The Off Hours
Written & Directed by Megan Griffiths
Starring Amy Seimetz as Francine, a lonely truck stop waitress desperate to make a connection with anyone while hopelessly dreaming of a better life. Seimetz is quite possibly the best indie film actress right now.
The film also stars Scoot McNairy, Ross Partridge, Tony Doupe, Lynn Shelton, and Gergana Mellin.
The Off Hours is a slow burner that transports you into those lonely, sleep-deprived hours of life where everyone seems to be a zombie. A really solid first feature from Griffiths.
Watched via Netflix Instant.
Nice Guy Johnny
Written & Directed by Edward Burns
From IMDB: “Johnny Rizzo, is about to trade his dream job in talk radio for some snooze-ville gig that’ll pay enough to please his fiancée. Enter Uncle Terry, a rascally womanizer set on turning a weekend in the Hamptons into an eye-opening fling for his nephew. Nice guy Johnny’s not interested, of course, but then he meets the lovely Brooke, who challenges Johnny to make the toughest decision of is life.”
Matt Bush is very good in the lead, and Nice Guy Johnny is worth a watch. Check it out.
Watched via Netflix Instant.
Photo with 1 note
Breaking Upwards
Written by & Starring Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister Jones
Directed by Daryl Wein
A young NY couple strategizes their own break up.
Strong, sometimes too cute for it’s own good, debut from Wein. Worth a look.
Watched via Netflix Instant.
No Matter What
Written & Directed by Cherie Saulter
From the No Matter What Vimeo page: “The story of Nick and Joey, two best friends living in the crumbling landscape of rural Florida, whose lives and friendship are changed by the journey to find Joey’s mother.”
Beautiful cinematography by Jay Keitel and a great score by Keegan DeWitt. The acting lacks at times, but the direction, editing, photography, music, and story are all great! No Matter What is definitely worth your time.
Watched via Netflix Instant.
Photo with 1 note
A Good Old Fashioned Orgy
Written & Directed by Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck
Starring Jason Sudeikis, Tyler Labine, Leslie Bibb, Lake Bell, Martin Starr, Nick Kroll
This should have been A LOT funnier than it was. The cast is great, but the writing and directing lack which comes out as subplots feel forced or unravel altogether. On a good note, it only cost me $0.76 to rent this…
Watch via DVD from Redbox.
Photo with 3 notes
Serpico
Directed by Sidney Lumet
Starring Al Pacino as Serpico.
It doesn’t get much better than Pacino in the 70s, does it? Match him up with Lumet; forget about it! This gritty undercover cop drama plays fast. It’s a hell of a ride from two masters of their respective crafts that shouldn’t be missed. Watch this immediately.
Watched via Netflix Instant.
Photo with 2 notes
Melancholia
Written & Directed by Lars von Trier
Starring Kirsten Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Alexander Skarsgard, & Kiefer Sutherland
I love sad movies and this is right up there with the saddest of all movies. Beautifully photographed, Lars von Trier’s end-of-the-world drama exudes claustrophobia and panic as the new planet Melancholia barrels toward the film’s helpless characters on Earth.
Melancholia is an unrelenting and beautiful work of art. Dunst’s turn as the self-destructive Justine is a career performance. This is a must see film.
*Even though it’s included in the film trailer, Justine’s sobering revelation on the fragility of life to her paranoid sister Claire still gave me chills. “Life is only on Earth. And not for long.”
Watched via Netflix Instant.
Photo with 3 notes
Project X
Directed by Jonathan Kaplan
My fiance @angiewaldron has been raving about this movie for months (really since that new Todd Phillips P.O.S. with the same name came out), and when I found it on Netflix Instant I added it to my queue immediately. We watched Project X this weekend and I was not disappointed.
Starring Matthew Broderick, Willie (as virgil), and Helen Hunt, Project X explores the real-life experiments that the US Air Force conducted on chimpanzees during the Cold War. It’s mostly heartbreaking but no less fascinating that this film is based on real events. I have no idea how I missed this one as a kid, but it’s definitely worth a watch now.
Andy Serkis’ child-acting work as Virgil is astonishing; a true master straight out of the womb.
Watched via Netflix Instant.
Photo with 5 notes
They Live
Directed by John Carpenter
Starring Roddy Piper and Keith David
From IMDB: “A drifter discovers a pair of sunglasses that allow him to wake up to the fact that aliens have taken over the Earth.”
Probably most famous for the hilariously long fight scene, Carpenter’s critique of American consumer culture is just plain awesome. Keith David is awesome in just about everything, and Roddy Piper is sufficiently badass. Definitely check this one out (I’m looking at your Western New Yorkers; it’s going to be a rainy weekend).
*Sidebar, check out this movie poster. How sweet is that?!
Watched via Netflix Instant.
Photo with 3 notes
Broadway Danny Rose
Written & Directed by Woody Allen
As I get older, I’m watching more Woody Allen movies. I think I “get” them now. Great stuff here. Watch this immediately.
Watched via Netflix Instant.
Page 2 of 21
