Random Thoughts

After a very pleasurable experience watching The Cave of the Yellow Dog, this was a bit of a downer.

It’s all so… paint by numbers. Daddy issues and people talking and talking and talkin to each other about deep, deep stuff. It’s like, zzz.

It’s not offensively bad or anything: It’s competent, which is the worst thing you can say about a film, perhaps. It’s all so tedious.

The Forgotten Kingdom. Andrew Mudge. 2013. Lesotho.

Lesotho Lady

• 1 part gin
• 1 part grapefruit juice
• dash of agave syrup
• 2 parts brut sparkly wine

Shake the first three ingredients with ice. Pour into a serving vessel and top up with the champers. Stir slightly

This post is part of the World of Films and Cocktails series. Explore the map.

The children in this film are wonderful. The adult actors are more variable, but they’re fine.

Lots of beautiful scenery and a very vague storyline makes this a very endearing film. It’s such an unassuming film: Nothing very dramatic happens, but it’s so enjoyable to watch. While it isn’t a masterpiece or anything, it’s kinda perfect the way it is.

(I’m watching the “making of” documentary now that I’m editing the screenshots (YES I DO THAT), and it becomes clear why the film seems so real. Because it kinda is. The director explains that she had a treatment for an outline for a film, but then they filmed a family going about their daily life and kinda wove bits of that treatment into their lives, sort of. So it’s half improvised, half real and half scripted. That’s a lot of halves, but it’s a very good film.)

The Cave of the Yellow Dog. Byambasuren Davaa. 2005. Mongolia.

Mongolian

• 1 part vodka
• 1 part gin
• 1 part rum
• 1 part orange liqueur
• 1 part banana liqueur
• 1 part melon liqueur
• 2 parts orange juice
• 2 parts grapefruit juice
• 2 parts apple juice
• a splash of grenadine syrup

Shake with ice and strain into an ice-filled highball glass.

Man, that’s a lot of ingredients. Totally not worth it.

This post is part of the World of Films and Cocktails series. Explore the map.

I… was not prepared for this film! So many great and weird shots. Coupled with the sheer amateurishness of the acting, the lines and… well, everything, it’s just mind-bogglingly fun to watch. Part of the charm is host the aesthetics resemble 60s no-budget films coupled with a storyline about a gay relationship makes this seem like it’s beamed in from an alternate reality. The great music on the soundtrack doesn’t hurt, either.

Your mileage may vary. Especially by how drunk you are.

Destiny. Muhammad Camara. 1997. Guinea.

Guinea Bissap

• 2 parts juice de bissap
• 2 parts rum
• 1 part simple syrup

Juice de bissap:

• hibiscus flowers
• cloves
• allspice
• cinnamon sticks
• ginger

This post is part of the World of Films and Cocktails series. Explore the map.

The DVD transfer is kinda odd and choppy. It’s like every seventh frame two frames have been dropped or something.

As usual, Alex Descas is absolutely amazing in the lead role (as l’homme). The rest of the actors are variable, but fine.

This film is about the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and it’s everything you didn’t think about when you read that sentence. The film makes choices that are really strange and original: Things initially make no sense, but the mysteries slowly and organically unravel.

But there are definitely problems with the pacing. About halfway through the tension seems to drain away. It’s like the director had half of a brilliant film planned and then made do.

Very wry ending. MUCH SATIRE!

Murder in Pacot. Raoul Peck. 2014. Haiti.

Cesar’s Rum Punch

• 4 parts dark rum
• 4 parts lime juice
• 2 part grenadine syrup
• some dashes of Angostura
• 1 part simple syrup

Shake with ice and strain into an ice-filled highball glass.

This post is part of the World of Films and Cocktails series. Explore the map.