Yojimbo

Hey, did you know that this is the last movie out of Ebert's books? Probably not, but I do, since I eat, sleep, and breathe these movies. :) I felt like I had to share. So, today's movie is Yojimbo, directed by Akira Kurosawa in 1961. I guess it's his most famous film, but I wouldn't really know that. It's quite good, though. It's based, I read, on a few different Dashell Hammett novels such as The Glass Key and Red Harvest. I'm pretty sure I read Red Harvest, but for some reason or another I can't really remember. I was a great student, you know?

Regardless of how much I actually learned in college, Yojimbo is pretty great. Samurai movies and Western films have always had a lot in common, but here, Kurosawa went out of his way to add in Western elements. Later, Sergio Leone would make Fistful of Dollars, which is, I've heard, extremely similar. I only point this out. I guess, to underline how much this movie is like a Western, since I think that's a neat aspect of the movie.

W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism

You'll have to forgive me for any strangeness in my writing - I'm still pretty fuzzy from this cold. I tried to rest as much as possible today, but it's hard, there's a lot to do! I really can't miss work, since I have no sick time and I'm way too busy - probably why I got sick to begin with, what with how stress ruins your immune system and all that. I'm not sure that today's actual movie is going to get watched - I had planned on watching on Netflix instant, but all the subtitles are cut off and I can't read them. Might have to just move it to the end and get a disc.

Today I watched W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism, directed by Dušan Makavejev in 1971. I don't really know if I understood anything in the movie, possibly exacerbated by the fact that colds make me feel pretty out of it, but I sort of liked it. Most people I know would be probably put off by the film, but I'm not really the type of person who is shocked by nudity or sexuality, I guess. I probably was more confused by the movie because I'm not familiar with Wilhelm Reich, who has like, a mini-documentary going on in the film.

Woodstock

Not really looking forward to being at work all day tomorrow, but it will be nice and probably stress-relieving to be able to get stuff done without interruption. Hopefully it goes quick! I'm glad to be home, now, though, and thought I'd be lazy and write this post at almost 3am in my warm bed.

So, earlier I watched the director's cut of Woodstock, directed in 1970 by Michael Wadleigh. I only mention that I watched that version because I think it bumps up the running time to almost 4 hours. Sounds a little awful, yes? It wasn't so bad. Once it started, I was really into it, and I really liked the editing and all of the musical performances. It was really cool to watch something where it had so much music, maybe 60%, so it was pretty relaxing and easy to watch. I must admit I don't know anything about Woostock other than what exists in cultural consciousness, so it was really neat to actually be able to see the crowds, see the people, and watch the performances. It felt like I was there, except with less bad acid. Yay!

A Woman's Tale

Sorry I didn't get to post this last night. I was honestly so tired that I was falling asleep while I was trying to read Ebert's essay. I figured I could either do it late, or post a garbled mess instead. I hate being so tired all the time, but man, things are stressful - in life and work. Then I have the project on top of that, and it's been pretty hard. I don't want to reduce the number of movies per week because I'm so close to being done!

Anyway, yesterday I watched A Woman's Tale, directed by Paul Cox in 1991. It's a very good movie, and a very sad movie. It's one of the few movies that deals with death in such a direct and honest way. This is coming from someone who has, for better or for worse, watched people die in documentaries on physician-assisted suicide, and enjoyed SICK. This was not nearly as blunt as either of those things, but a far cry from what we normally see in Hollywood.

Withnail & I

Ok, keeping this short so I can go to bed. Man, sometimes when it gets late like this, I wish I could just do like, a 3-sentence post to sum up my feelings. Alas.

Today I watched Withnail & I, directed by Bruce Robinson in 1987. It's a different sort of film, but I really enjoyed it. I really, really liked the characters and I had a blast watching them. Withnail and his friend ("I") were really funny and I liked their little escapades. I mean, it wasn't like it was constantly funny - there was that weird nagging feeling that if these were real people, their behavior would be incredibly concerning. However, since they weren't, I found myself enjoying in on a surface level on more than one occasion.

Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?

Much to the shock of pretty much everyone I know, I've never seen today's movie - Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? directed by Robert Aldrich in 1962.

I was expecting something sort of boring or dull, mostly because it had such a long running time, and I wanted to be driving around in my new car instead of stuck in front of the TV again. However, I was really surprised by how awesome this movie is! It's legitimately scary and weird, and I loved the performances from both Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. I wasn't expecting it to be...I don't know, actually good. There was just something about the story and the performances that really stuck with me. I loved that both main characters were women, as well. Not because I'm having a "the wimmins!" kind of thing, but because it's more rare, I think, to see actresses take roles like this. It's just a really good movie all-around, and I really enjoyed watching it.

Werckmeister Harmonies

I was really glad to have a day off today - I got a lot done, and was able to get everything set so I can go pick up my car tonight. It was nice to actually get a movie finished before 10 p.m, too. I have to go in earlier on Saturday than I thought, but really, it was worth it.

Today's movie is strange and long, but I sort of liked it. I watched Werkmeister Harmonies, directed by Bela Tarr in 2000. I remember wanting to go to some film class on this movie when I first was at DePaul, but I was lazy. I then had the movie on my Netflix queue for the next five years. Glad I finally got to see it. It was really a weird movie, not like anything I've ever seen before. It's slow, moody, and felt like a nightmare. I could see that this could be really irritating to watch if you didn't get into it. It was odd - I felt like I didn't want to be watching it, but I really wanted to finish it and see what happened.

Waking Life

Today I went out and bought some dry shampoo to try - the color I dyed my hair wears quickly, so the less I can wash it, the better. However, I'm an everyday-wash sort of person, and I've always hated having to skip a day or two (I used to dye my hair all sorts of unnatural colors but I would always hate trying to preserve the color. I'd either re-dye it a lot or make my own shampoo with dye in it to try to extend the color). I tried the one I got today and it was amazing. Life-changing amazing, because now I feel like I can keep my hair weird colors and not have it be gross 50% of the time. Sorry, boring, but I'm really excited!

Earlier I watched Waking Life, which was directed by Richard Linklater in 2001. I remember watching this in high school with my friend Jon. I remember slouching on his couch afterward and talking endlessly about things the movie made us think of. I also think we dozed off a few times during it, but it still made a big impression on me. I love dreams, and I was really into trying to lucid dream in high school. I also just thought some of the conversations in the film were really profound, and I like that it actually created some good conversations for me and my friend.

Vengeance Is Mine

Today was all sorts of good. Got my hair done and I'm loving the new color that I did. I hate it when I have the same hair color for too long, so I really was excited for a change. I also ran out and got a new wine rack, since the one I had was bowing out and like, collapsing from the weight of my many wines. Feels good to have everything cleaned up and awesome.

Later, I watched Vengeance is Mine, directed by Shohei Imamura in 1979. It's really good, and not at all what I was expecting. It's about a serial killer, and I assumed it would be like most of the serial killer movies I'm used to watching - quick paced, and a clearly defined set of feelings about the killer. This movie didn't really have either of these things, but I found myself really enjoying it even thought it was so completely different. Ha, that's probably why I liked it so much.

Triumph of the Will

My day was pretty much a wreck, except in the evening when I finally went to check out the car that I'm getting! The dealer brought it in for me from Indiana and everything. It was a really good experience and I cannot wait to drive my car home! Hopefully I'll be getting it Monday after work - maybe this will be the first Monday that I have ever looked forward to, hahaha!

So, today I watched Triumph of the Will, directed by Leni Riefenstahl in 1935. It's sort of a film class staple - anyone I know who has seen it has watched it in a film class, and everyone else has never heard of it or looked at it. It's a tough  sell - it's hard to get people to want to watch Nazi propaganda, no matter how much you talk up the greatness of the movie. This is the classic example of a generally boring and crappy film that is made incredibly well. It is zero fun to watch this movie. It's dull, it's full of Nazis and Hitler giving long speeches and it's generally hard to watch. But it's made so well! The editing and cinematography are great, and I always thought it was probably a pretty effective movie in it's day.

Top Hat

I am so ready for the weekend. I have a lot of stuff to take care of, but mostly fun stuff and hopefully it will be full of awesome. I'm excited to sleep in a tiny bit!

I always feel sort of bad when I don't really enjoy a movie, especially one that's funny and sweet. Do I hate fun? It is a real possibility. Today I watched Top Hat, directed by Mark Sandrich in 1935. His name is almost sandwich! Pretty sweet. It's not a bad movie by any means, which is how every post about Fred Astaire movies that I write goes. It's actually really good in every respect, except that I personally don't really like it. I don't know why dance movies don't really work for me. Too happy? Too flimsy of a plot? I don't really like musicals either, so there's just something about this sort of...idea...that doesn't really work for me. Don't get me wrong - I see all the things that make this movie good. The dancing is great and looks impossible, and it does wow me, but it just doesn't really do anything for me.

The Thief of Bagdad

Ok, I really need to do this post quickly. I lost track of time and I have so much work to do tomorrow. I really can't wait until things get less busy there - this was a really hard time to start working there, I think. I keep being told that things are going to wind down after this year is over.

Today I watched The Thief of Bagdad, a fantasy movie directed in 1940 by Michael Powell, Ludwig Berger, and Tim Whelan, with contributions by Korda's brothers Vincent and Zoltán, and William Cameron Menzies. I thought I would hate it. The special effects are constant and old, so I figured that they would be laughable and dumb. I don't often like adventure-y, fantasy movies either, and I assumed I wouldn't like the plot. Once it started, there was singing and all sorts of nonsense, and I was immediately surly. But for some reason, one that I can't even put my finger on, I started to really enjoy the movie. I really liked it! I just had a lot of fun watching it - the effects were campy at many points, but it was just so endearing. I don't know what drew me in - the characters, the story, or just something about the bad blue-screen effects, but it was a really good time.

The Terrorist

This is the worst image quality, this poster. Ah well. I'm too sleepy to find another one. Today I watched The Terrorist, directed by Santosh Sivan in 1998. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the movie, having never heard of it before. I was really surprised by how quiet and contemplative the movie was, and by how much I enjoyed it. I thought maybe it would be preachy or something, but I felt like everything was really left up to the viewer. I guess it was cast with mostly non-actors, which is why it felt so realistic and unscripted. I thought it had a really nice combination of good visuals and good story.

The Shining

I was so happy to watch The Shining, directed by Stanley Kubrick in 1980 today. I've been in the mood for horror movies, and there really is nothing more satisfying than a good creepy movie on a cool fall night. I got the Kubrick Blu-ray box set for my birthday, and I was so excited to finally get to watch one of them and check out the quality! It looked really great, and I had a lot of fun watching it. It's such a classic movie, and I think it aged really well - it doesn't feel super outdated to me, and it still seems scary.

I remember the first time that I saw this movie. I think I was in middle school. I was on vacation in Galena with my extended family, and we were, for some reason, all really excited about this made-for-TV-remake that was airing while we were out there. We made sure to be in and gathered around the TV every night to watch it. It was so terrible. The acting was awful and you could barely understand what anyone was saying. There was some point where the kid was mumbling about something and my cousins and I were convinced he was telling his parents that the voices told him "about dumber croquet." In any case, the TV version was so bad that it was decided to needed to rent the Kubrick version, so us stupid kids didn't grow up thinking The Shining is was a 3-part TV special. I don't think everyone remembered the amount of swearing, occasional nudity, and creepiness that was in the movie, and much complaining ensued since it was not appropriate for children (you know, like it's realistic to expect drunken abusive husbands to be all "shoot!" and "darn!" the whole movie)...but I loved it. I'm always happy to watch it, for the funny memories of the horrible TV version and because it was one of those movies that really made a big impression on me.

The Scarlet Empress

I had a great day today - it was really productive and somehow really stress-relieving. I was pretty preoccupied with cars lately, but I think I finally found the one for me. It's exciting and soothing to have made a decision and have less to worry about all the time! I really lucked out because I was able to drive the two cars I was most curious about back to back, even though one of them has been really hard to find. Really helped me make a decision, you know?

I was that my ability to make decisions carried over into how I feel about today's movie - The Scarlet Empress, directed by Josef von Sternberg in 1934. There were some things I sort of liked, but overall, I kept feeling like I didn't really "get" the appeal of the movie. This was further confused when I read Ebert's essay, which seems to frame the film as great because he finds Marlene Dietrich erotic (as does the director). The plot is maybe irrelevant, and while the movie looks cool, the charms of a lot of it were lost on me, I guess, because I wasn't really attracted to the actress.

Santa Sangre

Hey, it's finally the weekend! Sleeping in, test driving cars, getting my hair cut - I'm stoked. I'm so happy to have some time to get stuff done, finally.

I was really excited about today's movie - Santa Sangre, directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky in 1989. I actually bought the Blu-ray shortly after it was released because I just sort of figured that I would like it. I was totally right - this was an awesome movie. It's incredibly strange, and I imagine that most people would either get the horror movie aspect or laugh at the film. I guess you could do both, but I feel like you either accept the absurd world of the film, or it's just too bizarre to take seriously. For whatever reason, I completely accept and embrace all the weirdness, and I loved all the psychological horror that this film was full of. Whatever goes on is Jodorowsky's head is wonderful and macabre and strange, and I always feel almost privileged to get a glimpse of it.

Sansho the Bailiff

This might be my shortest post ever if I get my way - I was cutting the tags off of a stuffed narwhal I got in the mail and I sliced my finger really badly. Seriously badly. I sort of paused and looked it at and had that feeling of dread you get when you realize you filleted your finger with an extremely sharp pocket knife. I saw there was a huge, thick, flap of skin, and a big circular notch cut out of my finger, gross! It was a bloody, painful mess, and I just tried to sort of mush it back together and hope for the best. But it's really, really painful. It's hard to bend my finger and the entire thing hurts, not just the part that I cut. So typing sucks. A lot. I keep stopping to complain and whine. Because of this, I want this post to be really short so I can rest my hand. How dumb is my life, seriously?

Today I watched Sansho the Bailiff, an incredibly sad, powerful, and beautiful film. It was directed by Kenji Mizoguchi in 1954. It's great, but it's hard to watch. There is a lot of suffering and pain, and it's not really a movie that is probably easy to watch again. Ebert writes about a film critic who said how he loved it, but came away from it broken and doubting he'd ever watch it again. I certainly feel the same way.

Samurai Rebellion

I want to keep this a little shorter since I am sort of at my limit for stress right now and I want to try to get to bed as early as possible (so as soon as I finish this). I haven't had nearly enough sleep lately and work has just been ugh - too much to do and not enough time to do it. I feel like I haven't really had any time to myself to re-group and do what I love, and I am just itching for the weekend to come so I can kick back.

As much as things have been hard, I really liked today's movie, so much so that I think it might be tough to wrap this post up quickly.  Today I watched Samurai Rebellion, directed by Masaki Kobayashi in 1967. It's title seems a little misleading, since it's more about Rebellion than Samurais, but Ebert says that it was deliberately misleading to try to draw in American audiences (in Japan it was translated to include something about wives, to draw in women viewers). It's really good, though -  a really cool plot coupled with great visuals and a good message. I liked it!

Rocco and his Brothers

This will probably be a short review, since its so late and I was so frustrated by this movie.

Today I watched Rocco and his Brothers, directed by
Luchino Visconti in 1960. I bet you can tell how much I liked this just based on the poster. It's barely even worth me trying to write a few nice sounding introductory paragraphs where I try to explain what might be good about the film. I guess I'm just really tired of movies like this. Part of it is having no choice about watching it (it's frustrating to be stressed out and then have to watch a 3 hour long movie that deals with your personal triggers), and part of it is just that I'm tired of movies where women just sort of suffer to forward the story that revolves around male characters.  It's really not that awful of a movie, but my mood really is not working with it.

The River

 So happy to sleep in today and be lazy. I didn't accomplish anything important, but it was good to just have a nice, slow, easy day. I'm trying to forget that I have an obscene amount of work to do when I get back on Monday, which is all the more stressful since I've only had one work-free day to detox. Oh man I really need to stop thinking about work and relax.

I can't decide if I like today's movie or not - The River, directed by Jean Renoir in 1951. It's good - there were parts of it I really liked. But it's also really meh as well. There were a lot of things that didn't work so well for me either. I can't make up my mind. I sort of hated it the whole time I was watching it but after it was over and I thought about it a little, I liked it slightly more. Only slightly, though.