The Art of the Reclaim.

​Reclaiming a movie is a tricky pickle indeed. If done with the best intentions , you are encouraging others to possibly give a movie in bad-hype jail a second look. You’re doing this because you yourself have given said film a second chance and you were generally pleased by your decision. This is all well and good but there is a certain, ever-growing group of individuals who are suddenly giving out proverbial medals to those who already been tried justly and have been unanimously deemed a stinky poo-poo head.  

Reclaiming a legitimately bad movie is a kin to scraping years of freezer burn off that half gallon ice cream that was back deep in the freezer. Unfortunately, after all the trouble of resurrecting this frozen dairy product, you take one spoonful and immediately remember why it was in the way back in the bowels to begin with. You Fucking hate Tin Roof Sundae. 

We tend to think reclaiming is fueled by nostalgia or sentiment and that is so wrong. Really really wrong. Nostalgia creates petitions to an already beloved but forgotten property back into the current zeitgeist in hopes to reignite new content. Reclaiming in this devilish fashion is a vindictive move by the generation who weren’t even alive when that particular movie first ran down the puckering asshole of some coked up producer. It’s an act of cultural rebellion plain and simple. It’s the film nerd version of a liver wurst sandwich. The lady behind the deli counter doesn’t think you’re cool for ordering a half a pound of vomit meat. 

Now, I know what you’re thinking but you’re dead wrong. Reclaiming isn’t just dusting off a forgotten, underrated gem and putting it in the main showcase. That’s a whole different animal, my friend. That’s actually underrated and a whole other chapter!

These so-called movies that I’m discussing are not forgotten at all. In fact, they are still in the cinematic conservation as…*really terrible movies!*  These keyboard agents of chaos are pushing a false narrative to endow positive attributes to a lump of hairy excrement and then have a good laugh at our expense. They’re the same people who voted for Trump simply because they wanted to see their liberal neighbors squirm. Or they’re racist homophobes. Either or. 

So the following list is my personal recommendations of film that I generally believe have falsely accused of hack-workery. 

F For Fake

I just finished this film and I must say I'm so pleased with myself for choosing this often forgotten Welles gem. I for one didn't know it even existed until a year or so ago and even after then I was less than inspired to see it. The premise did not seem impressive and certainly not fitting of the great Orson Welles. I am always afraid of seeing bad films of my favorite directors and I've heard Mr. Welles has made quite a few. In his defense, though I have yet to see any I could deem terrible. F For Fake more so then most of Welles' films should not be compared with his often comparable Citizen Kane. F is a film all on it's own made without any genre in mind.
It's in fact a documentary of sorts but calling it even that is misrepresenting it. F For Fake is a story within a multitude of stories about lies of all types told in a surprisingly candid approach. Eventhough, Orson is essentially acting the role of himself as narrator I still got the feeling that this was him in it's truest form.
It is also a film about liars. More specifically, it is about three liars. The first is legendary art forger Elmyr DeHory – a name that is, of course, an alias. The second is DeHory’s biographer, Clifford Irving, who later became notorious in his own right for forging what he claimed to be the autobiography of Howard Hughes. The third is, naturally, Welles himself, who cheerfully confesses to starting his career by lying himself onto the Dublin stage and later – by way of The War of the Worlds and its attendant mass panic – into Hollywood.
It might appear wieghty and pretentious from a viwer looking for a more linear approach but this occurs every time those people watch a non-linear film. It's inevitable. As for the others who are excited for the opportunity to expand our means of understanding a story. Then F For Fake is for you.

2007 (so far)

I rarely have an opportunity these days to grab the occassional flick at my local theatre. Due to my over-extended lifestyle, I have been forced to watch them all from the comforts of my home. A setting that has become increasingly more enticing as the years flow steadily. At the homestead I rarely find my fantasy world come to crashing halt because of an irritating couple discussing the actor's teeth on the big screen. Just as rare is the irredeemable laughing buffoon who thinks an garbage disposal in operation is the pinnacle of levity.
So, anyway my rather distressed point being is that the Best of 2007 list is not in it's final form. This is due to the fact that I have yet to see some films that are either being promised as cinematic gems by various media watchdogs or just personal guesses of my own. These particular movies have not been released on DVD at this juncture which means I haven't seen them. So, another list might be posted in the near future is what I'm saying. Got it? Good.

So, here's my personal picks of the wondrous year of 2007 which are in no order of any sort.
1. The Assassination of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford.
2. We Are England
3. Sunshine
4. Superbad
5. Rescue Dawn
6. The Lives Of Others
7. The Lookout
8. Eastern Promises
9. Black Book
10. Protagonist