Weekly Recap 8/12 - 8/18

Blame the terseness of this week's recap on move-out week being the worst of things. I realize no influential policymakers frequent this site, but I'll say it anyway: For a city that relishes in the fact that it's so damn progressive, Madison's 'homeless day' is some seriously medieval bullshit.

8/16/12 The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

I hadn't watched this since it came out in theaters eight years ago. Maybe that explains why I forgot how great it is. Greengrass' shaky cam isn't nearly as nauseating as its parodies have conditioned me to believe, and Damon's a total BAMF, but the best part? That "Extreme Ways" exclamation point at the end. 'Get some rest, Pam. You look tired.' *CUE MOBY*

I'll be milking this for the foreseeable future, though I can see it going horribly wrong with my office's Executive Director:

-Hello, John.
-Who said that? Wh- what the hell are you doing behind my plants?
-No, don't turn around. Pretend like you don't see me.
-Give me my binoculars back. And what do you want?
-Get some rest, John. You look tired. *CUE iPHONE MOBY*
-You're fired.

Would still be worth it.

8/18/12 Lost Highway (1997)

To say a Lynch film is like a dream is akin to claiming a car accident is 'kind of like life in a way.' As impenetrable as his films tend to be, that strikes me as a pretty cheap cop out and missing the point of what he's trying to say. I'm sure there is a point here somewhere.

Lynch uses classical elements in non-traditional ways and it's pretty awesome: fades, dissolves, theatrical staging, out of body experiences, hallucinatory spats of lustful murder. Mulholland Dr. was enigmatic during my first time, so it's no surprise Lost Highway goes the same route on an initial viewing. Probably on a second one, too. And maybe a third.

8/18/12 ParaNorman (2012)

I might swear off anything that vaguely resembles Tim Burton altogether. Sorry, Neil Gaiman, but you're unfortunate collateral. ParaNorman, the adolescent chronicle of a zombie-obsessed social outcast who's actually cool with seeing dead people, has an awesome premise that it ignores after its first twenty minutes.

Laika's animation style still looks fantastic. In particular, there's some gorgeous witchery-induced clouds in the climax that resemble dyed pantyhose swirling in pools of water. I'm really struggling for praise here because I expected more from the same studio that made Coraline. Then again, that's a film whose third act bored the heck out of me. ParaNorman's got that going on, too. Just with like, all three acts.

Weekly Recap 8/5 - 8/11

A new, weekly (duh) addition to the site where I force myself to write down thoughts on my viewing habits from the past seven days. Let the great experiment begin!

8/6/12 La Haine

Fraught with tension, a fantastic Vincent Cassel performance and gorgeous black and white photography, think of La Haine as an improved version of Do The Right Thing. The film presents an objective look at the malaise of mid-90s France, but also the intricate divisions that separate us as people. Its final message, while not profound, feels organic to the story. It also helps that director Mathieu Kassovitz can distance himself from his films, a feat Spike Lee so rarely does. This steers through uneven terrain on an even keel, successfully balancing shock and humor in an experience that's not unlike holding a number two down a mile-long hallway. With La Haine, no clenching is required.

8/8/12 Gone in Sixty Seconds

Of course "My Buddy is a Cage" selections are included here. And of course you can't make me write about it twice.

8/8/12 Dr. No

A few summers ago at my grandparents' house, I came across an old shoebox filled with Polaroids and marveled at how preserved they were. Also, old people loved tight short-sleeve polos in 1956 apparently. Revisiting Dr. No felt a lot like opening up that old shoe box. As dull and stupid as the titular villain makes for both a mystery and a nemesis, it takes a great deal more to thwart Connery's charisma and charm. Its many flaws aside, Terence Young's first Bond entry remains a classy film, and that's coming from someone who tends to undervalue older cinema.

Regrettably very familiar with Austin Powers humor, I was surprised that Dr. No sets up so many iconic qualities the Mike Myers series would go on to lampoon. Mongoloid henchmen. Connery's puns and horn dog attitude. Or maybe Dr. No simply showed how little Dalton and Brosnan really contributed to the franchise. I said it, Pierce. Stick to run-by fruitings.

8/9/12 Hard Boiled

You know what? I'm glad I watched Gone in Sixty Seconds.

Maybe it's purely by comparison but Jolie and her stupid cocaine dread locks make John Woo's Hong Kong action film look like a masterpiece. I suspect had I not seen Gone, Hard Boiled would still look pretty damn great. It may sound counterintuitive for this genre, but the sound design in Woo's films always seems top notch. Action set pieces constantly one-up themselves, but the gun cocks, the shells pinging against pavement give the sequences their meat. Even the punch sound effects stand apart from the overused stock from Power Rangers episodes. You'll have to maybe just trust me on that comparison. 

8/11/12 From Russia With Love

If I had a time machine, after I became a millionaire betting on the '86 World Series, I'd slap the shit out of my thirteen year-old self that fell asleep watching From Russia With Love. 

Bond generally creates an expectation for new gadgets and hot babes, however those elements often drown out the potential intricacy and paranoia that a spy thriller can have. An invisible car is memorable because it's a pretty fucking stupid idea. Here, Q's suitcase -- with its gold sovereigns, spring-loaded throwing knife, and booby traps -- gets it right, as does the entirety of this film. One of the best Bond entries from the best Bond. Keep it simple, sweetheart.

NOTE: Now Playing Podcast's latest retrospective is in fact on none other than Agent 007, and they're doing two a week. I like to keep pace, so with multiple Bond films and the obligatory Nic Cage entry, my viewing habits have become increasingly dictated. What I mean to say is this recap might be a bumpy ride when they get to Roger Moore and I can't put off Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance any longer. Yeesh.