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2017 Movies: January - March

I haven't watched this few movies in a three months span in years. Normally, I'm good for 25-30 a months, so 40, and not even all full length movies, in three months, is abysmal. Going to bump my top to five...just this month!

So here's my rundown over the last three months. As our president would say...SAD!
  1. Dog Eat Dog - Nic Cage in the most Nic Cage-y movie ever. Dafoe too. So bad it's good!
  2. The Measure Of A Man - Dignity and principles challenged. The acting is mesmerizing.
  3. Real Genius (re-watched) - Silly, possibly bad, but so damn likable. So 80's!
  4. Little Sister - Simple, yet complex story about surviving...life. Addison Timlin dazzles.
  5. Under The Shadow - Iranian horror blends reality, delusion and metaphors almost perfectly.
  6. The Rezort - Jurassic World meets The Walking Dead, written by the folks at Grey's Anatomy.
  7. Mea Culpa - French thriller, uses a cliche premise, but makes it work wonderfully. 
  8. Carnage Park - Solid first hour, then falters in finale. Wonderful performance by lead Bell.
  9. Victim - Short film based on Slenderman story. Felt like a live-action version of online game.
  10. Shorts: 3;07AM, JPGs, Fathom, HAM, Snap - Ham was best of bunch, with John C Reilly.
  11. Queen of Earth - Elisabeth Moss in award worthy role about woman's descent into depression.
  12. Children Shouldn't Play With Dead Things - Awful, but somehow it's pure 70's fun.
  13. The Monster - Openly metaphoric tale of mother's struggle and its affect on her daughter. A+!
  14. Grizzly - 70's animal attack video. Fun, but silly. Jaws with Claws tagline is a hint.
  15. POD - Mickey Keating strikes again, Decent idea, but poorly though out with awful ending.
  16. Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter - Photography helps, but film fails on too many levels. 
  17. Bill Burr: Walk Your Way Out - Strong start, but falters, when audience doesn't respond.
  18. Shorts:  Zero - Decent, but silly ending. Puzzle - Fun, but predictable.
  19. The Collector - Nice premise ruined by repetitive scenes. Silly throw-ins mean nothing.
  20. The Iron Giant - I'm late to this wonderful animated film about friendship and much more.
  21. Ataud Blanco (White Coffin) - Argentinian horror. One of the most unsettling films ever made.
  22. Stutterer - Oscar winning short. A man trapped within himself. Difficult, sad, beautiful.
  23. Shorts: Das Rad - Rocks talking and observing. Edward - Man collects what falls underground.
  24. Howl - Silly werewolf tale, that fails to grab and plays into every cliche, with no message.
  25. Short: Mr. Hublot - Brilliant film about a recluse with OCD and what makes him break.
  26. Sing Street - While not as deep as similar films, it hits every mark it aims for. Pure fun!
  27. Voice Without A Shadow - Early Seijun Suzuki. This noir, shows his style and early promise.
  28. The Handmaiden - Chan-wook Park's beautifully, bold tale excels. Chemistry is amazing.
  29. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Re-watched) - Still one of the greatest of all-time.
  30. Sharkansas Women's Prison Massacre - It was that kind of night. Funny, but not that funny!
  31. American Experience: Leopold and Loeb - Well done, but nothing new.
  32. Jim Norton: Mouthful of Shame - Norton takes taboo subjects and makes them funny.
  33. The Warlords - Epic tale starring Jet Li. Starts strong, but becomes repetitive and cliche.
  34. Ten - Abbas Kiarostami allows Mania Akbari to define being a woman in modern day Iran. 
  35. Train to Busan - Rarely does a horror film surpass the hype. Nothing new, but excels.
  36. The Invitation - Interesting premise plays out almost exactly as predicted. Silly "twist."
  37. Dave Chappelle Netflix - Two parts, each perfectly crafted and somehow allowably offensive.
  38. The Phoenix Tapes '97 - Found footage stays true to footage, but boring, silly finale.
  39. Frailty (Re-watched) - A nearly perfect little thriller. Paxton also directed. He is sorely missed.
  40. Phantom Of The Theatre - Beautifully to look at, but I lost interest quickly. Just misses mark.
Top Three: The Monster, Sing Street, Queen of Earth, The Handmaiden, Ten
Bottom Three: The Rezort, POD, The Phoenix Tapes '97
Biggest Surprise: Train to Busan (which easily could be a top 5)
Biggest Disappointment: Kumiko The Treasure Hunter


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