Lowering the Stakes: Hangout Heists

 Over the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US, there's often some conversation among film nerds about what to watch. There are a few holiday staples like Planes, Trains and Automobiles or Blood Rage but the turkey day cinematic offerings just aren't nearly as rich as Halloween or Christmas or even Independence Day. This has led to lists of "feast" themed movies or cannibal films and some brave souls even delve into the cavernous depths of Hallmark movies to fill the hours over a long weekend. I would like to propose an alternative that has little or nothing to do with the holiday itself (which has dubious origins at best) but offers an enjoyably comfortable milieu to slip into during the break: The Hangout Heist. I love a good heist movie and I believe the best of genre feature impressively skilled professionals applying their trade at the highest level in immaculately detailed set pieces - the mechanics are fascinating, the tension is white knuckle, the twists are breathtaking. These are not those movies. This is a list of movies that retain some elements of true heist movies but rely far more on relationship dynamics, the innate charisma of the performers, and the overall atmosphere. After a day of cooking or consuming your bodyweight in gravy, with sodium and alcohol coursing through your veins, these movies take the suspense down a few notches while still offering appealing characters and interesting situations to invest in. Even if you don't watch any of these over the holiday, they're worth keeping in your back pocket for any occasion that requires low-key yet compelling fare - hangovers, Sunday afternoons, sick days - the Hangout Heist might be just the trick.

Breaking In (1989) - In many ways this is the film that inspired my list in the first place. Burt Reynolds plays an older professional thief who takes on a young apprentice played by Casey Siemaszko. Taking place in Portland, the two rob grocery stores and bowling alleys but more importantly develop a kind of father/son relationship that resolves in unexpected ways. It's got a shagginess that I appreciate and the performers are endearing - unsurprisingly it's directed by Bill Forsyth (and penned by John Sayles!) who is exactly the right person to handle this material. It's bittersweet, it's funny, and it's become one of my favorite Reynolds performances. 

Going in Style (1979) - Not the 2017 remake, but the original Martin Brest helmed film featuring George Burns, Lee Strasberg, and blog favorite Art Carney. The tale of three septuagenarians drifting through their golden years with little to do and not much to show for it until they decide to rob a bank. I truly believed this would be a much sillier film when I first saw it years ago and I was shocked by how earnest and melancholy it turned out to be. There are certainly laughs but the robbery piece wraps up relatively early in the film and it becomes this heartfelt exploration of aging and mortality. The leads are all excellent and the film is filled with some beautifully quiet moments that counterbalance the gags. Art Carney singing "New York Ain't New York Anymore" while washing dishes has always stuck with me.

A Man, a Woman and a Bank (1979) - I have long thought that I've been overrating this rom-com/heist mash up but having recently revisited it, I still find it totally worthwhile. Donald Sutherland and Paul Mazursky play two overlooked and underappreciated computer experts who hatch a plan to use their hacking skills to rob a bank that's currently under construction. Things become complicated when a photographer played by Brooke Adams takes Sutherland's photo as part of a marketing campaign for the new bank. Sutherland pursues Adams and the two begin a romance though Sutherland is keeping his criminal plans a secret from her. It's a funny movie without being hilarious, the drama never feels urgent, and the suspense doesn't reach too high of a pitch - and yet it totally comes together for me. I love the location work - mostly in Vancouver but also in Macao - Adams and Sutherland are slightly aloof but in a believable way as two somewhat guarded people who are genuinely falling for each other. It's definitely a movie I think should be in front of more eyeballs.

How to Steal a Million (1966) - If the above suggestions are too sad-sack for you, then Million should address anyone's desire for effervescent 60s charm. Featuring the absolute powerhouse charismatic duo of Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole set against a backdrop of a mod fantasia Paris, there is a significant heist sequence but this is largely about the two of them being delightful as they attempt to rob an art museum. Hepburn is very much the "good" girl but William Wyler isn't afraid to let her be sexy too. O'Toole is absurdly disarming and it is notable that he was several years Hepburn's junior which is a nice counterpoint to her being romanced by the likes of Fred Astaire or Humphrey Bogart. Hugh Griffith (who I generally love in everything) has a great supporting role as Hepburn's art forger father and Eli Wallach is solid as a pushy American millionaire. At just over two hours, the length might be pushing it but Million offers such a feast for the eyes it's hard to complain.

Thieves Like Us (1974) - Robert Altman's naturalistic evocation of 30s America subverts expectations to such a degree that it might be considered an anti-heist movie. The criminal activity happens almost entirely offscreen in favor of automobile trips, dinner table conversations, and predominantly a tender and heartbreaking romance between two of Altman's favorite actors - Keith Carradine and Shelly Duval. I actually rankled seeing this one for the first time as I was so looking forward to an Altman helmed bank robbing film and instead got extended, quiet sequences of Duval and Carradine sitting on the porch or lying in bed. Having re-appraised it, I find these moments beautifully rendered and Carradine's and Duval's performances are profoundly touching. There's a lot of technical craft on display that isn't overt, but Altman's use of real Mississippi locations, period radio recordings, and non-actor extras builds this believable world of the Depression era Southern US. In many ways, this is the most challenging film on the list but I think if you know what you're getting into, you'll find a lot to appreciate here.

Best New-to-Me: October 2023

 My favorite month and favorite season has come and gone and now I'm beginning to better understand the people I know who start transitioning into October mode somewhere in mid-August. There's so much to do and so much to see that you can literally run out of time to experience as much as you'd like. We didn't decorate as much as we have in years previous, jack-o-lantern carving got left by the wayside, and my October-themed hot sauce production has been nudged into November. Still, we traveled to Salem this year and that packs an awful lot of Halloween into a couple of days. I was also able to attend a mini-marathon/spook show which I wrote about here. I've been trying to fit at least 31 horror movies into October for years now and sometimes follow along with prompts from "official" challenges and more often follow my own whims. Regardless of how I pick my movies, I have been participating in Unsung Horrors "Horror Gives Back" charity effort for a few years now where you collectively donate money with other horror fans based on the number of movies you watch. They raised over $2400 (even more with some employer matching) for Best Friends Animal Society this year and I can't encourage you enough to join in next year. I spent a lot of time in their Discord channel talking horror movie selections and had a blast.

I got an early start this year because I knew I would be busy and it was still one of my shorter lists. You can view the entire thing here and, per usual, I'll review the ones that really stuck with me below:

Massacre at Central High (1976) - I'm sad to say that Central High was another film I avoided for far too long under the assumption that it was just another dumb slasher movie. I was able to see the trailer in front of a different repertory screening and thought I needed to add it to my watch list immediately. In reality, it's a revenge/exploitation film with an engaging take on power dynamics and corruption. The melodrama is at times incomprehensible, there is abundant nudity, and the offing of high schoolers is positively ruthless. I imagine it absolutely destroys with the right audience and might make a good double feature with Rolling Thunder. Not much of a horror movie but one I'm glad to have made time for. 

Devil Story (1986) - I didn't follow any specific guidelines this year (no official prompts and no rules like everything had to be a first time watch), but was intentional about adding some French films into the mix. That can be a little weird as France doesn't have the strongest horror movie tradition but it's all worth it if you land in the arms of Devil Story. Sometimes a film holds your attention because of its compelling plot or genuine emotional core, Devil Story had me totally entranced because I literally could not predict what would happen from moment to moment. It's braindead low budget insanity at its least coherent and I was there for it. The idea that someone was able to convince people that this needed to be shot on film, that stunts had to be performed, or that any of this needed to happen at all is a testament to the creative force in us all. This one is highly polarizing so consider yourself warned.

The Ghost of the Hunchback (1965) - This came to me via a recommendation from Samm Deighan (you should sign up for her patreon if you like awesome curated lists of films among other wonders) and despite being a Japanese production, felt very much akin to the Italian gothics. From the director of Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell, Hunchback is a kind of haunted house movie crammed with dark family secrets, madness, and pure October moodiness. There are copies floating around online but I think I'll have to add the Mondo Macabro disc to the collection.

Don't Deliver Us from Evil (1971) -  All I knew about this was that it was initially banned in France and that it was the other film based on the Parker-Hulme murder case (Heavenly Creatures being the more famous of the two). None of that could prepare me for the kind of ferocity Writer/director Joël Séria would bring to bear. It should be said that this film is loosely inspired by Parker-Hulme and not in any way a recreation of those events. It is a bold condemnation of the church but it also leans all the way into exploitation territory in sequences erotic, cruel, and genuinely mean. I think Séria manages to pull it off with enough artistry to carry the viewer through the depravity and the final act left me with my mouth on the floor. Easily one of my favorites of the month.

Living Skeleton (1968) - Part crime story, part modern gothic, all impeccable October vibes. There's some bats-on-strings 60s goofiness involved but that only added to the coastal haunted house aesthetic for me. Multiple dummy drops, too.

A Virgin Among the Living Dead (1973) - I was patching up some Jess Franco holes in my personal filmography and this was likely my favorite of those. Psyched out, surrealist jams from Uncle Jess. A young, affluent woman returns to her family estate following the death of her father only to discover her remaining family are also ghosts or zombies or draculas or something. Nudity, occult strangeness, Howard Vernon, and poignant evocations of grief follow. Plot takes a hike. It's worth noting that there's a lovely copy on the Internet Archive and if you want to read a real analysis of the film, here's a terrific article Gentry posted recently: https://mimsyfarmerfanclub.com/2023/10/23/a-virgin-among-the-living-dead/

Mad Mutilator/Ogroff/Ogroff the Mad Mutilator (1983) - Holy Balls. 97 minutes of nearly dialogue free, super-8 murderdrone perfection that's clearly not meant for consumption by normal people. In many ways the spiritual sibling to Devil Story, but somehow crazier and more strictly entertaining. I found this legitimately enjoyable but also can't help but just be thrilled that these oddballs were able to commit their singularly insane vision to film and now it exists in the world for the rest of us. However, you may not wish to watch this unless you're under the influence of paint fumes or a recent brain injury. Proceed with caution.

The Monster of the Opera (1964) - I like to try in fit in at least of few Italian gothics every year and Polselli's Monster was definitely notable. However many dance numbers you think this movie should have, there are in fact more. The opening nightmare sequence is absolutely wild and because the movie is set in an old theater there is this cool blending of stage-y, theatrical horror imagery and actual horror. You're never sure exactly which one you're seeing. Things do get fairly muddled at points but the sheer horniness of the film and a solid finale carry the day.

Night of the Devils (1972) - I absolutely adore Ferroni's Mill of the Stone Women and had high hopes for what could possibly be an even more unhinged vision from him. Devils starts strong with an impeccable opening salvo of disjointed nightmare imagery but settles into a slow burn of a satisfying if unsurprising folk tale terror. There are still some great visuals and I loved the music but I probably would have preferred something more overtly gothic or full-on exploitation indulgence. Totally worthwhile even if it never reaches Mill's heights.

Asylum (1972) - What's October without an anthology film? Asylum sits in rarified air where not only are the stories all pretty satisfying (Robert Bloch penned them), but the wraparound delivers as well. It's not overflowing with gruesome detail but it is finely acted (Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom, Charlotte Rampling, etc) and produced and really was the perfect thing to watch with a sampling of Halloween candy.

Theatrical Screenings!

Besides the Spook Show I mentioned earlier and the 16mm Horror Showcase I wrote about last month, I did manage to make it out to a couple of other things.

Messiah of Evil (1973) - I'm not sure what I can say about one of my all-time favorite horror movies that hasn't been said already. Part psychological terror, part zombie film, and part body horror with a Lovecraftian edge to it. Huyck and Katz manage to channel Romero at times, Antonioni in places, and through their vision and production insanity manage to deliver this wholly original slice of strangeness. I had been champing at the bit waiting for my new edition from Radiance films only to see that Tim programmed the restoration as part of his Cinema of the Macabre series. It was unreal to see it restored in all of its cinemascope glory on the big screen and especially to see what I consider the most iconic horror movie theater sequence in an actual theater. I did receive the Radiance edition about a week later and while I haven't rewatched the whole film, the special features and booklet are superb. That edition is sold out but they are taking order for a standard edition that will feature a lot of the same great stuff. I highly recommend seeing the restoration if you can and I would recommend watching any version you can find in the original aspect ratio. However, I implore you not to watch the random, terribly cropped versions that are all over streaming services. It's already such a weird movie and missing out on the cinematography as intended really hurts the experience.

Cemetery of Terror (1985) -  Another Cinema of the Macabre screening. I'm actually not a huge fan of Cemetery of Terror and not the biggest Ruben Galindo Jr. booster out there either, but sometimes you want to go out to a damn horror movie and maybe run into some friends. Those things totally happened! An audience did not significantly improve my impression of Cemetery but the last 20 minutes are still pretty fun and I was happy to chat with some people. Totally solid October activity.