Hour of the Wolf (1968)

A creepy little tale served cold and quick. I felt detached from the film in a way I usually don't with Bergman, and though the story was interesting and exciting it failed to engage me at a psychological level. There is some jaw-dropping imagery here; the final incident (or hallucination, depending) is shocking and very well crafted, and there is a scene involving a ravenous young child which is one of the most chilling I have seen Bergman execute. Precise acting rounds things out nicely; Ullman- pregnant with the director's child- and von Sydow are tense and believable, and though they are not particularly warm or relatable they remain human. Supposably this is one of three films based autobiographically on Bergman's self-image, and if so it is a frightening reflection.

Up (2009)

Once in awhile, in the movies and in life, we all need to be reminded of the spirit of adventure. Pixar's latest gem is a gleeful refresher course in what it is to live life to the fullest, no matter what. The animation studio has reached a new maturity level: blood and mourning are not things commonly associated with a family film, especially when they both come within the first fifteen minutes. What's so wonderful about Pixar, however, is that any concern about what is and isn't expected in a film would not only be insulting, it would be downright silly. Though they're created digitally, these creatures are more fully fleshed-out than most dramatic live-action characters, and watching them is extraordinary; their eyes water if they stare too long, they have nervous ticks, they swallow, blink, yawn, gasp and giggle not at traditional animation moments but when human instinct tells them to. My only beef with the film was a plot-point involving talking dogs, a gag which felt lazy and absorbed a little too much screen time. This is a minor quibble; it's hard to find entertainment this nutritious these days, especially when it's this fun and heartfelt.

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The final 10-odd minutes hit you so hard you are left gasping for breath. Awesome film.

Going to see Transformers 2 in a bit.

trailer park of terror
isolation
quantum of solace
man on fire
red planet
wind chill
bangkok dangerous
ballistic
reservoir dogs
swimming with sharks
scorpion with two tails
dr jeykll and sister hyde
btk
count dracula (1977)

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Awesome mindless CGI actioner. The rest of it is...you guessed it...mindless.

High Anxiety


Hilarious as always...

Edmond. Sorta disjointed spiral of a flick that i knew would be disappointing, and in the final scene, when i could not wait to be fully frustrated by the inchoate philosophic message that this flick was insufficiently trying to expound upon, i not only found one meaning to this flick to suddenly emerge as perfectly ostensible, almost obtrusive, but i also found that the holes in the pock-marked philosophizing were absolutely brilliant as well. Ashe.
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Texas chainsaw Massacre
Blue velvet
Hard Candy

Phantom Of The Paradise

Still rules. Great film totally kills Tommy etc.

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Such a great little movie. The offbeat concept is executed perfectly, and Ryan Gosling gives a spectacular performance. I'd watch this again for sure.

Haha- agree with you there. Tommy was a bloated overdone mess with only a few minutes of brilliance. Phantom of the Paradice aims lower and succeeds admirably.