They Live (1988)

A magic pair of sunglasses allow a drifter (Roddy Piper) to see the aliens who have taken over the world! He must now choose between chewing bubble gum and kicking ass, fortunately he's all out of bubble gum!

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While it's absolutely not the scariest John Carpenter movie ever, this might be my favorite. Only here can you find the perfect combo of epic fistfights and vicious satire. Two great tastes that taste great together! Carpenter's decision to invert the Eisenhower paranoia of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, was a true masterstroke. In the 80's it was no longer the commies who wanted to make us all the same, now it was the yuppies we need to watch out for! Without this film there is no Shepard Fairey. Definitely not a clothing line called Obey. Homeboy seriously owes John Carptenter a phat check! At least next month the film is finally getting the special edition blu-ray that it deserves...BUY! OBEY!

Triple-Bill: Nor Cal Hitchcock

Shadow of a Doubt and Vertigo and The Birds

October Spooktacular: The Results!

Well here it is, the results to our first (annual?) Scary Movies Poll! When we did our  Great Movies Poll back in August, we were only able to get a mere thirteen ballots. This go around we were able to scare up a solid thirty-two including lists from filmmaker Vincent Pereira, actor Justin "STEVE HOLT!" Wade and Long Beach Cinematheque founder Logan Crow! Thank you all so so much for participating, it really helped to generate a much more rounded list. There are so many great movies on these ballots, including some that you might never have even heard of! It is highly recommended that you check out all the individual ballots for viewing inspiration as the big day draws nearer...

Disclaimer -

Due to the number of films tied for third, fifth and sixth place, the following list consists of twelve films rather than ten. Tied films in the top-sixare listed alphabetically. Years have been included where necessary to distinguish between the originals, remakes and re-used titles. As for films with alternate cuts, nobody really indicated a preferred version so we have abstained from stating any sort of preference. Where possible, links have been included to This Cinematic Life reviews of the film in question.

Honorable Mentions - 

Scream & Suspiria

And now without further adieu...

The Master (2012)

Following World War II, a young drifter (Joaquin Phoenix) finds himself as right hand man to a cult leader (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) intent on purging him of his demons.

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Do not read if you have not seen the movie. There be spoilers ahead!

What I love most about film is the way it can integrate the other arts into itself. Acting, photography, dance architecture, etc. all come together and create something new through juxtaposition. My favorite such marriage is that of music and image. In the hands of the right filmmaker, music can be used to enhance and clarify both theme and narrative. For example, if you go exclusively by the closing images of Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master, it is clear that Freddy's struggle for sanity/civilization is a losing battle. But only by placing the Helen Forrest song "Changing Partners" over the intensely maternal image of Quell clinging to a sand-woman (destined to be washed away with the tide) does the true nature of Freddy's neurosis finally come into sharp focus. It's one of those magical little moments that only we the audience get to be in on, like the fate of the Ark in Raiders and the true meaning of Charles Foster Kane's last words.

So I'll keep changing partners till your in my arms, and then oh my darling, I will never change partners again...

He Said/She Said: Hotel Transylvania & Frankenweenie

Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel (2011)

Diana Vreeland was a larger-than-life personality, and with it made life extraordinary. Having been both fashion editor for Harper's Bazaar and editor-in-chief of Vogue, she knew everybody, saw everything, and used her influence to breathe life into the pages of those magazines. This documentary takes a look at her life and work, and includes interviews with those who knew her best: designers, her models (including some models-turned-actresses Anjelica Huston and Lauren Bacall), photographers, her children. They all come to the same conclusion: while she could be maddeningly eccentric and stubborn at times, and had a flair for exaggeration (when asked if her stories were fact or fiction, she replied "Faction."), nobody could deny her brilliance.

I first became a devoted fan of hers my sophomore or junior year of high school. I read her biography DV about a million times. I'm sharing this because it's impossible for me to review a film about my biggest hero objectively. Hell, I still would've enjoyed this film if it was nothing but pictures of her with quotes on the bottom of the screen. But since Craig (who was less familiar with her and not a crazed superfan) enjoyed it too, I feel safe in saying that it was a great documentary. They use a sound-alike to recreate some of her conversations with George Plimpton which threw me off for a bit, but I guess I prefer it to an actress trying to look and act like her too. It's a minor issue, the rest of the film is lovely. Gorgeous photos, heartwarming interviews, I laughed, I cried. A great documentary. Oh, and the use of the Rolling Stones' "She's Like a Rainbow" in the opening credits was brilliant. So fitting, and it made me all verklempt! I love her.

"There’s only one very good life and that’s the life you know you want and you make it yourself."

" A little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika. We all need a splash of bad taste—it’s hearty, it’s healthy, it’s physical. I think we could use more of it. No taste is what I’m against."

"There’s only one thing in life, and that’s the continual renewal of inspiration."

--DV

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

When a zombie apocalypse strikes London, lovable loser Shaun (Simon Pegg) finally finds enough motivation to try and get his life together.

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Though this film was inspired by an episode of the sensational Brit-com Spaced (created by Simon Pegg with Jessica Hynes née Stevenson and directed by Edgar Wright) I applaud the fact that for this film they chose to take things in a drastically different direction. While Pegg and Wright's previous collaboration chose to focus on how we tend to view our lives in pop culture terms (ie: a hellish job literally becomes the mental institution in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest), Shaun of the Dead shows that no matter how much mental preparation we've had either through film, video games or daydreaming, when the shit actually hits the fan and we find ourselves living through a situation right out of a genre film - we geeks will be just as helpless as everyone else. But hey, at least we'll get to enjoy a pint and some nibblies before we have to kill our loved ones.

Double-Bill: Travelogue

Sans Soleil and Lost In Translation

Universal Classic Monsters: The Essential Collection

I'm not one to rush out and buy the newest Criterion release or upgrade my DVDs to new special edition Blu-rays (that would be Craig's department), but when I got wind of a Universal "Classic Monsters" Blu-ray collection, I FREAKED OUT. So many of my beloved old horror films are on VHS, taped off Turner Classic Movies back when I was in high school. Needless to say, the quality is far from great.  So while I have the willpower to pass on a lot of the flashy new releases, I was very excited to get my paws on this collection.

This is what happiness looks like to a classic horror obsessed 26-year-old woman.

Looper (2012)

Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a looper. His job is to kill people sent from the future. One day his target is himself 30 years older (Bruce Willis). This is when things get complicated.

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Rian Johnson is three for three in my book. Each film is distinctly different from those that came before, yet all are united by their assured direction of scripts that are filled with great ideas and great characters. While predominantly a verbal storyteller up to this point, Looper allows Johnson to indulge in some serious visual storytelling. Long stretches are able to play effectively sans-dialogue (ie: Old Joe's flashback to his post-"closing the loop" life) and let's not forget the totally awesome action set-pieces. And what dialogue there is, is in a completely different patois from that of Brick and The Brothers Bloom. While Auteurist critics love to go on and on about how great directors return to the same themes over and over again and employ a distinct and consistent visual style, I personally love the fact that a Rian Johnson movie can look and sound like anything! Extremely excited to see where his career goes from here.