365 Movie Reviews

100: Rare Exports : A Christmas Tale (2010)

so this is it. my hundredth movie review and i could not be more happier. thanks to all who have been keeping up with my scrawlings, hope you all the next 100

now, to the review

another one of those niche films that i would have never found unless i did not read bloody disgusting everyday, its a Finnish Santa Claus horror film, its 2010’s Rare Exports. the brilliantly refreshing story starts off atop a large mountain, where it seems as though a group of Americans are doing what Americans do best, take what isn’t there’s. what this movie does wonderfully is its ability to establish the major conflict in a timely fashion. there’s no beating around the fact the American excavation is disturbing the migratory patterns of the major food source, the reindeer, of a nearby village. soon enough, the locals find mutilated deer scattered among the countryside and a recent epidemic of lost children, heaters and blow dryers. 

an unusual visitor falls into one of local farmers “wolf traps”, thus setting up the unsettling unveiling of the “American’s property”. due to the catastrophic loses during the reindeer slaughter, three of the town’s finest prepare to hold the iconic holiday figure hostage.

now, i really cannot stress my loose “horror” tagging of this movie, because it is not a traditional horror flick. not to say this film does not possess some immensely creepy and strangely chilling/atmospheric sequences, but lets face it, there’s no naked reindeer impalement. 

the only real criticism is that it is far too short. now, this is a compliment in disguise, because it left me wanting more. originally based on a short film, i feel as though the director could change this novella into a really memorable novel

bottom line:

in an age of senseless remakes and rushed releases of the horror breed, a movie like Rare Exports is like a christmas gift opened the night before. it makes me giddy with my growing inner faith of fearless, foreign and independent cinema that is blossoming. a short shot into the seasonal horror sub-genre, this Finnish tale not only draws from the beauty of modern cinematography and production, but rekindles the darker history of the Santa Claus. equally curious and creepy, this movie is just blatantly fun to watch.

8

099: Henry : Portrait of A Serial Killer (1986)

here’s another installment, movies-i-wanted-to-see-since-high-school-but-never-did-for-some-odd-reason. when my interest in not only horror movies, but horrifying movies began to bud between the summer of 10th and 11th grade, i had seen a movie that changed my life. one a school felid trip to Philadelphia,  i had bought Cannibal Holocaust at a local dvd store. the entire rest of the trip i kept staring at the cover, reading the insert and backside endlessly in amazement. few films truly spark my interest as Cannibal Holocaust has, but i just watched a movie that might have been comparable.

Henry : Portrait of A Serial Killer is unforgiving, its nasty, its fucking frightening. the story follows the quiet and cold Henry as develops a friendship with his roommate Otis, and eventually a romantic relationship with Otis’s sister, Becky. the film starts off bleak as anything as the viewer is shown not the actual murder, but the isolation and loneliness of corpses after the murder has been committed. throughout the film, Henry is depicted as a normal guy when he has to be, but then transforms into a mindless killer when the urge to kill consumes him.

the film on the whole, shot in 16mm, is gritty and feels as though it is documentary. this fact, i personally feel, is what project this film from just a mindless gore film to something that really illustrates the honest life of a serial killer. the sequences of home invasion and struggle look so real, the level of shock is heightened tremendously. 

i do admit, the beginning is a tad slow and will perhaps bore traditionalist “gore hounds”, but those looking for a meaningful and rare depiction of the serial killer psyche, please do not miss this one

bottom line:

not your daddy’s horror flick, Henry is truly a sadistic film. although only made for $110,000, shot on 16mm and completed in less than a month, this film does more for serial killer horror than the vast majority of masked hollywood marauders. the level of detail this film goes into is truly something to clap for. if you’re tired of goofy, jumpy teen slashers, sit down with Henry and stare into a honest portrait of a serial killer

9

098: Dogtooth (2009)

well, my interest in seeing dogtooth was sparked by three very intriguing posters. the first of which, chronologically speaking, that i saw was the blood face poster. this made me think, hmm, a violent movie, sounds interesting. then the blinded poster, the one featured on the dvd, made me think, wait, what is going on this film, peaking my curiosity. the final one was the minimalist oscilloscope/frequency or whatever the hell it is, but that one rather bored me. this is the way the movie went

boredom -> curiosity -> violence

let me explain myself by first stating that this movie possess some of the most ingenious subtle creepiness know to cinema. the plot circles around a family of five, father, mother, older daughter, younger daughter and son. by eliminating the names of all the characters, a subtlety i failed to notice until halfway through the film, the director denounces the humane attributes of the house and beautifully begins to build a nest of sterile insanity. as the story develops, the viewer is in a constant state of bewilderment and sent to an island of a foreign language and strange customs. in prevention of “bad influences”, father and mother shield their children from any outside contact and establish bizarre set of rules, rewards and punishments that the children are often victims to.

the children are told that they will be allowed to leave the premises when their “dogtooth”, or canine, has fallen out and further will be allowed to learn how to drive when it grows back. when this was said in the film, i couldn’t help but have a family guy flash back. anyways, the educated man would assume that the human canine tooth does not come out, sealing the unfortunate fate of the children into the house of safety

the real thing to drove this film was my minute-by-minute curiosity. even when things are plainly shown, it is hard to calculate what will happen within the schizophrenic family construct. the language, not only being my first Greek language film, but the fantasy lingo that is created within the house is often uncomfortably humorous. 

one of my favorite scenes, i did have a lot, was the when father went to go pick up the dog. the entire dialogue is equal parts beautiful and disturbing analogy of the role of the father in the family. throughout the film there is a bunch reference to obedience and dogs in general

the cinematography was very interesting as well, as my girlfriend and i noted that several times the father figure was cut off in the the shot. we thought this was some sort of way to make him anonymous and a general personification of a domineering male figure

my one criticism is that this movie is so fucking slow in the beginning. i was almost tempted to turn it off as i thought i was just watching some super pretentious art film in which nothing will happen and it will win best foreign film at the academy. i am glad i pulled through, but i wish there was a little hint to the madness that followed

bottom line

this movie is about as strange as they come, without suffering from obscurity. the story is quite engrossing, after getting past the sawdust boredom of the first ten or so minutes, and will envoke a variety of emotions throughout its hour and a half duration. this film strings some really beautiful stuff together, without having to rely on flashy camera-work or pretty colors, rather it displayed bleak minimalism and unsettling normalcies of isolation. the movie features some really unsettling explorations in sexuality as well as abrupt sequences of violence. this flick is not for everyone, by any stretch of the imagination, but for those who see the beauty of the convoluted mind and don’t being lead into dark places, this one will capture your curiosity by its throat until you barking for more

9

097 : Elevator to the Gallows (1958)

my introduction to the work of Louis Malle, Elevator to the Gallows is certainly an early peek at the emerging New Wave scene and a genuine testament of the Birth of Cool. Not only does film have elements of French New Wave, it also possesses a great sense of archetypal noir themes that are thoroughly enjoyed through french cigarette smoke and blurred night scene

the plot lines a familiar noir map as our femme fatale, Florence Carala (played by the beautifully talented Jeanne Moreau) allures a tough as nails war veteran,  Julien Tavernier (Maurice Ronet) to eliminate her husband, Simon Carala. A wealthy industrialist Simon Carala also poses as Tavernier’s boss, thus making the kill among friends. the opening scene illustrates a very stylized profession of love over the phone as Tavernier and Florence plan to meet after the deed is done. once Tavernier commits to the kill his military training is put to the test as he rappels and enters the floor, very reminiscent of some James Bond flick.

the real trouble begins as, although up to this point we only know Tavernier as the smoothest guy on the block, he trips up and forgets to remove the rope and hook from the rail he rappels from. as the man enters the elevator, the power is shut off by the last man out, thus trapping our handsome anti-hero in between floors.

this sets up an artful procession as the next two main characters, petty thief Louis and flower-seller Veronique as they steal Tavernier’s car in an attempt to live the luxurious life of its wealthy owner. now, the trapped Tavernier is at the mercy of a watchful city and the devious Florence as the two assume the identity of the wealthy business man and reek havoc at a roadside motel

Bottom line:

this terribly suspenseful french noir tale is so tightly constructed i caught myself smiling dozens of times, admiring how smart the orchestration flowed. speaking of orchestration, the music is done by non other than the Father of Cool, Miles Davis. Davis’s accompaniment is stellar as the isolation and escape from the criminal mind narrows through rainy streets and one mans dependancy on others. a dark and no bullshit-needed tale of lust and lies, do not let this early Malle film escape your netflix que

8.5

096: Catfish (2010)

 this movie made me want to delete my facebook so bad. this, from what i can tell, honest documentation of social networking love, is one of the most revealing experiments in human interaction i will likely ever see in a film. finally a film that attacks the odd, synthetic social situation we have backed ourselves into be utilizing sites like facebook.

the story follows three men, one in particular, photographer and New York resident Nev. He quickly becomes the central protagonist in the documentary after he is sent a painting, replicating one of his photographs. The painting is sent to him by a 6-year old child prodigy Abby, a resident of rural Michigan. through facebook there friendship blossoms as Nev extends his contact to Abby’s mother, Angela and finally to Abby’s 19-year old sister Megan. the love interest, Megan, appears to be a very talented singer/songwriter and Nev becomes entranced in the idea of finding and spending time with his virtual lady-friend. although any reading on this film would spoil the ending, but trust me, the last 30 minutes are so fucking shocking i literally said, “holy shit” out loud. one genius thing about this film is the screenshots and visual navigation of the computer screens and texts. the film literally is teleported into the conversation, but displayed as some sort of strange, sensory depriving visual depiction of the computer screen. i think the really shows, quite beautifully, the fragmentation of online emotion as juxtaposed with broken pixels of online pictures, great choice

bottom line:

documenting of the mystery behind the social networking wall, Catfish is an uncompromising love at the newest language of love. through the adventures of Nev, his brother Ariel and friend Henry Joost, the handheld tale of internet love and lust is strung together with unsettling realities and revealing characteristics of the human mind. i really don’t have any criticism other than you really cannot watch this more than once, perhaps only to shock your friends into believing the hype behind this cultural-friendly shockdoc. please be advised, you may reconsider how you choose toc communicate with others

8

095: Enter The Void (2010)

i haven’t made it easy for myself. sometimes i watch a film and wonder whether it is complete shit or awe-inspiring. i did the same thing with Serbian Film, but i digress, this film is nothing like serbian film.

okay, story-wise this is pretty straight-up, we find our youthful protagonist, Oscar searching for the ultimate high and his role in the OCD paradise of psychedelic Japan. besides Oscar, two other characters swing in and out of the story, his sister Linda and his frenzied, foreign friend Alex. the film moves on an unreliable timeline, making it very difficult to keep track of what is occurring when, perhaps due to the constant repetitive imagery. there’s really just one spoiler AND HERE IT IS:

okay, the our drug loving protagonist gets shot after a bad drug deal, therefore sending shock-waves through the lives of those who were closest to him. if we were to look at this film from a dialogue point of criticism, i would say it is easily of par with any “bad trip” cautionary tales of drug abuse, (i.e. requiem and most high), as the movie really delivers numerous, stomach-churning blows throughout the entirety of the film

but, i believe the narrative takes a backseat to Noe’s true intension, its visual teleportation and audio depravation. this movie is about as close as most of us are ever going to experience the effects of DMT and i totally believed the visuals i was presented. initially is was worried about the extended segments of pure color and flashing, but it hooked my like a drug and i rode along the mantra of the strobe. on the audio side, a wonderfully faint white noise cut through the frantic, and beautifully un-subtitled, Japanese, while a greater sense of a pulse vibrated through frightening flashbacks. 

i had a hard time trying to understand the overall concept of the film, but cherished the beauty of the maternal theme, as well as the motif of the self-consuming setting. i found the a lot of the imagery similar to 2001, especially the subtle beauty of first couple of minutes of complete silence

the only criticism i have about this film is the accessibility. this film is not for 9/10th of movie goers and i’d be even willing to go to admit it may not even appeal to 3/4 on cult/art house/oddity film fans either. there are bouts of disorienting, even boring transitional cuts where we assume the role of the postmortem ghost of Oscar. the viewer is literally lost and forced to participate in this test of cinematic endurance.

bottom line:

this psychotic nightmare trip of a film drags the viewer through the life, love and regret of the “experienced” Oscar, his sister Linda and his burned out buddy Alex. the film is a visceral, unforgiving and difficult work of art to stare at for too long. the emotional connection can be immense for some viewers, but for those left in a unconnected state may be confused throughout this strange bad trip. those looking for a deep and development-heavy story will be lost in the rabbit hole, as i think the heavy-weight dominance of the the visuals suffocates the story’s progression throughout the film. a taboo-breaker for sure, it is truly unlike anything i’ve ever seen.

8.5

094: SLC Punk (1999)

here’s another film you really just need to plug your nose and dive into. forget what you think this movie is about, forget whether or not you like punk music. rather the real question is, do you like memorable films? SLC is a vicious tug-of-war kind of film and certainly a black sheep in the comedy/drama category. the viewer is sucked into the comedic pessimism of two punks as they grow up in their desolate hometown of Utah

this movie, in my most humble opinion, is most similar to the likes of High Fidelity (although made a year later than SLC) as it runs its course, breaking up the flow of story with speeches of great wisdom and insight. these dialogues, carried by the stupidly talented Matthew Lillard, pull the viewer in and out of the “action” of the film smoothly enough to jam the audience into the psyche of the deranged anarchist. simply put, this is a comedy about punks who are dissatisfied with life, a spill-off of their teenage angst, that had been channeled through a false sense of incredible understanding, filtered through bands they worship.

this is not any next level shit, the camerawork is nice and all, but the real gold is found in the romanticism i felt with all these pierced and dyed characters. the now familiar, archetypical “90’s indie film dialogue” sends this film into a special place in this child of the ninties’s heart.

bottom line:

this will be a film you’ll show at parties and to your friends to try to look cooler, and it will work. this quintessential cult film burns the establishment and leaves the audience confused how such great content and diverse film techniques were mashed into a film about two punks from Utah. a must see for those who worship fun movies and cult comedies

8

093: A Prophet (2009)

honestly, the story behind me watching this film is really stupid, but whatever. i first saw this film featured in a list of Most Violent Scenes in Films of 2009, there, i said it. anyways, this gift-from-god of a film proved much more to me than some blind-eyed gorefest, rather a deep and moving story of a young criminal who becomes entangled in the snares of prison life

when we first meet our nineteen-year old hero, Malik is the scrawny bitch of the prison yard and in obvious need of protection. he is an illiterate French North African male who is approached by the Corsican gang of the prison, lead by the elderly Cesar. this sets up the dominating theme of the film as Malik, not fully French nor devoted Muslim plays tug-of-war between the immense racial tension within the prison. Malik finds protection and glamour in associating himself with the Corsican gang, but lacks the respect of any of the other members, often being referred to as the “dirty Arab” 

as the “dirty Arab”, Malik cleans around the others, does odd jobs and slowly gains the respect of the often crazed leader, Cesare. little by little, the gang dwindles to a few members, due to parole, thus opening the door for Malik to perform some heavy duty business opportunities. 

the film does a great job highlighting the sense of regret, as Malik is haunted throughout the film by his initiation rights. another example of how incredible the writing in this film is the the depiction of maturity and growth. the Malik that enters the prison is a stranger to the man who leaves. the characters in the film are not half-ass or too fictional, but almost scary real. the film feels like documentation and never leaves the viewer wanting more. i was so profoundly shocked when i saw this as this is one of the best films i have seen in the past couple years. it would be a travesty to miss this gritty French prison film and to pass it up as mindless violence 

bottom line:

don’t miss it

10