film review: buffalo '66

rating: 4/5

the brown grain of a 35mm camera, the stark contrast of a rough, rugged man and the sweet angel of a teenage girl with big beautiful eyes painted with blue, the americana of diners, bowling alleys, football- that's buffalo '66.

it was the beauty of christina ricci playing that sweet teenage girl, dressed in the angelic baby blue dress, adorned with bright blue eyeshadow and sparkling tap shoes, that really drew me to the film. of course next was the short, concise summary: a man gets released from prison and kidnaps a girl to play the facade of his loving wife to impress his parents.

what seems like a simply dark twisted film delves into something else. we have a hurt man, emotionally neglected by his parents- a father abrasive and resentful of his son and a mother who regrets her only experience of childbirth because it cost her a football game. it's really no wonder billy brown (played by the film's own director, vincent gallo) is so rough and tempestuous throughout the film, harsh and aggressive to his victim, layla. he's a man hurt and scorned, cheated by his parents, cheated by his first (and only, it seems) unrequited love, cheated by the bookie who forces him to go to prison for a crime he didn't commit...but even though this film seems somewhat autobiographical, it's hard not to think this man is so utterly pathetic.

he's a man who is angry at the world, angry at himself, angry at everything and would want to see everything burn. and like every cliche film following a man so wronged and 'haunted by his demons', billy avoids self-destruction by softening to the sweetness of layla. maybe it's the feminist in me but it was aggravating to watch layla be so kind and sweet and loving to a man who forces her into her own car, a man who pulls her hair and threatens her, a man who forces her to act in a twisted play of happy families, a man who deserts her at a diner- it's endless cruelty but somehow we see the film end with sweet layla being cradled close by billy.

i didn't dislike the film- there were valid criticisms of both the fiction but also the reality of filming (the difficulty of the director and actor vincent gallo, his poor treatment of christina ricci etc etc) but i'd be lying if i said it wasn't an enjoyable watch. i think there's something quite addictive about watching characters you hate, especially those you despise because they're so pitiful, so pathetic, so desperate and angry and fail to take accountability for anything- everything that essentially makes up the character of billy brown. it's particularly addictive when you see those turbulent storms of characters tamed by their complete opposites, someone calm and collected, sweet and sensitive and emotional in contrast to their anger and scorn and resentment i.e. layla.

i do wish the film explored layla more- i'd be curious of her backstory, her life as a dancer, her dreams and ambitions, her family life and why she's so drawn to a man like billy brown. is she self-destructive? does she believe herself a healer? if the girls watching this film are anything like me, something is drawing them to layla. do they see themselves in her, a girl slightly insane who would give everything to a man, a man that doesn't deserve her?

overall, buffalo '66 is a film worth watching. an hour and fifty minutes passes by quickly when you're observing such dysfunctional characters in a world of beautiful american cinematography.

finally watching buffalo 66 I’ll update how it is all I know is she’s so slay

Buffalo '66, I Didn't Like this One

So, I watched Buffalo '66 and I have complicated thoughts about this film. I'm really not sure how to feel about it, I know how Vincent Gallo wants me to feel about it but that's not how I feel.

I don't wanna get too negative too quickly because there are many things that I love about this movie. For starters, it looks beautiful. This is one of the best looking movies I've ever seen and I don't mean it has a great shot every once in a while but this movie is consistently beautiful, almost every scene is screenshot worthy. Why else do I see so many moodboards about this movie or featuring shots from this movie. It's just so visually unique and interesting. They do so many cool things with the camera and lighting and cinematography.

What does is good looking movie without meaning though. My problem is not that this movie lacks meaning but rather that I don't really agree with it but regardless of that, I think, this movie manages to convey its meaning through its camera angles. Also, side note but I don't really mind a movie looking good with no substance in it. Anyway here's an example of them communicating using visuals and cinematography.

Another good thing I have to say about this movie is that it has Christina Ricci. I'm sure we can all understand, I don't know why but she just elevates every scene she is in with her presence. She was amazing in this movie and I don't think any other actress would fit the role quite like her. She's almost majestic, I guess and that's the vibe that was trying to be created with this movie. I actually love that. Everything that I've mentioned thus far really adds to the setting of the movie.

All that to say, this movie looks beautiful and on a solely visual basis, it moves me.

We'll do a quick plot summary (no spoilers) and then I'll talk about why I feel a little negative on this one.

So, the movie is about Billy Brown, he got out of jail after serving a 5 year sentence and when he speaks to his parents over the phone, they expect him to bring his wife. He doesn't have a wife though, so in order to decieve his parents he kidnaps a woman named Layla. He then gets her to pretend to be his wife. From there it all proceeds into the deepest darkness.

So why don't I feel so strongly about this movie then. It's not about the Stockholm syndrome type plot or that movies shouldn't have characters who are bad. I love a lot of movies with vile and evil main characters and Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite Disney movies so it's not because of Billy being morally grey or because of Stockholm syndrome. Then what is it? I guess, I just didn't follow the natural progression of Billy's character. Right from the very beginning of the movie, they try to create sympathy for Billy and it feels like they are trying a little too hard. The sympathy felt forced, not natural. None of the character development in this movie actually feels natural, it feels like the director was trying to make the audience feel something. An example of this, the entire sequence where he is visiting his parents. Both Billy and his parents are unreasonable towards each other and sometimes it feels like there will be some nuance involved and they're gonna show us that both Billy and his parents have their issues, Billy's parents neglected him and they need to be better parents and actually pay attention to their child, Billy also needs to do better (not towards his parents) by not falling into the same pitfalls as his parents. The movie feels one sided though, Billy's trauma is used as an excuse for everything he does in this movie and the third act, while a little rushed, does actually resolve this issue so props to them for that.

I just can't feel bad for Billy, no matter how hard Vincent Gallo tries, it won't work on me. Something about this whole movie rubs me the wrong way and I don't know what it is. It could be that Vincent Gallo cast himself in the leading role, it could be that Billy's trauma is used as an excuse for everything, it could even be that all the character development happens in the last 5 minutes and it's really jarring to see this sudden change in character. Maybe, it's because the narrative is iffy but we've already gone over that. I think it's actually that at this movie's core, the message is that the past effects the present and that is true but this movie isn't convincing with that idea. Mostly in terms of trauma and the trauma Billy endures is very prevalent in his life but the movie also tries to push the idea that he sustained trauma from prison which is a statement that is never supported. His trauma from prison might even be more plot relevant than the trauma from his parents. The thing is though, we never see how prison affected his present day so that just feels like a plotline that was just tossed in for no reason.

I do also have a problem with how Layla was written. I love Christina Ricci and she did the best she could, she was perfect in this role but she was kind of written like a male fantasy. I don't know, I don't like the way she fell in love with him even though he had no redeeming qualities at the point where she fell for him. I don't like that she has to put in all the effort and he puts in such little effort. It makes me feel iffy, they make this better near end I guess but still.

Sorry I didn't like it. I wanted to, I tried to but I just couldn't get behind no matter how hard I tried and when I tried looking deeper into it, I only found conclusions that made me hate it more. If you like this movie, that's cool, maybe you saw something that I didn't. Anyway, I don't think I was too convincing in this review, it's a little rushed and all over the place Sorry about that too.

Thank you for reading though, I appreciate it, I appreciate everyone read my pikmin 4 review as well. Thank you.

ೃ⁀➷ about me! ⋆｡˚ ⋆

｡˚ ⋆ i love fashion, poetry & ice skating ♡︎ ⋆｡˚ ⋆

｡˚ ⋆ my favourite things;

⋆｡˚ ⋆ music artists: mitski, mars argo, lana del rey, chuu ⋆｡˚ ⋆

୨୧

⋆｡˚ ⋆ actors: kristen dunst, lily-rose depp, marilyn monroe, audrey hepburn, sharon tate ⋆｡˚ ⋆

⋆｡˚ ⋆ movies: the virgin suicides, marie antoinette (2006), girl interrupted, lolita (1977), buffalo 66, black swan, priscilla, jennifer’s body, gone girl, the bling ring, little miss sunshine ｡˚ ⋆

⋆｡˚ ⋆ books: violets bent backwards over the grass, no longer human, shatter me ⋆｡˚ ⋆

˚.°: ₊˚ ୨ ♡ ୧ ˚₊

About me .ೃ࿐

14, bi, just a girl <3

╰┈➤ Likes: cats, music, poetry, warm tea, jazz, books, candle lit rooms, anything low rise, and everything pink!!

╰┈➤ Artists: Lana, Lizzy G, Jeff Buckley, Hole, The Cure, Foo Fighters,Fiona Apple, Mazzy Star, The Smiths, Nirvana, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Elliott Smith, Alex G, The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, Mitski and lots more

╰┈➤ Movies: Dead Poets society, Girl Interrupted, Amélie, Before Sunrise, Buffalo 66, pulp fiction,The virgin suicides, fight club, The perks of being a wallflower, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind,Mysterious skin, and 10 things I hate about you.

╰┈➤ Books: Eileen, Girl interrupted, My year of rest and relaxation, the bell jar, and girl in pieces

SOCIALS

Sleepy hallow movie review

Spoilers are mentioned!! and these are my personal opinions!!!(TW: This movie contains g0re, bl00d )

I recommend this film for people who are into Horror, Folklore, can handle g0re and bl00d, and mystery!

As many of Tim's films this seems to be another one in list. The story is be based off of the tale of the well known “Headless horseman” who is figure in horror folklore which in other words is named the Galloping hessian. According to the folklore, he is a a headless man who holds a jack-o-lantern in one hand whilst riding a black horse. The story goes ,according to the story, that it was the ghost of a Hessian solider who was decapitated by the canon fire during the revolutionary war.

From my personal opinion, I think this movie was greatly produced just as the other films he has worked on. I absolutely loved how in the cast they have Christian Ricci as she is one of my favorite actors who also acted in other of my favorite movies ( Sweedney todd, Buffalo 66), she is such a great actor, she is absolutely so ethereal and overall is so beautiful. johnny Depp doesn’t fail to amuse me with his acting (Don’t come at me with the controversies) which the character her plays (Ichabod crane) became one of my favorite characters . I absolutely adore how they included historical aspects in the story plot such as witchcraft, the language back then, the clothing to the characters to make it seem that it adds on to the tail , thus in the end everything played out so great. As the movie was supposed to be placed in 1766, in which i cant see were they had to add the historical aspects. the Salem witch trials really took over my mind once i saw the witchcraft details took in place, Which in my personal opinion witchcraft really is a major aspect in the movie, because obviously the headless horseman was summoned through witchcraft and it seems to play a big part in the plot twist. But I don’t like how the person behind it ,when the scene of the lady explaining how she started all of it, she mentioned she offered her soul to Satan the moment she saw hessian died, which I thought was a bit stereotypical but reasonable because it took in 1766 where the Salem witch trails where around. A lot of people who do witch craft nowadays are stereotyped to be Satan worshippers which in a lot of cases may not partake in those activities, yet worship other deities like Aphrodite, Hecate etc.

Hence, The scenery of the movie is super eerie and mysterious just how it was supposed to portray which is really great, Tim burton films are well known for his gothic display in his movies, in which the style adds on to the mysterious aspect in the movies .

Honestly I was expecting the plot twist to happen, but once I saw it play out it really took me a while to understood what was actually happening. But in the end I figured it out once i saw it in action. It did shock me that the Lady van tassel was the one who governing the headless horseman, because I expected that it was one of the town elders who actually dressed up as the headless horseman and went around killing the people. But instead the movie played out that the elders where holding secrets in the town which played apart in Lady van tassels revenge which is pretty neat!! I loved how everything turned out in the end

Ichabod (The main character) In my opinion is on of my top favorite characters, to me he is so revolutionary. Literally in new York when they sent him to sleepy hollow to find out who was behind the murders to prove that investigations should be a thing behind the crimes going on instead of just executing them on the spot. Which was honestly very courageous of him, al though he is so stubborn. Not to mention his detective skills, he literally can tell what caused the wound which is TOP NOTCH criminologist skills I literally love that about it ( All though those procedures are kind of out dated) Not to mention bro is albert Einstein he made his own gadgets for his work which to mention are so unique, they give him a punk clock-work style to his character which fit so perfectly in his character

Buffalo 66

Director Vincent Gallo Stars Vincent Gallo, Christina Ricci, Anjelica Huston, Ben Gazzara, Kevin Corrigan USA 1998 Language English 1hr 50mins Colour

Problematic… yet brilliant

Very brief opening note: Please don’t take this review as signalling approval of anything Vincent Gallo has said or done off-screen. I used to have opinions on to what extent Gallo believed the stuff he says*, but at this point I can’t be bothered.

Very brief opening note 2: In rough outline, this is a film about a creepy guy in his thirties who abducts a young woman in her late teens and is consistently unpleasant to her and yet over the afternoon and night during which the action takes place, she comes to feel strong affection for him. If that sounds unacceptable to you, I understand.

But, but… I think this is a great movie, weird and uncomfortable and everything else, but funny and beautiful and surprising. I was wondering how it would feel watching in 2024 as opposed to when I first saw it, in 1998, but it turns out my take on the work itself hasn’t shifted.

A quick plot intro: Billy Brown (Gallo) is being released from prison. While inside, he’s made an elaborate attempt to hide where he's been from his parents. Now he’s out, he’s going round for lunch - but his mother won’t accept the excuse he’s trying on behalf of his non-existent wife. So he grabs the nearest woman, forces her to take him to her car and tells her she’s coming to lunch with his parents. 

A couple of things worth saying at this point. One is that although Billy is undoubtedly scary at this point, he’s also very obviously pathetic. The other is that to me that Layla (Christina Ricci) decides the best way to cope with this situation is to treat it all as a kind of adventure and by the time we get to the movie’s first showpiece – the meal with Billy’s appalling parents (Anjelica Huston and Ben Gazzara) – she’s going beyond what he’s told her to do and is enjoying improvising.

(It’s also true, though, that we learn absolutely nothing about Layla’s life.)

So why did I argue in a national newspaper that this was the sixth best film of the 1990s? Let’s start with Billy’s somewhat unhinged, repetitive outpourings aimed at Layla or his sidekick Goon (Kevin Corrigan), who is trying to rename himself Rocky. Sometimes these are unconvincing self-justifications, sometimes they are unworkable instructions, like this to Layla in a photobooth: 

‘We're taking pictures like we're a couple. Like we like each other. Like we're husband and wife, and we span time together. We span time together as a couple. Because we're a loving couple, spanning time. These photos are us, in love, spanning time.'

Writing the words doesn't capture Billy's strange whiny insistence, his distinctive tone. These spiels should be hugely tiresome, but I find them mostly extremely funny and always revealing.

Then there are the looks of the film. There’s carefully rationed use of a screen covered in a dozen or so different-sized square images, and of squares that expand, which make me think of Peter Greenaway or the kind of film made for an art gallery rather than a commercial release. 

When it’s not doing that, I feel Buffalo 66 has more in common with magazine photography of the time than other films of 1998. The wintery streets of Buffalo are shown in desaturated greyish tones, while the interiors often have deep reds. Gallo and Ricci are filmed with the loving care of classic Hollywood beauties, say Clark Gable and Ava Gardner, but Corrigan is shot in the manner of… I’m thinking Juergen Teller, maybe?… often all that’s in shot is his bare paunch, his head somewhere off camera. 

I remember there being a story about some super rare film stock and processing technique used, but I don’t know whether that was some more Gallo bullshit. Either way, it’s a film that’s immensely beautiful when it wants to be. The cinematographer is Lance Acord, who a couple of years later shot Lost In Translation, and there’s something in common there.

The cast is maybe a couple of notches up from what you’d expect from the directorial debut of a rentagob indie actor. You’ve Anjelica Huston, you’ve got John Cassavetes’ bestie Ben Gazzara, Rosanna Arquette.. (oh, and Mickey Rourke – sure, getting him is no coup, but getting a good one-scene performance out of him this late in the game, as Gallo does, that’s something.)

Ricci had been a big child star and was busy establishing herself in grown-up movies – at this point there was still a novelty factor in seeing her in this context. 

Buffalo 66 feels a couple of steps to the left of its contemporaries. It would be very wrong to say it has nothing in common with US Indies of the time, not matter how much Gallo would want to claim that. But there is something different, zagging when they’d zig, for instance the prog rock-drenched soundtrack. Don’t get me wrong: give me Yo La Tengo on a Hal Hartley or Kelly Reichardt soundtrack over Yes on a Gallo one any day, but he was certainly making an unusual choice for the late 1990s. 

There’s such an odd mix of elements here: it’s a film about a motormouth that has moments of gentle elegance, there’s ugliness and beauty, its unnerving and funny and yes, even sweet at times – but to me at least, it all slots together wonderfully. 

In conclusion: Vincent Gallo – twat. Buffalo 66 – a film understandably used a signifier for the rubbishness of clueless film bro ex (who boasts he has it on DVD) in Wet Leg’s 2022 song Wet Dreams. But also: Buffalo 66 – still kinda awesome. 

*Briefly (OK, not so briefly): in 1998 I was working at Neon, a film magazine in London. Gallo was a Neon favourite because he gave endlessly quotable interviews, a rare commodity. Then he makes Buffalo 66 and declares – very Gallo this – that he’ll only do interviews for magazines that put him on the cover. Obviously is not famous enough to actually shift copies of a magazine. Neon decides to put Vinny on the cover nonetheless and somehow convinces the publisher. I had no decision-making power but would have been among the group pushing for a Buffalo 66 cover (for reference: the issue before had Godzilla on the cover, the one after was George Clooney for Out Of Sight). I think we sponsored the UK premiere of the film at the Ritzy in Brixton. I assume Gallo was there? Have zero memory if so, certainly never spoke to him.

follow my letterboxd n imma follow back cos I need new recs :)

Shut in rating

On the other hand Vincent Gallo in his first film since 2013’s The Human Trust looks a bit like Charles Manson while delivering an embarrassingly poor performance. That may be genetic as she’s the daughter of actress Andie MacDowell (Groundhog Day, Sex, Lies and Videotape). She does a good job of expressing her character’s fear and panic without going over the top and chewing the scenery. Much of what I did like about Shut In came from Rainey Qualley’s performance. If they don’t come out OK that defeats the whole point of the film and alienates the likely audience. And if the point of a film is to show the power of God and His ability to save those with faith, there’s only one way it really can end. From Rob putting a nail through Jessica’s hand while sealing the pantry to scenes of her sitting reading the bible, Shut In makes its faith based nature very clear. It further undercuts any tension by pushing religion to the forefront. The filmmakers never convinced me that they were willing to offend their target audience, it’ll run as a subscriber perk on the Daily Wire website, by inflicting serious harm on them. But at the same time I never felt that the kids were in any real danger. There’s some suspense at times when Jessica finds herself in situations I couldn’t see an obvious way out of. It’s not that Shut In is a bad film, it isn’t, it’s just a very average one. Much has been made of the fact that Toast’s script made Hollywood’s Black List, but it apparently underwent rewrites on it’s way to the screen, because there’s nothing really exemplary about it. Caruso (Disturbia, xXx: Return of Xander Cage) and writer Melanie Toast set Shut In up as a home invasion thriller with the twist that, for most of the film Jessica is locked in the pantry and has to try to keep Lainey (Luciana VanDette) and her infant brother safe from there. It doesn’t take long before Jessica is back in the pantry, this time with it nailed shut.ĭirector D.J. Unfortunately he also bought his buddy Sammy (Vincent Gallo, The Brown Bunny, Buffalo 66) who has a thing for little girls. Rob (Jake Horowitz, Castle Freak, Agnes), her violence prone and still addicted ex, shows up unexpectedly and lets her out. Unfortunately she manages to lock herself in the house’s pantry. She also wants to sell the house her grandmother left her, move away and start over. Jessica (Rainey Qualley, Ultrasound, Ocean’s Eight) is a former meth addict struggling to stay straight and raise her two young children. film, Run Hide Fight, I decided to watch it and see if it was a decent thriller or propaganda. Comments about “beta males”, Hollywood’s “liberal agenda” and complaints about “woke culture” abounded. Then I noticed how many of them were from sites that, even if they didn’t call themselves conservative, right wing, or even political, had a very obvious point of view. I was initially impressed by the reviews it was getting. Shut In is, as I’m sure you’re aware, the new film from Ben Shapiro and his website The Daily Wire.

heyy movie review of buffalo 66 and the crush

Heyyy I watched the crush last night and it was honestly so good. I think part of why I love it is that Alicia Silverstone is in it, and I love anything with her in it lol. but I also just love it in general I think it's 100% a late-night type of movie that you just find and you're like "oh yeah I've heard of this one before sure I'll watch it" type of movie which I'm really a sucker for. highly recommend!

now for Buffalo 66.....honestly, I wasn't that big of a fan as I thought I'd be. It feels like it doesn't have a plot to me if that makes sense?! also its listed as a comedy, but I didn't find a single part of the movie funny at all. It's also listed as romance but it's also not romantic even in the slightest. if anything, it mostly just made me uncomfortable and also slightly bored. I can easily say that Billy is the most annoying male character I've ever seen in my whole life. i also think it's really weird that the movie was just like "oh yeah she just got kidnapped and now she's in love with Billy lol" LIKE WHAT? very weird.

what do you guys thing about these movies?

En mis buenas épocas de estudiante universitario, con la escasez que caracteriza los bolsillos, trataba de disfrutar de la mayor cantidad de eventos culturales posibles que no tuvieran costo alguno. Gratis. Esa palabra se hizo recurrente en mi léxico; en el desempleo tiene un cariz distinto porque ya se comprende mejor que nada en este mundo es gratis, y si te ofrecen algo, quienes estén detrás de su producción han tenido que sacrificar su tiempo para obtener un resultado. Que haya público es un buen resultado.

Además, gracias a las extensas jornadas académicas con sus bienaventurados espacios para la sana convivencia y el estudio desmesurado en el cuarto piso de la biblioteca, el pensar en regresar a la casa – a una hora de distancia – para desconectarse o almorzar con calma, en los platos que logran conservar el buqué de la sazón maternal, es improbable. A decir verdad, imposible. Pero hay gente que también se da cuenta de la soledad compartida y le da por programar películas independientes al mediodía, instantes después de comer un Combo Saludable, para hacer digestión con una buena historia en el celuloide, previa a la agitada tarde entre cuadernos y tableros y advertencias para fijar en el calendario semestral.

En uno de esos mediodías, fui a Cine Meridiano. Así conocí la ópera prima de Vincent Gallo, Buffalo ’66, una cinta que destaca por el uso preciso de sus recursos, técnicos y estilísticos, para desarrollar una trama sencilla e iluminada por sus diálogos directos, por el retrato de una familia obsesionada con ídolos pretéritos, por la sumisión al azar de los acontecimientos que nos llevan a descubrirnos más vivos que de costumbre. 

Billy Brown sale de la cárcel y lo primero que busca es una mujer, Layla. La relación entre los dos, disímil desde el principio, comienza a llenarse de momentos de candor, desembocando en el esperado resultado que conlleva el encuentro de dos soledades inesperadas. Dos soledades sin remedio. Con la suerte suprema de encontrarse con otra soledad.  Pero, como todo hombre presumido bueno para nada, o lleno de conflictos con fantasmas invisibles, se encarga que su secuestrada haga más de lo que él hubiese creído; no solo le ayuda a rescatar su podrida vida de las fauces de la desesperación, también le permite acercarse a uno de sus lados más toscos: sentirse amado. 

Luego está The Bookie, interpretado por Mickey Rourke, quien le da a Billy la oportunidad de hacer lo que mejor sabe hacer: echarlo todo a perder; pero no siempre es así, las cosas que aparecen en el camino tienen la fuerte tendencia de llevarnos a los lugares que sufren una fuerte aberración por los improvisadores, por los pecho frío, por los derrotados que no han atravesado el primer calvario en sus vidas. Billy Brown conoce muy bien las consecuencias de lo que los demás han vivido. Billy Brown está dispuesto a ver el instante inmóvil de su fatal error, en una tridimensional radiografía que hizo a más de uno desear que todo fuera un sueño. Que mala suerte la que tienen los que se la pasan deseando que lo que pasa tenga un desenlace distinto.

La vida que no se vive se queda sin testigos. Ahí aparece Layla, con su mirada de niña y su voz tranquila.

Layla, una bailarina extraviada. Layla, la última pieza de una obra olvidada. Layla, la juventud errante y asfixiada por su pasado. Layla, la mujer que repentinamente pasa de ser la chica con sueños a ser la chica con una realidad aparatosa, inesperada, una mujer a la que Billy invita a bailar su mejor canción, sin reparos ni ensayos previos, bajo la tenue luz en el boliche. Layla, con la cadencia de un otoño gris. Layla, con la larga espera pendiendo de sus labios, los mismos que despiden a Billy y luego pronuncian su nombre como llamando a la oscuridad que habita en los abismos marinos. 

Layla, la mujer que sabe amar sin excesos, sin experiencia, dispuesta a combatir la lluvia en la cama, dispuesta a sumergirse en el lago de aguas níveas, dispuesta a caminar con una mano libre para saludar la bienvenida del día, y la otra, sosteniendo el letargo que deshace la expresión de Billy Brown, que no es capaz de besarla por temor a perderse. Pero ya está perdido. Ya está perdido. Billy Brown ya está perdido.

Termina la película y salgo de la sala sin saber que ha pasado allí adentro. ¿Es mi propio retrato el que he visto en los fotogramas? ¿Es Billy Brown el amigo perdido? La cinta permanece en mi cabeza durante varios días, he intento recrear un par de escenas en un cuento narrado pero no logro capturar el aura envejecida de las imágenes proyectadas. Entonces, renuncio, no fracaso, renuncio a seguir intentándolo. Muy en mí reside la posibilidad de compartir este clásico del cine independiente algún día. Tal vez hoy.

- Viper

Gracias por leer y compartir. Sígueme en Twitter & Instagram: @lechedeculebra

Mira el trailer aquí.

okay just finished it and it was actually so so good

best films you've ever seen?

i have so many but here is a list of some I highly recommend (actually i just downloaded letterboxd so i'm gonna start reviewing movies on there)

Horror / thriller : The VVITCH , Hereditary , Get out , Mid Sommar , Black Swan , Cabin in The Woods , Jennifer's Body , Rosemary's baby, Suspiria ( 1977 ) , The Exorcist , Carrie , Teeth , 10 Cloverfield Lane , Babadook, Climax , Ganja & Hess, Anti-Christ , Orphan , Hannibal , As above so below , Bram Stoker's Dracula , Pan's Labyrinth , Creep , Shaun of the Dead , Nightcrawler , Black Snake Moan , Buffalo 66 , Eyes Wide Shut , The Others

Nostalgic / light : Freaky Friday , Adams Family , The Craft , Shrek 1 , Shrek 2 , Edward Scissorhands , The Addams Family ( 1991 ) , Elvira ( 1998 ) a Bugs Life , The Mask , But I'm a Cheerleader , Hocus Pocus , City of God , Marie Antoinette , The Incredibles , Coraline , 13 going 30

yes i only have two moods

Buffalo 66, a story of neglect and isolation

Buffalo 66 features an interesting duo of characters; Billy Brown, and Layla who initially cross paths in a desperate point in both of their lives.  Billy is freshly out of jail and is hesitantly headed to his parents house when he ends up kidnapping a complete stranger named Layla and forcing her to pretend to be his wife.  Layla is surprisingly calm in this  situation, and ends up not just going along with Billy, but actually perfectly filling the wife role that Billy told her to do. Layla's backstory remains a mystery to the viewer, but her immediate willingness to just follow along with Billy shows that she might not be happy with where she's at in her life either.

Throughout the film, the characters the duo meets reveal more and more of a backstory into who Billy is and how he got into the situation he is currently in.  The film doesn't really focus on an exciting story, but rather focuses on flushing out the character’s personalities and history.  Billy’s past first starts to become revealed when the duo reaches his parents house.  The interaction between Billy and his parents tells a lot about what his childhood looked like, his mother kept forgetting details about him, and his father was just focused on the girl he brought home the whole time.  The way dialogue is presented in this scene is really unique.  The camera is placed in the perspective of one person at a time around a square table as the other three characters argue.  This scene really captures the feeling of being at someone's house when they are having an argument with their parents.  Billy really doesn't say much to his parents other than to argue with them, but it's not really his fault, as they don't really seem interested in having a real conversation with him.  This lack of caring from Billys parents is further characterized by the fact that they had no idea their son had been in jail for the last 5 years.

After that scene with Billy’s parent’s the viewer has a much better understanding of his upbringing.  His personality is further developed when the duo head to the bowling alley.  Immediately Billy’s personality changes from being stubborn and closed off in his parents house to a more confident and comfortable person.  I think this really gives the viewer insight into who Billy sees as family and home.  This feeling of familiarity to Billy is reinforced by the owner who both recognises him immediately, and tells him that he had been keeping all of his stuff in his locker safe for the past 5 years.  This recognition of Billy as a person is a stark contrast to the treatment he received from his biological family.  It is obvious that Billy found a community who accepted him and validated his accomplishments, which it seems like he has been secretly seeking this whole time.

Overall I would say this is a great film.  I would definitely recommend this to anyone, it is really accessible, I was able to find it online for free. The film’s presentation is layered, there is subtext the viewer needs to look into in order to fully understand what the character is going through.  The idea of loneliness is consistently reinforced throughout the film, and the whole experience feels like an exploration into what neglect can do to a person. There is so much more to say about this film like the whole idea of a nontraditional loving relationship, and how much Billy acts like his parents even though he is resentful of them, but this blog post is starting to feel long so I'm going to end it here. For a more descriptive review into the plot of Buffalo 66, check out Todd McCarthy's review of the film. He gives a in depth description of all of the important moments in this film, talking about the film from a very positive point of view.

Ellis Kolbo-Leland

30 Days of Yes:  Day 25 — A song from a movie soundtrack they were on (if none, post a song you’d like to hear on a movie soundtrack)

Vincent Gallo used two Yes songs in his 1998 film “Buffalo ‘66.” I chose “Sweetness,” which plays over the end credits, because the other one, “Heart of the Sunrise” is used in a scene at the Canadian Ballet and I'd rather not get flagged for review.

I somehow knew about this low-budget indie film coming out which means it must have been mentioned on the online newsletter Notes From The Edge, and/or was discussed on the newsgroup alt.music.yes. I was able to see it via the Student Union Board Films group my freshman year at Iowa State. I also saw the David Bowie Ziggy Stardust concert film there, before joining the group myself as a sophomore and staying on through graduation.

Gallo seems like a pretty disgusting human overall these days - if you can find a way to watch this off grid it’s worth it for Christina Ricci, or just check out some clips online and that’s plenty. I remember liking Buffalo ‘66 when I saw it at college but there’s a possibility I have not seen it all the way through since then.

Other Yes songs in film off the top of my head - “Owner of a Lonely Heart” was famously sung a cappella by a pre-Pitch Perfect John Michael Higgins in The Break-Up and also appeared in Night School (Kevin Hart/Tiffany Haddish).  “I’ve Seen All Good People” was in Hallie Meyers-Shyer’s directorial debut “Home Again” as well as the trailer.