My Movie Alphabet Vol. 2

Mette of the Mettel Ray blog has just turned 7 as she is celebrating this anniversary by doing another blog-a-thon as it is similar to the one she did five years ago which I participated in with this entry five years ago. Now it’s again to do another one as she has some rules similar to the one five years ago:

1. List your favourite actors, actresses, movies or directors from # to z

2. I allow a little wiggle room: you may list two under one letter* because it is vol 2 after all! *in that case, the choices have to be from different categories – actor/director, actress/movie, etc.*

3. If you participated last time, don’t look at your first movie alphabet before vol 2 is ready

4. Comparisons in between your new alphabet and the previous one are highly encouraged

5. Post your Movie Alphabet Vol 2 by the 31st of May, link back to this post and let me know here in the comments or over at twitter @MettelRay (and use the hashtag mettelrayse7en)

6. Use one of the banners below in your post or create your own!

7. Most importantly, have a ton of fun!

That is pretty easy to follow as here we go again:

#-24 Hour Party People

Michael Winterbottom’s ingenious and off-the-wall film about the Manchester music scene of the late 1970s to the early 1990s revolving around the founding of Factory Records and the club known as the Hacienda.

A-Agnes Varda

The Godmother of the French New Wave and one of the most influential filmmakers in the world who is about to retire.

B-Brie Larson

One of the finest actresses working today thanks to such films as Short Term 12 and Room as well as becoming a superhero for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Captain Marvel.

C-The Criterion Collection

The place where the DVD/Blu-Rays still matter in this age of streaming of digital devices as they don’t offer some of the finest films out there but also extra content that is just too insatiable to ignore.

D-David Fincher

Hollywood’s dark prince who is definitely one of the finest filmmakers working today as we film buffs are anxious for what he does next (as long as it’s not World War Z 2).

E-Ellen Page & Evan Rachel Wood

2 of the finest actresses working today who both don’t define themselves sexually nor are willing to take on very conventional projects as they’re part of my exclusive club of actresses known as the Bullet Club.

F-Federico Fellini

One of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th Century whose work are hallmarks for world cinema with such films as La Dolce Vita, 8 ½, La Strada, Amarcord, and Nights of Cabiria.

G-Gal Gadot

A very beautiful woman who can kick some ass thanks to her work in Fast & Furious franchise yet is about to become a mega-star in her role as Wonder Woman.

H-Heaven’s Gate

A film that is flawed but certainly grand as its exploration into the dark aspects of American history is told with such richness by the late Michael Cimino.

I-Inception

Christopher Nolan’s mind-bending yet enthralling epic that explore the world of the mind as it features an ensemble cast for the ages in Leonardo diCaprio, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Tom Hardy, Tom Berenger, Cillian Murphy, the late Pete Postlethwaite, and Michael Caine.

J-Jacques Tati

Another of the finest filmmakers of the 20th Century with such classics as Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday, Mon Oncle, Playtime, and Trafic as they were told with such wit about the fallacies of modernism.

K-The Killing

Stanley Kubrick's breakthrough feature is definitely one of the finest heist movies ever made as it also explore what can go right and what can go wrong as it's got some gorgeous visuals and an incredible cast led by Sterling Hayden.

L-Let the Right One In

Tomas Alfredson’s incredible vampire film that really brought the world some bite back into moody and whiny vampires as it remains one of the finest films of the 21st Century so far.

M-The Mirror

Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1975 film is certainly one of the most challenging and abstract films of 20th Century as it doesn’t have much of a plot. Yet, it remains a monumental achievement in cinema as it would provide the template for many ideas in cinema for years to come in abstract, non-conventional filmmaking.

N-Nicholas Winding Refn

One of the coolest filmmakers working today as well as one of the most controversial who is definitely taking Lars von Trier’s crown as Denmark’s enfant terrible thanks in part to such films as the Pusher trilogy, Bronson, Valhalla Rising, Drive, and The Neon Demon.

O-Olivia Thirlby

Definitely one of the most underrated actresses working today as someone who is need of some mainstream exposure as her performances in films such as Snow Angels, Juno, The Stanford Prison Experiment, and Nobody Walks prove that she is phenomenal as she’s also part of my personal collective of great actresses in the Bullet Club.

P-Pan’s Labyrinth

Guillermo del Toro’s crowning achievement is truly one of the great films of the 21st Century in the way it combine fantasy, horror, and drama with such beauty as it is really the new standard bearer of what fantasy films should be.

Q-The Queen

Stephen Frears’ portrait of Queen Elizabeth II in how she dealt with the death of Princess Diana and the need to speak out is truly an amazing film thanks in part to Helen Mirren as well as a great supporting performance from Michael Sheen as Tony Blair.

R-Roman Holiday

From William Wyler comes one of the definitive romantic films ever as it’s very funny but also quite tender as it features incredible performances from Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn with the latter playing a princess who wants to see Rome as just a regular woman who would fall for this journalist.

S-Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom

Pier Paolo Pasolini’s final film is undoubtedly one of the most depraved, repulsive, and down-right fucked up films ever made. If you can survive people being tortured, beaten, and being forced to eat shit. Then you got some fucking balls.

T-This is Spinal Tap

Stonehenge.

U-Under the Skin

Jonathan Glazer’s sci-fi film is probably one of the scariest and most chilling films of the 21st Century so far as it features some amazing technical achievements as well as an eerie yet evocative performance from Scarlett Johansson.

V-Viva Las Vegas

One of the better films that the King of Rock N’ Roll Elvis Presley starred in as it’s a fun movie with lots of cool tunes, racing, and most of all, Ann-Margaret.

W-Withnail & I

A classic British comedy about two unemployed actors who like to drink and fuck things up as they accidentally go on holiday and get themselves in trouble.

X-Xavier Dolan

One of the recent up-and-coming filmmakers who has been making a lot of wave in the past decade as he’s not even in his 30s yet films such as Laurence Anyways, Tom at the Farm, and Mommy are already considered some of the best films of the 21st Century so far.

Y-Yi Yi

Edward Yang’s final film is certainly one of the most touching of the 21st Century as it begins with a wedding and ends with a funeral as it follows the year in the life of a Taiwanese family dealing with all sorts of things that is often common with real life.

Z-Z

Costas-Garvas’ 1969 political drama is a terrifying film that follows the assassination of a political activist as its aftermath is more interesting where a magistrate tries to find out the truth.

© thevoid99 2017

Films That I Saw: May 2017

Summer is coming as I’m sort of getting ready to get back into the world of Twin Peaks which was something I did a couple of years ago but got a little burned out by the end of 2015. Now that it’s on Showtime, I can get a chance to re-watch the episodes I saw in my own pace and catch up with the rest of the series before I decide to watch the new show as I’m trying very hard to avoid spoilers. It’s something I hope to finish as I want to watch the episodes of the second season I missed out on as well as re-watch Fire Walk with Me and then do The Missing Pieces before I go full-on towards the new series. That’s really the only thing I plan on doing in the summer as well as re-do and finish Mark Cousins’ The Story of Film series and then just focus entirely on the Blind Spot Series and other films as I’ve now found an alternative to get recent films I missed out on in the past few years nearby in my local library.

I have been paying attention to what is going on in the world as it is really fucked up as our idiot president has been making a mess of things and it looks like another Watergate is happening. If there’s an impeachment trial happening, then I’m getting a lawn chair and watch it up close. I will say that is has been entertaining and it has made Saturday Night Live fun to watch again. Yet, nothing could overshadow what happened this month in Manchester where 23 people including children of all things were killed by some asshole suicide bomber at an Ariana Grande concert. I don’t give a fuck what ISIS wants to stand for but if it involves killing children at a fucking pop concert of all places. Then that is something I don’t want to be a part of and what they did is nothing more than fucking cowardice. There’s parents whose children aren’t coming home or kids who have experienced something they shouldn’t have seen. This shouldn’t happen and let’s hope it never happens again.

In the month of May, I saw a total of 41 films in 28 first-timers and 13 re-watches. Definitely the busiest month I’ve had so far due to the Cannes Film Festival marathon which was a lot of fun to do. One of the highlights this month has certainly been my Blind Spot assignment in The Big Red One. Here are the top 10 First-Timers that I saw for May 2017:

1. The Handmaiden

2. Our Little Sister

3. Picnic at Hanging Rock

4. Harakiri

5. Sicario

6. Umberto D.

7. Fantastic Planet

8. Ballad of a Soldier

9. The Nice Guys

10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Monthly Mini-Reviews

Dragon Blade

I do like Jackie Chan as I also like Adrien Brody and John Cusack. Sadly, this isn’t a film people should remember them for as it’s about a Chinese general and his army who are border guards as they’re accused of treason where they team up with a Roman general to protect a blind boy from his evil older brother. It’s got some nice action with Chan doing what he does best as he has some great moments with Cusack but the script doesn’t have enough tension while the kid who plays the little blind boy is terrible. Have Brody hamming it up as the villain and a bunch of Chinese actors not given much to do as it’s just overblown with not enough substance.

The House of Steinbrenner

The first of three segments of the 30 for 30 series that I saw this month, this documentary is about the often controversial George Steinbrenner and the transition of giving power to his children in which they would build a new Yankee stadium for the fans. It’s a fascinating portrait of one of the most polarizing figures in sports as George Steinbrenner is still an important figure in baseball as well as what he’s done for the Yankee fans despite some of the bad seasons. Even as his heirs would give fans pieces of the old stadium so they can have a piece of history rather than let that old stadium be obsolete.

The Devil’s Double

Lee Tamahori’s story about Saddam Hussein’s son Uday and the man who would be his double is definitely something I caught by surprise. It is a fascinating film I hope to see again as it is shown from the perspective of this man who has to pretend to be one of the most horrific human beings to walk the face of the Earth. Dominic Cooper does amazing work in playing Uday and his troubled double where he exudes all of the repulsive qualities of Uday in the way he deals with people as well as things that are obscene with this double having to watch this very up close.

Capitalism: A Love Story

Michael Moore can be an overbearing presence as he tends to put himself in front of the camera and make an ass of himself. However, he does make a compelling case about America’s obsession with capitalism and how it’s managed to create such chaos in the country as people who would die as corporations would make money off of them. Especially as it shows a real distortion of what this country was supposed to be as well as what many in politics and Wall Street will do to make money out of anyone. One of the most compelling scenes in the film is a clip Michael Moore showed of what Franklin Delano Roosevelt wanted to do just months before his death as it relates to the rights of every American in being able to have affordable health care, a right to have a job, and all of the things that would help this country. Something that is lost and based on what is happening now. That is never going to happen as the piece of shit Il Duce will suck you dry and sell you off for a buck.

Rand University

The 2nd episode of the 30 for 30 series that I saw revolves around Randy Moss and his home environment in Charleston, West Virginia as a place where he first gained fame and infamy. It’s a film about this small remote town in America that explores where Moss came from as it’s narrated by Michael K. Williams who showcases some of the racial divide in this small town as well as Moss’ struggle to stay out of the law. The only gripe about this film is that it’s not long enough as it also has some great interviews with some of Moss’ friends from that small town.

Weepah Way for Now

AJ and Aly Michalka are an interesting duo but this film is fucking shit. It’s really just absolutely self-indulgent about two young women dealing with the fact that they’re leaving their house as well as becoming estranged from their father who cheated on their mother with a young woman. Much of it told by Saoirse Ronan who doesn’t even appear in the film as this other sister as it is really a bad vanity project that has very little substance other than its location and photography.

Cursed

Wes Craven is a great filmmaker who has had highs and lows yet this film isn’t one of his best as it tried to be scary and interesting. Even as it boasts a talented cast such as Christina Ricci, Jesse Eisenberg, and Judy Greer, it’s a film that is a real letdown. The werewolves in the film aren’t that scary as well as the attempts to be funny feels forced as it’s not Craven’s fault due to the fact that it was interfered and re-cut by the goddamn Weinstein brothers.

Now You See Me 2

The first film is definitely a fun film about magic and magicians but this film is not fun at all. While Lizzy Caplan, Morgan Freeman, Daniel Radcliffe, Mark Ruffalo, and Woody Harrelson do their best to keep things lively and fun. It’s the material in the film that isn’t very good yet it is Jon M. Chu’s direction that ruins the whole film as he really doesn’t know how to cut nor create anything that is exciting. There’s so much that Chu does that really doesn’t carry any kind of tension or suspense while he utilizes a lot of CGI for some big sequences that fall very flat.

Bernie & Ernie

The third and final segment of the 30 for 30 series that I watched is about the friendship between Bernard King and Ernie Grunfeld who were the duo to watch in the late 1970s when they played for the University of Tennessee. Both lived in the streets of New York City as they would also play together as part of the New York Knicks during the 1980s as Grunfeld was the one person who could help the very introverted King who struggled with fame as well as the fact that he came from a very unloving family. Featuring an appearance from filmmaker Spike Lee who grew in the same area that King did, it’s a film that is about friendship and what it does to help to people in the glare of the spotlight.

Top 10 Re-Watches:

1. 24 Hour Party People

2. Major League

3. The Incredibles

4. Romancing the Stone

5. The Impossible

6. Rabbit Hole

7. To Catch a Thief

8. Bloodsport

9. Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals

10. Kickboxer

Well, that is all for May. Next month, I hope to see new theatrical releases such as Wonder Woman and The Beguiled as the latter is the one that I want to see the most. Aside from Twin Peaks, there’s several films from the never-ending DVR list that I hope to see as well as films that I discovered are available at my local library as it’s going to give me the chance to catch up on films I missed out on in the past few years. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off and I want to say farewell to one of my favorite individuals in the world in Sir Roger Moore who means a lot to myself and to my mother who grew up watching him as Simon Templar in The Saint and remains her favorite James Bond. Godspeed 007… 

© thevoid99 2017

2017 Blind Spot Series: The Big Red One

Written and directed by Samuel Fuller, The Big Red One is the story of a platoon dealing with war during their campaign in Europe and North Africa during World War II. Based on aspects of Fuller’s own experiences as a soldier, the film is an in-depth look of what goes on in the battlefield where a young platoon follows its leader to survival as they deal with the horrors of war. Starring Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill, Robert Carradine, Bobby Di Cicco, Kelly Ward, Siegfried Rauch, Marthe Villalonga, and Stephane Audran. The Big Red One is an intense and gripping film from Samuel Fuller.

The film follows the 1st Infantry Division during World War II from their campaign in North Africa in November of 1942 to the liberation of the Falkenau concentration camp in May of 1945 led by its sergeant (Lee Marvin). The film follows a sergeant and four men from his platoon as they deal with their many campaigns in the span of nearly three years as it’s largely told by a wannabe-novelist in Private Zab (Robert Carradine) who is the film’s narrator as he is joined by the sharpshooter Private Griff (Mark Hamill), the Italian-American Private Vinci (Bobby Di Cicco), and the medic Private Johnson (Kelly Ward). Samuel Fuller’s screenplay begins with the sergeant fighting in World War I as he would learn the war just ended after killing someone at a place in France which he would revisit years later.

Fuller’s screenplay doesn’t really have much of a plot as it would delve into an episodic narrative of sorts as it follows the sergeant and his platoon into different adventures in the course of their time in Europe and North Africa. Yet, Fuller is more interested in the comradery between the sergeant and his four privates where the sergeant doesn’t really act like some leader who barks orders but rather a soldier who knows what to do and make sure his men aren’t killed. At the same time, he’s kind of a father to them as he would let them get away with a few things but always keep them in check. Especially Pvt. Griff who has a hard time coping with the idea of killing someone as the sergeant reveal some of the dark and cynical aspects of war that is quite true. The script also has a subplot relating to a German officer named Schroeder (Siegfried Rauch) who is a counterpart of sorts for the sergeant as they would encounter each other from time to time during battles yet never meet each other directly. Schroeder is an interesting antagonist who has an undying sense of loyalty to Hitler and the Nazis but has a hard time accepting criticism of their ideals.

Fuller’s direction is definitely intense in terms of some of the battle scenes and action though Fuller doesn’t make it gratuitous nor overblown as it’s often the case with a lot of war films. Shot largely in Ireland with the North African locations shot in Israel as well as some of it shot in California, Fuller explores the different kind of obstacles the sergeant and his men would endure throughout the course of the film. While Fuller would use a lot of wide shots, along with some medium shots, to capture the scope of the locations. It’s in the close-ups and extreme close-ups is where Fuller captures the human aspects of war whether it’s a soldier looking at some of the horror or scenes of them observing their surroundings. Even if it’s moment of fun such as a scene late in the film where Pvt. Zab has a party for the platoon at a house in Belgium as it’s a moment of joy and fun. Fuller would create scenes that are odd as it help give the film a different tone that is often synonymous with war films.

The sequence at an insane asylum where the sergeant and his men meet a woman who is part of the French Resistance would be this mixture of dark humor and suspense that show what the 1st Infantry Division had to do. It’s among some of the offbeat moments in the film as well as what some soldiers have to use to protect their rifles in the water. Yet, Fuller does maintain some realism as it relates to the horrors of war as well as some of the humanity as it relates to the people the sergeant and his platoon encounter. Though some of it is dark, Fuller does show moments of compassion such as a little moment where a young girl puts flowers on the sergeant’s helmet or the film’s climax at the concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. Overall, Fuller crafts a chilling yet captivating film about the 1st Infantry Division’s adventure during World War II.

Cinematographer Adam Greenberg does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as its usage of soft-lights and naturalistic photography for some of the daytime exteriors help give the film a beautiful look including some chilling moments involving some of the violence in the film. Editor Morton Tubor, with Bryan McKenzie for the 2004 reconstruction, does brilliant work with the editing as it is largely straightforward without emphasizing too much on style. Art director Peter Jamison does fantastic work with the look of some of the sets including a big cross that the sergeant would see reminding him of his time in World War I as well as the interiors at the asylum.

Sound editor Jack A. Finlay, with sound designers Mark Linden, Tara A. Paul, and Harry E. Snodgrass for the 2004 reconstruction, does superb work with the sound in capturing some of the horrors of war including the sounds of bombs and gunfire. The film’s music by Dana Kaproff is wonderful for its orchestral-based score as it play into some of the dramatic moments of suspense as well as some offbeat moments in the film in some light-hearted pieces.

The film’s marvelous cast include some notable small roles from Christa Lang as a German countess Schroeder sleeps with, Pascal Bruer as a Hitler Youth member, Galit Rotman as a pregnant Frenchwoman, Matteo Zoffoli as a Sicilian boy who helps the platoon in exchange for them to help bury his mother, Perry Lang as a young private named Kaiser, Doug Werner as a Polish-American soldier, and Marthe Villalonga as a madam at a Belgium house where the platoon briefly stay at. Stephane Audran is terrific as a French spy pretending to be a patient at an insane asylum as she helps the sergeant and his platoon while befriending Pvt. Griff. Siegfried Rauch is superb as Schroeder as a German officer who is kind of the counterpart for the sergeant as they share similar views on war yet he is someone that is truly devoted to Hitler as he will kill those who says something bad about him.

Kelly Ward is excellent as Pvt. Johnson as a farm boy who has experience in being a doctor as he tries to cope with the chaos of war as well as be someone who is very loyal to his platoon. Bobby Di Cicco is fantastic as Private Vinci as an Italian-American who says some of the film’s funniest things while being quite tough in dealing with the enemy. Robert Carradine is brilliant as Private Zab as the film’s narrator as someone who provides some humor as well as witty commentary on things as he’s using his experiences for a book. Mark Hamill is amazing as Private Griff as a sharpshooter who has a hard time with the idea of killing someone as he would display some humility and weariness as someone who would see a lot as he copes with some of the darkest aspects of war. Finally, there’s Lee Marvin in an incredible performance as the sergeant as a man who has been through a lot of wars as he tries to maintain some sense of morale as well as be someone who knows what not to do as it is really one of Marvin’s career-defining performances.

The Big Red One is a phenomenal film from Samuel Fuller. Featuring a great cast, an engaging story about what men go through in war, dazzling technical work, and a fantastic music score. It’s a war film that doesn’t exactly play by the rules while displaying elements of humanity and comradery that is often missed in war films. In the end, The Big Red One is a spectacular film from Samuel Fuller.

Samuel Fuller Films: I Shot Jesse James - The Baron of Arizona - Steel Helmet - Fixed Bayonets! - Park Row - Pickup on South Street - (Hell and High Water) - House of Bamboo - (China Gate) - Run of the Arrow - Forty Guns - Verboten! - The Crimson Kimono - Underworld U.S.A. - Merrill's Marauders - Shock Corridor - The Naked Kiss - (Shark!) - (Dead Pigeon on Beethoven Street) - White Dog - (Thieves After Dark) - (Street of No Return) - (The Madonna and the Dragon)

© thevoid99 2017