Recent viewings

[dean_martin]

God Bless America - do you hate the way reality tv exploits? Are you sick of shows like American Idol? Does the vitriol from political nitwits turn your stomach? If you answered yes to any of these then you should give this flick a chance. It's on netfix after all. To some, this film may present the ultimate revenge story of our time. I don't mean to overstate the film's significance. It has its flaws. The teaming up of a middle aged regular joe and a perky teen with a dark side is not easy to accept. If you can get past that then it's quite a wild ride. Warning: it contains some violent scenes.

House - ok, one description on the dvd cover asks you to imagine an episode of Scooby Doo as directed by Mario Bava. After viewing, I'm not sure I totally agree but I like the description nonetheless. This Japanese haunted house film is either stupid or mind-blowing. I'm going with mind-blowing even though it's probably better realized by a self-medicated audience. I'd put it up against any of the psychedelic US films from the 60s and 70s. Live action combined with animation and a trippy soundtrack along with some striking shots do give this film a taste of Italian horror ala Bava, but it doesn't lose it's Japanese identity.

Louie - this series on FX is in it's 3rda season. I can't get enough of it. I think it's because I'm about the same age as the lead. If I was single, I'd probably be bumbling and stumbling through life like Louie.

[Smokey]

God Bless America - do you hate the way reality tv exploits? Are you sick of shows like American Idol? Does the vitriol from political nitwits turn your stomach? If you answered yes to any of these then you should give this flick a chance.

That sound like my kind of movie :D

I still remember the tag line; "Taking out the trash, one jerk at a time."

[dean_martin]

That sound like my kind of movie :D

I still remember the tag line; "Taking out the trash, one jerk at a time."

This movie was in one of your new release posts last year, smokey. It caught my attention then and I recognized it when it showed up on netflix. Keep up the good work.

[dean_martin]

Instead of starting a new thread, I'm just going to mention these:

Mystery Train - this Jim Jarmusch film opens with a young Japanese couple on a train to Memphis. The first 40 minutes or so is their Memphis-related story. The film tells three stories, all of which take place in Memphis. The first time I watched it, I thought stories 2 and 3 didn't measure up to the first. I'm mentioning it now because I watched the opening story again last night. IMO, the opening story alone is worth giving this one a try. I couldn't help but like these Japanese teenagers on thier musical pilgrimage. BTW, the hotel desk clerk is played by Screamin' Jay Hawkins. His comedic exploits with the young bell-hop are an added bonus. I think I'll give stories 2 and 3 another chance over the weekend. I really wanted to like the third story featuring Joe Strummer (of The Clash), but the actors' timing seemed to be off - barely held together by Steve Buscemi.

I recently watched My Own Private Idaho for the first time in many, many years. I'm still not sure what to say about it, exactly. But I'll try. I appreciated the magnificent scenery and River Phoenix left us too soon. The story is not as tight as Van Sant's earlier work Drug Store Cowboy, but it's still compelling. Was Keanu Reeves once a great actor? No, but he "looks the part". Was River Phoenix once a great actor? Yes, but this film isn't just a vehicle for him. Like a David Lynch film, oddball characters pop up as Mike and Scott hustle and travel around the northwest and to Italy. I'd compare the film to a complex mural on the wall of a great hall with parts that are beautiful and others that make you turn away at first then look back and examine. How does it all fit together is probably the main question I'm left with - visuals, story, characters, music. My current answer is that it's a "film" first. The story is secondary, but that may change. It does stand up to multiple viewings. I like it more now than when I first saw it in the 90s after it came out on video. Of course, the current video setup is light years from the 20" tv and vhs player from days gone by. I think it's only available on dvd from the Criterion Collection. Criterion does an excellent job with the print as usual, but they make you pay through the nose. Wait for Barnes and Noble or Amazon's half-price sale on the Criterion Collection. Or, better yet, maybe it will come out on blu-ray soon.

[dean_martin]

Update on Louie: the third season just wrapped. There was a 2 or 3 episode span in which David Lynch played a late night tv host trainer. Bill Pullman recently said that David Lynch is like a demented Jimmy Stewart. That's fairly accurate. Anyhow, those episodes were brilliant television. The series as a whole is well above average. Guests like Chris Rock, Joan Rivers and a hilariously uncomfortable episode with Dane Cook (and of course the Lynch episodes) keep this one interesting and entertaining.