Cleaning out the queue: Weird misogyny edition

In an effort to type a bunch of words that actually "make sense", I'm scrapping a post I was struggling with (class warfare! exciting!) and just doing another DVD rundown. That other post will probably make an appearance later, if only to make use of the awesome pictures I found. Anyway, here are some more films sent to me through the miracle of the U.S. Mail.

Blue Velvet

Why is Cavil lip-synching Roy Orbison? Who knows, but that clip sums up the creepy vibe that permeates this movie. Also, the early scene where the camera moves through grass until it reveals disgusting bugs. I've avoided David Lynch films since I was terrified by the worms in Dune at a young age. Watching this I realized I'm kind of glad I did, but at the same time I want to see some more of his stuff. Call it morbid curiosity for lack of a better term.
Blue Velvet's certainly worth seeing, if only for the awesome performance by Dennis Hopper as Frank Booth. Lines like: "Heineken! Fuck that shit! Pabst Blue Ribbon!" make me want to a devote a whole post to it. Which I may. Candy colored clown indeed.

A Boy and His Dog
As if Blue Velvet wasn't strange enough. This 1975 sci-fi flick is set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, following a young Don Johnson and his wise-cracking intelligent dog that communicates with him telepathically. They have a mutually beneficial relationship in which Johnson finds food for the dog, and the dog finds women for Johnson to rape. Eventually after falling in love with a girl while hiding from zombies, Johnson ditches his dog friend to follow the girl to an underground fascistic society where everyone has on clown/mime makeup. And then things get really weird. This movie has a jaw-dropping surprise ending.

Punisher: War Zone
This movie is fucking awful, but still better than the first Punisher. There's a part where the Punisher puts a chair leg through some guys face. Also it has Newman from Seinfeld playing a nerd, and McNulty from The Wire plays the horribly make-upped bad guy.

RocknRolla
The latest from Guy Ritchie is what you expect, in that its about the criminal element in England, with overlapping plotlines and a dark comedic streak. Although at times it seems like they are just making it up as they go along. Not as good as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, maybe comparable to Snatch.

The Last Detail
Jack Nicholson and some other guy are Naval men charged with transporting a young seaman to prison for a trivial offense. They decide to show the guy, played by a young Randy Quaid, one last good time along the way -- meaning lots of drinking, fighting and fucking. This is a classic road movie, know what I mean?

Sex Drive
You might remember the previews for this one because they had a talking Mexican donut (which actually factors a good bit into the plot). It's a boilerplate road/teen-sex comedy highlighted by an appearance by Seth Green as a sarcastic Amishman.

Hard Boiled
Great action movie? Or Greatest Action movie? The main character's name is Tequila for christsake.


The Wackness
This is a coming of age tale, set in the 90s in New York City. The best part about it is the music, tons of great old-school hip hop. This is the movie where Ben Kingsley plays a pot-smoking psychiatrist, who at one point makes out with an Olsen twin.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno
This is probably my favorite Seth Rogen movie ever, even better than Donnie Darko (He's the guy who says, "So I heard your dad, like, stabbed your mom." and "I like your boobs." Classy.) But Observe and Report looks promising, being directed by the Eastbound and Down guy and drawing comparisons to Taxi Driver somehow. I think I watched Zack and Miri not sober, because I don't remember much of what happens. For some reason I'm confusing the high school reunion scenes with those from Grosse Point Blank. Anyway, I do remember that this movie is laugh out loud hilarious.

Gosford Park
Speaking of class warfare, there's this ensemble production directed by Robert Altman set at a mansion party in the English countryside. Arguably the best film on this list. Both the well-to-do and the servants who serve them are well-developed characters in a carefully plotted murder-mystery.

Repo Man
Something about aliens living in the trunk of a car and Emilio Estevez.

That's it, I'm off to enjoy the 80 degree temperatures this weekend.