In 2005: Saddam Hussein was tried for crimes committed against humanity during his time in power; YouTube launched; Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles; Former FBI agent Mark Felt publicly identified himself as Deep Throat; Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans; The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published twelve controversial drawings of the prophet Muhammad; Angela Merkel was elected Chancellor of Germany; Logo debuted; Lost… Continue reading Reflections on 3171, Year of Our Lady of Discord: A look back at 2005
The Quest – Episode 1
When people here about my borderline insane quest to watch ten thousand movies, their initial reaction is skepticism. They think I’m either kidding or I’ve lost my mind. After they realize I’m serious, the questions begin. Why are you doing this? How do you have time? What movies have you seen? What’s your favorite movie?… Continue reading The Quest – Episode 1
Green with fury
The Green Berets (1968) Colonel Mike Kirby (John Wayne) arrives in South Vietnam to lead a group of Special Forces while embedded journalist George Beckworth (David Janssen) reports on the conflict. Through a series of skirmishes with the Viet Cong, the film attempts to demonstrate the heroism and honor of American soldiers. I liked George Takei as… Continue reading Green with fury
Best of the 1900s
Kobelkoff (1900) This short film about “Human Torso” Nikolai Kobelokoff reminds us how different the world was a century ago. With no arms or legs, Kobelkoff became a circus freak. In this short snippet it looks like he is enjoying his life despite his severe handicap. Some viewers will see this as exploitation; they have… Continue reading Best of the 1900s
Best of the 1910s
The Birth of a Flower (1910) A remarkable achievement from the early days of cinema: a lovely large scale exploration of a small scale occurrence which often flies under our radar. The Hallucinations of Baron Munchausen (1911) Once again, Georges Méliès demonstrates his enormous creative capacity, using the story of Baron Munchausen as a launching pad… Continue reading Best of the 1910s
Remind me why the Babadook always follows the tracks
By the Law (1926) Five prospectors head to the Yukon. After one of them kills two of his compatriots, the survivors, a husband and wife, subdue him, but, isolated from civilization, struggle deciding how to proceed. Should they extract justice or wait weeks for the authorities to come? Adapted from a novel by Jack London,… Continue reading Remind me why the Babadook always follows the tracks
Wandering in the company of four horny men named Riley
Horns (2014) When Ignatius Perrish (Daniel Radcliffe) proposes to his longtime girlfriend Merrin (Juno Temple), she rejects him, telling him she loves someone else. The next morning, Merrin is found dead and everyone in town, except for his childhood friend Lee (Max Minghella), believes a spurned Ig murdered her. A pariah, Ig spirals into a… Continue reading Wandering in the company of four horny men named Riley
Best of the 1920s
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) Francis recounts the time he exposed Dr. Caligari as a murderous sociopath who hypnotized one of his patients to commit his crimes. As he finishes his story, we learn Francis is actually patient at an insane asylum and his account is his latest delusion. This film invented the now… Continue reading Best of the 1920s
87th Academy Awards post mortem
Best Supporting Actor J. K. Simmons deserved to win and if he’d been nominated for Best Actor (he’s really a co-lead), he might have still won. Terrence Fletcher was the best performance of the year and will be one of the most talked about and analyzed performances for some time. Best Costume Design The Grand… Continue reading 87th Academy Awards post mortem
Gleaning miracles from the edges of the future
The Gleaners and I: Two Years Later (2002) Varda’s follow-up to her seminal film is too self-aggrandizing. Instead of revisiting the people or places she met in the first movie, she reads congratulatory postcards from viewers. This pretentious film almost cheapens the power of the original. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) When he questions the orders… Continue reading Gleaning miracles from the edges of the future