Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Oldies - 2011

Blow-Up (1966, Michelangelo Antonioni) [53]

A film about an old adage rephrased? Life blows, then you disappear. Blow-Up takes place in mod London, home of 60's cool cats and young radicals. The protagonist is a bored but successful fashion photographer who begins a couple shoots and wanders around town for a day. Despite his general affluence he strikes us as a man not going places. The photographer does work but he's not particularly ambitious. He's content to walk out on a photo shoot in the middle, but doesn't really have anything better to do. He's got money, but doesn't have anything passionate to spend it on. He likes the company of women but doesn't attribute them any value. (Consider his second shoot with the five women; they are arranged diagonally, and Antonioni's camera begins the scene looking down the line, so the woman in front blocks all the others, before moving to the center where all the women are visible. From the photographer's perspective, women are all the same. From ours they are unique.) The photographer's interest is finally piqued when while strolling about he encounters something simple but refreshing - a woman with an older man frolicking about in the park. Or are they arguing? Exercising? Who knows. He satisfies his curiosity through photographing them, before the woman comes over and demands the film from his camera. He stalls, and they meet up later, where she tries to steal it from him. He catches on, and then she resorts to (fake/real) seducing him before leaving. Naturally he gives her the wrong roll (or keeps a duplicate or something) and decides to develop the pictures to see what, if anything, was worth her efforts to reclaim. He produces a magnifying glass, notices something sketchy, and makes a few blow-ups. This reveals a man hiding in the bushes, and later what seems to be a man lying prostrate on the ground. He suspects a murder, ruffles his feathers a bit trying to contact a friend of his, goes out to see the scene again where he notices a (fake/real) body. It's not there when he returns to the scene, and we're not meant to have more information than that. Perhaps the woman was part of a murder cover-up, or maybe she was a lover and she wanted back the proof of her tryst. The murder may have been separate or nonexistent to begin with. Whichever the case, the photographer cannot determine what has occurred or do anything about it so the film returns him to his limbo. Also seemingly irrelevant things happen like him buying an old propellor from an antique store and two women have a romp with him to try and enter into the modeling business; though I plan to rewatch the film I suspect if boiled down to its essentials it would last around an hour. The point of the film is nearly all condensed into the last scene. The photographer notices some college kids "rag"-ing, that is to say roaming around painted as mimes and indeed miming various things, for charity. They mime a tennis game, and the photographer plays along on his turn. As the camera abandons the mimes, we hear the sounds of a tennis match - the nonexistent game becoming real. The photographer, largely characterized as a man without cause or motive, though a purveyor of pretty pictures, is the opposite. He truly exists, but without reason, and disappears. An image without meaning doesn't even exist to begin with.

Hey Good Lookin' (1982, Ralph Bakshi) [72]

LAST BUT NOT LEAST. I haven't been very keen on Bakshi's feature film work but as with most directors, digging through the entire filmography results in buried treasure. Hey Good Lookin' is replete with most of Bakshi's creative vices - grotesque character designs, acid trip flights of fancy, titties poppin' out, and dream-state imagery - but he's wisely adopted a softer tone for his satire. The result is that his pessimistic style acts a critical underbelly to his otherwise nostalgic work. (In other works where the story has far more vitriol to dispense, his style comes across as a lens that reveals all the characters at their most vile rather than a necessary balancing act.)

Hey Good Lookin' is a brief but thorough glimpse of 50's car culture. The main character Vinnie is a greaser who heads a lackadaisical gang and spends a lot of nights on the town. His meticulous grooming shows his vanity, and his zipper-heavy leather jacket broadcasts his tough-guy attitude. We see him, his girl Roxanne, and other gang members and their girls hanging out on a basketball court making out. The joke here is how each couple's behavior is not motivated by infatuation or romance, but to prove social stature. Truthfully, Vinnie is rather insecure. He spars with his friend Crazy, telling Crazy to hit him in the face. Naturally, he blocks all of these punches but has no problem slapping Crazy in the face in return. Crazy blocks one of Vinnie's punches with a trash can lid and Vinnie becomes miffed about the entire stunt because the whole point of play-fighting in the first place was to build his image.

Hey Good Lookin' is very much a film that criticizes the exaltation of status. When Roxanne's father comes out to the gang's court to retrieve his daughter, he removes his belt and uses it like a whip to drive her home like he would a horse and carriage. Because he has no belt, he drops his pants; this gives the gang a good laugh and visually demonstrates to us how he has lost status through his daughter's actions. The film's main plot involves tensions between Vinnie's gang and another, and how this eventually leads to a rumble. We begin to notice that Vinnie, although still fixated on status, puts self-preservation first when push comes to shove. When Crazy shoots down a couple enemy gangers, Vinnie prepares to leave town to avoid the heat. When the rumble begins and he's still in town, he plays possum to save his life. In his absence, Crazy takes over the gang and usurps his status. As you might expect, Roxanne takes a liking to Crazy once he becomes leader.

Crazy's character does not display much forethought about potentially dangerous situations because he values both status and the appearance of status more. When he takes over the greaser gang, Bakshi transitions out of the scene with a graphic match on the sun. As the camera draws closer to the sun, the flames cackle more loudly. This represents that while Crazy has earned his place in the sun, he risks becoming an Icarus and flying too close in his efforts to obtain status.

Parts of acts two and three drag but Bakshi finishes strong. He flashes forward to present day where Vinnie and Roxanne meet at a club. They are no longer impudent teens but disillusioned fogeys. Vinnie's actions have not granted him any status, but he thinks regaining it will provide him fulfillment and he clings to the idea. Roxanne's presence reminds him of what he formerly had and he is embittered. He remarks "turn a woman upside-down and they're all the same" - if status is something only some people have, by definition everyone else must have nothing. Nevertheless, genuine feelings of romance linger between the pair. Decades he later he understands pursuit of status is the quest of the young and foolish, and chooses to accept the equally abject Roxanne because she makes him happy.

The Hill (1965, Sidney Lumet) [65]

Sean Connery and four other fellows arrive together at a British disciplinary camp in the Libyan Desert intended for soldiers found guilty of petty crimes. The goal is to break down the men's spirits and rebuild them in the image of a decent, loyal soldier worthy of Her Majesty's army. They are headed by Staff Sergeant Williams, also new to the boot camp, who has little intention of expunging the men's weakness as he stands to profit by it through his career. The Hill refers to an artificial hill constructed in the middle of the camp where men as punishment are made to run up and down the hill (with their packs) until thoroughly exhausted. There are several scenes that show how the men begin to redeem themselves in spite of Staff Sergeant Williams's deplorable treatment. In one instance the men enjoy a laugh as they collapse on the hill, in unison as they reject one of Williams's dehumanizing modes of punishment: men who collapse on the hill are doused with water, but not by a superior officer - one of the troop is made to douse his own troopmate. The camera starts at a higher angle, figurative of men who have momentarily risen above undeserved authority. Their superiors climb the hill from the other side and stand atop it. The camera slowly descends while remaining pointed at the men on the hill. When it reaches ground level, the men are somewhat obscured by the other men who are wandering around below the hill. The superiors are still visible on the hill's peak; the natural order of the camp has resumed. The Hill contains strong 60's sentiments of questioning authority, as evidenced by Sean Connery. His crime is assaulting his CO, and we learn later that he did so because the man ordered his troop into a hopeless battle, where Connery took command and managed to shepherd some of his guys out of harm's way. This manifests itself during the climax, which like several other sections of the film displays an unwelcome flair for the melodramatic (though nowhere near Lumet's The Pawnbroker levels), where the full extent of Staff Sergeant Williams's loathsome behavior is made clear to the RSM. The man heard complaints of Williams earlier but did not act on them because of Williams's rank above his accusers. In the end, the vile Williams is disposed and the men are victorious, but they assault Williams after his denouncement in an act of vengeance, as Connery implores them this is not necessary. The men have conquered their hill, but rather than remain atop, they choose to go down it once more.

Twelve O'Clock High (1949, Henry King) [68]

Twelve O'Clock High is the story of the 918th Heavy Bombardment Group, a B-17 Flying Fortress unit in the Royal Air Force. The 918th was one of the first groups into combat; they sustained heavy losses, resulting in poor morale and then the reputation as a "hard luck" group. (The U.S. strategy of daylight bombing is one reason given - daylight bombing did increase the accuracy of bombing runs but resulted in more casualties.) Colonel Davenport is the commander of the 918th, and Brigadier General Frank Savage (Gregory Peck) relieves him of command and reassigns him to a different division when he expresses discontent at taking the 918th on a low altitude mission. (The colonel had become too emotionally bonded with his men.) Savage assumes command of the squadron and his notoriety amongst the men spreads as he treats them harshly. Savage demotes the Air Executive Officer, Colonel Ben Gately, for being AWOL during the change of command, and promotes Major Joe Cobb in his place. He assigns Gately to the "Leper Colony," a bomber where he plans to also assign the most substandard members of the 918th. All or most of the members of the 918th ask for transfers, but Savage requests that Group Adjutant Henry Stovall delay processing the transfers to buy some time. Meanwhile the 918th resume bombing runs and through Savage they do so with increased skill and discipline. They notice that several of their enemies ignore their division in favor of less capable ones. The group receives another morale boost during a mission where their group was the only successful group to actually bomb the target. Major General Patrick Pritchard had issued a recall order during this mission; Savage chose to ignore it and cited "radio failure" as the cause. He is chewed out for this, and word gets back to his troops. Some of the men still wish to transfer and Savage enlists Medal of Honor nominee Lieutenant Jesse Bishop to further improve morale. By the time the Inspector General arrives, Bishop has convinced the remaining men to withdraw their transfer requests. Savage also discovers that Gately has been hospitalized for flying missions with a chipped vertebra. Savage orders him not to go on any more missions, which helps mend relations between himself and Gately. Nevertheless, the war advances deeper into Germany and Savage begins to lose men under his command, including Bishop. Pritchard offers Savage a staff job at Bomber Command but Savage declines. (Pritchard's goal is to safeguard Savage, and this is consistent with the film's subtext.) During a mission where the 918th bomb a ball bearing factory, they lose six out of twenty-one planes. Savage witnesses Cobb's plane receive a direct flak hit and this has an emotional effect on him. Savage reinstates Gately as Air Exec in place of Cobb, but is not able to man his aircraft the next day when the 918th goes for a repeat run. Gately takes over. Savage becomes largely reticient and inert while the run takes place. He regains his composure when the division returns home, mutters a few words, and falls asleep. From this, we understand the depth of Savage's commitment to his men, despite his strict tutelage, and the emotional guilt he incurs by ordering many of them to their deaths in combat. This story is framed as a flashback, bookended between scenes where Stovall notices an identical toby jug to one displayed in the 918th's headquarters. Stovall buys the jug and bicycles out to the abandoned RAF airfield, where he leaves it as a tribute to Savage. He understands Savage's commitment to his men, and reciprocates this feeling of respect. Twelve O'Clock High is very much a film about men whose respect and attachment to one another is at odds with their obligations.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

And He USED His Digimon Powar!

I don't watch many short films (uh, under 30-ish minutes) compared to feature length, but here are some thoughts on two that are thematically similar.

Powers of Ten [s] (1968)

Rating ... A- (80)

Since I view contemporary cinema at a snail's pace these days, typically late via DVD, I'm often asked why I bother to snag movies with abysmal word of mouth. Coincidentally my listology is also most chided when it comes to outliers like Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events or Aquamarine; even given citation of specific instances where filmmaking techniques were used to convey meaning, I'll receive a blanket argument to the contrary stating that silly / childish / immature tone betrays the film's lack of Serious Artistic Intent. (I will also take this opportunity to confirm that I prefer anime and cartoons to normal television. #diggingone'sowngrave ) How can I answer both queries? By quoting a man who already has.

" They're not experimental films; they're not really films. They're just attempts to get across an idea. "
- Charles Eames


That man also happens to be co-director of an educational short film called Powers of Ten a number of folks probably saw in middle school algebra as a tool for visually demonstrating orders of magnitude. And that film is destined to appear alongside 2001: A Space Odyssey when I sufficiently delve into 1968 and post the results. Can we agree that this blasphemy waiting to happen will be the most extreme example of our dilemma?

The logic makes sense at least. Educational films are didactic in nature, and a film that's didactic in how it portrays factual information, human relationships, or social commentary is going to be bashed for heavy-handedness by more than just me. But one has to be careful about preconceptions, especially considering interpreting film is about praising substance over form.

So what is Powers of Ten anyways? Put simply, it's a lengthy trick shot that zooms out from a picnic in Chicago that begins with a one meter by one meter square on the screen. Every ten seconds we see another box, this time with a side length equal to the last but increased by a power of ten. By the time we're out in distant space, the film hastily rewinds and performs the same journey again, but this time zooming inwards, with the dimensions of each box being reduced by a power of ten. Put even more simply, it's this.

In seventh grade I would have told you Powers of Ten was a film with solely pragmatic value, in addition to being a heck of a lot better than doing actual classwork. But here's a quote about space from the narrator, who more often than not is trying to provide concrete examples of just how far 10 to the 5th meters or 10 to the 15th meters is.

" This emptiness is normal. The richness of our own neighborhood is the exception. "
- Powers of Ten

The funny thing is, he's talking about the vastness not only of outer space dotted periodically by galaxies but also relative distance between particles at the atomic level. Moreover, he's talking about subtle optimism. Powers of Ten is initially a film about changing mathematical perspective, but equally one about changing human perspective. Do you derive your appreciation for life from an educational film that tells you you're one in 10 to 25th? Or from a real film's visual representation of human civilization as a blotch of light in a sea of darkness? Whichever your choice, Charles Eames got the idea across.


Baby Blue [s] (2007)

Rating ... A- (89)

For the sake of argument, let's say it managed to elude you that Powers of Ten was about anything other than a graphic depiction of forty different powers of ten. Baby Blue solves the problem of literal interpretation at the expense of figurative: don't literally have anything happen.

Or at least, not much of anything. Baby Blue is the fifteen minute anchor of Genius Party, a collection of animated shorts by animation studio 4°C . Two classmates skip school to wander around, uh. In Japan. Early next day one of them boards a train, moving away to somewhere else also in Japan.

Okay, there's more to it than that. The two students are childhood friends grown apart. He's moving away, and follows an unconscious impulse to tie up loose ends with her the night before. She's worried that their day trip might end up a clichéd farewell. He's worried about legacy; in time, memories of the guy who moved are washed away like the tide over footprints in the sand. She's worried that he's noticed her senior boyfriend. He's worried his attempt to reconnect will only cause further pangs of loneliness. They decide to ignore the future for one day and have an adventure.

Despite kicking over a bike cop and lobbing a hand grenade at some thugs, it's really not much of an adventure. They mostly just ride the metro and get lost. The ambient noise fades as they stray from society and they arrive at the beach after darkness has fallen.When they bid each other goodbye, he assures her it's not necessary for her to see him off. It's the adult thing to do.

But wait; she shows up anyway, bringing sparklers and the drastically decreased frame rate of a Perfect Moment. The light of the train against the darkened sky blurs through motion into particles before fading into the sameness of black. Maybe their mutual longing is more acute than either of them were willing to admit. Maybe a gesture of remembrance to close a relationship is merited, regardless of how it appears to the public. Subdued emotions are normal. The display of unchecked feeling to indicate what one person means to another is the exception.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Film Log 2011

691. (08 Dec) The Boss of It All (2007, Lars von Trier) ... B- (57)
690. (08 Dec) Offside (2007, Jafar Panahi) ... C- (33)
689. (07 Dec) The Kingdom (2007, Peter Berg) ... D+ (21)
688. (07 Dec) The Messengers (2007, Pang / Pang) ... F (7)
687. (06 Dec) The Hitcher (2007, Dave Meyers) ... D+ (25)
686. (06 Dec) Dead Silence (2007, James Wan) ... D (12)

685. (05 Dec) Dolores Claiborne (1995, Taylor Hackford) ... F (6)
684. (05 Dec) White Nights (1985, Taylor Hackford) ... C- (29)
683. (04 Dec) Blood In, Blood Out (1993, Taylor Hackford) ... D+ (21)
682. (04 Dec) Vacation (1983, Harold Ramis) ... F (2)
681. (03 Dec) Analyze That (2002, Harold Ramis) ... D (18)
680. (03 Dec) Analyze This (1999, Harold Ramis) ... D+ (26)
679. (02 Dec) Kiss the Girls (1997, Gary Fleder) ... D (14)
678. (02 Dec) Clay Pigeons (1998, David Dobkin) ... F (9)
677. (01 Dec) Senseless (1998, Penelope Spheeris) ... F (4)
676. (01 Dec) The Daytrippers (1996, Greg Mottola) ... D+ (23)
675. (30 Nov) Quigley Down Under (1990, Simon Wincer) ... C (38)
674. (30 Nov) The Phantom (1996, Simon Wincer) ... D+ (24)
673. (29 Nov) Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991, Simon Wincer) ... D (13)
672. (29 Nov) D.A.R.Y.L. (1985, Simon Wincer) ... D (12)
671. (28 Nov) Ready to Rumble (2000, Stephen Herek) ... F (8)
670. (28 Nov) The Sugarland Express (1974, Steven Spielberg) ... D+ (25)
669. (27 Nov) The Color Purple (1985, Steven Spielberg) ... F (7)
668. (27 Nov) Empire of the Sun (1987, Steven Spielberg) ... C (41)
667. (26 Nov) Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004, Adam McKay) ... B (64)
666. (26 Nov) Ronin (1998, John Frankenheimer) ... B (65)
665. (25 Nov) Ed Wood (1994, Tim Burton) ... B+ (71)
664. (25 Nov) The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996, Milos Forman) ... B (62)
663. (24 Nov) Top of the Food Chain (2000, John Paizs) ... C (38)
662. (24 Nov) Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001, John Madden) ... D+ (25)
661. (23 Nov) 15 Minutes (2001, John Herzfeld) ... D+ (22)
660. (23 Nov) American Outlaws (2001, Les Mayfield) ... D (15)
659. (22 Nov) Don't Say a Word (2001, Gary Fleder) ... D (18)
658. (22 Nov) Get Over It (2001, Tommy O'Haver) ... D (10)
657. (21 Nov) Someone Like You (2001, Tony Goldwyn) ... D (16)
656. (21 Nov) The Musketeer (2001, Peter Hyams) ... C+ (45)
655. (20 Nov) The Pledge (2001, Sean Penn) ... C (43)
654. (20 Nov) Head Over Heels (2001, Mark Waters) ... F (7)
653. (19 Nov) Baby Boy (2001, John Singleton) ... C- (28)
652. (19 Nov) Kiss of the Dragon (2001, Chris Nahon) ... D+ (27)
651. (18 Nov) Sweet November (2001, Pat O'Connor) ... D (17)
650. (18 Nov) Cats & Dogs (2001, Lawrence Guterman) ... D+ (21)
649. (17 Nov) Knockaround Guys (2001, Koppelman / Levien) ... D+ (19)
648. (17 Nov) Blow (2001, Ted Demme) ... C- (29)
647. (16 Nov) The Animal (2001, Luke Greenfield) ... F (9)
646. (16 Nov) American Pie 2 (2001, J.B. Rogers) ... D (18)
645. (15 Nov) Tomb Raider (2001, Simon West) ... C- (28)
644. (15 Nov) 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001, Demian Lichtenstein) ... F (7)
643. (14 Nov) Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles (2001, Simon Wincer) ... C+ (50)
642. (14 Nov) Max Keeble's Big Move (2001, Tim Hill) ... D (11)
641. (13 Nov) The Tailor of Panama (2001, John Boorman) ... C (43)
640. (13 Nov) See Spot Run (2001, John Whitesell) ... F (3)
639. (12 Nov) Summer Catch (2001, Michael Tollin) ... D+ (24)
638. (12 Nov) Rock Star (2001, Stephen Herek) ... D+ (27)
637. (11 Nov) Hearts in Atlantis (2001, Scott Hicks) ... D (10)
636. (11 Nov) Hardball (2001, Brian Robbins) ... D (13)
635. (10 Nov) Honey I Blew Up the Kid (1992, Randal Kleiser) ... F (9)
634. (10 Nov) The Horse Whisperer (1998, Robert Redford) ... D+ (27)
633. (09 Nov) The Milagro Beanfield War (1988, Robert Redford) ... C- (31)
632. (09 Nov) Ordinary People (1980, Robert Redford) ... C (40)
631. (08 Nov) Fright Night (1985, Todd Holland) ... D (17)
630. (08 Nov) The Mechanic (1972, Michael Winner) ... C- (29)
629. (07 Nov) Begotten (1990, E. Elias Merhige) ... D+ (23)
628. (07 Nov)
Beautiful Girls (1996, Ted Demme) ... C- (29)
627. (06 Nov)
The Ref (1994, Ted Demme) ... D+ (26)
626. (06 Nov) Monument Ave (1998, Ted Demme) ... D+ (23)
625. (05 Nov) The Killer Inside Me (2010, Michael Winterbottom) ... D+ (22)
624. (05 Nov) Tiny Furniture (2010, Lena Dunham) ... D+ (23)
623. (04 Nov) Winter's Bone (2010, Debra Granik) ... C+ (47)
622. (04 Nov) Restrepo (2010, Hetherington / Junger) ... C (37)
621. (03 Nov) Outside the Law (2010, Rachid Bouchareb) ... C+ (50)
620. (03 Nov) Micmacs (2010, Jean-Pierre Jeunet) ... C+ (44)
619. (02 Nov) Dogtooth (2010, Giorgos Lanthimos) ... C- (34)
618. (02 Nov) Wild Grass (2010, Alan Resnais) ... C- (31)
617. (01 Nov) Love Ranch (2010, Taylor Hackford) ... F (9)
616. (01 Nov) Centurion (2010, Neil Marshall) ... B- (61)
615. (31 Oct) Music of the Heart (1999, Wes Craven) ... D (18)
614. (31 Oct) Shocker (1989, Wes Craven) ... F (2)
613. (30 Oct) The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988, Wes Craven) ... F (8)
612. (30 Oct) Deadly Friend (1986, Wes Craven) ... F (9)
611. (29 Oct) Swamp Thing (1982, Wes Craven) ... F (3)
610. (29 Oct) Deadly Blessing (1981, Wes Craven) ... F (7)
609. (28 Oct) Twelve O'Clock High (1949, Henry King) ... B (68)
608. (28 Oct) Deck the Halls (2006, John Whitesell) ... F (7)
607. (27 Oct) Two Days in the Valley (1996, John Herzfeld) ... D+ (27)
606. (27 Oct) The People Under the Stairs (1991, Wes Craven) ... D (11)
605. (26 Oct) 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance (1994, Michael Haneke) ... C (37)
604. (26 Oct) Benny's Video (1992, Michael Haneke) ... C+ (47)
603. (25 Oct) Desperado (1995, Robert Rodriguez) ... D (18)
602. (25 Oct) El Mariachi (1992, Robert Rodriguez) ... F (9)
601. (24 Oct) Lorenzo's Oil (1992, George Miller) ... C (37)
600. (24 Oct) The Witches of Eastwick (1987, George Miller) ... D+ (27)
599. (23 Oct) The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000, Brian Levant) ... F (4)
598. (23 Oct) The Flintstones (1994, Brian Levant) ... D+ (24)
597. (22 Oct) Saving Grace (2000, Nigel Cole) ... D (14)
596. (22 Oct) City Slickers 2 (1994, Paul Weiland) ... D (18)
595. (21 Oct) City Slickers (1991, Ron Underwood) ... C- (29)
594. (21 Oct) The Saint (1997, Phillip Noyce) ... C- (30)
593. (20 Oct) Clear and Present Danger (1994, Phillip Noyce) ... C (38)
592. (20 Oct) Blind Fury (1989, Phillip Noyce) ... D (11)
591. (19 Oct) The General (1998, John Boorman) ... C+ (50)
590. (19 Oct) Dishonored (1931, Josef von Sternberg) ... B- (56)
589. (18 Oct) Boogie Nights (1997, Paul Thomas Anderson) ... C- (31)
588. (18 Oct) Soul Food (1997, George Tillman Jr.) ... C+ (45)
587. (17 Oct) Spartan (2004, David Mamet) ... B- (59)
586. (17 Oct) Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985, Tim Burton) ... B- (55)
585. (16 Oct) Big Top Pee-Wee (1988, Randal Kleiser) ... D+ (19)
584. (16 Oct) It's My Party (1996, Randal Kleiser) ... D+ (19)
583. (15 Oct) White Fang (1991, Randal Kleiser) ... C- (32)
582. (15 Oct) Summer Lovers (1982, Randal Kleiser) ... D+ (25)
581. (14 Oct) Angels in the Outfield (1994, William Dear) ... F (4)
580. (14 Oct) If Looks Could Kill (1991, William Dear) ... C (37)
579. (13 Oct) Harry and the Hendersons (1987, William Dear) ... F (5)
578. (13 Oct) Timerider (1982, William Dear) ... C- (31)
577. (12 Oct) The Siege (1998, Edward Zwick) ... C- (31)
576. (12 Oct) About Last Night... (1986, Edward Zwick) ... D+ (25)
575. (11 Oct) Legends of the Fall (1994, Edward Zwick) ... C (39)
574. (11 Oct) Walker (1987, Alex Cox) ... B- (54)
573. (10 Oct) Sid and Nancy (1986, Alex Cox) ... D (11)
572. (10 Oct) Village of the Damned (1960, Wolf Rilla) ... C (40)
571. (09 Oct) Village of the Damned (1995, John Carpenter) ... C (38)
570. (09 Oct) Christine (1983, John Carpenter) ... D (14)
569. (08 Oct) Prince of Darkness (1987, John Carpenter) ... D+ (22)
568. (08 Oct) Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992, John Carpenter) ... C- (30)
567. (07 Oct) The Deep End (2001, McGehee / Siegel) ... C- (29)
566. (07 Oct) Suture (1993, McGehee / Siegel) ... C (39)
565. (06 Oct) The Men (1950, Fred Zinnemann) ... C+ (50)
564. (06 Oct) I Shot Andy Warhol (1996, Mary Harron) ... F (4)
563. (05 Oct) Joy of Sex (1984, Martha Coolidge) ... D+ (26)
562. (05 Oct) The Brady Bunch Movie (1995, Betty Thomas) ... D (12)
561. (04 Oct) Holy Smoke (1999, Jane Campion) ... C- (29)
560. (04 Oct) An Angel at My Table (1990, Jane Campion) ... C+ (46)
559. (03 Oct) Sweetie (1989, Jane Campion) ... F (3)
558. (03 Oct) 28 Days (2000, Betty Thomas) ... D (18)
557. (02 Oct) The Namesake (2007, Mira Nair) ... C+ (50)
556. (02 Oct) A Thousand Acres (1997, Jocelyn Moorehouse) ... C- (34)
555. (01 Oct) Plain Clothes (1988, Martha Coolidge) ... C (41)
554. (01 Oct) The Loveless (1982, Bigelow / Montgomery) ... D (16)
553. (30 Sep) The Caveman's Valentine (2001, Kasi Lemmons) ... F (8)
552. (30 Sep) Rain (2002, Christine Jeffs) ... C- (28)
551. (29 Sep) The Nativity Story (2006, Catherine Hardwicke) ... D+ (24)
550. (29 Sep) Amelia (2009, Mira Nair) ... C- (30)
549. (28 Sep) Bright Star (2009, Jane Campion) ... D+ (27)
548. (28 Sep) Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel (2009, Betty Thomas) ... F (4)
547. (27 Sep) Survival of the Dead (2010, George A. Romero) ... C (42)
546. (27 Sep) Agora (2010, Alejandro Amenábar) ... B (62)
545. (26 Sep) Piranha 3-D (2010, Alexandre Aja) ... F (4)
544. (26 Sep) Ondine (2010, Neil Jordan) ... C+ (47)
543. (25 Sep) Kings of Pastry (2010, Hegedus / Pennebaker) ... C- (30)
542. (25 Sep) Cyrus (2010, The Duplass Brothers) ... C- (32)
541. (24 Sep) American Radical: The Trials of Norman Finkelstein (2010, Ridgen / Rossier) ... C (36)
540. (24 Sep) Looking for Eric (2010, Ken Loach) ... C- (33)
539. (23 Sep) Solitary Man (2010, Koppelman / Levien) ... C+ (48)
538. (23 Sep) Just Wright (2010, Sanaa Hamri) ... F (8)
537. (22 Sep) Blue Valentine (2010, Derek Cianfrance) ... B- (58)
536. (22 Sep) Biutiful (2010, Alejandro Gonzalez-Innaritu) ... D+ (20)
535. (21 Sep) Another Year (2010, Mike Leigh) ... B- (54)
534. (21 Sep) True Grit (2010, The Coens) ... C (38)
533. (20 Sep) Somewhere (2010, Sofia Coppola) ... C (41)
532. (20 Sep) Little Fockers (2010, Paul Weitz) ... D (18)
531. (19 Sep) Gulliver's Travels (2010, Rob Letterman) ... F (7)
530. (19 Sep) Yogi Bear (2010, Eric Brevig) ... F (6)
529. (18 Sep) TRON Legacy (2010, Joseph Kosinski) ... C- (28)
528. (18 Sep) Rabbit Hole (2010, John Cameron Mitchel) ... D+ (21)
527. (17 Sep) How Do You Know (2010, James L. Brooks) ... D+ (19)
526. (17 Sep) Casino Jack (2010, George Hickenlooper) ... B (64)
525. (16 Sep) The Tourist (2010, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck) ... D (17)
524. (16 Sep) The Fighter (2010, David O. Russell) ... C (43)
523. (15 Sep) The Warrior's Way (2010, Sngmoo Lee) ... F (7)
522. (15 Sep) I Love You Phillip Morris (2010, Ficarra / Requa) ... D+ (26)
521. (14 Sep) Barney's Version (2010, Richard J. Lewis) ... C+ (46)
520. (14 Sep) All Good Things (2010, Andrew Jarecki) ... D+ (24)
519. (13 Sep) Love and Other Drugs (2010, Edward Zwick) ... C- (33)
518. (13 Sep) The King's Speech (2010, Tom Hooper) ... C+ (45)
517. (12 Sep) Faster (2010, George Tillman Jr.) ... D+ (25)
516. (12 Sep) Burlesque (2010, Steve Antin) ... D+ (27)
515. (11 Sep) The Next Three Days (2010, Paul Haggis) ... C- (29)
514. (11 Sep) Made in Dagenham (2010, Nigel Cole) ... D+ (22)
513. (10 Sep) Unstoppable (2010, Tony Scott) ... C- (30)
512. (10 Sep) Skyline (2010, Strause / Strause) ... D (14)
511. (09 Sep) Morning Glory (2010, Roger Michell) ... C+ (47)
510. (09 Sep) 127 Hours (2010, Danny Boyle) ... C- (35)
509. (08 Sep) Megamind (2010, Tom McGrath) ... A- (85)
508. (08 Sep) Fair Game (2010, Doug Liman) ... C (36)
507. (07 Sep) Due Date (2010, Todd Phillips) ... D (12)
506. (07 Sep) Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer (2010, Alex Gibney) ... C (42)
505. (06 Sep) Boxing Gym (2010, Frederick Wiseman) ... C- (31)
504. (06 Sep) Hereafter (2010, Clint Eastwood) ... D (15)
503. (05 Sep) Secretariat (2010, Randall Wallace) ... C- (28)
502. (05 Sep) My Soul to Take (2010, Wes Craven) ... F (5)
501. (04 Sep) Marwencol (2010, Jeff Malmberg) ... D+ (24)
500. (04 Sep) Life As We Know It (2010, Greg Berlanti) ... D (16)
499. (03 Sep) It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010, Boden / Fleck) ... C- (29)
498. (03 Sep) Inside Job (2010, Charles Ferguson) ... B- (52)
497. (02 Sep) Robot (2010, S. Shankar) ... C (40)
496. (02 Sep) Case 39 (2010, Christian Alvart) ... D+ (26)
495. (01 Sep) You Again (2010, Andy Fickman) ... D (15)
494. (01 Sep) Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010, Oliver Stone) ... C (39)
493. (31 Aug) The Virginity Hit (2010, Botko / Gurland) ... F (3)
492. (31 Aug) Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (2010, Zack Snyder) ... F (8)
491. (30 Aug) The Town (2010, Ben Affleck) ... C- (35)
490. (30 Aug) Easy A (2010, Will Gluck) ... C+ (48)
489. (29 Aug) Devil (2010, John Erick Dowdle) ... C (41)
488. (29 Aug) Alpha and Omega (2010, Bell / Gluck) ... D (13)
487. (28 Aug) The Romantics (2010, Galt Niederhoffer) ... F (9)
486. (28 Aug) Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010, Paul W.S. Anderson) ... C (40)
485. (27 Aug) Machete (2010, Maniquis / Rodriguez) ... F (3)
484. (27 Aug) Going the Distance (2010, Nanette Burstein) ... D+ (22)
483. (26 Aug) The American (2010, Anton Corbijn) ... C (36)
482. (26 Aug) The Last Exorcism (2010, Daniel Stamm) ... C (37)
481. (25 Aug) Takers (2010, John Luessenhop) ... D (16)
480. (25 Aug) Vampires Suck (2010, Friedberg / Seltzer) ... D (11)
479. (24 Aug) The Switch (2010, Gordon / Speck) ... D (14)
478. (24 Aug) Nanny McPhee Returns (2010, Susanna White) ... D+ (27)
477. (23 Aug) The Expendables (2010, Sylvester Stallone) ... D (17)
476. (23 Aug) The Other Guys (2010, Adam McKay) ... B+ (71)
475. (22 Aug) Flipped (2010, Rob Reiner) ... C+ (51)
474. (22 Aug) Dinner for Schmucks (2010, Jay Roach) ... F (2)
473. (21 Aug) Charlie St. Cloud (2010, Burr Steers) ... D+ (24)
472. (21 Aug) Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore (2010, Brad Peyton) ... D (18)
471. (20 Aug) Ramona and Beezus (2010, Elizabeth Allen) ... B (68)
470. (20 Aug) Salt (2010, Phillip Noyce) ... D+ (21)
469. (19 Aug) The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010, Jon Turteltaub) ... C (43)
468. (19 Aug) Inception (2010, Christopher Nolan) ... B+ (70)
467. (18 Aug) Predators (2010, Nimròd Antal) ... C+ (49)
466. (18 Aug) Despicable Me (2010, Coffin / Renaud) ... B- (55)
465. (17 Aug) The Last Airbender (2010, M. Night Shyamalan) ... C+ (45)
464. (17 Aug) Knight and Day (2010, James Mangold) ... D (12)
463. (16 Aug) Jonah Hex (2010, Jimmy Hayward) ... F (4)
462. (16 Aug) Toy Story 3 (2010, Lee Unkrich) ... B- (56)
461. (15 Aug) The Karate Kid (2010, Harald Zwart) ... D+ (25)
460. (15 Aug) The A-Team (2010, Joe Carnahan) ... D (10)
459. (14 Aug) Splice (2010, Vincenzo Natali) ... D+ (20)
458. (14 Aug) Marmaduke (2010, Tom Dey) ... F (6)
457. (13 Aug) Killers (2010, Robert Luketic) ... C- (29)
456. (13 Aug) Get Him to the Greek (2010, Nicholas Stoller) ... C- (30)
455. (12 Aug) Sex and the City 2 (2010, Michael Patrick King) ... C (38)
454. (12 Aug) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (2010, Mike Newell) ... C+ (51)
453. (11 Aug) Shrek Forever After (2010, Mike Mitchell) ... D+ (19)
452. (11 Aug) MacGruber (2010, Jorma Taccone) ... F (5)
451. (10 Aug) Robin Hood (2010, Ridley Scott) ... C+ (49)
450. (10 Aug) Letters to Juliet (2010, Gary Winick) ... D+ (23)
449. (09 Aug) Trash Humpers (2010, Harmony Korine) ... F (2)
448. (09 Aug) Casino Jack and the United States of Money (2010, Alex Gibney) ... B- (56)
447. (08 Aug) Iron Man 2 (2010, Jon Favreau) ... D+ (26)
446. (08 Aug) Please Give (2010, Nicole Holofcener) ... C- (32)
445. (07 Aug) A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010, Samuel Bayer) ... F (9)
444. (07 Aug) Furry Vengeance (2010, Roger Kumble) ... F (3)
443. (06 Aug) Best Worst Movie (2010, Michael Stephenson) ... B- (53)
442. (06 Aug) Oceans (2010, Jacques Perrin) ... C (41)
441. (05 Aug) The Losers (2010, Sylvain White) ... F (6)
440. (05 Aug) The Back-Up Plan (2010, Alan Poul) ... D (13)
439. (04 Aug) The Perfect Game (2010, William Dear) ... C+ (44)
438. (04 Aug) The City of Your Final Destination (2010, James Ivory) ... C+ (46)
437. (03 Aug) Kick-Ass (2010, Matthew Vaughn) ... D+ (23)
436. (03 Aug) Death at a Funeral (2010, Neil LaBute) ... F (2)
435. (02 Aug) After Life (2010, Agnieszka Wojtowicz-Vosloo) ... F (7)

Monday, January 10, 2011

Long Leave the King!!!

All that remained was a dark red blotch upon the face of the earth, blotching things up.


A
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A-
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B+
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B
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B-
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C
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C-
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D+
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D
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F
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Eagerly Awaiting
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Least Anticipated
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