Mystery Train (1989)

2nd day! Here are films 6-10 of the 365 day film challenge. Let's go!

6. Mystery Train                                                                                                                                                     7. Calle '54
8. eXistenZ
9. Reservoir Dogs
10. Primer

Mystery Train (1989)

Mystery Train is proof that no one makes "nothing happening" quite as entertaining as Jim Jarmusch. The film follows three different stories of people staying in a crappy Memphis motel during a single night. All three vignettes operate as really incredible character studies. There isn't a structure in the traditional sense, nor does there need to be. 

Standout Moment: As in most Jarmusch films, at least for me, there usually aren't favorite moments as much as favorite characters. Steve Buscemi is my favorite in this film. His character has a wonderful arc that utilizes his skills as an actor very well. 

Calle '54 (2000)

I've watched this film several times and seems to get better and better. Director Fernando Trueba takes his camera all over the world to film his favorite Latin Jazz musicians play amazing music together. Not quite a documentary and not quite a concert film, but a wonderful joy through and through. 

Standout Moment: The Tito Puente section is marvelous. The joy that those guys have on stage is infectious, even if your watching them on a screen instead of a music hall.

eXistenZ (1999)

I love Cronenberg. I think he is one of the most singular filmmakers working today. That being said, this is one of his weaker films. There are some great moments in it, the art design is wonderfully grotesque, and the overarching theme of the film is prescient, but it doesn't have the character depth that a lot of his other films have. (My favorite of his is Videodrome, if you are looking for a qualifier). The story is cool, but I did not get to know the two main characters well enough to care about what happened next. 

Standout Moment: Jude Law assembling a gun out of the most disgusting meal one could imagine takes the cake for me. 

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

I have a love/hate relationship with Tarantino's work. I love watching his movies, but I can't stand his fanboys. I have never NOT been entertained while watching a Tarantino joint. He makes films for film buffs. It is fun to not only get involved with the characters, but how the film was created. There isn't much depth in his films, but that does not take away the joy of watching them. I have never understood the fanatic devotion to this film. It's a fun movie, and an exceptional first feature, but it is not a masterpiece by any means (feel free to argue with me on this point in the comments).

Standout Moment: I mean, come on, do you have to ask? Stuck in the Middle With You, hands down. 

Primer (2004)

This film is an incredible feat of independent filmmaking. The fact that such a complicated science fiction story could be told with so little money (and told relatively well) is of great importance to the current generation of filmmakers. There is honestly a lot to like about Primer, but most of it would spoil the story. The best I can say is to really pay attention; once the story takes off it doesn't stop. 

Standout Moment: The design of the machine is clever and pretty cool. 

That's it for Day 2, look out for films 11-15 tomorrow night. 

Josh D.
5181 Productions

A Pigeon Sits on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (2015)

For this first week of my 365 film challenge, I will be catching up my blogging with my viewing schedule. At this moment I've seen 26 films this year. Tonight I will discuss the first five, and will discuss several more each night until I am completely caught up by Sunday. 

First, a little background on this challenge: 

As a filmmaker and an artist, I think it is important to keep exposing myself to great films and pieces of art. They give a sense of history, they inspire, and they inform. I have seen hundreds of films in my lifetime, but there are many more that I either haven't seen, or have seen so long ago that little has remained in my memory. This is a way that I can expand my horizons, while making myself into a more informed artist and patron. 

Now onto tonight's films:

1. The Wolfpack
2. The Blues According to Lightning Hopkins
3. Switchblade Sisters
4. A Pigeon Sat On a Branch Reflecting On Existence
5. Mystery Train

The Wolfpack (2015)

My viewing begins with The Wolfpack. One of the best reviewed films from last year, and an intriguing doc subject, I felt like this would be a great starting point for my quest. I was not disappointed. Sold as a film about the transformative power of film, I was surprised to find that the movie is a much deeper discussion of freedom, identity, and the limits and power of family bonds. The exploration of how the boys eventually left the apartment (the one they had been trapped in all of their lives) was especially powerful. 

Standout moment: When the Mother calls her own mother for the first time in decades. It was really incredible to see how the boys' desire to break free reminded the Mother of what she gave up in order to please their dad. 

The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins (1968)

Another doc, The Blues... is by the late, great Les Blanc. His films have a deep sense of what it means to be human, and this one is no exception. A combination of stories and music, the film takes a meandering look at a little seen part of America. While exploring the life of the bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins, he lets us in on the origins of the blues. 

Standout Moment: Not really a single moment, but the music in the film is amazing. I could listen to these old Bluesmen tell stories and play the blues for hours. 

Switchblade Sisters (1975)

Switchblade Sisters is a prime example of 70's exploitation cinema. It is a stylized look at a city taken over by teenage gangs. Disguised as a look at alternative youth culture, it reads more like a Mad Max style near-apocolypse. Things have taken a definite turn for the worst, and there is no hope of them getting much better. There are some real cringe-worthy moments early on, but any travesties are made up for by a riveting and over-the-top climax. 

Standout Moment: The final knife battle is one of the craziest fight sequences I have ever seen and the monologue that follows ramps up the insanity even further. 

A Pigeon Sat On a Branch Reflecting On Existence (2015)

How can I describe this film? It was my favorite of this first bunch, but it is hard to give it justice through explanation. Formally, it is feat in artistry. The entire film is comprised of short scenes-- all of them filmed with a wide lens. This gives the film a distant, painterly look. It is like watching a Neo-Classical period painting come to life. The story is dark and bizarre, while subtle and affirming. Like I said, it's hard to describe. I found myself laughing and thinking about my own existence quite a bit throughout the course of the film. See it. It's great.

Standout Moment: I don't want to ruin the moment with specifics, but there is scene in the middle of the film where the two novelty salesmen get lost and walk into a bar for directions. From this moment onward, the absurdity of the film becomes more and more prevalent. It is ridiculous and wonderful. 

The Exterminating Angel (1962)

Classic Buñuel. This film is both terrifying and hilarious. The beauty of this film is that it never attempts to explain the stranger elements of the story. A group of upper class people all inexplicable get stuck in a room together after a party. The doors are open, but no one can leave. Absurd and funny, this was a fun watch.

Standout Moment: The final scene, on top of being great comedy, perfectly sums up the film.  

That's it for this crop of films. I 'll post about the next five tomorrow night. 
--Josh D.--