Steve’s Selections #16 – Stake Land (2010)

This is the fourth for this year and 16^th overall review of a film that Steve Honeywell at 1001plus gave me to see.  He is doing the same with films from me.  This month’s selection is Stake Land, one of the two horror movies Steve gave me this year.  I didn’t know if my health situation was going to allow me to get this done on time.  I was in pain while watching it and I freely admit this may have negatively impacted my impression of it.  Overall, I can see why Steve picked it for me – being a “not your usual” vampire movie – and while there are some good points to it, the film ultimately comes in at an “it was okay” level with me.

Steve’s Selections #15 – Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)

First things first, this is a few days late.  Steve Honeywell at 1001plus and I plan to post our monthly reviews of the films each of us gave the other on the second Monday of the Month.  This time I gave Steve a heads up that health would prevent me from being able to do so on schedule this month.  I have since watched the movie Exit Through the Gift Shop and I liked it.  The big question surrounding this documentary is whether it is a hoax or not.  I have no firm opinion one way of the other, but I will submit that in the end, it actually doesn’t matter.

Steve’s Selections #14 – Rollerball (1975)

Steve Honeywell at 1001plus and I agreed to continue to do a monthly review of a film the other picked for us.  We did 12 in 2015 and we will do 12 more in 2016.  The second one this year is Rollerball – the original version from 1975, not the 2002 remake.  It’s also on the list of the 101 Sci-Fi Movies You Must See Before You Die, and I am slowly working on those entries.  I saw the remake of Rollerball back when it came to DVD and I honestly can remember nothing about it other than it had Rebecca Romijn and LL Cool J in it, so I will not be comparing/contrasting the two films in this post.

Steve’s Selections #13 – Went the Day Well? (1942)

Steve Honeywell at 1001plus and I agreed to continue to do a monthly review of a film the other picked for us.  We did 12 in 2015 and we will do 12 more in 2016.  The first one I chose from Steve’s list for me this year is a British war film from 1942.  It’s also on the list of the 101 War Movies You Must See Before You Die, and I am slowly working on those entries, so it seemed like a good place to start.

I called this a “war film” and it is to a certain extent, but it’s more accurate to call it either a thriller or a war propaganda piece.  The events do not take place on a battlefield, but rather in a small village in England that gets infiltrated by Nazis in preparation for a full-scale invasion.  The Nazis have disguised themselves as British soldiers that are in the village to inspect its readiness for home defense and to conduct some training.  For the most part they speak perfect English and have all the mannerisms down.

Recapping Steve’s Selections for 2015

As you may know Steve Honeywell at 1001plus and I selected twelve films for the other to watch and review in 2015.  We have completed those and so I am doing this post to recap and rank those selections.  I have also included links to Steve’s twelve reviews of the films I picked for him.

Steve’s Selections - ranked:

1.      The Orphanage (2007) – 5 stars

If you had told me going in that a horror movie would end up being the one I picked as the best I would have had a lot of doubts.  As it turns out, The Orphanage is far more than “just a horror film.”  In addition to having great suspense, it has fully developed characters, a terrific story, and a reveal that I did not see coming.   My review.

2.      The History of Future Folk (2012) – 4 stars

This one was the most fun of the twelve.  It may be too “weird” for some, or too nice for those who are grumps, but for everyone else it should bring lots of smiles to your face.  My review.

3.      The Train (1964) – 4 stars

There is some great action as Burt Lancaster tries to stop a Nazi train loaded with valuable and historic art from making it to Germany, while also avoiding attacks from the Allies.  My review.

4.      My Favorite Year (1982) - 3.5 stars

Peter O’Toole carries this film and it rests entirely on his shoulders as he plays a version of Errol Flynn in the 1950s who is supposed to appear on a TV show and whose drinking and womanizing causes lots of havoc for them.  My review.

5.      The Changeling (1980) - 3.5 stars

There is some great suspense in this movie as George C. Scott moves into a haunted house.  The ending is a little too over the top for the rest of the film, but it’s a good journey before that.  My review.

6.      Seven Psychopaths (2012) - 3.5 stars

This is a very “meta” movie – perhaps the biggest example I’ve seen since Adaptation (2002).  A character reveal is pretty obvious, but it doesn’t detract from the film.  My review.

7.      I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Okay (2006) – 3 stars

This is a sweet, albeit off-kilter love story that is let down some by an ending that is not very clear.  Reading up on it afterwards showed me that if I had understood what the director was trying to convey then I would have liked it a lot more.  My review.

8.      The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007) – 3 stars

There is some great cinematography in this, especially with the opening scene of a train at night.  The story could use some trimming, with less time spent on fringe characters.  My review.

9.      Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984) – 3 stars

As you might expect there are tons of great fight scenes in this martial arts film.  They even had some pole fighting styles and weapons that I had never seen in a movie before.  My review.

10.  Auto Focus (2002) – 3 stars

This is a perhaps more fictional than true look at the life of actor Bob Crane from his rise to stardom on Hogan’s Heroes to his still as yet unsolved murder in the late 1970s.  In between is lots of filmed sex with groupies and swingers.  My review.

11.  Jesus Camp (2006) – 3 stars

This is an unvarnished look at what far Right Christians do to indoctrinate their children into their core beliefs.  It’s a little sad when you realize how messed up it’s going to make some of these kids as they get older.  My review.

12.  Elevator to the Gallows (1958) – 2.5 stars

This was the only one I did not give a recommendation rating to, although it still works out to “it was okay”.  I’m in the minority in not liking it.  It just didn’t connect with me and I didn’t know why at the time I reviewed it.  Thinking back now I believe it’s because it started with the heist.  While that was different for a noir and probably got it some praise, it didn’t allow me to connect with the characters since there was no build up or getting to know them.  The result, for me, was that I didn’t much care what happened to them.  The film still had a good impression on me in some areas, especially the jazz score from Miles Davis.  My review.

And here are the ones I chose for Steve and his reviews of them (click on the titles):

3 Idiots (2009)

And Then There Were None (1945)

Brick (2005)

Death at a Funeral (2007)

Jean de Florette (1986)/Manon of the Spring (1986)

The Man from Earth (2007)

Mary and Max (2009)

Much Ado About Nothing (2013)

Once Were Warriors (1994)

Ong-bak (2003)

POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011)

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)

Finally, Steve and I have agreed to continue this for 2016.  We’ve each chosen twelve more films and we’re taking a few more chances this time.

Here are the ones Steve selected for me:

The Collector (1965)
Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
He Who Gets Slapped (1924)
Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (2002)

Nighthawks (1981)
Quadrophenia (1979)
Rollerball (1975)

Séance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)

Stake Land (2010)
Testament (1983)

They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969)
Went the Day Well? (1942)

Here are the ones I picked for Steve:

Another Earth (2011)

Departures (2008)

House of Flying Daggers (2004)

Incendies (2010)

Iron Sky (2012)

Ondine (2009)

The One I Love (2014)

Ruby Sparks (2012)

Scotland, PA (2001)

Stoker (2013)

The Way We Get By (2009)

Widow’s Peak (1994)

Steve’s Selections #12 – I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Okay (2006)

We have come to the last of twelve movie selections Steve Honeywell at 1001plus has made for me for 2015.  This one is I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Okay, a South Korean film that is decidedly different.  When Steve finalized his list this was one selection I had never heard of, but the title alone amused me so going in I was predisposed to like it.  I have to admit that I was undecided on it while watching until it had, of all things to encounter in a Korean film, a yodeling section that was simultaneously funny and touching.  (Don’t worry, it makes sense in the context of the film – well, as much sense as anything else.)  I ended up liking this movie, although the ending was a letdown until I read up on it afterwards (more on that below).

Steve’s Selections #11 – Auto Focus (2002)

We have come to the eleventh of twelve movie selections Steve Honeywell at 1001plus has made for me.  This one is Auto Focus, a look at 15 years in the life of actor Bob Crane who is best known for his starring role as Colonel Hogan on the TV show Hogan’s Heroes, and for being the victim of a still unsolved murder.  Not as well known is that he was an early adopter of video camera and video tape technology which he then used to record himself having sex with any number of female fans.  This movie delves into that quite a bit.  From listening to the separate commentary tracks from both the director and the two main actors it’s apparent that they saw Bob Crane in completely different lights.  The result is a mixed view of the man.

Steve’s Selections #10 – The Orphanage (2007)

We have come to the tenth of twelve movie selections Steve Honeywell at 1001plus has made for me.  This one is The Orphanage, one of two horror films he included.  Over the years we have known each other it has been clear that Steve likes the horror genre quite a bit more than I do.  I was a little worried about having not one, but two horror films among the twelve he picked.  However, Steve also knows that I prefer suspense over gore and story over cheap scares, so he did a good job with the first one I watched – The Changeling (1980) – and as it turns out, an even better job with The Orphanage.  This is much more than “just a horror movie.”  It has a great story with a central mystery, but also has a lot of compassion for the characters in it. 

Steve’s Selections #9 – The Train (1964)

We have come to the ninth of twelve movie selections Steve Honeywell at 1001plus has made for me.  This one is The Train, a World War II-set action film about an attempted art heist.  I’ll be honest: despite the fact that this movie stars Burt Lancaster and Paul Scofield I had never heard of it before Steve picked it for me to watch and review.  After I got done watching I was surprised by this because it is a damn entertaining film.  Everything that was missing from The Monuments Men (2014) is gotten right in The Train.

Steve’s Selections #8 – Seven Psychopaths (2012)

We have arrived at my August review of a movie recommended courtesy of Steve at 1001plus.  This one is a film that I was interested in when it came to DVD, but for whatever reason I never happened to get around to watching it.  When I saw it among the twelve films he gave to me I was happy because now it gave me an excuse to go back and watch it.  What I found was a film that is a cross between Charlie Kaufman’s/Spike Jonze’s Adaptation (2002) and Quentin Tarantino’s, well, pick any Tarantino movie.  While this may seem to be a strange combination it works well enough onscreen to make me like the movie.

Steve’s Selections #7 – My Favorite Year (1982)

This is the seventh of twelve films that Steve at 1001plus has picked for me to watch and review.  He ran across it doing his reviews of Oscar nominated films.  In this case, Peter O’Toole received his seventh (of eight) Best Actor nominations, although he would lose once again (this time to Ben Kingsley in Gandhi).  O’Toole’s performance is mostly comedic – something that is usually bypassed by the Academy – so the fact that he even got a nomination at all might say something.  As a whole, the film is a pleasant experience.  The less comedic/more dramatic moments are understated and fit well within the story.

Steve’s Selections #6 – The Changeling (1980)

This is the sixth of twelve films that Steve at 1001plus has picked for me to watch and review.  It’s the first of two horror films he gave me.  Steve is a bigger fan of horror than I am.  I’m sure this is one of the ones he wondered about giving me.  Well Steve, you’ve got no worries here.  This was a very effective movie filled with plenty of goosebump inducing moments for me.  While most horror films lose my attention when they go for the gore, this one stayed restrained (for the most part – more later) and the film has a much greater impact because of it.  And it actually has more going on than just scares.  It’s three parts ghost story, one part murder mystery, and one part political thriller.

Steve’s Selections #5 – Elevator to the Gallows (1958)

I find myself in new territory here.  My site has been geared towards writing full reviews of films I would recommend to others.  I knew that one of the things that might happen when Steve and I recommended 12 films to the other to review during the coming year is I might encounter one I would not recommend.  I promised myself that if it happened I would still write a full review to show respect for Steve and for the process.  The problem I am now faced with is how do I write a review of a movie that I felt was just okay?  Do I still write it like any other?  Do I focus on the flaws that kept me from liking it more?  Do I recommend it anyway, since it's close (only a half star away)?  Do I write an analysis of my own reaction and what it might mean about me?  (Or is that too much “navel gazing”?)

Steve’s Selections #4 – Jesus Camp (2006)

Jesus Camp is a documentary about how fundamentalist Christians in the U.S. ensure they get their message to as wide a range of children as possible.  As Aristotle wrote, “Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man.”  The primary adult focused on in this movie is a firm believer in this.  She draws parallels with how some Muslims will train children from the time they are young to groom them to be suicide bombers and how guerillas in Africa will turn children into soldiers.  From her perspective, she is trying to turn these children into the future generation that will ensure the country “returns” to the Christian values she believes it has gone away from.  The result is a sometimes disturbing look at the methods used.  Steve called it one of the scariest documentaries he had ever seen.

Steve’s Selections #3 – The History of Future Folk (2012)

Watching movies nowadays it sometimes feels like low budget filmmakers have forgotten what the primary point of a movie is – to entertain.  (A studio exec would say it’s to make money, but the best way to make money is to make an entertaining movie that people want to see over and over.)  The days of Robert Rodriguez making El Mariachi (1992) for $7,000 and Kevin Smith making Clerks (1994) for $23,000 are long behind us.  Instead, it seems today’s filmmakers feel that to make up for the lack of budget they have to make their movie “artistic”, which is a polite euphemism for “a film only their mother and some professional film critics could love.”  Then just when it seems like all is lost along comes a film like The History of Future Folk to rekindle hope.  I had a smile on my face for most of the movie, either from the humor, or just from the sheer fun of watching it.

Steve’s Selections #2 – Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984)

Steve and I each happened to include a martial arts film when we picked movies for each other.  I like these kinds of films, but I think Steve probably likes them slightly more than I do.  Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (don’t bother trying to figure out what the title means) is a traditional genre film from the legendary Shaw Brothers.  Rather than have any number of martial arts skills and weapons on display this one almost exclusively features fighting with lances.  There’s not a lot of plot – it’s a time honored tale of revenge – but there is plenty of fighting to watch.

Steve’s Selections #1 – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

I had heard good things about the film The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, but I had never happened to get around to seeing it.  When Steve Honeywell at 1001plus put it on his list of 12 films for me to watch and review this year I was glad.  I wasn’t sure what film I would do first.  This one was certainly a front-runner based on my history with it, and also based on the fact that it was one of only three films on the 2014 Empire Top 301 Movies of all time list that I had not yet seen.  What finally cemented it were comments from a couple of fans both on my last post and on a Letterboxd list I created to go along with this.

Announcing: Steve’s Selections

In 2015 I will have a new kind of post.  Oh, it will still be a movie review, but the origin of it will be different.  Instead of just doing reviews for a set of films all having something in common, I will be also be reviewing films suggested to me by Steve Honeywell at 1001plus.  In return he will be reviewing films that I have suggested to him.

Last year I noticed Steve doing this with another blogger and I liked the concept.  Hell, the biggest reason I started and have continued this site is to recommend films, books, hikes, etc. to others.  Unless someone comes back afterwards to leave a comment telling you what they thought of the film, though, you never really know what people’s reactions were.  This way you can read a review of the film from a person whose opinion you respect.

Steve and I will be doing one review a month - posting them on the second Monday.  The first one up will be my next post in three days’ time.

Steve and I each selected films we liked and genuinely hoped the other would like, too.  There is a chance, though, that I might get done watching one of the films Steve selected and I find that it’s not one I would recommend to others.  (“Recommended” means a rating of three stars or higher.)  To date I have only written full reviews for movies I would recommend.  On the chance that I have a selection from Steve that I would not recommend I will still be writing a full review.  This is a change in concept for this site.  (That’s why I only have Labels for 3, 4, and 5 star films.)

Each of us tried to pick a wide range of genres, rather than concentrating on only one or two that we particularly liked.  The only real criteria are that these had to be films that the other had not yet seen.  (Both of us were going to assign 1989’s Dead Again to the other, but each of us had already watched it.) 

Steve additionally asked me to pick films not on one of his Oscar lists since he was going to see those at some point anyway, so he therefore was looking to see great movies he might not otherwise have ever watched.

Without further ado, here are the 12 films Steve has selected for me:

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

Auto Focus (2002)

The Changeling (1980)
Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984)

Elevator to the Gallows (1958)

The History of Future Folk (2012)

I’m a Cyborg, But That’s Okay (2006)

Jesus Camp (2006)

My Favorite Year (1982)

The Orphanage (2007)

Seven Psychopaths (2012)

The Train (1964)

And here are the ones I chose for Steve and his reviews of them:

3 Idiots (2009)

And Then There Were None (1945)

Brick (2005)

Death at a Funeral (2007)

Jean de Florette (1986)/Manon of the Spring (1986)

The Man from Earth (2007)

Mary and Max (2009)

Much Ado About Nothing (2013)

Once Were Warriors (1994)

Ong-bak (2003)

POM Wonderful Presents: The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (2011)

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)