I've been watching a lot of film, like usual. Last films viewed:
1. The Long Goodbye, Altman, 1973, 8.2/10
Good movie. Watched most of it in a semi-lucid state, kinda dozing off, and then tackled it from start-to-finish the next day. Altman's movies should be taken as a sort of laid back critique of US bullshit, and I love him for it. Elliot Gould is fantastic as Philip Marlowe (Also good is Murder, My Sweet). I wasn't particularly taken by Mitchum's Marlowe in Farewell, My Lovely. Simple, slow-developing (free of narrative at times) like a typical Robert Altman movie.
2. Killer Elite, Peckinpah, 1975, 5.0/10
Bland. Not quite terrible most of the time, but Peckinpah's film is a letdown here. I have never been a James Caan fan, and this is no different.
3. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, Peckinpah, 1973, 6.0/10
Despite some great scenery and cinematography, solid acting, and a fairly unusual pacing, this film bogs down. Rumor has it that Peckinpah had studios hassling him non-stop and you get the feeling this film might have been different were that not the case. Kris Kristofferson looks like a baby with an oversized melon too.
4. Machete, Rodriguez, 2010, 7.3/10
Parts of me want to give this film a 10.0 for sheer pleasure. Awesome, stylized gore in the vein of mixing Tarantino (Rodriguez's muse) and troma films. Lloyd Kaufman would be proud. It also had a sort of Troma-like liberal plot which added to the enjoyment for me. Danny Trejo was good too.
5. Repo Man, Cox, 1984, 6.0/10
A for Effort for Cox in trying to shake things up a bit. The soundtrack is good. The plot/storyline was really disjointed, however, and seemed rather impromptu. Never been a big Emilio Estavez fan.
6. Gettysburg/Battle of Gettysburg, Maxwell/Hoffman, 1993/1955, 7.0-6.0/10
Well-told story about a commanding officer and his troops as they near the town of Gettysburg and prepare for battle. Battle scenes were pretty amazing and the acting superb. Not a lot of background was given in either the feature film or the documentary about what led our nation up to this point. Context would have given this film a 8-9.
7. Vagabond, Varda, 1985, 9.2/10
First realist movie I've seen in a bit. Great stuff. We follow a vagrant (by choice?) as she lives out her final days on the rough road of a solitary, female hitchhiker. Highly recommended!
8. Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson, Altman, 1976, 8.1/10
Pomp and circumstance. Buffalo Bill (Paul Newman) is a cocky westerner with his own variety show. The tents and mini-town created by Altman are fantastic and the sarcasm and cynicism is on point here. This will get better with repeated viewings as well.
