Welcome to I Have to Return Some Videotapes! Each month, film buffs Rhianna Mehta and Kevin Maguire will take you through their cinematic journeys with all of their usual insight and humour, catching up on their favourite films and exploring new ones.

As the spring weather got warmer, and more people started spending their time outside, we did not slow down our pace for watching films. Leading up to the Oscars, we had decided that we would not be watching this year’s Oscars live, as some of our favourite films of 2021 were snubbed. It also did not sit right with us that some awards were not highlighted during the live telecast (for example awards for editing and production design). Well, you can imagine our surprise when our phones began blowing up on that Sunday evening when the now infamous slap occurred. We will not bore you with our opinions on the matter - you can still peruse the internet to see all kinds of ridiculous hot takes and memes - but we are thrilled that one of our surprise picks from January won best picture! This year we did not watch all films nominated for Best Picture ahead of the awards, but we are glad to have seen CODA. Of all the best picture nominations we had seen, it was the one we liked the best.

For this column, we decided we will be watching films from a specific decade every other month! Starting with the 1950s in April, it was pretty fascinating to watch films from the era in which the world almost permanently transitioned from black and white films to colour.

When we decided to watch all 1950’s films, we thought we would run out of great films we wanted to see that we hadn’t already - but we were dead wrong. Most of April we watched films neither of us had seen before, and for the most part they were exceptional. We had a real hard time deciding between our favourites and our surprises in this era because to be honest, we loved them all. It is truly the magic of cinema that 70 years later (give or take), these films blow us away.

If you would like to connect with us further on Letterboxd, please find us at rhirhi19 and Kevin_Maguire. If you want to get a sense of our taste, some of our favourites in each genre, and the way we approach film overall, be sure to check out our appearance on The Generalists.

Monthly Favourites:

March

Rhianna: Brazil (Terry Gilliam, 1985) This film has some of the best, most whimsical production design I have ever seen! Brazil centers on Sam Lowry, a low-level government worker who discovers a mistake that causes an innocent man to be suspected of, and subsequently killed for, being a terrorist. As he begins to investigate the case further, he meets a woman who he frequently daydreams about. Sam tries to help this woman, but the pair are caught in a Kafka-esque web of bureaucratic nonsense and mistaken identities. The world Brazil is set in is topsy-turvy and full of hydraulics and pneumatics, which makes it feel both retro, in that it relies heavily on pipes and pressure in lieu of electricity, and futuristic in its imaginative inventions. The best way I can describe the set design to someone who has not seen the film themselves is that it is like a dark version of something Dr. Seuss would come up with. Brazil is clearly meant to be a dystopia, in which bureaucracy and hyper-consumerism has turned the world into an Orwellian style nightmare, but unlike most dystopias I am familiar with, the film had a lot of sarcasm and dark comedy in it. The tactile nature of this world lent itself so well to the type of comedy Terry GIlliam of the comedy group Monty Python is so well-known for. I was so impressed with this film’s absurdity, and how it bent genres to push the boundaries of what a comedy or sci-fi film can be!

Runner-up: The Batman (Matt Reeves, 2022) I adored this film - everything felt intentional and cohesive from the score, to the production design, to the acting in the film. I encourage anyone who is a fan of thrillers or mystery films to watch this - it got me out of my superhero fatigue!

Kevin: The Batman (Matt Reeves, 2022) This film was everything I wanted it to be. It reminded me of a traditional film noir with updated settings and social commentary. In this reimagining of the classic DC Comics character, you follow Robert Pattinson as the titular Batman. He has just begun his vigilante career as the Caped Crusader and is facing a very dark nemesis: The Riddler. In fact, this is by far the darkest Batman film that has been released to date. It also gave the impression of real stakes, which I found refreshing in the superhero genre. Paul Dano’s portrayal of The Riddler was a beautiful departure from what I am used to from this villain. His motives also helped drive the narrative of the film and build a very complex version of Gotham. The Riddler has become frustrated at the state of Gothman, having grown up an orphan in the city’s underbelly. He despises Bruce Wayne for having still led a luxurious lifestyle after the loss of his parents, while The Riddler remained in squalor. However, he looks up to Batman as someone who has had enough of the crime in Gotham and is doing something about it. The costume design of Riddler really stands out amongst the many great aesthetic choices Matt Reeves made. A more modern and dark take on the classic character, Riddler’s costume seems to be inspired by those who partake in fringe internet cultures. Along with Paul Dano playing The Riddler, I really enjoyed the character work by both Zoe Kravitz and Colin Farrel. Kravitz played Catwoman to perfection and Farrell, while almost unrecognizable, played Penguin so well. I am very invested in seeing how these characters are further developed in the upcoming films and television series’. The universe that has already been built through this film is intriguing and has so much potential. With a runtime of 3 hours the film does not drag on or feel slow at any point. My one and only criticism would be that Batman seems to get shot a lot! I would say that the Arkham Asylum scene made up for it and then some. This film is a perfect adaptation of Batman that I also feel works outside of the superhero genre. Tackling themes such as social justice, inequality and corruption, I think this film can be enjoyable to anyone who watches it. I would absolutely recommend this film to everyone.

Runner-up: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (James Cameron, 1991), Flee (Jonas Poher Rasmussen, 2021)

April

Rhianna: La Strada (Federico Fellini, 1954) I thought this was one of the most tragic and beautiful movies I have ever seen! La Strada, translated to The Road, tells the story of young dreamer Gelsomina who is sold by her mother to a traveling circus strongman, Zampanò. Although Zampanò is brutish and cruel to Gelsomina, she endures him as lovingly as she can. When Gelsomina finds solace with a fellow performer, the circus fool, Zampanò becomes conflicted in his feelings towards Gelsomina. Although the story is simple, the mythology of circus life gives the film a fairytale-like quality, albeit a rather tragic one. While there is so much expertise in this film, from the symbolism to the cinematography, the real standout is Giulietta Masina’s performance as the naive Gelsomina. In the first few minutes of the film, Gelsomina is swept away by Zampanò, and is naive to a harsh and cynical outside world. As her optimsm is eroded by Zampanò, Gelsomina becomes apathetic. Guilietta Masina is able to portray the breaking of Gelsomina’s spirit so deeply in her eyes - with one look she is able to depict such grave sadness. This film is unlike any other I’ve ever seen before, but I can see how this mystical parable has influenced so many of today’s modern films - it is a must watch for any cinephile!

Runner-up: The Big Heat (Fritz Lang, 1953) This is now one of my all time favourite film noirs. The film is so dark in its portrayal of corruption and is surprisingly violent for the time. Dave Bannion is a police sergeant who, after ignoring requests from his superiors, investigates big time gangster Mike Lagana and his crime syndicate. Full of visual style and interesting plot twists, this is one crime thriller you won’t forget.

Kevin: 12 Angry Men (Sidney Lumet, 1957) This is one of the best films of all time. The writing, directing and acting are all individually some of the best in their respective categories. Twelve men from different walks of life are tasked with coming to an unanimous verdict at the conclusion of a murder trial where the accused faces the death penalty. The case appears straightforward, but when the jury votes on the result early in the film, one juror declines to vote guilty, setting the film in motion. While Juror 8, played by Henry Fonda, initially requests that the jurors at least discuss the case one more time before sentencing a person to death, it becomes clear that with more discussion, more doubt of guilt creeps in. I loved how the writer, Reginald Rose, was able to marry the details of the trial to various jurors’ specific circumstances in life. Taking aspects of the trial and applying them to the other jurors, Juror 8 does well to convince several other members of the jury to rethink their votes. While no one actor necessarily stands out, it is because of the fact each one of them gave an amazing performance and really became their character. I feel like the director, Sidney Lumet made such a bold but wise choice to keep the film primarily in one location, the deliberation room. The way he was able to utilize the space was beyond incredible. From blocking to levels, this film is a masterclass on how to get the most out of your environment. I was surprised to learn this was not a stage play prior to a film with the way spacing was used. I also think this film has as much cultural relevance today as it did when it first came out in 1957. While you would (hopefully) almost never see a jury today made up entirely of white men, this film really shows how even a group with surface level similarities are truly individuals with their own thoughts, feelings, and biases. The cultural relevance can also be seen in the fact that almost every country has a variation of this film as well as the many parodies that exist. I would absolutely say this film is a required watch.

Runner-up: The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955), The Big Heat (Fritz Lang, 1953)

Least Favorite:

March

Rhianna: Striptease (Andrew Bergman, 1996) This is less of a movie and more of a testament to Demi Moore’s bod. Demi Moore stars as Erin, a former secretary for the FBI, who loses custody of her young daughter to her reckless, criminal ex-husband. To earn money so she can file an appeal, Erin becomes a stripper at a Miami strip club. While working there, she charms a Congressman played by Burt Reynolds and becomes embroiled in his schemes to remain a Congressman by any means necessary. I really had to try my hardest to recall the plot of the film to describe it to you, my fellow readers, because the only thing I truly recall from this film are the long strip teases Demi Moore performs. To be honest - those scenes are actually pretty entertaining. What is so frustrating about the film is all the unnecessary side plots with the Congressman and scenes with her ex-husband. The tone of those scenes, which were more akin to a 90’s thriller, never matched the tone of the scenes where Erin was in the stripclub dancing. Even worse in this film was Burt Reynolds’ portrayal of a southern, corrupt Congressman who loves women. It is truly mind boggling that this is the same actor who starred in Boogie Nights just one year later. This film was altogether awful.

Runner-up: Volcano (Mick Jackson, 1997) The only interesting part of this movie is that I got to read about Anne Heche’s life on Wikipedia.

Kevin: Volcano (Mick Jackson, 1997) & Dante’s Peak (Roger Donaldson, 1997) I chose these movies because they share so much in common, and none of it is good. Each one centers around volcanic disasters and were both released in the same year. I’m still not sure why 1997 was such a big year for Volcano movies. They are both also awful and very boring.

First you have Volcano starring Tommy Lee Jones and Anne Heche battling volcanic lava in Los Angeles. Taking place in a major city, I expected much higher stakes but the dialogue and acting made it feel like it was taking place in a small town. The script also seemed to heavily concentrate on the logistics of how to divert the lava, which made for a very dialogue-filled climax. It genuinely felt like it was written by taking pages straight from the City of Los Angeles disaster plan. In the end, somehow only a few thousand people are injured in downtown Los Angeles. I don’t know where the $90 million budget was spent but it definitely was not on the scene of John Carrol Lynch essentially melting in the subway tunnel. It did however induce an unintended laugh!

The second film is Dante’s Peak starring Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton, this time in Washington State. While this one had dialogue that fit the tone, it still did not have the necessary urgency for a disaster movie. Most of the conflict centers around getting Linda Hamilton’s character’s mother out of harm's way. This one also gave an unintended laugh when the grandmother attempted to save the family by dragging their broken boat through the acidic lake. It is poorly acted, and it really seemed unnecessary to kill her off. The whole movie seemed to be plagued with bad decisions. It had an even bigger budget of $116 million but somehow felt much smaller with very little in the way of visual effects. Overall, both of these movies suffered from bloated budgets and did not deliver a worthwhile experience. These were both definitely disaster films, but not in the way they were intended. I would definitely skip both!

Runner-up: Striptease (Andrew Bergman, 1996), The Poison Rose (George Gallo & Francesco Cinquemani, 2019)

April

Rhianna: Glen or Glenda (Edward D. Wood Jr., 1953) There are some glaringly obvious issues with this film, but I must say I found this film to be quite radical due to the subject matter and when this film came out. The film tells the story through narration from a doctor who discusses a male patient named Glen, who has a feminine alter ego, Glenda. Glen is engaged to a woman named Barbra, whom he hides his alter ego from due to fear that she will reject him. Over time, however, Glen decides to tell Barbra, who is accepting of Glen and ultimately of Glenda. It goes without saying that the world has changed so much in regards to transgender rights since the 1950’s, and this film uses terminology and information that is clearly outdated and somewhat inappropriate now, which makes it pretty unpleasannt to watch. However, what I was struck by was that overall, the film was not casting Glen or Glenda in a negative light despite being made in the 1950s. In fact, the film is presented in a style more akin to a film essay, in which the doctor is narrating the facts of the story and does not explicitly impose judgment on the story at hand. This is likely because the director, Ed Wood, would frequently be out in public dressed in drag. Problematic subject matter aside, all technical aspects of this film (like most of Ed Wood’s films) are horrendous - the editing is awful, the film quality is grainy and low quality, and the idiosyncratic way the story unfolds is quite jarring. This might be a camp classic, but it’s one I could have done without watching.

Runner-up: Plan 9 from Outer Space (Edward D. Wood Jr., 1957) Another one of Ed Wood’s films is in my worst of the month, but that should not be a surprise as many of his films are dubbed “one of the worst movies of all time”. I’ll spare the gory details of this one for Kevin’s review...

Kevin: Plan 9 from Outer Space (Edward D. Wood Jr., 1957) First of all, I genuinely could not tell if this was supposed to be a parody or not. With terrible dialogue from the actors and the campy voice over narration, I was hoping that the movie itself would at least be fun. However the narrative was fairly boring and the effects were just plain cheesy. The movie itself focuses on aliens intent on stopping humanity from developing a weapon of mass destruction. The completely bizarre solution they concoct is to use zombies that are clearly based on vampires. Both the zombies and aliens lacked anything in the way of credible costumes. Both ended up looking like regular people at a cheap Halloween party. Any and all pitfalls of a B level movie were evident. From boom microphones being visible to lighting changing from night to day in the same scene, I have to believe this movie was intentionally made poorly. Almost every scene with the spaceship, you can clearly see the string keeping it afloat. The most egregious scene was definitely the climactic fight. I am convinced the director used actual old war footage for military scenes. The only conversation happening in this scene cuts to two soldiers speaking in front of a blue drape backdrop, and absolutely no sounds of the battlefield, which makes for quite a jarring edit. Every aspect of this movie was done poorly and I would never bother watching it again. The 1950’s have so many amazing films, please do not waste your time on this.

Runner-up: Glen or Glenda (Edward D. Wood Jr., 1953)

Biggest Surprise:

March

Rhianna: Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2021) I had been dragging my feet to watch Licorice Pizza, and to my surprise this film really stuck with me. The film follows a high-school student, Gary Valentine, who is a child actor and entrepreneur, and his relationship with the 25 year old Alana Kane - a girl who is in desperate need of direction in life. This film introduced me to Alana Haim, who plays Alana Kane in the film and in real life is part of the pop rock band Haim. Alan Haim’s performance was by far my favourite part about this film - she is an absolute star! The storytelling aspect of this film may not appeal to everyone (I can already hear the voices of those people who so often criticize a film because “nothing happens”), but the film being set in California during the early 1970’s gave it more character. The dichotomy of Gary’s relentless hustle and Alana’s utter aimlessness, set against the backdrop of the ‘anything goes’ attitude of the 1970’s really exposed the contradictions of life that we all go through: wanting to be more mature and at the same time not knowing what that means, wanting to be taken seriously and at the same time making mistakes. This is a fresh new take on a coming-of-age story.

Runner-up: Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2009) Yorgos Lanthinmos’ breakout film Dogtooth is a bizarre and at times disturbing look into the lives of three adults who live isolated from the outside world with their parents. The film carefully discloses only the details the audience absolutely needs to know in order to barely grasp just what is going on in this film, and because of its jarring nature it has been interpreted in so many different ways. This will not be for everyone - but this is a must watch for any Lanthimos fan!

Kevin: Turning Red (Domee Shi, 2022) I know a small part of me chose this film because of its Canadian/Toronto connection but I really did find it surprisingly uplifting and fun. The film follows Mei, an awkward 13 year old who, when stressed, turns into a giant red panda. While the main metaphor is a young girl transitioning into adulthood, I felt there were also several universal themes that really resonated. Family traditions, culture clashes, and trying to find your own voice as a teenager are highly relatable and very prevalent in the film. I may not have had any interest in boy bands in the early 2000s, but I was around the same age in the time period this film is set, so I really felt nostalgic during multiple scenes. Seeing the small details the animators made sure to include, such as calling the baseball stadium by its previous name Skydome, made me really appreciate the amount of thought that went into this film. I absolutely loved the animation style as I felt it was a nice departure from what I am used to seeing. It also really fit the aesthetic of the film. Much like The Mitchells vs. The Machines, I felt like the animation reflected the style of the protagonist. This helped establish the character’s point of view which gave you a deeper understanding of their perspective. With a good mix of fun dialogue and relatable metaphors, this film has something for everyone. If you loved the early 2000’s and are looking for a nostalgia fix, I would recommend this movie.

Runner-up: Brazil (Terry Gilliam, 1985), Dogtooth (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2009)

April

Rhianna: Paths of Glory (Stanley Kubrick, 1957) One of Kubrick’s many war movies, Paths of Glory stands out in its visual excellence. In Paths of Glory, Kirk Douglas plays Colonel Dax, a commanding officer of French soldiers who refuse to embark on what is essentially a suicide mission against Germans in a well-defended position during the First World War. After his company refuses the mission, Dax’s superior officer decides to court martial 100 soldiers for cowardice, and Dax defends them against these charges as he was a criminal defense lawyer in civilian life. The film is clearly anti-war, and demonstrates this mostly through the film's characters. The characters that interact with Colonel Dax are very much caricatures of real people. Dax's superior officer, General Mireau, works in a large chateau filled with luxurious items, far from the realities of war, yet is adamant that his men refused this mission due to their cowardice. One of the soldiers who is charged with cowardice is constantly whimpering in fear (rightly so), and utters very few lines throughout the film. Using these archetypes, Kubrick really gets his viewpoint on war across, and seems to inspire similar archetypes of characters in his later 1964 dark-comedy film, Dr. Strangelove. Kubrick’s depiction of trench war-fare is visceral and horrifying, createing a sense of realism with bombs constantly interuppting characters speaking, and shrouds of dirt and dust flown astray. This is one war film that is frequently overlooked, and I think it needs to be referred to in the same caliber of films such as Apocalypse Now and Platoon.

Runner-up: Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955) This film was another that I think was quite ahead of its time, but because of this it got really negative reviews when it came out. The film follows Reverend Harry Powell, a serial killer and hack preacher whose victims are typically young women who he marries for money. This is another film that has very dark subject matter, and with this came some of the most chilling scenes I have ever seen!

Kevin: On the Waterfront (Elia Kazan, 1954) I really enjoyed this film, especially not knowing much about it beforehand. The film follows Terry Malloy, played superbly by Marlon Brando, a dockworker in New Jersey who used to be a prized boxer. He realizes he’s on the wrong side of corruption but is not sure what to do. Persuaded by the love of Edie Doyle and the encouragement of local priest Father Pete Barry, Terry sets out to do the right thing. I really loved the conflict that arises internally for the protagonist as he grapples with doing what is right or staying out of trouble. Brando gives one of his best performances that I have seen and is the driving force of the film. This is probably the best use of method acting I have ever seen. While the acting was absolutely amazing, the script and directing were both fantastic too. This made for one of the best, well-rounded films I have seen. The director made the right choice in actors as well as location to film. Shot in New Jersey where the film takes place, you get a real sense of how dangerous life was in the 1950’s for a dockworker. The film captures the corruption and violence at the time within some unions, and how hard it was to break away from them to earn an honest living. Terry struggles with this, but he turns to love from Edie and salvation from Pete in order to break the cycle. He knows he could have been a better person and wants to make amends. The amount of self reflection in such a short period is remarkable to achieve while still making it feel organic. This film is a work of art and should be seen by everyone.

Runner-up: Godzilla (Ishiro Honda, 1954), La Strada (Federico Fellini, 1954)

Coming Attractions:

In May, we are heading back to basics and will be choosing films to watch based on whatever we desire. We know there are two highly anticipated films that are “must-sees” in theaters: Robert Eggers’ The Northman and the Bob’s Burgers’ movie. Until next month!