#Letterboxd - Joshua R.

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Elephant, 2003 - ★★★★½

Remember when everybody hated this movie because it wasn’t a Wes Anderson film? Yeah. I do. Young film enthusiasts torn this to shreds because its lack of linear timeline, very little character introduction, and its very bleak atmosphere. The fact that Gus Van Sant made this after Good Will Hunting, Psycho and Finding Forester made that disdain a little too easy. Returning to this however shows Van Sant was truly a unique filmmaker and thrived best in independent filmmaking away from Hollywood stars. 

The depiction of daily highschool life is perfect, and it shows a realness to it that greatly affect the known outcome. Elephant is kind of interesting in that way, everybody watched this film knowing what eventually happens. We watch these girls chat through their daily lunch knowing what they soon will face. How would we view these without knowing the outcome? Few films operate on this level, and in Elephant’s defense, it wasn’t made with a bright red banner saying “this is about a school shooting!” - but no matter how implicit that fact was/is, it’s always still there. 

Watching this feels strangely similar to Haneke, at least the mood. The camera effect is still the complete opposite of Haneke with the camera following each character down long hallways and frequently circling around. Van Sant said he was influenced by Jeanne Dielman. A film Haneke can thank his entire career for. 

Elephant has no clear answer for why the shooting happens, but there is always the answer of how. It’s strange how quick became the narrative that these kids who commit mass shootings are the victims of bullying. They are ridiculed and laughed at, and they reach for the power they wish they had. We’ve moved away from this notion and no longer to people claim any sympathy for the shooters. Bullying in the film is barely seen, but it’s clear the two boys are neglected and misunderstood. The most frightening of all is them getting a gun, an assault rifle, delivered to them by fed ex. Was it really that easy? Seems more logical than not. 

Van Sant actually titled the movie after Alan Clake’s film with the same name that is a series of shootings with no context at all. Van Sant believed that film’s title was a reference to the fable of the 8 blind men who wash the elephant. Each individual man comes to his own conclusion unable to see or understand the other’s. In the end Clake’s film was titled after the anecdote “elephant in the room.” Yet I find the former more interesting and meaningful.

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Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, 1965 - ★★★★★

Just a fucking mad house classic. Tits, cars, gloves and murder. Everything is fun and entertains. I love Varla’s look. 

I must be getting older because Kirk, the older brother I found almost hotter than “The Vegetable” young muscle stud. 

Watched this perfect screening with Roger, David, Lou, Caleb and Conner. Glad to experience this in a theater and in 35MM no less.

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Charulata, 1964 - ★★★★★

Honestly just beautiful. Why have I never seen this before? Even though I always gush over things on film, somehow I feel Ray’s films may heavily benefit from digital restoration, with every stunning detail intact. Also, it feels so modern which is strange. I’m not sure if it’s the charming, relaxed role of Amal. Also his friendship and romance with Charu, which seems even more modern as when do you see a married, stay at home wife pass time leisurely with her husband’s cousin? They discuss literature and stories. Their performances and incredible, especially that of Amal, his deep resonating feeling of guilt is powerful just as he stands there. And his charm and looks grow on the viewer as it does with Charu. 

I wonder if many Western elements were because of Ray’s influence of European films or because of Britain’s omnipresence in India (which is a backdrop of sorts in this story). All with its close-ups and soft, delicate pacing. It’s perfect. 

The only thing frustrating was having my roommate show up randomly and switch what i was watching with RuPaul’s new show. I guess i was cooking something briefly, but it was obviously on pause. Whatever.

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Multiple Maniacs, 1970 - ★★★★½

Honestly, just might be my favorite John Waters. Divine looks just as incredible in black and white as she does in full on color. I love this and I love the absolute surreal final 30 minutes of it.

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Maelström, 2000 - ★★★★★

A strange love story, I guess if you call it that. Old school favorite... I remember when Villanueve started making movies in English I got all excited, and then I never saw any of them. I don’t know if any could ever live up to this. Not even Dune. 

I only hate the fucking lighting in this movie, it’s not always bad, but it’s still constantly too fucking bright and too saturated.

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Hustlers, 2019 - ★★★★½

Na-na-na, diva is a female version of a hustla, of a, of a hustla, of a, of a hustla  Seriously where is this song in the movie??? It NEEDED to be there. 

J.lo deserved that Oscar.

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[reel-drone]

Child's Play 2, 1990 - ★★★★

“You ever seen dolls that pee.. well this one bleeds” 

A quote that was forever burned in my mind. I discovered this as a kid as finally beginning to understand cable tv. Discovering stuff like this terrified me, somehow unable to separate the chills it gave me from reality. 

A huge step ahead of Child’s Play, where most of the horror happens with Chuckie moving off screen. Here he’s more active on screen which makes him more terrifying. Not to mention the character of Kyle, who becomes a stronger character with her support of Andy. The trope of this mess murders being blamed on Andy becomes grating, it’s refreshing to have someone finally on his side. And another ending that results in Chuckie dying about four different deaths. The creepy ending in a Good Guy factor is top notch camp horror. 

Detractor being this screening at the Hollywood, with an audience that happened to include fucking jerks who talk during the screening and don’t cared that that bothers people. Watch movies at home and do your talking! Go see The Room and yell out those lines. Other than that, please don’t talk.

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[reel-drone]

Babylon, 1980 - ★★★★

Babylon is definitely a sparse film. Or at least it starts out that way. It does seem aimless for most of the beginning, making the characters hard to invest in. It’s almost to the point where we don’t grasp who the protagonist is. However, the film gradually builds on itself as it goes on and it becomes easier to understand the full context of what is happening. David becomes the center of the film and the film becomes more direct and vital. 

For all it’s flaws that may frustrate the viewer, it still comes together at the end. And it delivers a heavy depiction of the racism many black british working class face in the UK. The film doesn’t hold back in its transparency of the racist whites that they experience daily. What’s really fucked up is that the film was banned in the UK, surely labeled as being “too violent”, let’s face it- it was probably banned for its straight forward portrayal of how racist the UK was (and probably still is). 

I want to say few films tackled racism so head on such as Babylon. Though I may not have seen that many in reflection. Specifically something reflecting racism outside the US. It’s highly recommended from me. Just know the beginning is loosely structured and difficult to follow, and even the dilalect with added subtitles can be confusing. It comes together with an unflinching and realistic ending that resonates. And it’s worth noting that maybe if it doesn’t come together as well as it did for me, it still if filled with quintessential Reggae and Dub music, possibly making it one of the greatest soundtracks from the eighties. I have no idea if the soundtack even exists, since the film went unreleased for almost 40 years. If it’s not, let’s hope it does become available it the not-too-distant future.

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Rachel Getting Married, 2008 - ★★★★

I wanted to love this move and to some degree I did. I loved every moment of Rachel and Kym in constant plight over Kym’s returm. Hathaway is remarkable and it anyone ever doubted her, they clearly never saw this. It fails to receive a steller rating from me because of the lack of a finale, maybe I wanted something more unsettling. The digital camera work was something I was not expecting, it’s quite clear how much Melencholia borrowes from this, and Ben is Back almost borrowed too much of it. A few notches back in production and it would have qualified as a Dogma 95. But thankfully it didn’t as that would have diminished the performances. The lingering story behind Kym’s addiction that is eventually revealed is telling and emotional. Still there are so many moments that don’t resonate with the character study the film so longs to be. I’ll probably appreciated it more as time goes on, as the simple, spontaneous moments outside the sisters becomes more real. The dishwashing scene is something completely unreal, so unreal it actually feels frighteningly real. 

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Trust, 1990 - ★★★★½

Watched on Sunday May 19, 2019.

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Xanadu, 1980 - ★★★★★

Watched on Friday June 28, 2019.

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Narcissister Organ Player - ★★★★½

I’ve come to the realization that I can’t stand it when artists talk about such abstract concepts with their art, whether it be film or what have you. I love it when artists like Narcisster are so literal with what they are doing and why. Her answer to why her performances were so sexuality explicit was not for some novelistic idea she wanted to present, but actually because her mother had so many health issues and bodies, namely her mother’s, were all around her growing up. Just an example of why I appreciate her and this very moving and personal film.

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The Silence of Others, 2018

Watched on Monday March 11, 2019.

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Skin, 2018

Watched on Friday February 22, 2019.

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Mother, 2017

Watched on Friday February 22, 2019.

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[reel-drone]

An Elephant Sitting Still, 2018 - ★★★★½

If I were to pin down all the films I've watched that clock in over 3 1/2 hours long, I might break it down to a list of about 40 films or less. That list becomes even shorter when I list all those lengthy films that I've watched in one sitting. And An Elephant Sitting Still now have become the one and only film of that length which I've seen on the big screen. From start to almost finished, An Elephant Sitting Still is an incredibly depressing film. Even in it's near four hour length virtually none of the characters crack a smile, other than one small, desperate moment of laughing at the state they're in. For me, it's still all around engrossing. Each character has their own progression of their own idea of escaping after the disastrous choices they've made. Yet the film is telling on their own guilt and shame, and if truly they are to blame for the several deaths that take place. Or were a set of impulses and emotions, some based on lies of others, the real culprit? Overtime, things are revealed that their desperate attempt to escape is chosen based on their unhappiness rather than their predicament. It's hard not to watch the film without taken into consideration the suicide of the director. There's a darkness carried out through the film that never settles. Hu Bo possesses an immense talent, able to string this characters along yet never drags their story. The long takes create a realism of the their interactions, their pauses between conversations strongly display their frustration and observations. Hu Bo once studied under Bela Tarr (I think) which is no surprise as the film's story bares much influence from his masterpiece Werckmeister Harmonies. The film's visuals of a bleak and pale city life also elevate the director's vision and skill. Overall it's a devastating film, yet a small glimpse of something positive in the final shot. Still, the fate of the director only makes it more devastating. It's possible Hu Bo could have made works that only build on his skill of film making. Yet An Elephant Sitting Still is a monumental work that ranks among 2018's best.

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