Recent Viewings, Part 2

[FatFreddysCat]

"Zombieland" (2009)
A nerd (Jesse Eisenberg), a bad ass (Woody Harrelson) and two conniving sisters (Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin) form an unlikely bond as they travel across a zombie-ravaged USA in search of an undead-free zone. A funny ultra-violent action horror comedy that's held up well to repeat viewings.

[M.10rda]

if you haven't seen it and are reading this, check out Dinner in America.  It's probably my favorite film of the 2020s, great stuff.

DINNER IN AMERICA (2021):
My first viewing but I think Madame's third. She really likes this one, which is somewhat surprising though I'm a-okay with it. This is a highly (uhhh) "frank", abrasive, vulgar, rather uncompromising comedy... usually my wife hews towards more pleasant and genteel laughs, so it's good to know she can still handle some crudity. Even in the first five or ten minutes I pegged DINNER AS AMERICA as a Hal Hartley screenplay after a pass by John Waters... like vicious 70s John Waters, not the kindly old gentlemen we know today.

As it turns out, DINNER IN AMERICA follows exactly the same major plot beats and central relationship dynamic as Hal Hartley's TRUST, against a similar suburban/dystopian backdrop. Again, I ain't quite mad about that, as TRUST is my second favorite film of all time. DINNER IN AMERICA switches out TRUST's nerd protagonists for punks and the acting, dialogue, direction, music, and thematic impact are all of a less intellectual and generally less persuasive quality than that of Hartley's film... but then I could say that about pretty much every other film I've ever seen, as well. TRUST had an incredible impact on me on me when I was 15 (evidently, per my user image!). It didn't sell me a bill of goods about life's challenges magically evaporating, but it did assure me that I might maintain my sense of integrity, refrain from blowing myself or anyone else up, and possibly meet a nice redhead in the process............ all of which indeed came to pass! So, I'm all in favor of DINNER IN AMERICA repackaging that affirmative message for a younger generation.

4/5    Seriously though, faint praise aside, writer-director Adam Carter Rehmeier is admirably clear-headed about his self-destructive protagonist on one hand and still capable of lulling the viewer into some swoony romance on the other. Adorable female lead Emily Skeggs helps a lot! 

[lester1/2jr]

Hagazussa (2017) - I wrote a review before but forgot to click post. Here is my drunken best recollection of that review:

The VVitch was a bit of a stretch for some horror fans. Hagazussa is way more of a stretch and will probably mostly appeal to indy movie fans. If VVitch was Black Sabbath, Hagazussa is a slower and even weirder band. I was annoyed because I couldn't figure out what was going on for the first 30 minutes, but ultimately enjoyed the glacial pace because it's different than most movies and I'm always starved for variety. Also, it's winter and the movie has a lot of snow.

A girl lives in the mountains above a village in the 15 century with her weird Mom. I bring up the VVitch because others have and because it has some similar things: goats, religious weirdness, and intense isolation for starters. Anyway, horrible dark turmoil and stomach churning grossness are soon on the menu. When she's double crossed by someone from the town, the girl gets revenge in a way that I will never forget. I liked also when she goes to the local church and they have a huge pile of human skulls.

I went to wikipedia and read the summary and there were definitely things I missed. If you are going to have 4 things in a movie, you should explain those things pretty well. I liked Hagazussa enough that I remembered how to spell the title, I just wish everything had been a little clearer plot-wise.

4/5