Category: Film

Weapons

I’ve been thinking about Weapons (the movie) off and on since I saw it. This has been partially bolstered by others’ video essays. I’m not going to go into detail to avoid spoilers, but I’m curious what others think.

The movie draws on several sources:

  • A standard mystery/drama: The first section of the film operates like one, with characters trying to find missing children and exploring the lives of Josh Brolin and Julia Gardner.
  • Fairy tales: Most obviously, the Pied Piper and Goldilocks.
  • P.T. Anderson’s Magnolia: The episodic nature, the cop character, the overall look and feel. Plus, the director even said so!
  • Alcoholism: The director has gone on record as saying this is a massive piece of the film. Julia Garner’s character is one, as were Josh Creeger’s parents. The idea of a child taking care of their parents originated here.
  • What else am I missing?

Comfort Movies

I hesitate to call most of these “comfort movies,” but these are movies I will put on in the bacikground mostlybecause I’ve seen them so many times.

  • Back to the Future (1985)
  • Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) I’ll often keep watching the series – they’re more connected than their Next Generation counterparts.
  • Zodiac (2007)
  • Alien (1979) again, I’ll often watch a lot this series (even with its highs and lows)
  • Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)

Wings of Desire vs City of Angels

I first saw Wings of Desire in a college film course and have seen it a few times since. City of Angels was a loose Americanized remake made around the same time. I’m not someone who is generally angered by remakes, but I think this one so missed the mark that it got to me a bit at the time.

Despite decades of awareness of the U2 song from the movie (with a music video based in the same world), I have yet to see the sequel, Faraway, So Close!

This video by Nerdwriter does a great job of comparing the strengths and weaknesses. If you’ve never seen the Wim Wenders original, I encourage you to seek it out! Watch almost any other Nic Cage movie.

Music videos inspired by Wings of Desire:

Trailer:

Movie Retrospective

I’ve previously written about AI and what uses I do and don’t like. Here’s one I do like… gathering info about posts I’ve written in the past. I thought I’d see what movies I’ve referenced over the last few years.

Movie TitleYearDirector(s)
Abigail2024Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett
Attack the Block2011Joe Cornish
Barbarian2022Zach Cregger
Billy Elliot2000Stephen Daldry
Bit2019Brad Michael Elmore
Body Bags1993John Carpenter, Tobe Hooper
Brassed Off1996Mark Herman
Bride of Chucky1998Ronny Yu
Child’s Play1988Tom Holland
Child’s Play 21990John Lafia
Child’s Play 31991Jack Bender
Chopping Mall1986Jim Wynorski
Dark Star1974John Carpenter
Dune (1984)1984David Lynch
Dune (2021)2021Denis Villeneuve
Fright Night2011Craig Gillespie
Fresh2022Mimi Cave
Freaky2020Christopher Landon
Halloween II1981Rick Rosenthal
Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night II1987Bruce Pittman
Hereditary2018Ari Aster
It Follows2014David Robert Mitchell
Late Night with the Devil2023Cameron Cairnes, Colin Cairnes
Lisa Frankenstein2024Zelda Williams
Love and Monsters2020Michael Matthews
Malignant2021James Wan
Martin1977George A. Romero
No Time to Die2021Cary Joji Fukunaga
Nosferatu (Robert Eggers, upcoming)(2024/2025)Robert Eggers
Parasite2019Bong Joon-ho
Phantasm1979Don Coscarelli
Possession (1981)1981Andrzej Żuławski
Pride2014Matthew Warchus
Prom Night1980Paul Lynch
Seed of Chucky2004Don Mancini
Shadow in the Cloud2020Roseanne Liang
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings2021Destin Daniel Cretton
Sleepaway Camp II1988Michael A. Simpson
Sleepaway Camp III1989Michael A. Simpson
Slither2006James Gunn
Talk to Me2022Danny Philippou, Michael Philippou
The Babadook2014Jennifer Kent
The First Omen2024Arkasha Stevenson
The Forever Purge2021Everardo Gout
The Funhouse1981Tobe Hooper
The Lighthouse2019Robert Eggers
The Northman2022Robert Eggers
The Omen1976Richard Donner
The Omen III1981Graham Baker
The Omen IV (TV Movie)1991Jorge Montesi, Dominique Othenin-Girard
They/Them2022John Logan
A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge1985Jack Sholder

John Cassavetes

A few months ago I stumbled on a YouTube account called James Whale Bake Sale. The channel features interviews with comedians, directors, and other celebrities talking about their own films or those they admire. Most of the interviews are taken from podcast appearances. I’m particularly drawn to the interviews with Bill Hader, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorcese, and other directors. One of the most discussed filmmakers on the channel is John Cassavetes. I’ve been aware of him for decades, between seeing his 1958 film, Shadows, back in college and repeated viewings of Rosemary’s Baby.

I spent late November and most of December watching the films he directed, wrote, or starred in… ranging from the very terrible The Incubus and Big Trouble to the highly influential Gloria, and A Woman Under the Influence, and Shadows; and television appearances on Columbo and his starring role on Johnny Staccato. Like Wes Anderson (whose Darjeeling Limited was clearly influenced by Cassavetes Husbands) often sports a troupe of regulars that includes Peter Falk, Gena Rowlands, Seymour Cassel, Timoty Carey, and Val Avery (and others).

I’m looking forward to seeing Love Streams, which I could only find on Blu-ray – most of his other films can be found on Max or Amazon Prime. I highly recommend seeking out the films he wrote and directed and would include Elaine May’s Mikey & Nicky.

YearTitleStatus
1959ShadowsSeen (1999)👍
1961Too Late Blues
1963A Child Is Waiting
1968FacesSeen (2024)👍
1970HusbandsSeen (2024)👍
1971Minnie and MoskowitzSeen (2024)👍
1974A Woman Under the InfluenceSeen (2024)👍
1976The Killing of a Chinese BookieSeen (2024)👍
1977Opening NightSeen (2024)👍
1980GloriaSeen (2024)👍
1984Love StreamsTo see
1986Big Trouble (replaced original director)Seen (2024)👎

Other movies of note as actor

YearTitleRoleStatus
1964The KillersJohnny North
1967Devil’s AngelsCody
1967The Dirty DozenVictor FrankoSeen (2024)👍
1968Rosemary’s BabyGuy WoodhouseSeen (many times)👍
1969Machine Gun McCainHank McCainSeen (2024)👍
1976Mikey and NickyNicky GodalinSeen (2024)👍
1978The FuryBen ChildressSeen👍
1981Whose Life Is It Anyway?Dr. Michael Emerson
1982The IncubusSam CordellSeen (2024)👎
1982TempestPhillip Dimitrius
1982The HaircutMusic Industry ExecutiveSeen (2024)❓
1983Marvin & TigeMarvin StewartSeen (2024)👍
1984Love StreamsRobert HarmonBlu-ray on the way!

Nosferatu

There are two, count them, TWO versions of Nosferatu being released this year. One is a slightly new take by Robert Eggers and the other is meant as a direct remake of the 1922 version using modern technology.

It’s an interesting story. Nosferatu was an unofficial adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula. So unofficial that Stoker’s widow sued the makers of the new version. There were minor changes to the story and names (for example, Count Dracula became Count Orlok), but many elements made it from page to screen.

  • Werner Herzog’s 1979 version retains much of the plot from the novel and Murnau’s film. While it follows the original closely, it lacks much of the dramatic lighting and scares that made the 1922 version what it is. There are some minor changes that helped make it a fresh adaptation.
  • You can see a very heavy influence the look of Francis Ford Coppola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula, mostly through the heavy use of the vampire’s shadow.
  • Shadow of the Vampire is yet another take – it portrays the actor playing Orlok in Murnau’s movie as an actual vampire.
  • Both the 1979 and 2024 versions of Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot use Orlok’s look as inspiration for their main vampire (Kurt Barlow).

1922 by F.W. Murnau (full film on Vimeo)

1979 by Werner Herzog

2024 by Robert Eggers

2024 by David Lee Fisher

1992 Francis Ford Coppola

2000 by E. Elias Merhige

Child’s Play

I’d never seen the Child’s Play / Chucky movies but I’ve been working on it lately! The first movie was very different from what I’d pictured – it’s a bit more grounded with the origin (if that makes sense). I never knew why Chucky was the way he was until I randonly watched the opening scene. I’m a big Brad Dourif fan (I mean Dune, Excocist III, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, etc.). These movies are a real mixed bag, but I’m enjoying the ridiculosness and am looking forward to watching the show once I’m done with the movies.

So far I’ve watched:

  • Child’s Play
  • Child’s Play 2
  • Child’s Play 3
  • Bride of Chucky
  • Seed of Chucky