Full Metal Jacket

Private Joker: Are those... live rounds?
Private Gomer Pyle: Seven-six-two millimeter. Full metal jacket.

Heroin

Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suit on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pissing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourselves. Choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that? I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin' else. And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?

Black Swan

I just watched Psycho, on the big screen, it freaked me out. Black Swan, on my wife's little Macbook, freaked me out even more. It is nearly a horror movie, a fantastic, beautiful, thrilling horror film. Natalie Portman was incredible; Vincent Cassel was effective, but gross; Mila Kunis was relentless. The movie made me cringe so many times... so many times.

Psycho

I liked the design of this movie poster... Just saw this one again at the Cinémathèque Française. Anthony Perkins is so much scarier when he is fifteen feet tall on the big screen.

Rope

Rope was one wound up film--much like the consistent tension of Psycho, but without the horror. It keeps you wondering whats around the corner, not in a who-may-die-next kind of way, but in the are-they-going-to-get-caught way. The very opening scenes establish a twisted crime scene committed by haughty, bored, rich kids, who are experimenting with murder to prove to themselves (in a Crime and Punishment sort of way) that they are elite: they have the right to kill.
They go a little too far in their quest to prove how intellectually superior they are by inviting certain quests over for a party. The party is filled with family members, and friends of their recent victim who lies in his tomb: a large wooden chess in the living room, the centerpiece of the party, off of which the quests are to eat. The two young men begin to trip up and drop suspicious hints that they are/ have been up to something which draws the morbid attention of their "intellectual equal," Rupert (Stewart).
It was interesting to see Jimmy Stewart in this type of role just a couple years after Its a Wonderful Life. He is cold, direct, and wields a piercing gaze. The man oozes intuition, and is clearly a bit conflicted; but he has his wits about him. Something the two rich kids are proven to be lacking, in the end.

I was surprised to find out that this was Hitchcock's first attempt at color film (chapeau). The use of color was subtle and restrained; it certainly wasn't integral to the film. Although, the flashing hotel sign at the film's end was exquisite. The off and on flashes of green to red contribute to the sinister feeling at the film's finale... it was a nice touch.

I left feeling a bit ambivalent and uneasy after this one; I was impressed with the film, but it got to me. I found myself hoping that the two murderers don't get caught, and was disappointed when they do... I'm not sure what that says about me, (maybe I secretly wish that I would be included in this short list of elitists with the right to kill) but there it is. If Hitchcock's aim was to manipulate my emotions, make me think, and entertain me, then mission accomplished.

In Bruges

Ken: You didn't mean to kill a little boy.
Ray: I know I didn't mean to... but because of the choices I made, and the course that I put into action, that little boy isn't here anymore, and he'll never be here again.
[pause]
Ray: I mean here in the world, not here in Belgium. Well he'll never be here in Belgium either, will he? I mean, he might've wanted to come here when he got older. Don't know why. And that's all because of me. He's dead because of me. And I'm trying to... been trying to get me head around it, but I can't. I will have always have killed that little boy. That ain't ever going away. Ever. Unless... maybe I go away.
Ken: Don't even think like that.

I guess Colin Farrell still does have some use...

Torn Curtain

So much potential to this one: eery double-team murder, comical long distance fight-to-makeup-love scene, dense plot, plenty of hitchcockian suspense, but in the end it just doesn't sit right. Very ambitious film with many redeeming qualities. Its worth watching, but you may want to just fast-forward past the weird Polish lady.

Dial M for Murder

Margot Mary Wendice: Do you really believe in the perfect murder?
Mark Halliday: Mmm, yes, absolutely. On paper, that is. And I think I could, uh, plan one better than most people; but I doubt if I could carry it out.
Tony Wendice: Oh? Why not?
Mark Halliday: Well, because in stories things usually turn out the way the author wants them to; and in real life they don't... always.

Somewhere

Finally saw Sophia Coppola's latest the other night with my old lady. We were two of only like fifteen people in the the theater, which is always nice. I don't know what I expected from Somewhere, but I was surprised by how much I got out of it. The film's overall feel is much more similar to Lost in Translation, than her other films. In fact, I'd say the feel and the atmosphere is identical. You catch yourself in a perpetual state of self-reflexive existentialism while watching this one; and as you sit there waiting for something big to happen, letting your thoughts float down some path, it never happens--and I like that. Sometimes thats the way life goes.

I really appreciated Coppola's subtle feminist approach; I say subtle, but the film is actually laced with constant imagery and stereotypes that over sexualize and degrade women. So, how is that feminist? The film masterfully represents how draining, negative, and even, pathetic these images of women are. There is even one scene where Elle Fanning is being watched by her father as she ice skates. The scene is quite long and covers the duration of the entire Gwen Stefani song, "Cool." The scene also follows two lengthy pole dancer scenes. The parallels are expressly there. It bums you out, and shames you in behalf of this poor father who can't quite yet seem to make those parallels himself.

L'homme qui en savait trop

Sueurs Froides

Scottie: One final thing I have to do... and then I'll be free of the past.