Movie #166/ 1990s Movie #12: Wag the Dog
This is a great take by David Mamet on politics and storytelling, with Dustin Hoffman’s producer going to an end that is sad but inevitable, and elevates it beyond memorable satire (although that part is way too believable now).
9/10
Movie #167/ 1990s Movie #13/ Medieval #3: Robin Hood Prince of Thieves
The acting quality here is wildly inconsistent (Freeman’s moor and Rickman’s sheriff of Nottingham are great; Costner and Slater seem to be in the wrong movie) but it’s often fun.
7/10
Movie #168/ New Movie #109/ 1930s Movie #14/ John Ford Films #3: Judge Priest
This relatively short John Ford film about a wise judge does highlight Will Rogers’ natural affableness (we can understand how he was one of the biggest movie stars on the planet) but the story is low-stakes, and the racial dynamics are quite outdated (the black characters are caricatures, everybody loves the Confederacy.)
6/10
Movie #169/New Movie #110/ Silent Movie #13/ Fritz Lang Film #6/ German Film #6/ Medieval #4: Die Nibelungen: Siegfried
Including the sequel, this Fritz Lang fantasy saga is probably the longest silent film I’ve ever seen. The first half has astounding production design, and comes across as a dark tragic fairy tale. It’s silly and fun, and then things get twisted.
9/10
Movie #170/ New Movie #111/ 1930s Movie #15/ John Ford Films #4: Steamboat ‘Round The Bend
This was rather similar to Judge Priest, with Will Rogers in another John Ford film playing a southerner whose best friend is played by Stepin Fetchit, and whose nephew is getting married to a girl from a lower class. But it’s significantly better. A key difference is that Rogers is better suited to be a minor scam artist than a paragon of virtue and wisdom, especially with the Southern setting. There are also higher stakes with a nephew facing the possibility of hanging, and a better satire of something specific: the religious fervor of the era.
8/10
Movie #171/ New Movie #112/ 1960s Movie #17/ Directorial Debut #3/ Criterion Collection #34/ Czech Film #2: Closely Watched Trains
Perhaps the best known film of the Czech new wave, this look at the life of a young train conductor in World War 2 is pretty effective at capturing an unambitious man who freaks out due to problems with women. It’s a bit incongruous but it works to show that it’s the height of World War 2 and he’s involved in all sorts of intrigues, but all he wants to do is get laid, which functions as an effective satire of a genre that doesn’t exist yet: the teen sex comedy.
9/10
Movie #172/New Movie #113/ Silent Movie #14/ Fritz Lang Film #7/ German Film #7/ Medieval #5: Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild’s Revenge
The conclusion to Fritz Lang’s fantasy epic takes the series in a deeper direction, more like Sophocles, as brother and sister are drawn to a tragic final confrontation due to differing feelings of guilt, loyalty and a desire for revenge. Brilliant set design and silent storytelling.
9/10
Movie #173/ New Movie #114/ 2016 Movie #7/ Science Fiction Film #4: Passengers
I’m familiar with the film, mainly as a notable flop, and it’s worth examining why that is. There’s some stuff it does quite well (little details about the sci-fi world, Michael Sheen’s robot bartender) and stretches where things get dull. I read the screenplay before, so I had been familiar with the moment that disappointed readers, and I kept being reminded of Nerdwriter’s argument that it should have been structured differently, although there is more to the shortcomings. Fantastic production design.
6/10
Movie #174/ New Movie #115/ 2000s Movie #13: Ghosts of the Abyss
It’s a solid documentary (very impressive in 3D) about the ruins of the Titanic, which takes for granted audience familiarity with the subject matter (I didn’t remember that Bill Pullman was even in the damn film) but highlights the power of history and the iconic nature of this one tragedy.
8/10
Movie #175/ New Film #116/ 1980s Movie #12/ Directorial Debut #4: Blood Simple
This is an astoundingly impressive debut for the Coen Brothers as directors, for Frances McDormand as lead actress, and cinematographer Barry Sonnenfield. The Coens’ philosophy is fully formed, in a tragedy of cascading consequences as people without all the information make fatal decisions after a hitman gets hired by a jealous husband. Little details make the characters seem believable, like people who have known one another for years, but aren’t quite aware of what others are capable of, which informs their own decisions.
8/10
Movie #176/ 1950s Movie #13/ Japanese Film #5/ Criterion Edition #35: The Hidden Fortress
Best known as a major influence on Star Wars, this samurai saga is several excellent tales, as a princess flees her pursuers, a fallen samurai seeks redemption, and two idiotic bandits seek treasure. Excellent witty action-adventure story in its own right that balances tragedy and humor, with high-class and low-lives. Misa Uehara’s Princess Yuki is one of the best female leads of the genre, and it’s nice to see Toshiro Mifune playing a badass with nobility.
9/10
Movie #177/ 1990s Movie #14/ Directorial Debut #5: The Shawshank Redemption
One of the most popular movies ever made remains pretty damn good. The central story of two men forming a friendship in prison, and getting used to changes works so well that it hides two big secrets: the first about what someone did before they were in jail, and the second about what someone’s been up to while no one’s looking. It sets up one of the biggest reveals in film, but it’s enjoyable before that happens, even with all the messed up aspects of prison life.
10/10
Movie #178/ New Movie #117/ 1950s Movie #14/ Theatrical Release #36: This Can’t Happen Here
Bergman disavowed this early effort, which is of interest to several groups. Aficionados of his work will be curious about the seeds of his later films. Spy fans might be interested in how one of the great directors handles a Hitchcock/ Fritz Lang style mystery (and the answer is that it’s okay enough). It’s also interesting to explore in the context of the metaphor for the experience of Baltics fleeing the Soviet Union (my grandparents were Estonian refugees, and my Aunt was born in Sweden) and what this suggests about their lives.
7/10
Movie #179/ 2000s Movie #14: Eurotrip
This is a lot of fun within the genre of teen sex comedies. The cast isn’t that great, but it does have some great bits (Scotty Doesn’t Know!) and takes advantage of the European setting quite well.
8/10
Movie #180/ 1940s Movie #3 John Ford Films #5: How Green Was My Valley
This movie’s overshadowed by the injustice of Orson Welles losing Best Picture and Best Director. It remains a solid take on a young boy becoming a man, in a society that is full of love and sometimes deeply flawed. The supporting cast is excellent, especially Walter Pidgeon as a lovelorn pastor.
9/10
The roundup...
Best Film: The Shawshank Redemption
Best New Film: Marketa Lazerova
Best Irish Film: The Quiet Man
Best John Ford Film: How Green Was My Valley
Best Directorial Debut: The Shawshank Redemption
Best Japanese Film: The Hidden Fortress
Best Film on Shudder: Female Prisoner Scorpion- Jailhouse 41 (although there are some better films on the service that I’ve already seen, including Battle Royale, November (Recent addition- Congrats Estonia!), Run Lola Run, The Host, The Descent, The Wicker Man, Night of the Living Dead, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Black Sunday
Best Medieval: Marketa Lazerova
Worst Movie: Cherry Falls