flotsam&jetsam

film 76: Coffee And Cigarettes+

Rza + Gza + Bill Murray, it never gets old.

8-21-10

film 77: The Switch*

“Hey wanna go see a potentially horrible movie despite a promising cast” night

8-31-10

LEFT MY JOB

film 78: Pirahna 3D*

Worst film viewing decision of 2010! But hats off to Ving Rhames and Eli Roth.

9-4-10

film 79: Black Dynamite

I half watched this just to send it back to Netflix. Black Dynamite I promise you a proper viewing.

9-10-10

PACKED UP LIFE / HIT THE ROAD

film 80: Love Happens

Oh hotel stopover in Little Rock, Arkansas - thank you for your guilty pleasure cable.

9-18-10

ARRIVED IN AUSTIN

film 81: The Imaginarium of Doctor Paranassus

meh. agree?

9-21-10

film 82: Let Me In*

Fantastic Fest screening at the Paramount complete with director + various cast and crew, costumed viking sing-a-long, oath of green ooze, and general “how weird” moments from sharing space with Jack’s sideways son (LOST reference) and Casey Jones (TMNT heart explosion). As for the film: believe it or not, I think I prefer it to Let the Right One In.

9-23-10

film 83: Pirate Radio

Can you really go wrong with Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy and Nick Frost (among others) + a kick ass 60’s soundtrack?

9-28-10

* seen in theaters, + repeat viewing

So terrified. So enthralled. So excited.

Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan.

So here’s my summer recap, but I can’t be sure. It kills me that it’s so SLIM! But things have been pretty busy. Hooray though, my running gauge of 75 was correct!

June:

Film 57: The Road, heartbreakingly solemn

Film 58: A-Team*, a surprise love

Film 59: Legion, disappointment

Film 60: Bomb It, interesting docu ft various countries

Film 61: Eclipse*, a drinking tradition - the worst of the 3

Film 62: The Slammin’ Salmon, I will see every Broken Lizard flick

July:

Film 63: Everything is Illuminated, Straight to the favorites list

Film 64: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou+, An all-time fave

Film 65: The Wolfman, A revisit of the 40s horror classic, worth a watch

Film 66: Inception* , See link. WOW, Christopher Nolan, wow.

Film 67: The Last Station, meh.

August:

Film 68: The Kids Are Alright*, Enjoyable flick with solid performances. A queue-r

Film 69: The Vicious Kind, Adam Scott does scary and it’s good.

Film 70: Love Story, I finally got around to shedding those tears.

Film 71: Notorious, Unexpectedly good!

Film 72: Inception*+, I had to return for more mind explosions.

Film 73: Dance Party, USA, Remove from the queue, believe me.

Film 74: Le Divorce+, I sorta love, sorta hate this movie. Going in donation pile.

Film 75: The Virgin Suicides+, Dark, weird, haunting… but sort of cheery? I like it :)

* seen in theaters, + repeat viewing

I’m moving cross country 1 month from today, so I can’t promise that my up keep will get any better nor my frequency during this time….but expect reports from Alamo Drafthouse soon!!

Gah. It kills me how badly I need to catch up on my cinedocu project for the year….and that I’ll miss some in the count, I’m sure. sigh

Anyways, The Virgin Suicides (1999).

Director: Sophia Coppola,  Starring: Kirsten Dunst, Josh Hartnett, James Woods

I’d passed through this film years ago without much thought, but it’s been looming in the 2-4 range on my Netflix queue for about a year now. It finally popped through this week.

I think this film tips the scales on my thoughts on Sophia Coppola. It’s beautifully shot with amazing lighting that makes the whole film have the feel of a summer afternoon. But on such a dark, dark film. This film seems to be about opposing forces, the beauty of youth next to the harshness of suicide. Naivete vs corruption. Parents vs children. Even some of the elements used to tell the story seem strange and out of place. The introduction of interviews with adult Trip, and the slideshow of the neighborhood boys travelling the world with the young Lisbons….such strange devices, but interesting.  I must say, for a directorial and writing debut, I’m impressed - even if she’s a Coppola.

I really enjoyed the film this viewing, and many things I’d not noticed nor paid attention to caught my eye.

• One of the sisters is played AJ Cook (or Jennifer Jareau if you’re a Criminal Minds fan)
• One of the homecoming dates is Hayden Christensen, which caused an audible WHOA.
• And then some serious heavy hitters, James Woods, Kathleen Turner (oh that voice!) and DANNY DEVITO as the counselor!! This I probably realized before and just forgot.

 Tripp Fontaine : coolest name, worst haircut.

I also did not realize that novel, on which the film was based, was written by Jefferey Eugenides. I was riveted by his novel Middlesex and can now see very similar threads in both stories. I’m sure there’s a lot more to be said than what the film can convey, and the book may shed some light into the way Coppola chose to weave the story and structure the film. I’ll be picking a copy of this story up immediately!

Also, fun trail brought to light by IMDB: AJ Cook and Hayden Christensen were both in the show Higher Ground together, with Jewel Staite. Staite kept Serenity in the skies, Christensen grew up in a galaxy far away….now will Cook look past profiling and PR and have her own space adventure?

8.15.10

2010 started off strong with film, I was enthused, keeping my standard (aggressive?) pace, then…

CLUNK.

Sure there were distractions *cough* 6 seasons of Lost *cough* but overall I’ve found myself disappointed and disengaged with film as of late. (I mean even on the cusp of Oscar night I was disinterested see: 1 week till Oscars)

But tonight, sure enough, my pal Chris Nolan gave me a boost out of the funk.

Inception. I’m sure there are plenty of eloquent, raving, perhaps even profound reviews out there, but I’m going to give you a checklist of sorts. The things-Kristin-adores-in-film-that-happen-to-be-present-in-Christopher-Nolan’s-Inception checklist.

• Well done - non-gratuitous effects. Some may argue, but I didn’t think this one altered the physics of the shark.
• Heist or Con-centric plots. Especially when executed by a strong, ensemble cast.
• Beautiful men. Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, wow.
• Artfully tailored suits. (and spot on costume design) This at times mesmerized me more than the visual effects.
• Science fiction. To a greater extent when not indicative of a specific time, win!
• Emotionally burdened yet breathtakingly beautiful French women. I’ll even argue a love triangle in this one, albeit flipped from general French standard. Thoughts?
• Cerebral thriller. Yep, a most visited Netflix recommendation category.
• Exceeding my expectations. I was meh on the trailer, but sold by Nolan/cast.
• Michael Caine.
  
• Tortured romance. Call me crazy, but I appreciate it more with a dose of heartache.
• Notable cinematography. More so when not a lone standing attribute to a film.
• Hoth. Okay so this doesn’t happen often, but didn’t it come to mind? Just a little?
• More than just a chase scene. Pay attention Michael Bay.
• Not yet. Books, TV, film…I adore when you’re almost pleading for them not to end.

Alright, enough.

Yes, I just saw it and am still on my theater-high, but I really did think this was a great story executed as an artful balance of time.

7/20/10

I’m pretty sure there were a few extra films viewed in May - I know I caught at least part of Twister and The Notebook on cable while crashing in a hotel at the beach one weekend.

Film 50: Splendor in the Grass (1961)

Director: Elia Kazan, Starring: Warren Beatty, Natalie Wood

Warren Beatty, a native Richmonder (!) in his debut feature. Also a great performance from Natalie Wood as a young girl who stumbles on a wild streak.

5.01.10

Film 51: Lolita (1962)

Director: Stanley Kubrick, Starring: James Mason, Sue Lyon

05.07.10

Film 52: Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)

Director: Monty Hellman , Starring: James Taylor, Warren Oates

Simple but far from simple-minded. The driver, The mechanic, the car, the road…..the ending!

05.15.10

Film 53: The Door in the Floor (2004)

Director: Tod Williams, Starring: Jeff Bridges, Kim Basinger

One: Watch this film, it’s heartbreaking but well worth the viewing. The tale of an eccentric author, lost mother and confused-in-love teen.

Two: My head about exploded when I realized young Exeter student, Eddie is now the bonehead guy in Accidentally on Purpose (or Dharma Gets Preggers) now on CBS

05.22.10

Film 54: Mystery Team (2008)

Director: Dan Eckman, Starring: Donald Glover, DC Pierson, Dominic Dierkes

The viewing of this film was eagerly anticipated for quite a long time. I have to say, quite an impressive production from the guys who are known mainly for YouTube sketches. The plot or humor didn’t win me over, but wow - I really didn’t expect quite the high production level for this film! And hats off to Donald Glover on the score….although I’m pretty sure I caught some Childish Gambino playing in the background of a scene or two.

05.24.10

Film 55: Tropic Thunder (2009)

Director: Ben Stiller, Starring; Ben Stiller, Robert Downey, Jr, Jack Black

Gag comedy meets war film parody. But wow, ROBERT DOWNEY, JR. that’s really all you have to say.

05.29.10

Film 56: Pandorum (2009)

Director: Christian Alvert, Starring: Dennis Quaid, Ben Foster

05.30.10

I know, I know….I’m sorry. (A really slim) May is coming soon, promise!

Film 26: Shutter Island (2010)

Director: Martin Scorcese  Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Sir Ben Kingsley, Mark Ruffalo

Predictable - but yet I still left the theater satisfied. Stellar cast, and a great handling of an otherwise underwhelming “twist”

3/13/10

Film 27: The Pleasure of Being Robbed (2008)

Director: Joshua Safdie

Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

3/14/10

Film 28: Paris (2008)

Director: Cédric Klapisch, Starring: Romain Duris, Juliette Binoche

I loved Klapisch and Duris’ collaboration with L’Auberge Espagnol and Les Poupees Russes, but this story didn’t leave me as enthused.

3/20/10

Film 29: Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009)

Director: John Krasinski, Starring: Seriously Everyone… ANNND Christopher Meloni!

3/21/10

Film 30: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

Director: Shane Black, Starring: Robert Downey, Jr.,Val Kilmer, Michelle Monahan

3/24/10

Film 31: When Harry Met Sally (1989)

Director: Rob Reiner, Starring: Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan

3/27/10

Film 32: Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day (2009)

Director: Troy Duffy, Starring: Sean Patrick Flanery, Norman Reedus, Billy Connolly

As you can imagine, this was not a spectacular film. I’m happy that they finally made this flick since it gossip, rumors and theories have piled up since the original film came out and gained cult status. I’m sure there are still legions of loyal fans who were overjoyed by this excursion of the brothers McManus, but I think my enthusiasm for the saints ran out years before this next chapter came about.

3/28/10

Film 33: The September Issue (2009)

Director: RJ Cutler , Starring: The Staff of Vogue

Interesting documentary on the creation of Vogue magazine’s September Issue, their largest of the year. Creative Director Grace Coddington is spectacular - the way she works with fashion super-bitch Anna Wintour (who inspired Merle Streep’s character in the Devil Wears Prada), it’s like watching the underdog take the trophy.

3.29.10

Film 34: New York, I Love You (2009)

A collection of various directors and actors for different vignettes.

Following the same formula as Paris, Je T’aime - The American salute falls short.

4.3.10

Film 35: The Prince of Egypt (1998)

Starring: (Voices of) Val Kilmer, Michele Pfieffer, Ralph Fiennes, and more!

SUCH a wonderful film, and perfect for Easter morn :)

4.4.10

Film 36: Gangs of New York (2002)

Director: Martin Scorcese, Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Daniel Day Lewis, Cameron Diaz

Spectacular, every time. How Scorcese missed the Oscar for this one is still a mystery.

(Chicago!? Really?!)

4.4.10

Film 37: Jackie Brown (1997)

Director: Quentin Tarantino, Starring: Pam Grier, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert De Niro

4.11.10

Film 38: How to Deal (2003)

Director: Clare Kilner, Starring: Mandy Moore, Trent Ford, Allison Janney

Guilty pleasure needed on a Saturday afternoon.

4.11.10

Film 39: Footloose (1984)

Director: Herbert Ross, Starring: Kevin Bacon, Lori Singer, John Lithgow, Chris Penn

Screw Flashdance and Saturday Night Fever - my dance-flick heart belongs to Kevin Bacon and his fight for public dancing in the rural midwest!

4.11.10

Film 40: The Science of Sleep (2006)

Director: Michel Gondry, Starring: Gael Garcia Bernal, Charlotte Gainsbourg

Who knew Gael could be so hilarious. Stunning, comical, surprisingly dark at times.

4.11.10

Film 41: Beer Wars (2009)

Director: Anat Baron, Starring: Figures from the craft and commercial beer industries

Awesome look into beer, but it didn’t quite go deep enough. I’d love to see someone expand upon this film and cover more of the craft beer industry. Hearing from Sam Calgione of Dogfish Head was fantastic, but the flaky start-up chick with the caffeine beer….really? That’s it? Good idea, needs a better execution!

4.13.10

Film 42: Date Night (2010)

Director: Shawn Levy , Starring: Tina Fey, Steve Carell, Mark Wahlberg

4.13.10

Film 43: I Sell the Dead (2009)

Director: Glen McQuaid, Starring: Dominic Monaghan, Ron Perlman

meh.

4.18.10

Film 44: Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Director: Francis Ford Coppola, Starring: Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins, Wynona Rider

Gary Oldman, Anthony Hopkins… I love you…always, but damn this is a sad excuse for a vampire film

4.20.10

Film 45: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2010)

Director: Niels Arden Oplev, Starring: Michael Nyqvist,  Noomi Rapace

I still am not quite sure why they’re determined to make this in English. (insert my Haneke defense but condemnation of all other Americanizations) But if they do I hope they speed up the middle a touch. Overall, worth a watch.

4.21.10

Film 46: The Shining (1980)

Director: Stanley Kubrick , Starring: Jack Nicholson, Shelly Long

Brilliant Horror, still terrifying after so many viewings.

4.22.10

Film 47: Uncertainty (2010)

Directors: Scott McGehee, David Siegel, Starring: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Lynn Collins

4.25.10

Film 48: Strangers on a Train (1951)

Director: Alfred Hitchcock, Starring: Farley Granger, Robert Walker

4.27.10

Film 49: My Summer of Love (2004)

Director: Pawel Pawlikowski, Starring: Natalie Press, Emily Blunt

Another one to skip for sure.

4.30.10

bc I definitely am still keeping track of all the movies I watch but only in my drafts folder.

Last posted: #25 on March 7

Now at: #46 on April 26

hooray for viewing, fail for posting.

mild snaps for boosting curiosity?? ….. C’mon aren’t you curious about those 21 films in 50 days??