Watched: Wild at Heart

You know, it's funny watching Wild at Heart after having watched all of David Lynch's other films. Because really, you can see it all starting here. You can see the things Lynch had already done that he was still playing with (Isabella Rossellini shows up as a femme fatale, Jack Nance has a cameo as some kind of creepy nutjob-- although, sidenote, who isn't in this film?-- Laura Dern is a sexier, trashier version of her Blue Velvet self) and the things that he was going to play with in the future or was at the moment (his endless obsession/love with The Wizard of Oz, half the cast-- Sherilyn Fenn shows up to die dramatically, Grace Zabriskie plays a more sadistic version of her Inland Empire character, Sheryl Lee is Glenda the Good Witch (?!), there's some creepy cowboy lurking around, hits being assigned and done, Harry Dean Stanton playing a shmuck, random and seemingly pointless cameos (CRISPIN GLOVER, WHO LET YOU IN HERE?!) and a respected character actor playing a truly vile and horrifying antagonist (Willem Defoe, nice fake teeth!)). To be honest, this movie is everything I love and dislike about Lynch films. It's got all the funny weird bits that have no real purpose but to make the film wholly and unquestionably Lynch's own, enough stunningly composed stationary shots that I finally had to choose a handful of my favorites, and a running length that made me antsy but a story that kept me hooked. The only thing featured here that was not either recycled or soon would be was Nicolas Cage (thankfully, he's kind of dopey), and yet despite Lynch's frequent use and reuse of the same elements, he manages to keep them funny and interesting. I probably prefer this to Blue Velvet, mostly because I don't really like Kyle Machlachlan's face (sorry), but it's still no Mulholland Drive or Twin Peaks, and I don't even really think it's as good as Lost Highway, but it's still a hell of a sexy/violent ride and has lots of fun bits. Okay, I'll shut up now. Screencaps!

Watched: Reservoir Dogs

Violence. Idiosyncratic. Vintage tunes. Heist gone wrong, as only Tarantino can do it.

Watched: Marnie

In case anyone was wondering, I have graduated from college. Thus the excessive amount of movies being watched. Gotta celebrate! Anyway, Marnie. Freudian to a fault, resulting in some pretty hokey plot mechanics. Slow. Lame twist ending that I kind of called about a half an hour in. Sean Connery's wavering attempts to disguise his Scottish ackshent. Typical Hitchcock, obsessed with blondes and sexual hang-ups.

Watched: Flatliners

Wow. So I pretty much knew that Joel Schumacher had all the nuance of a sledgehammer after subjecting myself to both of his Batmans, St. Elmo's Fire, and D.C. Cab, but Flatliners is just... even less subtle, if possible. It's full of 80's camera movements and angles, Schumacher lighting (he sure does love using those neon signs to light a scene...)fake medical jargon, enough background steam to kill a man, heavily shoulder-padded trench coats, slouchy clothing, continuity errors, and excessive amounts of beautiful young people (as they were defined by the 80's) in histrionics. WE GET IT SCHUMACHER THEY'RE PLAYING GOD. YOU'RE SO EDGY.

That hair! Oh Bacon.

This was one of maybe two shots that I really liked from the film.

Kiefer looking rough, shouting at the gravestone of some kid he used to torture. You know, as you do. I actually thought one of the film's biggest flaws was its ending, because [SPOILER ALERT] why should Nelson live anyway? Why the sudden redemption? The film spends two hours making Nelson out to be some fame-hungry bully only to, at the last minute, turn around and say wait! No! He doesn't deserve to die even though he KILLED some kid and has turned into a jealous, petty, egomaniacal ass. But no. Let's save him.

This was the other one.

Young people arguing weighty issues! How different from every other movie about young adults from the 80's!

Watched: Dandelion

Cliched Indie fuckery. Vincent Kartheiser's eyes. Endless static shots of the Midwest paraded as lyricism (although some of it really is beautiful, due to the film playing in HD on Netflix Instant). Catatonic performances brought on by boring and trite dialogue. Taryn Manning looking/playing an annoying druggie version of the dream girl. Weird lack of chemistry between everyone. A movie cobbled together with plot points and characterizations from much better movies that while not deserving to get made, DID, and is now here whether we like it or not. Not exactly offensive, but definitely NOT imperative. Or even interesting.

Watched: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead

Metaphysical hijinks. Existential wordplay. An incredibly young (1990) Tim Roth and Gary Oldman. The irresistable lure of pre-destined tragedy. The plight of the non-central characters.

Watched: Enduring Love

Melancholic. Contemplative. Detailed. Beautiful cinematography. Daniel Craig.

Watched: Go

You know what I love about movies from the years 1988 to 2001? They are full of people who, upon sighting, you go: "HEY IT'S THAT GUY/CHICK FROM THAT SHOW/MOVIE/THING!"Sookie from Gilmore Girls.

Jenna! (30 Rock, fool. And Allie McBeal too but I'm far less partial to that show so you know.)

Circled: JOHN THE MOD! Plus Breckin Meyer- Can't Hardly Wait, Clueless, The Craft, 54- he's just one of those 90's dudes and Taye Diggs, who, I mean... he's Taye Diggs. It is what it is. I don't give a shit about the British guy. He looks like he smells.

Ha!

Oh God, Timothy Olyphant. I'll love him undyingly for his humorless Sheriff Bullock on Deadwood but he is just... hot in this film. So attractive. Well done there, sir.

Joey Potter/Mrs. Cruise!

I remember when Last Comic Standing first started. My brother and I would occasionally watch it. Jay Mohr usually did a few minutes of standup before the contestants started, as he was the host, and one time he was doing this bit about the homeless in New York versus Los Angeles. And he was all like, the homeless in LA have it easy because in New York you'll step outside in the middle of winter and they'll be laying on the sidewalk in a trash bag or whatever and you're like "WHY ARE YOU ALIVE!"

For years after that, Ben and I would, every once in a while, scream that at one another. WHY ARE YOU ALIVE! Kept bypassers on their toes.

Scott Wolf looks weird.

Watched: Onegin

Tragic. Boring. Moping beautiful people. Russia.