Misery (1990)
Rewatch. In Misery, Rob Reiner directed one of the great Stephen King adaptations. It’s tight as a drum and features two great actors going toe-to-toe. James Caan plays the famous author who drives his car off a snowy road and Kathy Bates, in her first major film role, plays an obsessed fan who holds him captive while nursing his injuries. With Caan in survival mode and Bates fully deranged, there is a lot of acting firepower on display. William Goldman’s script keeps things snappy while continuously ratcheting the tension. Quick question… Misery isn’t being forgotten, is it? Have you seen it? To me, this is one of the true blue horror/thrillers of its time but I can’t remember the last time I’ve talked about it with anyone. Anyway, it’s classy, still packs a punch, and should be a great entry-level horror movie for those who don’t indulge this genre often.
Read more…I love horror movies. Every year, I make a long list of them to watch in October. Inevitably, the list ends up being so long that even starting in September and spilling over into November does not give me enough to time to watch them all. This year will be no different, aside from my decision to take an extra beat in between films to keep a running log of what I’m watching.
It’s an eclectic list, so if you’re allergic to particular strains of horror there should still be something here for everyone. My viewing comprises the popular and obscure; the thematically pegged and the impromptu; rewatches and first-time viewings. I’ve included a few thoughts about each which can be taken as recommendation advice. Further recommendations or pairings are given in some cases.
Dashcam (2021)
With awards season now in the rearview, screenplays have been on my mind. Whether focusing on films nominated for their original or adapted screenplays, the nominee pools for these writing categories often comprise the most interesting films – at least for my money. It is said that films are made three times: when they are written, when they are shot, and when the are edited. Using that lens, perhaps it’s the relative purity of a fully-formed idea of a movie that makes screenplays seem especially worthy of extra attention.
While films nominated for their “original” screenplays generally align with each year’s cream of the crop, it is always fascinating to see the sheer range of projects that are inevitably crammed into the ostensibly straightforward category of “Adapted Screenplay.” Here are some of the usual suspects:
- Faithful, beat-for-beat adaptations from another medium.
- Sequels (literal sequels or something more spiritual) – Silence of the Lambs comes to mind. It was adapted from a Thomas Harris novel, but also builds upon the cinematic legacy of a previous Harris adaption and Michael Mann film, Manhunter.
- Sometimes we get something a little more radical, such as Greta Gerwig’s Little Women which infused a very familiar familiar story with other writings and biographical information from the life of author Louisa May Alcott.
- Sticking with Gerwig for a minute, Barbie created another wrinkle in the landscape of adapted screenplays, as her 2023 smash hit demonstrated that toy marketing collateral apparently qualifies as adaptable source material.
None of this has much to do with Mickey 17, though Bong Joon-ho’s latest film is particularly interesting to me from a screenplay perspective. I had read the novel immediately prior to seeing the film on its opening Friday. It didn’t take long to realize I did myself a disservice going in with the novel so fresh. In the grand history of film adaptations not porting over original stories on a one-to-one basis, this tension is nothing new. Edward Ashton’s novel (“Mickey 7” – note the slight title alteration) is not exactly the kind of story I’d have pegged for a big-budget studio farce. The novel has a low rumble of wise-cracking humor throughout but it’s primarily a work of rigorous science-fiction with an enthusiasm for philosophy.
I’ll spare the gory details of “what’s in and what’s out” because such parsing is tedious and never creates a level playing ground for evaluating the film in question. It suffices to say that there are some concepts, characters and beats that I was excited to see adapted for the big screen that did not make it into the film. I am trying not to hold this against Mickey 17, but again, I put myself in a tough spot.
Read more…If you are like me, your streaming queues are out-of-control. Too many apps. Too many titles. If you love movies but have ever felt paralyzed by choice, then this is the place for you. In this column, I’ll detail what I’ve been watching, make recommendations and highlight the films I found interesting. To help describe the appeal of each title, there is a “RIYL” (recommended if you like…) section after each blurb. Join me in attempting to watch it all!
April 2024 Update: Circumstances continue to conspire against me as I seek to post more consistently, but I have once again tweaked the format in hopes of greasing the rails. The monthly format is out. A less constraining “top 10 recent watches plus 5 more” format is in. This column is fun to write but it also has “reader service” ambitions, so let me know your thoughts. Thanks and enjoy!
1. Aliens (1986)
As Aliens has long been one of my favorites, this was a very easy top choice. Seeing it in a theater for the first time made this viewing even more delightful. The theater advertised the original theatrical version, but screened the longer Special Edition instead. You really can’t go wrong either way but I was looking forward to seeing the theatrical again, as I usually watch the longer version at home. Minutiae aside, Aliens is about as crowd-pleasing as it gets and probably Sigourney Weaver’s best-ever role. A tad gory for the lightweights out there, but Aliens is an incredibly satisfying thrill ride.
Recommended if you like: Alien (1979); Predator (1987); Avatar (2009)
2. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret. (2023)
A lovely coming-of-age teen movie that I suspect might resonate even more so with adults. In addition to the convincingly throwback ’70s setting, the adult cast (reliably great performances by Rachel McAdams and Kathy Bates in particular) make this a must-see.
RIYL: The Edge of Seventeen (2016); Ladybird (2017); Eighth Grade (2018)
3. El Norte (1983)
Beautifully made and moving drama about Guatemalan emigrants seeking a better life in the United States. From filmmaker Greg Nava, who would go on to direct Jennifer Lopez in Selena.
RIYL: Sin Nombre (2009); Roma (2018)
4. 13 Assassins (2010)
Who’d have thought Takashi Miike, the director who haunted our nightmares with 1999’s Audition, would be the one to resurrect the samurai epic? I didn’t, but maybe you did. Anyway, if you love Kurosawa’s samurai films, well… sometimes they actually do make ‘em like they used to.
RIYL: Seven Samurai (1954); Shogun Assassin (1980); Ran (1985)
5. A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (2014)
This one refuses to be pigeon-holed into an obvious genre and as a result might be for adventurous cinephiles only. It’s a slow, non-narrative, quasi-anthology film. The drama is surreal; the humor bleak and deadpan. That said, in its own way, A Pigeon is often very satisfying for how it finds catharsis and humanity in observations of the mundane.
RIYL: Songs from the Second Floor (2000); You, the Living (2007); Brazil (1985)
6. Hot Shots! (1991); Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993)
Just two of the greatest spoof films ever made. Also highly recommended if you’re into brawny ’80s actioners (particularly Top Gun and the Rambo films), or even if you haven’t seen any of those but enjoyed more recent spoofs like Scary Movie.
RIYL: Airplane (1980); The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988); Scary Movie (2000)
7. Experimenter (2015)
This film about Stanley Milgram is the best biopic about a modern figure I’ve seen in a while. It does a lot of the things that make many biopics feel disposable but somehow improves on the execution. It helps to have a pitch perfect Peter Sarsgaard performance that goes a long way in selling the voiceover portions of the script. It also helps that the movie clocks in at a brisk 98-minutes. That’s not meant as faint praise. Experimenter is excellent and sure to please enthusiasts of biopics or movies about psychology.
RIYL: The Social Network (2010); Oppenheimer (2023)
8. Nights of Cabiria (1957)
Eclectic list, right? Federico Fellini was on a hot streak, directing Nights of Cabiria (Le notti di Cabiria) in between La Strada and La Dolce Vita. It’s defined by Giulietta Massina’s lead performance as a chronically down-on-her-luck prostitute and it’s a real breath of fresh air if you ever happen to find yourself in a rut with modern movies.
RIYL: La Strada (1954); La Dolce Vita (1960)
9. Little Woods (2018)
An issues-oriented drama (housing and women’s healthcare in particular) but frothed up into a thriller by first-time writer/director Nia DaCosta. There’s a lot to like here, especially the two core performances by Tessa Thompson and Lily James as estranged sisters.
RIYL: Citizen Ruth (1996); Thoroughbreds (2017); Emily the Criminal (2022)
10. Terms of Endearment (1983)
Likely not the prime career highlight for James L. Brooks, Shirley MacLaine or Debra Winger, but it’s a pretty strong intersection for the three stars.
RIYL: Urban Cowboy (1980); Broadcast News (1987); Postcards from the Edge (1990)
…And Five More
Anthropoid (2016)
Visceral World War II drama about the historical assassination attempt on SS General Reinhard Heydrich of the Third Reich. Not exactly a traditional crowd pleaser but those who prefer character-focused war stories to sweeping battle reenactments should be satisfied. This one is also for the casuals who may have ben unfamiliar with Cillian Murphy before Oppenheimer.
RIYL: The Train (1964); Munich (2005)
Dear White People (2014)
Dear White People features complex characters played by a great cast and is electrified by its approach to thorny subject matter. It deftly balances a tricky tone along with its numerous characters and ideas. The subject matter only feels more relevant with each passing year.
RIYL: Higher Learning (1995), Chi-Raq (2015), Promising Young Woman (2020)
Fool For Love (1985)
I tend to think of Robert Altman’s movies as dropping you into a world with a large cast, featuring overlapping dialogue and subplots. Fool For Love is a bit different, originating as an intimate stage play by Sam Shepard (who stars in the film). Featuring a very small cast of characters and their bitter-romantic convergence in a small town, Fool For Love is a different kind of Altman movie, but an interesting work all the same.
RIYL: Closer (2004); Fences (2016)
The Meg (2018)
I was expecting to laugh my way through this one. It did get there in spots, but The Meg is a pretty sturdy shark thriller that lies at the intersection of kaiju and animal attack movies. If you are wondering… The Meg 2: The Trench is also pretty fun, but much sillier.
RIYL: Deep Blue Sea (1998), Godzilla (2014)
Violet (2021)
Justine Bateman’s Violet experiments with using the protagonist’s intrusive thoughts extensively throughout the script. I thought it worked well. Olivia Munn gives a strong lead performance that, while probably intended for a mostly female audience, should feel relatable to anyone who has ever felt professional anxiety or creative frustration.
RIYL: Adaptation. (2002); Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
If you are like me, your streaming queues are out-of-control. Too many streaming services. Too many titles. If you love movies but have ever felt paralyzed by choice, then this is the place for you. In this column, I’ll detail what I’ve been watching, making recommendations and periodically highlighting the films I found interesting. To help describe the appeal of each title, I’ve started including “Recommended if you like…” or RIYL titles for each one.
I’m still catching up on recent months worth of viewings… September and October coming soon!
New this time – To sneak in a few more recommendations, I’ve added “recommended if you like…” (RIYL) suggestions after each blurb. Enjoy!
1. The War of the Roses (1989)
A deliciously dark comedy about the many ways a marriage can go wrong. This was the third Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner pairing, which doesn’t quite make them the Tracy & Hepburn of the eighties, but three movies together (two classics) in 5-6 years is pretty good! King Danny DeVito directed the film and also plays an supporting character. The acidic comedy won’t be for everyone but if you like real movie star showcases, then there is a lot to love here.
Recommended if you like: Romancing the Stone (1984); Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
2. Disobedience (2017)
A quiet drama headlined by Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams with some unexpected but deeply-felt character turns. On its surface Disobedience features a queer love triangle. It is elevated by the lead performances but also deepened by its earnest exploration of how these relationships can exist within a devout faith community, Orthodox Jewish in this instance. This is a beautiful film that should be a pleasant surprise for those who appreciate nuance.
RIYL: Carol (2015); Silence (2016)
Read more…Editor’s Note: Do you ever make things too hard for yourself? I’m guilty of that here. The goal was to get back to posting here with some regularity even if only to make a few movie recommendations. I let the scope get too big and it ended up stalling me out. It’s all figured out now and to avoid wasting to waste a post, I’ll now get caught up starting with what I watched in July. So here is the list I was going to share back in August and we’ll begin to get things back on track.
I’ve been wanting to resume posting here for a while. I wasn’t sure what form it was going to take. I have plenty of ideas floating around. For now, I think the best way to get back to it is to write about what I’ve been watching. There’s a lot for me to chose from, so each month, for as long as I’m up to it, I’ll give myself this outlet to talk about what’s been on my screen. Given my omnivorous viewing, I think most everyone who parses the titles will find something to enjoy. First, a clear-eyed top ten… the ten best movies I watched in the past month (in this case, July) plus a few more thoughts. Without further ado…
1. Threads (1984)
This BBC film was originally a TV special but became an instant standard-bearer for films depicting nuclear war. Threads offers a chilling vision of the apocalypse and might be the most effective film of its kind for how it strips away the usual science fiction tropes and presents a realistic scenario that still resonates today. Contagion, Steven Soderbergh’s way-ahead-of-its-time pandemic drama is a good example of what you’re getting into with Threads.
2. Dancer in the Dark (2000)
This audacious Bjork-led musical from Lars von Trier is about a factory worker losing her sight while trying to save up enough money for her young son’s surgery. It is the second in a spiritual trilogy with Breaking the Waves (1996) and Dogville (2003), each film riffing on similar character arcs with unique audacity and playfulness. They share common themes but Dancer in the Dark is the only part of LVT’s triptych to feature a singing Bjork. It’s one-of-one and quintessential Lars von Trier at his raconteur best. Dancer in the Dark is not a crowd-pleaser, nor is it broadly recommendable in a traditional sense, but it should be on any cinephile’s bucket list.
Read more…
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