Catching Up List

I've seen (or re-watched) a lot of movies in the last few months that I never commented upon here. Just will list as many as I can remember here and maybe add a few thoughts on selected films.

Highly Recommended
     - Citizen Koch - It's should almost be a civic duty to watch this excellent documentary on how money has overwhelmed politics, as seen through the lens of Scott Walker and his patrons the Koch Brothers. It is unfortunate that this movie has been somewhat smeared as more partisan than it really is as a result of PBS' abandonment of the project in an ill-fated attempt to appease their patrons - the Koch Brothers.
     - Missing - Given that much has been learned (or, rather, confirmed) since this film was released in 1982 about the U.S.'s involvement in the 1973 Chilean coup and the murder of American journalist Charles Horman, this movie might seem ripe for a remake. And yet it would be hard to imagine a movie dealing with these events that is more perfectly constructed than Costa-Gavras' brilliant film from 1982 (featuring great work from Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek). Must watch.
     - Duel - Recently had a chance to re-watch this projected in 35mm. Spielberg's 40+ year old TV movie remains a fascinating exploration of white male urban angst. Well worth watching if for no other reason than to explore the seeds of paranoia and insecurity that in current times makes Fox News and talk radio such powerful forces in America.

Recommended
     - The Drowning Pool
     - '71 - Solidly entertaining but the filmmakers' desire to seem non-partisan in a film about The Troubles overwhelms the drama at times. The lead character is also too much a cipher.
     - Milius - Lightly recommended, mainly for Milius fans. This film is more tribute than critical documentary. That means it tends to dance around some of the tougher issues and that it is focused on celebrating the colorful filmmaker rather than seriously critiquing his work.
     - Child's Pose
     - The Internet's Own Boy
     - Top Five
     - Obvious Child - The filmmaker works hard to provide a rebuttal to Knocked Up, and it is interesting in that respect, and decently charming. But I do wish it were a bit funnier.
     - Life Itself
     - Pride - Overly schmaltzy, but good.
     - Inherent Vice - As if taking a conventional noir or detective movie and then loosening each end to the point that the story collapses into deconstruction - which is for better and worse. If nothing else, it's an interesting picaresque revolving around a detective that barely solves anything beyond just being lucky enough to keep getting caught up in strange events swirling around him. As hard as it tries, still not a match for Altman's The Long Goodbye.
     - The World Made Straight
     - Skeleton Twins
     - BlackHat - Deeply flawed and pretty silly but entertaining enough to make the cut-line.
     - The Car - A childhood favorite I was able to see in 35mm in a double with Duel. It remains silly fun and a decent thriller. Worth checking out if you've never seen it. 

Not Recommended
Abraham Lincoln:Vampire Hunter - Both bad and entirely too self-serious. Ugh.

I'm sure there were others that should go below the cut line here, but I can't remember them at the moment, which is probably for the best.

The Night Digger (1971) - Review.

Where Gothic Romance Meets Psycho

The Night Digger (aka The Road Builder) is a 1971 gothic horror most notable for being written by Roald Dahl. While far from perfect, the film's sense of humor and at least one relationship in the film save it and make it a worthwhile watch for anyone looking for something in the Hitchcockian vein (if decidely lesser than much of Hitchcock's canon).

Capsule Film Reviews - 3/14/14

A few thoughts on some movies recently watched or re-watched:

Each Dawn I Die (1939) - This Jimmy Cagney vehicle is intended as an exposé of prison conditions, and is particularly damning toward solitary confinement. Which, sadly, makes the subject matter as relevant as ever 75 years later. Unfortunately, adherence to the Code means that the prison conditions are far too antiseptic and the messaging is too muddled for it to be effective as a message movie. Yet Cagney is Cagney, and his charisma and intensity are enough to sustain the picture and make it worth a viewing, if perhaps not move it to the top of Cagney's oeuvre. Screened via Warner Archive Instant.

Review - The Last Run (1971)

Yet Another 'One Last Job'

Stop me if you've heard this one before: a criminal decides to take "one last job," and, of course, all hell breaks loose. The Last Run, a George C. Scott vehicle released shortly after Patton, employs that venerable gangster/crime movie premise but, despite almost threatening to be interesting at times, it never quite manages to break out of the generic mold.