I thought I was prepared for House.

NO ONE IS PREPARED FOR HOUSE.

Seriously. This movie is a real treat. Watch the trailer and you might think you've got it figured out. You don't. It's bother weirder than you think it will be and, honestly, better. With films as bizarre as this one, it's almost okay if the only thing they offer is batshit insanity. House goes a bit beyond the insanity, to the point where I was watching for something other than the next bizarro effect. I mean, it's not Memento, but there's enough of a story to string the weirdness along nicely.

Look at the trailer and then grab the Criterion disc.

Here's the trailer.

(more…)

I'm pretty sure this list is from 1998. The original list was hand written by me in an old notebook I kept. There are plenty of films from 1997 and 1998 and no films from 1999 on the list, so my deduction is it's from 1998.

This was a period of serious film-geekitude for me, so the list clearly reflects my interests at the time.

So, here's one sentence (or fragment) on each of those films. I'm trying to do this without much editing or research so expect to see some weirdness follow I linked to full reviews of the films where applicable if you want to follow up and see how my original appraisal and my later recollections match up.

(more…)

You would argue with this choice? I would not.

Godzilla = best.

Creature Double Feature FTW.

Lady Snowblood – Love Song of Vengeance The short answer? I liked this film this much (opens hands up really wide).

While this isn't great cinema, it is certainly entertaining cinema. Wildly so. A steely eyed-murderess slashes her way through a corrupt cabal in charge of Meiji era Japan?

Yes.

Toss in some black death (as a biological weapon!) and a half dozen blood geysers and you've got the makings of a to notch pass-the-popcorn genre flick.

I am a sucker for this period and genre, so your mileage may vary, but if you've ever seen and enjoyed a Zatoichi movie then this will be a film for you.