Rate The Last Movie You Saw [Archive] - Page 229

Takoma11

07-26-20, 06:06 PM

The Invisible Man (2020)

4

https://media1.giphy.com/media/H6E7ZdRAF3rhR9QAXi/giphy.gif

My wife and I both loved this and I wasn't expecting much at all. Elizabeth Moss was a good get for the role and I already liked Aldis Hodge from TV's City on a Hill. I saw it as more of a thriller and it got better as it went on. The restaurant scene was an unexpected shocker that changed the way I saw it as a whole.

This is one of those movies where I jokingly say "I'm glad you liked it so we can still be friends."

This was actually the last film I got to see in a theater before the COVID lockdown and it was such a great experience.

The movie, like you say, plays more closely to thriller beats and it manages to generate several shocking, "game changing" moments as it goes along. Moss is excellent in the lead role, and the confident direction and use of space makes the unseen villain a powerful presence. The choice to only see the ex for a few moments at the beginning and then a few minutes at the end is bold and ends up working so well.

A big pet peeve that I often have with horror movies (especially the "am I crazy?" variety) is that I get frustrated by character choices. But this was a script where I never had any major issues with her actions and the film wisely front-loads the action by establishing her anxiety and paranoia before things kick off.

Also, on a note that's smaller but important to me: I was so glad that the dog survived! And also that it never betrayed her by barking as you were led to think it might.

cricket

07-26-20, 06:10 PM

This is one of those movies where I jokingly say "I'm glad you liked it so we can still be friends."

This was actually the last film I got to see in a theater before the COVID lockdown and it was such a great experience.

The movie, like you say, plays more closely to thriller beats and it manages to generate several shocking, "game changing" moments as it goes along. Moss is excellent in the lead role, and the confident direction and use of space makes the unseen villain a powerful presence. The choice to only see the ex for a few moments at the beginning and then a few minutes at the end is bold and ends up working so well.

A big pet peeve that I often have with horror movies (especially the "am I crazy?" variety) is that I get frustrated by character choices. But this was a script where I never had any major issues with her actions and the film wisely front-loads the action by establishing her anxiety and paranoia before things kick off.

Also, on a note that's smaller but important to me: I was so glad that the dog survived! And also that it never betrayed her by barking as you were led to think it might.

I thought it was a good choice for the lead to be aware of what was going on so quickly. I think usually that character would be clueless for 3/4 of the runtime. There will always be a leap of faith with something like this but showing her as capable certainly helped.

Takoma11

07-26-20, 06:15 PM

I thought it was a good choice for the lead to be aware of what was going on so quickly. I think usually that character would be clueless for 3/4 of the runtime. There will always be a leap of faith with something like this but showing her as capable certainly helped.

It's a good choice because we the audience already know what's happening. It can be painful watching a protagonist trying to suss things out for too long.

I think that part of the horror of the film is that knowing what's happening doesn't actually help her. In fact, it harms her several times because of the reactions she gets when she tries to explain it. It's a similar dynamic to something like Fright Night.

AgrippinaX

07-26-20, 06:28 PM

This is one of those movies where I jokingly say "I'm glad you liked it so we can still be friends."

I liked it well enough, but didn’t love it. Are you still friends with me? :bashful:

This was actually the last film I got to see in a theater before the COVID lockdown and it was such a great experience.

The movie, like you say, plays more closely to thriller beats and it manages to generate several shocking, "game changing" moments as it goes along. Moss is excellent in the lead role, and the confident direction and use of space makes the unseen villain a powerful presence. The choice to only see the ex for a few moments at the beginning and then a few minutes at the end is bold and ends up working so well.

A big pet peeve that I often have with horror movies (especially the "am I crazy?" variety) is that I get frustrated by character choices. But this was a script where I never had any major issues with her actions and the film wisely front-loads the action by establishing her anxiety and paranoia before things kick off.

Also, on a note that's smaller but important to me: I was so glad that the dog survived! And also that it never betrayed her by barking as you were led to think it might.

Ha, I felt the same about the dog! Animals being randomly hurt to get back at the owner is another cliché I’ve had enough of. I was rewatching Ozark last night out of sheer boredom, and felt really annoyed about the horse.

Takoma11

07-26-20, 06:39 PM

I liked it well enough, but didn’t love it. Are you still friends with me? :bashful:

Well, as long as you liked it I GUESS we can still be friends. But be warned.

https://media.giphy.com/media/vguQFJJbn8kHeUVpPJ/giphy.gif

:D

Ha, I felt the same about the dog! Animals being randomly hurt to get back at the owner is another cliché I’ve had enough of. I was rewatching Ozark last night out of sheer boredom, and felt really annoyed about the horse.

Agreed. It's so predictable, so cheap, and so cruel. Someone tried to get me to watch the show Damages and in like the first ten minutes a little dog ran across the screen. I told her "If anything happens to that dog just to prove a point about someone being evil, I'm not watching anymore of this show." So anyway I've seen one episode of Damages.

Marco

07-26-20, 06:50 PM

Macbeth (2015)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/79/Macbeth_2015_poster.jpg
Wonderfully realized adaptation of the Shakespeare story about the Thane of Cawdor. A bit arty but I think that helps (me anyway) when trying to tie the film with the original tale. The cast are wonderful and committed and the direction is sharp. Liked this. Fassbender *holds* and carries the part.
4

Fabulous

07-27-20, 12:52 AM

I Know Where I'm Going! (1945)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/qpLwk4JrKdA7QGe0j3wOYL06yyp.jpg

Thunderbolt

07-27-20, 04:43 AM

66588
(1971)

I love Clint Eastwood, but I found this movie to be pretty dull. Certainly wouldn’t bother watching again.
1.5

AgrippinaX

07-27-20, 05:13 AM

66588
(1971)

I love Clint Eastwood, but I found this movie to be pretty dull. Certainly wouldn’t bother watching again.
1.5

It’s really weird, isn’t it? There’s also a 2017 remake. I didn’t much care for either.

AgrippinaX

07-27-20, 07:12 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/24/My_best_friends_girl.jpg/220px-My_best_friends_girl.jpg

0.5

Oh dear. I don’t know how come I watched this, since I usually hate comedies. It is a terrible film, but I thought the premise had potential. Tension is good where it stems from the expectations of what the other person is like, which are then shattered. That results in shock. I liked the way the premise that one can safely predict what a ‘classy’ woman (or indeed anyone) likes/hates is undermined.
It could have been a drama or psychological thriller (like Restraint 2008) and who knows what would happen.

Marco

07-27-20, 09:00 AM

The Business (2005)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b8/Businessthe.jpg/330px-Businessthe.jpg
Nick Love special here, all the usual faces (Danny, Tamer, Geoff) but its quite interesting for the snap in time when the film is set. Danny plays Frankie, seduced into the drug dealing scene on the Costa del Sol. Lots of "geezerish" capers follow till they end up in a cycle of mutual mistrust causing their downfall. Not great, not awful, watchable.

2.5

Fabulous

07-27-20, 09:31 AM

Operation Pacific (1951)

2

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/8RXxYdVIoafv2CiPacevJMd9lFO.jpg

Thunderbolt

07-27-20, 09:33 AM

Cobra

07-27-20, 12:00 PM

Mission Impossible: Rouge Nation (2015):
Pretty good movie, cool stunts throughout, and has moments throughout which are very eerie at points. Overall good.
6.5/10

Takoma11

07-27-20, 01:16 PM

66592
Started off very gore filled and ended with some very camp humour. This wasn’t a bad effort to continue the story but the original was better. I would imagine it’s all downhill from here.
3.5

It's my favorite of the series (just edging out the first film because of the villains being more interesting).

It is pretty much downhill from here, but I can give a tepid recommendation to Hellraiser: Deader, which originally wasn't written as a Hellraiser film. It's got a neat premise and two really memorable setpieces. The Hellraiser mythology was clearly shoehorned in after it was written, but overall I think it's a decent film.

The main thing that makes me sad about the sequels is that they pretty much drop the mythology of the first two films. They lose all the nuance and the cenobites turn into quippy torture monsters.

neiba

07-27-20, 01:47 PM

The Old Guard (2020)

Horrible script, decent casting, nicely executed fight scenes.

2+

mojofilter

07-27-20, 02:02 PM

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bb/b3/d7/bbb3d799a96d5f0f5b15920dd772a9f7.jpg
THE KARATE KID PART II
(1986)

Re-watch. The original Karate Kid had the grit, heart and mystique that was not there in all of the sequels, but for what it's worth, Part II is sweet, fun, and watchable, with another outstanding performance by Pat Morita as the legendary Mr. Miyagi.
3.5

http://www.pastposters.com/cw3/assets/product_expanded/JamieR-AC/karate-kid-III-cinema-one-sheet-movie-poster-(teaser-1).jpg
THE KARATE KID PART III
(1989)

Re-watch. Part III is a direct continuation of and with no time lapse from the events of Part II. However, Ralph Macchio looks nothing like a teenager. Even by ignoring that issue, Part III lacks all the heart of the original film, and the climax at the end feels very anti-climactic. Unlike Johnny in the first movie, the villain Mike Barnes is obnoxious. I did like Terry Silver, played by Thomas Ian Griffith, and welcomed the return of Martin Kove as John Kreese. There are some really cool scenes, memorable scenes, mostly involving Daniel getting bruised up punching and kicking a figure made of 2 by 4's.
2.5

Stirchley

07-27-20, 02:49 PM

66614

Excellent movie that I had never seen in full. Jodie Foster very good & held her own against Hopkins.

No clue how Scott Glenn got his name above the title.

Gideon58

07-27-20, 03:40 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjY5ZjQyMjMtMmEwOC00Nzc2LTllYTItMmU2MzJjNTg1NjY0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjQ1MTMzMDQ@._V1_SY1000_SX675_AL _.jpg

4

pahaK

07-27-20, 04:21 PM

Mal Nosso (2017)
aka Our Evil

A Brazilian film that's sort of a fantasy-horror-drama hybrid. It's technically somewhat uneven, but even at its worst, it isn't annoyingly bad and some parts are genuinely good. The story is actually pretty good and all the film needed was a little more polish.

3

So hard to rate some of the films I've watched recently. Like Impetigore, this is just on the brink of being good and I don't if it deserves 3 or 3.5.

Fabulous

07-27-20, 04:21 PM

Flying Leathernecks (1951)

2

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/ds0OKjjN7Op3X1Xh304gefp9Xlf.jpg

Stirchley

07-27-20, 05:29 PM

66627

As I posted before, this movie looked like crap streaming to my iPad. So I bought the Criterion dvd & it looks amazing. Such a beautiful movie. I might watch it again.

Takoma11

07-27-20, 06:26 PM

The Old Guard (2020)

Horrible script, decent casting, nicely executed fight scenes.

2+

I actually really enjoyed it. I thought it was great summer fluff. I love Theron, Ejiofor, and Schoenaerts, and while I wasn't familiar with the other actors I enjoyed them as well.

I kind of get what you mean about the script. I really enjoyed the mythology and history that they created with the characters. I almost wish that it had been more like a three-part miniseries or something, because it felt like they had a lot of good ideas and they were stuffing them into a film-length run time.

neiba

07-27-20, 06:46 PM

I actually really enjoyed it. I thought it was great summer fluff. I love Theron, Ejiofor, and Schoenaerts, and while I wasn't familiar with the other actors I enjoyed them as well.

I kind of get what you mean about the script. I really enjoyed the mythology and history that they created with the characters. I almost wish that it had been more like a three-part miniseries or something, because it felt like they had a lot of good ideas and they were stuffing them into a film-length run time.

Yeah, the mythology bit could have been interesting if it was explored, they missed a chance here. And I hated that we were supposed to sympathise with Copley. And that final wink at a sequel? Pfffffff... Was expecting more tbh!

Takoma11

07-27-20, 07:18 PM

Yeah, the mythology bit could have been interesting if it was explored, they missed a chance here. And I hated that we were supposed to sympathise with Copley. And that final wink at a sequel? Pfffffff... Was expecting more tbh!

I didn't mind the Copley character. His motivations were sympathetic enough, and he had a moral center the entire time, especially once he realized the implications of what he'd done.

I also didn't mind the hint at a sequel. They established something that would be really interesting on its own, and with all of the potential of the concept, I think it's pretty obvious that another film would come down the pipe. But, again, that's where the film felt more like it belonged in a mini-series (or even short-run TV show) format instead of a feature film.

EDIT: Also, I really enjoyed watching a summer film that was actiony, had fun actors, and wasn't a total downer. For what I needed, much like Palm Springs, it was the right film for the job.

neiba

07-27-20, 08:02 PM

I didn't mind the Copley character. His motivations were sympathetic enough, and he had a moral center the entire time, especially once he realized the implications of what he'd done.

I also didn't mind the hint at a sequel. They established something that would be really interesting on its own, and with all of the potential of the concept, I think it's pretty obvious that another film would come down the pipe. But, again, that's where the film felt more like it belonged in a mini-series (or even short-run TV show) format instead of a feature film.

EDIT: Also, I really enjoyed watching a summer film that was actiony, had fun actors, and wasn't a total downer. For what I needed, much like Palm Springs, it was the right film for the job.

Yeah, the old friend comes back as a nemesis... Way too cliche!

But you're right, though I struggle to find action films with fast pacing and straight forward plots, they're usually fun to watch when I'm not in the mood for a more complex watch! But even those, I can't stop being demanding! :p

I checked Palm Springs, seems interesting enough! Thanks for the tip

Takoma11

07-27-20, 08:12 PM

But you're right, though I struggle to find action films with fast pacing and straight forward plots, they're usually fun to watch when I'm not in the mood for a more complex watch! But even those, I can't stop being demanding! :p

What a diva!

I checked Palm Springs, seems interesting enough! Thanks for the tip

I thought it was a great, laid back summer comedy. I think that it does several interesting things with the classic "Groundhog Day" premise.

Just try not to be too demanding, okay? :D

cricket

07-27-20, 08:19 PM

The Burning Moon (1992)

2-

https://pa1.narvii.com/7073/03a3da97279dbf0b49b1c406f929624292f1e3b3r1-350-264_hq.gif

This reminded me of a Troma movie except it's German and not as much fun. I guess it'd be considered an anthology as one loser in his own story tells two others. It's too cheap and not shocking enough for me to call it good, but it's a decent watch for gorehounds.

Takoma11

07-27-20, 09:10 PM

Let me preface this review by saying that it's really rare that I strongly criticize a film with blanket disdain. I think that it's super easy to tear a film down and ignore any strengths in a frenzy of dunking on every misstep.

HOWEVER. This film. My god. I have nothing nice to say about it.

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNTU5NzVjYzgtNjJkOC00MDdmLThiZTQtN2FjZWU3YTE5NjMxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjUyNDk2ODc@._V1_.jpg

New Blood (2000)

I've had this movie on my watchlist since around 2003. We had a copy of it in the video store where I worked and I noted that it had Carrie-Ann Moss and Joe Pantoliano (both from The Matrix) and Nick Moran (who I'd recently seen in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels). But after I left that job, the film suddenly seemed very elusive.

Police stumble on a strange scene: several men are dead in a pool of money. The lone survivor, Alan White (John Hurt), is interviewed from his hospital bed by detectives. He tells a story of how he was pulled into an elaborate kidnapping/ransom/heist plot by his estranged son, Danny (Moran). What emerges is a tale of double and triple crosses, as well as deliberate misdirection.

The plot itself isn't worth going into. Let's just hit some highlights (or lowlights):

1) Did this film originally not meet a feature length run time? I ask, because the use of slow motion is so prolific that I began to wonder if it was a technique for extending the run time. At a conservative estimate, about 84% of this film was slow motion. Sometimes, there would be slow motion, then regular speed for someone to say a line, then back to slow motion.

2) The flashbacks. DEAR LORD THE FLASHBACKS. The whole movie is already a flashback. Then when Danny first arrives on the scene we get a flashback within a flashback for about 20 minutes. It's like Inception, only if Inception was garbage and no one ever fought on the ceiling. At one point, within the flashback, a character goes into another flashback, and then says "Wait" and goes into ANOTHER FLASHBACK. Also, how could the man telling the story know who the people were in some of the flashbacks when they often aren't named? It bothered me even as I struggled to care.

3) What did Joe Pantoliano ever do to the people in hair and makeup? His hair in this movie is the worst movie hair I've ever seen. I tried to find a google image of it, but google refuses! Maybe for my own safety.

4) In a similar petty vein of my remarks about Pantoliano's hair, all of Moran's "tattoos" look like they were drawn on with a marker.

5) This film has the drabbest palate. Every character dresses in black. The film itself is dark, with all the action taking place at night. The homes they are in are all poorly lit and run down. It's like the whole movie is trying to hide in a shadow.

1

A 1 seems harsh, but I literally cannot think of a single reason to recommend this film to someone. I felt embarrassed for all of the actors, especially the ones I like. The "action" consists merely of the same type of shot of people being shot in the head or the stomach. And it's not "bad in a good way".

Thunderbolt

07-28-20, 04:43 AM

66642
(1953)
This was an enjoyable effort from Fritz Lang. A policeman has been found dead but was it murder or suicide? Glen ford does a great job as the protagonist. A fairly complex plot with a satisfying finale.
4

mojofilter

07-28-20, 07:24 AM

https://www.filmonpaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/NavySeals_onesheet_USA-1.jpg
NAVY SEALS
(1990)

First viewing. This movie tries so hard to be Top Gun but fails in epic proportions. No character development. No good music. No cool, fun, or memorable scenes. Mostly lousy acting, despite the good cast that includes Charlie Sheen, Michael Biehn, and Bill Paxton. The way Arabs are portrayed is stereotypical and quite offensive, especially in today's culture. I usually would not support the "cancel culture", but I wouldn't mind if this waste of film gets cancelled.
1.5

Marco

07-28-20, 08:03 AM

Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4e/Drterrorhouseofhorrors.jpg/220px-Drterrorhouseofhorrors.jpg
Pretty OK as far as Anthology's go. The one with the creeping vine being particularly daft! The voodoo one was the best one. Seen better seen worse in these types of film.

3

Thunderbolt

07-28-20, 10:02 AM

Marco

07-28-20, 11:22 AM

66643
Vault of Horror is worth a look if you are into anthology films.
Thanks Thunderbolt, reading Wiki, I don't believe I have! A curious film structure but good that you can dip in and out for the not-so-interesting segments...Tales That Witness Madness was also pretty good.

ScarletLion

07-28-20, 12:23 PM

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

Glad you liked. Was my film of 2019

ScarletLion

07-28-20, 12:28 PM

'The Painted Bird' (2020)
Directed by Václav Marhoul

https://i.imgur.com/bzZlB26.gif

I'd already decided this film was a masterpiece by the half way point. There have been many films that cover the horrors of Europe during WW2. But very few have done it as well as this. It does surely contain some of the most harrowing scenes in cinema, but it's also utterly astonishing in terms of the quality of film-making, the casting, the consistency of shot composition etc. It's just stunning. There are indelible images left on my brain whether I want them there or not. Anybody who appreciates films like Come and See, The White Ribbon and Ivan's Childhood might want to give this a go. There's a huge nod to Come and See regarding one of the cast members. And the performance by the young lad is brilliant. There's even a little nod to the cinema of Mikhail Kalatozov. Václav Marhoul has created a masterpiece. Yes it's controversial, yes it's harrowing but films like these don't come around very often.

9.7 out of 10
Absolutely astonishing

Gideon58

07-28-20, 03:48 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjUwNGIwNDctZmQ1ZC00YTEzLWI3MzQtZGMyODlmZGU4ZDdhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg

4.5

Gideon58

07-28-20, 08:33 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYmEyZGQyMmItZTdjMC00YmZhLTk4YjUtNzkzZDc2NDYyMGMxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMzQwMTY2Nzk@._V1_.jpg

2

FromBeyond

07-29-20, 06:49 AM

Antrum: The Deadliest Film Ever Made

A young boy and girl enter the forest to dig a hole to hell. Said to be a cursed film from the late 70's

This is as strange as it sounds and it is not a nice movie, Im not saying its bad its just a bad dream and genuinely I found it quite eerie.. the atmosphere, camera, weird otherworldly-ness, story wise I found it boring as hell as they are just wondering through woods and I literally faded out for a lot of it, I have to admit I even skipped a few times [also hoping this will help me not die mysteriously] Oh the first 10 minutes is kind of a mockumentary about this cursed film and then they show it, this was done really effectively and I wasnt expecting them to say it, I just thought it was going to a whole bag of mixed styles like found footage has turned into now with terrible actors speaking to camera all the time but no its like here's the film in its entirity and then its bad nightmare time and this goes on for some time ... skip, skip, skip... then there is a cruel and disturbing ending like out of something like the texas chainsaw massacre..

I'm not sure how to rate this, I didnt really like it but it was effective in its own way but just horrible.

EvaaWilli

07-29-20, 08:31 AM

Amelie from Montmartre 10 out of 10

moviesmaniac

07-29-20, 08:49 AM

Thanks Thunderbolt, reading Wiki, I don't believe I have! A curious film structure but good that you can dip in and out for the not-so-interesting segments...Tales That Witness Madness was also pretty good.
Yes it's one of my classic along with tales from the crypte 1972 which i prefer just a little.

AgrippinaX

07-29-20, 09:19 AM

The Hater (2020)
https://occ-0-1722-1723.1.nflxso.net/dnm/api/v6/X194eJsgWBDE2aQbaNdmCXGUP-Y/AAAABaUGp1eQxDBmuGTNnVEBTEQVMVtAWnJ4RacuhCwztf4mV1SXM0I9cJcGLQ-jK5lvDrl0Fjk_oBfptzxIe6r8BycwNPzxQpKT0opd78wCZXz9TR2mDvr2wR8g3RLiZg.jpg?r=4b9
4/5
First of all, I was glad to find this properly dubbed! Netflix is evolving. The film of course borrows from American History X, but also, surprisingly, from Nightcrawler (especially where the younger protagonist enchants and eventually seduces his much older female boss). I take issue with such films being labelled ‘antihero’ films - that dilutes the term to the extent that we don’t know what it is supposed to mean. Tomasz doesn’t seem to have any agenda - he just needs a job. This is where The Hater differs from Believer, which came to mind when I started watching this. Partly because of this lack of agenda or conviction, Tomasz’ vulnerability doesn’t feel grounded or justified, which diminishes the impact of showing it. We don’t know why he’s crying in the bathroom and why he’s so lonely, especially since he appears sociable enough and has no issues interacting with the world. If he’s unhappy because Gabi doesn’t like him, the film threatens to veer into teenage angst territory, which I think is the last thing it intends to do. Unlike in American History X, we don’t get to see what has damaged the protagonist enough to engage in psychological warfare, and he didn’t seem invested enough in his law course emotionally for it to be just that. American History X countered that problem of motivation by having Danny look up to his brother, already damaged by the movement and incarcerated for that, so we can say Danny wants revenge. But Thomasz in The Hater has no family, and no significant attachment to anyone. I didn’t buy the obsession with Gabi and her family, but that might just be me. The film is a bit illogical - the seduction scene is absolutely ridiculous, and never seems to have any implications. But somehow, it does all join up into a fairly compelling character study. It’s a shame the film didn’t address the topic of who orders the smear campaigns in detail - Thomasz’ ‘clients’ - as that could have made it more rooted in the reality of business and corporate spying, like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It could have had a little more action. I didn’t really understand why ‘animation’ was listed as one of the genres. It must be because of the video game segments (that made me think of Striking Vipers), but did they really take up enough time to warrant an additional genre? Oddly enough, I feel like I might rewatch this soon.

this_is_the_ girl

07-29-20, 10:52 AM

https://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/styles/full/public/image/happy-as-lazzaro-2018-002-adriano-tardiolo-hay.jpg?itok=1hjmdA-x
Happy as Lazzaro (2018, Alice Rohrwacher)
4.5
Rip Van Winkle meets Au Hasard Balthazar under The Tree of Wooden Clogs.

pahaK

07-29-20, 12:24 PM

Legacy of Lies (2020)

A spy action thriller with Scott Adkins. It's not original in any way, but it makes the same-old in a rather entertaining style. It sort of reminds me of the B-action films Luc Besson has written and/or produced in the last 20+ years, but it's better than most of them (no, it's not better than Taken). Oh, and with Ukrainian money involved it should be obvious who the bad guys are. The very last scene is completely unnecessary but other than that it's solid OK.

3

Gideon58

07-29-20, 02:37 PM

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

4.5

Stirchley

07-29-20, 03:01 PM

'The Painted Bird' (2020)
Directed by Václav Marhoul

Wonder why The NY Times hasn’t reviewed this yet? Or did I miss it. I have put it in my Netflix Q though it looks very grim & grizzly. Stellan is in it & Harvey Keitel so that’s good.Will see if it’s not too ghastly.

Happy as Lazzaro (2018, Alice Rohrwacher)

Quite enjoyed this movie.

Thunderbolt

07-29-20, 06:43 PM

66701
(1975)
Haven’t seen this one in a while but given the current climate it seems quite appropriate. Cronenberg hits the spot in one of his first body horror themed movies. Terribly dated but a great slice of horror.

4

Marco

07-29-20, 06:43 PM

Snowtown aka The Snowtown Murders (2011)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7b/Snowtown_%28film%29.jpg
2nd time watch of the dramatised version of serial killings in Adelaide, Australia. The film is disturbing and the acting top notch. Daniel Henshall's malevolent portrayal of the main protagonist is spine-chilling and I would like to see him get as good parts in future.

What's most shocking in the film is the depiction of how easily the downtrodden/overlooked in society can follow someone/something so twisted that it actually feels like redemption. Great film.

4

AgrippinaX

07-29-20, 06:55 PM

Gideon58

07-29-20, 07:47 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjhjMzYzMWUtODk2NS00ZTk5LThhMjYtYmUxMTc1NWNhZDhiL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjI4MjA5MzA@._V1_UY1200_ CR80,0,630,1200_AL_.jpg

3.5

mark f

07-29-20, 09:24 PM

Office (Johnnie To, 2015) 2.5 6/10
Konga (John Lemont, 1961) 1.5 4/10
20,000 Years in Sing Sing (Michael Curtiz, 1932) 2.5 5.5/10
The Hunter (Buzz Kulik, 1980) 3 6.5/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypTq190xfFg
Pappy Thorson (Steve McQueen) can't drive worth a crap.
Fragile as the World (Rita Azevedo Gomes, 2001) 2.5 5.5/10
The Kissing Booth 2 (Vince Marcello, 2020) 2.5/10
My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea (Dash Shaw, 2016) 2.5+ 6/10
All of Me (Carl Reiner, 1984) 3 6.5/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgB3uH4VHuA
Lily Tomlin possesses half of Steve Martin's body.
Turkey Shoot (Brian Trenchard-Smith, 1982) 2.5 6/10 93 min
Amulet (Romola Garai, 2020) 2 5/10
Offering to the Storm (Fernando González Molina, 2020) 2.5 6/10
Big Wednesday (John Milius, 1978) 3 6.5/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEdOnf1JhF8
Surfing can inform your life
Once There Was Brasilia (Adirley Queirós, 2017) 1.5+ 4.5/10
Enter Laughing (Carl Reiner, 1967) 3 6.5/10
Love and Lies (Roger Young, 1990) 2.5 6/10
Where's Poppa? (Carl Reiner, 1970) 3+ 6.5/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4qUk0EcMt4
So many classic bad taste scenes - the dog arrest, the gorilla rape, the "gook murder" trial, the tush, etc.
The Comic (Carl Reiner, 1969) 3 6.5/10
Again Once Again (Romina Paula, 2019) 2+ 5/10
My Normal (Irving Schwartz, 2009) 2.5 5.5/10
Oh God! (Carl Reiner, 1977) 3.5 7/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyOhf27DL1I
God (George Burns) picks a non-believer grocery store assistant manager (John Denver) to spread his message.

chawhee

07-29-20, 11:22 PM

Usual Suspects (1995)
https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/oiasy_7pxH7itxrL3LVMkA--~B/aD00NTk7dz03NDQ7c209MTthcHBpZD15dGFjaHlvbg--/http://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/f60645e6feefaa96b60d07a6fda6bd1c
3
Not my type of movie, but the cast alone was worth seeing together and so young. I was pretty bored in some parts as the film seemed to follow a standard plot line, but the double twist ending was enough for me to bump the rating a bit (even if this kind of twist was half expected).

Nostromo87

07-30-20, 12:51 AM

The Deathly Hallows: Part I (2010)

Why do you live? (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y616xJLOMmc)

http://i.ibb.co/QjnP09b/popcorn1.jpghttp://i.ibb.co/QjnP09b/popcorn1.jpghttp://i.ibb.co/QjnP09b/popcorn1.jpghttp://i.ibb.co/QppYKQM/half-popcorn.jpg 7.0 / 10

http://i.ibb.co/zG4bg6P/vldm.jpg

Fabulous

07-30-20, 04:13 AM

The Children Are Watching Us (1944)

3

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

ScarletLion

07-30-20, 06:38 AM

Wonder why The NY Times hasn’t reviewed this yet? Or did I miss it. I have put it in my Netflix Q though it looks very grim & grizzly. Stellan is in it & Harvey Keitel so that’s good.Will see if it’s not too ghastly.

Quite enjoyed this movie.

Well it is ghastly, but it's also amazing. Lazarro is a good one too, really enjoyed it. very dreamlike.

the samoan lawyer

07-30-20, 08:18 AM

Miracle in Milan (1951) - rating_3
White Boy Rick (2018) - rating_2_5
Crawl (2019) - 2.5
Bikram (2019) - rating_2
Mystify (2019) - rating_3_5
The Nightingale (2018) - rating_3
Hail Satan? (2019) - rating_2
Dracula (2020) - rating_2_5
Venom (2018) - rating_2_5
Solo (2018) - rating_3

Thunderbolt

07-30-20, 10:44 AM

66711
(1977)
After viewing Shivers yesterday this was a must see again. A very similar movie but with more action and gore. Still holds up well today and not as dated as Shivers. There has been a remake of Rabid in the last few years but this version is all I need to see.

4

AgrippinaX

07-30-20, 10:58 AM

moviesmaniac

07-30-20, 11:28 AM

Marco

07-30-20, 12:15 PM

Love that film. It’s beautifully shot and is quite deep for what could easily be a forgettable exercise in morbidity.

Spot on.

matt72582

07-30-20, 01:55 PM

The Boston Strangler - 6.5/10
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5c/The_Boston_Strangler.JPG

matt72582

07-30-20, 02:29 PM

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.
rating_2_5

Check out another similar (but much better) movie made that year, "Mr. Klein"

Fabulous

07-30-20, 02:54 PM

Shoot the Piano Player (1960)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/kgAZX0WXLuK6YYQ6lKN2UdF1Tho.jpg

Gideon58

07-30-20, 03:30 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYjBiOTYxZWItMzdiZi00NjlkLWIzZTYtYmFhZjhiMTljOTdkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzkwMjQ5NzM@._V1_SX667_CR0,0,667 ,999_AL_.jpg

4

FromBeyond

07-30-20, 05:01 PM

Eli (2019)

A boy named Eli with a rare autoimmune disorder is confined to a special experimental clinic for his treatment. He soon begins experiencing supernatural forces, turning the supposedly safe facility into a haunted prison for him and his fellow patients

Though filled with familiar horror tropes and jump scares, I was intrigued enough about what the bloody hell was going on in this movie to watch to the end and I couldn't have predicted what it was all about and quite enjoyed the over the top unpredictable ending, it had a higher production value than I thought going in and all the actors did a good job including Lili Taylor as the shifty head nurse.. better than I thought it was going to be but not bound to become a classic either

3

GulfportDoc

07-30-20, 07:36 PM

Shoot the Piano Player (1960)

rating_3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/kgAZX0WXLuK6YYQ6lKN2UdF1Tho.jpg
HUGE thumbs up for this one. My favorite Truffaut. Not to be missed...

Marco

07-30-20, 08:40 PM

Lorna's Silence (2008)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3e/Lornassilence.jpg
Respected the film but hated everyone in it (maybe not Claudy...but that is pity). Story about arranged marriage for citizenship operation in Belgium. Sad, tragic and pathetic...not one to watch on a rainy day. The performances were good and the Dardenne brothers employ their realist craft with great effect. I didn't buy the volte face of Lorna though.

2.5

the samoan lawyer

07-31-20, 07:53 AM

https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/landscape_928x523/2018/02/an_elephant_sitting_still_still.jpg
An Elephant Sitting Still (2018)

Had this one a while but the nearly 4 hours running time had stopped me getting to watch it. After finishing it late last night, I'll say its worth the investment. The film follows the lives of several different characters, all of which deal with their own issues, which I will warn, are pretty bleak, so it might not be an easy film to sit through for some. Its depressing pretty much from start to finish but technically sound. I immediately thought of Bela Tarr here and on reading more, he was an inspiration to the director. The cinematography is amazing and long takes are spectacular at times. Speaking of director, this was Bo Hu's debut and only ever feature film as he tragically killed himself after making this movie. Heavy all round.

rating_4

Marco

07-31-20, 09:11 AM

Lolita (1962)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Lolita_%281962_film_poster%29.jpg/220px-Lolita_%281962_film_poster%29.jpg
Kubrick take on of the classic Nabokov novel. Pretty faithful to the book with fine performances from James Mason, Shelley Winters and Sue Lyon. Of course, because of the movie mores at the time, the actress playing Delores had to at least appear to be of legal age of consent. Takes the controversy quota down a few notches but I understand Kubrick still got a lot of flack due to this film. Well made, well acted with great direction and it has a really poignant ending too.(what a varied career Kubrick had!).
3.5

Gideon58

07-31-20, 11:58 AM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTU2NDYwNzkzMV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjAyMjMxNzM@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,631,1000_AL_.jpg

2

Citizen Rules

07-31-20, 12:00 PM

The 23rd MoFo Hall of Fame is starting up and there's still time to join. Details & rules on the 1st post, just click SHOW next to Rules of Participation

If you ever wondered what the Hall of Fames are all about and why they're so popular, now's the time to check it out.

Raven73

07-31-20, 01:39 PM

Weekend at Bernie's
8/10.
Great summer movie, with excellent physical comedy.
On a side note, Terry Kiser's character (when alive) reminds me of Tony Stark.
I would have loved to have taken a tour of the beach house (if it had been a real beach house and hadn't been dismantled after production).
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fb/Weekend_at_Bernies.jpg
Here is a true "Weekend at Bernie's" story: https://youtu.be/addfhPHqoqk

Stirchley

07-31-20, 03:04 PM

66729

A classic of British cinema that still holds up.

Gideon58

07-31-20, 03:58 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjAwMTQyNzkwNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTgyMzE3MQ@@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,675,1000_AL_.jpg

3.5

Gideon58

07-31-20, 07:23 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODAzNDMxMzAxOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMDMxMjA4MjE@._V1_.jpg

1st Re-watch...The 2014 Best Picture Oscar winner is a dark and disturbing blend of fantasy and reality that examines the inner demons of a movie star who is trying to revive his career on Broadway. This film is movie magic, thanks to endlessly imaginative direction and the powerhouse performance from Michael Keaton that won him a Golden Globe and should have won him an Oscar.

4.5

Fabulous

07-31-20, 07:29 PM

Point Blank (1967)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/sousyLLi3l14qho6gATKYX7pEyR.jpg

AgrippinaX

07-31-20, 07:35 PM

GulfportDoc

07-31-20, 08:21 PM

Takoma11

07-31-20, 08:25 PM

Point Blank (1967)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/sousyLLi3l14qho6gATKYX7pEyR.jpg

Point Blank is pretty great. A lot of the imagery/visuals are really cool. If you get a chance to watch it on DVD, the director's commentary is just excellent.

MovieGal

08-01-20, 01:25 AM

https://maactioncinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/5bf692765cc28-message-man_665_374.jpg

Message Man
(2018)
3.5/5
Rewatch

Diaphanous

08-01-20, 12:51 PM

I just finished watching Extraction, it is a great movie, I'd rate it 8 out of 10.

skizzerflake

08-01-20, 01:03 PM

:):):):)

Having grown up on a steady diet of westerns, but also having abstained for a long time, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs was really enjoyable. This time the Coen Brothers managed to bring just about every western stereotype into one terrific flick. You have well dressed dudes, in white-hat and black hat costumes in gunfights, gnarly prospectors striking a vein of gold, steam railroads clanking across the wild west, wagon trains, snarling villains, booze, Indian attacks, hangin's, saloon girls who actually are hookers, bar fights and just about anything else you can cram into 2 1/2 hours. It saved me from having to rewatch ALL those old westerns again. It has six stories, each an archetypal western plot line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2PyxzSH1HM

Sarge

08-01-20, 01:20 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjM3MjQ1MzkxNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwODk1ODgyMjI@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,674,1000_AL_.jpg

Baby Driver (2017) rewatch

4

Thunderbolt

08-01-20, 01:27 PM

66735
The Fisher King
This is a rewatch but I haven’t seen this in many years. Jeff Bridges plays a radio DJ who’s on a fast downward spiral due to a tragedy he feels responsible for. On the verge of suicide he is saved by Robin Williams character who is also connected to the same tragedy.
A very touching story with a very bizarre plot and characters to match. Highly enjoyable.

4.5

Gideon58

08-01-20, 02:36 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BM2QxMWFlOTktNWY0Mi00MDQ5LWExMTYtNThjZTFhNGZkZjk1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_SY1000_SX667_AL _.jpg

3.5

Takoma11

08-01-20, 02:53 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BM2QxMWFlOTktNWY0Mi00MDQ5LWExMTYtNThjZTFhNGZkZjk1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTkxNjUyNQ@@._V1_SY1000_SX667_AL _.jpg

3.5

Have you seen Force Majeure?

Gideon58

08-01-20, 02:56 PM

I have not...I'm definitely curious to see it now

Takoma11

08-01-20, 03:32 PM

I have not...I'm definitely curious to see it now

I think it's one of the best (admittedly dark, with plenty of cringe) comedies of the last decade.

I read a few reviews of Downhill, and while it sounded good it didn't sound like it was quite different enough to watch.

AgrippinaX

08-01-20, 03:36 PM

I think it's one of the best (admittedly dark, with plenty of cringe) comedies of the last decade.

I read a few reviews of Downhill, and while it sounded good it didn't sound like it was quite different enough to watch.

I agree! Force Majeure is a unicorn in the best possible sense.

AgrippinaX

08-01-20, 03:44 PM

Takoma11

08-01-20, 04:01 PM

Dredd (2012)

5

Special thanks to John McClane

Just what I needed last night, and a great film in itself. I can’t believe I hadn’t got round to it before. The fact that Cassandra is a psychic and that’s somehow totally cool and unexplained is brilliant. Lots of other great moments too. Didn’t feel a 100% like sci-fi to me either, in a good way, but I can’t think of how to categorise it.

Dredd is one of my favorite films of the last ten years. It is endlessly rewatchable.

While I could say a ton of nice things about it (the acting, the action sequences, the best use of slow-motion possibly ever), maybe what I appreciated the most was the way that the relationship is developed between Dredd and Anderson. Yes, she's a rookie. But both the film and Dredd himself show her a lot more respect than the "innocent" usually gets in such films.

I think that where you see this the most is in the sequence where they make it to the control room and catch the Domhnall Gleeson character. Dredd wants to execute him, but Anderson argues that he's actually a victim because he's been threatened and coerced. Dredd respects her judgement (despite it conflicting with his own) and lets her choice stand. What's more--we the viewer can see that Anderson is actually making the correct decision and that in this case Dredd is wrong.

It's a nice moment because the point is that she should be capable of being a Judge on her own. By resisting always having Dredd be the decision maker, and by minimizing the amount of "damsel in distress" stuff with her character, the film develops a much more meaningful partnership than the typical rookie/mentor cop film.

AgrippinaX

08-01-20, 04:04 PM

Dredd is one of my favorite films of the last ten years. It is endlessly rewatchable.

While I could say a ton of nice things about it (the acting, the action sequences, the best use of slow-motion possibly ever), maybe what I appreciated the most was the way that the relationship is developed between Dredd and Anderson. Yes, she's a rookie. But both the film and Dredd himself show her a lot more respect than the "innocent" usually gets in such films.

I think that where you see this the most is in the sequence where they make it to the control room and catch the Domhnall Gleeson character. Dredd wants to execute him, but Anderson argues that he's actually a victim because he's been threatened and coerced. Dredd respects her judgement (despite it conflicting with his own) and lets her choice stand. What's more--we the viewer can see that Anderson is actually making the correct decision and that in this case Dredd is wrong.

It's a nice moment because the point is that she should be capable of being a Judge on her own. By resisting always having Dredd be the decision maker, and by minimizing the amount of "damsel in distress" stuff with her character, the film develops a much more meaningful partnership than the typical rookie/mentor cop film.

You’re exactly right. And in fact she actually says this much, something along the lines of, ‘Even if I’m wrong, I’m a judge in my own right and am authorised to make my own decisions’. Great scene.

John McClane

08-01-20, 04:09 PM

Dredd is definitely my favorite movie from the past decade.

Top notch effects, cinematography, and the world building is not overblown to the point of cheesiness. We get just enough information to believe the world yet plenty of grey area for the imagination to run wild.

I really hope they get the television off the ground. It’s been languishing in preproduction forever.

Takoma11

08-01-20, 04:17 PM

AgrippinaX

08-01-20, 04:25 PM

Sea Fever (2019)

https://cdn.flickeringmyth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Sea-Fever-UK-Artwork-600x800.jpg

Also attempted last night. In short, meh.

2/5

Marine biology student Siobhan is stuck on a fishing boat, where she can’t connect with the crew and spends her time alone or being awkward, until everyone starts to succumb to an infection and she becomes the go-to person to explain things and address the crisis.

I feel like RT has overrated this. As most critics said, it’s some kind of odd mash-up of Thing, Alien, with references to other greats thrown in for good measure. I’d always wanted to see a film put a properly antisocial character (not ‘sassy’ or ‘arrogant’) in a situation where they make friends/become part of the club or die. It’s an idea that speaks to me personally and that I find quite powerful. Unfortunately, here it was not well-executed and the impact was totally lost. I did finish the film, but it had nothing noteworthy to offer except the wasted antisocial protagonist concept.

One of the IMDb user reviews suggested it’s because the other characters are not developed enough, and perhaps it’s partly that, but also I think the viewer does not get to see the impact of social interaction on Siobhan, which is a shame. There’s one good scene where she walks in on the crew having dinner and runs away when she’s invited to join them, but this would have been a great chance to go further and do something like Christine (2016) and show she just doesn’t understand how social interaction works. Towards the end I became so annoyed at the pastiche I asked for recommendations, and that worked out much better.

Takoma11

08-01-20, 05:01 PM

Sea Fever (2019)

https://cdn.flickeringmyth.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Sea-Fever-UK-Artwork-600x800.jpg

Also attempted last night. In short, meh.

2/5
One of the IMDb user reviews suggested it’s because the other characters are not developed enough, and perhaps it’s partly that, but also I think the viewer does not get to see the impact of social interaction on Siobhan, which is a shame. There’s one good scene where she walks in on the crew having dinner and runs away when she’s invited to join them, but this would have been a great chance to go further and do something like Christine (2016) and show she just doesn’t understand how social interaction works.

I liked it a hair more than you. (And reviewed it last week maybe?)

My main criticism was that the film never seemed to choose between exploring the social dynamics of the boat and creating a "group fights a monster" film. It fails to integrate the social and scientific elements of the plot in a cohesive way, so it feels like the movie keeps switching gears.

Something that I didn't mention in my original review that I did appreciate was Siobhan's approach to the creature. Unlike most horror films, she doesn't assume that the creature is "evil". Like anything else, it is trying to survive, and I liked her "return it to nature" approach as opposed to the "kill it with fire" approach. There was a neat environmental message in there that could have been further developed, but even the creature falls prey to not being given enough depth.

I agree with you that the anti-social outsider was a premise that could have used a lot more exploration.

John-Connor

08-01-20, 05:31 PM

War and Peace 1966 ‘Война и мир’ Directed by Sergey Bondarchuk
66737
4.5+
One of the most epic films I've seen in a long long time. It so grande, calling it 'epic' is an understatement. I lack the vocab and writing skills to accurately describe the seven-hours long greatness I just witnessed. Shout out mark_f for having this on your mafo list!

Gideon58

08-01-20, 07:04 PM

https://ianfarrington.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/man-who-knew-too-much.jpg

4

mark f

08-01-20, 08:29 PM

Phantom Raiders (Jacques Tourneur, 1940) 2+ 5/10
The Weight of Gold (Brett Rapkin, 2020) 3 6.5/10
Mission of Danger (Jacques Tourneur & george waGGner, 1960) 2+ 5/10
Coma (Nikita Argunov, 2019) 2.5 6/10
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BODkxZDQwOTEtZjI1MC00YzgxLWI0MzQtMWQ1NjlmM2M2OTdhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzc0MzQ5MTI@._V1_.jpg
People in the world are waking up to craziness.
Fury River (4 Directors, 1960) 2+ 5/10
Eli (Ciarán Foy, 2019) 2.5 5.5/10
Great Day in the Morning (Jacques Tourneur, 1956) 2+.5/10
Black Magic for White Boys (Onur Tukel, 2017) 2.5 6/10
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjdmMjFmYjktNTE4YS00ZGY2LTkyYWUtMDkxOGQ4OTc2NDE4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXRyYW5zY29kZS13b3JrZmxvdw@@._V1_UX5 00_CR0,NaN,500,281_.jpg
A magician is using black magic to earn his living.
Lorna's Silence (Dardenne Bros., 2008) 2 5/10
Basketball County: In the Water (John Beckham & Jimmy Jenkins, 2020) 3 6.5/10
Pink Wall (Tom Cullen, 2019) 2 5/10
The President's Last Bang (Im Sang-soo, 2005) 2.5 6/10
https://hangukyeonghwa.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/dark-comedy-is-employed-to-great-effect-throughout-the-presidents-last-bang.jpg
South Korea's President Park Chung He was assassinated in 1979, and this fictional film details that.
Life and Nothing More (Antonio Méndez Esparza, 2017) 2+ 5/10
Stockton on My Mind (Marc Levin, 2020) 3- 6.5/10
East Side, West Side (Mervyn LeRoy, 1949) 2+ 5/10
Vibes (Ken Kwapis, 1988) 2.5+ 6/10
https://nostalgiacentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/vibes03-640x351.jpg
Psychics Jeff Goldblum and Cyndi Lauper have adventures in Peru.
Crime of Passion (Gerd Oswald, 1956) 2.5 5.5/10
The Moonlighter (Roy Rowland, 1953) 2+ 5/10
In the Aisles (Thomas Stuber, 2018) 2.5 5.5/10
The Go-Go's! (Alison Ellwood, 2020) 3 6.5/10
https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/07/the-go-gos-5.jpg?quality=80&strip=all&w=680&h=356&crop=1
Jane Wiedlin and Belinda Carlisle in the early days.

Takoma11

08-01-20, 08:30 PM

Takoma11

08-01-20, 09:25 PM

https://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/DcNIe0-U8AAbdro.jpg?resize=800,545

Cam, 2018

Alice works as a cam-girl, performing various sexy online shows for a chatroom full of customers. Alice is obsessed with her ranking on the site, desperate to crack the top 50 and relying on tips from her fans to push her rank higher. After a minor sabotage by a competitor, Alice agrees to an extreme show with a fellow camgirl, and when Alice wakes up the next morning she cannot access her account. Her horror and confusion only mounts when she realizes that her channel is live, and a doppelganger has taken over her account. Alice struggles to understand what is happening as her doppelganger goes to more extreme places than Alice has gone before, and at the same time her account's rank climbs higher and higher.

I would describe this film as being sort of Lynch-lite. The nature of Alice's doppelganger is an interesting mystery, as it's unclear just where the film is going. Is there some sort of "real world" explanation like an impostor? Or is something supernatural going on?

The film walks an interesting line with its relationship to Alice's job as a sex worker. Obviously the work puts her in a certain degree of danger (specifically from fans who get a little too attached). Her success depends on convincingly portraying sexual desire to a group of men who are not exactly top shelf material. The danger lies in the men who buy into the fantasy, men who believe that Alice genuinely wants to be with them, and who don't recognize the limits of what is a performance.

What I especially liked about the film was how it delineates exploitation. Alice enjoys her work, but what's horrifying is when she no longer has control over her body. Alice runs "extreme" scenarios at times (such as faking a suicide), and we see how she expertly manages the pace and tone of such a sequence. But later when Alice watches her double perform a similar sequence she is horrified. As the men in the chat chant for her to shoot herself, Alice feels out of control. The problem is not the sex work, in other words, it is whether or not Alice is in control of what happens to her and her body. Alice doesn't need to be rescued from her sex work, she needs to be given back her autonomy.

Madeline Brewer gives a strong central performance as Alice. You can feel her frustration as the cam site's tech support refuses to help her reclaim her account. There's an almost mundane reality to her circular conversations with the unhelpful tech support operators. At the same time, the stigma against sex work rears its head when Alice attempts to get help from the police. The officers are unsympathetic, and one of them makes inappropriate remarks to Alice in the guise of giving her a "compliment." So often in film, sex workers are seen as women who need rescuing, and yet no one in the film seems to genuinely want to help Alice.

The film does a very good job of humanizing Alice. The downside, however, is that the film holds the answer to the mystery very close to its chest until the final act. The central horror (what if you woke up and had been replaced online?) is compelling, but you get the sense that the writer didn't have a solid ending in mind. The "answer" is not entirely satisfying, and I wish that the film had resolved more strongly. That said, I did like the film's final note.

3.5

MovieGal

08-01-20, 11:08 PM

66747

Blood Is Blood
(2016)
3/5

Fabulous

08-01-20, 11:30 PM

Molly's Game (2017)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/y4ftW0hWvn26Q6h7fmuXVFYX3xg.jpg

Whammy

08-02-20, 12:14 AM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=66760

rating_2_5

This wasn't really that good but neither was it a bad movie. There is no mystery here as to who/what is the wildling, it's just us watching the characters figure it out. This isn't scary as I thought it would be nor is it action packed, kind of a coming of age/a day in the life. It is good mindless entertainment thought, and that's always good for wasting away a lazy afternoon or easing yourself to sleep late night on the couch.

Takoma11

08-02-20, 12:18 AM

https://thecinephiliacs.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/excision-33594_4-1.jpg?w=540&h=304

Excision (2012)

A young woman named Pauline wrestles with graphic, gory fantasies while rebelling against her controlling mother, school bullies, a nasty neighbor, and anxiety over her sister who is sick with cystic fibrosis.

I enjoyed this movie, though I wish that it had committed to either being serious or darkly campy. The main character is obviously suffering from some form of emotional or mental issue, but her behavior is inconsistent through the film. At times she seems incredibly fragile, while in other scenes she is incredibly self-assured.

Easily my favorite aspect of the movie was the way that Pauline used her teenage, imperfect body as a weapon against those around her. She takes wicked delight in repulsing others with her menstrual blood, cold sore, vomit, etc. For much of the film Pauline is her own arsenal, and she takes stigmatized body elements (like her menstrual blood) and uses them to take control of situations. It's a fun premise, and those sequences are probably the most satisfying.

The area where the film faltered for me was in its approach to the heart of the story. The key there is Pauline's relationship with her mother and sister. Her relationship with her mother is well developed, but the relationship with the sister less so. The film's climax depends on understanding these relationships deeply, and I felt like there wasn't quite enough heft there. (Though the acting in the final act and specifically the final scene is pretty great).

Again, the film might have benefited from embracing the more camp elements of the story. The movie absolutely telegraphs camp--with John Waters playing a priest, Tracy Lords as the prim and proper mother, and Malcolm McDowell as Pauline's apathetic teacher. Pauline's gory sex dreams (in which she grinds against dissected cadavers or is worshiped by a crew of corpses) are visually fun and also hint at something big and bloody.

Given these elements, I would have hoped for a climax leaning more toward Frankenhoker--as it is it leans more toward something like May. The movie has earned enough emotion for the finale to land--but I can't help feeling that a move over-the-top conclusion would have suited the film better.

It's definitely a unique film. I'm not quite sure it hits the right notes, especially in its final act. It's like two fun, good horror films mixed together with okay results.

3

Fabulous

08-02-20, 02:03 AM

Only the Lonely (1991)

2

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/iEuHQGXpiBDo2s6amcxNuKaYr5E.jpg

AgrippinaX

08-02-20, 04:16 AM

https://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/styles/full/public/image/endless-the-2017-001-figures-against-dawn-landscape.jpg?itok=7s16DMQc

The Endless (2017)

AgrippinaX and I have been talking about this film for quite a few weeks. A few months ago I started this film with some friends, but we had to stop about 15 minutes in. I've been meaning to get back into it, but being familiar with the other work from this pair of directors, I knew I needed to be in the right mood for it.

Justin and Aaron (played by co-directors Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson) are two men who, years earlier, escaped from a "UFO death cult". Living a mundane, Ramen-saturated existence, their lives are shaken up when they receive a mysterious video message from the cult. Aaron (who was younger when the two left and who has only fond memories of the cult) wants to go back, and persuades Justin to take the two of them for a visit. On arriving, they find that their old friends seem to have barely aged, and a series of strange events make the two brothers begin to question if the cult's beliefs might turn out to be real.

This is the third film that I've seen from this pair. They have a way of creating a sense of dread and building ominous tension. This isn't a film that's about jump scares or gore, but just about a persistent sense that things aren't right and the anxiety of hoping the main characters figure things out/escape before they reach a point of no return.

I like films in this mold where there aren't obvious antagonists. The behavior of the cultists isn't ever explicitly malicious, but it's deeply unsettling. It's unclear what--if anything--they want with the brothers. When we learn that Justin didn't tell Aaron the entire truth about the cult, the ambiguous nature of things only deepens.

For those who have seen it, wow, I was pretty shocked by the very explicit connection to Resolution. I was like "Hey, that looks a LOT like the house from Resolution!" And then the film just went ahead and blew my mind once he went inside..

I'd highly recommend this one, especially if you're someone who enjoys a slow burn, low-key horror/thriller.

I did have a few questions about the concept overall, but I was drawn into the story enough that it didn't bother me too much.

4.5

Really glad you liked it! The connection to Resolution is insane if you’re watching it for the first time. The first few times I watched The Endless, I was thinking how they could almost do their own interconnected multiverse, Marvel-style, but it’s also great that Spring and Synchronic aren’t part of that (as far as I know), and they keep their options open.

I think given how Moorhead & Benson work, the concept is probably fully developed, but they either decide not to give too much away in order to have that option, or think it’s fine for it not to make sense. I understand the entire place as a time loop where they relive the same period of time between when there’s no moon and that when there are three moons (at which stage the visitor is then ‘locked in’). I do think they could have done with a bit more explanation. My own pet peeve is a scene just after they’d arrived at the cult and taken the bunk beds. They are talking about Anna, Justin tells Aaron she might be a paedophile, and when Aaron tries to argue with him, Justin quickly says ‘Go to sleep’. The way he says that, it’s almost like hypnosis, and after the second time, it seems to work and Aaron goes quiet. On that note, I agree with you that it’s unexplained what the cult wants with the protagonists, but I think there’s a possibility of past child abuse, by Anna on Aaron and by Hal on Justin. In that case, it’s just about ongoing control. But this can also be Justin lying to get Aaron disenchanted with the place. They could definitely do with fleshing this out a bit more. In fact, that’s the usual complaint levelled are them by critics. I guess I’m not as bothered by it, because the character chemistry tends to carry it through for me.

Marco

08-02-20, 08:52 AM

Ad Astra (2019)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cb/Ad_Astra_-_film_poster.jpg
Took a punt on this one as never had a look at the story beforehand. Pleasantly surprised. The story rings a bit like "Heart of Darkness". Whilst the film can appear languid at times the voice-over works remarkably well in tying the narrative together. Don't think it set out to be a blockbuster and doesn't try to be. Liked this and Pitts performance.

4

Takoma11

08-02-20, 12:49 PM

I think given how Moorhead & Benson work, the concept is probably fully developed, but they either decide not to give too much away in order to have that option, or think it’s fine for it not to make sense.

It didn't bother me too much, but I did have some questions. For example, there is some inconsistency in terms of the degree to which characters are aware that they are in a time loop. On the one hand, characters seem to openly discuss the fact that they are trapped. But on the other hand, with the Resolution characters especially, we see that they repeat their same dialogue.

There's a difference between being trapped in the same amount of time (ie a month or three days or whatever) and being trapped in the same actions. In fact, we learn that the characters can do different things in their loops. They can end the loop early or they can wait it out until the creature kills them.

I also thought that it was a bit unclear/confusing about whether or not people could leave their "bubbles". People who haven't died yet clearly can, but what happens if a trapped person tried to leave.

Like you, I enjoyed the story and the characters enough that these gaps in understanding didn't derail the film too much, but some questions (like the "So can they leave?") question seemed like obvious things to ask and no one did.

My own pet peeve is a scene just after they’d arrived at the cult and taken the bunk beds. They are talking about Anna, Justin tells Aaron she might be a paedophile, and when Aaron tries to argue with him, Justin quickly says ‘Go to sleep’. The way he says that, it’s almost like hypnosis, and after the second time, it seems to work and Aaron goes quiet.

My interpretation of that sequence was that Aaron has always had the submissive personality between the two--something he got from being in the cult. And while Justin rails against the cult, he's not above using forceful commands and domination to get Aaron to do what he wants. It sets up a parallel between Justin and the cult as forces that want to control Aaron.

Or was your issue with the unexplored question of Anna's interest in Aaron?

I think that it raises an interesting question because we don't know how long the cult has been there. And if they remember all their past loops, then from a mental point of view they are aging. They might look young, but maybe they have been living there for 60 years. I think that it adds a creepy, Edward-Bella complication to Anna's interest in Aaron. It's worth asking whether or not the cult lures in young people (like the young artist who was from the mental hospital).

AgrippinaX

08-02-20, 01:13 PM

It didn't bother me too much, but I did have some questions. For example, there is some inconsistency in terms of the degree to which characters are aware that they are in a time loop. On the one hand, characters seem to openly discuss the fact that they are trapped. But on the other hand, with the Resolution characters especially, we see that they repeat their same dialogue.

Yes, because if you watch carefully, there are two loops: one for Camp Arcadia and one for Chris and Mike. The the loop ‘resets’ every time characters die in either location. Mike sets the house on fire, which is how the loop resets itself. Then they watch video tapes and realise they must have done this a few times. It would be a bit like the voiceover at the end of Primer where Aaron (he’s also called Aaron, can you believe this?) explains to himself in a pre-recorded message that this has all happened about 50 times. B&M do handle this differently from Primer because we don’t get to see/hear this explained, but I’d say it makes a fair amount of sense. If they’d explained it any more, the film would be boring and preachy - in fact, some critics feel that way anyway. But like I said, there’s definitely a lot in the ontology that can be easily picked apart.

I also thought that it was a bit unclear/confusing about whether or not people could leave their "bubbles". People who haven't died yet clearly can, but what happens if a trapped person tried to leave.

Yes, true. I kind of felt they were physically restricted from leaving their ‘circle’ (Camp Arcadia). Hence Mike’s wife can’t go find him and be with him and Chris, even though they are only about a mile apart.

My interpretation of that sequence was that Aaron has always had the submissive personality between the two--something he got from being in the cult. And while Justin rails against the cult, he's not above using forceful commands and domination to get Aaron to do what he wants. It sets up a parallel between Justin and the cult as forces that want to control Aaron.

Or was your issue with the unexplored question of Anna's interest in Aaron?

No, my issue was only with the ‘Go to sleep’ bit. Sure, Aaron is the more submissive of the two and it’s well-telegraphed, but surely people don’t just go to sleep literally the moment someone tells them to? Unless we’re meant to think he gave up on trying to convince Justin re Anna and just decided to go to sleep. You make a great point about Justin using a different type of control - I love it and I hadn’t thought of that - though I think toward the end, when Justin first agrees to stay, and then lets Aaron drive the car, he relinquishes that control too.

I think that it raises an interesting question because [SPOILERS]we don't know how long the cult has been there. And if they remember all their past loops, then from a mental point of view they are aging. They might look young, but maybe they have been living there for 60 years. I think that it adds a creepy, Edward-Bella complication to Anna's interest in Aaron. It's worth asking whether or not the cult lures in young people (like the young artist who was from the mental hospital).

Absolutely. And that bit has a logical gap too. I first felt that they don’t age at all, that’s the point of the ‘good diet’ conversation etc. But then, how could Aaron and Justin have possibly grown up there from when they were toddlers until at least their teens? That one just about kills the diegetic logic.

Fabulous

08-02-20, 01:42 PM

Alien Nation (1988)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/jvpunKw0KMNEt0N5UTiUf8WJDuj.jpg

AgrippinaX

08-02-20, 02:27 PM

The Wolf of Wall Street (2012)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjIxMjgxNTk0MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNjIyOTg2MDE@._V1_UY1200_CR90,0,630,1200_AL_.jpg

4

Love me some Leo. Not at The Aviator level, but good stuff.

Takoma11

08-02-20, 02:54 PM

Yes, true. I kind of felt they were physically restricted from leaving their ‘circle’ (Camp Arcadia). Hence Mike’s wife can’t go find him and be with him and Chris, even though they are only about a mile apart.

But you are only trapped if you die in the circle. And Mike's wife didn't die yet, or at least that was my understanding. I just wish that some of the rules had been a little clearer. You'd think, for example, that Justin would ask Mike and Chris what happens if they try to leave.

No, my issue was only with the ‘Go to sleep’ bit. Sure, Aaron is the more submissive of the two and it’s well-telegraphed, but surely people don’t just go to sleep literally the moment someone tells them to? Unless we’re meant to think he gave up on trying to convince Justin re Anna and just decided to go to sleep. You make a great point about Justin using a different type of control - I love it and I hadn’t thought of that - though I think toward the end, when Justin first agrees to stay, and then lets Aaron drive the car, he relinquishes that control too.

I didn't think that Aaron actually fell asleep in that moment. He just stopped trying to talk to Justin. I think that moment was just about Justin bullying Aaron into silence.

Absolutely. And that bit has a logical gap too. I first felt that they don’t age at all, that’s the point of the ‘good diet’ conversation etc. But then, how could Aaron and Justin have possibly grown up there from when they were toddlers until at least their teens? That one just about kills the diegetic logic.

Right. I guess the question is how long loop actually lasts. Three moons might imply three months?

But then that also makes you question the nature of the loop. For example, if the loop always "resets" to the beginning, then how does that work when a new person enters the loop? The bit with Mike and Chris suggests that people always start in ignorance and at the beginning. But if Aaron and Justin were to get trapped, then wouldn't the "beginning" be different?

This is what I mean by there just being enough nagging questions that I wish it had been a little clearer. Some elements of ambiguity work really well (like "the struggle" tug of war), but I wanted to know a little more about how everything worked.

AgrippinaX

08-02-20, 03:01 PM

But you are only trapped if you die in the circle. And Mike's wife didn't die yet, or at least that was my understanding. I just wish that some of the rules had been a little clearer. You'd think, for example, that Justin would ask Mike and Chris what happens if they try to leave.

Ah, fair enough. I read it differently. I felt you’re trapped if you stay long enough for the third moon to manifest, and the suicide is just part of the worship-ritual to honour whatever they think ‘it’ is.

[QUOTE] I didn't think that Aaron actually fell asleep in that moment. He just stopped trying to talk to Justin. I think that moment was just about Justin bullying Aaron into silence.

Interesting. I like that and it kind of explains it. I don’t know why on Earth I actually thought he fell asleep on the spot. ‘Go to sleep’ could simply be, as I think you’re suggesting, a form of ‘Shut up’.

Right. I guess the question is how long loop actually lasts. Three moons might imply three months?

But then that also makes you question the nature of the loop. For example, if the loop always "resets" to the beginning, then how does that work when a new person enters the loop? The bit with Mike and Chris suggests that people always start in ignorance and at the beginning. But if Aaron and Justin were to get trapped, then wouldn't the "beginning" be different?

This is what I mean by there just being enough nagging questions that I wish it had been a little clearer. Some elements of ambiguity work really well (like "the struggle" tug of war), but I wanted to know a little more about how everything worked.

Yes, I’m 100% with you there. The struggle as the best ‘speculative’ element by far and needed no explanation. You do get a sense that they think ‘it’ is in the sky as it’s a UFO cult, and since we get the shots from this being’s POV when Shane throws the ball in the air..

Takoma11

08-02-20, 03:08 PM

https://www.attackfromplanetb.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/veronica1.png

Veronica, 2017

In early 1990s Spain a young woman named Veronica participates in a seance with two classmates during a solar eclipse. Veronica is attempting to contact her dead father, but something seems to go wrong during the seance and Veronica is haunted/possessed by a strange presence.

I liked this movie, but I actually find that I don't have much to say about it. The performances are good (hat tip to the young actors who play Veronica's little brother and sisters--they were really good and natural in their delivery!), and there are several suitably frightening sequences.

One thing that I thought was interesting (and a bit disappointing) was the way that the film seemed to shift gears toward the end.

There are a lot of implications in the first 2/3 of the film that (MODERATE SPOILERSVeronica's father may have sexually abused her. In one scene he appears, nude in her room. In another scene, a shadowy hand passes down to Veronica's groin and she begins to bleed. Many times we see Veronica held down by hands on her bed. In one particular moment, Veronica wants her mother to stay home because "it doesn't come when you're around."

However, it is later explained that the figure is merely a demon attached to Veronica because she didn't say goodbye at the end of the seance.

This was definitely an okay horror movie. Given how well the family dynamics are portrayed, I wish that the family had played more strongly into the horror from a thematic point of view. Don't get me wrong--the scenes with Veronica and her younger siblings are really powerful. But the structure of the film around it--which is heavy with exposition--could have done more.

3.5

Takoma11

08-02-20, 03:19 PM

Ah, fair enough. I read it differently. I felt you’re trapped if you stay long enough for the third moon to manifest, and the suicide is just part of the worship-ritual to honour whatever they think ‘it’ is.

But the one character (the guy living in the shack) tells Justin that you either kill yourself or the creature kills you to reset the loop, and that what the creature does to you is brutal.

(And when I read the script, I found an explicit reference to the length of the cult's loop)

Here's what he says:

"My loop's short at hell, bro. Hell, some are even shorter. Hell, you fools up at that hippy-dippy camp bullsh*t, you're something like, what, ten years now? You gotta kill yourself before the restart or that thing, that thing'll do it for ya. And it's much worse than anything you can do to yourself. But that camp prefers that thing doin' it for them, doesn't it? Yeah, considers it sacred even. It'll snatch you right out of your shoes."

So from this we can see that the camp's loop is actually really long (about a decade) which explains how Aaron and Justin lived there for so long without getting trapped.

The camp isn't committing suicide. They wait until the end of the loop and then they let the creature kill them to trigger the reset. It explains why they want Aaron to stay just a few more nights (so that he will be there when they are all killed and thus get trapped in the loop), and why Justin is kicked out (because they don't want him there stuck in the loop).

Yes, I’m 100% with you there. The struggle as the best ‘speculative’ element by far and needed no explanation. You do get a sense that they think ‘it’ is in the sky as it’s a UFO cult, and since we get the shots from this being’s POV when Shane throws the ball in the air..

I almost imagine that they are in like a crystal ball. Because "it" also seems to be in the lake. I see it as being in like a big globe around them.

AgrippinaX

08-02-20, 03:28 PM

But the one character (the guy living in the shack) tells Justin that you either kill yourself or the creature kills you to reset the loop, and that what the creature does to you is brutal.

(And when I read the script, I found an explicit reference to the length of the cult's loop)

Here's what he says:

"My loop's short at hell, bro. Hell, some are even shorter. Hell, you fools up at that hippy-dippy camp bullsh*t, you're something like, what, ten years now? You gotta kill yourself before the restart or that thing, that thing'll do it for ya. And it's much worse than anything you can do to yourself. But that camp prefers that thing doin' it for them, doesn't it? Yeah, considers it sacred even. It'll snatch you right out of your shoes."

So from this we can see that the camp's loop is actually really long (about a decade) which explains how Aaron and Justin lived there for so long without getting trapped.

The camp isn't committing suicide. They wait until the end of the loop and then they let the creature kill them to trigger the reset. It explains why they want Aaron to stay just a few more nights (so that he will be there when they are all killed and thus get trapped in the loop), and why Justin is kicked out (because they don't want him there stuck in the loop).

I almost imagine that they are in like a crystal ball. Because "it" also seems to be in the lake. I see it as being in like a big globe around them.

Yes, that makes sense. Imagine if they ever address it and you’re spot on!

Derek Vinyard

08-02-20, 07:24 PM

Interstellar (2014) - Christopher Nolan
https://grist.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/interstellar6.jpg?w=1200
- Staight up one of the best film ever made, almost 3 hours of pure brillance and it's really fascinating. I don't care what everybody say Christopher Nolan is one of the best if not the best director working today he's a genius. Such a masterpiece definitely in my top 50 ever.
5

Takoma11

08-02-20, 10:35 PM

I'm playing catch-up on the 2020 Film Challenge, so it'll be an eclectic mix of films for the next few weeks!

https://www.eai.org/user_files/images/title/_s/turner-wojnarowicz_whereevildwells-02.jpg

Where Evil Dwells, 1985

This is a film from the Cinema of Transgression movement and has a very experimental vibe. It is a reaction to the real life story of a killer who murdered his friend, something made sensational by the involvement of drugs and alleged satanism.

For a film intent of shock, this one did not hold my attention very strongly. There were some really potent sequences and imagery (my favorite being the inter-cutting of a first-person point of view shot going up roller coaster tracks with the murder of the victim), but the whole thing was too disjoint for me. It also sometimes pushed past its own effectiveness. The murder sequence was really shocking . . . until an extended close-up of the killer stabbing a very fake head in the eyes. The film clearly intends a degree of humor and exaggeration about everything, but I felt disconnected from what was on the screen.

I'm glad I watched it, but I'm also glad it was only 28 minutes long.

3

Captain Steel

08-03-20, 12:19 AM

Tammy and the T-Rex (1994).

https://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0814456022376_p0_v1_s550x406.jpg

Tried a little too hard to be a cult film.
A practical spoof of teenage sex movies, horror films and "B" sci-fis.

I read there's was an edited version shown in theaters that removes the gore, but apparently I watched the uncut version - the gore is cartoonish and I can't imagine how bad this movie was without it - for instance, the T-Rex steps on a guy and flattens him (much like Christopher Lloyd's character n Roger Rabbit after he gets run over by a steam roller) then later a lady peels the dead body up off the pavement like pulling up an old "Colorform" off a glossy background! The gore was the most entertaining part!

It's a silly movie with a silly premise, but almost worth watching if you're in the mood for something mindless that you know is going to be bad going in. I enjoyed character of Byron - probably the most original character in the film - as he is an outspoken yet cowardly, flamboyantly gay, young black man who enjoys dressing in African garb (and he's also the son of the town's Sheriff).
You also get a 23-year-old Denise Richards playing a teenager (who's acting is pretty bad, but she does a mild strip tease at the end in white lingerie!) :yup:

Some of you guys may just want to advance it to that last part at the end!

2

Fabulous

08-03-20, 04:19 AM

Red Joan (2018)

2

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/fUYkz8RPRTaYppczPJJua4tgM0v.jpg

this_is_the_ girl

08-03-20, 08:17 AM

Marco

08-03-20, 08:37 AM

Midnight in the Garden of good and evil. (1997)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e2/Midnightgardengoodevil.jpg/220px-Midnightgardengoodevil.jpg
Fairly flat Clint Eastwood adaptation of a book that is watchable for Kevin Spacey. Although very different the tone of the direction reminded me of "Bonfire of the Vanities"...bit of a potboiler with some fairly blunt points to make about class and the legal system.

2

Takoma11

08-03-20, 10:12 AM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.womaninrevolt.com%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2F2019%2F12%2FFrom-Behind-Portrait-of-a-Lady-on-Fire-Celine-Sciamma-1.png&f=1&nofb=1
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019, Céline Sciamma)
rating_5
Agree with the samoan lawyer! This is as close to perfection as it gets. A visually exquisite, sensual masterpiece. And what a great ending.

Yeah, it's pretty great. A friend and I hashed out a few minor philosophical issues with it, but overall a strong, sensual, beautiful film.

And the actual moment of "the lady on fire" is breathtaking. Would have loved to see it on the big screen.

Fabulous

08-03-20, 10:43 AM

The Aftermath (2019)

2

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/boGT8jz6fnWYcWbCUU1S98iN6t4.jpg

Marco

08-03-20, 01:12 PM

The Endless (2017)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/43/The_Endless.png
Another recommendation garnered from MoFo, thanks guys/gals :) Liked this, not as spooky as I was hoping for but definitely held the interest. It's an interesting premise for a story and actually had me laughing at points e.g. when Aaron is relating his experiences of dating :) The strongest part if the film is the differing attitudes between the brothers to both their past and present and how they perceive them so differently. Besides the mumbo-jumbo a touching film.
3.5

AgrippinaX

08-03-20, 01:20 PM

Takoma11

08-03-20, 01:24 PM

https://www.cia.edu/files/cinematheques/films/detail/wrmysteries3.jpg

WR: Mysteries of the Organism, 1971

As you all know (because I will not stop talking about it until I'm done), I'm working on the 2020 Film Challenge. One of the categories was the Yugoslav Black Wave. But another category was Roger Ebert's Great Movies. When I saw that this one was on both lists (no, I'm not counting it for both categories!) I decided to check it out.

This film is a mix of documentary footage, a propaganda film, and a fictional narrative. The propaganda film is a pro-Stalin movie, and it takes up the smallest part of the footage. The documentary footage begins as an exploration of the work of Wilhelm Reich (a contemporary of Freud) and the healing/transformative power of orgasm/sexual energy, before exploring other offshoots of modern sexuality including interviews with Betty Dodson, footage of a transgender (or maybe just transvestite?) woman living in New York, and a sequence in which Jim Buckley has a plaster cast made of his penis. The final piece of the film is a story about a communist worker who believes in sex as part of liberation who gets involved with a visiting Russian ice skater.

I quite enjoyed this film. It had its own unique rhythms, but with structure. I think that experimental or unconventional film can sometimes feel random, as if the rejection of conventional structure is enough. This film felt like it had clear structure and purpose, though both were unconventional. While there is a clear sense of humor to the movie, it manages to tow the right side of the line in terms of treating its subjects (especially its real ones) with respect. Watching women receive "sexual therapy" could easily have veered way into exploitative territory. And while I did think that it was kind of lame that the film only shows women receiving this therapy (a man at one point describes it, but only women are portrayed in the act, and I have to wonder if they were dodging adding an element of homoeroticism), I can at least say that there's more parity than usual when it comes to nudity from both genders.

I guess I should warn anyone interested in this film that it does contain scenes and images of unsimulated sexual activity and body parts. For me, if what's happening on screen is consensual that's not something that bothers me. But I will admit to being a touch surprised at how explicit certain sequences were. Not in a bad way. Just in a "glad I'm not watching this with grandma" way. (Or maybe grandma would be in to seeing Jim Buckley get a penis cast--what grandma likes is her own business!). The only part that I didn't like (and actually fast-forwarded past) was what looked like actual footage of someone receiving electro-shock therapy. That did feel like it crossed a line (both of privacy and exploitation) that I wasn't comfortable with.

If you happen to be a Criterion Channel subscriber, there's a really fun extra about how the director helped the BBC censor the film. Instead of cutting scenes or using black bars, he added psychedelic effects and/or rogue goldfish to hide nudity.

4

Iroquois

08-03-20, 01:48 PM

Hard Target - 3

R.I.P.

cricket

08-03-20, 01:56 PM

Turkey Shoot (1982)

2

https://i0.wp.com/www.bulletproofaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/WardOliviaTS.jpg

One of those movies where humans hunt humans, low budget Australian style. I saw it billed as an exploitation movie but I'd say no. An amusing cult film with some good moments, that's all. Not far off from being Turkey Shlt.

Marco

08-03-20, 02:00 PM

Do you have your 2 cents to offer on the ‘Go to sleep’ scene? I’m gathering opinions!

Que Agrippina? Did I miss a bit?

AgrippinaX

08-03-20, 02:07 PM

Que Agrippina? Did I miss a bit?

Sorry, that was part of the conversation a few pages back and my copy-pasting failed.

The first comment is mine:
My own pet peeve is a scene just after they’d arrived at the cult and taken the bunk beds. They are talking about Anna, Justin tells Aaron she might be a paedophile, and when Aaron tries to argue with him, Justin quickly says ‘Go to sleep’. The way he says that, it’s almost like hypnosis, and after the second time, it seems to work and Aaron goes quiet.
This is what Takoma11 says:*My interpretation of that sequence was that Aaron has always had the submissive personality between the two--something he got from being in the cult. And while Justin rails against the cult, he's not above using forceful commands and domination to get Aaron to do what he wants. It sets up a parallel between Justin and the cult as forces that want to control Aaron.

Marco

08-03-20, 02:22 PM

The first comment is mine:
My own pet peeve is a scene just after they’d arrived at the cult and taken the bunk beds. They are talking about Anna, Justin tells Aaron she might be a paedophile, and when Aaron tries to argue with him, Justin quickly says ‘Go to sleep’. The way he says that, it’s almost like hypnosis, and after the second time, it seems to work and Aaron goes quiet.
This is what Takoma11 says:*My interpretation of that sequence was that Aaron has always had the submissive personality between the two--something he got from being in the cult. And while Justin rails against the cult, he's not above using forceful commands and domination to get Aaron to do what he wants. It sets up a parallel between Justin and the cult as forces that want to control Aaron.[/QUOTE]

Gotcha AggripinaX, yes, I didn't really know what to make of that, it seemed that Justin was the more strident of the 2 and Aaron was far more suggestible. As stated, it could be that Justin was using that influence and shared experience to just placate Aaron in a way he knew would respond to.

Good film.

AgrippinaX

08-03-20, 02:28 PM

The first comment is mine:
My own pet peeve is a scene just after they’d arrived at the cult and taken the bunk beds. They are talking about Anna, Justin tells Aaron she might be a paedophile, and when Aaron tries to argue with him, Justin quickly says ‘Go to sleep’. The way he says that, it’s almost like hypnosis, and after the second time, it seems to work and Aaron goes quiet.
This is what Takoma11 says:*My interpretation of that sequence was that Aaron has always had the submissive personality between the two--something he got from being in the cult. And while Justin rails against the cult, he's not above using forceful commands and domination to get Aaron to do what he wants. It sets up a parallel between Justin and the cult as forces that want to control Aaron.

Gotcha AggripinaX, yes, I didn't really know what to make of that, it seemed that Justin was the more strident of the 2 and Aaron was far more suggestible. As stated, it could be that Justin was using that influence and shared experience to just placate Aaron in a way he knew would respond to.

Good film.[/QUOTE]

Sure, you guys are probably right.

Fabulous

08-03-20, 02:32 PM

Sunday's Illness (2018)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/yhp0XL2qzloIXMELePuGgkbinIT.jpg

Stirchley

08-03-20, 02:55 PM

66785

Re-watch. Emily Watson amazing & it was her first movie.

66786

Re-watch. Classic of French cinema.

66787

What a strange movie. I enjoyed it.

Nausicaä

08-03-20, 02:56 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/38/Little_Joe_poster.jpg

Little Joe = 2.5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/How_to_Build_a_Girl_poster.jpeg

How To Build A Girl = 3

^ I did do my usual but when I posted my internet went down and lost everything I just put up and can't be arsed to do it all again! Especially on a tablet where it takes forever...

matt72582

08-03-20, 04:20 PM

Searching for Ingmar Bergman - 7.5/10
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZmExYWFmNTQtYTg5OC00MDljLTg5MWYtNDUxZmU0MGUyM2UxXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjQ0NzcxNjM@._V1_.jpg'

Stirchley

08-03-20, 05:04 PM

⬆️ Wonder if I’ve seen this? Seen most everything Bergman-related.

Fabulous

08-03-20, 06:06 PM

Red Sparrow (2018)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/fkZaLkSmOujJaC0GG32HYVYKP1q.jpg

Stirchley

08-03-20, 06:30 PM

⬆️ At least you finished it. I thought it was fairly dreadful.

Takoma11

08-03-20, 07:00 PM

https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef01538e759e70970b-pi

The Children Are Watching Us, 1944

It's time for some Italian Neorealism, ya'll.

A little boy named Prico lives with his mother and father. His mother, Nina, has taken a lover, and at the beginning of the film she leaves her husband and child to run away with him. While she soon feels remorse and returns, her betrayal fractures the family. The film centers on Prico and his understanding of what is happening around him, as well as the way that the adults in his life put their own feelings before his.

I couldn't help but think of Brief Encounter while watching this film. When it comes to a parent/spouse abandoning a family, there's a particular contempt reserved when mothers go AWOL. Interestingly, we are given very little insight into the relationship between Prico's parents. In the end, it doesn't matter which parent was in the "right" (or, more accurately, if Nina had a good reason to leave), because neither of his parents are willing to connect with Prico. They use him, more often as an emotional crutch. A sequence in which Prico's father manipulates the child into giving away his mother's tryst is painful to watch. The father already knows the answer, so why force the boy to betray his mother's confidence? Later, he brings Prico into his bed with him because "I can't sleep alone". Never a thought or a word about what the child is suffering. Nina, despite her regrets about leaving Prico, also cannot bring herself to prioritize her child. She's willing to leave him unsupervised while she goes off for smooch sessions with her boyfriend.

The absolute strength of the film is the way that it captures a child's perspective and logic. In one scene, angry at his mother, Prico goes to a train station to try and buy a ticket home. Later, Prico encounters a drunk man on the beach--an annoyance for an adult but a horror for a small child. Prico can only ever have partial understanding of the dynamics between his parents. He loves them both, and it tears him apart as they repeatedly put him in the middle of their marital difficulties. You can practically watch his trust erode as he realizes that seemingly innocent actions or questions might actually be landmines. It's hard to watch, because you just know that this boy is going to grow up to be a man with some serious issues.

This is a very solid, heartbreaking film.

4.5

Gideon58

08-03-20, 08:20 PM

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4

AgrippinaX

08-03-20, 08:54 PM

Nostromo87

08-03-20, 09:17 PM

The Goblet of Fire (2005)

Soon we must all face the choice...
Between what is right, and what is easy

The Tri-Wizard Tournament (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ICSpRLJSEe0)

http://i.ibb.co/QjnP09b/popcorn1.jpghttp://i.ibb.co/QjnP09b/popcorn1.jpghttp://i.ibb.co/QjnP09b/popcorn1.jpghttp://i.ibb.co/QppYKQM/half-popcorn.jpg+

http://i.ibb.co/yfLsgwJ/goblof.jpg

Fabulous

08-03-20, 10:22 PM

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

4.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/zddFtGdsEFkZgeSyoipQBr8otYT.jpg

Takoma11

08-03-20, 10:45 PM

https://moviessilently.files.wordpress.com/2019/10/a3b01-variety-1925-image-58.jpg

Variety, 1925

--Knock, knock.
--Who's there?
--*swirling kaleidoscope of eyeballs*
--*swirling kaleidoscope of eyeballs* who?
--German expressionism!

The film starts with a prisoner being called to the warden's office where the man must make a decision about whether to grant clemency. The prisoner tells how he came to be in prison. A man named Boss Huller is a former acrobat who, after a serious injury, becomes the head of a shady carnival (the main draw is a "beauty pageant" which is like the saddest strip show ever). Against his wife's wishes he takes in a young woman, Bertha-Marie, and it's not long before she's throwing herself at him and he's not exactly resisting that much. Soon he leaves his wife (and baby!) to be with Bertha-Marie, and the two begin touring as trapeze artists. After a while, however, Bertha-Marie's attention wanders to a young, handsome trapeze artist.

It was a funny coincidence to watch this film after The Children Are Watching Us. I made a remark about women/mothers being judged more harshly for leaving their family and it was interesting to see that in this film. Huller is positioned as a highly sympathetic character, even as he abandons his wife and child, even as he hits Bertha-Marie when she flirts with him. It was the only criticism that I had of the film, where Bertha-Marie is seen as the evil one, while she is significantly younger than him and he is the one who has commitments to a family.

It's the story of a man falling from grace, but I felt that the film leaned into Bertha-Marie a bit too much which puts the weight of the conflict on her as opposed to where it belongs (hint: on the person who actually broke wedding vows). The wife and baby are completely forgotten, by both the movie and the main character. The abandonment should be more of a crime than the seduction, but that's not how the film sees it. And this is complicated even more by the treatment of Bertha-Marie, who not only is hit by Boss, but whose first encounter with the young trapeze artist is an assault--he locks her in his room, pushes her down, and literally puts her in a choke-hold. Despite this (and, you know, the fact that her mother died on the boat and she was basically sold to a carnival), her character is never afforded any sympathy.

Those minor quibbles aside, I really enjoyed this film. The performances are strong and the story is compelling. We know from the framing device that Boss is going to kill Bertha-Marie and/or her lover, and the last 25 minutes or so is pure suspense. The film toys with the viewer, repeatedly setting up moments when Boss might snap and lash out. I kept thinking "this is it!" only for him to reconsider.

And on a visual front the film is stellar. The sets and framing are super cool, right from the very beginning as Boss walks down a prison hallway of shrinking square wooden frames. Films that take place in a performance environment have a great advantage, and Variety pulls out several stunning sequences of circus/carnival acts, including excellent trapeze scenes. The trapeze scenes use a moving camera and a dizzying alternation of close-up and far-away shots, which heightens the suspense every time.

This was just an excellent film. Dupont is not a director I've seen much from, and I'm glad he's now on my radar.

4.5

MovieGal

08-03-20, 11:40 PM

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Beyond the Mask
(2015)
3/5

I found this on Prime. It was a cute little romance movie until they started talking about God's forgiveness. There are some religious movies I don't mind but it really didn't need that in this one.

gbgoodies

08-04-20, 12:09 AM

Waking Ned (1998)

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81akyP0YtZL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

5

What a gem. It’s so unlike anything I usually watch that I don’t really know what to say about it. Fionnula Flanagan is a pleasure to look at, and so is Susan Lynch and the entire cast. Really heart-warming and great all round. I am a sucker for dark comedies, and though this leans more toward ‘comedy’ than ‘dark’, it still belongs with them somewhat. Shout out to Chypmunk for recommending.

If this is the same movie as Waking Ned Devine, someone recommended it to me many years ago, and he even gave it to me on a VHS tape, but I never got around to watching it. It sounds like it might be worth digging out the tape and giving it a try.

Fabulous

08-04-20, 01:37 AM

City Lights (1931)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/Ma7mQsldFCaQpsZbm8zolgLfmV.jpg

Chypmunk

08-04-20, 02:58 AM

Waking Ned (1998)

5

What a gem. It’s so unlike anything I usually watch that I don’t really know what to say about it. Fionnula Flanagan is a pleasure to look at, and so is Susan Lynch and the entire cast. Really heart-warming and great all round. I am a sucker for dark comedies, and though this leans more toward ‘comedy’ than ‘dark’, it still belongs with them somewhat. Shout out to Chypmunk for recommending.
Ha, you watched it :up:
Glad you liked it, it's a nice little fillum. Best of luck with the ticket ;)

If this is the same movie as Waking Ned Devine, someone recommended it to me many years ago, and he even gave it to me on a VHS tape, but I never got around to watching it. It sounds like it might be worth digging out the tape and giving it a try.
It is and you should ;)

Thunderbolt

08-04-20, 04:38 AM

AgrippinaX

08-04-20, 05:28 AM

If this is the same movie as Waking Ned Devine, someone recommended it to me many years ago, and he even gave it to me on a VHS tape, but I never got around to watching it. It sounds like it might be worth digging out the tape and giving it a try.

That’s the one. Waking Ned Devine is the North American title. It’s pretty great.

GulfportDoc

08-04-20, 10:13 AM

Red Joan (2018) ...

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/fUYkz8RPRTaYppczPJJua4tgM0v.jpg
Watched Red Joan last night. It's a nice little gem of a picture about Britain's oldest remaining Russian collaborator, which I hadn't heard of. I've never seen Judi Dench in a bad performance, and she rises to the occasion here as well.

The movie is a little overly melodramatic in parts, but I think they were aiming for that 1930s/40s style, which they were pretty successful at. I'd like to have seen them use black and white for the flashbacks. The other-worldliness of B&W would have tempered the melodrama.

Takoma11

08-04-20, 12:46 PM

66813
This third entry certainly has a more studio polished feel but the bigger budget hasn’t greatly improved things. The old school effects have now mostly been replaced with substandard computer effects and the acting is something to be desired.
I give the first 3 films praise for all being slightly different but this is now the point where my interest has diminished. This entry was OK but nothing to shout about.

2.5

This one is where the series goes into "Yeah, they just kill whoever" mode. I know that the movie explains this (because without his human side Pinhead is just pure evil), but the rules and negotiations of the first two films are part of what makes them interesting. I also happen to think that the Cenobite who shoots (exploding?) CDs out of his face is a real facepalm moment.

Takoma11

08-04-20, 01:09 PM

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/06/23/PIND/05bdd3af-dea5-47d6-a64d-7ec83c26a75c-GOODMAGGIEATHLETEA_1.jpg?width=660&height=495&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp

Athlete A, 2020

They say that you shouldn't go to bed angry, so shame on me for starting this film at like 11:20pm (and then finishing it at 1am because I couldn't stop watching).

Athlete A is a documentary covering the long-running sexual abuse of hundreds of young women/girls by USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar. The film is told through the lens of the IndyStar newspaper reporters who first broke a story about USAG covering up coach abuse, which then snowballed into the shocking story of Nassar's abuse.

As someone who works with children, who has coached young women, and who has encountered young people who have been the victims of sexual abuse, this story of course made my blood boil. To the credit of the documentary, it says enough about the abuse to understand the scope of it, but it doesn't wallow in graphic descriptions of what he did to his victims.

The focus of the documentary is actually much broader than just Nassar's crimes--instead it repeatedly calls attention to the structures around Nassar and how he was able to manipulate the children in his care. When Nassar's manipulations intersect with some truly horrible policies within USAG (and also possibly some improprieties within the FBI), it creates a perfect storm for a predator.

"Athlete A" refers to Maggie Nichols, a young woman who, at the age of 15, reported sexual abuse. From here we learn that USAG has a policy of treating all abuse allegations as "hearsay" unless it is signed by a victim or that victim's parents. It's just one hit after another as you realize that athletes and their parents are afraid to criticize out of fear that the children will be punished. Multiple adults at USAG who learn about the abuse allegations fail to notify authorities, and it's estimated that dozens of girls were abused in the year between Nichols reporting her abuse and authorities investigating.

Zooming out even further, the documentary looks at the harsh, abusive climate of elite gymnastics. The girls are weighed every day and openly berated in front of their peers. They are persistently gaslighted by the adults--being told that they are not hungry, they are not hurt, they are not sick. And unlike other professional athletes, these girls are mainly between the ages of 10 and 16. They are forced to rely on the adults around them to say what is normal and okay. One girl describes being told to completely undress and thinking that was normal. Another girl describes that her mother was in the room while Nassar "treated" her, but he would position himself so that one hand was visible (and doing legitimate work) but his other hand was abusing her shielded from the mother's view by his body. Because her mother was there, the girl assumed the treatment was appropriate. The women also point out that because the other adults were so cruel to them, Nassar seemed like "the nice one". They wanted to spend time with him and make him happy.

The whole story is infuriating, but I think it's important to see. The question of how children athletes are treated is a huge issue and the documentary does a good job of laying out how elite sports can create an environment where abuse can thrive. And because the USA gymnastics program was doing so well (winning all the Olympic medals), no one wanted to upset the apple cart.

I felt a lot of emotions watching this film. While some of this story is still happening, there are so many moments where your heart just breaks. When one victim comes forward with her story she is openly mocked. People say she's lying to get a cash settlement. People say she's just a bitter has-been. People say that if she let it go on so long she must have liked it. Accusing a popular person of abuse means opening yourself up to abuse from a wider audience--they get victimized all over again. It makes you understand why people are so hesitant to report such crimes, especially when they have no concrete proof.

A harrowing watch, but these young women deserve to have their voices heard.

4

Fabulous

08-04-20, 01:37 PM

The Vast of Night (2019)

3.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/69z5cKVU2N5xCirVgF8YwNArZDG.jpg

Takoma11

08-04-20, 03:06 PM

https://sto-je-novo.25fps.hr/img/modelImages/GalleryItem/default/dGhJpIlAanavIQGQsBacvJnNVeevwyIl.jpg

Entr'Acte, 1924

This was a short (~20 minute) surrealist film from Rene Clair.

Describing the plot would be futile, as the film is intentionally disjoint (at least from my point of view). The main arcs of the film involve shots from a ballet performance, a man attacking a rogue coconut, and a runaway funeral carriage.

Easily my favorite part of the film is what's pictured above: slow motion shots of a ballet dancer as seen from below. It's a great example of how a simple change in perspective can yield imagery that is moving and interesting. For me these shots just never got old.

Generally speaking, I also really liked the extended sequences in slow motion, especially when a large group of mourners runs, skips, and leaps after the funeral carriage. A sequence intercutting the runaway carriage with first-person footage of a rollercoaster was interesting, and for me in particular since another experimental film I just watched (Where Evil Dwells) also used first-person rollercoaster footage.

Overall a fun little film.

4

Gideon58

08-04-20, 03:08 PM

cricket

08-04-20, 03:40 PM

Elite Squad: The Enemy Within (2010)

3.5+

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2011/11/11/arts/11ELITE_SPAN/SUBELITE-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale

A step down from the first but still a terrific crime film.

Takoma11

08-04-20, 03:58 PM

Fabulous

08-04-20, 05:34 PM

Drums Along the Mohawk (1939)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/tSX2kkwyivYiw9kL5sUOHsSLWXx.jpg

GulfportDoc

08-04-20, 08:31 PM

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1st Re-watch...I didn't think this film could be better the second time around because I thought it was pretty much perfect the first time. Rian Johnson's Oscar for original screenplay was one of the most richly deserved Oscars in this category EVER. Meticulous direction, brilliant ensemble cast, everything works here. rating_5
I agree. Here's my review:
Knives Out(2019)

During a rather lackluster Holiday season of film releases we were treated to a good old fashioned whodunit murder mystery ala Agatha Christie. Written and directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper, Breaking Bad), the setting is in a 19th Century Massachusetts mansion, where it’s patriarch and popular novelist owner is murdered on his 85th birthday, following a birthday party attended by his entire family and staff.

The ensemble cast includes Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Ana de Armas, and Christopher Plummer, who all turn in memorable performances. Of special note is Daniel Craig (007) as a famous Poirot-like detective who plays against type with a creditable southern plantation accent; and Chris Evans (Captain America) as a caddish playboy.

Films of this type can veer into either farce or incoherent complexity, but in this case the picture stays on track and holds one’s interest for its entire 130 minute run time. The story is both inventive and light hearted while avoiding triteness. It’s abundant twists and turns are believable: a Charlie Chan/Sherlock Holmes mystery wrapped up in a very pleasing PG-13 production.

It’s surprising that this solid little film had only one Oscar nomination: Best Original Screenplay, which it certainly deserved. Looking back, Knives Out was surely as good as most of the pictures who were nominated. It received high praise from both critics and audiences, often being placed in the year’s 10 best. If you like whodunits, this is a good one to see.

Doc’s rating: 8/10

Gideon58

08-04-20, 08:33 PM

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3.5

Fabulous

08-04-20, 08:42 PM

Penny Serenade (1941)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/cfWxR72RiA3cO9qurVaAAuFoNqk.jpg

Takoma11

08-04-20, 10:06 PM

https://im.rediff.com/movies/2018/apr/24apu2.jpg?w=670&h=900

Pather Panchali, 1955

I'm going to need some bubble-gum, fluff movie after all of the intensity of the last few days!

The film follows an impoverished family in rural India. While much of the perspective of the film rests with the family's young son, Apu, the rest of the family is also given their fair share of screen time. There's Sarbojaya, Apu's mother who suffers under the familial and social pressure of managing a household on very little money. There's Durga, Apu's older sister, who has a habit of scavenging items and fruit where she can find them. And then there's Indir, a mischievous elderly aunt.

I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this movie. The imagery is gorgeous, the performances are strong and heartfelt. The conflict between the different characters arrives so naturally and is painted with such nuance. For example, the fraught relationship between Sarbojaya and Durga. Sarbojaya despairs at the family's financial struggles. When Durga's thefts adds criticism from neighbors and family, Sarbojaya (horribly, but understandably) takes her frustrations out on her daughter.

There's also something special about the way that the film shows the family's relationship to the nature around them. Sarbojaya is frustrated by her social isolation, but at the same time the woods around them are beautiful. The children run through fields and dance in the rain, even as the same storm threatens to flood or destroy their home. A sequence in which Sarbojaya sits up at night with a sick child while the wind beats at the house was haunting, almost bordering on the supernatural.

As with many films that trade in realism, the film is most memorable for the moments of small gestures, including a final moment of loyalty between Apu and Durga.

It's hard to say whether I liked this one more than Charulata, another fantastic film by Ray. Fortunately, I'm comfortable saying that they are both excellent movies and highly recommended.

5

Citizen Rules

08-04-20, 10:10 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=66821
Alphaville (Godard 1965)

Anna Karina, that's the best part of the film, though the actor who played the American detective, Eddie Constantine, was good too...He sure looked the part! If you haven't seen this and choose to watch it, know that it's more of an experimental technique film than a sci fi flick...even though it gets tagged as science fiction. It's best to watch this knowing it's meant to be seen as a metaphor for the detrimental effects of a modern society that's too reliant on computers and technology. Or just watch it for Anna Karina:)

rating_3

Fabulous

08-04-20, 11:47 PM

Overlord (1975)

3.5

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/posts/3166-21fcec205c9cb6f5b74d26fc75edf31d/Overlord_INT_Feature_original.jpg

Ultraviolence

08-05-20, 09:37 AM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDU3ZDE1ZjQtOWFmNy00YTc0LWFiZTYtODY1MmY3MzBiYjRjXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTU3ODk4MQ@@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,71 3,1000_AL_.jpg
rating_3
Elias Junior is a great documentary director. Specialized about "ROTA", one of the Elite Squads of the MIlitary Police (just like BOPE from the movie Elite Squad, but they are specialized in patroling the streets). This film was made with only R$500.00 (U$95.264,82) so yeah, it's very low level of production.

Nausicaä

08-05-20, 12:42 PM

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eceh_M_XQAIPdYY?format=jpg&name=small

3

Snooze factor = Z

[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

Sarge

08-05-20, 01:26 PM

Captain Steel

08-05-20, 02:15 PM

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcSjWoVfAQBtbrG3JGim3X707_fLfAvEcS8_BQ&usqp=CAU

Superman (1978)

Haven't watched it for 30 years.

Kind of wish I hadn't watched it today.

So much nostalgia, but I found faults with it that I simply didn't notice when I was 10

3.5

Just curious what the faults were, in your opinion, Sarge.

Certainly there are plot problems (if you're going to reverse time, why not just go back a little further and not open Luthor's lead box with the Kryptonite and prevent the bombs from ever being launched?).

Or was it things like Margot Kidder's casting as Lois? ;)

Gideon58

08-05-20, 02:55 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2VjMzcyMmEtMjk4OC00OWQ1LTlkOTAtYzU5Y2E4MDIzZDYwL2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDY2NTg1NDQ@._V1 _.jpg

2

Stirchley

08-05-20, 03:23 PM

66840

Bit of a slog to get through, but glad I did.

66841

Re-watch of a German classic.

Takoma11

08-05-20, 05:00 PM

http://www.tabulousdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/dioriris_2.jpg

Dior and I, 2014

This documentary follows Raf Simons as he becomes the new creative director at Dior and must turn around a new collection in just eight weeks. The film follows the creative process while also reflecting on the history of Dior and spending some time with the workers in the atelier as they discuss the process.

I really enjoy watching talented people go through a design process. It's what draws me to cooking shows and shows like Project Runway or Blown Away. That element of the film is really fascinating. Simons must incorporate his own vision and philosophy (women being able to move freely, minimalism) with classic Dior expectations such as certain silhouettes. You can understand the pressure of working for such an established and iconic design house--the dual pull of bringing a fresh point of view and honoring tradition at the same time.

Some of the clothes are really cool. In one very memorable sequence, five workers stand around the same skirt, hand stitching each bead into place. The work is really beautiful. And when it comes time to stage the show, the floor to ceiling flowered walls are art in and of themselves.

My only complaint is that I wanted to see more of the design and construction process. The history stuff was fine, but not my main interest.

Even if you're not hugely into fashion, you might still enjoy seeing the process of designing a collection and the physical labor that goes into creating haute couture garments.

3.5

Sarge

08-05-20, 05:22 PM

Just curious what the faults were, in your opinion, Sarge.

Certainly there are plot problems (if you're going to reverse time, why not just go back a little further and not open Luthor's lead box with the Kryptonite and prevent the bombs from ever being launched?).

Or was it things like Margot Kidder's casting as Lois? ;)

Mainly the reversing the earths spin to reverse time.

Planting a boat in the street and also burrowing down through a busy street to get to Luthors lair were a bit eye roll inducing.

That and changng his clothes instantly when falling from a window despite looking for soemwhere to change the previous time.

Only little things really, but all things that I didn't notice as a kid.

Fabulous

08-05-20, 06:23 PM

Love in the Afternoon (1957)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/rlMqMR75CPt2resscxshpau0vKL.jpg

Gideon58

08-05-20, 06:56 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZGVlYTA5NzQtMjBkNy00MmE1LWI3YzYtMTVkMTNmOGE5YmEwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTAyOTE2ODg0._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,75 6,1000_AL_.jpg

3

mark f

08-05-20, 08:19 PM

Guest Artist (Timothy Busfield, 2019) 2.5 5.5/10
Tombstone Rashomon (Alex Cox, 2017) 2+ 5/10
The Room (Christian Volckman 2019) 2.5 6/10
Host (Rob Savage, 2020) 3 6.5/10
https://en.buradabiliyorum.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/37197/watch-host-with-film-summary-and-movie-review.jpg
Pretty damn scary for an hour-long movie about a seance on Zoom during the COVID lockdown.
Cruel Peter (Christian Bisceglia & Ascanio Malgarini, 2019) 2 5/10
Hair High (Bill Plympton, 2004) 2.5+ 6/10
Maximum Force (Joseph Merhi, 1992) 2.5/10
Black Is King (Emmanuel Adjei, Blitz Bazawule & Beyoncé, 2020) 2.5 6/10
https://images.dailyhive.com/20200722145026/Screen-Shot-2020-07-22-at-2.48.18-PM.png
Beyoncé's album crossed with The Lion King.
Embraceable You (Felix Jacoves, 1948) 2.5- 5.5/10
Poetry in Motion (Ron Mann, 1982) 3 6.5/10
The Golden Blade (Nathan Juran, 1953) 2+ 5/10
The Wise Kids (Stephen Cone, 2011) 2.5+ 6/10
https://albertnorton.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/MV5BMTYzMjYwODYyN15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTU3OTc3OA@@__V1_SX1777_CR001777999_AL_.jpg
Faith and sexuality mean a lot to a small religious community.
Deep Blue Sea 3 (John Pogue, 2020) 2 5/10
Enter the Fat Dragon (Kenji Tanigaki, 2020) 2.5+ 6/10
The Fever (Maya Da-Rin, 2019) 2+ 5/10
Yes, God, Yes (Karen Maine, 2019) 2.5+ 6/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/4d47d92bd521b0541086174420c3344a/95d1d5a00204eb01-c7/s500x750/58f99dbcf7d5b3cd9ddbbaa775ef43d22ed8fcce.gifv
What did I say about The Wise Kids?
Tarnished Angel (Leslie Goodwins, 1938) 2+.5/10
Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists (3 Directors, 2018) 3.5 7/10 R.I.P.
A Woman's Revenge (Rita Azevedo Gomes., 2012) 2+ 5/10
Echo (Rúnar Rúnarsson, 2019) 2.5+ 6/10
https://frettabladid.overcastcdn.com/images/293458.2e16d0ba.fill-738x470-c100.jpg
Iceland is a beautiful country but the people can be as ugly-hearted as anywhere.

Captain Steel

08-05-20, 08:45 PM

Mainly the reversing the earths spin to reverse time.

Planting a boat in the street and also burrowing down through a busy street to get to Luthors lair were a bit eye roll inducing.

That and changng his clothes instantly when falling from a window despite looking for soemwhere to change the previous time.

Only little things really, but all things that I didn't notice as a kid.

I always interpreted reversing the Earth's rotation as a visual metaphor (even when I was a kid) for turning back time in the same way some movies will show a calendar with the pages coming off or a clock with it's hands moving around the dial - and no one thinks that somewhere someone is just ripping pages off a calendar or that clocks have just started running super fast.

(What Superman was actually doing was flying faster than light - theoretically breaking the time barrier and travelling back in time just like the Enterprise did several times in Star Trek.)

Correct me if I'm wrong - but doesn't he change clothes instantly in Superman II? (But yes, that always did bother me for the same reasons... and on the account of altering or acquiring new powers, don't get me started on the cellophane shield and "super kiss" at the end of II, or putting the Great Wall of China back together with telekinesis in IV!)

Some of the other super-heroics are impractical, but show off his powers - in real life a super-powered do-gooder would not leave boat-sized problems for the authorities to contend with, but without some of this grand-standing, you'd have a much less visually interesting film. ;)

Takoma11

08-05-20, 08:53 PM

https://walker-web.imgix.net/cms/Barbarella_Vadim_01_W.jpg?auto=format,compress&w=1920&h=1200&fit=max&dpr=1.5

Barbarella, 1968

Always interesting when a movie is both better and worse than you'd imagined.

Barbarella is a space adventurer who is tasked with tracking down a missing doctor/scientist who has created a weapon which could threaten the peace of the universe. Crash landing on a planet, she encounters various strange groups and societies.

Let's start with the positives. Jane Fonda, as Barbarella, gives a very funny, knowing performance. I think that actors sometimes have a hard time capturing a comic book character "vibe", but Fonda really nails it, making her character just slightly extra. It feels cartoonish but not one-dimensional. Most of the other actors fare pretty well in this regard, and the film's universe of character feels consistent.

More than that, the cast of characters is wonderfully eclectic: a fallen angel, a pack of feral children, members of a sociopathic society who worship evil deeds, and so on. Much more than the usual archetypes that often populate sci-fi.

The comic book vibe continues into the excellent costuming and set design. I had not expected that the film would look so dang good. The color scheme is really cool and there are scenes with surreal, creative design, such as a labyrinth where the people trapped inside are slowly growing into solid rock. The overall look of the film and the sets were easily my favorite thing about the movie and the most pleasant surprise.

On the down side, the plot definitely meanders. The film credits almost 10 different writers, and there's a very episodic feeling to the film. It creates a disjoint path to the conclusion, and the main plot itself (finding the missing scientist) often feels like an afterthought. When the film's final act does swing into motion, it's kind of underwhelming because the stakes have been so poorly established.

I also thought that for a sex romp/comedy, too much of the sex came off as "sci-fi nerd male fantasy." A main character who is really into sex, male or female, can be very fun. But the different scenarios were often kind of . . . sad? Here is why, according to Barbarella, you might have sex:
1) You professionally thank someone for helping you. He asks for sex as a thank you. You're clearly not into it. He whines and badgers you until you agree.
2) A man needs a self-esteem boost.
3) You need someone's help. He expects sex as payment for that help (even though you are also helping him).
4) You are being assaulted/attacked.

Fonda does a great job of playing her character's sexual awakening and enjoyment, but I found the scenarios themselves kind of pathetic and unsexy, especially with the context of Barbarella's "cheerful naive" character. Having watched this dynamic be portrayed much more successfully in the comedy WR: Mysteries of the Organism, it felt like a missed opportunity. The film's moments that actually come across as sexy are those in which Fonda is on her own, such as her "weightless striptease" at the beginning, or her infiltration of a hedonistic club. There's a weakness to her relationships with the other characters that dings the film that slow's the film's momentum and weakens the satisfaction with the plot arc.

Better than I expected, but could have been much better.

3.5

cricket

08-05-20, 09:36 PM

Takoma11

08-05-20, 09:43 PM

Submarine (2010)

3.5

https://66.media.tumblr.com/352a7f0e7ae6af0cdfa1e69cf0d1ad64/tumblr_pb3fvlMh3U1rbud4zo1_400.gifv

Great Britain seems to have a lot of excellent coming of age films and this is one of them. Good mix of comedy and drama with the right amount of quirkinesses. Good cast and I loved that it was set in beautiful Wales.

I'd agree with a 3.5/5. I liked it, but didn't love it. It's been too long for me to be specific.

I really enjoy Richard Ayoade, so I was happy to support his debut film. I was a bigger fan of his next feature, The Double.

Takoma11

08-05-20, 10:17 PM

https://i0.wp.com/www.femestella.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/camp5.jpg?w=1000&ssl=1

Crip Camp, 2020

The laws around what is commonly known as section 504 (a law guaranteeing the right of people with disabilities access to public education via accommodations) are very close to my heart. I originally planned to be a special education teacher, but ended up mainly working as a general educator. I do, however, have a degree in special education and frequently work with students with moderate to severe disabilities in my classroom.

Crip Camp is essential viewing, in my opinion.

The story begins as a look at a summer camp for children with disabilities, affectionately dubbed "Crip Camp" by its attendees. The camp allows the kids and teens to just be themselves. There's singing, dancing, sports, swimming, and sex. In one hilarious sequence, the camp attendees howl in laughter as they describe an outbreak of crabs among the camp population. For people who are used to being seen only as a disability and not as a person, the chance to have "normal" experiences without being judged or coddled is literally life changing. Thanks to the fact that a film crew was very interested in filming the camp and interviewing the kids there, there's a ton of footage from the camp in the 70s.

Then the film shifts and explores how several alumni from the camp went on to advocate for increased rights and protections for people with disabilities. The interviewees recount the various discriminations, dangers, and indignities that they suffer in a world that does not have to accommodate their needs. Doors they can't fit through. Having to roll a wheelchair down the street because they can't get over the curb and up to the sidewalk. Having to drag themselves up staircases because there are no ramps or elevators, something that extends to not being able to use public transportation.

Before I was a teacher I worked for three years with a young woman who had severe complications from cerebral palsy. Watching the way that the campers were treated (gentle reminders "Talk to her, not about her") gave me goosebumps. The group gives everyone a voice, even those whose words are borderline unintelligible. The camp breaks down the hierarchies within disability, then the campers set their sights on breaking down the hierarchies that exist in the outside world. A few years ago I volunteered at a camp for children with muscular dystrophy (I was not working with the children--I'm a massage therapist and I was working for free on the adult counselors)--watching the way that the kids were able to live a normal life was really moving--something that's compounded by knowing that many children with MD will not live past their 20s. At the end of the film you see how long some of the featured kids lived--some of them having died in their 30s and 40s. This realization only adds to an understanding of the urgency of giving people with disabilities a full and active life.

I grew up in the era after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities act. It was shocking for me to see some of the footage of sidewalks with no ramped curbs, and to realize that people with wheelchairs could not uses buses or the subway. Protesters had to be taken from place to place in U-Haul trucks because they could not get on buses. There's disturbing footage of a home for children with disabilities, where neglected children rock or cower, many of them partially or entirely undressed. I had seen footage like this during my Master's program, but it's shocking every time. Many of the people in the film are highly educated and intelligent, and it's a painful reminder of how many brilliant minds have been wasted over the years because of assumptions about what a smart/capable person looks like.

I can't recommend this documentary highly enough. I think that it will give you a renewed point of view on disability and maybe challenge some assumptions of what people with disabilities can do. Not in a "anyone can do anything!" rah-rah way, but in a realistic, "This is what people can do when given love and opportunity" way.

4.5

MovieGal

08-05-20, 11:30 PM

https://www.dailydot.com/wp-content/uploads/65c/75/3ae0a4a21f3561bd724b5ccf8636ca4b-1024x512.jpg

Audrie and Daisy
(2016)
3.5/5

Harvey Hall

08-06-20, 02:38 AM

Kingdom of Heaven (2005) (Director’s Cut)

https://i.imgur.com/pLpTL1A.jpg

Call it Gangs of New York syndrome. Even with this cut’s additional material, there remains a distinct lack of an emotional through-line. The result feels less like one cohesive narrative and more a series of extravagant vignettes. Though what extravagance.

7/10

Fabulous

08-06-20, 03:40 AM

The Swan (1956)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/zhsvcOzjwYslYZJsAw9gqrvBuSQ.jpg

Sarge

08-06-20, 04:14 AM

I always interpreted reversing the Earth's rotation as a visual metaphor (even when I was a kid) for turning back time in the same way some movies will show a calendar with the pages coming off or a clock with it's hands moving around the dial - and no one thinks that somewhere someone is just ripping pages off a calendar or that clocks have just started running super fast.

(What Superman was actually doing was flying faster than light - theoretically breaking the time barrier and travelling back in time just like the Enterprise did several times in Star Trek.)

Correct me if I'm wrong - but doesn't he change clothes instantly in Superman II? (But yes, that always did bother me for the same reasons... and on the account of altering or acquiring new powers, don't get me started on the cellophane shield and "super kiss" at the end of II, or putting the Great Wall of China back together with telekinesis in IV!)

Some of the other super-heroics are impractical, but show off his powers - in real life a super-powered do-gooder would not leave boat-sized problems for the authorities to contend with, but without some of this grand-standing, you'd have a much less visually interesting film. ;)

That would make sense!
In Superman he falls out of the window as CK and then is changed instantly, now I know that he is faster than a speeding bullet, but even if it was a question of speed, where did he put his clothes? :D

I will watch the subsequent ones over the coming days.

Superman II was always my favourite.

John-Connor

08-06-20, 04:44 AM

Dead Man’s Letters 1986 ‘Письма мертвого человека’ Directed by Konstantin Lopushansky
66812
4

The Thin Red Line 1998 Directed by Terrence Malick (First re-watch since '98)
66855
4-

Iroquois

08-06-20, 01:27 PM

Superman - 2.5

not entirely convinced that this is a superior film to Man of Steel

also if I'm thinking about revisiting Superman II but have only ever seen the Lester version, should I try watching the Donner version for the first time instead

angine

08-06-20, 01:32 PM

Watched The Imitation Game again the other night, great film.

GulfportDoc

08-06-20, 01:44 PM

66858
Wicked Woman (1953)

This is a trashy "B" noir that is absolutely delightful! It stars the lovely, rangy, statuesque bombshell, Beverly Michaels, along with Richard Egan in his first lead role, and featuring the inimitable Percy Helton, who usually plays a weasel, worm or weirdo. Egan's alcoholic wife is played by Evelyn Scott, who starred in all of the Peyton Place series iterations on TV.

The noir is unusual because Michael's floozy is both the protagonist AND the femme fatale. It's a The Postman Always Rings Twice type story, although no one's death is plotted, and it has a happy ending.

Directed by the veteran noir director Russel Rouse (D.O.A, The Well, Pillow Talk), it's an in-your-face, seamy, tawdry story that somehow turns out to be rather innocent. At 5'9" plus heels, platinum blonde Michaels sashays around as gracefully and as slowly as a giraffe, and one can't take your eyes off of her. In real life she later married Rouse, and retired after making only 6 major films to rear a family with him.

This is a great "B" noir, and remains as a chief example of the idiom.

Doc's rating: 7/10

Gideon58

08-06-20, 03:52 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTYwMTEzMjgwMl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTU1NTk4NjE@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,673,1000_AL_.jpg

3

Takoma11

08-06-20, 04:21 PM

https://43vapp2ojjm1f6pyd32k2szp-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/4903topGun.jpg

Man with the Gun, 1955

This film is featured in a Criterion set of "Western Noir". Robert Mitchum plays Clint Tollinger, a man who works as a "town tamer"--someone who comes into towns and takes out any outlaws who have overstepped their bounds, unencumbered by the procedures of a traditional sheriff. It just so happens that Clint's estranged wife, Nelly, lives in the town, and as he plots against the local gang, he also tries to understand the rift between himself and Nelly, part of which centers on their absent daughter.

The film is a bit brief in the way that it addresses its themes, but it does raise some interesting questions about pacifism, violence, manliness, and forgiveness. We learn that Tollinger began his work because his own father, a pacifist, was murdered--but as Nelly points out, Tollinger has set himself on a path toward a violent death.

I wish that the film had gone deeper in its exploration of Tollinger's inner workings, and specifically how it affects his work.

The absolute best sequence in the whole film comes when Tollinger has an explosive, emotional fight with Nelly. Leaving her home, he makes his way to a local bar whose owner is in cahoots with the outlaw. The man, who has never been much of a threat, refuses to rise to Tollinger's desire for a confrontation. But Tollinger is relentless--shooting bottles behind him, trashing the building, and finally throwing a knife at him until the man gives in an attempts to retaliate--giving Tollinger the excuse he needs for deadly violence.

The outlaw is, of course, the main bad guy. But interestingly he gets almost zero screen time. The film is more interested in how Tollinger deals with the people who are sort of connected to the outlaw; the people who slightly resent Tollinger's presence; and those who might get caught in the crossfire. They are the ones who reveal important aspects of Tollinger's character and struggle.

My main complaint about the film is that it resolves absurdly quickly, and sort of hand-waves away the issues in the film. With no exaggeration, everything is concluded in about a minute and a half. I didn't mind that there wasn't a dynamite shootout--it's not that kind of western. But everything felt a little too neat. I wish that the film had embraced the dark complexity of its middle third and really taken those themes to the end.

Mitchum brings his usual thoughtful danger vibe. Jan Sterling really holds her own as Nelly. Tollinger is the protagonist and the film is almost unwaveringly on his side, but Sterling's performance really helps you understand the frustration and anxiety of being the spouse of someone who leaves for extended periods of time to do potentially deadly work. Barbara Lawrence deserves a mention for her comic portrayal of the classic "dumb blonde" character--she adds enough sparkle to the character's borderline sociopathic bimbo that I ended up really enjoying the character.

It doesn't entirely live up to the dark, introspective western that it could have been, but it's still a solid effort and well worth checking out.

3.5

Takoma11

08-06-20, 05:05 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYTA3NmUxMWYtNjAzOC00NjU5LThkMGItMGQ2NzY1MTM3MTk1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE@._V1_.jpg

The Willoughbys, 2020

After a few heavy-hitting films, I was in the mood for something light. This was maybe . . . too light.

The film is an adaptation of a Lois Lowry novel (something I discovered at the closing credits). Being familiar with some of Lowry's work--though not this particular novel--I feel like something went askew in the process of adaptation.

Two absolutely horrible sociopaths have four children and treat them with utter disdain and neglect. The eldest son, Tim, is obsessed with the family's legacy of greatness and exploration, but his parents shut him (and his siblings) down at every turn. They are neglected and starved, and eventually they decide to get rid of their parents and live as orphans.

It's actually hard to sum up the plot because it is so scattershot. There's a (real) orphan baby that they find on the doorstep. There's a gregarious man who runs a huge candy factory. There's a lovable nanny who swoops in to take care of the children and fight to earn Tim's trust. There's an orphan-stealing, evil service/corporation. There's a talking cat narrating the whole thing.

While I did appreciate some of the visuals and some of the snappy dialogue and clever references, the film is very dark and almost too adult at times. It takes things like sexual references or breaking the fourth wall (stuff "for the adults" in a kids' movie) and amps them up too much. The movie feels like it's desperately catering to "hip parents" instead of creating an engaging and funny movie for kids. The resulting film is neither subversive enough to aim at adults, nor good enough to aim at kids.

The voice performances are very strong (though the narrating cat's time could have--and should have!--been cut in half), with Maya Rudolph as the nanny being a particular stand-out. The performances of the parents are good, but the content itself is kind of disturbing. For example, the decision to have the mom sound turned on (or explicitly show the father being turned on) when they punish or abuse the kids was just gross.

The animation is pretty good, but it's in service of a story that's a scattered mess. I liked it well enough as a palette cleanser, but several times found myself asking "What were they thinking?!".

3

AgrippinaX

08-06-20, 05:07 PM

https://s.movieinsider.com/images/p/150/555762_m1586623469.jpg

The Willoughbys, 2020

After a few heavy-hitting films, I was in the mood for something light. This was maybe . . . too light.

The film is an adaptation of a Lois Lowry novel (something I discovered at the closing credits). Being familiar with some of Lowry's work--though not this particular novel--I feel like something went askew in the process of adaptation.

Two absolutely horrible sociopaths have four children and treat them with utter disdain and neglect. The eldest son, Tim, is obsessed with the family's legacy of greatness and exploration, but his parents shut him (and his siblings) down at every turn. They are neglected and starved, and eventually they decide to get rid of their parents and live as orphans.

It's actually hard to sum up the plot because it is so scattershot. There's a (real) orphan baby that they find on the doorstep. There's a gregarious man who runs a huge candy factory. There's a lovable nanny who swoops in to take care of the children and fight to earn Tim's trust. There's an orphan-stealing, evil service/corporation. There's a talking cat narrating the whole thing.

While I did appreciate some of the visuals and some of the snappy dialogue and clever references, the film is very dark and almost too adult at times. It takes things like sexual references or breaking the fourth wall (stuff "for the adults" in a kids' movie) and amps them up too much. The movie feels like it's desperately catering to "hip parents" instead of creating an engaging and funny movie for kids. The resulting film is neither subversive enough to aim at adults, nor good enough to aim at kids.

The voice performances are very strong (though the narrating cat's time could have--and should have!--been cut in half), with Maya Rudolph as the nanny being a particular stand-out. The performances of the parents are good, but the content itself is kind of disturbing. For example, the decision to have the mom sound turned on (or explicitly show the father being turned on) when they punish or abuse the kids was just gross.

The animation is pretty good, but it's in service of a story that's a scattered mess. I liked it well enough as a palette cleanser, but several times found myself asking "What were they thinking?!".

3

Can’t see the image, is it just me?

Chypmunk

08-06-20, 05:20 PM

Can’t see the image, is it just me?
I seriously doubt the image would be a picture of just you. It might be though, I guess, as I can't see it either ;)

Takoma11

08-06-20, 05:22 PM

That's weird. It showed up in the preview and I can see it in the post. I'll swap it out for something else. (Though, honestly, the film's not really worth that much fuss.)

AgrippinaX

08-06-20, 05:33 PM

That's weird. It showed up in the preview and I can see it in the post. I'll swap it out for something else. (Though, honestly, the film's not really worth that much fuss.)
Well, sorry. Now I feel bad :(

Chypmunk

08-06-20, 05:37 PM

Man with the Gun, 1955
3.5
Read the first cpl of sentences of your review and thought ..... that sounds like something I ought to watch. Read the next one and thought ..... actually that sounds like something I did watch as part of my prep for the recent Westerns countdown.

Penny only finally dropped when I looked it up on IMDb, I did indeed watch it but recorded it under its alternative title The Trouble Shooter - pretty much agree with what you wrote, an enjoyable enough watch overall that got a 3 from me.

Oh to be young again with a decent memory, I only watched it in February :D

Fabulous

08-06-20, 06:32 PM

Let's Make Love (1960)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/9NX7h3wJXe335G4bLuEKedJdAJt.jpg

Takoma11

08-06-20, 06:43 PM

Well, sorry. Now I feel bad :(

I'm not sure why it didn't show up for you. Maybe a regional thing? Who knows. Hopefully it's visible now. It only took 10 seconds to swap out the image, but it's the last 10 seconds of mine that I'm giving to The Willoughbys!

Read the first cpl of sentences of your review and thought ..... that sounds like something I ought to watch. Read the next one and thought ..... actually that sounds like something I did watch as part of my prep for the recent Westerns countdown.

Penny only finally dropped when I looked it up on IMDb, I did indeed watch it but recorded it under its alternative title The Trouble Shooter - pretty much agree with what you wrote, an enjoyable enough watch overall that got a 3 from me.

Oh to be young again with a decent memory, I only watched it in February :D

I have once or twice gotten a good chunk into a film before realizing I've watched it before. And sometimes I look back at the list of movies I watched during the year so far and I have no clue what a third of them are until I look up a summary.

Fabulous

08-06-20, 10:42 PM

The Fugitive Kind (1960)

3

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/iKutWsQGKt86ldGpB36GF5qU38O.jpg

Takoma11

08-07-20, 12:24 AM

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P8naCQ7aLL4/WyrgfyGinVI/AAAAAAAAF4M/FUpEpVUbsPUaBpugBr-HK9KKjK4J1-NYQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Damsel%2BWasikowska.jpg

Damsel, 2018

What a mixed bag.

A wealthy young man named Samuel arrives in a strange town, guitar slung over his back and miniature pony in tow. He hires a drunken preacher to accompany him, and together they set off to help Samuel find his fiance, Penelope. Only once they've gone a long way does Samuel reveal that Penelope has actually been abducted and this is a rescue mission. When the pair arrives to rescue Penelope, things turn out to be more complicated than might be expected.

I read a review of this film that was absolutely scathing, and it said that the acting was flat and boring. I couldn't disagree more. The first half of the film belongs to Robert Pattinson as Samuel. Pattinson kind of reminds me of Nicholas Cage, in that what he does doesn't always work, but it's always interesting to see how he interprets his characters. Pattinson does a good job with his character's physicality, adding depth to a slightly-underwritten role (more about that later). The second half of the film is absolutely dominated by Mia Wasikowska as the pursued Penelope. I absolutely love her as an actress, and she is heads and shoulders over everyone else in the film.

The cinematography is also a strong point, and the style of the film is almost a character in and of itself. The film also manages some good visual gags, and the image of Butterscotch, the miniature horse, against a classic Western background never gets old.

The problem in the film is its overall vibe and the style of the writing. This is one of those "self-aware" Westerns. The language gestures in the direction of Deadwood-like crude Victorian speech, but rarely finds a natural-feeling rhythm. The film is already quite quirky in terms of its visual style and acting, and the writing pushes it in a direction that's sort of disengaging. The characters read as rather flat--despite the oomph and effort by the actors--because everything feels so staged and self-aware that no one feels actually real.

And there lies the real problem with the film. The old saying goes "show, don't tell," but this movie is coy on both fronts. Many things happen and many conversations are held, but very few of them actually deepen our understanding of the characters or illuminate their relationships and emotions. Wasikowska does more with her pained looks and frowns than any single line of dialogue. I talk a lot about stakes in a film--I have to care about someone or something. And in this film I reacted to several major character deaths or misfortunes with detachment.

I would say that this one is worth watching for the performances alone (especially Wasikowska), but go in with tempered expectations. If watching Robert Pattinson brush the hair of a miniature horse is your thing, this one is highly recommended.

Honestly, the only reason that this gets a 3.5 and not a 3 is that (MILD, NON-SUPER PLOT RELATED SPOILERS)Butterscotch the horse was not harmed/eaten, which would have been an easy and cruel joke

3.5

WrinkledMind

08-07-20, 07:01 AM

cricket

08-07-20, 08:09 AM

Compulsion (1959)

3.5

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2--BMa1erFrpZc7u3q7aRgz0gkwTmsLEV3wGDL73j8oiVJv4YVWCjwhk8ZELIzu4eZ0Jo1oxcwRJxm3-5zVgccn9zDrS5IGQUKX7xB9o7XXLsC3fjqbkfOLT5-sgsfPNcxVt

I had this on my list because it was number 1 on SilentVamp's 50's ballot. Two very wealthy college student pals also happen to be murderous sociopaths. The police are finally on to them and it's up to their famous defense attorney (Orson Welles) to keep them from getting the death penalty. Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman were terrific as the two menaces and I enjoyed the movie more when they were the focal point. Welles shows up 2/3s through and he's great, but he completely takes the movie over. It then becomes more about how righteous the death penalty is, which is something I've never been able to make up my mind about. I'm more interested in the thought that's brought up as to if their should be any compassion for bad people based on what happened to them to make them that way. It seems that it's based upon a real life case and it made for a very good film. There's a perfect copy on YouTube.

chawhee

08-07-20, 09:43 AM

Athlete A (2020)
https://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/large960_blur-5177240073eae3d4cbac3a84b480222a.jpg
4
Credit to Takoma11 for introducing me to this documentary's existence, and it is certainly a worthwhile one. Even if you followed the story of Larry Nassar's conviction pretty closely as it broke years ago, there is a lot here that is unsettling. It's troubling to think of how much corruption there might actually be in this entire world revolving around this type of misconduct.

I am also a little surprised MSU doesn't seem to have carried a burden from this as heavily as PSU has carried theirs due to Sandusky though. Recommended watch, and now it's time for me to watch something a little bit lighter (especially after listening to the most recent podcast episode by Sam Harris which touches on this same child abuse subject).

Takoma11

08-07-20, 12:49 PM

Watched The World's End. It had few funny moments, but overall it was disappointing for me. And I am a huge fan of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz.

It kinda felt that they didn't really worked on the story. Felt like a poor mashup of the two early movies (robot/alien for zombies) and the suspicious activity in town.

I totally agree with you. I have a friend who likes it the best out of the three, for the way that it captures a protagonist who desperately wants to go back to younger days. But I felt like the script never totally clicked with me. I love Wright and I love the cast of the film, but overall it was a slight miss for me.

My favorite is far and away is Hot Fuzz.

Compulsion (1959)

3.5

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2--BMa1erFrpZc7u3q7aRgz0gkwTmsLEV3wGDL73j8oiVJv4YVWCjwhk8ZELIzu4eZ0Jo1oxcwRJxm3-5zVgccn9zDrS5IGQUKX7xB9o7XXLsC3fjqbkfOLT5-sgsfPNcxVt

I had this on my list because it was number 1 on SilentVamp's 50's ballot. Two very wealthy college student pals also happen to be murderous sociopaths. The police are finally on to them and it's up to their famous defense attorney (Orson Welles) to keep them from getting the death penalty. Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman were terrific as the two menaces and I enjoyed the movie more when they were the focal point. Welles shows up 2/3s through and he's great, but he completely takes the movie over. It then becomes more about how righteous the death penalty is, which is something I've never been able to make up my mind about. I'm more interested in the thought that's brought up as to if their should be any compassion for bad people based on what happened to them to make them that way. It seems that it's based upon a real life case and it made for a very good film. There's a perfect copy on YouTube.

Have you seen Rope? It's Hitchcock's take on the Leopold and Loeb case. It's more interested in the young men and their point of view about "superior" people having the right to kill those who are "lesser". It's very "stage play" feelings, and takes place all in one location. Jimmy Stewart plays their professor who begins to suspect they've committed a murder.

Athlete A (2020)
I am also a little surprised MSU doesn't seem to have carried a burden from this as heavily as PSU has carried theirs due to Sandusky though.

My impression (though I admittedly don't know a ton about the case outside of this doc) is that there was less "covering up" that happened at MSU--that most of the failure to report happened through USAG. At PSU, you had the intern reporting to the head coach. They knew about allegations and continued to let Sandusky host kids AT HIS HOME. With Nassar, his abuse all happened during "official business" and his work was to actually be in contact with these girls. Sandusky's reasons for being around little boys ("mentoring") was more sketchy and not part of his official job description. I think that it's also partly due to how horrible USAG handled the whole thing. They were explicitly covering things up, moving abusive coaches around, dragging their feet on investigating.

Citizen Rules

08-07-20, 12:58 PM

Compulsion (1959)

rating_3_5

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2--BMa1erFrpZc7u3q7aRgz0gkwTmsLEV3wGDL73j8oiVJv4YVWCjwhk8ZELIzu4eZ0Jo1oxcwRJxm3-5zVgccn9zDrS5IGQUKX7xB9o7XXLsC3fjqbkfOLT5-sgsfPNcxVt

I had this on my list because it was number 1 on SilentVamp's 50's ballot. Two very wealthy college student pals also happen to be murderous sociopaths. The police are finally on to them and it's up to their famous defense attorney (Orson Welles) to keep them from getting the death penalty. Dean Stockwell and Bradford Dillman were terrific as the two menaces and I enjoyed the movie more when they were the focal point. Welles shows up 2/3s through and he's great, but he completely takes the movie over. It then becomes more about how righteous the death penalty is, which is something I've never been able to make up my mind about. I'm more interested in the thought that's brought up as to if their should be any compassion for bad people based on what happened to them to make them that way. It seems that it's based upon a real life case and it made for a very good film. There's a perfect copy on YouTube.
I seen that a few years ago, I remember liking it and now that you mention it I remember Vamp really liking it. I seem to recall that it's based on the same real life murder case that Hitch's Rope was based on. So with those two movies you get two different views of the same story. (Unless I'm wrong about the Rope tie in)

cricket

08-07-20, 01:21 PM

I liked Rope the first time I saw it but not so much the last time.

Citizen Rules

08-07-20, 01:29 PM

I liked Rope the first time I saw it but not so much the last time.I'm not the biggest fan of Rope either, but it's watchable for me. I believe I originally watched Compulsion thanks to Vamp recommending it to me.

honeykid

08-07-20, 02:15 PM

It's troubling to think of how much corruption there might actually be in this entire world revolving around this type of misconduct.

I'm always surprised how surprised people are about this kind of thing. I'm still not sure whether I live(d) in a very different world or whether I just walked around with my eyes and ears open?

Fabulous

08-07-20, 02:38 PM

Experiment in Terror (1962)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/weHAA6nfPtQTXUQqokoaEcXN72h.jpg

John-Connor

08-08-20, 06:26 AM

Togo 2019 Directed by Ericson Core
https://konstella-attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/5e220551e4b01317067fd2ab%2Ftogo.gif
Untold true story about one of the most heroic animals of all time. Hard watch for me, I can watch almost anything involving human suffering unaffected. But when it comes to one little husky pup I can barely keep my eyes on the screen.
4+

Gettysburg 1993 Directed by Ronald F. Maxwell
66861
Good epic but gets lost in details, maybe a bit too much focus on being historically accurate.
Also hair and makeup did a terrible job on the fake mustaches and beards.
3.5+

chawhee

08-08-20, 10:48 AM

Grandmas Boy (2006)
https://themoviereviewdude.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/grandmas-boy-50742ae84a132.jpg?w=616&h=347
5
Another favorite of mine in the same realm as Knocked Up. Growing up playing lots of video games (as well as other activities in the movie) really made me relate to the characters here. All of the stereotypes and jokes work in this one, and it's before I started getting sick of Nick Swardson :lol:

James D. Gardiner

08-08-20, 10:57 AM

Also hair and makeup did a terrible job on the fake mustaches and beards.

Never a truer word was spoken. :D

John-Connor

08-08-20, 11:11 AM

Never a truer word was spoken. :D

66891
Screenshot of Jeff Daniels in Gettysburg. :D

James D. Gardiner

08-08-20, 11:24 AM

Screenshot of Jeff Daniels in Gettysburg. :D

A tragically unfortunate likeness. Cannot be unseen.

Takoma11

08-08-20, 02:40 PM

http://thecinemaarchives.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/blithe-spirit-rex.jpg

Blithe Spirit, 1945

Charles and Ruth are hosting a fun evening with another couple. They hire a local medium to come and perform a seance at entertainment, but it all gets a little too real when the spirit of Charles' first wife, Elvira, is summoned and doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Visible only to Charles, her presence causes a rift between Charles and Ruth.

This movie could--and should!--have been great, but somehow I felt like it landed at "good."

On the positive side, the dialogue absolutely crackles with dry humor (courtesy mostly of Noel Coward's source material) and the actors deliver their lines very well. All of the relationships bristle with love-hate energy, and that's a fun dynamic when it comes to their conversations.

It would be wrong to not call out Margeret Rutherford's totally stellar performance as the medium. Equal parts kooky old lady and poltergeist fan-girl, Rutherford is utterly charming as a woman who is in over her head and ecstatic that she gets to be a part of a genuine paranormal experience.

The problem that I had with the film had a lot to do with character development and motivation. There seems to be very little genuine affection between Charles and Ruth or between Charles and Elvira. That could have been fine, because a marriage doesn't have to be loving to be funny. But none of them really make sense as a couple. More than that, the lack of affection means that the motivations of the characters seem muddled. Elvira doesn't really like Charles, and frequently says that she wants to go back to where she was. But then we're told that she's plotting his death so that he'll join her in the afterlife. I never felt like I got much of a grip on what any of the main characters actually wanted--out of life or from each other.

There's an aimlessness to the movie that work out okay in the middle because the dialogue is so good and the performances are so fun. But going into the final act the one-liners can't float the film any longer. I was actually somewhat confused by the last 15 minutes, and the lack of world-building and character building left me feeling like I didn't totally understand why certain things had happened and how the characters were meant to feel about them.

I did enjoy the way that the movie was filmed. It comes across (in a good way) as a mix between a film and a stage-play. I liked that Lean alternated between showing and not showing Elvira--making some clever uses of empty space to help us understand different perspectives.

I'd call this one a near-miss.

3.5

Fabulous

08-08-20, 02:49 PM

Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/moV8S6PFcFcUQBSxv2LS0wF7oN0.jpg

Takoma11

08-08-20, 03:29 PM

66891
Screenshot of Jeff Daniels in Gettysburg. :D

I'm sad that I can only give this one thumbs up.

Gideon58

08-08-20, 04:05 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjAxMzY3NjcxNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTI5OTM0Mw@@._V1_.jpg

4

Takoma11

08-08-20, 04:22 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjAxMzY3NjcxNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNTI5OTM0Mw@@._V1_.jpg

4

It's a solid flick. I feel like it loses a little steam in the final act, but it's a very satisfying narrative with some very enjoyable performances and stunning visuals.

Personal Anecdote!! I was an extra (like, one of thousands) in The Dark Knight Rises, and at one point when Nolan walked past my group a guy started (mostly as a joke) heckling him: "Noooooolan! Nooooolan! Hey, Nolan! Explain Inception! NOLAN!" Whenever I think of Inception I remember that distinctive Pittsburgh accent yelling at an Oscar-nominated filmmaker.

Gideon58

08-08-20, 04:24 PM

It's a solid flick. I feel like it loses a little steam in the final act, but it's a very satisfying narrative with some very enjoyable performances and stunning visuals.

Personal Anecdote!! I was an extra (like, one of thousands) in The Dark Knight Rises, and at one point when Nolan walked past my group a guy started (mostly as a joke) heckling him: "Noooooolan! Nooooolan! Hey, Nolan! Explain Inception! NOLAN!" Whenever I think of Inception I remember that distinctive Pittsburgh accent yelling at an Oscar-nominated filmmaker.

The Dark Knight Rises is one of those rare sequels that stands proudly next to its predecessor.

Fabulous

08-08-20, 06:08 PM

The Party (1968)

2.5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/lHx9jigYO4tIUiZV3v6PSDJFkIR.jpg

Leostales

08-08-20, 06:48 PM

https://scdn.nflximg.net/images/5417/2395417.jpg
Murder by Decree (1979): 4
I love Benedict Cumberbatch; but its always nice to see a traditional Sherlock Holmes. Christopher Plummer plays Holmes with a vigor that reveals how deeply he cares about the victims. Holmes gets emotional more than once and its very interesting to see. He has good chemistry with James Mason's Watson. Its nice to see a Holmes and Watson that aren't at each other's throats.

This movie is the darkest Sherlock Holmes story I've ever seen/read. This isn't surprising, since its based on the same Jack the Ripper theory as the graphic novel From Hell. Despite the film's deconstructive nature, it all feels true to the source material resulting in an authentic but original experience.

Unfortunately, the films sound mixing is horrendous. The actors' voices aren't captured clearly and they're obscured by noisy sound effects, especially in crowd scenes. The dvd I watched had no subtitles, so I missed a third of the dialogue. The pacing gets sluggish at times and the production design sometimes feels fake. But by the end, it was all cool.

Overall, Plummer and the script win over the crappy sound design and pacing errors. I recommend this movie, but make sure you get a version with subtitles.

Drinking Game Idea: Take a drink whenever Holmes tells Watson they're being followed.

Gideon58

08-08-20, 08:01 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNWZjZDdhYTAtMDcyOC00YmU5LWEzNzktODk2NDA5MjZmNzM4XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjI4MjA5MzA@._V1_.jpg

3

Takoma11

08-09-20, 12:34 AM

https://alchetron.com/cdn/Ministry-of-Fear-images-fbfe47a8-6c25-4538-b7c1-7834b3b1a0b.jpg

Ministry of Fear, 1944

This was a really fabulous noir/thriller from Fritz Lang.

We meet Stephen Neale (Ray Milland) as he watches a wall clock count down the last minute of his captivity in an asylum. On his release, he is given friendly advice from the warden to steer clear of the police. But making his way back home he by chance spends some time at a small charity fete, where the simple act of playing a guessing game about the weight of a cake sets off a series of strange and increasingly dangerous events. In trying to unravel the mystery, Neale teams up with a charming pair of siblings who run the charity, a mysterious woman conducting a seance, and various characters who might be allies or enemies.

There are a lot of specific details in the film that really add to its charm. To start with, the setting of wartime England is evoked, not only in the plot itself, but in elements like the sound of an air raid or a sequence where during a raid a little girl takes a basket of kittens down into the subway to stay safe. The siblings running the charity have escaped from Austria, and there's a general sense of surrounding tension. The general level of detail and specific sense of place clashes nicely with the strange and nightmarish events that happen to Neale.

I also loved the style in which the film was shot. Undoubtedly my favorite moment was a character coming into consciousness to the sideways view of a man in a rocking chair. The film is full of fun, odd angles and moments like this. Many of the sets involve neat use of space, like staircases that allow for layering and motion of characters that is both dynamic and disorienting. Another great sequence is the one in which Neale attends the seance and things just go . . . wrong. Lang isn't afraid to use long stretches of darkness and/or silence, and it adds to the tension and disorientation.

The set-up that Neale has had a past with the law (something that is slowly revealed through the course of the film) adds a wonderful sense of paranoia to the whole thing. Neale's reluctance to go to the authorities is totally understandable, and yet at the same time the viewer can see how it makes his behavior more suspicious. Giving the main character a really good reason not to immediately go to the police makes Neale's actions much more relatable and adds to the dread.

I first heard about this film while taking a TCM online class in film noir. I'm sorry I didn't get to it sooner--it's a real gem!

4.5

Fabulous

08-09-20, 02:09 AM

The New World (2005)

4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/p8A3Lh09i6D4oa9UzX07QMxmYkN.jpg

mark f

08-09-20, 05:11 AM

The Short History of the Long Road (Ani Simon-Kennedy, 2019) 2.5 6/10
Giraffe (Anna Sofie Hartmann, 2019) 2+ 5/10
Hitler Lives (Don Siegel, 1945) 2.5 6/10
Babysplitters (Sam Friedlander, 2019) 3- 6.5/10
https://rogermooresmovienation.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/baby1.jpeg?w=584
Unable to conceive a baby on their own. two couples combine their resources [in every possible way] to remedy the situation.
Shine Your Eyes (Matias Mariani, 2020) 2.5 6/10
She Dies Tomorrow (Amy Seimetz, 2020) 2 5/10
Summerland (Jessica Swale, 2020) 2.5+ 6/10
Prison Song (Darnell Martin, 2001) 3 6.5/10
https://www.prisonmovies.net/wp-content/uploads/prison-song-0.jpg
Fictional depiction of black lives in America thrown down the drain in New York, mostly in a for-profit prison.
Getting It (Tom Heard, 2020) 2.5 6/10
Thirty Day Princess (Marion Gering, 1934) 2.5 6/10
The Secret: Dare to Dream (Andy Tennant, 2020) 2.5.6/10
An American Pickle (Brandon Trost, 2020) 2.5 6/10
https://www.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/resources/images/11670349.jpg?display=1&htype=0&type=responsive-gallery
Fantasy-comedy where Polish Jew émigré Seth Rogen "awakens" in 2020 Brooklyn after a century and meets his great-grandson (also Rogen), triggering all kinds of commentary on history, technology and politics.
Fagara (Heiward Mak, 2019) 2.5 6/10
Pit Stop (Tan Yen, 2013) 2+.5/10
Timescape AKA Grand Tour: Disaster in Time (David N. Twohy, 1991) 2.5 6/10
La llorona (Jayro Bustamante, 2019) 2.5 6/10
https://i1.wp.com/promotehorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/IMG_5771.png?fit=640%2C360
Guatemalans demand the overthrow of their dictator, but when he won't go, he and his family are haunted by the spirits of the land.
Lovelace (Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman, 2013) 2.5 6/10
The Secret Garden (Marc Munden, 2020) 2.5 6/10
The Tax Collector (David Ayer, 2020) 2 5/10
I Used to Go Here (Kris Rey, 2020) 2.5 6/10
https://static01.nyt.com/images/2020/08/08/arts/08tvcol-useto/merlin_175173219_9de208e3-d524-437b-b333-da77cf7d15cf-articleLarge.jpg?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale
Recently-published author Giilian Jacobs returns to her Illinois college as a speaker and relives old times and learns new truths.

FromBeyond

08-09-20, 09:33 AM

Downhill 2020

Only watched this because I unashamedly love Will Ferrell, he is my favourite comedic actor, I even like him in films I do not like, I don't know how anybody could not like this idiot.

Anyhow I was surprised by the emotional depth and realism of this movie and even more by how much hate there is for it, I'm pleased I read the reviews after the movie as I probably wouldn't have watched it otherwise

so yeah its a remake and the original is a hundred million billion times better by most accounts but for me it was something different and I really quite enjoyed it but I seem to be the only person

4

pahaK

08-09-20, 10:39 AM

Let's clear the backlog quickly...

Mimic (1997)
2.5
It sort of looks like del Toro movie but the studio interference makes the resemblance purely cosmetic. And that's the director's cut I'm talking about. The concept is OK but the film is a soulless studio product.

Mimic 2 (2001)
1.5
The first half is a collection of copied scenes from the original and then it gets worse. The monster is decent and there are a couple of funny scenes (like Remi undressing in front of that young dude). As a whole, it's bad.

Mimic 3 (2003)
2
It's different than the other two and goes full Rear Window. It's not exactly better than the previous film but it's bad in a more entertaining way. Oh, and Rosy is pretty hot.

Beyond the Woods (2016)
1
The best thing about this film is the obvious fake reviews in IMDb. The movie itself is a mix of supernatural slasher, an inescapable inferno, and a toilet full of poo. One of the worst films I've seen this year.

Marco

08-09-20, 11:00 AM

The Tax Collector (2020)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/The_Tax_Collector.jpg
2 collectors for a Mexican crime outfit (Bobby Soto, Shia LaBeouf) get rattled when an old nemesis comes back amongst their operation. This was pretty OK but never got beyond TV movie standard.

2

Marco

08-09-20, 11:18 AM

if.... (1968)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cb/If_British_poster.jpg
Liked this in a whacky way. Class observation on English Public School life where the little (or not so little) darlings get a tad out of control. Very dated but strong earthy performances and Lindsay Anderson does a fine job in directing. Quite erotic in parts and a bit stupidly violent in others, it all hangs together well. Richard Warwick is great as is "The Girl".
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn%3AANd9GcQUWQ3xLKi6JkBjsHki3GIgI0O3wg-5pD60Gw&usqp=CAU
4

chawhee

08-09-20, 11:28 AM

You Should Have Left (2020)
https://beforeitsnews.com/contributor/upload/724569/images/iu-1%20(12).jpg
3
I might be rating this a bit high, but I was in the mood for a scary movie so that helped it. Also didn't hurt that Amanda Seyfried is gorgeous ;)

The movie itself is fine; average on most accounts. The plot is pretty predictable, the scares are pretty tame, and the 'twist' ending has been done many times before. It kept me entertained throughout though nonetheless.

honeykid

08-09-20, 11:45 AM

Downhill 2020
...I don't know how anybody could not like this idiot.

Hi, I'm HK. :D Bloke annoys me a lot.

Marco

08-09-20, 01:49 PM

I might be rating this a bit high, but I was in the mood for a scary movie so that helped it. Also didn't hurt that Amanda Seyfried is gorgeous ;)

The movie itself is fine; average on most accounts. The plot is pretty predictable, the scares are pretty tame, and the 'twist' ending has been done many times before. It kept me entertained throughout though nonetheless.[/QUOTE]

Think my rating was not so different from yours chawhee....wasn't great...decent Sunday afternoon fayre. I can sympathise for the chap/lady who went to the cinema and expected alot more from this (sorry, can't remember the mofo :))

Takoma11

08-09-20, 02:44 PM

https://i1.wp.com/www.robertpattinsonau.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/iYlqFl.jpg?ssl=1

Bel Ami, 2012

Based on the poster and the lukewarm IMDb score, I was expecting this to not be that great. Instead I was pleasantly surprised by the performances, the plot arc, and the themes/conflicts it explored.

There is a whole subgenre of films about people who come from a poor background trying to manipulate their way through socially climbing society. I thought that this story was a different and interesting take on that dynamic.

Georges Duroy (Robert Pattinson) returns from work as a soldier with no money. Managing to connect with another veteran who is much better off, Georges begins to attempt to ascend the social ladder through a series of manipulations and seductions. But as he gets further into his schemes, he realizes that there are more dynamics at play than he originally imagined.

Films where the male lead seduces a series of women often comes off as a way to show the prowess of the guy. But the take on this dynamic in Bel Ami is very different. Georges is very young (Pattinson was 26 at the time he played the character), and all of his "conquests" are significantly older and more experienced than he is. The viewer is lulled, along with Georges, into believing that he is using them, when in fact it is sometimes the other way around.

The main pillar of the film is the relationship between Georges and a woman named Madeleine (a fabulous Uma Thurman). Madeleine is incredibly intelligent, and all of Georges' work (he is a writer for a newspaper) is literally dictation that he takes from her. She is content to allow Georges to claim her insight and ability as his own, hoping to raise him up. The film gets very interesting when Georges realizes that Madeleine has her own lover, and the ensuing feelings of jealousy he has.

It's too complex to unpack every twist and turn, but all of the actresses playing the women Georges pursues are excellent. Christina Ricci as his first lover, who doesn't care that he has no money. Thurman as the woman he ends up marrying. And Kirsten Scott Davis as a bored wife who Georges seduces merely to embarrass her husband. Each of them bring an element (empathy, intelligence, passion) in which Georges is outmatched.

And this is where I felt that the film was most interesting in its themes. The women in his life are all, in one way or another, better than Georges. Especially Madeleine, whose intelligence and stoicism practically burst at the seams. There are little ways in which they have power over Georges (including one very well-acted scene in which, fed up with Georges pestering her for sex while she is working, Madeleine throws him down on a chair, lifts her skirts, and aggressively has sex with him as he pleads with her to slow down--an interaction that shocks and humiliates Georges and is the first moment in which he realizes who needs who).

But due to social mores at the time, the mere fact that Georges is a man gives him power over the women. Once Georges embraces all of the power he is afforded merely due to his gender, he is able to gain the upper hand. It is both fascinating and frustrating to see the way in which Georges is able to manipulate, and the different reactions of the women to his manipulations.

I think that what makes the film really work is the way that the writing and Pattinson's performance allow you to always retain some sympathy for Georges. He might be manipulative, greedy, and a hypocrite (having two affairs at the same time and yet being angry when his wife takes a lover), but his point of view is very clear. He watched his father die destitute and he is determined not to repeat that fate. We also see the way that others in society delight in humiliating Georges. The wealthy people are a ruthless bunch, and so it's not merely a case of an "evil poor person" deceiving innocent, kind wealthy people. Georges is damaged, and his own pride and the actions of those around him keep him from ever finding a satisfying, loving relationship. While I wasn't exactly rooting for Georges, I felt enough for him that I wasn't just disgusted watching his every move.

I'd definitely be interested in reading the book on which it was based, because so many of the characters were interesting.

I won't speculate as to why the film's IMDb score is so low, but I thought that this was a pleasant surprise and an engaging period piece. The performances alone are what bumps it from a 3.5 to a 4 for me.

4

Takoma11

08-09-20, 03:35 PM

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Fear, 1954

A woman, Irene (Ingrid Bergman), returns from a fling with a man who is not her husband, only to be accosted by her lover's ex-girlfriend, Miss Schultze. Schultze sets about blackmailing Irene, with demands that begin with money but soon escalate. As thing go on, Miss Schultze seems to know more and more about Irene's life, and Irene struggles to keep the blackmail a secret from her husband and colleagues.

This is a really short, to the point film, but it still has some interesting twists and turns. I really liked the way that the film jumps right into the action, never showing us Irene with her lover. There's also a good deal of suspense built in to Irene's work: she is part of a scientific team developing a new sedative. Irene's access to the potentially deadly medication adds a layer of drama to the story.

Bergman does strong work as Irene. She portrays the mix of guilt, indignation, fear, and helplessness that one must feel on being blackmailed. I would have liked to maybe see a scene or two where Irene really lets loose, but I also understand that keeping cool is part of her character.

There are some neat moments and compositions to be had from the direction, especially a scene where a distraught Irene rushes down a long hallway.

Aside from wanting a bit more from the character of Irene, I wish that we'd had a bit more of her relationship with her husband or lover, or even with her kids. I think that you get to know a character largely through how they interact with others, and more of her interacting with others would have sketched out her character a bit better.

This was a solid little drama/thriller that managed to pack quite a bit of story into its relatively short runtime.

3.5