Still formulating thoughts on the Lost finale, which is why I haven't posted about it yet. Oi.
Inglourious Basterds (2009): What a pleasant surprise to see this finally show up in my Netflix queue! Gotta say, I fell in love immediately when the duel music from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly played when the Nazis drove to the French dairy farmer's place. That Quentin Tarantino knows how to play me like a fiddle. <3 Everything about this movie worked for me: The larger-than-life characters, the pacing, the tension, the talking and on and on and on. I don't think that I can give this movie any higher praise than saying it had me absolutely gripped from start to finish; it's two-and-a-half hours that feel more like 90 minutes. Frankly, I probably could have watched another two hours of it at the very least. Best movie I've seen from 2009, and a very close No. 2 behind Almost Famous as the best movie I've seen this year.
Them! (1954): Them! still holds up today despite the goofiness of its premise and the utter implausibility of every bit of science in the movie. Why? Because unlike almost every other giant monster movie from the era, Them! is actually well-filmed, well-conceived (aside from the science lol) and solidly acted. I'm not going to pretend it's scary in any way, but there are some creepy moments in Them! -- the beginning, especially, is pretty creepy with the traumatized little girl walking through the desert. It's a nice, "Wait, what the hell is going on here?!" moment. Not a bad way to waste 92 minutes, particularly if you enjoy seeing giant ants get shot and roasted by flamethrowers.
The Yakuza (1975): Wait, an American movie from 30 years ago with a large Japanese cast? And they're just as important as the American characters? Hubba wha?! The movie exists both as a seedy crime thriller (with the awesome Robert Mitchum and famed Japanese actor Ken Takakura taking on a yakuza gang) and an interesting examination of the clash between old and new values, and how while some old values are outdated, it doesn't mean they should all be replaced by newer, imperfect values. It's more about finding a careful balance with what works of the old ways and the flexibility of newer ways. But if you don't want to think too much, the story is crazy and violent enough to be entertaining; reminds me of Black Lagoon like that.
On the queue for this week: Alphaville (1965), others
Total Movies: 67 (The Taking of Pelham 123, The Station Agent, The Final Destination, Silent Movie, The African Queen, Departures, Moon, Bound, Solaris, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rifftrax), Wristcutters: A Love Story, In the Loop, Public Enemies, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (Rifftrax), Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann: Lagann-Hen, District 9, The Magnificent Seven, Night Moves, My Name is Bruce, Big Fan, Almost Famous, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu, Drag Me to Hell, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, Kara no Kyoukai 1-7, 9, Zombieland, Ninja Scroll, Primer, Re-Animator, Summer Wars, The Changeling, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Ponyo, Eden of the East: The King of Eden, Porco Rosso, Something Something Something Dark Side, Castle in the Sky, Robot Carnival, Halloweentown, Whisper of the Heart, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, Fiddler on the Roof, Kiki's Delivery Service, Genius Party, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, The Sky Crawlers, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, My Neighbors the Yamadas, THX 1138, The Stepfather, Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks, Tremors, Horror of Dracula, The Brood, Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter, Rabid, Inglourious Basterds, Them!, The Yakuza)
