Aug 13

Aug 13 Michael Powell's “AGE OF CONSENT”

In this 1969 film an ageing and bored successful artist leaves New York for a sun-filled respite on a beautiful but sparsely populated Australian island. There he runs into a teenager who serves as his model. In the process his creative juices start flowing again.

May 4
May 4 Terry Gilliam's THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS

Dennis D. McDonald

Drama, Fantasy, Quirky

“Imaginarium” is an inventive and fun film that becomes more engrossing as it unfolds.

Apr 26

Apr 26 Peter Jackson's HEAVENLY CREATURES

Dennis D. McDonald

Drama, Fantasy, Intelligent, Peter Jackson, Quirky, Teens

Once more DVD technology comes through by making available an older film no longer in general theatrical release, this time Peter Jackson’s 1994 HEAVENLY CREATURES.

Mar 22

Mar 22 Ricky Gervais & Matthew Robinson's THE INVENTION OF LYING

Dennis D. McDonald

Comedy, Fantasy, Intelligent, One of a Kind, Quirky, Romantic, Sweet

What a subversive little film this is. And sweet. And funny. And unexpected.

Nov 5

Nov 5 Timur Bekmambetov's DAY WATCH

Dennis D. McDonald

Action, Comedy, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, One of a Kind, Quirky, Science Fiction, Vampires, Russian

I see elements from The Matrix, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and Resident Evil. And vampires, of course.

Oct 14
Oct 14 Henry Selick's CORALINE

Dennis D. McDonald

Animated, Fantasy, Horror, One of a Kind, Quirky

Don’t be misled. This is one scary movie.

Sep 14

Sep 14 The Polish Brothers' NORTHFORK

Dennis D. McDonald

Drama, Fantasy, Intelligent, One of a Kind, Quirky, Spouse Approved

This is a beautiful, entrancing, enigmatic, and mesmerizing movie about death.

Aug 31

Aug 31 Quentin Tarentino's INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS

Dennis D. McDonald

Another Time & Place, Emotional, Fantasy, History, One of a Kind, Quirky, War

This is some movie. It’s scary, emotionally draining, funny, exciting, tense, thoughtful, violent, whimsical, cruel, and in a few places, just plain weird.

Jun 4
Jun 4 Tarsem Singh’s THE FALL

Dennis D. McDonald

Action, Another Time & Place, Drama, Fantasy, One of a Kind, Quirky

Although visually arresting, I thought Tarsem Singh’s THE CELL was inuman, inhumane, and tawdry. THE FALL is also visually gorgeous. It’s also clever, imaginative, and touching.

Jun 3

Jun 3 Mamoru Oshii's “THE SKY CRAWLERS”

Dennis D. McDonald

Action, Aircraft, Animated, Another Time & Place, Drama, Fantasy, Japanese, Oshii, Quirky, War, Steampunk

Wonderfully animated, this moody anime adventure combines elements of 1984 (perpetual warfare), Blade Runner (androids with fuzzy memories), Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honneamise (alternate history and retro-futuristic aircraft), and Dark City (constant recycling of character experiences and events).

Mar 7

Mar 7 Kurt Neumann’s “Kronos”

Dennis D. McDonald

One of a Kind, Quirky, Robots, Science Fiction

Nov 1

Nov 1 Alex Proyas' “DARK CITY”

Dennis D. McDonald

Action, Another Time & Place, Crime, Drama, Fantasy, Intelligent, Mystery, One of a Kind, Proyas, Quirky, Science Fiction

This is what I wrote in my blog when, once upon a time in Indiana, I found myself working late at night with the TV turned on:

Sep 25
Sep 25 David Koepp's GHOST TOWN

Dennis D. McDonald

Comedy, Fantasy, Quirky

This is a sweet comedy that doesn’t, for the most part, descend into mawkishness or treacle.

Nov 21
Nov 21 Bruce A. Evans' MR. BROOKS

Dennis D. McDonald

Mystery, Quirky

What a delightfully twisted little film this is! What could have been a run-of-the-mill mystery is pumped up immensely by clever dialog, crisp editing and direction, and most of all, by terrific performances by Kevin Costner and William Hurt.

Jan 6

Jan 6 Powell & Pressburger's A CANTERBURY TALE

Dennis D. McDonald

Classic, Emotional, Mystery, One of a Kind, Quirky

I admit to being somewhat of an Anglophile, so I was prepared to like A Canterbury Tale as delivered by the crisply produced Criterion DVD.

Feb 16

Feb 16 MirrorMask

Dennis D. McDonald

Quirky, Turkey

These are the words I would use to describe this gorgeous-to-look-at film:

Feb 6

Feb 6 Higuchinsky's UZUMAKI

Dennis D. McDonald

Ghosts, Horror, Japanese, Quirky, Weird, Magic

Things in this town are so weird that we cannot take it seriously, yet they are familiar enough to generate a sense of foreboding.

Sep 30
Sep 30 Andrew Davis' HOLES

Dennis D. McDonald

Quirky

What a refreshing film this is! It's unlike any kids' movie I've ever seen.

Aug 8

Aug 8 Jim Jarmusch's “MYSTERY TRAIN”

Dennis D. McDonald

Quirky, Jarmusch

This 1989 movie tells three stories about people in Memphis whose lives almost intersect based on their staying one night in the same seedy hotel. The first story is about a young Japanese couple, visiting Memphis by train, who are paying homage to the roots of rock and roll. The young woman reveres Elvis while the young man reveres Carl Perkins.

Aug 5

Aug 5 Katsuhiro Ôtomo's “STEAMBOY”

Dennis D. McDonald

Animated, Japanese, Quirky, Robots, Anime, Steampunk

At the end of Steamboy the credits roll over a series of detailed pictures that project the main characters of the movie into the future. We see Ray Steam’s inventions unfold even further, and they include flight and airplanes. And we see Scarlett defiantly staring into the camera as well as she shares Ray’s future.