The Love Witch (2016)

IMDb plot summary: A modern-day witch uses spells and magic to get men to fall in love with her.
Directed by Anna Biller. Starring Samantha Robinson, Gian Keys, Laura Waddell, and Jeffrey Vincent Parise.

I watch The Love Witch mostly because one of my favorite YouTubers did a video essay on it, and it's been sitting in my "Watch Later" list for quite awhile. This is a pretty unusual movie. The director is a fascinating woman (as that video essay talked about) and is definitely doing some interesting and creative stuff here. It's a tough film for me to process, though -- I'm still not sure exactly whether I liked it or not. I'm trying to figure out how much my experience is brought down by the (deliberately, I'm sure) stilted dialogue and performances, or whether I'm intrigued enough by the film's broader scope to look past that. I have a feeling this one is more interesting in the conversation afterward than while watching it. Just watching that video essay and hearing someone talk through their response to it and the director's take on it boosted my interest in it. So more people should watch it so I can hear what they have to say and figured out what I think about it. :-)

2.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
The Love Witch < Anonymous
The Love Witch > Blue Valentine
The Love Witch > The Librarian: Quest for the Spear
The Love Witch < Where the Wild Things Are
The Love Witch < Kagemusha
The Love Witch > Frosty the Snowman
The Love Witch < The Game
The Love Witch > Disturbia
The Love Witch < Chinatown
The Love Witch < Adventures in Babysitting (1987)
The Love Witch > Larry-Boy! & the Fib from Outer Space!

Final spot: #1640 out of 2713.

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

IMDb plot summary: Two American college students on a walking tour of Britain are attacked by a werewolf that none of the locals will admit exists.
Directed by John Landis. Starring David Naughton, Griffin Dunne, Jenny Agutter, and John Woodvine.

The tone of this movie is so odd. On one level it's a truly horrific story -- that transformation scene is disturbing to watch -- and on another, the characters treat the whole thing with such casual flippancy and there are such weird moments of humor that the horror almost feels out of place. Almost, but not quite. I think it does work all together, it just wasn't what I expected.

4 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
An American Werewolf in London > Anonymous
An American Werewolf in London > Manchester by the Sea
An American Werewolf in London < The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
An American Werewolf in London < Nativity!
An American Werewolf in London > Doctor Strange
An American Werewolf in London < Center Stage
An American Werewolf in London < The Body Snatcher
An American Werewolf in London < The Fantasticks
An American Werewolf in London > Bride & Prejudice
An American Werewolf in London < 22 Jump Street

Final spot: #587 out of 2712

Suspiria (1977)

IMDb plot summary: A newcomer to a prestigious ballet academy comes to realize that the school is a front for something sinister amidst a series of grisly murders.
Directed by Dario Argento. Starring Jessica Harper, Stefania Casini, Flavio Bucci, and Miguel Bosé.

I get why people love this. It's very stylistically unique. I, however, couldn't get past the simplistic writing and the abrasive soundtrack. I admire it but I don't like it.

2 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Suspiria < Anonymous
Suspiria > High Society
Suspiria > Casino Royale
Suspiria < Where the Wild Things Are
Suspiria < Kagemusha
Suspiria < Frosty the Snowman
Suspiria > X-Men: The Last Stand
Suspiria > Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons
Suspiria > The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Suspiria < Near Dark

Final spot: #1657 out of 2711.

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)

IMDb plot summary: Four teenagers are sucked into a magical video game, and the only way they can escape is to work together to finish the game.
Directed by Jake Kasdan. Starring Dwayen Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan.

Exactly what I expected and hoped it would be. Nothing super significant or meaningful, but an enjoyable evening. And I was actually quite impressed with some of the acting. The Rock and Jack Black in particular did an excellent job embodying their characters.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle > Glory
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle < Reservoir Dogs
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle > The Crying Game
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle < Gentleman's Agreement
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle > We Need to Talk About Kevin
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle < Death to Smoochy
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle > 21
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle > Hail, Caesar!
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle > EDtv
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle < The Help
Final spot: #893 out of 2710.

Under the Skin (2013)

IMDb plot summary: A mysterious young woman seduces lonely men in the evening hours in Scotland. However, events lead her to begin a process of self-discovery.
Directed by Jonathan Glazer. Starring Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, Lynsey Taylor Mackay, and Dougie McConnell.

(Some spoilers ahead.)

Some movies take on a whole new light when seen in comparison to the stories they come from. This is one of them. I read the novel only a month or two back, and it was one of the most fascinating reads of the year. This is... also a fascinating movie, but it makes some essential changes that make it something wholly different, and I'm not sure whether those changes improve it. It's beautifully filmed, but while the original story got to the "twist" much earlier and did a better job of fleshing the character out as, you know, a personality, the film is content to leave most of the answers until the end and oversexualize our main character (her "conquests" are 100% built around sex in the film, as opposed to the very mechanical methods of the novel). This creates a tight, creepy atmosphere, but also leaves me with a somewhat icky feeling, as if the filmmakers are eagerly connecting the predatory nature of our main character *directly* to the fact of her sexuality, while the two are almost entirely divorced in the original. I don't know that I'd be bothered by any of this if I hadn't read the book first, but it's not a case of "This isn't like I pictured!" so much as "Wait, why did they do this? Because some potential reasons make me uncomfortable." Why make those choices? Why turn it entirely into a movie about dangerous sex? Why eliminate the entire second half of the novel and end the story at the halfway point before there's been any actual transformation of the character? What were they trying to say? I am still sifting through all this mentally, and I don't know when I'm likely to arrive at an answer.

Currently 4 stars, but could drop if I decide these were bad choices.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Under the Skin > Ran
Under the Skin > Bubba Ho-tep
Under the Skin < The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Under the Skin < The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall
Under the Skin < Doctor Strange
Under the Skin > Upside Down
Under the Skin < What the Deaf Man Heard
Under the Skin > Breaking Away
Under the Skin > Do the Right Thing
Under the Skin > The Hustler
Under the Skin < Face/Off

Final spot: #616 out of 2709.

The Exterminating Angel (1962)

IMDb plot summary: The guests at an upper-class dinner party find themselves unable to leave.
Directed by Luis Buñuel. Starring Silvia Pinal, Enique Rambal, Claudio Brook, and José Baviera.

Of Luis Bunuel's surreal movies about dinner party problems, I much prefer this one. This one's fascinating and horrifying.

3.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
The Exterminating Angel > Ran
The Exterminating Angel < Reservoir Dogs
The Exterminating Angel > The Man Who Wasn't There
The Exterminating Angel > A Few Good Men
The Exterminating Angel > New York Stories
The Exterminating Angel < Tekkonkinkreet
The Exterminating Angel > Mean Girls
The Exterminating Angel < The Artist
The Exterminating Angel > The Imposter
The Exterminating Angel < Children of Men

Final spot: #734 out of 2708.

Waxwork (1988)

IMDb plot summary: A wax museum owner uses his horror exhibits to unleash evil on the world.
Directed by Anthony Hickox. Starring Zach Galligan, David Warner, Deborah Foreman, and Michelle Johnson.

This movie is completely ridiculous in a way that works about 70% of the time. It establishes the campy tone *very* early and stays very consistent to it. That tone just ebbs and flows in how interested I am in it, and the final battle goes on a tad bit too long, but overall it was a lot of fun. While I enjoyed this, I'm having a tough time thinking of what else I can say about it, so I'll just rank it and let the ranking speak for itself.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Waxwork > Blue's Big Musical Movie
Waxwork < Reservoir Dogs
Waxwork < The Man Who Wasn't There
Waxwork > The Blind Side
Waxwork > Men in Black
Waxwork > Logan's Run
Waxwork < Saving Private Ryan
Waxwork > Smiles of a Summer Night
Waxwork < Star Trek: Generations
Waxwork < Batman Returns
Waxwork > Don Jon

Final spot: #1044 out of 2707.

Lockdown (2000)

IMDb plot summary: Avery returns to college as a competitive swimmer after getting his life back on track. But his life takes another unexpected turn when he and his two friends are wrongly accused of murder and end up in prison.
Directed by John Luessenhop. Starring Richard T. Jones, Gabriel Casseus, De'aundre Bonds, and Master P.

Earlier in my movie challenge I watched another prison movie -- The Last Castle, which ended up being a surprisingly fun adventure of camaraderie, but this one just feels sort of hollow. Our main protagonist is so passive, but not for any deep-seated principles or interesting narrative reasons, and so it's really hard to care about him at all. We spend more time with other random people who, judging by how the plot plays out, really are meant to be side characters but are the only ones who get personality and agency. I suppose individual scenes in here are fine, but it just doesn't all hang together for me.

2 stars.

This title is not yet on Flickchart. I've added it to the database and will try to remember to update this page once it's been added and I can rank it.

Trouble in Paradise (1932)

IMDb plot summary: A gentleman thief and a lady pickpocket join forces to con a beautiful perfume company owner. Romantic entanglements and jealousies confuse the scheme.
Directed by Ernst Lubitsch. Starring Miriam Hopkins, Kay Francis, Herbert Marshall, and Charles Ruggles.

This has a good concept and good individual moments but it somehow lacks the connective tissue to tie it all together for me to really love it. Still charming enough that I bet it'll do OK.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Trouble in Paradise > Lovelace
Trouble in Paradise < Christmas in Connecticut
Trouble in Paradise < Intolerable Cruelty
Trouble in Paradise > A Night to Remember
Trouble in Paradise > Nothing in Common
Trouble in Paradise > Saving Private Ryan
Trouble in Paradise > Enemy of the State
Trouble in Paradise < The Woodsman
Trouble in Paradise < At First Sight
Trouble in Paradise < The Thin Man
Trouble in Paradise > The Player

Final spot: #1023 out of 2706.

I Saw the Devil (2010)

IMDb: A secret agent exacts revenge on a serial killer through a series of captures and releases.
Directed by Jee-woon Kim. Starring Byung-hun Lee, Min-sik Choi, Joon-hyeok Lee, and In-seo Kim.

This is a tough watch.

3.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
I Saw the Devil > Primal Fear
I Saw the Devil < Christmas in Connecticut
I Saw the Devil > Easy Virtue
I Saw the Devil < Barton Fink
I Saw the Devil > Fury
I Saw the Devil < Ninotchka
I Saw the Devil > Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
I Saw the Devil < The Terminal
I Saw the Devil > The Tree of Life
I Saw the Devil > Frances Ha

Final spot: #900 out of 2705.

The Iceman (2012)

IMDb plot summary: The story of Richard Kuklinski, the notorious contract killer and family man. When finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife nor daughters had any clue about his real profession.
Directed by Ariel Vromen. Starring Michael Shannon, Winona Ryder, Chris Evans, and Ray Liotta.

Michael Shannon is good as always, but like so many biopics, it feels more like a chronicling of individual unconnected events than an actual story arc.

2 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
The Iceman < Single White Female
The Iceman > House of Games
The Iceman > My Six Loves
The Iceman < The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, & the Wadrobe (1988)
The Iceman < Plan 9 from Outer Space
The Iceman > Destry Rides Again
The Iceman > The Baby-Sitters Club
The Iceman < Where Eagles Dare
The Iceman < The Game
The Iceman < Martha Marcy May Marlene
The Iceman < Miss Rose White
The Iceman > Chinatown

Final spot: #1625 out of 2704.

Blood Simple. (1984)

IMDb plot summary: A rich but jealous man hires a private investigator to kill his cheating wife and her new man. But, when blood is involved, nothing is simple.
Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Starring John Getz, Frances McDormand, Dan Hedaya, and M. Emmet Walsh.

Folks, I have just found the only Coen movie I have ever loved. It's like... crime horror, which isn't really a genre, but it's absolutely what this is. On its surface it's post-noir, which I typically hate, but this movie has almost a palpable atmosphere of tension, helped largely by the use (or non-use) of the incredible score. But there are also so many brilliantly composed shots of characters just watching and listening, and they draw us in to watch and listen with them. This is kind of an amazing movie. Too bad it was all downhill from here. ;-)

4.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Blood Simple > Jack Strong
Blood Simple > Christmas in Connecticut
Blood Simple > I've Loved You So Long
Blood Simple < A Night at the Opera
Blood Simple > Pirate Radio
Blood Simple < The Day the Earth Stood Still
Blood Simple < Shattered Glass
Blood Simple < Jurassic Park
Blood Simple < Lion
Blood Simple < Blue Jasmine
Blood Simple > Horrible Bosses

Final spot: #251 out of 2703.

Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back (1998)

IMDb plot summary: Scientists genetically create a new Pokémon, Mewtwo, but the results are horrific and disastrous.
Directed by Kunihiko Yuyama and Michael Haigney. Starring Veronica Taylor, Jay Goede, Rachael Lillis, and Eric Stuart.

So this is most certainly a movie made for little kids who are already a fan of the games and TV show. A good chunk of this is just Pokemon running around using special attacks on each other and yelling their own names, and they definitely don't expect *anybody* to be watching this who isn't already familiar with it. We get zero exposition. I still have no idea who these random humans running around being maybe evil with their talking cat Pokemon even were. It's got a super simple and cheesy story arc (but somehow still a confusing one -- why do all the good guys get so sad that Pokemon are fighting each other when that's literally the entire point of the Pokemon franchise?).

That being said, there were a couple redeemable moments. Mewtwo's back story is a fun campy comic book supervillain level of cheese, and the scene where Pikachu attempts to bring Ash back to life is surprisingly moving (well, for a moment... then all the Pokemon started crying and I started laughing). Those few moments, though, are not enough to elevate this movie very far. I'm just totally the wrong audience for it.

1 star.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Pokemon: The First Movie < Single White Female
Pokemon: The First Movie < House of Games
Pokemon: The First Movie < 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (This movie is too low and needs to be reranked)
Pokemon: The First Movie > Around the World in 80 Days
Pokemon: The First Movie > Oklahoma! (1999)
Pokemon: The First Movie > The Good German
Pokemon: The First Movie < Napoleon
Pokemon: The First Movie > The Rules of the Game
Pokemon: The First Movie > Turner and Hooch
Pokemon: The First Movie < Reefer Madness (1936)

Final spot: #2391 out of 2702.

Kung Fury (2015)

IMDb plot summary: In 1985, Kung Fury, the toughest martial artist cop in Miami, goes back in time to kill the worst criminal of all time - kung fuhrer Hitler.
Directed by David Sandberg. Starring David Sandberg, Jorma Taccone, Steven Chew, and Leopold Nilsson.

This is moderately entertaining but since it's only 30 minutes long it feels less like a movie and more like a too-long YouTube parody video. It's going to lose in my rankings to actual movies with full stories. The hacker is the best part.

2.5 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Kung Fury < Single White Female
Kung Fury > House of Games
Kung Fury > ParaNorman
Kung Fury > Hysteria
Kung Fury < Frequency
Kung Fury > Max Dugan Returns
Kung Fury > Harry and the Hendersons
Kung Fury > Everyone Says I Love You
Kung Fury > Interstate 60
Kung Fury < Blow Out

Final spot: #1440 out of 2701.

Cartel Land (2015)

IMDb plot summary: Filmmaker Matthew Heineman examines the state of the ongoing drug problem along the U.S.-Mexican border.
Directed by Matthew Heineman.

2 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Cartel Land < Single White Female
Cartel Land < High Society
Cartel Land < 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Cartel Land > Jules and Jim
Cartel Land > Made of Honor
Cartel Land > Evan Almighty
Cartel Land < Napoleon (1927)
Cartel Land > Dragon Lee vs. Five Brothers
Cartel Land > Cinderella III: A Twist in Time
Cartel Land > Gomorrah
Cartel Land > Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle

Final spot: #2385 out of 2700.

The Shape of Water (2017)

IMDb plot summary: At a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.
Directed by Guillermo del Toro. Starring Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, and Octavia Spencer.

This was quite lovely. Its extremely simple storytelling brought out the fairy tale aspects of it.

4 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
The Shape of Water > Jack Strong
The Shape of Water > Star Wars: The Last Jedi
The Shape of Water < I've Loved You So Long
The Shape of Water > Kiss Me, Stupid!
The Shape of Water < Double Indemnity
The Shape of Water < What We Do in the Shadows
The Shape of Water > Apollo 13
The Shape of Water > The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
The Shape of Water > The Red Violin
The Shape of Water < How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

Final spot: #468 out of 2699.

Ripley's Game (2002)

IMDb plot summary: A dying family man in need of money is being persuaded to assassinate a European crime boss.
Directed by Liliana Cavani. Starring John Malkovich, Dougray Scott, Ray Winstone, and Lena Headey.

John Malkovich is such a compelling choice for the character of Ripley, making him much more interesting than the script does alone. I also want to mention the score, which is stellar (of course, it's Morricone!).

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Ripley's Game > House of Flying Daggers
Ripley's Game < Chariots of Fire
Ripley's Game < The Woodsman
Ripley's Game > October Sky
Ripley's Game > The Pianist
Ripley's Game > Cloak & Dagger
Ripley's Game < Star Trek: Generations
Ripley's Game < Witness
Ripley's Game > Griff the Invisible
Ripley's Game < The Stepford Wives (1975)
Final spot: #1047 out of 2698.

Graveyard of Honor (1975)

IMDb plot summary: A self-destructive man becomes a powerful member of the Japanese mafia but quickly loses his self control. Based on the true story of Rikio Ishikawa.
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku. Starring Tetsuya Watari, Tatsuo Umemiya, Yumi Takigawa, and Eiji Gô.

This film reminded me a bit of Bronson, which I watched last year, in that it's a meandering portrait of a thoroughly unpleasant character that is made more interesting through a lot of creative artistic style. The shifting color palette and the camera movement are the most interesting things about the film to me, which is otherwise feels like a long, slow series of scenes I don't feel any attachment to. Like many mobster movies, I find the plot just kind of dull, except this also had the added bonus of the central character being despicable on every level.

2 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Graveyard of Honor < House of Flying Daggers
Graveyard of Honor > Easter Parade
Graveyard of Honor > The Machinist
Graveyard of Honor < Drive
Graveyard of Honor < Hollywood Homicide
Graveyard of Honor < The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
Graveyard of Honor > Double Jeopardy
Graveyard of Honor < The World Is Not Enough
Graveyard of Honor < Fifth of July
Graveyard of Honor < The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Graveyard of Honor < Talk to Her
Graveyard of Honor < Ocean's Twelve

Final spot: #1664 out of 2697.

The Act of Killing (2012)

IMDb plot summary: A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.
Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer.

Not an easy watch or an easy rank.

3.5 stars?

How it entered my Flickchart:

The Act of Killing > House of Flying Daggers

The Act of Killing < Star Wars: The Last Jedi

The Act of Killing < The Woodsman

The Act of Killing > October Sky

The Act of Killing > The Pianist

The Act of Killing > Stalag 17

The Act of Killing > Interstellar

The Act of Killing < The Incredibles

The Act of Killing < Saving Private Ryan

The Act of Killing < The Inn of the Sixth Happiness

The Act of Killing > Kind Hearts and Coronets

Final spot: #1030 out of 2696.

Le Trou (1960)

IMDb plot summary: In prison four long-sentence inmates planning an elaborate escape cautiously induct a new inmate to join in their scheme which leads to distrust and uncertainty.
Directed by Jacques Becker. Starring Michel Constantin, Jean Keraudy, Philippe Leroy, and Raymond Meunier.

3 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Le trou > Hoosiers
Le trou < Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Le trou < The Woodsman
Le trou > John Dies at the End
Le trou > Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Le trou < Stalag 17
Le trou > Children of a Lesser God
Le trou < The Mistress of Spices
Le trou > The Last Castle
Le trou > Kung Fu Panda
Final spot: #1066 out of 2695.

Spy (2015)

IMDb plot summary: A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster.
Directed by Paul Feig. Starring Melissa McCarthy, Rose Byrne, Miranda Hart, and Jude Law.

To start with the positive, I love the idea of a spy movie with women in almost all the key roles, and Melissa McCarthy has a few great moments when she's being just plain tough and not funny-sassy-tough that give off a bit of a Kathy Bates vibe and make me want to see her in something more serious. The jokes, however, frequently don't land for me. Bodily fluids jokes will never be funny for me, nor will a comedic sidekick whose sole character trait is "sexual harasser." I didn't actively dislike anything, but I found myself wishing I could see a non-comedic version of this story because I feel like that had greater potential than what we got.

2 stars.

How it entered my Flickchart:
Spy < House of Flying Daggers
Spy > Ray
Spy > Cassandra's Dream
Spy < Drive
Spy < Hollywood Homicide
Spy > Mission: Impossible
Spy > Larry-Boy & the Fib From Outer Space
Spy > Party Girl
Spy > 12 Days of Terror
Spy < No Country for Old Men

Final spot: #1604 out of 2694.