"Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon."

Watchmen
Zach Snyder, 2009

Say what you will, I enjoyed it. All m friends, save for the one who read the graphic novel, hated it. Many people really hated it. I didn't read the novel, but I still really enjoyed it.

Dug it.

"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti."

The Silence of the Lambs
Johnathan Demme, 1991

Another screenwriting film. Had seen Hannibal before, but this is way better. Definitely dug it.

"Chill Out, Dickwad."

Terminator 2: Judgment Day
James Cameron, 1991

Again, watched in the context of a screenwriting class. I've had two screenwriting professors extol T2 as the way an action film should be written.

Since I didn't live in a cave my entire life, I had seen this movie previously. I enjoy it, but the moments of sappy dialogue (I'm not sure if it's the writing or Furlong's delivery) kill me every time.

"We're not gonna make it are we? People I mean."

"I know now why you cry. But it's something I can never do."

Despite a few shortcomings, I can see why this film is so well respected by the public and critics alike.

Liked it.

"I Feel Really Awake"

Thelma and Louise
Ridley Scott, 1991

I read Syd Field's (authority on screenwriting) take on the screenplay and film, which ultimately gave me a deeper appreciation. I don't know whether I would have liked the film more had I not known what would happen, but I think either way the end was overdone. I don't take issue with what happens at the end, but I feel like it conveyed a sense of saccharine sweetness that wasn't consistent with the feel of the film.

With that said, I really enjoyed the majority of the film. I can see how some people think the film is man-hating, or at the least only had stereotypical male characters, but I don't think the arguments are entirely valid.

Dug it.

"I'll have to go to a church to think about it. Wait here."

Italian For Beginners
Lone Scherfig, 2000

First Dogme film I've seen. Though they show the Dogme 95 certificate at the beginning of the film, there's some elements that didn't appear to adhere to all the tenets. Oh well.

It took a little bit of time to get past the stripped down aesthetic of the film (one of the Dogme rules bans the use of artificial lighting). Also, it seemed like some elements were shot in 30fps while others were shot in 24 (think home videos on a handicam vs the looks of films in a theatre). However, I stopped caring about the aesthetics entirely at the onset of the second act of the film.

With that said, I enjoyed the film, but I don't entirely know why. Maybe it's because the dialogue's in Danish (which just sounds neat) and Italian (una lingua bellissima). Who knows? Who cares?

I liked it.

Image Courtesy of someone else.

"What a STUPID conversation."

The Conversaton
Francis Ford Coppola, 1974

I left this one decidedly not liking it. I think I enjoyed a collective ten minutes of the film. Then I logged onto IMDB and read a thread by film dorks with no purpose in the real world arguing back and forth where the bug is in the end. I decided they're all wastes of life and this film was a waste of my time.

So-called classics be damned.

And Walter Murch's "genius" contribution to the film is highly overrated.

"This is the life, innit sweethearts?"

Secrets & Lies
Mike Leigh, 1996
The first act was a bit slow, but I really liked it once it got moving. The characters were well developed, with two borderline unlikeables, two endearing and one whose emotional sterility served as a reflection of her physical shortcomings. Dug it, but with a few reservations.