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September 2016 Movies

  1. '71 - Solid beginning, but then just becomes a painfully predictable chase movie. Unoriginal!
  2. Stranger Things - Far from perfect, but one of the more fun series' I've watched in a while.
  3. Detour - 40's B-movie noir. Just over an hour and I loved it. Needs a big time remake.
  4. The Adventures of Prince Achmed - First animated film f0m 1926. Pretty, a little too rapey.
  5. I Killed My Mother - Xavier Dolan writing this at 16, is almost as amazing as the film itself.
  6. The Road - Cormac McCarthy adaptation has me wondering why I bother. Why Viggo, Why?
  7. The Square - Tense documentary. Limited in its focus, but powerful message.
  8. Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon - Brilliant idea, unravels after 30 minutes.
  9. Money Monster - Much better than I anticipated. McConnell was the standout in exciting film.
  10. Broken - Roth is great, but newcomer Eloise Laurence is the star. One of the 10 best of last 5!
  11. Exit To Hell - Kane Hodder Grindhouse film. Easily one of the worst movies ever made. 
  12. 4 Months 3 Weeks And 2 Days - Haunting, tense and remarkable. Simply, yet powerful.
  13. Bait - Shark in a grocery store. Pretty ladies, tough men and sharks. A "so bad" it's good film.
  14. Waltz With Bashir - Powerful adult animation. Beautiful score pushes it into a special category.
  15. Spider Forest - Complex story with one too many twists and way too many lulls. 
  16. A Man Escaped - Bresson's film feels drawn out, but makes Shawshank feel like Prison Break.
  17. Captain America; Civil War - Nothing new. Action action action! No real plot. 
  18. Tabu - Critically acclaimed film that put me to sleep twice. Good or bad? I can't tell you.
  19. Tim's Vermeer - Some minor flaws, but fascinating documentary about the science of painting.
  20. Everybody Street - Street photographers pictures are far more interesting than their words.
  21. 12 - Nikita Mikhalkov's adaptation of 12 Angry Men. Despite a short lull, it is magnificent.
  22. This Is Not A Film - Iranian documentary-style film about censorship. Works in an odd way.
  23. Mouchette - Cinephile card revoked. Completely unaffected by Bresson's highly revered film.
  24. Vagabond - Agnes Varda's masterpiece about the loneliness of freedom and much much more.
  25. The Neon Demon - Is it horror or an 80's video in 2016? It's greatest power is it stays with you.
  26. Les Innocents - Like a stroll through a museum, but can only be described as beautifully sad.
  27. Here Comes the Devil - Spanish Horror film that tries to encompass every genre. Odd? Good?
Top Three: I Killed My Mother, Broken, Vagabond
Bottom Three: The Road, Tabu, Exit to Hell
Biggest Surprise: Money Monster
Biggest Letdown: Mouchette 

A pretty solid month, despite two films I am shocked I hated. Bresson's Mouchette and Tabu. Choosing the top three was very difficult this month, with the three I chose barely edging out 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days, Waltz with Bashir, A Man Escaped, 12 and Les Innocents. This may change as I have not been able to shake Anne Fontaine's Les Innocents. It's so beautifully shot and their are scenes that remind me of painting from the Renaissance and others resemble Edward Hopper's classics. My top 3 and actually, my top eight films this month are truly difficult to endure. All deal with serious conflicts, even death and moral decisions you feel you must make as a viewer. Powerful stuff this month. 

P.S. If you're an 80's kid and haven't checked out Stranger Things yet, it's a must!

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