"Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens" Review

(THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS!  IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FILM, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!)

Phew...ok.  I figure 4 times might be enough times to give some thoughts on this film.  I loved it.  I continue to love it more with each successive viewing.
Let me clarify that while I do indeed hate much of what happened from 1999-2005, I was still relatively young during that time period and consequently those films played into my continued love of Star Wars as a whole.  I first saw the original trilogy in 1995 (age 8) when my father bought the THX mastered VHS boxset (the last true representation of the original trilogy, I might add), so my wait to see Phantom Menace in '99 could hardly be called a wait at all.  As an older person who has since come to understand to a certain degree what makes a film "great", beyond the simple "Did it entertain me?" "Did I like it?" "Natalie Portman is cute" (yes, yes, very yes) mentality of a 12 year old, to the "Does it have good writing?" "Are the characters likable because of the writing/acting or because we are told to like them?" "Does the cinematographer do a good job in conveying the story visually?" (no, no, and no) mentality of a (sometimes) adult, I've noticed upon multiple re-watchings, the originals hold up immensely and still inspire awe and wonder, where the prequels do not.
J.J. and crew have done what 1999 George Lucas could not.  They have recaptured that feeling of reality and wonder I felt watching the original 3.  I can feel the world, and like Rey, I can believe in the "myths" of the Jedi and the Force.  Much of this comes from, not only, Kasdan's writing (pitch perfect in ESB and quite wonderful here as well), and J.J.'s direction, but also the decision to use practical effects whenever possible and the availability of better CGI (used when necessary to great effect).  The writing and acting help makes the characters feel like real people, rather than actors just reading lines.  I cared about these people, I laughed with them and at them (when appropriate), I cheered for them (and developed a crush on Daisy Ridley that rivals my adolescent self's crush on Natalie Portman), and felt sorrow when bad things happened to them.  Losing Han Solo felt like losing an old friend or a beloved uncle you had known for much of your life.  Those kinds of emotions are painfully missing from the prequels, which felt as cold and lifeless as the green screen sets in front of which the entirety of the films were filmed.
I don't think this film was as good as "The Empire Strikes Back", but I also don't think it needed to be.  For me, it was better than the original Star Wars even though it mirrors it quite frequently (a fact I had no problem with as it wasn't employed to trick us or treat us like we were idiots).  They didn't rehash things in the hopes we wouldn't notice but rather referenced things we already knew happened as well as many of the characters in the film knew, or had experienced first-hand.  It was very self-aware in this regard.
I know this is kind of jumble of thoughts, but that's how my brain works and I am no writer, so, whatever.  Long story short: It was a great re-introduction to a galaxy far, far away, that we haven't truly been able to revisit until now.  I literally can not wait to see what other stories will be told.

December Film Club

Hey everybody!  Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.  Thank you again to everyone who made it out last month to Nightcrawler, we had a real great turnout.
For the month of December I have chosen a film by the great Billy Wilder, The Apartment.

The Apartment is a 1960 American comedy-drama film that was produced and directed by Billy Wilder, and which stars Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray.  It was Wilder's next movie after Some Like it Hot and, like its predecessor, a commercial and critical success, grossing $25 million at the box office.  The film was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and won five, including Best Picture.

The Apartment holds a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and Roger Ebert awarded the film 4/4 stars, adding it to his list of "Great Movies".  In his review, he said this of the film, "There is a melancholy gulf over the holidays between those who have someplace to go, and those who do not.  The Apartment is so affecting partly because of that buried reason:  It takes place on the shortest days of the year, when dusk falls swiftly and the streets are cold, when after the office party some people go home to their families and others go home to apartments where they haven't even bothered to put up a tree.  The valuable element in Wilder is his adult sensibility; his characters can't take flight with formula plots, because they are weighted down with the trials and responsibilities of working for a living.  In many movies, the characters hardly even seem to have jobs, but in The Apartment they have to be reminded that they have anything else."

We will be meeting a week early for this month's Film Club so plan accordingly.  We will be meeting Thursday, Dec. 10th at 6:15pm.

I hope you can make it, see you there!

November Film Club

Thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone who was able to make it out to Horror Fest this year.  We had a good solid attendance for all 4 of our films.  I hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as I enjoyed scaring you all!  Another big thank you to  everyone who brought snacks, you're never obligated but as always, it is appreciated!

October is somehow already over, which is disappointing because that moves us closer to winter.  Let's hope the winter months fly by as quickly as the rest of the year.  But, as always, a new month means a new movie!  For the month of November I have chosen Dan Gilroy's thrilling film, Nightcrawler.

Nightcrawler is a 2014 American neo-noir crime thriller film written and directed by Dan Gilroy in his directorial debut.  The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a former thief who starts shooting footage of accidents and crimes in Los Angeles, selling the content to local news channels as a stringer.  It features Rene Russo, Riz Ahmed, and Bill Paxton.  The film had its world premier at the Special Presentations section of the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival.  It received critical acclaim and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay at the 87th Academy Awards.

The film holds a 95% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and Matt Zoller Seitz, writing for Rogerebert.com, awarded it 4/4 stars, saying this of the film, "This is a classic film, not just because every scene and line is casually beautiful and devoid of extraneous touches, but because its tone is mercilessly exact.  Gilroy, a first-time feature director who has written or cowritten many movies, knows what he wants to say, and how to say it.  He maintains just the right amount of distance from Lou, so that we get a buzz from his audacity while finding him revolting.  We're not so much looking down on Lou as peering into an abyss that exists, to some degree, within everyone: the lightless home of that little voice that whispers, "You've just gotta do what makes you happy," and "It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission."

We will be meeting Thursday, Nov. 19th at 6:15pm

Hope to see you there!


Here's the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1uP_8VJkDQ

5th Annual Horror Fest

Can you believe it's already October?  This year has gone by too quickly.  But, with the arrival of October comes my favorite film club event!  I know you know what I'm talking about (especially since it's the title of the post), the annual Horror Fest!  This year I've decided to show four films from new directors in the horror field.  I think these entries, while excellent on their own, show promise for even better stuff to come from these newer directors.  They all seem to have a better understanding of the horror genre than most, when you consider the amount of garbage horror that gets churned out regularly.

Let's get right into it.

First, I'd just like to express my gratitude to all of you great people who help make this possible just by attending!  I can't believe we've been getting together to watch scary movies for 5 WHOLE YEARS! Just awesome.  As long as you good people continue to show up, I'll keep showing movies.

We will be meeting Wed. Oct. 28th and Thurs. Oct. 29. The first film will start at 5:00pm on both nights, and the second will begin at 7:00pm, on both nights.  There will be plenty of snacks and treats, but feel free to bring whatever you'd like for yourself or to share.  Please, also feel free to dress up!  Halloween is only a few days after the film club so, get into the Halloween spirit!  If enough of you dress up, we can have a vote for best costume and the winner will get a prize, so, yeah, I'd say it would be worth it!

(click the titles for the trailers)

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28th at 5:00pm

The House of the Devil (2009)

(Directed by Ti West)

The House of the Devil is a 2009 horror film written, directed, and edited by Ti West, starring Jocelin Donahue, Tom Noonan, and Mary Woronov.  It combines elements of both the slasher film and haunted house subgenres while using the "satanic panic" of the 1980s as a central plot element.  The film pays homage to horror films of the 1970s and 1980s, recreating the style of films of that era using filming techniques and similar technology to what was used then.

86% Rotten Tomatoes Score

WEDNESDAY. OCT. 28th at 7:00pm

You're Next (2011)

(Directed by Adam Wingard)

You're Next is a 2011 American independent slasher film directed by Adam Wingard, written by Simon Barrett, and starring Sharni Vinson, Nicholas Tucci, Wendy Glenn, A.J. Bowen, and Joe Swanberg.  The films follows a family get together at their secluded home that comes under attack from masked assailants.

75% Rotten Tomatoes Score

THURSDAY. OCT. 29th at 5:00pm

The Babadook (2014)

(Directed by Jennifer Kent)

The Babadook is a 2014 Australian psychological horror film, written and directed by Jennifer Kent at her directorial debut, in which a woman and her son are tormented by an evil entity.  The film stars Essie Davis and Noah Wiseman, while Daniel Henshall, Hayley McElhinney, Barbara West, and Ben Winspear appear in supporting roles.  

98% Rotten Tomatoes Score

THURSDAY. OCT. 29th at 7:00pm

It Follows (2014)

(Directed by David Robert Mitchell)

It Follows is a 2014 American supernatural horror film written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, and starring Maika Monroe.  The plot follows a girl pursued by a supernatural entity after a sexual encounter.  Filmed in Detroit, Michigan, It Follows debuted at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.

96% Rotten Tomatoes Score

Again, there will be a plethora of snacks and refreshments, so don't feel obligated to bring anything, but I won't discourage you from doing so.  Costumes are not mandatory, but I think it would be really cool to see people dressed up.  There may be some trivia again or some other such activities, I'm not sure, I haven't worked out all the specifics yet, but it should end up being a really fun time.

Hope to see you there!

September Film Club

Well, we made it through our Werner Herzog series.  I hope you all enjoyed the films, or at the very least, got a little out of each of them.  I think watching films that you normally wouldn't is a good practice.  I feel it broadens the mind and maybe makes you a little more open to trying out films that may be a little different, or odd.  Oftentimes, these are really great films that you may otherwise miss.

Now, on to business.  For the month of September we will be returning briefly to our regular structure, that is, one film on the third Thursday of the month, before we move on to October's Horror Fest.  The film I have chosen for this month is the directorial debut of Alex Garland: Ex Machina.

Ex Machina is a 2015 British science fiction thriller film written and directed by Alex Garland.  It stars Domhnall Gleeson, Alicia Vikander, Sonoya Mizuno and Oscar Isaac.  Caleb (Gleeson) is a programmer in the near future working for Bluebook, the world's most popular search engine.  In a company-wide contest, he wins a visit to Nathan (Isaac), the company's CEO, at his secluded home and research facility in the mountains.  Caleb is informed by Nathan that he will be administering the Turing test to an android with artificial intelligence.  The film was made on a budget of $15 million and grossed over $36 million worldwide, receiving positive reviews.

The film holds a 92% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 201 critical reviews.  Matt Zoller Seitz, writing for Rogerebert.com, awarded it 4/4 stars, saying this of the film, "Throughout, Garland builds tension slowly and carefully without ever letting the pace slacken.  And he proves to have a precise but bold eye for composition, emphasizing humans and robots as lovely but troubling figures in a cold, sharp mural of technology.  Garland's screenplay is equally impressive, weaving references to mythology, history, physics, and visual art into casual conversations, in ways that demonstrate that Garland understands what he's talking about while simultaneously going to the trouble to explain more abstract concepts in plain language, to entice rather than alienate casual film-goers.  The ending, when it arrives, is primordially satisfying, spotlighting images whose caveman savagery is emotionally overwhelming yet earned by the story.  This is a classic film."

We will be meeting Thursday, Sept. 17th at 6:15pm

I hope you can all make it out to this excellent film!

Here's the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bggUmgeMCdc

Summer Film Club: August

Can you believe it's already August?  A new month means TWO more films from our featured director, Werner Herzog.  This month we will kick things off with another of Herzog's greatest accomplishments, Stroszek.

Stroszek is a 1977 film by Werner Herzog.  Written specifically for Bruno Schleinstein, the film was shot in Berlin, Wisconsin, and North Carolina.  Most of the lead roles are played by non-actors.  Stroszek tells the story of a Berlin street performer, recently released from prison, who, with a prostitute and his elderly landlord, move to Wisconsin in the hopes of finding a better life for themselves.  Stroszek was conceived during the production of another Herzog film, Woyzeck, which Herzog had originally planned to use Bruno in the title role.  After believing Klaus Kinski to be more suitable for the part, Herzog specifically wrote the leading role in Stroszek to compensate Schleinstein for his disappointment over Woyzeck.  The film was written in four days and uses a number of biographical details from Schleinstein's life.

The film holds an impressive 100% certified fresh rating, on Rotten Tomatoes, out of 13 critical reviews.  Roger Ebert awarded the film 4/4 stars and added it to his list of Great Movies in 2002 saying this of the film, and specifically Bruno S. "Stroszek is one of the oddest films ever made.  It is impossible for the audience to anticipate a single shot or development.  We watch with a kind of fascination, because Herzog cuts loose from narrative and follows his characters through the relentless logic of their adventure.  Then there is the haunting impact of the performance by Bruno S., who is at every moment playing himself...he is a phenomenon.  Herzog says that sometimes, to get in the mood for a scene, Bruno would scream for an hour or two.  In his acting he always seems to be totally present:  There is nothing held back, no part of his mind elsewhere.  He projects a kind of sincerity that is almost disturbing, and you realize that there is no corner anywhere within Bruno for a lie to take hold."


Our final documentary in our Werner Herzog series is the wonderful film Cave of Forgotten Dreams.


Cave of Forgotten Dreams is about the Chauvet Cave in southern France that contains the oldest human-painted images yet discovered.  Some of them were crafted as much as 32,000 years ago.  The film premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and consists of images from inside the cave as well as of interviews with various scientists and historians.  The film also includes footage of the nearby Pont d'Arc natural bridge.  The cave is carefully preserved and the general public is not allowed to enter.  Herzog received special permission from the French Minister of Culture to film inside the cave.  Having received permission, Herzog nonetheless had to film under heavy restrictions.  All people authorized to enter must wear special suits and shoes that have had no contact with the exterior.  Also, because of  near-toxic levels of radon and carbon dioxide, nobody can stay in the cave for more than a few hours per day.  The film holds a 96% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 123 reviews and Roger Ebert awarded the film 3 1/2 out of 4 stars saying this of the film, "The restrictions of four small portable light panels works to Herzog's advantage; as they move, they suggest how the flickering torches might have created an illusion of movement in those repeated features.  The space was so limited it was impossible for his crew to stay out of many shots, and their shadows dance on the walls, just as the shadows of forgotten ancestors must have danced in the torchlight.  Herzog's inspiration is to show us the paintings as the cave's original visitors must have seen them.  I have seen perfectly lighted photographs of other cave paintings that are not so evocative."

(We will briefly return to our regular schedule for the month of September, but October will be our annual Horror Fest, so stay tuned for updates!)

Summer Film Club: July

Thank you to everyone who made it to our first two films: Heart of Glass and Little Dieter Needs to Fly (and our secret, bonus, third film Lessons of Darkness).  Herzog's films are not always the easiest on first viewing, but I think as we progress, his styles and themes will become apparent and possibly even make his other films easier to understand and enjoy!

Our first film of the month of July is not only one of my favorite Herzog films, but just plain one of my favorites.  We will be watching The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser.

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser follows Kaspar Hauser (portrayed by Bruno Schleinstein), who lived the first seventeen years of his life chained in a tiny cellar with only a toy horse to occupy his time, devoid of all human contact except for a man, wearing a black overcoat and top hat, who feeds him.  One day, in 1828, the same man takes Hauser out of his cell, teaches him a few phrases, and how to walk, before leaving him in the town of Nuremberg.  Hauser becomes the subject of much curiosity, and is exhibited in a circus before being rescued by Herr Daumer (Walter Ladengast), who patiently attempts to transform him.  The film follows the real story of Kaspar Hauser quite closely, using the text of actual letters found with Hauser, and following many details in the opening sequence of Hauser's confinement and release.

The film holds a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and Roger Ebert awarded the film 4/4 stars, and added it to his list of Great Movies.  In his review, he said this of the film, "Werner Herzog's films do not depend on "acting" in the conventional sense.  He is most content when he finds an actor who embodies the essence of a character, and he studies that essence with a fascinated intensity.  In Herzog, the line between fact and fiction is a shifting one.  He cares not for accuracy but for effect, for a transcendent ecstasy.  "Kaspar Hauser" tells its story not as a narrative about its hero, but as a mosaic of striking behavior and images: A line of penitents struggling up a hillside, a desert caravan led by a blind man, a stork capturing a worm.  These images are unrelated to Kaspar except in the way they reflect and illuminate his struggle.  The last thing Herzog is interested in is "solving" this lonely man's mystery.  It is the mystery that attracts him."

Our second film for the month of July is Encounters at the End of the World.

Herzog and cinematographer Peter Zeitlinger go to Antarctica to meet people who live and work there, and to capture footage of the continent's unique locations.  Herzog's voiceover narration explains that his film will not be about "fluffy penguins," but will explore the dreams of the people and the landscape.  They visit McMurdo Station, talk to an iceberg geologist, travel to a seal camp and even visit the preserved original base of Ernest Shackleton.  

The film holds a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.  Roger Ebert, to whom the film is dedicated, awarded the film 4/4 stars and said this in his review, "Read the title of "Encounters at the End of the World" carefully, for it has two meanings.  As he journeys to the South Pole, which is as far as you can get from everywhere, Werner Herzog also journeys to the prospect of man's oblivion.  Far under the eternal ice, he visits a curious tunnel whose walls have been decorated by various mementos, including a frozen fish that is far away from its home waters.  His method makes the movie seem like it is happening by chance, although chance has nothing to do with it.  He narrates as if we're watching movies of his last vacation-informal, conversational, engaging.  He talks about people he met, sights he saw, thoughts he had.  And then a larger picture grows inexorably into view.  McMurdo is perched on the frontier of the coming suicide of the planet.  Mankind has grown too fast, spent too freely, consumed too much, and the ice cap is melting, and we shall all perish.  Herzog doesn't use such language, or course; he is too subtle and visionary.  He is nudged toward his conclusions by what he sees.  In a sense, his film journeys through time as well as space, and we see what little we may end up leaving behind us.  Nor is he depressed by this prospect, but only philosophical.  We came, we saw, we conquered, and we left behind a frozen fish."

Though these are very different films, separated not only by time, but also a physical distance, Herzog's themes and ideas can be seen quite clearly in both, as in most of his others.  I hope you are able to join us for these two wonderful films!

Here are the trailers again:

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser
Encounters at the End of the World