Following Steve’s subversion of Xmas with Black Christmas, this is the next installment in his (hopefully) continuing series of holidays gone rogue. If you’re a fan of the slasher genre or a spoilsport when it comes to Cupid’s Day of Love, you should check this out for its inventive kills on/surrounding a day generally reserved for bleeding hearts of a different order, just don’t expect too much, because the MPAA is the real killer here.
Tag: film criticism
Debt to Cinema 073: Timecrimes
Unlike last year, where I hijacked Steve’s pick to align Run Lola Run with the most magical filmic holiday of all, our second annual Groundhog Day Special is a little late this time around, but holy shit is it worth it. I wish I could travel back to 2007 and suck this thing off proper #IdBuyThatForADollar
Debt to Cinema 071: Nine Lives (2005)
Film is revered as the art form most capable of mimicking the wonder of life, but this anthology of nine interconnected stories told in single takes by Rodrigo Garcia raises the bar. The surreal, and often dark tone these snapshots capture makes for a troubling viewing experience, but what better way to champion strong female leads than with subject matter rarely seen on screen. This might not be a perfect exercise of form over function, but it is; however, an unforgettable journey into the lives of Los Angeleno women #IdBuyThatForADollar
A Few Dollars More 006: Elle
We’ve started the year off with a fascinating thriller which a spoiler-free review sadly doesn’t do justice for, but as luck would have it, we have a separate show (this one) made for situations such as these. There’s a lot to ponder in this mind fuck of a rape flick; join us as we try to make sense of it all while praising its enigma.
Debt to Cinema 068: Mean Streets
We’ve featured films from revered directors on this show, but few as prestigious or hard working as Martin Scorsese. This is his first real movie, the chapter that began it all, a coming of age mafioso hang out flick, that premieres much of the style he would later master in Goodfellas and Casino. Despite its flaws, this slice of New Hollywood is an interesting adventure through the neighborhood of the filmmaker when he still had the angst of youth rushing through him.
Debt to Cinema 067: Mixed Nuts
Everyone has that wacky relative, or literally insane friend who keeps things interesting. Well, what if Nora Ephron wrote and directed what Christmas in the company of an entire group of nuts would be like? Its a mixed bag to put it nicely, which is shocking given the skill of the filmmakers and cast on hand. I may have purchased a copy of this one for 25 cents, but a quarter might have been a little too much.
A Few Dollars More 005: La La Land
I didn’t exactly see the point in discussing this festival darling at greater length, but I think Steve was secretly hinting my recent romance might lead to an interesting discussion. He was right – join us for a no holds barred breakdown of how this fits in the Musical ouevre, our relationship with love, and ultimately just how splendid this picture is.
Dollar Reviews 030: La La Land
La La Land – both a nickname for Hollywood and the transcendental place couples live in when everything is perfect. In a world where everyone can be a celebrity, this third pairing of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone reminds us why we go the movies in the first place. These star crossed lovers make Damien Chazelle’s landmark re-imagining of the movie musical sparkle in a time where song and dance are rarely coupled anymore. For so many reasons this has been sweeping the 2016 award season and it deserves all the money #IdBuyThatForADollar
Debt to Cinema 066: Joyeux Noel
German, French, English, the entire world was involved in the war this film is centered around, but it takes a miracle to remind them we’re all the same. The supposedly true event at the heart of this is beautiful, I just wish more surrounding it was actualized. Moving from the horrors of the holiday to this humbling reminder of what makes us human, especially in the face of turmoil, is about as nutty life gets around Christmas (well, until next week that is…)
Debt to Cinema 065: Black Christmas (1974) (Feat. Scream 101)
While everyone else is busy polishing off fruitcake, buying people presents, and doing their best to embody the holiday spirit, Steve thought we should visit the more sinister side of the yuletide season. We were lucky to have the spooktacular Brennan teach us about the slasher genre, while we marveled at this film’s place in it, and guide us on our first journey down Bob Clark’s lesser known Xmas miracle, which gives the best gift of all: fear #IdBuyThatForADollar
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