During the last Criterion sale, I took a gamble and bought the Brazil Blu-ray. A gamble because I had started watching it once before, several years ago, but abandoned it. But I reasoned, really, could it be any more up my alley? A visionary filmmaker, a world built from the scratch of our world, bold ideas and bold visuals. I’d heard bits and pieces about the troubles and the studio problems and everything else (looking forward to checking out the…

I was struck by how beautiful this movie was, both in its story and in its cinematography. I already knew most of the beats of the movie, but that didn't diminish its impact on me. I actually wasn't really paying full attention throughout (more a reflection of my state of mind than of the movie itself), but somehow I was still moved to tears at the end. Jake Gyllenhal and Heath Ledger brought excellently nuanced complexity to Jack and Ennis.…

I'm not sure at this point that I can actually separate the circumstances under which I saw this film with the film itself.

When I got to the theatre, I wasn't expecting to see The Master. I had bought tickets to see Baraka in 70mm; I knew that there was a sneak peek going on that day, but I had assumed it was happening later, after Baraka. It wasn't until I picked up my tickets and the ticket lady asked…

The night is dark and full of terrors.

I hadn't seen this since high school, and had forgotten almost everything except the first murder and the ending.

I had forgotten so much. It is a perfect example of letting the mind fill in the blanks to create an even more powerful effect than showing the actual violence. What we do see, the aftermath of violence, the characters' reactions, and the dark and disgusting atmosphere, is horrifying enough. The lust kill,…