Kanopy Recs

[dookeyXXX]

https://www.kanopy.com/

A buddy of mine hipped me to this streaming service quite some time ago and I finally got around to signing up for it.

It's a free service, provided your local library participates in it (see the link above for all the details).

You get to watch between 8 and 10 movies a month (depending on your library's membership level) and I am finding that the selection is pretty damn bueno, especially if you dig older films and foreign films and stuff off the beaten cinematic path.

They have quite a number of films that aren't streaming anywhere else, too, which is cool. I have found films here that I have only ever seen offered via Netflix's DVD mailing service or if you want to plunk down $$$ and buy the DVD from Amazon.

Of course, your mileage may vary.

But it's free.


Watched this last night:



Beautifully filmed, moderately existential western/coming of age/survival/revenge film that percolates with a a dreamy quietude. There are several jump thrills that were unexpected and jar you out of the hypnotic lull of the desert scenario. And while the story contains a number of familiar tropes, you never quite know where it is going at any given time.

[dookeyXXX]

DOGTOOTH (2009)
This is one of director/writer Yorgos Lanthimos's (The Lobster, Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Favourite) early Greek language films and it is a trip. Delivered in his trademark deadpan style, the film teeters between an absurdist take on home schooling and a visceral look at a most fucked-up patriarchy.

[splat]

Watched this last night:



Beautifully filmed, moderately existential western/coming of age/survival/revenge film that percolates with a a dreamy quietude. There are several jump thrills that were unexpected and jar you out of the hypnotic lull of the desert scenario. And while the story contains a number of familiar tropes, you never quite know where it is going at any given time.

What's Kanopy, Dooks? I'd like to watch this one.

[bobz]

Kanopy.com. Their model is that public library systems sign up to allow their members to use Kanopy as a sort-of Netflix, and libraries pay content publishers for each video watched. You need to be a member of a public library system, and your public library system needs to be a member of Kanopy. Their offerings are quite a bit thinner than the biggie streaming services, but there are some gems that show up.

My most recent Kanopy watch was Blood On The Face, a dated but still relevant docu about neo-Nazi groups in the US. I also recall commenting about the recently released In My Room, and the older (and superior) The Quiet Earth that seems to have inspired it, I think in the Prime topic before this one existed. And I appreciated being able to watch Rebels With A Cause on Kanopy, a docu about Point Reyes and other Marin County land preservation battles, that I hadn't been able to find anywhere else.

[dookeyXXX]

What's Kanopy, Dooks? I'd like to watch this one.

What Bobz said.
Though I am finding the selection pretty decent. I have about 25 films in my queue, most are foreign or arthouse ones which I have only found on NF DVD.
The only gliitches I have found is that their search function is wonky, though that could be due to my now outdated Roku.
You can only watch 10 films a month, too as they limit your streaming.
Sadly, none of the libraries in Reno or Tahoe seem to participate. I think UNR might participate, but don't know how to get a library card from them if you aren't a student or faculty. Might be worth investigating. I had to reactivate my old library card from high school.

Good, news, though, you can also stream Theeb on TubiTV, which is a pretty decent free streaming site. They have ads, though, but the quality of the films rivals Prime and their subtitles are much better.

[dookeyXXX]

TOUCHEZ PAS AU GRISBI (1954)
This is a moody and suave "gentleman gangster" film heavy on characterization, melodrama, and atmosphere. That said, it ramps up considerably in the third act in terms of action.



RIYL
Shoot The Piano Player; the crime films of Jean Pierre Melville

[dookeyXXX]

THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT (1951)
This Alex Guinness starring film is a comedy on the surface, but bubbles with social commentary about commerce, greed, capitalism, and labor, underneath the comedic trappings. Much of the commentary is still very relevant to this day.
Added bonus: seeing an early, youthful Obi Wan!

RIYL: the Absent Minded Professor; The Hudsucker Proxy

[dookeyXXX]

BODIED (2018)

Joseph Kahn’s third feature film is a jarring, no-holds-barred, glimpse into the world of battle rap. Coming off like a bizarre melding of Scott Pilgrim vs The World and Slam!, the film focuses on a nerdy white kid named Adam Merkin, who “infiltrates” the dark recesses of the underground rap world.
While the film’s plot eeriely mirrors Eminem’s origin story 8 Mile (Slim Shady actually produced Bodied, too), Kahn’s vision is twisted and twerked, aimed at triggering just about every individual on the planet whether they be black, white, vegan, heterosexual, transgender, or what have you; nobody is spared. Kahn and screenwriter Alex Larsen skewer everybody from studio gangstas to priviledged wiggas with indescriminant bravado. To say that the film is meant to make you uncomfortable is an understatement and in this way it makes 8 Mile feel like a Hallmark Channel melodrama in hindsight.
Aside from the obvious button pushing Kahn and company are going for, the film is a technical marvel. Kahn has managed to take the grit, spit, and sweat of battle rap and capture it onscreen in all of its close quarters intensity. He does some cool visual tricks, like having the images waver and vibrate when a rapper named Megaton is spitting verse. Lots of close-ups and swivel edits add to the mix.
Perhaps the film treads subject matter that is a bit worn out, but it does so in a brash and brazen manner that is hard to ignore.
Like another recent film, Annhilation Nation, Bodied is a non-stop, in-your-face assault of triggers, which shock and awe, but also cause pause for introspective analysis (i.e. provide excellent fodder for either serious discussion or heated late night ruminations on politics, social systems, systemic racism, classicm, cultural appropriation, and more).

RIYL
Scott Pilgrim vs The World; 8 Mile; Slam!; Annhilation Nation

[bobz]

I should mention Kanopy's funkier cousin, HooplaDigital.com. Similar deal, if the library system that you're a member of subscribes, they pay Hoopla per movie view (Hoopla also rents music CDs, a fairly extensive offering actually, and audiobooks; personally I've had enough of a problem with the CD rentals on their phone app to not want to bother with these any more). Basically, if you have access to Kanopy, check and see if you also have access to Hoopla.

Some stuff I've watched on Hoopla:

Color Out of Space: Sort of arty gonzo Nic Cage alien invasion cult-horror;

No Man's Land: Bundy & crew occupying Malheur documentary;

Paradise Lost - Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills: Your basic very well done docu about half-assed rural justice;

Avalanche Sharks: Yes, Hoopla has it! Spirits being disturbed cause bloodthirsty sharks to invade the snowpack of Mammoth Mountain and "Mini-Mo" near Convict Lake;

Aspen Extreme: The A River Runs Through It of ski movies;

Miami Connection: Hilariously bad kung fu flick in which college students and fellow band members battle ninjas and other gangs;

Rare Exports: Oddball but fun Finnish Christmas horror movie, with scary Santa Claus;

It's Pat: One of the worst movies ever, not recommended, and I'm mostly sorry I watched it (except for the Ween cameos).

[dookeyXXX]

FREEWAY (1996)
Matthew Bright, a compatriot of Richard and Danny Elfman, wrote and directed this bugged out 90s update on the "Little Red Riding Hood" story.
Twisted humor and a great cast--a super young Reese Witherspoon, Keifer Sutherland, Bokeem Woodbine, Amanda Plummer, Brooke Shields--make for an engaging film that skirts the line between arthouse and exploitation.

[dookeyXXX]

THE DEATH OF DICK LONG (2019)

[dookeyXXX]

BACURAU (2020)
4/5
A strange, but no less beguiling pastiche of myriad genres. It starts out as a quirky slice-of-life dramedy, then swerves into The Most Dangerous Game territory, before culminating with some small-town-under-siege sensibilities.
Obvious debts owed to Johns Sayles and Carpenter.
One of my favorite films of 2020.

[dookeyXXX]

BIRDBOY: THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN
I am still not 100% sure what it all means, but damn if this animated film wasn't visually stimulating.
On the surface it could easily be construed as a coming of age tale, but there is quite a bit of other stuff swirling in the mix, as well.
Really, it's the off-kilter animation, robust, saturated colors, and blasts of weirdness that keep you enthralled.

A tremendously refreshing antidote to Disney/Pixar/DreamWorks and all the other major animation studios.

[dookeyXXX]

SLOW WEST (2015)
At times John Maclean's (former member of the fantastic Scottish band The Beta Band) debut feature (he both wrote and directed) is reminscent of Jim Jarmusch (for some reason it reminded me of both Down By Law and Dead Man), yet it still manages to find its own voice.
On the surface it is a pretty standard, classic western, but it is wrapped in transluscent colors and carries a warm appeal of philosophical/metaphysical innocence.

[dookeyXXX]

If you dig jazz, cool animation, and classic Hollywood romances from the '40s, then CHICO & RITA is worth a watch.
Heck, even if you don't like any of those things, this is still a visually and sonically captivating film.

[bobz]

I just saw this one's on Hoopla, Kanopy's cousin in the library-affiliated streaming service biz:

The anime changing climate teen love story Weathering With You. I liked it. I found it quite Miyazaki-like thematically, with civilization and the natural world confronting each other, and the natural world blending into the supernatural. I'd say the story was a bit more uneven than a Miyazaki work (guns? really?), but still, if you like Miyazaki I'm sure you'll like this.

Great animation, mostly (other than human characters) going more for realism than exciting visuals, but frequently delivering the wow, including lots of gorgeous rain splashing on ground effects, and oh yeah, a nice fireworks fly-through.

[dookeyXXX]

War Witch

A richly beguiling coming-of-age tale about a young girl in the Congo who is captured by rebels. Guns, ghosts, love, suffering, and redemption abound.

RIYL
Theeb, Zombi Child

[dookeyXXX]

Day Of The Dolphin (1973)
Dug into this 1970s conspiracy-cum-scifi-cum-thriller yesterday. Strong performances from George C Scott and a coupla dolphins, plus a deep crew of recognizable character actors combine with a cool story, a few twists, and excellent pacing to make this an engaging piece of filmmaking. Oh yeah, solid script from Buck Henry, too.

[dookeyXXX]

Boy
Debut feature from Taika Waititi is most assuredly the blueprint he used for JoJo Rabbit. The similarities between these two films is nuts.
At any rate, this is a whimsical and absurd coming-of-age tale well worth the watch.

[dookeyXXX]

Boy Meets Girl 1984

Leos Carax's debut film is heavily influenced by the French New Wave by way of Jim Jarmusch.
A dark, quasi non-linear love story with a deep sense of ennui and isolation.
Lots of surreal moments such as an improvised ski carry for a car, pinball interludes, and a party scene that Andy Warhol would envy.

[dookeyXXX]

News From The Planet Mars
I highly recommend this dark and absurdist take on the dysfunctional family dramedy.

And if you can track down some of writer/director Dominik Moll's other films, specifically Lemming and Harry, He's Here To Help, they are also worth a watch.

[dookeyXXX]

La Strada
This Fellini film is deceptively simple, hiding complex subtext about masculinity, abuse, purpose, isolation, tragedy, and insecurity underneath a sheen of a vagabond road trip neo-comedy.
It's a film which unfolds in an innocuous way, only to linger and really sink its proverbial teeth into you long after viewing.

RIYL
The 400 Blows; The Bicycle Thief

[bobz]

I watched Orson Welles' The Trial on Kanopy. Thumbs up for style (and recommended for fans of how Welles can put together a scene), thumbs down for substance; more of a strange nightmare than a coherent dystopia.

[dookeyXXX]

Kills On Wheels
Hungarian hitmen...in wheelchairs.
This dark comedy is irreverently humorous, occasionally violent, and never dull.

[Soups]

Just saw that they have the movie Rad!

So great since it was always impossible to find outside of VHS.