Alice in the Cities (1974) - existentialist road movie prefiguring Wenders' later Paris, Texas.
Which was best? Well, the first, US, section of AitC had more intensity to offer than the European conclusion. Wenders was still developing here. Colette looked beautiful and had a story to tell, but did not seem to get to the root of what kept the protagonist with Willy so long. Barbie also looked good, Gerwig knew what she wanted to say and articulated it pretty well and entertainingly, if a little schmaltzy - inevitably - towards the end.
I've always been a Wes Anderson junky. This one is a barrage of information, but as charming as ever. The story told via cascading letters is also very fun. Gives Dracula (book) vibes
Oh nice. Didn't realise these were out now as I don't have Netflix. Definitely wanna check them out.
Need to rewatch Ateroid City actually, I watched it with someone clearly not interested who kept talking!
Did you catch the three other short films that accompanied it?
Wes Anderson did a good job on the short films; Netflix really dropped the ball on promoting and bundling them together. I would have never known there were other short films released if I hadn’t looked up the first short film.
Hulu's No One Will Save You (2023). Edit: It's on Disney+Star for those outside of the US
I thought it was very good. While it's only 90 minutes long it lacks dialogue, so I was concerned it might end up feeling a bit slow. Fortunately, I could not have been more wrong. It managed to move along at an impressively brisk pace. I gave it a shot because Stephen King compared it to one of my favorite episodes from the OG Twilight Zone called "The Invaders" (s02e15) and I think he was spot on. The movie clearly owes a lot to that episode without being derivative at all.
So if anyone's looking for a good horror/scifi flick this Halloween I'd highly recommend No One Will Save You. And while you're at it, make it a double feature by ending the night with The Invaders from the original Twilight Zone. It's the perfect double feature and would only take about 2 hours.
I watched Citizen Kane for the first time. It's one I'd never got round to despite it being so lauded. I'll be honest, it being black and white and from 1941, I had prejudged it as I've not been a fan of other films of that era.
Thankfully, It's pretty bloody good! In many ways it feels a more modern film than many that came after it. Yes, some of the acting is a bit hokey, but Orson Welles is great, and the directing, cinematography, and music are all stellar. There's so many bold and interesting choices and often a tangible sense of heightened reality about it. It's an odd film in that it outlines the entire plot in the first 10 minutes, but still hooks you with the central question. What is Rosebud? But, more importantly, who is Charles Foster Kane?