HEY! No thanks!

106/365

“Jane Eyre” directed by Cary Fukunaga, starring Mia Wasikowska, Michael Fassbender, and Jamie Bell.

From IMDb:

After a bleak childhood, Jane Eyre goes out into the world to become a governess. As she lives happily in her new position at Thornfield Hall, she meets the dark, cold, and abrupt master of the house, Mr. Rochester. Jane and her employer grow close in friendship and she soon finds herself falling in love with him. Happiness seems to have found Jane at last, but could Mr. Rochester’s terrible secret be about to destroy it forever?

Oh man, what a great version. Wasikowska and Fassbender are just great at acting. It didn’t hurt that they’re both attractive, and Bell grew up quite well from “Billy Elliot.” I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was also a visually beautiful film.

I give it a 4 out of 5.

105/365

“Trainspotting” directed by Danny Boyle, starring Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, and Jonny Lee Miller.

From IMDb:

Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out, despite the allure of the drugs and influence of friends.

Woohoo! What a fantastic film with some really amazing actors (including Robert Carlyle, who plays Mr. Gold/Rumplestiltskin in “Once Upon A Time”). Obviously, it wasn’t a pretty film and I felt sick to my stomach after seeing so many needles and heroin usage. But still, it was great. Also, naked Ewan McGregor. 

I give it a 4 out of 5.

104/365

“The Boys and Girls Guide to Getting Down” directed by Paul Sapiano, starring Cricket Leigh, Kat Turner, and John McGarr.

From IMDb:

Tongue-in-cheek look at 20-something singles clubbing and partying in L.A.; it’s organized into 15 chapters from overview and preparation to partying and the morning after. Voice-over narration, charts and graphs, and visits to a research laboratory punctuate the story of a single night when groups of friends go out, drink alcohol, take drugs, dance and talk, and look for someone to go home with. Dangers, minor and major, await those who don’t plan well or behave foolishly, and the rewards, even for those who plan well, are few. But the species’ survival may depend on these rituals.

How absolutely ridiculous, but it set out to do just what the director wanted to do. Sam and I only watched this because she wanted to watch a really stupid comedy after watching a scary movie. It wasn’t bad, there were some laughs, and there were tons of slut-shaming, homosexual, etc bashing but other than that, it was alright for a laugh. I didn’t expect much out of it. It was just ridiculous, which I think was the only funny part about it.

I give it a .1 out of 5.

103/365

“The Crazies” directed by Breck Eisner, starring Radha Mitchell, Timothy Olyphant, and Danielle Panabaker.

From IMDb:

About the inhabitants of a small Iowa town suddenly plagued by insanity and then death after a mysterious toxin contaminates their water supply.

This wasn’t too bad. I really enjoyed how the action started right away, there was no boring moments of introducing characters, etc. It wasn’t as fast as I had hoped it would be, but the pacing was pretty good. Sam screamed when they were nearly out of the car wash and the one “crazy” popped down and grabbed Becca. So that was fun. I really need to see the original, just to see how they changed Romero’s vision. Though I have heard the remake does a better job, because of the budget and all.

I give it a 4 out of 5.

102/365

“Session 9” directed by Brad Anderson, starring David Caruso, Stephen Gevedon, and Paul Guilfoyle.

From IMDb:

Tensions rise within an asbestos cleaning crew as they work in an abandoned mental hospital with a horrific past that seems to be coming back.

Sigh, this had potential but unfortunately, they chose to have a 100-minute movie that didn’t really get interesting until the last 15 minutes or so. It was so slow until then…and even then, meh.

However, there were a few beautiful moments. Such as when Caruso said “Hey…fuck you!” and there was a random close up on his face. You can watch it here.

Other than that, I don’t recommend watching it. Just watch that clip, and that’s all there is to care for.

I give it a .2 out of 5.

101/365

“The Living Wake” directed by Sol Tryon, starring Mike O’Connell, Jim Gaffigan, Jesse Eisenberg, and Jill Larson.

From Netflix:

When his doctor informs him he’ll die soon from an unnamed disease, self-proclaimed artist K. Roth Binew (Mike O’Connell) — who’s never completed a work of art — decides to celebrate his life with a party in this absurdist black comedy. As poet and biographer Mills Joquin (Jesse Eisenberg) drives him around in a bicycle-powered rickshaw, Binew delivers invitations for the wake that will occur that evening.

Oh dear god, this was funny. O’Connell’s voice is just so good and ridiculous. I just loved it. Fantastic acting and, well, so ridiculous.

I give it a 4 out of 5.

100/365

“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” directed by Robert Wiene, starring Werner Krauss, Conrad Veidt, and Friedrich Feher. 

From Netflix:

In this silent 1920s masterpiece, an insane asylum inmate explains to his psychiatrist how he came to the institution, telling the shrink the story of the evil hypnotist Caligari (Werner Krauss) and his unwitting pawn, the sleepwalker Cesare (Conrad Veidt). This stark expressionist film from German director Robert Wiene astonishes with the power of its sets and visuals, and the creepy plot easily raises hackles on the back of one’s neck.

Woah, what a fantastic score! My ears thoroughly enjoyed the silent film, though my eyes weren’t very happy about the font for the reading cards. How ugly and themed, they took away from the atmosphere and for that, I curse those who redid the dialogue backgrounds. Still, the movie was fantastic. The sets were just…beautiful, truly beautiful.

I’m not sure if I felt it was creepy…other than Krauss’ face as Caligari. Still, I can appreciate it and how it’s one of the most influential silent films, as such an early horror and art piece. 

I give it a 4 out of 5. 

99/365

“Submarine” directed by Richard Ayoade, starring Craig Roberts, Sally Hawkins, and Paddy Considine.

From IMDb:

In this captivating coming-of-age story with an offbeat edge, 15-year-old Oliver Tate has two big ambitions: to save his parents’ marriage via carefully plotted intervention and to lose his virginity before his next birthday.

Well, I really love Richard Ayoade in “The IT Crowd,” so I figured I’d watch this. And wow, he did not disappoint. The cinematography was just beautiful, and the music was such a great addition. I really, really enjoyed this coming-of-age film. It’s clever, but without trying too hard and being gimmicky. 

I definitely recommend watching this.

I give it a 4.75 out of 5.

98/365

“I Am Legend” directed by Francis Lawrence, starring Will Smith, Alice Braga, and Charlie Tahan.

From IMDb:

Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure.

Wow, what a fantastic film. On cinematography terms, it’s extremely beautiful. Thankfully, the plot was good as well. 

And oh god, the dog. I knew it would happen, but when the dog got infected and died, I bawled. I feel like it should be illegal to kill dogs in movies because then I was almost instantly hate the movie, I don’t care how many humans you kill, but if you kill just one dog…but this movie was too good to hate. I just hate that moment. Honestly, if I thought I was the last non-infected person and my dog had just died, I’d probably let myself die too as Smith’s character was attempting before he was rescued by Anna.

One thing I was a little puzzled by was the fact that Anna didn’t wait until full sunlight to go back to Robert’s place. If she had survived that long, surely she would know the “rules” and not allow the creatures to track them. I suppose you could allow her excuse of Robert bleeding too much to pass but still, I feel like she would have been smarter about it and made Ethan help stop the bleeding until it was okay. Then again, had she been smart about it, the story wouldn’t have progressed and who knows if the cure would have been found.

Regardless, I think it was easily one of the best modern films dealing with zombie-vampire-like monsters. It was refreshing.

I give it a 5 out of 5.

97/365

“Book of Eli” directed by Albert and Allen Hughes, starring Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, and Gary Oldman.

From IMDb:

A post-apocalyptic tale, in which a lone man fights his way across America in order to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind.

I give it a 4.5 out of 5.