The Wild Hunt (2009)
A medieval reenactment game turns into a Shakespearean tragedy when a non-player crashes the event to win back his girlfriend.
Director:
From personal collection. Showed it to my boyfriend and he really liked it.
Since my previous post from 2010 when I first saw this movie isn't very detailed (I've made a LOT of format changes to the blog since then) I'll write it up fresh this time.
I first saw this as a special feature in the off-season of The Omaha Film Festival and REALLY liked it, so much that I made sure to order it as soon as it came out on DVD.
This film is gripping. You may want to laugh at the role players, but like the main character, you are very much an outsider in their world and have to play along to a degree. The buildup is great, the runner of the slamming door has a GREAT pay-off and it's a scary insight into how quickly humans can turn when imaginations, ego, loyalty, and desire run wild. There is plenty of humor to be found, but the film is gritty, and realistic. It's quiet at first then explodes. I believe the film has a wide appeal. If you think role players are a bunch of geeks, this film will prove you wrong. It's a film about brothers, love, and a game gone terribly wrong.
This film won the Audience Award at Slamdance 2010 and Best Canadian First Feature Film at Toronto International Film Festival 2009. Seriously good stuff here.
Surprised to find... but you can watch the movie in full on Hulu!
Rent/Buy on Amazon
Watch the trailer:
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When Rodney Baze mysteriously disappears and law enforcement doesn't
follow through fast enough, his older brother, Russell, takes matters
into his own hands to find justice.
Director:
Scott Cooper
Christian Bale,
Casey Affleck,
Zoe Saldana |
See full cast and crew »
From my boyfriend's personal collection. We watched it right after the previous film.
Another film about brothers. I usually tend to stray away from dramas. Luckily my wise other-half picked a damn good film. It did a great job of capturing a setting, lifestyle, characters, and reality. And it's filled with a star-studded cast. There is a scene between Christian Bale and Zoe Saldana that is BURSTING with subtext, so much that I was overwhelmed and we had to pause the movie for a tissue. THAT is good storytelling. There is so much going on in this movie. The setting does a great job of showing the industrial work that kills the population that has to do it, in this case a steel mill. And how some people are left without choices, or at least any good ones. I really recommend this film to anyone who likes a gripping drama that is brimming with real characters. Also if you like Pearl Jam's music :) Pretty cool trivia.
Watch trailer below:
Stars:
From my boyfriend's personal collection. We watched it right after the previous film.
Another film about brothers. I usually tend to stray away from dramas. Luckily my wise other-half picked a damn good film. It did a great job of capturing a setting, lifestyle, characters, and reality. And it's filled with a star-studded cast. There is a scene between Christian Bale and Zoe Saldana that is BURSTING with subtext, so much that I was overwhelmed and we had to pause the movie for a tissue. THAT is good storytelling. There is so much going on in this movie. The setting does a great job of showing the industrial work that kills the population that has to do it, in this case a steel mill. And how some people are left without choices, or at least any good ones. I really recommend this film to anyone who likes a gripping drama that is brimming with real characters. Also if you like Pearl Jam's music :) Pretty cool trivia.
Watch trailer below:
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Blue Steel (1989)
A female rookie in the police force engages in a cat and mouse game with
a pistol wielding psychopath who becomes obsessed with her.
Director:
Kathryn Bigelow
Jamie Lee Curtis,
Ron Silver,
Clancy Brown |
See full cast and crew »
From my boyfriend's (VHS) collection. On his recommendation, I watched it (sola) for research for a feature script revision I'm working on.
I took plenty of notes on this film, because that's what I do when I'm watching a film for research purposes. But it's been a while since I watched it and the trailer didn't completely jog my memories for me. And I'm too lazy to go look at my notebook. There were times when the characters acted in ways that were frustrating because we as the audience knew what was going on and wanted them to know too. The shoot-out was a bit ridiculous at the end cuz it was like 'Come on! Kill him already!' One could very well see the characterization for her, how she got to become a cop, and some of the decisions she made. His was a little less clear. It was just all of a sudden the guy was crazy. There were times when she thought like a cop, and then times she just threw it all out the window. I do know it put me on edge though and when a car alarm was going off outside, I was wary to investigate but trekked out anyway. ;) I leave the film-watching choice up to you. Notice the director.
This is the story of an ancient meditation technique named Vipassana, which shows people how to take control of their lives and channel them toward their own good.It is the story of a strong woman named Kiran Bedi, the former Inspector General of Prisons in New Delhi, who strove to transform the notorious Tihar Prison and turn it into an oasis of peace. But most of all it is the story of prison inmates who underwent profound change, and who realized that incarceration is not the end but possibly a fresh start toward an improved and more positive life. These people have shown that reform can work if it is self-reform. Their success has been so dramatic that recently the Indian Government decided to apply Vipassana in all the country's prisons. Other countries are becoming interested as well. The filmmakers spent about two weeks inside Tihar Central Prison in New Delhi and Baroda Jail in the Indian state of Gujarat. They interviewed inmates and jail officials, and filmed in places rarely accessible to film crews, whether Indian or foreign.
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I watched this film for research because I am revising a feature script to take place in India and it features a female cop, so who better to study than Kiran Bedi, the first female cop in India who transformed a prison? This documentary is short and really good. If you are interested in meditation, prison reformation or just something that sounds impossible, this is a great movie. The meditation does not conflict with any religion and seems to be quite powerful. I highly recommend this easy watch.
TRAILER:
From my boyfriend's (VHS) collection. On his recommendation, I watched it (sola) for research for a feature script revision I'm working on.
I took plenty of notes on this film, because that's what I do when I'm watching a film for research purposes. But it's been a while since I watched it and the trailer didn't completely jog my memories for me. And I'm too lazy to go look at my notebook. There were times when the characters acted in ways that were frustrating because we as the audience knew what was going on and wanted them to know too. The shoot-out was a bit ridiculous at the end cuz it was like 'Come on! Kill him already!' One could very well see the characterization for her, how she got to become a cop, and some of the decisions she made. His was a little less clear. It was just all of a sudden the guy was crazy. There were times when she thought like a cop, and then times she just threw it all out the window. I do know it put me on edge though and when a car alarm was going off outside, I was wary to investigate but trekked out anyway. ;) I leave the film-watching choice up to you. Notice the director.
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Doing Time, Doing Vipassana (1997)
This is the story of an ancient meditation technique named Vipassana, which shows people how to take control of their lives and channel them toward their own good.It is the story of a strong woman named Kiran Bedi, the former Inspector General of Prisons in New Delhi, who strove to transform the notorious Tihar Prison and turn it into an oasis of peace. But most of all it is the story of prison inmates who underwent profound change, and who realized that incarceration is not the end but possibly a fresh start toward an improved and more positive life. These people have shown that reform can work if it is self-reform. Their success has been so dramatic that recently the Indian Government decided to apply Vipassana in all the country's prisons. Other countries are becoming interested as well. The filmmakers spent about two weeks inside Tihar Central Prison in New Delhi and Baroda Jail in the Indian state of Gujarat. They interviewed inmates and jail officials, and filmed in places rarely accessible to film crews, whether Indian or foreign.
----------
I watched this film for research because I am revising a feature script to take place in India and it features a female cop, so who better to study than Kiran Bedi, the first female cop in India who transformed a prison? This documentary is short and really good. If you are interested in meditation, prison reformation or just something that sounds impossible, this is a great movie. The meditation does not conflict with any religion and seems to be quite powerful. I highly recommend this easy watch.
TRAILER:
WATCH FULL FILM BELOW:
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A documentary about the first woman to join the Indian Police Service.
Director:
Megan Doneman
Writers:Megan Doneman
Megan Doneman,
Jeneffa Soldatic (story)
Stars:
Kiran Bedi,
Helen Mirren
|
See full cast and crew »
Bought it from Amazon Streaming.
I watched this on my laptop as part of my ongoing research for a feature script revision. The idea of anyone willing to stand up against corruption and come out ahead when they try to destroy her was intriguing to me. This woman did a lot of awesome things and this documentary is a must-see as far as I'm concerned.
Director:
Writer:
Stars:
Bought it from Amazon Streaming.
I watched this on my laptop as part of my ongoing research for a feature script revision. The idea of anyone willing to stand up against corruption and come out ahead when they try to destroy her was intriguing to me. This woman did a lot of awesome things and this documentary is a must-see as far as I'm concerned.
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Her (2013)
A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly
purchased operating system that's designed to meet his every need.
Director:
Writer:
Stars:
Joaquin Phoenix,
Amy Adams,
Scarlett Johansson |
See full cast and crew »
Watched with my mentor, my boyfriend, and several other wonderful people/writers.
As my S.O. pointed out to me when we were discussing this afterwards, it would have been much less distracting if they had chosen an unknown vocal talent to play the role Scarlett Johansson did. It's true. The entire movie, I'm envisioning Scarlett and waiting for her to appear. (Trivia states the role originally went to another actress... Samantha Morton)
The film highlights out how much we depend on technology and deals a lot with ... gah, I can't find the word now... but the concept that technology will supersede humans and have no need for them. It also was identifiable for anyone who has had a long distance relationship, or has even had long phone calls, as several shots of objects in the supposed perimeter of the main character were used to show the experience of being on a phone call and staring at an object while you talk. The little things one notices when on the phone.
It was an okay movie. It shows how attached we get to technology and how it can't really replace human interaction. It's definitely not gonna be for everyone. P.S. All the parodies of it on the internet are pretty lame and show how silly the movie concept is. lol..
Stars:
From my S.O.'s collection. Watched together.
We realized that this movie and the previous movie were both three character titles. Special, huh? I liked this one better than the previous film, though, that's for sure. Like 'Out of the Furnace' (see above review), this film did a good job of bringing the location and characters to life. It straddled the line between childhood and adulthood which is good because it was more or less a coming of age story for the main boy. The theme of snakes and superstition made it a little easy to figure out where it was headed. But I was still guessing on some of it and was pleased. It was much different than I had thought it would be when I had read the back of the movie back in September (before the movie got misplaced - not by me!! I don't hide movies to avoid watching them!).
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Watched with my mentor, my boyfriend, and several other wonderful people/writers.
As my S.O. pointed out to me when we were discussing this afterwards, it would have been much less distracting if they had chosen an unknown vocal talent to play the role Scarlett Johansson did. It's true. The entire movie, I'm envisioning Scarlett and waiting for her to appear. (Trivia states the role originally went to another actress... Samantha Morton)
The film highlights out how much we depend on technology and deals a lot with ... gah, I can't find the word now... but the concept that technology will supersede humans and have no need for them. It also was identifiable for anyone who has had a long distance relationship, or has even had long phone calls, as several shots of objects in the supposed perimeter of the main character were used to show the experience of being on a phone call and staring at an object while you talk. The little things one notices when on the phone.
It was an okay movie. It shows how attached we get to technology and how it can't really replace human interaction. It's definitely not gonna be for everyone. P.S. All the parodies of it on the internet are pretty lame and show how silly the movie concept is. lol..
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Mud (2012)
Two young boys encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade
the vigilantes that are on his trail and to reunite him with his true
love.
Director:
Jeff Nichols
Writer:Jeff Nichols
Stars:
From my S.O.'s collection. Watched together.
We realized that this movie and the previous movie were both three character titles. Special, huh? I liked this one better than the previous film, though, that's for sure. Like 'Out of the Furnace' (see above review), this film did a good job of bringing the location and characters to life. It straddled the line between childhood and adulthood which is good because it was more or less a coming of age story for the main boy. The theme of snakes and superstition made it a little easy to figure out where it was headed. But I was still guessing on some of it and was pleased. It was much different than I had thought it would be when I had read the back of the movie back in September (before the movie got misplaced - not by me!! I don't hide movies to avoid watching them!).
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Blackfish (2013)
Director:
Stars:
"Blackfish," is a documentary film about the multiple incidents,
including the three deaths, that prompted the ongoing court case between
Sea World, and OSHA, the "Occupational Safety and Health Admissions".
These 3 deaths, which included 2 Orca trainers, were caused by Sea
World's infamous bull Orca "Tilikum." Through a series of interviews
with former Orca trainers that worked with, or around Tilikum, and other
problematic captive Orca, the film tries to find an explanation for
what happened. - Written by
JFlor
~~~~~~
Rented from the library. Watched with my parents.
I remember seeing a lot of outrage on my social media when this movie came out. It must have premiered on television and it kicked up quite a stir. With good reason too. The Sea World legacy and others like it, began by stealing young whales from their families, keeping them in small enclosures, where many of the fish would turn on each other because they were from different family groups. And multiple injuries and deaths ensued and were ignored or covered up by the corporations that make money off of it.
It was an eye opener for sure. Silly as it is, one doesn't often stop to think about how animals are put in captivity but it should stand to reason that they are stolen from the wild. It was kind of a 'duh' moment for me. I know a few people who look at this as a reason to be anti-zoo of any kind. That just shows how powerful film can be. I find it interesting that the former trainers basically seemed to agree that the killer whales should all be released back into the wild; that they are too intelligent for the lame task of performing. And it makes sense to me... humans using animals for entertainment isn't really a good thing. Unless it's a cat chasing a laser. Then it's awesome. ;) I can see the appeal of the trainers connecting with these creatures on another level, but the movie proves that it's dangerous and unpredictable.
If you are looking for eye-opening facts that make you a little more knowledgeable about our world, this is it...
It was an eye opener for sure. Silly as it is, one doesn't often stop to think about how animals are put in captivity but it should stand to reason that they are stolen from the wild. It was kind of a 'duh' moment for me. I know a few people who look at this as a reason to be anti-zoo of any kind. That just shows how powerful film can be. I find it interesting that the former trainers basically seemed to agree that the killer whales should all be released back into the wild; that they are too intelligent for the lame task of performing. And it makes sense to me... humans using animals for entertainment isn't really a good thing. Unless it's a cat chasing a laser. Then it's awesome. ;) I can see the appeal of the trainers connecting with these creatures on another level, but the movie proves that it's dangerous and unpredictable.
If you are looking for eye-opening facts that make you a little more knowledgeable about our world, this is it...
_______________________________
The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
A married woman and a drifter fall in love, then plot to murder her
husband... but even once the deed is done, they must live with the
consequences of their actions.
Writers:
Stars:
Lana Turner,
John Garfield,
Cecil Kellaway |
See full cast and crew »
Rented from library. Watched sola. On recommendation of Gordy Hoffman for my feature script.
I was told this would be a good film to watch for researching film noir and the femme fatale. Basically, it makes me think of what my mentor's wife always says: "You can't start off in a dirty nest." There was definitely behavior that I didn't like. Our male lead stole a kiss from the main female and it just sat wrong with me. The book was written by James M. Cain, as was the book for another movie I was suggested by Gordy that I discuss in a bit. There were a lot of shared themes.
Watching this made me feel like a criminal when I was done, like I was somehow guilty of their actions because I watched them and didn't step in. I think it was definitely a film with the message to potential criminals/adulterers/murderers: 'you will get caught'.
TRAILER:
Special Feature on previous movie's disc. (From library, watched sola).
I found it a nice bio for the film studies student in me. It's always interesting to learn about icons of years past. Very sad that his heart condition proved fatal when he was under scrutiny during the Communist scare.
Rented from library. Watched sola. On recommendation of Gordy Hoffman for my feature script.
Another James M. Cain novel and honestly, it was pretty similar to the Postman, this time involving insurance more so on a technical level. Similar things: men being too forward, mention of Iowa, mention of Fates, tricky women. Same thing of 'can't start in a dirty nest'. He calls her 'baby' waaaay too much. Also left me feeling like a criminal.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Watched online. Sola. Watched for research for feature film revisions.
If you are paying close attention, you may figure out a little about my screenplay based on all the films I'm watching as research. As mentioned above, it's about a female police officer in India.
This movie is basically the Bollywood/Hindi version of Se7en, believe it or not. Which means more musical breaks than the Pitt version. And in this case, fewer crimes, as they put their own spin on it. A bit hokey, but I was watching because, well, see above. All of the above. This version was much more discreet in the visuals, you can be sure. I predicted an important bit, but otherwise didn't see some other stuff but it was kinda silly and contrived.
Watch Trailer:
Watch full film here:
Rented from library. Watched sola. On recommendation of Gordy Hoffman for my feature script.
I was told this would be a good film to watch for researching film noir and the femme fatale. Basically, it makes me think of what my mentor's wife always says: "You can't start off in a dirty nest." There was definitely behavior that I didn't like. Our male lead stole a kiss from the main female and it just sat wrong with me. The book was written by James M. Cain, as was the book for another movie I was suggested by Gordy that I discuss in a bit. There were a lot of shared themes.
Watching this made me feel like a criminal when I was done, like I was somehow guilty of their actions because I watched them and didn't step in. I think it was definitely a film with the message to potential criminals/adulterers/murderers: 'you will get caught'.
__________________________
This documentary, aired on the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) cable network, looks at the life and career of John Garfield,
whose career was cut short when he died at age 39. His difficult
childhood in the rough neighborhoods of New York City provided the
perfect background for the tough-guy roles he would play on both stage
and screen. Written by
David Glagovsky
Director:
David Heeley
Stars:
Julie Garfield,
Ellen Adler,
Joseph Bernard |
See full cast and crew » Special Feature on previous movie's disc. (From library, watched sola).
I found it a nice bio for the film studies student in me. It's always interesting to learn about icons of years past. Very sad that his heart condition proved fatal when he was under scrutiny during the Communist scare.
_______________________
Double Indemnity (1944)
An insurance rep lets himself be talked into a murder/insurance fraud
scheme that arouses an insurance investigator's suspicions.
Director:
Billy Wilder
Stars:
Fred MacMurray,
Barbara Stanwyck,
Edward G. Robinson |
See full cast and crew » Rented from library. Watched sola. On recommendation of Gordy Hoffman for my feature script.
Another James M. Cain novel and honestly, it was pretty similar to the Postman, this time involving insurance more so on a technical level. Similar things: men being too forward, mention of Iowa, mention of Fates, tricky women. Same thing of 'can't start in a dirty nest'. He calls her 'baby' waaaay too much. Also left me feeling like a criminal.
_____________________
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Malvika Chauhan battles time to
obtain & solve the clues to solve the various murders occurring in
the city.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Watched online. Sola. Watched for research for feature film revisions.
If you are paying close attention, you may figure out a little about my screenplay based on all the films I'm watching as research. As mentioned above, it's about a female police officer in India.
This movie is basically the Bollywood/Hindi version of Se7en, believe it or not. Which means more musical breaks than the Pitt version. And in this case, fewer crimes, as they put their own spin on it. A bit hokey, but I was watching because, well, see above. All of the above. This version was much more discreet in the visuals, you can be sure. I predicted an important bit, but otherwise didn't see some other stuff but it was kinda silly and contrived.
Watch Trailer:
Watch full film here:
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Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics (2013)
A documentary detailing the epic Rogues' Gallery of DC Comics from The
Joker and Lex Luthor, Sinestro, Darkseid and more, this documentary will
explore the Super Villains of DC Comics.
Stars:
Christopher Lee, Neal Adams, Brian Azzarello | See full cast and crew »
If you know my boyfriend, you know this came from his collection and he got me to watch it with him. ;)It just so happens that he is right, that this film does a great job of elaborating an antagonist's role in a story. Great film to watch as a writer because it even posits that villains ARE the protagonists because they are the ones making things happen. I may have surprised both of us with how much I remember some of these characters, specifically the Batman cartoon episodes since I watched it a lot after school with my younger brother. I got to learn about a few more and see how creative storytellers have to get to give an engaging storyline. I will admit, my boyfriend is bringing out more of the latent geek in me. Congratulations, dear. :P
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So there you have it. 13 movies in a month and a few days. Luckily, a good number of them were specifically picked for research purposes, so I can justify watching probably half of these. If ANYONE actually made it to the bottom of this very long blog entry, please let me know. Thanks for reading!!! Share it if you like it. Peace out!
Christopher Lee, Neal Adams, Brian Azzarello | See full cast and crew »
If you know my boyfriend, you know this came from his collection and he got me to watch it with him. ;)It just so happens that he is right, that this film does a great job of elaborating an antagonist's role in a story. Great film to watch as a writer because it even posits that villains ARE the protagonists because they are the ones making things happen. I may have surprised both of us with how much I remember some of these characters, specifically the Batman cartoon episodes since I watched it a lot after school with my younger brother. I got to learn about a few more and see how creative storytellers have to get to give an engaging storyline. I will admit, my boyfriend is bringing out more of the latent geek in me. Congratulations, dear. :P
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So there you have it. 13 movies in a month and a few days. Luckily, a good number of them were specifically picked for research purposes, so I can justify watching probably half of these. If ANYONE actually made it to the bottom of this very long blog entry, please let me know. Thanks for reading!!! Share it if you like it. Peace out!
