#167. Still of the Night (1982)

 

 

As you already know, if there's one genre that's almost guaranteed to enthrall me, it's neo-noir mysteries from the '70s and '80s - particularly the ones that were influenced by Hitchcock and giallo (which probably explains why I'm such a big De Palma fan). So while Still of the Night is a fairly safe and otherwise unremarkable little movie, the fact that it manages to hit all of those qualifiers means I predictably really enjoyed it.

 

Something that does marginally set this one apart, though, is the conspicuous lack of stylizations and operatics. That sounds like it should be a negative (and maybe it is; the presentation can be a little dry at times), but it allows for a simple story, some dreamy pacing, a lot of cool, crisp autumnal textures, and a quiet mood - one that makes the transition from drama to thriller to horror feel surprisingly seamless. 

 

And even if the runtime is a bit on the meager side, I think some of those later set pieces, as well as the long, single-take Meryl Streep monologue (while we're here: she's probably overqualified for this character, which causes her to feel mildly miscast, but it's nevertheless kinda cool to see her in a femme fatale role) make for a satiating experience overall.

 

Grade: A-

 

#166. Destry Rides Again (1939)

 

 

Well, now I know where Blazing Saddles got most of its inspiration from.

 

This movie's a total delight. It's quick, it's fun, and it's actually pretty ahead of its time, I would say. Like, keep in mind: Stagecoach, the John Ford classic that arguably laid the groundwork for many westerns to come, was released in 1939. And here's Destry Rides Again, made the exact same year, joyously upending conventions that weren't even fully-formed yet.

 

Granted, we're not in outright spoof territory, but the movie does use comedy to keep things fresh and subversive. The male lead is a perceived coward who relies on intellect and humility instead of guns (he's honestly got a bit of a Columbo vibe), and the female lead is a short-tempered go-getter who engages in bar brawls and mob heroics. These changes add a lot of charm and flavour, while also establishing social politics that arguably hold up better than most dramatic westerns. 

 

But I think what I like most is that the central conflict is actually played relatively straight, meaning we still get to experience the classic genre tropes (heroes, villains, palpable tension, violent showdowns) in a way that feels both believable and satisfying. There's just a great balance of genres here, which I guess is to be expected when the actors are this charismatic and the energy is this consistently high.

 

Grade: A

 

#165. Disturbia (2007)

 

 

Bum bum be-dum bum bum be-dum bum.

 

No movie with this premise is ever going to live up to the ridiculously high bar set by Rear Window, but I think Disturbia is honestly a pretty effective little teen thriller. The concept of spying on other people from the confines of your own home is an inherently cozy and suspenseful (albeit unoriginal) one, and the hyperactive, distinctly 2000s presentation provides a lot of warmth and energy.

 

Now, does every element work? Not exactly. The opening few minutes are far heavier than this kind of movie is equipped to handle (which is especially noticeable in the two or three moments where we return to this tone, because it always feels jarring and out of place), and the relationship subplot, while occasionally cute, isn't overly convincing. However, once we enter full-blown serial killer territory, the sailing immediately becomes much smoother. 

 

Part of me wishes that the later story beats were a little less predictable, but then I have to remind myself of the target audience here. And, as redundant crowd-pleasers aimed at adolescents go, I think this one's fun, occasionally tense, and actually fairly well-acted. I'd forgotten how good Shia LaBeouf could be in his younger years.

 

Grade: B+

 

P.S. The true breakout star of the movie, however, has to be David Morse's earring.

 

#164. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

 

 

Regardless of your familiarity with Oscar Wilde, you can tell this movie's based on a book. The dialogue's intelligent, and the themes are potent, but the presentation is a little too stuffy for its own good. Everything's on the dry and talky side, with storytelling that simultaneously feels rushed and padded (as though some chapters are given far too much focus, while others have been ripped out entirely), and a whole lotta narration that, particularly in the middle hour, completely derails the momentum. 

 

Still, there's an old school gothic horror feel to the movie that mostly works. The cinematography, compositions, and sets are uniformly stunning, the actors (especially George Sanders) give these words some life, and the scenes featuring the actual portrait are truly unsettling. I adore the sparing-yet-striking use of colour for those insert shots, and the harsh musical stings that accompany them really add to the terror, in a proto-jump-scare kinda way. Plus, the ending is a solid payoff.

 

It's just a shame that this aspect takes such a backseat. If we spent as much time on the genre stuff as we do, say, Gray's inner turmoil, or the interchangeable romances, the movie likely would've had a much stronger hold on me.

 

Grade: B

 

#163. Labyrinth (1986)

 

 

Prior Viewings: 1, though I'm no longer certain I actually saw the whole thing, because all the stuff I remembered happens in the first half.

 

My fifth grade teacher actually showed this one to us, and, in hindsight, I'm glad she did. Ten is basically the perfect age to handle a darker fairy tale while still being kinda scared by it (okay, a few elements were downright terrifying to me - particularly Bowie himself), and that sense of danger really makes the whole experience feel stirringly vivid and real. 

 

Watching the movie again over twenty years later (I didn't enjoy doing that math), it still feels vivid and real, but that's mostly because I'm now far more appreciative of the '80s creativity on display. The practical puppets are adorably tactile and full of life, and the labyrinth itself is just a fantastic series of sets and set pieces. There's a new design and creature around every corner, and they all really come together to bring this nightmarish world to life.

 

Sure, the story becomes a little repetitive here and there, and it starts to lose some steam after the Fire Gang scene (though the Relativity-inspired climax gets us back on track), but this setting is ultimately so imaginative and weird that I can live with a meandering narrative. 

 

Grade: B+

 

#162. The Grifters (1990)

 

 

This wasn't at all what I was expecting. When I heard the title and saw the cast and watched the opening scene, which introduces us to these three characters via tracking shots and split screens, I anticipated a heist movie with energy and pizzazz. Or at least something that gets into the craft and showmanship of grifting (can you tell I'm a fan of Ocean's Eleven?). But what I got instead was a downbeat neo-noir, one that lands somewhere between pulp pastiche and bleak character study.

 

That's not a bad thing, for the record. I generally like being surprised. And even if the vibes of this one are still undeniably strange (the tone, dialogue, and score feel slightly "off", and that's before we get to the incest), causing me to spend a decent chunk of the runtime wondering what the hell I was watching, there's nevertheless a dark nastiness to the mood and plot that I found somewhat intoxicating after a while - to the point where Stephen Frears's Oscar nomination started making sense to me (and the same goes for Huston and Bening, who both nail their tricky characters).

 

Certain movies tend to work better in the rear view than in real time. It's probably too early to make that judgment call with this one, but I can tell you that my thoughts on it are much more positive now than they were during the actual viewing.

 

Grade: B+

#161. Osmosis Jones (2001)

 

 

Doesn't surprise me to learn that this one bombed. I mean, I was a dumb eight-year-old in 2001, and even I wasn't especially interested in seeing it. And yet, there must've been something about the title and character design that made an impression on me, because here I was, a quarter century later, still kind of curious about what I was missing.

 

And... I actually quite enjoyed it. My younger self would've been pleasantly surprised. There's a Y2K feel to the animation, the upbeat R&B soundtrack (god, I miss this kind of music in movies), and the general sense of humour that hit my nostalgia bone, and I was really into the premise and worldbuilding. Just the concept of making characters out of human cells and organisms is genuinely clever (it's very Inside Out meets Magic School Bus), to such a degree that I'd have to imagine that the jokes and conflicts basically wrote themselves.

 

There's also some live-action stuff going on here, and while it's definitely on the lazy and lethargic side (especially given the over-reliance on gross-out humour, and the fact that Bill Murray's turning in another one of his "I'm way too good for this" performances), I still found it funny and energetic in a way that gels with the animation. But you might want to take that opinion with a few grains of salt - I'm a sucker for any movie that combines these two mediums.

Grade: B+