Tag: What We Do In the Shadows

Film Feature: Chad’s Top 10 Films of 2014

Spinning Platters film critics present their top 10 films of 2014

Spinning Platters film critics Carrie Kahn and Chad Liffmann each share their ten favorite films of 2014.  Here is Chad’s list, presented in reverse order of greatness; you can also see Carrie’s list here.

10.) Snowpiercer
Chris Evans rises to the occassion.
Chris Evans rises to the occassion.

Snowpiercer, Bong Joon-ho’s masterful post-apocalyptic thriller, was forced to fly beneath the radar since it was released on the same day as the horrific yet unfortunately box office dominating Transformers: Age of Extinction.  Set in a human-created ice age in which the last survivors on the planet ride around on a crazy-long bullet train, Snowpiercer uses its science-fiction fantasy premise to punctuate some terrifying reflections on the socio-political tensions of modern day society.  Chris Evans turns in another solid action hero performance (duh, Captain America) and Tilda Swinton is wicked good as the cruel and quirky “voice”/messenger of the upper class.

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MVFF Spotlights #2: What We Do in the Shadows/Like Sunday, Like Rain/Lucky Stiff/The Boy and the World/Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem

The 37th Mill Valley Film Festival opens tonight, October 2nd, and runs until October 12th. The Festival is screening some of this fall’s most hotly anticipated pictures:  Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher (starring Steve Carrell) and Morten Tyldum’s Imitation Game (starring Benedict Cumberbatch), and so many more.  But here at Spinning Platters, we thought we’d spotlight some of the lower profile films that risk being overshadowed by the bigger movies.  Full schedule, tickets, and more information are available at: http://mvff.com, and be sure to check back here for more updates during the Fest.

What We Do in the Shadows
(US/New Zealand 2014, 86 min; English)

The whole crew in 'What We Do in the Shadows'
The whole crew in ‘What We Do in the Shadows’

What We Do in the Shadows resembles the result of a casual joke/idea, delivered with enough informality and humor to make it more entertaining than it could’ve been — it’s one of the funniest movies of the year.  The witty writing, from the comedy team behind Eagle vs Shark and The Flight of the Conchords, enables the film to break free from potential one-joke captivity, whereby the story expands the simple premise (vampire housemates) to wonderful subplots and hilarious surprises.  It’s definitely a movie best experienced with an energetic crowd!

Screenings:
– Tuesday, October 7, 7:45pm, Rafael Film Center, San Rafael
– Thursday, October 9, 4:00pm, Rafael Film Center, San Rafael

Continue reading “MVFF Spotlights #2: What We Do in the Shadows/Like Sunday, Like Rain/Lucky Stiff/The Boy and the World/Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem”