I’m not vampire movie sort of guy, but when I watch them, I want them to be in luscious black and white, showcase California doubling for Iran, feature a cast I’ve never seen before, take me on a journey that I could never have anticipated, have a Sergio Leone/Ennio Morriocone-esque musical score, and generally kick my cinematic ass six ways from Sunday for a tight hour and 40 minutes. A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night did all that and then some. Wow. This is such a cool, different, wildly entertaining movie with a fabulous sense of aesthetics that has seemingly been designed for genre fans and curiosity seekers alike. Directed with intelligence, patience, and consummate style by Iranian-American filmmaker Ana Lily Amirpour, the movie has been described by its maker as a “Vampire Spaghetti Western,” and that description is not far off from the truth. If I’m going to watch something in this vein, it needs to be bold and different; I’m not looking for gothic programmers that litter the multiplex every other week. And this film, if anything, is bold and different, while being thought provoking, funny, romantic, and extremely suspenseful. Because I didn’t know ANYTHING about this film (hadn’t even seen a trailer), the story was of total surprise to me, and I want it to be that way for you too, if of course you haven’t seen it yet or are not familiar. If the vampire milieu isn’t your normal cup of cinematic tea, take a chance on this one. I’m glad I did. Amirpour is a SERIOUSLY gifted filmmaker to pay attention too, with a follow up project that sounds beyond tantalizing – per Wikipedia: “A post-apocalyptic cannibal love story set in a Texas wasteland” featuring a “muscled cannibal who breaks the rule ‘don’t play with your food.’” “It’s Road Warrior meets Pretty in Pink with a dope soundtrack…very violent…very romantic…like El Topo meets Dirty Dancing.” SIGN ME UP!!!
Podcasting Them Softly 