X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes (3,5*)
I downloaded this film because it was part of the "10 Essential B-Movies From the AIP Library". While I have not heard of AIP before, the term B-movie always tickles my fancy, especially when the premise revolves around a doctor who invented a substance to create X-Ray eyes. Corman is aware of the fact that this premise is enough to create an interesting film as long as it fast-paced and has interesting visual effects, so thankfully he does not wallow too long in unnecessary plotlines. Additionally, there is quick-witted dialogue, a subtle philosophical subtext about the limits of human vision, and cheap-looking but nevertheless stunning visual effects, making this an enjoyable flick without getting overly exploitation.
Humanoids from the Deep (2,5*)
Since I enjoyed the previous flick that was directed by Roger Corman, I decided to look up some essential Roger Corman films. While Humanoids from the Deep is technically not directed by Roger Corman, it still featured on a large number of lists due to the fact that he had a big hand in the production of the film. Reportedly, he added a lot of sex and violence to Barbara Peeters' cut. When she finally saw the final cut, she asked to have her name removed from the project. I do not want to imagine how patronizing this must have been for Peeters, but judging from the film I do feel there might be a point to Corman's intervention, because it turned out to be a pretty decent B-movie. There are some hilarious monsters, a waver-thin storyline about evil corporations taking over regional lifestyles, a fair amount of titties, and extremely mediocre acting. Primarily, the chaos and carnage of the last scene is memorable though.
Ned Rifle (4*)
What drew me to this film was the combination of Aubrey Plaza and Hal Hartley. For some reason it always struck me that Plaza would be a perfect actress for the deadpan aesthetics of Hartley's movies and besides that she is not unpleasant to look at. This film is about Ned Rifle, the son of charismatic refugee Henry Fool. He goes out to kill him because he feels that he is responsible for the incrimination of his mother. On route he finds Plaza who, as it turns out, is the girl who had sex with Henry at age 13, therefore making him a criminal, and now, fully grown, wants to find and be with him again. It is an interesting psychological dynamic that is presented quite trivially in this film which I think is a lot more interesting than making this fact the core of the film, which it easily could have been. At heart I think the film is a coming-of-age film in which the protagonist has to shake off the forceful impact that his father has on his life and learn to make his own decisions (this is also why religion is a constant presence in this film). The ending is nice, because with a very simple gesture it illustrates that the protagonist has developed in such a way that he is able to withstand his father's influence. When his father, just shot and barely breathing, tells him to run from the police that has surrounded him, thinking he has deliberately killed Plaze, he simply refuses and the film ends. It reminds me of a Dardenne films such as Le Fils where one simple final gesture is imbued with incredible, powerful emotions. In the case of Le Fils it is the older man who in the final scene embraces the younger boy as a gesture that implies so much more than it simply shows. It is not only an embrace, but an embrace that illustrates forgiving and finally coming to terms with years of resentment and anger.
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