Pop&Coffee’s Film Reviews

About me: Wearer of beard. Lover of Patrick Swayze. ’murican.

79 Films have been rated or reviewed by Pop&Coffee.

Utu - Redux (1983-2013): I dug this a lot. Hard action, rad characters, and enough mythologized boogie–men to make Tarantino excited. Certainly the coolest NZ flick I've seen since moving here.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $14.95, ~~$39.95~~ $24.95, ~~$39.95~~ $34.95 | Blu-Ray ~~$39.95~~ $34.95
Harlan County USA (1976): Hot damn. A multi generational look at folk who're as articulate as they are passionate, and an ace soundtrack. You could argue that they could have talked to the mining company to be more fair–minded, but if you criticise that, you're missing the point
Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The (1970): This movie's as pretty as it is empty. It has a cool score and some rad set pieces, and as an Argento fan I'm glad I saw it. But it's basically for existing Argento/Giallo fans, only.
Angel Face (1952): Robert Mitchum at his dreamiest. Bonus points for an unexpected ending that made my heart skip a beat. Amoral noir gold.
General, The (1926): Some great physical stunt work, but as an American I was a bit unsettled by Keaton waving a confederate flag. Not as funny as Steamboat Bill Jr, but hot damn are those stunts harrowing.
Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy (1996): I was never a kids in the hall fan, so I'm not sure how much of this I got. But there was some inspired stuff here, and the homoerotic jokes were clearly ahead of their time. It's funniest when it's not trying too hard.
THX-1138 (1970): Holy cats, this is Lucas!? The visuals are stunning, the ideas are prescient, and the sound is crazy. I tend to hate hard scifi, and I still loved this one.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Millennium Actress (2001): Probably great, but hoo–boy, that dubbing is rough. Still, a fascinating walkthrough of Japanese cinema in a touching frame.
Platoon (1986): Pauline Kael nailed it when she said, "Oliver Stone is talented but tasteless." The battle scenes are inspired, but the morality is heavy handed and the characters are... well, sort of shit. I'm glad I saw it, but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to any
Holy Mountain, The (1974): This movie is great if you take the visuals as–is without reading too much into them. And I mean that with high praise. Stunning set pieces, some rad characters, and one dude with a killer mohawk. I dig El Topo more, but this movie is a perfect 1am flick.
Airheads (1993): My tolerance for this movie may be coloured by my being of a certain age. Buscemi is rad, Fraser is pretty, and Sandler got some belly laughs from me, despite myself. If you want more from that in a Lorne Michaels comedy, I don't know what to tell you.
Crossfire (1947): I admit it: I have a man crush on Rober Mitchum and I'll watch him in anything. This noir is preachy and pretty rudimentary, but its message is terrifyingly relevant to contemporary America. "Hatred is like a gun" ...hoo boy.
Wet Hot American Summer (2001): This cast is amazing and it's a charming and often hilarious spoof of teen movies and 80s culture, but it goes too far off the rails too many times for me. Great if you're marathoning movies at 2am, though.
Russian Ark (2002): Certainly not for everyone, but it's a visually stunning film and a novel walkthrough of Russian history. The technical feats are astounding, but ultimately get in the way of the point. The making of featurette is actually more engrossing.
Birds, The (1963): I love Hitchcock, I hate this movie. Plodding pace and far more silly than creepy. It's a shame it's not worth the literal torture Hitchcock put poor Tippi Hedren through. rnrnI love the wardrobe, though.; DVD ~~$19.95~~ $14.95
Incendies (2010): The twist feels a bit shock–cheese, but that's not the point: a poignant look at how we regard enemies and allies in wartime. Beautiful cinematography and a stellar cast bring this harrowing experience to life. Made me want to call my ma.
Adventures of Ford Fairlane, The (1990): I say good enough, but I'd happily watch this again for the lunacy. Too dumb and silly to enjoy for grownups, to raunchy for children. It seems to exist to show you how Andrew Dice Clay sees himself in his idealised universe.
Deep Red (1976): The story is nonsense and the characters are as weird and implausible as they are stylish, but that's not why you come to movies like these. Great soundtrack, terrifying stalking sequences, stylish soundtrack, and some amazing locations.
Bonnie and Clyde (1967): Weird double feature with Sullivan's Travels. Has a look at these larger than life banks robbers that evolves with the public perception of them. Sensual–as, and Gene Hackman slays in this movie. Special bit part by fellow Wisconsinite Gene Wilder.
Sullivan's Travels (1941): Witty writing and peak–Veronica Lake keep this movie feeling fresh, even when the jokes haven't aged well. There's a prat fall that takes AGES. But the film takes some unexpected turns and has a prescient laugh at celebrity charity culture.
Girlfight (2000): This is a middling–to–poor movie that's elevated by a Michelle Rodriguez performance that's so good, it makes you wonder why she's relegated to Fast and the Furious. Otherwise, by numbers storyline and watches like 90's indie; Kusama will do better.
Night of the Hunter, The (1955): This is in so many ways the most perfect American film, with a pitch perfect Robert Mitchum, dreamy visuals, nightmare–logic storyline, and some of the spookiest shots this side of horror. Southern Gothic personified.
City of Lost Children (1995): I love this movie, but I would understand if it was accused of being too precious and plotless. The visual aesthetic and circus character–filled universe are worth it to me, and I think the movie is flawlessly cast.
Assault On Precinct 13 (1976): Subtract a star if you don't swoon for grainy late night films. I love the score, and the cartoonishly evil gang. Some great camera shots and mood–building atmosphere in spades, all packaged in a taught 90 minutes. Loved it.
A Bout de Souffle (Breathless) (1959): Am I simply too young to appreciate French new wave? I just can't appreciate despicable characters being rewarded for being terrible, even while they're being punished. I don't care how it's shot. This is the shortest movie that's ever felt too long.
French Connection, The (1971): It's intense and gritty, but we've done better. Am I meant to root for Popeye Doyle? Because he's a wretch. Am I meant to be following this story? Because it's barely there. Is this even technically an ending? I loved the sound, pace, and chase, thoug; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
Hugo (2011): Dreamy and fairy tale–like, in the most old fashioned way. Wonderfully cast and set in a universe I always enjoy returning to. And I love the score and set design. Poignant love letter to Melies. My partner didn't like it, but she's wrong.; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Delicatessen (1992): Jeunet showing what a "Jeunet film" is early on. Oddball characters, rube–goldberg devices, hideous faces, and a firm belief in the goodness of the average Joe. One of the better dystopian scifi films around.
Tickled (2016): If you have no idea what this doco is about, watch it now before you learn anything more. This movie zigs when you expect it to zag, and tells a pretty captivating story by the time it's done. Maybe a bit sympathetic, but never overstays its welcome.
Machete (2010): This movie is saved by the contemporary news of America's horror–relationship with the border. Machete is an epic bogeyman. Michelle Rodriguez might be the most underrated actress working today. And I'm always here for Rober Rodriguez.
Big Lebowski, The (1998): This is a movie I like more every time I see it. A great noir tale with an unlikely hero, with jokes in spades. To watch this movie is to be invited into a broader cultural conversation, and that alone is worthwhile. The flawless performances are gravy.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962): Ok, stunning landscapes, beautiful shots, wildly influential. I get it. Also, problematic brown face, and easilly 40 min to long. The framing device didn't work for me. Desert shots were stunning.
Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter (2014): It's a beautiful movie, for certain. And a compelling build on an American–favorite urban legend. And Rinko Kikuchi is stunning in this. But despite all of that, I can't think of a compelling reason to watch this movie.
Fargo (1996): Beautiful cinematography. Masterclass acting. Fabulous rural noir, with a great score to boot. And yet, as a Midwesterner, I can't help but feel a bit made fun of by the Minnesota–charactures.
Y Tu Mama Tambien (And Your Mother Too!) (2001): A frank discussion about the birds and the bees, but also about male love and "two Mexicos", and life in the face of death. Beautifully shot.
Fellini's 8 1/2 (1963): I adored this movie and I connected with it almost immediately. I was fully prepared to be dismissive of it, but I was captivated by the spirit and Id.
Anvil: The Story of Anvil (2008): Not sure why this documentary exists. Is it just to show a plucky–enough band persist despite being culturally irrelevant and rejected at large? I don't know what's to get me invested in their success, and their story is common without being relatable.
Prisoners (2013): People around me loved this; did I miss something? I didn't empathise with this story of a how a person goes to reclaim their loved ones. The puzzle seemed more grindhouse–silly than dramatically compelling. Good cast, but for Villeneuve completists only
Con Air (1997): This is a sort of perfect bad movie. Star–studded with a bizarrely 90s score, and peak scenery–chewing Cage. It's the sort of movie that leaves you no different for having seen it. I would believe anything you told me about the production of this movie.
Wayne's World (1992): Don't worry, guys. If this movie somehow gets wiped off the face of the earth, I can basically recreate it, shot for shot, from memory.
Death to Smoochy (2002): Sorry, Aroview: the movie clearly states Smoochy's fuchsia. Everybody was obviously having a blast making this delightful black comedy, which goes in every direction except the ones I expected. Also, a good highlight of how shot Jon Stewart is.
Mother (2009): Compelling noir mystery that's at turns funny, sweet, and tragic. Stunning to look at, and it made me realise I haven't called my mom in awhile, so that's something. I'd recommend this to anybody.; DVD $19.95
Darkman (1990): The magic might not hit you if you weren't born between '82 and '88, but this perfect fever dream of Batman, Dick Tracy, and Phantom of the Opera makes for one of the most fun and pure superhero movies around.
Swing Time (1936): Sweet and often very funny, but the black face and the lack of consequences for any poor or toxic choices Lucky makes keeps me from loving this weird PSA for gambling. Great dancing, but far from the greatest musical.
Nacho Libre (2006): I love lucha libre and Napoleon Dynamite, and I was fully expecting to enjoy this film. It's beautiful, with plenty of rich saturated colour. That's maybe the only kind thing I can say; I don't think I so much as cracked a smile while watching this.
Mask of Zorro, The (1998): No matter how much guy liner they put on Hopkins, he's not latino. Still, it's a fun, stunt–driven swashbuckling family film of the variety that they don't seem to make anymore. It's great if you don't look too hard.; DVD ~~$15~~ $11.25
Step Brothers (2008): I was prepared to love this movie, and was disappointed that it barely stands up. Adam Scott is unexpectedly great, and there are a few moments, but it fails to live up to its potential, given the talent behind it.
Evil Dead 2 (1987): You either love it or you don't. But if you can't get behind a mounted taxidermy head cackling at Bruce Campbell or his eponymous delivery of "groovy", we're probably not friends.
Ben-Hur (1959): It's easy to watch this movie and think "great" but really mean "expensive". Heston mostly acts through the veins in his neck. Dawdling script that mostly just connects set pieces. The chariot scene is harrowing, though.
Whip It (2009): This is kind of a dumb paint–by–number movie with no stakes that manages to skate (eh?) by with a plucky attitude and a spirit of growing up in a small crap town, only to find a scene that you can grow into. Soundtrack made me nostalgic as hell for 2006.; DVD ~~$15~~ $11.25
Evil Dead, The (1981): For all of the camp fun in this movie, it also manages to provide a sense of dreadful isolation that always makes this film creepier than I remember. I'm a sucker for these practical fx, and this entry balances the madcap/horror line best of the series.
Videodrome (1983): Very cool practical fx decorate a bizarre "violent entertainment as boogie man" narrative. Some people may be bothered by the ambiguous narrative and hyper violent imagery, but I was more bothered by James Woods.
Colour Me Kubrick: A True...ish Story (2005): Charming and a good story, but the film never bothers to engage with why people were willing to accept that Conway was Kubrick, which to me is the most interesting element. Even at 86min it feels overstretched, and it never justifies its existence.
Tootsie (1982): I realise this is a classic and a model for great screenplays, but I feel like it breaks down to "entitled drama actor engages with female stereotypes to steal a role from some other hardworking actress, constantly lies, and never faces consequences."
Bad Lieutenant (1992): It starts out with several scenes of peak–Keitel one upping himself for depravity and self loathing, until it dares to ask whether an evil person can ever be redeemed, and becomes more than the sum of its parts. The Mets game framing device is stellar.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1987): Moody and still pretty shocking. The cast is wonderful, especially Rooker. The videotape scene is the most notorious, but the conversation Rooker and the sister have at the kitchen table is just as creepy. Not for everyone, but perfect at what it is.
Hot Rod (2007): I actually really like the people in this cast, but they never really gel and it's seldom funny. My partner saw the "cool. beans" scene and said, "this is what it's like to have a brother." That's the most positive thing we have to say.
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002): Certainly not as good as Old Boy, but lives up to the title in that you invest in everyone's story, leaving you with violence as grim as it's stylish. A great tilt after the first act. Messy, but affecting.
Killers, The (1946): Great cast and I love the framing device, but I never really fell for any of the characters. At the end of the day, this feels like a "next step" noir. That said, the diner scene and the boxing sequence are flawless.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969): Add one star if you're a 007 fan. Great score, swank 60's production design. Lazenby is my favourite punch–thrower of all of the Bonds. Plot equal measures silly and straight–forward.
Jess + Moss (Jess and Moss) (2011): Self consciously self–important, but pretty rock solid. Do you yearn for long youthful summers where the days shook away and you found something in nothing? Do you find something vaguely sinister in hindsight? This one's for you.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012): Feels like the most divisive Anderson film, but the "everyone just trying to make it work" themes on display always hit me super hard with this one. "I love you, but you don't know what you're talking about" always breaks my heart. Khaki scout for l
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993): This is a great film noir that happens to feature Batman. Beautifully rendered universe, impeccable voice acting, a haunting score, and a screenplay suitable for the best of RKO make this my favorite superhero movie by a mile.
Never Dead, The (Phantasm) (1979): A rad score and that–guy–who–yelled–at–you–in–church–that–one–time as a villain doesn’t save this from being 12 minutes of film with heaps of padding. More fun than good, but I mean that in a nice way. Good choice if it’s 2am.
Raw (Grave) (2016): Starts as ultra stylish, cringe–inducing shock horror and slowly becomes more cohesive, and somehow more unsettling. I'd recommend it, but I'm not sure to who.
Across 110th Street (1972): I dug the hell out of this movie. Great mob/police thriller in a film universe so developed I felt like I knew my way through the neighbourhood. Strangely mature about racial unrest, some great villains, and a killer Bobby Womack song, to boot.
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1966): A tour–de–force of camp and seediness that's too much fun to feel guilty about watching. Great characters and a surprisingly gritty storyline, this is more than just a celebration of breasts. But there's a lot of that, too.
Baseball (1994-2010): This is great if you want to have conversations about baseball with old men. But I'm pretty annoyed that in 22 hours they talk to Stephen Jay Gould and Billy Crystal, but never Bob Uecker. I know I'm a Brewer fan, but come on.; DVD $79.95
On the Waterfront (1954): This is no doubt a great movie, but that's mostly because Brando is so constantly compelling. I'm sure it seemed thrillingly subversive in its time, but it feels self congratulatory and cheeseball, today.
Iron Giant, The (2000): A bit slow–paced and you have to swoon for 1950s America setting to really hit you, but it's a guileless story with impossibly charming characters. I love the design during the robot rampage.
Ponyo (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea) (2008): Sweet, impossibly innocent, and beautifully rendered. It's difficult not to feel pure joy as all of the sea creatures swim across the screen.; DVD $34.95 | Blu-Ray $39.95
Total Recall (1990): Solid Arnie–performance, as far as that goes. Stellar visual fx; classic kitsch sci–fi that I'd recommend to anyone.
Out of the Past (1947): A slimy Kirk Douglas, a cool–as–silk Mitchum, and Greer as the perfect femme fatale. Visual poetry by Tourneur as he tells the tale of a man falling by his poor choices. The best noir you never saw.
Tampopo (1986): This is a great movie about being in love with food, and the desire for perfection. Reverent without being serious, stylish without feeling laboured, and filled with bottomless charm.
F for Fake (1974): Orson Welles could read a road side diner menu out loud and it would be worth watching. The fact that this movie also happens to be a compelling look at the nature of fakes, trust, and the nature of value makes this a must–watch.
Last Boy Scout, The (1991): Shane Black too self conscious to be clever. Bruce Willis doesn't phone in so much as send a telegram. Damon Wayans. This isn't the worst 90s action movie I can think of, but that's the highest praise I can think of and that's pretty sad.
Soylent Green (1973): Even though everybody alive knows the shock ending, this movie is better than expected. The dystopian setting has a lot of cool details, and Edward G Robinson is as good as Charlton Heston is terrible.
Fly, The (1986): Come for the gross–out body horror, stay for the lovingly crafted relationship between Davis peak–fox Goldblum. You could bill this movie as "rom–com where everything goes horribly wrong, and even the most vile character finds a moment of heroism."
Smokey and the Bandit (1977): This is a mostly garbage movie saved by a pretty great Jerry Reed soundtrack and some super rad belt buckles. It gets a bonus point for answering the question, "where the hell did baby boomers get their misguided concept of masculinity from?"

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Pop&Coffee’s Film Reviews