Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2023 Edition

You betcha!

Delayed as hell, but here is the thread where I will post details and reviews of my personal movie challenge where I gather a monthly "loot" of films based on a different set of criteria, combined with updates from my podcast, The Movie Loot.

This will be the sixth or seventh year I do this type of challenge and this time, I'm throwin' a bit of a spin to it (at least to the podcast angle of it), mostly by choosing less categories but adding a guest each month to talk about the films we watch. Me and that guest will choose 5 categories, and each of us will watch one film per criteria to complete the challenge.

For anybody curious, here are the threads for previous years: 2021 and 2022. Once again, I'm sticking with 5 films per month, which gives me some space to catch up on other "freebies" without being so strict.

I will also continue to use the thread to post new episodes of my podcast, which you can find on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and any audio/podcast platform.

Anyway, anybody is welcome to offer recommendations for any category, and anybody is welcome to join in the challenge and watch films with me. Let's loot!

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Links to the loots of past months

January 2023 • February 2023 • March 2023 • April 2023 • May 2023 • June 2023 • July 2023 • August 2023 • September 2023 • October 2023 • November 2023 • December 2023

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Just for kicks, here is a kinda comprehensive list of everything I saw during the year: a total of 200 films; a bit more than the 163 I saw in 2021 (thank you, short films!). Anyway, here it is...





























Rewatches are in blue, short films in red.

For what it's worth, I already finished the January bit, and I'm about to start the February one. I just didn't have time to put out the thread properly before.

Looking forward to this

I too look forward to this

Thanks. I will still use the previous thread for two pending December reviews, but then I'll start pouring here my January reviews.

If you, MoFo's, check this list of what I saw last year, you'll see how much MoFo has influenced my movie-watching

Ok, so while I catch up with all my reviews, here is an example of the new spin I'm giving to this challenge as well as the podcast.

The Movie Loot: The January Assignment (with Corey from The Film Effect Podcast)

We recorded this episode of the podcast mid-January, and on it, me and my friend Corey chose a set of 5 categories to guide us on what to watch during the month.

You can also see the error-filled live broadcast we did via YouTube



...or listen to it through any podcasting platform like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or any other.

Just like last year, I started with a bunch of really old short films from early in the 20th Century. It's always really interesting to trace the evolution of cinema from these to what we experiment today.

That quote is not on this short film, but it should definitely apply to this duty-driven, persistent little robot. Set in the Axiom ship, it takes place concurrently with the events of the second half of WALL•E. The short film follows the titular robot as he tries, tries again and again to repair one of the lights on the ship's hull.

Near the beginning of January, I went on a little Pixar/Disney shorts journey with my kids, and this was the first one we checked. I really enjoyed its simplicity of the story, as well as the personality that the short is able to give these little robots. The way it is weaved into the bigger story is fairly creative, and my kids had a lot of fun with it.

Something that I found interesting is that the director and co-writer, Angus MacLane, has been working with Pixar since the late 1990s; first as an animator on films like Toy Story 2 & 3, Cars, and Up, and then as part of their creative team since 2017. Just last year, he finally had the chance to direct his first feature film in Lightyear. Guess he took to that little robot in trying, trying.

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The Dancing Pig film is in amazing condition given the age.

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Captain's Log
My Collection

Set in a school playground, Lou follows the titular creature, an unseen being that lives in the "lost and found" box, taking the shape of the different objects inside. When a bully starts stealing toys from other boys, Lou takes it upon itself to teach the boy a lesson, and maybe help him find his way in the process.

This is yet another Pixar short, so maybe you're wondering why I'm opening with a "philosophical" quote. I might be crazy, but I do think there's a bit of that in this short film, although obviously, adapted to a younger audience. The bully is only acting out because he's missing something, literally and figuratively, and stealing things from other kids is the only way he can feel closer to what he "lost".

Just like the bully had to dig deep in the box to find what he's missing, sometimes we can dig deep inside a short film like this, and find something that gets to us. I know it definitely seems like I'm over-analyzing this but I really enjoyed the way the director put a message like that in a way that's simple, endearing, creative, and why not, deep.

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Yet another Pixar short I put for the kids. Set before the events of Soul, it follows 22 (Tina Fey), a character living in a heaven-like realm where pre-existing souls are sent to Earth. However, this results in 22 losing all her friends as they each are sent to the "dumb planet". This causes her to resent the planet, and therefore organize a group of rebel souls against Earth.

I haven't seen Soul, so this is one where I felt I really didn't get the full impact of it. I mean, I did enjoy 22's attitude, and the interactions with the naive "rebel" souls were funny, but I don't think it worked alone as well as other "connected" Pixar short films. So take from that what you may. I might revisit it if and when I check out Soul.

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The past is a collage of memories and events; some of them pleasant, others not so much. But more often than not, we cling to them either way, for comfort, security, or just because we fear the uncertainty of the future. Those feelings are part of what is in the background of this 1944 gothic horror film.

The Uninvited follows siblings Rick and Pamela (Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey) as they deal with the potential haunting of their new house. Things are complicated when Stella (Gail Russell), the granddaughter of the original owner, who is deeply attached to the house and what it means for her becomes the target of some of these supernatural events.

It is Stella the one who has the above conversation with Rick, as he implores her to let go of the past. The film unfolds more like a mystery "whodunit" than a proper horror film, as Rick and Pamela investigate the source of the ghostly occurrences, which might be tied to Stella's mother and her mysterious death.

The pace at which the story moves is pretty effective, even if the resolution feels a bit undercooked. However, both the direction from Allen and the cinematography by Charles Lang, Jr. are stunning. There is some really solid use of the structure of the house, the stairs, windows, etc. along with the lighting and the shadows around it.

Milland and Hussey are pretty good as the leads. Their chemistry and sibling banter is believable. Unfortunately, Russell is pretty weak and her relationship with Milland doesn't feel real. The cast is rounded out by solid supporting performances from Donald Crisp as Stella's strict grandfather, and Alan Napier as the helpful doctor that joins Rick and Pamela in their investigation.

Finally, even though the film is labeled as a "gothic horror", the truth is that it plays more like a very light mystery, with lots of "jokey" one-liners, especially from Milland. However, I take it as a sign of the past and the era. Even if I would've preferred if the film played its cards more seriously, it still plays the cards it has well.

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The above quote, often credited to Ralph Waldo Emerson, is used to describe the way children inherit traits and characteristics from their parents. Something that often puts us in an endless cycle of behaviors that we might have a hard time getting away from. However, the fact that this short is titled just "far from the tree" might mean that there are ways to distance ourselves from the source of some of these traits.

Directed by Natalie Nourigat, the short film follows a young raccoon and her father, as they search their surroundings for food. A chain of events, distractions, and carelessness lead to a face-off with danger, and then a cyclical repeat as we follow one of the characters years later repeating the same behaviors.

This is another short film I saw with my kids, and I was surprised by how emotionally profound it was. The simple way in which it presents themes of parent-child relationship, the way we discipline, and how we might find ourselves stuck in that inherited cycle, is both impressive and endearing.

Even with raccoon characters, it is something that made me look at myself and my perspective, both as a son and as a parent. How close or how far have I fallen from the tree? How close or how far should I be? and furthermore, how can I help my own children to distance themselves from things they should, and find their own way. There will be growing pains, there will be scars, but there's the hope that we can always right what needs to be.

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That's how Walt Disney himself described this surreal short film written by Salvador Dalí back in the mid-1940s. But seeing it recently, and knowing Dalí's work, it's everything but simple. Featuring animation inspired by Dalí's paintings, it's obvious that Disney knew this could be too much, which is why the project was shelved for a whopping 57 years, only to be unearthed in 2003.

Being as visual as it is, there's not much that can be written about Destino. There really isn't much of a narrative, even though it features a fluid visual story about several characters walking and dancing around desert plains, interacting with structures, bicycles, insects, clocks, marble statues, fire and God knows what else.

Nonetheless, it is a visually impressive short that manages to keep us engaged with its visual extravaganza. Even my short-attention-spanned kids seemed to be mesmerized by it, and even commented on their favorite sequence (the man bound by the glowing goo). So I guess it can be as simple as that.

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For those following and listening, here is a belated post about our Episode 77: The Opening Loot, where me and my friend Pete (from Middle Class Film Class Podcast) talk about the importance of an opening scene, and how they have to set the proper mood for the rest of the film. We also share our favorite opening scenes! Check it out!

The Movie Loot 77: The Opening Loot (with Pete from Middle Class Film Class Podcast)

You can check it out on the above link, or on any of these podcasting platforms: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other. Thanks for the support!

A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child starts a year after the fourth part, with survivor Alice (Lisa Wilcox) trying to return to a normal life alongside his boyfriend Dan (Danny Hassel). Unfortunately, dreams of Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund) start to haunt her and her friends again, so it's up to her to figure out not only how has Freddy returned, but also how to stop him for once and for all.

This is a film I hadn't seen it in a long time. For some reason, I always got it mixed up with Part 4. However, after rewatching it now, I can say they're very much different. Whereas The Dream Master was very "jokey" and silly, The Dream Child has a very different tone, more serious and darker, and I appreciated that.

The film is not completely devoid of the silliness that has plagued the franchise after the first film, but it does play its cards a bit better than Part 4. Here, the circle of friends feels more organic, and although the kills retain the same trend of using stereotypes and gimmicks to get rid of the characters, I didn't feel they were as "conveniently" telegraphed as the previous one.

The main issue with this film is the same issue that has been present in every single film of the franchise, and it is the fact that none of the writers or directors have known how to stick the landing (yes, not even Wes Craven) and finish Freddy in a way that feels like it makes sense.

The filmmakers also like to muddle up the mythology with weird stuff that wasn't mentioned before; in this case, Freddy's need for a baby to come back to life, or the many different ways they have had to kill him in the end; which leads to a flawed, but somewhat entertaining installment. It's not a curse on the whole of humanity, but they shouldn't have allowed it to happen again after this one.

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That is the title card with which this iconic silent film opens; a statement about how life doesn't really change based on where you live or what you do. The pleasures and the struggles are the same. Those that live in the farm want to be in the city, those that live in the city crave the life in the country. That is a bit of what kickstarts this romantic drama into gear.

Sunrise follows a humble farmer (George O'Brien) that becomes infatuated with a "woman of the city" (Margaret Livingston) prompting him to leave his wife (Janet Gaynor) one night. Upon meeting with this woman, she convinces him to murder her so he can sell the farm and move with her to the city.

This film was a significant blindspot I had; I didn't even know specifically what it was about, so I was surprised to find out that the premise was a bit darker than I was expecting. I thought that was interesting. Most of what makes the film works happens in the first and the last act, where I think Murnau's direction is more effective. I really liked how well it was shot, the way he moved the camera, and how he staged some scenes where the man imagines himself "doing the deed".

Unfortunately, the film spends a lot of time in the middle act, which follows the man and woman spending the day at the city, going to the games, getting a haircut, buying clothes. I think they could've trimmed all that maybe 10, even 20 minutes. Especially since it dulls the edges of what preceded it.

I also thought the two lead performances were pretty good. Gaynor successfully conveyed the contrast of fear and forgiveness necessary from her character. However, I was particularly surprised by O'Brien, who really transmitted real shame and regret at what he wanted to do. The way he used his eyes and facial expression to do that was remarkable.

Fortunately, after the overlong middle act, things pick up again in the last act as the man has to come again face to face with the "woman of the city", so they can both face the consequences of their plan. I wish that middle act was handled a bit differently, so it could match with the two bookend acts, but I guess sometimes we have to deal with the bitter and the sweet.

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Sudan's history goes back thousands of years. From the late 19th Century to 1956, the country was under British control, during which cinema was controlled by British production companies and focused mostly on documentaries. When Sudan gained independence in 1956, the Sudan Film Unit was established opening the door for national films to be made.

Released in 1977, Tajouj came at a time where the Sudanese film industry was still in development, which obviously explains most of its shortcomings. Set in 19th Century Sudan, the film follows Mohallak (Salah ibn Albadya), a young man that falls in love with his cousin Tajouje. However, he has to face not only the refusal from her father, but also the jealousy of Ohag, another suitor interested in her.

This film was a challenge to me, especially because the only print I could find was a pretty bad one on YouTube. But to make matters worse, the white subtitles often got lost in the clear background, so more often than not, I couldn't tell what was being said, who was who, or what was what

Despite this, I thought I was able to follow the basics of the plot. The editing was massively choppy, the performances weren't that good, but I still found it interesting, maybe from an anthropologic perspective. You know, watching young people trying to make a film in a country where the industry isn't fully developed.

The direction wasn't that bad either, and the story kinda picks up in the last act, which caught me a bit off guard. I was surprised at how it took a bit of a dark turn. So even if the execution wasn't that good, and the production values weren't fully there, I still thought it was an interesting and worthy watch.

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