Watched in 2014
In rough chronological order, starting in April, unless I decide to arrange it differently
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41 titles
- DirectorAlexandra LipsitzStarsDan CraneDavid S. JungHadia AckermanThe guitars may be fake, but the talent is real at the U.S. Air Guitar Championships, where performers rock out on invisible guitars in hilarious ways.Solid documentary, had a good hero and a good "villain" without flattening the narrative too much.
Purchased before viewing from local independent renter. - DirectorWerner HerzogStarsTimothy TreadwellAmie HuguenardWerner HerzogA devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.Ian's second time viewing, my first. I kind of knew what to expect. Ian and I talked afterwards about whether we do or are supposed to "agree" with any of the points of view presented. The one I most appreciated was the indigenous man who shifted focus from what Treadwell's actions say about his character to their actual impact on the bears.
Purchased after viewing from chain store going out of business. - DirectorMichael BliedenStarsBrian UngerGary CohanRobert GoreStand up comedian and marijuana user Doug Benson documents thirty days of pot free living and thirty days of non-stop use to compare the effects of both.I have watched this at least 5 times. My favorite comedy doc; the comedy and the message are well-balanced.
Purchased after viewing from chain store going out of business. - DirectorAlice WuStarsJoan ChenMichelle KrusiecLynn ChenA gay Chinese-American and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to go public with secret loves that clash against cultural expectations.Romantic as hell, charming, hilarious, so good, go watch it. My second time viewing, Ian's first.
Purchased before viewing from chain store going out of business. - DirectorHaifaa Al-MansourStarsWaad MohammedReem AbdullahAbdullrahman Al GohaniAn enterprising Saudi girl signs on for her school's Koran recitation competition as a way to raise the remaining funds she needs in order to buy the green bicycle that has captured her interest.Some of the acting seemed a little flat, but a wonderful story that made me cry tears.
Rented from local independent renter. - DirectorTamra DavisStarsDave ChappelleGuillermo DiazJim BreuerThe story of three not so bright men who come up with a series of crazy schemes to get a friend out of jail.This was super duper silly and all of the jokes had been quoted to death by high school friends and I will probably never watch it again. Also we ALMOST got through a whole comedy without a transmisogynist joke BUT NO
Received from a free stuff exchange. - DirectorMarilyn AgreloStarsHeather BermanEmma Therese BiegackiEva CarrozzaThe students of several New York City elementary schools learn ballroom dancing and compete in a city wide dance competition.Ian's first time viewing, my second. Not as exhilarating the second time.
Purchased after viewing from chain store going out of business. - DirectorLouis MalleStarsAndre GregoryWallace ShawnJean LenauerTwo old friends meet for dinner; as one tells anecdotes detailing his experiences, the other notices their differing worldviews.This is a good movie to watch at least once, though not a total mind-blower or anything. I wonder if it would have been if I had watched it younger.
Rented from the public library. - DirectorMarc AllégretStarsJosephine BakerJean GabinPierre LarqueyZou Zou tries to help her childhood friend prove his innocence after he's accused of murder.Excellent first half, the humor is still fresh and funny. Falls apart towards the end - seems like filmmakers were more concerned with showing big set pieces and getting Baker on stage than completing the story. The characters stop talking to each other! One more scene could have saved it and made it a widely recommendable classic. I wonder if maybe they ran out of money?
Rented from the public library. - DirectorLainy BagwellLacey LeavittStarsChuck BuryHot CarlaSeymoure CarnageThe sport of women's roller derby has made an enormous comeback, now with more than 30 leagues nationwide forming the Women's Flat Track Derby Association. Blood on the Flat Track focuses on the Rat City Rollergirls of Seattle, who formed their league from scratch in April of 2004. In the first season, the league started playing at a small rink in front of about 200 fans; they now sell out of 1,500 tickets monthly. This film follows the teams throughout its first two seasons and focuses on the women who comprise the league, their teams' struggle to win the championship bout and their relationships with each other.Some good elements that lacked a coherent narrative. I love derby, and clicked with some of the personalities, but still got bored.
Purchased before viewing from local independent renter. - DirectorChris EyreStarsAdam BeachEvan AdamsIrene BedardArnold rescued Thomas from a fire when he was a child. Thomas thinks of Arnold as a hero, while Arnold's son Victor resents his father's alcoholism, violence and abandonment of his family.A few really great scenes, but not consistent. For an adaptation of an unadaptable book it was pretty good.
Rented from the public library. - DirectorAnne WheelerStarsWendy CrewsonKaryn DwyerChristina CoxMaggie, 19, works at a lesbian/LGBT bookstore. Her mom's getting divorced and has invited herself to stay with Maggie. Maggie hasn't told her, she's lesbian. Her new girlfriend moves in as well.If I had watched this at 16, it would be in my top five faves ever. Watching it today, I riffed on it the whole time. Some great potential ruined by flat characters, eye-roll inducing cliches, and messy messy plotting. This was messy. Was it supposed to be campy? Legit could not tell. Very disappointing as I'm kind of the exact target market.
Rented from public library. - DirectorEdgar WrightStarsMichael CeraMary Elizabeth WinsteadKieran CulkinIn a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.Probably the 7th or 8th time watching it, 2nd time watching it with commentary.
Purchased after viewing from supermarket bargain bin. - DirectorNobuhiko ÔbayashiStarsKimiko IkegamiMiki JinboKumiko ÔbaA schoolgirl and six of her classmates travel to her aunt's country home, which turns out to be haunted.Described as "weird with TWO beards", we think it was at least five. Not too scary - hope my local theater (which plays a lot of cult films) screens it again sometime this year!
Rented from the public library. - DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsMark WahlbergJulianne MooreBurt ReynoldsBack when sex was safe, pleasure was a business and business was booming, an idealistic porn producer aspires to elevate his craft to an art when he discovers a hot young talent.My pithy summary: "A smart film about stupid people". I admired that the characters were sympathetic without being smart, admirable or even really relatable. The firecracker scene was so tense that I hid my face, only peeking through fingers during Jessie's Girl. The ending probably would have hit a little better if I didn't inextricably associate God Only Knows with Love Actually. The acting was all great, stand-outs for me were Heather Graham (who I usually don't believe) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (pretty heartbreaking).
Rented from the public library. - The IMDB page for this is pretty bare, but "The Sounds of Science" is actually comprised of 8 documentary shorts about sea creatures by Jean Painlevé with a new live score by Yo La Tengo. The earliest films in the series are from 1929; the latest is the notably psychedelic "Liquid Crystals" from 1978. Ian and I have both heard the soundtrack many times - "Sea Urchins" was the first Yo La Tengo song either of us ever heard, and it became a touchstone of our relationship, hence our interest in seeing the films. Seeing the films for the first time was wild and wonderful. I couldn't keep up with the subtitles because the visuals were so entrancing. Each short film is distinct, delightful and definitely bizarre. I tried to imagine seeing some of these films in the late 20s and early 30s - would have been a mind-blower.
Rented from the public library as part of the Criterion Collection DVD set "Science Is Fiction". - DirectorHarold RamisStarsBill MurrayAndie MacDowellChris ElliottA narcissistic, self-centered weatherman finds himself in a time loop on Groundhog Day.Ian's first time seeing it! And I hadn't since I was a kid. I remembered it pretty well, though - a lot of scenes really stuck with me. Except when I was a kid I thought the groundhogs were all fake? Anyway, fun to see again.
Rented from the public library. - DirectorCarl Theodor DreyerStarsMaria FalconettiEugene SilvainAndré BerleyIn 1431, Jeanne d'Arc is placed on trial on charges of heresy. The ecclesiastical jurists attempt to force Jeanne to recant her claims of holy visions.Very glad we watched it - innovative film with some great performances.
Rented from the public library. - DirectorErrol MorrisStarsRandall AdamsDavid HarrisGus RoseA film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas.Ian watched this one with friends at an independent theater. He says it is very important.
- DirectorArne JohnsonShane KingA documentary about four girls who transform their lives at the Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls.Watched this one for research on a story I'm writing. Definitely better constructed than the thematically similar (kinda?) Blood on the Flat Track, and I think this movie could be an eye-opener for someone who hasn't heard of the girl's rock camp concept before. Plenty of heart-warming stuff.
Rented from the public library. - DirectorAlfonso CuarónStarsMaribel VerdúGael García BernalDaniel Giménez CachoIn Mexico, two teenage boys and an older woman embark on a road trip and learn a thing or two about life and each other.Ian's second viewing, my first. Good conversation afterward. We both picked up on things the other didn't. One of the longer movies we've watched so far this year (though still under 2 hours), but well paced. I completely understand why it is a landmark, though I don't know if I'd watch it again for while.
Rented from the LGBTQ center library. - DirectorErrol MorrisStarsJoyce McKinneyPeter ToryTroy WilliamsA documentary on a former Miss Wyoming who is charged with abducting and imprisoning a young Mormon Missionary.Ian watched this one at a friend's house. He says it's not as good as The Thin Blue Line - less coherent thesis, but still interesting stylistically and in the characters created through the interviews.
- DirectorDave LaMattinaChad N. WalkerStarsCaroll SpinneyJim HensonFrank OzCaroll Spinney has been Sesame Street's Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch since 1969; at 78-years-old, he has no intention of stopping.Through this, I kept thinking it was very "and then..." style storytelling, which was too bad, because they had so much footage to work with! But that's perhaps due to the limits of trying to tell the story of a 75+ year old who never retired and did thousands of cool things. Some of the music cues were also pretty cheesy and doing too much of the storytelling work.
HOWEVER I also SMILED and CRIED through the WHOLE THING because I LOVE the muppets and their human family.
I saw this alone at an independent theater. It might be the first time I ever did that! - DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsJack BlackShirley MacLaineMatthew McConaugheyIn small-town Texas, an affable mortician strikes up a friendship with a wealthy widow, though when she starts to become controlling, he goes to great lengths to separate himself from her grasp.Very interesting story, & the interviews (mostly cast with real townspeople) were a fascinating choice, but overall would have worked better if the filmmakers committed to making a mockumentary instead of this dramumentary hybrid.
Jack Black did great with some of the most dramatic bits, but wasn't quite believable as a southern boy against this backdrop of authentics, and it was impossible to forget he was Jack Black every time he sang (which was a lot). Also didn't buy Shirley McClaine as an elderly lifelong Texan, but that may be because she wasn't given a lot of opportunities to do anything.
In the special features, we learned the filmmakers started following the case before it went to trial. It is MIND-BOGGLING to me that they didn't just make a documentary!
Rented from the public library. - DirectorRandall MillerStarsChris PineAlan RickmanBill PullmanThe story of the early days of California wine making featuring the now infamous, blind Paris wine tasting of 1976 that has come to be known as "Judgment of Paris".My second viewing, Ian's first. Great story, though obviously strays from the source material to up the drama. I almost don't mind, though Ian and I both wished we could have gone without the Sam/Bo romance and that Gustavo's story didn't just trail off at the end. Chris Pine's hair was not distracting on the first viewing, but it was on this one.
Rented from the public library. - DirectorOrson WellesStarsOrson WellesJoseph CottenDorothy ComingoreFollowing the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: 'Rosebud.'We did it! First time for both of us.
The problem with this movie is that it's so acclaimed, so 1) it will never live up to your expectations, and 2) any criticism you have of it makes you think "well, what the eff do I know about movies anyway".
We talked a lot about *why* it is so acclaimed, which is hard for us to say, as we don't have a lot of context to put it in. It's obviously using some fascinating visual techniques which may have been bold and new at the time. I wondered if there had been any films before this one that are as focused on character study rather than plot. I also wondered if perhaps this was seen as a encapsulation of the turn of the century. Of course, the other problem with this film is that we both totally knew what Rosebud was, which probably pulls some of the punch out of the ending.
Looking forward to reading more about it, but not so much watching it again, except perhaps with Ebert's commentary.
Rented from the public library. - DirectorDee ReesStarsAdepero OduyeKim WayansAasha DavisA Brooklyn teenager juggles conflicting identities and risks friendship, heartbreak and family in a desperate search for sexual expression.A visually beautiful and well paced film. Bina's character didn't quite ring true, but not sure whether that's a fault with the acting or the writing. Otherwise, this had solid writing, acting, and lots of interesting lighting and cinematography choices that make it easy to watch. Emotionally draining, but not without its rewards.
Rented from the LGBTQ center library. - DirectorKatsuhiro ÔtomoStarsMitsuo IwataNozomu SasakiMami KoyamaA secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath who can only be stopped by a teenager, his gang of biker friends and a group of psychics.It's been just long enough since I've seen this that I had a good grip on the plot and characters (which are pretty confusing) BUT had forgotten enough about it that a lot of scenes still felt surprising. Some of the animation is stunning; at other times it really shows its age. A lot of great use of sound. Super intense. Ian's first watch.
Rented from local independent renter. - DirectorJames GunnStarsChris PrattVin DieselBradley CooperA group of intergalactic criminals must pull together to stop a fanatical warrior with plans to purge the universe.I watched this one in Boston for a friends birthday (without Ian). Very funny and well-paced. While most of the crowd I was with preferred it to The Avengers, I thought this was (somehow) cornier, more predictable, and less subtle. Which isn't to say it's not good! It's corny, predictable and on-its-face sentimental in a totally enjoyable way. Great soundtrack, and good device to work it in. I wish there was a little more background on Gamora and her sisters.
I think this was my first IMAX 3D movie. It didn't bother me as much as I thought it might - only a few gratuitous uses.
Watched in chain IMAX 3D theater. - DirectorJohn WooStarsJohn TravoltaNicolas CageJoan AllenTo foil a terrorist plot, FBI agent Sean Archer assumes the identity of the criminal Castor Troy who murdered his son through facial transplant surgery, but the crook wakes up prematurely and vows revenge.This would be the PERFECT bad movie if it wasn't so long. I want to re-watch with Ian but dang, not for a while. Also, with all that has been said about this movie, no one has ever mentioned to me that Margaret Cho is in it??
Watched with a friend, rented via Amazon. - DirectorDavid KrentzErik NelsonDavid E. DuncanStarsWerner HerzogLorànt DeutschA collection of vignettes presenting possible experiences in the lives of dinosaurs during various periods.Anna chose this at random and it was an AMAZING find, for all the wrong reasons. It can barely be called a documentary, as its based on a lot of speculation and I learned nothing, not even the names of the dinosaurs I was seeing. Narration by Werner Herzog really sealed the deal - true to form, he spoke in limited bursts about the bleakness of prehistoric life. There's some gore and some sex. A dinosaur gets high.
Watched on Netflix. - DirectorJoe CornishStarsJohn BoyegaJodie WhittakerAlex EsmailA teen gang in South London defend their block from an alien invasion.This movie was great! I hope it gets the cult following it deserves. Unfortunately I am a SUPER BABY and spent a LOT of the movie with my eyes closed or moaning about who I didn't want to die. It wasn't so much the gore as the stress, though the gore didn't help.
Rented from local independent renter. - DirectorAerlyn WeissmanStarsJim DevaBruce SmytheKnowlton NashThe story of how Little Sister's, a small bookstore in the heart of Vancouver's gay and lesbian community, has flourished in the face of book seizures and bombings.After a long endeavor to find this documentary, a friend invited us to a small group viewing of a VHS received through inter-library loan. Considering what an important case it was, it's unfortunate that the documentary is so hard to come by... and that it's not a more rigorous doc. Interviews with employees and authors as well as footage of protests and the days before and after the court date are great, but they're surrounded by a lot of not-so-hot B-roll. Occasionally facts scrolled across the bottom of screen that could have been expanded into great segments to put some meat on this 45-minute doc's bones! One unfortunate thing could not be helped - recording of the trail was not permitted. I think an update of this doc combining its footage with new interviews, livelier segments and better editing would be a totally feasible and excellent tribute to the legacy of Little Sister's.
Watched on academic library VHS with a group of like-minded nerds in a media room on campus. - DirectorWes AndersonStarsGene HackmanGwyneth PaltrowAnjelica HustonThe eccentric members of a dysfunctional family reluctantly gather under the same roof for various reasons.Watched on my birthday! My third or fourth time watching, Ian's first. This was Ian's first Wes Anderson movie, and remains my only. Ian was surprised how human the characters were given the film's reputation for quirk. I forgot how well-paced it is. Noticed some setting touches that I never had before. Was a little bothered that Raleigh St. Clair was in as many scenes as he was - why were he and Dudley at the wedding and the funeral? I guess the answer is Bill Murray, but it stuck in my craw, a senseless and glaring quirk in a film of otherwise well-balanced and human quirkiness.
Rented from local independent renter. - DirectorRodney AscherStarsBill BlakemoreGeoffrey CocksJuli KearnsAn exploration of various interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's horror film, The Shining (1980).Ian sincerely muttered "I need more whisky" around minute thirty of this film. Weirdly, neither of us have seen The Shining, and still don't really want to. Also weirdly, this movie was not really good, but we don't regret watching it? Talked a lot afterwards about the director's choice to use only found footage & diagrams, no narration, and not even a still image of the speakers. This easily could have been a film all about the eccentric characters in this Kubrick-obsessed subculture, but the choices made force the viewer to give their theories consideration in their own right. Yet there is some characterization, especially at the end of the film, which feels like a caution. Not sure if the director is a devotee himself, or if he simply wanted to avoid exploitative sideshow territory with these "characters".
Rented from local independent renter. - DirectorDorothy ArznerStarsKatharine HepburnColin CliveBillie BurkeA famous female flier and a member of Parliament drift into a potentially disastrous affair.An early Katherine Hepburn film directed & written by women! I was excited for this one, but it hasn't aged well. The leading man (Colin Clive, best known as Dr. Frankenstein) was not at all charming, the pacing was awkward, and the dialogue was sometimes downright bizarre. High points: a hilarious performance by Helen Chandler (best known as Mina in Dracula), the complex characterization of Mrs. Strong (Billie Burke, best known as Glinda the Good Witch - seriously this thing was packed with familiar faces), and Hepburn's costumes!!
A short, simple movie - not a classic, but unique for its time, which gave us plenty to talk about.
Rented from the university library. - DirectorPeter AvanzinoStarsJason AlexanderSean HayesDennis HaysbertOne-hour animated special surrounding a surly deli owner Murray Weiner, who is forced to step into Santa's shoes for one Christmas and bumbles his way into doing a great job.I saw this on a plane. It had some good jokes and some completely bafflingly terrible jokes. Most of the songs went on too long - could have been a fun little special if they kept at a half-hour.
- DirectorBrian HensonStarsMichael CaineDave GoelzSteve WhitmireThe Muppets present their own touching rendition of Charles Dickens' classic tale.Watched on Netflix at our annual Christmas party. It was the version without "The Love Is Gone" which is *beep* up. Have seen it GOD knows how many times.
- DirectorPeter HarrisEric TillStarsFrank OzDave GoelzRichard HuntFozzie Bear surprises his mother on Christmas Eve by bringing the entire Muppet gang to her farm to celebrate the holidays.This is my favorite movie. This is my Citizen Kane.
- DirectorRichard CurtisStarsHugh GrantMartine McCutcheonLiam NeesonFollows the lives of eight very different couples in dealing with their love lives in various loosely interrelated tales all set during a frantic month before Christmas in London, England.We played several drinking games to this at our party. One was drinking every time they say "actually". They actually say it quite a bit.
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsBruce WillisAlan RickmanBonnie BedeliaA New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.Watched with commentary track from War Rocket Ajax. My second time viewing.
ARGYLE