The benefit of chilling out here in Berlin over Xmas is that I got to watch heaps of movies and shows (when I wasn’t drawing, Instagramming, xmas-partying and writing songs). So over the last few weeks, I’ve been discovering all sorts of stuff that I think you should know about (since I love all of you so deeply).
First of all. An amazeballs movie that all of you should see as soon as humanly possible is called “Whiplash”. One of the best movies I’ve ever seen. About a drummer and his insanely aggro teacher. So well-filmed, well-acted and utterly fascinating. Great cutting and cinematography too.
If you like horrors, “Unfriended” (original horror film that all takes place on a teenage girl’s computer screen. Very entertaining) and “It Follows” (one of the first ‘artsy horror’ films I’ve seen) were both really good (and really different). “Unfriended” seems to divide audiences, but it was a sort of “guilty pleasure” movie for me. I had a gas. “It Follows” is… well… scary and original (undertones of Halloween at moments).
“The Spectacular Now” was a coming-of-age story that manages to be astonishingly unique. Great dialogue and performances. Dysfunctional family (that I’m sure most of us can relate to). Shitty father, charming (albeit fucked up) kid etc… Really good movie. Touching.
“Bojack Horseman” – an animated series about a horse who was on a kids show in the Eighties. Hilarious. Absurd. Full of sharp social commentary.
“Dear Zachary” (You can watch it on YouTube). A documentary about a dude that died at the hands of his jilted older lover. It’s not an easy film to watch, but it is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Damn good doc that also manages to be a sort of mystery/ thriller. The less you know going into it, the better.
“Smashed” Moving drama about an alcoholic woman who decides to get sober, but her relationship begins to suffer as a result. Stars Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad. Charming little movie with a lot of heart. Nice soundtrack too.
“The Guest”. Tight, suspenseful thriller. I loved it. Eighties-style synthpop music, slow-motion and Eighties-style filming. A soldier shows up at the home of the family of a fellow soldier who died. He’s super charming and confident, but things aren’t always what they seem… dun dun dun… a lot of suspense. I’m a big thriller fan, so it was a treat. Definitely worth a peek.
On the theme of soldiers, “Brothers” was also quite good. A family man who goes to Afghanistan, has to experience some horrendous things and returns. When he returns, he discovers that there “might” have been something between his brother and his wife, who was told he’d died overseas. Suffering from PTSD, things get a little nutty. It’s quite a heavy drama.
There you go. Hope one of these intrigues you. I enjoyed ’em all.
stephenpaultaylor 