Unexpected Assembly I don’t suppose many people have the time for watching bad movies in the hope of transcendent insights. If you are one of these, let me save you some time. This might be on your list. Yes, I know it is yet another cheapo; made in Italy by hacks. It is even more… Continue reading Atom Age Vampire (1960)
Category: Twos
Films rated two stars out of three
Assassins (1995)
Chunky Mix This project fascinates me. Donner is legendary for taking “chunks” out of genres, attaching them to characters, and jamming them together to make hits. Sometimes it works, and sometimes the experiment gets out of hand. This one is a failure, but an interesting one. Start with the idea that there are three acting… Continue reading Assassins (1995)
Assassination of a High School President (2008)
Mortarboards I fell into “Brick” quite by accident. It was an accident that I discovered it, and knowing nothing about it, I found myself swirling in the story without defenses. That is why I am open to similar experiences. This actually tries much the same thing: conventional noir embossed on a comically exaggerated high school… Continue reading Assassination of a High School President (2008)
Assassination Tango (2002)
Love Dances Hesitatingly What things men do for the women they love! I’ve been collecting films where men direct their lovers. Its an odd phenomenon. Some are good pictures, some not. Taken together they are one of the richest film experiences I have. Just the notion of making art with, for, and exploiting your lover… Continue reading Assassination Tango (2002)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Experiments On my side, it is all about affordances. Usually I choose a film and allocate the time because I seek affordances for better living in my life. Narrative is all about affordance: what changes in the story, with mysteries and power that I can be tricked into (or trick myself into) — folded into… Continue reading Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)
Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
Production Design They took an absolutely ordinary film — even dreary in places — and wrapped it in two things that are lovely. The first is a lovely production design. Pastel watercolours that are evocative of Verne’s abstract nature. I have idea who to credit for this, but the mundane story provides interstices of grace… Continue reading Around the World in 80 Days (2004)
Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2000-2015)
Abstraction Along the Folds The game of animation is in large measure a matter of moving further and further into abstract universes. The game of modern movies is a matter of folding along self-referential dimensions. The rate of abstraction has been pushed pretty far, from Beavis to South Park to the contenders today. The whole… Continue reading Aqua Teen Hunger Force (2000-2015)
April Fools Day (1986)
The Opening By now you probably know that the meat of this is quite ordinary. It has an “it is all a joke“ sort of Scooby-doo ending. And this casts the whole thing retrospectively as a spoof of the genre. Not particularly interesting on that basis alone. But consider the beginning. When you stick close… Continue reading April Fools Day (1986)
Appointment with Crime (1946)
Hands Off For me, noir is a very specific form. It is as pervasive and important an invention as Jazz. The thing that distinguishes it is a main character who is put through the wringer in circumstances that would never occur if there were not us ghosts watching and manipulating reality. It had a long… Continue reading Appointment with Crime (1946)
Apartment (1960)
Mechanical I have just had quite an argument with a well known film critic. He maintains that films are either good or bad and any good film is just simply good. I maintained that films are little worlds. Some are created more successfully than others. Some are more novel or clever or valuable than others.… Continue reading Apartment (1960)