Letterboxd — Your life in film

In my head for years this was the best Star Trek movie.

Uh... I don't think so anymore. In fact, the majority of the second act is a complete bore. I'd even go on record that Khan doesn't do much for me anymore as a villain, the magic after only a few viewings has worn off and now I see Ric Flair in a Eurovision costume. The crew are even a lot more stoic and cold than I remembered through too much of this thing. And then there's Kirstie Alley and whatshisface with the tied up sweater, good lord.

I don't see how this is a sci fi classic. I see mostly a fine piece of straight faced 80s camp carried by lovable iconic characters. What is this extra level I've either lost or have possibly always had missing?

After 4 watches still my no 1 of 2012

The strangest, most divisive comedy special in some time. We're talking Kaufman territory here, or at least something like what a Tom Green standup special would have looked like in 1999. Like Kaufman, I can't say it's particularly.. funny? but Schaal goes so far out of her way to put out an uncomfortable experience of failure that I can't help but admire.

After watching I went to read some reviews of it and the number of people who thought she had a legitimate meltdown makes me weep for humanity. I mean a kid got in stage and upstaged her standup, people. Come on.

I'm a big Cronenberg fan but not so much of Burroughs, which is why it took this long to finally get around to this one. And... it's good. A non-linear narrative that I went to Wikipedia to help me make sense of, thinking I was missing something when really it was as weird as is on face value, I appreciated it simply as a cool, weird, and gross experience, the likes of which few if any are really doing these days.

An ever so slight downturn on rewatch for something that was in my top 10 last year is still enough that it wouldn't be in my top 10 anymore.

I was not much a fan of Take Shelter so I was a little apprehensive going into this but mostly had an open mind. ....and Mud continues Matthew's streak nicely.

Mud is very much a Southern Gothic, Mark Twain-y piece of work, a bit of coming of age, a bit straight up thriller, and eventually a bit wild west, in a surprisingly un-sticky looking, gorgeous backdrop in Arkansas, where young Ellis and Neckbone come across Mud, who is living out in the wild preparing for... something. The mystery carries you through a deliberately (read: slow) paced film that does indeed drag at points as character motivations are revealed and have to settle into the next stage of the plot. There is a point where most viewers would get ahead of the characters, but once they've caught up the final act is quite thrilling.

Everyone is solid to great here, save perhaps Reese Witherspoon in a role not really worthy of her talent, not bad but just there. The young actor playing Ellis will certainly be seen again.

Mud is an easy recommendation and a great example of summer counter-programming. Make sure you catch up with this one sooner rather than later.

A slightly underrated De Palma film. Nicely paced and trashy, it manages to be appropriately cast but at the same time it's that casting that puts a ceiling on how good this can be.