Fool's Views (4/25 – 5/1)

Howdy folks,

Don’t mean to kick things off with a downer, but it feels like it's time to come clean. This week in question, I must confess, was a really weird week, though my viewing habits might not bear it out except in their excess. Returning from the immersion film experience of Dead Weight turned out to be a harder adjustment than one might have guessed. In retrospect, I suppose it makes sense, since we were living in a post apocalyptic setting for most of the daylight hours, and then all taking shelter together every night in the same abode, a sort of commune-like existence. After nine days of this alternative lifestyle, returning to the “normal” world was a bit of a shock to the system. I found it difficult to do much of anything for the first few days, and so gazing into the magic window attached to the DVD player became the only thing that made much sense.

And then, on Thursday, April 28, I got a call that my good friend and former roommate Patrick Deveny had been unexpectedly hospitalized and was in a coma following heart failure. Patrick was 40 years old, not unhealthy and planning to move THAT MORNING to start a new job in Houston, TX with his bride of 10 years, Alasin. After 36 hours of life support with no brain activity, the decision was made to turn off the machines, and Patrick went on to a different plane of existence. I was happy that I was able to say my goodbyes in person before he passed, but once again, the normal world seemed completely foreign to me, trying to come to terms with the loss of my friend. The combination of the DW shoot and the week that followed are the primary reasons for my delay in writing. And I seriously questioned whether I would ever write another review, as everything in my life was called into question. Is this how I wanted to spend my time, knowing that any moment could be our last? But the truth is, yes, I have a passion for film, for horror, for sharing with my friends, and so, this past week I sat back down at the keyboard.

We must follow our passions. We must. Because it is this that makes us special, and makes us who we are. And whether or not it is “worthwhile” or “a waste of time” is not for anyone else to decide or judge. Remember that, my friends. When you keel over, may it be while you are doing something you love. I’d like to dedicate this particular batch of FV’s to Patrick, who, while he rarely weighed in on them, always enjoyed reading them and said that he often picked movies based on any recommendations I might throw his way. I miss you, pal.

On with the Views. We’ve got a wild and wooly plate for you this time around, with scream queens, alligator people, martial arts mayhem and terror from beyond the stars. Hope you like.

As always, feel free to throw in your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Fool's Views (4/18 – 4/24)

All the flicks listed below (with one SUCKLING exception) were viewed in Oshkosh, WI above the auspicious confines of the House of Heroes comic book shop, the place that we called home during the off hours of DEAD WEIGHT’s shooting schedule. The original plan, according to co-directors Adam and John, were that we were going to watch a Kurt Russell movie every night to decompress from the day’s events. As fate would have it, only one was ever viewed, and that was a solo viewing in the wee hours of the morning whilst the rest of the company slept. Considering the flick in question, that’s probably a good thing for everyone else, but it was hell for this Fool. Truth be told, it’s kind of amazing to realize that I managed to get in eight movies over the course of that madcap week, but when you’re devoted to the cause (and they shoot your scenes first), such miracles happen.

Note: Because I only had 8 flicks this week, I've provided a poster image for all of them. I've avoided doing so in the past when I have a dozen or more films, thinking it would end up making an already long entry that much longer. But obviously, pics are nice. Let me know if you would be interested in going to a pic-per-flick format. After all, you're the ones who have to read it, not me.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Fool's Views (4/11 – 4/17)

Looking back at my final week before dashing up Wisconsin-way to shoot Dead Weight, I was initially baffled by what dictated my viewing choices. However, upon recollection, some presciently came courtesy of the unattended Netflix queue (Jackie Chan, Yetifest 2011, etc.) while others were pressed upon me by insistent friends, the likes of which I am blessed to call mine.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Fool's Views (4/4 – 4/10)

Ye Gods. Where have Fools and time gone?

Over a month behind, but it’s been a weird and wild month. I’m going to try to catch up over the next few days, because the pressure is killing me. That said, thanks to those of you who dropped me a line to see where the FV’s had got off to – nice to know that a few folks missed them.

This week’s Views included an in-house triple feature of Stuart Gordon Full Moon features, complete with Mr. Gordon and Barbara Crampton live and in person at Chicago’s own Portage Theatre. Glorious guests they were. I almost had to include the godawful EVIL BONG III as one of this week’s movies, but thankfully, I passed out and can’t really claim to have seen it. That said, what I did see, even in 3D and Smell-O-Vision, was HORRIBLE. Charles Band, come on! You weren’t even trying on this one.

Also included are the last dregs of the blaxploitation horror movement, a Russ Meyer triple feature, and my first taste of Skinemax master, Andy Sidaris, as well as a bevy of varied civilian flicks. Hope you like.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!



HORROR:
Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (1976) (1st viewing) d. Crain, William
This flubbed twist on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel represents the last gasp in the ’70s blaxploitation horror cycle, and alongside the wretched Blackenstein, it remains one of the weakest entries. Bernie Casey gamely assays the dual role of kindly cancer research clinician and his nefarious alter ego…a white guy! Whoever decided that a pair of prosthetic eyebrows (courtesy of a young Stan Winston) and a fistful of flour to the face would serve the transformation turn deserves a serious beat-down.


SEEING DOUBLE #6: MATTER OF FACT, IT’S ALL DARK
And Soon the Darkness (1970) (2nd viewing) d. Fuest, Robert
And Soon the Darkness (2010) (1st viewing) d. Efron, Marcos
Feeding on unwary tourists’ fears, both versions of this cautionary tale follow an attractive young pair of female travelers enjoying a bicycle trip through foreign terrain (France and Argentina, respectively). After a tiff, they split up, whereupon the more promiscuous one (Michele Dotrice/Odette Yustman) is subsequently kidnapped while her better-behaved companion (Pamela Franklin/Amber Heard) vainly seeks help from non-English speaking locals and law officials. The original British spin offers a simpler, more suspenseful – and as a result, more effective – approach, whereas the American remake clutters up the proceedings via a clichéd human trafficking ring to justify the abductions. (The update also turns our prim heroine into an action hero for the third act, an “improvement” possibly influenced by comely star Heard’s presence as co-producer.)


FULL MOON/STUART GORDON TRIPLE FEATURE:
Castle Freak (1995) (2nd viewing) d. Gordon, Stuart
From Beyond (1986) (3rd viewing) d. Gordon, Stuart
Re-Animator (1985) (4th viewing) d. Gordon, Stuart
This trifecta of splatter flicks arguably represents the director’s strongest genre efforts, and the pleasure of seeing them on the big screen (as part of Charles Band’s Full Moon Road Show) is not to be understated. 25 years later, Re-Animator retains its stature as one of the shining examples of 80s horror hilarity, thanks to William Norris, Dennis Paoli and Gordon’s savvy black comic Lovecraft adaptation, gleefully gruesome gore f/x and a flawless cast that includes Bruce Abbott, David Gale, Robert Sampson, Barbara Crampton and Jeffrey Combs. Crampton and Combs headlined the following year’s From Beyond, which comes very close to matching its predecessor in joyously perverse imagery and spirited mayhem, then reunited a decade later as an embittered couple who inherit an Italian castle…along with its titular resident (an extraordinary performance by Jonathan Fuller). However, seeing these works presented in such close proximity, as well as recent viewings of Pit and the Pendulum and Dagon, one cannot help but note that few popular filmmakers (Dario Argento an obvious exception) revel in the violent, often sexual, mistreatment of the fairer sex with quite the same enthusiasm or frequency, and yet puzzlingly, Gordon somehow avoids being labeled a misogynist. Not that I think he is, but I do find it curious that his career has not drawn the same feminist ire that others have.

CIVILIAN:
Hard Ticket to Hawaii (1987) (1st viewing) d. Sidaris, Andy
Boobs, explosions, skateboard stunts, more boobs, more explosions, model airplaines, bad jokes, badder villains, and a vicious killer snake add up to cheesy ’80s action goodness, the very model of what would come to be known as a “Skinemax” flick. My first Sidaris viewing, but thanks to the enticement of Mill Creek and movie pal Jason Coffman, I doubt it will be my last.

I Served the King of England (2006) (1st viewing) d. Menzel, Jiri
A sumptuous visual feast combined with the adroit performances of Ivan Barnev and Oldrich Kaiser as the younger and older versions of an amoral social climbing Czech whose dream of becoming a millionaire leads him to all manners of employ and employers, from bordellos to restaurants, all set against the backdrop of the Nazi occupation. Barnev in particular, possesses an unflappable air of innocence and disarming physical grace, making his oft-questionable actions somehow palatable.

Malibu High (1979) (1st viewing) d. Berwick, Irvin
High schooler Jill Lansing decides that books and homework are a drag, opting for the life of prostitution and hired assassin in order to win back her materialistic goofball boyfriend. A decidedly sleazy, nihilistic and out-there fantasy that entertains by virtue of its own excesses.

Paul (2011) (1st viewing) d. Mottola, Greg
Raucous and good natured tale of two sci-fi Brit nerds (Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, impeccably cast as BFF’s) whose U.S. pilgrimage for a Comic-con-like event leads to an encounter with a real-life E.T. on their ensuing road trip. Pegg & Frost’s gigglesnort scripts careens between fart-joke humor and inventive character study with X-wing fighter ease, as director Mottola (Superbad, Adventureland) guides his stellar cast on target every step of the way. With Kristin Wiig (awesome), Bill Hader (awesome), Jason Bateman (so awesome), and Seth Rogen voicing the titular alien.

Recount (2008) (1st viewing) d. Roach, Jay
Docudrama about the 2000 U.S. Presidential election utilizes its all-star cast to showcase how with enough lawyers and political connections, every vote doesn’t have to count. Austin Powers director Roach displays a nimble hand bouncing betwixt the Republican and Democratic camps as the clock ticks towards injustice. The tragedy isn’t as much that it happened as it is that we allowed it.

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage (2010) (1st viewing) d. Dunn, Sam/McFadyen, Scot
Canadian rock’s best loved power trio celebrates 40 years of exemplary musicianship and elevated lyricism. Bassist/keyboardist/vocalist Geddy Lee, drummer non-pareill Neil Peart and lightning-fingered guitarist Alex Lifeson reminisce on their early days of opening for Kiss and their current status as elder statesmen in this fascinating documentary about a band that cared not for sex and drugs…only the rock n’ roll.

Trip with the Teacher (1975) (1st viewing) d. Barton, Earl
Classic exploitation scenario: high school girls’ field trip crosses paths with nefarious biker gang, leading to an escalating cavalcade of murder, rape, and revenge, generously accented with doses of nudity and hot-rod two-wheeled action. Exactly what you’d expect, always sleazy and never boring.


RUSS MEYER TRIPLE FEATURE:
Fanny Hill (1964) (1st viewing) d. Meyer, Russ
Though he had just turned out Lorna (the first of his “roughies”) earlier that year, Meyer probably seemed like an obvious choice to helm this bawdy telling of the classic erotic novel of an innocent young British female courtesan’s adventures. Despite the lack of any onscreen nudity, the nudie-cutie pioneer displays a deft light comic hand with his all-English cast, and nary a slide whistle to be heard.

Seven Minutes, The (1971) (1st viewing) d. Meyer, Russ
The second and last of Meyer’s 20th Century Fox features, following Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. One can understand how the concept of battling the notions of public morality (in this case, that of an obscene book) would have appealed to the director, but the film is seemingly shackled by its own sense of importance, lacking its fearless leader’s trademark freewheeling energy.

Beneath the Valley of the Ultra-Vixens (1979) (2nd viewing) d. Meyer, Russ
In his penultimate feature (with only 2000’s execrable Pandora Peaks to follow), Meyer pulls out all the stops in this aggressively stylized and kinetic narrative of a young man whose sexual proclivities lean toward the back door, if you catch my drift. Despite its goofy and good natured (in its cartoon violence way) tone, there’s the occasional sense that Meyer is deliberately trying to outdo himself, and the strain is felt.

2011 totals to date: 158 films, 89 1st time views, 74 horror, 12 cinema

BOOKS:
What They Don’t Teach You in Film School by Camille Landau and Tiare White

Fool's Views (3/21 – 4/3)

Greetings!

In looking back over the past two weeks’ Views, by sheer coincidence all of the flickers managed to come from the last decade, with a single exception from both sides of the fence. For the horror flicks, the picks were even fresher than usual: two had just been released to theaters, and two others were screened prior to release at HorrorHound Weekend. And the good ol’ Chicago Public Library fates were looking out for me, providing free rentals of a few interesting flicks I missed over the past couple years (and one Chuck Heston epic).

In the interest of speed and alacrity, I’m going to keep these reviews short and sweet. As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Fool's Views (3/7 – 3/20)

Hello, friends!

These two weeks’ views represent programming from Chicago’s own Sci-Fi Spectacular, Kitley’s monthly Army assignments, and an untended Netflix queue which spouted a few random pics that I had completely forgotten I had added to it lo those many months ago. I’m not complaining in the slightest, because treasures were unearthed and enjoyed to their fullest.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

HorrorHound Weeekend Indy 2011 - Convention Report

I’ve been going to horror conventions for about six years now, my first being Flashback Weekend in Chicago in 2005. At that point, I really didn’t know too many fellow in-the-flesh fans, but little did I realize how that would change over the coming years. At said Flashback, I met Jon Kitley of Kitley’s Krypt, who had been doing the convention scene for about 15 years at that point. Over the weeks and months to follow, we bonded over our shared passion for fright flicks and have been fast friends ever since – by his side I’ve attended more conventions and horror events that I could count on fingers and toes.

Fool's Views (2/28 – 3/6)

Good day, lords and ladies!

During the week examined below (yes, yes, I'm a little behind), we completed the final lap of our Godzillafest, and word to the wise, 27 G-films is a WHOLE lot of Godzilla in a single month. (Note: I did not watch the original Gojira this time out, as I’ve seen both the Japanese and its American iteration numerous times in the past couple years and can play them scene for scene in my head.) No regrets, but I doubt we’ll be doing that again anytime soon.

The remainder of the time was devoted to civilian fare, primarily dictated by a number of films that were ending their “streaming” engagement on Netflix, so I had to get them in before they expired. These included a surprising number of rom-coms, a couple big studio action flicks, and one blood-boiling documentary. Hope you like.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Fool's Views (2/21 - 2/27)

Howdy, troops!

Apologies in advance, as these are going to be the mini-views version, being that I’m a month behind schedule and my to-do list is filling up like a hot blonde’s dance card. And with February coming to an end, I had to shoehorn in my usual Netflix load, along with the Kitley’s Army assignment, a goodly amount of G-fest, and a few civilian flicks to keep myself regular.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Fool's Views (2/14 – 2/20)

Ah, welcome back, my friends to the show that never ends. Come inside. Come inside. (Imagine Boris Karloff speaking those words in his inimitable dulcet tones… wouldn’t that have been a great spooky intro to something?)

It’s been another weird and wild week, balancing the real life horrors of the world outside with the spirits and spooks of the alternate universe existing within the flat screen. Not too outlandish a mix of flicks this time out, with Week #3 of the ongoing Tohofest hitting its sweet spot (my favorite period of the big G) sharing space nicely with a couple dandy haunted house films and a pair from 2010 (one great, one not so much).

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Fool's Views (2/7 - 2/13)

Amigos del mios,

Welcome back! This week’s installment of the Views was made possible almost exclusively by the good graces of Netflix, the two exceptions being the 1968 kaiju piñata DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (apparently out of print) and a brief dip into Oscar territory courtesy of a SAG screener of THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT. We continued our ongoing G-fest (though we certainly lost a bit of ground, only seeing 3 flicks this week – must needs pick up the pace) and banged out two more of Burt Reynolds’ oeuvre, as well as tagging two of 2010’s more notable horror releases. On the civilian side, it was essentially “independents week,” with features from auteurs Jarmusch, Araki, Cholodenko and Almereyda. Another wildly mixed menu, but enjoyable nonetheless.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Fool's Views (1/24 – 2/6)

Hello, hello!

Being that last week was the great blizzard of 2011, it’s no real surprise that we got a few movies in. After all, what else was there to do? But it’s funny where inspiration for some of the viewing choices originates. Every 2010 pick this week came courtesy of the Little Red Envelope, one of those rare occasions where Netflix receives your returns the very day the new releases drop. Similarly, it’s often a matter of being in the right place at the right time, as a trip to the Chicago Public Library yielded the remainder of the civilian gems. Sometimes it’s as simple as glancing at your instant streaming queue and realizing that several of your potential Views all start with the same two letters, or it could be the late night screening of an exploitation class-sick (with director Bill Lustig in person!) And sometimes it’s the perfect storm of finishing a book on Toho sci-fi/fantasy flicks the last week in January, and a month-long kaiju festival suddenly programs itself (28 days hath February, 28 Godzilla films hath Toho).

Hope you enjoy the mumbling, jumbling ride – I know I did. As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Fool's Views (1/17 – 1/23)

Not sure what happened to my manners, but somehow, the intros have fallen by the wayside. Let's get that back in there.

Watching movies is fun. I watch a lot of them. I like talking about them. I like hearing what people think about them.

That's where you come in. Thanks for reading!

Leave your two cents worth - we'll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Fool's Views (1/10 – 1/16)

This intro is brought to you by Generic Intros 'R' Us.

I watched some movies. Here's what I thought about them.

What do you think of what I thought of them?

Leave your two cents worth - we'll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

Fool's Views (1/1 – 1/9)

Hey kids,

A month behind, but give me a solid snowstorm like the one we just had and I'll remedy things.

The first week (or so) of 2011 was one of utter randomness, perhaps to presage the mixmaster year to come. I certainly hope so. At first glance, I wouldn't be able to pin down my "tastes," and that's the kind of cinephile I'd like to be.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth - we'll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!

2010 Civilian Views and Year End Stats!

So, having addressed the horror genre (which composed more than half the year's viewing time), I figured it only fair to give credit to the rest of the flicks. Again, all of the films listed below were encountered for the first time from January 1 to December 31, 2010 (i.e. no repeat viewings were eligible), with my top picks denoted with an asterisk.

FOR PREVIOUS YEARS' RECAPS, CLICK HERE

2010 TOTALS:
364 films, 253 1st time views, 242 horror, 45 cinema

(2009 Totals: 472, 276, 289, 38)
(2008 Totals: 384, 278, 226, 39)
(2007 Totals: 409, 284, 260, 40)

TOP 2010 CIVILIAN RELEASES
Best Worst Movie
Fighter, The
Inception
Kick-Ass
Killer Inside Me, The
Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1980
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World*
Social Network, The
Toy Story 3*

Dr. AC's 2010 Horror Wrap-up Exravaganza!

Howdy troops,

After much deliberation, here is my assessment of the year that was. All of the films listed below were encountered for the first time from January 1 to December 31, 2010 (i.e. no repeat viewings were eligible). To accommodate and acknowledge as many films as possible, I've broken them down into various categories in alphabetical order, with my top pick denoted with an asterisk.

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIOUS YEARS' RECAPS  

As always, feel free to tag me with any comments, and I'll tag you back. Thanks so much for the past year of rapping and chatting - looking forward to more of the same in 2011!


TOP 10 2010 HORROR RELEASES

Black Swan*
Cold Prey 2
Crazies, The
Human Centipede (First Sequence), The
Last Exorcism, The
Rare Exports
[Rec] 2
Triangle
Suck

Fool's Views (12/27 – 12/31)

My friends...that is that is that.

Thanks for hanging with the doc for the year, through highs, lows, joys, blues, haikus, etc. - looking forward to more of the same in 2011. As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth - we'll make sure you get some change back.

Next up: Dr. AC's Year End Roundup Extravaganza.

Enjoy!

Fool's Views (12/20 – 12/26)

Almost...there...

My first week of freedom from the day job. So, where do I head? To the cinema, of course, to take in the current crop of Oscar bait. Meanwhile, at home, I decided to ring in the solstice with an all-night viewing of Storm of the Century, as well as catching up with some long-neglected, highly recommended features atop the to-watch shelf. All in all, a reasonably satisfying sojourn within the celluloid.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!


HORROR:
After.Life (2009) (1st viewing) d. Wojtowicz-Vosloo, Agnieszka
After a horrific car accident, Christina Ricci wakes up on the slab at the local funeral home. Confused and feeling still very much alive, Anna resists the notion that she’s shuffled off this mortal coil, despite funeral director Liam Neeson's reassurances that she is merely in transition to the afterlife. Director/co-writer Wojtowicz-Vosloo’s ambitious feature debut is well made, with ample scare scenes intertwined with intriguing questions about life, death and the slender line betwixt them. Unfortunately, the scenario seems better suited to a short film, as the same unhallowed ground is repeatedly trod over…until even the novelty of Ricci’s unadorned flesh loses its appeal. A fine idea needlessly padded.

Black Swan (2010) (1st viewing) d. Aronofsky, Darren
Despite showing up on the cover of Fangoria, I wiffle-waffled for a good long time trying to decide whether Aronofsky’s latest feature, a ballet-thriller starring Natalie Portman, belonged in the “horror” or “civilian” section. After all, there’s not a lot of explicit gore, but there is some truly discomfiting imagery and the overall tenor is rife with tension. What ultimately tipped me over the scale was that I unreservedly refer to Polanski’s Repulsion as a horror film, and seeing as how Swan echoes its predecessor’s theme of spiraling insanity as seen through a beautiful, sexually repressed female character’s increasingly unreliable POV, there seemed little room for debate. Oh, and it’s pretty freaking brilliant, which makes me all the more eager to keep it on the dark side.

Coraline (2009) (1st viewing) d. Selick, Henry
No lighthearted kids movie, this. Don't get me wrong: I loved Selick’s (of Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach fame) nimble stop-motion adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s beloved tale. However, I might have been a little concerned had I seen it with a theater full of youngsters used to Disney or Dreamworks fare, on their behalf, right or wrong. However, what really works is that Coraline (voiced by Dakota Fanning) takes all the weird freaky stuff in stride - all the bizarro imagery becomes a little less scary and a little more magical when your main character - a mere child herself - is intrigued and accepting of the strangeness around her. As adults, we disconnect and think, “Oh, man, that is messed up.” Kids just say, “Ah, this is how it is in this story. Moving on...”

Storm of the Century, The (1999) (1st viewing) d. Baxley, Craig R.
I liked this Stephen King miniseries well enough, although it's a bit talky for a one-shot viewing. Broken up over a couple nights (which is, after all, how it was intended) it might not have felt so. But as it stood, it seemed like there was a lot of repetition, reminding us who characters were, reminding us of what happened before, reminding us of who's dead, etc. Could have probably accomplished the same thing in 3 hours as opposed to 4 – and while it felt faithful to King's vision, as we've seen, faithful doesn't necessarily equal high entertainment. Also, this habit of calling everybody by their full names over and over and over again - do Maine island people really talk like that? I'd be handing out knuckle sandwiches right and left.


CIVILIAN:
Fighter, The (2010) (1st viewing) d. Russell, David, O.
What’s oddest to me about this based-on-a-true-story feature is that it was a pet project for Mark Wahlberg for years, and yet he has the least interesting performance in the film. Instead, it serves as a showcase for the terrific ensemble, three of whom (Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo) will likely receive Oscar nods. Wahlberg is physically astute, looking and moving like a boxer, but emotionally comes up just the tiniest bit short – not enough there there.

Killer Inside Me, The (2010) (1st viewing) d. Winterbottom, Michael
Holy dark, violent and bleak. Casey Affleck is about the least likely brutal homicidal maniac you’d expect…and that’s why he’s so darn good at it. The logic police had to write a couple tickets at the end, but still, a pretty amazing noir. Based on the novel by Jim Thompson.

King's Speech, The (2010) (1st viewing) d. Hooper, Tom
Colin Firth might just stammer his way all the way to the podium this year with his well-inhabited turn as King George VI. Terrific performances all around, especially Geoffrey Rush as Firth’s unconventional speech therapist, with wonderful period feel and production design serving the drama instead of overwhelming it. Oddly enough, it's also strangely unmoving - we understand the character's struggles without truly empathizing.

Machinist, The (2004) (1st viewing) d. Anderson, Brad
While Christian Bale’s astonishing skeletal appearance is what folks generally remember, he also turns in a multifaceted and nuanced character study of a man’s battle for his own mind. What really kills me is that a skilled artisan like Brad Anderson (Session 9) can only seem to find work in television while money and film jobs get handed out to less deserving directors (I’m looking at you, M. Night Shyamalan). Here’s hoping that his upcoming feature, Jack, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Liev Schreiber, changes the course of things.

Memento (2000) (3rd viewing) d. Nolan, Christopher
“Remember Sammy Jankis.” My wife hates this film. And I absolutely do not understand how anyone can hate this film. Because it’s freaking great.

Promise: The Making of “Darkness on the Edge of Town”, The (2010) (1st viewing) d. Zimny, Thom
On the other hand, my wife loves Bruce Springsteen. And she loves me for giving her the special edition 30th anniversary of DOTEOT box set, which includes a wealth of unreleased songs, concert recordings and this documentary showing the Boss at his control freak/genius best.

Zoolander (2001) (1st viewing) d. Stiller, Ben
Um. Hm. Nope, still don’t get it.

2010 Totals to date: 351 films, 236 1st time views, 237 horrors, 41 cinema

BOOKS:
First 200 Years of Monty Python, The by Kim “Howard” Johnson
Twilight Zone Companion, The by Marc Scott Zicree

Fool's Views (11/29 – 12/19)

Howdy folks,

In this installment, the holidays kick into full swing (as you can see, all three horror flicks are seasonally appropriate…plus a certain Will Ferrell flick), and AC starts streaming Netflix in earnest (6 of the civilian features were courtesy of the Little Red Envelope minus the Envelope). It’s a little scary, because with this kind of accessibility, it’s a lot like having TV again. And that’s a dangerous thing. We’ll see how this turns out – as you might have already guessed, I have little enough resistance to the mighty cathode ray as it is.

As always, feel free to leave your two cents worth – we’ll make sure you get some change back.

Enjoy!