From the Silver Screen

February Recap

2012-02-04T18:24:00.000-08:00

February 3 - *Friends with Benefits (2011) - 109 mins

February 5 - *The New Guy (2002) - 88 mins
February 11 - La règle du jeu / The Rules of the Game (1939) - 110 mins

I watched 3 movies in February

- Total minutes this month: ??
- ??% of a movie a day on average

- ?? minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2012: 18

January Recap

2012-01-01T19:53:00.000-08:00

January 1 - *Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011) - 129 mins
January 2 - *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) - 161 mins
January 6 - Attack the Block (2011) - 88 mins
January 7 - Contagion (2011) - 106 mins
January 7 - *Definitely, Maybe (2008) - 112 mins
January 8 - The Inbetweeners Movie (2011) - 97 mins
January 21 - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - 158 mins
January 22 - Le crime est notre affaire (2008) - 109 mins
January 23 - Stage Fright (1950) - 110 mins
January 25 - Wasting Away / Aaah! Zombies!! (2007) - 90 mins
January 27 - *The Ides of March (2011) - 101 mins
January 27 - *Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) - 130 mins
January 28 - *Cedar Rapids (2011) - 87 mins

I watched 13 movies in January

- Total minutes this month: 1478

- 41.9% of a movie a day on average

- 47.7 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2012: 13

Last Four Years

2012-01-01T11:46:00.001-08:00

In 2008, I watched 181 films totaling 17,872 minutes.
In 2009, I watched 129 films totaling 12,310 minutes.

In 2010, I watched 209 films totaling 20,700 minutes.

In 2011, I watched 137 films totaling 14,286 minutes.

2011 Recap

2012-01-01T11:45:00.000-08:00

In 2011, I watched 137 films totaling 14,286 minutes.

That is on average 39.1 minutes of film a day, or 1 film every 3 days.

In 2010, I spent 9 days and 22 hours watching films.

December Recap

2011-11-30T09:34:00.000-08:00

December 3 - Night Train (2009) - 83 mins

December 4 - Real Time (2008) - 80 mins

December 4 - Elf (2003) - 97 mins

December 7 - The Ides of March (2011) - 101 mins

December 11 - The Hangover Part II (2011) - 102 mins

December 13 - The Island (2005) - 136 mins

December 15 - How to Train Your Dragon (2010) - 98 mins
December 16 - The Rock (1996) - 136 mins
December 17 - Cowboys and Aliens (2011) - 118 mins
December 18 - Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) - 105 mins
December 22 - Miracle on 34th Street (1994) - 114 mins
December 27 - 12 Angry Men (1957) - 96 mins
December 29 - Pirates of the Carribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011) - 136 mins
December 30 - Law Abiding Citizen (2009) - 109 mins

I watched 14 movies in December.

- Total minutes this month: 1511

- 45% of a movie a day on average

- 48.7 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2011: 137

November Recap

2011-11-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

November 4 - Xi yan / The Wedding Banquet (1993) - 106 mins

November 11 - The Yes Men Fix the World (2009) - 87 mins

November 13 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) - 130 mins

November 19 - 16 to Life (2009) - 89 mins

November 25 - Gattaca (1997) - 106 mins

November 26 - Horrible Bosses (2011) - 98 mins

November 27 - The Muppets (2011) - 98 mins

November 28 - Bad Santa (2003) - 91 mins

I watched 8 movies in November.

- Total minutes this month: 805

- 26% of a movie a day on average

- 26.83 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2011: 123

October Recap

2011-10-01T18:27:00.001-07:00

October 1 - Brokeback Mountain (2005) - 134 mins

October 2 - I Love You Phillip Morris (2008) - 102 mins

October 6 - The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011) - 90 mins

October 14 - While You Were Sleeping (1995) - 103 mins

October 16 - Mulholland Dr. (2001) - 147 mins

October 17 - Copie conforme/Certified Copy (2010) - 106 mins

October 21 - Next (2007) - 96 mins

October 28 - In Time (2011) - 109 mins

October 28 - Baby Mama (2008) - 99 mins

I watched 9 movies in October.

- Total minutes this month: 986

- 29% of a movie a day on average

- 31.8 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2011 - 115

September Recap

2011-09-01T19:47:00.001-07:00

September 1 - The Company Men (2010) - 104 mins
September 3 - Scott Pilgrim vs the World (2010) - 112 mins

September 8 - Red State (2011) - 88 mins

September 10 - A Knight's Tale (2001) - 132 mins

September 11 - Arthur (2011) - 110 mins

September 17 - Peeping Tom (1960) - 101 mins

September 19 - Drive (2011) - 100 mins

September 23 - Assassination of a High School President (2008) - 93 mins

September 24 - Moneyball (2011) - 133 mins

September 25 - No Strings Attached (2011) - 108 mins

September 27 - Wall Street (1987) - 126 mins

September 30 - 50/50 (2011) - 99 mins

I watched 12 movies in September.

- Total minutes this month: 1306

- 40% of a movie a day on average

- 108.8 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2011 - 106

August Recap

2011-08-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

August 6 - Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) - 124 mins

August 10 - Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times (2011) - 88 mins

August 15 - Trafic (1971) - 96 mins

August 20 - Super (2010) - 96 mins

August 21 - Cinema Paradiso (1988) - 155 mins

August 24 - The Debt (2010) - 114 mins

August 25 - 30 Minutes or Less (2011) - 83 mins

August 28 - Your Highness (2011) - 102 mins

August 28 - Our Idiot Brother (2011) - 90 mins

I watched 9 movies in August.

- Total minutes this month: 948

- 29% of a movie a day on average

- 30.6 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2011 - 94

July Recap

2011-07-03T18:37:00.001-07:00

July 3 - Roger Dodger (2002) - 106 mins

July 4 - The Bang Bang Club (2010) - 106 mins

July 6 - Beginners (2010) - 105 mins

July 9 - The Tree of Life (2011) - 139 mins

July 17 - Blue Valentine (2010) - 112 mins

July 20 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011) - 130 mins

July 21 - Horrible Bosses (2011) - 98 mins

I watched 7 movies in July.

- Total minutes this month: 796

- 22.6% of a movie a day on average

- 25.67 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2011 - 85

June Recap

2011-06-02T20:38:00.000-07:00

June 2 - Rubber (2010) - 82 mins

June 4 - Franklyn (2008) - 98 mins

June 5 - X-Men: First Class (2011) - 132 mins

June 6 - I Am Number Four (2011) - 109 mins

June 13 - Super 8 (2011) - 112 mins

June 15 - Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) - 90 mins

June 20 - Midnight in Paris (2011) - 100 mins

June 22 - Cars 2 (2011) - 113 mins

June 25 - Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009) - 80 mins

June 29 - Green Lantern (2011) - 114 mins

I watched 10 movies in June.

- Total minutes this month: 1030

- 33.3% of a movie a day on average

- 34.3 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2011 - 78

May Recap

2011-05-01T14:51:00.001-07:00

May 1 - Scream 4 (2011) - 111 mins

May 1 - Paul (2011) - 104 mins

May 6 - Cyrus (2010) - 91 mins

May 7 - Thor (2011) - 114 mins

May 9 - Paper Man (2009) - 110 mins

May 12 - Hævnen / In a Better World (2010) - 119 mins

May 17 - Bridesmaids (2011) - 125 mins

May 18 - Winter's Bone (2010) - 100 mins

May 22 - Tucker & Dale vs Evil (2010) - 89 mins

May 26 - The Small Back Room (1949) - 106 mins

May 28 - Nueve reinas / Nine Queens (2000) - 114 mins

I watched 11 movies in May.

- Total minutes this month: 1183
- 35.5% of a movie a day on average
- 38.1 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2011 - 68

April Recap

2011-04-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

April 2 - John Pinette: I'm Starvin'! (2007) - 73 mins

April 2 - Louis C.K.: Chewed Up (2008) - 60 mins

April 3 - Daniel Tosh: Completely Serious (2007) - 60 mins

April 4 - Mike Birbiglia: What I should Have Said Was Nothing: Tales From My Secret Public Journal (2008) - 82 mins

April 9 - Source Code (2011) - 93 mins

April 13 - Scream (1996) - 111 mins

April 16 - Scream 2 (1997) - 120 mins

April 16 - Scream 3 (2000) - 116 mins

April 22 - Red (2010) - 111 mins

April 26 - Hanna (2011) - 111 mins

April 27 - Rango (2011) - 107 mins

April 27 - I Like Killing Flies (2004) - 80 mins

April 30 - The Thin Blue Line (1988) - 103 mins

April 30 - Never Let Me Go (2010) - 103 mins

I watched 14 movies in April.

- Total minutes this month: 1330
- 46.7% of a movie a day on average
- 44.3 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2011 - 57

March Recap

2011-03-01T15:13:00.001-08:00

March 1 - Under Capricorn (1949) - 117 mins

March 3 - Saw 3D: The Final Chapter (2010) - 90 mins

March 5 - 100 Girls (2000) - 94 mins

March 5 - The Girl Next Door (2004) - 108 mins

March 6 - Shock Corridor (1963) - 101 mins

March 8 - The Adjustment Bureau (2011) - 106 mins

March 10 - Graduation (2007) - 89 mins

March 11 - Battle: Los Angeles (2011) - 116 mins

March 13 - Beastly (2011) - 86 mins

March 18 - The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) - 119 mins

March 19 - Love Actually (2003) - 135 mins

March 20 - Anatomy of a Murder (1959) - 160 mins

March 20 - 127 Hours (2010) - 94 mins

March 24 - Tangled (2010) - 100 mins

March 25 - Gunless (2010) - 89 mins

March 25 - Sucker Punch (2011) - 109 mins

I watched 16 movies in March.

- Total minutes this month: 1713
- 51.6% of a movie a day on average
- 107 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2011 - 43

February Recap

2011-02-01T12:04:00.000-08:00

February 1 - In the Realms of the Unreal (2004) - 81 mins

February 5 - All About Steve (2009) - 99 mins

February 5 - Death Race 2 (2010) - 101 mins

February 5 - Greenberg (2010) - 107 mins

February 5 - The Ex / Fast Track (2006) - 77 mins

February 8 - Crumb (1994) - 119 mins

February 10 - Endhiran / The Robot (2010) - 155 mins

February 12 - Monsters (2010) - 94 mins

February 13 - Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) - 84 mins

February 16 - You Again (2010) - 105 mins

February 21 - Unknown (2011) - 113 mins

February 24 - Joheunnom nabbeunnom isanghannom / The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008) - 139 mins

I watched 12 movies in February.

- Total minutes this month: 1274
- 42.8% of a movie a day on average
- 45.5 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2011 - 27

January Recap

2011-01-01T18:10:00.000-08:00

January 1 - Swimming with Sharks (1994) - 101 mins

January 2 - Megamind (2010) - 95 mins

January 2 - Fanboys (2008) - 90 mins

January 3 - The Bank Dick (1940) - 72 mins

January 7 - Varjoja Paratiisissa / Shadows in Paradise (1986) - 76 mins

January 8 - Catfish (2010) - 87 mins

January 11 - True Grit (2010) - 110 mins

January 14 - The Green Hornet (2011) - 119 mins

January 16 - Hausu / House (1977) - 88 mins

January 18 - Frozen (2010) - 93 mins

January 21 - Me and You and Everyone We Know (2005) - 91 mins

January 22 - Buried (2010) - 95 mins

January 27 - RoboCop (1987) - 102 mins

January 29 - Rope (1948) - 80 mins

January 30 - Micmacs à tire-larigot / Micmacs (2009) - 105 mins

I watched 15 movies in January.

- Total minutes this month: 1404
- 48% of a movie a day on average
- 45.3 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2011 - 15

Last Three Years Recap

2010-12-31T18:22:00.000-08:00

In 2008, I watched 181 films totaling 17,872 minutes.
In 2009, I watched 129 films totaling 12,310 minutes.

In 2010, I watched 209 films totaling 20,700 minutes.

2010 Recap

2010-12-31T18:20:00.000-08:00

In 2010, I watched 209 films totaling 20,700 minutes.

That is on average 56.7 minutes of film a day, and a 1 film every 2 days.

In 2010, I spent 14 days, and 9 hours, watching films.

December Recap

2010-12-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

December 3 - D.E.B.S. (2004) - 91 mins

December 13 - The Santa Clause (1994) - 97 mins

December 13 - Elf (2003) - 97 mins

December 14 - The Tourist (2010) - 103 mins

December 15 - Secretary (2002) - 104 mins

December 21 - TRON (1982) - 96 mins

December 21 - TRON: Legacy (2010) - 127 mins

December 22 - Black Swan (2010) - 108 mins

December 22 - Miss March (2009) - 89 mins

December 29 - The King's Speech (2010) - 118 mins

I watched 10 movies in November.

- Total minutes this month: 1030
- 32.2% of a movie a day on average
- 33.2 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2010 - 209

November Recap

2010-11-01T22:52:00.000-07:00

November 5/6 - [Windsor International Film Festival]

November 5 - The Arrow & The String (2010) - 88 mins

November 5 - Marwencol (2010) - 83 mins

November 5 - Best Worst Movie (2009) - 93 mins

November 6 - Gods of Accident (2010) - 90 mins

November 6 - Howl (2010) - 90 mins

November 6 - Daydream Nation (2010) - 96 mins

November 9 - Due Date (2010) - 100 mins

November 10 - William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe (2009) - 85 mins

November 10 - My Cousin Vinny (1992) - 120 mins

November 13 - Dead Ringers (1988) - 116 mins

November 19 - Return to Sender / Convicted (2004) - 109 mins

November 20 - Kick-Ass (2010) - 117 mins
November 21 - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010) - 146 mins

November 25 - The Game (1997) - 129 mins

November 26 - Horton Hears a Who! (2008) - 86 mins

November 30 - Love and Other Drugs (2010) - 113 mins

I watched 16 movies in November.

- Total minutes this month: 1661
- 53% of a movie a day on average
- 55.37 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2010 - 199

October Recap

2010-10-01T18:27:00.000-07:00

October 1 - The Paradine Case (1947) - 125 mins

October 6 - Devil (2010) - 80 mins

October 7 - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - 76 mins

October 7 - Corpse Bride (2005) - 77 mins
October 9 - The Back-Up Plan (2010) - 106 mins

October 11 - Brick (2005) - 110 mins

October 14 - Exam (2009) - 101 mins

October 18 - Up for Grabs (2004) - 90 mins

October 24 - Following (1998) - 69 mins

October 26 - The Social Network (2010) - 121 mins

October 29 - Pathology (2008) - 95 mins

October 31 - Vampyr (1932) - 83 mins

I watched 12 movies in October.

- Total minutes this month: 1133
- 38.7% of a movie a day on average
- 36.5 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2010 - 183

September Recap

2010-09-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

September 1 - The Paper Chase (1973) - 113 mins
September 2 - Notorious (1946) - 101 mins
September 3 - Twilight (2008) - 122 mins
September 4 - The American (2010) - 103 mins
September 5 - Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (1981) - 95 mins

September 6 - De fem benspænd / The Five Obstructions (2003) - 90 mins
September 7 - TiMER (2009) - 99 mins
September 8 - Fargo (1996) - 98 mins
September 9 - The Pink Panther (1963) - 115 mins
September 10 - Weird Sex and Snowshoes: A Trek Through the Canadian Cinematic Psyche (2004) - 59 mins
September 11 - Mysterious Skin (2004) - 105 mins
September 12 - Neighbours (1952) - 8 mins
September 13 - Kick-Ass (2010) - 117 mins
September 17 - Easy A (2010) - 92 mins
September 17 - Peacock (2010) - 90 mins

September 21 - The Town (2010) - 123 mins

September 24 - Dark City (1998) - 100 mins

I watched 17 movies in September.

- Total minutes this month: 1630
- 56.7% of a movie a day on average
- 54.33 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2010 - 171

August Recap

2010-08-01T18:13:00.000-07:00

August 1 - Dinner for Schmucks (2010) - 114 mins
August 2 - The Sorcerer's Apprentice (2010) - 111 mins
August 3 - Män som hatar kvinnor / The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) - 152 mins
August 4 - Primer (2004) - 77 mins
August 5 - Some Like It Hot (1959) - 120 mins
August 6 - Post Grad (2009) - 88 mins
August 7 - Che: Part One (2008) - 134 mins
August 8 - Che: Part Two (2008) - 135 mins
August 9 - Hausu / House (1977) - 88 mins
August 10 - Flickan som lekte med elden / The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009) - 129 mins
August 11 - Luftslottet som sprängdes / The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2009) - 148 mins
August 12 - Date Night (2010) - 88 mins
August 13 - Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) - 112 mins
August 14 - Urban Legends: Final Cut (2000) - 97 mins
August 15 - Mad Max (1979) - 88 mins
August 16 - Get Low (2009) - 100 mins
August 17 - Suspicion (1941) - 99 mins
August 18 - Ladri di biciclette / Bicycle Thieves (1948) - 93 mins
August 19 - The Honeymoon Killers (1969) - 108 mins
August 20 - The Expendables (2010) - 103 mins
August 21 - Charade (1963) - 113 mins
August 22 - Loft (2008) - 118 mins
August 23 - Saboteur (1942) - 108 mins
August 24 - Et Dieu... créa la femme / ...And God Created Woman (1956) - 95 mins
August 25 - Shadow of a Doubt (1943) - 108 mins
August 26 - Lifeboat (1944) - 97 mins
August 27 - Aventure malgache (1944) - 30 mins
August 28 - Bon Voyage (1944) - 26 mins
August 29 - Traffic (2000) - 147 mins
August 30 - The Little Shop of Horrors (1960) - 70 mins
August 31 - Spellbound (1945) - 111 mins

I watched 31 movies in August.

- Total minutes this month: 3207
- 100% of a movie a day on average
- 103.45 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2010 - 154

July Recap

2010-07-01T04:50:00.000-07:00

July 1 - Twelve Monkeys (1995) - 129 mins
July 2 - Secret Agent (1936) - 86 mins
July 3 - The Coca-Cola Kid (1985) - 98 mins
July 4 - Gamer (2009) - 95 mins
July 5 - Year of the Carnivore (2009) - 88 mins
July 6 - Night Train to Munich (1940) - 90 mins
July 7 - Zoo (2007) - 80 mins
July 8 - Sabotage (1936) - 76 mins
July 9 - Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) - 109 mins
July 10 - Young and Innocent (1937) - 80 mins
July 11 - The Lady Vanishes (1938) - 96 mins
July 12 - Beetle Juice (1988) - 92 mins
July 13 - Despicable Me (2010) - 95 mins
July 14 - Frontrunners (2008) - 83 mins
July 15 - Jamaica Inn (1939) - 108 mins
July 16 - Inception (2010) - 148 mins
July 17 - Polytechnique (2009) - 77 mins
July 18 - Life of Brian (1979) - 94 mins
July 19 - Chloe (2009) - 96 mins
July 20 - Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) - 87 mins
July 21 - Rebecca (1940) - 130 mins
July 22 - Extract (2009) - 92 mins
July 23 - Salt (2010) - 100 mins
July 24 - Thirteen (2003) - 100 mins
July 25 - The Invention of Lying (2009) - 99 mins
July 26 - Foreign Correspondent (1940) - 120 mins
July 27 - Chelovek s kino-apparatom / Man with a Movie Camera (1929) - 68 mins
July 28 - Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1941) - 95 mins
July 29 - "The American Experience": The Battle Over Citizen Kane (1996) - 108 mins
July 30 - The Blob (1958) - 86 mins
July 31 - Paranormal Activity (2007) - 86 mins

I watched 31 movies in July.

- Total minutes this month: 2991
- 100% of a movie a day on average
- 96.5 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2010 - 123

June Recap

2010-06-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

June 1 - Out Of Sight (1998) - 123 mins
June 2 - The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009) - 90 mins
June 3 - Bande à part / Band Of Outsiders (1964) - 95 mins
June 4 - Teeth (2007) - 94 mins
June 5 - In the Loop (2009) - 106 mins
June 6 - 49th Parallel (1941) - 123 mins
June 7 - Jeux d'enfants / Love me If you Dare (2003) - 93 mins
June 8 - Get Him to the Greek (2010) - 109 min
June 9 - Robin Hood (2010) - 140 mins
June 10 - The Skin Game (1931) - 77 mins
June 11 - Splice (2009) - 104 mins
June 12 - Sunshine Cleaning (2008) - 91 mins
June 13 - Number Seventeen (1932) - 63 mins
June 14 - Gremlins (1984) - 106 mins
June 15 - The Midnight Meat Train (2008) - 100 mins
June 16 - The A-Team (2010) - 117 mins
June 17 - Helvetica (2007) - 80 mins
June 18 - Ninja Assassin (2009) - 99 mins
June 19 - Repo! The Genetic Opera (2008) - 98 mins
June 20 - Jennifer's Body (2009) - 102 mins
June 21 - Rich and Strange (1931) - 92 mins
June 22 - Toy Story 3 (2010) - 103 mins
June 23 - Waltzes from Vienna (1934) - 81 mins
June 24 - True Romance (1993) - 120 mins

June 25 - Nuit et Brouillard / Night and Fog (1955) - 32 mins
June 26 - She's Out of My League (2010) - 104 mins
June 27 - Andy Warhol (1987) - 76 mins
June 28 - The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) - 75 mins
June 29 - The Trotsky (2009) - 120 mins
June 30 - The 39 Steps (1935) - 86 mins

I watched 30 movies in June.

- Total minutes this month: 2899
- 100% of a movie a day on average
- 96.6 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2010 - 92

May Recap

2010-05-07T04:24:00.000-07:00

May 6 - Fish Tank (2009) - 123 mins
May 8 - Se7en (1995) - 127 mins
May 9 - Iron Man 2 (2010) - 124 mins
May 15 - The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie! (2010) - 70 mins
May 20 - The Trotsky (2009) - 120 mins
May 21 - Shrek Forever After (2010) - 93 mins
May 27 - Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009) - 86 mins
May 28 - Tsubaki Sanjûrô / Sanjuro (1962) - 96 mins
May 29 - The Final Destination (2009) - 82 mins
May 30 - Defendor (2009) - 101 mins
May 31 - The Girlfriend Experience (2009) - 77 mins

I watched 11 movies in May.

- Total minutes this month: 1099
- 35.5% of a movie a day on average
- 35.5 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2010 - 62

April Recap

2010-04-02T20:17:00.000-07:00

April 1 - Mr. Arkadin (Corinth Version) (1955) - 99 mins
April 5 - Chimes at Midnight / Falstaff (1965) - 115 mins
April 9 - Seven Chances (1925) - 56 mins
April 15 - Saved! (2004) - 92 mins
April 17 - Airplane! (1980) - 88 mins
April 19 - Heißer Sommer / Hot Summer (1968) - 91 mins
April 22 - Kick-Ass (2010) - 117 mins
April 22 - National Treasure (2004) - 131 mins
April 23 - Confidential Report (1955) - 98 mins
April 24 - Mr. Arkadin (comprehensive version) (1955) - 102 mins
April 25 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) - 93 mins
April 27 - A Goofy Movie (1995) - 78 mins
April 30 - The Losers (2010) - 98 mins

I watched 13 movies in April.

- Total minutes this month: 1258
- 43% of a movie a day on average
- 41.9 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2010 - 51

March Recap

2010-03-02T10:29:00.000-08:00

Mar 2 - The Lusty Men (1952) - 113 mins
Mar 6 - Alice in Wonderland (2010) - 108 mins
Mar 9 -Touch of Evil (1958) - 112 mins
Mar 12 - The Room (2003) - 99 mins
Mar 14 - Food, Inc. (2008) - 94 mins
Mar 16 - Bigger Than Life (1956) - 95 mins
Mar 17 - Cube (1997) - 90 mins
Mar 19 - Aladdin (1992) - 90 mins
Mar 22 - The Great Mouse Detective (1986) - 74 mins
Mar 23 - Le Procès / The Trial (1962) - 118 mins
Mar 24 - Murder! (1930) - 104 mins
Mar 24 - Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) - 101 mins
Mar 27 - Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) - 100 mins
Mar 30 - The Savage Innocents (1960) - 110 mins
Mar 31 - Repo Men (2010) - 111 mins

I watched 15 movies in March.

- Total minutes this month: 1519
- 48% of a movie a day on average
- 49 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2010 - 38

February Recap

2010-02-02T08:42:00.000-08:00

Feb 2 - They Live By Night (1948) - 95 mins
Feb 6 - Me and Orson Welles (2008) - 114 mins
Feb 9 - The Lady from Shanghai (1947) - 87 mins
Feb 12 - The Running Man (1987) - 101 mins
Feb 16 - In a Lonely Place (1950) - 94 mins
Feb 23 - Shutter Island (2010) - 138 mins
Feb 27 - Cop Out (2010) - 107 mins

I watched 7 movies in February.

- Total minutes this month: 736
- 25% of a movie a day on average
- 26.3 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2010 - 23

January Recap

2010-01-11T20:56:00.000-08:00

Jan 7 - Sherlock Holmes (2009) - 128 mins
Jan 9 - Youth in Revolt (2009) - 90 mins
Jan 11 - Darwin's Nightmare (2004) - 107 mins
Jan 11 - Rashômon (1950) - 88 mins
Jan 12 - Working with Orson Wells (1993) - 94 mins
Jan 15 - I'm a Stranger Here Myself: A portrait of Nicholas Ray (1975) - 60 mins
Jan 15 - Dazed and Confused (1993) - 102 mins
Jan 18 - Whip It (2009) - 111 mins
Jan 19 - Lightning Over Water (1980) - 91 mins
Jan 22 - Vérités et mensonges / F for FAKE (1973) - 85 mins
Jan 26 - The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) - 88 mins
Jan 27 - 81/2 (1963) - 138 mins
Jan 28 - Saw VI (2009) - 90 mins
Jan 28 - Surrogates (2009) - 89 mins
Jan 29 - When In Rome (2010) - 91 mins
Jan 30 - Juno and the Paycock (1930) - 85 mins

I watched 16 movies in January.

- Total minutes this month: 1537
- 52% of a movie a day on average
- 49.6 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2010 - 16

Last Two Years Recap

2010-01-11T20:55:00.000-08:00

In 2008, I watched 181 films totaling 17872 minutes.
In 2009, I watched 129 films totaling 12310 minutes.

2009 Recap

2010-01-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

In 2009, I watched 129 films totaling 12310 minutes.

That is on average 33.7 minutes of film a day, and a 1 film every 3 days.

In 2009, I spent 8 days, 13 hours, and 10 minutes watching films.

December Recap

2010-01-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

Dec 2 - The Apartment (1960) - 125 mins
Dec 10 - A Serious Man (2009) - 105 mins
Dec 13 - The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day (2009) - 118 mins
Dec 14 - Time Bandits (1981) - 116 mins
Dec 17 - Pickup on South Street (1953) - 80 mins
Dec 20 - Up in the Air (2009) - 109 mins
Dec 30 - Død Snø / Dead Snow (2009) - 91 mins

I watched 7 movies in December.

- 22.6% of a movie a day on average
- 24 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2009 - 129

November Recap

2010-01-11T20:28:00.000-08:00

Nov 4 - The Best of Everything (1959) - 121 mins
Nov 5 - Rocket Science (2007) - 101 mins
Nov 6 - House of Games (1987) - 102 mins
Nov 6 - Blackmail (1929) - 84 mins
Nov 7 - Paper Heart (2009) - 88 mins
Nov 12 - Crossfire (1947) - 86 mins
Nov 13 - The Box (2009) - 115 mins
Nov 17 - The Hebrew Hammer (2003) - 85 mins
Nov 19 - Avalon (1990) - 126 mins
Nov 26 - Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) - 87 mins

I watched 10 movies in November.

- 33.3% of a movie a day on average
- 33.1 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2009 - 122

October Recap

2010-01-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

Oct 1 - The Pawnbroker (1964) - 116 mins
Oct 2 - High School (1968) - 75 mins
Oct 2 - Zombieland (2009) - 88 mins
Oct 8 - The Producers (1968) - 88 mins
Oct 11 - Easy Virtue (2008) - 97 mins
Oct 15 - Goodbye, Columbus (1969) - 102 mins
Oct 21 - Drums Along the Mohawk (1939) - 104 mins
Oct 21 - Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) - 100 mins
Oct 22 - Annie Hall (1977) - 93 mins
Oct 23 - It's Always Fair Weather (1955) - 102 mins
Oct 31 - Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968) - 70 mins

I watched 11 movies in October.

- 35.4% of a movie a day on average
- 33.4 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2009 - 112

September Recap

2010-01-11T19:59:00.000-08:00

Sept 11 - 9 (2009) - 79 mins
Sept 12 - Julie & Julia (2009) - 123 mins
Sept 16 - Les Glaneurs et la Glaneuse / The Gleaners & I (2000) - 82 mins
Sept 16 - Emigrants Landing at Ellis Island (1903) - 2 mins
Sept 16 - Stranger Than Paradise (1984) - 89 mins
Sept 17 - Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream (1998) - 98 mins
Sept 19 - The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009) - 122 mins
Sept 23 - Traffic in Souls (1913) - 74 mins
Sept 24 - The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968) - 99 mins
Sept 24 - Observe and Report (2009) - 86 mins
Sept 30 - It (1927) - 72 mins

I watched 11 movies in September.

- 37% of a movie a day on average
- 30.9 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2009 - 101

August Recap

2009-09-16T16:58:00.000-07:00

Aug 1 - Funny People (2009) - 146 mins
Aug 2 - The Brothers Bloom (2008) - 113 mins
Aug 8 - Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) - 96 mins
Aug 9 - Man on Wire (2008) - 94 mins
Aug 9 - Baghead (2008) - 84 mins
Aug 14 - The Time Traveler's Wife (2009) - 107 mins
Aug 15 - District 9 (2009) - 112 mins
Aug 16 - (500) Days of Summer (2009) - 95 mins
Aug 21 - Inglourious Basterds (2009) - 153 mins
Aug 30 - I Love You, Man (2009) - 105 mins

I watched 10 movies in August.

- 32% of a movie a day on average
- 35.6 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2009 - 90

July Recap

2009-09-16T16:54:00.000-07:00

July 13 - Brüno (2009) - 81 mins
July 18 - Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009) - 153 mins
July 18 - Push (2009) - 11 mins

I watched 3 movies in July.

- 9% of a movie a day on average
- 7.9 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2009 - 80

June Recap

2009-09-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

June 8 -Nochnoy Dozor (Night Watch) (2004) - 114 mins
June 13 - Star Trek (2009) - 127 mins
June 14 - The Hangover (2009) - 100 mins
June 15 - Fanboys (2009) - 90 mins
June 19 - Dnevnoy Dozor (Day Watch) (2006) - 132 mins

I watched 5 movies in June.

- 16% of a movie a day on average
- 18.8 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2009 - 77

May Recap

2009-09-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

May1 - X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) - 107 mins
May 2 - Yes Man (2008) - 104 mins
May 8 - 17 Again (2009) - 102 mins
May 17 - Angels & Demons (2009) - 138 mins
May 23 - Bride Wars (2009) - 89 mins
Mar 23 - Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009) - 91 mins
May 31 - Up (2009) - 96 mins

I watched 7 movies in May.

- 23% of a movie a day on average
- 23.5 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2009 - 72

April Recap

2009-09-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

April 6 - Sex Drive (2008) - 109 mins
April 10 - The Most Dangerous Game (1932) - 63 mins
April 10 - Doubt (2008) - 104 mins
April 11 - La Grande Illusion (1937) - 114 mins
April 16 - Choke (2008) -92 mins
April 16 - Bedtime Stories (2008) - 99 mins
April 22 - Monsters vs Aliens (2009) - 94 mins
April 30 - Duplicity (2009) - 125 mins

I watched 8 movies in April.

- 27% of a movie a day on average
- 26.7 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2009 - 65

March Recap

2009-09-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

Mar 1 - Religulous (2008) - 101 mins
Mar 2 - La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (1928) - 110 mins
Mar 3 - Dead Like Me: Life After Death (2009) - 87 mins
Mar 7 - Repo Man (1984) - 92 mins
Mar 12 - Lonely Boy (1962) - 27 mins
Mar 13 - Gran Torino (2008) - 116 mins
Mar 13 - Watchmen (2009) - 162 mins
Mar 18 - Le Confessionnal (1995) - 100 mins
Mar 18 - Blackmail (1929) - 84 mins
Mar 20 - One Week (2008) - 94 mins
Mar 23 - Rude (1995) - 89 mins
Mar 23 - M (1931) - 117 mins
Mar 24 - The Eyes of the Rainbow (1997) - 47 mins
Mar 25 - Adventureland (2009) - 107 mins
Mar 27 - Pontypool (2008) - 96 mins
Mar 29 - Bangkok Dangerous (2008) - 99 mins
Mar 30 - Life Classes (1987) - 117 mins
Mar 30 - Modern Times (1936) - 87 mins

I watched 18 movies in March.

- 58% of a movie a day on average
- 55.9 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2009 - 57

February Recap

2009-09-16T15:51:00.000-07:00

Feb 1 - Taken (2008) - 93 mins
Feb 2 - Toronto Boom Town (1951) - 10 mins
Feb 2 - Exotica (1994) - 103 mins
Feb 2 - Metropolis (1927) - 153 mins
Feb 3 - My Bloody Valentine 3D (2009) - 101 mins
Feb 7 - Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - 120 mins
Feb 9 - The Big Parade (1925) - 141 mins
Feb 13 - Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008) - 90 mins
Feb 13 - Milo 55160 (2004) - 20 mins
Feb 13 - Rachel Getting Married (2008) - 113 mins
Feb 13 - City of Ember (2008) - 90 mins
Feb 22 - How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) - 110 mins
Feb 22 - Just Buried (2004) - 94 mins
Feb 22 - Max Payne (2008) - 100 mins
Feb 23 - Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927) - 95 mins
Feb 26 - Cannibal Tours (1988) - 70 mins

I watched 16 movies in February.

- 57% of a movie a day on average
- 53.7 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2009 - 39

January Recap

2009-03-04T12:13:00.000-08:00

I watched 23 movies in January.

- 74% of a movie a day on average
- 62.4 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2009 - 23

Frost/Nixon (2008)

2009-03-04T11:49:00.001-08:00

January 31, 2009 - (RT: 122 mins)

Went to see this my dad.

A historical film about two men talking - not exactly you're typical plot. Nonetheless, Frost/Nixon presents an important time in American history in a manner that is not only watchable, but very enjoyable. While I'm sure there was many liberties taken with the historical accuracy of the event, the acting of both Langella and Sheen is marvelous, and the story is engrossing. The film provides my generation with a history lesson in an event that none of us lived through, and probably very few of us know anything about; and it provides a reminder to our parents generation who lived through the original interviews. That being said, I believe I was the only person under 40 in the near sold out theater when I saw the film.

Naked Lunch (1991)

2009-03-04T11:42:00.001-08:00

January 30, 2009 - (RT: 115 mins)

Watched on my laptop on the train from Kingston to Ottawa.

This is a very weird film, but it is by Cronenberg so that is to be expected. It is a film adaption of a novel of the same name by William Burroughs, which was said to be unfilmable. Having never read the book, I can't comment, but if anyone is able to film an unfimable book it would be cronenberg. I enjoyed the film, but I can say I did not understand it. There are bettle typewriters (two of which point fight to the death as one of them is a spy), and there is drug use, and wife killing, and overall oddity all around. I will eventually watch it again, maybe after reading the novel first, and with a better understanding of the film (if that is possible), but for now I'm content with just having seen it.

Bronenosets Potyomkin / The Battleship Potemkin (1925)

2009-03-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

January 26, 2009 - (RT: 75 mins)

Another Film 216 viewing.

The classic Eisenstein film and perhaps the most famous propaganda film. A must-see for anyone studying film. Filled with iconic scenes (the most famous of course being the Odessa Steps) that have been reproduced over and over in popular culture today. What can one say about a film such as this - either one has seen it and understands its importance, or one hasn't and explanation wouldn't do it justice.
Everytime I watch this film, I'm always struck by the baby in the carriage on the Odessa Steps. Who was this actor? Did he/she know, later in life, that he/she was the baby in this famous scene? Did they survive to ever see themselves in the film?

I've Heard the Mermaids Singing (1987)

2009-03-04T10:59:00.001-08:00

January 26, 2009 - (RT: 81 mins)

Viewed in Film 323.

A Canadian indie film that is not as well known as it should be. When one thinks of Canadian films, Mermaids is something that comes to mind. A personal, artistic indie film with heart. Mermaids is about Polly - a clumsy, socially awkward, and uneducated girl - whose live consists of taking photographs and being the assistant at an art gallery. Polly is happy, and idolizes her boss the curator, who is unhappy as she continues to sell other people's work and is never able to create any of her own. It is a very charming film - along the lines of Amelie - and Patricia Rozema is perfect as Polly with her acting carrying the film. The film cleverly moves between the real and the imagined, and as the film is narrated to us by Polly, we are left with an uncertainty as to which parts are real and which are imagined. The film can be taken at face value, or it can be broken down into an analysis of it's comments on art and videography. It's a fun film.

The Babysitters (2007)

2009-03-04T10:48:00.000-08:00

January 22, 2009 - (Rt: 88 mins)

An indie film staring John Lequizamo and Cynthia Nixon should have some potential right?

Sadly, what could have been an edgy black comedy along the lines of Cruel Intentions instead resembles the plot from a failed soft porn. When Shirley fools around with the father of the children she is babysitting, she realizes she is able to make some more money on the side, and creates a call girl service under the disguise of a babysitting service. What could easily have turned into a soft porn film, doesn't - the film contains very little nudity - in an attempt to approach the subject matter satirically. Despite the acting of both Katherine Waterston (Shirley) and John Lequizamo, the film is overly predictable, humourless and horribly contrived - with an ending that can be seen coming 15 minutes into the film. It's not worth watching.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

2009-03-04T10:31:00.000-08:00

January 22, 2009 - (RT: 93 mins)

Viewed in Film 236.

I first watched this a few years ago while in high school, and watching it again now with more knowledge about the cold war and tone and mood of the nation at the time of the release, I still find it difficult to imagine the response the film would have brought at the time. In 1964, when the film was released, the threat of nuclear war was a reality that I have not had to face. That being said, the film is still hilarious and its satire is still relevant today. Combining Kubrick and Sellers is a pretty sure fire way to produce a great film and it does not disappoint. I was surprised to hear from some of my classmates that they didn't find it funny - is it possible that we are too removed from the threat of nuclear war that we are unable to understand the reality of the situation in the film? Even if one is unable to comprehend the satirical force of the film, the iconic imagery from this film that is used today in popular culture should be reason enough to watch it.

Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens / Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror (1922)

2009-03-04T10:18:00.001-08:00

January 19, 2009 - (RT: 94 mins)

Another Film 216 viewing.

The original vampire movie, and a great film by Murnau. Intended to be based on the novel Dracula, the widow of author of the book sued following the release of the film. Despite the novel being in the public domain, the cost of the lawsuit became too great, and they were forced to destroy all copies and negatives of the film in Germany. Thankfully, copies of the film had already been sent abroad, and these copies have been restored. There exists two main versions of the film - a truncated 60-odd minute version, and the longer 94 minute version. If you are going to watch the film, try and make sure you get the longer version. As for the film itself, it is the first vampire story - the vampire melting in sunlight was first introduced in this film. Surpringsly, the vampire (or Nosferatu as he is called in the film) only appears on screen for just over 9 minutes - yet, his presence is felt throughout the film. A great example of silent cinema being used very successfully to create a powerful film that holds up in the modern day.

American Teen (2008)

2009-02-12T10:55:00.001-08:00

January 18, 2009 - (RT: 95 mins)

This documentary never aired in a cinema near me, so I had to wait for the DVD release.

I had mixed feelings about seeing this film. I have always been interested in the "teen film" genre (which has been increased in the last few years in film school) so from that perspective I was intrigued; but at the same time, I'm weary of any documentary that tries to capture reality, for the presence of video cameras and video crew unarguably alter reality - especially in impressionable teenagers. With this cautious interest, I sat down to watch the film. My overall impression of the film when it finished was one of general enjoyment with many concerns.
Watching the film instantly brought me back to high school, and made me glad that those years were behind me; and in that sense, portrayed a realistic atmosphere. The teenagers chosen seemed real to an extent, and they were likable or despise-able enough to keep the audience's interest throughout the film.
Despite the obvious flaws with the setup (scenes were most likely staged or re-enacted), the dominance of certain storyline over others, the film still contained some telling elements of teenagers.
For me, what was most telling, was what the teenagers did knowing the camera was filming them. For example, the "heartthrob" starts to like the female "rebel" and they hang out and start to date - yet it was so obvious that he was only doing it to get in the film - and then once he starts getting socially ostracized he dumps her via text message (which in itself could have been scripted for them to provide even more sympathy for the rebel), and then goes on to become homecoming king with his new girlfriend.
The "princess" was just so stereotypical it was painful to watch at times, but, to me at least, it did not matter if it was staged or not because when I was in high school these types of people existed. The worst part of the time, for me, was when the princess decides to vandalize a classmates house with TP and paint including sexual slander, all of which was caught on film. If you are able to accept that the film crew was able to stealthy film a group of stupid giggling teenager girls vandalizing a house at night, then maybe you are among the people who were surprised that the school found out! I wonder how they found out - it probably did not have anything to do with the filmed footage.
Despite the flaws and my reservations about the film, I still enjoyed it. Despite the fictional elements of it, it still felt real in many ways. I was drawn to the rebel and the geek characters, and I could sympathize with them. I'd have to watch it again to provide a more critical examination, but from the one viewing I enjoyed it (a lot more than I thought I would).

Día que me quieras, El / The Day You Love Me (1997)

2009-02-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

January 15, 2009 - (RT: 30 mins)

Viewed this in Film 236 (Media Studies).

This short film is basically an interview, with cuts to photographs, of one of the photographers who was invited to take pictures of Che Guevara's dead body in Bolivia in 1967. The photographer, Freddy Alborta, details what happened, how he felt, and also, he postulates on the death and photography. It was interesting for about 5 minutes (mainly as I had never seen Che's death picture before), but it definitely lacked enough material to run for 30 minutes.

Intolerance: Love's Struggle Throughout the Ages (1916)

2009-02-12T10:38:00.001-08:00

January 12, 2009 - (RT: 163 mins)

Viewed this film in Film 216 (History of Film: Silent Era).

A truly stunning film in all aspects. A film by D. W. Griffith, a true master of early American cinema, that tells four stories over various time periods (Jesus' life, Babylon, French Revolution, and "modern", being 1910s) and how intolerance has always been an aspect of human existence. The sets are huge and built to scale and just amazing in their own right; the costumes are fantastic and the huge cast is unbelievable. The film cost over $2 million, which was unheard of it at the time, and never even came close to making back its investment, even after Griffith cut two of the stories up to create two individual films. The film itself is badly paced in that the Babylon and the modern stories work quite well, but the other two don't work at all. Yet, the film is still amazing to watch, a true masterpiece of its time.
Interestingly, there remains no cope of the original film. When the film failed to make back a product, Griffith cut up the film to make two smaller films "The Fall of Babylon" and "The Mother and the Law" and used the original film reels from Intolerance to make them. The copies of Intolerance that exist today are attempts at reconstructing the original - the best version is one that Griffith himself re-cut, but even if it is lacking some of the original scenes.

Videodrome (1983)

2009-02-12T10:30:00.001-08:00

January 12, 2009 - (RT: 87 mins)

Watched for my Film 323 (Canadian Film) class. This was my second time seeing it, the first being last November.

I definitely got more out of the film this time around - mainly from knowing where the film was going, I was able to better focus on certain aspects of the film. What can one say about a Cronenberg film? They are weird, they are in some way personal, they are often called "art films" and yet he is one of Canada's most famous directors - so what does that say about Canadian film? I enjoyed the film, on both viewings, for both its message and its oddity. I think that the fears expressed by the film are a bit extreme. Sixteen years later we can see a verging both away and towards the ideas presented in the film - television is just as dependent in all our lives, but at the same time, the Internet has become much more important and all encompassing. That being said, the film still resonates, and is an enjoyable time if you are able to accept the oddity of it. It's unique - it's Cronenberg.

Ghost Town (2008)

2009-02-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

January 11, 2009 - (RT: 102 mins)

After watching the British series Extras in December, I was eager to see Ricky Gervais' first leading role in a feature film.

Ricky Gervais is at brilliant in this film, and plays a role I doubt many other actors could pull off. His role requires him to be funny without wanting to be funny - his character is annoyed at outcome of events and is just trying to resume his normal life. While a romantic comedy, it pushes the scales much more to the comedy end of the spectrum; but of course, there still remains an element of the romance element to it, and with comes the predictable ending, the corny lines and the illogical storyline - but these elements are easily overpowdered by Gervais' hilarious performance. A simple plot, with a decent script and good actors makes for a very enjoyable film - espicially for anyone who is a fan of Gervais' work; and no he isn't having a laugh.

Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989)

2009-02-12T10:11:00.001-08:00

January 7, 2009 - (RT: 100 mins)

Started watching this on the train back to Kingston, finish it a couple days later.

I was curious to see this film - one of the films that changed indie film; the film that forced America to wake up and look at smaller indie films. Combined with "edgy" content that was too risky for mainstream films, SLV, made a large splash when it was released.
I don't know if it's a tale of the times, that my generation is so used to see this type of material in television and even mainstream films, that I was not shocked at all - if anything, I felt that the content of the film was rather underwhelming. That being said, the acting was very well done, and it was a pleasure to see Peter Gallagher (Mr. Coen of The OC) in an early role.
The film is about honesty, trust, happiness and but also about lying, cynicism, and sadness - it relies heavily on dichotomies and the use of contrast.
The film was not what I was expecting, but it is still a great film.

Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)

2009-01-25T08:00:00.001-08:00

January 6, 2009 - (RT: 104 mins)

Watched this in my history class for two reasons: 1) to present a somewhat historical depiction of life in revolutionary america; and 2) to present a depiction of how history was understood when the film was made in 1939.

A classic film by John Ford with visually stimulating scenes and colours, but, a terribly campy story. The film is hard to take seriously, mainly for the style of the acting and the script; and when you combine that with a room full of university students, the room quickly fell into laughter and jests at the film. While not the best atmosphere to watch a film, it definietly provide some entertainment to a film I would probably not have enjoyed much otherwise. There is classic films that hold up to time, and others that do not. It is quite possible that this is the fault of our generation for expecting and only knowing bigger, faster, more expensive stories and films that we are unable to see quality in anything else. While I do see some of the merits of the film, I can quite assuredly say that I won't be in any hurry to watch the film again.

Chaplin Shorts (1914-1918)

2009-01-25T07:40:00.000-08:00

January 5, 2009

Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914) - (RT: 11 mins)
Easy Street (1914) - (RT: 19 mins)
The Immigrant (1917) - (RT: 20 mins)
A Dog's Life (1918) - (RT: 40 mins)

Watched these shorts in Film 216 (Historical Inquiry, with a focus this year on Silent Cinema).

I had never seen any of Chaplin's work before, and I have to say, I was quite impressed. Chaplin's work noticeably improved from his first film as the Tramp over the four years of shorts we watched. What surprised me most was how funny it was. The material is in parts dated, but slapstick humour is a timeless humour that needs no explanation and works so wonderfully in silent cinema. A very enjoyable first class to the semester.

Monkey Warfare (2006)

2009-01-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

January 5, 2009 - (RT: 75 mins)

First film for Film 323 (Canadian Film and TV since 1980).

The film borrows its title from a chapter in Abbie Hoffman’s Steal This Book, and appropriately so, as in the book, monkey warfare is used to refer to low level guerrilla activity to annoy the larger opponents. The film is a playful examination of two generations of urban guerrilla warfare, between two older revolutionaries living off the grid and a younger more rebellious 20-something. While the film is clearly politically motivated, it is not overly abrupt about it. The film presents a very realistic life in and among the city (of Toronto) and is very beautifully shot - Harkema (dir.) has clearly been influence by Godard. The film is able to be carried on its humour, which is filled with romance and irony - not your usual Canadian lame comedy. The film was fun, enjoyable and a joy to watch visually.

Stone Reader (2002)

2009-01-18T18:37:00.001-08:00

January 4, 2009 - (RT: 127 mins)

I saw this at a movie store closing sale, and bought figuring my brother would enjoy it. He watched it, enjoyed it and it sat on my shelf collecting dust until last week when I was in the mood for a documentary.

The documentary follows Mark Moskowitz's journey to locate the seemingly lost author of a book he bought when he was in high school. While the film is well made and shows not only Mark's dedication and love for the book The Stones of Summer, but it also details other one-hit-wonder-authors who just stopped writing for whatever reason. While Mark's journey could have been made a lot easier had he done some simple things (like contacting the person the book was dedicated to, as he later found out, know where the author was living), the film, like any good book, is just as much about the journey as the desitnation. While the film is a very "home movie" following one man on his rather odd journey, it should spark, if nothing else, the joy that reading can bring and the importance of literture.

The Manxman (1929)

2009-01-18T18:29:00.000-08:00

January 3, 2009 - (RT: 90 mins)

Hitchcock's 8th (of 56) films. Continuing to work on my goal of watching all of Hitchcock's films in order.

Another black and white silent film with a romantic plot that is rather weak, and the acting is overdone (which is mostly in part to it being a silent film), but there is elements of Hitchcock that emerge through. The scenic shots are well done, and there is well attempted jump cut that only failed due to the story. One of my least favourite Hitchcock films so far.

4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile / 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (2007)

2009-01-18T18:14:00.000-08:00

January 2, 2009 - (RT: 113 mins)

I had meant to see this when it first came out, but a lot of rental stores didn't have a copy of it, so when I saw it in my local video store over the break I rented it.

I knew going into the film that it wasn't going to be an easy film to watch, but I knew it was a film that deserved to be watched. While its message would definitely send some pro-lifers running for the hills, its message was pretty clear that very little would be more disturbing than going through that. It's a powerful, unsettling film that I can't imagine ever wanting to watch again. While the film provides insight into the reality under the Ceausescu regime and the horrors that accompanied it; it is also about friendship and the strength that accompanies it. The film can be difficult to watch at times, but it's important for films to not simply talk about the issues, but rather deal with them head on, and 4 Months does just that.

Bottle Rocket (1996)

2009-01-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

January 1, 2009 - (RT: 91 mins)

This was the only Wes Anderson movie I had not seen, and so when I got an HMV gift certificate for Christmas, I went and bought it (the Criterion Collection of course). Watched it a friend, and my sister but she got bored and left partway through.

Having seen every other Wes Anderson movie, I knew what to expect and I wasn't disappointed. The film has its flaws, and is clearly Anderson's first film as it lacks the polish and bigger budgets of his later films, yet the actors and the humour of the film easily make the film watchable. More so than watchable, quite enjoyable and hilarious at times. Owen Wilson is excellent as the mentally unbalanced thief (a role he plays better in this film than in The Darjeeling Limited), and Luke Wilson is not bad either - both pull off a good premiere role. While not as good as Rushmore, Anderson's wit, humour, and artistic style is definitly alive in this film, and it's a shame it will probably never gain more than cult status among Anderson fans.

Essay on "Brick" - "Brick": Teen Film Meets Film Noir

2009-01-18T11:38:00.000-08:00

This is an essay I wrote last term that was submitted to two different film classes - one was a writing class and to save us work, we had to submit an essay from a different class. The essay is below, followed by comments.

Rock Around the Clock, released in 1956, not only made Hollywood realize the value of the teenage demographic, as it also introduced a new film genre—the teenpic (now more commonly referred to as the teen film). As a genre, its definition lies not in its subject matter, but rather in the “stock characters (the rebel, the jock, the brain, the mean girl) and settings (high school, the after-school hangout, etc.) as well as universal themes and issues (rebellion, love, and sex).”[1] For this reason, teen films often adopt other genres, creating new subgenres in an evolutionary cycle. Rian Johnson’s Brick is the first teen film to adopt the film noir genre. In doing so, Johnson created a teen film that is not only new and unique, but that can also be appreciated by adults and adolescents alike. Brick uses film noir style to create a teen film that models teenage feelings, rather than to overused stereotypes.

Brick is the story of Brendan, a high school student, searching for the killer of his ex-girlfriend Emily. Brendan adopts the role of the gumshoe detective, and sets about to track down Emily’s killer. His trail brings him head-to-head with the local drug pin, known as “The Pin”, and Brendan soon finds himself investigating much more than just a murder.

Teen films have evolved so that they no longer represent real teenagers—instead they perpetuate stereotypes. As Considine writes, “these stereotypes run the risk not only of misinforming the young as to the nature of the world about them, but of misinforming parents, teachers, police, and the adult community in general as to what they can expect from the young.”[2] This portrayal of the stereotyped teen creates two issues. First, it prevents teenagers from perceiving that “the pangs of adolescence are a universal truth, not a personal wound”[3] because they are unable to relate to the teenage depictions seen in film. Secondly, it provides adults “with a peculiarly jaundiced view of [teenagers within] American society,”[4] preventing an understanding between the young and old. Brick’s neo-noir style corrects both these issues by creating a realistic teen world through the means of a genre, film noir, which is familiar to older generations.

An example of a popular teen film that propagates stereotypes in order to appeal to the Hollywood standard is Mean Girls (released the year before Brick, in 2004). In Mean Girls, there are no drugs, no theft, and no cheating. The film portrays a sanitized PG-13 view of high school in order to be sold to the teenage demographic and their parents. The issue of the film then becomes one of fitting in (as it is based on a self-help book designed for parents to help their children deal with cliques), but in doing so it uses stereotypes to simplify the message. The film suggests that simply being “yourself” is enough to overcome the difficulties of high school. It teaches that those deserving of punishment will receive what is due to them—as the antagonist of the film is hit by a bus, to which the antagonist thinks, “Getting hit by a bus is pretty good punishment.”[5] The issue of “the feel-good epilogue [which] obliterates all former conflicts, in favour of what is portrayed as an idealised, individualist, post-cliqued, twelfth-grade world”[6] is that the film is concerned with pushing forward an agenda of teaching individuality among peer pressure. The realities of the real world high school are ignored in order to create a stereotyped, simpler world in which a single issue can be criticized and ‘solved’ by adults for teenagers.

As Stern argues in his work on teenage depictions in film, the problem arises that “the image of teenagers that modern Hollywood films promotes...[is that it] reinforces adults’ negative views and possibly works to distance them from teens”[7] through its generic overused formula. Despite this, teen films continue to appeal to teenagers because “teen films at least depict teens’ lives and feature teens as important and relevant—something that many mainstream (adult-oriented) films neglect to do.”[8] It is against this mold that Brick’s story is portrayed, which “lies in capturing in a very heightened, bold, and impressionistic way what those teen years felt like when you were in them, not from analyzing them from an adult perspective.”[9]

Brick does not present high school or teenagers as they are, but rather, attempts to portray teenagers as they feel. Film noir did much the same thing for the post-war era, in that the “tone and mood of film noir are apropos of how things really are, a sense of reality, not distorted, but conveyed by expressionist techniques and convoluted plotlines.”[10] The mindset of an isolated teenager in high school closely resembles the isolation and alienation of a film noir detective, and the essential “betrayal on a personal basis with one character betraying another”[11] required for a film noir can be found in everyday teenage life. In Brick, both the alienated teenager and the alienated detective can be found in Brendan.

The breakfast table scene in Brick demonstrates the film’s ability to successfully combine the two genres. The scene takes place in The Pin’s mother’s home, where Brendan, our detective, is meeting him for the first time. The scene opens with The Pin’s mother making Brendan some breakfast, while the boys sit awkwardly waiting for her to leave. The presence of The Pin’s mother, while reinforcing that he is still a teenager living at home, is an element of both film genres. In teen films, parents are rarely seen or if “they [a]re shown, parents [a]re depicted as only mildly competent and in touch.”[12] The Pin’s mother clearly fits this role as she only appears in this one scene, and is completely unaware that her son is a violent drug dealer using her home as his base of operations. An element of film noir is that there “are few children”[13] in that they “represent optimism and a potentially promising future.”[14] In Brick, however, it is the adults who are few and they represent optimism and the promising future because they are unaware and do not understand the issues. The only other adult figure in the film is the vice-principal, who represents the law, and he is equally as oblivious to the issues. In film noir children represent a yet-lost innocence, whereas in Brick, the adults represent a lost understanding of the hardship of adolescence.

The scene is shot using medium wide-angle shots, which are characteristic of film noirs, in order to make a “closed universe, with each character seen as just another facet of an unheeding environment that will exist unchanged long after death”[15] for the effect of “drawing the viewer into the picture, of including him in the world of the film and thus rendering emotional or dramatic events more immediate.”[16] These medium wide-angle shots are combined with equal screen time in the scene, creating a balance of power between The Pin and Brendan. By not allowing Brendan more screen time, and by not shooting him in a different angle, Brick prevents the cinematography from justifying Brendan’s desire, so that “good and evil are confused and sometimes indistinguishable”[17] as is necessary for a film noir. The camera works to include the viewer in the story without creating a visual bias to either the detective or his target.

The scene uses conventional Hollywood shot-reverse shooting and is an iconic representation of the interrogation scene found in many film noir films. This scene in Brick is one of the closest shot scenes and is a more conventional scene. The classic shot and editing of the scene stands out from the rest of the film, which is shot with faster camera movement, faster editing and faster action and dialogue. This distinction is essential as this scene sets up the two opposing forces that will eventually collide, leaving only one standing. While little actually happens in the scene, it provides Brendan with the answer of ‘who’ caused his betrayal, and the rest of the film focuses on the ‘why’.

Some critics have commented that Brick feels like “a teenager dressed in dad's overcoat”[18] or like “kids playing dress-up versions of stock adult characters.”[19] These critics are focusing on the film as teen film that has butchered the film noir genre. The film cannot be viewed purely as a neo-noir film, nor simply as a teen film, as it does not rest easily within either one of these genres. Brick is a combination of both worlds, and it creates a film that is more appealing as “it integrates past codes with newly introduced ones, developing further genres and subgenres in an evolutionary cycle.”[20] While it is true that teens need to be “told that bullies sometimes lose, that school principals are sometimes fallible or humiliated, that sometimes true love wins, [and it] is a necessary balm and encouragement to struggle,”[21] it needs to be presented in a manner that teenagers can imagine to exist. Films that reinforce these issues through stereotypical ridiculous depictions fail to connect with teenagers. If the teen film genre can change and adapt so that it does not simply rely on stereotypes and instead presents teens as multi-dimensional human beings, it is moving in a direction that benefits not only teenagers but adults as well.

[1] Stephen Tropiano, Rebels and Chicks: A History of the Hollywood Teen Movie (New York:

Back Stage Books, 2006), 275.

[2] David M. Considine, The Cinema of Adolescence (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland &

Company Inc., 1985) 274.

[3] Roz Kaveney, Teen Dreams: Reading Teen Film from Heathers to Veronica Mars (New York:

I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd., 2006) 184.

[4] David M. Considine, The Cinema of Adolescence (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland &

Company Inc., 1985) 276.

[5] Mean Girls, DVD, directed by Mark Waters (USA: Paramount Pictures, 2004).

[6] David Resnick, “Life in an unjust community: a Hollywood view of high school moral life,”
Journal of Moral Education 37, no 1 (March 2008): 108.

[7] Susannah R. Stern, “Self-Absorbed, Dangerous, and Disengaged: What Popular Films Tell Us

About Teenagers,” Mass Communication and Society 8, no 1 (2005): 35.

[8] ibid, 35.

[9] Tim Ryan, “Interview With "Brick" Director Rian Johnson,” RottenTomatoes.com,

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/news/comments/?entryid=316465. (Posted April 20th, 2006).

[10] Mark T. Conard, ed., The Philosophy of Film Noir,( Lexington, Kentucky: The University Press of Kentucky, 2006), 25.

[11] Alain Silver and James Ursini, ed., Film Noir Reader 2, (New York: Limelight Editions, 1999), 209.

[12] Susannah R. Stern, “Self-Absorbed, Dangerous, and Disengaged: What Popular Films Tell Us

About Teenagers,” Mass Communication and Society 8, no 1 (2005): 34.

[13] Alain Silver and James Ursini, ed., Film Noir Reader, (New York: Limelight Editions, 1996), 213.

[14] Alain Silver and James Ursini, ed., Film Noir Reader 2, (New York: Limelight Editions, 1999), 213.

[15] Alain Silver and James Ursini, ed., Film Noir Reader, (New York: Limelight Editions, 1996), 67.

[16] ibid, 67.

[17] Alain Silver and James Ursini, ed., Film Noir Reader 2, (New York: Limelight Editions, 1999), 209.

[18] UrbanCineFile, “Brick,” http://www.urbancinefile.com.au/home/view.asp?a=11964&s=Review.

[19] Thor Klippert, “DVD Review: Brick,” Chud, http://www.chud.com/articles/articles/7536/1/DVD-REVIEW-BRICK/Page1.html.

[20] Timothy Shary, Generation Multiplex: The Image of Youth in Contemporary American Cinema, (Austin, Texas: University of Texas Press, 2002), 255.

[21] Roz Kaveney, Teen Dreams: Reading Teen Film from Heathers to Veronica Mars (New York:

I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd., 2006), 185.

Comments:

Prof #1: "Overall, nice work. The thesis comes clearly only at the end of the paper. It would have been good to use the storyboard more specifically to show how the film functions within both genres and as a hybrid. 90%"

Prof #2: "Interesting analysis, though you seem to talk about the topic (Brick as teen noir) rather than lay out an argument that moves from place to place. Mark unknown."

2008 Recap

2009-01-07T17:05:00.000-08:00

In 2008, I watched 181 films totaling 17872 minutes.

That is on average 49 minutes of film a day, and a 1 film every 2 days.

In 2008, I spent 12 days, 9 hours, and 52 minutes watching films.

December Recap

2009-01-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

I watched 15 movies in December.

- 48% of a movie a day on average
- 56.0 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2008 - 181

Seven Pounds (2008)

2009-01-07T16:48:00.001-08:00

A holiday Will Smith movie? Sure, why not?

This film would probably work best for someone who entered the theater late and missed the first five minutes, or someone who stopped thinking completely during the first five minutes. I doubt that most, if not all, could easily predict not just the outcome of the film, but all the twists along the way, from the first five minutes of the film. Normally this would have annoyed me, but there is still an enjoyment to be had in watching the story unfold. After making an assumption as to the ending of the film from the trailer, and having the first five minutes confirm my suspicions, I sat back, shut off my brain, and enjoyed the film. As long as you don't go expecting a daringly original film, and accept that it will be predictable and attempt to tear at your heart-strings (but fail miserably), then it is a fun movie.

Four Rooms (1995)

2009-01-07T16:42:00.001-08:00

I picked this up a while ago, mainly to see Tarantino's section. I watched it on the 30th, only one day off from New Year's Eve - fittingly I thought.

This film started off terribly, and slowly a bit more decent with each room, but even Taratino's room (the fourth room) was only decent. Taratino's room does not make up for the three previous terrible rooms, and watching Taration's room alone would not serve any real purpose. Not worth your time.

American Movie (1999)

2009-01-07T16:27:00.001-08:00

A documentary I've been meaning to watch for a while, but of course, only got around to it over the holidays.

I enjoyed the film, but felt very badly in doing so. I was drawn to it, but in the way that people are drawn to car wrecks and people hurting themselves. I laughed, but I feel guilty in doing so. The characters in the film, mainly Marc and Mike, are so depressingly pathetic that it's hard not to be want to see more. What makes the movie worth watching is that despite being so seemingly pathetic, Marc has a dream and he continues to pursue it relentlessly. It doesn't matter to him that it took him over 2 years to shoot a 30-minute film that few people outside his town will ever see and would plague him with financial debt. The film does not ridicule or insult the characters (as hard as it might have been), but instead, shows that if these men can make a movie, then there is little excuse for anyone else not being able to. It will make you laugh, but most likely not for the reasons the actors intended you to laugh at. At least this film will provide Marc with some PR for his film, and maybe, just enough money for him to try another film.

Mamma Mia! (2008)

2009-01-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

My father got a Blu-Ray player for Christmas, and asked my sisters to rent a movie to try it out - and this was their choice. After watching 4 other movies that day, I was not at all in the mood to watch a terrible musical.

I am not a huge music fan to start with, but that being said, I have seen the Mamma Mia! musical, and the film pales in comparison. The casting is a joke - I'm not sure who is more confused in the movie, the audience or Meryl Streep, as to why she chose to do this film. Her acting seems forced and awkward, and her singing just looks painful. I can't say that the men of the film do much better. The story is weak, the acting is bad, and the singing is terrible. The only reason one would watch this film is if they desperately needed to hear some Abba music - and for some reason they can't figure out how to work the Internet, or even a CD player for that matter.

Champagne (1928)

2009-01-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

Hitchcock's 7 of 56 films, and my 4th of 5 films for the day.

Another romantic comedy done in silent black and white. The story this time evolves around a woman of wealth and her love for a man her father does not approve of. The father pretends he has lost his fortune to test the man, and also pays a friend to follow and protect his daughter. The film is seperated from The Farmer's Wife in that Hitchcock paid a lot attention to detail in this film - the sets, the costumes, and the camera work is much better done. While the plot is still very simple, there is some sight-gags, and a few camera tricks that are unique at this time (the 360 camera pan in the ballroom for example). Overall, a light comedy that while dated, is enjoyable enough.

Vérités et mensonges / F for Fake (1974)

2009-01-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

Movie 3 of 5 for the day. Another film I picked up a while ago, and only got around to seeing over the holidays.

A fun film to watch, and clearly, a film Orson Welles quite enjoyed filming and editing. What is primarily a documentary about two famous fakers - notorious art forger Elmyr de Hory and Elmyr's biographer, Clifford Irving, who also wrote the celebrated fraudulent Howard Hughes autobiography - it goes beyond that to become more a video essay than a mere documentary. IT combines Welles' obvious love for deception and trickery, with some interesting editing, some enjoyable content, and of course, some trickery. A film better watched then described, it is worth seeing.

Eagle vs Shark (2007)

2009-01-07T09:10:00.001-08:00

2nd of 5 films in one day. Picked this up a while ago, but it sat in my pile of movies to watch for a while. Was feeling like a light comedy, so threw it in.

The film didn't work for me. I felt like I was watching a different director's take on Napoleon Dynamite, which I equally didn't care for. For a film about quirky, odd misfits to work and captivate the audience, the characters must make the audience care for them; instead of making them feel awkward for having to watch their awkward actions. As much as I wanted to care for Lily's character, I was not able to get past the overall gimkyness of the film. Is it ever fun to watch a woman be treating like crap for 88 minutes? There might be an audience for this film out there, and they are easily spotable - they will be wearing "Vote for Pedro" shirts.

The Farmer's Wife (1928)

2009-01-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Hitchcock's 6th film (of 56), and another silent black and white film. Over the holidays, I managed to watch 5 movies in one day, starting with this one.

A "romantic comedy" is not what one expects from Hitchcock, nor does one expect to see a silent film longer than two hours. While I normally lack interest in seeing romantic comedies, two hour silent versions are even more unbearable. The plot was simple to a fault. A farmer's wife dies. His daughter is married off, and feeling lonely, he decides he needs a new wife. He creates a list of 3 women, and goes to each in turn, telling them flat out that he is marrying them. He does not even do this romantically or intelligently, he simply informs them of the matter. In one case, he says 'I'm marrying again, to you. Yes is a very short word', and the excellent reply from the women was 'but there is an even shorter one'. After all three women turn him down, he realizes that the woman for him is his maid. They get married. The end. The film was drawn out, boring and overly predictable.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)

2009-01-04T09:14:00.001-08:00

Another film I caught in theaters over the Christmas break - probably the best movie I've seen in theaters in a while.

It was fun film that required little thinking and provided a nice level of entertainment. The film is predictable, but it is not about the destination, but rather the journey. Worth a watch.

Shichinin no samurai / Seven Samurai (1954)

2009-01-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

I recently became aware of The Criterion Collection DVDs, and was amazed at both the quality of the films and the additional features provided. Having seen a few films in the CC, I asked for any CC films for Christmas, and received four - this being one of them. The second film the CC released on DVD. After returning home from having seen The Spirit, my brother, a friend and I decided to watch this - which only further showed us how bad The Spirit truly was.

A truly wonderful and enjoyable film. Can't remember the last time I had to get up and put in the second disc half-way through a film (had to have been back in the days of VHS), but the film hardly seemed long considering the length. I wanted it to be longer, it was so good. It was not only a good action film, it was surpringsly funny. I still want to check out the additional features (after the 207 minute film, was not really in the mood to watch the features), which I'm sure are equally excellent.

The Spirit (2008)

2009-01-04T08:43:00.000-08:00

I had been looking forward to this movie for quite some time now. I should really stop doing that, as more often than not, the films I really look forward to are the biggest letdowns.

I didn't think it would be possible to create a film with Eva Mendes and Scarlett Johansson that was boring to watch, but somehow Frank Miller managed to pull it off. It is now evident that the excellence of Sin City came from the skill of the other half of the directing combo (being Rodriquez); and that Frank Miller just does not know how to direct a movie solo. While the film contained a lot of similiar visual elements as Sin City, they fail to work as well as - it doesn't matter if there is pretty things to look at if the story can't keep the audience interested. Frank Miller should stick to what he knows and write graphic novels, or if he does pursue other film options to at least have the sense to have some hand-holding from a director who knows how to make a movie.

Milk (2008)

2009-01-04T08:21:00.001-08:00

Caught this film in theaters over the Christmas break with a couple friends.

Overall a good biopic. Not too much to say about it. It's worth seeing, especially considering how similar Proposition 6 in the film is to Proposition 8 that was just passed in California. "Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it."

The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)

2009-01-04T08:02:00.001-08:00

Another remake, and another original I haven't seen. I didn't have a chance to see the original before the remake came to theaters, and a friend wanted to go, so I went. If nothing else, the remake made me want to see the original so much more. If for no other reason, then to see what they had to work with to create this failed attempt.

Very little in this film appealed to me. Among the many problems with this film, the one that bothered me the most is that even if I believe Helen was able to single-handedly stop the destruction of Earth, no one is going to believe her as to why Klaatu spared the Earth. Klaatu explains to Helen (and no one else) that the Earth must change its way or be destroyed. How is Helen going to be able to convince all the countries in the world to change their ways? She won't. Klaatu will return in a few years and finish what he started. Another element of annoyance was that the film suggests that it doesn't matter what we as a human race have done to Earth, that when it becomes truly bad, we will find a solution. Is that a message we want to be teaching anyone? Don't worry about anything for if it becomes really bad, you'll figure out a solution.

Pitch Black (2000)

2009-01-04T07:44:00.001-08:00

I first saw part of this film back when it was released on video. I was in high school at the time, and as I bused to school, I would often arrive to school early. I would, along with other members of my home room class, occasionally watch a film to kill the time. We would play 1o or 15 minutes of the film each morning until we finished the film. Pitch Black was the last film that we did this to, and we never made it past the second morning. I had no real desire at the time to finish, and truth be told, no real desire since then to finish it. In December, I asked a friend what movie I should watch that evening, and he recommended this, so I sat down to finish a movie that I had barely started 7 years prior.

I would have been better off to not have finished this film, as it was nothing short of cliche horror-film ridiculousness set on a distant planet. The whole premise is preposterous - they crash land on a planet with no sun, carrying a convict who can see in the dark and coincidentally, they land just in time to experience the eclipsing of the three suns which plummets the planet into darkness allowing the planet's sole creatures to emerge (as they are burnt by light and can only exist in darkness). The planet has three suns, yet manages to keep a constant (although seemingly very hot) temperature; and contrary to all common sense, the only creatures who have managed to live on this planet cannot wander out in the sun. These creatures thus must feed on whoever happens to have crashed on the surface, or each other. It is not clear why they don't feed on each other while hiding underground when the sun is out. To make matters even more ridiculous, the alien species, which spends most of its time underground, have wings and fly! How is it possible for a species to survive that must hide underground the majority of the time, and has no food source save each other?

If that wasn't stupid enough, the real threat in the film isn't the aliens at all, but rather, Riddick (the convict who can see in the dark). Why set a film on a distant alien planet, only to spent the majority of the film focusing on the conflict between humans? Those films are done all the time, and work perfectly well set on Earth. The climax of the film, as I'm sure is blantalty obvious to all by now, comes when the remaining humans must put their faith in Riddick to lead them through the dark to safety. While the question we are supposed to ask ourselves is "Can they trust this emotionless killer to save", we end up thinking that they have little choice. Either they follow Riddick and maybe survive, or they stay behind and face a certain death. It's a lot easier of a choice when there is only one real choice.

Overall, while interestingly shot, the film fell onto cliche plot elements, and failed to provide any real sense of suspense.

Funny Games U.S. (2007)

2009-01-04T06:11:00.000-08:00

When I first read about Funny Games, I was weary to see it. Not because it didn't interest me, for it did, but rather, because I would rather see the original first. If possible, I prefer to see the original before seeing a remake as it provides a different sense to the film. The remake of a film will never exist without the original, and I believe that it should be viewed in that context. That being said, I was in Blockbuster one day looking for a film to rent, and having failed to locate a copy of Haneke's 1997 original, and considering it is supposedly a shot-by-shot remake, I relented and rented it.

The film is much more than a voyeuristic torture-filled horror show; it is a comment on us as viewers, and our desires to see such films. As I watched the film, I couldn't help but comparing it to The Son of Man, as it seemed to portray the same idea, that - "we always want to see what is hidden by what we see. There is an interest in that which is hidden and which the visible does not show us." We want to see a violent film, but as we watch it, we are not entitled to see what we truly want to see - the violence - yet we still know it happened. Throughout the film, Haneke gives complete control to Paul (one of the killers) who not only periodically breaks the fourth wall to address the audience directly in mocking, self-aware remarks, but who is also aware that he is a character in a film. Paul drags out the violence in order to appeal to our desire to see a full-length feature film, but at the same time, he does not let us see any of the violence that takes place.

We are meant to feel annoyed and angry that we are unable to see the violence, that the "bad guys" keep winning and that the "good guys" do not stand a chance. There is one scene near the end that, in my opinion, was truly brillant, but surely angers most viewers. The film is not about giving us what we want, instead, it is meant to show us and make us aware of what we want, and by doing so, it intends to make us feel bad for being so bloodthirsty. The film is less about the story, and instead, is meant to punish the viewer for wanting to watch such a film.

Personally, I thought it was great. It not only demonstrates that the film viewing is not a passive action, but it also demonstrates that by deciding to watch a film, you are allowing yourself, and your emotions, to be manipulated by the director for the duration of the film.

November Recap

2008-12-30T14:14:00.001-08:00

I watched 10 movies in November.

- 33% of a movie a day on average
- 32.8 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2008 - 166

Transporter 3 (2008)

2008-12-30T14:10:00.001-08:00

Saw this in theaters on opening weekend.

I remember absolutely nothing about this film. It's an action film starring Jason Statham, isn't that enough of an explanation?

Mickey Mouse Monopoly: Disney, Childhood and Corporate Power

2008-12-30T14:00:00.001-08:00

I have been shown this film 4 times in the last 5 years at Queen's. It is sold primarily to libraries and educators, and has never had a theatrical release (it does not even have an imdb.com page).

The film examines Disney films and attempts to argue that these films impact the way children view the world, and that Disney should not be allowed to have this power. For example: Beauty and the Beast encourages women to stay with abusive men because deep down all men are good, or The Little Mermaid encourages girls to sacrifice anything (even their own power of speech) to make a man love you.

While the film does provide some interesting examinations into the message that Disney films present to children, they take it to such an extreme, it becomes hard to take seriously. The film is worth seeing (once is more than enough) if you can get a copy of it, as different takes on films is always beneficial, but the film's message is a bit far-fetched and not strongly validated to be easy swallowed.

Warning: Every time I've been shown this film in class, a number of girls get quite angry at the professor afterwards for ruining their childhood favourites. If you think this might be you, do either one of two things: do not watch the film, or, preferably, realize that there exists more than one opinion in the world, that people are entitled to a differening opinion, and that the existence of their opinion does not invalidate yours - in short, grow up. That's not to say you can't keep liking your childhood favourites, just enhance your ability to explain why you like them.

Calendar (1993)

2008-12-30T13:55:00.001-08:00

Watched this in Film 226.

This is why I need to update my blog more often. In the month since I watched this, I not only forget what I thought of it, but I also forgot what it's about. I have a vague recollection about churches, two storylines, and a kitchen scene repeated over and over.

The only assumption I can make is that I must not have liked it very much, or it would have left a more lasting impression on me.

The Year of Living Dangerously (1982)

2008-12-30T13:37:00.000-08:00

We watched this in Film 326 as an example of a reporter film.

The film, starring Mel Gibson, as a foreign correspondent in Jakarta during and following the attempted coup by the 30 September Movement on 30 September 1965. Throughout all of this, there is, of course, a love story.

We were shown this film in order to demonstrate that even films that attempt to provide a glimpse into the lives of other people and other cultures, the films almost always centre on the Western character and the change in his character in relation to the other; and often including a love story.

I did not particularly find the film entertaining. It provided no historic, political, or social explanation to what was going on in Indonesia so as to cause the political uprise. Unless the viewer is well versed in the history of the event, which I am not, the film fails to create a reason for why the viewer should be interested in anything besides the love story. The love story itself is cliche and rather inappropriate in that the journalist spends most of the film trying to find a way to woo this British women (note, another Western women, not a member of the "Other" that is supposedely the subject of this film) and spends very little covering, or even being interested, in the turmoil and death of thousands around him. In one scene, near the end of the movie, he is trying to race to the airport to catch the women before she leaves (sound familiar) only to hit a roadblock. As he sits in his car waiting to get through, on the shoulder of the road, men are being forced to their knees and executed. This does not phase our protagonist, who is simply glad he made it through the road post by explaining he was a journalist. I fail to understand why they chose to se the film in this locale if they had no intention of taking any of it seriously.

The only redeeming factor about this film was that the character Billy Kwan (a male character) was played by Linda Hunt (a woman) and she did a terrific job at it, and won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Quantum of Solace (2008)

2008-12-30T13:24:00.001-08:00

I had intended to go see this on opening day, Friday night, but for some reason, as I came home Thursday night I decided to check to see if Kingston might be having a midnight showing, and not only was I surprised that indeed they were, it was at the theater a few blocks from my house. I bought my ticket online and headed to the theater at 10:30. I arrived first, and alone, and waited the 90 minutes by reading - the next 10 or 15 people behind me in line were mostly doing homework, so I didn't feel so bad. I then sat in the middle of the back row and was soon surrounded by British exchange students who were quite excited to be seeing the new Bond film, although apparently disappointed that they had to wait so long following it's UK release. Listening to them prattle on about Bond trivia for 30 minutes provided a nice intro to the film.

My biggest complaint about the film is that I didn't feel like I was watching a Bond film; rather an action film that contained a character named Bond. While I was quite impressed with the style and direction that was taken with Casino Royale as it made a very good film, and more importantly, a very good Bond Film. With Quantum I felt like I was watching a the middle installment of a Bond triology as opposed to a new installment in the series.
The first direct Bond sequel was annoying as the film really needed Casino to make sense. The lack of any Bond gadgets, the lack of any real bedroom scenes, the lack of over-the-top ridiculous action, and the lack of Q annoyed me. The film's take on a real political and environmental issue was too realistic to effectively used in a Bond film. Bond should be doing absurd things, with absurd gadgets, against absurd bad guys who have absurd evil plots. Those things make Bond the classic that he is. While I can understand the desire to freshen up the franschise, I was disappointed that this is the direction the film was taken.

That being said, it was not a terrible film and I enjoyed it. It is, however, a good action film, but not a great (or even good for that matter) Bond film.

Casino Royale (2006)

2008-12-30T13:16:00.001-08:00

I simply watched this the day before Quantum was released so that it would be fresh in my memory. I was glad that I had, because Quantum is very much a sequel to this film - if you have yet to see Quantum, crawl out from under from rock and watch (or hopefully, re-watch) Casino Royale first.

Role Models (2008)

2008-12-30T13:05:00.001-08:00

I'd be lying if I said I didn't go see this simply because it had "Christopher Mintz-Plasse" in it, well, that and I was already in the movie theater with nothing better to do.

The film is as predictable as it looks, although that's not a bad thing. The film fulfills it's goal - of making a lowbrow comedy that is not only funny, but at the same time endearing. The film is hardly great, and will not be remembered as a classic comedy; but it is funny and, surprisingly, there is intelligence in the writing. The wittiness of the dialogue and the characters carries the film, and while the ending is a bit of an obvious over-the-top cliche, the film manages to hold together as enjoyable time to spend two hours.

While not as clever or as humourous as a Judd Apatow film, I did enjoy myself. That being said, I saw the film for free and would probably not advising someone to pay to see it, it is more of a movie night rental.

RockNRolla (2008)

2008-12-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

On November 7th, I was itching to see a movie in theaters, but unable to convince anyone to come see RockNRolla with me I headed out alone again, but decided to make it a double-header. I first watched RockNRolla, than headed to the next theater and watched Role Models.

I knew what to expect when I sat down at RockNRolla - a Guy Ritchie film about British Gangsters, with a fast-cut story with many characters and a story so circular and convoluted it requires constant attention to follow. If you have seen Lock, Stock or Snatch, you'll understand.
The film was enjoyable, but I could have gotten the same enjoyment from watching or Lock, Stock or Snatch again, and I would not have had to pay to watch them.
The film is cut fast, the story makes sense when it's all finished but does little beside confuse on the way to the end, and the so much of the story is circular and repeatitve. It lacked enough difference between his other films to be truly great, and while his style is always fun to watch, I'd like to see it applied to a new idea.

That being said, I'm curious to see Guy Ritchie's take on Sherlock Holmes, which is due out next year.

New Year's Resolution

2008-12-30T12:49:00.000-08:00

I'm ashamed to say that I have let this list gather dust over the last couple months. I could produce some lame excuses (school, family, actually watching films that then go on this list) but there is no point. I intend to finish posting the remainder of this year's film viewings, and I shall make it my New Year Resolution to myself to keep at it come the New Year.

Videodrome (1983)

2008-11-05T19:01:00.001-08:00

Working Girls (1986)

2008-11-04T07:29:00.001-08:00

Watched it in Film 226.

October Recap

2008-11-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

I watched 8 movies in October.

- 25% of a movie a day on average
- 24.5 minutes of film a day on average

Count so far for 2008 - 156

Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)

2008-11-04T07:26:00.001-08:00

Halloween II (1981)

2008-11-04T07:25:00.003-08:00

Saw V (2008)

2008-11-04T07:25:00.001-08:00

Chalk (2006)

2008-11-04T07:24:00.001-08:00

The Panama Deception (1992)

2008-11-04T07:23:00.002-08:00