Getafilm Gallimaufry: Animal Kingdom, Get Low, Let Me In or Leave Me Out, & Perfect Song #8

[This series includes scattered thoughts on various movie-related topics. I was looking for a word that started with the letter "g" that means collection or assortment, but lest you think I'm some elitist wordsmith, know that I'd never heard of "gallimaufry" and I don't even know how to say it, but it was the only other option the thesaurus provided aside from "goulash" (too foody) and "garbage" (no).]

_______________________________________________________________

Animal Kingdom (A)

Aside from being among the best indie movies of the year, David Michôd's Animal Kingdom is also the Feel Bad Movie of the Year. It's not graphic, it's not lewd, and it's not even particularly violent, but you become so intimate with the cold, calculating, evil characters that you just want to shower immediately afterward. I haven't been this disgusted walking out of a film since Boy A, another excellent movie that not coincidentally deals with trust, regret, family, and crime.

Stories about criminal families are nothing new, but Animal Kingdom boasts such a crackerjack script and stellar cast that you don't even realize you've heard this story before (it helps that the actors are unfamiliar to American audiences). I was a big fan of the stylistic flourishes (understated use of slow motion, haunting music, etc.) and undercurrent of unpredictability, and well, I'll just say it: if Animal Kingdom were made by a veteran American director like Scorsese, it would be a shoo-in for a Best Picture nomination.

May Lineup @ The Trylon microcinema: "Before Tokyo: Comedies of Bill Murray"

I seem to remember Bill Murray being in dozens of comedies from my childhood, but the fact is that it was more like only a half dozen films, each of which I saw dozens of times. Three of those comedic classics will be presented by Take-Up Productions as part of Before Tokyo: Comedies of Bill Murray, with the fourth, Quick Change, being one that I have not seen. If you haven't either, it's the only film in the series discounted due to the Trylon's impeccable film formatting standards.

Anyway, here's Take-Up's cleverly sarcastic explanation of the series' title:

"Bill Murray burst onto the dramatic scene as the taciturn Bob Harris in 2003's Lost in Translation, for which he received an Oscar nomination. Since then, he's starred in numerous blockbusters and critically acclaimed dramas.

But few are familiar with his great comedies from years past—until now. Take-Up Productions proudly presents Murray's obscure classics, four comedies from the 80s and early 90s, including his rarely-seen supernatural burlesque Ghostbusters. Won't you join us as we rediscover the "other" side of Bill Murray—philosopher, social critic, and clown."

The schedule: