MAY 2021 MOVIES RECAP

Another month, another movie round up. I didn't see as many films this month as previous months, but I still managed to fit in plenty of great films. Enough messing about, let's dive in:

• The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986)

I almost can't believe that this was directed by the same person that made the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Where the first film is an exercise in complete control and restraint, this sequel is completely bonkers - by the time the chainsaw fight begins I was so blown away by just how insane this film is that I just went along with it. I'd probably enjoy it a lot more on a second viewing with readjusted expectations, because until I got a grip on the register of the film I was confused and slightly disappointed. It is campy and schlocky, and a lot of fun, but it is not anything like the original. 

• Logan (2017)

Revisiting Logan is always a pleasure.

• Frankenhooker (1990)

This was my introduction to Frank Henenlotter, and it was an absolute blast. I'm already looking forward to diving into the rest of his films - this had just the right balance of self-awareness.

• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

This is probably the Terry Gilliam film I've enjoyed the least, but not because it's a bad film. It's a really great film, in fact, but it is so effective at making it's audience feel disoriented and confused that I found it to be pretty unpleasant and oppressive to watch. It's exciting and inventive, but I just wasn't in the mood for the drug-induced paranoia and feverish disorientation the film evokes so effectively. 

• Dressed to Kill (1980)

This Brian de Palma thriller starring Michael Cain had my alarm bells ringing from pretty much scene number one with its voyeuristic depictions of female nudity and sexuality. It did ease up as the film went on, but some of the material really just felt unnecessary and without warrant. By the time the over sexual exploitation of the actresses in the film had subsided, however, the film reveals that its heart is that of fear and prejudice towards the trans community. I totally get that this is a film very much of its time, but for me I just couldn't switch the part of my brain off that was telling me that if a director tried to make this film today they would be cancelled. Having said all of that, it does work very well as a thriller in a mechanical sense - the characters are well drawn, the stakes are set up perfectly in a shocking first act, and the narrative develops with just enough intelligence to remain believable. 

• Psycho Goreman (2021)

Full review coming soon.

• Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009)

I only watched this because my girlfriend asked me to. Every minute of it was a slog. 

• Escape From New York (1981) 

Adding to the list of John Carpenter films I've seen for the first time this year, Escape From New York was probably the film of his that I knew the least about going into it. I was pleasantly surprised at how it balances the dark and gritty elements of the film with the more light-hearted, sarcastic elements. That is a task that a lot of films fall short on, and so I have to give Escape From New York that praise. Kurt Russell is just iconic in this role too, I mean, come on. 

• Run (2021)

Full review coming soon. 

• Solaris (2002)

Being a huge fan of the Stanislav Lem novel and the Tarkovsky film adaptation of Solaris, I had a pretty high bar that I was asking this Soderbergh-directed remake to match, and unfortunately (although not surprisingly) it fell short. That's not to say that it was a bad film, I actually enjoyed it for most of the runtime, but when it is being directly compare to the Tarkovsky film it is inferior. 

• The Devil All the Time (2020)

This was way better than I thought it was going to be! In pretty much the first non-Spider-Man role I have seen Tom Holland in, he does a really great job in this. I was pleasantly surprised by how dark the narrative decides to go,

• Tom Segura: Completely Normal (2014)

• Blue Valentine (2010)

While not as impactful on me as The Place Beyond the Pines, I'm glad I finally saw Derek Cianfrance's other major feature film, Blue Valentine. I always enjoy when "romantic" films stray from the typical Hollywood happy ending, and for that reason Blue Valentine felt really raw and authentic in its portrayal of romantic relationships. Gosling and Williams are phenomenal as always. 

• The Godfather: Part II (1974)

It was getting more and more embarrassing the longer I put of seeing this, so I bit the 202-minute-long bullet and sat down and watched The Godfather: Part II from start to finish for the first time. This was one of those films for me that I felt like I had seen, despite never actually sitting down and seeing all of it at once, and having finally done that I can confirm what I already suspected - I think this is a better film than the first film. 

• The Gentlemen (2020)

Someone needs to tell Guy Ritchie that having cockney gangsters say the c-word constantly doesn't actually pass as comedy. 

• 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)

This was pleasantly surprising. Obviously it doesn't hold a candle to the original, but it holds up as a really great science fiction film in it's own right. Some people feel the effects towards the end of the film don't hold up, but I thought they did exactly what they were trying to do and didn't take me out of the film at all. 

• Contact (1997)

Underrated, but too long. 

• The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)

This one didn't click with me in the same way that a lot of other Wes Anderson films haven't quite clicked for me - without consistent laughs, the deadpan characterisation and dialogue with the quirky but often flat visual composition of his films leave me a bit cold. 

• The Godfather: Coda (2021)

I finished off my Godfather experience this month with the newly edited version of the final film. You don't me to tell you that this isn't as good as either of the first two films, because you already know that, and I haven't seen the original version, so I can't compare the two either. But I did like this a lot, and certainly don't understand the hate that has been directed towards this film over the years. 

• Commando (1985)

This was some dumb fun. I was after absurd action set-pieces and cheesy one-liners, and that's exactly what I got. 

• Army of the Dead (2021)

Full review coming soon. 

• Alien: Resurrection (1997)

This film is awful. I mean, really awful. The fact that Jean-Pierre Jeunet went on to direct Amélie only four years after is truly baffling. 

• The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)

It took me a few episodes to shift into the register Bly Manor is working on, because as a huge fan of Hill House I was expecting a similar consistency of scares. Once I realised that Bly Manor was something different, I enjoyed it immensely. Importantly, though, it's not Hill House, and it never reaches the same heights of brilliance as its predecessor. That's fine, it doesn't need to try, but it does remain a lesser piece to Hill House despite its own elegance. I think the main thing for me is a lack of consistency. Whereas Hill House was written and directed by Mike Flanagan in its entirety, Bly Manor introduces a number of different writers and directors across its 9 episodes, and that lack of consistency shows. 

• Watchmen (2019)

I rewatched HBO's Watchmen series with my girlfriend, who was watching it for the first time, and it is still brilliant. All the way through The Falcon and the Winter Soldier I was thinking about Watchmen in the back of my mind and how it explores race, police and politics in much more detail and with much more edge and nuance. Revisiting Watchmen was a joy. 

• Yi Yi (2000)

Gorgeous. 

• Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988)

It's not as horrific or exciting as the original, but it's still pretty horrific and exciting. Some of the practical effects towards the end of the film don't hold up, but saying that with the knowledge of some of the effects in the first film does undercut that criticism a lot. 

• A Quiet Place (2018)

In preparation for seeing Part II very shortly, I rewatched A Quiet Place. I don't think it's perfect, but if all horror films were made with this much skill, care, and attention to character, the world would be a much better place. 

• The Woman in the Window (2021)

Full review coming soon. 

• Possessor (2020)

I think this is my favourite film of 2020. Hey, maybe I should finally get around to doing that list...

• Bo Burnham: Inside (2021)

I think this is a work of genius. I won't go into too much detail, because I am going to devote an entire blog post to discussing why, but suffice it to say that this is my favourite of Bo Burnham's specials so far.

FAVOURITE FIRST WATCH: The Godfather: Part II.

FAVOURITE REWATCH: Possessor.

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: Army of the Dead. 

FILM YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY WATCH WITH YOUR PARENTS: Frankenhooker. 

That just about does it for this month's recap, see you again soon!