09.27

Work at Oil Derricks and Oil Extraction (Vasil Amashukeli, 1907) (theatrical)

Nothing more than you'd expect but pretty dang cool.  Made me very nostalgic for the PFA.

Twenty-Six Commissars (Nikoloz Shengelaia, 1932) (theatrical)

After I watched it I expected to find it on Rosenbaum's list at least and generally to be a touted Soviet classic but it's got 20 votes on IMDb and isn't online anywhere.  One of the tightest silent films I've seen for sure, aesthetically and in terms of plot rhythm it felt specifically catered to me, but the friend I saw it with was also strongly affected.

The White Caravan (Tamaz Meliava and Eldar Shengelaia, 1963) (theatrical)

Again the only screenshot I can find online is this cropped one from the PFA's website, and only 7 votes on IMDb.  The movie has some pretty shots but also felt generic throughout.  Fantastic ending though, kinda puts the rest of it in perspective.

09.26

Lost Horizon (Frank Capra, 1937)

Haha, only someone in Hollywood would think to shoot paradise in Ojai.  It definitely captured a sense of wonder initially, but it didn't really go anywhere from there.  Sometimes beautiful but I guess it's not my kind of fantasy.

09.25

The Talented Mr. Ripley (Anthony Minghella, 1999)

Creepy and unpleasant.  I don't know why I watched it, I guess cuz I like Plein soleil.

09.24

Blackout! (Method Man and Redman, 1999)

Pretty much what I'd expect, Method Man does the same verse a bunch of times and Redman colors by numbers.  I love his stuff from the 80s, but Erick Sermon has not aged well as a producer.  Ladies Love Cool James is the man as ever.

Choice cuts: Blackout, Run 4 Cover, Dat's Dat Shit

09.22

The Offering (Killah Priest, 2007)

Definitely a huge improvement over his two previous albums I'd heard.  I still wish he brought back some of the kind of imagery he had on Heavy Mental but he has some amazing verses and brings in some amazing features too.  I like how personal, for instance, the record label stuff is.

Choice cuts: The Offering, Standstill, Essential

09.21

The Last Command (Josef von Sternberg, 1928)

Given the premise I assumed it would have an ironical tone, and wouldn't have expected it to play well straight.  But Sternberg and Jannings actually make it into one of the most glorious tragedies of the silent era.  Closes out an amazing cinematic with a bang met only by The Suspended Vocation.

09.19

Radio Ethiopia (Patti Smith Group, 1976)

I definitely enjoyed it, especially some parts, but I couldn't help but feel that if it came out now it wouldn't be treated differently from a lot of the other stuff on Part Time Punks or something.  Much bouncier than I was expecting without sacrificing the earthier elements.

Choice cuts: Ain't It Strange, Pissing in a River, Distant Fingers

The Hypothesis of the Stolen Painting (Raul Ruiz, 1979)

Probably the most fully realized abstract conspiracy kind of story I've seen, and I can't imagine a better script for Ruiz's directorial skills.  Totally gripping and increasingly unnerving.  My only caveat is the collector extrapolating the idea of the ceremony to broader society towards the end, which for whatever reason I feel like took some of the sinister clandestine edge off it.  But I haven't had this much fun with a movie in a very long time.

The Suspended Vocation (Raul Ruiz, 1978)

Like a synthesis of philosophical/theological dialogue and paranoid political thriller a la Ice, with the arcane nature of the subject matter lending itself to the pervasive sense of mystery.  Pretty absurd at times too.  The parallel movies aspect could really rub me the wrong way but Ruiz pulls it off without it ever feeling kitsch, I think largely because it's explicitly tied to the central theme (although I couldn't find a cohesive ideological thread in either approach).  Much of it remains obscure to me (and apparently everyone, the few things I've found written about it have been profoundly unhelpful and in many cases blatantly wrong; I hope someone's intrigued enough by it at some point to do some kind of in-depth analysis), but it's certainly a monumental experience and in a lot of ways a pretty ideal movie for me.

09.17

The Killers (Robert Siodmak, 1946)

A pretty average noir story with some cool elements, but Siodmak really goes all in.  Not to the extent that it elevates the only mildly interesting material, but a joy to watch in its own right.

Curtis (Curtis Mayfield, 1970)

Musically ambitious, but other than We the People Who Are Darker than Blue it didn't strike a chord with me particularly so to speak.  The socially conscious songs generally were far better than the other stuff.  I know Superfly became a favorite of mine the more I listened to it, so I should probably come around to this again at some point.

Choice cuts: Other Side of Town, We the People Who Are Darker than Blue, Move On Up

09.16

Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawks, 1938) (rewatch)

Hilarious and delightful as ever.  I really miss seeing it with an audience though.

09.15

The Killer (John Woo, 1989)

Boy it was weird hearing that theme and that dialogue outside the context of Only Built 4 Cuban Linx.  I guess the style was much less appealing to me than A Better Tomorrow's, it lacked the vibrancy and rawness.  Also while the film's much longer, the story feels both less intimate and lesser in scope.  But the ending's pretty great.

The Present (Robert Frank, 1996)

Quite fantastic, and a good palate-cleanser after the excess of The Killer.  This kind of intuitive filmmaking really speaks to me, though I think I'm too self-conscious to pull it off.  Frank the person reminds me a lot of Herzog.

09.13

A Better Tomorrow (John Woo, 1986)

Just the absolute tightest.  I can see the attraction this has for Wu Tang.

09.12

The Sword of Doom (Okamoto Kihachi, 1966)

I had only the vaguest notion of what was going on at any point; the plot seemed wildly convoluted and I'm sure it didn't help that I kept kind of dozing off.  They sure edited the hell out of it but everything else about it was so inaccessible to me that it became pretty dull pretty quickly.  These sprawling tangled plot strands are one thing but I think what kept me most separated from the film was a complete lack of understanding of Nakadai's character, especially his relationship to his sword and other characters.  I think I finally understand at a gut level the criticism of the Refn/Gosling collaborations.  So I don't know, frustratingly mysterious to me; I think I'd like to watch it again soon and puzzle some of this stuff out.

09.11

Rio Bravo (Howard Hawks, 1959) (rewatch)

Hawks is one of those guys whose talents you appreciate so much more the more you watch.  First off I don't think you could get any sense of the immensity of his talent from just watching one film.  But even once you're familiar with the Hawksian je nais se quoi it pays to keep watching for the minutiae of timing and movement that make his movies bubble so vivaciously.  The ultimate American termite artist.

09.09

Statues Also Die (Chris Marker and Alain Resnais, 1953)

Kind of condescending, but probably the best European film I've seen about African culture (not sure if Battle of Algiers counts).  Gorgeously shot too.

09.08

When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (Naruse Mikio, 1960)

This is Naruse?  I was tripping as soon as I saw it was in Scope.  For the first while I was thinking this must be the Japanese Mankiewicz but as it went on I realized that's way too harsh.  Still pretty bland though, I couldn't find anything here that justifies such stringent admiration; maybe I should've started with his earlier work.  The script's good though and Takamine kills it.

09.06

Regular Lovers (Philippe Garrell, 2005)

Dope.  My only thing with it is if you gave me a synopsis this is pretty much exactly the movie I'd picture.  So...stylistically predictable?

09.05

The Tingler (William Castle, 1959) (theatrical)

I don't think I'm all that fond of Castle, and certainly aesthetically we must be on different sides of the universe, but boy does he ever work good in a theater.  I wish I'd seen some of his stuff in their original runs when they had the electrified seats and ghost viewers and whatnot.  His daughter who introduced it looked exactly like him with slightly longer hair.  I stayed for about 20 minutes of Hollywood Story to make sure I wasn't missing anything by walking out, then walked out and regretted it.  Also Vincent Price is the fucking man as always.

09.03

My Darling Clementine (John Ford, 1946) (rewatch)

I've been rewatching some Ford westerns with my mom, and the thing that strikes me most is how different all of his most acclaimed movies are vibe-wise.  This has kind of that Liberty Valance small town thing going, but it's much more dark and brooding.  Almost Tourneuresque, between that and the plot, but the framing is classic Ford and Ford at his most holy shit inducing.  Most directors can't pull off such rapid editing as him and remain well within my graces, but everything he cuts to is as striking as what he cuts from.  I hate to admit it but I think I'm pretty taken with ambition, otherwise this might be my favorite from him.

09.02

Seed to Sun (Boom Bip, 2002)

Somehow I find the idea that Boom Bip is a single person and not a group highly amusing.  This is pleasant, except the track with Buck 65, which is horrible.  The kind of thing you'd expect with titles like Roads Must Roll and The Use of Unacceptable Colors in Nature.

Choice cuts: Pulse All Over, Awaiting an Accident, Last Walk Around Mirror Lake

08.31

Clueless (Amy Heckerling, 1995) (rewatch)

I pity the fool who doesn't love this movie.

08.27

Goin' Back to New Orleans (Dr. John, 1992)

The opening track is so awesome and unusual it's a bit of a letdown to find the rest of the album's more standard blues, but there's a lot of great stuff on there.  Toes the line between playful and disturbing; about half the songs are about cheating spouses and about half of those end in at least the threat of murdering the offensive parties.

Choice cuts: Litenie des Saints, How Come My Dog Don't Bark (When You Come Around), Cabbage Head

08.24

Ill Communication (Beastie Boys, 1994)

I'm still don't think the Beastie Boys are entirely my thing, but I certainly have to respect the variety of musicality on display.  I remember thinking Paul's Boutique would've made a great album if there hadn't been any rapping on it, and this further pushes the experimentation on display there while downplaying their rapping.  I think I'll enjoy it even more on repeat listens.

Choice cuts: Futterman's Rule, Flute Loop, Shambala

08.17

In a Lonely Place (Nicholas Ray, 1950) (rewatch)

I'm frustrated at myself for choosing to watch this instead of a terrible VHS rip of To Sleep with Anger.  The first time I saw this it hit me absurdly hard, and Ray's still an unequivocal genius and everything but I felt much more removed this time around.  I look forward to revisiting this again someday and hopefully recapturing something like that first experience.