Week 32; Film 241 - Fast Times at Ridgmont High [1982]

Stacy and Brad Hamilton, Matt Damone, Mark Ratner, and Jeff Spicoli are teenagers starting another school year at Ridgmont High. This movie is about their crazy high school antics. Brad Hamilton is going into the year on top of the world, but a series of mistakes and misfortunes slowly tears everything away from him. Jeff Spicoli is a surfer-stoner dude who engages in a cat-and-mouse antagonistic game with his history teacher, Mr. Hand. 15-year-old Stacy is interested in guys and is eager, hurt, and underwhelmed by her first sexual experiences. This includes one with ticket-scalper/big talker Damone, who hooks up with Stacy despite knowing his friend Mark has a thing for her. Unfortunately, Stacy gets pregnant after her encounter with Matt and he is absentee as she goes to get an abortion. Still, by the end of the year, everyone makes up and/or finds a new contentment with their situation and Mark gets another date with Stacy.

I’ve said it before, but in general, I can’t stand movies about high school. Again, this probably says more about my own relationship with that period in my life than anything else. But this film was ok. It was fun. With the exception of the twist that Stacy was pregnant, it is otherwise super low stakes and sort of winks at the camera. It knows what it is and I respect it for that. Sean Penn’s Spicoli was a terrific character and I loved Judge Reinhold’s descent as Brad. The Stacy-Mark stuff was adorable. And the sexual stuff—including what I have to guess is one of the most famous nudity scenes in film history—must be gratuitous to some and realistic to others. I really enjoyed the “check comes due” layer of Stacy’s pregnancy and her very human, sibling-moment with Brad. But otherwise, I think I got to this film about a decade too late.

Week 31; Film 240 - Taste of Cherry [1997]

Mr. Badii drives through Tehran looking for someone to do a job for him—to help him disappear. And he’s willing to pay well. The sullen driver has gone as far as to dig a shallow grave beside a tree, along a hillside road. His plan is to hire someone to return to the grave in the morning to do one of two tasks: if Badii responds to calls, help him out of the grave. And if he does not, to bury him. Badii cruises around, looking for the right person to assist. He tries to recruit a soldier and then a seminarist*, but each refuse. The soldier is fearful and the seminarist wont act in conflict with his religion. He then encounters a taxidermist, Mr. Bagheri, who is passionately against suicide but desperate needs the money for his sick child. Bagheri’s compromise is to agree to the terms, but first tell Badii a story about his own suicidal demons and how he came to see beauty in life. As an audience, we’re left to forever wonder if Bagheri’s story sunk in or if Mr. Badii followed through with his fist full of pills.

I found “Taste of Cherry” to be one of those art house film that was very ‘interesting’, but one that didn’t say enough about its character or life to justify the runtime. But still—very interesting. One, I am always interested in getting a glimpse at Iran. I also found it fascinating how important it was for Mr. Badii to pick the “right” person for the job. The film opens with him rolling past a plaza of laborers, shouting out that they are desperate for work. Why did he reject them? Concerns about discretion? Their class? Or perhaps he *wanted* someone who might contest the offer and talk him out of his plan. And then those he did speak to—a solider, a seminarist, and a taxidermist. The first two, representing the military and religion, two tentpoles of modern Iran, were unable to help Badii. But the taxidermist (who worked at a natural history museum) was both familiar with death and enlightened on the subject. Also interestingly, the three weren’t Iranian—they were Kurdish, Afghani, and Azeri, respectively. It was also fascinating how Mr. Badii constantly drove by construction sites with earth movers. If the three men were the military, Islam, and academics, then these earth movers were industry—highly efficient but too heavy handed for such a personal job.

The film was shot claustrophobically but beautifully. And the sound design, with other conversations and audio leaking in and out of the driver-side window, was fantastic. And I never lost interest. And yet, I just don’t think I’m going to revisit this one for a bit.

Week 30; Film 239 - American History X [1998]

Oh wow….I’ve suddenly found myself, like, 6 weeks behind on my film screenings. I’m going to dig out of it, but it’s going to take some time!

Like many younger brothers, high schooler Danny Vinyard idolizes his older brother Derek. The thing is, Derek is a neo-nazi leader who is getting out of prison after serving a sentence for manslaughter, having brutally executed a black man who tried to steal his truck. Danny is low-key excited to show off his swastika flags and how he’s connected with the local white supremacist gang (the Disciples of Christ), but now Derek seems disinterested and downright discouraging. It ends up, after 3 years in jail, Derek wants out. He saw the hypocrisy of the movement and received care and guidance from his former principal, a black man, Dr. Bob Sweeney. Derek’s exit causes a rift with the D.O.C. and puts the Vinyards safety in jeopardy. And as the film shows, both hate and anti-hate are seeds that plant early on, which risk growing into violent chaos.

I knew that this was the “skinhead” movie, but I had no idea what I was getting into. And I certainly didn’t think I’d be asked to go on an empathy-building journey with a reforming white supremacist. Derek and Danny Vinyard are fascinating character studies. Ideology aside, they are each likable family boys who, throughout the course of the movie, come to reckon with how they devolved into white supremacy and show signs of rehabilitation. Derek, of course, we see commit an disgustingly brutal hate crime, and we’re not necessarily willing to forgive him for it, but we begin to believe he pas the potential to become a good person again. And I love how the film flips the “white teacher teaches intercity kids” trope by having the brilliant Avery Brooks be an uplifting force for these lost white boys.

The film is instructive in its ability to show how hatred can grow in the shadows until it’s ready to rear its ugly head. I wish was just a ‘90s, post LA-riots case study and lesson. But we never seem to have dealt with it then, and we aren’t dealing with it now. Having recently watched the video of the Patriot Front losers cosplaying as soldiers, this film is as important now as it’s ever been. A reminder that hate doesn’t start in some field doing drills of bad phalanxes—it starts by rearing its ugly head early on, at the dinner table.

Week 29; Film 238 - High Noon [1952]

It’s a day of celebration in Hadleyville as Marshal Will Kane marries the half-his-age Amy Fowler (eesh). After their courtroom ceremony, Kane then moves down to his next commemoration—his retirement as Marshal (Fowler is a quaker and doesn’t want him engaging in such a violent profession). The two prepare to leave town and honeymoon on the prairie or something, when word arrives that Frank Miller, an insane criminal Kane put away, is back in town and looking for revenge. Unfortunately, the town isn’t scheduled to get their new Marshal until tomorrow. #ipickedthewrongdaytoquitsmoking In light of this, Kane decides he can’t hang up his tin star quite yet and set about town trying to recruit a posse to deal with the Miller problem. But something disturbing happens: Instead of valiantly rushing to join Kane, as they had 5 years ago when they put Miller away, the townsfolk reject his request. Whether for cowardice or disdain for Kane, now finally boiling over, one by one the townsfolk make it clear they have no intention to help and would prefer Kane to leave. Kane must wrestle with his principles, his honor, his wife, and his life, and decide how to proceed with evil literally getting closer with each tick of the clock.

Rather than relying on gunfights and spectacle, the film relays on suspense and the threat of violence to drive the story forward. The whole flick plays on a metaphor in a way that you typically see in science fiction. In fact, this film could easily be adapted into a Twilight Zone/Star Trek/Black Mirror, if updated and shot differently. Of course, I completely misread the metaphor. Lol. The film is apparently a commentary on McCarthy-era blacklisting in Hollywood. I instead read it as an allegory for American exceptionalism, with Kane standing up as the only one with the guts/principle to do the right thing. But that’s the funny thing about art, I suppose.

Anyway, all of this is to say that I found the film interesting. The thrust of the narrative sufficiently subverted my expectations of a western and had something to say. And the “in lock-step with time” film style, in which the film counts down to noon in real time (like an episode of “24”), was well done and added to the suspense. Still, I thought the film sagged a bit, with Cooper’s wooden performance failing to do much for me. The boring guy who can’t read a room and just leave with his stunning bride is at risk of paying for his mistake? Boo hoo. LOL…but I suppose that says more about me than this film.

Week 28; Film 237 - The Black Hole [1979]

The crew of the spacecraft U.S.S. Palomino are preparing to finish their long mission when they notice a black hole. When they get too close, they begin to get sucked in until they make it safely to a gravity bubble of sorts, that allows them to stabilize their flight. They quickly realize the bubble exists around an older, larger spacecraft, the U.S.S. Cygnus. The Cygnus went missing 20 years ago and is unresponsive, so the Palomino crew decide to take a look. Onboard, they learn that only one crew member remains—Dr. Hans Reinhardt—a brilliant scientist from earth. Reinhardt reveals that the rest of the crew evacuated years ago and he stayed behind to finish his research. Reinhardt developed an army of robots to keep him company and execute the functions of the ship. But the crew can’t figure Reinhardt out. He seems to straddle the space between genius and madman. And more over, things on the Cygnus don’t exactly appear as they’ve been told. The crew tries to get to the bottom of things before the black hole—and Reinhardt’s ambition—consumes everyone.

So “The Black Hole” was sort of Disney’s answer to “Star Wars” (ironic, now), but the film plays more like a TV episode of the original “Star Trek” or “Doctor Who”. The sets and production design have a much more “2001” feel, but the late ‘70s look feels a bit less sleek. The biggest offender of this was the V.I.N.CENT floating robot, with its painted-on, cartoonish eyes. Still, I actually really enjoyed V.I.N.CENT as a character (a snarky, intelligent robot who speaks through idioms and philosophical phrases). And some of the imagery and effects are pretty good. Additionally, while a bit slow paced for my liking, the story starts out as a pretty good mystery.

But ultimately, the film falls apart under the weight of its own ambition, like a spaceship next to a black hole. I was excited for John Barry’s take on a space opera theme, but the music was all wrong—bombastic and swashbuckling at times where it should have been mysterious or ominous (basically the "Interstellar' theme, lol), and at least ‘Mickey Mouse’ the action a bit. And by the end of the film, it felt more like a space-disaster flick (intentionally, as that’s where the film started out), with ridiculous rolling, molten meteors and a silly descent into the black hole. I was so confused about what was happening, I needed Wikipedia to better explain to the fate of the antagonist. A real “WTF” ending.

Week 27; Film 236 - Police Story [1985]

The Royal Hong Kong Police Force are performing a daring undercover sting to capture crime lord Chu Tao. When the criminal realizes the police are closing in, he flees but is chased and captured by Inspector Chan Ka-Kui. This gets Ka-Kui promoted but his next assignment is rather troublesome—he is assigned to serve as bodyguard to Salina Fong, the former secretary to Chu Tao, and the barely-cooperative primary witness in their case against the criminal. When Fong rebuff’s Ka-Kui and suggests she doesn’t need protection, the inspector stages a threat to convince her otherwise. But this plan backfires, ruining Ka-Kui’s case. He loses his badge and the respect of the department. But Ka-Kui knows the truth and eventually earns the trust of Fong. Together, they go against police and criminals alike to secure incriminating evidence and bring down Chu Tao once and for all.

“Police Story” is a Jackie Chan film, from his early Hong Kong film career. It has all of the elements you would expect from a Jackie Chan film, especially if you’re familiar with his later work, like me. I liked this flick, but I don’t particularly have a lot to say about it. Though a comedy, young Jackie Chan plays the role more straight and honest than some of his later, American-film characters. This makes for comedy sequences that feel a bit out of tone compared to the more daring or action-oriented scenes. But otherwise, I don’t have much to say about it. It’s a solid ‘80s action-comedy and it’s always fun to watch Jackie Chan perform his daring, expert, and humorous stunts.

Week 26; Film 235 - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington [1939]

COVID, a big move, and work has put my life out of order and my 'one a week' film project has fallen about a month behind. Hopefully, I can fire off a few of these recaps and get back on track!...

When a U.S. Senator passes away, a state governor must appoint a replacement to finish out the vacant term. Stuck between picking a political stooge or a risky reformer, he is convinced of a third option: to pick the seemingly malleable Jefferson Smith. As the leader of the “Boy Rangers”, Smith shares his rose-colored image of America with children and is a popular choice among state parents. When Smith gets to Washington, he is overwhelmed and excited until the press begins to lambast him for being a naive, temporary seat filler. Frustrated with his situation, Smith turns to his senior Senator Joseph Paine for advice. Though secretly crooked, Paine is publicly admired and a former friend to Smith’s late father. As such, Paine takes a great liking to Smith and recommends that he advance a bill to create a national boy’s camp—a seemingly harmless passion of Smith’s that could occupy the young Senator’s time (and keep his nose out of Paine’s dirty deals). Smith partners with the Senators’ secretary Clarissa Saunders, who teaches Smith about the convoluted path from an idea, to a bill, to a law. Everything is going rather inspiringly until Senator Paine realizes that the parcel of land Smith has identified in his boy’s camp bill is the very spot he has been spinning back room deals to build a dam on (at the behest of his corrupt political boss). Cue political chaos.

Going into “Mr. Smith”, I was really fearful the film would be saccharine-sweet, hyper-patriotic fodder that, quite frankly, I’m not particularly in the mood for. And while Jefferson Smith starts his journey with these ideals (and we get plenty of B-Roll shots of Lincoln quotes and D.C. monuments), the film has an irrefutable cynicism to it. Even in 1939, the film plainly acknowledges that Congressmen are crooks, the system is rigged for big interests, and the will of the people is being subverted. And it’s in this dichotomy—both endeared to American ideals and disgusted by its reality (through the lens of soft-focus, snappy-dialogue, ’30s filmmaking)—that the film is an impressive feat. I couldn’t help feeling like “The West Wing”, one of my favorite TV shows, was cut from the same cloth as this film. This film is perfectly cast, excellent political drama, and just as relevant today as it was when released.

Week 25; Film 234 - Legend [1985]

The Lord of Darkness wishes to snuff out the light in the world. He sends his goblin servant Blix to kill the the embodiment of that light, unicorns, and return with their horns. Innocence, he claims, will lure out the creatures. Princess Lili wanders into the forrest to meet her love, Jack. Hoping to woo Lili, Jack blindfolds her and escorts her to see the unicorns. Unbeknownst to them both, Blix follows along, sees, and kills one of the two unicorns. The world is plunged into a deep winter. The Lord of Darkness still fears the coming dawn and reprimands Blix for leaving another unicorn alive. Blix manages to capture the unicorn and Lili. Meanwhile, Jack teams up with a band of elves, dwarfs, and a fairy, and the group prepares to rescue the unicorn and the Princess. The group trudges through swamp, castle, and all sorts of evil minions on their quest. Will light and love be strong enough to challenge the Lord of Darkness? Well—it’s a fairy tale, isn’t it?

What a mixed bag. Ok, let’s start with the good. This film is gorgeous. Seriously. From the production design, to the makeup and wardrobe, the film envelops you in its world as well as modern, CGI-assisted fantasy does. This is no more true than with the design of the Lord of Darkness, an effect sold through amazing cosmetics, scale, and of course, the legendary Tim Curry. We only really get this satanic-villain for a brief intro and the final 15 minutes and I found myself wanting more, because the performance and look was amazing. Finally, the film perfectly straddles being derivative of classical fairytales while feeling uniquely original.

But ultimately, the plot is a mess. In admittedly true fairy tale fashion, there’s so much of the film’s lore that was left unexplained or uncontextualized. This was no more the case than with the diverse array of characters we encounter (both good and bad). With shallow, barely-there character development, I never really found myself rooting for our band of heroes. Every now and then, you can see glimpses of other characters from famous stories in our cast, but this wasn’t enough to draw my interest in. Ultimately, I was glad to watch “Legend” and cross off a film with so much lore (both on and off the screen), but I was left merely whelmed.

Week 24; Film 233 - Late Spring [1949]

Noriko is 27 years old and lives with her widower father, Professor Shukichi Somiya. Having spent her early-and-mid-twenties dealing with World War II, health issues, and taking care of her father, Noriko is somewhat past what would be considered (in 1949 Japan) her prime marrying years. Her very traditional aunt Masa is concerned for Noriko’s wellbeing unmarried and convinces her father Shukichi to become concerned as well. But Noriko isn’t sold on the urgency to marry. She sees examples of “distasteful” marriage and knows that her friend Aya has left an unpleasant union and is now taking care of herself (i.e. there are other options in life). Noriko increasingly bristles and protests when the subject of marriage comes up. She also loves her father and is concerned how he would manage without her. Professor Shukichi tries to quell this concern by suggesting that he, too, will remarry. This notion breaks Noriko’s heart and spirit, so she reluctantly agrees to meet a man for a prospective arranged marriage. She agrees to the arrangement with very little passion or excitement, but with the understanding that her father thinks it’s the right choice and the “natural order of things”.

“Late Spring” is known as a shomen-geki film, or a film that deals with the ordinary lies of middle class Japanese citizens. While a seemingly simple film, there’s a lot going on beneath the surface (according to Wikipedia; I often wasn’t wise to it…lol). Director Yasujirō Ozu contended with American censorship issues and the post-war Japanese zeitgeist when crafting this film about transitioning from one phase of life to another.

First of all, I loved getting a glimpse into Japanese culture in 1949. The film is an intentional mis-match of traditional Japanese design, western business attire, and ‘40s dresses and hairstyle; quite unique. But really, I loved the film dealing with themes that are still relevant today (perhaps more today than they have been in some time)—the struggle between generational conceptions of maturity, taking care of oneself/being provided for, etc. You still hear older generations gossiping about younger generations in terms like “are they married yet?” or “have they found a job yet?” or “do they still live with their parents?” There’s a certain universality to these themes that reached straight through this film to today, even if there are less common western notions, such as an arranged marriage or disgust at the idea of divorce/remarrying. And there’s a chilling sadness about how your child’s transition into marriage (during late spring) suggests a parent’s transition into their final phase of life (perhaps during late autumn).

Like I said, I wasn’t alway wise to what was happening beneath the surface, either for cultural reasons or not. The film was intentionally slow and deliberate, and there were parts that didn’t land for me. But in general, I’d say I enjoyed this deeply personal character study.

Week 23; Film 232 - Leaving Las Vegas [1995]

Raging alcoholic Ben Sanderson drives to Las Vegas with the declared intent of drinking himself to death. The middle-aged, manic-depressive man has lost his job, his family, and his friends and needs to guzzle boatloads of alcohol just to function. Once in town, he solicits a prostitute named Sera and buys an hour with her. But instead of doing the deed, she accepts his real request: stay and drink with me. Unbothered by Ben’s alcoholism, the very lonely Sera turns inward to her one-time client. She welcomes him into her house and they form a relationship of sorts, founding on one principle—she will not question his alcoholism and he will not question her profession. The relationship is fun and straightforward enough until Sera begins to develop feelings for Ben. As the time-passing fling turns to affection, it becomes harder for Sera to accept Ben’s fate.

This film has me pretty torn. I actually really loved the story of two damaged people, who society has turned its back on, finding love and unconditional acceptance. Though these types of characters are often relegated to punchlines or disapproval, Ben and Sera are fully realized. In particular, Ben is a flat out awful person and yet you can’t help but feel for him, and kind of root for him. You’re watching someone literally destroy himself and hurt the one person who puts up with him, but you hope and you root. On the other hand, this film is exceedingly dreary and dark, and I don’t expect that I’ll reach for it again any time soon. I suspect people like this really exist, but while realized they sort of seemed like caricatures. Ever swinging for the fences, I’m torn if Nicolas Cage really sealed the deal on this one, or if this was an Ace Ventura performance dressed in a more-accepting, serious, dreary tone. So yeah, things I liked, things I didn’t. That feels like a 3/5 to me.

Week 22; Film 231 - The Rules of the Game [1939]

Aviator André Jurieux breaks the record for the fastest trans-Atlantic flight, but refuses to find joy in his accomplishment when he learns his crush Christine wasn’t waiting for him at the airport. Christine has friendly feelings for André but is married to Robert, a nobleman (who himself has a side-fling with a woman named Geneviève). You following this? There are 10 more main players and intertwined dramas, but I’ll spare you for now. Anyway, André is down in the dumps, so his friend Octave arranges for him to attend a hunting retreat at Robert’s estate along with Christine, Robert, Geneviève, and other members of the aristocracy (and their servants). At the retreat, all of our main players are aware of each other’s alternate attractions, but everyone manages to play cool until the final night of the retreat. On that night, everyone gets drunk at a party and all hell breaks loose. After a night of clapping, music, fights, kisses, eating, and gunshots, a man lays dead as the hypocrisies of French society are laid bare before the audience.

This was a really, really interesting film, and nothing like I imagined. I knew it was famous for being a large French production made right on the eve of World War II. Allegedly some of the crew began to leave mid-production to go take up arms. So when I listed its genre as “satire”, I assumed it was political satire commenting on the march to war. It took quite a bit of runtime before I realized it was a romantic comedy satirizing French society.

That doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. Both technically and story-wise, this is a unique film. The shots are richly detailed and expansive, with a great deal of action (famously, the film used special lenses for a deep focus, to highlight action as players move front-to-back in the frame). I also loved how the camera drifted between our players during the climactic party sequence. It felt like an early pass at a Royal Tenenbaums-esque romp, where we have a ton of main players and motivations, and we float among each all at once. The tone was sort of all over the place, pivoting between drama and comedy, but this is all for effect. This is no more apparent than during the famous mid-film hunting sequence, where fast cutting and stark images of rabbits dying become a sobering palate cleanser. There was something that kept this film from being fully accessible to me, but I can’t deny that it was a fun, funny, unique picture and I generally liked it.

Week 21; Film 230 - The African Queen [1951]

A British missionary in German East Africa, Rose Sayer finds her safety in jeopardy as World War I breaks out. Hoping to evade the increasingly hostile colonial Germans, she accepts an invitation aboard the African Queen, a small steamboat captained by grumbly and rough Canadian Charlie Allnut. Allnut calculates that they’re well provisioned to hide along the river and wait out the war, but Rose isn’t interested in idling. Upon hearing that the path downriver is blocked by the German gunboat the Königin Luise, Rose proposes that the African Queen be converted into a torpedo to help Jolly Old England in her fight. Allnut isn’t inclined to risk his neck (and his dear boat) for the persnickety Rose. But the two weather their share of river dangers (from rapids, to animals, mosquitos, mucky reeds, mechanical failure, German snipers, Victorian social mores, and Allnut’s special brand of alcoholism) and eventually grow beyond tolerance to find understanding and love in the most hopeless of circumstances.

As far as 71 year old adventure romance films go, I really loved this flick. I got to be honest, I went into it with some trepidation, fearing the film would be really problematic. And while there’s all sorts of things that didn’t age the best, most of them just happen to be the special effects. And yet, they were never bad enough to fully pull me out of the character story. Charlie and Rose are the perfect archetypes for strong-willed, opposites-attracting characters. They’re very clearly Han and Leia, 25 years before Han and Leia. The setting was rich and authentic, and clearly worth every stomachache and dollar of this challenging, on-location, technicolor shoot. There were some pacing issues (we spent too much time in the reeds) and some eyebrow raising deus ex machina. But in general, it was funny, heartwarming, adventurous escapism—really my favorite type of movie.

Oh yes, and this is the original Jungle Cruise movie.

Week 20; Film 229 - L’Avventura [1960]

Anna, Claudia, and Anna’s boyfriend Sandro board a yacht with some other wealthy Italians and set sail for the stark and stunning Aeolian Islands, off the coast of Sicily. Despite the company and the vistas, Anna is disinterested and somewhat depressed. While she argues with Sandro over his long business trips and the lack of attention he provides, the boat docks at a bare, rocky island. After the tiff, she wanders off around the shore. When the weather starts to turn, the party wants to leave but realizes that Anna is still missing. First together, and then with the Italian Coast Guard, the group kicks off a search and rescue mission. How can Anna be missing on an island? Has she drowned? By accident? By suicide? Someone heard an engine—perhaps she boarded a different boat and left? The search continues on Sicily where Claudia and Sandro search for their friend. Claudia is initially furious with Sandro, suspecting his attitude towards Anna is partially to blame for her disappearance. But as she cools, Claudia and Sandro begin to sense a mutual attraction for one another. The next 90 minutes plays out with the two conflicted, rich people navigating their feelings of guilt, despair, and lust while searching for a friend against a stunning Sicilian backdrop.

This isn’t the first time I’ve watched a film considered, by some, to be one of the greatest films of all time—and it doesn’t do anything for me. “L’Avventura” is an art film “noted for its unusual pacing, which emphasizes visual composition, mood, and character over traditional narrative development” (Wikipedia). Boy isn’t that the case. There is shockingly little story for a 143 minute runtime. And while the film is undoubtedly beautiful, I’m sort of convinced that anyone could point a camera at moody, beautiful people in front of stunning, ancient vistas and come out with a beautiful film. That’s not to say the camera doesn’t do interesting things. When shots chose to drift with our characters, stay in one place, or continue rolling on unfolding emotion was Grade-A stuff. But these choices weren’t enough for me to sink my teeth into this one. Anna, Claudia, and Sandro were hardly interesting to me. I don’t think I have any time for characters who are bored or crabby, despite zipping through the Italian countryside in a convertible. LOL. I don’t need characters to be like able, or make ‘moral’ decisions, and forbidden love can be fun to watch. But this was dull. In truth, I was tired and split this screening over two nights, so I might have to give it another watch. But at 143 minutes, I don’t think I’m exactly clamoring to revisit it.

Week 19; Film 228 - Earthquake [1974]

Like all disaster films, “Earthquake” opens by giving us glimpses into the lives of our main players. In Los Angeles, Stewart Graff is a structural engineer of some sort who is going through a mid-life crisis; he reminisces of his days playing football and cheats on his grating wife with perky, young widow Denise. LAPD Sgt. Lou Slade is a no-bull police officer who works tirelessly to help the underdog and get the baddie, no matter what the police bureaucracy throws his way. There’s also Miles Quade (an Evel Knievel-like stuntman), Jody Joad (a National Guard leader with dark side), and a Drunk (who always finds himself, unbothered, in the thick of it). We spend a whopping 52 minutes with all of these characters and their personal dramas, with only a few foreshocks to show for it. Then, the big one hits. 9.9 on the Richter Scale. The shaking lasts a whole 8 minutes and Los Angeles comes out in ruins. For the next 63 minutes, we watch our characters find the capacity for leadership, band together, stand up for what’s right, and in some instances, make the ultimate sacrifice. If only there was a point to all of this caricatured drama.

After watching “The Poseidon Adventure” last year, everything was pointing to watching “The Towering Inferno” next—but I chose to detour to “Earthquake” because (you guessed it, if you know me) I was curious about it after riding the Universal Studios Tour tram experience. And I really wish I hadn’t as I didn’t care for this film. I mean, I expect the film to follow the formula and have half-baked characters. I personally love that about disaster films. But this one felt like a bit of a slog because it rarely felt like there were stakes.

In “The Poseidon Adventure”, or “Volcano”, or “Independence Day”, there’s a bunch of destruction and whatnot, but the characters are racing against the clock to accomplish something, so you root for them. This film felt like a series of character and disaster vignettes stitched together with no high-stakes goal other than “help people” we don’t have much connection to. It felt so hollow that when a star character makes a great sacrifice, his action sort of doesn’t make sense in the context of what we’ve been given. It sounds like the plot was gutted after some test screenings, but it’s a weird problem for a Mario Puzo script (this film is a weird miss between some of the greatest films of all time, “The Godfather” I-and-II and “Superman”).

The disaster shots were fun (and a highlight of contemporary reviews), but looked weak in HD (where I could actually see the special effects lever that rotated to knock pieces of a wall out). And it’s always fun seeing Charlton Heston chew the scenery (rigged to fall apart). But for me, I found the premise to be too shaky. #illseemyselfout

Week 18; Film 227 - Perfect Blue [1997]

After performing as the star of a J-pop music group, Mima Kirioge decides to leave the group and pursue a career in acting. Mima sacrifices a lot to support this transition, ditching a clean-cut image and accepting a TV role that involves her acting in a brutal rape scene. These changes take their tole on Mima, who is further disturbed by the discovery of “Mima’s Room”, an online blog about her written like a diary from her own perspective (with eerie details on her daily routine). Mima attributes the blog to Me-Mania, a disfigured stalker who turns up wherever she is. When members of the TV production are murdered, it is all too much for Mima to handle—she begins to fear she might be involved and suffers from psychosis, believing she is being pursued by her former pop-idol self. I won’t even hint at how this all wraps up, but it’s a perfect 90’s psychological thriller that pushes the boundaries of the type of storytelling you might assume anime is capable of.

“Perfect Blue” was recommended by a fellow Cast Member, who mentioned that the film is a favorite of filmmaker Darren Aronofsky (who recreated a scene from the film in “Requiem for a Dream”). In the same vein as Aronofsky’s work, this film was super dark and falls just outside of my preferences. Mima is a full, complex, tragic character. I mean, this film could have been called “Mima Has a Bad Month”. Still, it’s a generally well crafted premise that constantly left me guessing. And the animation was absolutely stunning. And finally, I always love getting glimpses of Japan—even if it’s dark, murderous Japan.

Week 17; Film 226 - Philadelphia [1993]

Andrew Beckett is a star attorney for the largest law firm in Philadelphia. He is lavished with praise and high-profile cases until one day, an executive partner notices a lesion on his head. Though Beckett explains the lesion as a racquetball injury, the partner correctly attributes it to AIDS (specifically Kaposi’s Sarcoma, “an AIDS-defining condition”). Soon thereafter, the office is in a panic with the suggestion that Beckett misplaced an important legal filing before a crucial deadline. Though the paperwork is finally discovered, with no damage to their case, Beckett is called in and terminated for the supposed indiscretion. Understanding that his AIDS-status and homosexuality were the real reasons for his separation, Beckett aims to file a wrongful termination lawsuit. Unable to find representation, he visits personal injury attorney Joe Miller (whom he had faced once before). With his own prejudice and misinformation, Miller initially rejects Beckett as a client. However, he is convinced to take the case when he sees Beckett deal with discrimination at a library—not unlike discrimination that Miller, a black man, had experienced before. Together, the two men go trial against Philadelphia’s premier legal force, sifting through and dismissing misconceptions, biases, and prejudice against people with AIDS and homosexuals.

I knew this movie was a courtroom drama about AIDS and I knew that Tom Hanks won an academy award for his performance. Naturally, it’s tragically brutal to watch America’s sweetheart Tom Hanks be stoic and suffer. Beckett is intelligent, brave, and sweet, and with Hanks behind the wheel, there was no question my heart would be shattered over this film. But for me, the real strength was an unexpected performance from Denzel Washington. I say “unexpected” because I had no idea he was in this film and was shocked to learn that, not only was he, I’d argue he’s the main character. Hank’s Beckett is the subject of the film, but Washington’s Miller is the proxy for the 1993 American audience and the journey we’re meant to follow—a man who is deeply transformed by the case and his relationship with Beckett. There’s this little detail (that we’re meant to pick up on and I’m super proud that I did…LOL) of Miller picking out a cheap champaign at the beginning of the film and then bringing a bottle of Dom Perignon to a post-trial celebration. This would be the bubbliest of metaphors for his transformation if it weren’t that he was celebrating a birth at the beginning of the film and reckoning with a death at the end. The film is full of these counter-balanced elements. Anyway, throw in Jonathan Demme’s calculated direction, Tak Jukimoto’s creative camera angles, and Howard Shore’s heartfelt, ‘90s score, and you have one heck of a movie.

Week 16; Film 225 - A Hard Day’s Night [1964]

The Beatles board a train for London where they will film a TV appearance. They sing songs and evade hoards of girls every step of the way. On the train, we meet Paul’s whacky grandfather, who the Beatles will have to contend with for the next few days. Once in London, the Fab Four are directed to stay put and answer fan mail by their stuffy manager. Feeling cooped up, they sneak out to a party. The next day, the boys attend a press conference and rehearse for their TV appearance. They keep getting into various shenanigans and challenging authority until their manager has to reel them back in. Paul’s grandfather convinces Ringo that he’s not living fully enough. In agreement, Ringo begins to wander London hoping to experience life but keeps getting into trouble. With their band manager and the show director losing their minds, the band mates go on a wild Ringo-chase. Once reunited, they perform for TV cameras and screaming girls. It’s good to be a Beatle.

With little plot and a lot of music, “A Hard Day’s Night” doesn’t play so much as a musical as it does an extended music video. Viewed this light, it’s one of the first music videos and features unique camera angles and brilliant editing cut to the music. Don’t go into this one expecting a deep exploration on what makes the Beatle’s tick. Rather, the film depicts a fictional, mockumentary, rockumentary, day-in-the-life of the Beatles. It is fun and funny. The four are still in their younger, boyish phase in this film, but in gentle ways, the film shows the underpinnings of them being aware of their role as icons and trendsetters. It also shows them challenging any ounce of authority that tries to exert control over them, from their band manager, to the show director, to the police, to the poor stage-hand that dared touch Ringo’s drum kit. While I could have used with more story, I quickly realized what the film was going for and had fun enough with it. But if I was a moviegoer in 1964, I probably would have bought a ticket for “Mary Poppins” instead. Lol.

Week 15; Film 224 - The Seventh Seal [1957]

After a Crusade, knight Antonius Block and his squire Jöns return to medieval Sweden to discover their home is in the throes of plague. Resting on the shore, Block is visited by none other than Death himself. Though seemingly ambivalent about dying, Block challenges Death to a chess match for his life. The match continues for several days as Block and Jöns move about Sweden, inadvertently assembling a group of companions—there’s Jof & Mia (the actors), their baby Mickael, a non-speaking servant girl, a blacksmith, and his wife. Having seen so much death at home and abroad, and being tormented by the silence of God through all of it, Block senses that life is meaningless. But he finds peace in moments, such as enjoying fresh milk and wild strawberries with good company, or a quest to perform “one meaningful deed.” Did Block beat Death at the chess game?—I won’t say, but does anyone escape Death?

As you can see, this was a real pick-me-up of a film /s. I picked “The Seventh Seal” as an “Easter week” film because it showed up on a “religious films” list. What I didn’t realize was that it was kind of an anti-religion film, as director Ingmar Bergman is clearly working through some feelings after being raised by a Lutheran minister.

There was a lot I loved about this film. Its stark iconography is really amazing. The version of Death that went on to inspire many other iterations, the notion of playing chess with Death (pulled straight out of medieval art), and the shot of Block drinking milk is all fantastic. I really liked the characters, as cynical, dumb, or tormented as they could be. And I found a certain solace in a film about an era when humanity clearly thought the world was ending—its calming to know we’ve been here before.

The film was slow and meditative, and kind of a bummer. While I found Block to be someone I agree with a great deal, but I don’t think I wanted to wallow in those feelings for 90 minutes. I’m really glad to have watched it, and think I will revisit it one day now that I know what to expect. But upon my first watch, I don’t have great passion for the film one way or another.

Week 14; Film 223 - The Birth of a Nation [1915]

Some films get on my list, not out of any pretense that I expect to enjoy it, but out of a desire to understand a more complete snapshot of film and human history. To not watch the awful stuff is to deny that we've been awful...

Presented in two parts during the American Civil War and Reconstruction eras, part one of “The Birth of a Nation” introduces two families: The Northern Stonemans and the Southern Camerons. Though patriarch Austin Stoneman is a staunch abolitionist and the Camerons own enslaved people, the two families are friendly. When the Civil War breaks out, the families’ adult children enlist in their respective armies. The war is brutal and many die while southerner Ben Cameron is captured and sentenced to hang. Mrs. Cameron appeals directly to President Lincoln, who pardons Ben and shows a willingness to be forgiving with the South. The film suggests that when Lincoln is assassinated, his compassionate policies die with him.

Part 2 is where the film pivots, depicting a harsh Reconstruction era South. Life has become hard for the Camerons, who have lost much of their wealth and who have been disenfranchised by cartoonishly villainous black people, formerly enslaved and now manipulated by Radical Republicans. To fight back, Ben Cameron forms the Ku Klux Klan (yup, that's where this film is going!). When a black Union captain tries to kidnap/rape young Flora Cameron, and Flora dies in the chase, the Klan lynch the captain. The occupying Union army then aims to punish the Klan and mistakenly captures Dr. Cameron (Ben’s father), accusing him of leading the hooded criminals. Meanwhile, the half-black Lieutenant Governor Silas Lynch pushes himself on northerner Elsie Stoneman. The Ku Klux Klan rides to rescue Elsie and Dr. Cameron, fulfilling the resolution stated in an earlier intertitle: “The former enemies of North and South are united again in common defense of their Aryan birthright.” Jesus.

“The Birth of a Nation” holds a super complicated place in film history. Cinematically, the film made tremendous technical leaps. It was sort of the “Avatar” of its time, in the sense that it made oodles of money and showed audiences something film hasn't done before. It was the longest and highest grossing film when it was released. It was the first film to feature intricate battle scenes, suspense-building editing, and a synchronized film score (not recorded for playback, but to be performed by an orchestra in tandem with the film). Famously, it was even the first film to ever be screened in the White House. Audiences were enthralled.

It’s also racist—the most racist single piece of media I’ve ever watched. We’re talking ‘ignorant, aggressive, easily bribed black villains terrorize poor, unsuspecting white people and illegally commandeer the North Carolina legislature where they drink alcohol and eat fried chicken, and pass radical legislature like legalizing interracial marriage, which emboldens horny black men to force themselves on unsuspecting white women and children’ racist. It’s a disgustingly distorted view of the Reconstruction Era South, reframing the ills of the War on the very existence of black people. The film treated the Ku Klux Klan as knights in hooded armor and glorified them in such a way that the Klan, dormant since 1872, was literally refounded in the wake of the film. That's right, the Klan of the early 20th century was styled in the film’s image. Holy shit.

So this film has had a very positive influence on the development of film, while it’s had an incredibly negative effect on the course of American history. It makes it hard to review this piece as its own thing, but here's my silly attempt: There was some really fantastic acting, action sequences, and moments of untainted character drama. But these were little bright spots in a film that was generally too long and hateful. When Part 1 ended, I couldn’t help but feel like “well I certainly must have put a huge dent in the film”. Realizing I had 90 minutes to go was a bit deflating. I ended up saving the end for another day and watched it in parts. It wasn’t just about the racism—it was boring, melodramatic racism. I just couldn’t get into it.

Week 13; Film 222 - Time Bandits [1981]

Kevin, an 11-year-old British kid with apathetic parents, is in his room, sleeping. Suddenly, a knight bursts through his wardrobe, makes a mess of his room, and exits by smashing through his wall!—but in a flash, everything is back to normal. The next evening, Kevin arms himself with a flashlight and camera and waits for the knight to appear again. Instead, 5 little men stumble through his wardrobe and kidnap him. The men have stolen a map depicting the holes in the fabric of space-time, allowing them to use these holes for time travel. Kevin joins them as they time-hop from Napoleon-ravaged Italy, to the Sherwood Forest, to Ancient Greece, stealing as much as they can (hence: Time Bandits). Kevin’s knowledge of history, big heart, and integrity suit him well as he guides the locals, the bandits, and faces the personification of evil, itself!

This film is a tremendously fun, fantastical, sloppy, and silly romp. Part “The Princes Bride”, part “Bill and Ted”, part “The Lego Movie”, part “Monty Python”, and in the fashion of every 80’s fantasy flick—but predating almost all of it—“Time Bandits” is a heck of a recipe. Made by the inventive Terry Gilliam and costarring a few of his Python friends, film carries a great deal of whimsy and adventure, with a small, irreverent dose of Monty Python humor. That was almost a downside, as every time the Python humor kicked in (be it Cleese’s hilarious take at Robin Hood or Palin & Shelley Duvall’s “Vincent & Pansy”), I almost wanted to stay in that space. Still, I was endeared enough with the main story to continue with Kevin and the bandits.

I loved how fully formed the bandits’ characters were. While there were plenty of little people jokes, they ultimately weren’t just a punchline and you really grew to root for them. And Sean Connery’s unexpected cameo, and the surrogate father role he sort of plays for Kevin, was mostly heartwarming. The film felt sloppy in places and I feel like some of the themes would have been more potent if developed a little further. I love the unconventional way Gilliam shoots his films, but the characters can get lost in the richly detailed sets. Finally, I can’t help but be incredibly confused by the ending. Are we still in the fantasy? Was that real life? What’s up with Sean Connery? Why is the firetruck leaving? Am I overthinking it and I’m just supposed to go with it?!?!

Anyway, yeah. I loved this film’s spirit and had a few quibbles with its execution. Still prefer it to much of the fantasy genre and recommend giving it a watch!