March 2009
9 posts
Masculin Féminin (1966): We are the youth gone...
It must be said that I fell asleep watching this film four times…fifth time was the charm.
Masculin Féminin could be described as Godard’s answer to Larry Clark’s Kids. It’s a portrait of 60’s youth, sex, pop culture*, and politics wrapped up in a gorgeous little black and white package. It’s super tame compared to today’s standards but at the time it was...
Suspiria (1977): Dancing in the dark...
“The only thing more terrifying than the last 12 minutes of this film are the first 92!”
umm, yeah, I don’t know about all that but thanks anyway… Suspiria is not a scary film and the plot is silly but it has a few redeeming qualities. First of all, it employs two of my favorite horror movie scare tactics: weird music* and whispering. Halloween is a perfect example of how...
Pandora's Box (1929): I know what boys like...
Let me apologize in advance for the fact that this is a bit of a fluff piece but I think this movie changed my life. Pandora’s Box is a visually stunning silent film that stole my heart (again sorry, cheesy but true). For me the twenties are one of the most inspiring decades for design and art. This film is no exception: the sets, lighting, costumes, Lulu’s dramatic haircut, and the...
White Dog (1982): Bow wow wow yippe yo yippe yay
Take two parts Cujo, add one part To Kill a Mockingbird, one tablespoon Kristy Mcnichol and a dash of a crotchety black man and you get White Dog. White Dog is intended to be a very heavy and serious film about racism* but you may find yourself laughing at the serious air this dog achieves when he’s determined to kill someone. At one point the dog even breaks through a glass window, this of...
Videodrome (1983): Do not adjust your television...
Videodrome is one of the most unusual and satisfying movies I have ever seen. Written and directed by David Cronenberg (The Fly, Naked Lunch, A History of Violence) it’s a sci-fi horror trip. You have to accept it for what it is: Cronenberg’s crazy fantasies and musings turned what could now be considered a contemporary art film. The special effects and visuals are way ahead of their...
Sisters (1973): Just the two of us...
Is it just me or is there something about siamese twins? They fascinate and disturb us, you want to look away but find yourself unable to stop staring. It’s an unbreakable and strange bond that these twins have. After watching hours of Sister Sister I sometimes wished my sister and I were twins, no dice. But then again what if your twin was EVIL? What would you do to stop her? She’s...
Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains (1981):...
Ladies and gentlemen, the fabulous stains is in a word….. AWESOME. Diane Lane is smokin as Corrine Burns, a Pennsylvania teen who happens to catch a punk band touring her small town. She instantly decides that whatever those boys* can do she (along with her sister and cousin) can do better! Overnight she transforms into Corrine “Third Degree” Burns: skunking her hair, getting rid...
Les Yeux Sans Visage (1959)
“I spend so much time Believing all the lies To keep the dream alive Now it makes me sad It makes me mad at truth For loving what was you”
-Billy Idol
CRUISING (1980): Men at work.
Cruising is a very polarizing film. No one saw it and those who did hated it at the time of it’s release. Some were shocked by it’s casual portrayal of gay leather and S&M clubs in Manhattan’s Meat Packing District. Others found the story in-cohesive and pointless. Imagine Mr. Moviefone’s dramatic voice over review: “Al Pacino as you’ve never seen him...