for reels: May 2021
A monthly look back at my Letterboxd diary.
Welcome to for reels, a monthly look back at my movie diary on Letterboxd // Today, I’m looking back at May 2021 //
Hey folks, not sure what to say at the top of this one except that my movie lizard brain remains as tapped in as ever, possibly to the point of technicolor psychotronic blowout. Not even sure what that means or if it’s a good or bad thing but it’s the vibe. I’ve been thinking a lot this year about the stories we tell ourselves, both individually and collectively, and how movies have been such a potent conduit for these stories, and the possibility that the stories most commonly sold in a movie package have placated me and you and all of us with a series of, I dunno, false meanings and that really fucks with me.
But thinking about this shit also makes me more excited than ever about watching movies, not as “stories” in the traditional sense but, as I’ve called them before on here, dreams brought into waking life through technology that I can play and pause and rewind and filter through my own shit like some psychedelic P.I. making their way through the fractal void of hyperspace and cinema is the great spiraling primordial clue.
…ok time to reel it in before I get too far out there, man. Here are some fake awards for 10 notable joints from my Letterboxd diary in May.
Best New Movie: Saint Maud (2021)
What a fucking killer directorial debut. Was totally floored by the unique emotional literacy of this movie. Psychological terror at its finest. A gorgeous, unnerving (to say the least) portrait of religious obsession, euphoria, alienation, and psychosis. Stars Morfydd Clark and Jennifer Ehle cuh-RUSH. Anxiously looking forward to the next Rose Glass joint. Check this out on Amazon Prime if you got it.
Best New-to-Me Movie: The Heartbreak Kid (1972)
Fucking incredible.
Couldn't get a hold of this one for years despite knowing it was a big deal and desperately wanting to see it. It was a fave of my late Pops. He used to say “there’s no deceit in this meal" at like every other family meal and I totally forgot that came from this movie until the scene came up. Dad I wish I could tell you I finally watched this and throw some quotes back and forth with ya.
Anyway I like just found out this shit was on YouTube and threw it on for a weeknight late show. Unreal good, more original than the oft comparisons to The Graduate would suggest. Feels wildly influential in its own right (does "cringe comedy" as we know it derive from this movie?). Tell ya the truth, my initial reaction is The Heartbreak Kid > The Graduate. Case in point: "there's a lot of money in tear gas" is a better line than "one word: plastics." Elaine May we didn’t deserve you.
Lastly (but certainly not least), RIP Charles Grodin, what an incredible actor. My man gives one of the darkest and most exhilarating early-70s toxic-dude performances, comedic or otherwise, you'll ever see.
Theater Hit: Spiral (2021)
Had a great time at A Quiet Place Part II at the end of the month but Spiral was the theater hit that struck me hardest. Maybe I was just so happy to be watching an “event” horror movie in theaters again but I just dug this one. “Se7ensploitation” aka more than serviceable schlock and a largely successful reconfiguration of the franchise formula. As good a Saw spin-off as one could hope for, really. Going all in on the dirty-cop shit was an inspired idea, probably not all handled like, super intelligently but it felt appropriately incendiary, campy, and provocative. All the trap scenes were effective and fun. Also I totally vibe with Chris Rock doin’ this shit. If you’re looking for a great time at the theater again and you’re generally into this sort of thing, go nuts!
Most Rewarding Rewatch: The French Connection (1971)
Speaking of dirty-cop shit, can’t remember the last time I watched this 70s crime classic. Didn’t think it was a personal fave (more of a Dirty Harry fan if I’m honest) but damn it really does rip with electric New Hollywood grime and “zing and brute vitality,” as Pauline Kael put it. William Friedkin fucks man, he just does. Never seen the John Frankenheimer-helmed sequel but I’m gonna have to soon ‘cause the thought of watching Gene Hackman play this mesmerizing piece ‘o shit again but in a Frankenheimer joint is just too much to pass up.
Frustratingly Lackluster but Better Than Its Reputation Suggests: The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)
A fuckin' killer middle act sandwiched by a first and third act that just don't coalesce like they should. I have no relationship to the source novel, which I think was to my advantage enjoyment-wise. The "society is all bad" satire is pure-grain and pretty damn funny for a while there, but it gets muddled as quickly as it picks up. For example, I know the goal with this thing was to poke fun at every level of society, but I gotta say, the way this movie seems to punch down at the Black community in parts is, well, confusing ... and pretty fuckin' cringe to behold today, but maybe that’s the point? Idk still scratchin’ my head over that one. Totally agree with the universe that Tom Hanks was painfully miscast. Perhaps that's why the second act works the best, ‘cause it's when the script plays more to his comedy strengths. Melanie Griffith, Bruce Willis, and the rest of the main players are all pretty damn good though.
I'm always rooting for Brian De Palma when he steps out of his lane and fucks around with something new, and there's definitely a great De Palma joint buried in there somewhere. It's just apparent that several key mistakes were made in putting all the pieces together, though I'd have to sit with the movie longer and read more about it to know exactly what and why. Initial impression: An interesting "non-essential" Wall Street satire that's worth a watch if you're a De Palma completist or just down with the subject matter.
Best Psychedelic Sports Doc: White Rock (1977)
Lazy sunday afternoon, popped a 5mg weed gummy and threw this one up from the Criterion Channel. Great experience. A gorgeously shot, beautifully restored, borderline psychedelic documentary that captures the poetry, movement, and polar majesty of Winter Games sports with the added bonus of James Coburn throwin’ down some heat-check on-screen narration and participation throughout. We need more docs with a sense of visual wonder as clear and vivid as White Rock’s.
Best Anime: Wicked City (1987)
I’m a novice in the anime department, but this was one of the most gorgeous and visceral animes I’ve ever seen. Maximum vaporwave. Great mix of pulp, sci-fi, body horror, and comic-book action. Just to warn ya it’s pretty fucked up in parts, like, in a rapey tentacle porn-y way, but idk man, I just always dig well-done, lurid hand-drawn/2D animation, and this one definitely rips.
Killer Remake: Dawn of the Dead (2004)
I hit this before watching Army of the Dead, which, incidentally, didn’t do it for me, and that surprised me ‘cause y’all know how often I ride for Zack Snyder. Anyway, can’t think of a more solid zombie movie than Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead. First 10 minutes into the opening credits are exceptional. Then the rest does more than enough to justify the remake. Phenomenal set pieces throughout. Y’all should respect Zack Snyder more just for having pulled this off right out the gate.
Low-Key Heist Movie That’s Lowkey My Favorite Heist Movie: The Hot Rock (1972)
“I’ve heard of the habitual criminal, but I never dreamed I’d become involved with the habitual crime.”
Hadn't seen this one in years but remembered enjoying the hell out of it. Still did but now I think it's like a secret masterwork of the genre. At the very least a priceless deep cut. Appropriately breezy, magnetic casting, big on humor, early-'70s New York eye candy, impeccable fashion sense, and Bullitt-level style and atmosphere from director Peter Yates. Oh, and the Quincy Jones score fuckin' slaps. This had to have been a big influence on Soderbergh for the Ocean's series (especially the laid-back stoner Ocean’s flick, Ocean's 12) if only through indirect osmosis. Love the structure of failed heist after failed heist with a delightfully small-scale payoff at the end. Just a super fun, funny, vibey alt-Hollywood crime-genre trip.
Childhood Nightmare Fuel Revisited: The NeverEnding Story (1984)
Wild all the unleaded psychedelic nightmare fuel they used to loop on the Disney Channel when I was a kid. Between this and Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal and that terrifying Wizard of Oz 2 movie or whatever, goddamn. Ain’t nobody lettin’ their Cocomelon kids take these dark-ride fantasy-Metal trips today amirite?
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