In Masks Outrageous and Austere

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Didn’t post anything last year, but here’s a top 10 anyway. Also I only saw like 15 movies.

Near Dark Foreign Correspondent Black Narcissus Tokyo Story Society Tales of the Grim Sleeper Trauma Art and Craft Magnificent Seven Spy

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2014 Favorites

Huh, never posted this.

Good Morning Anguish Serious Games The Ghost Goes West My Bloody Valentine Reconversao The One-armed Swordsman Still Walking Maniac Cop 2 Tim’s Vermeer

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Boxer’s Omen (1983)

Bananas black magic boxing movie.

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The Final Member (2012)

Two men race to donate their penises to a museum. Goes a little too much for yuks for my taste and I would have preferred a straight doc on the museum's curator. On Netflix.

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Jodorowsky’s Dune (2013)

Maybe not a ton of groundbreaking info, but interviews with loads of interesting people. Really wanted more of the karate teacher.

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Peter Greenaway American Composers: Robert Ashley (1983):

Perfect Lives-era doc on Robert Ashley, available on YouTube.

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The Maria Bamford Special Special Special

A lot of jokes from already released albums, but free-ish (on Netflix) and the conceit of performing only to her parents makes this still with watching.

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Tim’s Vermeer (2013):

Convinced that Vermeer couldn't freehand his paintings, an inventor (of Video Toaster!) creates a historically accurate process to replicate a work. Tim is humble and repeatedly points out that the composition is all Vermeer's. Penn stays out of the way; good stuff.

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Blue Ruin (2013):

Dug this, always nice to see something go in unexpected directions while still following its internal logic. Ending's a little pat. On Netflix.

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The House by the Cemetery (1981):

Not really a Fulci fan. This scales back the gore and lime erosion for a nice, low key haunted house movie.

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Nymphomaniac Part 1 (2013)

Liked bits at the end that dipped into Greenaway territory, but felt like much of it was made to make me drop my monocle.

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Maniac Cop (1988)

Another nice bit of characterization by the maniac cop team. Is it The Wire? No, but more attention is paid to media relationships and the psychology of police than necessary for a monster movie.

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The Burning (1981)

Well produced but toothless slasher.

Notable for some weird participants (Jason Alexander, Holly Hunter, and a Weinstein writing credit) and a canoe scene that landed The Burning on the Video Nasty list. It's gross but not particularly scary; I will canoe again.

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The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014):

Posting quick notes on the movies I’ve seen since my son was born.

The bit parts here felt more like Muppet movie cameos; probably the least I’ve engaged with a Wes Anderson.

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Cool article on a movie I love but have never heard talked about (Tender Loving Care).

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Maniac Cop 2 (1990): Maniac Cop makes a friend! Surprisingly engaging detectives tracking them; far better than it has to be. Available on Hulu.

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Nosferatu: the Vampire (1979): Watched a month or two ago. The idea of a Herzog vampire movie never really clicked with me, but it makes perfect sense after seeing Nosferatu. Some long segments of natural photography along with the oft-criticized painted rats do a better job of communicating the aberration better than any other vampire movie I can think of. There's a strong sense of a plague descending.