Viewing Log - April 2016

(Strongly Recommended, Don't Bother...)

1. The Match Factory Girl (1990, dir. Aki Kaurismäki) [Hulu]
2. Caché (2005, dir. Michael Haneke) [iTunes]
3. Shadows in Paradise (1986, dir. Aki Kaurismäki) [Hulu]
4. Mojave (2015, dir. William Monahan)
5. Ariel (1988, dir. Aki Kaurismäki) [Hulu]
6. Le Havre (2011, dir. Aki Kaurismäki)
7. Tropical Malady (2004, dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul) 
   
8. The Mend (2014, dir. John Magary)*
9. The Invitation (2015, dir. Karyn Kusama) [iTunes]
10. Skirt Day (2008, dir. Jean-Paul Lilienfeld)
    
11. Syndromes and a Century (2007, dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul) 
12. The Red Balloon (1956, dir Albert Lamorisse) [Hulu]
13. Neon Bull (2015, dir. Gabriel Mascaro) [Click for showtimes]
14. Hush (2016, dir. Make Flanagan)
15. Marnie (1964, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
16. Someone Else (2015, dir. Nelson Kim)
17. Dune (1984, dir. David Lynch)
18. Blue Girls Burn Fast (2016, dir. Amandla Stenberg) [Vimeo]
19. Louder Than Bombs (2015, dir. Joachim Trier)
20. The Amputee (1974, dir. David Lynch)
21. The Grandmother (1970, dir. David Lynch) [Hulu]
22. Up in Smoke (1978, dir. Lou Adler and Tommy Chong) [Netflix]
23. The Above (2016, dir. Kirsten Johnson) [Watch full short here]
24. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016, dir. Taika Waititi) [In theaters on June 24th!!]
25. The Bourne Identity (2002, dir. Doug Liman)
26. The Bourne Supremacy (2004, dir. Paul Greengrass) [iTunes] (All of them are good, but Supremacy is my personal favorite.)
27. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007, dir. Paul Greengrass)
28. Lemonade: The Visual Album (2016, dir. Kahlil Joseph, Beyoncé Knowles Carter, Melina Matsoukas, Todd Tourso, Dikayl Rimmasch, Jonas Åkerlund, and Mark Romanek) [iTunes, Tidal] (A genuinely artistic/masterful arrangement of various pop music, celebrity gossip, and transcendent cinema, telling a complete overarching story detailing Black women culture, family, struggle, pain, forgiveness, and love. S/O to Somali-Brit Warsan Shire for writing the poetry/story!! Beyoncé is easily one of the most essential mainstream artists currently existing. Lemonade was a masterpiece event. It should not be missed.)
29. The Bourne Legacy (2012, dir. Tony Gilroy)
30. The Last Days of Disco (1998, dir. Whit Stillman) [Showtime]
31. In the Realm of the Senses (1976, dir. Nagisa Ôshima)
32. Sans Soleil (1983, dir. Chris Marker) [Hulu]
33. A Summer’s Tale (1996, dir. Éric Rohmer) [Netflix]

* indicates rewatch

Theater Recommendation - HUNT FOR THE WILDERPEOPLE (dir. TAIKA WAITITI)

A few days ago, I went to a screening of Taika Waititi's newest film Hunt for the Wilderpeople at the 15th Tribeca Film Festival. I had previously mentioned this film on my post talking about this year's Sundance Film Festival, naming it one of the most intriguing films to premiere at the event. Luckily enough, I didn't have to wait too long to see it. 

This comedy centers on a national New Zealand manhunt for a young rebellious boy (played by the wonderful newcomer Julian Dennison) and his foster uncle (played by veteran actor Sam Neill). Waititi just really knows how to direct an extremely charming film! All of his previous films, including Eagle vs Shark, Boy, and What We Do In the Shadows, maintain a sweetness even though some fairly crazy shit goes down. Hunt for the Wilderpeople prominently features death, isolation, pig slaughterings, and car chases, but it so freaking cute!

I not sure how to really explain it... you sort of have to watch Waitit's films to really understand his voice. I'm incredibly curious to see what he brings to Marvel's Cinematic Universe with Thor: Ragnarok, his next project currently in pre-production with a November 2017 release date. 

At my screening, Taika Waititi sent in a taped opening message announcing that Hunt for the Wilderpeople will be released in theaters this June. He didn’t specify the exact date or anything, but I’d expect it to open limited it’s first June weekend and then continue to expand nationwide throughout this summer. So, definitely watch out for this one this summer!

Your Guide to the 2016 Festival de Cannes!!

The 2016 Cannes Film Festival has just released it's official lineup this morning, and I'm here to prepare you some of the films and directors who've earned a shot at the grand prize, the coveted Palme d'Or. 

Easily considered the most "prestigious" event of the festival circuit, this incredibly glamorous week-long showcase of international cinema is always host to a lot of drama and excitement. The Cannes audiences is notoriously vocal and difficult to please, and they will actively BOO a film if they feel negatively towards it (which happened to poor Matthew McConaughey and Gus Van Sant last year...)

The Festival is organized into multiple sections: "In Competition" (films that compete for the top awards, like the Palme d'Or), "Un Certain Regard" (the second tier of competition, which runs parallel to the Palme d'Or race), "Out of Competition" (often American/more mainstream films which help to build international buzz), Special Screenings, and Midnight Screenings (the last two seem self-explanatory, no awards are given). 

Every year, a "Jury" is formed and they vote on the films In Competition to determine who will take home the coveted awards. This year's Jury President will be Australian writer, director, and producer George Miller, whose last film, Mad Max: Fury Road, went on to win six Academy Awards and received high praise at last year's Cannes Film Festival, where it screened out of competition. The rest of his Jury will likely be announced some time in the next two weeks. 

And NOW... it's time to list the chosen films for this year's festival. The lucky participants are...

In Competition:

• Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade)
• Julieta (Pedro Almodóvar)
• American Honey (Andrea Arnold)
• Personal Shopper (Olivier Assayas)
• The Unknown Girl (Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne)
• It’s Only the End of the World (Xavier Dolan)
• Slack Bay (Bruno Dumont)
• Paterson (Jim Jarmusch)
• Staying Vertical (Alain Guiraudie)
• Aquarius (Kleber Mendonça Filho)
• Mal de Pierres (Nicole Garcia)
• I, Daniel Blake (Ken Loach)
• Ma’ Rosa (Brillante Mendoza)
• Family Photos (Cristian Mungiu)
• Loving (Jeff Nichols)
• The Handmaiden (Park Chan-wook)
• The Last Face (Sean Penn)
• Sieranevada (Cristi Puiu)
• Elle (Paul Verhoeven)
• The Neon Demon (Nicolas Winding Refn)

Un Certain Regard:

• Inversion (Behnam Behzadi)
• Apprentice (Boo Junfeng)
• The Stopover (Delphine Coulin & Muriel Coulin)
• The Dancer (Stéphanie Di Giusto)
• Clash (Mohamed Diab)
• Red Turtle (Michael Dudok De Wit)
• Harmonium (Fukada Kôji)
• Personal Affairs (Maha Haj)
• Beyond the Mountains and Hills (Eran Kolirin)
• After the Storm (Kore-eda Hirokazu)
• The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Maki (Juho Kuosmanen)
• Francisco Sanctis’s Long Night (Francisco Márquez & Andrea Testa)
• Dogs (Bogdan Mirica)
• Pericle Il Nero (Stefano Mordini)
• The Transfiguration (Michael O’Shea)
• Captain Fantastic (Matt Ross)
• The Student (Kirill Serebrennikov)

Out of Competition:

• Café Society (Woody Allen) [OPENING FILM]
• The BFG (Steven Spielberg)
• Goksung (Na Hong-Jin)
• Money Monster (Jodie Foster)
• The Nice Guys (Shane Black)

Special Screenings:

• The Last Resort (Thanos Anastopoulos & Davide Del Degan)
• Hissein Habré, A Chadian Tragedy (Mahamat-Saleh Haroun)
• Last Days of Louis XIV (Albert Serra)
• Le Cancre (Paul Vecchiali)
• Exil (Rithy Panh)

Midnight Screenings:

• Gimme Danger (Jim Jarmusch)
• Train to Busan (Yeon Sang-Ho)

The festival begins on May 11th. 

Click Read More to learn more about some of the films I'm most excited for (even though I'll probably have to wait until 2017 to actually see most of them...)

Theater Recommendation - NEON BULL (dir. GABRIEL MASCARO)

I'll just get this out of the way right from the get-go: this film is pretty much only for the "arthouse" crowd. That sounds super pretentious and obnoxious, but the reality is that unless you're into movies like this, films with virtually no plot, solely concerned with presenting characters in their natural environments within a strangely artistic lens, then you'll probably think this is the most boring and stupid movie I've recommended so far. Also, if you have difficulties with animals essentially being tossed around for "sport", this film could also be triggering for you...

But... with all that being said... I really liked it...

The film focuses on a group of Brazilian rodeo workers and cowboys who have formed a ragtag "family" of sorts as they travel wherever their rodeo work takes them. It's maybe the most nontraditional road trip movie I've ever seen, and that's not the only thing nontraditional about it. The main character, Iremar, played by Juliano Cazarré, may wrangle bulls by day, but his true love is fashion design. He makes costumes for exotic dancers and sketches clothes on the bodies of nude women in porno magazines. The film has very little intention or desire with sticking to typical, socially defined gender norms, and creates an environment which feels entirely foreign, but simultaneously ideal. 

There are a lot of really weird scenes in here that would likely make most audiences uncomfortable (a lot of bizarre horse imagery... that's all I'll say...), but I found the whole thing to be fascinating. This is certainly one of the most different film experiences I've had so far this year, and quite possibly one of my favorite. 

Click here for showtimes. 

ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY OFFICIAL TEASER TRAILER!!!!!

Just fuck me up... Seriously, just take me away now. I don't care if I'm only supposed to be talking about indie films because the teaser for the new Star Wars spinoff was just released this morning and OH MY GOD IT IS BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! Plot details for Rogue One are scarce, but this anthology film takes place before the original Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope and focuses on a rebel Resistance group trying to steal the plans for the Death Star (so, most definitely expect a Darth Vader cameo somewhere in the final film).

The cast is amazing: Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Riz Ahmed, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen... I mean, come on... this is all just too overwhelming.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will be released on December 16th.

Also, be sure to watch director Gareth Edwards' first indie sci-fi film Monsters, currently streaming on Netflix!!

Theater Recommendation - EVERYBODY WANTS SOME!! (dir. RICHARD LINKLATER)

I love Richard Linklater... I love him, I love him, I love him!!!  Slacker, The "Before" Trilogy (Sunrise, Sunset, Midnight), SubUrbia, Waking Life, Tape, SCHOOL OF ROCK (!!), Bernie, Boyhood... I mean are you fucking kidding me?? He's potentially the most quintessential "Amercian" filmmaker working today, making each one of his projects from now on somewhat of an event, even if they're often extremely lax and almost completely unconcerned with typical film structure. His films simultaneously feel very "Texas" while remaining completely progressive and welcoming. He's just a goddamn master. 

Described as the "spiritual sequel" to the 1993 stoner classic Dazed and Confused (another masterpiece from the director focusing on high schoolers on their last day of school in 1976), Everyone Wants Some!! follows a group of college baseball players in 1980 partying nonstop the weekend before class begins. Obviously, they're machismo-fueled losers desperate to get laid, but they simultaneously recognize their own ridiculousness, are shockingly openminded, and are completely determined to enjoy themselves as much as possible anyway, while also finding plenty of time to have legitimate philosophical discussions about their futures and the unnecessary competitive nature existing amongst them. It's such a fucking delight! I’m not totally sure how to fully rationalize the overwhelming happiness I experienced when watching this, but what I do know is that I immediately wanted to watch it again as soon as the credits began to roll. 

This group of performers, including Blake Jenner, Ryan Guzman, Tyler Hoechlin, Wyatt Russell, Glen Powell, Temple Baker, J. Quinton Johnson, Zoey Deutch, and more, might just be the oldest looking group of "college students" ever assembled in film history, but you get over that so quickly because the writing is so enjoyable. 

It's easily my favorite film of the year so far, so definitely check it out ASAP!

Click here for showtimes. 

Viewing Log - March 2016

I saw A WHOLE LOT of really great movies this month, hence why the majority of the list is in bold...

(Strongly Recommended, Don't Bother...)

1. Shadow of a Doubt (1943, dir. Alfred Hitchcock) x 2 [YouTube Rental]
2. Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962, dir. Agnès Varda)
3. Taxi (2015, dir. Jafar Panahi) [Netflix]
4. Blade (1998, dir. Stephen Norrington)
5. Fucking Åmål (1998, dir. Lukas Moodysson) (AKA Show Me Love) [Netflix]
6. Together (2000, dir. Lukas Moodysson)
7. Knight of Cups (2015, dir. Terrence Malick)
8. Notorious (1946, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
9. Wadjda (2012, dir. Haifaa al-Mansour) [iTunes]
10. Cloverfield (2008, dir. Matt Reeves)* [iTunes]
11. The Battle of Algiers (1966, dir. Gillo Pontecorvo) [Hulu]
12. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016, dir. Dan Trachtenberg) [Click for showtimes]
13. River of Grass (1994, dir. Kelly Reichardt) [Fandor]
14. The Fury (1978, dir. Brian De Palma)
15. Sleeping Beauty (2011, dir. Julia Leigh) 
16. The Watermelon Woman (1996, dir. Cheryl Dunye) [Fandor]
17. The Panic in Needle Park (1971, dir. Jerry Schatzberg) [Netflix]
18. Je, tu, il, elle (1974, dir. Chantal Akerman)
19. Law of Desire (1987, dir. Pedro Almodóvar)
20. A Song of Love (1950, dir. Jean Genet)
21. Fireworks Wednesday (2006, dir. Asghar Farhadi) [Click for showtimes] 
22. Pee-wee's Big Holiday (2016, dir. John Lee)
23. American Gigolo (1980, dir. Paul Schrader)
24. Zootopia (2016, dir. Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush) [Click for showtimes]
25. La Haine (1995, dir. Mathieu Kassovitz) [Hulu]
26. Boys (2014, dir. Misha Kamp)
27. Midnight Special (2016, dir. Jeff Nichols)
28. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016, dir. Zack Snyder) x 2
29. Opening Night (1977, dir. John Cassavetes) [Fandor]
30. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988, Robert Zemeckis) [Netflix]
31. Green Room (2015, dir. Jeremy Saulnier) [Opens on April 15th (NY + LA), goes wide on April 29th] 
32. Wayne's World (1992, dir. Penelope Spheeris)
33. Everybody Wants Some!! (2016, dir. Richard Linklater) [Click for showtimes]

* indicates rewatch

Theater Recommendation - GREEN ROOM (dir. JEREMY SAULNIER)

I went to an early screening of Jeremey Saulnier's Green Room, a hardcore-punk-nazi-horror film, 

and oh my god... wow. This follow-up to the surprising Blue Ruin stars Anton Yelchin, Alia Shawkat, Joe Cole, and Callum Turner as a punk band who find themselves in some serious shit when they play a gig at a Nazi-run venue... It's so gross and sleazy and honestly one of the best horror films I've seen in a long time, and it's already been a great year for horror (The Witch and 10 Cloverfield Lane). Imogen Poots, Mark Weber, Eric Edelstein, Macon Blair, and Patrick Stewart, giving one of his most bizarre and impressive performances ever as the Nazi club owner, make up the rest of the cast.

Okay, yes, this film is not for everyone, but legit horror fans should definitely check this out! The practical effects are some of the most disturbing I've ever seen and all of the scares are legitimate and surprising. It's sickly funny at times when you do not at all expect comedy. It's just fucking wild.

The film opens in NYC and LA on April 15th, and opens wide on April 29th.

Jeremey Saulnier also did a Q&A after the screening, so I'll list every interesting thing I learned below.

Let Me Try to Defend BATMAN v SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE...

This isn't the typical movie I normally talk about on this blog, but Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is currently the only thing I'm thinking about in general, so I need to talk about it, as well as try to defend it. 

I've seen the movie twice now, and Batman v Superman is by no means the “greatest superhero movie” of all-time. Honestly, I wouldn’t even define it as all that great. But, I think it’s decent. Maybe even good. Certainly better than what the terrible reviews suggest (and, oh boy, the reviews are terrible). I enjoyed it more than pretty much all of Phase Two of Marvel's Cinematic Universe (Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America: The Winter Soldier are about equal). I liked it way more than the overly obnoxious Deadpool. I always enjoy the X-Men movies and then literally forget everything about them since they seem to reboot themselves after every goddamn film… 

As for my general thoughts on Batman v Superman... it's jaw-dropping in all of the best and worst ways possible. It's loud and grim and takes itself way too seriously, but it's also bold, occasionally quite smart, and exhilarating!

The film made me think more than any other superhero movie in many, many years (for better and for worse), and it has me intrigued for what’s inevitably going to come next in Warner Bros. DC Extended Universe. 

I think that counts for something.

WARNING: I'm literally going to spoil the WHOLE MOVIE in this post, so if you haven't seen Batman v Superman yet, PLEASE BEWARE! However, if you've already seen it or don't mind spoilers, please enjoy :)

Women's History Month - Best Films Directed by Women on Netflix

March is Women's History Month, so what better way to celebrate than to watch some great films directed by women! Okay, I'm sure there are equally if not more important ways we can celebrate this month, like actually trying to make legitamate steps forward towards true equality in this country/world... but we can start by watching awesome movies, I guess...

I'm choosing ten films that I have not previously mentioned or recommended on this blog, plus I'm gonna include some bonus picks and add additional links to films I've talked about before.

Let's get started!!

Theater Recommendation - RIVER OF GRASS (dir. KELLY REICHARDT)

While I actually really, really liked the new sci-fi/horror film 10 Cloverfield Lane, the true event to see in theaters this week is Kelly Reichardt's directorial debut River of Grass. I feel particularly inclined to recommend this movie since I actually donated to Oscilloscope Laboratories' Kickstarter campaign to digitally restore this literally dying film, which prior to this restoration was no longer commercially available in any form. The film opens with a special shout-out to all us Kickstarter donors, which certainly put a smile on my face :)

Playing at the IFC Center until MARCH 17th ONLY (!!!), now is the best, and quite possibly only, time to see this film in theaters! The film is very Bonnie and Clyde-esque, focusing on two slightly dimwitted and completely unsatisfied Floridians, Cozy (Lisa Bowman) and Lee (Larry Fessenden), who are on the run after they may or may not have shot a man on accident. 

If you've never seen a Reichardt film (which you most certainly should... ALL of them if you have the time!!), then you're definitely in for a treat with this one. I just came back from the theater and it is safe to say that this is my favorite film from her, which is no easy feat whatsoever. It's very funny in unexpected ways and treats these moronic characters so gently and earnestly that you can't help but fall in love with them. The ending is also shockingly dark while still feeling completely legitimate and earned.  

Please, please go see this movie... it may truly be your last chance...

(It's also exclusively streaming on Fandor, a subscription VOD service specializing in independent, classic, silent, foreign, documentary, and short films, and you can start a free trial by clicking HERE!)

Click for showtimes.

Theater Recommendation - KNIGHT OF CUPS (dir. TERRENCE MALICK)

People either love Terrence Malick or they think he's a total hack... Either way, his films will always garner plenty of attention because there really is nothing else quite like them. His newest film, Knight of Cups, continues the ethereal aesthetics, nonlinear storylines, and barely defined characters prevalent in his earlier works (To the Wonder, The Tree of Life, and The Thin Red Line to mention a few). Also, like with all of his films, dialogue and story are not nearly as important as the film's environment and mood created by Malick and frequent collaborator (and three-peat Oscar winner) Emmanuel Lubezki.

This is offically Malick's worst reviewed film and it performed disappointedly at the box office, but it's better than that! First off, if you've never seen a Malick film, this is a great one to start with since it focuses on a familiar and recognizable world (or at least one many people are fascinated by). The film stars Christian Bale as a struggling Hollywood screenwriter who uses his writer's block as an excuse to party/hook up with multiple women, including Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, and Imogen Poots. Oh, and he has a lot of daddy issues... So, yeah, it certainly doesn't read as anything revolutionary or anything, and it by no means is, but Malick sure knows how to create something gorgeous and cinematic! The vapidness of his directorial style actually works really well within the wasteland that is Hollywood, even if it does next to nothing to establish his characters (but, let's be real, who sees a Malick movie for the characters???).

Bigger themes can be found if you choose to dig deeper: success often comes with a price; dysfunctional families help to form creative, but equally dysfunctional, individuals; the difficulties one faces in the attempt to "have it all," both professionally and personally, is often overwhelming and occasionally debilitating. It's definitely not Malick's best (I'm partial to The Tree of Life and Badlands), but it's still much more interesting than pretty much everything else out there right now.

Click for showtimes!

Recommendation - TAXI (dir. JAFAR PANAHI)

Jafar Panahi is a beloved Iranian filmmaker, whose films are consistently mentioned as the "best of the year" when released here in the States. He's certainly a director I've heard/read great things about, but I was never previously able to access any of his films. That has finally changed now that his newest docufiction Taxi (no, not the Jimmy Fallon + Queen Latifah one) has been added to Netflix.

The reason the film community loves Panahi so much is that he's technically making films illegally! In December of 2010, Panahi was convicted by the Iranian government, who viewed his earlier film work as "propaganda against the system," and he's now currently facing a 20 YEAR BAN from writing scripts, directing films, giving interviews, or leaving the country. However, this ban hasn't stopped him from creating art. He secretly made the documentary This Is Not a Film while waiting for his appeal to be approved (an appeal that was not granted to him). That film was then smuggled outside of Iran on a USB drive hidden inside of a cake (NO, I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP!!!) and it went on to premiere at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.

Panahi was also able to make the drama Closed Curtain, which made the festival round in 2013, before making his newest film Taxi. It's a docufiction, meaning that the line between nonfictional and fictional elements in the film are blurred, if not completely nonexistent. In the film, Panahi plays himself, and he drives a taxi around town, picking up strangers (some of whom recognize and admire him) and family members. The conversational topics in the taxi range from movies to politics to simply life itself. I'm genuinely not sure which story lines are real or which are not (or if in fact they are all fictionalized and Panahi simply found brilliantly restrained actors), and, to be honest, I don't really feel like figuring that out since the truth may lessen the wonderful impact of this incredibly original film!

After finishing Taxi, I immediately understood Panahi's appeal. He's one of the most daring and provocative artists in the world right now, and he's displaying his rebellion by simply making a sweet, relaxed, and even strangely comforting picture. I can't wait to continue diving more into his work!

Taxi is currently streaming on Netflix!

Viewing Log - February 2016

(Strongly Recommended, Don't Bother...)

1. Mustang (2015, dir. Deniz Gamze Ergüven)
2. Eagle vs Shark (2007, dir. Taika Waititi)
3. Blackmail (1929, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
4. Bone Tomahawk (2015, dir. S. Craig Zahler)
5. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989, dir. Peter Greenaway) [Netflix]
6. Tokyo Tribe (2014, dir. Shion Sono) 
7. Do the Right Thing (1989, dir. Spike Lee)* [Encore]
8. Hail, Caesar! (2016, dir. Joel & Ethan Coen)
9. Sabotage (1936, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
10. Even the Rain (2010, dir. Icíar Bollaiín)
11. Spaceballs (1987, dir. Mel Brooks)* [HBO]
12. The 39 Steps (1935, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
13. House of 1000 Corpses (2003, dir. Rob Zombie)
14. The Devil's Rejects (2005, dir. Rob Zombie)
15. Donald Trump's The Art of the Deal: The Movie (2016, dir. Jeremy Konner) [Funny Or Die]
16. The Lords of Salem (2012, dir. Rob Zombie)
17. Happiness (1998, dir. Todd Solondz) [iTunes]
18. Life During Wartime (2009, dir. Todd Solondz)
19. Blood of the Beasts (1949, dir. Georges Franju)
20. Palindromes (2004, dir. Todd Solondz)
21. Rebecca (1940, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
22. Possession (1981, dir. Andrzej Żuławski)
23. Mars Attacks! (1996, dir. Tim Burton)
24. The Witch (2015, dir. Robert Eggers) [Showtimes]
25. Deadpool (2016, dir. Tim Miller)
26. Peeping Tom (1960, dir.  Michael Powell) [iTunes]
27. The Purge: Anarchy (2014, dir. James DeMonaco)
28. Damsels in Distress (2011, dir. Whit Stillman) [iTunes]
29. Jungle Fever (1991, dir. Spike Lee)
30. Boy (2010, dir. Taika Waititi) [Netflix]
31. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny (2016, Yuen Woo-ping) (A genuine mess. I feel terribly for those who waited 16 years for this...)
32. It Felt Like Love (2013, dir. Eliza Hittman)
    
33. Victoria (2015, dir. Sebastian Schipper)

* indicates rewatch

GUEST POST: Alyssa and Ben Live Blog the Oscars

Hello, friends!

For my guest post, Ben agreed to let me guest post (read: sabotage) his blog and live blog the Oscars. We've got guac, we've got wine, and we've got SASS AND ANGER AT HOW STUPID THESE AWARDS ARE!!!!!

Anyway.

Ben will also be pitching in during these updates. Ben's remarks are signed off with a B.D. initial. Mine are with an A.O. We'll be updating every time something worth writing about happens...

Film Independent Spirit Awards >>>>>>>>>>>>> The Oscars

I probably should have reminded you guys about this earlier, but the Film Independent Spirit Awards were today and holy fucking shit they continuously prove themselves to be the BEST AWARD SHOW every year!!!

Please enjoy this detailed recap!!

The 87th Academy Awards - My Predictions

It's that time of year again... the biggest award show of the year is upon us! You know... the one we all get so excited for and then immediately forget about the winners as soon as the notoriously endless show concludes?!?! Ohhhhh, yeah!!!!! Now, obviously there is a lot about the Oscars and award season in general that I strongly dislike (*cough* the intensely political/biased/regressive/often backwards nature of it all *cough*), so in order for me to fully enjoy this time, I have to look at the Oscars strictly as a game, using patterns and formulas to try and perfectly predict the winners. The more you understand the system, the easier it is to predict.

While this year initially seemed like one of the most wide open ever, the predictability is beginning to come into place, only a couple months later than usual. At least four different films have been legitimate front-runners over the past several months, which is absolutely unheard of. However, current momentum seems to be shifting towards only one of them, and I'm not too sure how to feel about it...

But first, I'm going to predict who/what will win, as well as who/what I believe should win, in all 24 categories! The 87th Academy Awards will air this Sunday, February 28th, on ABC.

(Click here to see all of the 2016 Oscar Nominations)

Theater Recommendation - THE WITCH (dir. ROBERT EGGERS)

YES, ANOTHER GOOD MOVIE HAS FINALLY HIT THEATERS!!! This psychological horror film/period piece has received universal acclaim from critics and has consistently been referred to as "one of the most genuinely unnerving horror films in recent memory"...

I actually didn't find it that frightening, but it's still incredible! The horrific dynamic and creepiness amongst this falsely attached (and overzealously religious) family feels both very old-school and entirely refreshing since most horror films of today don't understand the necessity of building strong and deep relationships amongst their characters (or, perhaps more appropriately, victims). 

It's a slow build for sure, but a confident one from first-time director Robert Eggers. Newcomer Anya Taylor-Joy stars as the eldest daughter in a family with intensely strong beliefs in witches and the evils they possess that terrorize them all. The film claims to be based on actual documents from 17th century writings (you can choose how much of that you want to believe...), but it throws in just enough supernatural flourishes to make it all connect. 

Click for showtimes.

2016 Is a Bust, So Here Are 10 Films to Watch on Netflix Instead

As much as I want to be recommending new releases, 2016 has been pretty uneventful so far. January is never exciting. How can I see Kung Fu Panda 3 when I haven't seen the second one?! The Coen Brothers' Hail Caesar! was fine, but not at all the movie it was promised to be... while also simultaneously being everything else instead?... The marketing campaign for Deadpool annoyed the absolute hell out of me, so I don't care if it's some sort of "worldwide phenomena"... I'm not going!!* No foreign films are generating much buzz. It's a wasteland out there.

The only thing keeping me going is that Robert Eggers' The Witch will finally be released this weekend!

Because of all this (and because I'm struggling to figure out what to post this week...), I decided to recommend my ten personal favorite films currently streaming on Netflix! I decided to exclude films I've previously recommended on this blog. Please watch!................. sorry most of them are super depressing/disturbing okay anyways enjoy....

* I'll obviously see it eventually because I'm a follower at heart :)

Funny Or Die Presents Donald Trump's The Art Of The Deal: The Movie

Easily the best film of 2016 so far. #DontBeALoser #WatchThisMovie #MakeAmericaGreatAgain

Link to full movie!

Where to Watch This Year's Oscar Contenders

The Oscars are pretty ridiculous... A bunch of Hollywood insiders (many of whom haven't even worked in the industry in decades!) giving a bunch of trophies out to other Hollywood people. I mean, how can anyone definitively decide every year what the "greatest achievements in film" are, especially when politics play such a huge role in that ultimate decision? Like, studios pay $150 MILLION+ every year just to campaign certain films (yes, like a political campaign) in the hopes that they get a few nominations... AND WE ALL BUY INTO IT EVERY YEAR!

... But, nonetheless, they're still a lot of fun and they (unnecessarily) hold a lot of power both within the business and culturally, having the potential to completely change a person's career/life, so let's watch some of the nominated movies!

I'm mostly going to focus on the nominated films that I like the most and/or the ones that are the most likely to win on February 28th. Some are actually available to stream right now, while other's are certainly worth a trip to the theater.

Recommendation - BONE TOMAHAWK (dir. S. CRAIG ZAHLER)

S. Craig Zahler's directorial debut is a trip! The current "Movie of the Week" on iTunes is this horror-western-comedy (?) hybrid about four men (sheriff, deputy, gunslinger, and cowboy) searching for a cowboy's kidnapped wife... Little do they know that she's been kidnapped by a tribe of cave dwelling cannibals!!

The cast is pretty great... Kurt Russell... Patrick Wilson... Richard Jenkins.... Matthew Fox!! Remember him?!?!?! That guy from Lost?!?!?!

.... Okay, I'll be honest, the film is sort of a mess and it most definitely feels like a first film (AKA there is definitely room for improvement), but there is a lot of great stuff thrown in there and it ultimately (and fairly successfully) gets the job done. And for only 99¢, I'd say it's worth checking out, especially if "cave dwelling cannibals" sparks your interest...

Rental just 99¢ on iTunes (FOR A LIMITED TIME!! This week only!)

Theater Recommendation - MUSTANG (dir. DENIZ GAMZE ERGÜVEN)

The Oscar-nominated Mustang is back in theaters this week at the IFC Center, so check it out NOW before you miss it!! The film focuses on five sisters rebelling against the traditional gender roles they're forced to conform to (with varying degrees of success) after "causing too much trouble" in their small northern Turkey village. 

Effortlessly ethereal. Undeniably feminist. Occasionally quite frightening. Definitely thumbs up 👍.

Click for showtimes. 

Viewing Log - January 2016

(Strongly Recommended, Don't Bother...)

1. 45 Years (2015, dir. Andrew Haigh) [Click for showtimes]
2. Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015, dir. J.J. Abrams)* x 2 (and 2 other times in December) [Click for showtimes]
3. Cube (1997, dir. Vincenzo Natali)
4. The Saddest Music in the World (2003, dir. Guy Maddin)
5. Girl, Interrupted (1999, dir. James Mangold)
6. Barbarella (1968, dir. Roger Vadim)
7. La Jetée (1962, dir. Chris Marker) [Hulu]
8. Point Break (1991, dir. Kathryn Bigelow) [iTunes]
9. Alps (2011, dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)
10. I Love You to Death (1990, dir. Lawrence Kasdan)
11. Death Proof (2007, dir. Quentin Tarantino)* [iTunes]
12. Lady Snowblood (1973, dir. Toshiya Fujita) [Hulu]
13. Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974, dir. Toshiya Fujita)
14. Talk to Her (2002, dir. Pedro Almodóvar) [Starz]
15. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015, dir. George Miller)* [HBO]
16. Show Me a Hero (2015, dir. Paul Haggis) [HBO]
17. Paprika (2006, dir. Satoshi Kon)
18. Perfect Blue (1997, dir. Satoshi Kon)
19. The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water (2015, Paul Tibbitt and Mike Mitchell)
20. World of Tomorrow (2015, dir. Don Hertzfeldt)* [Netflix]
21. Galaxy Quest (1999, Dean Parisot)
22. Bridge of Spies (2015, dir. Steven Spielberg)
23. The Piano (1993, dir. Jane Campion) [Cinemax]
24. Storytelling (2001, dir. Todd Solondz)
25. Dark Horse (2011, dir. Todd Solondz)
26. Bicycle Thieves (1948, dir. Vittorio De Sica)* 
27. The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927, dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
28. Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005, dir. Miranda July)* [Netflix]
29. Good Morning (1959, dir. Yasujirō Ozu)
30. Advantageous (2015, dir. Jennifer Phang)
31. Backcountry (2014, dir. Adam MacDonald) [Showtime]
32. The Elephant Man (1980, dir. David Lynch) [Starz]
33. Margin Call (2011, dir. J.C. Chandor)
34. The Crime of Monsieur Lange (1936, dir. Jean Renoir)
35. About Elly (2009, dir. Asghar Farhadi) [Netflix]
36. Death of a Cyclist (1955, dir. Juan Antonio Bardem) [Hulu]
37. A Separation (2011, dir. Asghar Farhadi) 
38. Naked Lunch (1991, dir. David Cronenberg)
39. Unfriended (2014, dir. Leo Gabriadze) [HBO]
40. Milk (2008, dir. Gus Van Sant)

* indicates rewatch

Sundance Film Festival 2016 - Ten Most Intriguing Films

The 2016 Sundance Film Festival has just ended, and it was quite an interesting year! Records were broken. Streaming services not only entered the game, but shocked studios with the money they were willing to spend. Films about farting corpses, a lady with a sexual relationship with a wolf, and Nick Jonas beating the shit out of fraternity pledges all premiered this year and many films (including two of those^^^^^) were picked up for US distribution, so we'll probably see them some time this year.

Here are the 10 films from this year's festival I am most excited and/or intrigued to see...

Most Overlooked Films of 2015

What better way to spend January, infamously the worst month to go to the movies, than to watch ten incredible films from last year that pretty much NO ONE watched. These ten recommendations are films that grossed less than $1 million at the domestic box office (an amount of money Star Wars: The Force Awakens made in about 10 minutes), but absolutely deserve to be seen!

I mostly focused on films currently available on Netflix or iTunes, as well as one still in theaters...