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Marnie 1964
The first time I watched this, seven years ago, I was in a pretty raw state emotionally, and it seemed like this film was digging its fingers into my still-open wound. I'm in a better state now, and thankfully can see the mastery on display here. Perhaps not better than Vertigo, but Marnie is the more cynical film.
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Howl's Moving Castle 2004
Some people feel like Howl’s Moving Castle is too much. Though not everyone agrees about it being the best Miyazaki movie, I think everyone can agree that it’s the most Miyazaki movie. I certainly feel vindicated saying that Howl’s Moving Castle is my favorite Miyazaki film after the man himself called it his favorite creation. In a way that’s serendipitous, it tickles my fancy in a way that Terry Gilliam’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen does, another film where one…
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Resident Evil: Apocalypse 2004
“My name is Alice. And I remember everything.”
Alice came into being without a soul. The first thing she witnessed upon opening her eyes for the first time in Resident Evil was a mere impression of a life. "All of your dreams will come true," a note she found said, suggesting a previous life she had lived but simply forgotten. That is, until she realized that that life was a ruse. There were no dreams, no memories -- just manifestations…
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Don't Bother to Knock 1952
Best line in the movie: "You smell like a cooch dancer!"
Marilyn Monroe really gave it her all in this brief thriller that clocks in at only 76 minutes, and this was some of the best acting I've ever seen from her. Monroe somehow manages to portray Nell as seductive, psychotic, sympathetic, and maybe even downright pathetic almost simultaneously. I wish Monroe had tackled more dark roles like this during her career.
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In a Lonely Place 1950
Yesterday, this would've meant so much to us. Now it doesn't matter... it doesn't matter at all.
Many people consider this Bogie's best performance, and it's hard to argue against that. It's like the best of both worlds with his cool casual demeanor of his Sam Spade or Philip Marlowe, with his unhinged mania from his performance in Treasure of Sierra Madre. His ability to laugh off accusations and jabs in the first half of the film make his volatile…
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Resident Evil 2002
"I don't wanna be one of those things. Walking around without a soul."
Paul WS Anderson's Resident Evil serves as a bold rejection of the postmodern condition, rallying with every fiber of its being against the absence of societal vigor -- the soullessness -- that resulted from the desperate pursuit of meaning in the capitalist milieu.
It also happens to be a badass genre exercise where Milla Jovovich kicks an undead dog across the room in slow motion. Happy 20th birthday, you adorable creation.
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It's a Wonderful Life 1946
One of those movies that does it for me in the waterworks department. I know I'm not alone in feeling that way, and it's safe to say that this film has more fans than detractors, but I'm still surprised to see people dismiss It's a Wonderful Life as a hallmark card film. Obviously, it's goal is to be a tear-jerker, but it doesn't take any easy steps to get there. Putting the ending aside, a lot of it feels kind…
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The Batman 2022
Just about everything I expect from a competently made, moderately engrossing, run-of-the-mill spectacle from the superhero industrial complex: a loving transplantation of genre tropes and affectations that elevates an otherwise pedestrian screenplay.
The Batman is very much a legacy of the Nolan era in theme and politics — which is to say, incomprehensible. The narrative ultimately serves to vindicate conservatism by painting “real change” as a destructive and terrorizing force. Batman can take out all the bandits and mob bosses, but…
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Hard Target 1993
John Woo’s constant fascination with sheer motion results in some of the most expressionist, borderline baroque images ever put to screen. Every shell casing, every shard of debris ricocheting around the frame feels meticulously composed — as integral a part of the film’s mise en scene as the actors’ movement. Pure cinematic bliss.
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Titus 1999
I've been meaning to put my thoughts down on why I think a lot of cinematic Shakespeare adaptations fall short. A lot of it is due to the creators making the adaptation thinking they need to have a veneer of prestige to it to "show respects to the Bard" (as if he had the opinions of upper-society in mind when writing his plays). I think another issue that's not often talked about is the fact that, as good as Shakespeare…
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42 One Dream Rush 2010
Not the worst anthology film out there (though it'd be nice if that were the case; I'd like to live in a world where this is considered bottom of the barrel), but definitely a very disappointing one. Admittedly, I feel like there's a ceiling of quality that anthology films are capped off by (yes, even fantastic ones like Kwaidan), where I inevitably start ranking each of the segments and start thinking about which ones I like the most and which…
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