Once is MORE than Enough!

Hello and welcome to Cinema Wellman. I am your host David, and before things start to get dark today, and they will, I wanted to share some fun news.

Two days after the Cinema Wellman baby episode, my new great nephew Lincoln joined us on the planet, and about a fortnight later, my new cousin Margot arrived!

Babies and moms and dads are all doing well. We are pleased to add two new members to the Cinema Wellman family, and I hope to still be here when they learn to read. 

I was sent a video of Lincoln watching our show on YouTube which, of course, made me cry. 

Now it’s about to get bleak because today we’re going to look at a handful of excellent films that, while being fantastic, do not lend themselves to repeat viewings (unless you’re into masochism, of course). 

The subject matter is overwhelming and since these films are so well done, their impact is also overwhelming. 

I don’t know about you, but I absolutely LOVE rewatching movies I enjoy. 

I have a database (what a shocker) of movies that I have seen more than three times. Of course, only “verified” viewings were accepted for that database.

In any event, there were a few hundred films on that list. And when you move the bar up to five different viewings, there were a few dozen in that category as well.

I watch JAWS pretty much every 4th of July, and have for many, many years, and there was a stretch when I watched Casablanca every New Year’s Eve.

My all-time record is The Road Warrior (with 30+ viewings), but JAWS may be catching up pretty soon.

So, I definitely enjoy multiple viewings of films. 

Just ask Lysa about Midnight Run. She couldn’t understand why I would watch that over and over and over. “You’re watching Midnight Run again?!?!”

Yes. Yes, I am.

Some people are “one and done” when it comes to movies and books, and I totally get that.

But I am all about revisiting movies and looking for things I missed the first (or second) time, especially films that are well-made, feature quality talent, a compelling story, and evoke feelings and emotions within me.

MOST of the time, that is. 

Because today’s films are examples of movies that are extremely well-made, critically acclaimed, and award-winning in many cases, while at the same time being movies that I hope to never see again.

A horrible film from 1975 was titled Once is Not Enough. 

In the case of today’s movies…once IS enough…actually more than enough. 

Let’s begin with a movie that was rated “X” when it was released.

This film also spawned copycat crimes which caused the director to remove it from theaters in the UK.

A Clockwork Orange (1971)

X/136 m/IMDb: 8.3/directed by Stanley Kubrick

4 Oscar Nominations (including Best Picture & Best Director)

IMDb: “In the future, a sadistic gang leader is imprisoned and volunteers for a conduct-aversion experiment, but it doesn’t go as planned.”

Poster: “Being the adventures of a young man whose principal interests are rape, ultra-violence, and Beethoven.”

Truth be told, I have seen A Clockwork Orange more than once, BUT, since it was part of Warren Towers’ regular “Cinema 700” rotation on Friday and Saturday nights, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this movie straight. 

All of those inebriated, drug addled screenings probably add up to one sober viewing, so it qualifies for this list.

Especially since I never want to see it again.

The sadistic gang leader is played by Malcolm McDowell who directs his “Droogs” in all manner of brutal beatings and attacks. Many of which are very difficult to sit through.

A little of the “ultra-violence” as they called it. 

When Alex and the Droogs’ luck runs out, he is incarcerated and volunteers for a rehabilitation project.

This “conduct-aversion project” is almost as difficult to watch as the ultra-violence.

Alex is strapped down with his eyes held open by metal appendages. Alex is then repeatedly shown images of violence in an effort to sicken him enough to “rehabilitate” him. 

McDowell’s corneas were scratched several times during the filming of these segments, and if you look at these metal pieces keeping his eyes wide open, you can see why they damaged his eyes.

One of the more famous sequences involves a savage attack on a couple that involves the brutal rape of a woman all set to the melodies of “Singing in the Rain.”

It’s unbelievably disturbing, and you’ll never hear that song the same again after seeing this scene. 

Director Stanley Kubrick paid $10,000 for the rights to use the song, and its use totally disgusted Hollywood legend Gene Kelly, as it is kind of “his” song. 

Speaking of the film’s music, it’s tremendous. Kubrick’s use of beautiful classical music by Rossini and Beethoven provides a striking contrast to the scenes of brutality they accompany.

This is an amazing film that says a lot about violence and society, and I’m glad to have seen it. 

But now I’m done.

Boogie Nights (1997)

R/155 m/IMDb: 7.9/directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

3 Oscar Nominations

IMDb: “Back when sex was safe, pleasure was a business, and business was booming, an idealistic porn producer aspires to elevate his craft to an art when he discovers a hot young talent.”

Poster: “The life of a dreamer, the days of a business, and the nights in between.”

More full disclosure, I’ve seen Boogie Nights twice. 

I saw it in the theater, liked it enough to buy the DVD, watched the DVD once, and it has been summarily removed from the official collection, never to be screened again. I think I gave it to someone at some point. 

As is the case with every film on this list, Boogie Nights is a phenomenal film.

The cast is tremendous. Burt Reynolds, Julianne Moore, John C. Reilly, Don Cheadle, William H. Macy, Heather Graham, and the great Philip Seymour Hoffman are all amazing delivering realistic and gut-wrenching performances.

Director Paul Thomas Anderson once said that this film is about “finding a family” even though it’s about the porn industry. 

One of the saddest things about these characters is that most of them are desperate to move on from adult films and do other things in life, but these plans always seem to get derailed.

Anderson also admits that none of the characters really change during the film. They are pretty much the same people we meet at the start of the movie. They endure some brutal experiences that you’d think would change a person, but they’re essentially the same people at the end.

That’s rough. And very sad.

As is our next film.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

R/102 m/IMDb: 8.3/directed by Darren Aronofsky

1 Oscar Nomination

IMDb: “The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep.”

Premiere magazine (I miss you so much!) had this film on their list of “25 Most Dangerous Movies,” and now I need to find that list!

It’s really difficult to explain this film other than saying it’s about addiction and the depths of human despair.

It will have your heart racing, you will be cringing, and you will be sobbing uncontrollably. 

Wash, rinse, repeat.

And the repetition is fast and furious. 

Director Darren Aronofsky shot and had the film cut like a music video. The average 100-minute movie contains 600-700 cuts. Requiem for a Dream contains over 2,000.

This frenetic pacing is disorienting and, at times, reminiscent of a fever dream.

Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly, and Marlon Wayans are the addicts in the story and all turn in stunning performances with plenty of depth to their characters.

Part of me actually wants to revisit this, but I’m kind of leery to do so. Maybe I’ll just watch the trailer. 

Next up is ANOTHER Paul Thomas Anderson movie!

Anyone in the mood for a milkshake?

There Will Be Blood (2007)

R/158 m/IMDb: 8.2/directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

8 Oscar Nominations (including Best Picture & Best Director)

2 Wins: Actor (Day-Lewis), Cinematography

IMDb: “A story of family, religion, hatred, oil, and madness focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.”

In a move reminiscent of my Boogie Nights experience, I saw There Will Be Blood in the theater, loved it, bought the DVD, and have NEVER WATCHED IT!

The DVD itself describes this film as an “epic American nightmare.”

I have to admit that I may be the only person to include this film on a list of this kind. I have friends who have seen it multiple times.

It’s not the subject matter that’s disturbing to me in this movie, it’s really Daniel Day Lewis.

He’s terrifying!

He’s so menacing and evil in this film that I remember cowering in the theater hoping he wouldn’t notice me. 

Daniel Day Lewis can have that effect on people. 

Bill the Butcher in Gangs of New York also had that effect on me. 

And, for the record, I do not have a Paul Thomas Anderson problem. He makes wonderful films.

They just tend to haunt me. 

The final film on today’s list is proof that Nicolas Cage can act!

Or at least he could in 1995!

Leaving Las Vegas (1995)

R/111 m/IMDb: 7.5/directed by Mike Figgis

4 Oscar Nominations (including Best Director)

1 Win: Actor (Cage)

IMDb: “Ben Sanderson, a Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of alcoholism, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death.”

Requiem for a Dream had Coney Island and heroin, Leaving Las Vegas has Las Vegas and booze.

Lots and lots of booze.

Nicolas Cage deservedly won an Oscar as Ben Sanderson whose career has been destroyed by alcohol and decides to drown himself in Sin City.

Elisabeth Shue plays Sera; a sex worker Cage meets and takes with him as he spirals downward. There is a scene in this film in which she is savagely beaten, and gang raped in a hotel room that I could barely watch. I have no idea how they film things like that.

Every film on this list is about addiction in some form or another. Whether it be sex, heroin, power, alcohol, or one of the many other things we humans can become addicted to. Once in its grip, it’s difficult to escape.

Most stories of addiction focus on the user surviving from fix to fix. They want to live, if only to get that next high.

Leaving Las Vegas is “worse” because Cage’s character has given up and decided to end his life with the same substance that ruined it.

This is one tough watch that I could only watch once. 

Movies like these tend to be exhausting.

Well, that’s a wrap from here at Cinema Wellman! I hope we didn’t bring the room down too much with these films, but they are very much worth seeing (at least once) and discussing.

We hope you join us next week as we do our annual “Best Picture Rundown!”

All 10 Best Picture nominees have been screened and we will be ranking them next week.

Not that we know anything, we just know what we like.

Until then, take care.