Tag Archives: surrealism
August 2016 Favourites
Hello everyone! I’m back from a little unplanned/unexpected/unannounced hiatus from blogging. Work has been slightly nuts this month, so I’ve been coming home and trying to get as little ‘screen time’ as possible. However, that has not stopped me from becoming obsessed with the Jackson Hole town square livestream (seriously necessary viewing). I’ve been watching […]
The Taste of Tea (2004): A sip of whimsy and charm.
Originally posted on FILM GRIMOIRE:
You might be able to tell that I have a special obsession with Japanese film. I find that the surrealism and humour of Japanese film tends to be in a class of its own, and The Taste of Tea (2004) is no exception to this. This charming film follows the movements…
Two Short Films: Amnesiac (2012); Storytime (1968).
Recently I have been enjoying watching lots of surreal short films – films where the craziness is so intense for such a short period of time that it leaves you pondering the meaning of life itself. Here are two shorts that I watched recently which have completely blown my mind.
Two Short Films: Midnight Parasites (1972); The Fall of the House of Usher (1928).
Today I watched two short films, both of which were surreal and amazing, but very different from one another.
Synecdoche New York (2008): Quick-shot review!
A riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a conundrum. Synecdoche New York (2008) is a masterpiece straight out of the mind of Charlie Kaufman, the genius behind Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004). This is a film where the lines between reality and illusion are increasingly blurred, especially when it comes to reflecting […]
Two Silent Shorts: The Seashell and the Clergyman (1928), Un Chien Andalou (1929).
My obsession with short silent film continues! Here are two shorts that I watched recently, reviewed in paragraph form. Spoiler alert: these are both amazing films.
Holy Motors (2012): “Our life is about to change.”
Do you have a particular ability to tolerate the ambiguous? Are you comfortable watching films that test the limits of suspension of disbelief? Then I would suggest watching Holy Motors (2012), directed by Leos Carax. In this film, Denis Lavant plays Monsieur Oscar, a mysterious individual whose job involves attending mysterious appointments – of which […]
Daisies (1966): “Nobody understands anything.”
A truly whimsical spectacular, Vera Chytilová’s Daisies (1966) is one of those films that all fans of the surreal should see. Initially banned by Czechoslovak authorities due to “depicting the wanton”, Daisies tells the story of two young girls named Marie, who become aware that society has become spoiled. Since society has gone bad, they […]
The Holy Mountain (1973): “Real life awaits us.”
1973 was a pretty good year for films. You’ve got The Exorcist, Soylent Green, my second favourite Bond film Live and Let Die, among many other amazing films. Most importantly, you’ve got The Holy Mountain, directed by the one and only Alejandro Jodorowsky. I’m going to borrow a synopsis from IMDb for this one, since […]
if…. (1968): “Violence and revolution are the only pure acts.”
Winner of the Palm d’Or at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival, Lindsay Anderson’s if…. (1968) is a strange film which shines a light on the trials and tribulations of life at a boarding school for boys. It is the start of a new term at the school. Mick Travis (Malcolm McDowell) is the ringleader of […]
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