Only partially set in Flat Rock, Colorado, and filmed mostly in Montana, Washington, and Idaho -- I find it hard to believe that this is the first or the best Colorado that I can come up with, so I may substitute another film later. There were too many disconnects in this film for me; characters seemed to do things because "it was time," according to the script, not because it felt right or because the film had "earned" those choices or payoffs. I like Holly Hunter and John Goodman, but Richard Dreyfuss is never a certainty for me, and this time, he drove me nuts, especially after he was supposed to be invisible. I just wanted him to SHUT UP, most of the time. I haven't seen most of A Guy Named Joe, and my partial viewing was ages ago, so I can't compare.
Maine: Dark Shadows -- Burton, 2012.
Set in Collinsport, Maine, though it was filmed entirely in the UK. (I'm on a roll for disappointing films that don't have the ideal states qualifications.) Based on things I'd read before viewing, I expected this film to be utter torture, but instead it was just crappy and ho-hum. Not really glad I saw it, but I've certainly seen worse.
Pennsylvania: High School -- Wiseman, 1968.
Philadelphia documentary. I had a complicated mentor/apprentice relationship when I was young; it was full of mutual generosity, support, and its own sort of paternal-filial devotion, but it also came with a heap of disappointment, eggshell-walking, and frustrated cross-purposes. Our individual histories often led us to very painful divides and damage, because we just couldn't quite "get" one another, despite all that mutual affection and benevolence. My avuncular mentor (who taught me the word "avuncular") would have been slightly older than a high schooler in 1968 -- he'd have been an undergrad -- but I was surprised to find that as I watched these kids and this school system, it reminded me of him and how he grew up, all the experiences and impressions he'd recounted. I still don't know if I understand him any better, but it made all of those memories very fresh in my mind, for better or worse, and it made me think kindly of him, which was nice. This paragraph has nothing to do with Wiseman, but sometimes, that's how I roll.
Nevada: All In: The Poker Movie -- Tirola, 2009.
Lots of Nevada casino footage. A history of poker, tournaments, online poker, celebrity poker... Okay, but forgettable. I've seen the movie Rounders a couple of times and thought it was all right, but this doc makes it sound like Rounders is a HUGE watershed movie for serious poker players. Not sure how true that really is, as I haven't known too many diehard poker players since I was a kid.
Rhode Island: Moonrise Kingdom -- Anderson, 2012.
Set in fictional New England, but filmed all over Rhode Island. I think I'm too old or out-of-touch for this movie...I can't explain coherently. There are plenty of people my age (and older) who would think it is just great, and I always love Anderson's quirky humor and visual sense (including here), but I just couldn't get behind the "young love" story or enjoy most of their interactions. I wanted a lot of those scenes to end and get back to the scouts or Tilda Swinton as Social Services. Actually...if I think about many of his other films, I probably had the same reaction, just to a more muted degree: the delayed-or-thwarted love stories of young people (or young-ish adults) in Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, and The Royal Tenenbaums were never my favorite parts of those films, either. (The ones I did find more satisfactory, whether they ended well or not, were between older people: Bill Murray and Olivia Williams, or the quirky past of Anjelica Huston and Gene Hackman -- or with Murray again, in The Life Aquatic. Even Mr. and Mrs Fox, I suppose.) I haven't seen all of The Darjeeling Limited, but maybe I'd be happiest watching Anderson stick largely to brotherly (or father-son) camaraderie and settling the lives of adults who are at least middle-aged.
Utah: The King and Four Queens -- Walsh, 1956.
I didn't actually catch if this was SET in Utah (the setting may have been "the West"), but a lot of it was filmed in St. George and Snow Canyon, where I've spent a good bit of time. (A dear friend and her family live in the area.) Most of TKaFQ was not my cup of tea -- I can only take so much Barbara Nichols, I never understand women throwing themselves at Clark Gable except in rare roles when he's highly vulnerable (otherwise, he's just kind of...sassy and nothing special, sorry!), and Jo Van Fleet gives an atypically one-note performance. Eleanor Parker is engaging, but she can't carry the load alone.
I could have sworn I'd seen Vermont and and something spot-on for Kansas, but I can't figure out which checks they would have been. Oh, well...more to see.
Spoiler: click to toggle
Alabama:
Alaska: The Silver Horde -- Archainbaud, 1930.
Arizona: Ulzana's Raid -- Aldrich, 1972.
Arkansas: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory -- Berlinger & Sinofsky, 2011.
California: Inserts -- Byrum, 1974.
Colorado: Always -- Spielberg, 1989.
Connecticut: Boomerang! -- Kazan, 1947.
Delaware:
Florida: Seminole -- Boetticher, 1953.
Georgia: Tobacco Road -- Ford, 1941.
Hawaii:
Idaho: Housekeeping -- Forsyth, 1987.
Illnois: Pennies from Heaven -- Ross, 1981.
Indiana: Four Friends -- A. Penn, 1981.
Iowa: Cold Turkey -- Lear, 1971.
Kansas:
Kentucky: The Sun Shines Bright -- Ford, 1953.
Louisiana: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter -- Bekmambetov, 2012.
Maine: Dark Shadows -- Burton, 2012.
Maryland: Talking to Strangers -- Tregenza, 1988.
Massachusetts: Stuck on You -- Farrelly & Farrelly, 2003.
Michigan: Chameleon Street -- Harris, 1989.
Minnesota:
Mississippi: Django Unchained -- Tarantino. 2012.
Missouri: It Happens Every Spring -- Bacon, 1949.
Montana: Montana -- Enright, 1950.
Nebraska:
Nevada: All In: The Poker Movie -- Tirola, 2009.
New Hampshire:
New Jersey: Wilson -- King, 1944.
New Mexico:
New York: Prince of the City -- Lumet, 1981.
North Carolina: The Killing Jar -- Young, 2010.
North Dakota:
Ohio: ...All the Marbles -- Aldrich, 1981.
Oklahoma: Tulsa -- Heisler, 1949.
Oregon: How to Die in Oregon -- Richardson, 2011.
Pennsylvania: High School -- Wiseman, 1968.
Rhode Island: Moonrise Kingdom -- Anderson, 2012.
South Carolina:
South Dakota:
Tennessee:
Texas: Barbarosa -- Schepisi, 1982.
Utah: The King and Four Queens -- Walsh, 1956.
Vermont:
Virginia: J. Edgar -- Eastwood, 2011.
Washington: Safety Not Guaranteed -- Trevorrow, 2012.
Washington D.C.: Too Big to Fail -- Hanson, 2011.
West Virginia:
Wisconsin: Stroszek -- Herzog, 1977.
Wyoming: Wyoming -- Thorpe, 1940.
Alaska: The Silver Horde -- Archainbaud, 1930.
Arizona: Ulzana's Raid -- Aldrich, 1972.
Arkansas: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory -- Berlinger & Sinofsky, 2011.
California: Inserts -- Byrum, 1974.
Colorado: Always -- Spielberg, 1989.
Connecticut: Boomerang! -- Kazan, 1947.
Delaware:
Florida: Seminole -- Boetticher, 1953.
Georgia: Tobacco Road -- Ford, 1941.
Hawaii:
Idaho: Housekeeping -- Forsyth, 1987.
Illnois: Pennies from Heaven -- Ross, 1981.
Indiana: Four Friends -- A. Penn, 1981.
Iowa: Cold Turkey -- Lear, 1971.
Kansas:
Kentucky: The Sun Shines Bright -- Ford, 1953.
Louisiana: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter -- Bekmambetov, 2012.
Maine: Dark Shadows -- Burton, 2012.
Maryland: Talking to Strangers -- Tregenza, 1988.
Massachusetts: Stuck on You -- Farrelly & Farrelly, 2003.
Michigan: Chameleon Street -- Harris, 1989.
Minnesota:
Mississippi: Django Unchained -- Tarantino. 2012.
Missouri: It Happens Every Spring -- Bacon, 1949.
Montana: Montana -- Enright, 1950.
Nebraska:
Nevada: All In: The Poker Movie -- Tirola, 2009.
New Hampshire:
New Jersey: Wilson -- King, 1944.
New Mexico:
New York: Prince of the City -- Lumet, 1981.
North Carolina: The Killing Jar -- Young, 2010.
North Dakota:
Ohio: ...All the Marbles -- Aldrich, 1981.
Oklahoma: Tulsa -- Heisler, 1949.
Oregon: How to Die in Oregon -- Richardson, 2011.
Pennsylvania: High School -- Wiseman, 1968.
Rhode Island: Moonrise Kingdom -- Anderson, 2012.
South Carolina:
South Dakota:
Tennessee:
Texas: Barbarosa -- Schepisi, 1982.
Utah: The King and Four Queens -- Walsh, 1956.
Vermont:
Virginia: J. Edgar -- Eastwood, 2011.
Washington: Safety Not Guaranteed -- Trevorrow, 2012.
Washington D.C.: Too Big to Fail -- Hanson, 2011.
West Virginia:
Wisconsin: Stroszek -- Herzog, 1977.
Wyoming: Wyoming -- Thorpe, 1940.
;)
