Directed by Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson Anomalisa is a very delicate film, handling its damaged characters' emotions with the same delicate touch required to even film the stop motion animation.  In an interview with NPR, Charlie Kaufman described how the animation style emphasizes the "fragility and humanity and brokenness" of the characters and the central, … Continue reading Anomalisa (2015)

Directed by Herk Harvey Carnival of Souls is a B horror film that does an effective job of both frightening you and making you laugh.  It's at first hard to take seriously, between the poorly dubbed audio, and the perpetually-horrified face of the main character, Mary Henry (Candace Hilligoss), but then the scares become surprisingly effective … Continue reading Carnival of Souls (1962)

Directed by Clea DuVall The Intervention is an actor's movie because it takes place in a small location and depends entirely on the performances.  Every character is allowed to play a range of emotions, from slapstick comedy to absolute despair.  It was also directed by Clea DuVall, a veteran actor you might recognize from projects … Continue reading The Intervention (2016)

Written by John Michael McDonagh Calvary is a story about Father Lavelle and the way the people and the world around him challenges his faith.  Lavelle is a priest who only joined the priesthood late in life, following the death of his wife.  He drives a red sports car and is surprisingly frank with people, … Continue reading Calvary (2014) [Script Only]

Directed by Richard Linklater God, I love Richard Linklater.  His films feel so rich and personal and real.  I mean, his type of movies are right up my alley, so I'm coming from the perspective of someone who wants to love of his movies, and I absolutely do. I resisted watching Everybody Wants Some!! for a … Continue reading Everybody Wants Some!! (2016)

Written by Richard Glatzer, Wash Westmoreland (89 pages) Still Alice is a film about Dr. Alice Howland, a Columbia linguistics professor, as she deals with early onset Alzheimer's.  The story is about how this affects her relationship with the world around her, with her family and with herself. Quick Sequence Breakdown - ACT 1: (Pages 1 … Continue reading Still Alice (2014) [Script Only]

Directed by Billy Wilder While watching this film, I remarked to my roommate that it feels very modern simply because it addresses frequent marital affairs, suicide and features a certain amount of disdain for the 9-5 company man which it once seemed people aspired to post World War II.  The 9-5 lifestyle (or 8:50 - … Continue reading The Apartment (1960)

Directed by Macon Blair My only previous experience with Macon Blair is 2013's Blue Ruin.  It's a film he didn't direct (as I had thought), but just starred in.  Like Blue Ruin and the movies of Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Nice Guys), I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (IDFAHITWA) is hyper-violent, but only in small … Continue reading I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)

Directed by David Lowery Ain't Them Bodies Saints is a quiet, modern western with similarities to No Country For Old Men, Hell or High Water and a little Terrence Malick Tree of Life thrown in.  It's a solid story that mostly takes it's time and might feel unwelcome if it were any longer than its 90 minute runtime. The … Continue reading Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (2013)

Directed by Martin Scorsese I don't think I enjoyed Cape Fear, but I was eager to watch it unfold, if that makes sense.  The story is about a former inmate, Max Cady (Robert De Niro), who harasses the lawyer who represented him, Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte) 14 years earlier.  Cady is worked up because he learned, … Continue reading Cape Fear (1991)