366 in 366: Week 2


By Matt Cohen 
Because of my move-out from school this past week, plus adjusting to being home and seeing old friends, I only got around to watching 4 movies. Here they are:

1) Friday the 13th (1980) - Counselors at Camp Crystal Lake, during the week leading up to the beginning of the summer, are stalked and killed by an unknown, vengeful force. Though not my favorite Friday film in the series (that goes to Part 2) and not my favorite slasher in general (that goes to My Bloody Valentine), this film holds a pretty special place in my heart. It is a certified and undeniable horror classic, but is technically a bit formulaic in terms of the genre. Teens show up, teens have sex, teens get killed, the killer is revealed. Despite this retrospectively predictable narrative, it is still an incredibly enjoyable movie and I recommend it as a great jumping off point for getting into slashers. (8.5/10)

2) The Toxic Avenger (1984) - A uber-dorky janitor a health clinic in Tromaville, New Jersey is bullied straight into a vat of toxic waste, transforming him into a radioactive vigilante. Movies made by Troma are not for everyone. They are cheaply made, and it shows. They are horribly violent and graphic, and have a generally cynical outlook on life. The Queens-based studio has a massive cult following, however, and it is this following that has allowed them to do what they do for the past 40 years. The Toxic Avenger is, was, and always will be their magnum opus. It has all the desire elements of a Troma film: copious amounts of gore, breasts flop around everywhere, and the acting is god awful. As a fan of the subgenre the studio created all on its own, I love this one, but again, check out a trailer or something before you dive into this radioactive waste pool. (8/10)

3) South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (1999) - International conflict looms as Canadian comedy stars Terrence and Phillip are accused of corrupting the youth of South Park, a quiet redneck USA mountain town. As the adaptation of one of the funniest and most successful animated television programs of all time, it would be impossible for the South Park movie to be anything short of stellar. The jokes are on point, as this could easily be seen as Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s creative peak. What really stands out, however, is the songwriting. Some of the tracks in this film are the most quotable and hilarious songs in cinema history, with “It’s Easy M’Kay” and “I Can Change” being my personal favorites. Highly recommended to any fan of the show, or of irreverent comedy in general. (9.75/10)

This week's standout: Salò, o le 120 giornate della sodoma (1975)


        A few years back, I became somewhat obsessed with a unique category of films that are usually described as the “disturbing cinema.” These include movies with buckets of blood, bleak outlooks on life, torture, perverse sexual acts, cannibalism, and a variety of other sordid subject matters. Salò (in English: Salò, or The 120 Days of Sodom) tops nearly every list of the most disturbing films of all time, occasionally trumped by a personal favorite of mine, Cannibal Holocaust. This film is adapted from an 18th century text by the Marquis de Sade (the namesake for sadism), which was written while imprisoned in the Bastille for writing obscene texts. After the fall of the French monarchy, the text was lost for decades, until later being found and published in its unfinished state. Director Pier Paolo Pasolini took various liberties in the adaption, placing the story in Fascist Italy, recreating a whole new allegory amongst the carnage. The film centers on 4 rich and powerful libertines, individuals with open and insatiable sexual desires: a President, a Magistrate, a Bishop, and a Duke. Their activities are simple: capture 18 young persons, half of them male and the other half female, and keep them as sexual slaves within a villa in the town of Salò. During their stay, the group is read a variety of perverse stories from a collection of aged prostitutes in order to stimulate the minds of the dictatorial regime within the mansion. There is a strict set of rules that they must stick to, or else be written down in a small black book that details their punishment.

        I say “This one might not be for everyone” a lot, but that cannot apply more to any other film. There is a constant terrifying sexual presence in the film, reinforced by the fact that the 4 libertines are getting great pleasure from the atrocities that occur. There is not a single important scene within the central section of the film that does not contain some sort of sexual violence. However, it is an incredibly beautifully made film. Visually, there is an everpresent symmetry that highlights the gorgeous and opulent set design. The libertines are despicable people, but written so well that while the audience will not have sympathy with them, they exhibit specific and somewhat enjoyable character traits. The film beyond the disgusting images on screen (which includes various scenes of coprophagia) is darkly comedic, as the ironies and inequities of life under the Fascist regime are picked apart brilliantly. The music, supervised by the maestro Ennio Morricone, is haunting without being explicitly “horror.” Performances and special effects are more than believable, which only add to the shock factor.

       I really cannot do this film justice in a short review. It is polarizing down to every last shot. It is alluring and repulsive. Comedic and depressing. Beautiful yet decisively ugly. However I feel it is one of those necessary films for cinephiles, as it shows Pasolini at his peak, and is truly unique. Do a little more research before watching this one. More important critics than I have written pages upon pages on the subject, and they really know what they are talking about. Better yet, check out Criterion’s Blu-ray release of the film if you are daring enough to make the purchase, as it contains insightful featurettes and essays that help to unpack this incredibly dense cinematic experience. (9.5/10)

Naturally, I've watched way more movies than just these so far this year. For a full, up-to-date list on what movies I've watched so far, check out this link:

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