10.1 ~ #17

"A Clockwork Orange" (1971)



From Netflix: "In this Stanley Kubrick classic based on Anthony Burgess's novel, teenage miscreant Alex DeLarge (Malcolm McDowell) wanders aimlessly amid a bleak, futuristic urban landscape, drinking drugged milk and listening to Beethoven with his fellow "droogs." But he also spends his time stealing, raping and beating innocent people in nihilistic orgies of violence, all in an attempt to get his nightly kicks."

The opening scene is BEAUTIFUL, visually at least.

Is the dubbing REALLY off, or is it just my internet connection?

Well isn't that lovely? A beating 4 minutes in, and a rape 6 minutes in.

ok, turns out it WAS my internet connection LOL

(in case you haven't caught on, I'm writing as I watch, if only to make this more tolerable. I have absolutely no motivation to watch this film, and have actually been actively avoiding it.)

Less than 15 minutes in and I'm generally repulsed with myself for allowing myself to continue to watch thus far...

wow it's ridiculous how poorly Netflix streams this movie. That paired with how little I want to watch is making it very difficult to force myself to continue watching...

and a CONSENSUAL threesome less than thirty minutes in. So far, smut for the sake of smut.

"Api-poli-logies"? British people have the weirdest slang...Why bother making a slang term for something if it's just going to be longer or otherwise more difficult to spit out than the regular word?

Alright, props to me. I got through 45 minutes of it with awful lag and crap, well, everything (even WITH the giant penis statue). I suppose it's not fair to judge the whole 130 minute film on the first 45 minutes, but if I had to, I would say 100% utter crap. Perhaps I'll give it a chance again at a later date and under different circumstances, but certainly for now, I've had enough.

:signing off:

5.3 ~ #16

"Apocalypse Now" (1979)

From Netflix: "Francis Ford Coppola's timeless epic adapts Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness to the Vietnam War, where special operations Capt. Willard (Martin Sheen) must travel deep into the Cambodian jungle to locate and kill the mysterious -- and insane -- Col. Kurtz (Marlon Brando). This double feature includes the 1979 Oscar-winning masterwork set in the Vietnam War, along with the re-edited and expanded 2001 director's cut, Apocalypse Now Redux."


Finally got around to watching this. I've had it at home for almost 2 whole months and I couldn't bring myself to watch. I'd seen a few scenes of this when I was in middle school and I expected something REALLY gory and sad, what I got instead was almost three hours of BLAH.

I really couldn't make myself care enough to pay full attention. Maybe I missed something crucial that would make me understand it's brilliance, but although I watched the whole thing, I'm pretty sure I could have lead a full existance without ever having seen this.

Dennis Hopper was the best part of the movie...he was only in it for about 20-30 minutes at the end, but his acting made the whole movie. I really hope he won something for his role...though true to the film, I don't care enough to actually look it up and see for sure.

Well, at least now I can say I've seen it, though that's all I can say about it.

Trying to get back on track, though at this point I think it's safe to say that the schedule is screwed...but I will do my best to catch up on the list as quickly as possible! :)

9.3 ~ #15

"Citizen Kane" (1941)

From Netflix: "Orson Welles reinvented movies at the age of 26 with this audacious biography of newspaper baron Charles Foster Kane, which, in essence, was a thinly veiled portrait of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. Welles's complex and technically stunning film chronicles Kane's rise from poverty to become one of America's most influential men -- and it's considered one of the best movies ever made."

Great movie.

It probably would have been better if I hadn't already know what Rosebud was before I watched it, or maybe it would have been a huge letdown if I found out when I was supposed to. Yes, I think so.

The movie had a wonderful cast, no one I had ever seen or heard of before, but wonderful because all movies of this time were driven on plotlines and delivery rather than pyrotechnics and CGI. I particularly liked the actor that played the title character, though he must not be any big name because he doesn't even appear on Netflix's description of the movie. (Scratch that. Apparently he doesn't appear as the star because he appears as the director...the film was directed by and starred Orson Welles. I'm going to have to find out more about this dude...)

Very good film, definitely one to watch at least once. Teaches a lot about perception...




Next up: "Apocalypse Now" (finally lol)



(EDIT: how COOL! Orson Welles died THE DAY BEFORE I was born. Maybe I was put on this earth to replace him LOL)

9.2 ~ #14

"Chocolat" (2000)

From Netflix: "Blown in by the north wind, an iconoclastic single mother (Oscar nominee Juliette Binoche) and her young daughter move into a peaceful French village and open an uncommon chocolate shop during the height of Lent -- directly across the street from a church. At first, the shop's rich, sensuous desserts scandalize the town. But the villagers (including Judi Dench, Lena Olin and Johnny Depp) soon learn to savor the sweetness."

So, I love Judi Dench. If you didn't know this about me, know you do. :)

Also, I love France, I feel close to it...my name is French, and when I was little I imagined that I was born in the wrong place, as I was obviously supposed to be European...I learned to count to ten in French, and then took a class in college, but I have yet to visit my "homeland"...

This film is very clever, and very funny...I actually laughed out loud on several occasions, my husband thought I was crazy listening to me watch it. I love movies that are funny on the basis of wit, and not because of vulgarities, etc...although those movies have their place as well ;)

The cast is incredible...Judi Dench, of course, but also Juliette Binoche, Alfred Molina (LOVE him!), Johnny Depp...every role in this film is exceptionally played. I definitely would recommend you watch this movie when you want something light-hearted and kind of chick flick-y.

:)

9.1 ~ Documentary of the Week

"Maxed Out" (2006)

From Netflix: "With sobering facts and black humor, this thought-provoking documentary unveils the consequences of our collective addiction to debt -- including its contribution to the vanishing act of a once-robust American middle class. Investigating both Americans' personal debt and the government's growing national debt, the film explores the staggering financial burden we live with every day and sheds light on the contemporary financial industry."

The review of this movie will be short and sweet: the film itself is rather slow, but I URGE everyone to watch this movie and PAY ATTENTION. There is very important information in this movie that every American should know, especially in this time of economic hardship.

Nothing else to say, really. The movie speaks for itself.

8.3 ~ #13

"Casablanca" (1942)

From Netflix: "In this Oscar-winning classic, American expat Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) plays host to gamblers, thieves and refugees at his Moroccan nightclub during World War II … but he never expected Isla (Ingrid Bergman) -- the woman who broke his heart -- to walk through that door. Isla hopes that with Rick's help, she and her fugitive husband (Paul Henreid) can escape to America. But the spark that brought the lovers together still burns brightly."

Can you believe I've never seen this before? Cuz most people do not believe it.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with this movie. It's romantic, dramatic, witty...it has action, intrigue, superb acting...You really feel connected to each character. And there are so many phrases from this movie that people use all the time! I didn't realize how many well-known phrases could come from one film!

I didn't cry, however. It's supposed to be this tremendously sad movie, and I didn't even get teary. This is a remarkably odd thing, considering that even commercials make me sob...

ok, maybe I got teary at the end. It's tragic stuff...

This movie totally lives up to its hype. People say it's a classic not just for show, but because it is a CLASSIC. What an amazing movie, perfection even. Everyone should see this movie, though chances are, you already have.

:)

8.2 ~ #12

"Braveheart" (1995)

From Netflix: "Enraged at the slaughter of Murron (Catherine McCormack) -- his new bride and childhood love -- legendary Scottish warrior William Wallace (Mel Gibson, who also directed the film) slays a platoon of the local English lord's soldiers. This leads the village to revolt and, eventually, the entire country to rise up against English rule. With vivid battle scenes and a heaping portion of legend, Gibson's epic won five Oscars, including Best Picture."

I REALLY didn't want to watch this film. I remember being nine years old when my dad took my sister and me to the theater to watch this, and my elementary school aged ass walked out of the theater and waiting outside for 2.5 hours because I couldn't stand how ridiculously bloody and horribly sad the movie was...and now here it is on this list, so I can no longer escape it...

Not even fifteen minutes, there's shacks full of hung corpses, the child being called in to check out how his dad's heart was cut out, and then that theme song...which made me actually pause the movie just so I could look this up...(LOL I HAD to! That song was the JAM back in the day...and I've just successfully dated myself LMAO)

Seriously though, this is not a movie to watch at work (which I did) because the movie is a very emotional one to watch...it makes you desperately sad, uncontrollably angry, and you can't unleash your emotions just anywhere. If you are going to watch this movie, make sure you do it in a space where people won't think you're crazy for changing your mood 37 times in the span of three hours.

Oh...I hadn't mentioned this movie is 3 hours long? Well, it is. (Good thing I love all things medieval.)

It's also remarkably violent and gory, which is cool if you're into that sort of thing. I'm not.

The movie is also sad, but in a way that makes you feel grateful for your lot in life. There's a lot of wisdom to be taken away from this movie, if you let it hit you...One to watch at least once, perhaps more often if the violence doesn't bother you...Really a beautiful film...