Hearts & Minds.

Maybe it is anti-war propaganda. I don't really care. War will never make sense to me, it should be defunct. Brutal.

JR-8/10

Ghosts of Cité Soleil

Holy Shit, watch this now. Think the Port-au-Prince version of City of God but for real.

TL 10/10

JR 9/10
CT 7/10

Chris Thompson!

Don't let the preposterous Netflix Average of 71 ratings: 1.9 stars fool you, this IS the best DVD ever made. One Hot Night In The Cold. Period.

CT: 99/10

Tokyo!

I'm always biased towards movies that take place in Japan and tryptich films, so I liked it more than like. One story is fun, one is scary, and one is confusing, I'm not sure which is which.

CT 7.5/10

Bigger, Faster, Stronger

An instantly likable all-american dude makes what should be a boring documentary surprising and fun.

CT 8/10

Tulpan

A dude returns home from the Navy; his brother tries to help him by trading a chandelier for a potential bride, his friend helps by sharing pornos. Tulpan reminded of The Weeping Camel except funnier and less poetic.

CT 8.5/10

The Carter

Interesting even if you don't give a shit about Young Moolah... Regardless of if you consider him an 'artist' or not, it's interesting how you feel more sorry for him than anything.

CT 7.5/10
TL 8/10

Gerry

Part 1 of Gus Van Sants Death Trilogy. Not as complex as Elephant or Last Days, but still weird and provoking.

CT 8/10

Treeless Moutain

Basically the Korean version of 'Nobody Knows.' Not quite as good, but still fun in a not fun way.

CT 9/10

Au Revoir Les Enfants (Goodbye Children)

Boys at a private boarding school during WW2 play pranks.

CT 9.5/10

ZOO

I was hoping for graphic images of human on horse bestiality as most I've seen features humans giving love to their barnyard friends, I had never considered the possibility of people 'taking' a large horse penis. I was disappointed however with this PG version of narration from the friends of a deceased horse lover from Seattle who had his colon ruptured from one overpowering stallion.

I guess my love for sensationalized shocking animal sex will have to be confined to the internet as the hopes of ever seeing it on the big screen seem dismal.

TL 6.5/10
CT 8/10

Life + Debt

Sunshine guarantee, 7 billion debt, and the re-burger.

jr- 8/10
CT 8/10
TL 7/10

Unmistaken Child

This doc about searching for a reincarnated Tibetan Monk starts out as a 6 and slowly builds into a 10. So it's an 8, but a better 8 than if it started a 10 and ended a 6.

CT 8/10

Gummo

This film invented the acronym WTF

CT - 10/10
TL - 10/10

Sin Nombre

The only thing holding this movie back is the lackluster ending but the amazing cinematography more then makes up for it.

TL 10/10
CT 9.5/10

The Cove

I lost confidence in Sundance winners long ago with films like 'The Wackness' but I thought I'd give this one a shot, because everyone loves dolphins. I was hoping for some graphic animal cruelty but instead got a film crew playing with expensive camera equipment.

It's not that I don't think the message is important it's just that I'd been told that this movie would change my life....It didn't.

TL 6.5/10
CT 7/10

Food, INC.

Holy Shit, this movie made me stop eating meat for like 4 hours.

TL 8/10
ct 9/10

Living in Emergency

amazing but unsatisfying. I wanted more. Would be fascinating as an HBO series. the lady that led the post doc panel discussion was ridiculous.

jr-9.5/10

Maria Full Of Grace

A beautiful, provoking, complicated story about a drug smuggler.

ct 10/10
tl 9/10

A Certain Kind of Death

Holy Shit.

CT 9/10

jr 8/10

Collapse.

some thoughts about a move you both know well:

The Man: Rants like a republican. There is a phrase that reminds me of his argument style, something like "To prove the truth of the bible he quotes matthew, luke, and john". With that said he is a brilliant mind who will leech his ideas into your head and hopefully convince everyone to buy less shit.

The Film: Hints throughout the movie suggest the man's insanity. So subtle, even he hasn't seemed to fully realize it. (i.e. "It has become increasingly clear that heavy cigarette smoking is intimately associated with the schizophrenic illness and that this may have implications for the underlying neurobiology of schizophrenia"). Smith gives Ruppert an opportunity to make people finally listen to him (and actually want to).

The Paranoia: Rappers have been getting it right since the 80's- buy gold, guns and boats, get friendly with your community gang and grow your own.

8.75/10

Scrooged

If you plan to celebrate the holiday season you might as well do it with a bottle of scotch and this shit-show.

jr-7/10

Mister Lonely

Nuns falling out of planes & Celebrity impersonators bathing each other: This film sells it self.


8.0/10.0 TL

The Devil Came on Horseback

Horrific pictures. A documentary about an ex-marine who is monitoring the cease fire in Sudan and finds himself in the middle of a genocide.

jr-10/10
ct 8.5/10
tl 9/10

Our Daily Bread

A visually stunning experimental documentary on the origins of our food. Incredibly simple yet wonderfully fascinating.

CT 10/10

Let The Right One In

A vampire movie for people that aren't all that into vampire movies. A beautiful film. Don't let the shitty cover deceive you!

CT 9.5/10

jr- 9/10

WALL-E

The last robot to inhabit a destroyed planet Earth falls in love. Easily the most experimental (and best?) Pixar movie ever, which says a lot.

CT 10.09/10

JR 10/10
tl 4/10

Ballast

A poor family struggles in the Mississippi Delta. Non-actors, hand-held camera, and real locations, ding!

CT 8/10

Manda Bala

Either you steal with a gun or a pen.

Can't say Sao Paulo is on my list of travel destinations.

Leaves a few unanswered questions.

jr-8.5/10
ct 8/10

Orthodox Stance

Documentary about an Orthodox Jewish Boxer in Brooklyn trying to become pro without being able to box on the sabbath. Interesting to see how how amateur boxing works, dude is more than likable too.

CT 8/10

The Science of Sleep

I saw this a while ago. Watch the whole thing if you plan to see it at all (I hated the first 30 minutes if I recall correctly). It is quirky. Busted. I am a romantic. Damn.

jr-8/10

Persepolis

Graphic novel made into a movie. Remarkable and memorable.

jr- 9/10

ct 9/10

tl - 8/10

Guy De Maupassant

jr-9/10

I am breaking the rules. (are there rules?) I get lazy with books sometimes. This Guy is great. Maybe I like him cause we have the same birthday. Regardless. His short stories are a good read.

Our Brand is Crisis

Bolivian president 'Goni' hires James Carville's DC based political consulting firm to run his campaign for reelection. Real politics are scarier than fake politics.

CT - 9/10

The Story of the Weeping Camel

I wish I had the DVD to watch the commentary after this movie. Filled with Mongolian wisdom. Sweet and lovely with limited dialogue. You, may also weep.

10/10 JR.
10/10 CT
9/10 TL

Kids

Greatest Movie Ever

TL - 1009990000/10
CT - 10.1/10

Blog over.

Nobody Knows

4 siblings live alone in a small Japanese apartment.

CT - 10/10
TL - 10/10

The White Diamond

A really hard movie to describe (as with most Herzog docs), but I promise you don't have to love Hot-Air Balloons, Guyanese Dancers, Waterfalls, or Roosters to love this doc.

CT 9/10

Turtles Can Fly

Groups of kids stuck in a refugee camp in Kurdistan/Iraq work to disarm mines. Child non-actors and an amazing location make it great.

CT - 9/10

Downtown 81

I fall asleep at night hoping this is actually how dope it was to live in NYC in 1980. The Basquiat acting scenes are fun, other peoples' non-acting scenes are funner.

CT - 8/10

JR-8/10

Viva Laldjerie

Women oppressed by fundamentalism in Algeria trying to live happily. Funny stalking scenes. Featuring the most beautiful actress in the world no one knows.

CT-8/10

Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father

One of the more poorly made documentaries I can remember, telling a story that is more incredible and unbelievable than any I can remember.

CT - 7/10
tl - 8.5/10

Marooned in Iraq

An elderly father convinces his two sons to help him on a journey to find his wife. Humorous, with great music.

CT - 10/10

Osama

A girl in Afghanistan is forced to live life as a boy in order to save her family.

CT - 9/10

Monster Camp

A mediocre documentary about a group of people that play LARP (live action role playing). It's like a car-wreck you can't turn away from but you know you shouldn't be watching.

CT - 7/10
TL - 8/10

Paradise Now

2 Palastinian friends in the West Bank debate violently protesting in Tel Aviv. Featuring the most beautiful actress in the world no one knows.

CT - 10/10

jr- 10.10
tl - 10/10

Mountain Patrol: Kekexili

A bunch of dudes form an independent battalion to combat Elk poachers in the mountains of Tibet.

CT - 9/10