Directed by Stanley Kubrick 2001: A Space Odyssey lives on in certain striking images, like the ape turning a bone into a weapon, HAL 9000's termination or the astronaut, Dave (Keir Dullea) meeting himself in an austere royal bedroom. Upon rewatching this movie what I was struck by was how almost unapologetically this film stitches … Continue reading 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Month: February 2019
Das Boot (1981)
Directed by Wolfgang Petersen Das Boot is a wonderfully intense, painfully bleak vision of war from the perspective of a German U-boat in 1941. Sure, maybe all war is bleak (I think so!), but some movies have a way of finding glory in such a conflict. Its soldiers are heroic, mighty, humble and self-sacrificing, all … Continue reading Das Boot (1981)
Ponyo (2008)
Directed by Hayao Miyazaki A fish turns into a human thanks to the love of a young boy, Sōsuke, in the deliriously cheerful, optimistic, kind Ponyo. Before becoming "Ponyo," the fish is Brunhilde and lives underwater with her father, Fujimoto. She declares her intention to become a human, but worried that she's been kidnapped Fujimoto will … Continue reading Ponyo (2008)
Meet Joe Black (1998)
Directed by Martin Brest Death is quite sultry and naive in Meet Joe Black, perhaps the most unlikely three hour movie of all time. Brad Pitt plays a young, frosted tip'd enthusiastic man in a coffee shop who lights on fire the world of Susan Parrish (Claire Forlani). Then he gets hit by a car and … Continue reading Meet Joe Black (1998)
Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
Directed by John Carpenter John Carpenter and Chevy Chase make for an unlikely duo in Memoirs of an Invisible Man. Chase plays Nick Halloway, a narcissist broker living in San Francisco who's not unlike Fletch or any other number of Chase personas, and just like in that 1985 film he finds himself embroiled in a plot … Continue reading Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
Aquaman (2018)
Directed by James Wan Aquaman bears a lot of similarities to movies like Thor and Black Panther. It's a story about multiple kingdoms, and a brother v. brother conflict that demands some kind of 'challenge the king to a fight to the death' thing. Like in Black Panther that happens so early into the movie that you know … Continue reading Aquaman (2018)
Groundhog Day (1993)
Directed by Harold Ramis Groundhog Day is an existential comedy about a grumpy weatherman who must repeat the same unappealing day over and over again until he can figure out the right way to live. This is a premise-driven movie that never wastes time explaining why he's found himself in this time loop. Instead Phil … Continue reading Groundhog Day (1993)
The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972)
Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder Fassbinder's films seem to be about the despicable things we are capable of doing to each other, and in this case it's about the despicable things one man is capable of doing to himself. Hans Epp runs a pear stand with his wife, Irmgard. It's a struggling operation that brings … Continue reading The Merchant of Four Seasons (1972)
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
Directed by David Slade So I've never experienced anything quite like that. I guess a "choose your own adventure" concept is just like a video game, so the novelty might not be as strong with others, but I had a f*ckin' good time 'playing' this movie with a few friends. It's definitely a good communal … Continue reading Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (2018)
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Directed by William Wyler Three soldiers return home after the end of World War II in The Best Years of Our Lives. The title refers to what they've given up as part of their service, and the film focuses on the quiet tragedy of what they've experienced. This is a film that idealizes the individual but … Continue reading The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
