Tusk (2014)

 I find it rather difficult to even know where to begin in writing a review of 'Tusk', or even what I make of it exactly. It is a puzzle of a movie. It is one of the weirdest tonal experiences I've ever encountered with a film. It's an in-joke of a movie, it's tongue in check but also deadly serious... but not. It's disturbing, and dry, and rye, and gross, and dumb and clever, and I'm flummoxed by it. An amalgamation of things born of a joke on a podcast. Writer director Kevin Smith evokes trashy monster movie's and also Bergman. This is a movie about a guy (Michael Parks) who turns another guy (Justin Long) into a rough surgical approximation of a walrus. Haley Joel Osment is also in this, as is an uncredited Johnny Depp. It's just so weird and awful but it stays with you, it's a like a bad dream. There are long dialogue sequences that are impressive if odd, and some stylized flashback sequences and everything is done on a tight budget but looks probably better then it should. This whole movie is probably better then it should be and I don't know how to process my disbelief and revulsion with a sense of appreciation for it's boldness and creatively, and for Smith pulling of his very ideocentric vision. I don't particularly want to revisit it but I think I'm gonna have to. For the time being at least I'm going to give it **1/2 which is my go to rating for an interesting failure or successful trash, I'm not fully sure which of those this movie is yet, but probably both. 

The Addams Family (2019)

 This animated film version of the 'The Addams Family' (inspired at least visually more from the original magazine cartoons then the 1960's TV series) may seem at first glance a superfluous even random product, but it's enjoyably low key and surprisingly unfrenetic and has a great hook, The Addams's vs the high strung host of a home rehab show voiced by Allison Janney.  Fun visual style, amiable tone, good voice cast including Charlize Theron, Oscar Issac, and Chloe Grace Moretz. **1/2

Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

 'Phantom of the Paradise' is Brian De Palma's visually striking Pastiche of 'The Phantom of the Opera', 'Faust', 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show', 'A Star is Born', classic horror films, movie musicals, Phil Spector, Karen Carpenter, celebrity culture, the record industry and on and on, and it's kind of great. This cult film has a bit of a reputation, I thought it would be interestingly bad but I rather enjoyed it, including the music which I know doesn't work for everyone but I'm a big Paul Williams fan, who both wrote some songs and is in this, top billed even. William Finley and an adorable Jessica Harper round out the main cast. This is a movie I could probably go on about for some time, but if your at all eclectic in your film taste you really should just see it. ***

Hal (2018)

 'Hal' is a documentary on the under apricated late film maker Hal Ashby (1922-1988) who won an Oscar for editing in the 1960's, made a string of influential films in the 70's, and faded to near obscurity in the 80's before succumbing to pancreatic cancer. A non Mormon from Ogden, Utah he had a difficult personal life, his parents divorced when he was a small child, and then his father killed himself when he was 12. He fled his first wife and only child when he was still a teenager and moved to California for a career and to marry four more times. 

He could be a faithful friend and while actors and crews loved to work with him studios didn't, he was very idiocentric. His period of greatest artistic and commercial success was the 1970's, he made seven films, all of them classic's from 'The Landlord' to 'Being There'. I'm not huge on 'Harold and Maude' like most of his fans but I should really revisit it. I love 'Being There', but have yet see 'Shampoo' or 'Coming Home', so I'll have to correct that, I should have some strong movie nights coming in the nearish future. ***

7 Chinese Brothers (2015)

The title of '7 Chinese Brothers' is about what to make of one mans life, and an excuse to play the R.E.M. song of the same name over the closing credit of this Bob Byington film. Pleasant, unassuming, small scale and amusing it is the story of man with no direction (Jason Schwartzman) who takes a job at a Quick Lube because he is infatuated with its manager (Eleanore Pienta, charming) and attempts to win her over. Olympia Dukakis plays our leads endearingly crusty grandmother and Tunde Adebimpe his best friend, if you don't count his French bull dog to whom he constantly talks. Not much really happens, which is something I love about Bob Byington films, it's obviously modest budget is just perfect. I'm a sucker for these. **1/2

What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael (2019)

'What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael' a documentary on the influential and sometimes controversial late film critic (1919 - 2001) is pretty conventional in it's presentation, but comes alive when her words are read aloud. A fine primer it did make me want to read more of what she wrote, and what better purpose a documentary on a writer. **1/2

Bucktown (1975)

Despite her prominent presence on the poster I saw this is not really a Pam Grier movie, but rather a blaxsplotation movie where Pam Grier plays the love interest. The star of 'Bucktown' is Fred Williamson, playing a former professional boxer who travels to the small southern community of Bucktown to attend his brothers funeral and inherit the club he owned. Williamson tries to spruce up the joint with the intention of selling it but persecution by the local and corrupt white constabulary causes him to double down and invite criminal friends from Chicago to help him clean up the community. Things go kind of too well and before long the crooks have taken over local law enforcement and its a case of new boss same as the old boss, with Williamson and his former best bud Thalmus Rasulala set on a collision course. Despite some elements of promise at the start and not going the way I had expected it would this movie is bad. By 74 or 75 the 'extremeness' of these kind of pictures which had been so novel in 72 and 73 had really begun to wear off. *1/2