Another Day

I'm so sick of "election fever". It is so aggravating and insulting. They're all guilty. And by the way, if there was ever a proposition we needed in California, it's one to repeal the God-forsaken policy of Daylight Saving Time. It's a travesty. I don't even know anymore which period was the original time setting, but end it please, it does nothing but cause problems.

Ok, enough of that.

You guys want Movies!

I was pretty good this month, plus I haven't written for a while. I'll try and remember everything I watched, but I'll probably update as I catch a few that I miss.

Witchfinder General : Vincent Price is easily one of my favorite actors, and this is easily one of his better films. While I love the campiness of Phibes and House of Wax, this movie is ruthless and brutal, especially for it's time. Apparently there was a lot of tension on the set during filming, and it comes across in the performances. The director died after making only three films at a very young age and his other two are currently unavailable in the US.

The Killing : If prompted, I would call Stanley Kubrick my favorite director, and this film affirms that notion (I have yet to see 5 of his films, but I'm working on it). The Killing is nothing short of brilliant. It's the kind of movie I would recommend to people who think they don't like B&W movies, because it's subtle yet so gripping and I don't feel as moved by a movie very often. Tom got me on a Timothy Carey bent, and his story is another great eccentric Hollywood fable.

Speaking of Hollywood fables, The Long Goodbye is my most recent watch. Elliot Gould is one of those utterly likable actors (see Harrison Ford, Robert Downey Jr.) that carries a movie and when the material is good, the whole thing shines. It's a neo-noir with biting humor and typical Los Angeles avarice. A winning combination.

I got on a Woody Allen kick recently, as well. So far, he has failed to disappoint. While I don't think anything can rival Annie Hall, he comes damn close with Broadway Danny Rose. Slapstick reigns in Bananas, and most recently I saw Take the Money and Run. Woody Allen is a fantastic filmmaker, there's no question.

"After 15 minutes I wanted to marry her. After half an hour I forgot about stealing her purse altogether."

That's all I can say. I haven't seen a bad film he's made (though to be fair, I've been avoiding more recent stuff, as in anything starring Jason Biggs or Will Ferrell).

Cube. Badass. Exactly the type of movie that inspires the poor filmmaker in me. Low budget is written all over it, and it could practically be a play in the sense of scene changes, but damned if it isn't gripping as shit. The silent room made me want to go cry. You go watch!

Movies that could be plays or once were plays are mixed bag. They can feel stifled, or work perfectly. House of Yes was a pretty good movie, but it feels so stage-y that I feel it might be stronger that way. The same goes for Rope. The Hitchcock mastery is present here, but it felt a little lacking. I've been trying to dissect it for a week now, and I can't quite place my feelings. I guess it felt too obvious. The pacing was good, but the premise was a little dated, and would have been better suited with more humor. Picture Arsenic and Old Lace without the laughs. But my biggest issue with the picture may be considered quite blasphemous: I don't really like James Stewart. I guess he's just too much like... James Stewart. Just like when I watch a movie with George Clooney of Leonardo Dicaprio, I can't see any character, all I see is George Clooney or Leonardo Di-Crap-Rio... All I sshee is Jimmy Sshtewart. Ya know?

I've also begun watching an anime series called Gantz. I picked up the manga in... uh... borders to kill sometime and got really intrigued. I definitely don't consider myself an anime fan, but it's peculiar and engrossing.

I haven't watched anything recently that I didn't like, now that I think about it. Kabluey, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Sarah Silverman Show S.2, Twitch City, Indiana Jones 4 (minus the greaser-monkeys-swinging-on-vines-shia-unwatchable-insult-to-anyone-who-has-ever-had-a-thought-lebouf-scene).

Things are looking up for the world, so drink some caol ila, and here's to you!