a filmblog

Under discussion:

Red  (2007)

The need for revenge surfacing after a reclusive old man loses his canine companion to a senseless act of violence by a group of troubled teenagers. When the law fails to dole out the justice deemed necessary by Avery Ludlow (Brian Cox), he takes it upon himself to avenge his dog Red at any cost. Avoiding the cliched trappings of other revenge-themed thrillers, Red focuses on the heart of the subject and captures the flurry of emotions experienced after the loss of a loved one and the chaos that can ensue in the pursuit to honor their memory. Tremendous acting and a solid screenplay elevate this film above others of its ilk.

Under discussion:

Mister Foe  (2008)

Nurturing his disturbing Oedipal complex through the daily journaling of his voyeuristic encounters with his parents and the local townsfolk, Hallam Foe is a unique individual to say the least. Desperate to justify his mothers suicide, Hallam convinces himself that his new step-mother is somehow responsible and begins on a tortured quest to find the answers and maybe himself along the way. However, a mysterious woman glimpsed walking the streets of London that resembles his long dead birth mother disrupts Hallam's notions of what is real, what is imagined, and what it means to live ones life. Mister Foe is a bizarre yet adeptly made film with an apropos eclectic soundtrack.

Under discussion:

A Fistful of Dollars  (1967)

Monty Python and the Holy Grail  (1974)

Sukiyaki Western Django  (2008)

What if ultra-modern, samurai sword wielding Japanese cowboys had participated in the Gold Rush of the mid 19th century in the United States? Sukiyaki Western Django is an anachronistic mishmash that attempts to answer this question by infusing the spaghetti western with traditional Japanese cinema to create a sumptuous feast of the senses made all the more delicious by the random dashes of uncouth American sensibilities thanks in large part to Quentin Tarantino. A story of murder, revenge and redemption; the Japanese love child of A Fistful of Dollars and Monty Python and the Holy Grail.