Life After Beth (2014)

March 18th, 2019

Directed by: Jeff Baena

Written by: Jeff Baena

Starring: Aubrey Plaza, Dane DeHaan, John C. Reilly

Budget: $2,400,000

Quote: "No. No. How could I be... how could I be dead if I'm alive? You can't be both things Zach. You can either be dead or alive, and I'm alive."

Trivia: Nick Offerman can be heard narrating the documentary on Machu Pichu in the beginning of the film. One of the several ties to Aubrey's role in Parks and Recreation.



Oh man, remember My Boyfriend's Back? That movie from the early nineties? The one where the guy stages a fake bank robbery to impress the hot chick at school but it backfires and he is actually killed but returns from the dead nonetheless to take her to prom, and hilarity ensures as he tries to manage his sexual attraction with his cannibalistic urges. Life After Beth is like that movie, except without the funny moments, likable characters, or narrative arc. The movie is not a complete waste, it offers great performances by Molly Shannon and John C. Reilly. It also adds its own touches to zombie mythology and has a couple of good gory moments. It just seems very unfocused which left me feeling, "what's the point?" With so many zombie movies out there, this one is not necessary viewing.

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)

October 17, 2018

Directed by: Ana Lily Amirpour

Written by: Ana Lily Amirpour

Starring: Sheila Vand, Arash Mirandi, Marshall Manesh

Quote: "If there was a storm coming right now, a big storm, from behind those mountains, would it matter? Would it change anything?"
Trivia: 'Ninja (V)' from Die Antwoord is the physical manifestation of what Amirpour wanted Saeed "The Pimp" to look like.






It is difficult to write this discussion for this film because there is simultaneously so much going on in the film and also so little. From a narrative perspective, the story is very simple. But as far as film's atmosphere, its influences, and cinematography, there so much more going on in this film. Billed as "The first Iranian vampire western," A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is a beautiful mix of so many disparate influences. What writer/director Ana Lily Amirpour has created is a completely unique take on the tired vampire genre. Along with films like Let The Right One In, this movie has helped to breathe new life into the genre. More than a only vampire movie or western, this movie is also a really cute romance about two loners who find love despite who they are. Sheila Vand, who plays the vampire, gives a captivating performance that exudes sensuality, danger, and mystery while the world Amirpour creates successfully juxtaposes the beautiful with the macabre.