163. The Duke of Burgundy
164. Time Chasers
165. 3 Women
166. The Tale of Zatoichi
167. Lacombe, Lucien
168. Blade Runner
169. Close Up
170. Total Recall
171. Futurama: Bender's Big Score

The Duke of Burgundy (2014)

The Duke of Burgundy is an undeniably beautiful film. It is visually inventive in a specific and intriguing way. The dynamic between the two leads is also very fresh, even for the genre. Sadly the film seems to keep hitting the same note over and over, so after the first twenty minutes it becomes a rehash of the same emotional beats over and over again.

Standout Moment: The cinematography in this film is amazing.

Time Chasers (1994)

This is a Mystery Science Theatre 3000 classic episode. I got to see a brand new restored version riffed live in the theatre. It is a time travel film starring a bunch of mulleted early 90's guys and a Cessna that doubles as a time machine (all you have to do is hook up a commodore 64, apparently).

Standout Moment: Stealing and crashing a car within 2 minutes of screen time is a delight.

3 Women (1977)

So far this year I have been slightly underwhelmed by most of Altman's films that I've watched. I can see why others enjoy his work, but it just hasn't been for me. That is until I watched 3 Women. This film is really amazing. The performances and dream-like nature make it unforgettable. It has a strange quality that is hard to discern.

Standout Moment: A dinner party prepared that isn't actually attended.

The Tale of Zatoichi (1962)

I am surprised at the hue franchise that this film spawned. Don't get me wrong, it is a great film, but no greater than many of the others made in the same genre at roughly the same time. I think there is something to say about luck in the popularity of this film (it spawned at least 37 sequels), as it follows a lot of the same beats as other wandering samurai stories and films. I find this question intruiging, "What makes a film a cultural touchstone?" Personally I think that the quality of the work is only part of the equation. It also has to hit at the exact right time for the exact right people, which Zatoichi did.

Standout Moment: Zatoichi grifting the young men at the beginning is great.

Lacombe, Lucien (1974)

Louis Malle is one of my favorite directors, I have made it a mission to see all of his work (a goal which I am near completing). I had been putting off watching this one because I wasn't sure how well anyone would be able to handle the subject matter. The film is about a young man joining the Nazi-implemented French gestapo during WWII. Malle handled the story beautifully. There is real nuance, as well as empathy, in this film. There is nothing simple about the subject matter, and this film is crafted well enough to match it.

Standout Moment: The end sequence in the cabin.

Blade Runner (1982)

This film holds multitudes. It is one of the most complete and fully realized sci-fi worlds ever put to film. The attention to detail in the lore and production design allow the broader themes to resonate and stick with the audience long after the film is over. Harrison Ford is amazing in this film, as well. There is a real vulnerability in his performance.

Standout Moment: The vistas of the future city are still some of the best special effects I've ever seen.

Close Up (1990)

I watched this film when its director, Abbas Kiarostami, died. It demonstrates the creative genius that he held. He was touched by a strange story; a young man pretends to be his favorite director and convinces a family to be in his next film. Within a few days, the jig is up and he is arrested for fraud. Kiarostami jumped in before the trial and used the actual people to reenact the scenes of what happened. The end is amazing, as the actual director that the young man pretended to be picks the man up from jail and takes him to the actual family to help him make amends. There will never be another film like Close Up, and there will never be another filmmaker like Kiarostami.

Standout Moment: The trial.

Total Recall (1990)

Total Recall is the epitome of 80's action for me. It hits all the right notes and is incredibly absurd. This may not be surprising to you if you have been following this blog, as Schwarzenegger is one of my favorite on-screen personalities. Many of the most important actions make no sense, and there is more than a good chance that it's all in the main characters head. Also mutants! Just watch it.

Standout Moment: The ratio of Arnold screaming/ Arnold not screaming screen time is extremely acceptable.

Futurama: Bender's Big Score (2007)

This is the first of the Futurama films. I really don't have much to say about this one that I haven't said about the other, but I think the time travel conceit is really well done and creates a great emotional arc for the film.

Standout Moment: The Bender as terminator storyline is great.

365 Films- Post 22