Cineblog

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Tokyo! (Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, and Joo-ho Bong, 2008)

Tokyo! (Michel Gondry, Leos Carax, and Joo-ho Bong, 2008)
Rating: 8.0

"Interior Design" directed by Michel Gondry
Rating: 8.2

"Merde" directed by Leos Carax
Rating: 5.5

"Shaking Tokyo directed by Joon-ho Bong
Rating: 9.0

Monday, October 27, 2008

Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008)

La Maschera del demonio (Mario Bava, 1960) aka Black Sunday

Black Sunday (Mario Bava, 1960)
Rating: 8.7

Tenebre (Dario Argento, 1982)

Tenebre (Dario Argento, 1982)
Rating: 5

Monday, October 20, 2008

Carnival of Souls (Herk Harvey, 1962)

Carnival of Souls (Herk Harvey, 1962)

Rating: 7.7
Herk Harvey was a Lawrence, Kansas-based director and producer of industrial and educational films for the Centron Corporation and shot a lot of the film in Lawrence, where I'm from, using mostly local talent. This macabre classic b-film was made for only $33,000 and is an excellent exercise in mood. The sound design and eerie organ soundtrack is a big reason why this film is so successful, as it should be in a horror film, and although the acting is subpar, the film is well shot and directed. As superficial as it may sound, unknown actress Candace Hilligoss's looks also give Carnival of Souls some extra gloss.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Les Yeux sans visage (Georges Franju, 1960) aka Eyes Without a Face

Eyes Without a Face (Georges Franju, 1960)
Rating:9.3

This film arouses a true sense of horror, not driven by suspenseful music, chase sequences, or scare tactics, but rather relies on disturbing imagery and characters that are realistically portrayed instead of being psychotic archetypes; murderers with moral dilemmas...they were almost like a bourgeois version of the family in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre haha. The realism and craft make this an elite film in the horror genre. I enjoyed the score as well...reminded me of Nino Rota, or Luciano Michelini's song used as the theme for Curb Your Enthusiasm.