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2011 Movielog

By: Mr. Arkadin

(LAST UPDATE: 2-6-12: Added my 46 favorite films seen for the first time during 2011; probably done with the list for a while now.)
(UPDATE: 1-3-11: Cleaned up list; updated viewing total of 2011 (262).)
(UPDATE: 12-30-11: new photos; new write-ups; new movies)

Opera 01
Vengeance is Mine

My 46 Favorite Films First Seen in 2011 (not many actually released in 2011, but…)
in alphabetical order (with ratings)

1. 3 Women (1977; Robert Altman) 10/10
2. …and the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1964; Zbyněk Brynych) 9/10
3. Amer (2009; Helene Cattet & Bruno Fotzani) 7.5/10
4. Arrebato (1980; aka Rapture; Iván Zulueta) 10/10
5. Blow Out (1980; Brian De Palma) 9.5/10
6. Buffalo ’66 (1998; Vincent Gallo) 8/10
7. Cold Fish (2010; Sion Sono) 10/10
8. The Conformist (1970; Bernardo Bertolucci) 10/10
9 Cruel Gun Story (1964; Takumi Furukawa) 7.5/10
10. Death Watch (1980; Bertrand Tavernier) 7/10
11. Despair (1978; Rainer Werner Fassbinder) 8/10
12. Essential Killing (2010; Jerzy Skolimowski) 9.5/10
13. Guilty of Romance (2011; Sion Sono) 7.5/10 UPDATE: Just found out that the version I saw was missing 30 minutes…
14. The Haunting (1963; Robert Wise) 7/10
15. Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Inferno (2009; Serge Bromberg & Ruxandra Medrea) 9.5/10
16. The House is Black (1963; Forugh Farrokhzad) 8/10
17. The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting (1979; Raul Ruiz) 10/10
18. Identification of a Woman (1982; Michelangelo Antonioni) 8/10
19. The Immortal Story (1968; Orson Welles) 7.5/10
20. Inferno (1980; Dario Argento) 9.5/10
21. The Legend of Hell House (1973; John Hough) 7/10
22. Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (1971; Lucio Fulci) 8/10
23. The Locket (1946; John Brahm) 8/10
24. A Man Vanishes (1967; Shohei Imamura) 8/10
25. The Medusa Touch (1978; Jack Gold) 6/10
26. My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? (2009; Werner Herzog) 8/10
27. Noriko’s Dinner Table (2005; Sion Sono) 8/10
28. On the Silver Globe (1988; Andrzej Żuławski) 9/10
29. Opera (1987; Dario Argento) 9.5/10
30. A Page of Madness (1926; Teinosuke Kinugasa) 10/10
31. Pale Flower (1964; Masahiro Shinoda) 10/10
32. Paris, Texas (1984; Wim Wenders) 8/10
33. The Passenger (1975; Michelangelo Antonioni) 10/10
34. The Passion of Anna (1969; Ingmar Bergman) 8/10
35. Prince of Darkness (1987; John Carpenter) 7/10
36. The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972; Emilio Miraglia) 8/10
37. Seconds (1966; John Frankenheimer) 8/10
38. Spirits of the Dead (1968; Federico Fellini, Louis Malle, & Roger Vadim) 8/10
39. The Temptation of St. Tony (2009; Veiko Õunpuu) 9.5/10
40. Thirst for Love (1966; Koreyoshi Kurahara) 10/10
41. Trouble Every Day (2001; Claire Denis) 8.5/10
42. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992; David Lynch) 10/10
43. Violence at Noon (1966; Nagisa Oshima) 8.5/10
44. The Warped Ones (1960; Koreyoshi Kurahara) 10/10
45. White Material (2009; Claire Denis) 10/10
46. Zeder (1983; Pupi Avati) 9.5/10

Some notes below:]

January (22)
For me the notables, in no particular order, were:

  1. 1. Lizard in a Woman’s Skin (1971): I’ve never been as big a fan of Fulci as some—I know some who consider Don’t Torture a Duckling or Zombie or The Beyond or The New York Ripper masterpieces—but I have to say that Lizard is far and away the best thing he ever did. Great cast, great soundtrack, and weird passages of dream logic that rival the best. Also all of Fulci’s best flourishes (including those disorienting, extreme-foreground shots that remind me so much of De Palma). Easily one of the top 10 giallo films ever made.

  2. 2. Last Year at Marienbad (1961): An elliptical dream; geometry as nightmare; a hotel that holds inside it the whole world.

  3. 3. Repulsion (1965): Most interesting to me because of what it really is—a proto-giallo.

  4. 4. Vengeance is Mine (1979): My favorite Imamura by a long shot—Ken Ogata has no peer. (He’s also painfully fantastic in The Demon.)

  5. 5. Niagara (1953): Though I’ve always understood, intellectually at least, the pull of Monroe’s persona, I can’t say I ever appreciated it much until watching this film. The way she wears those hypersaturated colors like no other. (And Joseph Cotten’s solid too.)

  6. 6. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992): Distills what’s best about the TV series into a darker, harder-to-take 2 hours. When are they going to get around to releasing that “lost footage”?

  7. 7. Arrebato (aka Rapture; 1980): I’ve seen this compared to Videodrome more than a few times; I can see the comparison, but this film really exists in a reality of its own—the eternal “flicker.” For an insightful review, see: http://esotika.blogspot.com/2009/06/arrebato-ivan-zulueta-1979b.html.


    8. Twin Peaks 01
    Romy 05

    February (15)
    Notables:
    1. 1. Four Flies on Grey Velvet (1971): One of my favorites—though also one of his most uneven. The first 20 minutes or so—through the murder in the opera house—are flawless. The set piece with the telephone booth, the murder in the park (especially the soundtrack used here), the murder in the attic, and the film’s very end are, I think, brilliant, solid solid examples of what sort of filmmaking Argento is capable of at his best. The two biggest drags on the film, to my mind, are the extended subplot scenes with the Bud Spencer character (“God” or “Godric”). Especially the second scene, which takes place at a coffin expo, just seems silly and bloated and totally unnecessary to me. Also the recurring slapstick stuff with the mailman is pointless (I’m rarely a fan of the humor in Argento). (And some people have a real problem with the eyeball/forensic gimmick that he uses, though this part of the story has never bothered me.) Coming in Blu-ray from Shameless (UK) this December.

    2. 2. Seconds (1966): Part of his Paranoia trilogy, this might be his best film (at least the best of his that I’ve seen). Watched it after DVRing it, but the recording cut off the last minute or so of the film—somebody tell me what did I miss?

    3. 3. Herostratus (1971): Not sure what to make of this one; perhaps only a curiosity. The Allen Ginsberg sections certainly seem to date it a bit, and I can’t say that I’m exactly sure what purpose they’re serving in the film. Certainly notable for just how cruelly the “artist selling his soul to the media” is rendered, but not sure if it ultimately has much to say/show that is really compelling. Would like to see it again.

    4. 4. L’important c’est d’aimer (1975): Jaw-droppingly good. Or, to quote, JohnsonIsJohnson: “Towering.” In my top 10 of all time (another Zulawski, his Possession, currently tops that list). And Romy Schneider. Romy Schneider Romy Schneider Romy Schneider. Romy Schneider = her performance captured on film (a performance that becomes less a performance and more a deeply understood state of being). (In many ways her performance is the inverse of Adjani’s in Possession, and yet both are equally devastating—both the very height of what is possible in their craft.) The film—her performance—makes me sadder about life, sadder about being a human being, sadder about the lives—both real and imagined—of the cast.

    5. 5. Inferno (1980): Such an experimental follow-up to Suspiria (and I actually prefer it to the first installment of the Three Mothers trilogy); has a similar (and, for me, similarly disappointing) ending as well. I’m slightly in love with the fact that the film switches central protagonists about every 30 minutes or so, and remains an unrelentingly hopeless proposition for all involved. Enjoyed the portions with Gabriele Lavia, Sacha Pitoëff, and the architect’s soundboard especially. Also how effective his use of music was.

    6. 6. Amer (2010): I know some people beef with this film’s lack of narrative; others dismiss its homage to giallo as weak. Me, I can’t wait to see what the directors do next.

    7. 7. Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (1972): I’ve watched a lot of mediocre gialli this year (the sad truth: the vast majority of them are mediocre, or worse), but something about the rhythm of this one works for me as a solid, middle-tier example of the genre. (Weak ending though.) Would love to be able to lay my hands on the soundtrack.

    8. 8. The Red Queen Kills Seven Times (1972): This giallo nearly achieves Lizard in a Woman’s Skin and Argento (i.e., good Argento) territory. In my giallo top 10 (despite a couple of odious moments).

    9. 9. Death Walks at Midnight (1972): This one does achieve the giallo top tier. Nieves Navarro is strong throughout (has to be the best giallo she appeared in); Ercoli does some stylish work with the composition and framing; one of the two main villains looks like the Phil Spector impersonator that he is; Luciano Rossi in his most memorable role (though the giggling gets to be a bit much at times); stuck-in-your-head soundtrack; weak-ish ending, but by then I didn’t mind.

      10. Romy 02
      Romy 04

      March (22)
      Notables:
      1. 1. The Conformist (1970): Everything I’d heard about this movie made me think that I would hate it. Instead I found it to be flawless.

      2. 2. Opera (1987): Many dismiss this as minor (or crap) Argento—and don’t get me wrong, there’s lots of minor and crap Argento to choose from—but I find it to be one of his most experimental and compelling films. Sure the dubbing is distracting, but that’s pretty much par for the course isn’t it? Many of his transitions and shots—Betty in the rain after the first murder; Betty’s mother’s head lit like an icon behind the frosted glass; the “brain” and “heartbeat” shots; Daria Nicolodi’s death-by-peephole; the “raven’s-eye” shots; Betty wondering through the city; etc.—are right up there with anything else he’s done. And that ending. That wtf ending so many people hate. I can’t claim to understand it, but I do love it, not only for how it conflate’s Betty’s character with Jennifer Connelly’s character in Phenomena, but also how it pushes the film even further past the confines of “giallo.”

      3. 3. Cat People (1982): Holy crap I love this movie. Not as a remake of the original, but on its own terms. Opening airport scene reminds me of Tenebrae. Annette O’Toole will you marry me.

      4. 4. The Face of Another (1966): The third in his collaboration with Japanese novelist Kobe Abe, Face of Another was apparently met with lukewarm regard (at best) at the time of its release. Repeat viewings reveal it instead to be his most startling, experimental, technically impressive film. Utterly modern, as well as utterly Japanese. Taboo-busting, “existential science fiction."

        5. Face of Another 02
        NOT SANTA

        April (25)

        DtK 01

        May (19)
        1. 1. Vertigo (1958): What else is there to say? Hitchcock’s darkest. Complex and disturbing depiction of life-extinguishing obsession, deep-seated and unfixable trauma.

        2. 2. Possession (1981): Both the most perfect example of the horror film in existence (i.e. = most literally horrifying) and one of the most perfect examples of what is possible in film (i.e., serious, good, revelatory, unsettling, non-linear, non-logical, dreamlike and somewhat insane). Features three unnerving, uncanny, nearly indescribable performances from its three leads, the film’s ostensible love triangle. Isabelle Adjani has never been better; Sam Neill has never been better; Andrzej Zulawski has never been better. Perfect ending. Unbelievable staircase scene (staircases being one of Zulawski’s always-appearing obsessions). There is no better, purer, more perfect piece of art film—or any type of film—than this.

          3. Phantasm 9
          Publique 01

          June (15)

          July-August (16)
          1. 1. Your Vice is a Locked room And Only I Have the Key (1972): Martino’s gialli have always strayed a little too close to dumb (or ridiculous) erotica for my tastes (the scene with the maid, trying on the queen dress in front of the mirror, comes immediately to mind). Also, though Edwige Fenech is certainly the most iconic thing about his gialli, to watch her play, over and over, the hapless, can’t-help-herself heroine only provides diminishing returns (for me anyway). Having said that, the scene where Edwige and beau are killed in the motorcycle wreck, seeing Ivan Rassimov in silly gray mane, and the “reveal” for Anita Strindberg’s character—all of these are interesting elements that do work well. I guess, at the end of the day, I’d have to say that I’m glad to have tracked down the Martino gialli (especially the harder-to-find ones), but his films for me will never rate very high on a best-of giallo list.

          2. 2. Cold Fish (2010): People have blasted this for all the same reasons they blast his other films—calling it over-the-top, undisciplined, bloated, muddled, potentially misogynistic, soft-core pornographic—but I really feel it represents, even at 144 minutes, a refinement, a distillation of his previous themes and work. (I’d readily admit, e.g., that Suicide Club is ultimately a confused mess of a film.) Having said that, if you weren’t a fan before, you probably won’t be one with this.




            3. September (29)
            Notables:
            1. 1. Zeder (1983): Sought this film out because I’d seen Avati’s fair-to-middlin’ giallo The House with Laughing Windows and found it to be superior in every way.

            2. 2. Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (1968): The shots of the assassin inside the spaceship—and the ectoplasmic alien entering and leaving his body via the forehead—had me thinking “body horror” (they also excuse the sometimes cliched interludes).

            3. 3. Morgiana (1972): See how long it takes you to notice that the same actress is playing both sisters. (Just about as long as it took me to notice that the same actress was playing three of the leads in Malpertuis—i.e., longer than you’d think.)

            4. 4. The Immortal Story (1968): Speaking of Malpertuis, the repeated myth (true story?) of the sailor and his mythical night alone with the woman in the house can’t help but recall Welles’ scenes with his sailor nephew in Kumel’s film. Welles’ assistant in the film also makes me constantly think of The Trial.

            5. 5. Cruel Gun Story (1964): I much prefer this Jo Shishido Japanese noir to at least one other, more-famous one (A Colt is My Passport). Doesn’t reach the heights of his performance in Branded to Kill, but still fantastic.

            6. 6. Shivers (1975): Hadn’t seen this in years. Shows its age and lack of budget, but the opening scene that alternates between the prospective renters being told about available apartments and the struggle/murder/suicide taking place in one of them already occupied is as solid as ever.

            7. 7. The Seventh Victim (1943): Favorite Lewton so far—from the detective’s murder, to the noose in the empty room, the missing sister going missing again in the hotel, the secret society trying to convince her to kill herself—all creepy and unsettling galore.


              8. Tenebrae 01

              October (36)
              Notables:
              1. 1. Tenebrae (1982): I never tire of watching this Argento. Much leaner than Deep Red and just as sophisticated. Thomas Rostock’s commentary on the Arrow disc (which sports, unfortunately, one of the worst transfers of the movie in existence) made me a true believer, detailing the pathological and multi-tiered use of doubling and dream logic to structure and embed meaning in the film. On a first viewing I’ll admit I missed much of this structure; now I find it almost mesmerizing. Of course contains the fabled Louma Crane shot (with Tovoli as dp). Best home video presentation I know of: the Wild Side Blu-ray from France.

              2. 2. Desert of the Tartars (1976): Found this one a bit glacial, but also gorgeous (Tovoli again, which was my impetus for watching it—as well as Giuliano Gemma, who played the detective in Tenebrae). Interested in watching it again.

              3. 3. Images (1972): My first Altman.

              4. 4. Inserts (1974): Jessica Harper, please please please put your clothes back on. Not sure I can ever watch Suspiria the same way again.

              5. 5. Night of the Demon (1957) and I Walked with a Zombie (1943): Slowly working my way though Jacques Tourneur (and Val Lewton).

              6. 6. The Infernal Trio (1974): Made the year before Zulawski’s flawless L’imortant c’est d’aimer (1975), with a performance by Romy Schneider nearly as devastating. A bleak, bleak film (and the tonally off-putting use of comedy, and comedy-infused soundtrack, just made me feel worse).

              7. 7. The Passenger (1975): Got to see more Antonioni!

              8. 8. The Warped Ones (1960): Been awhile since I’ve seen a wtf-fantastic Japanese film—this one fits the bill and then some. Its most-often-compared-to-contemporary—Godard’s Breathless (1960)—loses in the deathmatch.

              9. 9. Prince of Darkness (1987): Carpenter’s work is pretty hit and miss for me, but I have to say this one surprised me. Will quote from Ryan H. on the wall (the first half at least): “The first twelve minutes should be of interest to any Carpenter fan. They’re as atmospheric and economical as anything Carpenter has ever done.” Always appreciate Donald Pleasence, though he’s not that remarkable here. Also, is it just me, or are there like 102 speaking parts in this film?

              10. 10. Ecstasy of the Angels (1972): My first Wakamatsu.

              11. 11. The Locket (1946): In my film noir top 10. Laraine Day’s performance makes it. Also, the shot up/into her wedding veil—disorienting enough on its own—immediately reminded me of that long sequence in Sono’s Suicide Club (2001) where the space inside a bag becomes nightmarishly subjective, depending upon when the camera enters it. (Also the obvious resonance between it and the shot above from Tenebrae.)

              12. 12. A Quiet Place in the Country (1969): Second half is much more compelling than the first. Deliberately discordant (and improvisational) soundtrack can be a bit annoying at times. Doesn’t quite succeed on its own, but makes me want to check out The 10th Victim.

                The Locket 01

                November (31)
                Notables:
                1. 1. A Man Vanishes (1967): Finally able to see this. Uncanny for the ways in which it recalls both specific scenes, and the overall structure, of Yoshitaro Nomura’s Zero Focus. Also prefigures the spirit and execution of Kim Ki-duk’s Real Fiction by 3 or 4 decades. Also the concept behind Medium Cool. Also also the end of Jodorowsky’s The Holy Mountain… and I still have little idea which parts were documentary and which parts not. Great.

                2. 2. 3 Women (1977): My second Altman, and I’m not sure I’ll see anything else by him that I find as mysterious, grotesque, fantastic. Rightfully referred to as “the American Persona.”

                3. 3. The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting (1979): Certainly have to be in the right mood for this one (meditative, patient, ready to listen to a meandering, diverting conversation), but it becomes an increasingly mesmerizing event. Shades of Celine and Julie Go Boating (I’m thinking especially of the scenes in which they surreptitiously observe the “frozen” members of the household), Last Year at Marienbad (everything), and even, in its own way, Eyes Wide Shut (the occult, secret religion, obscure ceremony, alchemy, etc.).

                4. 4. Identification of a Woman (1982): “It has no end?” “The whole thing is an end.”

                5. 5. Essential Killing (2010): This one started my quest to track down all of Vincent Gallo’s movies (yes, I do realize that he most often comes off, in interviews and press, like a self-absorbed pretentious a-hole prick, but…). The lack of dialogue, the all-encompassing landscapes, the melancholy of the last shot (at some point it had me thinking of Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat”)…not ultimately about politics, but the irreversible and essential difficulty of wartime life. The comparisons to the big-screen adaptation of The Fugitive are just silly, not because both films don’t include extended chase sequences, but because the two films have literally nothing else in common. See the rest of my Gallology here: http://mubi.com/lists/vincent-gallo-vincent-gallo-my-gallology-in-progress.

                6. 6. Tetro (2009): What to make of this film? Equal parts drama and melodrama, opera and soap opera, novel and telenovela, all in competition with one another. My stars for now (until I’m able to watch it again) are for the stunning black-and-white cinematography, the character of “Alone” (especially the whole sequence in her home), and Vincent Gallo pouting, chewing, strutting, smoking, diva-ing through the scenery per usual.

                7. 7. Noriko’s Dinner Table (2005): A sadder, slower, less-obscene Visitor Q. Takes much of what remains incoherent about Suicide Club (nee Suicide Circle) and gives it a story and satisfying shape. (The “family rental” concept as backstory strengthens both films considerably.) Sometimes the voice-over works; sometimes it does not (and, holy moly, there is wall-to-wall voice-over in this movie).

                8. 8. Tokyo Rampage (aka Pornostar; 1998): The protagonist is the most interesting aspect of the movie, as he manages somehow to be both an immovable object and the irresistible force. The sometimes gratuitous use of slo-mo and the (over)use of 90s rock music isn’t a plus. Solid overall though.

                9. 9. Thirst for Love (1966): Based on a work by Yukio Mishima, this is another flawless Kurahara film (though totally different in tone and execution than The Warped Ones). His editing here is fascinating—the jarring, often weird transitions and cuts. Also his shot compositions—the vertiginous sweep of his camera as it moves through the actors staged in each landscape. Often they exist like in paintings (having seen The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting around the same time, I couldn’t help but compare the two).

                10. 10. Obsession (1976): I’ve never minded his constant cribbing from Hitchcock (and Antonioni, and Argento, and the whole giallo genre), especially when his films amount to more than the sum of their cribbed parts. Having now finally seen Obsession from beginning to end, I’d rank it just below Sisters, with Blow Out being head and shoulders above these two, and Dressed to Kill being the peak of his fever-dream Hitchcock form. (Also, being able to read Paul Schrader’s original screenplay—almost a third of which was omitted from the finished film—was fascinating.)

                11. 11. Blue Spring (2001): Though I find the plot of his Tokyo Rampage (see above) more compelling, his execution here is clearly superior. Ryuhei Matsuda is always interesting to watch, and I was impressed with how lean the film felt—how efficiently Toyoda moved between the various characters and storylines, and just how much the film accomplished in its relatively brief running time.

                12. 12. Trouble Every Day (2001): Starting out slow and ponderous (for a “horror” movie at least), in the end it plays like a fractured novella that I would’ve been happy to see last even longer. Uniformly strong cast; ready to watch it again. And Gallo’s pretty interesting in it to boot.




                  13. December (41)
                  Notables:
                  1. 1. Touch of Evil (1958): Just watched this in 1.37:1—Quinlan looks positively elemental sometimes, the way he now fills the screen. Flawless even in its flawed form.

                  2. 2. Secret Beyond the Door (1948): Much of this is very effective—the whole concept had me from the start—but like a lot of mysteries, its ending is unable to support the weight of what’s been so eerie and mysterious up till then. I.e., for me, the lackluster “solution” to the films’ enigmatic atmosphere just ends up letting all the air out of the room. (Great to watch Bennett pre-Suspiria though; and the wedding scene reminds me of The Locket.)

                  3. 3. One Deadly Summer (1983): I think for me the near constant voice-overs killed it. The fact that nearly every character got the chance to have a v.o. was somewhat interesting, but it was still too overused as a device. Perhaps when I watch it again, I might think a bit better of it, but right now I’d rate it only fair-to-middlin’…

                  4. 4. The House is Black (1963): Recalled Kazuo Hara’s Goodbye CP, though The House is Black is much more concentrated, much more poetic in its structure and effect. Difficult and powerful.

                  5. 5. The Bloody Child (1996): I appreciate her politics, her “argument” that depraved violence saturates (is indeed essential to) the successful perpetuation of the American military, her abstract and historical use of Judaism, the apparition of the horse, etc., but how can a film this short seem so uselessly (or ineffectually) repetitive?

                  6. 6. The Brown Bunny (2003): More Gallo, this being the most infamous of his filmography (because of the supposedly real fellatio performed in the film by this then-girlfriend Chloe Sevigny). Unfortunately, that scene threatens to eclipse, erase, any genuine appreciation for the rest of the film. And maybe it’s all a complete pile of $#!+; will have to get back to you on that.

                  7. 7. Mirage (1965): The last time I saw this I was about 10 years old; not as naively great this time around, but still solid, weirdo noir. Kevin McCarthy and George Kennedy (as well as the actor who plays the “elderly” hitman) are especially good…but how did I not remember Gregory Peck taking “wooden” to a whole new level? (The recurring scene of the two men under the tree, no dialogue or sound, gives me the willies just like it did when I was a kid.)

                  8. 8. A Page of Madness (1926): Holy sh*t! Hypnotic flicker film decades ahead of its time. As avant-garde, atonal, dissonant, weird, strange, and strikingly composed as anything from the Japanese New Wave (or after). Foreshadows Teshigahara, Oshima, Kurahara, Suzuki, Ishii, et al. Really brilliant.

                  9. 9. Guilty of Romance (2011): See above entry on Cold Fish (though this one is less successful, and so my comments only apply about 3/4ths as much). This and Cold Fish represent 2/3rds of his “Hate Trilogy”; I still need to watch the first part, Love Exposure (which I will, when I have 237 uninterrupted minutes to devote to it.)

                  10. 10. Death Watch (1980): Melancholy and a little off-kilter; we miss you Romy Schneider.

                  11. 11. The Temptation of St. Tony (2009): Easily one of the top 10 films I saw this year.

                  12. 12. White Material (2009): The more Denis I watch the more I’m fascinated by the way she shapes her films, the way she controls the order in which we experience them. I can’t quite put my finger on what she’s doing, but the rhythm, the cadence, the “flicker” that she creates for her films makes me want to seek out the rest of her work asap. (And as was mentioned below, the whole cast really do nail their roles.)

                  13. 13. Enter the Void (2009): From the bombastic opening credits to the black-lit scale model of Tokyo to the blinking camera coming out of the protagonist’s head, there’s always something kinetic to look at… having said that, I couldn’t help but think the narrative was simply too weak to hold up the weight of all that spectacle. Also, was it ever in doubt what would happen re: his reincarnation? The fact that he (spoiler) came back as his sister’s kid really (really) grated on my nerves. And really added to that overall feeling of letdown.

                  14. 14. Black Test Car (1962): The story/script struck me as a bit weak, especially in relation to his other films (at least those I’ve seen: Manji, Afraid to Die, Blind Beast, Red Angel), but man could the guy compose and frame a shot. Ultimately though, for me, the middle couldn’t sustain the dynamism of the film’s open and close.

                  15. 15. The Day of the Locust (1975): Really disappointing. Jackie Earle Haley as the creepy, cruel child actor and the apocalyptic end of the film were the highlights, but man did it take forever to get there. (And in some ways that ending fails anyway, as it reminds me of ridiculous movies like Mad City.) At least 40 minutes too long—and I couldn’t shake the feeling that William Atherton (and his negative charisma) were simply miscast. Does make me want to read the novel though…

                  16. 16. My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? (2009):

                  17. 17. Witness for the Prosecution (1957): Ultimately underwhelming; a court-room drama that reads as just a little too conventional. There are nice flourishes—the way Charles Laughton interrogates people with his monocle, the twist murder at the end—but there are whole sections that are, imo, just average (some of the Tyrone Power flashbacks for instance). And, maybe I’m crazy, but there’s a whole scene I remember being in this movie that wasn’t there this time: a meeting in a shadowy stairwell between Dietrich and Powers maybe(?), where they pass some sort of envelope or message? Am I crazy? (And if I’m not, where’d you put it TCM?)

                  18. 18. Paris, Texas (1984): An expansive and painterly portrait … of people who’ve fallen down at life.

                  19. 19. We Can’t Go Home Again (1973): I’m glad to have seen it and its experiments (documentary, fiction, a braided mishmash of both) but, as a story, I’m not sure I’ll ever want to see it again.

                  20. 20. End of Violence (1997): With its shared preoccupation with surveillance (voyeurism), shared cast member (Bill Pullman), strikingly similar musical cues (not to mention a Patricia Arquette lookalike seen for a moment through a video camera), it would make for an interesting double bill with Lynch’s Lost Highway, released the same year. (Though, it need not even be said, the latter film is clearly the better.) … Also, the scenes with Samuel Fuller are heartbreaking.

                  21. 21. …and the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1964):

                  22. 22. On the Silver Globe (1978/1988):




                    23. Not on MUBI:
                    French Sex Murders
                    Alex in Wonderland
                    Schizoid (the US edit of Lizard in a Woman’s Skin)
                    Trent’s Last Case (1952)
                    Walk Softly, Stranger (Joseph Cotten and Valli)
                    The Detective (1968)
                    Behind the Mask (1932)
                    I Love a Mystery (1945): Watched this one mostly for nostalgia’s sake (listened to the radio program growing up); was surprised to find that it shares an ending with Argento’s Four Flies on Grey Velvet—could he have seen it?
                    The Norliss Tapes (1973)



 

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Sy

19Aug12

And indeed Conquest is very gory but before anything I like it for its absolutely crazy visuals, the overall hallucinatory quality of it and obviously the lulz. Pure genius!

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Sy

19Aug12

Well, I saw Lizard awhile back. Fascinating movie. The final 20 minutes kinda betrayed what came before by throwing in some nonsensical twist and overall tidy narrative wrap up but I like to ignore them and see it as a film about how our internal vision is shaped by our surrounding and the people around us. A very good-looking film as well even though the copy I grabbed was pretty lousy. And it’s also shockingly de Palma-esque, pretty sure he riffed on this a few times.

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    Mr. Arkadin

    20Aug12

    Re: the ending, I heard somewhere (maybe on one of the DVD featurettes) that Fulci had a different ending that was nixed; would be interesting to know what he had planned.

Picture of Sy

Sy

22Jul12

Lizard in a Woman Skin then it is! Didn't really know where to go with Fulci after Conquest and The Beyond. And obviously, great job with the notes.

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    Mr. Arkadin

    24Jul12

    Thanks for fanning the list! And I'd be interested to hear what you think of *Lizard*. My impression is that some fans of his later work (especially the gorier stuff) have less love for it than those of us who came to it because of its reputation as a giallo. Its pacing does lag a bit in spots (though that's the case with the majority of gialli I'd say), and the subplot with the two hippies becomes a little strained, but at this point it's in my top 10 giallo of all time. ... The best-looking (and longest) version of it that I know of is the UK DVD from Optimum. The US DVD releases are more problematic, for a number of reasons (cuts, censored shots, dodgy quality, etc.); a good review of the US discs can be found here: http://www.mondo-digital.com/fulci2.html (scroll down a bit). Happy viewing!

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Coheed 2.5

15Dec11

Been getting through a few Imamura films this year since having seen his last feature work years ago. It helps a lot that the UK company Masters of Cinema have started releasing his stuff in quantities on DVD this year, making up for the absence of his work over the years. I have things like 'A Man Vanishes' and 'The Insect Woman' to look forward to amongst other films.

  • Picture of Mr. Arkadin

    Mr. Arkadin

    16Dec11

    I imported their edition of A Man Vanishes; great film doc that manages to be both true and false at the same time. Reminded me of sections of Kim Ki-duk's Real Fiction and the endings of both Medium Cool and Holy Mountain (there's a "breaking of the fourth wall" scene that prefigures them, if even only coincidentally).

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