January Week 2: The Post Dude Always Blogs Twice.

Sunday Sunday Sunday! Monster Truck weekend! Get your shoes autographed by Willie "The Snake Tamer" Smith! Big Foot will jump 3000 BUSES WHILE UNDER WATER!!!

Now that we've all had our fun, let's get to some reviews.

Movies Seen:
Inside Llewyn Davis
The Wolf of Wall Street
Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday
Last Days
Killer Klowns from Outer Space
The Snows of Kilimanjaro
Where the Buffalo Roam
The Ninth Gate
Beautiful Creatures

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013):

I went to see this movie for a second time in the theater, which for me is a very rare event. I can probably count the times that has happened in my adult life on one hand. Inside Llewyn Davis was something special the first time I watched it, but the second time felt positively transcendent. Complimenting a Coen brother’s movie is like spitting in the ocean and I don’t feel very comfortable writing about recent movies anyway, so I will just say that everything about the film is fantastic. The score, the cinematography, the costume design, the score, the dialogue, with cats, and the score, all amazing. Just go see it.

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013):

As I said in my review of Inside Llewyn Davis, I don’t feel comfortable reviewing current movies. Right now, 2000 legitimate critics have reviews for The Wolf of Wall Street, and I cannot hold a candle to them, nor do I really want to. Here are my opinions on Wolf: The movie was fun for the most part, which made the 3 hours enjoyable, but I definitely think it could have been cut down some. After the 3rd or 4^th time Leo DiCaprio gives a speech to rally his fellow traders I think we all got the picture; he’s good at firing people up, good at the sale. Charisma for days, yo. There is something to say about the way women are portrayed in the movie, but I’m not the one to say it. I’m pretty sure the intention of the film was to be extremely shallow, so technically it’s a success in that portrayal. I really preferred American Hustle to Wolf, and it seems like that is the typical divide amongst movie nerds.

Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday (1993):

Part of the January film project, Lord I wish I had never bought this movie. Once again, this was purchased because of my love for the Film Sack podcast. At the time of purchase, I was not the kind of person who would watch a horror movie unless forced to. I have lightened up since then, and now appreciate them on a comedic level more than anything. Jason Goes to Hell is without a doubt, the BEST Friday the 13^th movie I have ever seen. It is also the only one. There is a line in the movie that refers to a mango sized shit, and that works as an apt description of the film. The movie held my attention the entire time, but I think this is due to my being a horror movie novice. I kept expecting something interesting to happen, and I guess that makes it suspenseful? No no no. The movie was boring, plain and simple. The most interesting person in the movie was the foul mouth diner owner, and that is really about the best I can say about it. But hey, perhaps if I watch the unrated version I’ll have a different song to sing! Too bad I’m never going to find out.

Last Days (2005):

What was this movie about? I know what it was about, because everyone knows it is supposed to resemble Kurt Cobain’s last days on Earth. But seriously, what was this movie about? All the characters meander around for an hour and a half, mumbling and not making much sense. Is it about loneliness? Is it about sexuality? Is it about how life never gives anyone a moment of real peace? Is it about the yellow pages or Mormonism? The movie has some cool sound design, and some excellent nature shots, but is otherwise an exercise in blahhhhhh. Which might be the point, I guess? When music becomes mainstream, there is nothing left but blah right? Deep, man.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988):

Another movie I expected to hate, this comes from my spending spree on Film Sack related DVDs. Like all other red-blooded American adults around my age, I already have a fear of clowns thanks to Stephen King and John Wayne Gacy, so how was I supposed to know I was missing out on this smart little indie horror comedy? I don’t want to sell the movie too hard because I think, once again, my lowered expectations played a factor in my enjoyment. All the practical effects hold up, the acting is goofy but not over the top, and it is a short 90 minutes in length. It fits in perfectly with movies like Gremlins or Critters, horror that’s not too scary and is entertaining as all hell. I was going to put up the trailer so you could see some of the fantastic effects, but it gives WAY too much of the movie away. I advise you to take a break and watch the movie; you’ll either love it or hate me for telling you to watch it, so win-win right?

The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952):

This movie is part of a compilation of films I got for Christmas one year called Great Movies. 15 public domain movies ranging from big studio productions to TV movies, all on 2 DVDs! I have not watched a single one until now, so they are all a part of the January film project. The Snows of Kilimanjaro is based on an Ernest Hemmingway short story, and you can tell straight away by how the characters talk. They speak of life with a poetry that is unrealistic but wonderful to hear out loud. Other than the dialogue and some stock Africa footage, there is almost nothing remarkable about this movie. I like me some Gregory Peck, and while watching this I was running a fever so I began imitating him for myself and the cats enjoyment. Unfortunately my Gregory Peck is pretty close to my Sean Connery so it sometimes slipped out in a strange amalgamation where I was telling Catherine Zeta Jones that it was a sin to kill a mocking bird while stealing valuable works of art. Anywho, Peck does his thing, standing and looking pretty while the ladies of the film swoon around him. The movie was 2 hours long, and you could tell the studio tried very hard to flesh out more story just to get their money’s worth. The ending is the worst part, because even though I have never read the story I could tell that someone in Hollywood that the audience would revolt if the main character died. I’m glad I watched it because it serves as some more padding on my movie experience card (no, that’s not a real thing I’m just a crazy person), but I cannot recommend the movie.

Where the Buffalo Roam (1980):

Part of the January project, this DVD was acquired recently on one of my very rare trips to Los Angeles with Sarah and Jose in tow. We ventured to an insane mystical place called Records, where I found myself surround by music lovers, of which I have very little to offer. On the bright side, the back of the place had a large amount of discount DVDs, and amongst the dregs I found a copy of a movie I had only recently discovered the existence of. Where the Buffalo Roam  starring Bill Murray, where he plays Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. I remember hearing about the movie originally and feeling like a little part of the universe made a little more sense. Of course Bill Murray played Hunter S Thompson at some point! I love Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas so natural I was excited to get my hands on this movie. And that is when I placed it on a shelf and thought guiltily about it on occasion. I had built up an idea about the movie in my head and I knew there was no way the film could live up to my expectations. Well, because of the project that I chose for this month my excuse had become spent. I watched it, and you know what? It was pretty good! It is like a much tamer version of Fear and Loathing, which I understand is a much exaggerated version of Thompson life anyway. In the beginning I had trouble separating Bill Murray from the character, but eventual I saw past the imitation, or rather he eventual stop only imitating, and from there it was smooth sailing. I recommend the movie if you already love Thompson. As for Bill Murray lovers, this might be a pass. Murray has much funnier fair where he is allowed to be himself.

The Ninth Gate (1999):

I don’t know what it was about this movie, but I really liked it. This was a rewatch for me. I don’t remember who I saw it in the theater with, but I think we both originally left underwhelmed, especially by the ambiguous ending. This time I came in with the knowledge that most of Roman Polanski’s more popular movies must be watched with a sense of humor at the ready. Call me crazy, but the movie reminded me of an adventure game. For those not familiar, the kind of adventure game I mean is usually referred to as a point-and-click game, wherein the player instructs the game character to do different actions by clicking an action (look, use, talk, etc) then clicking an item to do said action to the item (use lamp, talk to stranger, look at painting, etc). This takes you through a story with a lot of character development, puzzles, and many locations. It is my favorite type of game. The movie consisted of Johnny Depp being charming and smarmy (a la Gabriel Knight), talking to this person, which leads to that person, which leads to traveling here to find that, all while playing it rather amusingly. I had a lot of fun with the movie, my only complaint being that it felt a little too long, but that is also a complaint I have with some adventure games. I really enjoyed watching Frank Langella chew up some scenery too. Great rewatch, I intend to watch it again many more times.

Beautiful Creatures (2013):

A teen romance fantasy affair with almost no originality. It makes up for that somewhat with good actors like Jeremy Irons and Emma Thompson and some very cool scenes where magic is thrown about (SPOILER: They’re a bunch of witches, or casters). It has some very bad pop music, which I guess is to be expected for these kind of movie, otherwise it is harmless. I don’t have much to say about it. After the family dinner scene, it all went down hill.

Interesting coincident this watching session, both Last Days and Where the Buffalo Roam briefly feature the song Home on the Range. One was sung by Michael Pitt, the other by Neil Young, I'll let you guys which was better. I hope this entry was as funtastic to read as it was to write! Probably not. I'm off to see Her now. Have a good week everybody!