Rate The Last Movie You Saw [Archive] - Page 228

Marco

07-12-20, 04:15 PM

It was V for Vendetta. I recall seeing it back in 2005 and was highly impressed, but this time, it seemed a lot more relevant than it did back then when it was an authoritarian fantasy. At this point, I think you'd have to try hard to not see it being a more extreme version of where we are now, but thankfully, even in my worst moments I do think that Vendetta is a worse time than now. As much as you can enjoy a dystopian version of despotism, vigilantism and plague, I "enjoyed" the movie until the end. What was supposed to be a triumph seemed to me to not be that at all. I don't want to be a spoiler, but I'd be interested in who thought that the movie had a happy ending. Nevertheless, I did think it was excellent and well worth a view.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSA7mAHolAw

This was one of the first things I rented after joining "Lovefilm" due to a knee operation and being cooped up. Couldn't believe how seriously it took itself and it was just laughable. IMHO an abysmal film.

AgrippinaX

07-12-20, 04:28 PM

This was one of the first things I rented after joining "Lovefilm" due to a knee operation and being cooped up. Couldn't believe how seriously it took itself and it was just laughable. IMHO an abysmal film.
I’m inclined to agree. Natalie Portman does her best, but I think you hit the nail on the head there - it’s way too self-serious. Also, too many confined space scenes with too much dialogue that delivers ideas instead of trying to integrate them into a narrative.

AgrippinaX

07-12-20, 06:26 PM

Passengers (2016)

1/5

Not much to say. Fancy CGI when Jennifer Lawrence is trapped in a floating ball of water, but that’s about all I can praise.

Guaporense

07-12-20, 06:35 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/Good_Will_Hunting.png

Very, very good indeed. Rate it 9/10 been a while since I watched such a good movie.

Takoma11

07-12-20, 06:40 PM

Passengers (2016)

1/5

Not much to say. Fancy CGI when Jennifer Lawrence is trapped in a floating ball of water, but that’s about all I can praise.

So, I haven't seen Passengers, but I did really enjoy this video essay about how the video-maker thought that the film could be improved by rearranging the chronology of the film. (WARNING: If you haven't seen the film, this video essay includes explicit details about the ending!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gksxu-yeWcU

MovieGal

07-12-20, 07:38 PM

https://cinefilesreviews.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/mr-jones-movie-review-2020-agnieszka-holland.jpg?w=1200

Mr Jones
(2019)
3.5/5

GulfportDoc

07-12-20, 07:51 PM

The 39 Steps (1935)
Stumbled across this gem. Tale of intrigue and derring do. Robert Donat is just magnificent as Richard Hannay. I liked the whole cross country aspect of it too...and he is pretty unflappable. The definition of a "romp"...Hitchcock certainly was a master.
rating_4
I agree with you-- a fine earlier Hitchcock film. He stated that North by Northwest (1959) was simply the American version of The 39 Steps, which I'd never really considered before reading his comment.

GulfportDoc

07-12-20, 08:16 PM

[Palm Springs]Just watched it and liked it a lot, too.
It's a bit of a screwball comedy with a sci-fi twist for the 2020s. I suppose it was aimed at Gen Z-ers, what with the stale masturbation & cunnilingus gags. IMO it wasn't completely unfunny however. I laughed twice...🙂 Still, the leads were compelling and offbeat.

moviesmaniac

07-12-20, 08:40 PM

Hi
Just rewatch El Topo from Alejandro Jodorowsky 1970. I pickted up from 100 best western movie list and i was so suprise to found that movie there so i decided to give it a second look. Very strange plot but i think this is why it so special and interesting. A real piece of Art.
4/5

Takoma11

07-12-20, 09:48 PM

https://66.media.tumblr.com/30139447622859827377106af5e1a6ff/95b75542fdee84a8-3c/s500x750/6b12be5ffd00bbcd578ea8b9b7cbfe20e07a1bf1.png

Sleepwalk (1986)

This is a hard film to classify--a drama/dark comedy/supernatural/thriller/magical realism flick with some excellent imagery.

A woman works in a transcription services office, and one day she's approached by two mysterious men who want to hire her privately to translate and transcribe a Chinese manuscript. As she works on the manuscript, strange events (some with overlaps of the stories in the manuscript) begin to occur to her and those around her.

It can be very easy in films like this for the director to simply begin throwing random, strange images on the screen, but that is not the case here. There is an overlap and a progression to the imagery (such as injured or missing fingers, or the appearance of animals, or the presence of children in incongruous settings) and it all stays relatively grounded.

Sara Driver, who directed this film, clearly has some relationship with Jim Jarmusch (EDIT: they were in a relationship). Not only is he the cinematographer here, she's also credited in some of his works. I was sorry to see that she didn't direct much else, because I really dug her style. In an interview I read she cited Spider Baby, Kuroneko, and Cat People as favorites and influences, and man would I love to see more movies from someone with that taste.

My only criticism would be that the ending of the film is a bit abrupt, in a way that left me feeling a bit let down.

But aside from that one critique, I thought that the movie was full of delightful surprises. Everything from a super-young Tony Todd as one of the mysterious men, to Ann Magnuson's comic turn as the lead character's self-centered roommate ("I have no insurance and I have no registration and I have no hair!"), to the self-assured way that the film progresses through its story without burdening itself with ham-fisted explanations.

4

skizzerflake

07-13-20, 12:59 AM

This was one of the first things I rented after joining "Lovefilm" due to a knee operation and being cooped up. Couldn't believe how seriously it took itself and it was just laughable. IMHO an abysmal film.

It was certainly pretentious and deliberately allegorical, but sometimes, pretentious is OK. It was OK until that ending which seemed to unravel the whole "teaching point" of the movie.

skizzerflake

07-13-20, 01:14 AM

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

Tonight, it's The Mothman Prophecies (2002) - It's a fictionalized version of alleged events that happened in the small town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia in 1966. Years before the movie, I recall reading crypto-zoology accounts of the events and then read the book of the same name, written by an author who is fictionalized in the movie.

People in the actual small town repeatedly saw a human sized, winged creature with blazing red eyes that seemed to portend doom. The sightings reached a crescendo when a bridge across the Ohio River collapsed, killing dozens of local people. After that the sightings stopped. Similar sightings have happened elsewhere and seemed to portend some awful event.

The movie, directed by Mark Pellington, starring Richard Gere, Laura Linney and Will Patton, takes the same story and condenses characters and sightings, but otherwise is pretty much true to the tense, grim events in the town. The movie is somewhat quiet and slow, but the dark tension keeps up until the climax. It's really pretty good, but not in a typical Hollywood sort of way. It's tense, slow and quiet. I think it's mainly a treat for people who actually know about the events or the region, or someone who wants to get away from the usual scary movie formula. Not bad, although the movie does NOT move as fast as the trailer, nor make as much noise.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCanqLXcxBg

Fabulous

07-13-20, 01:17 AM

Jubal (1956)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/xhWU21XCQTl7AdeY4tZLapqV26s.jpg

Takoma11

07-13-20, 01:30 AM

I "enjoyed" the movie until the end. What was supposed to be a triumph seemed to me to not be that at all. I don't want to be a spoiler, but I'd be interested in who thought that the movie had a happy ending.

So I haven't seen this one since it came out, so forgive me if I'm a bit fuzzy on the details.

It seemed to me that the ending is representative of people rising up and destroying the system that is the cause of suffering and oppression. There are two main journeys in the film: Portman's character and the detective. Portman's character goes through the false imprisonment, and comes to develop a deep empathy with the ordeals of the oppressed. The detective finds, as he investigates, just how corrupt the system is that he is tasked with defending--realizing that his job is not justice, but upholding the status quo.

So in the end it's a person who has come to empathize with the oppressed and a person within the system realizing that it's all garbage who "agree" to destroy the system. Everyone putting on the masks creates a kind of equality, whereby they are united as citizens and no longer classified by their race/gender/ethnicity/etc. I love the use of the "shared note" during the imprisonment--the idea that a specific narrative can have such an impact and humanize people who might otherwise be thought of as a group.

I think that within the context of the film, there isn't a peaceful way to resolve the situation because the system perpetuates its own power. There isn't like a "Hey, we can all vote for change!" dynamic. The only way to make change is an uprising, and it's a triumph that the people finally manage to unite and act for their own self-interest.

Now, that said, something that stuck me when I saw the film in the theater was that the winky, comic elements of the film (like the music playing when the one building gets blown up) didn't quite mesh with the more serious social commentary. Tonally I had some issues with the film, most of which I think come down to the difficulty of capturing the vibe of a graphic novel in film. I absolutely adore the cast, especially Portman and Rea, but their performances almost feel too "real" in a universe that was a little too absurd at points. I liked the film overall (and so did the crowd I saw it with), but I had mixed feelings about it. For me it lands somewhere around a 7/10.

adele

07-13-20, 04:51 AM

Birds of Prey: B
Black Widow: A+
Mulan:A+

chawhee

07-13-20, 09:29 AM

Vast of Night (2019)
https://filmizleten.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/the-vast-of-night.jpg
3
Though I love the Twilight Zone feel, I had a lukewarm approach to this movie just based on the reviews and trailers I had seen. It is exactly the type of movie my wife loves, so we watched it last night. She loved it as expected, and I'm glad it simply held up to my expectations. The pace is brisk and fitting, but the story itself fizzles a bit at the end for me.

Ultraviolence

07-13-20, 10:02 AM

https://fanart.tv/fanart/movies/7347/hdmovielogo/elite-squad-58fe18c5d3f17.png
https://fanart.tv/fanart/movies/7347/movieposter/elite-squad-557e8999b1ed0.jpg
rating_4
Multiple views!

Probably, my favorite brazilian film of the century, so far. I remember when this film was released, and every kid wanted to become a police officer. Brazil is very complex when we talk about crime, and even if this film looks like a fantasy sometimes (like the BOPE training), it can show some of the systematic problems of Rio de Janeiro. This last time, I rewatched with english subtitles. It's a shame that a lot, and a lot of things gets lost in translate (just like City of God). Some dialogs sounds weak in english, because this film uses the "street dialect", and makes no sense in other languages.
I remember when the torture scenes got praised by audiences in movie theater around here, and some american critics got crazy, and The Guardian called this film fascist. I think neither critcs or "The Guardian" could understand this film, 'cause firts, you need to understand Brazil!

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2008/feb/18/fascismonfilm

skizzerflake

07-13-20, 10:17 AM

So in the end it's a person who has come to empathize with the oppressed and a person within the system realizing that it's all garbage who "agree" to destroy the system. Everyone putting on the masks creates a kind of equality, whereby they are united as citizens and no longer classified by their race/gender/ethnicity/etc. I love the use of the "shared note" during the imprisonment--the idea that a specific narrative can have such an impact and humanize people who might otherwise be thought of as a group.

.

My problem with the end is that the plot did what the original Gunpowder Plot of 1605 would have done, which was to evoke Guy Fawkes and blow up Parliament and the King. In the context of the movie, however, my feeling was that the dictatorship was the problem. Over the centuries in UK, however, Parliament has served as a check on royal power. A return to some sort of representative government is what the rebels should want. Unfortunately, they were blowing up the most significant visual piece of representative democracy in Britain. Like a lot of movies on the rebellion theme, the writers didn't give a whit about what happens the day AFTER the fireworks; they just assume that everybody celebrates and goes home happy.

History suggests that the new despot takes over, starting on the next day, vowing to purge Britain of all Guy Fawkes masks, claiming that they blew up the greatest icon in the country, the Houses of Parliament, and that this sort of syndicalist rabble has to be stopped in the name of law and order.

GulfportDoc

07-13-20, 10:26 AM

66034
Greyhound (2020)

Greyhound is a good old-fashioned enjoyable WWII naval battle type movie. In fact the tension and peril never quite let up during its 90 minute run time.

Tom Hanks gave a fine understated performance (although some might characterize all his portrayals as understated). He successfully represented a destroyer Captain who is faced with very difficult choices, but must make them in a hurry. Sometimes mistakes are made. The very busy Brit Stephen Graham plays Hanks' second in command. Graham too has a nuanced portrayal in which he shows his mastery of accents-- in this case an American seaman.

The story itself was a screenplay written by Hanks based upon The Good Sheperd by C. S. Forester. Since the book presumably covers the entire WWII maritime shipping conflict in the Atlantic, Hanks apparently took one section of the book and turned it into an action packed treatment. It was admirable that he eschewed the typical use of intense bloody scenes, and also was not afraid to show the Captain's reliance upon a Higher Power.

The CGI seemed over laden. It seems as though most all of the ocean scenes --and there were plenty-- were in very high seas, showing the destroyer heavily pitching and rolling. But yet the associated scenes inside the ship were always very calm and placid. However that one detraction did not negatively affect the enjoyment of the picture.

Doc's rating: 7/10

Takoma11

07-13-20, 01:03 PM

My problem with the end is that the plot did what the original Gunpowder Plot of 1605 would have done, which was to evoke Guy Fawkes and blow up Parliament and the King. In the context of the movie, however, my feeling was that the dictatorship was the problem. Over the centuries in UK, however, Parliament has served as a check on royal power. A return to some sort of representative government is what the rebels should want. Unfortunately, they were blowing up the most significant visual piece of representative democracy in Britain. Like a lot of movies on the rebellion theme, the writers didn't give a whit about what happens the day AFTER the fireworks; they just assume that everybody celebrates and goes home happy.

History suggests that the new despot takes over, starting on the next day, vowing to purge Britain of all Guy Fawkes masks, claiming that they blew up the greatest icon in the country, the Houses of Parliament, and that this sort of syndicalist rabble has to be stopped in the name of law and order.

I mean, you're not wrong.

But I think that part of the point is that the "costume" of representative government has been perverted into that dictatorship. Sometimes when a system is no longer true to its ideals, it actually makes more sense to scrap that system and start with something new.

I agree that from a realistic/historical point of view, overhauling government systems leaves a lot of vulnerability and it's very easy for a new power-hungry person/group to just slide into the vacated seat of the last dictator.

But, and this is where the genre is important, I think that the outcome of the film is meant to evoke the ideal resolution and not the "realistic" one. It's about the message more than the literal reality.

I'm not a staunch defender of this film (again, I like it bit don't love it), but I don't see the ending as undermining the message. There are a lot of futuristic/sci-fi/thriller films that end with the destruction of the old guard and the heroes stepping into an unknown future. I know that it had sequels, but consider something like the end of The Matrix or the end of Fury Road.

Stirchley

07-13-20, 02:14 PM

66034
Greyhound (2020)

The CGI seemed over laden. It seems as though most all of the ocean scenes --and there were plenty-- were in very high seas, showing the destroyer heavily pitching and rolling. But yet the associated scenes inside the ship were always very calm and placid. However that one detraction did not negatively affect the enjoyment of the picture.

The New York Times’ review was very lukewarm & they also had a problem with the CGI.

Stirchley

07-13-20, 02:16 PM

66049

A Marriage Story kind of movie. I enjoyed it. Gemma Arterton & Dominic Cooper as the leads were very good.

cricket

07-13-20, 03:48 PM

Gideon58

07-13-20, 04:13 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjViNWRjYWEtZTI0NC00N2E3LTk0NGQtMjY4NTM3OGNkZjY0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUxMTY3ODM@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,67 4,1000_AL_.jpg

4.5

Fabulous

07-13-20, 04:32 PM

The Gypsy Moths (1969)

2

https://i.cdn.turner.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i256/GypsyMoths1969.77191_102820130336.jpg

Takoma11

07-13-20, 04:33 PM

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (1970)

2.5

https://i.gifer.com/Ww18.gif

I found this after spying on other member's top 10 favorites. I thought oh a 1970 Czech movie with good ratings, well that sounds pretty cool. I guess I'd describe it as a dark erotic coming of age fairy tale fantasy. If that sounds good to you then I highly recommend it. It's not really my type of movie, but I can at least say that I bought into the fantasy part, and that's a big hurdle for me. It's only an hour and 17 minutes long, and it's on YouTube with subtitles. The lead actress is only 13 years old. That fits perfectly with the storyline, but the content made me squirm.

Yeah, it's definitely uncomfortable viewing at times. For me what makes it more "okay" (though that's a really relative term when you're talking about sex and nudity related to such a young person) is that the film doesn't feel exploitative and it is highly empathetic toward the lead character.

It was a highly formative film for me when I started branching out of the mainstream film shelves in terms of how a story could be told and the potential of allegorical narrative. Definitely not for everyone, but I think it's a pretty potent coming-of-age film that captures the thrill and anxiety of becoming aware of sex and sexuality.

GulfportDoc

07-13-20, 07:57 PM

Vast of Night (2019)

rating_3
Though I love the Twilight Zone feel, I had a lukewarm approach to this movie just based on the reviews and trailers I had seen. It is exactly the type of movie my wife loves, so we watched it last night. She loved it as expected, and I'm glad it simply held up to my expectations. The pace is brisk and fitting, but the story itself fizzles a bit at the end for me.
I liked it more than you did. Here's my review:

The Vast of Night (2019)

Caught this delightful picture last night, which had been bought by Amazon and put up on its site yesterday (5/29/20). It's a sci-fi mystery by new director Andrew Patterson, starring Sierra McCormick and Jake Horowitz. Producer, director, writers, and some of the actors are freshman in the industry. The excellent cinematography is by veteran M.I. Litten-Menz.

Everything clicked on this picture. It's set in the 1950s, framed as a story on a Twilight Zone copy, Paradox Theater. Slow to build, it carefully sets the background, then gradually quickens the pace to intense thriller levels as the story unfolds. They've adroitly captured the intense but innocent feel of the 1950s sci-fi monster flicks, such as The Blob, and others. The production design was impressive on what must have been a low budget.

The acting is first rate, especially from Miss McCormick and the old pro Gail Cronauer; but it is the fresh and exciting cinematography by Litten-Menz that provides such captivating and engaging photography. The 90 minute film goes by quickly, although it leads to a somewhat anticlimactic finish.

You can be sure that director Andrew Patterson will be offered lots of work for much bigger money as the result of this first time feature. Will look forward to any future productions he helms.

Doc's rating: 8/10

Takoma11

07-13-20, 08:29 PM

https://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/styles/full/public/image/shout-the-1978-001-alan-bates-screaming-beach_0.jpg?itok=9S4ex1Mu

The Shout (1978)

The vibe of this film is right up my alley--think the kind of dreamy (yes, "dreamy" is one of my favorite descriptors and I know I use it a lot. I am open to synonym suggestions!) horror of Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Last Wave, or Images.

A man named Anthony (John Hurt) lives a mediocre life with his wife Rachel (Susannah York). One day a man named Crowley basically invites himself to lunch with them and from there he ingratiates himself into their lives. He claims to have learned ancient magic from an Aboriginal tribe--including the ability to use a deadly shout (a la the title) capable of killing any living thing in earshot and the ability to bewitch anyone if he has an item of theirs. While first assuming him to be an eccentric, the couple soon comes to realize that Crowley's stories may be more true than they believed.

This one didn't quite rise to the level of the films I mentioned in my first paragraph, but I really enjoyed it. The casting is perfect. John Hurt always looks a bit sickly to me, and next to him Alan Bates' bombastic performance makes Crowley feel more like a force of nature than a person. York does well as Rachel (though the character doesn't get as much agency as her male co-stars, as she becomes the "prize" to be fought over by them). There's fantastically creepy (and instantly iconic) sequence where she crawls across the floor in an odd way that instantly elevates the film's sense of foreboding. (Included below, but in spoiler text if you don't want that part spoiled for you and also the image contains some nudity but in silhouette---please let me know if you guys think it's too NSFW).

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSCNRrqgqoz6nwyy6PRsv7CXmhGd2rtl0E_2g&usqp=CAU

The film makes great use of its various settings--the ramshackle house in which Anthony and Rachel live; the local mental hospital (where Rachel works and which hosts strange cricket games for its patients); and the sweeping sand dunes near their home.

I had only two qualms with the film.

The first was that I wish Rachel had been given more character development. Very early on in the film she mostly becomes a trophy to be fought over by the male characters. If the film had explored the idea that maybe Rachel was somewhat willing to be seduced by an outsider, that could have been interesting. Instead she becomes a pawn to be manipulated. York plays the part well, but it feels like a missed opportunity to flesh out the couple's marriage in a deeper way.

The other complaint was some of the exoticizing of Aboriginal culture. In a film like The Last Wave, Aboriginal culture is presented at times as mysterious, but there are actual Aboriginal characters and the culture and their beliefs are regarded with respect. In this film, it's a bit more woo-woo, and leans into the idea of indigenous people as "magical savages". For example, it's true that there's evidence that Aboriginal societies practiced infanticide, but in the film it's presented as something that Aboriginal parents did on a whim. I get that the film needed a supernatural foundation for its story, but it felt a bit clunky. I actually preferred some of the weirder touches, like the idea that souls are tied to rocks in the dunes, leading to a strange conversation between Anthony and a local cobbler whose stone was impacted by Anthony and Crowley's actions.

While not top-tier 70s horror, I would definitely recommend it. I watched it on Amazon Prime.

3.5

cricket

07-13-20, 11:21 PM

Christiane F. (1981)

5

https://allesoverfilm.nl/media/uploads/uploads_old_site/reviews/1908/shot5_large.jpg

I had been looking forward to this one for quite a while and it shattered my expectations. It's crazy how this true story ends up being one heartbreaking moment after another. It's unbelievable how realistic it is and the cast of unknowns are incredible. It's a major new favorite that will stay with me forever.

Fabulous

07-13-20, 11:48 PM

Woman of Straw (1964)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/129kgdfjZ97UGbDS91UOWzayPb0.jpg

pahaK

07-13-20, 11:56 PM

Chypmunk

07-14-20, 02:54 AM

Christiane F. (1981)

5

I had been looking forward to this one for quite a while and it shattered my expectations. It's crazy how this true story ends up being one heartbreaking moment after another. It's unbelievable how realistic it is and the cast of unknowns are incredible. It's a major new favorite that will stay with me forever.
Cracking fillum, knocks most other depictions of a downwards drug-induced spiral into a cocked hat imo :up:

MovieMeditation

07-14-20, 03:40 AM

pahaK

07-14-20, 05:26 AM

I saw this back in like early high school. Intense film.

I’ve actually really wanted to rewatch it, but I want to watch the uncut version but it seems impossible to track down.

Oh crap. It seems the version I have is also cut. It's odd as the IMDb says: "The cuts were fully waived in 2000 for all video and DVD releases." That means those 2000 UK versions should have been uncut, right (or am I misunderstanding the term "waived in")?

John-Connor

07-14-20, 05:42 AM

Oh crap. It seems the version I have is also cut. It's odd as the IMDb says: "The cuts were fully waived in 2000 for all video and DVD releases." That means those 2000 UK versions should have been uncut, right
^ correct, i'm trying to get the dvd dutch and german version right now, the cuts were 5min. total.

Mr Minio

07-14-20, 06:17 AM

The lead actress is only 13 years old
Yeah, it's definitely uncomfortable viewing at times

I didn't know she was so young. She seemed much more mature than me when I watched the film for the first time at the age of 18. I've been such a babyface.

https://i.imgur.com/bjbzBtB.png

this_is_the_ girl

07-14-20, 09:58 AM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dreadcentral.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F07%2FLuzBluthardt.png&f=1&nofb=1
Luz (2018, Tilman Singer)
rating_3_5

Singer's directorial debut is a pretty cool 70-min low-budget supernatural horror flick, clearly influenced by classic 80s euro-horror (think Fulci, Zulawski, Argento, also Cronenberg). On the downside, as is often the case with debuts, it leans more into style-over-substance, artsy-for-artsy's-sake territory - it throws all those inspirations into a melting pot, adds a creepy mysterious vibe to it (those lingering long shots - damn...), but kind of falls short on the ingredient that would bind it all together into a more coherent whole - the plot. But hey, this breed of cinema is not about plot anyway - it's a visual cerebral experience that demands more from your brain than just an ability to linearly follow the plot.

An acquired taste for sure - not all of it works but personally in the end I think I liked it more than I disliked it. Thumbs up for the eerie atmosphere and style.

AgrippinaX

07-14-20, 10:32 AM

So, I haven't seen Passengers, but I did really enjoy this video essay about how the video-maker thought that the film could be improved by rearranging the chronology of the film. (WARNING: If you haven't seen the film, this video essay includes explicit details about the ending!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gksxu-yeWcU

I finally watched this. I agree with most of it, especially that it’s a POV problem. But then it’s hard to tell how making Jennifer Lawrence the protagonist would play out. A film that plays out much like what this video essay is suggesting is Before I Go To Sleep (2014), and it was quite terrible in itself. I think there we had the sense of being cheated & that information was being fed to us. But food for thought nonetheless!

skizzerflake

07-14-20, 12:11 PM

I'm not a staunch defender of this film (again, I like it bit don't love it), but I don't see the ending as undermining the message. There are a lot of futuristic/sci-fi/thriller films that end with the destruction of the old guard and the heroes stepping into an unknown future. I know that it had sequels, but consider something like the end of The Matrix or the end of Fury Road.

I guess it's where fantasy and history intersect. Movie wise, I like an ending with cheering and fireworks, but my other avocation (history) tells me that most of the time, the day after the cheering stops, a new despot starts to plot. History is full of disappointing ends to revolutions.

Movies get to have an end and then cut to the credits. History suggests that, after the Tsar falls, the Bolsheviks take over or that once the King of France is beheaded, we might as well move on to the reign of terror.

I guess it was a good choice, movie wise, to end with cheering and fireworks, but the cynic in me was left unsettled.

AgrippinaX

07-14-20, 12:37 PM

Images (1976)
My second viewing, but the first one must have been 7-8 years ago. I loved the scene in the beginning where Cathryn’s husband turns into her ex-lover. I have a penchant for films where one person inexplicably turns into another (I enjoy the first half of Lynch’s Lost Highway despite its flaws, because I find the idea of a prison guard finding a different man in a cell than the one he’d locked priceless). Of course, here the husband morphs into someone Cathryn actually remembers/imagines, which makes it less sudden and less scary. Otherwise, the plot is a bit muddled, but an enjoyable viewing nonetheless.
3/5

Marco

07-14-20, 12:57 PM

The Quarry (2020)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c7/The_Quarry_poster.jpeg
Low-key tale of stranger arrives in no-where's-ville looking to steal an identity and forget/cover-up his past.

Its predictable but still kinda enigmatic, I did need a couple of breaks.

2

Takoma11

07-14-20, 01:21 PM

I finally watched this. I agree with most of it, especially that it’s a POV problem. But then it’s hard to tell how making Jennifer Lawrence the protagonist would play out.

I agree that it's hard to know if the reordering of the plot would improve the film.

But the idea that I most liked in the video essay was about how the time that the viewer spends with the main character and the empathy that's build up for him later causes the viewer to be more forgiving of creepy and/or amoral behaviors. It's just neat to think about the way that films signal to us who we should root for, even as those characters do bad things to other people.

Also, I think you'd really enjoy the film I wrote up the other day, Sleepwalk if you haven't already seen it. It's not perfect, but I think you'd dig its vibe.

AgrippinaX

07-14-20, 01:27 PM

I agree that it's hard to know if the reordering of the plot would improve the film.

But the idea that I most liked in the video essay was about how the time that the viewer spends with the main character and the empathy that's build up for him later causes the viewer to be more forgiving of creepy and/or amoral behaviors. It's just neat to think about the way that films signal to us who we should root for, even as those characters do bad things to other people.

Also, I think you'd really enjoy the film I wrote up the other day, Sleepwalk if you haven't already seen it. It's not perfect, but I think you'd dig its vibe.

I definitely think reordering would help. But a side effect of that is that she becomes the protagonist, in which case we’d need to give her some enigma/motivation. Unless it is that she suspects there’s a bit too much that has seemingly ‘malfunctioned’ and begins to suspect someone woke her up.

I haven’t seen Sleepwalk, but thanks, I’ll definitely check it out.

Truman

07-14-20, 02:17 PM

Hackers = so cool/10

https://i.pinimg.com/474x/6b/c9/9f/6bc99f17f17358369b4fd40f3adf2d5e.jpg

Gideon58

07-14-20, 02:46 PM

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71RfraLpTxL._AC_SL1000_.jpg

3.5

Gideon58

07-14-20, 09:01 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDZmODc0MWQtYWVjOS00OGFiLWExNjItOTMyN2Q5ZTFmYzUzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTAwMzUyOTc@._V1_.jpg

4.5

Nausicaä

07-14-20, 11:37 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/3a/The_Invisible_Man_%282020_film%29_-_release_poster.jpg/220px-The_Invisible_Man_%282020_film%29_-_release_poster.jpg

3

Snooze factor = Zz

[Snooze Factor Ratings]:
Z = didn't nod off at all
Zz = nearly nodded off but managed to stay alert
Zzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed
Zzzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed but nodded off again at the same point and therefore needed to go back a number of times before I got through it...
Zzzzz = nodded off and missed some or the rest of the film but was not interested enough to go back over it

pahaK

07-15-20, 04:14 AM

The Old Guard (2020)

This Netflix comic book movie feels like a series pilot. It's a decent introduction to (unbelievably cliched) characters, but it doesn't go any further than that. Even the ending seems to scream "remember to watch the next episode". Despite all that, I'm a little partial towards all sorts of immortals and can easily look past the cliches and predictability.

2.5

Thunderbolt

07-15-20, 06:39 AM

66158
It may look dated but this is one of Hammer’s greats. Christopher Lee brings some class to this Dennis Wheatley story of good vs evil.
4

Thunderbolt

07-15-20, 06:52 AM

66159
Anyone interest in Psycho should check this out. For its time it has a very dark storyline and Bette Davis is perfectly cast as the lead character. Is she innocent or guilty of the tragedies that have struck the Fane family?
4

James D. Gardiner

07-15-20, 07:13 AM

Anyone interest in Psycho should check this out. For its time it has a very dark storyline and Bette Davis is perfectly cast as the lead character. Is she innocent or guilty of the tragedies that have struck the Fane family?
rating_4

As a child, this scared the hell out of me. Not so much now, but still.

this_is_the_ girl

07-15-20, 08:51 AM

https://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2018/09/The-King-of-Comedy-Sandra-Bernhard.jpg
The King of Comedy (1982, Martin Scorsese)
rating_2_5
This seems to be a highly acclaimed movie, and I fully expected to like it going in because it's Scorsese and the subject matter is right up my alley, but frankly it didn't do much for me at all. I mean, I get the satire, the black humor and all that, and the first half of the film was kinda decent, but the longer I watched, the more I realized it wasn't going in the direction I wished it would go (didn't care for the plot turn with the kidnapping and everything that ensued), plus I totally missed insight into comedy as a genre, the trials and tribulations of the profession/working on television, no character development in sight - to me, that was a glaring flaw when it comes to plot. It certainly didn't help matters either that Pupkin is probably the most annoying character in the history of ever (when Langford finally said to him, "Did anyone ever tell you you're a moron?", I couldn't have concurred more).

Thumbs up for the satire, but otherwise I found it frustrating - and irritating beyond belief.
Sandra Bernhard as a psychotic fan was pretty good tho.

mojofilter

07-15-20, 08:54 AM

https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.4VTlrcwrXAgbbLv8lG0tbAHaLW&pid=Api&P=0&w=300&h=300
BACK TO SCHOOL
(1986)

Re-watch. The movie that showcased Rodney Dangerfield's comedic genius, with the help of a solid supporting cast that included Burt Young, William Zabka, and another legendary funnyman Sam Kinison.
4

Memento Mori

07-15-20, 09:48 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/42/The_Swimmer_poster.jpg

The Swimmer
4

Such an underrated movie. The ending is perfect.

Takoma11

07-15-20, 01:15 PM

Marco

07-15-20, 01:38 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/42/The_Swimmer_poster.jpg

The Swimmer
4

Such an underrated movie. The ending is perfect.

Fantastic film.

Stirchley

07-15-20, 02:51 PM

66193

Re-watch of a good movie with a very unique storyline. Well-acted.

mark f

07-15-20, 03:43 PM

Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (Sam O'Steen, 1975) 3 6.5/10
The Deeper You Dig (John Adams & Toby Poser, 2019) 2 5/10
Relic (Natalie Erika James, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
Ruben Brandt, Collector (Milorad Krstic, 2018) 3.5 7/10
https://66.media.tumblr.com/3e4ca56cc1ecee2240aaf43cdf411513/tumblr_pinaisFiiK1w9g76do6_500.gifv
Spectacular, surreal animated epic with homages to pop culture up the ying-yang.
Archive (Gavin Rothery, 2020) 2.5 6/10
Danny Says (Brendan Toller, 2015) 3 6.5/10
Between Shadow and Soul (Ash Mayfair, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo (Brett Harvey, 2019) 3+ 6.5/10
https://ktla.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2020/07/hypatia-h_cabea6c2d6b3c4f1176d50ebc257bab6-h_386120e33287e76d2f67137f0856cc1e.jpg?w=640
Danny Trejo's life traced from little kid to druggie criminal to prison kingpin to extra/actor to movie star/entrepreneur.
Xala (Ousmane Sembene, 1975) 2.5 6/10
Money Plane (Andrew Lawrence, 2020) 2+ 5/10
The Long Dumb Road (Hannah Fidell, 2018) 2.5 5.5/10
Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (Cristina Costantini & Kareem Tabsch, 2020) 3 6.5/10
https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/hB79QKrHPbU4XOtS4jUmjg--~A/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9ODAw/https://media.zenfs.com/es-MX/animal_mx_205/0487f0a455a4f154fccfd5006e92bc18
Strange, fascinating story of Puerto Rican astrologer Walter Mercado who had a major influence across Latin America.
The F**k-It List (Michael Duggan, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
Inversion (Behnam Behzadi, 2016) 2.5 6/10
Ordinary People (Eduardo W. Roy Jr, 2016) 2.5 5.5/10
Music for One Apartment and Six Drummers (Ola Simonsson & Johannes Stjärne Nilsson, 2001) 3.5 7/10 10 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVPVbc8LgP4
The terrorists from The Sound of Noise are back.
John Lewis: Good Trouble (Dawn Porter, 2020) 3- 6.5/10
Volition (Tony Dean Smith, 2019) 2.5 5.5/10
Villa Empain (Katharina Kastner, 2019) 2.5 6/10 24 min
The Whistlers AKA La Gomera (Corneliu Porumboiu, 2019) 3- 6.5/10
https://cmedia.romaniatv.net/image/201905/w620/porumboiu_1_05224800.jpeg
Complex mystery, so complex it takes to the end to figure out what's going on.

Fabulous

07-15-20, 05:10 PM

Chef (2014)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/2tp2y3uvOHfYB5d38ShtodV2BzD.jpg

GulfportDoc

07-15-20, 08:27 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/42/The_Swimmer_poster.jpg

The Swimmer
rating_4

Such an underrated movie. The ending is perfect.
I agree that the ending was perfect. After all that's what the entire movie was leading up to. But I didn't like the ending. Lancaster was perfect for the part. If you haven't seen him in Atlantic City (1980), I think you'd like him in that picture as well.

~Doc

Takoma11

07-15-20, 08:35 PM

Chef (2014)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/2tp2y3uvOHfYB5d38ShtodV2BzD.jpg

Chef is a really solid feel-good movie. If you are interested in a film that is enjoyable but with minimal conflict and stress, this is a great pick.

skizzerflake

07-16-20, 01:09 AM

Well, I'm sick of lockdown, need to get downtown. I need a downtown movie and it goes even bigger, like I want to be in New York. Looking at the movie pile, I see one of my favorite New York movies, Ghostbusters. The real one, the first one, not the imitators. So, it's the Big Apple, the Staypuft Marshmallow Man. I also want the big, noisy ambulance with the license tag ECTO 1.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aW8oyTgA60

mojofilter

07-16-20, 02:03 AM

http://www.gstatic.com/tv/thumb/movieposters/11865/p11865_p_v8_aa.jpg
BLACK RAIN
(1989)

First viewing. An extremely mediocre action thriller directed with flare by Ridley Scott and featuring Michael Douglas as a badass motorcycle riding cop. The movie offers nothing new to the action cop film genre, except for the setting being in Japan.
2.5

lillyjohnson

07-16-20, 06:01 AM

This is done

Thunderbolt

07-16-20, 06:10 AM

66228
As good as its predecessor, this is a great Hammer Horror sequel. Christopher Lee has no dialogue whatsoever but his presence is enough as the prince of darkness. It’s hard to believe that in its time these films were scorned by many as grotesque examples of cinema. Now they are nothing but praised upon and studied by film students. How attitudes have changed.

This appears in my Hammer Horror top 5. I cannot fault this.

5

this_is_the_ girl

07-16-20, 09:26 AM

https://bestinfilm.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/headlesswoman-film.jpg
The Headless Woman (2008, Lucrecia Martel)
4.5
Seeing La Ciénaga a few years ago immediately put Martel on my radar as a director worth delving deeper into. The Headless Woman is another astounding piece of filmmaking from her. The depiction of post-traumatic amnesia (or is it something else?) and the resulting social disorientation is just mesmerising all the way through, and of course there's more than one layer of interpretation at play in the film. Martel's masterfully nuanced, sensitive direction aided by Bárbara Álvarez's pitch-perfect camera work prod the viewer to pay attention to small details and things left unsaid between the lines (we saw that in La Ciénaga as well), creating a work of great psychological depth and mystery.
Highly recommended!

chawhee

07-16-20, 09:39 AM

Inception (2010)
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RNjdepthRrg/hqdefault.jpg
5
It's a 5/5, and I can't mention much here that hasn't been mentioned before. Simply terrific cast and spectacular plot. Watching some of the behind the scenes stuff, I always forget how Nolan mentions it took years to really develop every detail needed to make this work.

the samoan lawyer

07-16-20, 09:42 AM

https://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/styles/full/public/image/bacurau-2019-010-village-procession-man-with-guitar-ORIGINAL.jpeg?itok=iijrjXv4 (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bfi.org.uk%2Fnews-opinion%2Fnews-bfi%2Finterviews%2Flff-63-kleber-mendonca-filho-bacurau&psig=AOvVaw08059m_p8m5SUEe9O_YAly&ust=1594988775339000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPDWrK3i0eoCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)
Bacurau (2019)

I'll not lie, the comparison of this to Tarantino films had me seeking this one out. It didn't disappoint and although I can see why its likened to QT, I wouldn't advertise it, unless every film with this extent of violence is compared. Bacurau is a very good film, with an even stronger message. Cinematography is what made it stand out for me. Some of the scenes are absolutely stunning.

Go watch.

rating_3_5+

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQJY165gGOZ3IMahV0K1CZ45vQSR1Hc92PUZA&usqp=CAU (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fmubi.com%2Ffilms%2Fema-2019&psig=AOvVaw0cFGH5G2BdH85sgVqhalH1&ust=1594989562981000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPCK76Tl0eoCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)
Ema (2019)

Style over substance? Maybe. Probably. Still great to watch, with an excellent score and great choreography. If you liked Noe's Climax, then this should keep you entertained.

rating_3

Takoma11

07-16-20, 11:19 AM

https://bestinfilm.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/headlesswoman-film.jpg
The Headless Woman (2008, Lucrecia Martel)
rating_5
Seeing La Ciénaga a few years ago immediately put Martel on my radar as a director worth delving deeper into. The Headless Woman is another astounding piece of filmmaking from her. The depiction of post-traumatic amnesia (or is it something else?) and the resulting social disorientation is just mesmerising all the way through, and of course there's more than one layer of interpretation at play in the film. Martel's masterfully nuanced, sensitive direction aided by Bárbara Álvarez's pitch-perfect camera work prod the viewer to pay attention to small details and things left unsaid between the lines (we saw that in La Ciénaga as well), creating a work of great psychological depth and mystery.
Highly recommended!

Totally agree.

And the whole framing where the mechanisms protecting a rich person at the expense of a poor person happens so automatically that the woman at the center of it all isn't even aware is a pretty damning message about social privilege. The question of what the amnesia is (something you don't remember or something you don't want to remember) juts adds another layer to it.

John-Connor

07-16-20, 12:04 PM

this_is_the_ girl

07-16-20, 01:04 PM

Totally agree.

And the whole framing where the mechanisms protecting a rich person at the expense of a poor person happens so automatically that the woman at the center of it all isn't even aware is a pretty damning message about social privilege. The question of what the amnesia is (something you don't remember or something you don't want to remember) juts adds another layer to it.
Exactly. It's a continuation of the theme of the decay and estrangement of the upper class we saw in La Cienaga. Vero knows she's swimming a "rotting pool" and feels guilty about it but has no moral courage to change anything, so she shuts off the guilt, locks it away deep inside and throws away the key (of course, there's also the aspect of Argentina's historical memory at play here).

Nausicaä

07-16-20, 01:18 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3f/Honeyland_%282019_film%29.jpg

3

Snooze factor = Zzz

[Snooze Factor Ratings]:
Z = didn't nod off at all
Zz = nearly nodded off but managed to stay alert
Zzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed
Zzzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed but nodded off again at the same point and therefore needed to go back a number of times before I got through it...
Zzzzz = nodded off and missed some or the rest of the film but was not interested enough to go back over it

GulfportDoc

07-16-20, 01:21 PM

American Hustle (2013)

I couldn't find who had earlier brought up this film, but I appreciate it, since there's so much crud having been put out in the past several years, that's it's nice to see a well acted interesting story! We re-watched it last night.

What a cast! Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Jennifer Lawrence.

Based upon the Abscam scandal of the 1970s/80s, Bale and Adams play a pair of conmen who team up with FBI's Bradley Cooper to entrap Congressmen, city councilmen, mobsters, and a big city mayor, as they took bribes to effectuate casino licenses in Atlantic City, among other activities.

A very engaging 138 minutes, it's chief attraction is the superb acting by Christina Bale. Although I'm not a fan, Lawrence found a perfect role for her talents, given her somewhat limited effective range. Cooper was good, but either he over acted, or the part was over written. This is a black comedy so his work was absorbed into the nature of the story.

Once the viewer got used to Renner's silly hair style it was enjoyable to watch his first rate performance. He was 42 at the time, but actually he looked a little young for his part. Healthy, I guess.

Director David O. Russell held the whole thing together and deftly steered what must have been a tricky production. Danny Elfman provided the music, yet the chief attractions were the actual period popular songs of the 1970s.

This is a very captivating picture, with all involved at the top of their games.

Doc's rating: 9/10

Gideon58

07-16-20, 02:51 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTAxMDE4Mzc3ODNeQTJeQWpwZ15BbWU4MDY2Mjg4MDcx._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,681,1000_AL_.jpg

4

Takoma11

07-16-20, 03:38 PM

Exactly. It's a continuation of the theme of the decay and estrangement of the upper class we saw in La Cienaga. Vero knows she's swimming a "rotting pool" and feels guilty about it but has no moral courage to change anything, so she shuts off the guilt, locks it away deep inside and throws away the key (of course, there's also the aspect of Argentina's historical memory at play here).

Yes, and there's something to say about the privilege of being allowed to forget.

I think that it connects to a lot of struggles (racism, classism) because so often the people in power, like you say, just shut off their guilt. They don't have to change, and they even have the choice in how much they want to feel bad about the power that they have.

The first time I watched the film I just couldn't get over how powerful I found the message that the main character didn't even have to be complicit in the cover up at first. The system just churned along and took care of her. And once she realizes what happens, the easiest action is the passive one of simply forgetting and letting it all be a blur. The idea that inaction can be just as oppressive as intentional action is something I think a lot of people can't totally wrap their heads around.

Takoma11

07-16-20, 03:39 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTAxMDE4Mzc3ODNeQTJeQWpwZ15BbWU4MDY2Mjg4MDcx._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,681,1000_AL_.jpg

4

The Others has one of my favorite "simple" horror moments. It's when she's in the room and you suddenly see this man looming out of the background behind her . . . only to realize it's a painting. I honestly can't remember if I saw this for the first time in a theater or just with a group of friends, but I do remember how quiet it got and the sudden tension as everyone spotted the figure behind her.

Thursday Next

07-16-20, 05:24 PM

The Old Guard (2020)

https://www.nme.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/The_Old_Guard_Netflix_Still.jpg

This was right up my street. The whole dynamic of the group of supernatural characters appealed to me a lot; it's a sci-fi-ish action movie but it cares about its characters and I liked that. I also loved that this film had several scenes in which women, as rounded characters, interact with each other, which shouldn't be something rare enough to be worth commenting on but somehow still is. Visually it was nothing special and there were bits that look cheap which was a shame, it could have been more stylised, especially as it was adapted from a comic book. There's also more potential in the backstory that could have been explored further than the brief flashbacks, although perhaps not within the scope of the runtime. Great cast though (I'd watch Chiwetel Ejiofor in pretty much anything).

4

JackJack

07-16-20, 06:42 PM

F is for the Family => Just great
https://images.moviefit.me/t/b/34187-f-is-for-family.jpg

Gideon58

07-16-20, 07:24 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTUzNDAyMzYtZTgzNi00MjRkLTlkOTAtMGNmMTRkZDRjMGMyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzc5MjA3OA@@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,64 1,1000_AL_.jpg

2.5

HollowMan

07-16-20, 08:19 PM

Spring Breakers (2012).

http://unaffiliatedcritic.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Selena-Gomez-Ashley-Benson-Rachel-Korine-and-Vanesa-Hudgens-in-SPRING-BREAKERS.jpg

A neon fantasy and a florescent nightmare, this film is hot, sexy, shallow, deluded and bonkers (just like my ex girlfriend). I found the editing irritating, the characters dull and annoying and the story underwhelming but the copious amounts of bikini clad women and James Franco's bizarre performance kept me interested. A feast for the eyes but a hunger strike for the mind.

2.5/5 Stars.

Fabulous

07-16-20, 09:34 PM

Bugsy (1991)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/t353Hj5sFXWQFriVzB1GiT3TSlm.jpg

Osiris

07-16-20, 10:45 PM

Brother Bear
2.5
Didn't really rewatch this just now, but I was listening to Phil Collins singing his heart out about regret over letting one's brother bear down, and I realized how silly Koda's ultimate reaction in the end felt, how conventional and trite, even for a Disney cartoon. Like he legit killed his mother, and all is forgiven by the end just because he saved Koda's life. I just couldn't really buy that after thinking about it, that a kid who loves his mother that much would react so casually. I also felt that if Koda wasn't a bear and was a human, people wouldn't be so forgiving of Kenai's actions. But hey, animals, right? They deserve to be hunted.

Takoma11

07-16-20, 10:48 PM

https://www.pophorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Whitedoomsday-3-660x330.jpg

I'm Dreaming of a White Doomsday (2017)

On paper, this is a film that I love. A low-budget horror/drama about a woman and her son living desperately in a bunker after an unspecified apocalypse with a dwindling food supply while the little boy waits for the arrival of Christmas.

Now, the estimated budget for this movie is $10,000. I was impressed with the set design and effects that they pulled off for this amount of money. The acting wasn't stellar, but it was perfectly passable (though really choppy in one scene).

The best part of the film is probably the way that it manages to pull off some compelling imagery, some of it very simple. For example, after her son writes a letter to Santa, his mother tells him that she knows a way to get the letter to the North Pole, and as her son watches she sets the paper on fire. The boy watches as the letter burns bright and then curls in on itself on the floor. A final special effect uses a neat practical effect.

There were two issues that I had with the film: pacing and tone. The movie is only 71 minutes long, and there were some times where it felt like the film was being padded to get to that feature length. At one point, we watch the mother slowly examine various items from a backpack.

I also struggled a bit with the tone of the film. There were sequences that I think were meant to be serious, but that almost bordered on the comical. For example, a sequence in which the mother contemplates various ways to kill herself and her son (sharp can lid? poison?).

The final act (and specifically the final 15 minutes) goes in an interesting direction. I'm not sure how well the ending is supported what came before it. Ultimately to me this felt like what should have been a short film stretched to feature length.

2

John-Connor

07-17-20, 04:07 AM

Exodus: Gods and Kings 2014 Directed by Ridley Scott
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fe/e8/d4/fee8d4aa828e7b6f72a8dc87b89a7424.gif
3.5+

The Grey 2011 Directed by Joe Carnahan
https://24.media.tumblr.com/694698cb8b23213dae82f4b355673f19/tumblr_mnw4zosuye1s3igp0o1_500.gif
4-

Ninja Scroll 1993 ‘獣兵衛忍風帖’ Directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri
https://cdn.lowgif.com/full/d5c6cad2fd615907-ninja-scroll-night-gif-find-share-on-giphy.gif
3.5+

Somewhere in Time 1980 Directed by Jeannot Szwarc
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vrOBIrvg-ys/VCRV3APRnnI/AAAAAAABdX0/B52uvDarKrA/s1600/tumblr_n1q1ckaGgM1rn6jbgo4_r1_500.gif
3.5+

The Man Who Knew Too Much 1956 Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
https://66.media.tumblr.com/2bf5dd681ab751f6bcb32463a2af64a0/tumblr_owqefk9AJn1vi82uko1_400.gifv
3.5

The Lady Vanishes 1938 Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
https://i.imgur.com/2As0Wek.gif"]https://i.imgur.com/2As0Wek.gif
4-

Metropolis 1927 Directed by Fritz Lang
https://i.imgur.com/uk9N8bE.gif
4

the samoan lawyer

07-17-20, 06:36 AM

^ On it, welcome back!

Thanks JC. Glad to be back! Enjoy, I'll keep an eye out for your thoughts.

the samoan lawyer

07-17-20, 06:46 AM

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcT_MVNUEiPWJh8bXkVwo7biDm-y17y86hgc-g&usqp=CAU (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fmovies%2Fla-et-mn-rome-open-city-review-20150220-column.html&psig=AOvVaw3ZEdAhU5bHeN3xBSsts1SO&ust=1595065219350000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPis3ZD_0-oCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)
https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/images/4521-8f3298dced7ba8f91f534e8dbf9f83d1/current_1226_222_medium.jpg (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.criterion.com%2Fcurrent%2Fposts%2F1357-paisan-more-real-than-real&psig=AOvVaw2HQuI7VEKnna59Lve9t-6a&ust=1595065314141000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCOCH4r3_0-oCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)
https://fanwithamovieyammer.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/germany-year-zero.jpg?w=620 (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffanwithamovieyammer.wordpress.com%2F2014%2F10%2F14%2F202-tie-germany-year-zero-1948-dir-roberto-rossellini%2F&psig=AOvVaw0W6mu37JVTITm9rghD-Zfm&ust=1595065344137000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCNC0jMz_0-oCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)
The War Trilogy -
Rome, Open City (1945) - rating_4
Paisan (1946) - rating_3
Germany Year Zero - rating_4

this_is_the_ girl

07-17-20, 08:35 AM

https://i.redd.it/43o5fjsse2651.jpg
That Day, On The Beach (1983, Edward Yang)
4
This is Yang's debut, and yes, his style is not yet fully refined here (perhaps a tad overlong and uneven), but wow, what a start. So beautiful and pure, almost achingly so.
*checking the credits* "Cinematography: "Hui Kung Chang, Christopher Doyle" Well, that accounts for it.

Raven73

07-17-20, 12:35 PM

Stirchley

07-17-20, 02:29 PM

66301

Movie about a Romany colony in southern Italy. A real-life family of non-actors are the protagonists. Very unusual movie & very well-acted.

Cobra

07-17-20, 03:08 PM

Police Academy (1984):
I found this on AMC last night, and thought to watch it due to not watching it for a few years, tbh it is still a great comedy with witty dialogue and felt as new since I watched it last time.
8/10

Takoma11

07-17-20, 03:52 PM

https://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/review/primary_image/reviews/thunder-road-2018/Thunder-Road-2018-1.jpeg

Thunder Road (2018)

A small town police officer named Jim loses his beloved mother and, after a bizarre eulogy at her funeral, finds his life spiraling out of control one bad decision after another. His job as an officer, his tenuous shared custody of his daughter, Crystal, and his sense of who he is all takes a hit.

Movies written, directed by, and starring the same person can often be . . . rough. Fortunately, you can sense the degree of effort and specificity with which this film was crafted by its creator, Jim Cummings.

I am not usually a fan of "cringe comedy"--often it just makes me too uncomfortable. And I'll admit that in the film's unrelenting first long take (over 10 minutes long!) I actually ended up fast-forwarding about 45 seconds because I couldn't take it. But that opening sequence aside, the film walked just the right line for me because the character is so well-realized.

Jim is the kind of person who perseverates on mistakes and who fixates on regret. When he does something wrong or misspeaks, he is unable to acknowledge the mistake and move on--instead he manically digs himself deeper and deeper into the situation until he reaches a point of no return. There's a sequence where Jim attends a parent-teacher conference and I was cringing and dying laughing at the same time. The sequence PERFECTLY captures what it's like when someone is more worried about looking like "the good parent" than actually helping their child. Jim's heart is often in the right place, but he lets his own self-interest and insecurity keep him from handling things with grace.

Cummings does something pretty special with his performance, walking a really fine line with the portrayal of Jim. Jim is clearly unstable and grappling with some mental and emotional health issues. He should not be in a job that involves the use of deadly force. I appreciated that the film was able to keep Jim a sympathetic character, but at the same time make it clear that he isn't just "misunderstood". At the same time, I never felt like Jim was a lost cause. He clearly does care about his daughter. He clearly does value his friendship with his partner, Nate. He's a man who needs help. His harmful actions are not done out of malice.

The cast around Cummings is equally good. The film resists making Roz, the ex-wife and the closest thing the film has to a villain, a one-dimensional witch. And when you watch the way that Jim behaves around his daughter, you can understand why she prefers to be with her mother. Nican Robinson who plays Nate, Jim's partner, is really solid as someone who tries to counter-balance Jim's mania and help protect his partner. He also gets some funny moments himself.

Thunder Road made me laugh out loud several times, but under the comedy it had a genuine melancholy. I'm really glad that I watched it. I'm still mulling over how I feel about its final 10 minutes, but that's my only quibble with the film.

4

skizzerflake

07-17-20, 04:03 PM

The Lighthouse
7/10.
Disturbing. Good performances. Feels Shakespearean at moments, and Hitchcockian in others.
Turns out mothers were right: if we do it too much and we might go blind. Speaking of that, I imagine that staring directly into a light that bright is probably not a good idea.
Man, I never want to be a lighthouse keeper on a remote island.
What?! What?! What?! What?! What?! What?! What?! What?! What?! What?! What?!
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2c/The_Lighthouse.jpeg

Yeah, I liked that one, especially since I have an ancestor who was a mate on a lightship (WORSE than a lighthouse) parked on the Diamond Shoals. In 1918, he perished from the effects of the occupational disease of lighthouse keepers, home-brew alcohol. It really was a special job, not for most of us, especially me.

"Tell me how long we have been on this rock.....5 weeks or.....2 days?".

AgrippinaX

07-17-20, 04:24 PM

Hidden (2015)
3.5/5
Edit: 3.5/5
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BM2Q2ZGQyOTAtMWYzYi00YzdiLWJlOGUtMmMyZWExMzc4Nzk3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_UY1200_CR108,0, 630,1200_AL_.jpg
A family of three are confined to a bunker, trying to evade capture and the external threat that led to societal collapse.
Try as I might, I have been unable to get myself to appreciate the post-apocalyptic genre. The closest things to what I’d call ‘watchable’ post-apocalyptic films are ‘24 Days’ and ‘The Night Eats the World’. They have compelling and quirky protagonists, especially the latter - I’d call him an aesthete. But even so, I know I won’t be rewatching either of them. I’m partial to Andrea Riseborough, however, so I knew I had to watch this.
‘Hidden’ has it all on paper - the human drama, the inherent danger element and the intrigue of what’s outside. But I didn’t find myself invested in it until the end reveal. The parents/parent endlessly disciplining the child in those types of films about what can’t be said, done, etc. makes diegetic sense, but is tiresome to watch, especially once you’ve seen at least five such films (I’m looking at you, ‘A Quiet Place’). That brings to mind ‘Into the Forest’ with Evan Rachel Wood, which I think has a far more interesting take on the familiar post-apocalyptic context: the teenagers are forced to fend for themselves.
Back to ‘Hidden’. It’s impressive that here there’s at least a rationale for not letting the emotions get the better of the little girl, Chloe. The moment where the father stamps on the doll because it’s making noise evokes ‘Dogville’ and the smashed figurines, but I think ‘Dogville’ handled this better, because the act was unmotivated and appeared more callous.
I interpret ‘Hidden’ in part as a parent-child relationship drama like ‘Room’, and in that way, I think it would have benefitted from giving more agency to the child earlier. However, the fact that she wasn’t given any does mean she was angrier at the end. I do think it was interesting how she was shown wanting to help her parents, unlike the kids in ‘A Quiet Place’. Also, I notice kids in horror films concerned with natural/environmental/‘outside’ threats scream a lot, which is used to generate tension and get the family discovered by the bad guys/monsters/‘threat’. The same is done here when Chloe won’t stop crying at the worst possible moment. This feels like a cop-out, as children are just as likely to go into silent shock as cry under stress. I felt she had no reason to throw such a loud tantrum. I’m still looking for a film with a similar premise that handles the parent-child dynamic more innovatively.
The timing of the flashbacks was pretty good. The end reveal that the protagonists are the monsters is great, but I think it could have been channeled better from the beginning.
My fatigue with the post-apocalyptic genre probably makes me judge the film harsher than I could have, otherwise I might have given it a 4.

Gideon58

07-17-20, 04:27 PM

https://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/review/primary_image/reviews/thunder-road-2018/Thunder-Road-2018-1.jpeg

Thunder Road (2018)

4

Really enjoyed what you had to say about this film..I felt pretty much the same way.

Gideon58

07-17-20, 04:28 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDE2ODZhYzUtMTBhYi00ODgxLWJlNTAtODljN2Q2NDhjZmVhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDk3NzU2MTQ@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,67 2,1000_AL_.jpg

3.5

Takoma11

07-17-20, 04:37 PM

Really enjoyed what you had to say about this film..I felt pretty much the same way.

Thanks! Cummings has another film coming down the pike (a horror flick), so that's now on my radar.

Hidden (2015)I’m still looking for a film with a similar premise that handles the parent-child dynamic more innovatively.

Just thinking of films where I appreciated the parent-child dynamic, have you seen Here Alone or These Final Hours (not exactly a parent-child, but an adult-child dynamic)?

I thought that The Road did pretty well in this regard.

I feel like part of the problem is getting a good child actor. Nuance is not an easy thing for many children to portray. It's a lot easier to ask a child actor to go "over the top" and scream and yell. And I think that on the flip side, you can end up with children who speak and act too much like adults and that doesn't feel at all realistic.

AgrippinaX

07-17-20, 04:56 PM

Just thinking of films where I appreciated the parent-child dynamic, have you seen Here Alone or These Final Hours (not exactly a parent-child, but an adult-child dynamic)?

I thought that The Road did pretty well in this regard.

I feel like part of the problem is getting a good child actor. Nuance is not an easy thing for many children to portray. It's a lot easier to ask a child actor to go "over the top" and scream and yell. And I think that on the flip side, you can end up with children who speak and act too much like adults and that doesn't feel at all realistic.

Oh, I think the girl did a brilliant job! I’m not sure it’s to do with the abilities of the child. I thought it was a plotting decision on the director’s part: the girl makes noise, that attracts baddies, that generates tension. The same thing happens in ‘A Quiet Place’ after the little boy steals a toy from the store. Millicent Simmonds was great in that film, and Mills Shapiro was beyond incredible in ‘Hereditary’. I think it’s just as much to do with what the director wants from a child in the narrative. Fascinating point about the flip side - I’ve never thought about it. Other than Anna Paquin in ‘The Piano’, I can’t think of any examples of a child acting like an adult.

I need to watch ‘Here Alone’ and ‘These Final Hours’, they both slipped by me. Thanks for the heads-up!

I had the misfortune to have studied
‘The Road’ and used for one of my dissertations, and at the moment, I’m not planning to watch it, as I hated the book with a passion. But Cody Smit-McPhee and Viggo Mortensen are brilliant actors, so maybe I should. It just feels bleak, and uneventful in its bleakness, going by what the novel had to offer. But I might get around to it some day.

Stirchley

07-17-20, 05:38 PM

⬆️ I loved The Road. Read it twice & thought it better than the movie.

AgrippinaX

07-17-20, 06:00 PM

⬆️ I loved The Road. Read it twice & thought it better than the movie.

It’s a good novel. I just didn’t get what it was trying to do at the time. I think for me it was the context and the associations with when I studied it etc. I could never connect with McCarthy on a meaningful level. Need to give it all another try.

WrinkledMind

07-17-20, 06:08 PM

I watched The Outpost. It's a fairly decent war movie. Apparently, based on a true event.

Stirchley

07-17-20, 07:11 PM

It’s a good novel. I just didn’t get what it was trying to do at the time. I think for me it was the context and the associations with when I studied it etc. I could never connect with McCarthy on a meaningful level. Need to give it all another try.

I’ve liked a couple of his other books too though I can’t remember their titles just now.

Takoma11

07-17-20, 09:30 PM

Oh, I think the girl did a brilliant job! I’m not sure it’s to do with the abilities of the child. . . I think it’s just as much to do with what the director wants from a child in the narrative. Fascinating point about the flip side - I’ve never thought about it. Other than Anna Paquin in ‘The Piano’, I can’t think of any examples of a child acting like an adult.

I think that the way that children are often written in film/TV is pretty dumb. And there are good child actors. But even with a good script there's this . . . aura of precosiousness around many child actors. And I get it: kids who are good actors are often much more mature than their peers. They just don't authentically come across as kids to me. There's too much of an "in the moment" awareness that just isn't the case for many kids.

I need to watch ‘Here Alone’ and ‘These Final Hours’, they both slipped by me. Thanks for the heads-up!

I wouldn't say either is AMAZING, but I think they're both worth watching.

I had the misfortune to have studied ‘The Road’ and used for one of my dissertations, and at the moment, I’m not planning to watch it, as I hated the book with a passion. But Cody Smit-McPhee and Viggo Mortensen are brilliant actors, so maybe I should. It just feels bleak, and uneventful in its bleakness, going by what the novel had to offer. But I might get around to it some day.

I've read the book and seen the film. I think that the film is worth watching even if you were mixed on the book.

skizzerflake

07-17-20, 11:18 PM

🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿

I'd had the disk for a while, on the bottom of the pile but, being NOT at a movie theater, we re-ran The Artist from back in 2011. I'd almost forgotten it, but recall that it got 5 Oscars. It's black and white, mostly silent and totally terrific. Set at the cusp of the silent to sound revolution and close to the 1929 crash, George Valentin is at his silent peak, Peppy Miller is young, pretty and clawing her way up, ready for sound. She prospers in the transition, he goes off the rails into movie oblivion. Peppy, however, recalls that George was good to her and rescues him from cinematic nowhere.

It's packed end to end with iconic Old Hollywoodland sets, Beverly Hills mansions, directors with jodhpurs and bullhorns, long 1920's limos and the most personable dog since Lassie. It has studio back lots with people walking around in costumes, grips pushing racks full of costumes and studio execs smoking big cigars. Nothing is digital, at least not obviously.

If you have any fondness for old black and white movies and especially silent movies, or even if you don't like either, this is the one to see. It revels in that old culture and makes it fun. I'm back on track for recalling why it got 5 Oscars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8K9AZcSQJE

gbgoodies

07-17-20, 11:53 PM

Somewhere in Time 1980 Directed by Jeannot Szwarc
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vrOBIrvg-ys/VCRV3APRnnI/AAAAAAABdX0/B52uvDarKrA/s1600/tumblr_n1q1ckaGgM1rn6jbgo4_r1_500.gif
3.5+

I love Somewhere in Time. I even considered nominating it in the Fantasy HoF.

Siddon

07-18-20, 12:09 AM

https://images.arrowfilms.com/Images/434c442f-59cc-4df0-845b-51823757d69d.jpg

3.5 I feel like I've seen this film a dozen times before but it was still a well made film.

https://posterspy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/posterspy-piercing899b.jpg

2

Really letdown by RT recommending this one...this was quite a mess of a film.

John-Connor

07-18-20, 03:07 AM

I love Somewhere in Time. I even considered nominating it in the Fantasy HoF.
Although I knew it was coming, that coin reveal was shocking :eek: Beautiful dreamy fantasy film, I really enjoyed it. But ET will probably do better in the hof.

Fabulous

07-18-20, 04:36 AM

The Bridges of Madison County (1995)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/4TnGcUsyd6ixuLWHaaEG5BGkAIp.jpg

Marco

07-18-20, 09:54 AM

King of New York (1990)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/36/King_of_new_york_ver1.jpg
2nd time watch but 1st was when this was released. Christopher Walked plays newly released gangster Frank White on a mission to reclaim his turf and perhaps give something back to the place he loves. Sparse and violent. Lawrence Fishburne excels as Jimmy Jump. Whilst a bit dated and some of the "gangsta" acting trite the story is engrossing as we get rooting for someone who is ruthless b@stard!! Walken is incredible in this, one of his, if not the, best performances.

4

KenB123

07-18-20, 10:49 AM

Watched last night ....

Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998).

mojofilter

07-18-20, 02:46 PM

http://www.pastposters.com/cw3/assets/product_expanded/(JamieR-AC)__AtCloseRange(onesheet)1.jpg
AT CLOSE RANGE
(1986)

Re-watch. Underrated, overlooked gem from the 80's that features incredible Oscar-worthy performances by Sean Penn and Christopher Walken, a solid supporting cast that includes Mary Stuart Masterson, Crispin Glover, Chris Penn, and David Straitharn, and a breathtaking score and soundtrack that includes Madonna's classic Live To Tell.
4.5

crictime

07-18-20, 03:31 PM

Cube - 8.5 / 10 - Even though I watched it in french.

Crictimme

Is it available in english?

Takoma11

07-18-20, 05:23 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZDgxNTlhNGItODZkNS00MzExLTgzNGQtMjg0MWYxNjIxNGFhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzQ1NjgzOTA@._V1_.jpg

When Pigs Fly (1993)

After watching Sleepwalk last week and really liking it, I was disappointed to learn that the director, Sara Driver, only made two feature films. I was, however, happy to learn that her other feature, When Pigs Fly was available on the Criterion Channel.

The story in When Pigs Fly is much more grounded than the one in Sleepwalk, though it's still a fantastical tale.

A loser-ish musician named Marty (Alfred Molina) rolls out of bed at noon and struggles not to fall asleep as he sits through a painful piano lesson with a child. Meanwhile, a woman named Sheila is ordered by her boss to clean out an old shed behind the bar where they work. Sheila decides to give an old rocking chair that she finds there to Marty as a gift. Marty very soon discovers that the chair is haunted by the ghosts of a little girl and a woman he knew from many years before.

The film moves in three very distinct acts: first Marty discovering the ghosts, then Marty and the ghosts learning to co-exist and drawing Sheila into it, and then finally the group confronting the harsh reality behind the death of one of the ghosts. The spirit of the film is for the most part very light, but it also doesn't shy away from some disturbing implications.

On the whole I really liked this movie. Sometimes I find myself using words to describe a film that seem like they should be an insult. When Pigs Fly is slightly meandering and, until the final act, very subdued given the content. But I enjoyed these aspects of it. There's something really enjoyable about the "hang out" vibe that goes along with many of the sequences between Marty and the ghosts. The child who plays the ghost maybe isn't the best actress, but she has great chemistry with Molina and especially with Marianne Faithfull who plays the adult ghost. These ghosts have been stuck with their chair for years and years. It makes sense that they don't have a sense of urgency, and yet it's fun to watch them advocate for their own quality of life (they can't stray far from the chair, and so they are unhappy when Marty first stores the chair in a basement with no view to the outside world).

Given the light tone of the film as a whole, I appreciated that tit didn't try to make certain elements too cutesy. There's an important subplot involving domestic abuse and Driver uses an effective, scant handful of lines of dialogue and imagery to convey the seriousness of the situation without significantly impacting the overall vibe of the movie. It's a fine line to walk, and I felt it was pulled off well.

This one's kind of a sleeper. I can see why it's not well known, and it's not the kind of film that necessarily makes you want to run out and force all of your friends to watch it. But much like Sleepwalker I think that it deserves to be better seen (a scant 180 ratings on IMDb). If you come across this one (and especially if you have the Criterion Channel) I strongly recommend it. It put a smile on my face and achieved a rare enjoyable whimsy.

4

Kakarot89

07-18-20, 06:01 PM

Catch Me If You Can

2

Only served as a reminder as to why I avoid Post-1993 Spielberg.

Marco

07-18-20, 06:14 PM

Gideon58

07-18-20, 07:01 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjk0MTgzMmQtZmY2My00NmE5LWExNGUtYjZkNTA3ZDkyMTJiXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,68 3,1000_AL_.jpg

3.5

Gideon58

07-18-20, 07:02 PM

Think I rated this bang-on with you mojofilter...the menace of this film is incredible.

I love this movie too...Walken is bone-chilling.

Takoma11

07-18-20, 08:19 PM

https://i1.wp.com/moviesandmania.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Sea-Fever-movie-film-sci-fi-horror-2019-3.jpg?resize=768%2C384&ssl=1

Sea Fever (2019)

I read a pretty promising review of this film when it first came out, but then subsequently read several very lukewarm reactions to it. I think that going into it with very tempered expectations helped, because while it definitely had flaws, I did enjoy it.

Siobhan is a marine scientist who accompanies a fishing trawler so that she can collect sea life samples. When the ship ventures into a forbidden area of water in order to chase a large catch, the crew gets exposed to a ocean parasite that threatens their survival.

The movie and the beats it tries to hit are very reminiscent of The Thing (right down to a "everyone in a room getting tested" scene), with an isolated group fighting both the parasite and the volatile emotions of the crew as they grapple with the threat facing them and the decisions they must make. I think that the first act (say about the first 30 minutes) are really strong. I hate it when films like this dither around, and I liked that they reveal the threat early on.

But once the crew knows the nature of the threat, things shift into a lower and less engaging gear. Movies like this can take two approaches: one is the "problem solving approach" where everyone scrambles to figure out how to destroy the threat. The other approach is the "interpersonal dynamics" approach, where the emphasis is on the way that the relationships clash and degrade as the threat grows. Sea Fever doesn't commit either way and suffers for it. An engaging sequence of Siobhan and another crew member trying to rig a UV light starts to get momentum, but then after an experiment or two the film goes back to the in-fighting.

I will say that, speaking from this very specific historical moment, it was crazy to watch a film where someone argues "We need to quarantine ourselves or else we could infect and kill a lot of people" and everyone on the crew just shouts her down. I was more than onboard with her frustration in that moment, and frankly it made it hard to care about the crew as much. The film does some work to establish the stakes for the crew (which mostly boils down to the fact that they all need money for one reason or another), but their constant selfishness and unwillingness to even try to figure out how to safely get back home was frustrating. How can you see the absolutely brutal (and FATAL) effects of an infestation and think it's a good idea to go home to a busy port?

This was a fine lazy Saturday film. Not as good as it could have been (because the premise and setting are great and the cast was very good as well), but by no means a waste of time. I'm giving it a 3, but it's more like a 3-.

3

Takoma11

07-18-20, 09:30 PM

I'm sick and spending the day on the couch. Can you tell?!

https://i0.wp.com/bloody-disgusting.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/CRL_27220R2.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1

Crawl (2019)

There have already been several reviews of this movie in this thread. You told me it was gonna be dumb.

A young woman ventures into a hurricane to rescue her father and finds herself trapped in a rapidly-flooding house full of hungry alligators.

This movie was exactly what I expected it to be. There were a comical number of attacks on the main protagonist, a shoe-horned theme about her believing in herself, and a plucky dog who was easily the best character in the film.

I thought that the effects looked pretty good, and the best use of the budget is the nice-looking underwater camera work.

This isn't a deep film, and for what it was (something to watch while I also did some work) it perfectly fit the bill.

I always have to use any crocodile/alligator film to promote my favorite of that particular horror subgenre, so if you haven't seen Black Water (2007), do yourself a favor and check it out. It's got great performances and a relatively realistic portrayal of a deadly crocodile attack.

2.5

Hey Fredrick

07-18-20, 10:00 PM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fpics.filmaffinity.com%2FViridiana-492397990-large.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Had no clue as to what this was about - total blind watch. A soon to be nun is asked (forced) to leave the convent and pay a visit to her rich, pervy, dying uncle at his estate. She reluctantly goes and things go from bad to worse to...good? Well, eventually, maybe? This was my intro to Buñuel and WOW! what an outstanding movie. I can't think of anything I didn't like about it but I hate giving 5 stars on a first watch so...

4.5

Takoma11

07-18-20, 10:05 PM

James D. Gardiner

07-18-20, 11:08 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=66335
A Dandy in Aspic (1968)
D: Anthony Mann

Excellently produced cold war spy drama starring Laurence Harvey, Tom Courtenay and Mia Farrow. Harvey plays a double agent working for both the Russians and the British who faces an impossible dilemma when assigned the task of assassinating his other self. The film is superbly photographed on location in London and Berlin with gritty noir like themes throughout. It was Anthony Mann's final film who died during its production, with the remaining directorial work completed by Harvey.

8/10

mojofilter

07-19-20, 12:24 AM

https://fffmovieposters.com/wp-content/uploads/73664.jpg
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
(2004)

Re-watch. One of Clint Eastwood's best films in my opinion. It's also one of the saddest movies I've ever seen. Brilliant performances by the entire cast, specifically Hilary Swank, who deservedly won the Oscar for her performance, and whom I fell in love with after watching the movie the first time in 2004. The movie also features a narrative voice over by none other than the master of voice overs himself, Morgan Freeman.
4.5

mojofilter

07-19-20, 12:30 AM

I love this movie too...Walken is bone-chilling.
Walken's dark menacing turn as the father is one for the books. I can't even wrap my head around how and why the Academy snubbed him and Penn for their performances in this film.

Think I rated this bang-on with you mojofilter...the menace of this film is incredible.
The movie is based on a true story. The events in the film actually happened. It gives me chills just thinking about that. James Foley did an incredible job bringing those events to the screen in a dark haunting way. I remember first watching this film when I was around 11 or 12. It had an impact on me. It still gives me the chills.

Fabulous

07-19-20, 03:38 AM

Victim (1961)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/lFTIB7obHpTYTMOruePsxigthQN.jpg

mark f

07-19-20, 03:40 AM

Deidra & Laney Rob a Train (Sydney Freeland, 2017) 2.5 6/10
Fatal Affair (Peter Sullivan, 2020) 2 5/10
The Secret Life of Bees (Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2008) 2.5 6/10
Life with Father (Michael Curtiz, 1947) 3.5 7/10
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dg-pHBCX0AUpa_H.jpg
Money and Heaven are at the heart of most conversations William Powell and Irene Dunne have.
Stereo (Maximilian Erlenwein, 2014) 2.5 6/10
Sylvia (Daniel Oriahi, 2018) 2 5/10
Alive (Rob Grant, 2019) 2.5- 5.5/10
La La Land (Damien Chazelle, 2016) 4 8/10
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-l6JWrT4QQAc/WFN7Jst1ZSI/AAAAAAAAGmo/XhRw3u0v6i4nCnzRFnYQnfP4emyMTV7WgCLcB/s1600/la-la-land-planetarium.gif
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone try to live some Rebel Without a Cause magic at the Griffith Observatory Planetarium.
The Sunlit Night (David Wnendt, 2019) 2.5 6/10 78 min
Filly Brown (Youssef Delara & Michael D. Olmos, 2012) 2.5- 5.5/10
Strange Weather (Katherine Dieckmann, 2016) 2.5 6/10
Father Soldier Son (Leslye Davis & Catrin Einhorn, 2020) 3- 6.5/10
https://bostonglobe-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/Outi0pmzjnGFCZ9l2JXkshYYDIs=/506x0/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/bostonglobe/ZDBMFKTKMJABHKF7ATE3JEKDBA.JPG
Military family saga shows some of the ups and downs but overall is extremely sad.
In the Cold Dark Night AKA Southern Gothic (3 Directors, 2020) 3- 6.5/10
The Crazy World of Julius Vrooder (Arthur Hiller, 1974) 2.5 6/10
Young and Willing (Edward H. Griffith, 1943) 2.5 5.5/10
Brewster McCloud (Robert Altman, 1970) 2.5+ 6/10
https://66.media.tumblr.com/26be7b6d1ab3a1d55ee5dd88e9c6b10c/tumblr_poa4bprIOu1syvo5io1_500.gifv
Bud Cort flies in the Houston Astrodome - probably the most normal thing in the movie.
Percy (Ralph Thomas, 1971) 2.5- 5.5/10
The Lost Volcano (Ford Beebe, 1950) 2 5/10
Some Girls Do (Ralph Thomas, 1969) 2.5- 5.5/10
Deep End (Jerzy Skolimowski, 1970) 3- 6.5/10
https://66.media.tumblr.com/2b081fff7a72ffb0402d3e270c6d3ff4/tumblr_pds6lyEKD71vjg500o1_500.gifv
Jane Asher is pissed at her lover but she should be paying more attention to 15-year-old John Moulder-Brown who's obsessed with her.

Marco

07-19-20, 06:39 AM

My Name Is Nobody (1973)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/My-name-is-nobody-poster.jpg
Ok, the spaghetti comedy western is not a genre that ranks highly in my *must see* list but I made an exception for this one. It's a charming tale of a laid back gunslinger (Terence Hill, who is wonderful not to say gorgeous:)) who idolises retired gunman Jack Beauregard (Henry Fonda). The laughs are genuinely funny, expected and unexpected, and there is a nice warm-heartedness about the film.

I really liked this and it has one of the best Ennio Morricone "signature tunes" that me walking around whistling it all day with a smile on my face. :)

3.5

Marco

07-19-20, 06:51 AM

[QUOTE=Takoma11;2110042]I'm sick and spending the day on the couch. Can you tell?!

The one great side effect of the day on the couch is the filmage Tacoma11...whether the ailment is self-inflicted or not! :)

cricket

07-19-20, 09:16 AM

The Golden Glove (2019)

4-

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tpUAs94YHIQ/maxresdefault.jpg

https://fr.web.img6.acsta.net/videothumbnails/19/04/05/09/35/4162674.jpg

I didn't realize until after that this was from the same director who made 2004's Head-On, which I thought was brilliant and powerful. This is such a different kind of movie, especially in style. It's based on the true story of a 70's German serial killer. The violence is not constant but it is still nasty. Everyone and everything is ugly and dirty and I felt grimy after watching it. I don't see it listed as a comedy anywhere but I thought it was hilarious. If you have a sick sense of humor then watch it.

chawhee

07-19-20, 10:41 AM

Palm Springs (2020)
http://www.chicagonow.com/hammervision/files/2020/07/palm-springs.jpeg
4
This rating may come down over time, but given the circumstances, this may be the funniest movie of 2020 so far. I've enjoyed watching Andy Samberg in Brooklyn Nine-Nine over the years, and Cristin Milioti is a perfect comedic compliment to him in this. The movie's last third does steer a bit harder away from humor than I would've liked, but I suppose that's how it tries to tie the more serious romantic part of the plot together.

Thunderbolt

07-19-20, 11:56 AM

66353

Another epic movie from Hammer Studios. Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee are as good as ever. This film proves Hammer were great at producing more than just horror.

4.5

Takoma11

07-19-20, 12:15 PM

Victim (1961)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/lFTIB7obHpTYTMOruePsxigthQN.jpg

I really liked Victim. I thought that the mystery aspect of it was compelling (ie who are the blackmailers). I thought that it did a good job of sympathetically portraying a horrible situation (a man having to hide his sexuality to the extent that he marries a woman for "cover") without making anyone the villain. And I thought that it made an excellent case for why stigmatizing and criminalizing consensual sexual behaviors is a threat to the emotional and literal well-being of a society.

And it's more than ironic that the main actor who played the victim of the blackmail scheme may himself have been gay and forced to hide the fact for the sake of his career.

The one great side effect of the day on the couch is the filmage Tacoma11...whether the ailment is self-inflicted or not! :)

Three movies in a day is pretty spectacular for me these days. A fantasy/comedy, a horror/thriller, and a creature feature. Not too shabby!

Citizen Rules

07-19-20, 12:22 PM

We need you to vote for Movie Forums next Movie Countdown.
Let your voice be heard!

The voting poll is here (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=61903&page=8)

Marco

07-19-20, 02:14 PM

Maps to the Stars (2014)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/8/89/Maps_to_the_Stars_poster.jpg/330px-Maps_to_the_Stars_poster.jpg
Not a great fan of film about film/fame but found this David Cronenberg offering interesting. There's a lot of really annoying performances (intended I suppose) but the story itself can actually carry that. The whole thing just seems a bit....flat. I dunno if it was supposed to be shocking or suspenseful but, for me, it just bubbles along to its conclusion. Think that the personalities for this film were just painted in too broad brush strokes.

2

mark f

07-19-20, 02:52 PM

I didn't realize until after that this was from the same director who made 2004's Head-On, which I thought was brilliant and powerful.
Love the director and Head-On. Don't like this one.

AgrippinaX

07-19-20, 06:22 PM

Super Dark Times (2017)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjA4NzU2ODA5OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNTk1ODkwMzI@._V1_.jpg

5

I like this film (rewatch). The rating might be a bit much, but it reflects my never-changing attachment to it. It’s like the smarter, neater cousin to Donnie Darko. There are some elements which call for suspension of disbelief, especially Josh’s actions towards the end, which veer towards excessively psychopathic and also seem better thought-through than thirteen-year-olds’ actions generally are. Takoma11, this is a mild case of kids acting a bit too mature in my opinion. It can be blamed on the fact kids in the ‘90s were more innovative than now, I guess, but it makes me pause each time, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s not perfectly integrated into the narrative. The film definitely has a soul, and the cast did a good job. The minimalist soundtrack and the subdued colour scheme work well here.

John-Connor

07-19-20, 06:33 PM

Super Dark Times (2017)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjA4NzU2ODA5OF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNTk1ODkwMzI@._V1_.jpg

5/5

5/5

I really like this film (rewatch). The rating might be a bit much, but it reflects my never-changing attachment to it. It’s like the smarter, neater cousin to Donnie Darko. There are some elements which call for suspension of disbelief, especially Josh’s actions towards the end, which veer towards excessively psychopathic and also seem better thought-through than thirteen-year-olds’ actions generally are. Takoma11, this is a mild case of kids acting a bit too mature in my opinion. It can be blamed on the fact kids in the ‘90s were more innovative than now,*I guess, but it makes me pause each time, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s not perfectly integrated into the narrative. The film definitely has a soul, and the cast did a good job. The minimalist soundtrack and the subdued colour scheme work well here.

66355

AgrippinaX

07-19-20, 06:36 PM

66355

Thank you. The weird thing is, as far as I know I’m doing exactly that (tried phone + laptop), they stopped showing yesterday but it worked fine before.

5

pahaK

07-19-20, 06:38 PM

Thank you. The weird thing is, as far as I know I’m doing exactly that (tried phone + laptop), they stopped showing yesterday but it worked fine before.

5/5

You have 5/5 inside the rating tags but you should only put 5 in there.

AgrippinaX

07-19-20, 06:41 PM

You have 5/5 inside the rating tags but you should only put 5 in there.

Thank you!

Takoma11

07-19-20, 07:56 PM

Takoma11, this is a mild case of kids acting a bit too mature in my opinion. It can be blamed on the fact kids in the ‘90s were more innovative than now,*I guess, but it makes me pause each time, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s not perfectly integrated into the narrative.

Were they, though? I think that most kids I work with are equally or even more creative than the ones I knew back in elementary school.

I don't mind kids in films being smart. It's more that 90% of the time when I see kids in movies or on TV shows (even ones that are supposed to seem very realistic), it's like the person who wrote their lines never actually met a child before. The way that they speak or the way that they respond to events rings especially false to my ears. (Though, ironically, I'm watching a TV episode right now with two very naturalistic child actors).

Like you say, though, it's mostly about whether or not it flows with the narrative.

AgrippinaX

07-19-20, 08:13 PM

Were they, though? I think that most kids I work with are equally or even more creative than the ones I knew back in elementary school.

I don't mind kids in films being smart. It's more that 90% of the time when I see kids in movies or on TV shows (even ones that are supposed to seem very realistic), it's like the person who wrote their lines never actually met a child before. The way that they speak or the way that they respond to events rings especially false to my ears. (Though, ironically, I'm watching a TV episode right now with two very naturalistic child actors).

Like you say, though, it's mostly about whether or not it flows with the narrative.

That makes sense. Slang and the way teenagers interact among themselves is very hard to film, because adults don’t get to observe that, and filmmakers are still outsiders. I think that’s something pretty much impossible to get ‘right’.

What are you watching, then?

Takoma11

07-19-20, 08:15 PM

That makes sense. Slang and the way teenagers interact among themselves is very hard to film, because adults don’t get to observe that, and filmmakers are still outsiders. I think that’s something pretty much impossible to get ‘right’.

What are you watching, then?

I'm watching an episode of Preacher and there was a short scene with two kids whose dialogue was a bit clumsy (back to that complaint about how kids talk), but they had great chemistry with each other and the adult actress and it was fun to watch them in their two short scenes.

AgrippinaX

07-19-20, 08:24 PM

I'm watching an episode of Preacher and there was a short scene with two kids whose dialogue was a bit clumsy (back to that complaint about how kids talk), but they had great chemistry with each other and the adult actress and it was fun to watch them in their two short scenes.

Sounds great.*I’ll check it out. Enjoy.

Takoma11

07-19-20, 08:40 PM

Sounds great.*I’ll check it out. Enjoy.

I'm only a few episodes in, but I like it so far. Haven't seen quite enough to strongly recommend it yet, but so far so good. It's streaming on Hulu if that's a service you have.

this_is_the_ girl

07-20-20, 04:17 AM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcriterion-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fcarousel-files%2F824d62f7b2a0c7f4c85df7ebae4e044a.jpeg&f=1&nofb=1
Taipei Story (1985, Edward Yang)
rating_4_5
Yang's second feature is a more compact affair compared to his sprawling debut - and a lot more somber. It's a film of interminable, transcendental bleakness, filled with wistful silences and ellipses between the lines, that tell a story of a doomed relationship meandering through the aimlessness of existence more eloquently than a million words ever could.

the samoan lawyer

07-20-20, 06:15 AM

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/01/23/arts/23color1/merlin_167288271_8b8fd73f-cf88-466c-b9ee-17e165dc12c5-mobileMasterAt3x.jpg (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2020%2F01%2F23%2Fmovies%2Fcolor-out-of-space-review.html&psig=AOvVaw2CSxY9eskgKFeFZU4bWo_I&ust=1595322596115000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCNjx1_e92-oCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)
Color Out of Space (2019)

2.5

https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/vivarium.jpg?w=681&h=383&crop=1 (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fvariety.com%2F2019%2Ffilm%2Freviews%2Fvivarium-review-jesse-eisenberg-imogen-poots-1203219403%2F&psig=AOvVaw3O5wcJzOQN4DHriLfnSCLJ&ust=1595322690860000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCJCA0aS-2-oCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)
Vivarium (2019)

2

https://lalafilmltd.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/shooting.jpg (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Flalafilmltd.wordpress.com%2F2015%2F08%2F02%2Freview-the-shooting-1966%2F&psig=AOvVaw25SGueKjXnCMV_8M9cFuLV&ust=1595322871661000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCKiitfy-2-oCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)
The Shooting (1966)

3

cricket

07-20-20, 07:18 AM

Richard Jewell (2019)

3.5+

https://i2.wp.com/silverscreencapture.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Richard-Jewell-Warner-Bros-Pic.jpg?fit=840%2C560

My wife was quite perplexed as to how I knew nothing about this story. She must forget what a mess I was when we met a couple of months later. I knew there had been a bombing at the olympics in Atlanta but none of the details. If portrayed accurately, it's pretty sad how the media jumped all over this guy. Fake news is certainly real and it's not a new thing. It is very understandable however that he was a suspect, but law enforcement could have handled it much better as well. I thought that this movie was pretty standard in just about every way, but in a good way. It was just a very good watch that kept me consumed from start to finish. For me, being a true story is a big part of that so it's very possible I'm giving the movie too much credit. Whatever I really enjoyed it.

the samoan lawyer

07-20-20, 08:33 AM

The Golden Glove (2019)

rating_4-

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tpUAs94YHIQ/maxresdefault.jpg

https://fr.web.img6.acsta.net/videothumbnails/19/04/05/09/35/4162674.jpg

I didn't realize until after that this was from the same director who made 2004's Head-On, which I thought was brilliant and powerful. This is such a different kind of movie, especially in style. It's based on the true story of a 70's German serial killer. The violence is not constant but it is still nasty. Everyone and everything is ugly and dirty and I felt grimy after watching it. I don't see it listed as a comedy anywhere but I thought it was hilarious. If you have a sick sense of humor then watch it.

This sounds absolutely brilliant. Will definitely check this out.

rauldc14

07-20-20, 08:43 AM

Love Richard Jewell. A great Eastwood flick!

cricket

07-20-20, 10:57 AM

Love Richard Jewell. A great Eastwood flick!

Somehow I didn't even know it was a Clint flick.

Marco

07-20-20, 01:19 PM

Takoma11

07-20-20, 01:32 PM

The Babadook (2014)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d7/The-Babadook-Poster.jpg
Pretty effective Aussie chiller that charts the dissolution of a woman's sanity following the death of her husband. Not helped at all by having one of the most annoying brats in cinematic history :)

It's OK, the main lady is good and it builds up nice tension. The blurriness of what is real and not is nicely done. Not original at all but still enjoyable for what it is.

2.5

I quite liked The Babadook. I thought that the direction was solid, the central allegory about grief/loss was interesting, and it's actually a pretty good portrayal of a child with a disability.

AgrippinaX

07-20-20, 01:35 PM

The Babadook (2014)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d7/The-Babadook-Poster.jpg
Pretty effective Aussie chiller that charts the dissolution of a woman's sanity following the death of her husband. Not helped at all by having one of the most annoying brats in cinematic history :)

It's OK, the main lady is good and it builds up nice tension. The blurriness of what is real and not is nicely done. Not original at all but still enjoyable for what it is.

2.5
I agree! Still mixed on this film. It’s well-executed, and Essie Davis is a very talented actress, but the annoying kids as a means of generating tension need to stop. Not to mention is felt somewhat... exploitative to me in a way I can’t pinpoint.

AgrippinaX

07-20-20, 01:36 PM

I quite liked The Babadook. I thought that the direction was solid, the central allegory about grief/loss was interesting, and it's actually a pretty good portrayal of a child with a disability.

I can see that side of it too. Perhaps I take films with children too personally and that’s my problem.

I remember arguing with my Film Studies lecturer at uni about whether or not scenes explicitly showing children’s death were illegal. He seemed to think they weren’t, and he used IT, of all things, to argue the point, but I think they are not legal in most jurisdictions and for good reasons. While Babadook does explore the issues parents of special needs children raise, I felt using it for horror was slightly tacky. But I think that’s very subjective.

sawduck

07-20-20, 01:44 PM

Stan & Ollie ��
A sweet and enjoyable film about two legendary comic actors,John C. Reilly in particular was fantastic and deserved more praise for his transformation

pahaK

07-20-20, 01:49 PM

I can see that side of it too. Perhaps I take films with children too personally and that’s my problem.

I remember arguing with my Film Studies lecturer at uni about whether or not scenes explicitly showing children’s death were illegal. He seemed to think they weren’t, and he used IT, of all things, to argue the point, but I think they are not legal in most jurisdictions and for good reasons. While Babadook does explore the issues parents of special needs children raise, I felt using it for horror was slightly tacky. But I think that’s very subjective.

Illegal? I very much doubt it and don't think they should be, either. I suppose I can't recommend you In a Glass Cage either ;)

AgrippinaX

07-20-20, 01:56 PM

Illegal? I very much doubt it and don't think they should be, either. I suppose I can't recommend you In a Glass Cage either ;)

I’ve seen it, not as great as it could have been, but a solid film nonetheless.

Oh no, I’m very much open to such recommendations and I still watch them all, loved ‘The Devil’s Backbone’ and all the old stuff. But in ‘The Babadook’ it just felt overdone to me. At the same time, I did want to kill the kid myself in the first 20 minutes, so that stressed me out to no end, seeing as I was working with kids at the time... can’t seem to make a balanced argument on this. It’s not so much with children being hurt as what felt to me like exploiting developmental issues.

Not illegal of course, but how often do we see children literally ripped apart with blood and guts in film, rather than being given a vague & somber indication that they’re dead? I think what made think it could be illegal was the lack of such scenes.

pahaK

07-20-20, 02:02 PM

I’ve seen it, not as great as it could have been, but a solid film nonetheless.

Seen it once, and then I loved it. Will need to rewatch it at some point, especially if we do top-100 movies countdown next.

Not illegal of course, but how often do we see children literally ripped apart with blood and guts in film, rather than being given a vague & somber indication that they’re dead?

As deranged as this sounds, I'd say far too rarely. I personally hate taboos, censorship, and political correctness and welcome all deviations from them :D

Takoma11

07-20-20, 02:05 PM

I agree! Still mixed on this film. It’s well-executed, and Essie Davis is a very talented actress, but the annoying kids as a means of generating tension need to stop. Not to mention is felt somewhat... exploitative to me in a way I can’t pinpoint.

One of my least favorite horror sub-genres is the "evil child" subgenre/trope. I actively dislike such films.

But The Babadook is different for me because it's not about the kid being evil or possessed. It's about the fractured relationship between a parent and child, how they misread each other's actions/intentions, and how anger and trauma can be misdirected.

In an interview, Jennifer Kent said that she wanted both characters to be "loving and lovable" and I think that she succeeded. We are obviously seeing these people at their worst, but I think that the film does a good job of showing how their same actions can be recast.

Throughout the whole film, she does want to protect her son. But she hasn't been able to put aside the connection in her mind between her son and the death of her husband.

Especially at the end when you see that he is still making his weapons. This thing that's supposed to come across as sinister is just creativity and a way of coping with stress.

Likewise, the fact that you can't destroy the monster (grief) is important. They have to learn to care for their grief, acknowledge it, and live with it.

I thought it was a movie with a lot of empathy for both main characters, and that kept it from feeling at all exploitative. Parenting a child with a disability or mental health issues is intense. I've seen many parents break down over things far less intense than what we see in this movie. I thought that the child's behavior and the mother's response fit in the context of the story and what it was trying to explore.

Takoma11

07-20-20, 02:05 PM

Illegal? I very much doubt it and don't think they should be, either. I suppose I can't recommend you In a Glass Cage either ;)

I already recommended it to her AND she'd already seen it!

AgrippinaX

07-20-20, 02:08 PM

I already recommended it to her AND she'd already seen it!

I liked it!

AgrippinaX

07-20-20, 02:13 PM

Seen it once, and then I loved it. Will need to rewatch it at some point, especially if we do top-100 movies countdown next.

As deranged as this sounds, I'd say far too rarely. I personally hate taboos, censorship, and political correctness and welcome all deviations from them :D

Ha, no, I know what you mean. Actually, I agree. I think you’ve pretty much converted me. 😁 I suppose I now need to hunt for films that break the convention and re-evaluate.

AgrippinaX

07-20-20, 02:21 PM

One of my least favorite horror sub-genres is the "evil child" subgenre/trope. I actively dislike such films.

But The Babadook is different for me because it's not about the kid being evil or possessed. It's about the fractured relationship between a parent and child, how they misread each other's actions/intentions, and how anger and trauma can be misdirected.

In an interview, Jennifer Kent said that she wanted both characters to be "loving and lovable" and I think that she succeeded. We are obviously seeing these people at their worst, but I think that the film does a good job of showing how their same actions can be recast.

Throughout the whole film, she does want to protect her son. But she hasn't been able to put aside the connection in her mind between her son and the death of her husband.

Especially at the end when you see that he is still making his weapons. This thing that's supposed to come across as sinister is just creativity and a way of coping with stress.

Likewise, the fact that you can't destroy the monster (grief) is important. They have to learn to care for their grief, acknowledge it, and live with it.

I thought it was a movie with a lot of empathy for both main characters, and that kept it from feeling at all exploitative. Parenting a child with a disability or mental health issues is intense. I've seen many parents break down over things far less intense than what we see in this movie. I thought that the child's behavior and the mother's response fit in the context of the story and what it was trying to explore.

I think it’s the scene at the aunt’s party that left me mixed. The way it was done almost feels Kent wanted the boy to come across as annoying and unpleasant towards other children, and that’s what bothered me. But otherwise, you’re right, and it’s certainly important to make films addressing these issues. I appreciated it as a horror film, especially the book and all, so maybe I’m overdue a new viewing.

AgrippinaX

07-20-20, 02:24 PM

As deranged as this sounds, I'd say far too rarely. I personally hate taboos, censorship, and political correctness and welcome all deviations from them :D

As far as I know, there’s a savage kid death scene in Genocyber (1992), but that’s manga and not the sort of mainstream I was thinking about.

Takoma11

07-20-20, 02:27 PM

I think it’s the scene at the aunt’s party that left me mixed. The way it was done almost feels Kent wanted the boy to come across as annoying and unpleasant towards other children, and that’s what bothered me. But otherwise, you’re right, and it’s certainly important to make films addressing these issues. I appreciated it as a horror film, especially the book and all, so maybe I’m overdue a new viewing.

Having worked with a few children who have lost parents or other family members, sometimes kids dealing with trauma are annoying and unpleasant. In fact, being deliberately annoying and unpleasant is a pretty good technique for driving people away. I agree that Kent wanted us to feel how annoying he was--it was an intentional decision. It helps us to understand the mother's point of view, and it helps us to understand the stress that the child is under.

I haven't seen the film since it was released, but I remember being impressed with what felt like its accuracy. Children dealing with mental/emotional health issues can be incredibly frustrating to work with, especially if they aren't getting the therapy/help they need and ESPECIALLY if their parents are also kind of a mess.

Stirchley

07-20-20, 02:31 PM

66388

Very very young movie, but entertaining. Beanie Feldstein (Jonah Hill’s sister) & Kaitlyn Dever both excellent.

Takoma11

07-20-20, 02:35 PM

66388

Very very young movie, but entertaining. Beanie Feldstein (Jonah Hill’s sister) & Kaitlyn Dever both excellent.

I was really pleasantly surprised by this one. Put it on one night knowing nothing about it and just laughed and laughed. It wasn't very deep, but it wasn't meant to be.

The scene where she confronts the "popular" kids in the bathroom and finds out that they're all going to great schools was such a refreshing reversal of that trope where the popular kids are always stupid. I liked the variety of characters it put on screen and that it stayed focused on the main characters and their struggles as opposed to creating some one-dimensional mean girl or mean jock as the villain.

Gideon58

07-20-20, 03:14 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjg3Mzg5Y2UtNzQ5Yy00NGY4LTk5M2QtZGE1NmZkZTBlZmEwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzc5MjA3OA@@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,67 2,1000_AL_.jpg

3

this_is_the_ girl

07-20-20, 04:27 PM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fa.ltrbxd.com%2Fresized%2Fsm%2Fupload%2Flu%2F61%2Fsz%2F28%2Fthe-terrorizers-1200-1200-675-675-crop-000000.jpg%3Fk%3D041065f4a0&f=1&nofb=1
Terrorizers (1986, Edward Yang)
rating_4_5
Another great film from Yang. Aside from his trademark meditative, minimalistic approach, which I find endlessly fascinating, Terrorizers also features a rather clever, intricate plot. I like how the initially unrelated characters cross paths and intertwine as the film progresses. But above all, the more I watch his films, the more I am stunned by the quiet beauty of the cinematography and composition, the rhythm and structure of his storytelling - it talks to me in a language that is simple, and yet incredibly profound at the same time.

AgrippinaX

07-20-20, 07:32 PM

Fearless (1993)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZGYyYzgyODMtOGYwOC00OTM5LTk4NDUtNTRkN2I3YmUxNTM5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTAwMzUyOTc@._V1_.jpg
5

I’ve been lucky these few days. This was pretty perfect. I haven’t exhausted my Peter Weir inventory yet, but I like this much more than ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’ and ‘The Dead Poets Society’. I love its paradoxical nature that almost veers into the mystical. Something about the era it’s set in also makes it work better than the contemporary films with a similar sentiment, like ‘Take Shelter’. It does a brilliant job of capturing the feeling of post-NDE alienation and otherness that follows the protagonist. I loved the occasional too-bright colours that feed into that.*Very postmodern without trying to be. *Isabella Rossellini is incredible, and now I know Jeff Bridges can actually act outside his usual one-dimensional American guy-ness.
A phenomenal film. Definitely going on my list of favourites.

Stirchley

07-20-20, 07:36 PM

66397

Re-watch of an excellent movie.

Fabulous

07-20-20, 09:01 PM

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/x5OnEbMl2o7mC85i8VaL9sHSix1.jpg

Olivier Parent

07-20-20, 09:18 PM

Natural born killers
4/5
A movie that divides. Many will hate it but I loved it.
66401

Fabulous

07-21-20, 12:17 AM

Darby's Rangers (1958)

1.5

http://www.imfdb.org/images/9/9d/Darby1_sm.jpg

this_is_the_ girl

07-21-20, 10:43 AM

https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/magical-girl.jpg
Magical Girl (2014, Carlos Vermut)
4
Such a craftily constructed Spanish gem of a thriller. Excellent plot that kept me gripped till the end, intriguingly interweaving characters each grappling with their own psychological issues, good ending - definitely worth a watch.

pahaK

07-21-20, 12:04 PM

The Outpost (2020)

A mediocre war movie that can give you a lethal overdose of patriotism. I wonder who decided to put the outpost on that location in real life?

2.5

matt72582

07-21-20, 12:27 PM

Wim Wenders: One Who Set Forth
This was alright.. Kinda taciturn - the term used to describe Wenders..... It's on Amazon Prime.

Gideon58

07-21-20, 03:43 PM

https://pisces.bbystatic.com/image2/BestBuy_US/images/products/6397/6397330_so.jpg

1st Re-watch...It was the biggest Oscar snub of 2019...how Adam Sandler was overlooked for a Best Actor nomination for this ticking time bomb of a performance is one of the Academy's greatest crimes.

4.5

matt72582

07-21-20, 03:45 PM

Vittorio D - 10/10
I just saw a perfect example of how a documentary should be... And it's a documentary on my very favorite director - Vittorio De Sica. I was watching this with pride as if I were his son. I've searched for one in the past, but somehow I ran into this while browsing Amazon Prime, which I know many have, and should check out. I never heard De Sica speaking English, so there are limitations on knowing everything you can about the man, but his movies speak on his poetic yet realistic humanity.... I liked how it divided into segment... You had "The Director", "The Actor", "The Man", "The Gambler", "The Father", etc.

You don't see any young "flavor of the month" directors or actors, not because they don't know him, but because whoever produced it made sure he got the best of the best..

Featured in this documentary
-Clint Eastwood
-Woody Allen
-Sophia Loren
-Federic Fellini
-Ken Loach
-Mike Leigh
-Shirley MacLaine
-Ettore Scola (great Italian director)
-Mario Monicello
-Paul Mazursky (who told De Sica that he was stealing "Umberto D" to make (my favorite movie), "Harry and Tonto"
-Dino DeLaurentis (great producer)
and many others, including his friends.

https://i.imgur.com/HGVz9x9.jpg

pahaK

07-21-20, 04:24 PM

Equinox (1970)

A B-horror that doesn't use its potential. It's quite silly actually, but with a better script, it could have good still. Now its Evil Dead connections are more interesting than the film itself. Sam Raimi must have loved this.

2.5

Gideon58

07-21-20, 07:22 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjgwYTQ4YmEtOTcwYy00NjBlLWI0ZjYtNDM0YmI1OGM0MWY0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjMxOTE0ODA@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,67 4,1000_AL_.jpg

3.5

HollowMan

07-21-20, 09:08 PM

66388

Very very young movie, but entertaining. Beanie Feldstein (Jonah Hill’s sister) & Kaitlyn Dever both excellent.

Yeah I really enjoyed this. The best teen movie of the past few years.

HollowMan

07-21-20, 09:15 PM

Natural born killers
4/5
A movie that divides. Many will hate it but I loved it.
66401

I'm afraid I fall firmly in the 'hate it' category. One of the most unpleasant experiences of my film-viewing life. I've had hangovers that were more fun.

cricket

07-21-20, 09:53 PM

Battle of Britain (1969)

2.5

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2018/01/31/watching/battle-of-britain-watching/battle-of-britain-watching-videoSixteenByNineJumbo1600-v3.jpg

This is an epic war film starring Olivier, Plummer, Caine, Shaw, and more. I thought I was going to enjoy it much more during the first few minutes, but the battle scenes became monotonous and the rest was often dull. It's too bad.

Gideon58

07-21-20, 09:53 PM

Steve Freeling

07-22-20, 02:13 AM

https://images.static-bluray.com/reviews/20946_20_1080p.jpg
Tokyo Godfathers (2003) - Rewatch on Blu-ray 4.0
Yeah, so I watched the new dub on 9anime a week or so back and had too much other stuff going on to post about it. Imagine my surprise on Sunday finding the Blu-ray in Walmart when I hadn't been able to find it in any Walmart stores. Since it was the only copy left and I liked the movie enough to consider it worth owning, I went ahead and grabbed it. To my surprise, Mom took one look at the cover and said it looked like it was worth watching. So, my Sunday night viewing marked the second time I've seen Tokyo Godfathers in the past week or so, a surprising turn for someone who'd said in the past that he'd never watch anything Kon directed. But what can I say? After seeing Perfect Blue, I realized I'd misjudged the director. That's not to say he's suddenly become my new favorite anime director--Otomo (Why doesn't he make more movies, bruh? Akira is one of the best films of the 1980s, anime or otherwise, and no one's gonna convince me that's not the case.), Miyazaki, and Shinkai still reign supreme, but he's way better than I was willing to admit. As for Tokyo Godfathers, it's a good movie and one I'll never forget. Its story is one worth telling that seems all too relevant in today's world where the homeless line the streets every day and are often looked down on as nothing more than human garbage that deserves to be homeless. Nearly two decades after it first arrived in theaters, little to nothing has changed in that regard. In Tokyo Godfathers, the main characters are human beings first and homeless second, as it should be; in this case, we can add "caretakers of an abandoned baby" to the list. Also, I have to give props to Kon and Keiko Nobumoto, well-known for writing Cowboy Bebop and creating Wolf's Rain, for keeping the storyline pretty straightforward instead of going for the mindscrew; that may have worked for Perfect Blue, but it would be out of place here. To be clear, I'm not saying it's predictable--many have praised Tokyo Godfathers for being the opposite, just that it doesn't try to mess with your head and it's not all that difficult to follow. The animation is stunning. Sure, there are no especially bright or vibrant colors, but it's a style that's a perfect match for the film's subject matter and storyline. It also has to be said that it looks much better than previous versions--I've seen screenshots, namely Umbrella's badly windowboxed - like the old DVD of Spirited Away - 2017 Blu-ray release in Australia that even had grammatical errors and misspellings in the subs (Bruh, WTH was Umbrella thinking?), via GKIDS' 4K restoration. Keiichi Suzuki's musical score is memorable. I mean, the film ends with a Japanese version of Ode to Joy performed by Suzuki's rock band, the Moonriders; now there's something you don't hear every day. It took almost two decades for it to happen, but NYAV Post has given Tokyo Godfathers an excellent English dub as they have with the other anime they've dubbed. There's a previous dub by Animax Asia, but it was never available outside of Asia and barring some clips on YouTube, very few have heard it which is just as well, since while it isn't all that bad, especially by Animax Asia standards, the NYAV Post dub is way better. Shooo... Where to begin with this dub? Mirai herself Victoria Grace is excellent as Miyuki, a teenage runaway who says she can go home any time she wants, yet chooses not to. Jon Avner is equally impressive as Gin, an alcoholic gambler who was once a family man. Avner brings a gruff quality to Gin, saying in one scene, "You're tryin' to play house when we're three good-for-nothin' bums who can't even look after ourselves." Shakina Nayfack is more than solid as Hana, a drag queen who only ever wanted to feel loved and even names the baby Kiyoko. Hana can be very dramatic at times and Nayfack's performance matches that without going too far over the top like, say for instance, Russell Wait in the Animax Asia dub. Everyone else is also solid, including the likes of Jamieson Price, Crispin Freeman, Michael Sinterniklaas, Kirk Thornton, and Erica Schroeder in supporting roles and the dub script is completely natural. All told, I liked Tokyo Godfathers a lot and I'll be coming back to it many times in the future.

mojofilter

07-22-20, 02:28 AM

http://i2.wp.com/filmfanatic.org/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Serpico-Poster.jpg
SERPICO
(1973)

Re-watch. Al Pacino delivered a riveting performance. Classic movie.
4.5

Thursday Next

07-22-20, 05:10 AM

Green Book (2018)

This was OK. It was fine. Decently made movie. Middle of the road. Well-acted. Nothing exciting. Probably every Oscar voter's third or fourth choice which is how it ended up winning. 2018 was not a vintage year for film.

3.5

Bel Canto (2018)

I don't know how such a gripping book can make such a boring movie. It just seemed to be missing some kind of urgency, of emotional connection, of believability. I did like the scenes with Gen and Carmen though, and the climax of the film still hit quite hard.

2.5

Tell It to the Bees (2018)

Low-key lesbian drama about a doctor and a divorced mother who start a relationship in 1950s Scotland. And some bees.

3+

Chypmunk

07-22-20, 05:57 AM

Tell It to the Bees (2018)

Low-key lesbian drama about a doctor and a divorced mother who start a relationship in 1950s Scotland. And some bees.

3+
Sounds like one for Yoda ;)

Hey Fredrick

07-22-20, 10:15 AM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.filmeonline2016.biz%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F01%2Fthe-vanishing.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

3

The second lighthouse movie I've seen this year. That is 2 more than I had seen in my previous 45+ years of movie watching. This isn't as good as the other lighthouse movie, the name of which escapes me. Three guys at a lighthouse find a body and a crate washed up on shore. The crate is filled with clothes and a couple gold bars. Greed. They come up with A Simple Plan however things deteriorate and you end up with an ok movie but nothing too memorable. It looks good and has solid acting but I must've missed something about halfway through which made me think what?...how?...okay, just go with it. This is apparently based on a true story of three guys at a lighthouse who vanish.

Takoma11

07-22-20, 01:54 PM

[CENTER]https://images.static-bluray.com/reviews/20946_20_1080p.jpg
Tokyo Godfathers (2003) - Rewatch on Blu-ray - 4.0

the second time I've seen Tokyo Godfathers in the past week or so, a surprising turn for someone who'd said in the past that he'd never watch anything Kon directed. But what can I say? After seeing Perfect Blue, I realized I'd misjudged the director.

The first thing I thought about when seeing that you were reviewing this one.

I'm glad you liked it. I'd say that in terms of Kon's films, Millenium Actress is still my favorite, but Tokyo Godfathers is up there. Glad you're enjoying his work, because I think he makes really powerful films.

Iroquois

07-22-20, 01:59 PM

Why would you not want to watch Kon, Steve?

Dingo - 3

in Australia they call him Kilometres Davis

Stirchley

07-22-20, 02:38 PM

Tell It to the Bees (2018)

Low-key lesbian drama about a doctor and a divorced mother who start a relationship in 1950s Scotland. And some bees.

LOL. I’m confused as to who the lesbian is?

Citizen Rules

07-22-20, 02:43 PM

LOL. I’m confused as to who the lesbian is?Here's a clue...
66467

this_is_the_ girl

07-22-20, 03:10 PM

Mr Minio

07-22-20, 03:24 PM

Millenium Actress A great yet perfectible film. I think I like Perfect Blue the most, but this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJY1TomgkBs

Is truly life-changing, and it made me a Hirasawa believer (I hadn't been too big on him before).

Gideon58

07-22-20, 05:00 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODAwYjJhNTctYzA3Ny00YTYxLWE3YmEtM2FjNDdlNWJmMmU5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,65 7,1000_AL_.jpg

3

Fabulous

07-22-20, 08:49 PM

The Star (1952)

2

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/3wTCD9C7TGaMZPDR2KWkI0wiY9.jpg

Takoma11

07-22-20, 09:52 PM

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UROesreV7_g/TT-dScLqP4I/AAAAAAAAD64/P_UJCGyY0j8/s1600/Institute.Benjamenta.1995.1080p.BluRay.x264-126.jpg
Institute Benjamenta, or This Dream That One Calls Human Life
(1995, Stephen Quay, Timothy Quay)
I need some time to wrap my brain around what I just saw - as of right now, no idea how to rate it.
But one thing is for sure: it's one of the most unique viewing experiences I've ever had, in every respect. Some of the visuals are just plain indescribable (very Eraserhead-like).
Damn..

I don't always vibe with the Quays, but as you say sometimes they pull out imagery that is just fabulous.

A great yet perfectible film. I think I like Perfect Blue the most, but this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJY1TomgkBs

Is truly life-changing, and it made me a Hirasawa believer (I hadn't been too big on him before).

Sometimes when I am stressed, I watch this live performance of one of the songs from Paprika.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VurnfrJonPg

(I'm also a sucker for the theme song from Paranoia Agent which apparently Hirasawa doesn't himself love.)

Steve Freeling

07-22-20, 10:13 PM

Why would you not want to watch Kon, Steve?

I was in my late teens when I said that - I guess I've matured somewhat since then, but it seemed like I heard a whole bunch of his fans crapping on Akira and Miyazaki (stuff like, "Satoshi Kon's films are more mature [than Akira]," "Spirited Away is overrated. Satoshi Kon's movies are 20x more awesome," and saying, "[Kon]'s better," to someone asking if any anime director has matched Miyazaki) to the point that I decided his work must not be for me and noped away from him and his work. After one of my friends a few months back who likes a lot of the same anime I do such as Akira, Miyazaki's works and the like, talking about how amazing Tokyo Godfathers was, I guess it was enough to get me started on reconsidering my previous thoughts.

Fabulous

07-22-20, 11:43 PM

The Crimson Kimono (1959)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/2ywAjiDhGKupFbUewJhmvAlWwa1.jpg

mark f

07-23-20, 12:05 AM

Two Living, One Dead (Anthony Asquith, 1961) 2.5 6/10
Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow (James Neilson, 1963) 3+ 6.5/10
A Nice Girl Like You (Riedell Bros., 2020) 2 5/10
The Painted Bird (Václav Marhoul, 2019) 3.5- 7/10
https://i.pinimg.com/474x/9b/d3/f3/9bd3f37ec267df67e1892363a2f87a34.jpg
A vast understatement - a virtual smörgåsbord of equal opportunity atrocity.
Monsieur Vincent (Maurice Cloche, 1947) 3- 6.5/10
Sexmission (Juliusz Machulski, 1984) 2.5+ 6/10
Ghosts of War (Eric Bress, 2020) 2 5/10
Father of a Soldier (Rezo Chkheidze, 1964) 3.5 7/10
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LnBN-_C-eQQ/XKtBL7Au-YI/AAAAAAAADDw/_pAo3f57UGgAZkfUnkFEoAKtzmL_eB39wCLcBGAs/s1600/best-soviet-movies-ww2%2B%25282%2529.jpg
Action-packed but incredibly humanistic WWII film.
Catching Hell (Alex Gibney, 2011) 3 6.5/10
The Fighting Prince of Donegal (Michael O'Herlihy, 1966) 2.5+ 6/10
Grand Jury (Albert S. Rogell, 1936) 2 5/10
Andre the Giant (Jason Hehir, 2018) 3.5 7/10
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/FormalIdenticalGoshawk-size_restricted.gif
The story of wrestling's (and my) favorite Big Man in the Ring.
The Portuguese Woman (Rita Azevedo Gomes, 2018) 2.5 5.5/10
I Like It Like That (Darnell Martin, 1994) 3 6.5/10
A Girl from Mogadishu (Mary McGuckian, 2019) 2.5 5.5/10
La Flor (Mariano Llinás, 2016) 2.5 6/10 at least 808 min
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZWU1MWVhNjgtYTI2Ny00NTI1LTljYTQtZTM5NDVkNzBlYzk2XkEyXkFqcGdeQTNwaW5nZXN0._V1_UX477_CR0,0,477,268 _AL_.jpg
Mammoth multi-part epic with the cast playing multiple roles, usually with very little explained in each episode.
Radioactive (Marjane Satrapi, 2019) 2.5 6/10
Landless AKA Chão (Camila Freitas, 2019) 2.5 6/10
Banana Split (Benjamin Kasulke, 2018) 2.5 6/10
Killa AKA The Fort (Avinash Arun, 2014) 3- 6.5/10
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOTFiNmVlYjQtZTZhMC00ZThmLWJhMWItOTUzNjZkZGE4OTA1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDU5MzA2NzI@._V1_.jpgw
A boy and his mother share a coming of age experience when they relocate.

John-Connor

07-23-20, 04:59 AM

Andre the Giant (Jason Hehir, 2018) 3.5 7/10
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/FormalIdenticalGoshawk-size_restricted.gif
:laugh: watchlisted!

Fabulous

07-23-20, 05:54 AM

Battle Cry (1955)

2

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/eVgROvOt7yR1dcGHpmWdafRLVPb.jpg

hell_storm2004

07-23-20, 06:30 AM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQyNTE0MDQ1MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTYxMTkwMDE@._V1_.jpg

The Keeper of Lost Causes (2013) - 6.5/10. This was a good movie. It was probably a few inches away from being a classic or something like that. But a fun watch none the less. I saw that it had a sequel, I will try that next.

Chypmunk

07-23-20, 06:39 AM

The Keeper of Lost Causes (2013) - 6.5/10. This was a good movie. It was probably a few inches away from being a classic or something like that. But a fun watch none the less. I saw that it had a sequel, I will try that next.
There are three more in the Department Q series (The Absent One; A Conspiracy Of Faith; The Purity Of Vengeance), I've only seen this one and the next two and for me they do dip a little each time ... though I've seen others say the exact opposite ... so definitely worth taking a look imo.

the samoan lawyer

07-23-20, 07:07 AM

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcRXyyf73vjrOVni2-haBTXAi6ouTwyZc7AV7g&usqp=CAU (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dmovies.org%2F2019%2F02%2F11%2Fbait%2F&psig=AOvVaw3g5l8DvlGBzK7HnuYjnQJ5&ust=1595584957369000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCIDKlKeP4-oCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAK)
Bait (2019)

3

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSRWNWMRScBHv7uK2tDTA3MxE3jjWjMFoaHkw&usqp=CAU (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftime.com%2F5706370%2Ftell-me-who-i-am-netflix-true-story%2F&psig=AOvVaw2Tcom-Xgs-jVwLEw5AcGY_&ust=1595585071965000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCPjY2t2P4-oCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)
Tell Me Who I Am (2019)

3

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcRD743GuHLNIvr3UFl1UD9C71QKGKCRkI06jQ&usqp=CAU (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fbloody-disgusting.com%2Fmovie%2F3416087%2Fdevils-candy-russian-poster-shreds%2F&psig=AOvVaw2XyrpwxggVFZDXHRnzw-qe&ust=1595585140346000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCLDvof6P4-oCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)
The Devil's Candy (2015)

3

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQ48HGg2B7CNb08_bqFQe2uY29oAJqJWm5srQ&usqp=CAU (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Findianexpress.com%2Farticle%2Fentertainment%2Fhollywood%2Fit-chapter-2-things-we-liked-didnt-like-bill-hader-jessica-chastain-5982802%2F&psig=AOvVaw3QPgP62e-d_S410KIrJNdJ&ust=1595585215208000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCMiw8aGQ4-oCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE)
It Chapter Two (2019)

3.5

pahaK

07-23-20, 07:50 AM

There are three more in the Department Q series (The Absent One; A Conspiracy Of Faith; The Purity Of Vengeance), I've only seen this one and the next two and for me they do dip a little each time ... though I've seen others say the exact opposite ... so definitely worth taking a look imo.

I've seen The Keeper of Lost Causes and A Conspiracy of Faith. I liked the latter more but the first one is OK too. I'd need to see the other two at some point.

AgrippinaX

07-23-20, 07:55 AM

I've seen The Keeper of Lost Causes and A Conspiracy of Faith. I liked the latter more but the first one is OK too. I'd need to see the other two at some point.

I’ve seen them all and they did leave a kind of half-baked impression. I felt The Absent One was the best because it maintained the most consistent narrative.

hell_storm2004

07-23-20, 07:58 AM

There are three more in the Department Q series (The Absent One; A Conspiracy Of Faith; The Purity Of Vengeance), I've only seen this one and the next two and for me they do dip a little each time ... though I've seen others say the exact opposite ... so definitely worth taking a look imo.

That is interesting. The ratings on IMDB go down after the first one. So not sure if there is net increase in quality. But will check it out. Cant be an excruciating experience for sure.

Chypmunk

07-23-20, 08:26 AM

I've seen The Keeper of Lost Causes and A Conspiracy of Faith. I liked the latter more but the first one is OK too. I'd need to see the other two at some point.
Yeah, I think it might have been your good self and MM (?) that I remember indicating a preference for one or more of the sequels. I'd say if you thought Keeper was ok then Absent is deffo worth a look - for me there's not that much between those two.

Hey Fredrick

07-23-20, 09:08 AM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Fcriterion-production%2Frelease_boxshots%2F1535-6ce8bd27eda50c5fa11561e35f2aedf5%2F460_box_348x490_original.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
4

A short flick about a man who sits atop a pillar in the desert for the love of God. Of course the Devil shows up and tries to convince him it all for nothing but Simon's not having any of that. Has some very funny moments and Silvia Pinal as the Devil is definitely tempting. Apparently this was to be a full length feature but Bunuel ran out of cash and just kind of ended it so the ending is a little odd.

Marco

07-23-20, 10:01 AM

Adam and Paul (2004)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1b/Adam_and_Paul_DVD_cover.jpg
Funny and poignant story of 2 childhood Dublin friends who have become chronic drug addicts as adults. Living a hand to mouth, or in this case, hand to arm existence we see them in various scrapes trying to get some money together for a fix. Alternatively despised and pitied by those around them, they inhabit their own world where the procurement of smack is the only reason they exist. Superbly acted with some real gritty humour and some touching scenes the 2 main actors do really well.
3.5

Gideon58

07-23-20, 03:18 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjBhNjc1NjktZTg4OS00YmUyLWI4YjAtNGIxZGM4ZTdkNmZkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_UY1200_CR91,0,6 30,1200_AL_.jpg

3

pahaK

07-23-20, 03:39 PM

Hell or High Water (2016)

Despite the premise is very much like a western, it doesn't feel like one to me. It's a quite basic low key crime story about coping with a seemingly unfair world. The reasoning behind the robberies seems initially like something I could root for at least a little, but as the movie goes on my sympathies for the brothers start to plummet. That moral ambiguity is good, but somehow the film doesn't really draw me in. It's pretty OK still.

3

Fabulous

07-23-20, 04:40 PM

Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/ovfJX70VfUTXM2o28lvZQchtynG.jpg

this_is_the_ girl

07-24-20, 05:00 AM

https://pics.filmaffinity.com/Embrace_of_the_Serpent-594318339-large.jpg
Embrace of the Serpent (2015, Ciro Guerra)
4.5
This film made me think about a lot of things - our shady past and uncertain future as a civilization, slow and gradual loss of harmony with nature and of our "roots", inability to pause and think and see the forest for the trees in the crazy vortex of modern life.
Powerful and deeply spiritual.

Thursday Next

07-24-20, 06:08 AM

Love Wedding Repeat (2020)

Won't rate it as I switched it off after half an hour because life is too short.

All Is True (2018)

All is almost certainly not true in this downbeat drama that speculates about Shakespeare's retirement. Good acting from good actors but it's very dull and dreary. The bit where the illiterate daughter shouts at Shakespeare that she just wanted his approval didn't ring true. Shakespeare insulting the local MP was a standout bit. Nice music; Patrick Doyle is great.

3-

the samoan lawyer

07-24-20, 07:07 AM

https://pics.filmaffinity.com/Embrace_of_the_Serpent-594318339-large.jpg
Embrace of the Serpent (2015, Ciro Guerra)
rating_4_5
This film made me think about a lot of things - our shady past and uncertain future as a civilization, slow and gradual loss of harmony with nature and of our "roots", inability to pause and think and see the forest for the trees in the crazy vortex of modern life.
Powerful and deeply spiritual.

Wonderful film.

the samoan lawyer

07-24-20, 07:19 AM

https://media.newyorker.com/photos/5e5819880422e200089b6e22/master/w_2560%2Cc_limit/Syme-PortraitofaLadyonFire.jpg
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

Stunning and atmospheric film. From the acting to the cinematography its difficult to find a fault here. Superb.

rating_4_5

mojofilter

07-24-20, 08:31 AM

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/52/d0/09/52d009c33fcae8a90b085213c76eef35.jpgTHE TENANT
(1976)

First viewing. Possibly the weirdest and most frustrating movie I ever watched, and Roman Polanski is not much of an actor. I was waiting for the thrills considering it was supposed to be one of Polanski's best psychological horrors, but they never really came. The movie is gripping though, but the payoff was just not satisfying.
2.5

mojofilter

07-24-20, 11:37 AM

Stirchley

07-24-20, 01:34 PM

http://eatbrie.com/large_posters_files/Firm1.jpg
THE FIRM
(1993)

Re-watch. In retrospect, a very good but imperfect legal suspense thriller starring Tom Cruise along with an incredible all-star cast.
3.5

What a coincidence. I watched this last night. Had seen 1 or 2 scenes before, but not the entire movie.

I agree with the review above.

Iroquois

07-24-20, 01:47 PM

I was in my late teens when I said that - I guess I've matured somewhat since then, but it seemed like I heard a whole bunch of his fans crapping on Akira and Miyazaki (stuff like, "Satoshi Kon's films are more mature [than Akira]," "Spirited Away is overrated. Satoshi Kon's movies are 20x more awesome," and saying, "[Kon]'s better," to someone asking if any anime director has matched Miyazaki) to the point that I decided his work must not be for me and noped away from him and his work. After one of my friends a few months back who likes a lot of the same anime I do such as Akira, Miyazaki's works and the like, talking about how amazing Tokyo Godfathers was, I guess it was enough to get me started on reconsidering my previous thoughts.

Yeah, I don't much care for that kind of elitist expression either, but I can understand the arguments - as good as Akira is, I would not argue that you can find more mature anime films than the one about a psychic teenage biker destroying Tokyo. Likewise, Kon's definitely warranted being thought of as an anime director to rival Miyazaki despite his comparatively smaller output. Still, if you liked Tokyo Godfathers then the rest of his work is definitely worth checking out - I've been meaning to revisit Paranoia Agent myself.

Just Don't Think I'll Scream - 3

Probably not the best time to watch a film about a guy who spent six months at home doing nothing but watching hundreds of movies, but still good.

Gideon58

07-24-20, 04:20 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTg3YTEzNjYtZTY2NS00YjNmLTlhNjUtZTI2M2E5NDI4M2NjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzI3MDEzMzM@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,67 5,1000_AL_.jpg

4

Takoma11

07-24-20, 04:25 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTg3YTEzNjYtZTY2NS00YjNmLTlhNjUtZTI2M2E5NDI4M2NjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzI3MDEzMzM@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,67 5,1000_AL_.jpg

4

I was disappointed a bit by Mudbound in ways that, frustratingly, are hard to articulate. But the performances are just so good and the direction is so assured. I agree with a rating of 4/5.

pahaK

07-24-20, 04:43 PM

Perempuan Tanah Jahanam (2019)
aka Impetigore

An Indonesian horror by Joko Anwar (probably the only Indonesian director I can name). It's stylistically similar to his Satan's Slaves (which I may have rated just a tad too low earlier) so expect a slow and moody beginning and some serious escalation towards the end. There are ghosts, curses, betrayals, and all sorts of spooky things in Far Eastern style. Really beautiful settings too.

66557

3

EDIT: I lowered my rating by .5. The script has so big flaws that I just had to do it. I couldn't justify giving this better rating than Satan's Slaves.

Fabulous

07-24-20, 06:45 PM

The Devil's Disciple (1959)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/bXMB2jUdnmC7m4b59JK9uREWRAo.jpg

mojofilter

07-24-20, 08:08 PM

What a coincidence. I watched this last night. Had seen 1 or 2 scenes before, but not the entire movie.

I agree with the review above.
Enjoyable flick. Cruise’s performance was okay, but the amazing actors in supporting roles like Gene Hackman, Wilford Brimley, Holly Hunter, and Ed Harris who in my opinion steals the scenes he’s in make the movie more powerful than it deserves to be. John Grisham must have been proud of the film.

Fabulous

07-25-20, 02:06 AM

Our Mother's House (1967)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/5NSTd8UFpLK57h8Ji5oYdgklKsg.jpg

Hey Fredrick

07-25-20, 10:54 AM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2Fimages%2Fi%2F121076366779-0-1%2Fs-l1000.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

"I saw a Barbarian Queen eating a chipmunk skewer down by the River Styx...her hair was perfect"

Was looking for something to simply pass the time when I stumbled across this with the description "A buxom barbarian queen...." I hit play so fast I didn't have time to read the rest. Yes, it is bad. I will not be nominating it for any future HoF's, but it's not boring. A village is pillaged by some bad dudes, they burn it down capture a few of the villages dudes for gladiator fighting but make the mistake of leaving one badass woman alive along with a couple of her friends. One of the men taken is her husband to be and she's out to get him back. Some of the acting is so bad it's funny, especially the raiders goons/ guards. The sword fighting/action is pretty good for this kind of film thanks to stars Lana Clarkson, who looks good in the fight scenes, meaning she appears to be very athletic and can really swing a sword. She does well as the scantily clad, when clad, barbarian queen. The men were obviously cast for their looks, they can't fight at all and look ridiculous when they try. Loved all the hairdo's the barbarian women sported. Reminded me of high school in the 80's.

2.5

Thunderbolt

07-25-20, 04:33 PM

Gideon58

07-25-20, 05:42 PM

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51PBNGC3MCL._SY445_.jpg

3.5

Takoma11

07-25-20, 06:49 PM

66566
A rewatch although I haven’t seen this in a few year. Don’t know too much about the sequels but the original is a classic. I was totally absorbed in the plot. The old school effects are top class.

4

I like Hellraiser a lot. I actually slightly prefer the sequel, Hellraiser 2: Hellbound because I think that it hits the right mixture of gore, horror, and camp for me. It also does a better job of developing the Cenobites as characters, and Kirsty remains a great protagonist. The rest of the sequels are pretty bad, with the occasional one that is okay. The third film is where you distinctly feel the "rules" go totally downhill and the characters begin to flatten out.

pahaK

07-25-20, 10:00 PM

The Blackout (2019)

A Russian sci-fi movie that feels like a mash-up of multiple Hollywood films. The script is a bit silly, production values are (good) B level, and there's nothing really original here. Still, the film manages to be somewhat entertaining and soundly beats the film it rips off the most (The Fifth Wave).

2.5
--

Discarnate (2018)

A B-horror trying to combine Flatliners and The Thing. Despite the monster being quite good, the film itself is quite a boring mess. The cast is also surprisingly good for a film like this, but the script doesn't give them much to work on. Not complete crap but closer to that than being good.

2

skizzerflake

07-25-20, 11:53 PM

The "At Home" movie of the night was The Death of Stalin. It could have been a dreary historical drama, but it was played as a dark, dark comedy, which, from what I know about the actual history, is about right. Murderous toadies of Uncle Joe, all plotting against each other, fulfilling their roles in the state sponsored drama of a huge funeral, trying to get around the ambitions of Stalin's adult children make a deserving mockery of the death of the soviet dictator.

It could be dreary and political, but it's really fairly funny, especially Steve Buscemi as the blustering Nikita Khrushchev, Simon Beale as the murderous pedophile, Lavrenti Beria and Jeffrey Tambor as as the perpetually befuddled Georgy Malenkov. Jason Issacs is scary as Field Marshall Zhukov, the smartest killer in the room.

🍿🍿🍿🍿

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9eAshaPvYw

mark f

07-26-20, 04:05 AM

Clementine (Lara Gallagher, 2019) 2+ 5/10
Fake It So Real (Robert Greene, 2011) 3- 6.5/10
Mighty Oak (Sean McNamara, 2020) 2 5/10
White Lie (Yonah Lewis & Calvin Thomas, 2019) 3- 6.5/10
https://ilarge.lisimg.com/image/21314046/740full-white-lie-oints to screenshot.jpg
Kacey Rohl might think it's a white lie, but it more likely points to sociopathy.
A Deal with the Universe (Jason Barker, 2018) 3- 6.5/10
Fireball Jungle (Jose Priete [Joseph G. Prieto], 1968) 1.5 4/10
Megatón Ye-Ye (Jesús Yagüe, 1965) 2.5 5.5/10
Impetigore (Joko Anwar, 2019) 3- 6.5/10
https://www.voicesfromthebalcony.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Impetigore-1-509x286.jpg
An Indonesian village holds a dark secret, a very violent, dark secret.
The Las Vegas Story (Robert Stevenson, 1952) 2.5 6/10
Lives Well Lived (Sky Bergman, 2018) 3 6.5/10
The Hidden City (Ford Beebe, 1950) 2 5/10
The Moon-Spinners (James Neilson, 1964) 2.5+ 6/10
https://66.media.tumblr.com/4d16c786f68efd51af0b13c38feb0ef7/tumblr_omat45K8hB1qefgdko1_500.gifv
Two young English people (Peter McEnery & Hayley Mills) try to solve a mystery in Crete.
The Office Wife (Lloyd Bacon, 1930) 2.5 5.5/10
The Big Doll House (Jack Hill, 1969) 2+ 5/10
The Rental (Dave Franco, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
Foxy Brown (Jack Hill, 1974) 2.5 6/10
https://24.media.tumblr.com/5daab8d495115596b55f45f37e790aeb/tumblr_mz6imfA2at1qfh70bo1_500.gif
Foxy (Pam Grier) gets her revenge.
Model Shop (Jacques Demy, 1969) 2.5 5.5/10
Game of Death (Sebastien Landry & Laurence Morais-Lagace, 2017) 2+ 5/10
Viva Riva! (Djo Tunda Wa Munga, 2010) 2.5 6/10
Malcolm X (Spike Lee, 1992) 3.5 7/10
https://66.media.tumblr.com/cd628f9004ce6958bd962a8e2dd9631e/85331b2604560034-5c/s500x750/5a98022c04105a265422c773d882ccdc64f8c93e.gifv
Who's after Malcolm X (Denzel Washington)? The White Supremacists or the Black Supremacists?

mojofilter

07-26-20, 04:06 AM

https://www.dvdsreleasedates.com/posters/800/P/Panic-Room-2002-movie-poster.jpg
PANIC ROOM
(2002)

First viewing. Excellent execution by David Fincher. Packed with thrills, but leaves a lot to be desired at the end.
3

neiba

07-26-20, 07:03 AM

El Secreto de sus ojos a.k.a. The Secret in their Eyes (2009)

http://www.boshua.com/wp-content/gallery/001/elsecretodesusojos_02.jpg

Insanely well written, great acting, smooth direction! Such a great film!

4

------------------------------------------

The Nice Guys (2016)

https://www.premiere.fr/sites/default/files/styles/scale_crop_1280x720/public/2018-05/the-nice-guys.jpg

Meh... A couple of funny scenes in a otherwise really boring film. Was expecting a lot more to be honest. Ryan Gosling does a great job though.

2.5+

Marco

07-26-20, 08:35 AM

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51PBNGC3MCL._SY445_.jpg

3.5

Ooooh, love this film Gideon, probably not seen in 20 odd years...aint it great when a film you love pops up on the radar again?....good old MoFo!

pahaK

07-26-20, 09:06 AM

Impetigore (Joko Anwar, 2019) 3- 6.5/10
https://www.voicesfromthebalcony.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Impetigore-1-509x286.jpg
An Indonesian village holds a dark secret, a very violent, dark secret.

So, did it bother you that...

...in such a small village that's been under a curse like that for 20 years there was a woman giving birth every night the film spent there? And based on the graveyard the baby boom had been on the whole time. That's the issue why I eventually lowered my rating from 3.5 to 3. Other than that stupidity it's a pretty good film, and Anwar sure knows how to direct this kind of stuff.

Marco

07-26-20, 09:33 AM

The Devils (1971)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/75/Thedevils1971poster.png
I watched this without any background reading but remember my dad telling me how controversial it was at the time. It's still pretty profane but the years have maybe taken the edge and shock out of it. Oliver Reed is superb as Urbain Grandier, the priest who wittingly, or unwittingly incites sexual tension in an abbey. I found the "possesion" scenes very sensual and Ken Russell really went all guns on this, modern and archaic. The background story of attempting to appease the Hugenot uprising by the destruction of Loudon is very interesting. A very meaty and intriguing film.
4

Hey Fredrick

07-26-20, 09:59 AM

https://i.imgur.com/bCh0wJM.jpg?1

There may be a couple (and I mean couple - 2) people on this site that may be interested in this one. A really crappy, delinquent, drug addicted, brother is forced to babysit his younger sister and he tells her a couple of really age inappropriate bedtime stories. One, an escaped, mental patient, serial killer on a blind date goes nuts and kills the family of his blind date simply because she called the date off early as soon as she figured out he was an escaped, mental patient, serial killer. The second story involves a nasty priest who is raping and killing folks but the townspeople blame some poor, farmhand sap. One of the town folks is tasked with removing the farm hand from the pic, which he does but the innocent guy comes back from the dead to get some revenge. This is a early 90's, German gore flick. The gore fx look really bad early in the movie but get better as it progresses especially in the finale of the second story which is supposed to be the priests version of hell and gets a little (a lot) torture porny. The Burning Moon is so disgusting that it had me laughing a couple times. It was shot on video, which is usually a no go for me, but for some reason it doesn't look as bad as newer shot on video movies. This is a five star gore flick but only a 3 movie.