Category Archives: Uncategorized
Flickan som lekte med elden [2009)
This one’s not as impressive.
The first film’s story was TIGHT.
Pithy.
Dense.
Intricate.
Gripping.
Compelling.
This film feels like operatic recitative.
It just advances the story.
It’s not unenjoyable, but it’s not the MOAB that the first film was.
But as I chain-dip my General Snus (Original…naturligtvis), it is nice to see the water in Stockholm.
Where I once spent some time.
High above a hotel.
On the roof, in fact.
In a past life.
Which is to say, earlier in this life.
The references here are fewer and far between.
And, perhaps, more accidental (and daft).
Salander gives her apartment to (Madame) Wu.
Revenge of the Pink Panther.
Some careless fingerprints.
Crimes of passion.
Logic cedes to carelessness.
We almost get a really fascinating story here.
Human trafficking.
It has REAL potential.
Epstein.
Sex trafficking.
From Eastern Europe.
An occasional Thai.
Boxing ensues.
From Russia With Love is not an accidental thesis title.
At least in terms of filmic reference.
Robert Shaw as Red Grant.
Replace with Ronald Niedermann.
Sloppy job.
Bogart in The Big Sleep.
Jimmy Stewart in Vertigo.
Casing the joint.
Daft continues with the Where’s Waldo mail boy.
Is there video evidence?
Insurance files.
Massive campaign to hype “deep fakes” [videos].
Incest.
Kill Bill.
Not nearly as inspired as Niels Arden Oplev’s film.
Almost Goldfinger.
Strange ending.
A bit like Quantum of Solace had QoS sucked.
Which it didn’t.
Let’s hope something in this film enlightens further viewing.
On its own, it is dry, weak, and watery.
-PD
The Opposite of Sex [1998)
It was a very good year…
1998.
Unlike the year experienced in this film by Martin Donovan’s character.
And, perhaps, unlike the year 2020 which we are all currently living through.
Spoiler: Christina Ricci does not get nude in this film.
Carry on!
We start in Louisiana and come to Indiana, Los Angeles, Canada, and back to Indiana again.
This film deals with a lot of things.
Being a widow(er), for one.
Being gay.
Particularly, being gay in a conservative locale.
But at the heart of this film is a very strange series of lies and poor decisions.
But there are also some good decisions interspersed.
Mainly, there is a shitload of chaos.
And most of it is caused by Christina Ricci’s character Dedee Truitt.
Or sex.
Sex is a unifying principle here.
The stupidity of sex.
How sex can lead to a whole concatenation of events which were unintended.
In a strange way, this film is a cautionary tale.
But our narrator (Ricci) couldn’t give two fucks about ethics for most of this movie.
The whole tone of this film is sarcastic.
Sardonic.
If you like your comedy dark, you might like this.
But it’s not a particularly funny movie.
It’s watchable.
And, one might say, good.
Not great.
Lyle Lovett plays on an archetype perhaps established by Sheriff Harry Truman in Twin Peaks.
The resemblance of gesture and demeanor are remarkable.
Lisa Kudrow does a nice job here.
Her character is annoying as fuck.
And she pulls off that personality deftly.
But the real star is Martin Donovan as Bill.
His acting exceeds that of all the other players.
Really, to my eyes, this film revolves more around him than it does around Ricci’s hellbent character.
And so this film is not bad.
It is a little disappointing.
It is a little half-baked.
Half-assed.
Boring.
Even amidst all the chaos, it feels hackneyed here and there.
In the end, it was worth watching.
But just barely.
-PD
Wonderwall [1968)
When the whole world tells you you’re worthless.
You stupid insomniac.
In your room.
Samuel Beckett goes here.
Jack MacGowran.
Penny Lane played by Jane Birkin.
The object of your desire.
Gallagher brothers.
Holes.
Dug by little moles.
To fill the Albert Hall.
Rear Window.
Peeping tom.
Stop hoovering.
Frittering.
Vacuum cleaner solo.
Concerto.
Metropolis.
Squat house.
Low doors.
hygge
Psycho.
Lime green is actually apple green.
Corps.
cores.
Magritte.
mod lang.
Directed by Joe Massot.
Not bad.
Song Remains the Same.
Makes sense.
Surreal.
Strange career.
Pallenberg.
Keith and George.
This soundtrack long with me.
Through me.
Pakistani.
Bangladesh.
Only way to get deeper.
Remember what you saw.
Fixing a hole.
Where the rain gets in.
The Nutty Professor.
-PD
The Music Box [1932)
This is truly a masterpiece.
It transcends short film.
The piano…
¡Ay, carambas!
This film is all about work.
About having shitty jobs.
The things we do for money!
Stan and Ollie work their asses off.
For nothing, basically.
But it provides us with some much-needed levity.
And one need not be overly-erudite to see Sisyphus in all of this.
Very clearly.
Up the hill.
Over and over again.
Just as things seem ok.
The same disaster strikes again.
And you are back at square one.
Groundhog Day.
Hell.
…but funny!
[only funny if you’re not living it]
But this is comedy.
And so we thank God for Jerry Lewis…and Laurel and Hardy…and Charlie Chaplin.
And all the great comedians who have brought the working man (and woman) the laughter they so dearly needed.
There’s some great mise-en-scène and economy of means here from director James Parrott.
Everything revolves around the interminable stairs.
The steps.
Like Potemkin.
Steppes.
Central Asia.
Oh, Stan and Ollie…
They are at their idiotic best here.
Two gen-u-ine dumbasses 🙂
If I could only remember the name of that rock band that destroyed the piano…
-PD
Busy Bodies [1933)
Here’s where you can see a link to Jerry Lewis.
Julius Kelp knocking from beneath a horizontal door after a disaster.
Some great gags.
The record player in the car.
Good idea!
The window bit is great.
So awkward 🙂
But the paintbrush glued to the chin might be the highlight here!
Such hilarity!!!
These films really are good for the soul ❤
-PD
Murderers’ Row [1966)
Why do we watch bad movies?
Why do some films relax us?
What makes a flick watchable, yet vacuous [or vice versa]?
Panic in D.C.
World government as bogeyman.
Rightly so.
And sovereignty reasserts as to be valued.
Though we are still trying to get to the bottom of 9/11, we ask again: is #QAnon real?
You only live thrice.
And solar terror.
Karl Malden plays the bad guy.
-PD
Inspector Clouseau [1968)
Pretty good film.
All things considered.
Alan Arkin is impressive.
Second half drags.
-PD
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