THE DANMAN CAN

The last time I watched  Hannibal  (2001), four years ago ( review ), I was fresh off of re-reading Thomas Harris '  1999 novel  ( review ). I wrote that I hadn't seen the film in over 10 years and that I didn't find it as good as I had remembered. On this viewing, detached from a recent reading of the novel and enjoying the film on its own merits, I enjoyed it more, but I still can't bring myself to award it a higher star rating. I do think that the film is great, it's just that certain elements and omissions leave it shy of true greatness, like its predecessor The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) ( review ).  Gary Oldman  is, as always, a scene stealer, but Mason Verger's demise is  much  more interesting in the novel. Margot Verger being left out was a poor choice. The climax of the film is but a shadow of the novel. In general, everything just feels truncated.  Julianne Moore isn't as good as Jodi Foster but she ...

1.    The Irishman   ****1/2 ( Review ) 2.    Uncut Gems  ****1/2 ( Review ) 3.    Deadwood: The Movie  ****1/2 ( Review ) 4.    Marriage Story  ****1/2 ( Review ) 5.    The Nightingale  (2018) **** ( Review ) 6.    The Lighthouse   **** ( Review ) 7.    Knives Out  **** ( Review ) 8.    Once Upon A Time In Hollywood   ***1/2 ( Review ) 9.    Midsommar  ***1/2 ( Review ) 10.  The Dead Don't Die  ***1/2 ( Review ) 11.  Joker   ***1/2 ( Review ) 12.  Doctor Sleep  ***1/2 ( Review ) 13.  Dragged Against Concrete  (2018) ***1/2 ( Review ) 14.  Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker   *** ( Review ) 15.  El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie   *** ( Review ) 16.  High Flying Bird  *** ( Review ) 17.  Ready Or Not  *** ( Review ) 18.  Us  *** ( Review ) 19....

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Tucker: The Man And His Dream (1988) is the second  Francis Ford Coppola  film that I watched for the first time this month (the other being The Cotton Club (1984), my review here ). The genesis of the film began in the mid 70s, when Coppola envisioned Tucker  as a musical with Marlon Brando in the lead with music and lyrics by Leonard Bernstein , Betty Comden and Adolph Green . That version of the film never materialized. Instead the project was revived when George Lucas  hopped on board as producer. Coppola's original vision undoubtedly would have been interesting to see, but the innovative and non-traditional biopic (with liberties taken) that he did create is a very good film with a lot to appreciate. Tucker  features one of Jeff Bridges ' best performances as the titular character and strong supporting roles by Martin Landau and Elias Koteas . It also has stunning photography by that master cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro , extravagant prod...

I hadn't watched The Wizard Of Oz  (1939) for over 10 years, when the film was first released on Blu-ray for its 70th anniversary. Maybe that's why it seemed to tug at the heartstrings a little extra on this viewing. Or perhaps it's because of all the reasons that I love the film, and why it's deservedly beloved. Let's see—there's the perfect casting and memorable performances (with special mention for  Bert Lahr 's Brooklyn accent), the timeless songs and dialogue, the beautiful score. There's the stunning Technicolor cinematography, the gorgeous costumes and makeup, the immersive production design, the impressive special effects. And there is, of course, the weirdness and wonder of it all. One of my Top 100 Films and simply a perfect film, 80 years on The Wizard Of Oz  never fails to enchant, delight and move me, and it looks the best it ever has in true 4K (from an 8K scan) on the recently released UHD disc.

Uncut Gems (2019) is a relentlessly tense gem of a film with rapid editing and an unconventional score. It features a career best performance by Adam Sandler  in a dramatic yet hilarious role to rival his parts in Punch-Drunk Love  (2002) and The Meyerowitz Stories (2017) (my review here ). Sandler, here channeling an  Al Pacino -like energy, plays Howard Ratner, a Jewish NYC jeweler. Howard is one sad sack character, continuously making incredibly poor life decisions, yet you can't help but root for the guy because of his charisma. The whole film barely gives you room to breathe, and yet it keeps you glued to the screen. I'm very much looking forward to a rewatch and I need to bump directors Benny and Josh Safdie 's previous film Good Time (2017) way up on my watch list.

Black Christmas (1974) is my favorite slasher and might just be my favorite Christmas feature film. The performances are uniformly excellent, its female-centric cast is populated by actors that bring a realism and diversity of character that in the hands of a lesser director could have resulted in a basic stalk and slash exercise. Bob Clark 's direction is economic—never flashy and every shot feels necessary. Reginald H. Morris 's cinematography is stylish and makes exceptional use of shadows, the absence of light, and handheld camera. Despite a good deal of humor—which I still find funny every time I watch the film (and I've seen it a lot)—there is a feeling of unease that is absent from so many films in the horror genre. This can be attributed to a few sources— Carl Zittrer 's jarring and dissonant score for one, which falls more into the realm of sound design than music much of the time. Another is the juxtaposition of that score with long stretches of silence, p...

After 31 years, Die Hard (1988) is still one of the best action films ever made, a picture firmly engrained in my movie vernacular and one that I can't ever see myself changing my opinion about. There's many reasons for that, including an incredible cast of '80s character actors, a charismatic but ruthless villain played to perfection by Alan Rickman , and eminently quotable dialogue—featuring razor humor and some of the best one-liners going—courtesy of  Jeb Stuart  and  Steven E. de Souza 's screenplay. There's also the incredible stunts, an excellent, memorable score by Michael Kamen , and the slick, stylish cinematography by Jan de Bont . Along with director John McTiernan 's previous film, Predator  (1987) ( review ), Die Hard  unfortunately got snubbed for consideration on my  Top 100 Films list (also in the  2014 Edition ), due to my not owning it at the time. I actually still don't own it at the moment because I'm waiting for a box set of ...

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) has always been a weird film for me. While I do own it, and while I do enjoy it quite a lot, I've never been crazy about the songs, and being that it's a musical, that prevents me from ever fully embracing it. I adore stop-motion and the animation in TNBC  is undoubtedly gorgeous. I always greatly appreciate all the painstaking care and craft that goes into making a film of this sort. But when it comes to stop-motion Tim Burton properties, I know I am in the minority when I say that I prefer  Corpse Bride  (2005). And when it comes to stop-motion films by  Henry Selick (who directed TNBC , not Burton as I think a lot of people still believe), I prefer Coraline (2009) ( review ).

Although Frank Capra could be accused of sentimentality in his films, particularly in It's A Wonderful Life (1946), there's many good reasons that this film is so beloved and basically above reproach. There aren't too many films that can choke me up and move me to tears (or close to) in the way that this one can. But even beyond James Stewart 's perfect performance, the beautiful cinematography, the high production values, and the obvious message of the rich man being the one that has friends and a loving family—there is an additional, important point made against corporatism. Throughout IAWL  George Bailey is constantly battling the rich greedy grump Potter ( Lionel Barrymore ) from effectively taking complete control of his hometown of Bedford Falls. While the denouement unfortunately feels a bit far fetched, especially by today's cynical standards, It's A Wonderful Life presents an ideal fantasy of community which many of us human beings could aspire ...

Well, here we have it—the end of the " Skywalker saga ", nine films of varying quality released over 42 years. I like Star Wars  films—they're entertaining and fun, sci-fi action-adventure space opera blockbusters—but I don't hold them in the same reverence that a lot of fans do. So my expectations are properly set when I go to see a new SW  film in the theater. That is to say, I'm willing to let certain things slide when I consume these products, but I also desire a certain "feeling" that isn't always delivered. I don't get outraged when my expectations have not been met though. In the case of the latest installment, Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker (2019) (kind of an odd title for a film that ends their saga…), it's a mixed bag. After Disney let Rian Johnson experiment in The Last Jedi   (2017) (my review here ; I like Johnson, but I still think he should have just been given his upcoming SW  trilogy and a different director should hav...

Richard Jewell  (2019) is one of those films where, depending on the political affiliations of the viewer/reviewer, and given Clint Eastwood 's leanings, there are wildly different takes to be had. Some people think it's a conservative film about the plight and "persecution of the white male", others think it's Eastwood's attempt at a more nuanced approach to a real life story . Some think it's more than a little about Trump, which, outside of the theme of media and FBI investigation, seems like a stretch to me. There are definitely demonizations of certain characters in RJ , one "troubling" portrayal, some heavy sentimentality, a few unconvincing turns, "movie stakes", and other aspects that can be picked apart. Take the subject matter and the presentation as you will, but in the end, Richard Jewell  is an entertaining and well-made drama with a humorous streak and strong performances by Paul Walter Hauser , Sam Rockwell , and Kathy...

Don't Open Till Christmas  (1984) is a tropey schizophrenic slasher with atrocious acting, poor cinematography, haphazard editing, and weak kills, featuring surprisingly little gore. Director Edmund Purdom , who also stars, must have thought he could recreate the absolute mayhem and crazy energy of  Pieces , which he starred in two years earlier, but he doesn't have the chutzpah to pull off such a feat. Still, there are laughs to be had at the film's expense—the killer with "smiling eyes", many drunken Santas, a stolen Bond villain gimmick. And, speaking of Bond,  Caroline Munro  shows up in a totally out-of-left-field glorified cameo, performing her Euro disco song " Warrior Of Love ", which I genuinely enjoy. A pale comparison to Silent Night, Deadly Night (my review here )—the true Christmas trash classic of '84— Don't Open Till Christmas  is a package that I never feel the need to open again.

Christmas Evil   (aka  You Better Watch Out ) (1980), the Taxi Driver (1976) ( review ) of Christmas films, is one of my favorite holiday movies, riding the line between trash and genuinely well-made cinema. It's a bit too long, it falters here and there, and the budget shows at times, but it also features a one-a-kind, all-in central performance by  Brandon Maggart  as a mentally disturbed Santa-obsessed man, a unique score with a great sense of unease, and a vibe that balances creepiness, humor, and shock factor very well. Plus that bonkers ending! review

Though my love of Babes In Toyland (1961) basically stems from nostalgia (I watched the film practically every day at the daycare I attended when I was young), though Tom & Mary's relationship dynamic is incredibly antiquated, and though I freely admit that the film has plenty of flaws (it drags at times, not all of the "songs" work), I can't help but revisit it around Christmastime every few years or so. Despite the flaws, there is still much to appreciate— Ray Bolger 's weird but sinisterly archetypical villain Barnaby, Ed Wynn 's wonderfully whacky and oddly cruel Toymaker, the beautiful costumes and sets, and the impressive stop motion toy soldier sequence—all bought to life in Technicolor. Disney 's first live action musical may not be its best, but it continues to bring me great joy.

Silent Night, Deadly Night  (1984) is a holiday sleaze classic with no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I think that's why I enjoy it so much and watch it almost ever year. Everyone and everything in it is so absurdly cynical, it's so incredibly, unrealistically exploitative, and the score is so manipulatively abrasive that I can't believe anyone could ever actually take offense to it. It's just bloody, low budget fun and never tries to be anything else. I'm glad movies like this exist. The '80s were a special time for trash cinema. And remember, even though Christmas Eve is the scariest damn night of the year, it's always Christmas on " The Warm Side Of The Door ". "Two ball in the corner pocket."