As the year begins to draw to a close, year-end best-of lists are all over the place. We’ve got one coming too (after seeing the seventh instalment of a long-running series. Yes, Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood). Before we get to that, though, here’s Aaron Yap with another round-up of films he discovered this year, spanning genres and decades between ’em.
Open Season — Another one ticked off the extremely-difficult-to-see-for-years list! This disturbing 1974 exploitation gem from The Italian Job director Peter Collinson combines a The Most Dangerous Game-type premise, rape-revenge Straw Dogs / backwoods Deliverance vibes with post-Vietnam malaise. Peter Fonda, John Phillip Law and Richard Lynch are all perfectly unpleasant as war pals who decide to prey on an adulterous couple (Alberto de Mendoza, Cornelia Sharpe) instead of deer. Not terribly graphic but maintains a queasy tone throughout. Would love to see someone like Vinegar Syndrome give this deluxe Blu-ray treatment.
Haemoo — Missed this Korean pic on the big screen at this year’s film festival but caught up with it on Madman’s DVD. As far as recent nautical thrillers about desperate seafarers driven to extreme measures go, it’s a more interesting effort than Black Sea, and definitely a lot darker and perverse. Didn’t expect all the raw sex and that mad tonal shift. Based on a true human trafficking story.
The Harvest — This 2013 DTV chiller seemed to come out of when I stumbled upon it — a bit of a surprise given the pedigree. Directed by John McNaughton (Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer), it’s a slow-burn psychological horror featuring Michael Shannon at his most normal (!) and Samantha Morton at her loopiest as parents going to great lengths to care for their sick child. Uneven but likeably low-key. Natasha Calis and Charlie Tahan give two of the best performances from young actors I’ve seen this year.
SPL 2: A Time for Consequences — In-name-only sequel to the 2005 Donnie Yen movie. Over-plotted, utterly berserk actioner, with an actually decent Tony Jaa performance, a long-take prison riot worth the price of admission alone and plenty of brutal smackdowns. If you need a HK analog for Mad Max: Fury Road, this comes close to matching its wall-to-wall insanity.
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles — Spurred on by the death of Belgian auteur Chantal Akerman in October, I finally sat down with her near-four-hour seminal feminist masterwork. On paper, it’s always seemed too daunting to casually engage with, not something you’d just want to watch for hell of it. But Akerman’s study of a single mum’s routine over the course of three days revealed itself to be a tremendously hypnotic and rich experience, austere minimalist filmmaking with expansive, deeply emotional layers. Scenes unfold in uninterrupted, real-time takes, and the slightest change in Dielman’s routine often proved seismic, with the power to make one shudder and gasp. Delphine Seyrig is incredible.
The Ice House — A fine piece of cinematic slime from Something Weird’s vaults, and a must for fans of gimmicky movies starring real-life twins. This 1969 sleaze-fest tells the sweet story of an ice factory worker who goes homicidal and murders women every time he SEES booze (he doesn’t even need to drink it). Awesome twist: his twin brother is the cop investigating the murders. Grubby trash best viewed after midnight.
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution — Really wonderful Sherlock Holmes film based on Nicholas Meyer’s novel where the legendary sleuth (Nicol Williamson) is in the throes of coke addiction and Dr. Watson (Robert Duvall) hatches a plan to get him straight with the help of Sigmund Freud (Alan Arkin). Smart script, spirited performances, eye-catching Viennese locations make this a lively, delightful adventure-mystery that deserves to be better known. Duvall and his English accent as Watson is initially a bit off but grew on me. Cool train-top sword fight at the end.
Temple Grandin — This excellent 2010 HBO movie was nominated for a bunch of Emmys, including a Best Actress win for Claire Danes, but it seems all Danes is synonymous with these days is Homeland so I’m giving it a little push. Don’t let the made-for-TV-biopic appearance put you off. She’s so freaking good in this, playing an autistic woman who developed revolutionary humane practices for animal slaughterhouses. Moving and inspirational but not in any sappy way.
The Age of Adaline — Of all the films here, this is the least likely I’d have expected to include. The premise is exceptionally goofy: a woman born in 1908 who is unable to age past age 29 after a freak accident. Director Lee Toland Krieger probably plays it too straight to a fault, but the casting of Blake Lively works. Though no stellar actress, she projects a luminous, ethereal trapped-in-amber presence that ultimately compensates for her lack of range. On the surface the earnest magic-realist elements are comparable to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button but the movie reminded me more of William Dieterle’s haunting 1948 romantic fantasy Portrait of Jennie.
Down in the Valley — Whatever the heck happened to David Jacobson? The guy showed so much promise with Dahmer and this, but he seems to have vanished into DTV land. I was bowled over by his work here; some true chops on display, directed like someone on the verge of becoming the next P.T. Anderson. A better modern-day Badlands riff than David Lowery’s Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, with an exceptional on-point cast that’ll remind you how good Edward Norton and Evan Rachel Wood can be. There appears to be two cuts around: the longer cut viewed suffers from third-act pacing issues, curious how the shorter one plays.
Gallipoli — Probably needs no introduction… When is Peter Weir going to get his due?? Just loved the affecting, textured, compassionate emphasis on friendship rather than the blood-and-guts of warfare. A beautiful, devastating piece of anti-war cinema.
An Honest Liar — Captivating, compelling story about veteran magician James “The Amazing” Randi and his crusade to expose fake psychics, evangelists etc. The doco itself has a few tricks up its sleeve so I won’t say too much except this ends up way more poignant and special than expected. One hell of a character.
Unfriended — A slasher movie called Unfriended that takes place entirely on Skype, Facebook, Gmail, etc. Sounds crap right? Surprisingly not. Standard plot about dead girl possibly taking revenge on her tormentors, but I found it a fairly creepy, engrossing watch, and was impressed by how much suspense it pulled from the limited spectacle of people exchanging conversations on the internet. Gets bonus points for looking and sounding like an authentic social media world. It feels far more real than the similarly gimmicky Open Windows anyway.
Unbeatable — This HK/Chinese MMA drama about a debt-stricken former champ (Nick Cheung) training up a younger, upcoming fighter (Eddie Peng) has its share of boxing movie cliches (Rocky, Million Dollar Baby et al) but still manages to spin a solid, irresistibly entertaining character-driven tale with strong performances and exciting action. Reminiscent of Warrior.
In Fear — A great example of a low-budget horror maximising its stripped-down set-up for full effect. Sometimes all you need is a car, a couple, and a long, windy dark road in Ireland. The extended stretches of uneventful driving may drive you batty, but it really worked for me, and added to the thickening dread and disorientation. Most effective when writer/director Jeremy Lovering allows the viewer’s imagination to wander as much as possible.
Croupier — Stylish, sharp, super-sleek British gambling noir from Mike Hodges weaves a transfixing mood, with ice-cool, essential performance by Clive Owen as an aspiring writer drawn into casino underworld. A ‘90s sleeper must.
‘Doc’ — Even by the standards of dark ‘70s revisionist westerns, Frank Perry’s deglamourised telling of the O.K. Corral gunfight is unremittingly downbeat and dreary. And, of course, I’m all over it. There’s not a shred of Wild West romanticism to be found here. Slow-boil story stays focused on famed titular gunslinger, superbly played by Stacy Keach; portrayal of his friend Wyatt Earp (Harris Yulin) is less flattering than usually presented in other films.
Murphy’s War — Kind of like a WWII version of Moby Dick. Lean script by Stirling Silliphant, thrilling aerial sequences, Peter O’Toole fantastic as an Irish sailor going a little batshit in a personal mission to kill the German U-boat Nazis who sunk his ship and massacred his crew. Beautiful on-location lensing in Venezuela by ace DP Douglas Slocombe.
Punisher: War Zone — Been aware of this movie’s cult following for quite some time now, and it didn’t disappoint. Absurdly ultra-violent, sublimely over-the-top comic book actioner. Someone needs to give Lexi Alexander more work pronto.
Strange Invaders — Huge fan of Michael Laughlin’s 1981 horror Dead Kids. This underrated follow-up isn’t nearly as good, but still a fun, loving homage to 1950s sci-fi, with a similar gauzy, dream-like feel and neat practical effects.
Man-Trap — Enjoyable late-cycle crime-noir about two Korean war vets (David Janssen, Jeffrey Hunter) involved in caper plot. Notable for being the only film directed by actor Edmond O’Brien. Worth watching for Stella Stevens’ wild, histrionic performance.
Bug — Produced and co-penned by William Castle, this is one of the weirder nature-runs-amok movies of the ‘70s. Starts off an eco-thriller featuring roaches taking over a small town, halfway in shifts gears and turns into descent-into-madness psychodrama with Bradford Dillman cranking up the crazy as entomologist too attached to his creepy crawlies. Some arresting visuals from veteran TV director Jeannot Szwarc, particularly during the stunning bug-pocalyptic finale.
The Search for Weng Weng — Andrew Leavold’s passion project is both a fascinating look into the history of the Filipino film industry and an affectionate quest to unearth its most elusive, enigmatic figure, Weng Weng, a two-and-a-half foot actor who starred in cheap James Bond knock-offs. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to dive into the more obscure corners of world cinema.
Honeymoon — Eerie, overlooked little indie horror starring Harry Treadaway (Penny Dreadful) and Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones) as newlyweds whose marriage goes off the rails in rather squirmy fashion. A great bad first date movie.
A Coffee in Berlin — Evocatively shot black-and-white slacker romp following day in the life of a soul-searching college dropout (Niko Fischer). Clear echoes of Allen, Jarmusch, Baumbach. Sounds more insufferable than it is. Nothing much happens, and sometimes it doesn’t feel like much at all, but stays with you at the end.
Rubberneck — The cranky barista from Girls attempts ‘90s-style stalker thriller. Quietly chilling and creepy, well-done on a micro-budget. Karpovsky knows which buttons to push.
The Secret Fury — Lovers of noirs with convoluted, preposterous plots will dig this 1950 film directed by actor Mel Ferrer. Someone is trying to drive Claudette Colbert crazy by claiming, on her wedding day, that she is already married. Baffling premise gets entertainingly overwrought treatment. Nice change-of-pace role for Robert Ryan.
Life Partners — Engaging performances from Leighton Meester and Gillian Jacobs highlight this unassuming, bittersweet comedy about female friendship slowly drifting apart. Maybe the best of its type since Ghost World? You can be forgiven for thinking it’s just another generic chick flick but there’s definitely more here than meets the eye.
Wetlands — Heartfelt, amusing, totally icky. It has anal fissures, bodily fluids and close-ups of pubes and stuff.
The Haunting of Julia — Beautiful, elegant ‘70s ghost story, dripping with melancholy. On par with Don’t Look Now IMHO. Mia Farrow in top form.
All the Light in the Sky — I went through a brief phase of binging on Joe Swanberg’s films this year. He’s pretty hit-and-miss, unsurprising given his crazily prolific output, but everything he does is interesting. This one stood out. There’s been a lot of talk about the lack of great women’s roles in cinema recently. Just watch the amazing Jane Adams in this delicately human and naturalistic character study. Something for Hollywood to aspire to.
Oculus — A killer mirror movie that actually doesn’t blow. Solid shocks, mind-bending twists. A better-than-average supernatural spooker to rival Robert Hamer’s The Haunted Mirror from the Ealing Studios omnibus classic Dead of Night.
Lawman — Somewhat forgotten Michael Winner western from ‘71 starring Burt Lancaster in an outstanding performance as steely marshal going up against cattle baron Lee J. Cobb and his boys. Gripping, punchy examination of the morally grey areas between law and justice.
We Are What We Are — Haven’t seen the Mexican original but this remake by Jim Mickle is one of the most exquisitely crafted American horror movies of the last few years. Mickle is going places.
Terror at the Mall — HBO doco on the 2013 Westgate shopping mall terrorist attack in Kenya. Footage assembled from 100s of CCTV cameras. Just harrowing and stomach-churning, almost unwatchable. Hands down the most terrifying thing I’ve seen all year.
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg — The perfect post-New Year’s hangover movie. Beguiling, enchanting, gorgeous Jacques Demy masterpiece. It’ll make your heart burst. I might watch this every January 1st from now on.
Black Moon — If you can set aside the indefensible, politically incorrect depictions of natives for a sec, this Columbia Pre-Code curio from 1934 is a Val Lewton-like fever dream wonder. On a purely technical level, it’s marvelous, with taut, pacey direction by Roy William Neill (of the Basil Rathbone/Sherlock Holmes films) and strikingly atmospheric cinematography by Joseph August. Dorothy Burgess is terrific as Juanita Perez Lane, a woman drawn back to the island where she was born by a voodoo curse. Fay Wray plays her secretary who joins her on the trip. The thumping tribal drum score will leave you in a trance.
