SEVEN (1995)

Sometimes Fate is a bitch.  Homicide detective Morgan Freeman has been walking the streets of this nameless, filthy, rainy metropolis for 34 years.  Cruelty for no reason, rampant crime, heartless citizens, dogs and cats definitely not living together.  It's a hellhole.  He's only got one more week before his retirement and then he can finally leave this dump forever...and what do you think happens?  That's right.  Some screwball starts killing people based on the seven deadly sins: gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, pride, improper twerking technique, lust, not using your blinker when changing lanes, watching Will Smith movies, taking up the entire fucking aisle in the grocery store with your sideways grocery cart, talking in the movie theater, driving down W. Parmer Lane in Austin at 30mph when the motherfucking speed limit is 65, animal hoarding and envy.  Freeman soon sees that his young sexy replacement, Brad Pitt, is in way over his head and that the killer is leading up to something.  Will they be able to stop the killer before he completes his masterpiece?

One of my favorite things about watching a lot of movies and being in love with movies is seeing how they influence each other.  I remember watching SEVEN when it first came out and it blew me away.  The opening credits were especially awesome.  It was like a Brothers Quay film, but in a mainstream movie!  The other thing was just how gritty and fresh it felt.  It's kind of hard to explain it now, since SEVEN (like it's opening credits sequence) has been cloned endlessly since then, but at the time it was pretty awesome.  Watching it again now, for the first time in many years, SEVEN has lost some of it's punch but it's still a fun ride.  For some reason, I remember it being a much darker film, but I guess that can probably just be chalked up to me being more innocent back then.

Quick pace, highly influential, good acting, plot holes, great camerawork, strong cast.  SEVEN is mandatory viewing for all movie lovers.

The "vomit" story was repeated at least three times in the above pages.

Why is the police tape on the inside?

EARLY SUMMER (1951)

Twenty-eight year-old Noriko lives in a nice house with her extended family which includes her mother and father, her brother, his wife and their two children.  Their days are totally normal: school, work, household chores, enjoying each others company.  It's pretty much a perfect life, but still her family and friends are worried about Noriko not being able to find a suitable husband.  Noriko's not worried though.  She's very happy in her current situation and doesn't seem to care if she ever gets married.

That is a very simplified version of the story, but unfortunately I have a very simplified brain.  I would love to be able to write long elegant paragraphs filled with beautiful sentences in the style of Flannery O'Connor or John Steinbeck that would create a tear in the corner of your eye, but sadly my little-bitty brain just can't do it.  So instead I'll simply say that EARLY SUMMER is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen.  In every aspect it is perfect and I feel blessed that I have been able to enjoy it so many times over the years.

My highest recommendation.