2021 A Year at the Movies (Best and Worst)

This year I saw over 140 2021 features and 31 films at the cinema.  I make a list every year of the best and worst releases of the year.  Recently, I somehow erased all but last year's list, so here goes nothing.  

January: Outdoor Screenings

Films Seen in a Theater: MLK/FBI

The beginning of  the year offered no decent mainstream releases and no interesting low rent ones. The art theater at the time was only doing outside screenings, very well handled outdoor screenings; they had patio heaters; they had popcorn and a drink waiting at my seat. The only issues with the outdoor screenings are bugs and especially traffic noise; it really takes you out of the film especially if the flick is only mildly diverting. 

 A film that might have been a fun outdoor screening (in a mondo sort of way) Grizzly II, a film I bought sight unseen. It had a star-studded cast (George Clooney, Laura Dern and Charlie Sheen each for about 30 seconds), and the original (from 45 years ago, this sequel sat unreleased for decades) is so darn good. But this one is hard to follow (not just because it is poorly lit) and has no real narrative. It is 40 minutes of movies padded out to twice the length. I put it as the third worst film of the year.

                                      

 My 9th best film of the year, the big bright spot of January, is Psycho Goreman, the story of a demanding little girl and an alien warmonger that may just like hunky boys. This has cult classic written all over it, great costume design, fun effects. It is on Shudder currently.

February: No Steven Seagal

Films Seen in a Theater: Mad Hatter

I only went to the cinema once in February because I always go for my birthday. I was still a month from vaccination. I saw this film because it featured Michael Berryman. It was a chamber horror piece with a cool sounding villain that barely took up any screen time. It ranks number 6 on my worst of list.

For a few months theaters were picking up anything any studio put out. That is how I saw Mad Hatter. I was hoping things might get so low I could see a Steven Seagal movie in a theater like I did as a teen, but things never got that low. Tom and Jerry opened this month and made a bit of money and made studios a bit braver and release schedules a bit more selective, at least here. Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar arrived in a few theaters in February and made 33 grand; many people act as though that was not a fair outcome. It was. Every year, an off the wall comedy comes out and some people find it funny; some find it torture. Holmes and Watson is a good example. Like Holmes and Watson, this film has exactly one laugh; it involves Kermit the Frog.  Barb and Star have number 8 on my worst of list.

March: A Certain Lack of Understanding

Films Seen in a Theater: Canyonlands 

I have not caught up with And Just Like That, but I thought Kristin Davis was fantastic in Deadly Illusions. She gave that film her all, but nothing else worked because the erotic thriller aspects never quite gelled even as spoof. Another  film that that did not focus on what works in its genre was Cosmic Sin. Bruce Willis tried (I think) as the tough guy, but it was undone by a lack of budget and a lack of creativity. Cosmic Sin ranks number 9 on my worst of list. 

My Salinger Year, also released in March, is my number one worst film of the year. Margaret Qualley was fantastic in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood; she registers zero here as a college grad put in charge of answering letters meant for JD Salinger sent to Salinger's old publishing house. She is supposed to send a form letter because Jerry has no interest in encouraging correspondence for good reason but instead answers the letters herself. She knows nothing about Salinger and finally doesn't really care for his work. The book this movie was based on  is good and thoughtful. In the movie, the lead character just seems like a dolt with a bad boyfriend and a chip on her shoulder. I guess Chasing Holden is still the best Salinger movie, unless you count Wes Anderson, who cribs from Salinger sometimes and the bathtub scene in julien donkey boy, which reminds one of a scene in Franny and Zoey. 

Canyonlands (my one theatrical film of March) made my worst list at number 4. It is a horror film that seemed to be about Native American mysticism based on ads I saw. It was not that until the last few minutes. It was just routine slasher nonsense with bad characters.  I am Native American and seek out my culture on film. I get burned a lot.

April: Most Impressive Thing I've Seen All Year

Films Seen in a Theater: King Kong vs Godzilla (62) Triumph

April marked my final time at an outdoor screening. Maybe it'll happen again.  But hopefully not for pandemic reasons. This was a fair month. The most impressive thing I saw all year happened this month. And that was William Shatner playing a romantic lead in Senior Moment at the age of 89 and looking 71. Christopher Lloyd is a bit younger than Shatner and plays his best friend, but coulda been his dad in this. Shatner even went into space this year. He had a great 2021.

Senior Moment was routine, but Shatner and Jean Smart were gold. Two lesser films released this month include Thunder Force which had quirk to spare but no actual humorous scenarios or even witty lines. Ben Falcone may be the least impressive living film director that has some clout. This film is number 2 on my worst list, and audiences seem to feel the same way.  A film some people liked Together Together ranks number 7 on my worst of list. It is a film of poor insight that people find unique simply because the two leads do not get together. Ed Helms gives the same performance he does in each of his films. 

Mihail Zarov, now there is a compelling actor. At least that is the hope of director Bill Morrison who traces the filmography of the late Russian actor Mr. Zarov in his film The Village Detective (song cycle). At the start of this documentary project, 4 reels of 35mm film were discovered on an Icelandic fishing expedition. These four reels were from what looked to be a silly Russian comedy from 1969 featuring Zarov. They got Morrison started in this unique project.  The film reels were covered in mud from the bottom of the sea. The film scenes are desecrated; sometimes like looking in a kaleidoscope. But a pristine 15 seconds of a Russian comedy from 50 plus years ago must be seen. Surviving bits of otherwise lost film are shown. And film, in general, endures. This is a beautiful message. The Village Detective ranks at number 6 on my best of list.

May: The Wonders of D Box

Films Seen in a Theater: Spiral

D Box is a gimmick where the theater seats move based on what is going on in the film. If the characters are driving fast, you feel like you are taking on turns in a fast car. I will forever praise D Box. I do not go to D Box films enough because it is rare films that are in D Box (cartoons, blockbusters) are the ones that I want to see. I need to remember everything seen is just a bit better including Spiral. Later in the year, I saw Escape Room 2 and Ghostbusters Afterlife in D Box. Both films gained a bit from the gimmick, particularly the latter film. Other than that, no film moved the needle this month.

June: The Joy of Renting a Theater

Films Seen in a Theater: Rifkin's Festival, Demons III: The Ogre, Quiet Place II, Meet the Blacks II

I rented a theater in the early part of the pandemic (October 2020). At that point, I was allowed to bring 8 people. In 2021, I rented a theater to screen Rifkin's Festival and Demons III. I really wanted to share Rifkin. And  Demons III I was doing a podcast on at the time. I was allowed to bring 20 people; I think I brought 10. I cannot extol the virtues of renting a theater enough. The theater owners make decent money, and you get to share your taste with friends. I have a high opinion of Demons III. It might be Lamberto's best. I hope others felt that too. I had a good excuse to make a speech before hand, and some of us went to dinner afterward. Sharing art, discussing it with friends over dinner. That is just about everything.

July: Never Count Cage Out

Films Seen in a Theater: Forever Purge, Escape Room II, Val

Mandibles is the funniest comedy of 2021! What happens to Agnes was the film moment of the year.  I bought Quentin's film Mandibles (ranked number 4 on my best of list) on its day and date release. I wanted to see it in a crowded theater, but I called the one theater it was playing in a half dozen times; tickets were not sold on this one. I would have loved to share it with a bunch of people. It is inspired. 

What else is inspired? Nick Cage in Pig. This is a film about phoniness versus authenticity, a film that understands JD Salinger incidentally. There is a key scene about an unhappy chef in a fancy restaurant not doing what he loves; it is contrasted to a scene in a bakery about a woman baking; it is her bliss.  This is a film about tragedy, evoking memories through food and how to grieve and ultimately how to move on. It will be the start of a Cage renaissance. His strongest asset in this film is his quiet if that makes people interested in seeing Pig. It is number three on my best list.  

 Now someone we cannot count out after the last several duds is M Night with his film Old (number 5 on my worst of list) . I saw Death Rider in the House of Vampires from Danzig, and Old is sillier than that, more unbelievable, more shoddy; the acting far worse. Vampires was expected to be terrible. Old just happened to be. It also plays like something twice its length because after the set up, the film has nowhere much to go.

August: Michael Keaton is still sexy at 69

Films Seen in a Theater: Swan Song, This is My Desire, Juliet of the Springs, The Protégé, Death Rider in the House of Vampires

The key takeaway for me (and my wife come to think of it) is how much sex appeal Michael Keaton has rolling around with Maggie Q in The Protégé. It really is something to behold and surprising because I never really thought about it before. If it seems like age is a big interest for me, I was briefly a Gerontology major in school.

 Udo Kier could be said to have sex appeal but not in Swan Song (number 5 on my best of list) because he has recently left a nursing home to arrive at a  small town Texas so he can do the funeral hairstyle of a lifelong friendemy who has just passed. Udo spends most of the movie in dirty sweat pants. I reviewed this film on my podcast because Linda Evans is in it (her first theatrical film since Tom Horn). It is about aging, old places crumbling, old ways of life. Udo is a gay character who was a maverick in his day, but now the new generation of gay men have a slightly different philosophy or is at least indifferent to his contributions. He proves his worth and it  all plays out like a last hurrah with small town stakes which is welcome because last hurrah films usually have overblown scenarios (think Armageddon). 

 Eyimofe (this is my desire) is number 8 on the best of list. It captures the beauty of Lagos, but also the slum. It is about people trying to escape their situations either through hard work or a bit of a con. All the characters are unique and it captures life I would not otherwise be privy too. I guess it is not all that different from Swan Song in that way. 

September: On Documentary

Films Seen in a Theater: Lost Leonardo

My art theater decreased the outdoor screenings on the first week of May and opened the doors to screen Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street. I did not make it, was really jammed with work in May, but I did catch some documentaries in theaters this year. I have to say, when talking heads and video clips are all there is to offer, I tend to lose interest. There are exceptions to the rule. Lost Leonardo, my only theatrical film this month was not one of them. In December, though, I saw Julia that one captured a brilliant television career and a brilliant marriage with good energy and humor even if it did not add anything new to the form. Back to fiction film, Cry Macho came out this month. It is a good film. Eastwood has this scene in a church where he looks like a bag of bones that is deeply felt. He has another great moment when he looks at a woman's aged dog and says, "You cannot do anything about getting old." Most of the WB films dropped on HBO Max where not good films and likely would not have done well. Cry Macho deserved to do at least a portion of The Mule business. It ranks seventh on my list of best of.

October: Podcast and Film

Films Seen in a Theater: Dune (84), The Street Fighter, Return of the Street Fighter, Frankenstein (31), House by the Cemetary 

The one screener downtown reopened in October. They always show old movies, and this informed my choices this month. My wife and I really enjoyed the double feature of Sonny Chiba films. Also my wife V has always been kind about guesting on my podcast occasionally.  We both love podcasts, listen to at least one a day. I listen to one called Two Chairs about the Andy Griffith Show. That podcast devoted so much time to two Mayberry related films that came out this year. One was a doc called The Mayberry Effect. It is very good, with interesting people interviewed. The other is a ultra lame comedy called Mayberry Man. It almost made my worst list, but that felt unkind since I love the podcast so much. Plus it had a few nice moments. Mayberry Man was promised to be a fan service project. Number 10 on my best of list is fan service done right, a little slasher called 13 Fanboy, Deborah Voorhees (Tina from a new begining) directs this tribute to Friday the 13th starring  the stars of all the sequels. It was nice catching up with these folks and seeing how old they are now. There's that age obsession thing again. 

November: Connections

Films Seen in a Theater: Red Notice, Imperfect, Vortex, Tampopo

Tampopo in its weirdness is the best film I saw this year. But that came out in 1985. I caught a few films at a festival. The first was a documentary about a theater company full of differently abled actors. When I walked in to that screening, folks were coming up to strangers asking did you see the film last night or what is your favorite of the festival so far? That's what cinema can be. I  was swamped with work all month so only saw 2 at the festival. My favorite was Gaspar Noe's split screen drama Vortex. I saw this (took the day off to see it)  because it stars Dario Argento as a husband whose wife is losing her mind, and he gets angry but does his best to deal with it. The couple share a son who has a drug problem. And I think aspects of the film relate to Argento's real life family struggles. One scene involves the son getting high that I could be persuaded to believe Argento  directed that scene himself. What is most interesting though is that THE deeply felt scene is when the old man (who is a critic) has his writings torn up.  Also, the end involves the objects left behind. What I am saying is this is a film about what we possess and accumulate and if that defines us. Vortex ranks number 1 on my list. 

November also saw the release of my second favorite film of the year: Love is Love is Love.

 Eleanor Coppola at 85 has directed two other films (Paris Can Wait, Heart of Darkness: a Filmmaker's Apocalypse) both are bangers. And this is her best yet. It is composed of  three stories. The first has Joanne Whaley at her most seductive. It is simply a funny, flirty and well handled short. The last story is the best Victoria Foyt era Henry Jaglom flick that Jaglom never directed. Jaglom had insight to spare so this is a high compliment. It is several women at dinner, women of varying ages discussing how complex friends can be. High end conversation is a good reason to see a movie. It's hard to come by in real life.  The middle section is the highlight. It has Kathy Baker, and it is about long term marriages and how hard they can be to maintain and what we need versus what we think we need. This is a poorly reviewed film. I hope people give it a chance and rent it.

December: Things Are Going Great

Films Seen in a Theater: Julia, Ghostbuster Afterlife, Monsta X: The Dreaming Movie')

I took my wife to see a documentary on Monsta X because she loves BTS beyond measure, and I have not warmed to them. I was hoping if we both liked Monsta X, we would have another point of interest together. Or at least if she liked Monsta X, the band tours 2 hours away. Unlike BTS, we do not have to fly to see them. The documentary was nice. We both dug at least a few songs.  We are doing the normal Christmas thing this year instead of random presents whenever. We are more in love then ever. On the topic of capturing something unique, I have read  Girls and Corpses Magazine in the past and was excited that Robert Corpsey Rhine, its founder, made a documentary called Underbelly Beneath the World of Porn (ranked number 10 in my worst of list). It turns out to be the ultimate boring talking head doc. Random porn actresses are all asked a handful of questions, none enlightening; they answer them in mostly unsurprising ways.  That is all there is to it. 

Best 

01. Vortex (director-Gasper Noe)-142 mins

02.  Love is Love is Love (director-Eleanor Coppola)-91mins

03. Pig (director-Michael Samoski)-92 mins

04.  Mandibles (director-Quentin Dupieux)-77 mins

05. Swan Song (director Todd Stephens)-105 mins

06. The Village Detective (song cycle) (dir-Bill Morrison) 81 mins

07. Cry Macho (director-Clint Eastwood) 104 mins

08. Eyimofe (This is my Desire) (director-Arie Esiri)-116 mins

09. Psycho Goreman (director-Steven Kostanski)-99 mins

10. 13 Fanboy (director-Deborah Voorhees)-101 mins

avg running time: 100 mins

Worst

01. My Salinger Year (director-Philippe Falardeau)-101 mins

02. Thunder Force (director-Ben Falcone)-106 mins

03. Grizzly II (director-Andre Szots) -97 mins

04. Canyonlands (director-Brendan Devane)-99 mins

05. Old (director-M Night Shaymalan)-108 mins

06. Mad Hatter ( director-Kate Devany)-90 mins

07. Together Together (director-Nikole Beckwith)-90 mins

08. Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar (dir-Josh Greenbaum)-107 m

09. Comic Sin (director-Edward Drake)-85 mins

10. Underbelly Beneath the World of Porn (dir-Cropsey)-70 mins

avg running time: 95 mins