An experiment begins: a simple regimen to combat the twin menaces of backlog and beer gut. Hop on the treadmill for at least 20 minutes every single day, and watch a movie every single night. Also features ‘12 Angry Men’, ‘On the Waterfront’, ‘Duck Soup’, and ‘[REC]‘.

As we get older, with more responsibilities and less leisure time, we may notice little things starting to slip. Two prime examples: an ever-lengthening Netflix queue and a slowly expanding waistline. Where our younger selves had the diligence and freedom to stay on top of gym schedules and movie rentals, both pursuits get harder to maintain as careers and relationships grow more demanding.

So as an experiment, I decided on a simple regimen to combat the twin menaces of backlog and beer gut. Hop on the treadmill for at least 20 minutes every single day, and watch a movie every single night. Then after a month — assuming I can last that long — see what kind of progress has been made, whether it’s worth keeping up, or if I never want to see a pair of running shoes or red envelopes again.

The plan is also to check in every week with some observations and reviews. So far, without the benefit of a bathroom scale — they’ve always seemed like tools of the devil — it’s hard to sense much physical change. Though surprisingly, the routine hasn’t been as painful as a reluctant gym-goer might imagine. No fatigue or soreness, just more sweaty laundry to take care of. However, a surprise side-effect of seeing a lot of movies in a row has emerged: it’s much easier to notice patterns and make interesting comparisons.

With such a rigorous schedule, there’s sure to be lots to say, so I’ll start with a few short thoughts on individual films, and follow up shortly with some higher-level observations that go a bit deeper (see that post here).

[Note: "WI" indicates ability to Watch Instantly via Netflix.]

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12 Angry Men

If there’s ever any doubt that a group of people talking in a single room can produce compelling human drama, look no further than 12 Angry Men, which demonstrates that writing good characters goes miles further than any number of set pieces or action sequences. It’s the all-time shining example of a genre that’s sadly become a dying breed — the playwright’s film — and makes a modern viewer seeing it for the first time wish there were more Reginald Roses around today. Preferably enough to form a Michael Bay lynch mob.

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Adventureland

This movie has a lot going for it. It’s not just a cheesy teen comedy, but aims for real emotion. The soundtrack prominently features The Replacements and The Velvet Underground. It features Martin Starr as the too-nerdy-for-society, doomed-to-be-lonely character he’s perfected. But at the same time, it’s two lead characters are so detached — Jesse Eisenberg because that’s his character (see other post for more on this topic), Kristen Stewart because her face seems incapable of real human emotion — that you never quite feel like there’s much at stake. Perfectly watchable, not especially memorable.

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On the Waterfront [WI]

My first reaction was, “Hey, that guy played a giant prick in 12 Angry Men. I bet he’s one in this movie too.” Turns out I was right. My second was that to someone of my age bracket, Marlon Brando is the Godfather. He’s old, he’s wise, he’s beloved and feared at the same time. Seeing him as a dumb young kid who is just now realizing he’s wasted his life in service to a giant prick and should maybe do something about it was a little disorienting. Once you get past that though, it’s easy to see this movie deserved all those Oscars and definitely still holds up. It’s also nice to finally know the context of that ‘I coulda’ been a contender!’ line.

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Zombieland

It may have its faults — for example, for a zombie movie, it could have used a few more zombies — but what it does have works to make it a hell of a fun time. The slow-motion opening credits are masterful. Each of its four cast members add their own interesting elements, from Harrelson’s sensitive shit-kicker, to Eisenberg’s cautious wimp somehow still intact, to the fact that Abigail Breslin is wielding a rifle. Even the interlude in the middle of the film was unexpected and fantastic. It may have been short and a little silly, but for a first film Ruben Fleischer put together something entirely enjoyable, and that’s worth commending.

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Paranormal Activity

First thing’s first: DO NOT search out a trailer to decide if you should see this movie or not. In the vein of Blair Witch Project, this is a story about some people with a camera being scared shitless (see other post for more discussion of first-person horror movies), only in this case it’s a suburban couple who thinks their house might be haunted. The problem is that since it was made for like ten thousand dollars, there isn’t much in the way of effects shots, and several of the tensest moments are shown in the trailer. At its core, this is a simple, straightforward, scary-as-hell exercise in tension, which relies entirely on surprise. It may not hold up to repeat viewings, but for a one-time fright-fest, it’s unbelievably effective for such a modest production. Be warned, it may be hard getting to sleep afterward.

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Duck Soup [WI]

Humor that ages well is a true rarity, and having never seen a Marx Brothers film before, I was surprised by how well the wit (and bawdiness) of Groucho still worked. Equally impressed by some of the more elaborate vaudevillian aspects of Harpo’s pantomime. Chico’s numbskull Italian schtick — well, it was a different time I guess. But my biggest concern was Harpo’s habit of clipping the end off of everything with a giant pair of scissors. Was this a lot funnier back then, or as creepy then as I found it watching today? I couldn’t tell if it was a harmless cartoon gag or a disturbing deep-seated Jewish complex.

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[REC]

Watching a horror movie with subtitles is almost scarier: all you’re hearing is frantic tones and shouts and you’re rushing to read and decode the characters’ cries. Another in the series of first-person horrors that I only just realized predates one of my favorites, Cloverfield, this one from Spain takes place in an apartment building infected with one of those darn zombifying diseases no one knows how to deal with. Definitely as scary as any of its brethren, possibly more so because it takes the extra care to explore the source of all the evil. And when it does, the discovery is something so disturbing the image will be burned into your brain.

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