and then nothing turned itself inside-out.

The Chaser

2011-11-26T03:06:00.001-08:00

The Chaser

(2008)

A pimp/ex-detective investigates the disappearance of one of his 'workers' and uncovers a psychotic killer. Aside from revenge, the all-to-familiar trend in most Korean movies (to hit stateside at least) is the ultra-violence that accompany it. This is one of the less accomplished examples of such a theme. While I Saw the Devil caused viewers to question the obsession and necessity of a violent homicide as "justice", The Chaser pretty much plays it's cards one way: chasing a psychopath must end with gallons of blood. It's not a good movie, and I wish I wasn't recommended it by Netflix.

I Saw the Devil

2011-11-26T02:56:00.001-08:00

I Saw the Devil

(2010)

An accomplished secret agent, Soo-hyun, vows for revenge at any cost after his pregnant fiance is brutally killed by a murderous psychopath. What ensues is a cat and mouse game with a few twists, where Soo-hyun begins to tread the grey area of good and bad in his quest for justice. Unlike most Korean revenge movies, the crazy psychopath isn't the one with the upper hand here. I think that's what really makes this movie so unique, and why it has since been rated among the best (second to Old Boy and accompanying films from that director).

Hannah and Her Sisters

2011-11-26T02:37:00.001-08:00

Hannah and Her Sisters

(1986)

Three New York sisters in their late thirties experience all the drama that accompanies life in the big city. Woody Allen's success with films such as Annie Hall and Manhattan focus on the turmoil and exaggerated midlife excuses of relationships in a dense population. While the city of New York isn't the focus of the film, no other setting could really irk such hilarious situations of promiscuity and follow with cynical commentary over life from Allen. Despite the title, Hannah, the older sister, does not really play a large part in the film. Every other character - from the ex-husband, current husband, parents or the sisters - paints a picture of Hannah, using that imagery to justify their own actions. A very interesting example of people's ability to act based on assumptions.

The Tree of Life

2011-11-26T02:24:00.001-08:00

The Tree of Life

(2011)

A contemplation of human life through the story of a boy/man and his family in small town Texas of the 1950's. Yes, that sentence may either describe the movie's plot or only scratch the surface - depending on your perspective. Truthfully, director's Terrence Malick's vision is larger than what many people will likely attach to the film. Whilst the lead character's upbringing does serve largely as the driving plot (at least in the linear segments of the film relating to a 'human' history), it would be also easy to assume that given the other sequences (e.g., the birth of the universe to life on earth, the countless spiritual metaphors, 2001-esque trippy visualizations) Malick's goal was to incorporate all experience onto one single reel of film. Whether he succeeded I'm still unsure. What I can appreciate is one of the best portrayals of family life I've ever seen in a movie.

The Game

2011-11-26T02:17:00.001-08:00

The Game

(1997)

Nicholas Van Orton is a wealthy investment banker celebrating his 48th birthday. At this stage of his life, Nicholas is divorced, cold and practices cut-throat business. Things take a turn when his younger brother gifts him a "game" which consumes his entire life. To say anymore about the plot would only ruin it. There are a fair number of plot twists (and plot holes) but everything comes together in the end nice and neat. David Fincher sure loves making cerebral action movies.

M

2011-11-26T02:05:00.001-08:00

(1931)

A small German town is thrown into a frenzy when a serial killings of children occur. Everyone is a suspect, and with lack of substantial evidence or leads, a desperate police force enacts martial law to search for the murderer. At the same time, criminal organizations - suffering from sharp decline of business as a result of the martial law - band together to find the killer. Fritz Lang's portrayal of the fragility of the human psyche and limits of justice is weaved with masterful cinematography and great acting (the "trial" scene worth a mention). Despite its age, it holds well today and quite possibly laid the foundations of film noir of the 40's-50's.

2010-09-30T20:45:00.000-07:00

El Secreto de sus Ojos(2009)
An ex-detective decides to write a novel about a rape and murder that happened 25 years ago. As such, he revisits his past and reflects on the mystery, love and "passion" of the past and present. God, that elevator scene, you can feel the tension.

2010-09-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

Un Prophet(2009)
A great French drama about life in prison for a protagonist of arabic descent. Thrown into jail for what we can only assume as petty defiance, Malik must kill, bribe and do favors to rise up in the ranks of prison. Seriously great.

25th Hour

2010-08-30T15:17:00.000-07:00

25th Hour

(2002)

Edward Norton plays Monty Brogan in this Spike Lee film, an Irish drug dealer living in New York with malicious ties to the Russian mob. Except we join him later on, when it all crashes down, as the DEA busts in and finds drugs and gives him 24 hours before he is sent to prison. During this time, Monty reanalyzes his life, the choices he's made, and spends one last night with his true friends before he is imprisoned for 7 years.

Cinema Paradiso

2010-08-23T18:13:00.000-07:00

Cinema Paradiso(1988)
A boy develops a meaningful relationship with a movie projectionist and an affinity with film. We grow old with him, see a young romance bloom and crash, and then his recollections as he returns to his hometown 30 years later. Wonderful, wonderful Italian cinema.

Casino

2010-08-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

Casino

(1995)

Another Scorsese Mafia-style thriller. Robert DeNiro's Sam is a man who is an "ace" at managing risk and picking the right winners when gambling. Pesci, with the same character, plays a vindictive old-friend who makes money by extortion and far more illegal ways.

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

2010-05-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

The Maltese Falcon

(1941)

Humphrey Bogart plays Sam Spade, a private detective whose partner is killed shadowing a lead. Along with that, Bogart gets involved with a shady woman who seems to law often, and deadbeat (yet dumb) crooks looking for a black bird. A great film-noir into greed and the affects to the psyche.

Goodfellas (1990)

2010-05-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

Goodfellas
(1990)
To say brilliant would be an understatement. Scorcese's Goodfellas is a prime example of the rise and fall of a gangster hoodlum. All the wonderful modern film elements (trans-decade growth, 'based on a true story') are there. And could anyone really hate Joe Pesci's crazy Tommy character?

Rebecca (1940)

2010-05-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

Rebecca
(1940)

A girl meets a man, and marries him. Unfortunately, the memory of his past wife still haunts (in the non-paranormal way) him. The film begins to get interesting around the last quarter of it.

Ace In The Hole (1951)

2010-05-17T00:04:00.000-07:00

Ace In The Hole(1951)
A failed newspaper reporter takes advantage of a trapped man in a cave collapse for the news scoop of the decade. Wonderful film noir, conflicting moralities. A great showcase of various character personalities.

Double Indemnity (1944)

2010-05-17T00:00:00.000-07:00

Double Indemnity

(1944)

Insurance salesman falls in love with a woman who is plotting to rid her husband. Fantastic film noir, thick suspense, great script.

La Femme Nikita (1990)

2010-03-04T20:46:00.000-08:00

La Femme Nikita
(1990)

Punk girl kills a police officer, gets transformed into a special agent. The plot, as strange, works extremely well and director Luc Besson paints a very raw and believable character out of Nikita. Great flick.

The Night Of The Hunter (1955)

2010-02-15T22:32:00.000-08:00

The Night Of The Hunter
(1955)

Religious fanatic discovers that his cell mate robbed a bank and hid $10k somewhere. He gets out of jail and hunts down the family, marrying the wife and trying to extract the information from the children. Goes on a rampage. I didn't like this movie much, but the cinematography and the lighting were superb. The momentum of the plot moves slowly and the ending didn't help either. The whole theme about the foolish nature of women and men's innate ability to sense evil, come the fuck on. This film is so steeped in Christian rhetoric it's sickening. I guess for it's "time", it's OK.

Léon (1994)

2010-02-01T00:58:00.000-08:00

Léon
(1994)

A hired professional hitman takes up an apprentice in a little girl after her family is wiped out by a drug boss. She asks him to teach her how to be a "cleaner" like he. This is a good film, great action and strange sexual tension - a 12 year old Natalie Portman acts 'sexy' and it feels really bad to consider thinking about it.

A Serious Man (2009)

2010-01-19T13:30:00.000-08:00

A Serious Man
(2009)

A dark comedy about a man who goes through a series of bad luck and ponders the meaning of it all. The religious (Judaism) theme plays a large part, though the lead character doesn't seem to be convinced by it - as a physicist who believes all life is mathematics. The ending was a clusterfuck, but hats off Coen brothers.

Annie Hall (1977)

2009-12-29T15:55:00.000-08:00

Annie Hall
(1977)

A great film about the ins and outs of relationships, the complex functions that we apply to them and just how neurotic Woody Allen can be. Annie Hall is the kinda clueless girl that Alvy Singer falls for, despite being unlike all the other "New York" girls he's dated. He tries to get her to take "adult education", their sex life becomes stunted by Annie's marijuana and once it's over Alvy can't do anything without thinking about her.

Sunshine (2007)

2009-11-30T12:48:00.000-08:00

Sunshine
(2007)

In the future, our closest star will become "infected" by the Q-ball particle which is causing it to die. To save it and humankind, a small group of people must unload a large payload to reignite the Sun. A great sci-fi movie that I felt was runined by the ending where it turns into a monster-in-space movie, seriously out of nowhere, practically stealing from Event Horizon. Still a good movie though.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

2009-11-20T11:55:00.000-08:00

Ferris Bueller's Day Off
(1986)
Fun 80's comedy about a kid on the verge of high school graduation feigning sick and gathering his girlfriend and best friend to have a great day in Chicago. Has added a lot of cultural significance in American culture.

District 9 (2009)

2009-11-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

District 9
(2009)

As far as new science fiction movies go, this was really good. Aliens have arrived over Johannesburg, however instead of the conventional alien invasion or first contact, these aliens arrived malnourished. They are given space to live, District 9, which soon becomes a slum. The people of Johannesburg want the aliens out and there is much prejudice against the aliens. MNU, a large global weapons manufacturer wants to harbor the alien weapons technology. Our hero, Wikus van de Merwe, is an agent of MNU who ends up getting more than he bargained for. Soon he joins forces with the aliens after an interesting series of events. Good action flick.

Rock & Rule (1983)

2009-11-15T08:14:00.000-08:00

Rock & Rule
(1983)

Another trippy animation. Last adult-oriented animation film to come out of the US. Story set in the future after World War III in which rodents, small creatures survived nuclear holocaust, have mutated into Disney like beings. Group of teenagers want to make it big. Evil, famous superstar named Mok wants to rule the world by unleashing an even more evil being into the world. Only way? To find the perfect voice with the correct frequency. Great soundtrack with Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry. Several scenes look fantastic under certain drugs.

Nekojiru-so (2001)

2009-11-07T11:27:00.000-08:00

Nekojiru-so
or "Cat Soup"
(2001)

I always thought La planète sauvage was the most surreal, psychedelic movie that I have ever seen. Sure, Yellow Submarine was just as good, and the Point is also a favorite of mines, but something about La planète sauvage just got me. Cat Soup follows in the similar aspect of these aforementioned films, though it is less story driven. Centered around two cats in a surreal world, things start to go awry when the older sister cat falls ill and in the process loses part of her soul (at least, I think that's what happened). Afterwards the younger sister cat must drag her older sister, discovering new lands, animals, adventures all in the pursuit of curing her sister. Being less than half an hour long, it's a lot of fun, and quite short so you can always go to that fast food place right after.

Beverly Hills Cop (1984)

2009-10-31T07:56:00.000-07:00

Beverly Hills Cop
(1984)

Comedy buddy-cop movie. Eddie Murphy plays the wise-cracking, street-smarts police officer from Detroit who goes to Beverly Hills to investigate the murder of his best friend. Befriends two Beverly Hills officers, Rosewood and Taggart, who are clumsy, by the book and clueless about being a police officer in general. Lisa Eilbacher, as Axel Foley's (Murphy) old friend Jenny, is one sexy girl in the 80's. A few good jokes, done in predictable 80's fashion.

Wild At Heart (1990)

2009-10-28T19:14:00.000-07:00

Wild At Heart
(1990)
A strange film directed by David Lynch. A man and a woman head out on the road after a series of events involving murder, mystery and an overprotective mother. Contains many great Lynch elements but still lacks behind Blue Velvet. There was a scene in a metal concert that made me laugh, though. The ending was confusing as ever. Unrequited love story in either case.

OSS 117: Le Caire nid d'espions (2006)

2009-10-14T03:09:00.000-07:00

OSS 117: Le Caire nid d'espions
(2006)

A French parody of the James Bond series. I jumped into this a bit late but got the gist of it. Either my French is getting better or most of the jokes in this movie weren't too difficult to understand. OSS 117 finds himself in Cairo where he must gets into cahoots with a mysterious evil organization. While there he finds a beautiful woman who seduces him, but she has other things in mind. 'Twas a fun, decent movie.

Das Leben der Anderen (2006)

2009-10-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

Das Leben der Anderen
or "The Lives of Others"
(2006)

German film set in East Berlin in 1984, where a man listens in on the lives of a writer & his girlfriend and becomes immersed in their lives. This film was excellent. It really sheds light on the type of authoritarianism that East Berlin was under the governance of at the time. I sort of believe that movies based on true stories always seem to have the same cinematic elements, the look & feel so to speak. Though the stories are drastically different, I couldn't help but think of Polanski's The Pianist. Anyways, great movie.

movies that i watch, inside-out.

2009-10-05T11:37:00.000-07:00

inside & out; films that i watch and then what i thought. helps me remember, like a sex journal.