1000<400 List Challenge (Official, January 2020)

[sol]

Uncut GemsShow

1. One Point O (2004)
2. Girlfriends (1978)
3. Meantime (1983)
4. 4 Little Girls (1997)
5. Lean on Pete (2017)
6. Plunder Road (1957)
7. The Balkan Spy (1984)
8. Storm Warning. (1951)
9. The Last Wagon (1956)
10. Ogre of Athens (1956)
11. Mysterious Island (1961)
12. Mea Maxima Culpa (2012)
13. Popcorn. (1991)
14. Pushover (1954)
15. Eye of the Needle (1981)
16. Tall in the Saddle (1944)
17. The Pasty (1928)
18. Suburbia. (1983)
19. Too Late for Tears (1949)
20. Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)

21. The Laramie Project (2002)



The performances are generally fine here, yet the film is a bit all over the place: it is partially about a theatre troupe writing a play about a real life murdered gay youth, part them reacting to the stories they are told, part them being told off by the locals - and mostly flashbacks. I don't know if this was a particularly useful structure for honouring the murderered man's life. I wanted the film to be more about him and less about the troupe.

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? No. This didn't really work for me.

[maxwelldeux]

21. The Laramie Project (2002)

The performances are generally fine here, yet the film is a bit all over the place: it is partially about a theatre troupe writing a play about a real life murdered gay youth, part them reacting to the stories they are told, part them being told off by the locals - and mostly flashbacks. I don't know if this was a particularly useful structure for honouring the murderered man's life. I wanted the film to be more about him and less about the troupe.

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? No. This didn't really work for me.

Interesting review - I've deliberately avoided that one this month, because (based on the description) I feared I'd have that exact reaction. I know enough about the underlying story, even having heard his mother speak at my college, that I would want it to be focused on him, not other tangential players.

[jdidaco]

9. Plastic Bag (Ramin Bahrani, 2009) 7.5/10 (18 min), 2012 (Takashi Makino, 2013) 9/10 (30 min), This House Has People in It (Alan Resnick, 2016) 7/10 (12 min) (Total: 60 min)
10. Closet Monster (Stephen Dunn, 2015) 7/10

SpoilerShow

1. Vertical Features Remake (Peter Greenaway, 1978) 9/10 (RV)
2. Nothing (Vincenzo Natali, 2003) 5.5/10
3. The Stone Tape (Peter Sasdy, 1972) 7.5/10
4. Liza, a rókatündér (Liza the Fox-Fairy, Károly Ujj Mészáros, 2015) 6.5/10
5. Haze (Shinya Tsukamoto, 2005) 7.5/10
6. Samâ taimu mashin burûsu (Summer Time Machine Blues, Katsuyuki Motohiro, 2005) 5.5/10
7. Urusei Yatsura 2: Byûtifuru dorîmâ (Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, Mamoru Oshii, 1984) 8/10
8. Le fleuve aux grandes eaux/The Mighty River (Frédéric Back, 1993) 9/10 (24 min) (RV), Smale spor av et århundre (Where the Trains Used to Go, Morten Skallerud, 2003) 7/10 (4 min), Pan-dane to Tamago-hime (Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess, Hayao Miyazaki, 2010) 8.5/10 (11 min), World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts (Don Hertzfeldt, 2017) 7.5/10 (23 min) (Total: 62 min)

[sol]

21. The Laramie Project (2002)

The performances are generally fine here, yet the film is a bit all over the place: it is partially about a theatre troupe writing a play about a real life murdered gay youth, part them reacting to the stories they are told, part them being told off by the locals - and mostly flashbacks. I don't know if this was a particularly useful structure for honouring the murderered man's life. I wanted the film to be more about him and less about the troupe.

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? No. This didn't really work for me.

Interesting review - I've deliberately avoided that one this month, because (based on the description) I feared I'd have that exact reaction. I know enough about the underlying story, even having heard his mother speak at my college, that I would want it to be focused on him, not other tangential players.

Funnily enough, I knew almost nothing about the underlying story beforehand, and afterwards I still feel like I know very little. What I do know now though is that the gay members of the theater troupe had a hard time listening to all the recounts from the more prejudiced people in town.

[blueboybob]

19. Daisy Kenyon (1947)
20. Das schreckliche Mädchen (1990)

[AB537]

6. #409: The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (Ernst Lubitsch, 1927) 6.5/10

[Traveller]

30. Pharaoh (1966) - 8/10
Added to my list.

[72aicm]

059. #459 Xiao Wu (1997)
060. #561 Blues in the Night (1941) (added to my list)
061. #775 Détective (1985)

776/1000Show

#128 La religieuse (1966)
#215 World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts (2017)
#236 City of Hope (1991)
#335 Poesía sin fin (2016)
#336 Jusqu'à la garde (2017) (added to my list)
#340 Mula sa kung ano ang noon (2014)
#374 Ochazuke no aji (1952)
#384 Acht Stunden sind kein Tag (1972) (added to my list)
#398 Metro Manila (2013) (added to my list)
#405 Lawn Dogs (1997) (added to my list)
#419 Khrustalyov, mashinu! (1998)
#421 À l'ombre de la canaille bleue (1986)
#430 It’s Love I’m After (1937)
#434 The Visit (1964) (added to my list)
#441 Lili (1953)
#450 Krug vtoroy (1990)
#457 L'important c'est d'aimer (1975)
#459 Xiao Wu (1997)
#462 The Good Fairy (1935)
#466 Estate violenta (1959)
#467 The Bedford Incident (1965)
#468 A tanú (1969)
#471 Nárcisz és Psyché (1980)
#478 Hao nan hao nu (1995)
#484 Todake no kyôdai (1941)
#494 Sho o suteyo machi e deyou (1971)
#497 Essai d'ouverture (1988) (added to my list)
#501 Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952)
#503 Le monde vivant (2003) (added to my list)
#506 What Happened Was... (1994)
#517 Jagdszenen aus Niederbayern (1969) (added to my list)
#546 Kyôshin (2006)
#561 Blues in the Night (1941) (added to my list)
#594 Queimada (1969)
#595 Une chambre en ville (1982)
#597 Je rentre à la maison (2001)
#598 Feng gui lai de ren (1983)
#623 Mi ne mozhem zhit bez kosmosa (2014)
#629 Bamui haebyun-eoseo honja (2017)
#640 La última cena (1976)
#674 Der Fan (1982) (added to my list)
#698 Mababangong Bangungot (1977)
#701 Balada o siedmich obesených (1968)
#710 Bleak Moments (1971)
#718 Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012) (added to my list)
#720 Geu-hu (2017)
#737 Sürü (1978)
#775 Détective (1985)
#779 The Time that Remains (2009)
#813 Feng yue (1996)
#822 22 mei (2010) (added to my list)
#847 Al-ard (1970)
#875 Outrage (1950)
#918 Nugu-ui ttal-do anin Hae-won (2013)
#930 Student Bodies (1981)
#936 Les raisins de la mort (1978)
#957 Nan va Koutcheh (1970)
#997 Vinyan (2008) (added to my list)

[sol]

Uncut GemsShow

1. One Point O (2004)
2. Girlfriends (1978)
3. Meantime (1983)
4. 4 Little Girls (1997)
5. Lean on Pete (2017)
6. Plunder Road (1957)
7. The Balkan Spy (1984)
8. Storm Warning. (1951)
9. The Last Wagon (1956)
10. Ogre of Athens (1956)
11. Mysterious Island (1961)
12. Mea Maxima Culpa (2012)
13. Popcorn. (1991)
14. Pushover (1954)
15. Eye of the Needle (1981)
16. Tall in the Saddle (1944)
17. The Pasty (1928)
18. Suburbia. (1983)
19. Too Late for Tears (1949)
20. Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)
21. The Laramie Project (2002)

22. A Dance in the Rain. (1961)



While there is a lot of melodrama at hand here, the dreamlike quality of the project makes it hard to pass up. From surreal flashbacks that plant trees inside apartment buildings, to window silhouettes illuminated by bright white light, to indeed shots in the rain as per the title, this is an incredibly good-looking film. Dusa Pockaj is also excellent in the lead female role balancing many insecurities that lead to her tragic and unhappy love life.

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? Sure.

[sol]

Uncut GemsShow

1. One Point O (2004)
2. Girlfriends (1978)
3. Meantime (1983)
4. 4 Little Girls (1997)
5. Lean on Pete (2017)
6. Plunder Road (1957)
7. The Balkan Spy (1984)
8. Storm Warning. (1951)
9. The Last Wagon (1956)
10. Ogre of Athens (1956)
11. Mysterious Island (1961)
12. Mea Maxima Culpa (2012)
13. Popcorn. (1991)
14. Pushover (1954)
15. Eye of the Needle (1981)
16. Tall in the Saddle (1944)
17. The Pasty (1928)
18. Suburbia. (1983)
19. Too Late for Tears (1949)
20. Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)
21. The Laramie Project (2002)
22. A Dance in the Rain. (1961)

23. The Bedford Incident (1965)



Richard Widmark steals every scene he is in here as a dictatorial naval vessel captain with his stares and glares of contempt and utter certainty that what he is doing is correct. It is a deliciously complex character loaded with ambiguity as to whether he is megalomaniacal or realistically cynical. The scenes between all three leads simply simmer, while the conclusion to the tale is absolutely chilling. A memorable film for my 8500th check.

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? It's tempting, but will probably crack 400 checks by September.

[blueboybob]

21. Den-en ni shisu (1974)
22. Meandre (1966)
23. Die andere Heimat - Chronik einer Sehnsucht (2013)

[sol]

Uncut GemsShow

1. One Point O (2004)
2. Girlfriends (1978)
3. Meantime (1983)
4. 4 Little Girls (1997)
5. Lean on Pete (2017)
6. Plunder Road (1957)
7. The Balkan Spy (1984)
8. Storm Warning. (1951)
9. The Last Wagon (1956)
10. Ogre of Athens (1956)
11. Mysterious Island (1961)
12. Mea Maxima Culpa (2012)
13. Popcorn. (1991)
14. Pushover (1954)
15. Eye of the Needle (1981)
16. Tall in the Saddle (1944)
17. The Pasty (1928)
18. Suburbia. (1983)
19. Too Late for Tears (1949)
20. Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)
21. The Laramie Project (2002)
22. A Dance in the Rain. (1961)
23. The Bedford Incident (1965)

24. Crime and Punishment (1935)



Directed by Josef von Sternberg, this morality play tales comes with some excellent stylistic touches, most notably dissolves of faces as the protagonist talks through his crime; there's also a Kafkaesque vibe to his first court appearance. The film's best asset though is the casting of Peter Lorre in the lead role, running a whole gamut of emotions. Edward Arnold is equally as effective as a police inspector he befriends and who may be out to entrap him.

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? Definitely.

[Traveller]

31. The Promised Land (1975) - 7/10

[blueboybob]

24. Du côté d'Orouët (1971)

[AB537]

7. #791: River of Grass (Kelly Reichardt) 5/10

[72aicm]

062. #394 Gion bayashi (1953)
063. #512 Al primo soffio di vento (2002)
064. #774 Somewhere in the Night (1946)
065. #824 Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010)

Got my plat back on the main list.

780/1000Show

#128 La religieuse (1966)
#215 World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts (2017)
#236 City of Hope (1991)
#335 Poesía sin fin (2016)
#336 Jusqu'à la garde (2017) (added to my list)
#340 Mula sa kung ano ang noon (2014)
#374 Ochazuke no aji (1952)
#384 Acht Stunden sind kein Tag (1972) (added to my list)
#394 Gion bayashi (1953)
#398 Metro Manila (2013) (added to my list)
#405 Lawn Dogs (1997) (added to my list)
#419 Khrustalyov, mashinu! (1998)
#421 À l'ombre de la canaille bleue (1986)
#430 It’s Love I’m After (1937)
#434 The Visit (1964) (added to my list)
#441 Lili (1953)
#450 Krug vtoroy (1990)
#457 L'important c'est d'aimer (1975)
#459 Xiao Wu (1997)
#462 The Good Fairy (1935)
#466 Estate violenta (1959)
#467 The Bedford Incident (1965)
#468 A tanú (1969)
#471 Nárcisz és Psyché (1980)
#478 Hao nan hao nu (1995)
#484 Todake no kyôdai (1941)
#494 Sho o suteyo machi e deyou (1971)
#497 Essai d'ouverture (1988) (added to my list)
#501 Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952)
#503 Le monde vivant (2003) (added to my list)
#506 What Happened Was... (1994)
#512 Al primo soffio di vento (2002)
#517 Jagdszenen aus Niederbayern (1969) (added to my list)
#546 Kyôshin (2006)
#561 Blues in the Night (1941) (added to my list)
#594 Queimada (1969)
#595 Une chambre en ville (1982)
#597 Je rentre à la maison (2001)
#598 Feng gui lai de ren (1983)
#623 Mi ne mozhem zhit bez kosmosa (2014)
#629 Bamui haebyun-eoseo honja (2017)
#640 La última cena (1976)
#674 Der Fan (1982) (added to my list)
#698 Mababangong Bangungot (1977)
#701 Balada o siedmich obesených (1968)
#710 Bleak Moments (1971)
#718 Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012) (added to my list)
#720 Geu-hu (2017)
#737 Sürü (1978)
#774 Somewhere in the Night (1946)
#775 Détective (1985)
#779 The Time that Remains (2009)
#813 Feng yue (1996)
#822 22 mei (2010) (added to my list)
#824 Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010)
#847 Al-ard (1970)
#875 Outrage (1950)
#918 Nugu-ui ttal-do anin Hae-won (2013)
#930 Student Bodies (1981)
#936 Les raisins de la mort (1978)
#957 Nan va Koutcheh (1970)
#997 Vinyan (2008) (added to my list)

[Traveller]

32. Time to Love (1965) - 7/10

[sol]

Got my plat back on the main list.

Congrats. Still working on getting a Bronze myself. At least I'm inside the top 120 users.

[sol]

Uncut GemsShow

1. One Point O (2004)
2. Girlfriends (1978)
3. Meantime (1983)
4. 4 Little Girls (1997)
5. Lean on Pete (2017)
6. Plunder Road (1957)
7. The Balkan Spy (1984)
8. Storm Warning. (1951)
9. The Last Wagon (1956)
10. Ogre of Athens (1956)
11. Mysterious Island (1961)
12. Mea Maxima Culpa (2012)
13. Popcorn. (1991)
14. Pushover (1954)
15. Eye of the Needle (1981)
16. Tall in the Saddle (1944)
17. The Pasty (1928)
18. Suburbia. (1983)
19. Too Late for Tears (1949)
20. Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)
21. The Laramie Project (2002)
22. A Dance in the Rain. (1961)
23. The Bedford Incident (1965)
24. Crime and Punishment (1935)

25. Jazz on a Summer's Day (1959)



With performances from Louis Armstrong, Dinah Washington, Thelonious Monk and others, this is often a treat to listen to. As a documentary though, this is pretty conventional stuff despite a promising start. Initially, the camera curiously refuses to focus on the singers, instead looking at the various spectators, water distortions, shots of washing lines and kids playing in the sun, but as day turns to night, focus pretty much stays on the musicians.

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? No. The music is great but as a documentary this was not quite my cup of tea.

[Traveller]

33. The Herd (1978) - 4/10
34. Who Wants to Kill Jessie? (1966) - 7/10

[hurluberlu]

11. Interrogation / Przesluchanie (Ryszard Bugajski, 1989) [#12] 7

<3 1<><><><4<><>Show

1. Schalcken the Painter (Leslie Megahey, 1979) [#759] 7
2. Shorts
[23mins] World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts (Don Hertzfeldt, 2017) [#215] 7-
[38mins] The Signalman (Lawrence Gordon Clark, 1976) [#211] 6+
3. The League of Gentlemen (Basil Dearden, 1960) [#929] 6-
4. Macunaima (Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, 1969) [#820] 8+
5. This Transient Lie / Mujô (Akio Jissoji, 1970) [#75] 8-
6. Le Pont du Nord (Jacques Rivette, 1981) [#225] 6+
7. Birds, Orphans and Fools / Vtáckovia, siroty a blázni (Juraj Jakubisko, 1969) [#647] 6
8. Five Dedicated to Ozu (Abbas Kiarostami, 2003) [#381] 5
9. Case for a Rookie Hangman / Prípad pro zacínajícího kata (Pavel Jurácek, 1970) [#424] 7
10. Mister Designer / Gospodin oformitel (Oleg Teptsov, 1987) [#630] 7+

[72aicm]

066. #532 Too Late Blues (1961) (added to my list)
067. #795 Choyonghan kajok (1998)
068. #850 Profumo di donna (1974) (added to my list)
069. #982 The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)

784/1000Show

#128 La religieuse (1966)
#215 World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts (2017)
#236 City of Hope (1991)
#335 Poesía sin fin (2016)
#336 Jusqu'à la garde (2017) (added to my list)
#340 Mula sa kung ano ang noon (2014)
#374 Ochazuke no aji (1952)
#384 Acht Stunden sind kein Tag (1972) (added to my list)
#394 Gion bayashi (1953)
#398 Metro Manila (2013) (added to my list)
#405 Lawn Dogs (1997) (added to my list)
#419 Khrustalyov, mashinu! (1998)
#421 À l'ombre de la canaille bleue (1986)
#430 It’s Love I’m After (1937)
#434 The Visit (1964) (added to my list)
#441 Lili (1953)
#450 Krug vtoroy (1990)
#457 L'important c'est d'aimer (1975)
#459 Xiao Wu (1997)
#462 The Good Fairy (1935)
#466 Estate violenta (1959)
#467 The Bedford Incident (1965)
#468 A tanú (1969)
#471 Nárcisz és Psyché (1980)
#478 Hao nan hao nu (1995)
#484 Todake no kyôdai (1941)
#494 Sho o suteyo machi e deyou (1971)
#497 Essai d'ouverture (1988) (added to my list)
#501 Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952)
#503 Le monde vivant (2003) (added to my list)
#506 What Happened Was... (1994)
#512 Al primo soffio di vento (2002)
#517 Jagdszenen aus Niederbayern (1969) (added to my list)
#532 Too Late Blues (1961) (added to my list)
#546 Kyôshin (2006)
#561 Blues in the Night (1941) (added to my list)
#594 Queimada (1969)
#595 Une chambre en ville (1982)
#597 Je rentre à la maison (2001)
#598 Feng gui lai de ren (1983)
#623 Mi ne mozhem zhit bez kosmosa (2014)
#629 Bamui haebyun-eoseo honja (2017)
#640 La última cena (1976)
#674 Der Fan (1982) (added to my list)
#698 Mababangong Bangungot (1977)
#701 Balada o siedmich obesených (1968)
#710 Bleak Moments (1971)
#718 Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012) (added to my list)
#720 Geu-hu (2017)
#737 Sürü (1978)
#774 Somewhere in the Night (1946)
#775 Détective (1985)
#779 The Time that Remains (2009)
#795 Choyonghan kajok (1998)
#813 Feng yue (1996)
#822 22 mei (2010) (added to my list)
#824 Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010)
#847 Al-ard (1970)
#850 Profumo di donna (1974) (added to my list)
#875 Outrage (1950)
#918 Nugu-ui ttal-do anin Hae-won (2013)
#930 Student Bodies (1981)
#936 Les raisins de la mort (1978)
#957 Nan va Koutcheh (1970)
#982 The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)
#997 Vinyan (2008) (added to my list)

[jdidaco]

11. Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees (David Blair, 1991) 7/10
12. Marti, dupã Crãciun (Tuesday, After Christmas, Radu Muntean, 2010) 8/10

SpoilerShow

1. Vertical Features Remake (Peter Greenaway, 1978) 9/10 (RV)
2. Nothing (Vincenzo Natali, 2003) 5.5/10
3. The Stone Tape (Peter Sasdy, 1972) 7.5/10
4. Liza, a rókatündér (Liza the Fox-Fairy, Károly Ujj Mészáros, 2015) 6.5/10
5. Haze (Shinya Tsukamoto, 2005) 7.5/10
6. Samâ taimu mashin burûsu (Summer Time Machine Blues, Katsuyuki Motohiro, 2005) 5.5/10
7. Urusei Yatsura 2: Byûtifuru dorîmâ (Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer, Mamoru Oshii, 1984) 8/10
8. Le fleuve aux grandes eaux/The Mighty River (Frédéric Back, 1993) 9/10 (24 min) (RV), Smale spor av et århundre (Where the Trains Used to Go, Morten Skallerud, 2003) 7/10 (4 min), Pan-dane to Tamago-hime (Mr. Dough and the Egg Princess, Hayao Miyazaki, 2010) 8.5/10 (11 min), World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts (Don Hertzfeldt, 2017) 7.5/10 (23 min) (Total: 62 min)
9. Plastic Bag (Ramin Bahrani, 2009) 7.5/10 (18 min), 2012 (Takashi Makino, 2013) 9/10 (30 min), This House Has People in It (Alan Resnick, 2016) 7/10 (12 min) (Total: 60 min)
10. Closet Monster (Stephen Dunn, 2015) 7/10

[jeroeno]

30. #457 - L'important c'est d'aimer (1975)
31. #434 - The Visit (1964)
32. #341 - Kamen (1992)

[sol]

Uncut GemsShow

1. One Point O (2004)
2. Girlfriends (1978)
3. Meantime (1983)
4. 4 Little Girls (1997)
5. Lean on Pete (2017)
6. Plunder Road (1957)
7. The Balkan Spy (1984)
8. Storm Warning. (1951)
9. The Last Wagon (1956)
10. Ogre of Athens (1956)
11. Mysterious Island (1961)
12. Mea Maxima Culpa (2012)
13. Popcorn. (1991)
14. Pushover (1954)
15. Eye of the Needle (1981)
16. Tall in the Saddle (1944)
17. The Pasty (1928)
18. Suburbia. (1983)
19. Too Late for Tears (1949)
20. Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)
21. The Laramie Project (2002)
22. A Dance in the Rain. (1961)
23. The Bedford Incident (1965)
24. Crime and Punishment (1935)
25. Jazz on a Summer's Day (1959)

26. The Flying Luna Clipper (1987)



The 80s computer game graphics are charming and the talk of the importance of dreams is intriguing, yet the plot here is pretty hard to decipher, not to mention incredibly random. On a plane trip the character see some wacky animated stuff thanks to a seahorse oceanographer, but there are some live action sections bits too (baby rolling about; a woman swimming) that feel at odds to the otherworldly universe that the film otherwise establishes.

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? Probably not. I liked how daringly different this was, but Cat Soup or Dead Leaves it is not.

[Traveller]

35. Pirosmani (1969) - 5/10
36. Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (2012) - 8/10
Would have added it to my list, but it reached 400 checks.
37. The Illumination (1973) - 7/10
38. Camouflage (1977) - 7/10

[72aicm]

070. #580 The Flying Luna Clipper (1987)
071. #608 Qian li zou dan qi (2005)
072. #821 Il cammino della speranza (1950)
073. #874 Tinimbang ka ngunit kulang (1974)

788/1000Show

#128 La religieuse (1966)
#215 World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts (2017)
#236 City of Hope (1991)
#335 Poesía sin fin (2016)
#336 Jusqu'à la garde (2017) (added to my list)
#340 Mula sa kung ano ang noon (2014)
#374 Ochazuke no aji (1952)
#384 Acht Stunden sind kein Tag (1972) (added to my list)
#394 Gion bayashi (1953)
#398 Metro Manila (2013) (added to my list)
#405 Lawn Dogs (1997) (added to my list)
#419 Khrustalyov, mashinu! (1998)
#421 À l'ombre de la canaille bleue (1986)
#430 It’s Love I’m After (1937)
#434 The Visit (1964) (added to my list)
#441 Lili (1953)
#450 Krug vtoroy (1990)
#457 L'important c'est d'aimer (1975)
#459 Xiao Wu (1997)
#462 The Good Fairy (1935)
#466 Estate violenta (1959)
#467 The Bedford Incident (1965)
#468 A tanú (1969)
#471 Nárcisz és Psyché (1980)
#478 Hao nan hao nu (1995)
#484 Todake no kyôdai (1941)
#494 Sho o suteyo machi e deyou (1971)
#497 Essai d'ouverture (1988) (added to my list)
#501 Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952)
#503 Le monde vivant (2003) (added to my list)
#506 What Happened Was... (1994)
#512 Al primo soffio di vento (2002)
#517 Jagdszenen aus Niederbayern (1969) (added to my list)
#532 Too Late Blues (1961) (added to my list)
#546 Kyôshin (2006)
#561 Blues in the Night (1941) (added to my list)
#580 The Flying Luna Clipper (1987)
#594 Queimada (1969)
#595 Une chambre en ville (1982)
#597 Je rentre à la maison (2001)
#598 Feng gui lai de ren (1983)
#608 Qian li zou dan qi (2005)
#623 Mi ne mozhem zhit bez kosmosa (2014)
#629 Bamui haebyun-eoseo honja (2017)
#640 La última cena (1976)
#674 Der Fan (1982) (added to my list)
#698 Mababangong Bangungot (1977)
#701 Balada o siedmich obesených (1968)
#710 Bleak Moments (1971)
#718 Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012) (added to my list)
#720 Geu-hu (2017)
#737 Sürü (1978)
#774 Somewhere in the Night (1946)
#775 Détective (1985)
#779 The Time that Remains (2009)
#795 Choyonghan kajok (1998)
#813 Feng yue (1996)
#821 Il cammino della speranza (1950)
#822 22 mei (2010) (added to my list)
#824 Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010)
#847 Al-ard (1970)
#850 Profumo di donna (1974) (added to my list)
#874 Tinimbang ka ngunit kulang (1974)
#875 Outrage (1950)
#918 Nugu-ui ttal-do anin Hae-won (2013)
#930 Student Bodies (1981)
#936 Les raisins de la mort (1978)
#957 Nan va Koutcheh (1970)
#982 The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)
#997 Vinyan (2008) (added to my list)

[sol]

Uncut GemsShow

1. One Point O (2004)
2. Girlfriends (1978)
3. Meantime (1983)
4. 4 Little Girls (1997)
5. Lean on Pete (2017)
6. Plunder Road (1957)
7. The Balkan Spy (1984)
8. Storm Warning. (1951)
9. The Last Wagon (1956)
10. Ogre of Athens (1956)
11. Mysterious Island (1961)
12. Mea Maxima Culpa (2012)
13. Popcorn. (1991)
14. Pushover (1954)
15. Eye of the Needle (1981)
16. Tall in the Saddle (1944)
17. The Pasty (1928)
18. Suburbia. (1983)
19. Too Late for Tears (1949)
20. Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)
21. The Laramie Project (2002)
22. A Dance in the Rain. (1961)
23. The Bedford Incident (1965)
24. Crime and Punishment (1935)
25. Jazz on a Summer's Day (1959)
26. The Flying Luna Clipper (1987)

27. The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)



This is one of those films that tries to be a lot of things. It is partially a comedy about the quirky townsfolk, partially a grueling drama about big corporations killing small towns, and partially a fantasy pic in which a "coyote angel" watches over the town and intervenes. While some of the fantasy bits are fun (bought-out newspapers flapping themselves into the wind), the stakes never felt too high to me - but I liked the music and performances.

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? No. Unfortunately this wasn't really for me.

[zzzorf]

1. #44 Camp de Thiaroye (1988) - 5/10

[sol]

Uncut GemsShow

1. One Point O (2004)
2. Girlfriends (1978)
3. Meantime (1983)
4. 4 Little Girls (1997)
5. Lean on Pete (2017)
6. Plunder Road (1957)
7. The Balkan Spy (1984)
8. Storm Warning. (1951)
9. The Last Wagon (1956)
10. Ogre of Athens (1956)
11. Mysterious Island (1961)
12. Mea Maxima Culpa (2012)
13. Popcorn. (1991)
14. Pushover (1954)
15. Eye of the Needle (1981)
16. Tall in the Saddle (1944)
17. The Pasty (1928)
18. Suburbia. (1983)
19. Too Late for Tears (1949)
20. Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)
21. The Laramie Project (2002)
22. A Dance in the Rain. (1961)
23. The Bedford Incident (1965)
24. Crime and Punishment (1935)
25. Jazz on a Summer's Day (1959)
26. The Flying Luna Clipper (1987)
27. The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)

28. The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)



The skeleton discovery opening is excellent and there are some effective bits and pieces here, such as a man attacking an intruder in bed that ends up being his own hand. The film leaps and jumps between different characters and subplots though to the point that it is hard to become really immersed. The Satanists were also a little too old for creepy kids. The film has a pretty terrific music score though that seems to taunt the various victims.

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? No. Unfortunately this wasn't really for me.

[Traveller]

39. Vechir na Ivana Kupala (1968) - 6/10
40. The Parallel Street (1962) - 8/10
Added to my list.
41. Rapture (1965) - 8/10
Added to my list.
42. Black Peter (1964) - 6/10

[sol]

Uncut GemsShow

1. One Point O (2004)
2. Girlfriends (1978)
3. Meantime (1983)
4. 4 Little Girls (1997)
5. Lean on Pete (2017)
6. Plunder Road (1957)
7. The Balkan Spy (1984)
8. Storm Warning. (1951)
9. The Last Wagon (1956)
10. Ogre of Athens (1956)
11. Mysterious Island (1961)
12. Mea Maxima Culpa (2012)
13. Popcorn. (1991)
14. Pushover (1954)
15. Eye of the Needle (1981)
16. Tall in the Saddle (1944)
17. The Pasty (1928)
18. Suburbia. (1983)
19. Too Late for Tears (1949)
20. Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)
21. The Laramie Project (2002)
22. A Dance in the Rain. (1961)
23. The Bedford Incident (1965)
24. Crime and Punishment (1935)
25. Jazz on a Summer's Day (1959)
26. The Flying Luna Clipper (1987)
27. The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)
28. The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)

29. Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952)



This film's messages about money not buying happiness are formulaic and Lynn Bari is just obnoxious as a money-grubbing matriarch, but the whole thing works though thanks to Charles Coburn's commanding lead performance. He not only assumes a double life, but comes to enjoy it too. The rest of the cast are mostly bland, but Gigi Perreau is delightful as the youngest daughter and her every scene with Coburn is a delight to watch (see above).

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? Yes, I think so. Certainly my favourite of the last five films I have seen from 1000<400 list.

[72aicm]

074. #554 Shinjuku dorobô nikki (1969)
075. #660 Man Push Cart (2005)
076. #913 Chihwaseon (2002)

791/1000Show

#128 La religieuse (1966)
#215 World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts (2017)
#236 City of Hope (1991)
#335 Poesía sin fin (2016)
#336 Jusqu'à la garde (2017) (added to my list)
#340 Mula sa kung ano ang noon (2014)
#374 Ochazuke no aji (1952)
#384 Acht Stunden sind kein Tag (1972) (added to my list)
#394 Gion bayashi (1953)
#398 Metro Manila (2013) (added to my list)
#405 Lawn Dogs (1997) (added to my list)
#419 Khrustalyov, mashinu! (1998)
#421 À l'ombre de la canaille bleue (1986)
#430 It’s Love I’m After (1937)
#434 The Visit (1964) (added to my list)
#441 Lili (1953)
#450 Krug vtoroy (1990)
#457 L'important c'est d'aimer (1975)
#459 Xiao Wu (1997)
#462 The Good Fairy (1935)
#466 Estate violenta (1959)
#467 The Bedford Incident (1965)
#468 A tanú (1969)
#471 Nárcisz és Psyché (1980)
#478 Hao nan hao nu (1995)
#484 Todake no kyôdai (1941)
#494 Sho o suteyo machi e deyou (1971)
#497 Essai d'ouverture (1988) (added to my list)
#501 Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952)
#503 Le monde vivant (2003) (added to my list)
#506 What Happened Was... (1994)
#512 Al primo soffio di vento (2002)
#517 Jagdszenen aus Niederbayern (1969) (added to my list)
#532 Too Late Blues (1961) (added to my list)
#546 Kyôshin (2006)
#554 Shinjuku dorobô nikki (1969)
#561 Blues in the Night (1941) (added to my list)
#580 The Flying Luna Clipper (1987)
#594 Queimada (1969)
#595 Une chambre en ville (1982)
#597 Je rentre à la maison (2001)
#598 Feng gui lai de ren (1983)
#608 Qian li zou dan qi (2005)
#623 Mi ne mozhem zhit bez kosmosa (2014)
#629 Bamui haebyun-eoseo honja (2017)
#640 La última cena (1976)
#660 Man Push Cart (2005)
#674 Der Fan (1982) (added to my list)
#698 Mababangong Bangungot (1977)
#701 Balada o siedmich obesených (1968)
#710 Bleak Moments (1971)
#718 Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012) (added to my list)
#720 Geu-hu (2017)
#737 Sürü (1978)
#774 Somewhere in the Night (1946)
#775 Détective (1985)
#779 The Time that Remains (2009)
#795 Choyonghan kajok (1998)
#813 Feng yue (1996)
#821 Il cammino della speranza (1950)
#822 22 mei (2010) (added to my list)
#824 Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010)
#847 Al-ard (1970)
#850 Profumo di donna (1974) (added to my list)
#874 Tinimbang ka ngunit kulang (1974)
#875 Outrage (1950)
#913 Chihwaseon (2002)
#918 Nugu-ui ttal-do anin Hae-won (2013)
#930 Student Bodies (1981)
#936 Les raisins de la mort (1978)
#957 Nan va Koutcheh (1970)
#982 The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)
#997 Vinyan (2008) (added to my list)

[sol]

Uncut GemsShow

1. One Point O (2004)
2. Girlfriends (1978)
3. Meantime (1983)
4. 4 Little Girls (1997)
5. Lean on Pete (2017)
6. Plunder Road (1957)
7. The Balkan Spy (1984)
8. Storm Warning. (1951)
9. The Last Wagon (1956)
10. Ogre of Athens (1956)
11. Mysterious Island (1961)
12. Mea Maxima Culpa (2012)
13. Popcorn. (1991)
14. Pushover (1954)
15. Eye of the Needle (1981)
16. Tall in the Saddle (1944)
17. The Pasty (1928)
18. Suburbia. (1983)
19. Too Late for Tears (1949)
20. Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)
21. The Laramie Project (2002)
22. A Dance in the Rain. (1961)
23. The Bedford Incident (1965)
24. Crime and Punishment (1935)
25. Jazz on a Summer's Day (1959)
26. The Flying Luna Clipper (1987)
27. The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)
28. The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)
29. Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952)

30. History Is Made At Night (1937)



Some of the plot twists and turns and tonal shifts (at times it is a murder mystery and disaster movie!) are so ridiculous here that this may have worked better as a comedy. Played as a straight drama, Charles Boyer's earnest performance and some decent work from Jean Arthur keep things afloat. Some of their romantic scenes are admittedly charming (drawing puppets on wrists) but all of the plot contrivances sadly got on my nerves here.

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? No. This was okay, but probably my least favourite of what I have seen for the challenge this month.

[Traveller]

43. Congress Dances (1931) - 7/10

[72aicm]

077. #624 Ôsaka no yado (1954)
078. #631 La vallée (1972) (added to my list)
079. #760 Closet Monster (2015) (added to my list)

794/1000Show

#128 La religieuse (1966)
#215 World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts (2017)
#236 City of Hope (1991)
#335 Poesía sin fin (2016)
#336 Jusqu'à la garde (2017) (added to my list)
#340 Mula sa kung ano ang noon (2014)
#374 Ochazuke no aji (1952)
#384 Acht Stunden sind kein Tag (1972) (added to my list)
#394 Gion bayashi (1953)
#398 Metro Manila (2013) (added to my list)
#405 Lawn Dogs (1997) (added to my list)
#419 Khrustalyov, mashinu! (1998)
#421 À l'ombre de la canaille bleue (1986)
#430 It’s Love I’m After (1937)
#434 The Visit (1964) (added to my list)
#441 Lili (1953)
#450 Krug vtoroy (1990)
#457 L'important c'est d'aimer (1975)
#459 Xiao Wu (1997)
#462 The Good Fairy (1935)
#466 Estate violenta (1959)
#467 The Bedford Incident (1965)
#468 A tanú (1969)
#471 Nárcisz és Psyché (1980)
#478 Hao nan hao nu (1995)
#484 Todake no kyôdai (1941)
#494 Sho o suteyo machi e deyou (1971)
#497 Essai d'ouverture (1988) (added to my list)
#501 Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952)
#503 Le monde vivant (2003) (added to my list)
#506 What Happened Was... (1994)
#512 Al primo soffio di vento (2002)
#517 Jagdszenen aus Niederbayern (1969) (added to my list)
#532 Too Late Blues (1961) (added to my list)
#546 Kyôshin (2006)
#554 Shinjuku dorobô nikki (1969)
#561 Blues in the Night (1941) (added to my list)
#580 The Flying Luna Clipper (1987)
#594 Queimada (1969)
#595 Une chambre en ville (1982)
#597 Je rentre à la maison (2001)
#598 Feng gui lai de ren (1983)
#608 Qian li zou dan qi (2005)
#623 Mi ne mozhem zhit bez kosmosa (2014)
#624 Ôsaka no yado (1954)
#629 Bamui haebyun-eoseo honja (2017)
#631 La vallée (1972) (added to my list)
#640 La última cena (1976)
#660 Man Push Cart (2005)
#674 Der Fan (1982) (added to my list)
#698 Mababangong Bangungot (1977)
#701 Balada o siedmich obesených (1968)
#710 Bleak Moments (1971)
#718 Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012) (added to my list)
#720 Geu-hu (2017)
#737 Sürü (1978)
#760 Closet Monster (2015) (added to my list)
#774 Somewhere in the Night (1946)
#775 Détective (1985)
#779 The Time that Remains (2009)
#795 Choyonghan kajok (1998)
#813 Feng yue (1996)
#821 Il cammino della speranza (1950)
#822 22 mei (2010) (added to my list)
#824 Who Killed Captain Alex? (2010)
#847 Al-ard (1970)
#850 Profumo di donna (1974) (added to my list)
#874 Tinimbang ka ngunit kulang (1974)
#875 Outrage (1950)
#913 Chihwaseon (2002)
#918 Nugu-ui ttal-do anin Hae-won (2013)
#930 Student Bodies (1981)
#936 Les raisins de la mort (1978)
#957 Nan va Koutcheh (1970)
#982 The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)
#997 Vinyan (2008) (added to my list)

[AB537]

8. #60: Les rendez-vous d'Anna - The Meetings of Anna (Chantal Akerman, 1978) 7/10
9. #154: LA 92 (Lindsay/Martin, 2017) 7.5/10
10. #239: Kapò (Gillo Pontecorvo, 1960) 8.5/10

[sol]

Uncut GemsShow

1. One Point O (2004)
2. Girlfriends (1978)
3. Meantime (1983)
4. 4 Little Girls (1997)
5. Lean on Pete (2017)
6. Plunder Road (1957)
7. The Balkan Spy (1984)
8. Storm Warning. (1951)
9. The Last Wagon (1956)
10. Ogre of Athens (1956)
11. Mysterious Island (1961)
12. Mea Maxima Culpa (2012)
13. Popcorn. (1991)
14. Pushover (1954)
15. Eye of the Needle (1981)
16. Tall in the Saddle (1944)
17. The Pasty (1928)
18. Suburbia. (1983)
19. Too Late for Tears (1949)
20. Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)
21. The Laramie Project (2002)
22. A Dance in the Rain. (1961)
23. The Bedford Incident (1965)
24. Crime and Punishment (1935)
25. Jazz on a Summer's Day (1959)
26. The Flying Luna Clipper (1987)
27. The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)
28. The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)
29. Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952)
30. History Is Made At Night (1937)

31. How to Die in Oregon (2011)



Voluntary assisted dying is the subject of this documentary. As one might expect, this is an at times depressing and distressing film to watch, though insightful too as we are told and shown in painstaking detail some of the suffering that those who cannot end their lives must endure. The sentimental music score is a little cloying and the over-reliance on title cards to fill in key information is regrettable, but this is generally well-made.

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? No. This was a very difficult film to view and I probably appreciate it more than I actually like it.

[maxwelldeux]

My research tells me 1000 is NOT less than 400Show

1. Cowards Bend the Knee (2003) #653
2. Waco: The Rules of Engagement (1997) #209
3. Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012)
4. Picture of Light (1994) #686

5. Camp de Thiaroye (1988) #44
WC film... comments there.

[sol]

Uncut GemsShow

1. One Point O (2004)
2. Girlfriends (1978)
3. Meantime (1983)
4. 4 Little Girls (1997)
5. Lean on Pete (2017)
6. Plunder Road (1957)
7. The Balkan Spy (1984)
8. Storm Warning. (1951)
9. The Last Wagon (1956)
10. Ogre of Athens (1956)
11. Mysterious Island (1961)
12. Mea Maxima Culpa (2012)
13. Popcorn. (1991)
14. Pushover (1954)
15. Eye of the Needle (1981)
16. Tall in the Saddle (1944)
17. The Pasty (1928)
18. Suburbia. (1983)
19. Too Late for Tears (1949)
20. Ladybird, Ladybird (1994)
21. The Laramie Project (2002)
22. A Dance in the Rain. (1961)
23. The Bedford Incident (1965)
24. Crime and Punishment (1935)
25. Jazz on a Summer's Day (1959)
26. The Flying Luna Clipper (1987)
27. The Milagro Beanfield War (1988)
28. The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)
29. Has Anybody Seen My Gal (1952)
30. History Is Made At Night (1937)
31. How to Die in Oregon (2011)

32. HyperNormalisation (2016)



Clocking in at close to three hours and covering many topics, this is an inevitably uneven ride. The best parts certainly stick out though, with particular highlights being the possibility of the US government creating UFO conspiracies to mask testing weapons and the history of how suicide bombings began in the late 1970s. There are also some fun film references to the likes of Stalker and Dr. Strangelove, though the Carrie clips are a bit on-the-nose.

Will I be adding this film to my 500<400 list? Probably not, though I liked this more than Power of Nightmares and The Trap.