Amy Wren Watched What? December 9-15

Little Shop of Horrors (1986) - Directed by Frank Oz

This film often looks like it was filmed on the soundstages it clearly was filmed on, and for about $5. This is not a bug, it's a feature, as that effect makes it feel fantastical and heightened in such a good way. There's a version of this film that looks slicker and "more realistic", and it just wouldn't be nearly as good. Like, seriously, there was a remake in the works starring Chris Evans as Seymour, and what in the fu--

Okay, um, back on topic, Amy. That topic is the 1986 Little Shop of Horrors, a film I love dearly. Like every song it feels like you want to say "this is the best song, for sure", but then another comes along, and you repeat it all over. I am gushing, I know. What can I say, I just like this film, plain and simple.

Note: We watched the original theatrical release of the film, as that is what Prime brought up (and the Director's Cut is only available to purchase). We did watch the alternate ending on Youtube. I like that it is closer to the tone of the stage musical, but the rampaging plants just start to feel a bit repetitive)

Oh, Canada (2024) - Directed by Paul Schrader

I was mostly on board with this for much of its run time. It felt like it was trying to subvert the idea that death inherently gives meaning to a life, or that it always gives a person facing it down the ability to tell their whole truth. But, ugh, the last twenty minutes pretty much burnt all of my goodwill up for it. When it comes down to it, it feels like it was a dying old man trying his hardest to convince his wife (and by extension us) how big of a piece of crap he was. Mission accomplished on that front, dude.

The Order (2024) - Directed by Justin Kurtzel

Just a damn good thriller. It does what it sets out to do, which is tell a story about the FBI tracking down the white supremacist group behind the murder of DJ Alan Berg. Jude Law does a great job at being a hard bitten FBI agent who just seen too much shit, and the movie is great at understanding some of the dynamics of how these organizations recruit, and how they get intertwined within the communities in which their members reside. I wish they made more movies like this.

Red Rooms (2023) - Directed by Pascal Plante

Going into this film, I wasn't certain how it was going to approach the subject (the trial of a serial killer and two young women who are very focused on it). I was a little concerned it was going to be a stock standard film about The Dangers of the Internet. But instead, it's a film about obsession, and what it can do to you when you let that obsession take over your life, no matter what your reasoning is or how good your intentions may be. It's really clever how the film highlights one character's obsession at first, and then partway through shows that it's actually the other character who is truly obsessed. The scene where this happens is a marvel of camera work, acting, lighting, and sound as we see how both characters are reacting to something truly awful that they are watching. This is a film that's going to be on my mind as much as anything else I've seen this year.

Other Films Watched

Only Lovers Left Alive (2014) - Directed by Jim Jarmusch
If you enjoy wealthy hipster vampires tooling around listening to music in Detroit, boy do I have a film for you!

Annie Hall (1977) - Directed by Woody Allen
One of the highest tier members in the "separate the art from the artist" club

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) - Directed by Wes Anderson
Beneath all of the symmetry and confections, achingly perfect fonts and compartmentalized tableaus is a whole lot of sadness.

The Makioka Sisters (1983) - Directed by Kon Ichikawa
A beautiful film about four Japanese sisters and all of their personal dramas in the days right before World War II.

A Most Wanted Man (2014) - Directed by Anton Corbijn
A solid spy thriller that mostly just made me wish Philip Seymour Hoffman was still with us

The One I Love (2014) - Directed by Charlie McDowell
This movie has one of the best callbacks involving bacon I can think of

Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) 2014 - Directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu
Somehow this film kind of works for me, despite at times being completely insufferable

Boyhood (2014) - Directed by Richard Linklater
This would be a monumental achievement just as a filmmaking experiment, even if it wasn't nearly as good as it is.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014) - Directed by Doug Liman
A whole lot of fun, even if it kind of peters off towards the end.

Hail, Caesar! (2016) - Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
The film at times seems to be an excuse for the two Coens to throw as many Old Hollywood style vignettes up on the screen as they can muster. But that's a-okay by me.

Locke (2013) - Directed by Steven Knight
Tom Hardy gives a great performance without ever leaving the driver's seat of his car.

The Immigrant (2014) - Directed by James Gray
A solid period drama with good performances from Marion Cotillard and Joaquin Phoenix.

Interstellar (2014) - Directed by Christopher Nolan
I like this film when I saw it a decade ago and have only grown to love it even more.

The Double (2013) - Directed by Richard Ayoade
This movies is like if Don Draper and Dick Whitman somehow were both separate people working at Sterling-Cooper, and were both played by Jesse Eisenberg.

Gone Girl (2014) - Directed by David Fincher
Is it so wrong that she enjoys a good putt at the mini-golf course?

Tootsie (1982) - Directed by Sydney Pollack
Feels a little dated four decades and some change on. However, the jokes hold up better than you might think.

Have you watched any of these film? What did you think? What have you watched over the last week? Let's talk about it in the comments!

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