Adam's Thoughts on Mi Familia

Throughout life, we often find ourselves struggling with life - be it monetary, familial, loss, or any strife that we've encountered. Mi Familia (My Family) portrays the multi-generational adversities experienced by The Sanchez family in Los Angeles. Struggling to live day to day with the hectic family, the Sanchez's experience loss, life, tearful moments, and joyous adventures. Caution: to avoid spoilers, don't read this until you finish the film.

I'd like to talk about the acting in the film. Taking the audience along for the ride through the emotional turmoil in the death of Chucho, Jimmy must cope with the death of his brother. Smitz's acting was on top shelf display here, from tears of pain to tears of joy. Esai Morales was great as well as the part of Chucho, playing the rough-around-the-edges rebel without a cause, fresh out of the slammer. His death in the film plays an essential role because it causes the family to come closer together than ever before.

The appearance of Carlitos is an intense experience as Jimmy puts all of his own life's priorities to make room for his lost son. The symbolism is great here: through death comes new life. Chuco's death brought along the discovery of Carlitos.

I think the most powerful moment in the movie is when the patriarch of the family, Jose, tells his wife, "We're lucky." It really puts life in check. A family who has been through the turmoil and harmony is considered lucky in the eyes of Jose. Through his journey from Mexico to the US, he looks back at all of the experiences he's had, good and bad, and wouldn't trade them for the world.

Overall, a very powerful and emotionally moving film. I hope you guys enjoy this emotional rollercoaster of a film, and maybe compare the life of the Sanchez family with yours.

Film #7: My Family (1995)

My Family (1995) is an American drama film directed by Gregory Nava and written by Nava and Anna Thomas. The motion picture stars Jimmy Smits, Edward James Olmos, Esai Morales, and others. It also features Jennifer Lopez in her second film role. The film tracks three generations of a Mexican-American family that emigrated from Mexico and settled in East Los Angeles.

Jess's thoughts on The Cabinet...

i'm just now finishing Dr. Caligari, so sorry for the lateness. Off the bat to have chosen a film nearly a century old is a cool choice and speaking for myself at least, would have been something I'd have never found more than likely. so, the music itself feels like a symphony of emotion, building, dipping, and pushing you along through to the end of the story. It's haunting and at the same time, more so early on, very moving. The set decoration, the strange backdrops representing a city and the odd hallways used throughout are also very artistic, like Salvador Dolly pictures people are moving through. The part where Cesare carries the young woman across the rooftops was a satisfying example of that for me.

Then, the story, just the right kind of suspenseful yarn that could succeed today and was well beyond it's time in crafting a narrative, it starts slow but drags you in from the peculiarness of it all. All the white powdered makeup on the characters totally makes this feel not real, but creepy nonetheless because real people are living amongst them as the story moves on. The Director/ Caligari twist was unexpected to say the least and the final shot of his face is unsettling in such a subtle way, I don't even think any current director would have the restraint enough to leave it as is.

It's not the kind of film I personally would give many repeat viewings but the creativity it took to film this and create it and make it a unique world for all time in film for many people to revisit is quite an achievement and for a group of young people to be rewatching this movie 90 years later with all the technology at our fingertips is no small goal i would think the director and staff would be extremely proud of.

Backscheider's Thoughts on Caligari

First, my sincerest apologies for my inactivity. I'm really happy Darrel selected this movie because I'd never seen it or really heard about it. I can't say that I'm very familiar with German Expressionism or silent films so this was great exposure. I watched the version on Netflix which said something at the end about being updated in 1996. The first thing that I really liked about the movie was the cuts with the words, the style of it was really cool. About half way through I realized that they were in English and therefore obviously done later, probably in 96. That was kind of disappointing because they had such a hand made feel to them that was really unique and fit the mood. (Although they kept telling me it was night, which I thought was silly, the first night scene showed the lamp lighter and I instantly knew it was night). I also loved the sets. The village was great. The sets felt a lot like a theater production. The acting seemed very "theatrical" too. Pretty over the top. Creeping down the wall with one arm extended, ridiculous facial expressions. To me this reflects a lack of understanding of the new medium since these actions were probably more appropriate for the stage. Honestly, I fell asleep the first try watching this. Granted I started late, it was hard to really keep me involved after a very engaging opening scene. That's not to say I didn't like it, I did, I'm just too used to microwaves or something. Though I guess the story really fell into a killing, questioning redundancy. The twist ending was excellent. While I guess its widely believed that the twist is true, I felt like there's a possibility that either story could be true. I liked that ambiguity.

Overall, I liked it, felt the mood was great (I had an orchestra to set the mood) and thought the ending was great. I can understand how it influenced a lot that came after it. Thanks for the experience!

Brian Hammons' thoughts on The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

I'd seen this film before, multiple times, including in one of several film studies course I took in college; still, it's an enthralling watch each time revisited, so thanks for the selection, Darrel! One thing I've noticed about this particular film is that I can't think of another that has so many different versions out there: with or without sound, addition of colorization techniques, etc. Every time I see it I feel like it's a different version than the previous ones. The one I got from the library had a new musical score which I found largely irritating. Ultimately, I decided to mute my television. It ranged from rather sardonic ominous tones, which I liked as they were genuinely creepy, to what sounded like amateurish improvisational jazz which only served to distract.

The plot is pretty straightforward and relatively paper-thin but that's not the movie's strong selling point. The stylized sets, forbearers to German Expressionism, are simply gorgeous. I love the shot of Ceasare carrying Jane over a footbridge while an angry mob scampers closely behind. The '20's saw the rise of the Dada and Surrealist movements, such a period of robust artistic creativity and aesthetic fearlessness. This film fits right in.

Round #2 Group Pick Poll #1 Tie-Breaker

Adam' Thoughts on The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Pardon my language, but Hole-EE-Shit. You've seen films like The Exorcist, which has been stated as the scariest horror film of all time, but nothing comes close to touching The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. So many elements went into this film, a few of which I'll explain in my thoughts.

First, the silence. Silence in this film takes this movie to a level of odd and creep to downright scary. The eerie violins playing in the background while the decrepit Dr. Caligari strolls down the street corner is such a striking visual that it is still resonating with me. The music played such an important part in displaying the emotions of the characters. Cheerful music showed hope, while solemn music showed despair -- obviously eerie, foreboding music portrayed an uneasy feeling that something was going to go wrong.

Second, the acting. I've never seen a film in which I could tell how a person was feeling without them talking so vividly as I could in this film. Such ranges of emotions were brought forth in this picture like fear, happiness, joy, despair, anger, and love. Facially, this was some phenomenal acting. That's the challenge of a silent film: to get emotions across without the use of speaking.

Third, the setting. Wow. What a creepier than hell place. The tightness and oddly shaped street corners made me feel very uneasy... like I'd entered a bizarro world.

Overall a really cool and eerie movie. Thanks for the selection, Darrel.

Dspang's thoughts on The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

Now I picked this movie because two reasons. One, I think its always nice to introduce people to some of the early history that cinema went through. Two, I think it is a genuinely creepy movie.

Despite the lack of technology and the problems faced with early film making, I feel that this movie has an atmosphere that can never be recreated. You have the twisted and mangled sets that were just as much a work of art as the movie itself. You have the inherent emptiness in Cesares eyes, because he's a hypnotized slave forced to kill for an evil master. You have the insanity of Dr. Caligari himself and how well he pulls off his madness despite the drawbacks of early film. Many today would consider this cheesey what with the melodramatic acting. There was no dialogue. They were conveying emotion the only way they knew how. I honestly feel that they pulled off pretty well. Not many moments passed in this film that I felt that actors were over acting. I would imagine most of these people got their start in acting while performing in plays. So that might be where the melodrama comes from. Many believe that this is the first horror movie. Not to mention one of the first movies with a twist ending.

To watch such a movie you have to put yourself in the mind of a person from the 1920's. Maybe you might have been familiar with the Grand Guginol theater in France at the time. Lots of shocking plays were put on at that theater. If only they were captured on film... I digress though. Just imagine, being only vaguely familiar with these "moving pictures." Imagine how shocked you would have been when you first saw Cesare walk in the shadows and kill his first victim with a knife. It should hit home pretty well. I would agree that this was one of the first horror movies. Along with Nosferatu(Fave of all time. Nothing in the vampire genre holds a candle to it to me.) These were expressionism at it's finest. The actors's faces convey horror, sadness, insanity so well that I really don't need dialogue.

Make no mistake. I love modern cinema. It has come a long way. But if I want it completely distilled to its essence, I will watch a silent movie. One thing of note, notice how the sets are made in the movie. Conveying that their is danger and doom all around. Sometimes when things are horrifying the world isn't always what it seems. Ever notice how the night can play tricks on you when its dark? Keep that in mind for the twist.

Interesting fact I found out from imdb: Weeks before the initial release of the film, posters with the tag-line "Du mußt Caligari werden!" ("You have to become Caligari!") were put up in Berlin without the slightest hint that they where promotion for the upcoming movie.

Hmmmm. An early attempt at viral marketing maybe, and does anybody think that Edward Scissorhands has an eerie resemblance to Cesare?

Round #2 Group Pick Poll #2

Round #2 Group Pick Poll #1

Film #6: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (German: Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari) is a 1920 silent film directed by Robert Wiene from a screenplay by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. It is one of the most influential of German Expressionist films and is often considered one of the greatest horror movies of all time. This movie is cited as having introduced the twist ending in cinema.

Jessie on Let the Right One In

This was such a unique twist on the tortured, misunderstood youth story. It was quiet, subdued, but necessarily violent and unflinchingly cruel with the attacks. There's always a moment where Eli is hit with the pang of regret afterwards. I like how they used all these subtle elements of vampire lore in the film, such as not being invited in, the sunlight, that played into the realistic fabric of the movie very well, and with so much vampire fiction out there now, in the form of film, television or books, this was a very different approach to it.

You have to appreciate the performance of Oskar, even though he was an older child, he still had that amazing honesty of a child, who realized the young girl he likes is a vampire and he doesn't hesitate in looking at her differently. Also some nice artistic camera shots were utilized, where things are in the foreground and you see different action taking place in the background, like one of the first time Eli shows up outside the apartment, and in the pool scene near the end.

As far as gripes, only a few with the plot, I wasn't real sure who her accomplice was, unless I missed it, i took him as someone who had grown old caring for her, such as we may believe Oskar's new role could be. Also, didn't feel a bit of sympathy for any of her innocent victims, and wasn't too into the subplot of the flaky blonde who had been "initiated." It was a unique story but it also didn't have the kind of emotional impact a lot of these coming of age stories usually do, for my tastes but I enjoyed seeing a story outside the normal realm.

Jared's Thoughts On Let The Right One In...

I can say, immediately, that this is one of the most provocative and interesting entries in to the horror genre, or Vampire sub-genre or whatever, that I've taken the time to watch (repeatedly). I purchased this sight unseen when it was first released on DVD simply because the movie geek sites I frequent were all but making love to the movie in every post that I read about it...

It's easy to see why.

I've seen it remarked that the cinematography and sound design were some of the key aspects to making this movie the beautiful, tragic experience that it is, and obvious, I have no choice but to agree wholeheartedly. I think it worth mentioning as well that the acting, all around, made this ominous story all the more believable as each and every actor sold me on the fact that these events were really taking place. For me, that's the benchmark of a truly effective horror film - if the characters can truly experience the extraordinary events they are going through and allow that to come through on film, then I am more likely to enjoy the story being told. While watching another of our selections, The Ruins, I found most of the acting to be more or less believable, but I was never truly invested in what was supposed to be the fright and tragedy of the situation. From frame one in Let The Right One In, I was entranced...

The snow falling, the shadows, the oppressive sense of darkness and loneliness - they all blend together to create another important aspect of effective horror film making - Atmosphere. This film has it in spades. And it's not just the locales, or the framing of shots. Again, it comes down to the characters and how they interact and live within each shot, each set, each location. You cannot help but absolutely believe that these places exist, that these... children are going through these experiences. Oskar and Eli are living (teehee), breathing characters.

I think, also, my appreciation for this film is helped by the way the ideology and nature of Eli, as the Vampire, were handled. This is by all accounts a love story, but for me it plays out as a tragedy more than anything else - but, I suppose all good love stories have some element of tragedy to them, as that's what makes it compelling. The fact that we have Eli's caregiver, an old man, in a slow, treacherous decline while we're being introduced to Oskar's lonely, ostracized character is a fantastic way to set up the basis of the story - the need for Eli to find a replacement, someone who would be able, and more importantly, willing, to look after her and... assist her.

I've not read the book that this, and the upcoming American adaptation, are based on, but I plan on rectifying that within the next month or so. I've been told that, as it is with most book to film adaptations, there was quite a bit left out or changed. I will admit, though, that I am definitely intrigued by the trailer for the film coming out this year, as it has the look, feel, and familiarity of what we've seen in the original.

This was a great choice and one I was more than happy to revisit!

Adam's Thoughts on Let the Right One In

In story of a tormented Scandinavian boy who befriends a girl of the same age who is also a vampire, Let the Right One In shines a new light on the saturated genre of vampire films.

Going into this film and knowing a thing or two about vampire folklore, I looked at the title of the film and recalled that vampires can't enter your home unless you allow them to.

The use of silence in this movie is excellent and appropriate. In a world where Oskar, our protagonist, feels alone and left out -- secluded, if you will -- the presence of deafening silence is essential just to show how alone and dark he really is.

The cinematography is also really awesome. Far away camera shots put into perspective more things that you would get in a close-up. For instance, the scene where the little vampire girl feigns injury under the bridge and attacks the man who tries to help her, you can see a truck go over the bridge -- something about that was really awesome and you don't see a lot of it in many movies. I can't put my finger on why exactly this was so great, but it just resonated with me. The setting of Sweden is also very appropriate -- a place where it's cold and dark, much like how Oskar feels on the inside.

The pool scene was spectacular. SPOILER ALERT: I figured since the movie was so dark, it'd end with Oskar being killed in the pool. Seeing the one bullies' feet drag across the water amid total silence is chilling, then seeing his head in the pool, followed by the perpetrator of the drowning's arm being severed. Wow. Spectacular cinema without ominous music. T'was brilliant.

Overall a really unique film that was a refreshing break from what the Vampire genre has sunken to.

Dspang's thoughts on Let the Right One In.

Ok. This is my second time viewing this movie and I still find it very eerie and very disturbing. Upon my initial viewing I focused more on the friendship between the two Eli and Oskar. How they both experienced love for the first time. But on my second viewing. I also see a darker undercurrent that could get a little weird. Maybe I'm reading into this too much, but that's fun and the point of this site. Bare with me, it might get deeply psychological.

Now that that's out of the way, let's circle the drain. In the beginning I took notice of a few disturbing anomalies with Oskar. I'm no psychologist but have read a lot about serial killers and a bit of psychology. My friends, Oskar is primed and ready. We have all of the telltale and/or cliche signs early on. First, Oskar constantly playing with his knife and stabbing at things while exclaiming "Squeal like a pig." Second we have his lonely existence. His mom is "just there." She's concerned about him but there isn't much in the way of full on attention. Next, we have Oskar's fascination with death. He had a whole scrapbook of newspaper clippings on killings and murders. Pictures of knives. The scene with the policeman at school when Oskar is very keen on the fact that the dead body in the burnt house had no smoke in the lungs. Finally, we have the fact that Oskar is bullied. Brutally bullied by these jerk kids at school. Bullying can lead to bad things, we all know this.

"So Darrel, What does it all mean?" You ask. Well here goes....... Oskar meets Eli at a time when his loneliness and rage at the bullies, possibly even his family is at it's peak. Isn't this a funny coincidence? That he meets her when he's out stabbing at the tree. This is merely my analysis. I realize others might not agree, but I feel that Eli is the physical embodiment of Oskar's murderous rage. Against the bullies, possibly against his emotionally distant parents. Against the world for whatever reason. I find it fitting that she just so happens to be a vampire. Bloodlust anyone? Oskar as at such a vital time in his life. Hormones, emotions all kinds of wacky stuff is going on. He's losing it. Eli is like his alter ego. His doppelganger. The fact that she's female maybe be signaling other suppressed urges. Who knows. Oskar is feeling some weird things and they are physically manifesting themselves in the form of Eli.

Eli brings him out. Makes him grow and stand up to the bullies. She makes him feel more like a man. Brings him out of his shell. All the while subconsciously linked with his murderous impulses. I know this all sounds very strange but it seems to make sense to me. This is a strange movie after all anyway. I feel the title of "Let the Right One In" has significance too. I know it pays homage to a lot of the folklore with vampires in general but also think of it this way. She can only be invited in when she comes to Oskar's house. It makes sense that this is symbolism with him inviting his negative compulsions into his psyche. That he peacefully and innocently plays along with them. Embraces these compulsions fully.

The significance of the old man with Eli. Well I notice he wasn't very skilled at providing Eli with food. He had a ritual and I know that it was easier for him to get blood for her this way. But, who's to say he hadn't been a serial killer for a long time already, and maybe Eli was also the physical manifestation of his murderous urges. I realize this is all a stretch but don't go taking my opinion as "the word."

All in all I loved this movie, but its not one of the movies that I will revisit frequently as I find it kind of a downer. The fact that Oskar becomes Eli's new helper for food in the end merely demonstrates his jumping off the cliff into his abyss. This movie truly did get to me. I found it very saddening when the older man pours acid on his face and kills himself. I find it disturbing because of the age of the children in this movie. Here you have Oskar on the cusp of being an adult and then he meets Eli, the possible physical version of his "growing up" as a possible killer.
Very young children dealing with very adult issues.

Film #5: Let the Right One In (2008)

Let the Right One In (Swedish: Låt den rätte komma in) is a 2008 Swedish vampire horror film directed by Tomas Alfredson. Based on the novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist (who also wrote the screenplay), the film tells the story of a bullied 12-year-old boy who develops a friendship with a vampire child in Blackeberg, a suburb of Stockholm, in the early 1980s. Alfredson, unfamiliar with the horror and vampire genres, decided to tone down many elements of the novel and focus primarily on the relationship between the two main characters. Selecting the lead actors involved a year-long process with open castings held all over Sweden. In the end, then 11-year-olds Kåre Hedebrant and Lina Leandersson were chosen for the leading roles. They were subsequently commended by both Alfredson and film reviewers for their performances.

The film received widespread international critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including the "Founders Award for Best Narrative Feature" at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival and the European Fantastic Film Festivals Federation's 2008 Méliès d'Or (Golden Méliès) for the "Best European Fantastic Feature Film", as well as four Guldbagge Awards from the Swedish Film Institute. Due to the film's initial success at various film festivals, the rights for an English-language remake of the film sold before the film had its theatrical release. Matt Reeves will direct the remake, slated for release in 2010.