Another Woman
I really like Woody Allen. I like everything about his movies, and have probably seen more of his movies than any other director. His movies, while keeping some elements consistent, fall in a wide range of genres. 'Another Woman' falls in with his more serious works like 'Interiors'. With 'Interiors' Allen seemed to be channeling Bergman, one of his idols, and here the connection is more pronounced. more then just being influenced, Allen appears to be making an homage to Bergman's 'Wild Strawberries'. Like in 'Strawberries', this film features a person, this time a woman, in the twilight of their life re-examining their interactions and influence with people and the value of their life. 'Bananas', this is not.
I didn't love this movie. A woman reexamining her life, age forcing her to really open her eyes for the first time. It's done pretty well. But I can't shake the comparison to Wild Strawberries, and this simply is no where near as good. I know this isn't fair, since I don't think Allen was trying to make a film as good as the Bergman classic. I can't help but compare them though, and I just feel its more worthwhile to go rewatch 'Strawberries'. I wouldn't be so harsh on this, but the problem is I really didn't like the characters. It's set in upper class New York which is not something I identify with. Normally this is fine in Allen movies since its more easy to laugh along with something you don't personally identify with then it is to sympathize in a dramatic portrayal. Gena Rowlands in the lead role was cold and unlikable. I completely understood why so many people didn't like her, she wasn't pleasant. The problem is I don't know if she ever grew during the course of the movie. I'm not saying I don't like the serious side of Allen, but I am saying that this one didn't work for me.
The Thing
The Thing might be my favorite horror movie of all time. I'm going to mostly quote from my review from awhile ago, since my views mostly stayed the same on the rewatch.
"This is the height of suspense horror. Stranded on a base in Antarctica, a group of scientists come in contact with an alien life form which can mutate with any living life form. Quickly the team starts to turn on one another, not knowing who might have become infected with the alien. One thing is certain, if the alien escapes it could wipe out civilization. What follows is a brilliant mix of psychological terror and good old fashioned gore.
I'm not a fan of gross gore-fests, but in this case it works. In an age before CG, everything was done physically and this only adds to the grotesqueness of the biological monstrosities which the creature turns into. It is both revolting and some how artful. It makes me sad that this is art of the past, and we'll probably not get these kind of tactile effects again. Nearly 30 years after the movie was made, the effects hold up and are terrifying. That's not something I can say of CG effects that came out even five years ago.
While the gruesome deaths, and stomach-turning 'transformations' give this movie a fun throwback monster movie feel, what I love about it is that it goes much deeper than that. The physiological torment which the team experiences is griping. Talk about suspense. Not only is there a body-consuming alien tormenting your camp, but your best friend might be the alien. Not to mention if you don't kill it, civilization will probably be wiped out. Now those are some stakes, and the film does a great job portraying how people would react in this kind of situation. It's not a typical screamer movie, the characters are nuanced and have some depth. Not to mention Kurt Russel makes a pretty awesome 'scruffy-cool' guy.
'The Thing' is one of those rare films which is genre-defying, yet firmly rooted in its horror roots. I'm not typically a fan of horror, but I appreciate when a movie of any genre if its done well. It's one of those films which I wanted to watch again as soon as it was over. It's one of only a handful of horror movies that I can honestly put in the 'great' category."
On the rewatch I was struck by just how ridiculous everything is. It is. It's a silly movie. But I love it. It held up very well and is extremely enjoyable.
Verdict: For as much as I love Woody Allen films, 'Another Woman' just wasn't up my alley, and unfortunately it was matched up against one of my favorites in this bracket. 'The Thing' moves on and I hope it goes much further!