Movie Tab II

[mark f]

The Neon Demon (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2016) 2.5
His Greatest Gamble (John Robertson, 1934) 2
Illusions (Victor Kulle, 1992) 1.5+
Rosemary’s Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968) 4
http://67.media.tumblr.com/c05ad5a81e23803ce50939751a55b858/tumblr_mflpbuhg5E1qg8gigo1_500.gif
Rosemary (Mia Farrow) will do anything to protect her unborn child, but is that really a good thing?
The Joe Louis Story (Robert Gordon, 1953) 2.5-
The Curve aka Krivina (Igor Drijaca, 2012) 1.5
Touchdown Mickey (Wilfred Jackson, 1932) 2.5+
The Sugarland Express (Steven Spielberg, 1974) 3.5
http://67.media.tumblr.com/810747cd54db7f075a756cabf375bce1/tumblr_obtrrhWmR31rxmai6o7_400.gifhttp://67.media.tumblr.com/12b33e31edaf1c41dbe1f12b31e1bac7/tumblr_obtrrhWmR31rxmai6o2_400.gif
http://67.media.tumblr.com/58d24daa261485754b872cf0d5c5e4e6/tumblr_obtrrhWmR31rxmai6o5_400.gifhttp://66.media.tumblr.com/89c1be8fbce550635dfe45c02bea7130/tumblr_obtrrhWmR31rxmai6o6_400.gif
It seems that half of all Texas lawmen are pursuing an escaped convict (William Atherton) and his wife (Goldie Hawn) when they kidnap a highway patrolman (Michael Sacks) and take his car to try to see their two-year-old son.
Spring in a Small Town (Fei Mu, 1948) 2.5
Red Riding Hood (Adam Brooks, 1988) 2
Dormant Beauty (Marco Bellocchio, 2012) 2.5
Mother Pluto (David Hand, 1936) 3
http://i59.tinypic.com/2m5mbzn.gif
Pluto finds the eggs which hatch in his doghouse to produce annoying chicks – at least for a while.
Sweet Music (Alfred E. Green, 1935) 2.5
The Secret Heart (Robert Z. Leonard, 1946) 2
Purple Butterfly (Lou Ye, 2004) 2.5
Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter (Yasuharu Hasebe, 1970) 2.5+
http://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_leuhrfOvSH1qzr8nao1_500.gif
Tokyo gang leader Meiko Kaji flashes her favorite weapon while trying to fight a racist rival gang.
Captain Hurricane (John Robertson, 1935) 2
Gold Diggers in Paris (Ray Enright, 1938) 2.5
The Open Road (Michael Meredith, 2009) 2
The Moon-Spinners (James Neilson, 1964) 3-
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/9/9f/Stratos_in_a_suit.jpeg/revision/latest?cb=20151012161157
Visiting Crete with her musicologist aunt (Joan Greenwood), English teen Hayley Mills runs afoul of the unfriendly and dangerous Eli Wallach.

[Mr Minio]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgHNamnHp0A

Love Stray Cat Rock series!

[Mäx]

Inside Llewyn Davis (Joel Coen/Ethan Coen, 2013) - 3.5+
The Real Glory (Henry Hathaway, 1939) - 3
Guys and Dolls (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1955) - 2+

[Daniel M]

Glad you liked Inside Llewyn Davis but that score seems harsh for Guys and Dolls, it's a film I'm looking forward to eventually watching. Also, any chance of a top 10 soon? :)

[Mäx]

My rating for Inside Llewyn Davis actually went down from my first viewing (8,5/10). While i still love the soundtrack, the story itself couldn't engage me as much anymore. Guys and Dolls is not a bad movie per se, i just wasn't a fan of the story and themes. It looks gorgeous, though.

I still need to rewatch some movies to compile my current top 10. :)

[Mr Minio]

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - rating_4

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mahqjtYu2W1rgjkhbo1_500.gif

A superb buddy movie with always amazing Redford and Newman that later returned in another film of the director The Sting. Some incredible scenes like Newman riding a bike, funny train robbery and a powerful freeze frame ending. Amazing entertainment. Maybe a 4.5 movie even.

Interno di un convento [Behind Convent Walls] (1978) - rating_3_5

http://i.imgur.com/BhiBk9j.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Y2nrSty.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/mIsVtfn.jpg

My first Borowczyk movie. Most of the time it's pretty tasteful and erotica is very sensual, but there are two more hardcore scenes here that surely must've enraged more religious people. Not as good as School of the Holy Beast, but still more than worthy piece of nunsploitation. Not only for perverts!

Visions of Ecstacy (1989) - rating_3_5
Sacred Flesh (2000) - rating_3

http://i.imgur.com/xT0Y7sr.jpg

The first one is said to be banned for 23 years in the UK under the anti-blasphemy law. The second one is from the same director, but far less artsy, more campy and stupid. Both probably inspired by nunsploitation films from Italy and France from the 70's. Both savage nunsploitation flicks. The first one is very atmospheric and artistic, second one funny and campy. Both very enjoyable for people who enjoy this kind of stuff.

Zombeavers (2014) - rating_2_5

https://66.media.tumblr.com/324ae960bb6d5a2ba74b3cbae4a15859/tumblr_nowy6efeg31qaqx8xo1_500.gif

Yet another contemporary creature feature, *cough* masterpiece *cough*. I guess it's better than Sharknado, but the humour is so vulgar, unfunny and stupid it's below any level of decency. At least the beavers are done without CGI and look really nice.

玉蒲团之偷情宝鉴 [Sex and Zen] (1991) - rating_4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/ilbXpZ8EhIv1h1AT4AO8lInthEs.jpg

One of the biggest HK classics at last watched by me! Feels like Chinese Torture Chamber Story with all torture scenes taken out. Very funny and beautifully shot with staggering colors and nice babes. Some freaked up sexual stuff here, but at least it's funny. On to Sex and Zen II now!

The Ninth Configuration (1980) - rating_4

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7336/11366965846_04ce109344.jpg

A pretty twisted, but ultimately full of meaning Kubrickian supplement to a Vietnam syndrome triptych (Jacob's Ladder and Full Metal Jacket being the other two). At times tiresome, at times wonderful, every line of spoken language seems to be important in this flick. The last scene and that freeze frame once again prove that a freeze frame, when used skillfully, may be the best way to end a film.

卿本佳人 [Pretty Woman] (1992) - rating_2_5

http://i.imgur.com/oskqny0.jpg

100% Veronica Yip-core. I got hooked on her ever since I saw 3 Days of a Blind Girl, but sadly this movie, even though has her disrobing on multiple occasions (!!!), isn't even half as good as the aforementioned masterpiece. The jokes are terrible and the movie is bad except for them erotic scenes that really make up for a lot of its faults. The workout sex scene was hilarious and the bathroom mirror, then shower+bathtub scene the best thing in the movie - made me raise the rating at least by a star. The kung-fu parts are cringe-worthy, though. Haha. Generally, worth it for Veronica, but only for enthusiasts and completists.

[mark f]

The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg (Aviva Kempner, 1998) 3
http://cache.thephoenix.com/i/OldBlogs/SoxBlog/Ted%20Williams,%20Eddie%20Pellagrini,%20JFK,%20and%20Hank%20Greenberg.JPG
Hank Greenberg was one of the first baseball players who was exposed to race prejudice, but basically it was only at away games and it only happened on the field. That's where he'd be called all manner of racist names by the opposing players and their fans in the stands, but when the Jewish Greenberg went out after a game, he didn't have to worry about sitting on the back of the bus or drinking at a segregrated water fountain. He was an inspiration for all the fans in Detroit, Jew and Gentile, and he later became one of our national pastime's ambassadors for the desegregation of the game. In fact, Jackie Robinson called Greenberg his idol when he came up to the Big Leagues as the first Black player of the 20th century in Major League Baseball.

When Greenberg came up to play first base for the Detroit Tigers, he was an immediate success and led his team to two pennants in 1934 and 1935. While utilizing some of the greatest jazz music of the '30s and '40s, this film shows old newreels, interviews with Greenberg, his family, his teammates, his friends and his fans (including Walter Matthau who cites him as a personal hero), who all tell how much they love the man and what he stood for. Greenberg was not a religious man, but he was proud of his heritage, so even in the middle of a pennant race, he refused to play baseball on Yom Kippur. Greenberg was drafted into the military in 1940 and served until the rule was changed to allow older men to not have to serve after they turned 28. However, immediately after Pearl Harbor, he reenlisted and served throughout the remainder of WWII. He even came back in the summer of 1945 to lead the Tigers to another pennant. Greenberg fell just short of breaking some prominent records involving home runs and RBIs in a season, but many people attest that he never fell short of being a good man and role model. This is a very interesting film from many perspectives, and you don't have to care about baseball to get a lot out of it.

[Mr Minio]

東邪西毒 [Ashes of Time] (1994) - rating_4_5

http://i.imgur.com/oNjgaFB.jpg

Gotta love Wong Kar-wai's poetic approach. I was hypnotized all throughout the movie. 2008 Redux's color saturation is pretty weird for my taste, but this 1994 Theatrical version is perfect! Amazing cinema!

玉蒲团二之玉女心经 [Sex & Zen II] (1996) - rating_4_5

http://i.imgur.com/RKvWW.jpg

Too good to be true. Even better than the first one. That's what I wrote to Swan on Facebook after I finished the movie:

http://i.imgur.com/4n4RJmJ.jpg

As the King of Kinkiness, I hereby pronounce Sex & Zen II a masterpiece and grant it the Hairy Seal of Approval!

Seriously, though. This one had better plot and erotic scenes had a reason. Well, you know: "It was a poisoned arrow. The poison is very powerful. If you don't screw a woman within an hour your dick will explode." CLASSIC

[Mäx]

The Silence of the Lambs (Jonathan Demme, 1991) - 4.5+
Another Earth (Mike Cahill, 2011) - 4+

[seanc]

Going through one of those phases where everything I watch is gold and I feel like I am rating everything way too high. I am enjoy it while it lasts though because there is no doubt a 1.5 movie will be right around the corner to bring me back to earth.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/dc/Scenes_from_a_Marriage_DVD_cover.jpg/215px-Scenes_from_a_Marriage_DVD_cover.jpg
5

My fourth Bergman that I give a perfect rating to, and that doesn't even account for Persona and Seventh Seal which I think are great as well. The man is an absolute genius with dialogue. I don't know if a screen writer has ever understood the human condition better. As always he is a poet here. Not necessarily writing the way people talk but nailing it by having them talk the way people feel. This film was fantastic from start to finish.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/28/LeSamourai.jpg/220px-LeSamourai.jpg
4.5

Not quite Le Cercle Rouge but pretty damn close. I love the atmosphere and main character. The cat and mouse scenes are great. Cool to think about the film makers Melville must have heavily influenced. I thought about Mann with the score and quiet moments. I thought about maybe every 70's crime film I have seen with the aesthetics. Taxi Driver and French Connection in particular. Of course Dumb And Dumber pays homage with the dilapidated apartment and prominent caged bird. ;) Really good stuff all around. Sean loves Le Melville.

[Swan]

Going through one of those phases where everything I watch is gold and I feel like I am rating everything way too high. I am enjoy it while it lasts though because there is no doubt a 1.5 movie will be right around the corner to bring me back to earth.

Story of my life bruh. Don't sweat it. Liking movies is a good thing!

[mark f]

Goofy Movies Number Five (No Director Listed, 1934) 2.5
Dracula’s Dog aka Zoltan, Hound of Dracula (Albert Band, 1978) 1.5
Summer Palace (Lou Ye, 2007) 2.5
A Letter to Three Wives (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1949) 3.5
http://67.media.tumblr.com/5146ce350006675d59b857901dff6ae2/tumblr_ml635509xU1qdqns5o1_500.gif
The wives are Ann Sothern, Jeanne Crain and Linda Darnell, and the letter writer ran away with one of their husbands. Could it be English teacher Kirk Douglas, here demonstrating the difference between “feeling bad” and “feeling badly” [shown].
Night Falls on Manhattan (Sidney Lumet, 1996) 2.5+
Straight Is the Way (Paul Sloane, 1934) 2
Dollar Dizzy (James W. Horne, 1930) 2.5
The Bank Dick (Edward Cline, 1940) 3.5
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At the behest of his future father-in-law (W.C. Fields), bank clerk Grady Sutton “borrows” money from the bank to invest in some phony stock just before the auditor (Franklin Pangborn) shows up.
The Pip from Pittsburg (Charles Parrott, 1931) 2.5
The Skulls (J. Miles Dale, 2004) 2
Hips, Hips, Hooray! (Mark Sandrich, 1934) 2.5
Zelig (Woody Allen, 1983) 3.5
https://66.media.tumblr.com/041d2f2a674a12c9e506c56d2242cdbe/tumblr_miocwg7pFq1rbddzjo1_500.gif
A clever mockumentary about the “Human Chameleon” (Woody Allen) whose illness and exploits were popular in the ‘20s/’30s.
Heart of Glass (Werner Herzog, 1976) 2.5
5 Card Stud (Henry Hathaway) 2
The Neighbor (Marcus Dunstan, 2016) 2.5-
Futureworld (Richard T. Heffron, 1976) 3
http://67.media.tumblr.com/e72e66cdeec124a6198e2865621127a5/tumblr_ms1r62Rnnz1sfvioto1_500.gif
When Delos is reopened after the deadly disaster at Westworld, two journalists (Peter Fonda & Blythe Danner) investigate its safety.
Tomorrow, the World! (Leslie Fenton, 1944) 2.5
Chasing Yesterday (George Nichols Jr, 1935) 2
Skylark (Joseph Sargent, 1993) 2.5
Children Who Chase Lost Voices aka Journey to Agartha (Makoto Shinkai, 2011) 3+ http://pa1.narvii.com/5860/29fa987b0db54a4f4c4258ad8161a5e32bfe5002_hq.gif
A Quetzalcoatl sings before it dies and then agrees to transport two youths to the Gate of Life and Death to find what they are seeking.

[seanc]

Don't think I knew Night Falls On Manhattan was Lunet. I saw that years ago but don't remember a thing about it. I used to like Andy Garcia quite a bit. He was in a binch of forgettable crime movies in the 90's though.

[rauldc14]

What are the four perfect Bergmans? Please say Virgin Spring and Autumn Sonata

[Mr Minio]

There are like 10 perfect Bergmans.

[SkyDog]

Yeah, that and Army Of Shadows are the next two in the Netflix que. Hopefully more gushing coming to movie tab soon.

Le Deuxieme Souffle is really good too.


Theatre of Blood (1973) - rating_4

https://media.giphy.com/media/r3uRLb5IC7NV6/giphy.gif
"Naughty, naughty! Don't touch, Butch knows best. They're something new from Gay Paree."


http://www.purevulgarity.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/i-uh-what.jpg

"Dishy, dishy hair doo. Can't wait to get my hands on it."

I love this movie - the premise is so fantastic, especially for Price. It's my favorite of his, you can tell he was having a blast.

[seanc]

What are the four perfect Bergmans? Please say Virgin Spring and Autumn Sonata

Sonata, Fanny & Alexander, and your favorite. ;) Virgin Spring is my least favorite so far. Sorry buddy.

[MovieMeditation]

Virgin Spring might be my favorite so far, raul, hope that makes you happy. :)

Though Fanny & Alexander might be the top spot as well. So I guess I'm kinda counter-supportive here. :p

[Mäx]

Reservoir Dogs (Quentin Tarantino, 1992) - 3.5
Jungfrukällan The Virgin Spring (Ingmar Bergman, 1960) - 3+
The Big Parade (King Vidor, 1925) - 3+

[Mr Minio]

Triumph of the Spirit (1989) - rating_3_5

http://img.rp.vhd.me/3797279_l5.jpg

Has some very good parts, but sometimes its Hollywoodness prevails and it's quite cringe-worthy. There are some historical inconsistencies, too. Not too many boxing scenes, neither. Dafoe's performance is good, but I'm thinking about decreasing movie's rating to 3 stars. Godard might've been right saying that cinema can't cope with the topic of Holocaust. I wonder what Godard would've thought of Son of Saul.

Anatomy of a Murder (1959) - rating_4

http://i.imgur.com/nMarjjD.gif

Surprisingly comedic and spicy (them panties tho) at times. Great performance from Stewart, but also from Gazara and Scott, which makes it a very strong film acting-wise. Loved how the viewer never really finds out several things about the case, although he may suspect many things. Wonderful Ellington soundtrack (he even "acted" in one scene). All in all, a very good film.

High-Rise (2015) - rating_4

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Not sure if Hiddleston's hip dance (accompanied by red-dressed ladies) being the most vivid memory from this film is a good thing or not, but this is generally quite a crazy film. Good job, Wheatley. I never read the book, but the movie seems like a harsh critique of capitalism (or possibly society) with hedonism of the bourgeoisie and bestiality of lower classes caused by lack of food, money etc. I really love movie's moral degringolade. At one point a rich dame enters the room on a horse, dismounts it and, screaming, asks who wants to have anal sex with her. Meanwhile, on lower floors, people sell their wives for some food.

Histoires extraordinaires [Spirits of the Dead] (1968) - rating_3

http://33.media.tumblr.com/434c0911b5c537bdf3802e9915a7268c/tumblr_nq1fpihBhB1qc2bleo1_500.gif

This consists of three episodes, each based on Edgar Allan Poe short story. The first one, directed by Roger Vadim is the weakest one, but Jane Fonda's beauty almost makes up for it. Then, Louis Malle's story with Bardot (looks kinda weird with black hair) and Deloin is quite alright, but played too safe (at least has them boobies). Then comes Federico Fellini and saves the day & this movie with an outstanding short story both in Fellinian style as well as a lot of respect for classic Italian gothic horror (BAVA!).

Lady and the Tramp (1955) - rating_3_5

http://25.media.tumblr.com/aa9ee085e714a7fc271b31b59f52c2cf/tumblr_n06o56XvB21qfvmqco1_500.gif

So adorable! Even the songs weren't terrible and quite fitting. Touching ending!

Mad Love [The Hands of Orlac] (1935) - rating_3_5

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_me1qwjvpoW1qmvy8zo1_500.gif

This one was superb! Lorre is one creepy bald bastard infatuated in one dame, then has her wax figure made and worships that figure every day, playing music to it and speaking to it. What a sicko (good thing nobody on MoFo knows about my wax figure of Swan). This is the first adaptation of Hands of Orlac I saw (I haven't seen the silent movie yet!) and I really enjoyed it! May be a 4 star movie.

Zem spieva [The Earth Sings] (1933) - rating_3_5

http://www.aic.sk/images/zem-spieva.jpg

This Slovak movie is an ethnographic documentary about the life of villagers in Carpathian mountains. Slovak language may be the closest to Polish of them all, so I could understand almost everything from movie's intertitles. There's not much to say about it. There's quite a lot of movies of this kind, but some of the footage here is striking.

A Y.M.O. Film Propaganda (1984) - rating_3_5

http://38.media.tumblr.com/46b14a9683fe21b54c0f7d5f79bc1827/tumblr_nsc9nndnar1r5gwhfo1_500.gif

Yellow Magic Orchestra concert with some nicely directed footage that makes it a music film (something like Pink Floyd's The Wall, I guess). I really liked the Nazi & totalitarian visuals.

[re93animator]

Mad Love [The Hands of Orlac] (1935) - rating_3_5


One of my early horror favorites. I believe Charlie Chaplin even called Lorre the best actor alive after seeing it.:) The silent one is on par too IMO.



Invaders from Mars (1953) – 2_5
Gee whiz. An antecedent to Invasion of the Body Snatchers with more Hollywood bombast, 80 mile-an-hour dialogue, and enough explosions to wipe a small country off the map.

Dark Waters (1993) – 4
Thanks MonnoM! This is definitely my cup of tea.

Some homicidally territorial nuns occupy an island pervaded by occult symbolism. The movie has a strange and wonderful atmosphere with one of those awesomely low-fi b-movie synth-orchestral scores. There’s only a modicum of dialogue, but there may as well not be, seeing as how most of those Russian accents are about as thick as the Brothers Karamazov. The horror is no joke though. There’s some genuinely unnerving stuff that doesn’t rely too much on gratuity (at least until the end) or clichés. I only wish the director's catalogue wasn't so thin.

The Conjuring 2 (2016) – 2_5
Similar to a lot of ghost movies, the subtle buildup is pretty creepy and absorbing, but once the chairs start flying it devolves into absurdity. This had a lot of good moments, but once you’ve seen hectic scene after hectic scene, they lose their effect really quick.

Leolo (1992) – 4_5
A not so innocent charm. 'Tis a sort of twisted yet beautiful coming of age story about a boy who relies on escapism in the form of surreal delusions about his family and surroundings. With offbeat humor and some dreamy visuals, the style would probably appeal to Jeunet fans. And by Jove… the soundtrack to end all soundtracks.

[MonnoM]

One of my early horror favorites. I believe Charlie Chaplin even called Lorre the best actor alive after seeing it.:) The silent one is on par too IMO.



Invaders from Mars (1953) – rating_2_5
Gee whiz. An antecedent to Invasion of the Body Snatchers with more Hollywood bombast, 80 mile-an-hour dialogue, and enough explosions to wipe a small country off the map.

Dark Waters (1993) – rating_4
Thanks MonnoM! This is definitely my cup of tea.

Some homicidally territorial nuns occupy an island pervaded by occult symbolism. The movie has a strange and wonderful atmosphere with one of those awesomely low-fi b-movie synth-orchestral scores. There’s only a modicum of dialogue, but there may as well not be, seeing as how most of those Russian accents are about as thick as the Brothers Karamazov. The horror is no joke though. There’s some genuinely unnerving stuff that doesn’t rely too much on gratuity (at least until the end) or clichés. I only wish the director's catalogue wasn't so thin.

The Conjuring 2 (2016) – rating_2_5
Similar to a lot of ghost movies, the subtle buildup is pretty creepy and absorbing, but once the chairs start flying it devolves into absurdity. This had a lot of good moments, but once you’ve seen hectic scene after hectic scene, they lose their effect really quick.

Leolo (1992) – rating_4_5
A not so innocent charm. 'Tis a sort of twisted yet beautiful coming of age story about a boy who relies on escapism in the form of surreal delusions about his family and surroundings. With offbeat humor and some dreamy visuals, the style would probably appeal to Jeunet fans. And by Jove… the soundtrack to end all soundtracks.

A 4/5, nice! I'm glad you liked it. :D

I thought the soundtrack did a good job creating the atmosphere, it fit the scenes well. Yeah, the dialogue could be completely removed and it still would make for a fantastic experience. I mean, its strong points were in the visuals.

[Mäx]

Requiem for a Dream (Darren Aronofsky, 2000) - 4+
The Little Shop of Horrors (Roger Corman, 1960) - 3+

[Mr Minio]

The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971) - rating_3_5

http://media2.giphy.com/media/7W2vbunPROgYo/giphy.gif

This is quite similar to Theatre of Blood, but sadly quite inferior to it in almost every aspect. It's not as funny, the murders, while still imaginable, don't feel so brutal and Dr. Phibes does not feel as manic as Lionheart. Still, this is a very good movie with great cinematography and a must-see for every Price fan.

風の中の子供 [Children in the Wind] (1937) - rating_3_5

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-y2VRCaZnNR4/TX58ya594AI/AAAAAAAAAb0/_XWBbUayMMw/s1600/vlcsnap-2011-03-14-16h36m54s76.png

Shimizu is a great director and I constantly think I'm underrating his movies (at least I can't say this with Ornamental Hairpin I rated rating_5). I feel really bad for not rating it 4 stars as it is a wonderful depiction of children's world and their understanding and correspondence to the world of the adults. I saw some Ozu films with children, but Shimizu may be even more of an expert at this. This is a very simple movie with a simple story. Something you'd expect from Ozu. It doesn't quite have this Ozu touch that makes his movies truly one of its kind, but it's still a beautiful little movie.

To jest jajko [This Is an Egg] (1966) - rating_4

http://nina.files.e51-po.insyscd.net/okladki/to-jest-jajko.png

A very touching documentary short about some blind children touching eggs. Since non-blind people can see an egg, they can easily state that this object is indeed an egg. However, if one's blind, he or she has to rely on other senses to recognize this egg. People who have all senses available don't really use all of them, because in this case they would only use their sight to see whether or not an object is an egg. Blind people have to touch it, feel its surface and hardness and sometimes even taste it to make sure it is an egg. This short starts with these children inspecting both raw and boiled eggs and at the end comes a scene when they touch hatching eggs. Very moving.

White Zombie (1932) - rating_3_5

https://67.media.tumblr.com/89824afd3b2ba0b5c50f912c8bb314bd/tumblr_n0zg1frfdg1qkzz1yo1_500.gif

Lugosi is great here, but he just reenacts his Dracula role. In different environment and with different story, but still with the same hypnotizing gaze and hand moves. Apart from that it's just your usual horror movie of the time.

Dark Star (1974) - rating_2_5

http://i.imgur.com/8w9fMrW.gif

Wow, that was a letdown. I didn't find it funny. It was pretty boring. At least the obsolete cheap special effects were great.

靈幻先生 [Mr. Vampire III] (1987) - rating_4

https://66.media.tumblr.com/73524d5ed79fa89edcc97c336d3ae19a/tumblr_o27kygewME1ta52dfo1_500.gif

Better than the second one! As good as first! Quite funny with great action scenes that almost never stop! Lam Ching-Ying saves the day once again. The very moment he appeared on the screen... these giant eyebrows made me laugh!

血玫瑰 [Her Vengeance] (1988) - rating_4

http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/her-vengeance/w384/her-vengeance.jpg

An attractive lady gets raped by a gang of abominable criminals and then sets out for vengence! Sounds like your typical rape & revenge flick and it indeed belongs to this genre, but you can't forget this was directed by the infamous Lam Nai-choi, director of Story of Ricky and The Seventh Curse. The movie starts very seriously and the rape scene is pretty rough, but then it gets more and more entertaining and crazy with some nice killings and absolutely crazy crossbow (and more!) ending! Lam Ching-Ying plays a guy in a wheelchair here, but lack of legs doesn't stop him from being a badass and a pro kung fu master. He doesn't look that impressive without these artificial eyebrows, though!

I also watched a mediocre low-budget Polish movie, some Hertzfeldt shorts that are okay and some other shorts.

[Camo]

To jest jajko [This Is an Egg]

I read this title and expected something ridiculous then i read your post and i imagine it is as touching as you said it is. Well, i didn't think i'd say i really want to see This is An Egg when i woke up today at least.

[Mr Minio]

The Collector (1965) - rating_4_5

https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m70fec2xm61qgk6gio1_500.gif

I meant to take a break from perverts of cinema and therefore chose this quaint little movie by Wyler. I couldn't have done worse (or better, that depends)! A wonderful psychological thriller, this is! With surprising, hard-hitting ending, sexy Samantha Eggar and frightfully calm Terence Stamp.

子供の四季 [Four Seasons of Children] (1939) - rating_3_5

https://chimesatmidnight.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/17-4-seasons-of-children-4.png

This 140 minutes long movie is divided into two 70 minutes parts that both are divided into two parts that makes for a total of four parts, each for corresponding season. Once again does Shimizu a great job at portraying children, but sadly the world of adults is totally uninteresting with all these embezzlements, feuds and scams. What's most beautiful is that a child doesn't care if his friend is a son of a bad man who hurts his family. He just wants to play with that other child who is equally ignorant. Children don't understand many things from adult's world, but this lack of understanding is actually their strength. The movie is very nice, but Shimizu is pushing it a little bit with such a long screening time.

俠盜高飛 [Full Contact] (1992) - rating_4_5

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oCnwioXGsXQ/U3noTW9DbXI/AAAAAAAAGpQ/4rHtk5uOsr0/s1600/FullContact-06-400-sg.gif

I never saw any Heroic Bloodshed movie that has not been directed by John Woo. Big mistake! It may not have such strong friendship bonds as Woo movies have, but it's got Chow Yun-fat and Anthony Wong fighting Simon Yam and his group of crazies including a nymphomaniac chick. There are some takes where camera follows a bullet, something video game makers would rip off years later.

浮気妻　恥辱責め [The Bedroom] (1992) - rating_3_5

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w300/7gwX5QEINIa9N06ApVgGxIUXGyC.jpg

Like other late Sato films this one doesn't have that many sex scenes (although sexuality and fetishism are some of the primary themes here) and is pretty hard to follow plot-wise. This also has Issei Sagawa as one of the actors, which made me want to finally watch a documentary film about him (I've heard about him years ago, but never watched any documentaries about him, guy was some serious sicko).

青少年のための映画入門 [Young Person's Guide to Cinema] (1974) - rating_3

http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/young-persons-guide-to-cinema/w448/young-persons-guide-to-cinema.jpg

Well, I remember being shot at (with different kinds of, ekhm, "catridges"), but I believe this is the first time I have been pissed on at cinema. This f*cked up provocative short film is supposed to be seen on three screens (I only have two screens, so I had to use split screen on my computer and use my TV for the third screen). Each screen shows a different, tinted footage. The first pink one is some old school photographs, the second green one a naked lady next to some weird machinery (is this an illusionist act or something?). Finally, the third one, tinted in blue, shows a naked man urinating on camera lens. This may be the best movie ever made, but I just can't see it yet. Both this and Emperor Tomato Ketchup feature footage of uncensored genitalia. How did they get this past censure, I don't know.

蝶服記 [Butterfly Dress Pledge] (1974) - rating_3_5

http://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ldph6qw1ef1qad04no1_500.gif

Rainbow colours, ventriloquist dolls, S&M fetishes, surrealism, weird shadows and... butterflies. Terayama, you sick f*ck!

[Iroquois]

Full Contact is an honest-to-God masterpiece.

[Mr Minio]

I can't deny this!

[mark f]

Show Business (Jules White, 1932) 2.5+
The Pack (Robert Clouse, 1977) 2
The Last Kiss (Gabriele Muccino, 2001) 2.5+
The Adventures of Mark Twain (Irving Rapper, 1944) 3-
http://i.cdn.turner.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i387/TheAdventuresofMarkTwain1944_629_470x264_01262016105837.jpg
Episodic, tall-tale biography of satirist Mark Twain (Fredric March), highlighting recreations of his many stories.
Problem Girls (E.A. Dupont, 1953) 2
Pluto and the Gopher (George Nichols, 1950) 2.5
Return from the Sea (Lesley Selander, 1954) 2
Red Lily (Fred Niblo, 1924) 3-
http://i1.wp.com/moviessilently.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/red-lily-deep-in-love.gifhttp://i0.wp.com/moviessilently.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/red-lily-reunion.gif?resize=350%2C263
Ramon Novarro & Enid Bennet are young lovers separated by bad luck, cruelty and crime.
The Steel Lady (E.A. Dupont, 1953) 2
Abe Lincoln in Illinois (John Cromwell, 1940) 3+
Return to Treasure Island (E.A. Dupont, 1954) 2
The 47 Ronin (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1941) 2.5
http://battleshippretension.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/the-47-ronin-500x282.jpg
Four-hour epic about 47 samurai who are shamed when their master is ordered to commit seppuku, but when they seek to restore their clan name and are unsatisfied, they seek revenge.
Return to Paradise (Mark Robson, 1953) 2+
Hitler’s Children (Edward Dmytryk, 1943) 2.5
Abraham Lincoln (D.W. Griffith, 1930) 2
De Palma (Noah Baumbach & Jake Paltrow, 2016) 3.5-
https://themoviemylife.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/de-palma-2016-brian-de-palma.png?w=474
Now in his mid-70s, director Brian De Palma goes in-depth about all his movies, including his student-made, independents, studio, hits, bombs and the ones he didn't make but was involved with.
Yellow Canary (Herbert Wilcox, 1943) 2+
Sicario (Denis Villeneuve, 2015) 3
Have Rocket -- Will Travel (David Lowell Rich, 1959) 2
Stray Cat Rock: Machine Animal (Yasuharu Hasebe, 1970) 2.5
http://66.media.tumblr.com/94c9128287bc7f4d377488c821ba0fce/tumblr_nqvhjg190Q1rt9mwro1_500.jpg
As well as the usual Meiko Kaji, music, fashion, colors, motorcycles and gangs, this one adds LSD.

[MonnoM]

Show Business (Jules White, 1932) rating_2_5+
The Pack (Robert Clouse, 1977) rating_2
The Last Kiss (Gabriele Muccino, 2001) rating_2_5+
The Adventures of Mark Twain (Irving Rapper, 1944) rating_3-
http://i.cdn.turner.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i387/TheAdventuresofMarkTwain1944_629_470x264_01262016105837.jpg
Episodic, tall-tale biography of satirist Mark Twain (Fredric March), highlighting recreations of his many stories.
Problem Girls (E.A. Dupont, 1953) rating_2
Pluto and the Gopher (George Nichols, 1950) rating_2_5
Return from the Sea (Lesley Selander, 1954) rating_2
Red Lily (Fred Niblo, 1924) rating_3-
http://i1.wp.com/moviessilently.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/red-lily-deep-in-love.gifhttp://i0.wp.com/moviessilently.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/red-lily-reunion.gif?resize=350%2C263
Ramon Novarro & Enid Bennet are young lovers separated by bad luck, cruelty and crime.
The Steel Lady (E.A. Dupont, 1953) rating_2
Abe Lincoln in Illinois (John Cromwell, 1940) rating_3+
Return to Treasure Island (E.A. Dupont, 1954) rating_2
The 47 Ronin (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1941) rating_2_5
http://battleshippretension.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/the-47-ronin-500x282.jpg
Four-hour epic about 47 samurai who are shamed when their master is ordered to commit seppuku, but when they seek to restore their clan name and are unsatisfied, they seek revenge.
Return to Paradise (Mark Robson, 1953) rating_2+
Hitler’s Children (Edward Dmytryk, 1943) rating_2_5
Abraham Lincoln (D.W. Griffith, 1930) rating_2
De Palma (Noah Baumbach & Jake Paltrow, 2016) rating_3_5-
https://themoviemylife.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/de-palma-2016-brian-de-palma.png?w=474
Now in his mid-70s, director Brian De Palma goes in-depth about all his movies, including his student-made, independents, studio, hits, bombs and the ones he didn't make but was involved with.
Yellow Canary (Herbert Wilcox, 1943) rating_2+
Sicario (Denis Villeneuve, 2015) rating_3
Have Rocket -- Will Travel (David Lowell Rich, 1959) rating_2
Stray Cat Rock: Machine Animal (Yasuharu Hasebe, 1970) rating_2_5
http://66.media.tumblr.com/94c9128287bc7f4d377488c821ba0fce/tumblr_nqvhjg190Q1rt9mwro1_500.jpg
As well as the usual Meiko Kaji, music, fashion, colors, motorcycles and gangs, this one adds LSD.




Ah, The Red Lily, I love that movie. It's a simple enough even if tragic story that was capable of expanding on every emotion possible. That ending, though. Damn that ending straight to hell.

[Mr Minio]

Interview with a Cannibal (2011) - rating_3_5

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_6B8tPuW7TwQ/SYLF4LoZAgI/AAAAAAAALE4/hTvG2wOT5QQ/s400/incanni.jpg

An interesting insight into the life and mind of Issei Sagawa, a man who killed, raped and ate the body of a girl in France, but then thanks to his rich father and law loopholes was first pronounced insane, then extradited to Japan and some time later released from mental hospital as a sane person. He's been more or less a celebrity in Japan ever since, living from books he wrote, interviews and films he played in etc.

ハイキック・ガール！ [High Kick Girl!] (2009) - rating_3

https://67.media.tumblr.com/47e8626541b239d67b1095ee6bd0ae64/tumblr_mnoe1ggFAz1ss6wowo5_250.gif

Not as good as them j-splatters and Zombie Assus, but still very enjoyable! Rina Takeda was hotter in Dead Sushi, though. :(

Little Big Man (1970) - rating_4

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My heart soars like a hawk when I watch a movie as good as this! I mean, I didn't find it funny and thought about giving it a 3.5, but after that scene, in which Hoffmann does three squaws in a row, I had no other choice, but to give it a 4.0 and add Hoffmann to my list of greatest movie f*ckers.

Jules et Jim [Jules and Jim] (1962) - rating_4

https://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_li3iikXtqm1qb8bifo1_500.gif

Sad and tragic story that feels very light - just your typical Truffaut. This was NOTHING I thought it would be. Great love triangle with femme fatale can't end good!

キュア [Cure] (1997) - rating_4_5

https://67.media.tumblr.com/482a6fe486be82fcebb78b3e1b864c03/tumblr_o376joN5SH1v97ev8o1_r1_500.gif

This is like Japanese Se7en, only better! The atmosphere is so dense you can cut it with knife! Even though, this is not a horror and there are no supernatural forces at play here, I constantly thought otherwise and caught myself in the trap of the criminal. It's incredible how much does Kurosawa achieve with simple means like sound design, dark ambient music, or just pulsating sound for most of the time and spare scenography. This movie f*cks with your psyche!

[Mäx]

Ma-eum-ui gohyang A Hometown in Heart (Yoon Yong-kyu, 1949) - 4
Sicario (Denis Villeneuve, 2015) - 4
The Crowd (King Vidor, 1928) - 2.5
John Wick (Chad Stahelski/David Leitch, 2014) - 2

[Mr Minio]

龍虎風雲 [City on Fire] (1987) - rating_4

http://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/city-on-fire.jpg

Not as good as Full Contact, but still superb! Tarantino ripped off the last 20 minutes of this for Reservoir Dogs.

回路 [Pulse] (2001) - rating_4

https://66.media.tumblr.com/f43ec677834051ab42cbe928dacbe13f/tumblr_npum0aWMSd1ta52dfo1_500.gif

One of the best horrors I've seen lately! I wouldn't be surprised if it's the best j-horror as well. Ghosts here are only an excuse and the movie changes its genre at least once!

放‧逐 [Exiled] (2006) - rating_4_5 - REWATCH

http://www.vcinemashow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Exiled2.jpg

Johnnie To's masterpiece! Anthony Wong and some other guns-for-hire from the director's Mission team up once again. This is one of the most stylish movies ever made and it feels like Melville and Leone had a bastard son called Woo, who then raped Anthony Wong. It's very moving, too. And occasionally funny. I mean, every Hongkong film with a toddler is a masterpiece (see: Hard Boiled).

Splendor in the Grass (1961) - rating_4

https://66.media.tumblr.com/a9f23a8db368fccafb76b4c41dcdce8d/tumblr_mh777kYEgR1rn6jbgo1_500.gif

Not a 4.5! Not this time, Kazan! But pretty darn close, anyway. Natalie Wood is not only a pretty face, but also gives a great performance here. Multi-layered melodrama about teenagers' problems. I thought this genre died in the 50's, but figures it didn't.

Il Decameron [The Decameron] (1971) - rating_3_5

http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/the-decameron/w1280/the-decameron.jpg

Very kinky! And no sick stuff like in Salo (apart from the protagonist taking an unvolunteered bath in privy at the beginning of the movie)! It has some naughty nuns, cuckolds and pseudo-conjurers. It also mocks the Church in many ways. I might increase its rating to 4.0 after I've seen the other two parts of the Trilogy of Life.

城市特警 [The Big Heat] (1988) - rating_3_5

http://hkmdb.com/db/images/movies/7072/TheBigHeat+1988-38-b.jpg

One of first Johnnie To films! Very brutal! Not enough Joey Wong, though! Perhaps a 4.0 film.

倩女幽魂3 [A Chinese Ghost Story III] (1991) - rating_4_5

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WVwJFHU43oE/maxresdefault.jpg

What the hell? After two masterpieces of the trilogy I expected a worse film, but this one is a masterpiece as well! Sadly, there's no Leslie Cheung anymore, but he was replaced with Tony Leung Chiu Wai! Joey Wong is as alluring as ever as an ill-fated lady ghost! This time seducing a monk! The only thing I missed was the title song of the first two parts! This one has one, too, but although good, it's not the same! All in all, A Chinese Ghost Story is one of my favourite trilogies ever and along with Green Snake one of my favourite fantasy movies ever!

[Nostromo87]

The Unknown (1927)

Alonzo, a a knifethrower and carnival gunman, sets his eyes on Nanon, the daughter of the circus owner. An early silent horror film by Tod Browning, happens to be my favorite film of this time. Criminal vs the ringmaster. Hail the change of seasons and the bewitching time, mystical fesitvals, spirits, woodland craft, and great fire celebrations.

Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928) rating_3_5 7.5 / 10
He Who Gets Slapped (1924) rating_3_5 7.0 / 10

http://oi66.tinypic.com/2093n00.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iguD51SI6v8&list=WL&index=3 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeqZtkRbvP0&index=2&list=WL)

The Unknown (1927) rating_4+ 8.5 / 10

http://oi66.tinypic.com/20h8sg6.jpg

[Mäx]

Pieta (Kim Ki-duk, 2012) - 3.5
The Ogre (Volker Schlöndorff, 1996) - 3.5

[Mr Minio]

I racconti di Canterbury [The Canterbury Tales] (1972) - rating_4

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

At the beginning of the movie, Pasolini himself says that to jest may be just a way to say something important (or something along these lines) and so he continues what he started in The Decameron. Just as frolic, this time set in medieval England, the movie tells a couple of kinky stories and then ends with a devil shi*ting frairs!

東方三俠 [The Heroic Trio] (1993) - rating_4

https://media3.giphy.com/media/sY6LXWdehj584/200w.gif

Three HK chicks (Maggie Cheung, Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui) versus The Master of the Flying Guillotine Anthony Wong and some old-ass eunuch who in the end of the movie turns into a skeleton and tries to rape Yeoh. Yes, it is a great film.

Il boss [The Boss] (1973) - rating_4

http://www.jonathanrosenbaum.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/ilboss.gif

Henry Silva as a cold, calculating killer versus the whole Sicilian mafia. And that concludes Fernando Di Leo's Poliziotteschi trilogy for me! All movies are quite different from each other, but all are great!

Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964) - rating_4

http://www.movie-film-review.com/files/images/filmimages/SeanceOnAWetAfternoon%20.jpg

If Kurosawa wants to compete with such a great film, he has a tough nut to crack, but he's already proved to me he is more than a worthy director. This has some amazing acting from Richard Attenborough and especially Kim Stanley, whose I didn't know prior to watching this movie. I really thought this is going to be a horror film all the way through, something like The Haunting, but it wasn't like that at all. It was a psychological drama with some thriller elements to it.

Pickup on South Street (1953) - rating_4

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An interesting take on Communist paranoia era and a great film-noir at that! Thankfully, the characters don't seem too interested in politics. Richard Widmark gives an outstanding performance only second to that in Night and the City and Thelma Ritter is even better. I'm wondering how come she didn't get an Oscar for this role.

[mark f]

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Burr Steers, 2016) 2.5
Scared Stiff (George Marshall, 1953) 2
On the Shores of Nova Scotia (James A. FitzPatrick, 1947) 2.5
The Accused (Jonathan Kaplan, 1988) 3
http://67.media.tumblr.com/ae8b2d9ad129ee6f7852e882ca81cf8f/tumblr_n23hp5F9Sf1smzq6qo1_500.gif
A less-than-perfect young woman (Jodie Foster) is about to be gang-raped n a crowded bar, and besides the rapists, the deputy D.A. (Kelly McGillis) goes after the men who cheered them on.
Eight Iron Men (Edward Dmytryk, 1952) 2.5
The Pirates of Penzance (Wilford Leach, 1983) 3
The Good Humor Man (Lloyd Bacon, 1950) 2
Swiss Army Man (Daniel Scheinert & Dan Kwan, 2016) 2.5
http://i.imgur.com/9Rg54NH.gif
When suicidal castaway Paul Dano finds a corpse (Daniel Radcliffe) who appears to still be alive and even exhibits some super powers (mostly related to his farts), he uses him to get back home.
Sniper (Luis Llosa, 1993) 2.5
Voices (Ki-hwan Oh, 2007) 2+
Crazy Eights (James Koya Jones, 2006) 1.5
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years (Ron Howard, 2016) 3.5
http://67.media.tumblr.com/53741a7142295201b17c69549ddd213a/tumblr_o92q8yo5jf1tf2w4zo1_540.gif
Beatlemania in full force at the ABC Cinema in Manchester, England on November 20, 1963.
Clipped Wings (Edward Bernds, 1953) 2
Another Woman (Woody Allen, 1988) 2.5+
Equinox (Jack Woods, Mark Thomas McGee & Dennis Muren, 1970) 1.5+
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (Julian Schnaubel, 2007) 3.5
http://67.media.tumblr.com/3aa3d37e115dd0d23438a3d8d6277ff6/tumblr_mn0836qBi91rsyukao1_500.gif
http://40.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lkvqv5Kg5x1qbl17no1_500.jpg
The physical therapist (Olatz López Garmendia) of paralyzed fashion magazine Elle editor Jean-Dominique Bauby (Mathieu Amairic) drives him crazy by reminding him that he’ll never touch a woman again. After his massive stroke, the only thing he can do physically is blink his left eye, but his mind is strong and full of memories.
Saturday Afternoon (Harry Edwards, 1926) 2.5-
Night Train to Terror (5 Directors, 1985) 1.5
The Midnight Meat Train (Ryûhei Kitamura, 2008) 2.5
Horror Express (Eugenio Martín, 1972) 3-
http://static3.aintitcool.com/assets2011/horrorexpress2.jpg
On the Trans-Siberian-Express, British Dr. Peter Cushing and anthropologist Christopher Lee learn that a frozen humanoid on board is possessed by a murderous, soul-sucking creature with an astonishing origin and history.

[mark f]

All Quiet on the Western Front (Lewis Milestone, 1930) 3.5
http://www.movieposter.com/posters/archive/main/51/MPW-25583
Even after all these years, this film still connects with the viewer in primal ways which modern films can't quite seem to touch. All Quiet on the Western Front continues to be a watershed, both as a novel and a film, to teach our youth the true horrors of war and to get then past the "glamour", "excitement" and "honor" of dying for one's country, right or wrong. The novel is obviously a classic for a reason, and this film version remains a classic, despite some overlength and primitiveness. It's actually the "primitiveness" which adds to the power of the film because this is a true war (read: anti-war) film. It paints both sides of the picture and shows the utter falsehood of the pro-side of war.

The film contains a litany of memorable scenes: the opening contains some of Milestone's best direction; we see the young German recruits marching through the city while the camera comes inside a "high school" where the teacher is preaching to his all-male students the absolute glory of fighting and dying for their country. Needless to say, the students all enlist and go off to fight without a second thought. Later on, there are numerous battle scenes which are both spectacular and scary. The unifying theme of the scenes are the horrors and inhumanity of war.
http://www.filmreference.com/images/sjff_01_img0021.jpg
Some more incredible scenes are the nighttime wire reconnaissance, the non-stop bombing suffered by the Germans before the French attack, the eerieness when all goes quiet and the way the youth from the classroom are all so easily killed or mutilated. Later on, the greatest scenes involve the one with the French soldier in the blown-out no-man's land and, quite obviously, one of the most memorable endings ever filmed. Don't be put off by the fact that the film is approching 80 years old. If it wasn't broken, don't try to fix it!

[mark f]

Avatar (That Guy, Last Year [2009]) 3.5

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2009/12/17/1261051924334/Scene-from-Avatar-2009-001.jpg

Avatar is a very good movie. Of course, it could have been even better than a very good movie if "That Guy" had spent as much time on his back story and his one-and-a-half-dimensional villains as he did on creating a beautiful new world, an impressive gimmick involving the avatars themselves and some incredible new technology to make movies seem fully-enjoyable, especially in 3-D. Avatar's claim to fame may well become the fact that it's got so many beautiful and thrilling flying scenes. I can already see a major amusement park opening up a thrill ride involving 3-D flying using the same technology and maybe even many of the same scenes.

http://fandangogroovers.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/flying-creatures-from-avatar.jpg

Since our MoFos are just so damned smart and well-versed in movie lore, it's obvious that Avatar borrows from Aliens, The Emerald Forest, Dances With Wolves, Iron Man and a half-a-dozen lesser films, but what makes the flick a blast is not what we've seen before but what we've never seen before. I could get into a couple of flicks which may have inspired the avatar set-up and scenes, but this film takes it so much further down the line that it's not really worth it. I have to give That Guy credit for this plot point unless you want to rub my nose into something blatantly obvious. Also, Pandora is the most fully-established alien planet ever depicted in the history of film. Yep, it's even more spectacular and eye-popping than Dune or any of the Star Wars planets. This is because although That Guy went out of his way to wow you, he also took his time to build his story slowly and not try to swamp you with overkill right off the bat. (Every That Guy flick is similar in this respect: slow buildup to whatever the Wow moments are.)

The bad guys may be on autopilot, but at least Stephen Lang got to be almost as athletic as Sam Worthington, and he was actually more interesting than Jeff Bridges in Iron Man. At least, we always knew what was going on with Lang so he was never a Two-Face. As far as Worthington goes, I thought he was excellent, and That Guy really did a good job of using the fact that he was a paraplegic who was more athletic than anyone else while using his avatar. Worthington and Zoe Saldana are a match made in heaven and probably deserve special nominations for best acting by someone controlling a CGI ("Motion Capture") character. As I mentioned earlier though, the sensation of flying has never quite been captured so spectacularly as it is in this flick, so it's a given this will win Best Special F/X.

http://timenerdworld.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/586_avatar2.jpg

Now, based on what I've been saying, you may wonder why I didn't give this a higher rating? I believe that 160 minutes is just too long. 125 minutes seems more realistic to me, with the middle to just past the middle section being the one which could have used some chopping. Also, the finale has lots of action, but once again goes on too long, so I think my basic opinion is that I'd keep the first 90 minutes and then cut about half of the last hour out, at least as well as I could without taking away too many key moments. But even so, look at that: 3.5. I guess what I'm trying to say is that if I had final cut, I'd probably give it 4 or maybe a 2. After all, who am I to say since my name isn't "That Guy", I couldn't easily screw up this surefire winner by tweaking it too much?

http://www.strothmanassociates.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/avatar_1.jpg

And just to give Holden some credit, this is what I said in the theatre when I saw this scene: "The Force is strong with this one..."

[mark f]

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (Preston Sturges, 1944) 3.5

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a4/Miracle_morgan_creek.jpg/200px-Miracle_morgan_creek.jpghttp://www.austinchronicle.com/binary/c24db7ba/screens_feature-3306.jpeg

Completely-insane Sturges concoction, made at the height of WWII, which manages to bamboozle the Production Code in more ways than practically any other film since the Code's enforcement 10 years earlier. It's basically the story of the romance of Midwestern smalltown friends, Trudy Kockenlocker (Betty Hutton) and Norval Jones (Eddie Bracken), who's 4-F and unable to serve in the military because when he gets nervous, he sees "spots". Although they seem to love each other, Norval finds himself getting the short end of the stick from the vivacious Trudy, who wants to attend a servicemen's dance before the "boys" ship out for war duty, so she asks Norval to pretend to take her on a date to see a movie triple-feature to keep her ultra-suspicious town constable dad (the hilarious William Demarest) from thinking she's out with the sex-crazed soldiers. Norval isn't happy, but he does it out of love and isn't around when Trudy really does get into major trouble.

http://img2.timeinc.net/ew/dynamic/imgs/070316/creek_l.jpg

Once again, I won't go into specifics of where the plot goes, but I can tell you about some of the ways that Sturges made a film which was completely against almost all the basic rules of the Production Code. Although the film satirizes many things, including family relationships, the police department, the military, lawyers, and small-town gossip, it's in its treatment of sex, marriage and pregnancy where it really blasts off into the stratosphere and gets away with everything it attempts. The fact that a main character in the film could get pregnant and not be completely sure that she was married, is truly mind-boggling. Sturges is able to get away with things by adding scenes which have a possible alternative explanation to everything. The woman wasn't drunk before she got pregnant, she was "dizzy" from hitting her head against a ceiling decoration. She was married before she got pregnant (oh really?), but she can't remember her husband's name (something like Ratzkywatzky) and has no idea where he is or how they could have gotten such a quick marriage.

Deep down, this is a pro-family and pro-American film, but it doesn't find the need to beat about the bush when it comes to dealing with real life and pointing out the flaws which are inherent everywhere. Its prime consideration is to provide as many screwball laughs as possible while trying to push the envelope of what the system allowed. In its own way, this film truly opened the door to more mature subject matter in film after the end of WWII. A few bonus points I enjoy about the film are that it brought back the hilarious, fast-talking characters of McGinty and the Boss from Sturges' directorial debut The Great McGinty, the fact that Trudy's 14-year-old sister (Diana Lynn) seems to know more about life than anybody else in the film, and that the actual miracle in the title can be interpreted in more than one way. Yes, only Preston Sturges could come up with a way to have a possibly unwed, virgin mother do what she does in this movie at Christmas, and still have the censors completely in the dark. :cool:

[Citizen Rules]

Hey! what do you know, Me and Mark rated The Miracle of Morgan's Creek the same:)

My review of The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1427677#post1427677)

[mark f]

The Great McGinty (Preston Sturges, 1940) 3.5
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Preston Sturges' genius shines through in most all of his pictures, but the early ones really let him do his thing. The Great McGinty basically has his acting troupe intact, although the leads weren't really regulars. Sturges, who was one of Paramount Pictures preeminent screenwriters laid down the gauntlet with this film. He wanted to direct. He agreed to accept $1 for his screenplay if they allowed him to direct it, and his plan worked. The film was a hit and Paramount actually enlisted him to direct his second film, Christmas in July, (reviewed tomorrow) before this one was released. Sturges is kind of a Frank Capraesque director and scripter rolled into one, but he isn't afraid to outdo Capra in slapstick and he certainly outdoes him in being wacko and unpredictable. Yet, he's just as much a romanticist as Capra.

The Great McGinty sets up a Sturges formula which is tried and true. The hero always does something which gets him into trouble. Luckily for him, he always has the love of a good woman to see him through. Along the way, he's always enveloped in supporting characters who are for him and against him. The dialogue and situations are equal parts dark comedy, ridiculousness and heartfelt sentiment. It definitely works here; Tough guy Brian Donlevy probably gives the performance of his life as McGinty, Akim Tamiroff is even more feisty than usual as "The Boss", as in the Political, Crime Boss, and the basically unknown Muriel Angelus (in her final film) is wonderful as McGinty's secretary who becomes his wife in a marriage of convenience, but eventually their love flourishes and McGinty becomes a full-fledged dad to her two kids from an earlier, failed marriage. The Great McGinty, which is mostly about the underbelly of American politics, ultimately turns itself in the direction that the U.S. is the place to be able to overcome corruption, so sure, it's a fantasy, but it's a beautiful fantasy.

[mark f]

Christmas in July (Preston Sturges, 1940) 3.5
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Preston Sturges' second film as a writer/director is also his shortest, but it truly is short and sweet. Sweethearts Jimmy (Dick Powell) and Betty (Ellen Drew) dream of a happy future together, but Jimmy says they just don't have enough money to get married, support both their widowed moms, and start a family. But Jimmy is a dreamer and is sure he'll strike it rich by winning the Maxford House Coffee slogan contest where first prize is $25,000. (Just to put this in modern terms, that would equal at least $350,000 in 2008.) Jimmy and Betty both live in the tenements, and although Maxford is supposed to announce all the winners on their weekly radio broadcast, the 12-man "jury" is unable to reach a verdict as 120 million people eagerly tune in, amongst them Jimmy and Betty on their roof. The next day, the couple goes to work at the Baxter Coffee Co., and three practical jokers who work there decide to play a prank on Jimmy because they know he really wants to win the contest. They get a Western Union envelope and paper and cut up words and glue them on to make a fake telegram telling Jimmy that he's won the First Prize in the contest. This sets off a series of events which should make most people laugh and maybe even cry (Guilty!).

I don't want to get into all the characters and the crazy things which snowball when somebody thinks they've won money, but I will tell you this is a movie where the winner thinks about everybody he knows and not about himself. This is where the film's title kicks in. Everybody on Jimmy's street gets a present, his sweetheart gets an engagement ring, and he buys nothing for himself. Oh sure, there are wonderful scenes where his boss, Mr. Baxter (Ernest Truex) wants to fire him and then wants to promote him. Raymond Walburn is a hoot and a half as "Dr." Maxford, and what would a Sturges movie be without Bill Demarest playing a signicant role and having a ridiculous name (this time, it's Bildocker). Now, what happens when everybody learns that Jimmy really didn't win the contest is truly inspirational and hilarious. Another :up: from me.

[Daniel M]

What do you give Sullivan's Travels Mark? That's the only Preston Sturges I've seen and I thought it was great, I've heard good things about him, so I'll have to eventually get round to watching more of his stuff, including all the films you've just mentioned.

[matt72582]

I like the individual posts... I like to give a rep with a movie I like, but when someone has multiple movies, I don't want that poster to assume my tastes, with this, I can be specific.

[Mr Minio]

Il fiore delle mille e una notte [Arabian Nights] (1974) - 4

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My favourite from Pasolini's Life Trilogy, this 130 minutes long anthology film tells a couple of tales from the famous One Thousand and One Nights. As erotic as it is magical, the movie almost breaks with the frolic nature of the previous two installments of the trilogy and offers a new, fresh look into the Arabian tales of yore. Still dazzling with nudity, but this time in some weird, almost pious way, Arabian Nights greatly amazed me.

The Neon Demon (2016) - 4 (possible 4.5)

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The last entry in Winding Refn's meant-to-be trilogy is almost as cool as Drive and as terrific as Only God Forgives. It starts like a weird, neon-lit Argento-esque tale of a beginner model who quickly ascends the career ladder and then packs quite a punch with an ending worthy of Jodorovsky. Once again booed at Cannes, the director sticks to his visuals-based style and, almost as if out of spite for the snob critics, ends his film with 30 minutes of sheer, unadulterated pulp madness.

殭屍叔叔 [Mr. Vampire Saga Four] (1988) - 3.5

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Jiangshi expert Ricky Lau once again graces the screen with his crazy mix of Comedy, Kung Fu and Horror with yet another tale of hopping vampires. This time without Lam Ching-Ying, the movie centers around two masters' unfriendliness and all the hilarious consequences. Their respective pupils seem to like each other, even though their respective masters - a Taoist and a Buddhist seem to have a fight going ever since they started living next to each other. All of this changes when a powerful vampire appears nearby. Not as great as Part One, or Three, the movie is about as good as Part Two, which makes it a very entertaining piece of HK cinema.

黄土地 [Yellow Earth] (1984) - 4 (possible 4.5)

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The first movie of the Fifth Generation may also be the saddest of the bunch. The underlying despair is tangible in every scene, not only in its austere cinematography (by Yimou Zhang!!!), but also in mournful songs sung by villagers. Even happy things like a wedding are portrayed like phantoms of unhappiness. The movie is very ambiguous, but originally it was way more subversive with a different ending and perhaps even some scenes deleted by censorship. As it is now, it's more of a thinking man's film as it may not be so easy to see the false praise of Communism that in fact is its indictment. What really moves me in so many of Chinese films is how genuinely they portray hardships and incredible sadness of many lives of many people. It's something that, although shown in many variants before has never been shown quite in the same way Chinese directors do it.

The Hitcher (1986) - 3

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This movie screams 80's and Rutger Haur is great, but it's only an okay film.

蜈蚣咒 [Centipede Horror] (1982) - 3.5

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This is some HK sleaze of the (almost) highest order. It takes a lot of time to build up, but once it does... wow! Let me just tell you it should've been called Centipede Vomit! Yeah, it's got a lot of Chinese black magic stuff you can find in many movies like these. You know, two magicians having a fight, etc. Pretty gross at times, but I'm accustomed to disgusting things, so it didn't do much to me (my friend couldn't watch it at times)!


盜馬賊 [The Horse Thief] (1986) - 4 (possible 4.5)

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Another movie of the Fifth Generation, but how different from others! A lot of Tibetan Buddhism here. Plot is marginal, it's all about the atmosphere, visuals, rituals and the will of a man to survive.

[mark f]

The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges, 1941) 3.5

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Preston Sturges was a shining light in Hollywood movies as a writer-director from 1940 through 1944. He made good movies after 1944, and he wrote several good movies before 1940, but the period where Paramount Studios allowed him to direct his own scripts is a real watershed for screwball comedies in particular and film in general. It's difficult to actually categorize or put in some order the first seven films which Sturges made, but I can, at least, mention and recommend them all here and now (in chronological order). Sturges' first feature films as writer/director are The Great McGinty, Christmas in July, The Lady Eve, Sullivan's Travels, The Palm Beach Story, The Miracle of Morgan's Creek and Hail the Conquering Hero.

The Lady Eve does follow a certain Preston Sturges formula, although none of his films could ever be considered formulaic. Sturges is a master of blending what appears to be romantic drama with slapstick farce. The thing which really sets Sturges apart from many others working in screwball comedy is that all of his films are firmly rooted in reality, and if you pay attention, sometimes it seems that you should be crying just as much as you are laughing. Sturges has a wonderful way with words, but something which he deserves more credit for is his use of camerawork, sound, music, and editing. The superb thing about The Lady Eve is the incredible sexual chemistry between Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda. She's playing a con artist, and he's a rich heir to an ale king who defines himself by saying things like "Snakes are my life!" Although the film is full of laugh-out-loud moments and allows the usually-serious Henry Fonda to be involved in as many slapstick scenes as an Abbott & Costello flick, what really carries this film is just how damn romantic it is.

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I don't really want to get too far into the actual plot because it's really full of as many twists and turns as Fonda's snake Emma, which he brings with him from South America when he boards the passing ocean liner which also carries Stanwyck and her card sharp dad (Charles Coburn) in transit to New York City. Basically, the pair want to fleece the naive rich guy for all he's worth, but sex gets in the way. There are many discoveries, revelations, and changes of heart, so the further the film goes along, the zanier it gets. All of Sturges acting company are on board for this classic, but, as usual, kudos to William Demarest as Fonda's "bodyguard" who gets to say tons of funny lines, including the closer.

[re93animator]

The 13th Warrior (1999) – 3
So, after reading some MoFos’ enthusiastic endorsements of this movie, I had to check it out. Strangely enough, I read the Crichton novel years ago and thought it was pretty lackluster. This was fun though. I only wish that I too could pick up an entire language overnight with no formal instruction.

The Junky’s Christmas (1993) – 3_5
William Burroughs wishes you a merry Christmas with a somber animated chronicle of a junky hankering for a holiday fix. The claymation is cool, and the story ends on a strangely positive note. Only 20 minutes long, and on youtube.

Closet Land (1991) - 3
A movie about an unusual totalitarian operative attempting to coerce a single confession, done in the spirit of Kafka. I appreciate the concept, but it’s tough to keep a feature length story fresh within such limited parameters. I think it would’ve worked ideally as a short film.

Hearts of Darkness (1991)
Francis, I understand you’re in the middle of a laborious task in the middle of a humid jungle, but please, for the love of god, put a shirt on.

[MonnoM]

The 13th Warrior (1999) – rating_3
So, after reading some MoFos’ enthusiastic endorsements of this movie, I had to check it out. Strangely enough, I read the Crichton novel years ago and thought it was pretty lackluster. This was fun though. I only wish that I too could pick up an entire language overnight with no formal instruction.

The Junky’s Christmas (1993) – rating_3_5
William Burroughs wishes you a merry Christmas with a somber animated chronicle of a junky hankering for a holiday fix. The claymation is cool, and the story ends on a strangely positive note. Only 20 minutes long, and on youtube.

Closet Land (1991) - rating_3
A movie about an unusual totalitarian operative attempting to coerce a single confession, done in the spirit of Kafka. I appreciate the concept, but it’s tough to keep a feature length story fresh within such limited parameters. I think it would’ve worked ideally as a short film.

Hearts of Darkness (1991)
Francis, I understand you’re in the middle of a laborious task in the middle of a humid jungle, but please, for the love of god, put a shirt on.

I don't know if it would have the same impact if Closet Land was a short film. I think the longevity of it plays well in relation to the overall concept. The wait and anticipation it creates I feel is an essential factor. But that's just my take on it.

I also liked Junky's Christmas. :D

[mark f]

Mafioso (Alberto Lattuada, 1962) 3
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This is a rather low-key Italian satire, starring Alberto Soldi (from one of my fave NON-DVD releases, The Best of Enemies), as Antonio, a Sicilian who has made a name for himself in Northern Italy's Milan. He married a beautiful wife (Norma Bengell), has two daughters, and is well-respected at his job in an enormous factory (which seems oddly cinematic). However, his family has never met his new family, so this is a specific satire on how Italians thought of each other in the early 1960s. For example, Antonio's wife initially feels like she's in a foreign country, and his parents think that she thinks she's too good for them. The film also comments, quite potently, on the concept of why Sicily is the "Land of Honor", why most Sicilan men seem to die or get maimed by gunshots, and what their concept of the Family is.

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Lattuada's well-assured direction allows all the subtle humor and wonderful plot twists to play out naturally. The dynamics of all the characters' relationships develop at a nice pace. Part of what makes the film so interesting and entertaining is that it gives you an honest way to get into the Mob. It tears away a little bit of its mystique while adding some other layers. I especially love the way that the film seems to be about one thing and then turns into something completely different. Antonio seems to be having too much fun on his trip to realize what he's getting into, but even when he does, his good Sicilian upbringing kicks in, and he agrees to do a "small favor" for his hometown's Godfather (Ugo Attanasio).

I love Alberto Soldi (his eyes remind me of Gene Wilder), and it contains his best performance which I've seen. He also reminds me a lot of me; he's the "middle-man" who has to try to deal with "everybody else" and keep them happy. I mean, it's edifying when it works, but it sucks when it's one of those no-win crapfests. One other thing: the film's final section is completely different than everything which comes before it, yet when the film ends, it seems like that was the only way for this refreshing film to tell its story.

[mark f]

The Gumball Rally (Chuck Bail, 1976) 2.5+
Stray Cat Rock: Beat '71 (Toshiya Fujita, 1971) 2+
Broadway by Light (William Klein, 1958) 3
X-Men: Apocalypse (Bryan Singer, 2016) 2.5+
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Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) leads a group of mutants in a battle against the reawakened Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac), the world’s oldest mutant, who’s disappointed with the current Earth and planning a makeover.
Switchback (Jeb Stuart, 1997) 2.5+
You Can't Buy Luck (Lew Landers, 1937) 2
Autumn (Ub Iwerks, 1930) 2.5
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Taika Waititi, 2016) 3
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”Problem child” Julian Dennison runs away with adoptive uncle Sam Neill to the New Zealand wilderness, but when the authorities close in on him, he goes into Braveheart mode.
Drillbit Taylor (Steven Brill, 2008) 2+
The Frisco Kid (Robert Aldrich, 1979) 3
Mexicali Rose (George Sherman, 1939) 2
Torch Song Trilogy (Paul Bogart, 1988) 3
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Harvey Fierstein works as a drag queen at a club. He gets enough sex, but not enough love, not even from his mom (Anne Bancroft), but then things take a turn for the better.
The Skulls II (Joe Chapelle, 2002) 2-
The Model Couple (William Klein, 1977) 2.5
Hot Tip (James Gleason & Ray McCarey, 1935) 2
The Purple Rose of Cairo (Woody Allen, 1985) 3.5-
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A movie character who walked off the screen and the actor (both Jeff Daniels) who played him both fall in love with an unhappy housewife (Mia Farrow) in Depression-era NYC.
You Are Here (Peter Cockburn, 2011) 2
Rovin' Tumbleweeds (George Sherman, 1939) 2
The Law and the Lady (Edwin H. Knopf, 1951) 2.5
There’s Something About Mary (Farrelly Bros., 1998) 3-
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Geeky Ben Stiller is about to go to the prom with hot Mary (Cameron Diaz), but he has a little accident in the bathroom of her parents (Markie Post & Keith David).

[Mr Minio]

Green Room (2015) - 4

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Kinda Assault on Precinct 13 of our times. NAZI PUNKS F*CK OFF!!! Would love to see more movies like these, so if you know any, feel free to recommend me some!

Southbound (2015) - 3.5

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A pretty cool horror anthology with nicely interwoven stories and it doesn't feel cliche at that! A must-see for all horror fans!

세이 예스 [Say Yes] (2001) - 3.5

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Korean take on crazy hitchhiker genre. Better than the Rutger Hauer movie! It starts slow, which is not a bad thing itself, but it just doesn't really prepare you for what's in the second part of the movie and that ending. Very strong!

天浴 [Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl] (1998) - 3.5

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A very controversial Chinese movie (banned in China, multiple awards in Taiwan) that's pretty sad and works very well until the very ending that ruins everything for me. I understand it was supposed to make the whole story even more powerful and vilify Communism even more, but it just didn't work well!

The Thief of Bagdad - An Arabian Nights Fantasy (1924) - 3.5

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Very entertaining and a joy to watch even though it's very long, but the story is pretty meh and it's like a blockbuster of the time and cool kids can't love blockbusters, or something like that. Anyway, Fairbanks' naked chest and Anna May Wong really tempt me to give it a 4.0 rating (in reality it's only Mrs. Wong <3).

ふたり [Chizuko's Younger Sister] (1991) - 4.5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OuS683IzAk

Well, just like everyone I know Obayashi's Hausu (Wait, you don't?! Why you...) and I love it as well as director's Emotion, so I had some really high expectations coming into this film. I mean, it's a fantasy coming-of-age movie with a high school girl as the protagonist. You can f*ck this up very easily, but the screenwriter never did. Not even once! It's quite a simple story with all the quirks specific to Obayashi (but don't expect the same level of insanity like in Hausu, it's way more down-to-earth) but it plays rather beautifully and it's very moving, too. I'm a little bit ashamed of myself for giving it such a high rating and loving it so much, because it's apparently a movie for Japanese high school girl dreamers, but whatever. Once the scene in the video above started I was sold!

早春 [Early Spring] (1956) - 4.5

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Ozu is a bloody master and I don't think that he ever made a movie that is not a masterpiece in his post-war period (except for Good Morning plus I still haven't seen 3 other films, but hush, my statement is still correct). This movie is more of his darker side, but I didn't find it as dark (and as good) as Tokyo Twilight. It's still a masterpiece, tho. It's about a slowly decaying marriage, but ends on a weird note, something like Naruse's Repast. It may be a stretch, but I think this is somewhat a Narusesque film (the story is, but the style is still Ozu) just like Naruse's Daughters, Wives and a Mother is an Ozu film... in Naruse style. Of course, I'm probably wrong, but these are just my impressions. My friend even told me about some theory that Ozu was making the same movie all over again and that in Zen Buddhism there's that idea of a genius stupidly painting the same painting over and over. He eventually stops thinking and spontaneously makes a masterpiece. It's kinda hard for me to agree with that, since I found every other film of his a masterpiece plus I can see a big difference between his movies with only like 5 or 6 of his films being alike.

五遁忍術 [Five Element Ninjas] (1982) - 4

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I either haven't seen a wuxia film for a long time, or this is a bloody freakin' amazing movie. Probably both. The premise is kinda weird when you think about it, but it works very well. It's about Chinese heroes fighting Japanese ninjas. A nice take on usual Chinese-Japanese hate that this time was taken into the fantasy world of wuxia. However, finding a hidden meaning is not really the point. This has wonderful visuals, great fights and ideas. Yet another Shaw Brothers gem!

監獄風雲 [Prison on Fire] (1987) - 3.5

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Now, this by no means is a masterpiece, but I enjoyed the movie greatly. This is a prison film with Chow Yun-fat and Tony Leung Ka-fai (not Chiu Wai, mind you!). It's not harsh, or anything. Something like Cool Hand Luke gone Hongkong with usual HK humour etc. The last brawl is pretty cruel and harsh, but apart from this the movie is kinda laid-back and very enjoyable to watch. Ringo Lam must've been crazy about fire, because he first made City on Fire, then this movie and then School on Fire (still haven't seen this one). But no, it wasn't enough for him. After some time he made Prison on Fire 2!!!

暗戰 [Running Out of Time] (1999) - 4.5

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Sooo good! TOP 3 Johnnie To! This film just hit the right string with me. This is my type of sensitivity when it comes to this kind of gangter/cop/crime/criminal stuff. Not quite the level of Postman Blues when it comes to stuff like this, but still a masterpiece. The bus scenes are sooo adorable and the ending is just wow! So touching!

[cricket]

September, 2016 movies watched-

The Poughkeepsie Tapes (2007) 2.5 Disturbing documentary and found footage style horror following the doings of a serial killer.

Suicide Club (2001) 2.5+ Teens are committing mass suicide in Japan. Sometimes over the top, but it's pretty sick.

Double Indemnity (1944) Repeat viewing 3.5+ Most of it is fantastic, but I'm not in love with the last third.

I Wake Up Screaming (1941) 2.5+ Enjoyable, yet fairly average for being on the top 100 noirs list.

The City of Lost Children (1995) 2 A very good movie that I'd recommend to fans of fantasy. That's not me.

Out of the Past (1947) 4 Must see noir for the eventual 40's countdown, and I think I'll love it more with another viewing.

The Lobster (2015) 3 Original and unique, but unfortunately with a dull side.

Wings (1927) 4+ Spectacular battle scenes and a powerful ending.

High Rise (2015) 2.5 Not very interesting, but visually stimulating with great choices in music.

Used Cars (1980) Repeat viewing 3 Very funny when not focusing too much on the story.

Moonrise Kingdom (2012) Repeat viewing 3.5 Massive improvement over my first viewing.

Dark Places (2015) 3- Decent murder mystery/thriller starring Charlize Theron.

Gentleman's Agreement (1947) 3.5- Gregory Peck stars in this best picture winner that is very good, but not quite memorable.

The Big Sleep (1946) Repeat viewing 3.5 I got a little lost watching this but otherwise thought it was excellent.

The Big Parade (1925) 4 Fantastic spectacle for it's time; I just would have liked a little more of an emotional connection.

A Short Film About Killing (1988) 3+ Brutal and realistic.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) Repeat viewing 2.5 Entertaining and funny in parts.

Last Cannibal World (1977) 2.5 Not quite Cannibal Holocaust, but the same type of movie with it's share of sick moments.

Hardcore Henry (2015) 3 I wouldn't want all my action movies in this style, but it was a lot of fun.

Horns (2013) 3.5- Original and odd with just the right touch of seediness.

The Dead Girl (2006) 3.5- Flawed, but still powerful with a strong female cast.

Bringing Up Baby (1938) 3 Not generally a fan of screwball comedies, I thought this was very funny for a while, and amusing the rest of the way.

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) 3.5 I loved Lana Turner and John Garfield in this classic noir.

The Stranger (1946) 4- I thought this was flawed but there's a lot to love.

Bad Boy Bubby (1993) 4+ Sick and very funny.

Total September viewings-25
Total 2016 viewings-255

[Chypmunk]

Films watched in September that were neither great nor devoid of merit:

Mientras duermes [Sleep Tight] 3+
Land des Schweigens und der Dunkelheit [Land Of Silence And Darkness] 3+
Katyń [Katyn] 3+
5150 Rue des Ormes [5150 Elm's Way] 3+
Beasts Of The Southern Wild 2+
The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day 2.5
Them! 3+
The Box 2.5
Countess Dracula 2+
Devil's Knot 2.5
The Warrior's Way 3+
Shockproof 2.5

[Camo]

September 2016 Watches:

The Nanny (1965) - 3+
The Killing (1956) - 3
East of Eden (1955) - 3.5+
The World According To Garp (1982) - 3-
Hana Bi (1997) - 3.5
Show Me Love (1998) - 4+
The Prestige (2006) - 3
A Scanner Darkly (2006) - 3+
Waking Life (2001) - 2
SubUrbia (1996) - 2.5+
Kikis Delivery Service (1989) - 3+
Dog Soldiers (2002) - [rating]3.5[rating]-
Ponyo (2008) - 2.5
The Dead Girl (2006) - 2
The Wrong Man (1956) - 4+
The Conversation (1974) - 4+
Embrace Of The Serpent (2015) - 3.5
Bringing Up Baby (1938) - 4.5 *Rewatch
Ronin (1998) - 2.5 *Rewatch
Rebecca (1940) - 4.5
White Heat (1949) - 3+

[Miss Vicky]

Everything I watched In September
(Thoughts posted in my Movie Log (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=43738))

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (Shane Black, 2005) (Rewatch) 3.5
The Dead Girl (Karen Moncrieff, 2006) 3.5-
Samurai Rebellion (Jôi-uchi: Hairyô tsuma shimatsu) (Masaki Kobayashi, 1967) 4+
Embrace of the Serpent (El abrazo de la serpiente) (Ciro Guerra, 2015) 4-
Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson, 2012) 2.5-
Good Bye, Lenin! (Wolfgang Becker, 2003) 4
Bringing Up Baby (Howard Hawks, 1938) 1
Ronin (John Frankenheimer, 1998) 3.5-
Ida (Pawel Pawlikowski, 2013) 4-
The Flowers of War (Jin ling shi san chai) (Yimou Zhang, 2011) 4-

All of these films were watched as part of The 11th MoFo Hall of Fame (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=46753). I still have one nomination left to watch for it (Bashu, the Little Stranger).

[Mäx]

Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968) - 4+
Nosferatu (Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, 1922) - 4
The Lego Movie (Phil Lord/Chris Miller, 2014) - 4
Spartacus (Stanley Kubrick, 1960) - 3.5+
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene, 1920) - 3.5
L'uccello dalle piume di cristallo The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (Dario Argento, 1970) - 3+
The Haunting (Robert Wise, 1963) - 3+

[mark f]

The Turtles: Happy Together (Harold Bronson, 1991) 3+
Blood of Dracula (Herbert L. Strock, 1957) 1
First to Fight (Christian Nyby, 1967) 2
Ghostbusters (Paul Feig, 2016) 2.5+
http://www.mafilm.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/ok5f9.gif
The Ghostbusters (Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Mona McKinnon & Leslie Jones) have their work cut out in Times Square.
Baskin (Can Evrenol, 2015) 2
Money Monster (Jodie Foster, 2016) 2.5+
Blood of the Vampire (Henry Cass, 1958) 2
The Shallows (Jaume Collet-Serra, 2016) 2.5+
http://www.etonline.com/news/2016/03/24224522/GIF_the_shallows_blake_lively_shark.gif
Surfer Blake Lively is bleeding and trapped on a rock as the tide keeps rising.
Private Eyes (Edward Bernds, 1953) 2
Me Before You (Thea Spurrock, 2016) 2.5
Zoolander 2 (Ben Stiller, 2016) 1.5
The Spiderwick Chronicles (Mark Waters, 2008) 3-
http://files.spiderwickfanatic.webnode.com.uy/200004485-adb11aeab5/tumblr_llp87wFA3P1qa5cy1o1_500.gif
Brother Freddie Highmore and sister Sarah Bolger listen to a fantastic story by brownie Martin Short about the sometimes invisible creatures that live around their new home.
Walk a Crooked Mile (Gordon Douglas, 1948) 2+
The Distant Drummer: A Movable Scene (Don Peterson, 1970) 2.5
The Curse of the Cat People (Robert Wise & Gunther V. Fritsch, 1944) 2+
Roar (Neil Marshall, 1981) 2.5
http://esq.h-cdn.co/assets/15/14/640x354/gallery-1427925942-roar-lion-attack-2.gif
African gamekeeper Neil Marshall finds some of his lions and tigers acting friskier than normal just as his family (Tippi Hedren, Jerry Marshall, John Marshall & Melanie Griffith) arrives home.
The Flesh Eaters (Jack Curtis, 1964) 2
Sansara (Pan Nalin, 2002) 2.5+
Fiend Without a Face (Arthur Crabtree, 1958) 2
April and the Extraordinary World (Christian Desmares & Franck Ekinci, 2015) 3+
http://66.media.tumblr.com/fcc13d8e9342a3ff84fb17e1d13e721e/tumblr_o4nb0ttUn61r3kmkso3_1280.gif
In an alternate Earth which branched when Napoleon III had an experiment go wrong in 1870, the world’s scientists mysteriously disappear and power continues to be produced primitively, but one girl and a detective continue to try to learn what happened.

[Mäx]

The Fog (John Carpenter, 1980) - 4+
Carrie (Brian De Palma, 1976) - 4
¿Quién puede matar a un niño? Who Can Kill a Child? (Narciso I. Serrador, 1976) - 3.5+

[mark f]

The Stepfather (Joseph Ruben, 1987) 3.5

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_PPgU44tBL8E/SX5SNKzQ-HI/AAAAAAAAAYc/ZvQm8brOXbs/s400/The_Stepfather.jpg

Since the remake was recently released to theatres, they finally got around to releasing this cult classic on DVD. I don't know why it took so long because although The Stepfather was not a moneymaking film, it quickly developed a huge cult following, and my friends, family and I are all happy to be card-carrying members of the cult. If you like straight horror films, thrillers or flix which are very self-aware about all their blood, gore and sex (without reducing themselves to straight camp), The Stepfather should be right up your alley. As with most cult films, the more times you watch it, with the more people in the room with you, the more you'll probably appreciate it. In fact, the hardest thing for me to decide on was a rating to give the film. Depending on my mood and who I'm with, I can give the flick anywhere from 3 to 4, but I decided that my rating above is appropriate after 20+ years of mostly oblivion and a recent mass release to a newer generation.

The Stepfather is about a man (Terry O'Quinn) who desperately wants the American Dream and does everything he can to seek it out. Now, in this character's mind (he's called Jerry throughout most of the film), if he has to destroy his latest imperfect family to seek out a better one, he has no problem with that. Jerry does seem to realize what he's doing most of the time, but there are other times where he seems to have completely blocked out his violent past in his pursuit of trying to create the perfect family. Jerry basically has no background. We never learn about his childhood at all, but we do know that he apparently has no criminal record or has ever been part of the military since no one has a record of his fingerprints. Jerry is a good salesman though, so that allows him to pull up stakes, move and find a new job very quickly because he is very good at what he does. He can sell real estate and insurance equally well, especially since he's so proud of helping out so many families by doing so.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_PPgU44tBL8E/SX87eZKgMwI/AAAAAAAAAZs/oPX4DFmPe3o/s400/stepf.jpg

After a highly-memorable opening scene where Jerry leaves his latest family, we see him a year later living very happily with his new wife Susan (Shelley Hack) but not so pleasantly with his teenage stepdaughter Stephanie (Jill Schoelen) who seems to irrationally blame Jerry for the death of her father. Stephanie has a father figure she likes in the form of her psychiatrist (Charles Lanyer), but Jerry refuses to meet with the doctor even after Stephanie gets expelled from high school for inappropriate behavior. Meanwhile, the brother (Stephen Shellen) of Jerry's last wife is on a crusade to get the local press and police to reopen the murder case and begins his own investigation into who Jerry could possibly be if he repeats his previous modus operandi. As things come to a head with Jill and her burgeoning sexuality, Jerry seems about ready to snap and move on to greener pastures to find a more perfect family.

The Stepfather rises up to the cream of its genre for many fortuitous reasons. The entire cast is earnest but Terry O'Quinn gives one of the best genre performances ever. Even after we see his incredibly-destructive side, he comes across as an empathetic villain. On top of O'Quinn's scary sincerity, he has several chances to garner needed laughs when he gets that gleam in his eyes and says something as innocent as "Are you OK, sweetheart?" Donald E. Westlake's script is a model of the rise-and-fall school of plot development, as well as the slowburn build-up. Things take their sweet time to come to a boil, but what a wonderful boil they become. Joseph Ruben, who made several thrillers in the middle of his career and claims to hate scary movies, did his finest, most-controlled work on The Stepfather and walks a thin line between out-and-out thrills and yell-at-the-screen laughs. The Stepfather was an audience participation film when I watched it several times at the theatre in the '80s, and it still seems like a participation film today in my own living room. It contains many memorable lines of dialogue and gestures and facial expressions by O'Quinn for all to groove to and pass on to their unsuspecting friends. Long live The Stepfather and hopefully it will not disappear again now that we have the DVD release to enjoy over and over again.

[Swan]

That's a GREAT film!

[matt72582]

I think this is the full movie - 1hr 25m
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDmg5nmqlfw

[cricket]

Love The Stepfather!

[re93animator]

Super Size Me (2004)
Fast food is bad yadda yadda, but I noticed…
http://i.imgur.com/WwXDeer.png?1
… I’m pretty sure this guy is the biological product of Lennon, John Oliver, and Louis Theroux.

The Bothersome Man (2006) – 4
After committing suicide, a man is transported to a bleak, IKEA-obsessed town wherein he seems to be the only one questioning the surreal circumstances. For such a bold premise, it keeps the mystery fresh and unpredictable until the end. As a consequence of that, the ending is frustratingly ambiguous.

Knight Moves (1992) – 2_5
Christopher Lambert is a renowned chess player wrapped up in a series of murders. It kind of falls apart towards the end, and there’s a super tacky romance, but the procedural element is pretty entertaining. It definitely has that 90s serial killer movie vibe.

Horror Express (1972) – 3_5
Confined aboard a Siberian train, an extremely dapper Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing trail a leisurely moving yet hyper-intelligent pre-historic Asian monster-man with special brain sucking powers *heavy breathing*. I know I’d seen this before, but hardly remembered it. The sh*tty aesthetic is oh so wonderful.

A Zed & Two Noughts (1985) – 3_5
I put this off for a looong time. I love the Greenaway films I’ve seen (Cook, Thief, etc., The Baby of Macon, and Prospero’s Books), but his movies are… exhausting to sit through. This was no different; gorgeous visuals, slow & distant camera work, and despicable characters.

Hollywood Boulevard (1978) – 2_5
Cheap, tasteless satire of Hollywood smut. It has some moments, and its Joe Dante’s feature debut (as co-director). It also has the funniest Dick Miller role I’ve seen (as a nickel & dime agent). On the Phone: “… a bearded lady? Hold on.” ……. “Bruno. You still sportin whiskers?... Good. Get yourself down to Fairbanks in Hollywood, buy yourself a pair o’ t*ts.”

[mark f]

The YouTube video should be 89 minutes so it must be sped up a little.

[Mr Minio]

祖谷物語－おくのひと－ [The Tale of Iya] (2014) - 4.5

https://49.media.tumblr.com/6f8779676de965a3ac17d7dfb72fca22/tumblr_nui1i9umoD1rw93m3o3_540.gif

I don't know why, but Japanese people are masters at these pro-nature movies. Probably because they usually avoid cheap messages and instead rely on on-screen poetry. In The Tale of Iya the poetry and beauty is easy to miss as the film never stops for a moment to describe some aspects of it, but the more attentive viewers should not have any problem with getting everything the movie has to offer. And it's quite a lot. I wanted to say the main protagonist here is the character played by Rina Takeda (always nice to see her on the screen, also probably the only j-splatter star who isn't neither a porn star, or a model, but a karate black-belt instead!), but actually it's nature. An incredible movie and what a touching ending!

曼陀羅 [Mandala] (1971) - 4

http://pxhst.co/avaxhome/8b/c8/001ac88b_medium.jpeg

The amount of rapes in this misogynistic Japanese New Wave tour-de-force of Akio Jissoji is comparable with the greatest Wakamatsu movies, while its Yoshida-esque aesthetics of geometrical chaos, dolly track takes and weird wide lens angles make for an eye-candy to watch! Just like Eros Plus Massacre it tackles philosophy, politics and eroticism and explores the darkest side of them all.

忍ぶ川 [The Long Darkness] (1972) - 4.5

http://blogimg.goo.ne.jp/user_image/25/ab/7cfea27cb813be7572081039bd7026c9.jpg

Incredibly beautiful! A love tale about two people who find each other and through slowly revealed secrets of their sorrowful past get closer and closer to eventually try to be together at all costs. The story is quite classical (the movie is based on a book), but the cinematography is modern (Japanese New Wave-ish, but far from the movement style-wise). A very refreshing ending after you've watched a dozen of Mikio Naruse melodramas with Hideko Takamine.

復仇 [Vengeance] (2009) - 3.5

http://www.arte.tv/sites/olivierpere/files/2012/06/vengeance-2009.jpg?w=300

This film seems to be hated even by some Johnnie To fans, but generally, even though it can't compete with his best movies, it is still a solid one! Johnny Hallyday is the king of plastic surgeriness (lel, he looks like a vampire) whose family got f*cked by Simon Yam and the boys, so he recruits Anthony Wong and other familiar faces from Johnnie To films for a vengeance. Some ideas are superb, the shootouts are good and heroic bloodshed of Anthony Wong & the boys towards the end (but not THE END) wonderful. Hallyday doesn't look badass, but he still is one.

Monster a-Go Go (1965) - 1

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2LiwE4cKIkA/TO8alJgkPWI/AAAAAAAAAoY/3fSnW54jiKU/s1600/monster_a_go_go_1.jpg

One of these worst movies ever that are not best worst movie ever. However, that face of the monster is so funny, hence 1 and not 0.5.

누구의 딸도 아닌 해원 [Nobody's Daughter Haewon] (2013) - 4

http://67.media.tumblr.com/7fa0c3716942a9e4af069f30079604b8/tumblr_mud6en83CO1stktvlo1_500.gif

Hong Sang-soo may be the most consistent director working today. His movies always keep the same style, long still camera takes (with some kung fu-style zoom ins in this very movie, lel) and (anti-)romantic plot. This one is no different, but at the same time super good.

La nuit des étoiles filantes [A Virgin Among the Living Dead] (1973) - 3

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kGxL9MMDCK8/VlShuj_PsII/AAAAAAAAv9w/6uCPmK4ypGU/s1600/AV.gif

Jesus Franco decides to be Jean Rollin and even asks Rollin to direct a scene, but Jesus Franco is not Rollin and he better sticks to his Vampyros Lesbos-esque repertoire.

Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966) - 3.5

https://66.media.tumblr.com/83a5cfe33857eb35969f3ce54637580d/tumblr_nlc50gywYk1u2rj44o1_500.gif

One of these best worst movies ever! Incredibly cringe-worthy in every aspect, but surprisingly fun to watch at the same time!

杀手蝴蝶梦 [My Heart Is That Eternal Rose] (1989) - 4

http://i.imgur.com/eXmeXlc.jpg

Groovy! This is a mix of John Woo's themes with Wong Kar-Wai's style (Christopher Doyle did the cinematography for this and he did a great job) with G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S looking Joey Wong and a kidnapped grandma! A must-see!

愛と死の谷間 [An Inn at Osaka] (1954) - 4

https://66.media.tumblr.com/31ad47a6c18a92c54811fc2b2687779e/tumblr_mwfsj2tQOt1sfmrpuo1_400.gif

Contrary to what you may think from the GIF above, this is one of the saddest movies I've seen lately, ruthlessly portraying the society of post-war Japan, while asking about humanism.

黑社會 [Election] (2005) - 3.5
黑社會:以和為貴 [Election 2] (2006) - 3.5

http://www.tasteofcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/election-j-to.jpg

A gangster duology. The Triad has some customs dating back to many years ago and they stick to them. More or less. However, when a new chairman has to be elected - for a 2 years long reign period, hell starts as many candidates want to become one and they will do anything to be chosen. A surprisingly cold and realistic movies from Johnnie To known for his stylized portrayals of gangsters.

The House That Drips Blood on Alex (2010) - 1

http://i28.tinypic.com/wlu4pv.jpg

TOMMY WISEAU TORTURE PORN... it is not. Sadly. Tommy Wiseau is a bloody sell out, since he didn't even direct or write this. He only is an actor and still gives the best performance of 2010, but it's not enough to repent!

風の谷のナウシカ [Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind] (1984) - 3.5

http://66.media.tumblr.com/1202bf174e5f5be291695a42b2385552/tumblr_mynhrsxdmr1rmvkpdo2_r1_500.gif

Pretty kewl, but I prefer some other Miyazaki films! It didn't give me quite the same emotional reaction I got from movies like My Neighbor Totoro or Spirited Away.

Krzy¿ walecznych [The Cross of Valor] (1959) - 3.5

http://www.akademiapolskiegofilmu.pl/cache/images/resize_1000x1000/files/PL/Historia_Polskiego_Filmu/FILMY/Krzyz_walecznych/1-F-285-96-800x800.jpg

Polish anthology film built of three episodes. Very good stuff.

Also watched a handful of ~20 minutes long shorts.

[mark f]

Something Between Us (Jodie Mack, 2016) 2-
Little Annie Rooney (William Beaudine, 1925) 2.5
Norm of the North (Trevor Wall, 2016) 2-
Jinnah (Jamil Dehlavi, 1998) 2.5
http://cdn1.pri.org/sites/default/files/story/images/Christopher%20Lee.jpg
Rarely-seen (in North America) biography of the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah (Christopher Lee).
At Close Range (James Foley, 1986) 2
My Blind Brother (Sophie Goodhart, 2016) 2.5+
Fe26 (Kevin Jerome Everson, 2014) 2
Congo (Frank Marshall, 1995) 2.5
http://i.imgur.com/gbEbc2C.gif
http://i4.ofpof.com/content/ckml99wjkm/gallery/-kongo-1995-goriller_780x434-cz32j8rm34.gif
Michael Crichton best seller turned into a campy thriller with lots of simian self abuse. Top – “Amy wants green drop drink”. Bottom – Mass gorilla suicide in volcanic lava.
Lonesome Cowboys (Andy Warhol, 1968) 1.5
The Sky Trembles and the Earth Is Afraid and the Two Eyes Are Not Brothers (Ben Rivers, 2016) 2
The Godson (Bob Hoge, 1998) 1.5
A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy (Woody Allen, 1982) 3.5
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/600x315/86/d3/b2/86d3b23469fe41aec7ada0185983ee20.jpg
Woody crosses Bergman’s Smiles of a Summer Night with fantasy elements and his own usual neuroses to create one of his most-beautiful-looking comedies.
The Grand Dame (Arthur Hurley, 1931) 2+
Dirty Movie (Jerry Daigle & Christopher Meloni, 2011) 1.5
Mothers of Men aka Every Woman’s Problem (Willis Robards, 1917) 2+
Mary Pickford: The Muse of the Movies (Nicholas Eliopoulos, 2008) 3.5
https://backlots.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/pickfordopener2.jpg?w=500
Fast-paced documentary narrated by Michael York about America’s Sweetheart who was Hollywood’s first star and millionaire and basically had complete control over her films. Highlights include the plentiful clips from her features and home movies, as well as many of her own readings from her diary.
The Hunting Party (Don Medford, 1971) 2
Mad Ladders (Michael Robinson, 2015) 2.5
Redemption (Fred Niblo, 1930) 2
Sunset Song (Terence Davies, 2015) 2.5
http://66.media.tumblr.com/0ff62df5fe32e68d6d717dbeca1f4a83/tumblr_oap9pthT9T1rg5f9ko4_540.gif
Young Scotswoman Agyness Deyn and the farmland she works endure during WWI in this personal epic with exteriors shot in 70MM.

[Mäx]

Tremors (Ron Underwood, 1990) - 3+
The Reflecting Skin (Philip Ridley, 1990) - 2+
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (Tobe Hooper, 1986) - 1+

[Mr Minio]

Снежная королева [The Snow Queen] (1957) - 4

https://67.media.tumblr.com/45fe66ab8d5b8a41e592b06a1eeb7924/tumblr_mndlhpLg0z1qc3nl6o6_250.gif

From the director of The Scarlet Flower comes this ravishing and poignant film based on Hans Christian Andersen's story. Russian animation triumphs once again and everybody is happy!

魔女の宅急便 [Kiki's Delivery Service] (1989) - 4

http://24.media.tumblr.com/1cca554bc4de8d97d5cc201b7ec1421a/tumblr_n4xz6tvtiQ1qztnlpo1_500.gif

This is generally believed to be a minor Miyazaki film, but I really liked it. I found the flying sequences really beautiful, but that's to be said about almost every Miyazaki film, because this guy seems to be a big fan of flying. I really liked Kiki as a character and rooted for her. The movie seemed a little bit low on meaning/story, but Miyazaki always was an emotional guy for me. I had a great time watching this.

The Queen of Spades (1949) - 4

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qcvHHFp7o2E/hqdefault.jpg

Anton Walbrook slays as Herman Suvorin. What a fine actor and I thought his brilliant performance in Gaslight was a one-hit wonder. This is a very elegant and beautifully shot adaptation of Pushkin's story with crazed Walbrook and a lot of tension in the final card duel.

暗戰2 [Running Out of Time 2] (2001) - 3

http://www.macaucabletv.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/SCM-Legend-Running-Out-of-Time-21.jpg

Not a masterpiece Part One is, but still quite good! This time the plot makes no freakin' sense whatsoever and the whole movie mechanics are broken down into the very core - that is the criminal-cop relationship. In this one the villain is a magician, so it calls for some tricks and there indeed are many. There's also a bloody CGI eagle and the most wonderful bike chase scene. It was pretty close to 3.5.

El Dorado (1921) - 4.5

http://67.media.tumblr.com/645d47045c131f6b84530c342b4394e5/tumblr_n6avvfoD0H1qiwrzoo6_250.gif

A perfect example of a French Impressionist Cinema masterpiece. The only other film from Marcel L'Herbier I've seen is L'Inhumaine that I liked, but this is on a whole different level of quality. I really want to watch more of this guy now!

天空の城ラピュタ [Laputa: Castle in the Sky] (1986) - 4

http://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lhv8jyLjQN1qehmh1o1_500.gif

It's got some weird scenes, like a bunch of horny pirates trying to pick up a little girl (who apparently is 13 years old judging from Wikia), but it doesn't really matter as the film is beautiful. It's got this adventurous feel of Verne or Wells novels and is pretty romantic, too. Some morally ambiguous characters as well. Top notch anime.

The Happening (2008) - 2

https://media.giphy.com/media/sd6MXy73D00py/giphy.gif

Now that was a cool compilation of Marky Mark memes. Wait, it's a feature movie?!

崖の上のポニョ [Ponyo on the Cliff] (2008) - 4.5

https://media.giphy.com/media/UpLrldexzkvS0/giphy.gif

I fell in love with this film! TOP 5 Hayao Miyazaki. It also feels like his least complex, but it actually helps to get to the meaning faster and it's beautiful visually and Ponyo is so adorable. <3

Akira (1988) - 3.5

https://media.giphy.com/media/jsoMtBuP1Ahpu/giphy.gif

I heard it's one of the best anime movies ever and although I can't agree with this, this surely is a good film. I fail at them metaphysical feels from anime, tho.

Sentenza di morte [Death Sentence] (1968) - 4

http://kinomisja.pl/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/sentenza_di_morte_00.jpg

Vengeance is like a card game with Death, in which what decides about winning is not luck, but Providence. God forgives, but a glass of milk never does! Top notch spaghetti!

Duck Soup (1933) - 4

http://orig13.deviantart.net/1fd6/f/2011/081/4/4/duck_soup_gif_by_kraljaleksandar-d3c7la4.gif

I found some of the scenes funny and I greatly enjoyed the movie! The rest is irr-elephant.

Il tuo vizio è una stanza chiusa e solo io ne ho la chiave [Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key] (1972) - 3.5

https://45.media.tumblr.com/879f88962091f5759aad454a963c4f3c/tumblr_nzql90tBdX1qf9csoo1_400.gif

100% giallo sleaze with Edwige Fenech who wants to have sex with almost everyone (Anita Strindberg included!), lout Luciano Pigozzi who gets a surprisingly high amount of pussy and the one and only Ivan Rassimov, who looks hilarious in grey hair. Basically, it's giallo mixed with (very mild) erotica, but there are some twists at the end and chances are you won't expect them (just like in The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh, another giallo of the director I saw).

[mark f]

Red State (Kevin Smith, 2011) 2
Madeline: Lost in Paris (Stan Phillips & Marija Miletic Dail, 1999) 2.5
Hide (John Gray, 2011) 2+
Summer of Sam (Spike Lee, 1999) 2.5
http://img.movieberry.com/static/photos/10985/7_midi.jpg
In between all their sex and disco dancing, two couples (Adrian Brody, Jennifer Esposito, John Leguizamo & Mira Sorvino) try to stay safe from the .44 Caliber Killer during the Summer of ’77 in the Bronx.
Minotaur (Nicolás Pereda, 2015) 1.5
Joshy (Jeff Baena, 2016) 2.5
The Medallion (Gordon Chan, 2003) 2
Basquiat (Julian Schnabel, 1996) 2.5
https://66.media.tumblr.com/5f3af2645b81257cdd3bcf73591885a4/tumblr_nq39wsTa451rn2gg7o1_500.gif
Postmodern artist Jean-Michael Basquiat (Jeffrey Wright) is mentored by Andy Warhol (David Bowie), but his real Muse is in his head.
Home in Indiana (Henry Hathaway, 1944) 2.5
Zombie Nation (Ulli Lommel, 2004) 0.5
The Spider and the Fly (Wilfred Jackson, 1931) 3
Race (Stephen Hopkins, 2016) 2.5+
https://media.giphy.com/media/14oKOnqnF6xhfy/200.gif
American sprinter Jesse Owens (Stephan James) enters Nazi Germany’s new Olympic Stadium in 1936 while the cameras of Leni Riefenstahl (Carice van Houten) are capturing the moment – Owens hopes to represent his country and his race.
The Salzburg Connection (Lee H. Katzin, 1972) 2+
Bon Voyage (Alfred Hitchcock, 1944) 2.5-
The Stöned Age (James Melkonian, 1993) 2
Theatre of Blood (Douglas Hickox, 1973) 3
http://66.media.tumblr.com/b389d0d9d3cb2d3bfb9b2542508b25c1/tumblr_nv7s012F5q1uxfu8ao1_500.gif
Shakespearean actor Edward Lionheart (Vincent Price) does away with a group of critics using murders from Shakespeare’s plays. Here he uses poetic license to collect Shylock’s pound of flesh in [i]The Merchant of Venice.
Blue Steel (Kathryn Bigelow, 1990) 2+
Breakhart Pass (Tom Gries, 1975) 2.5
The Perfect Holiday (Lance Rivera, 2007) 2-
The Reflecting Skin (Philip Ridley, 1990) 2.5+
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Kjn5PulxPSI/U9AJHQZ4_sI/AAAAAAACYDk/w2poMBD3Whs/s1600/rs20.gif
The local kids blow up a large frog in more ways than one to get the attention of their mysterious pale neighbor (Lindsay Duncan).

[Mäx]

Needful Things (Fraser C. Heston, 1993) - 3.5
Interview with the Vampire (Neil Jordan, 1994) - 2
The Faculty (Robert Rodriguez, 1998) - 2

[MovieMeditation]

Attended an action night today at the cinemas with five movies... damn was I tired by the end of it. Anyways, not exactly the best selection, but most was at least decent fun.

Taken (2008) 3.5
The Cold Day of Light 1.5-
Spectre - 2.5
From Paris with Love 2
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation 3+

Every movie except the truly sh*tty one was rewatches. Don't get how you can pick suck an obviously bad movie for this marathon. But anyways, it was at least at times hilariously bad so there was something to chuckle at. :up:

[seanc]

I may have watched more of this since my last post, but I am going to list my last five.

Army Of Shadows: 4.5 Ended my Melville streak with this one. I loved it just like the other two. Contemplative "spy" thriller that made me think a lot of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Great watch but I especially love the final third. Melville is a master.

Monty Python And The Holy Grail: 3 I want to love these guys movies, but I have to settle for simply liking them. The writing is so sharp, but there are just too many lulls where I don't laugh at all, but when I do laugh it is as good as comedy gets.

Solaris (1972): 5 The themes here are so great, and matched by the cinematography. Great world building and infinitely engaging. Hard to believe this is the same source material as the way inferior Soderbergh flick. Can't believe all the new favorites I am finding the last half of this year. If only every viewing of a new film could hit you like this.

The Neon Demon: 3.5 I loved the first third of this film and the final half hour is pretty unbelievable. Again, thematically this film is right up my alley. I feel it needed to be half an hour shorter to be great. The visuals and music are outstanding. Could have been amazing, as it is still one of my top ten of the year thus far.

The Birth Of A Nation (2016): 3.5 Slave movies are like Holocaust movies for me, I dread them in a way because I know they will upset me logically and emotionally. I almost always watch them though, and they are almost always good on some way. This one is no different. I really like the spiritual aspect here. In a lot of ways you can tell this is a new director from the visuals. There is a flare to them that I really responded to at times as well. A lot to like, a lot of the same as well.

[Camo]

Glad you liked Army of Shadows so much, one of my favourite films. Solaris is one of the first films i'm planning on watching for the sci fi countdown it will be my first Tarkovsky.

[Mr Minio]

Finally some good ratings from you, seanc!

[mark f]

According to Greta (Nancy Bardawil, 2009) 2
Gold Diggers of 1935 (Busby Berkeley, 1935) 2.5
Invitation to a Gunfighter (Richard Wilson, 1964) 2
The Brain Eaters (Bruno VeSoto, 1958) 1.5
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W-aFDsVMIKI/T4L4F-Lp5AI/AAAAAAAA_aw/0J2aZeGrkXc/s400/BrainEaters%2B%252850a%2529.jpg
A cone-shaped structure appears outside a small Midwest town, and investigator Ed Nelson eventually finds an old man (Leonard Nimoy, billed as Nemoy) inside who babbles something or other.
Meanwhile (Hal Hartley, 2013) 2.5-
Voodoo Woman (Edward L. Cahn, 1957) 1.5
The Blazing Sun (John English, 1950) 2
War of the Colossal Beast (Bert I. Gordon, 1958) 1.5
http://67.media.tumblr.com/860e14dba1e4e9657a80471a1eaa1adc/tumblr_mulm3w6Fy21qhhxf6o3_400.gif
A military officer (played by Dean Pankin in this film) who was exposed to an atomic blast, grew large and fell from the Hoover Dam in The Amazing Colossal Man (where he was played by Glenn Langan) turns up and eventually terrorizes L.A. Airport.
Cow Town (John English, 1950) 2.5
31 (Rob Zombie, 2016) 2
The She-Creature (Edward L. Cahn, 1956) 1.5
The Zodiac Killer (Tom Hanson, 1971) 2
http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/the-zodiac-killer/w448/the-zodiac-killer.jpg
A serial killer murders a couple by a lake in a scene which will be seem familiar to those who have seen David Fincher’s Zodiac.
Cat Girl (Alfred Shaughnessy, 1957) 2-
Invasion of the Neptune Men (Kôji Ohta, 1961) 1+
Ask Me, Don't Tell Me (David Myers, 1961) 2
The Wailing (Na Hong-Jin, 2016) 3+
http://thumb.zumst.com/530x0/http://static.news.zumst.com/images/37/2016/06/02/9314b922560e45e2a971d10825abfeb4.jpg
Police officer Hwang Jeong-min has a lot on his mind what with numerous murders, sicknesses which started occurring when a Japanese stranger showed up, numerous other “weirdos” in town and his daughter is sick too and may be possessed.
Perversion for Profit (No Director Listed, 1965) 1.5
Certain Women (Kelly Reichardt, 2016) 2.5
The Town That Dreaded Sundown (Charles B. Pierce, 1976) 2
Lights Out (David F. Sandberg, 2016) 2.5
https://cultcrumbs.files.wordpress.com/2016/08/lights-out-01.gif?w=476&h=238
A family appears to be targeted by a monster which only appears when the lights are out.

[Mäx]

The Others (Alejandro Amenábar, 2001) - 4
Deep Blue Sea (Renny Harlin, 1999) - 1

[Daniel M]

Three documentaries I watched in the last week:

Amanda Knox (Brain McGinn & Rod Blackhurst, 2016) rating_3

Tries a little too hard to be stylish and entertaining in its weird mix of fact and re-enactment/interviews (especially from those involved, it seems like each character is trying to make themselves as famous as possible) but manages to always be very gripping and entertaining. Both the main investigator and journalist really came across as despicable people at times to me, and I am absolutely amazed at how appallingly bad the case was handled. From watching the facts presented on this, I have no doubt that Amanda Knox was not guilty, and instead the victim of a witch-hunt lead by an egotistical investigator confused by different cultural norms, and the press who were vying for a fascinating story. I had heard about the case beforehand, but not too much, and I'd always hear people criticise Knox and describe her as "guilty", having now watched this I think that's a very worrying thing. I'd be interested in hearing if anyone who has seen this, would think she was guilty.

Louis Theroux: Savile (Arthur Cary, 2016) rating_2_5

I'm too young to have been somebody who experienced watching Jimmy Savile whilst he was a massive celebrity personality in this country, but from the little footage I had seen involving him, I was absolutely not surprised at all when the revelations came out about him and his past. It is absolutely mind boggling that he was able to get away with it for so long, and even though certain people should not feel guilty and have legitimate reasons for not coming forward or even suspecting him of being a criminal, I do believe that there must be a massive number of people who should feel guilt and need to be held to account for there failures to stop this monster. How some of the people interviewed continue to defend his actions, attempt to justify them, or even flat out deny them is also extraordinary, I would like to see them sit in a room with his victims and explain how he was a great man who either did no wrong, or did enough good to justify his bad actions.

Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (Kip Andersen & Keegan Kuhn, 2014) rating_3_5

What in lacks in formal construction, this documentary makes up for in both its passion, and the importance of the issues it investigates and what it exposes. It is amazing, yet actually not at all surprising, just how much some of the information involved in the agriculture is suppressed in terms of main stream media, even by the companies claiming to be helping the world. People can claim to have good morals, but how many people and organisations truly practise what they preach and do not succumb to selfish needs, in particular money. I have been a vegetarian for a few months now, and I am pretty sure I will make the transition to vegan soon, largely thanks to this documentary.

[seanc]

I'm planning on checking out that Knox doc soon Daniel. I will let you know what I think. I don't remember that case super well but do remember it seeming like a slam dunk that she did it in the press. Nancy Grace culture and what not.

[Daniel M]

I'm planning on checking out that Knox doc soon Daniel. I will let you know what I think. I don't remember that case super well but do remember it seeming like a slam dunk that she did it in the press. Nancy Grace culture and what not.

It's worth a watch, and I'd be interested in hearing what you think. I would like to think that you would agree with me.

Without spoiling the documentary: The "guilty" crowd seem to largely base their verdict off personal opinions, appearances and circumstantial evidence. Mainly I've heard that she "looks and acts evil" or is some "crazed sex addict", the former might be slightly true and the documentary doesn't do her many favours initially with this with the way she speaks to the camera, the latter I think is a cultural thing. The detective is religious, orthodox, old fashioned etc. and seems shocked that we have this American women coming over, hooking up with some guy quickly, smoking pot, having casual sex etc.

Edit: Also really glad you enjoyed Army of Shadows even though I had no doubt that you would find it great. Melville really is the man. Great film, I have that and Le Cercle Rouge on Blu-Ray and really want to rewatch them soon with my brother as I think he'll love them too.

[Camo]

I've not seen the doc Daniel but i fully agree she's not guilty. The fact that no dna evidence was found linking her to the murder scene yet there's palm prints and whatever else clearly showing Guede was there should be enough for anybody. To be fair i think the doc has mischaracterized the guilty crowd if that's what you took away from it. Everything i've read from people who believe she is guilty (not counting the Italian prosecutors) think the sex stuff is mostly irrelevant, the primary reason they believe she did it is because she initially blamed that other guy who had nothing to do with it.

[Daniel M]

My thoughts about the guilty crowd mainly come from outside the doc and from what I've read/heard. Yeah, her making up "lies" or changing her story or whatever is probably the main thing to be fair, but I think its understandable given the conditions she was under and the way she was treated by authorities that were asking the completely wrong questions for the wrong reasons.

[Camo]

I agree that's why she changed her story. The reason i brought it up was because most people who believe she did that i've read at least seem to disagree with the Italian Prosecutors; they think they bungled the case by focusing on the wrong things like "the sex game gone wrong". I don't agree with them but i think it is only fair to distinguish them from the prosecutors and the people who agree with them.

[Mr Minio]

The Seven Year Itch (1955) - 3.5

http://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llzgsjjNeb1qzxdgfo1_500.gif

I dunno, it's like your usual romantic comedy, but since it's directed by Wilder it's a good film. That guy is the master of talking to himself, though.

The Hitch-Hiker (1953) - 3.5

https://m.popkey.co/af55f0/QLm46.gif

I've heard many opinions about this movie, ranging from superb masterpiece to utter crap and you know what? It's somewhere in the middle, but closer to the light side. It's a little bit better than the Rutger Hauer film, but not as good as the Korean rendition. Also, directed by a woman.

Nawet nie wiesz, jak bardzo Ciê kocham (2016) - 3 - AT CINEMA

http://culture.pl/sites/default/files/images/imported/film/film%20foty%20ogolne%20ilustracje/Nawet_nie_wiesz_jak_cie_kocham/pawel_lozinski_nawetniewieszjak.jpg

I was really bored at home in a sheety mood, so I decided to go to the cinema to see a movie I knew I'm not gonna love, but won't hate neither. I wasn't exactly sure how much I'm gonna like it, but I finished liking it quite a bit. It's a record of a therapeutic session and what we see are three faces talking. That's a nice twist at the end (in the ending titles!!!).

La corta notte delle bambole di vetro [Short Night of Glass Dolls] (1971) - 3.5

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/59/97/d7/5997d79cc988b9a8b099b3e446b76eb5.jpg

That's some nice, original giallo with Ingrid Thulin (!), dead and alive (!) corpses and an orgy.

Love and Death (1975) - 3.5

http://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7mx40WEfb1qe8fd7o1_500.gif

Allen makes fun of Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky. I was scared it's going to be a blasphemy and maybe it even is one, but it's very entertaining and even a little bit funny at times.

Dio perdona... io no! [God Forgives... I Don't!] (1967) - 3.5

http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/god-forgives-i-dont/w448/god-forgives-i-dont.jpg

The first Bud Spencer & Terrence Hill western. Surprisingly non-comedic and kinda like a rip off of Leone, but still pretty nice.

Soleil rouge [Red Sun] (1971) - 4

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8QYG5boVn6k/VkCh6KQsyHI/AAAAAAAAGzM/Zvpj67bA5C4/s1600/reds06.jpg

I can't believe I first heard about this movie yesterday! I made up for this, though, and watched it the first thing today and this is some mind-blowing stuff! It's a western film with Charles Bronson and Alain Delon (!) AND TOSHIRO MIFUNE (!!!). There's also that Bond girl Ursula Andress. And some Indians. What a beast of a film!

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972) - 4

https://media.giphy.com/media/znKnoMuL8wXJe/giphy.gif

HAHAHA WOODY ALLEN WHY BEST MOVIE EVER MADE

I'm starting to like Allen. Soon there will be no directors I hate.

[Daniel M]

Sonatine (Takeshi Kitano, 1993) rating_3

An entertaining crime film with some really memorable moments but a strange quirkiness that takes a little getting used to.

Aliens (James Cameron, 1986) rating_3_5

Always put off by its length, but was pleasantly surprised by what turned out to be a really entertaining action film.

Good Will Hunting (Gus Van Sant, 1997) rating_2

Some interesting and uplifting ideas, but all a little too neat and contrived for me to truly enjoy it.

The Producers (Mel Brooks, 1967) rating_3

The direction and camerawork is extremely ordinary, and some of the comedy is borderline irritating, but there are enough hilarious moments to make it an overall enjoyable experience.

Withnail & I (Bruce Robinson, 1987) rating_3_5

A really great script that at times really appealed to my sense of humour, great performances and quite poignant come the end.

An Affair to Remember (Leo McCarey, 1957) rating_4_5

A fantastically directed film, each scene is miraculously staged, each frame beautiful, the acting is subtle and the actions emotionally powerful. Only complaint is the children singing scenes.

Leviathan (Lucien Castaing-Taylor & Verena Paravel) rating_1_5

Unwatchable at times, not sure why its shooting style seems to have brought it so much praise. It's meant to show how tough and boring these workers lives are? Okay. It just put me off eating fishing forever.

Hitchcock/Truffaut (Kent Jones, 2015) rating_3

Enjoyable film, but nothing I didn't really know and not done in a revolutionary way. Subject is fascinating so I was never going to dislike it.

The Tall T (Budd Boetticher, 1957) rating_4

Really solid Western with lots of great elements, loved the cinematography and performance from Randolph Scott. Looking forward to more from Boetticher.

Stoneheart Asylum (Brad Anderson, 2014) rating_2

Quite interesting for the first half but falls apart by end, plot twists are largely superfluous too.

The Shallows (Jaume Collet-Serra, 2016) rating_1

Extremely boring and hard to watch, I was not terrified or entertained in any way.

The Brothers Grimsby (Louis Leterrier, 2016) rating_1

Absolutely awful comedy that I did not laugh properly at once. Such a shame that Cohen has gone from a genius film like Borat to a film like this.

[mark f]

Captain Sindbad (Byron Haskin, 1963) 2
The Accidental Spy (Teddy Chan, 2001) 2.5
Hercules, Samson & Ulysses (Pietro Francisci, 1963) 2
The Colossus of Rhodes (Sergio Leone, 1961) 2.5
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Mf7KWYkV254/UHo2SsZgu9I/AAAAAAAADMk/Lf_qMUdN0oQ/s1600/the-colossus-of-rhodes.jpg
The newly-built Colossus of Apollo at Rhodes becomes the centerpiece of a plot to overthrow the corrupt king and keep Greece safe from Phoenicia.
Alias John Preston (David MacDonald, 1955) 2
Fury at Showdown (Gerd Oswald, 1957) 2
The Kentuckian (Burt Lancaster, 1955) 2.5+
Evolution of a Filipino Family (Lav Diaz, 2004) 2 625 min
https://pinoyrebyu.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/ebolusyon.jpg?w=570
The “King of Ants” (Elryan de Vera) struggles to survive life on the streets while threatening to tear his family apart during the Marcos/Aquino era in the Philippines.
The Vengeance of Fu Manchu (Jeremy Summers, 1967) 2
Nothing But the Night (Peter Sasdy, 1973) 2
Scream and Scream Again (Gordon Hessler, 1970) 2
Dheepan (Jacques Audiard, 2015) 3-
https://67.media.tumblr.com/44de1ee43abde1681fc35193f3cc9b65/tumblr_oc4117by4y1qa3emao1_540.gif
When Tamil Tiger Dheepan (Jesuthasan Antonythasan) flees Sri Lanka when his side loses the Civil War, he and his acquired “family” moves into a gang-infested Parisian neighborhood.
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home! (J. Lee Thompson, 1965) 2-
Memories of Me (Henry Winkler, 1988) 2.5
The Killing Machine (Dolph Lundgren, 2010) 2
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (Howard Hawks, 1953) 3
https://media.giphy.com/media/b0RuEZ8JPI3u0/giphy.gif
Two American golddiggers (Jane Russell & Marilyn Monroe) sing “When Love Goes Wrong, Nothing Goes Right” outside a Paris café.
The Blood Oranges (Philip Haas, 1998) 2
The Prophecy: Forsaken (Joel Soisson, 2005) 1.5
Cat Run (John Stockwell, 2011) 2
Star Trek Beyond (Justin Lin, 2016) 3
http://n8itude.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/trek-actiony-fa131.gif
Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and a friendly alien (Sofia Boutella) are both able to be beamed aboard a primitive ship by Scotty (Simon Pegg).

[Mäx]

Piranha 3D (Alexandre Aja, 2010) - 3.5
Schloß Vogelöd The Haunted Castle (Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, 1921) - 3+
Poltergeist (Tobe Hooper, 1982) - 2

[mark f]

The 41-Year-Old Virgin Who Knocked Up Sarah Marshall and Felt Superbad About It (Craig Moss, 2010) 1-
We Go to Monte Carlo aka Monte Carlo Baby (Jean Boyer & Jean Jarrold [Lester Fuller], 1953) 2.5
The Monte Carlo Story (Samuel A. Taylor, 1956) 2
Love and Death (Woody Allen, 1975) 3.5
http://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1456785146i/18276542._SX540_.jpg
”I got screwed.”
Blood Creek aka Town Creek (Joel Schumacher, 2009) 2
Red Corner (John Avnet, 1997) 2.5
The Dream Chasers (Arthur Dubs & David E. Jackson, 1984) 1.5+
Blood Father (Jean-François Richet, 2016) 3
http://www.kfilmu.net/obrazky/recenze/0%20w77kIHvqLzD7sGcc.jpg
Recovering druggie/ex-con Mel Gibson tries to protect his estranged daughter (Erin Moriarty), who has addiction problems of her own and is wanted by the Mexican cartel and the police.
Speedway (Harry Beaumont, 1929) 2
Salt of the Earth (Herbert J. Biberman, 1954) 2.5+
The Pace That Thrills (Leon Barsha, 1952) 2
Predestination (Spierig Bros., 2014) 3
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EYiNSgNBjDs/VtjJrhcuL2I/AAAAAAAAD1M/zLvOGRNtBuY/s640/predes%2B13.gif
A time travel movie involving a terrorist bomber, a law enforcement agent (Ethan Hawke) who needs to stop him and a young woman (Sarah Snook) who has a strange life story to relate to the agent.
Spooks Run Wild (Phil Rosen, 1941) 2
Regal (Karissa Hahn, 2015) 1.5
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (Steve Miner, 1998) 2
McFarland, USA (Niki Caro, 2015) 3 http://33.media.tumblr.com/662aec7d718deab401db7f0487727dec/tumblr_njqfacdQ061tuureto1_540.gif
A coach (Kevin Costner) with anger management issues moves to California's Central Valley and trains his cross country team which consists of Mexican-American kids.
Now: End of Season (Ayman Nahle, 2015) 2-
The Creation of the Humanoids (Wesley E. Barry, 1962) 2
Daredevil Drivers (B. Reeves Eason, 1938) 2
Captain Fantastic (Matt Ross, 2016) 3
https://66.media.tumblr.com/017b5c9a8f64cdbc2f12a8cbb7338687/tumblr_obcs4kOyFm1vbf12qo1_500.jpg
Eccentric dad Viggo Mortensen brings his children from their wilderness home in the Pacific Northwest to their mom’s funeral in New Mexico to satisfy her last wishes.

[Mr Minio]

La danza de la realidad [The Dance of Reality] (2013) - 4.5

https://67.media.tumblr.com/6666c1f0a6a8bf405045678c888b0e53/tumblr_n61a6x1uRI1rkem6ho1_500.gif

Yet another masterpiece from Jodorovsky! This was so good I even thought about the full 5 star rating, but then again this genius of a director made some better movies in the past and these are films that deserve 5 stars more than this one (Santa sangre, El Topo). However, it doesn't take anything away from the greatness The Dance of Reality is. It's pretty absurd at times, but always poetic, beautiful and ultimately human. As autobiographical as universal, it is a very intimate movie, not only for Jodorovsky himself, but also for me, as a viewer.

C'eravamo tanto amati [We All Loved Each Other So Much](1974) - 4

http://67.media.tumblr.com/15fa1d44bdeacb8a60b255021ca82a2b/tumblr_n398lrUJ0U1rfd7lko1_400.gif

My second Ettore Scola movie. Something like Italian Jules and Jim, with De Sica, Fellini and Mastroianni in cameos. I didn't quite get its comedic appeal, but the drama parts were great.

陽光燦爛的日子 [In the Heat of the Sun](1994) - 4.5

http://i.imgur.com/N1jyVGa.gif

As great as director's other film Devils on the Doorstep. A wonderful take on memories and the process of remembering as well as China's Cultural Revolution and the youth of the country organized in gangs. Also, being young and all the anxieties connected with it, as well as an infatuation (Ning Jing is beyond exquisite, I'm not surprised with the hero at all). Some incredible scenes, like the voyeuristic one with the hero under the bed seeing only girl's feet and ankle bracelet, or the one in the rain. We are never sure what is real and what is only a fantasy, but figures the narrator himself doesn't know this. It's not that important, though, as long as the movie is a masterpiece.

お嬢さん乾杯 [Here's to the Young Lady] (1949) - 3.5

https://www.thegrandcinema.com.hk/Images/Movies/735/Still/topvisual/HerestotheYoungLady_05.jpg

Setsuko Hara is about to get married... sounds familiar? Well, this is way less formalistic and more entertaining than Ozu films and seems to be just your usual movie of its time, but... Hara, Hara, Hara, Hara, Hara, Hara, Hara, Hara, Hara, Hara, Hara, Hara, Hara, Hara. I mean, at one point the hero contemplates whether or not he should marry Setsuko Hara. WHAT THE HELL DUDE

A Night at the Opera (1935) - 4

https://66.media.tumblr.com/941f07b34a1c1841a046625dd24ed767/tumblr_mx6sk88q3h1sp4nfqo1_400.gif

Beautiful musical numbers, some funny scenes (the crowded room one, for example) and chaotic carnage at the end. More, please! Did you want a manicure? No, come on in. I'm afraid I've become a Marxist!

The Plague of the Zombies (1966) - 3.5

https://media.giphy.com/media/hA6Rl6h5FGkjS/giphy.gif

A very solid Hammer Zombie flick! I wish it was more brutal and had more scenes of zombies massacring people, but this was pre-Night of the Living Dead, so I guess I'm demanding too much.

37°2 le matin [Betty Blue] (1986) - 3.5

https://66.media.tumblr.com/cc77ac68453bdcf709679eaa017e20b3/tumblr_n1ixs1hEoV1rsc0mvo1_400.gif

I was getting into it thinking I'm going to see a straight-forward erotic film, but the three hours long Director's Cut I watched didn't have that many of sex scenes. It's a very beautifully shot and lit (!!!) movie about insanity. I heard people calling it a masterpiece, but it isn't one. Pretty cool, anyway.

Wo³yñ [Volhynia] (2016) - 4 - CINEMA

http://1.fwcdn.pl/ph/46/94/724694/531042_1.1.jpg

This is the first feature movie (there are some documentaries about it) about the Volhynia Massacre, during which Ukrainian UPA bestially killed the whole village (same happened in many other villages in Eastern Poland). I liked how the director portrayed everything in a very non-biased way. He was faithful to history and didn't chicken out from showing brutality on the screen, but at the same time didn't choose to just make an exploitation gore porno movie (and he could, given how brutal the tortures and killings were). The last 30 minutes of this were like Polish Come and See and the dose of brutality was pretty high (some people were looking away).

Watership Down (1978) - 3.5

https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2015-04/12/23/enhanced/webdr14/anigif_enhanced-25729-1428895191-2.gif

A very good animation for adults. I loved how these rabbits created their own faith, social system etc. Pretty brutal at times, but overall not as "terrible" as some people made it be.

The Plague Dogs (1982) - 4.5

https://66.media.tumblr.com/a7f1ac44a8698ea08f57458e79cb8004/tumblr_inline_o6xp9aYV2A1r9avg1_500.gif

Holy moly, this is the most depressive movie I've seen in a while. It portrays its themes with such starkness and hopelessness the only thing you can do after it's ended is shoot yourself.

[mark f]

Mr Minio

R.I.P.


or are you a bad shot?

[Mr Minio]

Why did I write this? I shot myself in the foot!

[Mäx]

[Rec] (Jaume Balagueró/Paco Plaza, 2007) - 4
City Girl (Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, 1930) - 3.5+
The Conjuring (James Wan, 2013) - 3

[mark f]

Day the World Ended (Roger Corman, 1955) 2-
Hillbillys in a Haunted House (Jean Yarbrough) 1+
The Return (Asif Kapadia, 2006) 2
The Innocents (Jack Clayton, 1961) 4+
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/16/73/9e/16739e711c0f0b10ffe3f10f6fb48292.jpg
Everything Victorian governess Deborah Kerr sees and hears seems to lead her to sinister conclusions, but is she correct?
Seminole (Budd Boetticher, 1953) 2
Dawn at Socorro (George Sherman, 1954) 2+
About Alex (Jesse Zwick, 2014) 2
The Chalk Garden (Ronald Neame, 1964) 3.5
http://fgmxi4acxur9qbg31y9s3a15.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/09/the-chalk-garden.png
Troubled teenager Hayley Mills seeks advice from her new governess (Deborah Kerr) who has her own mysterious past and sees herself in the young woman.
Dolemite (D’Urville Martin, 1975) 2
Cilaos (Camilo Restrepo, 2016) 2.5
Sons of New Mexico (John English, 1949) 2
Eye of the Devil aka 13 (J. Lee Thompson, 1967) 2.5
http://67.media.tumblr.com/7655e3698dd1a4695a84f2192b6ec2e2/tumblr_mgijnwkaXs1r3mux0o1_500.gif
French nobleman David Niven is called to his vineyard to deal with failing crops, but it soon becomes clear that his family has been drawn into an ancient curse involving what may indeed be a witch (Sharon Tate).
All Eyes on Sharon Tate (No Director Listed, 1967) 2.5
The Greasy Strangler (Jim Hosking, 2016) 2
Gangsters, Gamblers and Geezers (Amar Adatia & Peter Peralta, 2016) 1.5
Weiner (Josh Kriegman & Elyse Steinberg, 2016) 3
https://img.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/files/2016/05/Liberating.gif
Up close and personal look at the defiant Anthony Weiner (D – New York) who, after he was forced to resign from Congress over a sex scandal, ran for mayor of NYC and even led in the polls for a while before being caught in another sex scandal.
Paid in Full (Charles Stone III, 2002) 2.5
Malibu Beach (Robert J. Rosenthal, 1978) 2
The X from Outer Space (Kazui Nihonmatsu, 1967) 1.5+
Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (Hajime Satô, 1968) 2+
https://i2.read01.com/image.php?url=0EOeJwSsjM
http://67.media.tumblr.com/e6ac6e7673b046ce3410c5a46ef8ee23/tumblr_n8x7wk2jCw1qaqx8xo4_500.gif
Mysterious red clouds (which QT “borrowed”) are only the beginning of troubles for a Japanese airplane which later crashes on an island and also encounters aliens (as well as their spaceship) who turn the passengers and crew into bloodsuckers.

[Mr Minio]

Things to Come (1936) - 4

http://kabk.github.io/govt-theses-15-edgar-savisaar-science-fictions-influence-on-the-modern-interface/images/15_thingstocome1.gif

H.G. Wells strikes once again! It's anti-war, it's post-apo, it's sci-fi, it's corny, it's post-Metropolis, it's great! But I want more, more, more, just like mankind that soon will conquer stars!

Pink Flamingos (1972) - 3.5

https://66.media.tumblr.com/d7e68917931e1a51f3fd2306afea1b59/tumblr_n1kt2iMsmr1rtk8a9o1_500.gif

Deliciously filthy, gross-outly funny! There's no person more filthy than Divine and he (she?! it?!) proves it in the very last scene that gets my golden turd award of the month. There's also some other crazy sh*t, like a talking a$$hole, or couch incest. RIP chicken see you in another vagina. I have to see more by John Waters now!

The Steel Helmet (1951) - 4

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-89cMTU38meg/UC776MNMWLI/AAAAAAAAA-8/ymq2OsEnAqw/s1600/SH2.jpg

What a great war film! Fuller is an amazing director and I can't wait to see more of his (saw Pickup and Forty Guns as well, any recs?). This is quite campy and has its dose of humour, but it can also hit you hard (Short Round :( ) and has something to say about racism. Not a masterpiece Attack! is, but yet another great 50's war film anyway.

御用牙 [Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice] (1972) - 4

https://media.giphy.com/media/jRqhC0vX7Swqk/giphy.gif

Hanzo is like the ultimate cockmaster (and mind you, he's not a rooster master) brutally humping ladies that scared at first quickly find out they don't want this to stop. He's also the master of the sword, killing anybody who dares to mess with him. However, he's not completely stone-hearted as you will find out towards the end of the film. Yes, the guy on the GIF is beating his meat. Quite literally!

[JayDee]

The Greasy Strangler (Jim Hosking, 2016) rating_2



Oh man I'd love if you were capable of writing a full review of The Greasy Strangler. :laugh: From what I've heard of it, it certainly seems like an 'interesting' movie.

[mark f]

I can say that I thought it started more like a 2.5 with some decent gross-out scenes and some bizarre disco humor. Then it went off in a weird sexual manner with what I'd call strange pubic and penis F/X. After about an hour, it seemed to start spinning its wheels and ran out of gas. Even though the lead characters are pretty disgusting, I still found them likable in a twisted way. Overall, it just wasn't sick or funny enough for me to call it good, but it sure was "different".

[meatwadsprite]

Shin Godzilla

http://i.imgur.com/TjM2wfM.jpg?1

Probably the best Godzilla movie ever made, other than Son of Godzilla of course. The first 20-30 minutes are incredible and then followed up by a much less successful hour and 30 minutes.

3

Kung Fu Panda 3

http://i.imgur.com/8MGWAk0.jpg?1

His dad is a goose, but really his dad is a other panda.

3

Minority Report

http://i.imgur.com/KxddD3R.jpg?1

I always forget the twist in this movie. Also, it has the most irritating lighting ever.

2.5

OJ Made in America

http://i.imgur.com/4n3tn7i.jpg?1

There seems to be a big surge of race related movies recently, but this one blows them out the water. Technically it's a five part mini-series, but each segment is about 90+ minutes. Although the whole thing is incredibly smart and meticulously constructed, the first segment (which focuses on OJ's rise to fame) really stood out to me.

4

Independence Day

http://img.cinemablend.com/cb/6/a/5/d/3/e/6a5d3efbcab3eb084a15ca6dc12ef1aeca1624fedda1d6dbf543d3c8361fa0c2.jpg

So stupid.

3

Secret of Arrietty

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m78Y-PaiCT8/T0QmA__k1yI/AAAAAAAADpQ/137SZhcRjHA/s1600/zzzz+the+secret+wrold+of+arriety+doll+house+for+the+borrowers+9319_gal.jpg

One of the few Ghibli movies not directed by Miyazaki with fantastic visuals. Really fun movie, except for the boy who is terrible. I hope his character is the result of poor dubbing.

3.5

Letter to Momo

http://fgmxi4acxur9qbg31y9s3a15.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/assets/uploads/img/14/07/A-Letter-to-Momo-2011__8.png

A really uneven movie, it's kind of for kids and then something inapproriate will happen. The voice actor for Master Shake did the english dub for one of the guys. Second weirdest movie out of these.

2.5

Hunt for the Wilderpeople

http://www.trbimg.com/img-576c424f/turbine/la-1466712854-snap-photo/650/650x366

A PG-13 version of Up with the guy from Jurassic Park. Except a lot better than that sounds. A crowd pleaser flick in every way, really entertaining.

3.5

Kubo and the Two Strings

http://i.imgur.com/nyV0woT.jpg?1

Really unique animation style. A cool movie to see in the theater.

3

De Palma

http://i.imgur.com/sGPHk9X.jpg?1

I can't say I've ever enjoyed one of De Palma's movies. They're weird, they're cheesy, and usually just a big thematic jumble. But this is actually really neat to see. Mostly he just says "holy mackerel !" the whole time.

3

Mr. Holmes

http://i.imgur.com/Le7ARgN.jpg?1

and the mystery of the bees.

3

[JayDee]

strange pubic and penis F/X.

:lol: Just to check, is that the only time you've ever used that phrase when critiquing a film? :D

I do have to admit to having a slight (very slight) morbid interest in watching The Greasy Strangler. And I can't tell if the above line increases or decreases that interest.

[mark f]

Obviously.

[re93animator]

On the Silver Globe (1988) – 2_5
A super ambitious sci-fi flick about a society forming from the ground up, and their tumultuous dispute with wobbling killer bird people. Much of the film is missing, so it’s filled in with bits of rapid explanatory narration and constant jump cuts that seriously hamper the first half. If you can make it that far, there’s still some pretty incomprehensible Shakespearean sort of dialogue and histrionics to get through. I hate using the P word, but it does come across as fairly… pretentious. The style is cool though.

Fever (1999) - 3
I expected a conventional 90s serial killer spin-off, but this is a pretty odd psychological drama about an eccentric man losing sanity. Slow pacing, surreal dream sequences, and dark ambient music give it a Lynchian vibe.

Mortal Transfer (2001) – 3_5
A noir-ish dark comedy about the most incompetent psychologist ever trying to find his way out of a convoluted murder plot. I really liked Beineix’s Diva, and this has a similarly colorful style (albeit not as prominent). The plot is entertaining too, if a little overlong.
http://i.imgur.com/5qp1EkN.png?1

[mark f]

Foyer (Ismaïl Bahri, 2016) 2
The Pirates of Blood River (John Gilling, 1962) 2.5
The Devil-Ship Pirates (Don Sharp, 1964) 2
Alice (Woody Allen, 1990) 3-
http://66.media.tumblr.com/22929b78ecf228660cbd43cf9d93d481/tumblr_inline_ndepcyhHPR1r5jgg0.jpg
Chinese doctor Keye Luke offers a series of “natural herbs” to NYC housewife Mia Farrow who has some aches but mostly suffers from heartache.
The Terror of the Tongs (Anthony Bushell, 1961) 2
Regarding Henry (Mike Nichols, 1991) 2.5
Indefinite Pitch (James N. Kienitz Wilkins, 2016) 2
The City of the Dead aka Horror Hotel (John Moxey, 1960) 2.5
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DuomcPdcHTU/V69fxXenseI/AAAAAAAA484/etrbAfX6F6gCSLJWjTWrTTBGz6DUuLyVwCLcB/s1600/City%2Bof%2Bthe%2BDead.gif
A witch (Patricia Jessel) who was burned at the stake 300 years earlier and a college professor (Christopher Lee) are participants in a human sacrifice.
The Woman Who Wouldn't Die aka Catacombs (Gordon Hessler, 1965) 2.5
Lake Dead (George Bessudo, 2007) 1.5
Under Fire (Roger Spottiswoode, 1983) 2.5
Bashu, the Little Stranger (Bahram Beizai, 1989) 3-
https://d1tyf8b78tco2j.cloudfront.net/928519b4/4fdd1c6c/images/37acbddca1fbd81c787a160a9ee1ffc005577407.620.350.59.0.1350.763.jpg
Young Southern Irani Bashu (Adnan Afravian) loses his family and home during the Iran-Iraq War and travels to the northern part of the country where he doesn’t fit in because of the darkness of his skin and his language, although one mother (Susan Taslimi) seeks to care for him.
Everyday Black Man (Carmen Madden, 2010) 2
Peculiar Penguins (Wilfred Jackson, 1934) 2.5+
Dead Heist (Bo Webb, 2007) 2-
Colliding Dreams aka The Zionist Idea (Joseph Dorman & Oran Duvasky, 2016) 3
http://boston.forward.com/workspace/assets/images/articles/Colliding-Dreams.jpg
The history of Zionism as told by both the Jews and the Palestinians in one of the most even-handed treatments on film.
Wise Girl (Leigh Jason, 1937) 2
Blue Chips (William Friedkin, 1994) 2.5
Mr. Church (Bruce Beresford, 2016) 2+
Piccadilly (E.A. Dupont, 1929) 2.5
http://media.vogue.com/r/w_480//2015/05/01/03-piccadilly-anna-may-wong-31.gif
At a London nightclub, a Chinese dishwasher (Anna May Wong) becomes a dancing sensation which leads to a deadly love triangle.

[mark f]

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (Sidney Lumet, 2007) 2.5
http://cdn.yupiii.gr/images/resized/700_8fd0c8fcd9bddc89a1544e869aa6efea.jpg
Master director Lumet (currently 83 years old) makes a modern version of a Greek tragedy, involving an NYC family where everyone wishes they had done things completely differently from the way they did. Although the acting is very good, the story veers far too close to self parody for me. I believe the chief culprit is the actual script, which begins with a solid premise but proceeds to extend it so far to the nth degree that you almost can believe that you are watching a spoof. The problem is that this film is almost completely humorless.

Both Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke, playing respectively, the stronger, older brother, and the younger, weaker one, are believable within character, even if I eventually decided they were just pawns of the script. Marisa Tomei gives one of her best performances and is still damn sexy. I even enjoyed Albert Finney, even when he seemed to go into zombie mode, but I guess that is the film's point. I don't really want to get into the plot, but needless to say, it involves a crime which goes horribly wrong and turns a dysfunctional family into a much worse one.
http://img5.allocine.fr/acmedia/rsz/434/x/x/x/medias/nmedia/18/64/73/31/18802333.jpg
Lumet can still shoot a film interestingly, even when his technique seems almost invisible. He has a way of knowing how to move the camera or time an edit, and he shows no signs that his director's eye is going feeble, but I have to feel that, even though he is a super bright and obsessed filmmaker, that he let his love for a questionable script blind him to most of its flaws. Lumet does present the film in a fractured, Quentin Tarantinoish style, and although it enables some of the surprises to be delayed, I'm not sure that it actually improves the narrative. No matter what I think though, this is a solid acting showcase. It's just too bad that some of the more extreme elements couldn't have been toned down or that the film didn't have a modicum of wit. I suppose that would have gone against Lumet's operatic intention to shoot for the moon, but this film is a critic's darling, so I'm probably the one who screwed the pooch. Anyway, I much prefer Michael Cacoyannis' Iphigenia when it comes to Greek tragedy.

I will come back if I change my mind on a second viewing.

[mark f]

The Fallen Idol (Carol Reed, 1948) 3.5
https://nerdgeistdotcom.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/fallenidolcap2.jpg?w=639&h=360
Classic Carol Reed thriller, made in between Odd Man Out and The Third Man, tells a seemingly-simple yet complex tale of a boy's interpretation of the world around him and how it affects Baines (Ralph Richardson), the butler who works for the boy's ambassador father. Phillipe (Bobby Henrey) is very inquisitive and looks up to Baines to give him advice and be his friend while his parents are away, especially considering that Mrs. Baines (Sonia Dresdel) doesn't like him playing with his "pets" and eating between meals. One day Phillipe follows Baines to a cafe where he meets attractive Julie (Michele Morgan), and although it's obvious that the two are in love, Phillipe doesn't really understand. This, combined with the fact that Baines tells the boy stories about how he used to work in Africa and killed a man, leaves a great impression on Phillipe, especially later when there's a death and the police are called in to investigate if it's a murder.

Reed use many of the same techniques he did in the other two films, especially his deep, shadowed cinematography and the disorienting camera angles. Here they work especially well to show the adult world through a child's eyes and eloquently suggest the gap between innocence and experience. Bobby Henrey is a very naturalistic performer, but it's unclear how much "acting" he's doing and how much he's just being himself. Ralph Richardson is a tower of strength as Baines and offers a sympathetic foil for not only Phillipe but for Bobby himself; they work extremely well together. When the police show up near the end of the film, it's enjoyable to see familiar faces Dennis O'Dea, Jack Hawkins and Bernard Lee (M from the Bond flicks). Carol Reed falls into the same category as visionary British filmmaker as his contemporaries Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Powell and David Lean, yet he's generally resigned to being known for The Third Man. This film, as well as several others, show that is a shortsidedness which needs to be rectified ASAP.

[Camo]

Was that the first time you watched Bashu, Mark and was it because of the HOF?

[mark f]

I believe it was the first time, although a few scenes seemed awfully familiar. Yes, I watched it because the YouTube link was posted by Miss Vicky in the HoF thread.

[Mr Minio]

Female Trouble (1974) - 3

https://media.giphy.com/media/Br7UQbswQH5iE/giphy.gif

Not as disgusting as Pink Flamingos, which is a shame, because I expected something even sicker this time! Generally, this has the same cast, but isn't as funny. Divine is a great star, though.

The Naked Kiss (1964) - 4

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i2v0qleRR9o/U2Ze53YGwsI/AAAAAAACiK0/kGu0VVum2Ok/s1600/tumblr_n4tnceh9g11snmmclo1_500.gif

100% pulp melodrama at its finest! Constance Towers is as sultry as possible and I love how cheesy this movie is! The children's song is beautiful, even though they aren't good at singing. PS: "the naked kiss gif" in Google Image Search. :O

The Quatermass Xperiment (1955) - 3.5

https://pic.yify-torrent.org/20140526/33675/6ce3a464c0404d51902f16696de61650.png

Early Hammer! A very solid sci-fi thriller. On to Quatermass 2 now.

The Getaway (1972) - 4

http://movieboozer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/The-Getaway-Feature.jpg

My second favourite Peckinpah! Steve McQueen is so badass with a shotgun!

Shock Corridor (1963) - 4.5

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzohlwKBe91qedb29o1_500.gif

I may be overrating it, but of five Fuller films I saw, this one is my favourite! I mean, incest Constance Towers dream is the kinkiest thing ever. The color parts were incredible.

裸の銃弾 [Naked Bullet] (1969) - 4

http://asianmoviepulse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/post/naked-bullet-1969-review/Screen-Shot-2016-01-17-at-15.13.03.png

Wakamatsu's take on gangster film is a great success! Elegant suit, shades, naked bodies, sex, torture, violence, color experimentation and nihilistic ending. Typical Wakamatsu, which means it's a great film! This made me remember my Wakamatsu binge I had a couple of years ago, when I watched some of his greatest movies. Same great atmosphere!

[the samoan lawyer]

Glad you rate the 2 Fuller so highly Minio. Shock Corridor is one of my favourite movies at the minute. That nympho scene though.....:D

[Mr Minio]

I rate all Fuller movies I saw at least 4.0.

[Mr Minio]

La ciociara [Two Women] (1960) - 4.5

http://img2.ruspoki.tvnet.lv/upload/articles/21/21991/images/Interesnie-gifki-1212-9.gif

This is a very good De Sica film up until the church scene, which was a scene that left a mark on my psyche. Perhaps the most distressing scene of this kind in history of cinema.

Sciuscià [Shoe Shine] (1946) - 4

http://www.imcdb.org/i277494.jpg

Another De Sica & Zavattini offering. A very good prison film on friendship in hard times!

Underworld U.S.A. (1961) - 3.5

http://deeperintomovies.net/journal/image10/underworldusa7.jpg

I didn't enjoy it as much as other Fuller films, but it's still one helluva revenge flick with a great Godard-inspired ending.

L' homme du large [Man of the Sea] (1920) - 3.5

https://40.media.tumblr.com/3949ddb9f92a040fd1969af8d00da8df/tumblr_o3mcn0lmic1rtotcmo5_1280.png

Very cool technically with some interesting visual experimentation and effective tinting. The story is somewhat lost somewhere by the way, though.

The Forbidden Room (2015) - 4

https://media.giphy.com/media/xTiTnwhWUDYpGcB8u4/giphy.gif

The latest in Guy Maddin's experimental extravaganza! A f*ckload of nested stories that open and are contained within themselves like a bunch of caskets. Some ravishing visuals and weird humour!

Brand Upon the Brain! A Remembrance in 12 Chapters (2006) - 4.5

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljsbzqr47o1qecvhz.gif

Best Guy Maddin movie ever! So poetic and beautiful. The memory of Wendy all throughout the movie is the most beautiful thing ever, but then she appears and this guy worships her feet, Haha, WTF is this kinky sh*t.

狂走情死考 [Running in Madness, Dying in Love] (1969) - 4

http://www.offscreen.be/sites/default/files/styles/movie-header/public/images/main/movie/running_in_madness_00.jpg?itok=Jf5WJziH

Another Wakamatsu! This time all in colour with only one scene in black'n'white, or should I say black'n'blue (reverse of some of his other films that mainly in b'n'w had one, or two scenes in stunning colour). An interesting reinvention of the classic lovers on the run story with a new political dimension.

Jurassic Attack (2013) - 1.5

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4Zezs_SlHOM/URXcpoCpErI/AAAAAAAAQ_k/U2GWaWDSM2U/s1600/%5B+www.UsaBit.com+%5D+-+Jurassic+Attack+2013+720p+BRRip+x264-PLAYNOW%5B22-32-21%5D.JPG

Dinosaurs are so awesome even a bad movie is almost passable if it has dinos. Well, almost. PS: It was the 4400th movie I rated.

[jal90]

So I started watching movies again after two very long and excruciating weeks.

Psychic school wars - Nerawareta gakuen (Ryosuke Nakamura, 2012) rating_3
https://67.media.tumblr.com/0f6f94c671bb8a58f5c28f56e8132e47/tumblr_n9w76qiTZO1ttzn7oo1_500.gif

A lot of scenery porn in a very conventional story of typically anime teenage love with a sci-fi storyline that is quite irregularly developed. I thought of Makoto Shinkai a lot while watching this. It's aesthetically overdone and very flawed in narrative with uninteresting characters, unexplored details and very obvious tropes, but there's some consistant charm in it that keeps it rolling.

Magical sisters Yoyo and Nene - Majokko shimai no Yoyo to Nene (Takayuki Hirao, 2013) rating_4
https://31.media.tumblr.com/e0651e1840d3b021cb3fe8746f517d6d/tumblr_n9t6gkq4MF1r3rdh2o2_500.gif

Again, a narration filled with tropes that are easily recognizable. But where Psychic school wars falls flat (keeping a consistant interest on characters and story, taking care of the pacing and narrative flow, delivering the aesthetical elements in the right way), this one succeeds. Simpler, yet more effective artstyle, and superb animation. The story is quite trite and predictable, but most of the time, this isn't even an issue. At times it reminded me a lot of some Miyazaki stuff.

GYO: Tokyo Fish Attack! - Gyo (Takayuki Hirao, 2012) rating_1
https://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzwxwr34uU1qzqnxxo1_r1_500.gif

Well, it took me 100 minutes to become a fan of Hirao, and it took me 70 minutes to stop being a fan. Sounds nice. Hey, at least this one's short. But seriously, terrible at every level imaginable. Even as a spoof or a B-movie this one doesn't work, as it is rather boring and takes itself too seriously. The characters are some of the worst, most illogical beings I've ever witnessed, the morals are some of the most repulsive, and the story... well, let's just say that millions of fish invading land is far from being the most ridiculous thing of this movie.

Human desire (Fritz Lang, 1954) rating_4
http://i.imgur.com/tzKmX4l.jpg

A very solid noir, the usual visual feast from Lang and a great narrative with some minor yet quite annoying flaws (just what the hell is the deal with that trial). But it stands out above all due to one of the most sympathetic femme fatales, if you can even call Gloria Grahame's character that, I've ever seen. Grahame is the driving force of the film and the one that makes all of its events interesting, as well as a great performance and stunning presence. The acting is equally great for Crawford as the drunk and jealous husband, too bad that poor Glenn Ford can't go beyond correct and functional.

Sausage party (Conrad Vernon & Greg Tiernan, 2016) rating_2
https://tribzap2it.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/10vbsb.gif?w=1100


How can you be lazy and tryhard all at the same time? Watch this movie for reference.

Seriously what a huge amount of wasted potential this was. It works reasonably well as a source of sadistic imagery, but as a comedy it is a constant stream of failure after failure, jokes that are not even jokes because they don't even have a punchline beyond the f-word spammage, the overly cheesy pun or the annoyingly predictable and forced double entendre thrown every two damn seconds. The storyline isn't any better, since it's just the same formulaic crap as always except with more graphic violence and more penis jokes, wasting a premise that had some actual interest if driven well.

[mark f]

Female Vampire (J.P. Johnson [Jesús Franco], 1975) 1.5 101 min.
The Demons (Clifford Brown [Jesús Franco], 1973) 2 100 min.
Above, Beneath and Beyond the Valley: The Making of a Musical-Horror-Sex-Comedy (No Director Listed, 2006) 3
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (Russ Meyer, 1970) 2.5
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Vlhr7QYNlTc/U7HNxxdQXBI/AAAAAAAAEFY/JJQ3Wch50WM/s1600/tumblr_lkjlbjAmBL1qazkdco1_500.gif
Porn star Edy Williams rates another conquest a zero in this Roger Ebert-scripted epic.
Secuestro express (Jonathan Jakubowicz, 2005) 2
The Revenge of Frankenstein (Terence Fisher, 1958) 2.5
Fire Sale (Alan Arkin, 1977) 2
The Flowers of War (Zhang Yimou, 2011) 2.5
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m91mf3xbuc1r7i70vo1_500.gif
During Japan’s 1937 Rape of Nanking (China), American mortician Christian Bale encounters two groups of females at a church, and he becomes interested in helping both groups for different reasons.
I Am David (Paul Feig, 2004) 2.5
Apache War Smoke (Harold Kress, 1952) 2
Tron (Steven Lisberger, 1982) 2.5
The Siege of Jadotville (Richie Smythe, 2016) 3+
https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w500/pdV649VbVgsGKWCr5rFi98UNaTg.jpg
Action-packed thriller about an Irish U.N. peacekeeping force in the Congo in 1961 led by Commandant Jamie Dornan who are forced to battle natives and European mercenaries at the start of a civil war.
Session 9 (Brad Anderson, 2001) 2.5
The Creeping Flesh (Freddie Francis, 1973) 2
Code of Silence (Andrew Davis, 1985) 2.5
The Pope of Greenwich Village (Stuart Rosenberg, 1984) 3
https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000084639631/01c31a6257e9abffbe3917c99d5f930b.jpeg
Cool maitre d’ Mickey Rourke (here swaying to Sinatra’s “Summer Wind”) has a future in the restaurant business, but his troublesome cousin Eric Roberts scotches that and gets him in trouble with the mob too.
Macabre (William Castle, 1958) 2+
Goat (Andrew Neel, 2016) 2.5
The Hard Ride (Burt Topper, 1971) 2
The House That Dripped Blood (Peter Duffell, 1971) 2.5+ http://66.media.tumblr.com/e4722a62cea887058bb0665c8860faa6/tumblr_mybrpc5AiI1rne776o1_500.gif
A man (Peter Cushing) finds his friend’s head in a wax museum.

[Mäx]

Silent Hill (Christophe Gans, 2006) - 4
Tucker & Dale vs. Evil (Eli Craig, 2010) - 2
Les avaleuses Female Vampire (Jess Franco, 1973) - 1.5

[Mäx]

Triangle (Christopher Smith, 2009) - 3.5+
El orfanato The Orphanage (J. A. Bayona, 2007) - 3.5
Hush (Mike Flanagan, 2016) - 3.5

[Mr Minio]

I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (1932) - 4.5

http://pre-code.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/IAmAFugitive1.gif

It's incredible how powerful these pre-code movies are! This one has Paul Muni (he gave a wholly different impression in Scarface) and is surprisingly faithful to the story it's based on (only two (?) changes!). Well, the real-life story had been happening at the time the movie was released and the book and the movie and the whole ballyhoo made around the case eventually brought Chain Gangs to the end. This film has an incredibly hard-hitting ending that will be very hard for me to forget.

Dark Passage (1947) - 4

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Probably one of the best known noirs I still haven't seen. Wait a second, now I have! The first part is beyond exquisite with POV style shots (Montgomery stretched the trick to the limit with Lady in the Lake that was 100% POV!), dark atmosphere, face-freezer hallucinations and Lauren Bacall! Then it goes downhill a little bit, but only a little! What a fine film noir!

Gilda (1946) - 3.5

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Another good noir, but I didn't love it as much as Dark Passage. The movie is built around the character of Rita Hayworth and don't get me wrong, as she is a nice broad, but she seemed to me more like a childish slut than the cold, calculating femme fatale I like to see in film noirs. I really liked the characters of Uncle Pio, who goes around calling Glenn Ford a peasant and the police inspector, who has a weak spot for love stories.

息子の青春 [Youth of the Son] (1952) - 3

http://www.shochiku.co.jp/kobayashi_masaki/images/works/img_works1_01.jpg

The very first Masaki Kobayashi (yes, the Masaki Kobayashi) movie is a light-hearted coming-of-age melodrama! A fairly enjoyable film with some kewl scenes, but nothing more than that. Towards the end Chishu Ryu's character is introduced and he steals the show!

Heaven Can Wait (1943) - 4

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Lubitsch, mon amour! When this started, I wasn't too sure about it, because the colour palette and overall mood heralded some sugary romance, but Lubitsch can do no wrong! As always, I found a comedy film more sad than funny, but wow, wasn't it a joy to watch it.

The Bunny Game (2010) - 2

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Starts very, ekhm, 'promising' (it's available on YT, you can check it out - on your own responsibility!), but then turns psycho and becomes one of them snuff movie wannabe shockers. 100% MovieGal-core! The cinematography and especially the montage were quite good for this type of a movie, though!

[cricket]

I've almost watched The Bunny Game a couple times, but it looks too cheap to be disturbing and the soundtrack is supposed to be annoying.

[mark f]

Seven Seas to Calais (Rudolph Maté & Primo Zeglio, 1962) 2.5
The Devil Bat (Jean Yarbrough, 1940) 2
Rolling Family (Pablo Trapero, 2004) 2.5
The Brain That Wouldn't Die (Joseph Green, 1962) 1.5+
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Although his girlfriend (Virginia Leith) died in a car accident, a mad surgeon (Jason Evers) keeps her decapitated head alive [without lungs] and looks for a replacement body.
Stone (John Curran, 2010) 2
Jungle Gents (Edward Bernds, 1954) 2
Sleepless in Seattle (Nora Ephron, 1993) 3
Mothra (Ishirô Honda, 1961) 2
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The God of a remote island where Rolisca does atomic testing is a giant egg which hatches and eventually becomes a giant moth which destroys the Roliscan capital of New Kirk City.
The Corpse Vanishes (Wallace Fox, 1942) 1.5+
Valley of Fire (John English, 1951) 2
Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (Toshiya Fujita, 1974) 2.5
Lady Snowblood (Toshiya Fujita, 1973) 3 http://67.media.tumblr.com/d9c1e539def39cab8089bd574bbb3a85/tumblr_mo4ppquBgu1r4zr8xo1_500.gif
Lady Snowblood (Meiko Kaji) uses her sword of vengeance with pinpoint control.
Whirlwind (John English, 1951) 2+
Frankenstein Created Woman (Terence Fisher, 1967) 2.5
Rowan & Martin at the Movies (Jack Arnold, 1968) 2
Norwegian Wood (Tran Anh Hung, 2010) 2.5
http://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lm7pjjQdZr1qbpnjto1_500.gif
A young man (Ken'ichi Matsuyama) reminisces about his first loves – here with a girl (Kiko Mizuhara) who is full of life, unlike the other girl (Rinko Kikuchi) he often remembers.
My Woman (Victor Schertzinger, 1933) 2
Hollywood Round-Up (Ewing Jones, 1937) 2
Hollywood Scout (No Director Listed, 1945) 2.5
The Killer Shrews (Ray Kellogg, 1959) 2
https://free-classic-movies.com/movies-05/05-1959-06-25-Killer-Shrews/Baruch-Lumet-as-Dr-Marlowe-Craigis.jpghttp://65.media.tumblr.com/8a1e6ba32b51bfc380f5d03123cc29e7/tumblr_inline_n8vb98fIJx1sfi3wb.gif
Mad scientist Baruch Lumet (Sidney’s father) creates huge shrews on a remote island, although they’re mostly just dogs with lousy makeup or in this case, a puppet.

[honeykid]

Yay for The Killer Shrews. :up: It really should've been on the 50's list.

[Mr Minio]

Son nom de Venise dans Calcutta désert (1976) - 4

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You may or may not know Marguerite Duras as the screenwriter of Hiroshima mon amour. Exactly 20 years later she directed India Song, which to this day remains her greatest monument. An autobiographical arthouse movie about the wife of a French diplomat and her unhappy and tedious life. Constantly in travel, taking part in many senseless banquets that only confirm the emptiness of her life. One could say that Son nom de Venise dans Calcutta désert is a sequel to India Song, but if you know the nature of these films, the very word sequel not only does not do them justice, but does not even fit them. Well, at least these two films are related thematically by Duras' alter ego Anne-Marie Stretter and have quite a lot in common when it comes to residual plots, demanding forms and peculiar orientalism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaX2H6iQsKA

In his infamous manifesto Venom and Eternity Isidore Isou postulated the end of cinema comparing its then contemporary condition to a 'fat pig that will explode'. He proposed far-reaching changes including, among others, a complete disjunction of sound and image. Although Venise/Calcutta maintains a slight connection between these two, the link is pretty distant and not so apparent. Most of the time the camera slowly floats through desolate houses and edifices, sometimes taking a walk outside portraying some trees, or a sea. There are no people in the movie except for about ten minutes towards the end when some familiar faces from India Song appear. However, it's very hard to tell whether it is some footage of them sitting motionlessly, or just a bunch of photos. Either way, it is very safe to say that, just like Chantal Akerman's Hôtel Monterey, Venise/Calcutta is a peopleless film. There's that constant voice-over as the viewer hears various people talking, but it is very hard to say if these are tangible human beings, or just phantoms of the past living in abandoned buildings that Duras is so eager to portray.

There are some beautiful poetic words in the narration. What really stuck in my mind was the voice-over talking about the shooting of Shalimar lepers and concluding the short story with the expression of 'leprosy of the heart', which probably refers to the people who commenced the shooting. In some other scene somebody asks 'what is this scent of flowers?' and gets the answer: 'leprosy'. Somebody else talks about leper bodies being burned on ghats. There's a long scene with the camera pulling back the corridor and the sun shining through the windows resulting in some breath-taking images. Then there's that scene of a sunset sky with India Song playing to it. The India Song's India Song is reused here, but not as excessively as in India Song. It's a beautiful composition that really adds a lot to the atmopshere of the film.

Son nom de Venise dans Calcutta désert requires some patience and imagination as the viewer has to believe a lot to open his mind and therefore get into the mood of the movie. The film has to offer quite a lot both inside its structure as well as outside of it as it creates the second front in viewer's mind. Ultimately, Venise/Calcutta, just like India Song, seems to be a bittersweet remembrance of the past that might've as well been just a dream, if not for the India Song that may be the only evidence of yore.

[Mr Minio]

A Day at the Races (1937) - 4

http://24.media.tumblr.com/416462ab8aa630e131eb368011d0fec1/tumblr_mhbd7uAhPq1qedb29o1_500.gif
Hey, don't drink that poison! That's $4.00 an ounce!

Even funnier than the other two Marx brothers movies I've seen!

[Mäx]

Zombieland (Ruben Fleischer, 2009) - 4
The Invitation (Karyn Kusama, 2015) - 3+
The Woman in Black (James Watkins, 2012) - 3+
Gyeongseonghakyoo: Sarajin Sonyeodeul The Silenced (Lee Hae-young, 2015) - 3+

[mark f]

Sean O'Casey: The Spirit of Ireland (Edwin Apfel, 1965) 2
The Curse of Frankenstein (Terence Fisher, 1957) 2.5-
Rasputin: The Mad Monk (Don Sharp, 1966) 2
The Gorgon (Terence Fisher, 1964) 2.5
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Dr. Peter Cushing knows that Medusa (Prudence Hyman) is killing people in his village but has kept quiet.
Scars of Dracula (Roy Ward Baker, 1970) 2
losin’ it (Curtis Hanson, 1983) 2.5+
Taste the Blood of Dracula (Peter Sasdy, 1970) 2+
The Black Cauldron (Ted Berman & Richard Rich, 1985) 3
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The villainous Horned King curses his enemies.
Dracula A.D. 1972 (Alan Gibson, 1972) 2
Modern Guatemala City (James A. FitzPatrick, 1945) 2.5
The Get-Away (Edward Buzzell, 1941) 2
In a Valley of Violence (Ti West, 2016) 2.5+
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Stranger Ethan Hawke and his dog (Abby) choose a town full of violent eccentrics to mosey into from the wilderness.
Step by Step (Phil Rosen, 1946) 2.5-
Guns Don't Argue! (Richard C. Kahn & Bill Karn, 1960) 2-
I Was a Communist for the FBI (Gordon Douglas, 1951) 2.5-
Mr. Duck Steps Out (Jack King, 1940) 3
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Donald Duck enjoys dancing with his love Daisy (in her first appearance with Donald) – he even gets to jitterbug in spite of interference from his three nephews.
Nerve (Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman, 2016) 2.5+
The Choice (Ross Katz, 2016) 2
The Hands of Orlac (Robert Wiene, 1924) 2.5 113 min
Last Cab to Darwin (Jeremy Sims, 2016) 3-
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When 70-year-old Broken Hill cab driver Michael Caton learns that he has six months to live, he decides to leave his lover (Ningali Lawford-Wolf) and drive 2000 miles to Darwin where euthanasia has just been legalized.

[cricket]

Not a bad rating for Losin' It!:D

[mark f]

The Idol (Hany Abu-Assad, 2016) 3
The Ice Pirates (Stewart Raffill, 1984) 2.5-
Satellite in the Sky (Paul Dickson, 1956) 2
Indignation (James Schamus, 2016) 3
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In 1951, troubled but free-loving WASP Sarah Gadon and free-thinking Jewish Logan Lerman meet in college and seal each other’s fate.
Logan’s Run (Michael Anderson, 1976) 3-
The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy (Rafael Portillo, 1958) 1-
The Weather Underground (Sam Green & Bill Siegel, 2003) 3
Soylent Green (Richard Fleischer, 1973) 3.5-
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NYPD detective Charlton Heston searches for the secret of 2022’s favorite food – Soylent Green.
Calvaire (Fabrice Du Welz, 2005) 2.5
Observe and Report (Jody Hill, 2009) 2+
Time Bandits (Terry Gilliam, 1981) 2.5
The Candidate (Michael Ritchie, 1972) 3.5
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Longshot California Democratic Senate candidate Robert Redford’s message unexpectedly gains in popularity.
Women of San Quentin (William A. Graham, 1983) 2+
Joe (John G. Avildsen, 1970) 4
Dead Men Can't Dance (Steve Anderson, 1997) 2-
The Infiltrator (Brad Furman, 2016) 3
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jtcykueJcB0/Vxezv-SSDGI/AAAAAAADZkg/v4nSRRnoMMAqI8c6k8-ZYwAy8IWcbO_7gCLcB/s1600/inf4.gif
In the 1980s, U.S. Special Customs agent Robert Mazur (Bryan Cranston) goes undercover to try to take down the Colombian drug cartel’s and an international bank’s multi-billion dollar money laundering scheme.
The Housekeeper's Daughter (Hal Roach, 1939) 2+
The Mechanic (Michael Winner, 1972) 3.5
Eddie Macon’s Run (Jeff Kanew, 1983) 2
Infernal Affairs (Andrew Lau & Stephen Mak, 2002) 3.5
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Hong Kong undercover cop Tony Leung works as a mole in a mob boss’ triad, but he’s being brought back into the force by a cop (Andy Lau) who is actually a mole planted by the same mobster (Eric Sang).

[Mr Minio]

風立ちぬ [The Wind Rises] (2013) - 3.5

http://i.imgur.com/GL5qzLh.gif

When this started I thought this might be the best Miyazaki movie ever as the dreams-come-true theme seemed to be working super-fine and the actual dreams felt very beautiful and genuine, but it went downhill from that point. The romance subplot was pretty, but it overshadowed the other subplot and then I found out that the movie is highly fictionalized and I felt somehow cheated. That being said, it's still a good film that truly shows Miyazaki's love for planes (his family's business was making parts for planes when he was a little boy) and respect for Jiro Horikoshi. It's an interesting statement on the line between the inventor and his invention (after all he's designing machines that kill people) and the portrait of real commitment that resulted in defeat.

The Thief (1952) - 4

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Surely, a one-of-its-kind no dialogue movie from the USA of the 50's (!!!). This film did not need any dialogues as the build-up and action were extremely understandable. That clarity proves that after all these American movies did not need dialogue to be great. This is a spy thriller, but the cinematography makes it look like a film noir. The cold war era plot is superbly affecting, especially if you think about Rosenberg's execution (only one year after movie's release!), and then really wish you are not on McCarthy's list yourself!

To Have and Have Not (1944) - 4

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Tropical film noir with Bogart and Bacall. Is there anything more you might want?

A Nymphoid Barbarian in Dinosaur Hell (1990) - 3.5

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A great surprise! This was as entertaining as it was bad. Which means it was very entertaining. Good job Troma!

Atlantis (1913) - 3

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A bit of a let down, especially considering two other August Blom film I saw, The End of the World and Temptations of a Great City, were very good. Sadly, Atlantis does not star the star of the second one Valdemar Psilander. Instead, Olaf Fønss, the guy who was in The End of the World acts here. The disaster scenes were really well-made, but overall the movie isn't great.

High Sierra (1941) - 4

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Future director Ida Lupino falls in love with Bogart, who on the other hand falls in love with a limp girl. Oh, and everyone loves the dog.

Sweet Movie (1974) - 4

https://media.giphy.com/media/wnrDONIJKwV5C/giphy.gif

Chocolate and sh*t, sugar and blood, vomit and urine, Communism and Capitalism, Viennese Actionism and Katyn forest exhumation. This is a little bit like Jodorovsky if you think about the controversy factor, but Jodorovsky's films have metaphysics that I missed in Makavejev's work. Still a very strong satire on almost everything that can as well be ignored for this to become a "f*ck the meaning let's have fun" kind of movie. Judging from the movie the only difference between chocolate and feces is the chocolate is sweet. I dunno about sh*t. I never tasted it.

W.R. - Misterije organizma [WR: Mysteries of the Organism] (1971) - 4

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eVQhfKlIHeo/UY0_lE53tiI/AAAAAAAAXR0/jJaegTo-yBc/s1600/wrmysteriesoftheorganis.jpg

Looks like sexual revolution and communist revolution don't have to be different things! Comrade lovers, for your health's sake, f*ck freely! My apologetics for the profanity.

The Informer (1935) - 4

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Sk9X5gNhA1U/VFTmFghSePI/AAAAAAAAALM/Uu4kkH562Xw/s1600/565.gif

Beautiful cinematoraphy and good direction, as always with Ford, but McLaglen's character was a little too blunt for my taste. He was a little bit like Anthony Quinn's character in La Strada, but with the wits of Gelsomina.

[MovieMeditation]

The Robot vs. the Aztec Mummy (Rafael Portillo, 1958) 1-
You actually wached it! :laugh:

[seanc]

Amanda Knox: 2.5 Pretty shallow but worth a watch. Knox is an interesting person and you get to see her speak here more than you probably ever have. The opposing view doesn't get much of a fair shot but also doesn't look very competent.

Murder On The Orient Express: 3.5 Incredibly entertaining because of the protagonist. The others don't get enough screen time but are all fun in limited scenes. I kept thinking almost the whole movie I wish Guy Ritchie would have checked this film out before making the Sherlock films. Not everything needs huge action set pieces, in fact most movies don't. I hate to be that guy, but they don't make them like this anymore. A popcorn flick without any explosions.

The Accountant: 2 An interesting premise blown. It has its entertaining moments for sure but is mostly a muddled mess that will be very easy to forget. Plus a typical thriller ending that I absolutely despised.

Patton: 2.5 Scott is incredible and I always love Malden if he was reading the phone book. The problem is this is just three hours of the same scene over and over. Glad I watched it but I won't again.

Mascots: 2.5 I liked this more than most people seem to. I thought the first twenty minutes was really funny and the actual competition was pretty good. Maybe if I had seen this in the theater I would have been more disappointed but as it is I enjoyed it for the most part. It is going to get me to dig into Guest's filmography a bit as well. I have only seen Best In Show before this and it has been years.

Rio Bravo: 3.5 I really enjoyed this because of the great cast of characters. Not the masterpiece for me that it is for others because it feels dated from a visual standpoint.

Hunt For The Wilderpeople: 3.5 One of the best of the year. The story is so endearing. This movie is funny and the characters are great. I love the music as well. Wes Anderson-eque.

Stroszek: 5 Another absolutely perfect first time viewing for me this year. Like a lot of my favorites it is hard to put into words what makes this movie so great, but everything just is. There is a naturalness to the film that is really compelling but it is also delightfully weird. The characters are all perfect, the dialogue is funny. I loved it so much. Surprised it doesn't get more talk with all the Herzog fans.

Fitzcarraldo: 3 This Herzog is really good in many ways. The cinematography and story are really good. It is a bit long and the ADR really kept me from fully embracing the film.

[Daniel M]

Glad you liked Rio Bravo. Love Stroszek too, I think it's my favourite Herzog film, need to watch it again.

[Mäx]

Pappa ante Portas (Vicco von Bülow, 1991) - 4
Geomsa-wa yeoseonsaeng A Public Prosecutor and a Teacher (Yoon Dae-Ryong, 1948) - 3
Scream (Wes Craven, 1996) - 2+

[neiba]

A bit late but here's September record:

September

Lolita (1962) rating_4

The Cowboy and the Lady (1939) rating_3 -

Proof (2005) rating_3 -
30 Minutes or Less (2011) rating_3 -
The Killers (1946) rating_4

Blazing Saddles (1974) rating_2

Kansas City Confidential (1952) rating_3_5 +

The Big Sleep (1946) rating_4 +

AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004) rating_2_5 +

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang rating_3_5

L.A. Confidential (1997) rating_3_5
The Flowers of War (2011) rating_3_5+
Brooklyn (2015) rating_3_5+
Withnail & I (1987) rating_4_5

Month count: 14/0
Year count: 158/8

[mark f]

Harrigan's Kid (Charles Reisner, 1943) 2
The Land of the Lost Sidekicks (Roger Ross Williams, 2016) 2.5
Life, Animated (Roger Ross Williams, 2016) 3
The Black Cat (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1934) 2.5
https://66.media.tumblr.com/f506224d2e414f5f7af0eabce6db36c5/tumblr_niyk1okTH61tjcv1jo3_500.gif
No wonder Satan worshiper Boris Karloff loves black cats and his rival Bela Lugosi doesn’t.
Cheers for Miss Bishop (Tay Garnett, 1941) 2.5-
Dirty Grandpa (Dan Mazer, 2016) 2-
The Taste of Others (Agnès Jaoui, 2000) 2.5+
The Black Scorpion (Edward Ludwig, 1957) 2
http://31.media.tumblr.com/8699d5e581efca871220b93f7ad8d501/tumblr_n45kq7LEK81qedb29o1_500.gif
An erupting Mexican volcano unleashes giant scorpions which terrorize a doll, the countryside and even Mexico City.
Fat Man and Little Boy (Roland Joffé, 1989) 2.5+
The Uninvited (Lewis Allen, 1944) 3
A Hologram for the King (Tom Tykwer, 2016) 2.5+
Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (Fred F. Sears, 1956) 2
https://66.media.tumblr.com/c91cfc63d445f8c879030bd1bee9d7fe/tumblr_n47j0w4ds01qcay1ao1_500.gif
Aliens ironically invade Washington, D.C., to help drain the swamp.
Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key aka Excite Me aka Eyes of the Black Cat aka Gently Before She Dies (Sergio Martino, 1972) 2.5+
Mondo Cane (Paola Cavara, Gualtiero Jacopetti & Franco E. Prosperi, 1962) 2.5
The Baby (Ted Post, 1973) 2.5-
Carnival of Souls (Herk Harvey, 1962) 3-
https://67.media.tumblr.com/4c97136b6b716ad91e3fb8da3d673720/tumblr_morhs3fafB1snmmclo1_500.gif
After she miraculously survives a deadly accident, organist Candace Hilligoss begins seeing a strange man (Herk Harvey).
The World's Greatest Sinner (Timothy Carey, 1962) 2.5
Wild in the Streets (Barry Shear, 1968) 3
How to Make a Monster (Herbert L. Strock, 1958) 1.5+
Blood and Black Lace (Mario Bava, 1964) 2.5+
https://media.giphy.com/media/hrgQLChTZFrvG/giphy.gif
Another model (Claude Dantes) becomes a victim of the masked killer.

[Mr Minio]

Mod lyset [Towards the Light] (1919) - 4

http://65.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l2vuduyW7K1qaivtro1_500.jpg

From the director of Himmelskibet comes this beautifully shot drama starring the one and only Asta Nielsen. What a great film! Nielsen is already a big star with a lot of films on her account here and generally this is a film made after the Golden Age of Danish cinema, long surpassed by Swedish and American movies, but it's also one of the better films to come out of Denmark in the late 1910's. Its religious message may be seen as too idealistic or even corny, but the movie is mainly about the cinematography, that being pretty modern, still seems like a tribute to the movies of the Golden Age (both Danish and Russian (Bauer!) flicks). I really liked how both this and Griffith's Broken Blossoms had a similar motif of drunken father beating the daughter. Of course, Griffith exploited the theme more in depth, with the help of the wonderful doe-eyed Lilian Gish. The leitmotif here is still Nielsen's atheist (!) character stubbornly walking the path of shame (i.e. coquetting a priest!), but I mean, who cares about plot anyway, just look at the conflagration scenes to understand.

Yume de Aimasho: Wonderland [Meet Me in the Dream: Wonderland] (1996) - 3.5

http://s3.amazonaws.com/auteurs_production/images/film/meet-me-in-the-dream-wonderland/w1280/meet-me-in-the-dream-wonderland.jpg

It starts like a cute high-school girl teen film, but don't be deceived, it's Hisayasu Sato's film. However, just like his other late works, it's not as sex-filled and perverted as his earlier films. Still, Sato shows his fascination with every possible form of sexuality and also a peculiar kind of voyeurism, as well as introducing his habitual themes of alienation and weird illnesses. The movie is based on some manga and you can clearly see this. I had no problem reimagining every scene as if it was animated. Maybe it's the source material, but there are some incredibly atmospheric scenes that don't feel like Sato at all. I particularly love Sato's films for their specific atmosphere, but this film had a different kind of mood, which doesn't of course mean it was worse, or anything.

The Babadook (2014) - 3.5

https://consequenceofsound.files.wordpress.com/2016/07/babadook-gif.gif?w=806

I was getting into it almost sure I'm gonna get a mediocre horror film (at best!), so this was quite a surprise for me, when it turned out to be a psychological drama that only cloaks itself in the garments of horror. It may not be the best horror movie of the last decade, but it surely is quite fresh with its ambiguous symbology, that although pretty apparent and not that hard to get, makes for a fascinating watch. I'd never questioned Essie Davis' acting when I watched the film and it was when it ended that I realized how well she acted. Plus her character has a better movie taste than half of MoFos (Black Sabbath, Georges Méliès etc.)! I don't want to get into interpreting the movie here, so I'm gonna leave it at that.

Topaz (1969) - 2

https://therebelprince.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/topaz1.jpg

After having seen 28 Hitchcock films, every time I find yet another film of his I haven't seen, I feel like I'm scraping the bottom (although there are still about 2 or 3 films of his that have a chance of being good). I was getting into this almost sure this is not going to be a good film and it turned out to be just the way I thought. Well, the premise is quite interesting. A Cuban Missile Crisis spy thriller. Sounds cool, right? Sadly, the film is neither thrilling nor engaging. It's well-directed and there are some occasional great shots (like the one on the screencap above), but most of the this feels like Hitchcock didn't know what he was trying to achieve. A lot of the movie works like a pendulum. The Cuban part of the film is beautifully shot albeit annoyingly melodramatic, etc. Well, after struggling the first 40 minutes, I didn't have any problem finishing the other 85 minutes, but boy, is it overlong. Summing up, the lowest trier Hitchcock. Only for completists.

[Chypmunk]

October watches (All Hallow's Eve/Day so all up for once):

The Railway Man (2013) 3
Sil jong [Missing] (2009) 2.5+
Chugyeogja [The Chaser] (2008) 4
Monsters (2010) 3.5+
Boys Don't Cry (1999) 4+
Room At The Top (1959) 4
Gin gwai [The Eye] (2002) 3
Átame! [Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!] (1989) 4
I, Frankenstein (2014) 2.5
Ruby Sparks (2012) 1.5
Frozen (2013) 3
Leaves Of Grass (2009) 3+
La lune à un mètre [The Moon At Arms Length] (1898) 3
Le voyage dans la lune [A Trip To The Moon] (1902) 3.5+
A Trip To Mars (1910) 2
Himmelskibbet [A Trip To Mars] (1918) 3.5+
The Killer Shrews (1959) 3
Alraune (1952) 3.5+
The Silent Village (1943) 3.5
The Day The Earth Caught Fire (1961) 4
Panic In The Year Zero! (1962) 3.5
About Elly (2009) 4
Thunderbirds Are GO (1966) 3.5
Kvinden i buret [The Keeper Of Lost Causes] (2013) 4
The Drop (2014) 4+
Lifeboat (1944) 3.5
The Machine (2013) 3.5+
Strange Days (1995) 3+
Space Master X-7 (1958) 3
La morte viene dalla spazio [The Day The Sky Exploded] (1958) 3
The Colossus Of New York (1958) 3.5
Wir sind die Nacht [We Are The Night] (2010) 2.5
The Hidden (1987) 4
The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) 2.5
Slashers (2001) 0.5
Death Sentence (2007) 2.5+
Kosmicheskiy reys: Fantasticheskaya novella [Cosmic Journey] (1936) 3+
Ex Machina (2015) 4.5
Beyond The Time Barrier (1960) 2+
Attack Of The Crab Monsters (1957) 2
The Fly (1958) 4+
The Wasp Woman (1959) 3
Invasion, U.S.A. (1952) 1.5
Devil Girl From Mars (1954) 3.5
Silent Running (1972) 4
Hanyo [The Housemaid] (2010) 3.5+
Hanyo [The Housemaid] (1960) 3.5
Night Of The Creeps (1986) 3
The Thin Red Line (1998) 4+
Cashback (2006) 2
Beyond The Rising Moon (1987) 2
Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971) 0.5 or 2.5 depending on proclivity
It Conquered The World (1956) 3.5

[Mäx]

Double Indemnity (Billy Wilder, 1944) - rating_4
Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951) - rating_3_5
Piagol (Lee Kang-cheon, 1955) - rating_2_5

[cricket]

October, 2016 movies watched-

Nightmare Alley (1947) 3.5+ Unusual type of story for a noir, with a haunting ending.

The Nice Guys (2016) 3- I give Ryan Gosling most of the credit for this movie being decent.

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) *4 A great Christmas movie.

Bashu, the Little Stranger (1989) 3.5 A moving story and a nice look at a different culture.

Laura (1944) 3+ Practically flawless, yet it did not leave me satisfied.

Sunrise (1927) 4.5 I wasn't in love with some of the middle scenes, but the rest was spectacular.

Late Night Trains (1975) 3.5+ Italian knock off on Last House on the Left is a must watch for fans of the sadistic.

Her (2013) 3.5+ Phoenix is great, and more importantly, I believed it was possible.

Ex Machina (2015) 4 Strong contender for my Sci-Fi list.

The Neon Demon (2016) 2.5+ I would have liked this much more if the pace was a little quicker.

Ida (2013) 4 A couple of great performances and good power.

Sergeant York (1941) 4+ Great true story, and I loved how it shifted from western to war film.

The Cell (2000) 3.5-I really enjoyed the story and the bizarre imagery.

The Flowers of War (2011) 3.5-Quite flawed I thought, yet I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Disco Pigs (2001) 2.5 Nice little Irish independent movie, but very slow at times.

The Infiltrator (2016) 3.5- Well done and entertaining, but no great qualities.

Citizen Kane (1941) Repeat viewing 3.5 Very good movie that doesn't overly excite me.

The Letter (1940) 3.5+ Hidden gem from director William Wyler.

The Lady from Shanghai (1947) 4- Fast paced with awesome characters and dialogue.

Odd Man Out (1947) 3 Beautifully shot and well executed, but it could use more excitement.

Born to Kill (1947) 3+ I loved the nasty tone and despicable characters.

Moon (2009)[B] [rating]3 Fairly compelling, looks great, and has Sam Rockwell.

Lady in the Lake (1947) 3.5- Philip Marlowe noir filmed pov style, that I enjoyed largely due to the star's wisecracking ways.

On the Town (1949) 2 Rating this classic musical is ridiculous because it's just not my type of movie. I'm only doing it for my records.

Good Bye, Lenin! (2003) 4- If not for a little zaniness in the middle, this could have been a new favorite.

A Boy and His Dog (1975) 3.5+ Strange, perverse, and funny post apocalyptic gem.

Mildred Pierce (1945) 4 From the top 100 noirs list, directed by Michael Curtiz, and starring Joan Crawford, this movie kept surprising me.

The Lady Eve (1941) 3+ Highly recommended for fans of rom-coms.

Rabid (1977) 3.5- Early Cronenberg is a winner for horror fans.

The Conjuring 2 (2016) 3.5- A lot like the first one; nothing original but well done.

Ronin (1998) Repeat viewing 3.5- A little more intelligent than the average action film, and a strong cast.

A Trip to the Moon (1902) 3 Good watch for a movie about 13 minutes long.

Pi (1998) 3+ Unique and unnerving.

Pursued (1947) 3+ Robert Mitchum western that has a strong sense of dread and looks great.

Children of Men (2006) Repeat viewing 4.5 Loved it this time around after not caring for it about 8 years ago.

Total October viewings-35
Total 2016 viewings-290

[neiba]

October


Taxi Driver (theatre) (1976) rating_4
The Dead Girl (2006) rating_3_5 -
Alfie (2004) rating_2
Ronin (1998) rating_3 +
Samurai Rebellion (1967) rating_3_5 +
Moby Dick (1956) rating_3
Good Bye Lenin (2003) rating_4 +
For Your Eyes Only (1981) rating_3 +
Octopussy (1983) rating_2_5
A View to a Kill (1985) rating_3 +
Ida (2013) rating_3_5
Bringing Up Baby (1938) rating_3_5 +
The Living Daylights (1987) rating_2_5 -
Goldeneye (1995) rating_3_5 -
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) rating_3 -
The World is Not Enough (1999) rating_3

Month count: 16/0
Year count: 174/8

[Miss Vicky]

Everything I watched In October
(Thoughts posted in my Movie Log (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=43738))

Bashu, the Little Stranger (Bashu, gharibeye koochak) (Bahram Beizai, 1989) 3.5-
Fire in the Sky (Robert Lieberman, 1993) (Rewatch) 4-
Le Cercle Rouge (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1970) 3-
Fathers and Daughters (Gabriele Muccino, 2015) 3.5
Ghostbusters (Paul Feig, 2016) 1
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (James Cameron, 1991) (Rewatch) rating_4-
Over the Hedge (Tim Johnson and Karey Kirkpatrick, 2006) (Rewatch) rating_4+
Jurassic World (Colin Trevorrow, 2015) (Rewatch) rating_4-
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004) (Rewatch) rating_5
Ernest & Celestine (Ernest et Célestine) (Stéphane Aubier, Vincent Patar, 2012) (Rewatch) rating_4+
Dark City (Alex Proyas, 1998) (Rewatch) 3.5+
The Wolf of Wall Street (Martin Scorsese, 2013) (Rewatch) 4+
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha: The Movie 2nd A’s (Mah ô shôjo lyrical Nanoha) (Unknown Director, 2012) 0.5-

[mark f]

The Mephisto Waltz (Paul Wendkos, 1971) 2.5
Lesbian Vampire Killers (Phil Claydon, 2009) 2
The Monster (Roland West, 1925) 2.5-
Don't Torture a Duckling (Lucio Fulci, 1972) 2.5+
http://media3.giphy.com/media/xT9DPLWGUU6FUEHABi/giphy.gif
The Fall of the Roman Empire.
Blow-Ups of 1947 (No Director Listed, 1947) 2.5
The Black Cat (Lucio Fulci, 1981) 2
Richard Pryor: Live and Smokin' (Michael Blum, 1971) 2.5
Island of Lost Souls (Erle C. Kenton, 1932) 2.5
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yxCX6B5jhMA/V5z1xNldGRI/AAAAAAAAiMw/SNU8w2TzlRo6cHXDp45XLfWUNk0YvYdEgCLcB/s640/Island%2BOf%2BLost%2BSouls.1.gif
”What is the Law? Are We Not Men?” Dr. Moreau (Charles Laughton) learns the hard way.
Charlie Cobb: Nice Night for a Hanging (Richard Michaels, 1977) 2.5
The Mummy (Terence Fisher, 1959) 2
Playful Pan (Burt Gillett, 1930) 2.5
The Abominable Dr. Phibes (Robert Fuest, 1971) 3
https://media.giphy.com/media/OOQ1aN73PNr4k/giphy.gif
Organist Dr. Phibes (Vincent Price) sits at the altar of his dead wife (Caroline Munro) – he blames the doctors who couldn’t save her on the operating table and plans to kill them utilizing the Biblical plagues of Egypt.
The Hound of the Baskervilles (Terence Fisher, 1959) 2.5
Scream of Fear aka Taste of Fear (Seth Holt, 1961) 2.5+
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (Terence Fisher, 1960) 2
The Wolf Man (George Waggner, 1941) 2.5
http://31.media.tumblr.com/0d82e6938cbcaa072451e9ec551ab3b7/tumblr_mj595qTLqI1qmvy8zo1_500.gif
Jenny Williams (Fay Helm): “Even a man who is pure in heart and says his prayers by night, may become a wolf when the wolfbane blooms and the autumn moon is bright.” Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney, Jr.): [after hearing it twice already] “You know that one too ah?”
Storm Warning (Stuart Heisler, 1951) 2
Dallas (Stuart Heisler, 1950) 2.5
The Invisible War (Kirby Dick, 2012) 3
The Blob (Chuck Russell, 1988) 2.5
http://37.media.tumblr.com/02d18acb02f63c3953c88c57b092e3f8/tumblr_n7159ky1X21rp0vkjo1_500.gif
The Blob appears from the strangest (which are subsequently the most-obvious) places.

[Camo]

October 2016 Watches:

The Nice Guys - 3+
Bashu, The Little Stranger - 3.5
Chungking Express - 4+
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - 3
Samurai Rebellion - 4
Alphaville - 3.5
Dark City - 4-
Ida - 3.5+
Frankenstein - 3
The Flowers of War - 3+
Good Bye Lenin - 3.5
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring - 4+

[jal90]

So here are my October viewings and all:

Fatima (Philippe Faucon, 2015) 4
Wild (Nicolette Krebitz, 2016) 3
Happy times will come soon - I tempi felici verranno presto (Alessandro Commodin, 2016) 2
The death of Louis XIV - La mort de Louis XIV (Albert Serra, 2016) 4.5
Psychic school wars - Nerawareta gakuen (Ryosuke Nakamura, 2012) 3
Magical sisters Yoyo & Nene - Majokko shimai no Yoyo to Nene (Takayuki Hirao, 2013) 4
Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack - Gyo (Takayuki Hirao, 2012) 1
Human desire (Fritz Lang, 1954) 4
Sausage Party (Conrad Vernon & Greg Tiernan, 2016) 2
Shoot the piano player - Tirez sur le pianiste (François Truffaut, 1960) 4
Finding Dory (Andrew Stanton & Angus McLane, 2016) 3
Angst (Gerald Kargl, 1983) 4.5
Time Stranger - Toki no tabibito (Mori Masaki, 1986) 2

Well, this month was sort of disappointing...

[Mr Minio]

Victoria [My Name Is Victoria] (2015) - 4

https://49.media.tumblr.com/9b3e4c378362c91799953a5e8c34e882/tumblr_o0ch9xcMVa1qd39qao2_500.gif

In 1982 Bela Tarr shot his adaptation of Macbeth in one continuous 72 minutes long shot. In 2002 Sokurov made Russian Ark, a film shot in one take clocking at 96 minutes. Since that time movies like Birdman were made. Faked one-takes. Movies built of many takes sewn together so that they look like one. This by no means was a new way of cinematic fakery. Hitchcock did this in 1948 with Rope. However, Sokurov's achievement had to be topped. Victoria's director Sebastian Schipper accepted this challenge and nailed it. 140 minutes of uninterrupted trip, during which the camera constantly follows the heroine, Victoria, travelling Berlin streets, quiet roofs and obscure parking garages at night.

At first I was quite disgusted with the juvenile hooligans portrayed on the screen and quite surprised that girl has even started a conversation with them, but then the movie got more tension-based and I stopped caring about character's motivation. The tension here is skillfully built and one can see that the one take technique required a lot of planning. I was greatly surprised with Laia Costa that was great and genuine in her role. All that drool towards the end... This stuff in modern cinema always gets me, because as opposed to classic movies where crying and mourning is incredibly staged and often seems artificial, modern films really seem to nail it. So does Victoria.

Saboteur (1942) - 3.5

https://66.media.tumblr.com/0fcc95de3b3aa8f10ffd75e2e25264df/tumblr_o92slsokSR1tze6m0o1_400.gif

Thankfully, much better than Topaz! This had a huge potential that I believe wasn't entirely fullfilled, but it still was an incredibly fun movie to watch. I appreciated the Eisenstein-inspired short bit when the ship explodes and several shocked faces of people are shown in a very rapid montage. Cult Statue of Liberty ending and some cool scenes (speech attempt at the party, circus cart etc.). Typical theme of falsely accused man, as well. A good Hitchcock film!

Regeneration (1915) - 4

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iDReeKNIHOo/T1aJPUzGgEI/AAAAAAAABv4/1YBpkBooezg/s1600/regeneration_1.jpg

If Griffith's The Musketeers of Pig Alley was the very first gangster film, then Raoul Walsh's Regeneration was the first full-blown gangster film. It shows the life of the protagonist - Owen - from the age of 10 to the age of 25 and gives a reason for his (lack of) welfare as well as takes an in-depth look into his surroundings. As brutal as it is romantic, as grim as it is hopeful, Regeneration is not only the first masterpiece of Walsh, but also the first complex masterpiece of gangster film genre.

Festen [The Celebration] (1998) - 4.5

https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyvyb0VGWG1qlkb9mo1_400.gif

This was one of these days when I thought I finally found the answer to all these questions. While watching this wonderful Dogme 95 film I thought to myself: "Now this has to be what they call black comedy." - and mind you, not because a black person is introduced in the movie - "I finally unveiled the mystery of what black comedy is. The movie may not be laugh-out-funny, but it surely has something about it. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I will find black comedy in movie's genres on the Internet". And then I visited a couple of movie database sites and none had this listed as black comedy. Yet another defeat! BUT THIS WAS QUITE f*CKING FUNNY EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DEPRESSING TOO. Well, above all it was outstanding. The camera work really worked and wasn't annoying like I thought it would be!

ایینه [The Mirror] (1997) - 4

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DzFa2zT0PyI/maxresdefault.jpg

Iranian cinema would have never been the same if it wasn't for Abbas Kiarostami, a director I feel I have greatly underrated. His film Close-up was the main inspiration for the whole generation of Iranian filmmakers, including Jafar Panahi, who would study how much fiction there is in real life and how much real life is there in fiction. The movie plays like your ordinary low-key film for the first part, but then something incredible happens (not gonna spoil you the pleasure of finding out what, but it's quite amazing) and... the movie doesn't change that much after all! Viewer finds out that fiction is the mirror of real life. The Mirror is the very definition of docudrama.

La dentellière [The Lacemaker] (1977) - 4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/bom1syJzRkmSceJ6jfEMr7gZBKW.jpg

Huppert plays a gorgeous and incredibly sensitive girl here. <3 The first (vacation) part of the film seems like Rohmer's work, but then the movie becomes different in mood to end on an almost-Bresson note.

Mephisto (1981) - 4

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bcw4b-pLMAU/VhKC-gdDrtI/AAAAAAAAJtg/qckzRdPYRHg/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-10-05-19h31m12s90.png

It's been awhile since I saw such a complex character study movie. Such a memorable ending, as well. "What do they want from me now? After all, I am just an actor.". A wonderful tractatus on the relationship between politics, art and artist. The main hero is the Faust of the Third Reich.

Also a f*ckload of shorts, ranging from 3 to 45 minutes long.

[seanc]

Festen is certainly black comedy, do any databases even list that as a genre? I really need to get to The Mirror.

[Mr Minio]

Then my assumption was correct!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r13riaRKGo0

[matt72582]

ایینه [The Mirror] (1997) - rating_4

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DzFa2zT0PyI/maxresdefault.jpg

Iranian cinema would have never been the same if it wasn't for Abbas Kiarostami, a director I feel I have greatly underrated. His film Close-up was the main inspiration for the whole generation of Iranian filmmakers, including Jafar Panahi, who would study how much fiction there is in real life and how much real life is there in fiction. The movie plays like your ordinary low-key film for the first part, but then something incredible happens (not gonna spoil you the pleasure of finding out what, but it's quite amazing) and... the movie doesn't change that much after all! Viewer finds out that fiction is the mirror of real life. The Mirror is the very definition of docudrama..

This was very good!

[mark f]

Night Mail (Harry Watt & Basil Wright, 1936) 2.5
Jim Thorpe - All-American (Michael Curtiz, 1951) 2.5
The Lone Ranger (Stuart Heisler, 1956) 2+
Gleason (Clay Tweel, 2016) 3
http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/lt/lt_cache/thumbnail/610/img/photos/2016/06/21/10/6b/dad_1.jpg
Former New Orleans Saint Steve Gleason is diagnosed with ALS just before his wife Michel learns she’s pregnant, and he’s determined to make a series of video diaries for his son even as his body continues to fail.
South Sea Woman (Arthur Lubin, 1953) 2.5
Good Luck Chuck (Mark Helfrich, 2007) 2
His Majesty O'Keefe (Byron Haskin, 1954) 2.5
Under the Shadow (Babak Anvari, 2016) 3
https://50wordsforfilm.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/under-the-shadow.jpeg?w=500
A little girl (Avin Manshadi) and her mom (Narges Rashidi) are terrorized by a mysterious entity in their Tehran apartment during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s.
Hollywood My Home Town (William Martin [& Ken Murray], 1965) 3.5
Rushlights (Antoni Stotz, 2013) 1.5
Nukie (Sias Odendal & Michael Pakleppa, 1987) 1+
The Blues Brothers (John Landis, 1980) 4-
https://67.media.tumblr.com/e1022b83bf10ea2eff38d74afa43dfa3/tumblr_n32rc8HRuq1sxcal7o1_500.gif
Jake (John Belushi) and Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) have time to window shop at the mall.
Native Land (Leo Hurwitz & Paul Strand, 1941) 3-
The Plow That Broke the Plains (Pare Lorentz, 1936) 2.5-
The Secret Land (Orville O. Dull [producer], 1948) 3
Graceland (Ron Morales, 2012) 2.5
http://trueviewreviews.com/2014/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/graceland.jpg
The daughter (Ella Guevara) of the chauffeur (Arnold Reyes) of a corrupt politician (Menggie Cobarrubias) is kidnapped after the politician’s daughter is murdered.
Olympic Cavalcade (Joseph Lerner, 1948) 3
The River (Pare Lorentz, 1938) 2.5+
The Young Savages (John Frankenheimer, 1961) 3
The Ambassador (Mads Brügger, 2011) 2.5+
http://www.turkcealtyazi.org/film/backdrops/b1f8b64c85dd2338ce4fc4e59a6cb07a.jpg
The director poses as a Liberian ambassador to have free access to enter the Central African Republic to find out how easy it is to smuggle blood diamonds.

[Mäx]

Murder on the Orient Express (Sidney Lumet, 1974) - 3.5
Clash of the Titans (Desmond Davis, 1981) - 2.5+
The Space Children (Jack Arnold, 1958) - 2
Catwoman (Pitof, 2004) - 0.5

[Mr Minio]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90OHhsLeXIQ

Brutal Ardour (1978) - 4
Agatha et les lectures illimitées [Agatha and the Limitless Readings] (1981) - 4.5
The Passing (1991) - 4
Hatsu-Yume [First Dream] (1981) - 3.5
気 Breathing [Ki - Breathing] (1980) - 4
Trop tôt, trop tard [Too Early, Too Late] (1982) - 4.5
獨立時代 [A Confucian Confusion] (1994) - 3.5
5 bambole per la luna d'agosto [5 Dolls for an August Moon] (1970) - 3.5

Lately I've been getting into some really artsy/pretentious sh*t and overrating it like any sn0b would. I also watched the weakest Edward Yang film I've seen so far (still pretty cool, with great framing and colours, but so confusing - hence the title) and a Mario Bava film with amazing music, striking cinematography and sexy Edwige Fenech, but no nudism or brutality (sad face).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMhr05lCIdM

[Mr Minio]

Trop tôt, trop tard [Too Early, Too Late] (1982) - 4.5

Too Early, Too Late - PODCAST

http://vocaroo.com/i/s0pqLfc0ExrY

[mark f]

Breaking News (Johnnie To, 2004) 2.5
No Men Beyond This Point (Mark Sawers, 2016) 2
Suicide Squad (David Ayer, 2016) 2.5-
Chico & Rita (Fernando Trueba, Tono Errando & Javier Mariscal, 2010) 3+
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sWGo0zB9798/UEm5YZ2wkWI/AAAAAAAAC8c/XevH9f6Bz0Q/s1600/ChicoyRita-Musicos.gif
Cuba, 1948. A romance between pianist Chico (Voice of Eman Xor Oña) and singer Rita (Voice of Limara Meneses) covers lots of worldwide locations and the music of some of the greatest Latin music of all time.
Alice Through the Looking Glass (James Bobin, 2016) 2.5
Croc (Stewart Raffill, 2007) 1.5
Our Kind of Traitor (Susanna White, 2016) 2.5
Get Shorty (Barry Sonnenfeld, 1995) 3.5
https://67.media.tumblr.com/b6aed6663cc6ff312231cefff92a6f3c/tumblr_mp03txLDZF1qm1nj3o1_500.gif
A plane crash leads to a debt being unpaid and causes loan shark John Travolta to begin a serpentine journey through Los Angeles and its world of entertainment, drugs, gangsters and more gangsters.
The Old West (George Archainbaud, 1952) 2
Hombre (Martin Ritt, 1967) 3+
Night Stage to Galveston (George Archainbaud, 1952) 2
The Land Before Time (Don Bluth, 1988) 3-
http://66.media.tumblr.com/b32d7b808ab32fd3106b07f0160e298e/tumblr_mmncsnS4Ej1sp9fcho1_500.gif
Littlefoot bonds with his Mom.
Wild Oats (Andy Tennant, 2016) 2+
The Tiger's Tail (John Boorman, 2006) 2.5
Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London (Kevin Allen, 2004) 2
Hotel Rwanda (Terry George, 2004) 3.5
https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m94ytpVBxI1qavb8jo1_500.gif
During the Rwanda Civil War, hotel manager Don Cheadle helps people from both sides and asks photographer Joaquin Phoenix how the United Nations and the World can not help them.
Fulltime Killer (Johnnie To & Wai Ka Fai, 2001) 2.5+
Moose Hunters (Ben Sharpsteen, 1937) 3
Alone in the Dark (Jack Sholder, 1982) 2.5
He Knows You're Alone (Armand Mastroianni, 1980) 2
http://cdnimg.in/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/ezgif.com-video-to-gif-17.gif?cfaea8
Brides-to-be are being murdered by a serial killer. Here, the friend (Elizabeth Kemp) of one such future bride (Caitlyn O'Heaney) talks to psychology student Tom Hanks who wonders if the latter's thoughts about being by a strange man are true.

[Nemanja]

Peppermint Frappé (1967) 3
A Girl in Australia (1971) 1.5
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) 4
Wake in Fright (1971) 5
Bananas (1971) 2.5

[matt72582]

Peppermint Frappé (1967) rating_3
A Girl in Australia (1971) rating_1_5
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) rating_4
Wake in Fright (1971) rating_5
Bananas (1971) rating_2_5

Glad you saw and liked "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" !

I think I'll look for "Wake in Fright" with that rating.

[Nemanja]

Glad you saw and liked "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?" !

I think I'll look for "Wake in Fright" with that rating.

Great "lost film" a horrifying portrait of life in the isolation...

[MovieMeditation]

Festen [The Celebration] (1998) - 4.5

https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyvyb0VGWG1qlkb9mo1_400.gif

This was one of these days when I thought I finally found the answer to all these questions. While watching this wonderful Dogme 95 film I thought to myself: "Now this has to be what they call black comedy." - and mind you, not because a black person is introduced in the movie - "I finally unveiled the mystery of what black comedy is. The movie may not be laugh-out-funny, but it surely has something about it. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I will find black comedy in movie's genres on the Internet". And then I visited a couple of movie database sites and none had this listed as black comedy. Yet another defeat! BUT THIS WAS QUITE f*CKING FUNNY EVEN THOUGH IT WAS DEPRESSING TOO. Well, above all it was outstanding. The camera work really worked and wasn't annoying like I thought it would be!
Don't worry. You should certainly laugh, Minio! :p

Danes are known for their dark, ironic, sarcastic humor, which may come across as rude, offending or just not funny in some people's eyes. I'm glad you liked it! :up:

I find Festen extremely funny, especially the places that is not obvious to everyone. The party in this movie and the people attending are batsh*t insane and it's so fun to watch. :D

I see you recognise black comedy and especially Danish comedy and I know you are a dirty little bastard too. :randy: So... Therefore I recommend to you, Klown (danish - Klovn: The Movie)! WATCH IT

[cricket]

Don't worry. You should certainly laugh, Minio! :p

Danes are known for their dark, ironic, sarcastic humor, which may come across as rude, offending or just not funny in some people's eyes. I'm glad you liked it! :up:

I find Festen extremely funny, especially the places that is not obvious to everyone. The party in this movie and the people attending are batsh*t insane and it's so fun to watch. :D

I see you recognise black comedy and especially Danish comedy and I know you are a dirty little bastard too. :randy: So... Therefore I recommend to you, Klown (danish - Klovn: The Movie)! WATCH IT

You had me watch Klown a while back. That was a good recommendation, very funny.

[MovieMeditation]

You had me watch Klown a while back. That was a good recommendation, very funny.
Yep, I almost mentioned you in my post saying Minio could just ask you! ;)

If you liked Klown and the characters more than "pretty funny", you should seek out the television series. Iconic Danish television gold! Episodes are only 30-40 minutes long and so freaking funny!

[mark f]

Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson (Robert Altman, 1976) 2
When You're in Love (Robert Riskin, 1937) 2.5
Whore 2 (Amos Kollek, 1994) 2
The Karate Kid (John G. Avildsen, 1984) 3+
http://66.media.tumblr.com/598c9ee0c9b088771e172ed07e5c1911/tumblr_nniyhqFt5d1uu2hvao4_500.gif
”What's all this ‘Wax on, wax off’ crap?” Ralph Macchio asks sensei Pat Morita.
Tonite Let's All Make Love in London (Peter Whitehead, 1967) 2.5
Hostile Border aka Pocha: Manifest Destiny (Michael Dwyer, 2015) 2
Vote for Servicemen (No Director Listed, 1944) 3-
The Temptress (Fred Niblo, 1926) 2.5
https://67.media.tumblr.com/eb07ca64ba2e0e45e6c1fccf35f6270a/tumblr_mso92onoxx1qbewogo1_500.gif
https://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_llujek3nne1qdb11jo1_500.gif
Beautiful, exotic Greta Garbo captures the attention of almost every man she encounters.
Doin’ Their Bit (Herbert Glazer, 1942) 2
Comrade X (King Vidor, 1940) 2.5+
Francesco (Liliana Cavani, 1989) 2
Fatal Attraction (Adrian Lyne, 1987) 3.5
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1CamFhn30rU/VR2YM4tJrSI/AAAAAAACqOM/zBXjrB_XHuo/s1600/f21.gif
Wife/mother Anne Archer didn’t remember leaving anything cooking on the stove
Decision Against Time (Charles Crichton, 1957) 2.5
Love Me Forever (Victor Schertzinger, 1935) 2
Teddy Bear (Mads Matthiesen, 2012) 2.5
Partly Cloudly (Peter Sohn, 2009) 3.5-
https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lp4npakonI1qhigt0o1_500.gif
A stork has to deliver the babies that are made by a particular cloud, but they tend to prove quite dangerous for the stork to transport – here, a porcupine.
The Ear aka Ucho (Karel Kachyna, 1970) 3
Romantic Riviera (James A. FitzPatrick, 1951) 2.5
A Perfect Candidate (R.J. Cutler & David Van Taylor, 1996) 3-
Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) (Bill Melendez, 1980) 2.5+
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/76/full/1443361299_1.gif
Charlie Brown, Linus, Peppermint Patty and Marcie travel to Europe as foreign exchange students and are accompanied by Snoopy and Woodstock.

[JayDee]

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1CamFhn30rU/VR2YM4tJrSI/AAAAAAACqOM/zBXjrB_XHuo/s1600/f21.gif



Did she just find out who won the election last night?

[mark f]

Yeah, she pulled a lid off the pot on her stove and found the President-Elect.

[Mr Minio]

News From Home (1977) - 4.5

https://sullivandaniel.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/vlcsnap-2010-01-26-23h55m01s139.png

Through very minimalist means, Akerman succeeds in creating a strangely warm and intimate atmosphere built of long takes portraying the city of New York and accompanied by a voice reading letters from her mother. The last take is to die for.

Les rendez-vous d'Anna [The Meetings of Anna] (1978) - 3.5

http://65.media.tumblr.com/42cd0a52c8d279c54efde55720da78f2/tumblr_mr8b61oCEB1ssungro5_1280.jpg

Perhaps even more intimate and personal than News From Home, but also way colder and distant. The ascetic rigour of direction worth of Bresson and wonderful lighting of every frame are more than enough to recommend this film, though.

Wavelength (1967) + WVLNT (2003) - 4 + 3.5

http://www.filmsquish.com/guts/files/images/ken-johnson-art-and-psychedelics-7-13-11-7.jpg

I'm always sceptical when it comes to structural film, especially when it comes to films like these of Peter Kubelka that I abhor. However, Michael Snow managed to create an otherworldly atmosphere and hypnotize me all throughout the movie. That sound is at first annoying, but after some time you feel as if it was a part of you and it was in your very head. Surely, this must be how an alien abduction reminiscences feel like.

黒の天使 Vol.1 [Black Angel Vol. 1] (1997) - 4
黒の天使 Vol.2 [Black Angel Vol. 2] (1999) - 4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w1280/zABbGAFNKKbfJbljxFgQm41zYSs.jpg

Ishii's duology about a tough lady called Black Angel is a continuation of my acquaintance with the director, successfully started with Sweet Whip. Volume One is a very gritty Yakuza tale while Volume Second, surprisingly not continuing the story of the first one is more or less some sort of a prequel to it. There are some inconsistencies in continuity between these two films, but both are incredibly enjoyable to watch, even if often cheesy or cheap (the second part is much better in that sense). Cool cinematography with Ishii's trademark bulb lights.

I, Daniel Blake (2016) - 3.5 - CINEMA

http://www.sbs.com.au/movies/sites/sbs.com.au.film/files/i-daniel-blake-backdrop.jpg

A bloody "fein" movie, mate. The progress of ridiculousness intermingled with despair was handled exceptionally well, but it also went too far trying to stress a point, which resulted in a sad albeit overdone ending. This also has the saddest peas scene in film history.

安城家の舞踏会 [Ball at the Anjo House] (1947) - 4.5

http://67.media.tumblr.com/beedec254ec643308b5ebea72f031bd8/tumblr_oaanp6AI1t1vqbv87o1_r1_500.gif

Setsuko!!! You're so cute! You're so pure! You're so sweet! <3 My blatant fanboyism aside, this is one of the best Japanese films of the 40's, heavily indebted to Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard and presumably influential on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's The Leopard and as a result on Visconti's adaptation.

Palavra e utopia [Word and Utopia] (2000) - 3.5

http://static.wixstatic.com/media/7dc122_d8a8a34ee74901fcea9f39019bb97414.jpg_srz_970_611_85_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srz

My fourth meeting with Manoel de Oliveira, although not as fruitful as others, was still successful. The story of a Jesuit priest António Vieira was a very interesting one to follow, since he turned out to be an illustrious orator and the movie is shot like some damn paintings of Caravaggio or some other devil, which results in one incredible visual reference to the epoch.

La merveilleuse vie de Jeanne d'Arc [Saint Joan the Maid] (1929) - 3.5

http://oi48.tinypic.com/3347jw2.jpg

Almost forgotten by now, the movie is only available in poor transfer (VHS?) tinted all in handsome sepia. It shows the life of Joan of Arc from the first revelation to her death at the stake. The first part is an idyllic time spent in the village, but it is quickly followed by the middle part consisting of nicely shot scenes of a battle and resulting carnage. All of this is juxtaposed to the last part of the movie, Joan's trial. The trial part kind of overshadows the other two parts and in the end it seems like the only important part anyway. Obviously, not even close to Dreyer's movie. But then again, what is?

殺し屋1 [Ichi the Killer] (2001) - 3

https://66.media.tumblr.com/cda651ec4c1de2324cb551cad37483ea/tumblr_n0heexLrfO1qhz95yo1_500.gif

Quite entertaining and fun to watch, but violence is way too grotesque for my taste and black comedy bits didn't impress me at all. It was interesting to see a complete sadist psycho who's feared by everyone actually starting to get afraid himself (and loving it, the sick f*ck), though.

丹下左膳余話・百万両の壷 [Sazen Tange and the Pot Worth a Million Ryo] (1935) - 4.5

https://36.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2mzic2rGd1rql6ico6_540.png

One of the best Japanese movies of the 30's, in there with another masterpiece of Sadao Yamanaka - Humanity and Paper Balloons and masterworks of Kenji Mizouchi. In this film Yamanaka brilliantly jumps from hilarious comedy to saddening drama and does it so skillfully and seamlessly that you find yourself laughing out loud to tear up only two minutes later. It makes me sad knowing that there is still only one other film of the director I haven't yet seen (it's with 16 years old Setsuko Hara, though!!!). He's made 22 films in 6 years, but sadly only 3 of them survived. He died of dysentery in Manchuria. He was a dear friend of Yasujirō Ozu and his frequent drinking companion. When on his deadbed, he supposedly said "Friends, please, make good films".

Krysař [The Pied Piper of Hamelin] (1986) - 4.5

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/78/00/8a/78008a268aa7fcdf34c9d3f4f4cce3b5.gif

Incredible expressionistic art style of the film is embellished with a great story (yes, in this order) based on a folk tale. The final result is nothing less than a masterpiece.

Турксиб [Turksib] (1929) - 4

http://www.moviemail.com/img/still/31218/The-Soviet-Influence-Turksib-to-Nightmail-31218_3.jpg

Yet another showcase of Soviet Montage and civilization breaking through to even the remotest corners of the great Soviet Union. Also, an ethnographic film of sorts.

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014) - 3

http://cdn.hitfix.com/photos/5256172/Sin-City-A-Dame-To-Kill-For.jpg

Not as good as the first one, with poor plot, obvious noir tropes, still riveting, but now not so fresh visual style and Eva Green's voluptuous body. With all its flaws it is still damn fun to watch!

[Mäx]

A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971) - 3.5+
Leap Year (Michael Rowe, 2010) - 2
Rambo: First Blood Part II (George P. Cosmatos, 1985) - 2

[mark f]

The Karate Kid Part II (John G. Avildsen, 1986) 2.5-
Foreign Student (Eva Sereny, 1994) 2
Gridlock'd (Vondie Curtis-Hall, 1997) 2.5
Finding Dory (Andrew Stanton & Angus MacLane, 2016) 3.5-
http://orig00.deviantart.net/65ff/f/2016/062/a/3/finding_dory__missing_her_family_gif_by_ninjaturtlefangirl-d9ts9tu.gif
Blue tang fish Dory (Voice of Ellen DeGeneres) gets some help from her friends Nemo (Voice of Hayden Rolance) and Marlin (Voice of Albert Brooks).
RoboCop 3 (Fred Dekker, 1993) 2+
The Negro Soldier (Stuart Heisler, 1944) 2.5+
Prelude to War (Frank Capra & Anatole Litvak, 1942) 3.5-
Liebelei (Max Ophüls, 1933) 2.5
https://filmkreis.de/assets/1885/_resampled/SetRatioSize688387-7TkoOGYBpuFUeiMWNtyHGwusVrX.jpg
A lieutenant (Wolfgang Liebeneiner) has an affair with his friend’s wife (Olga Tschechowa).
The Autobiography of a "Jeep" (Irving Lerner, 1943) 2.5+
Combat Camera: The Pacific (No Director Listed, 2001) 3
Halls of Montezuma (Lewis Milestone, 1951) 2.5
Hell or High Water (David Mackenzie, 2016) 3+
https://67.media.tumblr.com/62b934d8dd4700e2c77c2392768830ef/tumblr_o72velOV6r1qj4j9jo3_500.gif
Brothers Chris Pine and Ben Foster plan to do what they have to to save their family's West Texas home.
How to Raise a Baby (Roy Rowland, 1938) 2.5
Afghan Star (Havana Marking, 2009) 3
Bed of Roses (Gregory La Cava, 1933) 2.5
Kubo and the Two Strings (Travis Knight, 2016) 3+
http://66.media.tumblr.com/f8978257b128c5e58a3547db21f575a1/tumblr_o7pc2sPFQ21sa9ekco1_r3_500.gif
A complicated family legend involving one-eyed Kubo (Voice of Art Parkinson) is told from different perspectives.
You Only Live Twice (Lewis Gilbert, 1967) 3
Becoming Redwood (Jesse James Miller, 2013) 2.5
Which Way is Up? (Michael Schultz, 1977) 3-
The Hills Have Eyes (Wes Craven, 1977) 2.5
https://66.media.tumblr.com/a4deb7d546700d2a6183d6a1e9b5bdc0/tumblr_o6n5zhKLaY1umk4ogo1_500.gif
Primitive desert family member Michael Berryman attacks a young woman (Susan Lanier) whose family's car [with a trailer] breaks down.

[seanc]

My Best Fiend: 2.5 Entertaining watch but ultimately pretty empty.

A Mighty Wind: 3.5 Really funny throughout. I love all the characters but Fred Willard kills it every second on screen. I love Guest's style.

Doctor Strange: 3 I get the distinct feeling if I stopped going to the movies with my kids to see MCU films I would be rating them a star lower. As it is I am still enjoying that experience so I will continue to go till I don't. This one is great visually and well acted but the characters and humor are subpar.

Killer's Kiss: 2 I know this is a second film but it sure felt like a first. Not much to latch on to here besides the cinematography. Only two Kubrick's to go to be a completest.

The Stunt Man: 2 I had heard about this a couple times on a podcast I listen to. Very 80's in a bad way for me. The script is an absolute mess in my opinion. O'Toole makes it worth watching.

The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie: 3 One of those films that would be greatly enhanced by me not being an idiot and having a little historical and cultural context. I enjoyed it though. Buenel is a very engaging storyteller. Funny with some really good characters. My second film from him, I think I will end up being a fan. I liked Belle Du Jour quite a bit more but this was very solid.

[Mäx]

Lammbock (Christian Zübert, 2001) - 3.5
Ödipussi (Vicco von Bülow, 1988) - 3+
Kickboxer (Mark DiSalle/David Worth, 1989) - 2.5

[Nostromo87]

The Last Starfighter (1984)

Love for this to be a Top 25 movie, doesn't quite get there. Story's about Alex Rogan, a teenager who seems doomed to stay at his trailer park home all his life, and through his own talents finds himself recruited as a fighter pilot for an alien defense force. There's fun. You've been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan armada. There's hokeyness. I must congratulate you on your virtuoso performance, my boy. Maybe there is a starfighter left out there.
I love you Alex Rogan

Rating: rating_3+ 6.5 10

STARFIGHTER (http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BSf5tx4e_PA)

http://oi66.tinypic.com/35knc51.jpg

[gbgoodies]

The Last Starfighter (1984)

Love for this to be a Top 25 movie, doesn't quite get there. Story's about Alex Rogan, a teenager who seems doomed to stay at his trailer park home all his life, and through his own talents finds himself recruited as a fighter pilot for an alien defense force. There's fun. You've been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan armada. There's hokeyness. I must congratulate you on your virtuoso performance, my boy. Maybe there is a starfighter left out there.
I love you Alex Rogan

Rating: rating_3+ 6.5 10




I haven't worked on my list for the Sci-Fi Countdown yet, but there's a good chance that The Last Starfighter might be a Top 25 movie for me. It's such a fun movie, plus I love Robert Preston in this movie, and the music is awesome.

[Sedai]

Arrival
2016, Villenueve

4_5

http://cdn2us.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeekus/files/2016/09/arrival-movie.png

Turning most science fiction convention on its ear, Villenueve's Arrival is a somber, character-driven affair that discards action and fantasy in order to tell a deeply personal human story. Amy Adam's performance is the keystone, supporting a structure of discovery and wonder viewed through a portal of personal loss and pain. She nails it, with roles from Forrest Whitaker and Jeremy Renner providing underplayed support. The tone of the film is a bit subdued when compared to silly blockbuster fare in the same genre, reflecting the inner turmoil of Adam's character. There are no one-liners or brave acts of daring-do, instead we experience a convincing presentation of how an actual first contact scenario might play out.

Last week, I had the unfortunate experience of watching Independence Day : Resurgence, which had me wondering just how stupid the major studios think their audiences are. A sophomoric screenplay delivered by poor actors interspersed with bloated CGI sequences meant to induce sensory overload in the audience, in hopes that we are so overwhelmed by the flashing lights and cacophony of sound that we won't notice that the film we are watching is just a bloated retread of a film from two decades earlier that was probably wasn't very good in the first place. Arrival is the antithesis of this film. Haunting, contemplative, and deeply affecting, Arrival is a beacon of brilliant light in a sea of mediocrity. This film, along with films like Ex Machina, Under the Skin, Coherence, and Moon, continue to prove that artful, concept driven science fiction can thrive in what is shaping up to be the next golden age of science fiction.

[Mäx]

Midnight Special (Jeff Nichols, 2016) - 4
Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer, 2013) - 3.5+

[re93animator]

Year of the Dragon (1985) – 3_5
Some good action bits with some 80s pizazz. It’s given serious enough treatment to go beyond being a demonstrative product of its time though.

Heatseeker (1995) – 1
In Albert Pyun’s glowy dystopia, future-shock Muay Thai has been taken over by an unstoppable race of super fighters aided by technological augmentations. The only hope of stopping them comes from one man’s incensed concentration of skill and steroids. This seems inspired by the early UFC events of the time (when they were still shrouded in a sort of subversive controversy) which I’m a big fan of, but Pyun’s direction is mighty difficult to sit through (comic relief notwithstanding).

Runaway Train (1985) - 3
Two convicts abruptly escape and board a train amid a snowy landscape. Good and gritty with a pretty powerful ending. I know Roberts was nominated for an OSCAR, but I couldn’t get past his hammy Southern accent. The rest of the movie is amply over the top though, so it weirdly fits.

Ed and His Dead Mother (1993) – 3_5
A mama’s boy gets wrapped up a con involving human reanimation; told with absurdist humor. Great for those that like Bunuel-esque comedy.

[Mäx]

Heavenly Creatures (Peter Jackson, 1994) - rating_3_5
The Game (David Fincher, 1997) - rating_3_5
Key Largo (John Huston, 1948) - rating_3+

[mark f]

Star Night at the Cocoanut Grove (Louis Lewyn, 1934) 2+
The Adjustment Bureau (George Nolfi, 2011) 3
Bombers B-52 (Gordon Douglas, 1957) 2
Blithe Spirit (David Lean, 1945) 3.5
https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m65c4zRBxg1r00k92o1_500.gif
The ghost of the first wife (Kay Hammond) of writer Rex Harrison is conjured by eccentric medium Margaret Rutherford and begins to cause major problems between the writer and his second wife (Constance Cummings).
The Muthers (Cirio H. Santiago, 1976) 1.5
Melinda (Hugh H. Robertson, 1972) 2
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (Dave Fleischer, 1936) 3-
Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves (Dave Fleischer, 1937) 3.5
https://66.media.tumblr.com/8242d5e6500a1bba82fe623c8af8409a/tumblr_n2r00uZjgB1s4rha3o1_400.gif
Popeye fills up his camel to follow Abu Hassan and the 40 Thieves into the desert to save Olive Oyl.
Git Along Little Dogies (Joseph Kane, 1937) 2
The Narrow Margin (Richard Fleischer, 1952) 3
The Show of Shows (John G. Adolfi, 1929) 2.5-
Rollerball (Norman Jewison, 1975) 3.5-
http://66.media.tumblr.com/9e10a7492ff148913d76f09899bebe4d/tumblr_mpexcyrmKz1sr9u4xo3_500.gif
Jonathan E (James Caan) is the greatest player in the violent game of rollerball where futuristic corporations have replaced countries and the game is supposed to show the futility of the individual, an idea which Jonathan comes to question.
No News Is Good News (Will Jason, 1943) 2.5
Let's Try Again (Worthington Miner, 1934) 2
Hoop Dreams (Steve James, 1994) 3
The Endless Summer (Bruce Brown, 1966) 4
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/EndlessSummer.gif
Robert August & Mike Hynson travel around the world searching for the perfect wave to surf.
Two O'Clock Courage (Anthony Mann, 1945) 2.5
The Secret Life of Pets (Chris Renaud, 2016) 3
Seeing Ceylon (James A. FitzPatrick, 1952) 2.5
The BFG (Steven Spielberg, 2016) 3
https://bookspoils.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/the-first-trailer-for-steven-spielberg-s-the-bfg-is-here-and-the-big-giant-looks-anythin-746450.gif?w=620
http://www.radiotimes.com/uploads/images/Original/94211.gif
Orphan Ruby Barnhill sees a Big Friendly Giant (Mark Rylance) lurking through the London streets during the “Witching Hour” in 1950s London and he soon introduces himself.

[Mr Minio]

https://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m65c4zRBxg1r00k92o1_500.gif
She looks pretty two-strip.

[Mäx]

Schindler's List (Steven Spielberg, 1993) - 4
Was ist denn bloß - mit Willi los? (Werner Jacobs, 1970) - 2
Mimangin The Widow (Park Nam-ok, 1955) - 2

[mark f]

Does this look better, Minio?
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f4/82/88/f482888f38f28f14fbbb0c431498d8f1.jpg

[Camo]

I really want to see that. Would you say that is your favourite 40s film from Lean, Mark?

[Mr Minio]

Does this look better, Minio?
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/f4/82/88/f482888f38f28f14fbbb0c431498d8f1.jpg Well, that surely is an original way to portray a ghost visually.

[mark f]

I really want to see that. Would you say that is your favourite 40s film from Lean, Mark?
I would say so, although Brief Encounter and Great Expectations would bs close.

[matt72582]

I liked Brief Encounter - the first non-grandiose movie I saw from David Lean.

[Mr Minio]

Nebraska (2013) - 3.5

http://67.media.tumblr.com/cfb62ffd1eb12fb9066d2aed388ad5b3/tumblr_n05hidYHKJ1rdqbfro3_500.gif

Well, I think this movie achieved a nice balance between comedy and seriousness and maybe even turned out to be quite rewarding, if not slightly touching in the end.

The Woman in Black (1989) - 3.5

http://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/styles/full/public/image/woman-in-black-the-1989-001-cemetery-meeting_0.jpg?itok=w_-7TezN

This one suffers from overlong scenes that don't happen in the house. The mansion scenes were superb and I wish that the whole movie took place there. Also, the jump scare/shocker and the ending were quite a letdown. Still, the dog was the cutest.

楊貴妃 [Empress Yang Kwei Fei] (1955) - 4

https://wondersinthedark.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/snapshot_dvd_00-37-10_2010-10-15_17-02-56.jpg

Mizoguchi tackles Chinese history and tells the tale through stoic acting of Masayuki Mori and striking colour photography.

祇園囃子 [A Geisha] (1953) - 4.5

http://66.media.tumblr.com/bd3c067b98231c57e2bab585938a9e88/tumblr_ng0nnigsmB1ra5f55o4_400.gif

When only does Mizoguchi get to make a film on his favourite topic - the plight of women in Japan - he ends up with a masterpiece. The frame with Ayako Wakao sitting on the floor, her lips in blood and staring somewhere, into the void, has to be one of the most striking frames in all of Mizoguchi's filmography.

永遠の人 [Immortal Love] (1961) - 4

http://rarefilm.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Eien-no-hito-1961-3.jpg

Not quite what I expected, this indeed is a story of immortal love, but also a film about a crime and punishment and, above all, about forgiveness. Two of my favourite actors - Nakadai and Takamine - give wonderful performances.

La société du spectacle [The Society of the Spectacle] (1973) - 2

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KzAw7F5qPKU/Tl9MZt7IJrI/AAAAAAAABK0/qAuhB7CEWkQ/s640/La-soci%25C3%25A9t%25C3%25A9-du-spectacle-debord-02.jpg

As much as I always distance myself from politics, the astonishing popularity and high ratings for this film among my fellow cinema buff friends have finally convinced me to give this movie a try. What I got was 90 minutes of insufferable pseudo-intellectual neo-Marxist political jabber, which is pretty much my least favourite thing in all of cinema (if you think Godard's political films are impossible, (don't) watch this one!). The director of this film, Guy Debord, rejected the Lettrist movement of Isidore Isou (whom I, on the other hand, adore) and created his own branch, whose, so it seems, I do not adore. The auditory part of the film is pretty much the text of The Society of the Spectacle (yes, it's Debord's book) recited at lightning speed with no pause for digestion (if there is anything to digest for anybody who's not a zealous Marxist, and by that I do not mean a fan of Groucho and the others, or a willing history of politics student). The only bright side of the movie is the visual side of it. Consisting of interesting black and white archival footage and some nude, and not, stills (hell, this got a lot of boobies) it's pretty nice to watch. But then again comes the non-stop commentary. Blah.

The Scarlet Letter (1926) - 4

http://49.media.tumblr.com/222df1ce8d38ce6896118fc63e3cafc6/tumblr_muou87IOOZ1s0etpjo2_400.gif

With every film of her I see, I become more and more certain that silent cinema has never had a second Lilian Gish (keep your jokes about her sister for yourself). Sure, there was the, eternally championed by myself, Maria Falconetti, but she was more of a legend, of perpetual enigma, than an actress. Gish, on the other hand, acted in a reasonable body of work and had always shined like the brightest star. This film here, directed by a giant of silent cinema of the time, Victor Sjöström, is no different. Gish overshadows the rest of the cast and makes it her movie. She's 33, but (just like in The Wind) still looks as if time has stopped since Griffith's True Heart Susie .The film is poignant and denudes the injustices and religious fanaticism of the Puritan Boston of the 17th century.

風の中の牝鶏 [A Hen in the Wind] (1948) - 4.5

http://66.media.tumblr.com/9afce0eab8bf824c4ee1a340d8586d2b/tumblr_mphr68ZoBI1qhhpdho1_500.gif

Ozu confessed this was one of his least favourite of his own films. I beg to differ. It's too stirring and emotional to be a bad film!

The Penalty (1920) - 4

http://66.media.tumblr.com/7a50f5797ccee6fb6a9c9d3bcdcd635b/tumblr_nwff65Zvyz1togrg4o1_500.gif

Lon Chaney, Man of a Thousand Faces, might have lost his legs in this film, but he kept his face. I'm used to seeing him under thick make-up, but this film is different. His very face seems to be the topic of this film. A face of Satan himself (and the forefather of Joker).

Ukradená vzducholoď [The Stolen Airship] (1967) - 4

http://pics.imcdb.org/0ge28/287089-4005.jpg

Perhaps there's no man who felt Jules Verne better than Karel Zeman, with the pious exception of Georges Méliès, whom the Czech filmmaker seemed to adore just as much. This film, just like his other best works, has some inexplicable nostalgia-inducing feeling that makes me feel like a child again, but at the same time enjoy the return to my childhood as an adult. And all that without even ever reading a page of Jules Verne.

Необычайные приключения мистера Веста в стране большевиков [The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks] (1924) - 3.5

http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/Extraordinary-Adventures-of-Mr.-West.jpg

This may not be as good as Kuleshov's other film I saw (By the Law), but it surely is a fair dose of entertainment and even though it's mostly a "let's mock Soviets and then show it's not true", there are some double bottom scenes where we laugh, then we're told it's not true, it's just a Western misconception, but then we know from history lessons that such things really took place.

南極物語 [Antarctica] (1983) - 3.5

http://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/6twIfM3vWCm0GbmS6ij8fXouRuC.jpg

The aurora australis scene with dogs running to Vangelis music should've been much longer. Then I might have given it a higher rating.

One, Two, Three (1961) - 4

https://media.giphy.com/media/DOAsFOEE8CAla/giphy.gif

The reference to super-fast dialogue-driven Screwball Comedies of the 30's is evident. It's pretty funny and enjoyable, even if quite silly at times, all for the sake of laughs. Weird thing it's not as popular and as Some Like It Hot, especially given the number of kvlt quotes ("Sitzen machen." the new "Well, nobody's perfect."?). Might be a 4.5.

The Cameraman (1928) - 4

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

The legend has it somebody saw Buster Keaton smiling. I've read that Keaton has lost his directional control he's had in his previous films and some Sedgwick (The Phantom of the Opera, remember?) was credited as the sole director of this. The romance subplot might've been a consequence of this. Me, however, I love romance in silent cinema, so I naturally enjoyed every second of Marceline Day in this. The plot is quite predictable, but it's also incredibly nice to follow, introducing scenes of all kinds, starting from adorable trip of the couple, through cringy pool scenes, ending with Big Trouble in Little China.

D'est [From the East] (1993) - 4

http://ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk/7397/1.haslightboxThumbnailVersion/DEst.jpg

Another one of them Chantal Akerman films, this time with no narration at all, but with static shots as well as seemingly endless horizontal movement of camera portraying dozens of Russians. Some scenes from Poland, too. I could understand what the people were saying. Kewl.

Une femme mariée: Suite de fragments d'un film tourné en 1964 [A Married Woman] (1964) - 3.5

http://medias.unifrance.org/medias/143/217/55695/format_page/a-married-woman.jpg

The beauty of a woman's body as opposed to the ugliness of her soul. Style is everything in this lesser known 60's Godard. Well, except for some interesting thoughts on memories, intelligence, past and present.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943) - 4.5

https://31.media.tumblr.com/8ccd1d73a5ce3360d8c4edcd94e6e6b6/tumblr_inline_n3rmu6WfQq1qju3o3.gif

Primarily meant as a propaganda film, the film escapes its bonds, becoming the best (and most moving) bromance in film history. It is also a tale of an idealist individual, who eventually comes to face the brutality of the passing of time and changes it brings. The only way to beat a ruthless enemy is to become ruthless yourself (bombing of Dresden as an answer to bombing of London), but are all enemies bad people and are all of us good? The inclusion of Walbrook's character may not be enough of an answer, but given the time the movie was made and its to-be propagandist formula, it's still impressive. Also, call me gay, but I absolutely adore Anton Walbrook, whom I seem to champion ever since I saw him for the first time in Gaslight. And his monologue in this film is striking. Is this the best movie ever made? Not very much. Is this a masterpiece? Very much.

Parsifal (1982) - 5
Ludwig: Requiem für einen jungfräulichen König [Ludwig: Requiem for a Virgin King] (1972) - 4.5
Hitler, ein Film aus Deutschland [Our Hitler: A Film From Germany] (1977) - 5
Karl May (1974) - 3.5

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lFrVviE8bgs/UclSiHfdqLI/AAAAAAAARc8/XNKjzfYVToY/s1600/BNFrmzRCIAAmkNO.png

Hans-Jürgen Syberberg is the one of its kind director, the ultimate continuator of Wagner's Gesamtkunstwerk, a master of his craft. Just as fascinated with Wagner's mysticism as Ludwig II Wittelsbach and Adolf Hitler. Ludwig's favourite opera had to be Tristan and Isolde, Hitler's - Nibelungen Quadrilogy, Syberberg's - Parsifal, which he adapted in a grandiose scale in his 1982 film of the same title. His Ludwig rivals Visconti's version, but is much more theatrical (like all of these except for Karl May, while Hitler... is the most thorough look on Hitler, Nazism etc. in film history. The latter has an interesting anecdote (really it has a lot of them, this one may be my favourite). Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun are sitting at the table. All of a sudden Hitler starts humming some tune of one of his favourite composers. Eva says he's out of key, which Hitler counters: "I'm not out of tune. It's the composer that made a mistake!".


Also, I will be seeing Toni Erdmann on Monday for measly 1.19$ (or 0.96 GBP, if you will*). Wow, man, at one point I'm pretty sure I was close to Stendhal syndrome. I have to make it easy on masterpieces. Then again, I'm so happy to be in contact with high art, however snobish it may sound. Lately I've been watching the films of Syberberg, listening to the String Quartets of Beethoven and reading Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. I'm very happy.


* The exchange rate may change in the future. xD

[matt72582]

Minio - did you like "Akasen Chitai" (Street of Shame)?

[Mr Minio]

Sure, I loved it. It also stars Ayako Wakao. <3

[mark f]

Curandero (Eduardo Andrés Rodriguez González, 2005) 2
Central Intelligence (Rawson Marshall Thurber, 2016) 2.5+
Western Jamboree (Ralph Staub, 1938) 2
Sully (Clint Eastwood, 2016) 3+
https://media.giphy.com/media/l2SpYgNNGWwkOXVm0/giphy-downsized-large.gif
Veteran pilot Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) makes an emergency landing in the Hudson River saving all 155 souls onboard, making him a public hero, but privately he’s worried the NTSB investigation will scapegoat him and ruin his career.
Into the Forest (Patricia Rozema, 2016) 2.5-
Cinderella Jones (Busby Berkeley, 1946) 2
Amour Fou (Jessica Hausner, 2014) 2.5
Love with the Proper Stranger (Robert Mulligan, 1963) 3.5-
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/db/c2/4e/dbc24e6a4e4c4091e8d7faa1bebf4b00.png
Department store clerk Natalie Wood and underemployed musician Steve McQueen have to deal with the results of their one-night stand. Will it be a cold, scary abortion or something else?
What Happened Ms. Sykes? (Liz Patrick, 2016) 2.5+
Wake Me When It’s Over (Mervyn LeRoy, 1960) 2+
Cash McCall (Joseph Pevney, 1960) 2.5
Loving (Jeff Nichols, 2016) 3
http://bijou-cinemas.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/loving3_1-large_transZgEkZX3M936N5BQK4Va8RUOEAzFGpK2eqJdU0_u3RfM.jpg
After bricklayer Richard (Joel Edgarton) and Mildred (Ruth Negga) Loving are married in 1958, they’re arrested for violation of the Virginia law against interracial marriage and set off a decade-long legal battle while they concurrently raise three children.
Home on the Prairie (Jack Townley, 1939) 2
Policeman (Nadiv Lapid, 2011) 2.5 113m
In Old Monterey (Joseph Kane, 1939) 2
The Reconstruction: The Murder of Dani Katz aka Ha-Shich'zoor (Avi Mograbi, 1994) 3 51m
http://www.forumdoc.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/reconstrucao1.jpg
Documentary about a Jewish teenage boy who is kidnapped and murdered and five young Arabs who are arrested and confess to the crime, although there is no physical evidence to implicate them. Each is sentenced to life, which the Israel Supreme Court upholds, even though the “standard recreations” of the crime the police made with each of the convicted make the truth and their guilt highly questionable.
Head (Bob Rafelson, 1968) 2.5
The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (Yves Robert, 1972) 3
Overture to The Merry Wives of Windsor (No Director Listed, 1953) 2.5
Zabriskie Point (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1970) 1.5
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/d3/ed/50/d3ed5055d60713210ca53daf35f56c5f.jpg
https://67.media.tumblr.com/4627c5d15ea863787d9f7af70b36e91b/tumblr_o22pnjxi8z1uxbwf5o1_500.gif
Dropout radical Mark Frechette and non-political Daria Halprin share a strange but deep bond in Death Valley which culminates in the death of the American dream.

[Daniel M]

I thought you were a fan of Head, Mark? Unless I'm getting it mixed up with something else.

Edit: I think I am, although I know you think Five Easy Pieces is great. I know SC loves Head though.

[mark f]

I saw Head at the theatre in 1968, and I helped Sarah with a critical essay she wrote about it for film school. I've seen it a lot and like it well enough. I watched "The Monkees" on TV every week when it was originally on. :cool:

[Daniel M]

I saw Head at the theatre in 1968, and I helped Sarah with a critical essay she wrote about it for film school. I've seen it a lot and like it well enough. I watched "The Monkees" on TV every week when it was originally on. :cool:

Interesting, I quite like The Monkees, I never realised there was a TV show with them.

[seanc]

Interesting, I quite like The Monkees, I never realised there was a TV show with them.

God I feel old.

[Mäx]

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Mike Nichols, 1966) - rating_4
Unser Willi ist der Beste (Werner Jacobs, 1971) - rating_1_5
Das kann doch unsren Willi nicht erschüttern (Olaf Olsen, 1970) - rating_1_5

[mark f]

Nice Girl? (William A. Seiter, 1941) 2.5
Viva (Anna Biller, 2007) 2
The Better 'Ole (Charles “Chuck” Reisner, 1926) 2.5
Snowden (Oliver Stone, 2016) 3
http://technical.ly/brooklyn/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2016/02/sexy-edward-snowden.gif
NSA computer surveillance expert Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) leaks the agency’s classified documents to the press because he believes the government’s use of the material is morally corrupt.
Grand Central Murder (S. Sylvan Simon, 1942) 2.5
Sun Song (Joel Wanek, 2013) 2+
Home (Jono Oliver, 2013) 2.5
The Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925) 3
http://i.imgur.com/mYxQ68n.gif
The Odessa Steps sequence – a perfect example of montage.
God’s Country (Louie Malle, 1985) 3
Facing Your Danger (Edwin E. Olsen, 1946) 2.5
The Country Teacher (Bohdan Sláma, 2008) 3-
Urban Cowboy (James Bridges, 1980) 2.5
https://nypdecider.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/urban-cowboy-3.gif?w=618
Houston oil refinery worker John Travolta’s wife Debra Winger makes love to the mechanical bull at Mickey Gilley’s nightclub.
If You Don't, I Will (Sophie Fillières, 2014) 2.5
Grandpa Called It Art (Walter Hart, 1944) 2.5
The Battle of Chile: Part I (Patricio Guzmán, 1975) 3
The Battle of Chile: Part II (Patricio Guzmán, 1976) 3
https://unidadmpt.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/precio07.jpg?w=500&h=247
President Salvador Allende’s democratically-elected government is overthrown by a coup d'etat which left strongman Augusto Pinochet in charge.
Grigris (Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, 2013) 2.5
Luxo Jr. (John Lasseter, 1986) 3+
I’ll Be Yours (William A. Seiter, 1947) 2.5-
Murderers Among Us (Wolfgang Staudte, 1946) 3
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vnn3hHJ9fos/UXzsTrn2d5I/AAAAAAAABV4/nILPei-vCJg/s1600/them.jpg
Immediately after WWII in bombed-out Berlin, concentration camp survivor Hildegard Knef and military surgeon Ernst Wilhelm Borchert share the same apartment, but he learns his commanding officer (Arno Paulsen), who ordered the shooting of over 100 Polish men, women and children on Christmas Eve 1942, lives nearby.

[Daniel M]

Telstar: The Joe Meek Story (Nick Moran, 2008) rating_1

The Unbelievable Truth (Hal Hartley, 1989) rating_3

Carson City (André de Toth, 1952) rating_3

Ghostbusters (Paul Feig, 2016) rating_1

LBJ (Santiago Álvarez, 1968) rating_4

Gideon of Scotland Yard (John Ford, 1958) rating_3

Thunder Over The Plains (André de Toth, 1953) rating_3_5

Eyes Without a Face (Georges Franju, 1960) rating_4

I Walked with a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur, 1943) rating_4_5

It Follows (David Robert Mitchell, 2014) rating_3_5

Foreign Correspondent (Alfred Hitchcock, 1940) rating_4

The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock, 1934) rating_3_5

Spellbound (Alfred Hitchcock, 1945) rating_4

HyperNormalisation (Adam Curtis, 2016) rating_3_5

Leonard Cohen: Bird on a Wire (Tony Palmer, 1974/2010) rating_3_5

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (John Ford, 1949) rating_4_5

The Neon Demon (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2016) rating_1_5

Mechanic: Resurrection (Dennis Gansel, 2016) rating_1

The Man From Laramie (Anthony Mann, 1955) rating_4

Ugetsu (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1953) rating_4_5

Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) rating_4_5

Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968) rating_4

Journey to Italy (Roberto Rossellini, 1954) rating_4_5

Building up too much of a backlog to keep these hidden forever, go ahead and ask me any questions about my ratings...

[MonnoM]

Telstar: The Joe Meek Story (Nick Moran, 2008) rating_1

The Unbelievable Truth (Hal Hartley, 1989) rating_3

Carson City (André de Toth, 1952) rating_3

Ghostbusters (Paul Feig, 2016) rating_1

LBJ (Santiago Álvarez, 1968) rating_4

Gideon of Scotland Yard (John Ford, 1958) rating_3

Thunder Over The Plains (André de Toth, 1953) rating_3_5

Eyes Without a Face (Georges Franju, 1960) rating_4

I Walked with a Zombie (Jacques Tourneur, 1943) rating_4_5

It Follows (David Robert Mitchell, 2014) rating_3_5

Foreign Correspondent (Alfred Hitchcock, 1940) rating_4

The Man Who Knew Too Much (Alfred Hitchcock, 1934) rating_3_5

Spellbound (Alfred Hitchcock, 1945) rating_4

HyperNormalisation (Adam Curtis, 2016) rating_3_5

Leonard Cohen: Bird on a Wire (Tony Palmer, 1974/2010) rating_3_5

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (John Ford, 1949) rating_4_5

The Neon Demon (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2016) rating_1_5

Mechanic: Resurrection (Dennis Gansel, 2016) rating_1

The Man From Laramie (Anthony Mann, 1955) rating_4

Ugetsu (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1953) rating_4_5

Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) rating_4_5

Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero, 1968) rating_4

Journey to Italy (Roberto Rossellini, 1954) rating_4_5

Building up too much of a backlog to keep these hidden forever, go ahead and ask me any questions about my ratings...

Not so much a question as I'd just like to know your thoughts on Neon Demon.

[Swan]

The Neon Demon (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2016) rating_1_5

http://i.imgur.com/nHn0hdX.jpg

[Daniel M]

Not so much a question as I'd just like to know your thoughts on Neon Demon.

A film like this, its style of cinema, does not appeal to me one bit. When I watch it now, in between the films of Ford, Mizoguchi, Hitchcock et al. I find it to be no where near the level of those films.

It felt like a nothing film. An empty two hours, nothing happened, I cared for nothing, and its "message" or what is was supposed to be satirising was blatantly obvious within five minutes, once that had become evident it was clear that NWR's only objective was too push his satire of the darkness of the world he was investigating way too over simplistically through disgusting images. It is the empty cinema, dark images, with neon tints, with disgusting content. Where is the interesting camera work, editing, staging etc.?

To me it is a faux film where the objective is to shock through content but does not utilise the form and filmmaking effectively enough for me to care about it in the slightest. For me this is a film easy to make: pick a subject, focus on its dark side, get some dark images where actors do/say nothing for two hours, throw in some really repulsive scenes in there. Shallow and inane, and at times I honestly think it becomes exploitative and misogynistic, even though that is what it is supposed to be satirising.

If I want to watch a film about a young woman becoming lost as she is consumed by the vicious world around her I'll rewatch Mulholland Drive.

[Camo]

Oh wow. So many films i want to see :eek:

I've been interested in watching Spellbound recently. Someone i know who has seen way more Hitchcocks than me thinks it is one of his ten best. Glad you liked Ugetsu as well. It was in the 10th HOF and i liked it alot, probably a bit less than you though i'd give it 4. Really want to re-watch it and see some of Mizoguchis other films soon.

The Neon Demon is something i've nearly watched multiple times and probably will before the year is over. With the reactions i've seen that are mostly just like yours and my 'meh' reaction to Only God Forgives i must admit i'm a bit put off.

[Camo]

Murderers Among Us (Wolfgang Staudte, 1946) 3

I'm guessing you watched this since it had been nominated in the 40s HOF. Had you seen it before? Think it was the only nomination that i hadn't heard of.

[Daniel M]

Oh wow. So many films i want to see :eek:

I know right, I was on a bit of a filmwatching dry spell so I decided to go back to some of the best regarded classics I have been meaning to watch for a while to try and reignite it.

I've been interested in watching Spellbound recently. Someone i know who has seen way more Hitchcocks than me thinks it is one of his ten best. Glad you liked Ugetsu as well. It was in the 10th HOF and i liked it alot, probably a bit less than you though i'd give it rating_4. Really want to re-watch it and see some of Mizoguchis other films soon.

Suspicion is a great film, so many awesome little things that make it memorable: Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck needed to be in a lot more Hitchcock films, Michael Chekhov, a Salvador Dali dream sequence, focus on psychoanalysis and references to Shakespeare, Freud and more. I'd probably put it in his top ten.

I maybe slightly preferred Foreign Correspondent though, have you seen that? I thought it was like a European trial run version of North by Northwest.

The Neon Demon is something i've nearly watched multiple times and probably will before the year is over. With the reactions i've seen that are mostly just like yours and my 'meh' reaction to Only God Forgives i must admit i'm a bit put off.

Yeah, I've always been unsure but seeing as I watched a few horror films over Halloween I finally got around to it. Seems very divisive, people seem to either love or hate it, I would be interested in hearing what you think.

[Mr Minio]

Monterey Pop (1968) - 4

https://media.giphy.com/media/tKU9UoPoaPLag/giphy.gif

KVLT. The sitar music towards the end by Ravi Shankar was the only logical conclusion to this film. Also, everybody in this film is high as f*ck, but also happy as f*ck.

Toni Erdmann (2016) - 4 - CINEMA

http://cinema-scope.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Toni-Erdmann-als-Winfried.jpg

This has way more Tokyo Story references than you would've thought. I ended up watching it FOR FREE.

Nostra Signora dei Turchi [Our Lady of the Turks] (1968) - 4.5

http://67.media.tumblr.com/7ff01f8607da08e510f77736f7d0153c/tumblr_inline_nvlwgoyow31r5njup_500.gif

Poetry & surrealism. Some breathtaking visuals and interesting thoughts on faith and saints.

Prima della rivoluzione [Before the Revolution] (1964) - 4.5

http://iys.turkmedya.com.tr/Content/Resimler/images/Devrimden%20%C3%96nce.gif

What would've happened if Anna Karina were Italian and made Godard team up with Truffaut to make an Italian version of Last Year at Marienbad? This film, exactly.

Grandma's Boy (1922) - 3.5

http://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m90l358JYC1qiz3j8o1_500.gif

Pretty kewl, but Lloyd has better films based on his meekness. Come to think of it, all his movies are the same plot-wise, but I still adore them.

I've also watched all Chaplin Essanay films. Pretty mediocre stuff, but there were two films I really liked.

[Camo]

I maybe slightly preferred Foreign Correspondent though, have you seen that? I thought it was like a European trial run version of North by Northwest.


Not yet. I remember it was nominated in a HOF here and it got pretty mixed reactions so it has always been on my radar. Think i'm going to try and see all of his 40s films before we finally do the countdown. Interesting about North By Northwest.

Also what did you think of the ending of Ugetsu? That was the main thing discussed in the 10th HOF, and i ended up digging up something about it not being the ending that Mizoguchi had planned that he was forced to put in a happy ending by the studio. Thought that was interesting, i couldn't find anything out about the ending he wanted to do or if he even said what it was though.

[rauldc14]

Foreign Correspondent is great!

Of course, I may have been the one who nominated it :shifty:

[Cobpyth]

Some very short remarks and personal ratings of films I've seen in the past few weeks (trying to be as strict as I can):


Cat People (1942) - 3.5
The story doesn't work completely as an interesting metaphor, but the brilliant filmmaking makes this an absolute joy to watch.

Spy (2015) - 2.5
Fun while it lasts, but extremely forgettable.

Kung Fu Hustle (2004) - 3+
Extremely entertaining, but a bit too weird and over the top in some places for my taste. Still a very unique watch.

The Browning Version (1951) - 4+
A film that goes right to the heart. A deeply felt drama that balances reality and optimism very well.

The Fugitive (1993) - 3+
A competent big, muscular action thriller that kept me very entertained, but ultimately doesn't amount to anything really special.

Police Story (1985) - 4
The action scenes are phenomenal and the rest of the film works too. Exhilarating watch!

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek (1944) - 3.5+
Great comedy! Loved it!

That Touch of Mink (1962) - 3-
If I wasn't such a sucker for Cary Grant, Doris Gray and stylish 60s sets, I probably wouldn't like this film, but I thought it was OK. Got some laughs too.

Born to Kill (1947) - 3.5
A very dark piece of film noir. My favorite films of this genre have some kind of warm relatibility to them, while this picture and its characters came across as purely cold. I still liked this film well enough, though.

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) - 4
Of course the film is trashy in a lot of ways, but it's also entirely unique and freaking AWESOME! Great filmmaking throughout as well.

The Omen (1976) - 3.5+
I'm not easily creeped out by supernatural stuff in films and I wasn't here either, but my goodness, this is a pretty great horror picture! Thrilling from start to finish!

Ghost Town (2008) - 2
I love Ricky Gervais, but I don't think he's used that well here. I didn't hate this, but it was extremely "meh".

De Premier (2016) - 3
Great build-up, pretty disappointing third act and an interesting last shot. Solid Belgian thriller!

The Handmaiden (2016) - 4+
An absolute blast! Erotic, twisty, thrilling... It's a spectacularly good effort from Chan-wook Park.

Tampopo (1985) - 4.5
I enjoyed this film sooooo much. It's full of cool and extremely funny distractions and they form a lovely balance with the warm story that's being told throughout. One of the best films I've seen this year for sure!

High Plains Drifter (1973) - 4
As good as a revenge film can get. There's an indescribable unique atmospheric side to this film as well, I think. Loved it.

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976) - 4+
Only better than High Plains Drifter in the sense that its main character is more deeply fleshed out and that its story is more deeply felt on an emotional level. It's a bigger, more ambitious picture. Suberb film!

The Roaring Twenties (1939) - 4+
The Goodfellas of the thirties! It's a rapidly told gangster film full of great characters and awesome events. Exactly my kind of picture!

Late Spring (1949) - 4.5
Ozu's style is absolutely irresistible to me. I cried at the end. The film completely worked for me.

Naked Lunch (1991) - 3.5
This is a pretty interesting film, especially after reading about William S. Burrough's life a little bit. I loved the overall style of this film and its music score a lot. I have a feeling that I'll appreciate this film even more after a second watch, now that I comprehend its content a little better.

Becoming Mike Nichols (2016) - 3+
Interesting watch about the start of the career of a creative genius. Mike Nichols is one of my favorite filmmakers of all time. I wish they made it a couple of hours longer and talked about the rest of his career too! I'd love to hear him talk in detail about Carnal Knowledge for instance.


Feel free to ask me about any of my ratings! The films I rated 4 or more are films I absolutely ADORED! They are the ones that gave me that special kind of adrenaline only great films can cause. I've put them in blue, so that everybody can spot them easier in my post and watch them if they haven't already! ;)

http://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lqzbehHPcD1qg39ewo6_500.gif

[Swan]

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) - 4
Of course the film is trashy in a lot of ways, but it's also entirely unique and freaking AWESOME! Great filmmaking throughout as well.

:up:

[Daniel M]

Not yet. I remember it was nominated in a HOF here and it got pretty mixed reactions so it has always been on my radar. Think i'm going to try and see all of his 40s films before we finally do the countdown. Interesting about North By Northwest.

Yeah I did see about that briefly. But I think you'll enjoy it. I would say that The 39 Steps, Foreign Correspondent and North by Northwest would make a terrific man on the run triple bill. He starts off with the UK, then Europe, then the USA, getting more ambitious and defined each time.

Also what did you think of the ending of Ugetsu? That was the main thing discussed in the 10th HOF, and i ended up digging up something about it not being the ending that Mizoguchi had planned that he was forced to put in a happy ending by the studio. Thought that was interesting, i couldn't find anything out about the ending he wanted to do or if he even said what it was though.

What about it? I don't think the ending was really happy at all, and if your talking about a certain moment I don't think it would effect my thoughts on the film that much, by then the story and message is complete. Best thing about the film was the direction, how the camera told the story seamlessly and how the visuals were always striking and haunting.

Foreign Correspondent is great!

Of course, I may have been the one who nominated it :shifty:

Yeah I did see bits and bobs of that HOF but wasn't involved, but it's a great film for sure :up:

[MonnoM]

A film like this, its style of cinema, does not appeal to me one bit. When I watch it now, in between the films of Ford, Mizoguchi, Hitchcock et al. I find it to be no where near the level of those films.

It felt like a nothing film. An empty two hours, nothing happened, I cared for nothing, and its "message" or what is was supposed to be satirising was blatantly obvious within five minutes, once that had become evident it was clear that NWR's only objective was too push his satire of the darkness of the world he was investigating way too over simplistically through disgusting images. It is the empty cinema, dark images, with neon tints, with disgusting content. Where is the interesting camera work, editing, staging etc.?

To me it is a faux film where the objective is to shock through content but does not utilise the form and filmmaking effectively enough for me to care about it in the slightest. For me this is a film easy to make: pick a subject, focus on its dark side, get some dark images where actors do/say nothing for two hours, throw in some really repulsive scenes in there. Shallow and inane, and at times I honestly think it becomes exploitative and misogynistic, even though that is what it is supposed to be satirising.

If I want to watch a film about a young woman becoming lost as she is consumed by the vicious world around her I'll rewatch Mulholland Drive.

I can see why some might be turned off by it. I liked it, but even I'll admit there were times I found it to be either too dull in its attempt to keep a certain artistic element, or it tried too hard to be eccentric. It wasn't altogether bad by any means, but for me the ending was its saving grace.

[mark f]

Krisha (Trey Edward Shults, 2016) 2.5
Yosemite the Magnificent (James A. FitzPatrick, 1941) 3
Cry, the Beloved Country (Darrell James Roodt, 1995) 2.5
Heremias: Book One - The Legend of the Lizard Princess (Lav Diaz, 2006) 2 519m
https://theseventhart.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/heremias.jpg?w=462&h=242
Heremias (Ronnie Lazaro) in happier times with his beloved cow – before he loses it and tracks the criminals to the David Lynch part of the Philippines.
Zion: Canyon of Colour (James A. FitzPatrick, 1934) 2.5+
The Condemned 2 (Roel Reiné, 2015) 2
Hands of Stone (Jonathan Jakubowicz, 2016) 2.5-
Lo and Behold, Reveries of the Connected World (Werner Herzog, 2016) 3
http://media2.fdncms.com/portmerc/imager/u/original/17301597/1451941469-screen_shot_2016-01-04_at_1.03.04_pm.png
From the decidedly old-fashioned Herzog, an examination of the past and possible future uses of the Internet, as well as looking at its good and bad sides.
MacGruber (Jorma Taccone, 2010) 2+
Grand Canyon, Pride of Creation (James A. FitzPatrick, 1943) 2.5+
Yellowbeard (Mel Damski, 1983) 2
From Noon Till Three (Frank D. Gilroy, 1976) 3.5
https://67.media.tumblr.com/18c657eb91b2572e6b563353ddacca46/tumblr_n2csrrPJwo1qedb29o1_500.gif
Through a series of bizarre events, two-bit criminal Charles Bronson and lonely widow Jill Ireland become their era’s Romeo and Juliet, and things go really crazy after that.
The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving (Roy Allen Smith, 1995) 2.5-
Routine Pleasures (Jean-Pierre Gorin, 1986) 2.5-
The Kindergarten Teacher (Nadav Lapid, 2014) 2.5
Cosmic Journey aka The Space Voyage (Vasily Zhuravlyov, 1936) 3
http://pavelklushantsev.ru/data/uploads/fotos/cosmic.jpg
In 1946, a Soviet scientist (Sergey Komarov) leads an expedition to the Moon including a female professor (K. Moskalenko) and a boy (Vassili Gaponenko), here weightless onboard ship.
Yellowstone Park: Nature's Playground (James H. Smith, 1936) 2.5+
The Sea Around Us (Irwin Allen, 1953) 3
Don't Think Twice (Mike Bibiglia, 2016) 2.5
The Gore Gore Girls (Herschell Gordon Lewis, 1972) 1.5
http://67.media.tumblr.com/91f7e4ce92044b8ce47da14db3b67a5d/tumblr_mupsorOl3I1rdfgw4o1_r1_400.gif
http://blogfiles.wfmu.org/KF/2013/07/03/the_end_movie_over.gif
Yes, it’s gory, “nasty”, cheap and camp.

[MovieMeditation]

A film like this, its style of cinema, does not appeal to me one bit. When I watch it now, in between the films of Ford, Mizoguchi, Hitchcock et al. I find it to be no where near the level of those films.

It felt like a nothing film. An empty two hours, nothing happened, I cared for nothing, and its "message" or what is was supposed to be satirising was blatantly obvious within five minutes, once that had become evident it was clear that NWR's only objective was too push his satire of the darkness of the world he was investigating way too over simplistically through disgusting images. It is the empty cinema, dark images, with neon tints, with disgusting content. Where is the interesting camera work, editing, staging etc.?

To me it is a faux film where the objective is to shock through content but does not utilise the form and filmmaking effectively enough for me to care about it in the slightest. For me this is a film easy to make: pick a subject, focus on its dark side, get some dark images where actors do/say nothing for two hours, throw in some really repulsive scenes in there. Shallow and inane, and at times I honestly think it becomes exploitative and misogynistic, even though that is what it is supposed to be satirising.

If I want to watch a film about a young woman becoming lost as she is consumed by the vicious world around her I'll rewatch Mulholland Drive.
I have not always agreed with you, Daniel, and sometimes you even came off as a rookie type movie viewer to me. No offense intended, that was simply my impression at the time.

But this post I agree whole-heartedly with. And I like Refn. Well, not his last two films. Only God Forgives is the same as what you mention above.

Anyways, awesome post! Spot on.

[Swan]

You guys embarrass me. :p

[Daniel M]

sometimes you even came off as a rookie type movie viewer to me.

What?

[Swan]

He just means you really like The Rookie.

[seanc]

He just means you really like The Rookie.

Sheen or Quaid?

[Swan]

Sheen or Quaid?

MM didn't specify, but I figured Quaid.

[MovieMeditation]

Y'all cracking me up :laugh:

[seanc]

MM didn't specify, but I figured Quaid.

Probably. Rookie rookie movie if you ask me.

[mark f]

Hey, stop contaminating my thread.

[Daniel M]

sometimes you even came off as a rookie type movie viewer to me.

What?

Answer my question?

[Mr Minio]

Hey, stop contaminating my thread. Your what? :)

[MovieMeditation]

Answer my question?
I wrote it in past tense, since it was something I felt when I saw your posts around the forum when I myself was still what you would call a rookie-member. ;)

Your opinions just seemed weird and ill argumented for and I didn't really flow well with your thoughts on film. That is all. I understand if you got baffled by this but I'm still kind of sad to see that was the only thing you caught in a post where I praised your arguments and film critcism. That was all genuine. Well, all I said was genuine and honest.

I don't see what the problem was with my post, I never said you were a rookie, only that my first impression of you was so. First impressions are made on a thin basis, so it has nothing to do about who and how you actually are or that it is my actual and/or final judgment of you as a person or movie (re)viewer. :)

So (hopefully) no worries...

[Camo]

Well either way it was hilarious and i think Swan is turning it into your new nickname as we speak :p

[Cobpyth]

Irony.

[Lucas]

Haven't done this in forever, but here goes...

Soy Cuba 3.5+
A film in dire need of a remastered release, Soy Cuba is one of the most visually breathtaking films ever made, and it's a film that solidifies Kalatozov's position as one of the great Russian filmmakers.

Out 1 4
One of the weirdest movies ever made...seriously. Rivette was the 1970's version of Paul Verhoeven.

The Leopard 4
Watched with awful dubbing, and the movie still blew me away. An elegiac, poetic reverie on the changing of times and culture, and one man's inability to conform to those changes. A man who is the last of his breed, the last of the so-called Leopards. Graceful, lush cinematography as typical of Visconti.

Phantom of the Opera 4.5+
I hate the lack of critical reevaluation in modern day film criticism. Phantom of the Opera is one of the most unfairly maligned films I've ever seen. The visuals are breathtaking. The music is astonishing, and it possesses an unparalleled sense of sensuality and delicate yearning. No hyperbole here, this film is a masterpiece.

Two Lovers 3
There's nothing inherently wrong with the film from a structural or cinematographic standpoint; it's all rock solid. I simply find the film's conclusion too convenient for the main character, which derives the film from a truly satisfying & fitting ending. James Gray is still dope tho.

Song of Bernadette 3.5+
Upon reevaluation, my rating has gone down a little bit. I stand by my statement that this is one of the most gorgeous films of the 40's. I, however, find issue with how the film attack those who don't fundamentally believe in Christ, or Bernadette's visions. Nonetheless, I do feel this film deserves a wider audience. I'm certain it will resonate with those who enjoy films from John Ford & Carl Th. Dreyer. If you're a fan of Ordet, you'll probably dig this.

[Lucas]

Make Way for Tomorrow 3
Upon further reflection, my rating has dropped down substantially. It's attempts at pulling at the heart strings are amiable, but I remain unconvinced by its manipulative direction. I prefer Tokyo Story.

The Scarlett Empress 4
Sternberg is one of the great auteurs. Empress focuses little on narrative, but who cares tho. It's all about those images, baby. And what images they are.

Arrival 4
Rating will almost certainly go up on repeat viewings. It's very rare that I begin weeping from the first few frames, but Arrival had that effect on me. Unlike that other cold, clinical filmmaker, Villeneuve actually trusts in his audience. His attempts at eliciting emotion feel earned.

Hacksaw Ridge 2.5
Entertaining and amusing, but not for the reasons Gibson intended. The first half is a Lifetime original movie; the second half is glorified war porn. Gibson fetishizes the guts, decapitations & explosions. For a film about the Christian faith, the message comes off as hypocritical and unearned.

A Perfect World 4.5
Over the past year the very thought of watching a Clint Eastwood film made me feel nauseous. I've come to regard his "classicist" cinema as fake and insincere. Can't quite explain why; that's just how I feel. A Perfect World is the best film Clint ever made, and that comes down to how naturalistic it all is. Costner is usually uninteresting, but here he plays someone who is, at times, absolutely terrifying. As a whole, the relationship between Costner and the young child really, really works. Could do without the side characters tho.

[Lucas]

Sausage Party 1.5
I did laugh while in the theater, but there's nothing to this film. It's empty, mean-spirited and, above all, ugly. It bluntly attacks anyone who believes in anything, and it finds glory in racism, stereotypes and morally perverse behavior. Avoid.

The Long Gray Line 4+ (rewatch)
A crying toddler one second, a young cadet the next. Similar to She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, this is a film about the inevitable cycle of life and death. Men die or grow old, and the next generation comes in to take their place. The first half is perhaps a bit too comedy-oriented; the second half, on the other hand, is classic Ford. The smallest of gestures and camera movements bring out the most powerful of emotions.

Don't Breathe 2
It ain't good.

Diary of a Country Pries 4
I still occasionally struggle with Bresson, but I'm slowly becoming a fan of his. Here, a young priest is suffering from a cancer unbeknownst to him, and he tries, with little avail, to help those around him. It's quite bleak and somber, but, hey, that's Bresson for you.

Written on the Wind 4+
This is a film that continues to grow on me. It's unfathomably beautiful and lurid--as expected of Sirk--and the melodrama is piercing in its power. Dorothy Malone is G.O.A.T.

The Importance of Being Earnest 3+
A pleasant watch, but I can't quit elevate this to the stratum of really good.

[matt72582]

S

Diary of a Country Pries rating_4
I still occasionally struggle with Bresson, but I'm slowly becoming a fan of his. Here, a young priest is suffering from a cancer unbeknownst to him, and he tries, with little avail, to help those around him. It's quite bleak and somber, but, hey, that's Bresson for you.

I'm guessing you saw
-Pickpocket
-A Man Escaped
-Ah Hasard Balthazar

[Lucas]

I'm guessing you saw
-Pickpocket
-A Man Escaped
-Ah Hasard Balthazar

I've seen the majority of his filmography. I've seen those three listed above, as well as The Devil, Probably, Diary of a Country Priest, Mouchette, Trial of Joan of Arc and L'Argent. There's not a film of his that I dislike, but I have yet to see one that I can call a full-fledged masterpiece.

[Mäx]

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Jim Sharman, 1975) - 4
Faust (Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, 1926) - 3.5+
Willi wird das Kind schon schaukeln (Werner Jacobs, 1972) - 2.5

[re93animator]

The Uninvited Guest (2004) – 2_5
An imprudent man grows paranoid suspecting that someone is secretly living in his house. It’s a kinda fun little Hitchcockian thriller, but it constantly insults the viewer’s intelligence with dirt cheap red herrings, lapses of logic, and a super obvious twist.

Freaked (1993) – 2_5
Well... this is a thing. This is definitely a thing that exists. I like the absurdity and cartoony weirdness, but the dialogue and sound effects are way more annoying than funny.

Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) – 3_5
A supercomputer develops a mind of its own and threatens world domination. Engaging sci-fi that focuses largely on cold war tensions.

Waxwork (1988) – 3
A supernatural wax museum’s anthological horror exhibits come to life. Self-aware horror comedy with wonderfully gratuitous effects.

The Cheap Detective (1978) – 2_5
Has some funny bits and a great visual panache, but I think it’s too homage-y to remain interesting for very long.

[mark f]

A Thunder of Drums (Joseph Newman, 1961) 2.5
Chronicle of a Summer (Jean Rouch & Edgar Morin, 1971) 2.5
Closed Curtain (Jafar Panahi & Kambuzia Partovi, 2014) 2.5
Place de la République (Louis Malle, 1974) 3
http://pxhst.co/avaxhome/f6/87/000f87f6_medium.jpeg
Louis Malle takes to the streets in the Parisian square to interview average people about their lives; one woman walks by several times and becomes the intervewer for a while.
The Man Who Knew Infinity (Matthew Brown, 2016) 2.5+
Top Hat (Mark Sandrich, 1935) 3
Shall We Dance (Mark Sandrich, 1937) 3
Carefree (Mark Sandrich, 1938) 3
https://66.media.tumblr.com/5c8942e5b0cbffda3c2d3311b41a52ca/tumblr_njlhnpjPWu1qicfexo1_500.gif
Psychoanalyst Fred Astaire convinces Ginger Rogers to “Change Partners and Dance with Me”.
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (Paul Mazursky, 1969) 2.5+
Inside Daisy Clover (Robert Mulligan, 1965) 2
Meteor (Ronald Neame, 1979) 2.5–
King of Devil's Island (Marius Holst, 2010) 3
http://images.khabaronline.ir/Images/news/Larg_Pic/27-10-1390/IMAGE634624136483415376.jpg
At the dreaded Bastøy youth reformatory near Oslo, new inmate Benjamin Helstad immediately clashes with authoritarian governor Stellan Skarsgård.
The Undefeated (Andrew V. McLaglen, 1969) 2.5
Sour Grapes (Jerry Rothwell & Reuben Atlas, 2016) 3
Mia Madre (Nanni Moretti, 2015) 2.5
The Innocents (Anne Fontaine, 2016) 3–
http://67.media.tumblr.com/006ab143990d9ccdde1a344bfd1f42b2/tumblr_oegp08soEM1up42jgo5_540.gif
After WWII, French Red Cross medical student Lou de Laâge, working in Poland, accompanies a nun to her convent and finds several other pregnant nuns who were raped by the nearby Soviet soldiers. She is aided by a nun (Agata Buzek) who speaks French, but the Mother Superior (Agata Kulesza) is strangely uncooperative.
Punk Vacation (Stanley Lewis, 1990) 1.5
Killer Party (William Fruet, 1986) 2
Gaucho Serenade (Frank McDonald, 1940) 2.5
Shin Godzilla aka Godzilla Resurgence (Hideaki Anno & Shinji Higuchi, 2016) 3
http://static1.comicvine.com/uploads/original/11118/111182371/5417978-shin+godzilla+atomic+breath.gif
Godzilla terrorizes Tokyo – again – but this time there’s more intelligence to go with the fun.

[MonnoM]

The Uninvited Guest (2004) – rating_2_5
An imprudent man grows paranoid suspecting that someone is secretly living in his house. It’s a kinda fun little Hitchcockian thriller, but it constantly insults the viewer’s intelligence with dirt cheap red herrings, lapses of logic, and a super obvious twist.

I didn't get that vibe at all, but I'd be interested to know which scenes you felt were the biggest culprits.

[re93animator]

I didn't get that vibe at all, but I'd be interested to know which scenes you felt were the biggest culprits.


After he breaks into the house later on, he sees people creepily crawling and hiding in the shadows and panics. Then it's revealed to be party guests.

At the party he's caught upstairs (!)... only to be fortunately mistaken for a guest.

He hears some awful noises all throughout his house. But it turns out the be an open window.

He sees a figure in a reflection, but it's a coat and hat.

That's just off the top of my head, but I know there were a lot more. I get it's supposed to be from the lead's paranoid perspective, but it's also a trite way to insert a token thrill. It just really frustrates me when movies constantly do these things (along with predictable jump scares and last second saves) What Lies Beneath is another textbook example. It seems like lazy and cliche writing to me; fool me once, etc...

And as soon as he shot his wife and shut the door I was hoping that the twist wasn't going to be that obvious (I know there was another component, but it wasn't enough to save it IMO).

I understand that the later part of the film required much suspension of disbelief in order to present the lead becoming what he originally feared, but I dunno... I just found it really hard. Maybe if the film had slightly embraced surrealism a bit more it would've made for a good allegorical story (though I'm still not entirely sure what it's trying to say).

... sorry. It's not a bad movie by any means, but I needed to vent a little.:(

[MonnoM]

After he breaks into the house later on, he sees people creepily crawling and hiding in the shadows and panics. Then it's revealed to be party guests.

At the party he's caught upstairs (!)... only to be fortunately mistaken for a guest.

He hears some awful noises all throughout his house. But it turns out the be an open window.

He sees a figure in a reflection, but it's a coat and hat.

That's just off the top of my head, but I know there were a lot more. I get it's supposed to be from the lead's paranoid perspective, but it's also a trite way to insert a token thrill. It just really frustrates me when movies constantly do these things (along with predictable jump scares and last second saves) What Lies Beneath is another textbook example. It seems like lazy and cliche writing to me; fool me once, etc...

And as soon as he shot his wife and shut the door I was hoping that the twist wasn't going to be that obvious (I know there was another component, but it wasn't enough to save it IMO).

I understand that the later part of the film required much suspension of disbelief in order to present the lead becoming what he originally feared, but I dunno... I just found it really hard. Maybe if the film had slightly embraced surrealism a bit more it would've made for a good allegorical story (though I'm still not entirely sure what it's trying to say).

... sorry. It's not a bad movie by any means, but I needed to vent a little.:(

You definitely had a lot to get off your chest, ha. No sorry required, I really appreciate you taking the time to elaborate further and though I may not agree, your criticism seems reasonable.

[Mr Minio]

http://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mawq7axdxE1rh0w5vo1_500.gif

Contes immoraux [Immoral Tales] (1974) - 3
Jak rozpętałem II wojnę światową [How I Unleashed the Second World War] (1970) - 3
Sportowiec mimo woli (1940) - 4
Paweł i Gaweł [Poe and Joe] (1938) - 3.5
Level Five (1997) - 5
Antek policmajster [Police Chief Antek] (1935) - 3
Das Goldene Tor [The Golden Gate] (1992) - 3.5
Numéro deux [Number Two] (1975) - 3.5
Tigre reale (1916) - 2.5
Le fond de l'air est rouge [A Grin Without a Cat] (1977) - 3.5

[cricket]

Numéro deux [Number Two] (1975) - 3.5

That one sounds like *****.

[JayDee]

That one sounds like *****.

http://i.imgur.com/VpbyXiq.gif (http://imgur.com/VpbyXiq)


Ba dum tsch!

[mark f]

Fatty’s Faithful Fido (Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle, 1915) 2.5
Shooting High (Alfred E. Green, 1940) 2+
Fatty’s Plucky Pup (Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle, 1915) 2.5
Before the Flood (Fisher Stevens, 2016) 3
http://anyarena.com/public/upload/headline/01-11-2016_1477995951_BeforeTheFlood-2.gif
Leonardo DiCaprio as the “U.N. Messenger of Peace” goes around the world examining the whys and wherefores of Climate Change and sharing what can be done to lessen it.
Night (Walt Disney, 1930) 2.5
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (Irwin Allen, 1961) 2
Key of Life (Kenji Uchida, 2012) 2.5+
Fantastic Voyage (Richard Fleischer, 1966) 3
http://66.media.tumblr.com/2842b8ebabe116860e524d6cb0dcf9b3/tumblr_mmum2vSync1qde71ao1_500.gif
A group of scientists in a submarine are shrunken to microscopic size to perform a dangerous operation on another scientist's brain.
Blonde Fever (Richard Whorf, 1944) 2
Trailer Horn (Jack Hannah, 1950) 3
Touched with Fire (Paul Dalio, 2016) 2
Bombay Beach (Alma Har'el, 2011) 2.5
http://www.ideastap.com/ImageHandler.ashx?FileName=/Upload/CmsMedia/magazine/Articles/BombayBeach_Alma_Harel_interview.jpg&Width=540&Height=306&ImageMod=Crop&OutputFormat=HighQualityJpeg&CacheEnabled=True
A poetic, surreal documentary about some of the citizens of Bombay Beach, California, a small, dying community bordering the Salton Sea which has the lowest altitude in the U.S. at 223 feet below sea level.
Challenge to Lassie (Richard Thorpe, 1949) 2.5
Crossfire (Edward Dmytryk, 1947) 3
Pursued (Raoul Walsh, 1947) 2+
Further Beyond (Christine Molloy & Joe Lawlor, 2016) 2.5
http://www.latinol.com/thumb/?p=media%5Ccontenido%5Cimages%5CFurther-Beyond.jpg&w=484
Aidan Gillen briefly plays the Baron of Ballynary – Ambrose O’Higgins – the father of Bernardo O’Higgins, the first Head of State of Chile. This documentary traces the family’s movement from Ireland to Spain to Chile, focusing on place, while formally having the narrators appear on-screen often and sometimes commenting on the sound effects and music of the movie itself.
For You I Will Fight (Rachel Lang, 2010) 2
Salvo (Fabio Grassadonia & Antonio Piazza, 2013) 2.5
Umberto D. (Vittorio De Sica, 1952) 3
Havana Motor Club (Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt, 2016) 2.5+
https://2e0a24317f4a9294563f-26c3b154822345d9dde0204930c49e9c.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/8898656_underground-racing-cuban-style-havana_fd05e5aa_m.jpg?bg=694727
When Fidel Castro took power in Cuba, road racing became frowned upon as “capitalist”, but there are many enthusiasts who are happy now that they’ve gotten through some of the repression and successfully come out from the underground and participated in some legal events.

[Camo]

Sad you don't like Pursued a bit more. I really wasn't sure if i was going to like it or not but i ended up finding it pretty great. Out of interest is there anything in particular you don't like about it, or do you just find it average overall?

[mark f]

It's very convoluted and actually downright stupid to me, but if you consider it more a noir, it fits in better in that genre. I think film noir can get away with ridiculous plot points better than westerns. The photography is a strong point. I like Walsh fine as a director - I've seen 65 of his films.

[Mr Minio]

That one sounds like *****. All jokes aside, this is a pretty weird film. Placed somewhere in between Godard's early stylish flicks and his more experimental efforts of the 80's and after, only not really like either of these. It starts with a long tirade spoken by Godard himself and you have to be really focused to actually understand that he talks, among other things, about how he came around to doing this film. He also mentions some other cinematographies from all around the world. And then the movie itself starts. What's interesting is that everything (apart from Godard's jargon at the beginning) has been recorded prior and now it's screened on many TVs that are filmed again, often one next to the other, juxtaposed. This gives an interesting effect, almost as if the viewer was monitoring these people in their everyday life. This House Has People in It comes to mind, but in Godard's film the camera is placed on the level of the people, not above them. What made this seemingly dull concept quite entertaining was the (abstract/black?) comedy element. At some point there's talk about a little girl who caught their parents during sex (spoiler, spoiler, not normal sex, but anal rape as a punishment for wife's cheating, WTF Godard you kinky bastard), then the parents are more than happy to invite the little girl to their bedroom and all naked show her their genitalia. There's also a scene when we see dude's penis and then an image of girl's face superimposed over it. Then again, the wife has constant constipation and that's probably why there are no scat porn scenes in the movie.

The movie is probably about the degringolade of the modern capitalistic society (duh), but it may also be a porn with many filler scene as well, as for Godard "There's no difference between politics and porno". Well, Godard claims it's about "An analysis of the power relations in an ordinary family.", so you never know. All in all, an interesting movie experiment.

[Camo]

It's very convoluted and actually downright stupid to me, but if you consider it more a noir, it fits in better in that genre. I think film noir can get away with ridiculous plot points better than westerns. The photography is a strong point. I like Walsh fine as a director - I've seen 65 of his films.

Fair enough. It definitely is pretty convoluted but i don't think it is to the extent that gbg did which i imagine is similar to how you felt. Also wouldn't call it stupid but there is definitely some silly stuff particularly towards the end.

What is your favourite Walsh film out of interest?

[mark f]

My fave would be Gentleman Jim (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=504715#post504715), but others I recommend are They Died with Their Boots On, The Roaring Twenties, High Sierra, White Heat, Captain Horatio Hornblower, The World in His Arms, Colorado Territory, The Horn Blows at Midnight, The Bowery, etc.

[neiba]

November


Bashu,The Little Stranger (1989) rating_3
Easy Rider (1969) rating_2_5
Before the Flood (2016) rating_3 +
Heat (1995) rating_4 +
Drop Zone (1994) rating_2 -
Captain America: Civil War (2016) rating_3
Ant-Man (2015) rating_3 -
Rush (2013) rating_4 -
Licence to Kill (1989) rating_2_5 +
Die Another Day (2002) rating_2
Death Race 2 (2010) rating_2
Death Race 3: Inferno (2012) rating_0_5 -
Her (2013) rating_5 -
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) rating_4 +
Once Upon a Time in the West (theatre) (1968) rating_4_5 -

Shorts:

Marvel One Shot: Agent Carter (2013) rating_2_5

Month count: 15/1
Year count: 189/9

[Chypmunk]

November sparklers

Brain Dead (1990) 3.5
Black Snake Moan (2006) 3.5
Source Code (2011) 3.5
Katyn (2007) 3.5
Serbuan maut [The Raid] (2011) 4.5
The Raid 2: Berandal (2014) 3.5+
Ikarie XB-1 [Voyage To The End Of The Universe] (1963) 4
Things To Come (1936) 3.5
The Tunnel (1935) 3.5
Capricorn One (1977) 3.5+
The Big Lebowski (1998) 3.5
The Player (1992) 3.5+
Seppuku [Harikiri] (1962) 4.5

[Lucas]

https://filmvibes.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/tumblr_oc0007vjrx1qzk1p5o4_r1_540.gif?w=640

Moonlight 4.5+

Not just the best film of this year, but one of the best films of any year. Cinema of delicate gestures, glances and silences. Barry Jenkins' Moonlight shows a lyricism I haven't seen since Yang's A Brighter Summer Day. I am left speechless that a modern filmmaker could conjure a film of such warmth, beauty and sincerity. It showcases characters that you'd expect to be caricatures, but, my, god, they aren't that at all. Astounding, unbelievable work of art.

Mary Poppins 3.5

Hard not to be at least slightly charmed by this one. Andrews is an utter delight.

Boyhood 4

Linklater's film isn't particularly fascinating from a directorial standpoint. The framing is conventional and uninspired. However, I really admire any film that shows the ebb and flow of day-to-day life. Seeing the inevitable passage of time always moves me to tears.

Gone Girl 3.5

Very entertaining, but perhaps a step backward for Fincher as a filmmaker. The maturity found in The Social Network and Zodiac is not just absent--it's simply not there.

[Camo]

November Watches: * = Rewatch

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... And Spring - 4+
The Exorcist* - 5+
The Secret Of Nimh* - 3.5-
The Last Unicorn - 2-
This Film Is Not Yet Rated - 3
Tokyo Godfathers - 3.5
Roger and Me - 3+
Frenzy - 3.5
Moon - 4-
The Lost Weekend - 2.5
Midnight Special - 3+
Sing Street - 4
Night on the Galactic Railroad - 3+
Madagascar 2 - 2.5-
The Shop Around The Corner - 4.5
Sinister - 3.5-
Take Shelter - 4
Maniac (2012) - 3+
Treasure Planet - 3
Shadow of a Doubt - 4
Rope - 3+
Loving - 3.5-
Krisha - 4
10 Cloverfield Lane - 2.5
The Thief of Bagdad - 3.5+
The Hunt For the Wilderpeople - 3+
Pursued - 4-
Ossessione - 3.5+
Laura - 4.5-

[cricket]

November, 2016 movies watched-

Eaten Alive (1976) 1.5+ Tobe Hooper's follow up to The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a dud.

Tokyo Godfathers (2003) 4 Very touching with characters I cared about.

The Fifth Element (1997) 2 Not a terrible movie, but I didn't like anything about it.

Torment (1944) 3.5- Very good Swedish Cannes' winner.

Blood Father (2016) 3.5 Mel Gibson delivers in this action flick that's exactly what it should be.

Things to Come (1936) 3 From the Sci-Fi list, a nice tale of the destruction and rebuilding of earth.

Cut-Throats Nine (1972) 2.5+ Worth watching if you'd like to see a violent, nasty western. Just don't expect a high quality movie.

The Purge: Election Year (2016) 2 Not bad, but I'm all set with this franchise.

The Heiress (1949) 3.5 Very elegant and nicely done classic. I didn't quite love it.

The Little Foxes (1941) 4.5 I'm sure this will be one of my favorite discoveries from the 40's.

How Green Was My Valley (1941) 5 The best movie I've seen in at least a year.

Midnight Special (2016) 3- Pretty good but I felt that it really started to drag after a while.

Fantasia (1940) Repeat viewing 3 A mixed bag for me but I appreciated it's artistry.

To Have and Have Not (1944) 3.5+ Entertaining and cool, Bogart and Bacall.

The Suspect (1944) 3.5 Very easy and enjoyable flick carried by the very watchable Charles Laughton

Rope (1948) Repeat viewing 3 I'm not sure if I'm rating this too low or too high.

Until the End of the World (1991) 2.5 Loved the first half, hated the second half.

Hell or High Water (2016) 3.5 Nothing more than a dumb action/crime film, and that's plenty good for me.

Sausage Party (2016) 2 Good ideas, poor execution.

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) 2.5 Not very interesting to me, but not a bad movie to watch.

Metropolis (1927) 4 Not quite a personal favorite, but everything I'd hope for in a large scale film.

The Thief of Bagdad (1940) 3 Very likable and easy to enjoy, but not the kind of movie that could draw any passion from me.

Total November viewings-22
Total 2016 viewings-312

[Swan]

Seems less than usual, cricket. What gives?

[Camo]

Yeah, i beat you for once with my 29 :cool:

[Chypmunk]

Probably hampered by Christmas shopping.
(see what I did there?)

[Miss Vicky]

Everything I watched In November
(Thoughts posted in my Movie Log (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=43738))

WALL•E (Andrew Stanton, 2008) (Rewatch) 5
The Secret of NIMH (Don Bluth, 1982) (Rewatch) 4+
The Last Unicorn (Jules Bass and Arthur Rankin, Jr, 1982) 2.5-
Night on the Galactic Railroad (Gisaburô Sugii and Arlen Tarlofsy, 1985) 3+
Treasure Planet (Ron Clements and John Musker, 2002) (Rewatch) 3.5
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath, 2008) (Rewatch) 3+
Waltz With Bashir (Ari Folman, 2008) (Rewatch) 4.5
All Dogs Go to Heaven (Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and Don Kuenster, 1989) (Rewatch) 3+
Tokyo Godfathers (Satoshi Kon and Shôgo Furuya, 2003) (Rewatch) 4.5-
The Castle of Cagliostro (Hayao Miyazaki, 1979) 2.5
The Land Before Time The Land Before Time (Don Bluth, 1988) (Rewatch) 4
Mad Max: Fury Road (George Miller, 2015) (Rewatch) 5
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (Hiroyuki Okiura, 1999) 3.5+
Finding Dory (Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane, 2016) (Rewatch) 3.5+

[cricket]

I don't do Christmas shopping; I'm above that. I have been spending a lot of time cleaning up dog crap and cat piss though.

[Chypmunk]

I don't do Christmas shopping; I'm above that. I have been spending a lot of time cleaning up dog crap and cat piss though.
Is that not the same thing??
Small wonder herself says I give rubbish presents
:eek:

[mark f]

Kindergarten Cop (Ivan Reitman, 1990) 2.5+
Ride to Hangman's Tree (Alan Rafkin, 1967) 2
Pete’s Dragon (David Lowery, 2016) 2.5+
Don’t Breathe (Fede Alvarez, 2016) 3
https://soliloqueue.files.wordpress.com/2016/09/shock.gif?w=614
In Detroit, three robbers try to rob the home of blind war veteran Stephen Lang and two (Jane Levy & Dylan Minnette) of them are shocked by what they see.
Best Boy (Ira Wohl, 1979) 2.5
Body of Evidence (Uli Edel, 1993) 2
Sherman’s March (Ross McElwee, 1986) 2.5
Koyaanisqatsi (Godfrey Reggio, 1982) 3
https://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m67458Z8vA1qgdcwao1_500.gif
http://66.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lzwyw7FYbP1r94e9jo1_500.gif
ko.yaa.nis.katsi (from the Hopi language), n. 1. crazy life. 2. life in turmoil. 3. life disintegrating. 4. life out of balance. 5. a state of life that calls for another way of living.
White Turnips Make It Hard to Sleep (Rachel Lang, 2011) 2.5
Atlas (Roger Corman, 1961) 1.5
S.F.W. (Jefery Levy, 1995) 2
100 Years at the Movies (Chuck Workman, 1994) 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_fCRE5Xtnc
Rapidly-edited highlights of American cinema from 1894 to 1994.
Kid Colter (David O’Malley, 1984) 2
Good Advice (Steve Rash, 2001) 2.5
The Vengeance of She (Cliff Owen, 1968) 2
The Banishment (Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2007) 3-
http://cdn3.themagger.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/The-banishment2-540x229.jpg
A funeral in an unidentified remote location results from a misunderstanding between a married couple undergoing their own personal cold war.
In Too Deep (Michael Rymer, 1999) 2.5-
Carnival of Souls (Adam Grossman, 1998) 1
Baden Baden (Rachel Lang, 2016) 2
To Be Takei (Jennifer M. Kroot, 2014) 3-
http://s2.dmcdn.net/LzP51/526x297-v5x.jpg
Mr. Sulu (George Takei) on “Star Trek” has been a civil and gay rights leader for years, as well as having his acting career going on strong and being in a committed relationship since 1987 with Bruce Altman, whom he married in 2008.

[seanc]

Thanks for sharing 100 Years At The Movies mark. Alot of fun. Everyone should check that out. Only 10 minutes long.

[Mr Minio]

Lola Montès [The Sins of Lola Montes] (1955) - 4

https://66.media.tumblr.com/605cc84fb0dabbe0e5dce78991c80cfa/tumblr_n0peuvpBc31qi2gavo1_500.gif

The ultimate exercise in style. Dutch angles, long takes, tableux vivants, starking colours, circus madness... The story of Lola is somewhat only an addition to this blaze of cinematographic bliss. Not enough Anton Walbrook!

In the Mouth of Madness (1994) - 3.5

https://thelosthour.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/in-the-mouth-of-madness-2.gif

One could accuse, deservingly so, Carpenter of misunderstanding Lovecraft, or of showing too much, while leaving too little to imagination , but who cares when the final product is as entertaining as this.

Одинокий голос человека [The Lonely Human Voice] (1987) - 3.5

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/5d/51/6c/5d516c4cf959022769640c186cab8d27.jpg

A very good debut film by Sokurov. You can see he's fascinated with Tarkovsky, but can't quite reach his master's level. Not yet, anyway. No wonder the movie was banned in Soviet Union, given its portrayal of these two people's lives.

Film socialisme (2010) - 4
Notre musique [Our Music] (2004) - 4
The Old Place (1999) - 4.5

https://indieethos.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/film-socialisme-still-3-image-courtesy-of-wild-bunch.jpeg

I'm really surprised no filmmaker makes films like Godard. And I'm not even talking about his new films, but if you take some of his 60's hits, you can tell that almost nobody has studied them in depth and drew some actual moviemaking formulae from them (no filmmakers, that is). A blatant 'let's draw a rectangle with my finger' of Tarantino is not quite enough. In other words, even Godard's body of work of the 60's still hasn't been influential enough. And he was just starting in the 60's... Now he's perhaps 100 years ahead of others, or maybe his intended movie revolution is yet another failed one, right after the socialist revolution he and so many left bank French filmmakers of the 60's and on dreamt about.

Midnight Cowboy (1969) - 4

https://67.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb5sw05VHO1rztnb3o1_500.gif

Holy moly, Voight's character is such a dork, but the movie is more than exquisite and it's so enjoyable to watch, even if sad scenes are shown. And that drug party scene. WOW.

Manoel dans l'île des merveilles [Manoel's Destinies] (1984) - 4.5

http://www.cinematheque.fr/cache/media/programmation/films/les-destins-de-manoel/s,725-f1713e.jpg

Perhaps this is the Raul Ruiz film (either this or City of Pirates, anyway), or maybe yet another one of his masterpieces. It's quite weird as it's basically an adult film, but with children's movie elements. It's superbly complex and incredibly poetic in its surrealist approach. This has one of the most beautiful scenes I've seen lately, with the boy becoming volatile, or simply a human balloon. Other boys play with him as if he was a balloon, anyway, but he's happy. Beautiful scene.

Mistérios de Lisboa [Mysteries of Lisbon] (2010) - 4

https://media.giphy.com/media/12geqluVfEE9SE/giphy.gif

Both Manoel's Destinies and Mysteries of Lisbon were either based on a book, or highly inspired by a book, be it by Jorge Luis Borges, or Camilo Castelo Branco, but only the latter completely dissociates from Ruiz's trademark poetic surrealism and offers a more realistic approach to the story, becoming, thus, much more literal. This distinct feeling I got from Mysteries of Lisbon is very similar to the feeling I get from long novels, with many subplots, often contained one within the other, almost to the point of becoming a story within a story. What may be confounding, or mysterious (as the title suggest), if you will, at the beginning, quickly becomes understandable, although I have to confess that the easiness with which Ruiz jumps from one story to another, from one period to another, is so fluent, it may take some time until you realize you indeed are watching yet another story within a story, whose significance you will learn later. The tremendous (but maybe not much so for fans of Lav Diaz) length of the film helps to create the story (and stories within a story) and make characters quite complex, reflecting on their present, as well as their past to underline their motivations. Just like in Manoel's Destinies, the main protagonist is a little boy. Joao doesn't know neither his mother nor father and is pestered by other children for his lack of surnames. As much as Joao seems to be the hero of the film at the beginning, after an hour or so, when the viewer finally learns about the tragic life of his mother, it is the boy's teacher, Father Denis that all of a sudden becomes the protagonist and the common link between many characters. But it is Joao who connects movie's beginning and ending with his cardboard little theatre (just like Alexander in Fanny & Alexander, Joao's only way to change reality is to change reality's reflection in this theatre). Vainly, have I waited for this fabulous world on the edge of fantasy and reality Ruiz is known for, as this film, as I mentioned before, is strongly rooted in stark realism (with only a couple of phantasmagoric images) and even though it is by no means a critique in itself, any viewer accustomed to director's surrealist approach will be at least surprised. Therefore this film's devoid of visual brilliance of his 80's films and is forced therefore to create its own visual world. And so saturated hues of distant lands and seas give place to widespread, nicely-decorated, but somehow empty chambers and the fairy tales are replaced with suffering. I'm surprised this film wasn't directed by Manoel de Oliveira. As much as Mysteries of Lisbon differs stylistically from Ruiz's earlier films, some of the reocurring themes are the same. Just like in Manoel's Destinies, the protagonist eventually finds out that he has no control over his life and no matter what he does, he can't change fate. For the protagonist of Mysteries of Lisbon there's only one way to decide on his future and at last free himself from fate, but it's yet another dream of his (or isn't it?). Not without significance is the last scene of the film, the retrospection of Joao's sickness as a child, portrayed by fuzzy, stirring visuals, the moment when he still didn't know who his mother is, but with her tangible presence next to his bed. This one moment decided about his future life (just like the decision to enter the secret garden changed the life of Manoel in Manoel's Destinies).

[Mäx]

Arrival (Denis Villeneuve, 2016) - 4
Jonggak The Bell Tower (Yang Ju-nam, 1958) - 3+
The Omega-Man (Boris Sagal, 1971) - 3+