Now Watching: Seven Psychopaths I’ve seen this film a number of times, but I was asked to do a write-up for it and so I am. If you want to request viewings/movie drabble from me then feel free. Martin McDonagh is a bit hit or miss with me. I adored his short film Six Shooter, but I wasn’t too hot on In Bruges, which everyone and their mother loves to rave about. In leaving the theatre after Seven Psychopaths, however, I was filled with the kind of elated giggly happiness that generally only follows watching two hours of spandex clad superheroes battle it out on screen.  To actually describe the plot of this film would be an enormous injustice. The brilliance is in the writing, and how McDonagh chooses to reveal information and progress the plot.  Basically, Marty (an author-insert if ever there was one) finds himself in a bind whilst setting out to write his next feature film. The film is called Seven Psychopaths—but he’s tired of violence and wants to write something with meaning. His friend offers him some help to get his creative juices flowing. It gets a little out of hand.  The most basic sentiment in this film is the difficulty of storytelling, or rather, of finding the right way to tell a story. That makes it sound like a pretentious French film, which it is not. There are guns and there are puppies and there’s Woody Harrelson.  The most attractive thing about this film is the writing (which makes it quite meta now doesn’t it). McDonagh understands that film is a visual medium, but since this film is about the struggle with the written word, he also manages to balance what could be an incredibly talky tedious film into something really outstanding. At every plot turn you can feel McDonagh working through the characters with a smile. It’s a subtle art to balance engaging storytelling with what now is considered Shamylanian “cheap” tricks. Seven Psychopaths is that balance.  Every thread is carefully maintained from a character’s first appearance to their last. Every set-up has a pay-off. It’s a very pleasing movie structurally, but that’s the last thing you’ll be thinking of whilst watching it. The performances are outstanding. I hope Sam Rockwell is getting laid like crazy because he’s so talented and charming and he steals the show in this film.  Colin Farrell plays a pretty great straight man, and although it’ll be pretty easy to overlook him when he’s sat next to Christopher Walken or Tom Waits, he’s the much needed anchor for this film. Without him, it’s just an enormous flight of fancy without emotional anchor and without drive.  It’s a brilliant film and I can’t recommend it enough and goddamn if it didn’t get snubbed for a screenplay nod at the Oscars. 

Now Watching: Seven Psychopaths

I’ve seen this film a number of times, but I was asked to do a write-up for it and so I am. If you want to request viewings/movie drabble from me then feel free.

Martin McDonagh is a bit hit or miss with me. I adored his short film Six Shooter, but I wasn’t too hot on In Bruges, which everyone and their mother loves to rave about. In leaving the theatre after Seven Psychopaths, however, I was filled with the kind of elated giggly happiness that generally only follows watching two hours of spandex clad superheroes battle it out on screen. 

To actually describe the plot of this film would be an enormous injustice. The brilliance is in the writing, and how McDonagh chooses to reveal information and progress the plot. 

Basically, Marty (an author-insert if ever there was one) finds himself in a bind whilst setting out to write his next feature film. The film is called Seven Psychopaths—but he’s tired of violence and wants to write something with meaning. His friend offers him some help to get his creative juices flowing. It gets a little out of hand. 

The most basic sentiment in this film is the difficulty of storytelling, or rather, of finding the right way to tell a story. That makes it sound like a pretentious French film, which it is not. There are guns and there are puppies and there’s Woody Harrelson. 

The most attractive thing about this film is the writing (which makes it quite meta now doesn’t it). McDonagh understands that film is a visual medium, but since this film is about the struggle with the written word, he also manages to balance what could be an incredibly talky tedious film into something really outstanding. At every plot turn you can feel McDonagh working through the characters with a smile. It’s a subtle art to balance engaging storytelling with what now is considered Shamylanian “cheap” tricks. Seven Psychopaths is that balance. 

Every thread is carefully maintained from a character’s first appearance to their last. Every set-up has a pay-off. It’s a very pleasing movie structurally, but that’s the last thing you’ll be thinking of whilst watching it. The performances are outstanding. I hope Sam Rockwell is getting laid like crazy because he’s so talented and charming and he steals the show in this film. 

Colin Farrell plays a pretty great straight man, and although it’ll be pretty easy to overlook him when he’s sat next to Christopher Walken or Tom Waits, he’s the much needed anchor for this film. Without him, it’s just an enormous flight of fancy without emotional anchor and without drive. 

It’s a brilliant film and I can’t recommend it enough and goddamn if it didn’t get snubbed for a screenplay nod at the Oscars. 


posted 4 months ago / ♥ 6 notes



Now Watching: The Children’s Hour I’m going to preface this review with saying that I identify as a primarily straight female. I feel it’s worth saying, since this includes “outsider” conjecture on some queer subjects. This was a film screened and discussed in my queer cinema class.  The Children’s Hour is a film starring Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine providing one of the earliest open depictions of homosexuality on screen not grossly mired in stereotype and subterfuge. The basis of the plot: Two school friends run a school for girls together. As Audrey Hepburn’s character plans to marry and carry on with her own life, MacLaine is confronted with the feelings she’s been experiencing all her life. The accusation of an eavesdropping child threatens to ruin their livelihood and bring the truth to the surface. Okay, that said: This is an interesting film when one considers that, in reference to the content matter, Shirley MacLaine claims that she and Audrey “had no idea what they were doing.” It’s pretty overt. The word “lesbian” is never used, but the love one woman feels for the other is pretty obvious and rather explosively addressed. I would say that McLaine’s ignorance relates more to in how the topic is dealt with—lesbianism as some dirty disease, something to be atoned for or ashamed of. Without spoiling the ending explicitly, this film helps set up a precedent for queer films that has carried on to today—these guys do not get a happy ending. It was true then and it was true in Brokeback Mountain, the most recent most-talked about queer film.  The question then is whether representation of any kind is worth suffering these cinematic tragedies. On one hand, you have honest portrayals of real people rather than limp-wristed sissies or man-hating butch lesbians. It’s also relatively easy to skew the film to be about the gross restrictions society places on a queer individual rather than some kind of tragedy inherent in queer persons. Still, it would be nice to have a happy ending now and then.  I think The Children’s Hour is an astounding film for its time—and although the notion of “coming out” isn’t dealt with much dignity, the performances are very real and very affecting. Of course Shirley MacLaine would perceive her love for Audrey as some kind of unnatural sickness—that’s what the entire world, her own family, has been telling her all her life. There’s a lot of very interesting cinematography and pacing in this film that delve in to the psychology of this relationship that’s worth examining for any nerds out there.  There’s light to be found in the film if you’re willing to sift, though I would say that a stiff drink is in order after you finish screening. 

Now Watching: The Children’s Hour

I’m going to preface this review with saying that I identify as a primarily straight female. I feel it’s worth saying, since this includes “outsider” conjecture on some queer subjects. This was a film screened and discussed in my queer cinema class. 

The Children’s Hour is a film starring Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine providing one of the earliest open depictions of homosexuality on screen not grossly mired in stereotype and subterfuge. The basis of the plot: Two school friends run a school for girls together. As Audrey Hepburn’s character plans to marry and carry on with her own life, MacLaine is confronted with the feelings she’s been experiencing all her life. The accusation of an eavesdropping child threatens to ruin their livelihood and bring the truth to the surface.

Okay, that said: This is an interesting film when one considers that, in reference to the content matter, Shirley MacLaine claims that she and Audrey “had no idea what they were doing.”

It’s pretty overt. The word “lesbian” is never used, but the love one woman feels for the other is pretty obvious and rather explosively addressed. I would say that McLaine’s ignorance relates more to in how the topic is dealt with—lesbianism as some dirty disease, something to be atoned for or ashamed of. Without spoiling the ending explicitly, this film helps set up a precedent for queer films that has carried on to today—these guys do not get a happy ending.

It was true then and it was true in Brokeback Mountain, the most recent most-talked about queer film. 

The question then is whether representation of any kind is worth suffering these cinematic tragedies. On one hand, you have honest portrayals of real people rather than limp-wristed sissies or man-hating butch lesbians. It’s also relatively easy to skew the film to be about the gross restrictions society places on a queer individual rather than some kind of tragedy inherent in queer persons. Still, it would be nice to have a happy ending now and then. 

I think The Children’s Hour is an astounding film for its time—and although the notion of “coming out” isn’t dealt with much dignity, the performances are very real and very affecting. Of course Shirley MacLaine would perceive her love for Audrey as some kind of unnatural sickness—that’s what the entire world, her own family, has been telling her all her life. There’s a lot of very interesting cinematography and pacing in this film that delve in to the psychology of this relationship that’s worth examining for any nerds out there. 

There’s light to be found in the film if you’re willing to sift, though I would say that a stiff drink is in order after you finish screening. 


posted 4 months ago / ♥ 12 notes



Now Watching: Mama Mama appealed to be on a number of levels prior to even seeing it. Firstly, I trust Guillermo del Toro implicitly in everything he wants to spoon feed me. I have no reason to question that man’s taste. Secondly, the concept—or the concept as it was presented in the trailer—is just awesome. The notion of feral children is something which is very interesting to me. There’s something very eerie in footage one sees of cases like “Genie,” neglected or abandoned children that revert to an animalistic-like state in order to survive.  The film delivered on the “feral” aspect very well. A good many of the scares come from the youngest of the two sisters, who maintains the wild streak put into her as a baby once she was abandoned.  The story is surprisingly involving and although it seems to put all its cards on the table within the first ten minutes, the narrative continues to pull you in and slowly reveal the depth of the danger that the sisters and their adoptive family face with Mama.  More than that, the film is about who Mama is and Mama’s plight—and that brings in the strong emotional rhythm that hangs over this entire film.  Although this is not a Guillermo del Toro directed film, it certainly feels like it, and it’s because of the emotional rhythm. Guillermo understands that a really resonant horror movie isn’t simply a series of flashy deaths and cheap scares. It’s something that lives with you, long after you leave the theatre. Andres Muschiette understands this very clearly. Like del Toro, he presents young child characters not as one-dimensional sources of danger or vulnerability—they’re complex, they’re deeply wounded and they’re darkly beautiful. Much the same can be said for the story as a whole.  Although the fright scenes are handled expertly and the entire cast is really remarkable, especially the young girls, the thing that may leave the theatre with you isn’t a sense of terror but a sense of sadness. It’s a wonderfully affecting film and I’m so pleased that this is the first face that horror has shown in 2013. 

Now Watching: Mama

Mama appealed to be on a number of levels prior to even seeing it. Firstly, I trust Guillermo del Toro implicitly in everything he wants to spoon feed me. I have no reason to question that man’s taste. Secondly, the concept—or the concept as it was presented in the trailer—is just awesome. The notion of feral children is something which is very interesting to me. There’s something very eerie in footage one sees of cases like “Genie,” neglected or abandoned children that revert to an animalistic-like state in order to survive. 

The film delivered on the “feral” aspect very well. A good many of the scares come from the youngest of the two sisters, who maintains the wild streak put into her as a baby once she was abandoned. 

The story is surprisingly involving and although it seems to put all its cards on the table within the first ten minutes, the narrative continues to pull you in and slowly reveal the depth of the danger that the sisters and their adoptive family face with Mama. 

More than that, the film is about who Mama is and Mama’s plight—and that brings in the strong emotional rhythm that hangs over this entire film. 

Although this is not a Guillermo del Toro directed film, it certainly feels like it, and it’s because of the emotional rhythm. Guillermo understands that a really resonant horror movie isn’t simply a series of flashy deaths and cheap scares. It’s something that lives with you, long after you leave the theatre. Andres Muschiette understands this very clearly. Like del Toro, he presents young child characters not as one-dimensional sources of danger or vulnerability—they’re complex, they’re deeply wounded and they’re darkly beautiful. Much the same can be said for the story as a whole. 

Although the fright scenes are handled expertly and the entire cast is really remarkable, especially the young girls, the thing that may leave the theatre with you isn’t a sense of terror but a sense of sadness. It’s a wonderfully affecting film and I’m so pleased that this is the first face that horror has shown in 2013. 


posted 4 months ago / ♥ 13 notes



Now Watching: Frankenstein Created Woman I mean, the title sort of spells it out, doesn’t it?  Excellent export from Hammer—Peter Cushing reprises his role as Victor Frankenstein and, go figure, starts sewing up some dead folk. Fun watch, even if it’s not the best Hammer has to offer. 

Now Watching: Frankenstein Created Woman

I mean, the title sort of spells it out, doesn’t it? 

Excellent export from Hammer—Peter Cushing reprises his role as Victor Frankenstein and, go figure, starts sewing up some dead folk. Fun watch, even if it’s not the best Hammer has to offer. 


posted 5 months ago / ♥ 6 notes



Now Watching: Into the Abyss I’ll watch any Werner Herzog documentary just to listen to that guy’s voice, I’ll be honest, so Into the Abyss was a no brainer for me. It actually slipped under my radar, I didn’t know he’d already completed something after the Cave doc.  This documentary, presented in almost Grizzly Man style, accounts for the events surrounding a violent crime. Interviewed are the accused and imprisoned and soon to be killed, the family of the victims, a man who previously worked in the penal system, etc. It’s a very interesting concept and it does pay a lot of respect to the families affected by violent crime, something that most documentaries of this sort (highlighting the fantastic and weird crimes of serial killers and making a drama out of real life tragedy) tend to overlook.  Though not as compelling as Grizzly Man (what is), it’s still a very engaging doc. It feels as though Werner’s personal opinions are starting to become more prevalent in his documentaries, which is acceptable considering that he allows himself to be a presence on-screen. It’s not misleading in the least. It does sort of step on the toes of the people he’s interviewing at times, but ultimately the film is great. Definitely recommend. 

Now Watching: Into the Abyss

I’ll watch any Werner Herzog documentary just to listen to that guy’s voice, I’ll be honest, so Into the Abyss was a no brainer for me. It actually slipped under my radar, I didn’t know he’d already completed something after the Cave doc. 

This documentary, presented in almost Grizzly Man style, accounts for the events surrounding a violent crime. Interviewed are the accused and imprisoned and soon to be killed, the family of the victims, a man who previously worked in the penal system, etc.

It’s a very interesting concept and it does pay a lot of respect to the families affected by violent crime, something that most documentaries of this sort (highlighting the fantastic and weird crimes of serial killers and making a drama out of real life tragedy) tend to overlook. 

Though not as compelling as Grizzly Man (what is), it’s still a very engaging doc. It feels as though Werner’s personal opinions are starting to become more prevalent in his documentaries, which is acceptable considering that he allows himself to be a presence on-screen. It’s not misleading in the least. It does sort of step on the toes of the people he’s interviewing at times, but ultimately the film is great. Definitely recommend. 


posted 5 months ago / ♥ 5 notes



Now Watching: We Need to Talk About Kevin Don’t have children. That’s it. That’s the movie.

Now Watching: We Need to Talk About Kevin

Don’t have children.

That’s it.

That’s the movie.


posted 5 months ago / ♥ 11 notes



Anonymous said:
U seem to know a lot about movies so I decided to ask.. Do u know any similar movies to gummo, mysterious skin, dogtooth, etc? I mean, mind blowing, indie, surreal movies? thank you very much

Mindblowing, indie, surreal. Hmm. 

A lot of my “mindblowing” favorites might just be under a “trash” heading. Which, to be fair, Gummo is pretty trashy—it just hides itself under the veil of art much better than, say, John Waters. Some of the films on my list might not fall into all three categories you listed. Let me try, though.

I’m going to change the “mind-blowing” requirement to “shocking” because that’s what I know better, haha.

  • Eraserhead or any early Lynch (mindblowing, surreal, low-budget)
  • Pink Flamingos or Female Trouble (surreal, low-budget, shocking)
  • Audition (surreal, shocking)
  • Salo (surreal, shocking)
  • Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (low budget, shocking)
  • Requiem for a Dream (surreal, shocking)
  • Happiness (surreal, shocking, low-budget)
  • Kids (low-budget, shocking)
  • Oldboy (shocking, surreal)
  • Irreversible (shocking, low-budget)
  • Holy Mountain (shocking, surreal)
  • Stroszek (low-budget, surreal — this one’s a bit of a stretch but it’s one of my favorite movies)
  • El Topo (low-budget, surreal, shocking)
  • Gozu (low-budget, surreal, shocking)
  • The Virgin Suicides (surrealish, shockingish)
  • We Need to Talk About Kevin (low-budget, shocking)

I hope that at least one of these appeals to you! All I can think of for now. 

It’s hard to come up with movies based on films that provide a very very unique experience. I can’t say I’ve ever really felt the same after a movie the way I felt after Gummo, you know? 


posted 5 months ago / ♥ 1 notes

• Anonymous • ask • now watching


Westerns You Should Watch 

Classic Westerns

  • Rio Bravo - the most entertaining John Wayne film for my money. If you don’t enjoy Rio Bravo then I don’t know what to tell you.
  • The Treasure of the Sierra Madre - a western film that doesn’t focus so heavily on horses and shootouts as it does panning for gold. Humphrey Bogart is A+
  • The Magnificient Seven - it’s like Seven Samurai, but not
  • The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance - another John Wayne film, but this time accompanied by Jimmy Stewart. My personal favorite Stewart western. 

Spaghetti Westerns

  • The Good, The Bad and the Ugly - goes without saying, right? The actual coolest movie you’ll ever see. 
  • Django - the film opens on Franco Nero dragging a coffin through a desert of mud. Once you find out what’s inside that coffin, it becomes very clear where this movie’s head is at—and it’s awesome.
  • The Great Silence - a slower film, for those of you willing to be more patient for a beautiful result. A spaghetti western with a beautiful, snow-covered setting. 
  • Once Upon a Time in the West - less grit than GB&U, more refined storytelling by Sergio Leone. Excellent, but not quite as “cool”. 

Modern Westerns

  • True Grit - the remake is actually better than the original, and the original is one of the few John Wayne movies I really love. 
  • Unforgiven - Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman are fantastic. This film, more than any others, tends to get the praise “I liked it, and I don’t like westerns!” Well, that’s not entirely true now is it?
  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - I put this under ‘modern’ even though it’s a bit old by today’s standards, but the film is pretty timeless in my opinion. Paul Newman and Robert Redford star as the titular characters and goddamn if they aren’t charming.

Weird Odds and Ends

  • Adios Sabta - watch this trailer and tell me this isn’t the best thing you’ve never seen.
  • My Name is Nobody - a film that’s got quite a lot of camp humor value as well as being a pretty decent spaghetti western
  • Support Your Local Sheriff - a western comedy and a damn good one. If you see it and like it, check out the sequel—Support Your Local Gunfighter.

posted 5 months ago / ♥ 3 notes



Now Watching: Home Movie (2008) This is not a proper review. I’m only posting this in the hopes that one of the folks who glances at this blog takes my recommendation and watches it. Please, please, please.  This is one of my favorite recent horror movies. I just rewatched it with a friend, and it’s nuts how well it holds up. I still get chills. It’s an efficient, smart, well-crafted horror film that slips into the found footage sub-genre pretty well.  You can spare 76 minutes of your life for a really good horror film. Please try this out—I wouldn’t dare say a thing out of set-up lest I weaken the movie’s impact. I have so much fun every time I watch this film, I wish more people could see it.

Now Watching: Home Movie (2008)

This is not a proper review. I’m only posting this in the hopes that one of the folks who glances at this blog takes my recommendation and watches it. Please, please, please. 

This is one of my favorite recent horror movies. I just rewatched it with a friend, and it’s nuts how well it holds up. I still get chills. It’s an efficient, smart, well-crafted horror film that slips into the found footage sub-genre pretty well. 

You can spare 76 minutes of your life for a really good horror film. Please try this out—I wouldn’t dare say a thing out of set-up lest I weaken the movie’s impact. I have so much fun every time I watch this film, I wish more people could see it.


posted 5 months ago / ♥ 9 notes



Now Watching: The Posession It tries, and it’s not a bad film, but it’s a premise that’s been done many times and been done much better.  Most horror movies that come out anymore fail to understand how essential atmosphere is, and that a few interesting visual gags strung together with really dry dramatic predictable set pieces just don’t work. The film can’t sustain any sense of creepiness or dread, it’s limited by its own attempts to work in a more broad theme or story.  Horror films are afraid of being “just horror films” anymore! Well stop it! Embrace it! Strive for horror. Because “thriller” is just an insulting term to label a horror film that has done well commercially. The Sixth Sense isn’t a thriller—it’s a horror film that made money. Oh well. At least Jeffrey Dean Morgan is hot. And Matisyahu makes an appearance. You know, I never thought I’d watch Matisyahu exorcise a demon from a little girl—so it was worth watching for that, at least.

Now Watching: The Posession

It tries, and it’s not a bad film, but it’s a premise that’s been done many times and been done much better. 

Most horror movies that come out anymore fail to understand how essential atmosphere is, and that a few interesting visual gags strung together with really dry dramatic predictable set pieces just don’t work. The film can’t sustain any sense of creepiness or dread, it’s limited by its own attempts to work in a more broad theme or story. 

Horror films are afraid of being “just horror films” anymore! Well stop it! Embrace it! Strive for horror. Because “thriller” is just an insulting term to label a horror film that has done well commercially. The Sixth Sense isn’t a thriller—it’s a horror film that made money.

Oh well.

At least Jeffrey Dean Morgan is hot. And Matisyahu makes an appearance. You know, I never thought I’d watch Matisyahu exorcise a demon from a little girl—so it was worth watching for that, at least.


posted 5 months ago /