Love them Swede's

I saw Let the Right One In last week, this is a Swedish film and one of the best films of 2008. It reminded me of another Swedish film of this Century Show Me Love. On the surface the two films would seem to have very little to do with one another. If you had to label each film with a type or label, Let the Right One in Would be labeled with Vampire Film, and Show Me Love as Lesbian Film. Neither of those descriptive words comes anywhere near describing these films. These films are about loneliness and connection. Both films feature main characters who are adolescents and outsiders, who are the victims of teasing or bullying. There must be something in the Swedish mindset that allows them to capture these feelings of isolation and aloneness better than anyone else.

Let the Right One In is a deliberate film full of observation and beauty, that features as a main character a vampire, but this is not a horror film, really it’s film about finding friendship and love. It’s intriguing for the way it presents what it might be like if there really were vampires, and the twists it adds to that mythology and for how truly it observes the myths. But that is too limiting a description because it’s so much more than that. That is the description that would turn off so many viewers who would truly admire the film if they saw it. What it is really about is a young boy who is an outsider, who is bullied and has no friends who finds a friend and more someone to love. They are both outsiders as she is a vampire, but you could almost say she is a vampire in the way a charagter in another film might be a person with cancer. She is not a villian, she is a different type of animal, but like the boy she needs someone as well.

Show Me Love is a film that all parents of Teenagers should see. There is a scene where one of the main characters extracts razor blades from a razor. Many films will have scenes like this, but only in this film do you really feel you understand why. Not that you want her to do it, but because of the complete truth with which the film has presented her life up until that point you feel like you understand why she feels that way. This scene is only ¼ of the way through the film. What is invaluable about this though is the insight we can gain the understanding that can help us observe our own children and their world. We forget as years pass how it feels to be young and this film captures it in spades. It also reminds us of the understanding we need to have for where they find love.

Films Viewed in 2009

Bedtime Stories
The Kite Runner
Out of Bounds
Mama Mia
a Few Good Men
The Gingerbread Man
Erin Brockovich
Philadelphia
Intolerable Cruelty
The Firm
Slumdog Millionaire
Raging Bull
Forrest Gump
Burn After Reading
The Times of Harvey Milk
Cast Away
Ghost Town
Splash
Revolutionary Road
The Wrestler
Doubt
The Reader
C.R.A.Z.Y.
An American Crime
Hamlet 2
The Legend of Hell House
The History Boys
Pineapple Express
Brief Encounter
St. Elmo's Fire
Brideshead Revisited
Clerks 2
Repo The Genetic Opera
Shattered Glass
Less Than Zero
The King of Comedy
The Neverending Story
Heavenly Creatures
The Duchess
After Hours
Frost/Nixon
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Bottle Shock
Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist
Man On Wire
The Visitor
The Hustler
Rocknrollar
W.
Frozen river
Signs
Son Of Rambow
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Show Me Love
Australia
Coraline 3D
Bolt
Changeling
How To Lose Friends and Alienate People
The Color of money
Rachel Getting Married
The Jerk
Cannery Row
Body of Lies
Wanted
Scream
Scream 2
Scream 3
The Omen
Halloween
What Just Happened?
Halloween 2
Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired
Absence of Malice
Halloween 3 Season of the Witch
American splendor
Friday the 13th
Scary movie
Juno
Halloween 4 The Return of Michael Myers
Halloween 5 The Revenge of michael Myers
Halloween 6 The Curse of Michael Myers
Friday the 13th part 2
Watchmen
Hearts in Atlantis
Clerks
H2O
Meet Bill
New York Stories
Goodfellas
Mallrats
Friday the 13th part 3
Witchboard
Chasing Amy

Catching up on the years screenings.

OK sorry, updates have been slow. Will try and start the new year right. Before we can move on though, I'm updating what I've seen since the last post. The total was 308 films in 2008.

Year of the Dragon
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Pete's Dragon
Little Woman
The Desperate Hours
Hellboy II
The Phantom of the Opera
Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman
City of Lost Children
New York, New York
About a Boy
Leatherheads
Teen Wolf
Stalker
Step Brothers
Meet the Parents
Meet the Fockers
Your Friends and Neighbors
Woodstock
1969
Valkyrie
Synedoche, New York
Milk
A Christmas Carol
Love Actually
Elf
The Last Waltz
Beautiful Girls
The Polar Express
A Christmas Story
It's a Wonderful Life
Dr. Syn: The Scarecrow of Romny Marsh
Role Models
Let the Right One In
The Castle of Cagliostro
Snow Angels

screening update

Sorry it's been nothing but screening updates lately but since nobody but my Mother-in-law reads the blog I'm sure there's not really that much of an uproar about it. Hi Kathy!!

Viewed since the last entry

Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare
Casino Royale
Spellbound
Vampyres
The Disney Davey Crocket Films
Candleshoe
Taxi Driver
Get Smart
Sin City
Quantum of Solace
Mister Foe
Wes Craven's New Nightmare (Ties with the first for the best )
Gonzo: Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson

What I've watched since the last update.

Who’s That Knocking on My door?
Alien
Aliens
Alien 3
Alien Resurrection
Guilty By Suspicion
Ghost Town
The Satanic Rites of Dracula
The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires
The Curse of Frankenstein
The Flesh & Blood Show
The House of Whipcord
Die Screaming Marianne
IT (1966)
Boxcar Bertha
Sometimes They Come Back
Gremlins
Dracula (1931)
Strip Nude For Your Killer
The Revenge of Frankenstein
Salem’s Lot (2004)
The Shining (1997)
The shining (1980)
Nosferatu
Shadow of the Vampire
Frightmare
Mean Streets
La Dolce Vita
A Nightmare on Elm Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
Quarantine
Night Of The Living Dead
Fright Night
Scream of Fear
City of Ember
Needful Things
Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore
The Evil of Frankenstein
Frankenstein Created Woman
Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed
The Horror Of Frankenstein
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Sold Out: a Threevening With Kevin Smith
Who Saw Her Dies
Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell
A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master
A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: Dream Child

screening updates

OK I started this post a week ago and since have added almost 20 more films so I am going to try and be a little briefer this time. In fact in probably half or more of the films I'm just posting a grade.

Mirrors: C

It’s only been a few weeks but I’ve already almost entirely forgotton this film, good idea, execution was a off, should have been better than it was. A few too many plot holes to overlook.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona: B

Another strong showing from Woody. Javiar Bardem shows his range from last years Oscar winning Socio path to this performance which can only be described as cool incarnate. Scarlet Johansson redeems herself from what I saw as a contuniual slide in recent projects into a selfconciousness that never allowed her to inhabit characters. The real attraction her though is Rebecca Hall as Vicky, she’s one to watch for in the future. This is one of those films that you have things to say and discuss afterward.

The Adventures of Robin Hood: B+

Good old Errol Flynn, Gracie wanted to watch this after loving Robin Hood: Men in tights, this is what a Robin hood movie should be.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: A

This was the next film in Ali and I's game, the link was interacial romance from "Flirting"


In the Heat of the Night: B+

Next in the game link from Guess Who's Coming to Dinner was Sidney Poitier

3 Days of the Condor: B+

Hamlet 2: B+

Don't worry you don't have to rewatch Hamlet before going to this it isn't really a sequel it's actually a comedy about an incredibly inept high school drama teacher who's one chance to save the drama program is his musical sequel to Hamlet. The great British comic actor Steve Coogan is perfectly cast. Rock me sexy Jesus!!!

Good Night and Good Luck: A

Next in the game this is the weakest link so far, the link is the word Night in the title.

Without a Clue: B-

Disaster Movie: D-

This is terrible, and why Alex doesn't pick the movies anymore. Watching it though you wonder why they don't even try and be good. Can something be this bad without consciously deciding to be?

Salo: F

Criterion collection read it was controversial, I can see why. It's also pretty gross and unpleasant.

The Verdict: B

Solid, just catching up on a classic here that slipped through my fingers until now.

Riding the Bullet: C+

War of the Worlds: B-

Disturbia: B

Definitely something about Labouf.

A Shock to the System: B+

Interesting Michael Caine thriller from the 80's. He really is always an interesting actor to watch. Great to see his career back in high gear.

Children of the Corn: B-

I had always been terrified to watch this film, having seen it now....I don't see why. It's pretty tame but fun to see Peter Horton and Linda Hamilton before they were famous or stopped being famous.

Sleepwalkers: C

Pretty dumb Stephen King original

The Horror of Dracula: B+

The first in the British Hammer films studio Dracula series. Gracie and I are watching them all, though she gets rather bored with half of them at least. They are great fun though, not too scary but full of heightened atmosphere and ridiculous plots.

The Brides of Dracula: B

Second in the Hammer Dracula series though no Dracula this time around just some of his leftovers and Van Helsing.

Frequency: A-

I love a good time travel film, showed this to the kids for the first time, Gracie was pretty lost.

Roshomon: B+

Finally catching this classic from Kurosawa, feel that I'll get more out of it with repeated viewings. One of those films that obviously made an enormous impact on cinema which years later it can be hard to recognize because it's innovations are now standards. Jane Austen Perfected the unreliable narrator in literature with Emma, Kurosawa does it for film with Ro

The Fifth Element: B-

Not nearly as good as I remembered still fun, Alex liked it I think though he spent a lot of time playing with guys during it.

The Iron Rose: C+

French horror film from the 70's. Interesting idea but cheap budget and it felt very padded, would have worked better as a short.

Dracula Prince of Darkness: B

Next film in the Hammer series and this time Dracula is back. fun stuff but ridiculous ending in which Dracula is defeated by running water, ooooooo!!!

And Now the Screaming Starts: B

Interesting British horror film by Hammer rival Amicu, unlike Hammer they were usually set in modern times, though this is one of their rare forays into Period set films. Terrible title but not a bad film. again not really scary but not really the point.

Dracula Has Risen From the Grave: B

Um they are all starting to run together now.

Pet Sematary: B-

Another film I'd always been too afraid to watch, another what was I scared of? (pale green pants with nobody inside them).

Taste the Blood of Dracula: B

The Scars of Dracula: B

Transsiberian: B

Thriller that's more dread then thrills, more suspense based then action. Featuring the always lovely Emily Mortimer (definitely on the list)

Bram Stoker's Dracula: A-

It has it's flaws but it's like an old Hammer film minus the cheese all atmosphere and brilliantly cinematic. Ethan and Alex kept Mystery Science Theatering it and ended up going upstairs to play. I still think it works, though still not Keanu Reeves best performance. Some great lines, "Take me away from all of this death"!

Run Fat Boy Run: A-/B+

OK unabashed Simon Pegg fan here, also huge on British comedies, the film is filled with cameos from British comedy greats that no one else in America has any idea who they are. I liked it a lot!!

Asylum: B

Another Amicus production, very fun, they book ending framework actually works better than the anthology shorts that comprise the middle section.

Dracula 1972 AD: B

Frankly it's all getting a bit silly not but we do get Van Helsing back in the form of Peter Cushing who'd been absent from the series since The Brides of Dracula. This entry also has one of the better endings in the bunch.

Lips of Blood: C

This was disappointing low budget French art house/horror film from the 70's, supposedly a classic and it was interesting but a bit overlong at 90 minutes.

2008 so far...

OK Jason asked me to work on this so I thought it would make a quick update to the long neglected blog.

Tied at 1st place until I see them both again

1. The Dark Knight & Wall*E
2. Forgetting Sarah Marshall
3. Iron Man
4. Tropic Thunder
5. In Bruges
6. Vicky Cristina Barcelona
7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
8. Hamlet 2
9. Kung Fu Panda
10. The Incredible Hulk