It’s been a hectic couple of days over at Filmblerg and I’ve been slightly behind in documenting what I’ve been viewing over the past week. But let me just begin by saying it’s been rather varied!
12/01/2010
Coffee and Cigarettes: Finally got around to finishing all of Jim Jarmusch’s 2003 film. Having a fondness for both I could relate to their vices all too well. The black and white colour palate suited the simple vignettes not to mention some of my favourite actors and musicians all in the same film; Tom Waits and Iggy Pop being my particular favourite.
D!G: The fascinating documentary about the bands The Dandy Warholes and The Brian Jonestown Massacre (who have just released a new album!) and their ‘rivalry’. While the Dandy’s have gone on to sell out gigs and headline festivals the Brian Jonestown have always been plagued by their unbalanced frontman. Complied from over seven years worth of footage, it is worth seeing even if you’ve never heard of either bands – by the end you won’t be able to forget them.
14/01/2010
Blue Velvet: Watched this David Lynch classic for the first time this week. After seeing a clip of Dennis Hopper at the ACMI retrospective I thought it was high time I hop to it. I’m still deciding how I feel about it, like a lot of Lynch’s films I’m not sure I’ll ever fully understand what’s going on but a longer review is to come.
The Godfather: Re-watched this film for the first time in many, many years. I can’t even begin to fathom how many others have written about it and how much more succinct they must be – needless to say I thought it was a masterpiece. I can’t believe I waited so long to rewatch it. I can’t remember seeing a film I loved so much for so long.
15/01/2010
After Hours: One of Martin Scorsese’s lesser known pieces. After his first attempt to make The Last Temptation of Christ fell through and the stressful shooting schedules of Raging Bull and The King Of Comedy, he was after a small, fast production and he found it After Hours. In the of the best worst day films Paul Hackett just wants to get home to uptown New York, but downtown SoHo won’t damn let him. A fun, fast paced, brilliantly acted film that confirmed Scorsese as one of my favourite directors.
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17/01/2010
Samson and Delilah: Australian film by Warrick Thornton which tracks the story of two Aboriginal kids and their union in the face of overwhelming odds. With Samson addicted to petrol sniffing and Delilah half wanting to be rid of him and half wanting to save him, the film is difficult to categorise. With amazing sound production and astounding performances by the leads, the film certainly won’t make you feel good about the world, but it will make you think.
Howling III: With the tagline: Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go Down Under, you know you’re in for a good time. 1987 B-grade horror film which stars Barry Otto and Barry Humphries, it tells the flimsy tale of marsupial werewolves and what happens when they mate with humans. From the same director who brought you Mad Dog Morgan and the unforgettable Pterodactyl Woman from Beverly Hills it’s hilarious and ridiculous. WATCH IT.
18/10/2010
The Square: With brothers Joel and Nash Edgerton collaborating to make a seriously good Australian neo-noir piece, this overlooked gem is a must see for lovers of the genre. A slew of familiar Aussie faces pop up within the film and give you a serious case of ‘Hey, it’s that guy!’ (And yes it is Julian from The Chaser) If you like your films full of unredeemed characters and plots that keep on twisting, this is for you.
