Kanopy Recs

[dookeyXXX]

SWISS ARMY MAN




Quick thoughts:
1. Quite possibly the most elaborate dick & fart joke ever committed to film (or any other medium, for that matter). If Guinness had an entry for such a feat, this film would be the most serious of contenders.

2. If that doesn't work for you, then this is the most searingly absurd endictment of California's mental health care system I've ever seen.

3. Or, if you will, imagine Where the Wild Things Are crossed with a Monty Python skit gone horribly awry.

4. Or perhaps Robinson Crusoe as re-imagined by John Blutarsky.

5. And if none of that makes any sense, then you can always go with the comment I overheard the portly Southern gentleman, who attended the same screening I did, say on the way out of the theater: "That was a helluva movie. It was like Las Vegas on acid."

Whatever the case may be, I laughed my ass off more than once during the duration. Harry Potter deserves some sort of film award nomination for his role, that's for sure.

[bobz]

[B]SWISS ARMY MAN

Quick thoughts:
1. Quite possibly the most elaborate dick & fart joke ever committed to film (or any other medium, for that matter). If Guinness had an entry for such a feat, this film would be the most serious of contenders.

2. If that doesn't work for you, then this is the most searingly absurd endictment of California's mental health care system I've ever seen.

3. Or, if you will, imagine Where the Wild Things Are crossed with a Monty Python skit gone horribly awry.

4. Or perhaps Robinson Crusoe as re-imagined by John Blutarsky.

5. And if none of that makes any sense, then you can always go with the comment I overheard the portly Southern gentleman, who attended the same screening I did, say on the way out of the theater: "That was a helluva movie. It was like Las Vegas on acid."

Whatever the case may be, I laughed my ass off more than once during the duration. Harry Potter deserves some sort of film award nomination for his role, that's for sure.

Yes! Definitely not for everybody, but I loved it. If one insists on imposing reality on that movie, my take (SPOILERS I guess) is that the Paul Dano character was a messed up dude who liked to wander off into the woods from his home in the upscale hilly parts of Redwood City, and make stick figures and spin wild fantasies.

And furthermore, that (among his other problems) he'd watched too many Harry Potter movies. Yes, I think, in subtext that's just subtle enough to avoid needing permission or IP license, Swiss Army Man has Daniel Radcliffe playing some weirdo's warped desert island fantasy version of the prep school attired, magical Harry Potter.

Also perfect: That the film's final line of dialog is "What the fuck?!" And BTW, check out the movie's website.

[dookeyXXX]

I am eagerly anticipating The Daniels' new film Everything Everywhere All At Once...

[dookeyXXX]

LES GARCONS SAUVAGE (THE WILD BOYS)
This film definitely isn't for everybody.
Imagine a homoerotic and avant-core porn riff on The Island of Doctor Moreau and Lord of the Flies, teeming with overt phallic and yonic imagery and infused with surreal tweaks on the creation mythos, Pinocchio's Land of Toys/Pleasure Island, and Peter Pan's Lost Boys.
Oh, and a bejeweled god named TREVOR.

RIYL
Blancanieves; Fando and Lis; Jessica Forever

[dookeyXXX]

NEVER GONNA SNOW AGAIN
Delivering a beguiling slant on the "mysterious stranger" trope, this film follows the nimble fingered exploits of a Ukrainian masseuse as he tends to the needs of desperate and lonely suburban Polish housewives.
Brimming with cool, neon tinged imagery, it floats along in a strange, hypnotic manner and culminates in an enigmatic ending.

RIYL
Borgman; Kontrol; Jupiter's Moon

[dookeyXXX]

UNDER THE SILVER LAKE
Written and directed by David Robert Mitchell (best known for It Follows), this neon noir could easily be considered a blatant nod to Sir Alfred, and while it undoubtedly is, it is also heavily filtered through the skewed eye of Brian De Palma and the demented cerebral cortex of David Lynch.
Mixing twisted conspiracy theories with wacked-out urban legends and hobo linguistics, UTSL is a hypnotic, hallucinatory, and generally absurd romp through Los Angeles' angst ridden millennial underbelly. Fueled by cigarettes, ganja, day old pizza, booze, and an innocent, yet creepy lust for the ladies, our somewhat clueless, yet no less intrepid protagonist finds himself spiraling down a fucked-up rabbit hole, learning that pop music is fixed, rich people can do whatever the fuck they want, and paying rent on time is overrated.
Every time you think you know where the movie is going, it flips a bitch and heads in the opposite direction. Likewise, every time you start to feel that shit is getting lame, BAAAAAM!, shit gets real weird.
This film makes me want to move to L.A.
I also wish I'd seen it on the BIG screen in theaters.
Oh well.

RIYL
Blue Velvet; Body Double; Mulholland Drive; Blow Out; North By Northwest; Rear Window; Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere (the BBC teleplay)

[dookeyXXX]

MUSEO
This 2018 gem is a wonderfully understated mash-up of both heist and road trip genres, with a wee bit of philosophy, history, and socio-political commentary sprinkled throughout for good measure. Oh and the rediscovery of a forgotten Mexican porn star.
The ending is killer, too.

RIYL
American Animals

[dookeyXXX]

DEAD PIGS
Cathy Yan's (Birds of Prey: And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) debut feature is a quirky ensemble piece taking place in Beijing. It harkens back to the quirky indie films coming out of America circa the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The story, following the intersecting lives of 5 central characters, touches upon class, family, greed, and the concept of both success and reinvention.

RIYL
Box of Moonlight; Girl Walks Into A Bar

[dookeyXXX]

REALITY
If you are unfamiliar with the films of Quentin Dupieux, suffice it to say that they are quirky. For example, his most well-known feature, Rubber, was about a sociopathic tire; his latest, Mandibles, is about a jumbo Tabanus Bovinus.
So, yeah, not your typical Hollywood fare. But his work is funny and thought provoking and often a bit mind-bending.
Reality is often an absurd, at times surreal skewering of the Hollywood film industry, from aspiring directors to megalomaniacal producers, and difficult directors. Or is it?
The excessive use of Philip Glass's "Music With Changing Parts" lends the film an eerie, quasi Giallo vibe, which serves as a wonderful counterpoint to the off-kilter humor.
This is a joyously head-spinning satire which also manages to poke fun at the director's own work.

RIYL
Holy Motors; Everything Everywhere All At Once; Timecrimes

[dookeyXXX]

OF HORSES AND MEN (2013)
Taking place in a small, rural Icelandic community, this film examines the relationship between the citizens and the wild horses surrounding them. Poignant, quirky, often funny, yet also darkly introspective and harsh; kind of just like the Icelandic landscape.





MID-AUGUST LUNCH (2008)
A low-key Italian slice-of-life story centered around a middle-aged man who gets saddled with three elderly ladies over a long holiday weekend. Plenty of food, wine, cigarettes, and personality clashes make for a warm-hearted film.