Friday Round-Up

Last weekend, I ventured out to Blockbuster for the first time in three years and picked up the first four A Nightmare on Elm Street movies (although for some reason, I can't stop calling them Friday the 13th). I read the novelization of the original movie when I was a kid, but I don't think I had ever seen the movie. The first film was a pleasant surprise - I always associate the series with a high body count, but there are actually only four deaths. It's weird to go back to where a franchise began and see how far it's strayed from its origins. I felt the same about the original Halloween. It's not the over-the-top murder-fest you come to expect, but rather something more psychological and eerie. The second film was not great, but I kind of liked the third and fourth. They introduced some interesting ideas about manipulating dreams, which is still fascinating to me.

My Netflix picks of the week were A Single Man, RocknRolla and Hannah and her Sisters, and I liked all three. A Single Man was beautifully shot and very affecting. I'm not a big fan of Colin Firth, but I thought he was great. I didn't like Julianne Moore - let's not mention the very poor accent - but the rest of the cast was very good, too. Using cool and warm tones to denote sadness and happiness is such an old trick, but it fit with the visual style of the film, which I loved. RocknRolla was typical Guy Ritchie nonsense, but even with all its myriad characters, it felt more concise and complete than some of his other films. When the graphic at the end promised a sequel, I was actually excited. It was silly and unbelievable and fun, and I would definitely watch another one.

Now, Hannah and her Sisters: I feel like this is becoming the Woody Allen appreciation blog. When I started my little project, I intended to watch as many films as I had to before I found one I loved or I watched and disliked them all. Well, here it is: this is the first one I straight up loved. It has amazing performances, a clear narrative and a genuinely funny subplot (that would be Allen's own story - who knew his character would eventually become my favorite?). Technically, according to the rules I put in place, I can stop now, but now I'm hooked. Next on my list is Sleeper, then I'll take a hiatus for a while. But yes, it's official, I'm a Woody Allen fan.