No Blogging: Part II

Surgery went well. Mostly back to normal with minor restrictions. I had six days off for the surgery and recovery, five of which I was in a constant high from the pain medication. In between naps, sleeping, and eating, I managed to watch 17 movies and start 2 I didn't finish. I had a loose list to go through (see part 1), so here are the movies I watched and a few notes on them.

The one thing I knew I wanted to get through was the Alien series. I had seen them all before, but it had been a while and I wanted a refresher before the new Alien movie comes out (trailer: please watch).
Alien: This is still my favorite of the series, especially realizing that most of the amazing cast in this is no longer with us (I really miss John Hurt.)
Aliens: Probably James Cameron's best film. I'm not a fan of his. That being said, this rises up to the occasion to be as good as the original. A friend of mine quoted it as "the Godfather II of sci-fi." I wouldn't go that far, but it's a good one.
Alien 3: David Fincher tried to go through lawyers to get his name off this project due to producers not respecting his vision. None of that footage exists, but what is left is a great concept movie that picks up right where Aliens left off.
Alien: Resurrection: Yes, this is the turd of the group. It still has some fun moments and great effects, but not the best movie.
I watched these in order in a total gamut. It didn't feel like four movies, but more like episodes of a great Masterpiece Theatre series. Highly recommend it. Drugs do help.

I was in a bit of pain day 2 so I took a double dose (by double I mean what the bottle recommends. I have a low tolerance.) I thought "This would be a great time to watch Fantasia." I couldn't have been more right. This has been a favorite film of mine since I was a kid and watch it often. Being in that state obviously added layers to a Classic.

Crimson Peak: Amazing visuals. Good acting. Decent script. It still fell flat. See it for the visuals if anything. Anything by del Toro is worth watching for that reason.

I noticed I had some holes in my early Scorsese. I caught Bringing Out the Dead, Boxcar Bertha, and Color of Money (I really really miss Paul Newman) on HBOGO. These all seem like his least personal films, but at least the later two are great in their own way.

Persona: Totally psychological. One of my favorite films. Just go watch it. Or borrow it from me.

Green Room: Great twist on the survival/trapped horror genre. Really gross. Fantastic moments of shock, absurdity, and humor. It will really make you think about what your "Desert Island" band would be.

Grand Hotel: A 1932 soap opera of grand proportions.

Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down: This was the only Almodovar I could find that I hadn't seen. He launched the careers of Antonio Banderes and Penelope Cruz. Master of Spanish cinema even from his early films.

Forest for the Trees: Maren Ade's first film. Painfully awkward and hard to watch, but I feel that was its intention.

Big Lebowski: Duh. Of course. Sometimes we need to remember that the Dude still abides.

Sea of Trees: A Gus Van Sant film (which is why I watched it) that's stunning to look at. Good performances. Decent movie.

By the last day I was off the meds and finished with Hacksaw Ridge. This is what Saving Private Ryan wished it could be. The combat footage is some of the best camera work I've seen in a while. Great story. Even the cheesy love story. Wish I had seen it in the theatre. Desmond Doss was an insane.....everything.

Thanks for indulging me in my drug fueled movie binge, and for reading.

Back to lists on the next one.

K.

No Blogging: Part I

I do love movies. I do not like writing about them. So this forum will change to suit another thing I love: lists.
The next list will be a two parter, a before and after. I am having my gallbladder removed on Tuesday, and I plan on being in a drug fueled haze for a few days while I recover. Obviously I had to ask myself : what films could be enhanced while in this fog? Here's my list so far:
        The Alien franchise (Alien-Alien Resurrection)
        Fantasia
        Persona
        Solaris
        Barry Lyndon
        Any Pedro Almodovar I have lying around

Feel free to comment and leave any movies I should add to my list.

k.