrical release) is now on Kanopy. One of the more reliable posters on another forum reports that this version is still trashy and generally bad aside from being trashy, but I may check it out at some point anyway.
Also I see Wim Wenders'; Perfect Days is showing now on Kanopy; I want to see that one, waiting for the right day when I'm ready for something that speed (slow).
And I think already mentioned, Hundreds of Beavers, which I watched a few weeks ago. As others have said, good off the wall fun, with tasty random nonsense as occasional seasoning.
Being at home recovering from the flu was just right for Perfect Days, which is a fine film of the "Like Watching Paint Dry" genre. Which is to say, most movie watchers won't get into it at all. But I liked it. It's about a guy in Japan who's had some rough patches in life, but now cleans public toilets for a living, finds happiness in simple things, and comfort in routine; it helps that he has no computer or smartphone, and a good music collection.
ROBOT DREAMS This is a funny, yet poignant little animated film from Spain. It’s rich in detail—there is always something going on in the background, so it warrants repeated viewing—and big on heart. It’ll make you smile, but it’s also bittersweet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsJN20f9uAg
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CUCKOO German director/screenwriter Tilman Singer’s sophomore feature film builds upon the abstract horror he unleashed with 2018’s eerie and engaging Luz. Here, however, he borrows a few pages from David Cronenberg in regards to creepy medical facilities and demented doctors. Tilman keeps us purposefully in the dark, quietly building up the tension from the get-go with giallo like precision. Sure, there are some plot holes, but as with his previous film, they seem calculated so as to keep the audience off-guard and confused. The acting is spot on and the sound design helps elevate the strange and heavily brooding atmosphere. RIYL Susperia (both versions); Beyond The Black Rainbow; A Cure For Wellness; Yummy; The Guest; Koko-di Koko-da https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuON7HH0UkQ </p>
LONGLEGS This is a slow burn and extremely creepy affair that, while containing quite a few familiar beats, manages to bring a fresh take to the FBI-hunting-down-an-elusive-serial-killer motif. He accomplishes this through even pacing, drawing out kinetic performances, and just enough weirdness lurking in the fringes to keep us all on edge. It’s a wonderfully understated mash-up of psychological thriller, parapsychological horror, nefarious necromancy, and police procedural. Perkins’ casting choices were pretty brilliant (Blair Underwood was a wonderfully inspired choice, imho) and the twists, turns, and underlying ambiguity all combine to make for an enthralling and unnerving endeavor. https://youtu.be/RcUwYIfnTrg?si=DoY9iphlaT7fVy-C
I’ve been avoiding it, but it’s another cold rainy day back east, might give it a go.
SAFETY LAST!
I went Old School last night.
Like 1923 Old School.
Not sure why it has taken me this long to watch this classic Harold Lloyd film, but it was well worth it as it’s an enjoyable comedic romp.
I have always felt that Lloyd gets overshadowed by both Keaton and Chaplin.
His persona in this film is like an amalgamation of those peers, yet he’s not quite as trampy as Charlie and doesn’t go as gonzo on the stunts as Buster, but rather delivers a nice, quasi nebbish mannerism spiked with just the right amount of ironic wink-wink/nudge-nudge.
The film has a pretty solid plot and moves along at a nice pace leading up to the iconic clock tower climb.
Lloyd was hugely influential on the seminal late 80s/early 90s films of Jackie Chan, fwiw.