#96 - FINAL DESTINATION 5-FILM COLLECTION
2000-2011
If Alfred Hitchcock were alive today to watch the entire Final Destination franchise, he would say, “Exactly.”
These films, objectively and without peer, have some of the greatest visual filmmaking you will see in the 21st century. They are chockful of exacting, agonizing, brilliant machines of suspense generation and invention.
It’s also got that perfect horror franchise curve from “a pretty serious first entry” into a middle “very silly” chunk that slides into “back to basics” toward the end.
These flicks absolutely whip ass lol
VERDICT: STAYS AND PLAYS
#97 - FOCUS
2015; dir. Glenn Ficarra, John Requa; starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro
This is a perfectly adequate sick-day cable TV movie. You flip to TNT in a daze, you say, “Oh right, I forgot this came out,” you daze in and out of consciousness, you think, “That was alright,” you forget about it the next day.
There is one absolutely killer scene, and that is thanks to the absolute killer BD Wong. But the rest of it - despite being a con man caper comedy starring two of our brightest movie stars - just doesn’t have the juice. And I sincerely don’t get how you do that with this premise and these stars! This should be more than “fine during a cold”!!
VERDICT: GOES AWAY
#98 - FOXCATCHER
2014; dir. Bennett Miller; starring Channing Tatum, Mark Ruffalo, Steve Carell
A weirdly superb pairing with A Face in the Crowd. It’s a horror film in prestige drama clothing, it has a ton of agonizing, prescient things to say about America, class, wealth, masculinity, power, professionalism vs. “it’s personal” - and it’s centered around a terrifying turn from a beloved television comedy actor!
On its own merits, though, this film has staying power and thensome. It’s sticky, heavy, bone-sticking cinema, visually constructed with patience and a POV that somehow, beautifully threads the needle between objectivity and subjectivity. Channing Tatum does selfless, heart-wrenching work, and Mark Ruffalo’s conscience is a welcome respite from all the agony and horror - until the thing the movie is about happens to him, whoops, lol.
Underrated work from an underrated auteur who made something so bold and bleak it’s a minor miracle any mainstream American distributor released it.
VERDICT: STAYS AND PLAYS
#99 - FREDDY GOT FINGERED
2001; dir. Tom Green; starring Tom Green, Rip Torn, Marisa Coughlan
I’ve owned this particular DVD for over 20 years. I have beaten the “Freddy Got Fingered is an art-surrealist masterpiece” drum as loudly as possible to whoever will listen during this entire time. I was so excited to pop this sucker in and give it another go…
…and after 20+ years of service, this particular DVD was too scratched up to play correctly. Heartbreaking!!!
So, until someone like a Vinegar Syndrome gives this one-of-a-kind treasure its rightful 4K restoration, this must be:
VERDICT: GOES AWAY
#100 - THE FRENCH DISPATCH
2021; dir. Wes Anderson; starring Owen Wilson, Bill Murray, Jeffrey Wright
The platonic ideal of a Wes Anderson joint, for three reasons:
It is constantly funny, and it’s such a damn joy to see such a wonderful filmmaker remain committed to being a comedy filmmaker.
It is constantly, sneakily, emotionally devastating, particularly in its performances. Jeffrey Wright in particular gloms onto my heart and does not let go. It is haunting, powerful, peerless stuff.
It is an absolute goddamn stupendous piece of visual candy, a cinematic confection full of imaginative delights for no reason other than “it’s delightful and wonderful.” I feel like culture sometimes punishes artists (especially film artists, especially in the age of “endings explained” and “cinema sins”) for following their muse and flights of fancy for no reason beyond “art for art’s sake.” We need to get back to that and we need to celebrate that.
I love this damn movie very, very much. When they inevitably double-dip it on Criterion a few years from now, I’ll buy it again, then.
VERDICT: STAYS AND PLAYS
Thanks for checking out Greg’s Blu-Rays A-To-Z! Next week: At least one “perfect movie” and at least one “absolute clunker stinko.”