Recluse Cinema: March 2020
Films Recluse Watched for the First Time: March Edition
Natural Born Killers(Stone, 1994) // Fun! Somehow never saw this cult classic, glad I did. Love Woody Harrelson. Reminds me of a campy 90’s Badlands (1973).
✨✨Downfall(Hirschbiegal, 2004) // Who doesn’t want to watch Hitler’s downfall and death? Great if you love WWII history.
✨Queen & Slim(Matsoukas, 2019) // A movie hasn’t made me cry in a long time. I definitely recommend this beautiful film. Many critics claim this is the modern day Bonnie & Clyde, but I disagree. This movie is not about two bank robbing criminals and diminishes the unique script Lena Waithe crafted about two victims of an unjust system. It kind of erases the entire commentary of the film. I do see the similarities in how the media blows both couples out of context in real life and in Queen & Slim.
✨✨Five Easy Pieces(Rafelson, 1970) // I absolutely loved this movie. Five Easy Pieces definitely impacted me the most this month. Any movie starring Karen Black is bound to be good, but Karen Black singing Tammy Wynette—even better. This movie also stars Jack Nicholson in his most profound cinematic decade. Five Easy Pieces really lingered on my mind throughout this month. Robert Dupea (Nicholson) is aimless and distraught by life. He struggles in limbo between the rejection of his white-collar upbringing and a superiority complex towards his blue-collar drifter lifestyle. This movie offers emotions on a silver platter; it’s easy to taste the hopelessness, longing and rejection. There is a melancholy feeling for a childhood autumn, the feeling of bittersweet and utter disrespect. When life has moved on and things are left fragmented in five uneasy pieces of confusion. You feel so much shame and remorse for Rayette (Black), a woman who hopelessly loves an emotionally abusive Robert who doesn’t take her seriously. Someone who unknowingly is choosing a reckless partner (Nicholson) who can’t even love himself enough destroy everything he comes in contact with. The sadness of longing for love from a person who will never feel the same (Karen Black) and hopelessness of a directionless existence in internal chaos.
✨The Swimmer(Perry, 1968) // Stick with this one! It is probably one of the most unique films I have ever seen. It is really exciting to see more early experimental work. This film was really disturbing. As someone who grew up around men like Ned. The Swimmer gives us glimpse into the fall of traditional white suburban macho masculinity paired with insanity… Twisted, often creepy and pathetic. I see major inspiration from this movie in the character development of Don Draper (Mad Men). Does Don become Ned in 1970? The saying ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ heavily applies here…
👎🏻Outbreak(Petersen, 1995) // A hard pass from me on this one. Wrongly thought Dustin could relieve my anxiety for COVID-19. Boring, typical blockbuster—cheesy in a bad way.
✨✨Raging Bull(Scorsese, 1980) // Fantastic film! In my opinion one of Scorsese’s best. This has been on my watchlist for at least seven years and I’m glad I finally watched it. Took me down a rabbit hole of the real Raging Bull—Jake LaMotto and Sugar Ray Robinson. Definitely looking at boxing for inspiration and its definition to Americana for my next collection.
28 Days Later(Boyle, 2003) // 28 Days Later was a good movie for COVID-19. I personally was not a major fan of the editing style or filters.
✨Dorian Grey(Dallamono, 1970) // Great adaptation to the book. Dorian Grey is in my top ten favorite books. I thought this was a great depiction and loved how it was set in the 1960s/1970s. The costume design is incredible.
Dark Waters(2019) I love West Virginia. Solid informative movie, glad this story was adapted.
✨Liquid Sky(Tsukerman,1982) // A genuine, fascinating and indescribable cult sci-fi comedy. An inspiring androgynous black comedy with heavy commentary on the ideas of gender, identity and violence. Worth a watch even if you absolutely hate it. Liquid Sky is beyond memorable and a unique experience. I loved the soundtrack, costumes & focus on the in between of post-punk —to— new wave in New York City. Imagine having a vagina that kills rapist men.