Volver. I’m willing to see a few more from Almodóvar. I probably would have loved this one with a few tweaks. Great actresses, but I was hoping for less explanatory dialogue and for more of the dark humor that shows up here and there. Nice to see supernatural fantasy elements taken in stride. Ebert says.
Sherlock Holmes. Mediocre. Too long. Seems to exist only to make way for a sequel. It’s frustrating to see so many actors I like stuck in a weak movie.
On the Waterfront. So good.
Up in the Air. One of the best movies I saw this year. Left the theater feeling quite satisfied.
A Fistful of Dollars. Apparently it’s heavily influenced by / a remake of Yojimbo, which I’ve yet to see. It’s shorter and more amusing than the prequel, but I enjoyed The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly much more. It needed a good villain.
Our Hospitality. Starts pretty slow, but it has good moments. The waterfall scene near the end [9 minutes into the clip] is genuinely amazing. At the core is a family fued: Canfields vs. McKays. McKay falls in love with the Canfield daughter. Daughter invites him over for supper. Southern code of honor means Canfields can’t kill him inside the house. Comedy ensues.
Rosemary’s Baby. This is one creepy movie. It’s mostly a nice, slow tiptoeing towards a dreadful end rather than occasional surprise-attack horror nonsense. Ebert says:
This is why the movie is so good. The characters and the story transcend the plot. In most horror films, and indeed in most suspense films of the Alfred Hitchcock tradition, the characters are at the mercy of the plot. In this one, they emerge as human beings actually doing these things.
Psycho. Had a second viewing this weekend, as good as the first time around. Fun fact: Anthony Perkins, the actor who plays Norman Bates in this film, is the father of Elvis Perkins, the leader of the awesome band I saw a few days ago, also for the second time.
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934). DNF. I get the sense that Hitchcock made some mediocre films here and there. This might be one of them. I think if I’m going to watch a cold technician-type director, I might as well focus on his better stuff from here on out.
The Big Sleep. It’s got a twisty-turny plot where every encounter turns up some new intrigue. Not bad, but I didn’t fall in love with this one. Out of the Past is still the reigning film noir champion for me.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. It’s hard to adjust to the slower pacing of some of these old films, but it usually pays off. They really had a way with the dialogue. Also, I usually don’t like musicals, but I enjoyed the numbers in this one much more than I thought I would.
Where the Wild Things Are. I did not enjoy this movie very much. It was kind of tedious, no tremendous highs or lows. The best parts for me were in the few minutes of real-life bookends. I did love the book when I was younger, but don’t have much memory of it now.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. I’d seen about 90% of this one, but never before in one uninterrupted stretch. Every bit as good as they say.
Roman Holiday. I’d only seen bits and pieces of this one before. A nice build-up, a romp, and then some romantic tension that last until literally the very last second. Classic.
Solaris, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. I like this one much more in hindsight than when I was actually watching it. But I have to say it’s given much more post-viewing food-for-thought than its cousin, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Now that it’s over, I kind of want to watch it again. It’s much more introspective than the Kubrick, and it’s beautifully shot with some truly “wow” moments. I give it a thumbs-up for when you’ve got some patience to let it linger.
Roger Ebert on Solaris. Phillip Lopate on Solaris (“Watching this 169-minute work is like catching a fever, with night sweats and eventual cooling brow”).
Throne of Blood is the first Kurosawa film I’ve seen. It’s very Macbeth-ian, but set in old Japan. That dude’s wife is super-creepy and awesome. I loved the minimal soundtrack and the patience with some of the scenes, especially during the first half. Seemed like the last half-hour dragged a bit.
The General. I’ve grown to love me some Buster Keaton. Seems like every scene in this movie has a laugh built-in. But it’s not just a gag to hold you over until something happens. They’re all connected with the chase or to at least show you what the hero is like. And I love the efficiency of the stunts. Everything seems so cleanly done. Great stuff. Roger Ebert on The General.
Update: This movie is also set in my home state of Georgia. Just sayin’…
In the Heat of the Night. Pretty good. I didn’t realize this movie was so old. 1967!
“I don’t want to die.”
“Neither do I, baby, but if I have to, I’m gonna die last.”
Out of the Past is a wonderful, wonderful movie. Great shots, some really snappy dialogue, a perfect villain, a dame that can’t do right, a guy who tries to convince himself he can. The best I’ve seen in a while. Roger Ebert’s review
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Mark Larson 