The MacGuffin

Found footage horror films are a genuinely modern phenomenon. We can attempt to trace roots to Cannibal Holocaust in 1980, tie origins to the aesthetic and stylistic techniques in the even older cinéma vérité genre, or, if we really want to go back, we can look at Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Both novels were written in the epistolary format, i.e. with their fictional narratives created through letters, diary entries, and newspaper cuttings. Just like modern found footage films, they sold fiction as fact and the audience lapped it up.

One possible attribute of a great documentary is that it shows you a world that you might not be familiar with and finds a way to make it relatable. This can be a great challenge, as it is very easy to have the subjects become caricatures. This was one of my concerns when I heard the synopsis to The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia, directed by Julien Nitzberg.

There are good filmmakers, there are great filmmakers, and then there’s Jean Vigo. In the history of great directors that have come and gone, Jean Vigo’s name stands in a class all its own. Very few directors have made such an impression on me with such incredible ease and simplicity. And he did so with only one film. L’Atalante (1934) is a movie that many may not at first point to as being one of the finest works ever made, but after one viewing of it, I was convinced beyond any doubt. But calling it a great work doesn’t necessarily describe the experience of watching it adequately. The film does not reach for the stars; it does not have an epic grandeur that so many others strive for. Its beauty is in its effortlessness, in its poetic sensuality and dreamlike realism. Within its minimalist, everyday-like nature, Vigo captured the splendor of life itself.

My Afternoons with Margueritte (two Ts) is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time and arguably the best French movie I’ve ever seen. I don’t say this lightly, as I’ve watched numerous French films. It’s different than most of the ones I’ve seen, but it is a feel-good movie that I wasn’t expecting at all. The film stars Gérard Depardieu and Gisèle Casadesus, who play 100% believable small-town French folks who stumble upon a passion they both share.

Tower Heist (2011), the latest action/comedy film directed by the infamous Brett Ratner, aims to be nothing more than a straight down the line form of popcorn entertainment. On that basic level alone, the film accomplishes what it sets out to do. There isn’t much that is quite remarkable going on here; everyone that is involved has been in far better work. With that said, though, there are certainly a fair amount of laughs to be had, and although the film does have a number of problems, I found myself looking past those issues and concentrating on the elements that did work. It’s a surprisingly fun time; I had walked in to the theater expecting a bad movie, but to my amazement walked out having seen a fairly enjoyable one. Who would’ve thought?

Another Top 5 segment from The MacGuffin. This time Allen and Ben share their top 5 martial arts films.

This segment is also available on Stitcher and iTunes. The audio version can be downloaded directly from here. After you’ve watched the video please vote in our poll and share which one you think is the best.

Primeval is a film about a bloodthirsty alligator, based on a supposed true event. The giant alligator is wreaking havoc throughout Africa, and the villagers are getting scared to go in the water, despite it being their life source. Some American journalists are sent over to do a story on it and to capture the alligator, but the beast isn’t having it.

I watch at least 31 scary movies in October for no other reason than I can. It’s fun, and why the hell wouldn’t I? This year I kicked off a little early on September 30^th by watching Alien on the big(ish) screen at the Grand Illusion Cinema in Seattle. During my film journey this month, I’ve watched a couple of other movies that predate Alien, but are surprisingly similar to it. I don’t know for sure that the creators of Alien saw these movies, but I would not be at all surprised if they had. All three movies deal with rescue missions on inhospitable planets, but each one is enjoyable for a completely different reason. Also, for full disclosure, I can never tell the difference between airshafts and engineering access tunnels in space movies, so I’m just gonna call them airshafts. This will make more sense later.

As part of our horror celebration for the month of October, we will be running a series of polls to try to nail down the best horror films from specific periods of time. This time we are tackling the best horror film of the 2000s. Please make your selection from the list below (or write it in if there is something else missing). Even better, share in the comments why you made your selection.

Spencer interviews Sean Durkin, director of Martha Marcy May Marlene.

This episode can be played online via the flash player below or it can be downloaded from here. It is available on iTunes and Stitcher.