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Favorite Films:
Kissing Jessica Stein (Charles Herman-Wurmfeld 2001) A Woody Allen-esque lipstick lesbian romp through the fast-paced, twenty-something singles scene in New York. Full of witty rejoinders and awkward sex scenes between the leading ladies and co-writers Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt. A classically cut, independently produced romantic comedy and a must-see for any bi-curious straight girls looking for tips on how to pick up neurotic women.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry 2004) Visually stunning, Michel Gondry is a master of manipulating fantasy, dreamscapes and memory and turning them into palatable forms on the big screen. With Charlie Kaufman as a screenwriter, and Jim Carey and Kate Winslett as the star-crossed lovers, this film becomes one of the most haunting, heart-wrenching love stories of the decade, one that leaves you reeling for redemption and second chances, even if they only exist in the realm of suggestion.
Groundhog Day (Harold Ramis 1993) Bill Murray has the worst day of his life over and over again and Ramis manages to make it not only interesting, but progressively funnier as the days repeat themselves. With such hilarious stock characters as “Needlenose Ned Ryerson” and cameraman Chris Elliot, Groundhog Day takes the uncertainty out of life and uses it as a catalyst for change. And who doesn’t appreciate Andie MacDowell slapping Bill Murray in the face innumerable times, especially when he gets the girl in the end?
Amelie (Jean-Pierre Jeunet 2001) The adorable and spunky version of Jeunet’s modern love story in Paris is a wonderfully colorful and chaotic game of tag, with Audrey Tautou (and who would NOT fall in love with her?) chasing love’s tail and plenty of practical jokes involving garden gnomes and scavenger hunts. Amelie is a whimsical burst of originality, breathing life back into the stagnant genre of the romantic comedy.
The Little Mermaid (Ron Clements, John Musker 1989) A Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale minus the diatribes of Christian suffering and singing crabs! What more could a child ask for? Nothing, says I, a lifelong Little Mermaid fan. This meticulously animated film with its millions of hand-drawn bubbles and insanely catchy soundtrack has won over the hearts of many and remains one of the best Disney films of all times.
Roger & Me (Michael Moore 1989) Before Michael Moore incited the rage of far-flung conservatives everywhere, he incited the rage of conservatives in Flint, Michigan with his poignant documentary Roger & Me, which follows Moore’s pursuit of General Motors chairman Roger Smith, who shut down the GM plant in Flint, leaving the entire town in financial ruin. An ambitious, audacious look at the hypocrisy of big business in America, this film put Moore on the map and brought much-deserved attention to the economic struggle faced by millions of Americans at the hands of corporate greed.
The House of Yes (Mark Waters 1998) A dark, dark comedy with lots of incest, delusion and Kennedy worship are what make this film remarkable. Parker Posey shines in her perky, murderous rages and even Tori Spelling manages to be somewhat less annoying in her role as ditzy fiancé. This film is like watching a comedy with a gun to your head—there’s no getting around the unease of the subject matter, but you will laugh, nonetheless.
Aliens (James Cameron 1986) The second film in the Alien series, Aliens is by far my favorite and was filmed waaaay before James Cameron’s artistic career took a nose-dive. With Sigourney Weaver going Rambo on alien asses, all while putting cowards like Bill Paxton in their place, what more could you want out of a sci-fi horror flick? Oh and let’s not forget the lesbian-coded bad-ass Vasquez’s (Jenette Goldstein) awesome dialogue exchange with Bill Paxton: “Hey Vasquez, ever been mistaken for a man?” Vasquez: “No, have you?”
Best in Show (Christopher Guest 2000) Improvisational, ridiculous and ridiculously funny, Christopher Guest is the best at extracting what makes Americans pathetic and turning them into hilarious caricatures. A master of subtlety, irony and self-deprecation, Best in Show has all the usual suspects—Eugene Levy, Parker Posey, Michael Hitchcock, Catherine O’Hare, etc. and Guest remains one of the true innovators of the century, which is great because he doesn’t have to do anything except point a camera at himself and it’ll be money.
Harold and Maude (Hal Ashby 1971) An intensely erotic and hilarious cult classic that will defy your expectations of on-screen lovers forever, Harold and Maude is brilliantly morbid, raucous and heartfelt. Bud Cort (who did NOT age well) is in his prime and the lovable, energetic Ruth Gordon will steal your heart every time she tries to sexually finagle her way out of a speeding ticket. This film never fails to make me want to run out and listen to Cat Stevens while cruising for chicks at funerals.
Reviews
Bound
Brokeback Mountain
By Hook or By Crook
The Center of the World
Crash (1996)
The Darjeeling Limited - Script Review
The Dreamers
The Elephant Man
G.I. Jane
Happy Holidays
Hedwig and the Angry Inch
Kissing Jessica Stein
The Little Mermaid
Proof
The Public Enemy
Scorsese Retrospective: The Age of Innocence
Scorsese Retrospective: Bringing Out the Dead
Scorsese Retrospective: The King of Comedy
Scorsese Retrospective: Raging Bull
The Sea Inside
The Squid and the Whale
The Stepfather
Stranger Than Fiction
Tipping the Velvet
Tokyo Godfathers
Tristram Shandy
Warm Water Under a Red Bridge
Wilderness Survival For Girls
Chicago International Film Festival 2006
Future Filmmakers
Love Sick
Madeinusa
Paprika
Short Films Program
A Soap
The Zero Years
Chicago International Film Festival 2007
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
I Served the King of England
Irina Palm
One Hundred Nails
The Walker
You, The Living
Reeling
FtF: Female to Femme
Red Doors
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