The Best Films of the 2000s and more.
Posts tagged Violent
Thirst (2009)
Aug 13th
Starring: Kang-ho Song, Ok-bin Kim, Hae-sook Kim
Director: Chan-wook Park
Country: South Korea
Genre: Foreign, Horror
Jury Prize – Cannes Film Festival
The popularity in vampire films in the last few years isn’t anything new. In fact, it’s just a resurgence of a fascination of a myth that goes back hundreds of years. But when we compare the different facets of vampirism in films today, it’s rather astounding the amount of differential nuances that can be found.
Chan-wook Park (Oldboy) directs this dark and twisted vampire tale that balances the romanticism of vampires with the remorse (or perhaps pleasure) derived from the constant sin that must be committed in order to survive. What better way to poise this balance than centering the film around a main character who is a man of the cloth. Sang-hyeon (played by the brilliant Kang-ho Song) is out to sacrifice himself to save lives by infecting himself with a disease to determine whether he has the immune system that could procure a remedy. Unfortunately it has some negative side-effects – simply put, it turns him into a vampire. While he tries to come to terms with his new ‘affliction’, Tae-ju, a stir-crazy housewife desires his powers and will stop and nothing to obtain them.
Park slowly develops the conflict in this film. It’s not immediately apparent what the obstacles are going to be. They seem to come like divine gifts with unexpected circumstances. After the halfway point, the film hurtles toward a climax that only Chan-wook Park could conceive, (and execute.) Utilizing his luscious cinematography and terrifically cringe-worthy sound effects, this might be Park’s best film to date.
Top 10 Popcorn Flicks of the 2000s
Jul 10th
We all love going to the movies. That’s why you’re here, right? Well, since it’s summer and Blockbusters rule the world at the moment, I thought it would be a great time to put out my Top 10 Popcorn Flicks – those movies that go so well with a bucket-o-popcorn (or Kettlecorn for you sweettooths out there.) There are a lot of great popcorn movies – hell, most movies that are released are made to be viewed over the wide brim of a jumbo bucket, but only a handful are memorable, great, or even the best.
As per usual, these films are listed chronologically and are otherwise not listed in any specific order. Feel free to leave your own top ten popcorn flicks in the comments!
Enjoy!
Snatch. (2000)
Crime doesn’t pay, it steals your dignity. This super stylish crime comedy influenced countless films over the last ten years – few that ever reached the same level of fun.
City of God (2002)
Jun 22nd
Starring: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Phellipe Haagensen
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Country: Brazil
Genre: Foreign, Crime
Best foreign drug war film of the decade.
There is a certain connotation that comes along with the word “foreign film”. The subtitles are a given, but I think generally thoughts of slow moving films about people and topics that American audiences can’t connect with. But City of God is the perfect example of a foreign film that transcends a specific audience. This tale of the rise of the drug wars in Cidade de Deus in the seventies has so much style that takes inspiration from all sorts of international films – from Tarantino-style storytelling to Guy Ritchie-style editing to a soundtrack straight out of seventies exploitation films. It has the same harrowing ping of a Scorsese film with the same flavor of Brazil’s other huge cinematic hit, Black Orpheus. Meirelles’ decision to use non-actors was a brilliant choice, rooting it in a similar realm as the best of international cinema. It’s incredibly stylish and super entertaining.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
May 25th
Starring: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace
Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Country: Sweden
Genre: Mystery
One of the most resonating films of the decade.
Based on the literary phenomena of the same name, the film version of the popular mystery is a triumph of balance between strong storytelling and deep character study. While the mystery itself isn’t all that surprising, it just acts as a catalyst for which the unlikely duo of main characters come together. The techno-goth-like hacker unnervingly portrayed by Noomi Rapace is a performance to behold. Her unlikely pairing with the more conventional, but equally troubled journalist played by with ease by Michael Nyqvist, is possibly one of the more inspired combination of characters in recent years. Oplev’s direction is visually luscious and unflinching. The film’s ability to take on the mystery genre with proper attention paid to the characters gives it a longevity far beyond most films of the genre.
Feast (2006)
May 18th
HORROR PICK:
Starring: Henry Rollins, Judah Friedlander, Navi Rawat
Director: John Gulager
Country: USA
Genre: Horror
The ‘characters-stranded-in-a-house-while-being-attacked-by-creatures’ subgenre never gets old.
This Project Greenlight film definitely fills a void in this decade’s lack of decent creature features. Feast is hyperaware of the stereotypes that tend to bog down other horror films, (whiny female characters, children, unrealistic heroism,) and remedies it with gooey splattery fun. This film’s audacity to hold nothing sacred is its biggest weapon. The unexpected can and does happen creating a complete sense of chaos. Are there loop holes in the plot? Sure. But over analyzing it is missing the point entirely. It’s a barrage of unadulterated grimy tongue-in-cheek horror that Hollywood almost never releases.
1001 Movie Club: Man Bites Dog (1992)
May 7th
The idea of a fake documentary following a fictional character around isn’t necessarily new idea, not even in 1992. But, this might be the first time that it was used as a satire for something that was (and still is) becoming a global epidemic: violence spurred on by the media’s obsession with violence.
The subject of the “documentary” is Benoit, a somewhat intelligent and cultured serial killer, as he demonstrates his numerous kills. What could be a molding for the future Patrick Bateman, Benoit muses about art and architecture in between his victims. But he’s not without morals: he doesn’t usually kill children. They’re not profitable.
Trick ‘r Treat (2007)
May 5th
HORROR PICK:
Starring: Anna Paquin, Dylan Baker, Brian Cox
Director: Michael Dougherty
Country: USA
Genre: Horror
It’s about time that the horror genre received it’s version of Magnolia.
This film weaves together four stories (or four and a half if you count the opening,) of horrific events happening on Halloween in a small town. Each tale deals with a slightly different subgenre: slasher, monster, zombies, ghosts, and other furry creatures, tying each of the characters into one another’s story. The film as a whole is told with a gleeful excitement, as if Dougherty can’t wait to reveal how each character is connected, and scare us with the handful of pleasing surprises. Trick ‘r Treat really fills a void that the horror genre as been missing since the 80s of a film really embracing what it is and relishing in every second of its storytelling. Plus, the cast is brilliant fun. Dylan Baker is an underrated genius.
