Movie Tab II [Archive] - Page 106

Mr Minio

12-29-17, 07:48 PM

Christmas in movies (12.19-29.2017)

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YGDw8HXpayc/TtWZ5ortk5I/AAAAAAAAAi8/Yx8WVu8kaYk/s1600/movie+reel.jpg

All movies I've watched during these 10 Christmas days. What I will have watched tomorrow (that is on December the 30th) and on New Year's Eve will be covered in my next post. Warning! I pan some new popular movies in this post, so don't lynch me, if one of your favourites got trashed. In spite of the Christmas season I watched 0 Christmas-themed films!

The World's End (2013) - 3

https://i.imgur.com/CYclHv8.gif

Not a film for me and I knew it the second I started watching it, but my initial disgust slowly turned into slight enjoyment, especially in the second part, when things went completely bat-excrement™ crazy. The action scenes were executed nicely, too. I did not love it, but thought it was decent. I'm a little bit uncertain about my initial choice of Baby Driver as one of the films to watch on New Year's Eve as I don't seem to completely dig Edgar Wright, but we will see how it goes.

FDR: American Badass! (2012) - 3

https://i.imgur.com/CD8ZNli.gif

A superbly offensive & stupid film. Quite bad, but cheered me up during some otherwise sad day. Besides, it's not every day you get to see Roosevelt killing a bunch of Nazi-werewolves using machine guns attached to his wheelchair. And the three-way conversation between werewolf Axis leaders was pretty out there, too!

Dunkirk (2017) - 3.5

http://pop.h-cdn.co/assets/16/50/640x266/gallery-1481730618-ezgifcom-ef6026eaa0-1.gif

The best Christopher Nolan film! Or at least the best one since Memento. Solid craftsmanship. Loved the air combat scenes. Too bad the ending had some typical Nolan-esque pathos (thankfully quite restrained). Also, the guy has to calm down with his frame rates. It changes every now and then and for some reason is pretty annoying. On a side note, Hans Zimmer evolved from my favourite movie composer ever (that was when Gladiator was my favourite film) to one of my least favourites with his constant, boring, recurrent BAAAAM sound that pollutes every score he does.

The Verdict (1982) - 4

https://medialifecrisis.com/files/images/articles/201611-Popgap/Verdict-1982/Verdict-1982-00-04-38.jpg

With every new movie of his I watch, Paul Newman slowly becomes one of my favourite American actors. He's phenomenal as a failure of an attorney who decides that "This is the case" in this satisfying legal drama. Plus he ruthlessly punches Charlotte Rampling on her nose. A WTF scene, for sure.

Fury (2014) - 3

https://78.media.tumblr.com/b056200aab80a74682b5c10a36ceedb7/tumblr_no0djk1U8k1tmwqh4o1_500.gif

A really well-made and gritty war movie ruined by a bunch of cliches, pathos in the final battle, and Brad Pitt's supermodel heroism. With a couple of changes this could've been an easy 4/5 war flick. Oh well...

Charade (1963) - 3.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/8a7d624493d6e4231813cc5a225c891b/tumblr_n32ukkith71qzxeqqo2_r2_500.gif

AKA the best film Hitchcock never made. Kind of goofy at times (taking a shower in your suit? Oh, come on!). Hepburn is nice to look at. Also the final scene. <3

Ostatnia rodzina [The Last Family] (2016) - 4

http://culture.pl/sites/default/files/styles/galeria_style/public/images/culture.pl/ostatniarodzina_23_foto_hubert_komerski.jpg?itok=Fk5E90aY

The best Polish film since Wołyń.

蜂の巣の子供たち [Children of the Beehive] (1948) - 4.5

http://intothebeautifulnew.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/childrenofbeehive-hiroshimasteps-624x468.jpg

A poignant film about a bunch of "loafers" - homeless children orphaned by the war. It perfectly captures the Shimizu touch™.

Cape Fear (1962) - 4.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/373727847a99091079193275c00efcab/tumblr_inline_nlrxcvvmX31qc31jc.gif

This, along with Psycho, continues the streak of films in which it is a human that is the monster, what was later noticed and masterfully turned into a film by Peter Bogdanovich in Targets (1968). Mitchum's character is terrifying and cunning. I loved the way the film was shot. Some sequences, like the two-shot scene in which he pulls a girl and then the window closes have perfect rhythm! The grand finale that lasts 20-odd minutes is full of sheer brilliance, from Mitchum's inflated chest to Peck's surprising final words. Much superior to Scorsese's version.

Sicario (2015) - 2.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/254e96e389b4ef3cdc2211319d3f020c/tumblr_nw6d3uSiWe1sgvca7o1_500.gif

Not a bad film, but one that I just didn't find that engaging or exciting. I can't quite put my finger on what exactly wasn't right, but maybe it was the pacing mixed with not too interesting theme?

Manchester by the Sea (2016) - 4.5

https://s.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/midas/2d574d49224d20f54a2f4026ff2f5154/205161838/manchester-gif.gif

First off, I'm not really sure if this deserves such a high rating. I might decrease it by half a star later. Secondly, f*ck me, f*cking sh*t c*cks*cker, do f*cking people from f*cking Boston really f*ckin' cuss so f*ckin' often, the f*ck? Another thing I appreciate about this one (and other new films) is that people often stutter, have this weird moment of silence, or simply don't know what to say. Nice refreshment from perfect, refined dialogues from oldschool cinema in which every person has the most perfect answer ALWAYS available on spot.

東京の女 [Woman of Tokyo] (1933) - 4

https://78.media.tumblr.com/2e6ab168dd86d8ce4b8ec12ab81bc786/tumblr_mnjbh9NsHI1qhhpdho1_500.gif

Another great Ozu silent. I don't have much to say about this one other than I really liked it and loved how these Japanese actresses used their faces to make me sad.

20th Century Women (2016) - 3

https://78.media.tumblr.com/5a02de4d6064b153bf8802c53c0dd435/tumblr_outc1vE3MT1up42jgo4_500.gif

Kinda too hip and feminist for me, but I really liked the film essay parts in which people gave some backstory of the characters. I felt the film was quite successful in portraying late 70s culture as well. Still, I enjoyed the director's previous film much more.

Room (2015) - 3

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B3weCFjKEMc/Vq40m96RKaI/AAAAAAAA0IQ/1WDr8RfYAVU/s1600/r2.gif

Had I watched it a couple of years ago, I'd have enjoyed this way more. Still, a solid film of its kind and probably as good as Frtizl-core goes.

Moonlight (2016) - 2.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/23b6a58bae5ebe72acddf718cc2c885d/tumblr_ogrw9nvAuX1uahsj4o1_500.gif

Cool that it is toned down and I liked the aesthetics of a tear running down a face, but I'm not really sure what this film wanted to achieve. The social commentary is pretty trivial. The hero at the end is some monkey gangsta with golden teeth and what not. Meh.

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) - 3.5

http://marriedatthemovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/young-abe.gif

Fonda plays Lincoln and does it really nice. Besides, anybody who plays Jew's harp is a badass in my book.

Silence (2016) - 4

https://theonlywayislife.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/tumblr_oi6bviy9ch1vhqm9xo2_500.gif?w=700

Inferior to Shinoda's version (second time Scorsese's film is inferior in this post) and some metaphors are painfully obvious/in your face, but overal a really well made film. Scorsese seems to be siding with Christianity/Western world, though. That's not cool. :(

Mystery Train (1989) - 4

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_QIlrLwU1L5Y/TSoXz9F9f_I/AAAAAAAAAbs/CElD2_IFZfo/s640/mysterytrain-train640.gif

Even though it is Jarmusch I love, I have to say: Youki Kudoh marry me. *.* One of director's best with his trademark episodic style (before Pulp Fiction). And at one point when you observe some characters and you realize that behind the wall there are some other characters you know, that feeling is amazing.

Él [This Strange Passion] (1953) - 4

https://68.media.tumblr.com/812d2e7b704d6b603fb2fc36e0f4c300/tumblr_oguvehIKth1tr6ni8o3_500.gif

A delicious Bunuel! Maybe I should complete his filmography now and then get back to two of his flicks I didn't like the first time?

This Is Spinal Tap (1984) - 4

https://media.women.com/images/images/000/024/097/large/tumblr_lqzyz06zng1qcdi79o1_500.gif?1463530419

I enjoyed this way more than I should. A great spoof on the whole glam/hard rock band thing that makes Steel Panther at least 20 years late. Laughed a couple of times and had a great time. My only problem with this is that it's too short. This is now in my kitsch rock movie cannon along with Rocky Horror Picture Show, Lisztomania and Phantom of the Paradise. As a side note, the black girl at the airport is one of the most attractive black females I've seen in a while.

Tant qu'on a la santé [As Long as You've Got Your Health] (1966) - 4

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/stills/132096-2f4092443235e03fe4ee93e430addeb6/Film_655w_AsLongGotHealth_original.jpg

Four shorts from master Étaix. All great! I only wish this had the poetry of director's other films like Yoyo.

Prova d'orchestra [Orchestra Rehearsal] (1978) - 3.5

http://rarefilm.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Prova-dorchestra-1979-2.jpg

AKA Fellini's Revolution. Surprisingly a chamber room film!

The Void (2016) - 2.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/02468ca10f7b70039a9d8e26cb585b30/tumblr_oo9nlbpt2B1ut1d6co2_500.gif

Lovecraft/Carpenter wannabe. Meh.

Духовные голоса. Из дневников войны. Повествование в пяти частях [Spiritual Voices. From the Diaries of the War. The Story in Five Parts] (1995) - 4

http://i.imgur.com/KQGwz9O.png

The first (of 5) part of this is a five star masterpiece containing some of the most beautiful moments in cinema I saw this year. Sadly, the following 5 hours (!) of this film are completely different. A documentary war movie - direct cinema style!

Velvet

12-29-17, 07:57 PM

fury is awful

donniedarko

12-29-17, 09:06 PM

[CENTER]
[b]Charade (1963) - 3.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/8a7d624493d6e4231813cc5a225c891b/tumblr_n32ukkith71qzxeqqo2_r2_500.gif

AKA the best film Hitchcock never made.

I'd give that accolade to Diabolique
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-axR_iAo0X90/TsAh78qnyGI/AAAAAAAABkA/Ox_nx77SCLI/s1600/diaboliques.jpg

Mr Minio

12-29-17, 09:11 PM

Yep, Diabolique is the better film, and it's quite Hitchcockian (just like some Truffaut flicks are). :P

HashtagBrownies

12-30-17, 09:08 PM

Seen in December, Pt.4

39776
4
Very interesting. The plot twist literally made my jaw drop. The main subject of the documentary was someone I didn’t think was possible to exist anywhere but comic books.

39777
4
Very intriguing and intense story. The animation is fantastic. Some very chilling moments. The soundtrack is quite great too. It’s easy to see how and why Aronofsky took inspiration from this. The main character is very interesting. The ending took me completely by surprise. There were many scenes that tricked you into thinking they were actually happening, but they were just scenes in a fictional T.V. show; It was absolutely genius and took me by surprise every time. Currently my favourite anime.

39778
3.5
A nice but overall forgettable comedy. It was better in the second half. The relation between The White Sheik and Wanda was interesting. The comedy involving Ivan was fun.

39779
4+
Fantastic movie. The animation is wonderful, the movements of the characters are so detailed. The soundtrack and songs are absolutely fantastic. All of the characters are likeable and well developed (Except possibly Flounder, who gets almost so screen-time at all in the second half).

39780
3.5+
The performances were great, especially Rebecca Hall's. The director can direct actors, but he can't direct the camera. The direction is fairly stale, but he does great in two scenes; The 'Yes but' scene and 'Christine sorting the papers before 'you know what'' scene. The script is pretty great and the actors deliver it well.

39781
3.5
There were a couple funny moments, but the unstructured narrative makes the film not fun to sit to.

39782
5
Absolutely fantastic. I dunno what to say, I love Black Mirror. It was extremely well structured and I loved all of the characters.

39783
4
Quite a brilliant thriller/horror/whatever you want to call it. Christian Bale should've gotten an Oscar for his role in this (Instead of The Fighter, which I wasn't too fond of). The character of Patrick Bateman is fantastic and Bale performs him beautifully; I couldn't imagine any other person performing the role. The opening to the film sets the mood perfectly, the ominous red drops against the pure, white background. Also kudos to the effects department, they got the blood to a perfect, threatening hue. The film can be goofy at times, but not to the point of where a more serious person would walk out of the screening. The film is very well paced. Also two big thumbs up to the sound department, they made the chainsaw sound absolutely vicious!

39784
4
Jodie Foster’s a pretty great director. It has a very important message. The ending is predictable but it doesn’t make the story any less shocking or thought-provoking.

39785
3.5
A nice, feel-good Disney film. The relationship between Dumbo and Jumbo was very cute, and slightly heartbreaking. The secondary characters were a lotta fun, aswell as the slapstick humour. The ending felt very rushed though, they didn’t bring in the concept of the flying ears until the very end.

Some people think the crows are racist caricatures, but let me tell you this. They speak in a stereo typically black way, but they're depicted as good guys who want to help the main character. So it's obviously NOT racist.

Camo

12-30-17, 09:17 PM

seanc

12-30-17, 09:21 PM

The Greatest Showman
39773
2.5

Yeah it's pretty bad but I would be lying if I didn't say I enjoyed two or three of the songs or if I left out that Jackman is a pretty magnetic song and dance man. Worth a watch if you like such things.

Jules And Jim
39774
3

Why do I feel the need to preface this one by saying I just gave My Life To Live a perfect score. I don't hate French art house, promise! I have also enjoyed both of the Truffaut films I have seen but I have not fell in love like a good little cinephile. A couple of things here. First not a fan of the narration, this film goes out of its way to club you with its themes a couple too many times. A scene fairly late in a bar where a character we haven't seen yet goes out of his way to introduce Jim to a girl he is only sleeping with, not dating, just so Jim doesn't lose any sleep over this man's sex life. That's the type of thing I don't really go for and happens a few times here.

Outside of three or four scenes. I am not that crazy about the look of this film either. The actor who plays Jim, not that great. Outside of all that I loved it. ;) Seriously though when you simply enjoy a well regarded movie such as this you kind of feel the need to highlight why it isn't a masterpiece to you, so that's what I did.

Darkest Hour
39786
4

This was my dad's choice tonight and I am so thrilled I saw it on the big screen. This made me want to immediately seek out Wright's other films because I love the look of the film so much. I really can't praise the camera work enough. So many great shot but I want to highlight one where we are seeing the ground from the vantage point of a bomber. The camera is panning as we see flames from where the bombs are hitting. As the camera ends its pan we see the image of the earth has transformed into the body of a soldier and one of the images of flame is reflection in his eyes. Absolutely stunning shot and not the only one. The camera work will maybe seem too showy for some but I loved every minute of it. Even the still moments are great. The way he lights his frames and his use of shadow and things like cigar smoke.

The cinematography is the highlight but maybe second to Oldman's performance for most which is as good as advertised. The script is very good. A couple scenes here that I will not soon forget. His phone conversation with Roosevelt is maybe my favorite scene of the year. There is a subway scene that will be too schmaltzy for some but I loved it, weirdly my theater got a tad dusty at that point. Good score too. I honestly may be talking myself into a 4.5, but I will sit tight with my rating for now and add this into my top ten of the year immediately.

Camo

12-30-17, 09:34 PM

Seen in December, Pt.4

39776
4
Very interesting. The plot twist literally made my jaw drop. The main subject of the documentary was someone I didn’t think was possible to exist anywhere but comic books.

Thinking about this: what is the plot twist?

Either i've forgotten or there wasn't one. Was the twist that he was a rich, spoiled guy or something? I don't find that surprising. I've forgotten either way so tell me please.

HashtagBrownies

12-30-17, 09:44 PM

Thinking about this: what is the plot twist?

Terri never existed, she was just the false identity of David D'Amato.

Camo

12-30-17, 09:48 PM

Terri never existed, she was just the false identity of David D'Amato.

Yeah but that was obvious early on right? Maybe i'm telling myself i knew in hindsight i dunno, but the documentary is highly skeptical that Terri exists throughout right?

Think i may be remembering it wrong but it turning out a millionaire's son wasn't that surprising to me.

Joel

12-30-17, 10:34 PM

[CENTER]Christmas in movies (12.19-29.2017)

https://i.imgur.com/CYclHv8.gif

Not a film for me and I knew it the second I started watching it, but my initial disgust slowly turned into slight enjoyment, especially in the second part, when things went completely bat-excrement™ crazy. The action scenes were executed nicely, too. I did not love it, but thought it was decent. I'm a little bit uncertain about my initial choice of Baby Driver as one of the films to watch on New Year's Eve as I don't seem to completely dig Edgar Wright, but we will see how it goes.

The Verdict (1982) - 4

https://medialifecrisis.com/files/images/articles/201611-Popgap/Verdict-1982/Verdict-1982-00-04-38.jpg

With every new movie of his I watch, Paul Newman slowly becomes one of my favourite American actors. He's phenomenal as a failure of an attorney who decides that "This is the case" in this satisfying legal drama. Plus he ruthlessly punches Charlotte Rampling on her nose. A WTF scene, for sure.

If you haven't already seen it, watch Hot Fuzz or Shaun of the Dead. It's much more what Wright does best.

Newman had every right to bash her in the face after what she did!

Mr Minio

12-31-17, 09:43 AM

Shaun of the Dead 1.5

Hated it when watched it in 2011. :( I watched it 20-odd days after Werckmeister Harmonies, and Stalker, and it indeed pales in comparison to these grand masterpieces, but even though it's still not my kind of cinema, I think I could give it at least one star more today. The question is why bother rewatching it?

Newman had every right to bash her in the face after what she did! I wouldn't have. Not too funny a scene. A black man hitting a woman in Night of the Living Dead was so much funnier, though. :mad:

Iroquois

12-31-17, 09:51 AM

Hot take: The World's End is the best Edgar Wright movie.

Joel

12-31-17, 11:30 AM

Yam12

12-31-17, 01:12 PM

December 2017 watches

1/12 - The Phantom Menace (George Lucas; 1999) - 2.5/5

5/12 - Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders; 1984) - 5/5

7/12 - Escape from New York (John Carpenter; 1981) - 4/5

14/12 - Red Psalm (???; 1972) - 0.5/5

16/12 - F for Fake (Orson Welles; 1973) - 3.5/5

19/12 - The Big Sick (Michael Showalter; 2017) - 5/5

19/12 - Baby Driver (Edgar Wright; 2017) - 4/5

19/12 - The Beguiled (Sofia Coppola; 2017) - 3.5/5

20/12 - A Ghost Story (David Lowery; 2017) - 3.5/5

24/12 - Morvern Callar (Lynne Ramsey; 2002) - 4/5

Dec 17 total: 10

2017 total: 224

Mr Minio

12-31-17, 01:13 PM

14/12 - Red Psalm (Miklós Jancsó; 1972) - 5/5 Fixed it for ya.

Chypmunk

12-31-17, 01:27 PM

December:

4.5+
20 Feet From Stardom (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2396566/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) aka Twenty Feet From Stardom (Morgan Neville, 2013)

4.5
La bête humaine (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029957/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [The Human Beast aka Judas Was A Woman] (Jean Renoir, 1938)
Stalag 17 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046359/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Billy Wilder, 1953)
Stella Dallas (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029608/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (King Vidor, 1937)
Way Out West (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029747/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (James W. Horne, 1937)

4+
Fish Tank (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1232776/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Andrea Arnold, 2009)
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1839590/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Gilles Penso, 2011)

4
All This Panic (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5590718/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Jenny Gage, 2016)
Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031679/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Frank Capra, 1939)
Prisoners (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392214/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Denis Villeneuve, 2013)
Tabu: A Story Of The South Seas (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022458/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_8) (F.W. Murnau, 1931)
Ukikusa monogatari (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025929/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) [A Story Of Floating Weeds] (Yasujirô Ozu, 1934)

3.5+
Anybody's Woman (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020645/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_23) (Dorothy Arzner, 1930)
Millie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022149/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_3) (John Francis Dillon, 1931)
Precinct Seven Five (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4136056/?ref_=nv_sr_1) aka The Seven Five (Tiller Russell, 2014)
Sons Of The Desert (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024601/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (William A. Seiter, 1933)
Zvezda (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0326450/?ref_=fn_al_nm_7a) [The Star] (Nikolai Lebedev, 2002)

3.5
Babes In Arms (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031066/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Busby Berkeley, 1939)
Babes In Toyland (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024852/?ref_=nv_sr_2) aka March Of The Wooden Soldiers (Gus Meins & Charley Rogers, 1934)
Big Hero 6 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2245084/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Don Hall & Chris Williams, 2014)
Cinderella (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1661199/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Kenneth Branagh, 2015)
City Lights (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021749/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Charles Chaplin, 1931)
Fed Up (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2381335/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Stephanie Soechtig, 2014)
Go do gaai bei (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0134664/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Full Alert] (Ringo Lam, 1997)
Judge Priest (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025335/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (John Ford, 1934)
Maleficent (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587310/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Robert Stromberg, 2014)
Mrs Henderson Presents (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413015/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Stephen Frears, 2005)
Neerja (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5286444/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Ram Madhvani, 2016)
Red Road (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0471030/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Andrea Arnold, 2006)
The Bachelor And The Bobby Soxer (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039169/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_9) (Irving Reis, 1947)
The Red Shoes (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040725/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1948)

3+
After Tomorrow (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022613/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Frank Borzage, 1932)
After Tomorrow (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1356990/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_5) (Emma Sullivan, 2009)
Aleksandr Nevskiy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029850/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) [Alexander Nevsky] (Sergei M. Eisenstein & Dmitriy Vasilev, 1938)
College Holiday (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027456/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Frank Tuttle, 1936)
Eden (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1734433/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) (Megan Griffiths, 2012)
Jailbirds (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022251/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_54) aka Pardon Us (James Parrott, 1931)
The Man Who Never Was (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049471/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Ronald Neame, 1956)
Under Two Flags (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028442/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Frank Lloyd, 1936)
Youth On Parole (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029812/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Phil Rosen, 1937)
Zemlya (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021571/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_4) [Earth] (Aleksandr Dovzhenko, 1930)

3
A Passport To Hell (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023323/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Frank Lloyd, 1932)
Bei xi mo shou (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4901304/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_3) [Behemoth] (Liang Zhao, 2015)
Block-Heads (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029923/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_13) (John G. Blystone, 1938)
Bunny And The Bull (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1251725/?ref_=nv_sr_4) (Paul King, 2009)
Our Relations (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028070/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Harry Lachman, 1936)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104940/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Brian Henson, 1992)
The Slumber Party Massacre (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084695/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Amy Holden Jones, 1982)

2.5+
Appointment With Death (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0094669/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_62) (Michael Winner, 1988)
Boobs In Arms (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032270/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Jules White, 1940)
Get Your Man (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0017928/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Dorothy Arzner, 1927)
Kyûketsu Shôjo tai Shôjo Furanken (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1425928/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) [Vampire Girl vs Frankenstein Girl] (Yoshihiro Nishimura & Naoyuki Tomomatsu, 2009)
Murder By The Clock (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022173/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Edward Sloman, 1931)
Probation (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023357/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Richard Thorpe, 1932)
Swing High, Swing Low (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029626/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Mitchell Leisen, 1937)
The Dorm That Dripped Blood (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082279/?ref_=nv_sr_1) aka Death Dorm aka Pranks (Jeffrey Obrow & Stephen Carpenter, 1982)
The Riot Club (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2717860/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Lone Scherfig, 2014)
The Stolen Jools (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022402/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_16) aka The Slippery Pearls (William C. McGann, John G. Adolfi, Thomas Atkins, Harold S. Bucquet, Victor Heerman & Russell Mack, 1931)
Uncle Howard (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2634548/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Aaron Brookner, 2016)
Zéro de conduite: Jeunes diables au collège (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024803/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) aka Zero de conduite [Zero For Conduct] (Jean Vigo, 1933)

2.5
A Shot In The Dark (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026991/?ref_=nv_sr_4) (Charles Lamont, 1935)
American Psycho (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0144084/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Mary Harron, 2000)
Cross-Examination (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022791/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Richard Thorpe, 1932)
My Week With Marilyn (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655420/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Simon Curtis, 2011)
Sarah And Son (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021335/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_26) (Dorothy Arzner, 1930)

2+
American Ultra (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3316948/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Nima Nourizadeh, 2015)
Gang Smashers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0135426/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4) aka Gun Moll (Leo C. Popkin, 1938)
Morning Glory (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1126618/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Roger Michell, 2010)
Skyway (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024573/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Lewis D. Collins, 1933)
Vanity Fair (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023652/?ref_=nv_sr_6) (Chester M. Franklin, 1932)
Wedding Planner Mystery (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3498956/?ref_=nv_sr_4) (Ron Oliver, 2014)

2
Benny's Gym (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1059893/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) aka Bennys Gym (Lisa Marie Gamlen, 2007)
Big Game (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2088003/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Jalmari Helander, 2014)
I Origins (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2884206/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Mike Cahill, 2014)
Red Haired Alibi (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023384/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Christy Cabanne, 1932)
The Phantom Express (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023333/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Emory Johnson, 1932)

1.5+
A Successful Failure (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025845/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Arthur Lubin, 1934)
Feuchtgebiete (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2524674/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) [Wetlands] (David Wnendt, 2013)
Strangers Of The Evening (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023528/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (H. Bruce Humberstone, 1932)

1.5
Little Witches (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116897/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Jane Simpson, 1996)

1
Extravagance (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020866/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Phil Rosen, 1930)
Hänsel und Gretel verliefen sich im Wald (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0136166/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_64) [The Naked Wytche aka The Erotic Adventures Of Hansel And Gretel aka Hansel and Gretel Lost in the Forest] dubbed vsn (Franz Josef Gottlieb, 1970)

Velvet

12-31-17, 01:30 PM

you have to have high intellect to understand red psalm

HashtagBrownies

12-31-17, 01:38 PM

December:

Way Out West (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029747/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (James W. Horne, 1937)

A lot of weather we've been having lately!

cricket

12-31-17, 01:39 PM

you have to have high intellect to understand red psalm

Why? I saw a bare bones simple movie.

HashtagBrownies

12-31-17, 01:47 PM

you have to have high intellect to understand red psalm

To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand Red Psalm. The ideas are extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of snootiness most of the themes will go over a typical viewer's head. There's also the main lady who’s an awful actor, which is deftly woven into her characterisation - her personal philosophy draws heavily from the tree in Waiting For Godot, for instance. The fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of these images, to realize that they're not just boring- they say something deep about LIFE. As a consequence people who dislike Red Psalm truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn't appreciate, for instance, the humour in the main ladies boobs which itself is a cryptic reference to Gasper Noé’s Russian Epic Love I'm smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as Mikós Jancsó’s genius unfolds itself on their computer screens. What fools... how I pity them. 😂 And yes by the way, I DO have a Red Psalm tattoo. And no, you cannot see it. It's for the ladies' eyes only- And even they have to demonstrate that they're within 5 IQ points of my own (preferably lower) beforehand.

Mr Minio

12-31-17, 01:47 PM

you have to have high intellect to understand red psalm Not at all. I'd say you need a certain kind of sensitivity.

Joel

12-31-17, 01:49 PM

you have to have high intellect to understand red psalm

Or a high opinion of your own intellect lmao

donniedarko

12-31-17, 03:04 PM

Yeah but that was obvious early on right? Maybe i'm telling myself i knew in hindsight i dunno, but the documentary is highly skeptical that Terri exists throughout right?

Think i may be remembering it wrong but it turning out a millionaire's son wasn't that surprising to me.

Same here, made more sense than some secret high level corporation. Still an interesting documentary on an extremely weird topic

Velvet

12-31-17, 03:39 PM

its a joke guys :)

cricket

12-31-17, 03:45 PM

Hey Chyp, why didn't you tell us you moved in with Mark?

Camo

12-31-17, 03:48 PM

December Watches

Vagabond (Agnes Varda, 1985) 4.5+
The Naked Spur (Anthony Mann, 1953) 3.5-
Sweet and Lowdown (Woody Allen, 1999) 3.5
A Very Murray Christmas (Sofia Coppola, 2015) 2+
The Gleaners and I (Agnes Varda, 2000) 3+
The Gleaners and I: Two Years Later (Agnes Varda, 2002) 3+
Pickup On South Street (Samuel Fuller, 1953) 3.5
City Girl (F.W.Murnau, 1930) 4.5
The Bling Ring (Sofia Coppola, 2013) 3.5+
mother! (Darren Aronofsky, 2017) 4+
Sherlock Jr. (Buster Keaton, 1924) 5
Casino (Martin Scorsese, 1995) 4-
Detroit (Katheryn Bigelow, 2017) 4
Cafe Society (Woody Allen, 2016) 2.5
Mighty Aphrodite (Woody Allen, 1995) 3+
Deconstructing Harry (Woody Allen, 1997) 2.5+
Somewhere (Sofia Coppola, 2010) 4+
Zelig (Woody Allen, 1983) 3.5+
The Other Side of Hope (Aki Kaurismäki, 2017) 3.5
Sabotage (Alfred Hitchcock, 1936) 3+
Good Time (Ben and Josh Safdie, 2017) 4.5
Radio Days (Woody Allen, 1987) 4
Columbus (Kogonada, 2017) 3
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (Alfred Hitchcock, 1927) 4-
House of Tolerence (Bertrand Bonello, 2011) 4.5
La Point-Courte (Agnes Varda, 1955) 3.5-
Tarzan (Disney, 1999) 3
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Rian Johnson, 2017) 3
Robin Hood: Men In Tights (Mel Brooks, 1993) 3
The Witches (Nicholas Roeg, 1990) 4+
Michael (Markus Schleinzer, 2011) 3+
Nothing Bad Can Happen (Katrin Gebbe, 2013)
Taxi Tehran (Jafar Panahi, 2015) 3.5
The Wrong Guy (Dave Foley, 1997) 3+
A Girl Walks Home Alone Late At Night (Ana Lily Amirpour, 2014)
Shoot The Piano Player (Francois Truffaut, 1960) 4
Clueless (Amy Heckerling, 1995) 2.5
A Touch of Sin (Jia Zhangke, 2013) 4+
Hercules (Disney, 1997) 2
American Psycho (Mary harron, 2000)
The Bad and the Beautiful (Vincente Minelli, 1952) 5
The Meyerowitz Stories (Noah Baumbach, 2017) 3.5
The Yakuza Papers, Vol. 1: Battles Without Honor and Humanity (Kinji Fukasaku, 1973) 3.5-
Lady Bird (Greta Garwig, 2017) 4
Sisters of the Gion (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1936) 3
Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982) 4+
Blade Runner 2049 (Denis Villenueve, 2017) 3+

2017 Watches: 345

Chypmunk

12-31-17, 04:06 PM

Hey Chyp, why didn't you tell us you moved in with Mark?
'Cos I only visited for a fortnight, list would've been a lot longer if I'd moved in :D

Chypmunk

12-31-17, 04:11 PM

December Watches

A Girl Walks Home Alone Late At Night (Ana Lily Amirpour, 2014)

No rating Camo - can't believe you thought that badly of it to deem it not worthy of one ;)

mark f

12-31-17, 04:11 PM

Hey Chyp, why didn't you tell us you moved in with Mark?
Shhh - Brenda hasn't realized it yet.

HashtagBrownies

12-31-17, 09:31 PM

Final Films of 2017!

39796
4.5
Absolutely brutal. The performance by Riseborough was great. I loved how the episode mostly focused on the characters and not trying to explain how the new technology worked. The soundtrack is fantastic, the occasional ear-splitting shrieks show the true mental state of the main character. The direction also helped this, which was also brilliant (This guy needs to direct more stuff). It's extremely interesting to see all of these similar stories written by the same man, Charlie Brooker, and different directors depicting them in completely different lights.

Some people were upset by the extreme violence in this story. To those people: This is the same show that has an episode where 1.2 billion people watch the British prime minister f*ck a pig. I don't think you have an excuse to worry about violence, haha.

The next one I watched half of in 2017 and the rest in 2018 so I guess it counts

39799
4
Pretty great. I'm usually not a fan of prison movies, but I was never bored during this. Clint Eastwood is awesome as always. There are many well paced butt-clenching moments, surprised it didn't get onto the 100 Years 100 Thrills list.

I only started archiving my seen movies like this in June so unfortunately I can't give a big badass tally of everything I've seen in 2017.

cricket

01-01-18, 12:30 AM

December, 2017 movies watched-

War for the Planet of the Apes (2017) 3.5- I didn't love it like the first two, but still very good with awesome effects.

Men Behind the Sun (1988) 3- Rightfully considered one of the most disturbing films ever made.

Tumbling Doll of Flesh (1998) 2 Good for what it is, the true definition of torture porn.

Macabre (2009) 3.5+ Highly recommended for horror fans.

Fracture (2007) 2.5 Ok thriller thanks to Anthony Hopkins.

Lost in Translation (2003) 4 More of an experience for me than something I enjoyed watching.

Baby Driver (2017) 3 Silly as hell but still plenty of fun.

The Peeping Tom (1996) 2.5+ Decent Cat III thriller that could have been a little nastier.

Nothing Bad Can Happen (2013) 4 This German film directed by a woman is an upsetting true story.

Red Psalm (1972) 2.5 Poetic and somewhat powerful but limited.

Kramer vs Kramer (1979) Repeat viewing 3.5+ As excellent as it is, Apocalypse Now got robbed.

Good Time (2017) 3.5 Not quite great but the originality is very much appreciated.

Fish Tank (2009) 3.5+ Very realistic feel with fine performances.

Morvern Callar (2002) 3.5- Very good but missing that memorable moment that would make me love it.

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) 3.5+ Much more intriguing than the usual crime thriller.

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) Repeat viewing 4 Didn't care for it the first time but loved it this time.

Ingrid Goes West (2017) 3 Very solid movie even if ultimately there wasn't anything special about it.

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (2014) 3- I'm probably in the minority in not liking the cinematography. Other than that I thought it was pretty good.

Mother! (2017) 2 Not shocking or original enough to overcome the absurdity.

Turkish Delight (1973) 3.5- Paul Verhoeven and Rutger Hauer team up for a sordid and sleazy love story.

Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) 3.5 Looking forward to the director's third movie.

Raw (2016) 3.5- Well made horror with good style.

Hounds of Love (2016) 3.5+ Terrifying true story style horror that I only wish had a different ending.

Jesus Camp (2006) 2.5 Effective and troubling with showing children getting brainwashed into religion.

Valley Girl (1983) 3+ I enjoyed it much more than the rating for nostalgia.

The Last Supper (1995) 2.5 Very relevant for today but I thought it was average at best.

The Sting (1973) Repeat viewing 4- I wasn't crazy about the last half hour but thought most of it was pretty great.

Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Repeat viewing 4 Funnier than I remembered.

Wind River (2017) 3.5+ As good as I could have hoped.

Total December viewings-29
Total 2017 viewings-311
4 year total since keeping track-1668

Mingusings

01-02-18, 09:14 PM

The Florida Project (Sean Baker, 2017): 1_5
Spider-Man: Homecoming (Jon Watts, 2017): 3_5
Wonder (Stephen Chbosky, 2017): 2
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond (Chris Smith, 2017): 4_5
I, Tonya (Craig Gillespie, 2017): 3
The Ornithologist (João Pedro Rodrigues, 2016): 2_5
Dressed to Kill (Brian De Palma, 1980): 4

hiretablets

01-03-18, 03:37 AM

It's good to see on tab as well.

Mr Minio

01-03-18, 03:37 PM

12.30.2017

Interstellar (2014) - 2.5

https://i.imgur.com/9DcYDGn.gif

Way too quasi-scientific to be taken as a scientific movie. Way too ridicilous and quasi-scientific to be taken as art movie. There's so much wasted potential here, that it makes me angry. Some crazy people compare it to 2001, but Nolan is light years behind Kubrick.

12.31.2017 AND 01.01.2018

Indio Black, sai che ti dico: Sei un gran figlio di... [Adios Sabata] (1970) - 4

http://www.lonelyreviewer.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/black.jpg

Starring Yul Brynner, hence 100% Dani8core this spaghetti western was the first out of eight (!) films I watched on New Year's Eve. Great entertainment. The movie features a vast plethora of characters, including a typical fat Mexican honcho and his two circus-esque sidekicks (one of them performs the flamenco of death, whereas the other one drops metal balls into small holes in his shoes and then discharges them with one swift kick), and a charistmatic and cunning blondito you simply can't dislike. Thanks to this film I learnt about Maximilian I of Mexico (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximilian_I_of_Mexico). The Lee Van Cleef vs. Austrian duel in The Big Gundown makes so much more sense now.

Ritual dos sádicos [Awakening of the Beast] (1970) - 4

https://maniacosporfilme.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/ritual-dos-sadicos-4.jpg

Yet another gem from José Mojica Marins, a movie that had been banned for 20 years, a sex- and drugsploitation Cinema Marginal-style cinema that quotes among others Glauber Rocha to end with a psychedelic nightmare of a finale.

Riti, magie nere e segrete orge nel trecento... [The Reincarnation of Isabel] (1973) - 3

https://i.imgur.com/U3B8nII.png

This is like a Rollin film directed by Jesus Franco. Way worse than I expected and way more terrible than what my rating (and the picture I chose) for it may suggest. An incredibly disjointed mess of a plot with only occasionally nice visuals. Also, undoubtedly deserves its exploitation genre tag as it shows a long scene of burning a witch probably only for the sake of its shock value. But it has boobies. All sins forgiven. Neeext.

The Enforcer (1951) - 4

http://torontofilmsociety.org/files/2016/01/Enforcer-7-620x400.jpg

What a blast of film noir! It starts with Bogart trying to make a witness survive the night, so that the next day he can testify against a prisoner held in the same building. I expected the film to never move past this premise, so I was really surprised at the little twist at the beginning. Everything turns out to be way more complicated and the film spreads its wings introducing new places and characters. The last film I saw in 2017. I ended up with more than 700 films seen this year.

女殺手 [The Lady Professional] (1971) - 4

http://hkmdb.com/db/images/movies/5233/TheLadyProfessional+1971-51-b.jpg

I chose The Lady Professional to be the first movie I watch in 2018, and what a great decision it was. Produced by Shaw Brothers studio and co-directed by a Japanese director (Shaw Brothers decided to bring some Japanese directors from Japan to teach local HK directors the craft) and Gwai Chi-Hung (who later directed classics such as Corpse Mania and The Boxer's Omen) and shot handsomely in Shaw Scope with nice colours, the film is a blast! Lily Ho is Lady Professional, a female assassin that gets cheated, and then seeks revenge on the perpetrators. She's hot as f*ck as well. The silent assassination in disguise in the final scene would get her a Silent Assassin rank from Agent 47 himself!

Good Time (2017) - 4

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-swpaSpwUdCM/WVdMmx0A1EI/AAAAAAAAqLc/h9uPQ9GaQGkuueMbmwa0yZIjICsiuA9OQCLcBGAs/s1600/tumblr_os7oxvDlOk1s0aqxio3_500.gif

A neon-lit, blood-pumping one-nighter with strong Progressive Electronic/Synthwave score courtesy of Oneohtrix Point Never. I don't have too much to say about it. It just flows and it's great, and then it just stops flowing, it ends, and it was great. But I have one thought loosely connected with the movie. Just imagine a bank robbery with robbers wearing masks (like the ones in this film) of black men, but the twist is that the robbers are black men as well. Then they leave the masks in a place they know police will find them. Now, the police will think the robbers are whites/Asian/Latinos who had to disguise themselves as blacks, but the truth is it's the blacks disguised as blacks! F*CKING GENIUS! Well, that's the kind of thought you get at 2 AM when you're watching your 5th movie today.

人が人を愛することのどうしようもなさ [The Brutal Hopelessness of Love] (2007) - 4

http://jfdb.jp/data/photo/movie/03/d2/51/5b/c7dcaa6e2c24283e1fc7b9842657ed35_640.jpg

Despite Mai Kitajima's indisputable attractiveness and sexual nature of scenes depicted, the film is not titillating in the least, as there is a piercing layer of sadness behind every scene. The film could be described as Perfect Blue gone sexual, and even though the plot seems convoluted at first, it does not seem too complicated nor sophisticated by the end. Still a great film with devastating yet peaceful (in a way) ending that (just like the ending of A Night in Nude: Salvation) gives me no other choice, but to love the film as a whole. All that being said, I still think that Salvation with its Dostoevskian character and soul-crushing yet campy YET kinky finale is a better film, so I might want to consider bumping it to 4.5!

マタンゴ [Matango] (1963) - 3.5

http://cdnimg.gifmiao.com/weibo/57415925663215a7b1c609a386275915.gif

Way more down-to-earth than I expected, the film starts and ends in a typical Poe/Lovecraft horror story style, with an additional unexpected social commentary punch line at the end. In the middle it's quite interesting to observe the characters trying to survive with their food slowly ending and Mushroom People taking over. Pretty kewl.

All in all 764 minutes = 12.73 hours ~= 13 hours of movies in one day. Take that, mark f!

SLEEP

Tirez sur le pianiste [Shoot the Piano Player] (1960) - 4

https://78.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6hny6gMbv1qcay1ao1_500.gif

Read about it on Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1847711#post1847711).

La mariée était en noir [The Bride Wore Black] (1968) - 3.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/80a1414d876c7e826cf95710e70b4672/tumblr_nwbk70Nske1soti42o1_500.gif

Read about it on Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1847711#post1847711).

01.02.2018

Les cousins [The Cousins] (1959) - 4

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h8EGnvpFO3I/WHYs0ACrHUI/AAAAAAAAmWg/YqI_1LD7engRIcpNJV5w2r8hRRlfIjpjwCLcB/s640/Les%2BCousins.gif

Read about it on Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1847711#post1847711).

Fort Apache (1948) - 4

http://cogdogblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/11-york-ho.gif

The first installment in John Ford's Cavalry Trilogy is a great triumph of classic Fordian western. It's a pean in the name of cavalry, but it's also full of bitterness, and does not hide errors of Fonda's character, who seems to be the only counterpoint to the otherwise perfectly virtuous cavalry, *cough* *cough*. Anyway, a great film with some breath-taking cinematography and a couple of funny scenes. "No questions.".

01.03.2018

La Pointe-Courte (1956) - 4

https://78.media.tumblr.com/81d1ccc2d120456d54322bf13710f2dd/tumblr_opozp4T5SD1u3bhkao2_540.gif

Read about it on Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1847711#post1847711).

Velvet

01-03-18, 03:49 PM

comparing interstellar too 2001 is a joke.

mark f

01-03-18, 04:11 PM

So is rating a Coffin Joe movie higher than it. :)

Mr Minio

01-03-18, 04:43 PM

So is rating a Coffin Joe movie higher than it. :) All Coffin Joe films I saw were better than anything by Nolan. I've seen only the three highest rated ones, though.

Monkeypunch

01-05-18, 04:56 PM

Sounds like they wanted another Empire Strikes Back? Looking forward to this one.

I feel like if you go in expecting another Empire Strikes Back, you're going to be deeply disappointed. The film has it's own rhythms and plot points, some that totally caught me off guard. I think it feels like a direct response to the complaints that Force Awakens seemed too much like ANH, and this is the director throwing down the gauntlet, so to speak.

HashtagBrownies

01-06-18, 08:56 PM

Seen in January Pt.1

40035
4
Pretty great. The main characters were great. Lots of interesting ideas. Pretty cool twist.

40036
4
This story is better on the screen than the stage. The main character was depicted as a heartless POS in the play, but he’s very deep and sympathetic in the film. The film’s ending is better. The stage play’s ending had a beautiful bluntness to it, but the film’s ending is more realistic. The performances from the main 3 are brilliant and the church scene is amazing.

40037
3.5
Very limited story, I usually love films like this but this film didn’t seem to cut it properly. I didn’t cop on to the fact that it was a post-apocalyptic story until half-way through it. Considering the plot is basically a slasher film, it would’ve made more sense (and way more entertaining) for the dogs to be some extreme burglar-protection system than some evil robots that took over the world.

40038
5
Just fantastic. Each story was entertaining, interesting and intense. All of the characters are very interesting and you yourself get very invested emotionally.

40039
3.5+
Unfortunately, this well done movie suffers from ‘categorised as psychological horror but the psychological horror doesn’t come into play until the last couple of minutes’ syndrome. The plot is very intriguing, the mystery constantly keeps you interested. The performances were good.

The ending is legitimately 10/10 material. The plot twist, holy s*it, is possibly the greatest I’ve ever seen. I didn’t catch onto it at all and it hit me like a f*cking rocket.

I adore the ambiguity of the ending. Also the end card is genius. Anyone who has seen the film NEEDS to follow the end card advice, otherwise, I’ll kill ya! ;)

40040
I fell asleep during the second half so I can't really say anything lol.

40041
4
The colour tint was very interesting. I liked the way it transitioned between scenes, it shows the character’s mental state. Th twist becomes very obvious when he goes to report the hit and run, but the foreshadowing before that was very well done. The twist kinda feels like a Hollywood thing.

40042
4
Hilarious. The plot is a very original and interesting, considering the stage we're in where the left is getting many negative connotations due to the misandrists who claim to be "feminists". Each of the main characters bring a new element of comedy to the table (I seriously did not intend that pun!). Many quotable lines. Not for a single second did the film feel boring or tedious.

40043
4.5-

What I loved:
-Characters and relationships
-Horror elements
-Suspense
-Imagery
-Soundtrack
-Mystery
-Episode 8 & 17

What I hated:
-Scenes that added nothing to the plot
-Pointless sub-plots
-Scenes where it's just the mentally disabled version of Cooper doing random s*it
-The contrast in quality between episode 17 and episode 18.

40044
4: Critical rating:0.5
Just sit down with a group of friends, some food and drinks and enjoy this travesty. The backstory to the film is quite hilarious and tragic. Not gonna lie, I really dig some of the soundtrack. Not nearly as entertaining as some other bad movies, but it still works.

Iroquois

01-07-18, 08:17 AM

Alien: Covenant (Ridley Scott, 2017) - 4

Original review found here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1740736-alien-covenant.html). As of writing, I'm ready to consider it one of my favourite films of 2017 and even give it an edge over Alien 3 when it comes to ranking the series. Now I have to get around to giving Prometheus a third chance.

Coco (Adrian Molina and Lee Unkrich, 2017) - 4

Despite the high rating, this does feel like a bit of a mixed bag. In many ways, the Disney/Pixar formula feels much more readily apparent this time around (if only due to the recurrence of various specific tropes that have popped up in recent releases). Fortunately, these movies' strengths always reside in how they flesh out the gaps with all sorts of visual and emotional verve. Also, I need to re-watch The Book of Life at some point.

Pitch Perfect 2 (Elizabeth Banks, 2015) - 1.5

I already think very little of the original Pitch Perfect and the sequel just proves to be more of the same. It's not completely devoid of laughs, at least, but it's still too long and its musical numbers tend to be aggravating more than effective.

The First Wives Club (Hugh Wilson, 1996) - 2.5

A passable little comedy that's got a simple high concept - three middle-aged divorcées take revenge on their philandering ex-husbands - and is able to wring a decent amount of laughs out of it even if it does lose a little momentum as it (quite understandably) aims for dramatic heft towards the end.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (Matthew Vaughn, 2017) - 2.5

Original review found here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1791173-kingsman-the-golden-circle.html). I've realised that the first film had a fairly strong middle and iffy first and third acts while the reverse is true of this one. Also, what in the hell is up with that tracking-device scene.

The Shape of Water (Guillermo Del Toro, 2017) - 4

A solid reminder that I really don't appreciate Del Toro as much as I should.

World of Tomorrow Episode Two: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts (Don Hertzfeldt, 2017) - 4

As with 2015, I made sure that the last film I watched was a Don Hertzfeldt short about the existentially bittersweet science-fiction misadventures of a little girl and one of her time-traveling clones. It isn't as surprising and thoroughly concentrated as the first one is, but it's complementary in all the right ways while also offering new material.

The Handmaiden (Park Chan-wook, 2016) - 4

It's been easy enough to forget what Park Chan-wook is capable of (Stoker didn't really do much for me), but this twisty and twisted drama is certainly as good a reminder of why his work is good as any.

Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks, 1974) - 4

This seems to hold up even better with each viewing and does a remarkable job of exemplifying what the parody sub-genre is capable of doing.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens (J.J. Abrams, 2015) - 3.5

Yeah, I wasn't expecting to re-watch this again so soon after my previous viewing last month but there you go. It's still very watchable, at least, but I feel like I need to be careful not to let myself get so caught up in watching it whenever it's on.

Ultraviolence

01-09-18, 07:58 AM

The Leopard (1963) [Luchino Visconti]
https://fanart.tv/fanart/movies/1040/moviebanner/the-leopard-586f9895ac893.jpg
rating_5
I'll never be the same, after this masterpiece! Watched twice (December 24 and 25) and I can't wait to watch again. Strongly recommend to any movie lover! Strong performance by Burt Lancaster and great direction by Luchino Visconti! A movie that will stay with me forever!
"everything needs to change, so everything can stay the same"
Lots of themes, like: Struggle between mortality and decay, death, fading of beauty, fading of memories, change of political system, false relics, abstraction and eternity! Beautiful!

Monamour (2006) [Tinto Brass]
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41gTZiMfWTL.jpg
rating_0_5
I was looking for a good erotic drama to watch and this was the selected one. What a mistake! Bad acting, bad directing, awful script, just... that bad... At least Anna Jimskaia have a beautiful butt and breasts...
But she has hair under her arms... ¬¬
Not exciting...
I didn't even get a boner.

Gate of Hell (1953) [Teinosuke Kinugasa]
https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/janus_stills/395-/28199id_319_089_w1600.jpg
rating_5
One of the most beautiful looking films out there. It's great to observe colors and how the director uses this in the narrative. Also, it's like watching a play in a theater! Great piece of art!

Long Arm of the Law (1984) [Johnny Mak]
http://screenanarchy.com/assets_c/2017/05/f0e3a25d5738b9a7431c9f3f9123562f50cec80c-thumb-860xauto-66723.jpeg
rating_4
One of the most violent climax in Heroic Bloodshed history. Number 6 in the Hong Kong Film Awards' List of The Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures.

The Seventh Seal (1957) [Ingmar Bergman]
https://fanart.tv/fanart/movies/490/moviebanner/the-seventh-seal-546cf539833c4.jpg
rating_5
Still wonderful! It's nice to see that the same questions in this film, still relevant (and unanswered) to the date! I love how GOD is just in the mouth of the filth ones, and how the realization of death is portraied. The Dance of Death scene is scary and peaceful at the same time.

Police Story (1985) [Jackie Chan]
https://fanart.tv/fanart/movies/9056/moviebanner/police-story-544ab5134be37.jpg
rating_5
What do you expect when you're going to watch action movies? Well, I expect good stunts, good entertainment, good violence... This film have all of this and more! The comedy is phenomenal. Jackie Chan best imo. This is one of that films that made me love films when I was a kid. It's very important to me, I love every frame. If you like action or just like Jackie, watch this one!

Solaris (1972) [Andrei Tarkovsky]
https://fanart.tv/fanart/movies/593/moviebanner/solaris-50eb5c9ae871a.jpg
rating_5
Andrei Tarkovsky space masterpiece made for the ones that care to every single detail of the story. The climax change everything that you may thing during your first view. This is one of that films that it's impossible to understand everything in the first view, but with time, when the idea of the ocean of solaris starts to grow in to your mind, you will get it. A film for film lovers!

Paradox (2017) [Wilson Yip, Sammo Hung] rating_3_5
The Meyerowitz Stories (2017) [Noah Baumbach] rating_2_5
Dog Day Afternoon (1975) [Sidney Lumet] rating_3_5
Score (1995) [Atsushi Muroga] rating_2_5
A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) [Kim Jee-woon] rating_4
The Flavor of Green Tea Over Rice (1952) [Yasujirō Ozu] rating_4
An Autumn Afternoon [Yasujirō Ozu] (1962) rating_5
Good Morning (1959) [Yasujirō Ozu] rating_5
New Nightmare (1994) [Wes Craven] rating_2
Legendary Weapons of China (1982) [Liu Chia-Liang] rating_4
Sakebi - AKA Retribution (2006) rating_3_5
Vincent (1982) [Tim Burton] rating_4
(Best Tim Burton work)
Pikachu’s Vacation (1998) rating_3_5
Geri’s Game (1997) [Jan Pinkava] rating_4
(Favorite Pixar's short film)
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) [Park Chan-wook] rating_5
Once Upon a Time in America (1984) [Sergio Leone] rating_3_5
Hardcore (1979) [Paul Schrader] rating_3
Rolling Thunder (1977) [John Flynn] rating_3_5
Kill Baby, Kill (1966) [Mario Bava] rating_3_5
The Beyond (1981) [Lucio Fulci] rating_4
The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) [Derek Cianfrance] rating_2_5
Sleepaway Camp (1983) [Robert Hiltzik] rating_3
A Bittersweet Life (2005) [Kim Jee-woon] rating_5
Lolita (1962) [Stanley Kubrick] rating_4

Mr Minio

01-09-18, 02:03 PM

-Scenes that added nothing to the plot These were the best. The whole series could be like Episode 8 and then it would be a masterpiece.

HashtagBrownies

01-09-18, 03:30 PM

These were the best. The whole series could be like Episode 8 and then it would be a masterpiece.

Episode 8 was different. That was art.
A 5 minute scene dedicated to Cooper learning how to eat is not art.

Mr Minio

01-09-18, 04:08 PM

A 5 minute scene dedicated to Cooper learning how to eat is not art. It is. It's just that Episode 8 kind of art is more along my way. ;)

re93animator

01-11-18, 04:02 AM

The Mad Genius (1931) – 2
An uncreative cash-in on Svengali, apparently. Similar premise with the same two leads. I really enjoyed Svengali though, and could watch Barrymore play this sort of character for hours. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is mostly boring and uneventful, with some good dialogue. ‘The mad genius’ isn’t really mad enough; he’s just a dick. Not too sensational beyond face value.

Calamari Union (1985)– 3.5
The meandering plot can drag, but it has a very cool nighttime atmosphere. Easy to sink into.

Lights in the Dusk (2006) – 3
The most deadpan of the Kaurismaki movies I’ve seen so far, which is sort of like being the most explosive Michael Bay movie. It’s very akin to Man Without a Past. So much so that the existence of the former makes this seem a little gratuitous.

I Hired a Contract Killer (1990) – 4
My favorite Kaurismaki flick yet. A more effective use of dry wit and gritty setting, and the Asperger-esque characters are the most sympathetic. This has a charm that the others I’ve seen may fall a little short on. I love the whimsicality amidst death, grit, and sluggish pacing.:)

Mr Minio

01-11-18, 02:03 PM

I was afraid that if I binge only French New Wave films, I'll burn out pretty fast, so I toned down and also watched lots of other films.

Made in U.S.A (1966) - 4

http://www.marthagarzon.com/contemporary_art/wp-content/gallery/made-in-usa/made-in-usa-godard5.png

Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1851361#post1851361).

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) - 3.5

https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/1/full/1465561204_2.jpg

A disappointment! The Technicolor cinematography is sure mighty pretty, but it didn't feel heart-stopping nor meticulously framed. Plotwise, the film is even more of a pean for cavalry than the first in the trilogy, and surely lacks a counterpoint Henry Fonda's character was in Fort Apache. Even the comedic relief seemed way goofier, and more along the way of something like The Quiet Man, that I didn't like either. I think I'm too lenient with it, especially given my ratings for other color Ford films, but, heh, the thing is still on: I love black and white Ford whereas I'm not too keen on his color features.

Rio Grande (1950) - 4

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PfbDGQpESTQ/TiPIiTHHYFI/AAAAAAAAASM/7QdTc2Uemgo/s1600/Rio+Grande+3.jpg

The last in John Ford's Cavalry Trilogy and arguably the most effective and successful in showcasing the trademark Ford feelgoodness. The more Ford I watch, the more I understand why people compare him to Ozu. Even though these two directors utilize their ideas in different ways, there is some similarity, mostly in how they use pleasant background music during scenes, and how some of their films have these moments of unadulterated "idyllic joy" for lack of better wording. Think that shot in Stagecoach during the baby scene, that frames three men standing in a chamber. They just could stand there forever. There was a similar shot in this film, too, but I can't remember it now. Surely not as beautiful and memorable as the Stagecoach one, but it's there. It's there. The film itself is pretty great, with astonishing horse-riding stunts and absolutely outstanding songs sung by some Cavalry soldiers.

Paris nous appartient [Paris Belongs to Us] (1961) - 3

https://jojud265nia2bj9sy4ah9b61-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/parisbelongstous-1600x900-c-default.jpg

Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1851361#post1851361).

Freedom (2000) - 4

https://theseventhart.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/freedom.jpg

It's been years since I've seen a Bartas, and even though I initially did not feel like watching this film, I'm glad I finally did. If you're familiar with films of the Lithuanian director, you know what to expect. Minimal slow cinema at its (almost) best with (almost) no dialogue. Some frames are breathtaking. Especially the ones in a cave with faces of people handsomely illuminated in the dark. While contemplating you can even ruminate on the meaning of the film's title. Kewl.

Outtakes From the Life of a Happy Man (2013) - 5

https://www.viennale.at/sites/default/files/styles/top_image_slider/public/pressimages/V14outtakes04.jpg?itok=X84xidDK

Films like this remind me why I started watching films seriously in the first place. Outtakes... is nothing new if you're familiar with Jonas Mekas. It's a mosaic created of many seemingly meaningless moments of his life. Things and people he recorded on his Super 8 camera in the span of a couple of decades. Impressively edited, accompanied by church music and occasionally Mekas' narration, the film scoops everything that's great about As I... and puts it into 70 minutes or less. Even though it doesn't seem too impressive on paper, the film is an incredible experience you have to live through. Mekas records the everyday, the meaningless details, the beauty of moments held in time, and adds poetic intertitles inbetween. He never pretends that his film is anything more than some random moments, and an attempt to catch these brief glimpses of beauty of everyday life. Even though, the eye of his camera is his third eye, one can relate to a lot of what is shown, since the life of these people wasn't that different from our lives. Sure, some of the footage is very personal to Mekas and the viewer may miss a lot of context, but as some clever man once said: "The most personal is the most universal". To me, this is the ultimate of self-expression. It's incredible how much a single man with a camera can do.

Peggy and Fred in Hell: The Complete Cycle (2002) - 3

http://www.vdb.org/sites/default/files/clip_images/PEGGYANDFR_003.jpg

Excited with Outtakes From the Life of a Happy Man I put this movie on right after. It's an American avant-garde film, too, albeit a totally different one. Almost a post-apocalyptic experience, and a very experimental one, in which ideas are stretched, spread and executed in a way that eventually turn out to be rewarding, but nonetheless dull and quite pointless. Still, the eerie atmosphere and metallic quality make the film worth seeing.

7th Heaven (1927) - 3.5

https://i.imgur.com/Bz0rTQX.png

Borzage may be the Douglas Sirk of silent cinema (or he may be not, I only saw three of his films). This film could be divided into two distinguishable parts. The first one talks about a pair of people falling in love, and is filled with a lot of melodramatic (albeit adorable, take that Sirk!) scenes. In the second part two people who have just found each other have to be separated. The film is far from a masterpiece, but just like another Borzage film I saw, Lucky Star, it honestly portrays a true, pure love. Films like this are necessary, and it's quite a heartwarming experience, watching them.

煙突の見える場所 [Where Chimneys Are Seen] (1953) - 4

https://wondersinthedark.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/chimneys-2.jpg

My second Gosho and yet another great film whose depiction of its characters is very humane yet not devoid of humour. The titular chimneys are a pretty neat metaphor, that plays with the viewer.

How the West Was Won (1962) - 3

http://i0.wp.com/www.rebeatmag.com/wp-content/uploads/how_the_west_was_won_screenshot-e1429812036563.png?resize=620%2C266

An epic spanning more than 30 years telling the story of one pioneer family, from the time they decided to go to the Wild North of the USA, to the Civil War. Starring many prominent actors, including James Stewart, Henry Fonda and Richard Widmark, the film is truly epic in its scope. However, as a movie, it's only decent. Ford's final part did not film Fordian at all, and every single frame of this film, although enjoyable, felt uninspired, defiled by blockbuster formula.

Sleepless Nights Stories (2011) - 3

http://rarefilm.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Sleepless-Nights-Stories-2011-1.jpg

I just couldn't stop myself from watching another Mekas. Yet another diary film of his, but filled with contemporary footage with sound, hence losing its ethereal feel. It's basically a bunch of recordings of people chatting, telling stories and celebrating. As he did in decades past, despite his age, Mekas still meets many people connected with art (Abramović, Korine, Garrel, Björk) which gives an impression he surely is a people person. Sadly, digital camera is not Super 8, and therefore the film looses its poetry, aesthetics and everything that made Mekas' older footage as beautiful as it was. The approach is different, too. The rapidly edited collage formula of his best known work is replaced with long uncut takes, but these are digital. And digital is ugly. Nuff said.

Qui êtes vous, Polly Maggoo? [Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?] (1966) - 4

https://78.media.tumblr.com/35c9636e3513f3e56f45d7395f05e2ae/tumblr_naenr0b1Wu1td32lxo3_400.gif

Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1851361#post1851361).

La boulangère de Monceau [The Bakery Girl of Monceau] (1962) - 4

http://img.veehd.com/4682860_l3.jpg

Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1851361#post1851361).

Velvet

01-12-18, 04:38 PM

Watchs in January so far

Jeanne dielman 4.5
A man Escaped 3.5
The mirror 3.5
band of outsiders 3
satantango 4
sans soleil 4
The dream of a ridiculous man 3.5
A gentle women 3.5
The shawshank redemption 3
A touch of zen 3
lethal weapon 2
lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring 2

Not feeling well so I watched some american films and they werent that great

Iroquois

01-14-18, 10:52 PM

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Rian Johnson, 2017) - 4

Think I may have liked this a little more a second time around. I started a review, but we'll see if I finish it.

The Girl on a Motorcycle (Jack Cardiff, 1968) - 3

It's interesting to see veteran cinematographer Cardiff take on a film that dabbles with '60s counterculture (and features some remarkably unconventional photography as a result) but it's ultimately attached to a rather passable story.

Teorema (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1968) - 2.5

First Pasolini film I've seen is very whatever. I suppose it's easier to appreciate in theory than in actuality.

World of Tomorrow Episode 2: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts (Don Hertzfeldt, 2017) - 4

Had to watch it at least one more time before the Vimeo rental ran out - yes, it's still good.

Los olvidados (Luis Buñuel, 1950) - 4.5

I could be glib and summarise this as the best after-school special of all-time, but while that does seem like a fairly accurate summary of how it structures its loosely-based-on-actual-events narrative about the wayward youths of Mexico City, the film as a whole nevertheless does an astonishing job of crafting a deep and powerful cinematic experience out of the proceedings.

All the Money in the World (Ridley Scott, 2017) - 3

I tend to be extremely whatever about Ridley's more grounded/modern movies and this one definitely feels a little on the long side, but as with any Ridley joint the devil really is in the details and its attempts at character study (both of J. Paul Getty and of Gail Harris) certainly gives it an edge over the typical true-story crime thriller.

For a Few Dollars More (Sergio Leone, 1965) - 4.5

Original review found here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1304202-for-a-few-dollars-more.html). Anyway, it still owns.

Hummingbird (Steven Knight, 2013) - 2.5

I generally find Statham to be kind of annoying as a screen presence, but he's always had a magnetism that made me wonder if he could work better for me if he just appeared in the right movies. This one seemed like it'd be a step in the right direction, but unfortunately a semi-competent revenge/redemption thriller only does so much to make him seem better.

Koyaanisqatsi (Godfrey Reggio, 1982) - 4

I'll concede that this isn't exactly a film you can re-watch too many times for fear of diluting its power as an audio-visual experience, but I think I've spaced out my viewings enough for it to work just fine (this marks the second - guessing the first was back in 2010 or so, so I daresay that's enough time between watches). Anyway, this is essential viewing.

Cameraperson (Kirsten Johnson, 2016) - 3.5

A fascinating work wherein veteran documentary cameraperson Johnson combs through decades of footage from a wide variety of personal and professional projects to craft a mosaic that does an apt job of covering the breadth of human emotion in the space of about a hundred minutes or so.

Chypmunk

01-15-18, 06:12 PM

January (pt i):

4.5
Kreuzweg (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3465916/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Stations Of The Cross] (Dietrich Brüggemann, 2014)
Strangers On A Train (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044079/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Alfred Hitchcock, 1951)

4+
Barry Lyndon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072684/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Stanley Kubrick, 1975)

4
If I Were King (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030265/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Frank Lloyd, 1938)
Mazurka (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026692/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) (Willi Forst, 1935)

3.5
Café Metropole (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028676/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Edward H. Griffith, 1937)
Gone With The Wind (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031381/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Victor Fleming, George Cukor & Sam Wood, 1939)
Paura nella città dei morti viventi (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081318/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [City Of The Living Dead aka The Gates Of Hell] (Lucio Fulci, 1980)
Secretary (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274812/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Steven Shainberg, 2002)
Triangle (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1187064/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Christopher Smith, 2009)

3+
Hitlerjunge Salomon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099776/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) [Europa Europs] (Agnieszka Holland, 1990)
Jurassic World (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0369610/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Colin Trevorrow, 2015)
Merrily We Go To Hell (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023213/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Dorothy Arzner, 1932)
The Rise And Rise Of Michael Rimmer (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066302/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Kevin Billington, 1970)
The Three Musketeers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032028/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_75) (Allan Dwan, 1939)

3
Avengers: Age Of Ultron (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2395427/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Joss Whedon, 2015)
The Hunter (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1703148/?ref_=nv_sr_4) (Daniel Nettheim, 2011)
The Paperboy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1496422/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Lee Daniels, 2012)

2.5
Blood And Bone (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346631/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Ben Ramsay, 2009)
Dance, Girl, Dance (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023925/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_2) (Frank R. Strayer, 1933)
Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071537/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Eyeball aka The Secret Killer] (Umberto Lenzi, 1975)
Late Extra (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026610/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Albert Parker, 1935)
No Good Deed (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2011159/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Sam Miller, 2014)
When A Stranger Calls (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0455857/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Simon West, 2006)

2+
Identity Thief (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2024432/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Seth Gordon, 2013)
Insidious: Chapter 3 (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3195644/?ref_=nv_sr_3) (Leigh Whannell, 2015)
Ladies In Love (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027860/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_86) (Edward H. Griffith, 1936)
Twin Husbands (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025921/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Frank R. Strayer, 1933)

1.5+
Boot Camp (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0870204/?ref_=nv_sr_2) aka Punishment (Christian Duguay, 2008)

HashtagBrownies

01-15-18, 08:53 PM

Seen in January Pt.2

40390
4+
Such a beautiful movie, its imagery aswell. It has some fantastic soundtrack choices. I liked how there would be a hard cut between the past scenes and the present day scenes, showing the main characters mood. A brilliant movie about the human spirit.

40391
4
Great fun. Very cheesy, but in a good 'Escape From New York' type of way. The lighting, settings, costume design and soundtrack work together to give you that authentic 80's feel (I know it was the 70's, shut up). The bad guy is memorable. I liked the feeling of them going on an epic adventure despite the fact it would only take them a half-hour car trip. I like the guy the film transitioned from scene to scene, very unique. All of the Warriors are memorable in their own special way.

40393
4-
Pretty good. The idea is super original (I know it was a remake, but still). The characters are all well established. The editing is great, certain shots cut off at the right time to give the proper amount of tension. The shots of the green and luscious jungle are very appealing to the eye. Also that bridge scene, holy crap, that's some 10/10 material right there. My heart was absolutely pounding out of my chest. How the hell did the people behind this film make that scene look so authentic without risking their lives?!

I wasn't a fan of the first half though. I like the character introductions but I wished it established the dynamite as soon as possible.

40394
3+
Cool cop drama. The plot is very original and an interesting concept. Some pretty cool looking shots. Some interesting themes. The soundtrack by my main man Morricone is brilliant as is to be expected. The ending was pretty cool. I really doubt I’ll watch this film ever again though.

40395
4+
This was a blast. Brilliant performances, colours, direction, plot and soundtrack, lighting. The ending feels very realistic compared to most crime movies.

40396
3.5+
I liked the Wes Anderson style, but it gets REALLY tiring after a while. Some of the secondary characters are cool, others are really weird and pointless (The toddlers that like orchestras, like seriously that sounds like a character my seven year old self would come up with!). The soundtrack was great, and the script was very good too.

Also Brick from The Middle…instant brownies points.

40397
4+
God this film has so much heart. The script is fantastic, very hilarious moments. I loved Mcdormand’s character, loving but no bulls*it. The soundtrack and performances are also brilliant.

40398
4
I must’ve been in a bad mood the first time I saw this, because now I find it hilarious! Certainly a laugh per minute film. The expressiveness of the Monty Python crew makes the film that much funnier. Also the British accents might have a hand in that too.

40399
4
This would work WAY better as a documentary than a story movie. I didn’t particularly care for the story bits but I has immediately engrossed in the info dump bits. The whole film makes you feel inspired afterwards, also that title card before the credits begin…what a wonderful message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eGxoNMFE3s
3.5
Found it on YouTube, I guess it must’ve originated after all the memes of “Billy isn’t eating his food”. Fun time waster.

40400
4+
Wonderful. The performances from the main two are so genuine, their characters,their relationship and humorous conversations are some of the best I’ve seen in a long time. The soundtrack and images are beautiful.

Mingusings

01-18-18, 11:45 AM

Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2017): 4
Super Dark Times (Kevin Phillips, 2017): 3
Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade, 2016): 3
Autumn Tale (Eric Rohmer, 1998): 3_5
Contact (Robert Zemeckis, 1997): 1_5
Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951): 3_5
The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955): 3_5
Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959): 4
The Apartment (Billy Wilder ,1960): 4_5
One, Two, Three (Billy Wilder, 1961): 3_5

Mr Minio

01-18-18, 01:46 PM

The Fallen Idol (1948) - 4

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f0/71/62/f07162e4fbbbd963c352d553da85a108.gif

The weakest Reed out of the three of his I've seen, but still a great film with impressive acting from the little boy that avoids the usual cliches of the time. And years before 400 Blows and A Little Fugitive as well. A pretty dark theme crawling under the seemingly dull crime case, too. It's not another Odd Man Out, but still more than a noteworthy film.

Blonde Venus (1932) - 3.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/02baf52ab00ebe683e4d20a0e8819b54/tumblr_ntccng4KML1rdfgw4o1_500.gif

Even though not as abundant as The Scarlet Empress, nor as grandiose as Shanghai Express, the cinematography in Blonde Venus is really solid. It does not glorify Dietrich, but gives a fair portrait of her character, a woman whose good deed starts an avalanche of events that turn the entire world against her. I really enjoyed her fallen woman performance here. The film is a melodrama, but it isn't sugary and avoids soap opera giving a realistic story instead. Although von Sternberg ends his film with a mandatory happy ending, it's delivered with a lot of grace and poignancy, that moved me. Not to the point of crying, but just saying "That was beautiful".

No Home Movie (2015) - 4

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/S0Z8N8w71lE/maxresdefault.jpg

Akerman's final film before her suicide is a duly depressing look at her relationship with her mother with some insights into bonds, communication and... Holocaust. Using long, static takes, Akerman makes her mother's apartment a world populated by very few people. The most important amongst them is obviously her mother, lazily crossing the frame, or staying within it, always the centerpiece of action, even if she does not appear to at first. And all these mundane moments are just a big build-up to the final shot of the film where we see a long, static take of the apartment without anybody in it, which along with the scenes preceeding this one suggests that her mother passed away. One of the most powerful minimalistic ways of portraying loss I've seen.

Last Chants for a Slow Dance (1977) - 4

http://www.lightindustry.org/jost.jpg

My second Jost. A film shot on the budget of 2000$ is an impressive achievement in terms of visual flair, quite experimental and surprisingly innovative. The story is just an excuse as Jon Jost seems to be more interested in style, but its psychological traits are interesting enough to please every cinema buff. I'd like to recommend this film to Swan as it neatly shows how far you can get with so little, and it places creativity over exuberance

New Rose Hotel (1998) - 4

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Brechtian decomposition turns into one giant mess of a film, and it's really hard to tell how much control over this Ferrara actually had, and how much of it is just dubious, semi-randomized mind-boggler. Dafoe and Argento give solid performances, while Walken is outstanding with his snarky remarks and bitchin' cane. The dark, cyberpunk vision of future is surprisingly contemporary, and the third part of the film, one long retrospection that nicely dips into dreamy atmosphere, has an impeccable flow, I'm not sure if New Rose Hotel is a great film, but I know it's a film I greatly enjoyed.

女高生　天使のはらわた [Angel Guts: High School Coed] (1978) - 3

https://assets.mubi.com/images/film/115134/image-w856.jpg?1445951340

The first in a 9 (!) part series. Sadly, only 7 of them are available on the Internet. Either way, I still have 6 more before I finish, and I can only hope the series picks up after the mediocre first installment. It's a weird mix of pinku eiga, and thug (they're not even gangsters) film, that is quite okayish, but nothing new, exciting, or outstanding as far as the genre goes. I really enjoyed the shots of the raped girl in the rain, that were aesthetically pleasing, and way above everything else the film had to offer in terms of visuals. Then again, everyone knows that a pinku eiga without an enema is a worthless pinku eiga.

The Bed You Sleep In (1993) - 4.5

https://www.jonathanrosenbaum.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/the-bed-you-sleep-in.jpg

Jon Jost's magnum opus in which he combines a devastating story with wonderful Technicolor cinematography and moving music. The actor from Last Chants for a Slow Dance appears again and gives a very solid performance. The visuals here are superb with interesting, unusual framing (just like director's other films). The color pallette is just perfect, and the long pillow shots between important scenes serve not as a detachment from the plot, but quite contrary, as intensifiers of emotions. A downright depressing film, too, that, similarly to the films of David Lynch, portrays a seemingly serene town in the Northwestern USA that has its dark side.

The Tales of Hoffmann (1951) - 3.5

https://68.media.tumblr.com/ddeb6ee549cc74d05df4eb5d3bacf263/tumblr_nll2b8CpNb1u1gp0to1_500.gif

Going into yet another colour Powell and Pressburger film you can be sure that the visual side of it will be spellbindigly beautiful. This film is no exception, and being an adaptation of Offenbach's opera, the scenography, sets, and Technicolor are all delightful. The problem is Offenbach's opera isn't that great in itself. I just don't love it, but greatly appreciate how the Archers made it as good as they could. If Powell and Pressburger were to adapt Wagner, they'd make a masterpiece.

La carrière de Suzanne [Suzanne's Career] (1963) - ???

https://78.media.tumblr.com/986fbd6c897557bafd24253f8e927d6c/tumblr_n2ug6ttKL21qaaytso1_400.gif

Read about it at Arthouse Mafia Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1854644#post1854644).

Le beau Serge [Handsome Serge] (1958) - ???

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/72/90/9c/72909ca97f0708ccc7d1f23e0b3b8446.jpg

Read about it at Arthouse Mafia Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1854644#post1854644).

แม่โขงโฮเต็ล [Mekong Hotel] (2012) - 4

http://desistfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/mekong3.jpg

Weerasethakul's one hour long film might be perceived as a minor entry in his oeuvre, but don't let it discourage you, because if you enjoy Joe's movies, you will most definitely dig this one as well. It's really quite a typical film of his that mixes oriental folklore and politics, the second one surprisingly bluntly. What really elevates this film is the acoustic guitar score that constantly echoes in the background, something like the Andian tune in Duras' Baxter, Vera Baxter, and enhances every scene creating this perfect idyllic mood of long gone holidays.

Lola (1961) - ???

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfJMxZhyE-I

Read about it at Arthouse Mafia Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1854644#post1854644).

Spokój [The Calm] (1980) - 4

http://s.tvp.pl/images/4/8/5/uid_485a93f23a63d3cc8068f11a87cf73611506082688760_width_700_play_0_pos_525_gs_0.jpg

Kieślowski's TV film made in 1976, but not screened until 1980 talks about a man who just got out of prison and simply wants to lead a normal life, but finds himself in a dispute, trapped between two sides of a conflict. Not quite on par with his greatest films, but still a wonderful, thought-provoking film.

Chaplin's Mutual Comedies (1916-1917) - varied 2.5-3.5

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KWZsLW00hDc/UtHOxJwQkxI/AAAAAAAAHsM/wqqPxbG8k2k/s1600/immgif.gif

In the past two weeks I've watched all* Chaplin Mutual Comedies available in the Mutual Comedies box. All of them were beautifully restored and enjoyable, but they lacked the essential poetry Chaplin's 20s and later films had. It's interesting to see same actors appearing in every one of these shorts. There's Purviance. She is hot. There's a fat dude. He's grumpy. There's a skinny tall dude. He's hilarious. And of course there's Chaplin. He is... well, Chaplin. Some gags made me laugh, some didn't, but except for The Pawnshop, that was pretty lousy, all shorts were very enjoyable!

* All but one. I didn't watch The Immigrant as I've already seen it before.

Mr Minio

01-18-18, 02:16 PM

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Iroquois

01-20-18, 09:58 AM

Mystery Train (Jim Jarmusch, 1989) - 4

What can I say? Jarmusch just makes movies that I straight-up like to watch - they're calm, controlled, and have considerable character. That's certainly true of his plan to deliver an anthology of interlocking tales that all involve a run-down Memphis motel. I'd say it's towards the weaker end of his filmography but there's such litte variation in terms of his overall quality that that's not a problem.

Darkest Hour (Joe Wright, 2017) - 2

Another awards season, another stuffy biopic that becomes an odds-on favourite purely on the basis of a single grand-standing performance. Really hoping for an upset this year.

Life of Brian (Terry Jones, 1979) - 3.5

Many years ago, this was Top 100 material for me. However, this recent viewing left me rather cold - now that the laughs (which were never that frequent in the first place, especially compared to Grail) have worn off with repeated viewings, it's hard not to find a certain degree of fault with the satirical subtext that only makes me think that this doesn't hold up. (Never mind the rating, my feelings about this are too complicated for a satisfactory rating - it could easily swing at least half a popcorn in either direction.)

The Red Pill (Cassie Jaye, 2016) - 1

A documentary about the controversial "men's rights" movement that initially seems like it could actually make a convincing case for their continued existence but even the film's attempts to acknowledge opposing viewpoints and the movement's toxic reputation (such as they are) can't do enough to stop this playing like propaganda.

Tarnation (Jonathan Caouette, 2003) - 3.5

What initially seems like it's going to be an obnoxiously-edited (did you hear that this was made entirely on an iMac, bro?) collage of home movies by an angsty theatre kid soon turns into an affecting piece of work about multi-generational abuse and small-town tragedy as filtered through a constantly-watching lens.

No Home Movie (Chantal Akerman, 2015) - 2

Even though I went in expecting a film as glacially-paced as Jeanne Dielman, this posthumous work that tracked Akerman's final interactions with her mother somehow felt twice as long at half the running time. I also know not to expect an "enjoyable" film necessarily, but even with that caveat I regret that I did not find this especially compelling even as a documentary about stillness and motion, permanence and fragility, mother and daughter, home movie and no home movie. Such is the way of things.

Non-Stop (Jaume Collet-Serra, 2014) - 2.5

I like Liam Neeson enough to be disappointed that his late-period action/thriller pics have trouble living up to their B-movie promise, but I can still identify a sizeable gulf in quality between this twisty airplane thriller and, say, Taken 3.

Down Terrace (Ben Wheatley, 2009) - 2

Five films in and I'm still unsure what I even really think of Wheatley as a filmmaker (as of writing, I still consider High-Rise my favourite work of his and even that's a low 3 that I'm unlikely to re-watch) so I question why I keep seeking out his work. His low-key debut about a family of crooks may be my least favourite film from him yet, but it's still mildly watchable.

Dawson City: Frozen Time (Bill Morrison, 2016) - 4

This documentary about the discovery of long-lost silent films underneath the eponymous town soon elaborates upon the town's storied history in a way that becomes one hell of a microcosm for America itself that manages to encapsulate many human and societal flaws in telling an astounding story of how art can persevere throughout almost anything.

Metallica Through the Never ( Nimród Antal, 2013) - 2

It gives me no pleasure to say that Metallica's admirable attempt at a feature-length music video - which intercuts their concert with a roadie's surreal cross-town journey - isn't all that fun to watch. I suspect I'll always have a soft spot for these guys and their music (which does involve a solid greatest-hits set here) and the high concept's not a bad one, but the execution's not especially engaging.

HashtagBrownies

01-23-18, 06:12 PM

Seen in January Pt.3

40722
3
I guess I’m just not a gangster film guy lol.

40723
4
I can tell some are going to find this film boring, and if I was watching this in a certain mood I would probably mind it boring too. But I'd have to disagree. I thought the film was kinda going for a White Ribbon/Sátántangó approach where they include scenes some would consider pointless in order to give a realistic depiction of the film's events. This overall makes the film feel more like an experience than a story film, which I think REALLY works for it. Ramsay's direction is great, you can tell she wanted to convey every emotion described on the pages of the original novel with just the camera and the actress. You can also tell her direction works as despite the main character barely talking when she is by herself, you can tell every emotion and thought running through her head. Something about this makes the whole film feel very personal; did Ramsay direct this film based on a fictional story in such a way in which it relates to a significant moment in her life? Maybe this is how she directs ALL of her films, considering that the direction in Morvern Callar (the long scenes of a single character doing nothing) feels very similar to the direction of We Need to Talk About Kevin. Also to back up my point again Ramsay has a child (Going by Wikipedia, I'm too lazy to check anything else). Maybe I should watch Ratcatcher before coming to this conclusion.

Also a few extra points:
-There are some brilliant visual metaphors.
-The soundtrack gives off the emotion of each scene in a surreal, dreamlike way.

While I do think We Need to Talk About Kevin is leaps ahead of Morvern Callar, I'm gonna need to re-watch it to see if my opinion of it has increased.

40724
5
My God, this movie is so beautiful. It made me emotional to the level I haven’t experienced in a really long time. The combination of the visuals and the absolutely beautiful soundtrack are the main source of this. It was a genius idea to make the ghosts sheet ghosts, the film wouldn’t be nearly as good if it was a see-through actor or something like that. That makes it easier to sympathies with the ghosts in my opinion.

I will agree the first third of the film is pretty boring, but apart from that it’s the best film to have ever come out of 2017.

40725
4
Brilliant little crime drama. The plot is very intriguing and the characters are all very interesting. The set designs and the clothes are pretty cool too.

40726
3.5
If there's one word to describe this film, it's atmosphere.

I wasn't really fond of anything in the movie until I hit about the 30 minute mark. There was just something about the romantic plot that got me into it. While there are many great things about the film, I think it relies solely on its atmosphere. The dark, deserted streets where you feel danger around every corner, despite being so close to home. When the film first started and I saw it was in b&w, I thought it was just 'hipster trash'. I began to realize that it actually was used to increase the intimidating atmosphere of the film. The soundtrack is pretty good, one piece took heavy inspiration from Morrocone's "The Ecstasy of Gold" (My favourite piece of music of all time btw). The song choices were awesome, I enjoyed every one of them. I noticed the way in which certain scenes were shot to create suspense, that was pretty cool.
Also the film had a budget of only $57,000 and was raised on Indigogo. Kudos to the person who set up the page.

A fairly solid, atmospheric film. Might check out 'The Bad Batch' by the same director.

40727
3.5+
Very interesting experience.. There was one character that was completely ignored but all of the other characters were very interesting and really well developed, you really wanted them to make it out in the end. I was very glad it didn’t do what most movies set in the 80’s do and make a bunch of lame 80’s throwbacks. The second half of the film even feels like one of those 80’s kids adventure movies (The Goonies, The Lost Boys etc.) Bill Skarsgård was absolutely fantastic as Pennywise. There are lots of effective scares as a matter of fact; (IT’s legit terrifying teeth, the projector scene).

Some effective jump-scares has that f*cking stupid ‘shing’ noise, HOLLYWOOD PLEASE STOP DOING THAT!!!! I have no shame in admitting that there are many Hollywood trash moments (Like during the rock fight some of the rocks looked like bottom-tier CGI WTF?!?!?!), but apart from those moments it’s very solid movie.

Also #RichieForPresident2020

40728
4
Really weird seeing a 40’s movie in colour, it actually improves the film though. The ballet and music scenes were fantastic. Not much to say apart from that.

40729
4
Man this is great. A brilliant story. The visuals, character designs and animation are awesome looking. Lots of good comedy. All of the characters are interesting and sympathetic. The original songs are super memorable.

40730
3.5
A pure, clean gimmick film. It sounds like one I’d come up with “Hey guys, how about we make a crime film where the shootout scene lasts the entire movie!” The characters are all memorable and are performed well. Nice soundtrack.

I guess my only real problem is that the layout in which the shootout takes place is very complicated, making it more confusing than exciting. I also wished the costume designers did a better job of identifying who’s on which side.

40731
4
Awww this is so sweet! The animation is very fluent and energetic (Something’s going on in every frame). Lots of real emotion and I even smiled without trying to once in it.

I love how they gave the bully some character, how he’s not just a generic, fat bully, but how he bullies because he was bullied himself once.

matt72582

01-23-18, 08:48 PM

I wonder if I could watch "The Red Shoes" even if I FF all the dancing stuff?

I should have asked this question before I tried watching "All That Jazz" but after a while, I had to turn it off.

HashtagBrownies

01-24-18, 07:34 PM

I wonder if I could watch "The Red Shoes" even if I FF all the dancing stuff?

The dancing stuff is like a 20 min sequence, the rest of the film is plot.

Mr Minio

01-25-18, 02:00 PM

海滩的一天 [That Day, on the Beach] (1983) - 5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/86288c0afcbd4c3c63796cee8bc37388/tumblr_p2v9enxAg41s3puqao6_1280.png

Yang's first full length, clocking at astounding 167 minutes, is also his second favourite of mine, only inferior to The Terrorizers. No matter how pretentious it sounds, while watching the film, I felt I'm watching a film of a master. Despite the fact the film is novelistic and heavy on plot, it's a wholly cinematic experience as Yang is the master of his craft. The cinematography, by Christopher Doyle, is far from showy, and things depicted are never gloriously spectacular, but, just like Ozu, Yang has a gift of making these non-spectacular events look spectacular. I can't really put my finger on what exactly makes the cinematography so great, though. Maybe a person more experienced in the field could technically explain the intricacies of Yang's style he employs not only in this, but every film of his I saw (only Mahjong left). That's why I'm referring to Yang himself, and not Doyle, even when it comes to the visual side of the film. I'm not denying Doyle's influence and prowess as a cinematographer, but it seems to me it's Yang that is the auteur from the very beginning and it's he who controls the movie. Now, it's easy to belittle the film, because it never pretends it's anything more than a slice of life story, but the way it opens before the viewer, is just like a world opening before a new-born baby, revealing something new every minute, but concealing the rest. And it opens several times, in a story within a story formula, all of them interconnected, but as any true flashback should, highly subjective. My absolutely favourite part is the furthest recollection of Jia Li's childhood, when she, as a little girl, peeps on his father. His glasses are such an eye-catching symbol in this scene. The acting is really solid from the entire cast, and Sylvia Chang, who plays Jia Li, is simply outstanding, changing her appearance like a chameleon. When her character gets older, she does not simply play a more mature character. She matures with the character. The film twists viewer's expectations at least a couple of times, maintaining not just a portrait of life in Taiwan in the 80s, but in more general terms, life in general. The observations Yang makes on memories, relationships, marriage, and love are as universal as ever. We never get the answer to the main question posed at the beginning, but the answer is unimportant. It's how we, along with the characters, got there that is important. That Day, on the Beach feels like a story told to you by a friend you haven't seen for years, a kind of familiar outsider, who would have actively taken part in it, if not for certain circumstances of fate.

Les jours où je n'existe pas [The Days When I Do Not Exist] (2003) - 4

https://78.media.tumblr.com/7607edca667188fa7b270cf0d7174b48/tumblr_oo3nwtQYnE1vd1ad5o5_1280.jpg

A wonderful Bressonian fairy tale on existentionalism. The framing and the way people move is pretty Bressionian, and the director cooperated with Eugene Green, so everything makes sense. The film asks many questions about life and seems to encourage us to celebrate it, despite its shortcoming, personal disabilities, and problems. If you have only one hand, then be grateful, as there are people who lack both hands. If you don't have your hands, be grateful, as there are people who don't have hands nor legs. If your life is half as short as everybody else's, be grateful, as it could've been four times as short, or eight times as short. This gratefulness does not have to be towards God, but towards anything, really. Towards just the mere fact you are alive, and that you can read these words. Sometimes you have to lose something to really recognize its value, as to have it without losing it seems the most natural thing in the world, because you arrogantly think it's your due. The true problem is lack of love, and loneliness. Does it make life not worth living?

天使のはらわた赤い教室 [Angel Guts: Red Classroom] (1979) - 3

https://assets.mubi.com/images/film/70480/image-w856.jpg?1445930110

Superior to the first, but not much. I can't really tell if I'm just jaded with pinku eiga, or if the films of this series are only okay, but I'm yet to be satisfied. This one is more experimental visually, which is always a good thing, and the screenplay, written by Takashi Ishii, has a very fine take on man's love for a fallen woman, a theme Ishii explores further in his later films. Still, the film seemed only fine. But maybe it's because I watched two great ones before. Takashi Ishii will direct a couple of last in the series. Hopefully these are noteworthy.

Le soulier de satin [The Satin Slipper] (1985) - 4

https://pxhst.co/avaxhome/2f/13/002a132f.png

Man, that was draining. I found the film a real challenge, and I'm saying this as a dude who watched Satantango, Lav Diaz's Melancholia and Manuel de Oliveira's other lengthy films (the longest - Doomed Love - 261 minutes) in one sitting with no issues. Maybe I was a little bit tired, overwhelmed by the films I saw the day before, or simply found the film tedious. Or more likely, it's because that during its stupendous 7 hours running time, the film is non-stop talking. Oliveira continues the tradition of film d'art, and creates a true theatrical experience. At one point in the movie, one of the actors says that cinema and theatre are the same, further confirming Oliveira's take on the medium of the time. Of course, Bresson would strongly disagree. :) Either way, Oliveira once again proves to be an expert luminist, making his film not only take place in 16th century, but also look 16th century, with its wide spectrum of picturesque mise en scene, from tableaux vivant collective scenes. to painterly landscapes, to Caravaggian chiaroscuro. He enhaces all of this even more with moving backgrounds allowing for nifty perspective tricks, and surprising changes of scenery. Just like Doomed Love, the film is very novelistic and theatrical, but kind of lacks the former's charm. It's also too prolix, albeit of great oratory quality. A great work of art, but not one of my favourites.

Мисс Менд [Miss Mend] (1926) - 4

https://static01.nyt.com/images/2009/12/13/arts/13dvds_span-CA1/articleLarge.jpg

A 4 hour long Russian silent that masterfully mixes the serials of Feuillade and Lang's Dr Mabuse, adding some good ole Soviet propaganda for a good measure. As befits a Soviet Montage movie, the film is incredibly fast-paced. The plot unravels at neckbreaking speed and beautifully blends comedy, crime and melodrama. It's interesting to see film's portrayal of America in the first two thirds, and its juxtaposition to Soviet Russia in the last third. The criminal mastermind is evil itself - hating on Bolsheviks, and unscrupulously killing several people, including a child, whereas the bourgeoise willingly funds his experiments, and rapes innocent low-class women. Three reporters, including the director Boris Barnet himself, try to thwart evil plans of poisoning people of Russia. This leads to many a peripeteia. The film is incredibly entertaining and these 4 hours feel like an hour and a half. What a pity the eponymous Miss Mend, Natalya Gland, only starred in this and one short (Chess Fever, it's a decent little film). She had nice screen presence.

Une journée d'Andrei Arsenevitch [One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich] (2000) - 4

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_hvi689YPaB8/SUJCJEz0EjI/AAAAAAAABYg/a2vikYH6kQE/s400/bscap0003_orig.jpg

One master filmmaker makes a film about another. The results are, as expected, good. Marker's observations are spot on and even though he does not shed a new light on Tarkovsky's work, he reinforces it. Marker does not explain why Tarkovsky is great. He just tries to make us see it ourselves, using some clips from his films, and narration. Some of these clips are so beautiful that they made me cry, even though these were just singled-out scenes with no context (although I saw these films years ago, so I more or less remember the context). It's the sheer poetic beauty of these films that are the nourishment for my soul. Marker made me remember how extraordinary Tarkovsky is. What a genius he is. He made me want to rewatch these masterworks. To again delve into this metaphysical word and ponder about the meaning of life. And he adds an interesting anecdote about Stalin, as well.

Masculin féminin [Masculine Feminine] (1966) - ???

https://media2.giphy.com/media/JMJtCecQ7Digw/giphy.gif

Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1858124#post1858124).

Les bonnes femmes [The Girls] (1960) - ???

https://timeentertainment.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/les-bonnes-femmes.jpg?w=600

Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1858124#post1858124).

Les carabiniers [The Carabineers] (1963) - ???

https://medias.unifrance.org/medias/117/217/55669/format_page/les-carabiniers.jpg

Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1858124#post1858124).

La collectionneuse [The Collector] (1967) - ???

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/00/19/e1/0019e1ab3b2d7664f816d6c2fa2de886.jpg

Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1858124#post1858124).

La baie des anges [Bay of Angels] (1963) - ???

https://media3.giphy.com/media/cE3hIt8Xt0V0I/giphy.gif

Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1858124#post1858124).

HashtagBrownies

01-25-18, 02:48 PM

Man, that was draining. I found the film a real challenge, and I'm saying this as a dude who watched Satantango, Lav Diaz's Melancholia and Manuel de Oliveira's other lengthy films (the longest - Doomed Love - 261 minutes) in one sitting with no issues. Maybe I was a little bit tired, overwhelmed by the films I saw the day before, or simply found the film tedious. Or more likely, it's because that during its stupendous 7 hours running time, the film is non-stop talking.

A 4 hour long Russian silent that masterfully mixes the serials of Feuillade and Lang's Dr Mabuse, adding some good ole Soviet propaganda for a good measure.

My God, I could only dream of having your attention span.

Mr Minio

01-25-18, 03:07 PM

My God, I could only dream of having your attention span. My advice for those who want to watch a long film is precisely that: Get comfortable, and cut off any connections with the outside world. For the upcoming hours you want to be alone with the movie. Don't force yourself into long films, watch them only if you feel like it. Don't try to fight with the movie. If the film is 7 hours long IT WILL take you (at least) 7 hours to finish it, and you will possibly not watch anything else, or maybe even not do anything else this day. Let the movie flood you, surrender to it.

Iroquois

01-28-18, 09:41 AM

Hollywood Burn (Soda_jerk and Sam Smith, 2006) - 2.5

Never quite sure which Internet videos can be counted for the Tab, but whatever. This absurdist mashup that makes a deliberate mockery of copyright laws through its tale of a brainwashed Elvis clone fighting Charlton Heston's Moses starts off as a promising parody but loses its momentum pretty severely about halfway through.

Los Angeles Plays Itself (Thom Andersen, 2003) - 4

Very much my kind of documentary as Andersen relays an appreciably cynical thesis through a delightfully caustic narrator to analyse the various ways in which the eponymous city is either misrepresented or represented all too well by the cinematic medium. Three hours of potentially dry discussion of architectural history and socio-political developments become enthralling and intriguingly controversial (such as the suggestion that Blade Runner is in some ways more utopian than actual Los Angeles).

I Am Not Your Negro (Raoul Peck, 2016) - 4

A subject like James Baldwin may be underserved by such a brief documentary that aims to cover the most contentious points in the life of one very contentious (but never without reason) individual even as it intersperses his writings and experiences against the racial tensions of 21st-century America. The film certainly doesn't lack for competence and it's entirely possible that I wouldn't have recognised Samuel L. Jackson doing such sombre narration if I hadn't already known about his involvement.

Children of Paradise (Marcel Carné, 1945) - 4

I kind of wish I'd known about the production history before starting this (it certainly seems to add remarkable subtext to certain developments), but even so this still proves a great and respectable melodrama that readily earns its status as an all-time classic.

Histoire(s) du cinéma (Jean-Luc Godard, 1998) - 3

Watching all eight parts of this in one sitting while not possessing a strong understanding of the French language made this an experience that can accurately be described as "challenging". That does limit my ability to rate it a bit (as does the moments where it becomes hard to determine how much of the chaotic incomprehensibility is by design or not) but as far as overwhelming cinematic experiences go it's definitely up there.

La dolce vita (Federico Fellini, 1960) - 4

As if I needed a reminder that I'm extremely behind on watching Fellini's films (only other one I've seen is 8½) and this didn't wow me like that one did but it certainly makes me think that I've been sleeping on this master filmmaker for too long.

The Post (Steven Spielberg, 2017) - 3

Speaking of master filmmakers being slept on for too long...hmm, still undecided as to whether or not this rating deserves an extra half. One of those movies where I notice the editing for better and for worse.

Pickpocket (Robert Bresson, 1959) - 4

Four films in and I'm finding Bresson a remarkably consistent director not just in terms of quality but in terms of his approach to his subjects (with the obvious point of comparison being A Man Escaped in that both films examine their protagonist's methodologies and psychologies while providing fascinatingly precise detailing of their every action). This may be my favourite film of his yet (and not because it happens to be so short).

True Stories (David Byrne, 1986) - 2.5

Sad to say I didn't like this more. I've been a long-time fan of Talking Heads and seeing an eccentric artist like Byrne try his hand at making a feature film would always be an intriguing proposition, but the results are a little disappointing. Maybe it's just that it ends up feeling like yet another story of quirky small-town Americans with little in the way of favourable distinction that I just feel very whatever about it. Pity.

I, Tonya (Craig Gillespie, 2017) - 2.5

A passable enough biopic about the eponymous figure skater that doesn't do too bad a job of see-sawing between the harshness of depicting abusive relationships and the black comedy of seeing its white-trash principals acting ridiculous (plus looking for the seams in the CGI face-replacement). The performances are certainly good, though.

Mr Minio

01-30-18, 02:20 PM

Raising Cain (1992) - 3.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_magf9lGstN1qedb29o1_500.gif

It's been a while since I've seen something as deliberately kitschy as this, and years since I've seen anything from De Palma, so I needed about 30 minutes to get accustomed to the wackiness of it, but once it clicked, I really started enjoying it. The film is pretty out there with Hitchcockian tropes turn 180 degrees, black comedy touch, and TV soap opera parts. It never takes itself seriously which really helps, and the finale is 100% De Palma. Surely not up there with his best, but still a nice odd little film.

Hawks and Sparrows (1966) - 4

http://www.canino.info/inserti/tuscia/luoghi/uccellacci_uccellini/slides/004.jpg

My last Pasolini, and also one of my favourites of his. A film that, like The The Gospel According to St. Matthew, takes a story filled with religion, and makes it Communist. The film achieves an indescribable simplicity, both in its Medieval as well as contemporary parts, but does not refrain from some modern/hip effects like speeding up the film.

Sunflower (1970) - 3.5

http://www.cinemas-online.co.uk/images/4928.JPG

Late De Sica starring Loren and Mastroianni. A melodrama on Italian soldiers forced by Mussolini to Russian front to help Germans in their fight against USSR. It's far from De Sica's Neorealist masterpieces, but a solid melodrama with good acting from both leads and pretty colours. Also an anti-war film with almost no war at screen. Quite honestly, I had a hard time empathizing with Marcello's character, even taking into account what he's been through. Thankfully, this didn't stop me from enjoying the movie.

A Ghost Story (2017) - 3.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/984dfb617ab9d48faa1d12ea216f1eb0/tumblr_onj2q2Jogl1rg5f9ko2_500.gif

Quite a thought-provoking film, but one that's weakened by Interstellar-esque ideas of space and time (albeit done better) and redundant long monologue towards the end. I was disappointed by the cake scene as well as there's been a lot of hype built around it, people naming it the best scene of the year, and some others the final factor that made them turn off/hate this film. It's allegedly a very long scene, but subjectively it didn't feel that long to me. I was expecting something else, I guess, so I don't consider it movie's fault. The film looks pretty, but I wouldn't go as far as some people and call it Malickian. It had no voiceover, only a couple of external shots felt like Lubezki-shot late Malick. The idea to make Affleck wear white sheet was a risky one, but it worked quite well, wasn't laughable, or weird. Perhaps the best film on eternal recurrence since The Turin Horse.

The Thin Man (1934) - 3.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/9dc3a43521fa558ee8a9afdd054019f9/tumblr_ngachgXuc01rdfgw4o1_500.gif

The film's alright, but it suffers from everything them talkies suffered from at the time. The dog is cute, but the cinematography is so plain, and for a screwball comedy it only has a decent amount of funny remarks and situations. Still, very enjoyable to watch, hence the high rating.

Guess Who's Coming for Dinner (1967) - 4.5

https://i.imgur.com/Dkt5mhR.gif

I love Katharine Hepburn. She makes my heart melt. She was such a wonderful actress, perhaps the best in Hollywood at the time, and her late career performances were simply breathtaking! As always she overshadows everybody else, but is not the only great actor here. Spencer Tracy gives another strong yet subdued performance with ingenious final monologue. Poitier is very laid back yet his acting is tight. I love how his character tries to resolve a stressful situation with a lot of humour and smiling. The freakin' priest is the best priest ever, a freakin' expert at interracial marriages, and who knows perhaps he has a black hostess at his presbytery, if you know what I mean. :) Poitier's beloved is kinda weak, but she's pretty, and I guess that's all her role required. The twist here is that the title not only references the guy whom we acquaintance in the first 5 minutes of the film, but also several other people. Another twist is that Hepburn would cry so naturally, because she was devastated by the fact that her (boy)friend, Spencer Tracy - he plays the father in the movie, was very sick. As a matter of fact he died 12 days after they finished shooting the film. One could start nitpicking about the false progressiveness of the film. Namely, how more or less the parents are okay with him being black as long as he is an important man with a good job. But it's just a product of its time. Nowadays (most) people in the West don't pay much attention to social status, or if the man has a good job (you are a woman and you do? You worthless money digger! - See? the attitude has changed since then). Then, in India caste system is still very important. So here you have it. Another thing is that many people today would oppose not to interraciality of the marriage, but the fact they've known each other for only 10 days. Don't know how it was in the 60s, but many films from the 40s suggest that quick marriages were quite popular back then (and often lead to even quicker divorces.). Although, I guess, films are not a good statistical sample for this.

Atlas (2013) - 3.5

https://nicolettalolli.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/atlas-2014.jpg

A combination of Pedro Costa's In Vanda's Room with dark films of Philippe Grandrieux might seem a little bit too polished, and photographic (after all the director is a photographer), but it keeps artistic unity, and turns out to be a piece of art that was meticulously thought over. Sure, the narration in various languages plays like misery porn, but it's not like it's separated from the visuals, that show this dark, unrelenting world of drugs and prostitution. The film indeed is an atlas, an overview of degradation and decay that are very similar, no matter which part of the world you are in.

Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003) - 2.5

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/51095d7ce4b006da6a59256c/t/56d755df9f7266eea24e25d8/1456952840285/la-et-trailer-los-angeles-plays-itself-20141010.jpg?format=1500w

Some person wrote this is the best piece of modern film criticism there is. If that's true, then it shows everything wrong with modern film criticism in 3 hours or less. The narrator is nitpicking at unimportant trifles, like abbreviating Los Angeles to L.A., or the fact that a character leaving a building in one part of the city immediately teleports to another, and invents fancy theories that are really hard for me to agree with. This fault-finding of his shows no love for cinema, and a desire to pan not just films, but the entire Hollywood film industry. His choice of films is quite arguable, too, as he merely chooses clips to reflect what he is saying, hence only depending on film essay's illustratory characteristic. That's ages behind Marker, or Godard, who perfected the form. There is no enthusiasm in his voice, and he quite frankly sounds as if he was imprisoned in MovieGal's dungeon against his will. Some parts of the film are cool, and when he states facts instead of making up stuff, the film gets mildly interesting, but then again falls into the nihil. Too socio-political. Too formal. Too long. The film fails as a poetic essay film. It fails as city symphony. It fails as a love letter to L.A.. It's only good as a source of reference as to which films used a given hall in some scene. If this is the peak of modern criticism, then the entire modern criticism SUCKS.

Chypmunk

01-31-18, 05:56 PM

January (pt ii):

4.5+
Tsubaki Sanjûrô (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056443/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Sanjuro] (Akira Kurosawa, 1962)

4
David Bowie: The Last Five Years (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6375308/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Francis Whately, 2017)
Moonrise Kingdom (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1748122/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Wes Anderson, 2012)
The Fault In Our Stars (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2582846/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Josh Boone, 2014)
The Pool (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0911024/?ref_=nv_sr_5) (Chris Smith, 2007)

3.5+
Anthropoid (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4190530/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Sean Ellis, 2016)
Enduring Love (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0375735/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Roger Michell, 2004)
Hacksaw Ridge (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2119532/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Mel Gibson, 2016)
Lo squartatore di New York (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084719/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [The New York Ripper] (Lucio Fulci, 1982)
No Man Of Her Own (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041694/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Mitchell Leisen, 1950)
The Dead Girl (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0783238/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Karen Moncrieff, 2006)
The Light That Failed (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031572/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (William A. Wellman, 1939)
The Rains Came (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031835/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Clarence Brown, 1939)

3.5
Blow Out (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082085/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Brian De Palma, 1981)
Private Number (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028142/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_44) (Roy Del Ruth, 1936)
The Magdalene Sisters (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0318411/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Peter Mullan, 2002)
The Nanny (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059496/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_4) (Seth Holt, 1965)

3+
All Is Lost (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2017038/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (J.C. Chandor, 2013)
Feet First (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020876/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Clyde Bruckman & Harold Lloyd, 1930)
Pretty Baby (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078111/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Louis Malle, 1978)
The Man With The Iron Heart (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3296908/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Cédric Jimenez, 2017)
Three Blind Mice (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030864/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (William A. Seiter, 1938)

3
Honor Among Lovers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021969/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Dorothy Arzner, 1931)
The Grey (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1601913/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Joe Carnahan, 2011)

2.5+
Bad Girl (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021635/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_3) (Frank Borzage, 1931)
Menschen am Sonntag (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020163/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [People On Sunday] (Robert Siodmak, Edgar G. Ulmer, Rochus Gliese, Curt Siodmak & Fred Zinnemann, 1930)

2.5
Angela (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112364/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Rebecca Miller, 1995)
The Healer (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026637/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_239) aka Little Pal (Reginald Barker, 1935)

2+
Hoosier Schoolboy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029019/?ref_=nv_sr_4) (William Nigh, 1937)
House Of Danger (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0165317/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Charles Hutchison, 1934)
The Rogues' Tavern (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028200/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Robert F. Hill, 1936)

2
Lockout (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1592525/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Steve Saint Leger & James Mather, 2012)

1.5+
Goddess Of Love (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3432552/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Jon Knautz, 2015)

1.5
Insurgent (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2908446/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Robert Schwentke, 2015)

Yam12

01-31-18, 08:13 PM

January 2018 watches

Rewatches are in blue

07/01 - The Thing (John Carpenter; 1982) - rating_5
08/01 - Brigsby Bear (Dave McCary; 2017) - rating_3_5
09/01 - Loving Vincent (Dorota Kobiela & Hugh Welchman; 2017) - rating_4
11/01 - Kramer vs Kramer (Robert Benton; 1979) - rating_3_5
16/01 - Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (Elio Petri; 1970) - rating_3
16/01 - Orlando (Sally Potter; 1992) - rating_3
19/01 - The Last Supper (Stacy Title; 1995) - rating_4
20/01 - Sicario (Denis Villenueve; 2015) - rating_3
21/01 - Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee; 1989) - rating_4_5
23/01 - A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour; 2014) - rating_4_5
25/01 - Sling Blade (Billy Bob Thornton; 1996) - rating_4
30/01 - We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsey; 2011) - rating_3
31/01 - Take This Waltz (Sarah Polley; 2011) - rating_2

Jan '18 total: 13
2018 total: 13

cricket

01-31-18, 09:05 PM

January, 2018 movies watched-

The Ascent (1977) 3.5+ Powerful Soviet war film.

Take This Waltz (2011) 3.5 I almost dislike it as much as I like it. Either way, it gives me strong feelings.

Little Women (1994) 2.5 Fine enough except it wasn't very interesting to me.

Bodom (2016) 3.5 Out of Finland and highly recommended for horror fans.

American Psycho (2000) Repeat viewing 3 Good movie but I don't like it as much as I thought I did.

Orlando (1992) 2.5 High marks for originality and Tilda Swinton.

Rough Night (2017) 2.5- Just what you'd expect unfortunately, but I laughed enough to enjoy it.

Europa Europa (1990) 3.5+ Excellent combination of Power and entertainment.

Bad Day for the Cut (2017) 3.5+ Highly recommended for fans of revenge films.

The Beguiled (2017) 3.5 I enjoyed it plenty but still inferior to the original.

Sleepless in Seattle (1993) 3.5+ I cried a little.

Freehold (2017) 3- Simple but squirm inducing.

The House is Black (1963) 2.5 Upsetting short documentary that I found average.

The Virgin Suicides (1999) 4+ Beautiful and tragic.

Out of the Blue (1980) 4.5 A movie that I'll never forget.

Leatherface (2017) 2 Strong violence and gore but not much else.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) 3.5- Good humor and cast.

A Short Film About Love (1988) 3.5 Subtly powerful and probably better than I'm rating it.

Life (2017) 2.5- Some tension and a cool monster.

Gerald's Game (2017) 1.5 I liked the first 20 minutes.

Jennifer's Body (2009) 2.5+ Good campy fun.

Flaenset (2000) 2.5 Made well enough to enjoy if you like a little savagery.

Ripley's Game (2002) 3.5 John Malkovich as Ripley is tough to beat.

Logan Lucky (2017) 3+ Should have been so much better.

Rise of the Footsoldier 3 (2017) 3.5- Nonstop violence, drug use, and hot girls.

It (2017) 3+ I wish it were about 20 minutes shorter.

Harlan County, USA (1976) 4 About striking Kentucky miners in the 70's, it's now one of my favorite documentaries.

Children of a Lesser God (1986) 3 Decent romance with two good performances.

90 Minutter (2012) 2.5 Norwegian film that's well made and ends strong, but it's a little slow to get there.

Brigsby Bear (2017) 3.5 I don't know how anyone could not like this.

Rolling Thunder (1977) 3.5+ A must for revenge film fans.

Detroit (2017) 4 A meaningful story and a movie that has a ton of life to it.

The Edge of Seventeen (2016) 3.5+ Highly recommended to anyone who likes coming of age type of movies.

Total viewings-33

Camo

01-31-18, 10:38 PM

January Watches:

01. A Bittersweet Life (Kim Jee-woon, 2005) 5
02. Call Me By Your Name (Luca Guadagnino, 2017) 4
03. Take This Waltz (Sarah Polley, 2011)
04. The Florida Project (Sean Baker, 2017) 4.5
05. The Disaster Artist (James Franco, 2017) 3.5
06. Europa Europa (Agnieszka Holland, 1990)
07. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Martin McDonagh, 2017) 2.5
08. A Taxi Driver (Jang Hoon, 2017) 3
09. Love Exposure (Sion Sono, 2008) 5
10. Little Women (Gillian Armstron, 1994)
11. Loveless (Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2017) 4+
12. The Last Supper (Stacy Title, 1996)
13. The Public Enemy (William Wellman, 1931) 3
14. Fist Fight (Richie Keen, 2017) 1
15. The Ascent (Larisa Shepitko, 1977)
16. Only Angels Have Wings (Howard Hawks, 1939) 5
17. Dunkirk (Christopher Nolan, 2017) 3.5
18. Orlando (Sally Potter, 1992)
19. Jackass: The Movie (Jeff Tremaine, 2002) 2.5
20. Jackass Number Two (Jeff Tremaine, 2006) 2.5
21. Coco (Pixar, 2017) 3
22. Last Flag Flying (Richard Linklater, 2017) 3
23. The Heartbreak Kid (Elaine May, 1972) 4.5
24. The Post (Steven Spielberg, 2017) 2.5
25. The Witch (Robert Eggers, 2015) 5
26. La Strada (Federico Fellini, 1954) 4-
27. The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012) 5+
28. U.S Go Home (Claire Denis, 1994) 4.5+
29. The Shape of Water (Guillermo Del Toro, 2017) 4
30. Mustang (Deniz Gamze Ergüven, 2015) 4
31. The Babadook (Jennifer Kent, 2014) 3
32. Waiting For Guffman (Christopher Guest, 1997) 3
33. The Ring (Gore Verbinski, 2002) 3.5
34. Nights of Cabiria (Federico Fellini, 1957) 4.5+

January Watches: 34

Favourite First Time Watch:

https://i.imgur.com/dRAYB0N.png

HashtagBrownies

02-01-18, 11:03 AM

Seen in January Pt.4/4

41019
4.5
Oh My God, this film is so wonderful! The songs, the story, the animation it’s all amazing. It really takes me into a ‘whole new world’. The voice acting is fantastic. Robin Williams is just perfect, he makes this movie.

Just a wonderful time.

41020
4
Another great film by Villeneuve. His direction is brilliant, the places he places the camera are just perfect. The combination of the direction and great soundtrack makes for a very intense experience. The cinematography by Deakins looks awesome.

41022
4
Something about this whole film feels very homemade. Really authentic performances. Very emotional with a ton of heart.

41023
2.5+
Huh? What? This must be how a normie film-goer feels when they watch Eraserhead. I might get it more on a re-watch but I don't know.

41025
4
It's hard to describe the type of atmosphere this film has, it's kind of a dark, wet and gloomy atmosphere that's helped by the camera quality and the cinematography. It has some very effective scares. The ending felt like a bit of a cop-out, but maybe this was the first time people in Hollywood did this kind of ending.

41026
3.5
The plot's pretty interesting, and I think the film got a laugh or two out of me. De Niro gives one of his best performances here. The last 30 seconds are absolutely amazing, I'm surprised more people aren't analyzing it. I might raise the rating to 4 on a re-watch.

41028
4-
The plot of the film almost feels like a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, which is really cool. The two Oscar winning performances were brilliant (When the little girl was crying it looked and sounded 100% real holy frick!). The soundtrack is almost perfect.

41029
3.5
Stupid fun. You really need to watch these types of films every now and again, or you'll get kinda depressed.

Camo

02-01-18, 11:22 AM

A Serious Man is possibly the Coen's best film and is a top three favourite of mine, hope you get more out of it in future rewatches. The King of Comedy is my second favourite Scorsese after Taxi Driver, glad you liked it.

Saunch

02-01-18, 11:52 AM

No matter how often I watch it, I’m always thrown off by how seamlessly A Serious Man goes from banal to outright apocalyptic. I love it.

Ultraviolence

02-01-18, 02:58 PM

January Watches:

01. A Bittersweet Life (Kim Jee-woon, 2005) rating_5
09. Love Exposure (Sion Sono, 2008) rating_5

Two great films!! :):up:
Nice to see you liked both of them as much as I did!

Monkeypunch

02-01-18, 06:50 PM

The Shape of Water - This film is a masterpiece. A sort of Beauty and the Beast for adults. A mute cleaning lady falls in love with an amphibian-like creature who's being held captive and tortured in a government lab during the cold war. Great acting all around, especially the lead actress and Michael Shannon as the main antagonist. Beautifully written, shot, and scored. This is the best movie of 2017. Should win every oscar....5

donniedarko

02-03-18, 04:30 AM

\
41023
2.5+
Huh? What? This must be how a normie film-goer feels when they watch Eraserhead. I might get it more on a re-watch but I don't know.
.

It is an ambigous film, but I don't think it's nearly as surreal or tense as Eraserhead

Very odd indeed I gave it 3+ but I could see it becoming one of my favorites once i dig through the meaning. Fascinating first scene

HashtagBrownies

02-03-18, 06:23 AM

Fascinating first scene

I think the Coen's said that it doesn't have any deep meaning, they only put it in to set the tone of the film.

donniedarko

02-03-18, 07:06 PM

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GUvj8LFuhFY/WOI6xKTG64I/AAAAAAAA9uU/fBIOoYH89e09IMuZOt6QtzV7NKLRETLSQCLcB/s1600/IT4.gif

Recent Watches (Ranked):
RV: Silence of the Lambs (Demme, 1991)- 4 (-.5)
RV: The Godfather (Coppola, 1972)- 4 (=)
RV: Full Metal Jacket (Kubrick, 1987)- 3.5++ (=)
RV: Taxi Driver (Scorsese, 1976)- 3+ (+.5)
Moonlight (Jenkins, 2016)- 3+
It (Muschietti, 2017)- 3
Seven Psychpaths (McDonagh,2012)- 3-
Suicide Squad (Ayer,2016)- 1.5

RV= Repeat viewing. (+/-) is change in rating

Moonlight (Jenkins, 2016)
https://static.wixstatic.com/media/48c5c9_aa076d06871d4c709c5d2d4fadffaa8d~mv2.gif
Moonlight is a 3 phase depiction of the development of gay, socially awkward, black teenager Chiron- in an impoverished, urban Miami setting. The films story and setting naturally are a meditation stemming from the director and writer, Jenkins, background. However the films central point can be applied to all walks of life. The underlying questions of the film come from personal identity, how much we create to fit in with our environment and how much is an unchangeable nature. In the first phase of the film (I. Little) Chrirons presumed gay identity is challenged by his mother, but beyond that at a young age it's apparent that he must make personal decisions on how to present himself to fit into his environment. His newly found drug pushing father figure, Juan tells him "at one point you gotta decide for yourself who you want to be". His best friend "Kev" questions why he always lets the other kids pick on him, and asserts that he has to show himself as hard. However by chapter III of the film, when it seems Chiron finally takes these pieces of advice to heart, Kev once again challenges him by asking "Who are you?". Jenkins creates an extremely humanist piece with Moonlight- it's clear that Jaun and Kevin also have conflicts in identity. Between putting on a hard facade or sticking to their kind nature- both of them successfully balance both without losing themselves but being able to fit into their environment. On the contrary whether in adolescence, youth, or as an adult Chiron was never able to find a balance in the two. How much a person is the mask they wear and how much of their identity just comes from natural character is a central question of the film.

This film reminds me quite a bit the 2011 independent picture Pariah focusing on a lesbian, black teenager struggling with sexual expression in her conservative household. Both have similar raw screenplays that create extremely realistic, non-sensationalist, films. However while Moonlight has several dramatic scenes between Chiron and his mom, the questions of identity center around the relationships one build, by choice or not, within the setting they're raised in. The most dramatic and touching scenes of the film for me however were those when a young Chiron begins questioning why his mom acts the way she does, and is forced to realize that she's a drug addict. Why Jenkins makes this such a great humanist piece is he never depicts the mother as evil or the sole cause of the troubles, but it's an honest depiction of her as well. She's a sick woman, completely out of control of her actions. Doesn't excuse anything but explains everything. I can't say whether this film is deserving of the best picture or not, I haven't seen much of the competition including La La Land. I will say this film has many points to accolade including the cinematography and screenplay. A film about a niche struggle for the artists life but that has themes and meanings that apply to many.

3+

Silence of the Lambs (Demme, 1991)
https://images.moviepilot.com/images/c_limit,q_auto:good,w_600/hif5e86tubbktvyrcqz2/the-best-quotes-from-the-silence-of-the-lambs-credit-orion-pictures.jpg

I nominated this film for the HoF partially to motivate myself to watch it again, I consider horrors one of the least rewatchable genres. When I first saw this film I found it one of the most disturbing films ever, I've probably watched a fair 50-70 films since then that make this look soft, however there are still scenes here that are hard to shake. Whether it's the visually foul autopsy or the disturbing quotes from Dr. Lecter in his visits with Foster- the film plays on many types of scares. The classic scene I find one of the greatest in horror history has to be "Puts the lotion on its skin" scene. Plays not only on the creepiness and perversion of Buffalo Bill but the fear of being trapped in a well looking up at this twisted man.

Foster is spectacular in her role, subtle in her acting but always clear in how we should interpret her inner feelings. Never noticed how much this film played on the unwanted male advances in the work place, but this sub-issue was glaringly obvious. Another point of discomfort Demme throws in this film. Hopkins is of course masterful in playing the condescending psychopath Hannibal Lecter. Also relies more on calm oddities than over acting. I will say the first half hour felt rather hokey this time around, very 90s Hollywood, in a way that has a charm in itself. Once the original meeting with Lecter is over the film is anything but hokey however- playing on the deepest fears of man utilizing the sickest minds that exist in humanity.

4
(-.5)

Mr Minio

02-06-18, 02:48 PM

Recycled from my r/TrueFilm post:

Galaxy of Terror (1981) - ★★★

http://www.ljplus.ru/img4/0/4/04_/gt14D.gif

A wonderful piece of cosmic cheese, a bastardized version of Alien, Galaxy of Terror is by no means a masterpiece, nor the peak of kitsch, but a justly enjoyable experience just the same. A special shout-out for the scene in which a naked woman is all covered in alien spunk. Controversial opinion: Better than Alien.

The Text of Life (1974) - ★★★½

https://i.imgur.com/CsZ9rv2.jpg

This may be one of Brakhage's most demanding, mainly due to its length. It's one thing to sit through some blinking lights when the whole thing is no longer than 5 minutes, and a wholly different thing, when it clocks at more than an hour. Besides, unlike Dog Star Man, this is 100% abstract, and you can't really try to notice any shapes, or forms at all. That is any recognizable ones. This one is much slower than, say, Black Ice, or Dante's Quartet that contain hundreds of images edited at a neck-breaking speed, as the "shots" here are much longer and consist mainly of different reflections of light. Some of them are really beautiful, possibly even enhanced by the low quality VHS copy I watched.

Duvidha (1973) - ★★★★

https://78.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m7stxjmyKo1qlzsfyo1_500.gif

In India the colour of mourning is white.

Finally gotten around to watching a Parallel Cinema film other than Satyajit Ray's, and also my first Mani Kaul at that. The film feels like a precautionary fairy tale directed at married women, although I may be entirely wrong in interpreting it. Visually, the film feels like a more ascetic, stripped-down The Color of Pomegranates, and quite honestly, its minimalist myth-like story seemed to weigh it down a little bit. I think it would work better as a totally story-free poetic cinema. Looking forward to more Kaul.

Antigone (1992) - ★★★★

http://www.ziegler-film.com/uploads/tx_e27zfp/Antigone-img655.jpg

Yet another film of the acclaimed duo. Perhaps only Straub and Huillet give these "ancient" tragedies any justice, faithfully holding to the text. This style however, has also its obvious shortcomings. It's uncompromising, not flashy in the least, and very novellistically prolix. Even though filled with speech up to the nines, I can't remember any films other than those of Straub-Huillet, where we see sunbeams slowly appearing on actor's face, unveiing the movement of heavenly bodies as the only measure of time. Quite an awe-inspiring thing that should be practised by more filmmakers. The story of Antigone is so far the only story Straub-Huillet directed that I've known before, and the execution is superb with true Greek chorus, the actors reciting as if they were genuine Greeks (even though they speak German), and the overall feel of theatre BUT alfresco, amongst the nature. The framing is impeccable as well. Straub and Huillet are true masters of composition. A great, great, great film, albeit one that's not entirely right up my alley.

From the Clouds of the Resistance (1979) - ★★★★

https://www.tabakalera.eu/sites/default/files/styles/width800/public/actividades/2017/01/dalla_nube_alla_resistenza_straub_huillet.jpg?itok=NWGgYpQz

One of the most acclaimed of Straub-Huillet, a mix between Too Early / Too Late and something like The Death of Empedocles, is a film in two distinctive parts. The first one takes place in antiquity and features a couple of vignettes of some historical and mythical characters conversing about various subjects. The second takes place (I think) right after Word War II and talks about some Communists. Lovely that some longer parts feature no dialogue at all, what a relief after these long conversations. Still, not enough of these non-verbal interludes. It's not surprising Straub-Huillet smuggle Communist ideas/ideology even in their films taking place in ancient times, but here, especially in part two, they're no longer hiding it, and are very open about it. Leftists were so prominent in cinema in the 60s and 70s...

Pirosmani (1969) - ★★★★½

https://pxhst.co/avaxhome/5b/2f/00342f5b_medium.jpeg

It's incredible how much sense of space this film has, especially given it's a biography of a primitive painter. Rather than trying to emulate Pirosmani's painting style (quite honestly, though, only an animation could do it any justice), the film invents its own visual language, a style most prominent painters would not be ashamed of. As a biography, it's as far from glorifying as possible, showing a rather fallen, unhappy person that struggles to get by, not just in the world of art, but also in the world where you have to eat to survive. At times willingfully refusing the help of others, Pirosmani lived like a pauper in the last couple years of his life, to be recognized as a great artist only after his death. This film's simplicity and inner beauty won my heart.

The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (1975) - ★★★★½

https://i.imgur.com/GZ0QvQf.gif

A Norwegian box-office hit that sold 5.5 million tickets in a country whose population was not even 5 million. Apparently there's a lot of resemblance between this and Phantom Menace's race scenes. The film itself is enchanting! What a heart-warming story! The two bird characters are absolutely adorable, and the stop-motion puppetry nothing short of impressive. Towards the end of the film I could not hold my tears anymore and started crying, moved not by the sadness, but the happiness, goodness and honesty.

Moments choisis des histoire(s) du cinéma (2004) - ★★★★½

http://www.medienkunstnetz.de/assets/img/data/2158/bild.jpg

A "best of" Godard's most ambitious effort - Histoire(s) du cinéma. As a compilation of the 5 hours long film, it works great, as it reminded me how and why the full version is a total masterpiece. It made me increase its rating to full 5 stars, while also rating this one a 4.5. As some guy on RYM said, "our whole history should be told like that".

Here Godard talks about what cinema is:

" [...] With cinema it is something else. It is life. Nothing new, but hard to talk about. Tough enough to live and die it, but to talk about it... There are books. But cinema isn't books. Just music and painting which can be lived but not really talked about. So cinema, you see now, what to say about it. Life is the subject. Cinemascope and color its attributes, if we are broad-minded. Life, a beginning of life like Euclid's parallel lines, is a beginning of geometry. There have been other lives, will be others: a broken blossom, hunted lions, the silence of a hotel in Sweden. Others' lives are unsettling. The life itself I'd like to blow out of proportion to make it admired or reduced to its basic elements for students and Earth dwellers in general and spectators in particular. The life itself I'd like to hold prisoner by means of pans of nature, fixed shots of death, long and short takes, loud and soft sounds, free or enslaved actors and actresses - but life thrashes about worse than Nanook's fish, slips away like Monica's memories in the Red Desert around Milan. All is eclipsed, and it so happens that the only big problem in cinema is where and why to start a shot and where and why to end it."

A genius.

Velvet

02-06-18, 05:02 PM

mouchette 2
adaptation 0.5
big lebowski 1.5
hall pass 0.5
oldboy 2
a serious man 1
bernie 1.5

havent been able to watch much of what I want

Mr Minio

02-07-18, 01:29 AM

havent been able to watch much of what I want Hateful rating system. :(

Ultraviolence

02-07-18, 07:30 AM

Mr Minio, you wizard!
I was planning to use stars like this for rating in my next post in this thread :o

Yam12

02-07-18, 03:56 PM

Recycled from my r/TrueFilm

Minio's on Reddit eh? I think he'll love r/movies

Swan

02-07-18, 05:58 PM

Minio's on Reddit eh? I think he'll love r/movies

Not as good as r/TrueFilm! Where literally every poster is just Minio with a different username!

Mr Minio

02-08-18, 02:40 AM

Not as good as r/TrueFilm! Where literally every poster is just Minio with a different username! Last time I checked there were no Michael Rosen videos or kinky innuendos posted.

Iroquois

02-11-18, 05:43 AM

Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2017) - 4

PTA delivers the goods once again with this delightfully twisted blend of extremely-mannered comedy, romantic drama, and haute couture. Maybe my favourite of this year's Best Picture nominees.

Paddington (Paul King, 2014) - 3.5

An absurdly charming little movie that never gets too saccharine for its own good as it introduces the eponymous bear as he goes on comical adventures through the hustle and bustle of modern London that have enough creativity and quality to make them significantly good instead of merely passable.

Paddington 2 (Paul King, 2017) - 3.5

Doesn't quite live up to the hype, if only because seeing it almost immediately after the first one meant that I definitely knew what to expect from a sequel. That being said, I can't fault it for managing to not only keep everything that made the first one special but also tweak certain qualities for the better (most notably when it comes to developing a new antagonist).

Supersonic (Mat Whitecross, 2016) - 1.5

I do wonder how much of this rating can be blamed on the fact that I can barely stand Oasis in the first place and thus did not relish the prospect of watching a two-hour documentary about them, but even then I suppose it deserves some credit for pulling a similar mixing of old visuals and new audio that Asif Kapaida did in Amy (though the issue being that that film at least had a tragic element to it whereas it's hard for the Gallagher brothers to engender that same level of sympathy).

New Jack City (Mario Van Peebles, 1991) - 3

Always different, always the same. What could have been another passable tale of boys in the hood with An Important Message about the War On Drugs becomes something else between Van Peebles' vibrant grindhouse-like direction and an ensemble of actors who go hard all the time. Not great, but I can't say I was ever bored.

Decasia: The State of Decay (Bill Morrison, 2002) - 3

After being so pleased with Dawson City: Frozen Time, I couldn't help but be a little disappointed with Morrison's most famous work using damaged silent films not as part of a conventional documentary but instead as visual accompaniment for a cacophonous symphony.

Final Cut: Ladies & Gentlemen (György Pálfi, 2012) - 2

A brief but seemingly interminable series of cinematic supercuts that follow an archetypal boy-meets-girl storyline - meet-cutes, big kisses, betrayals, etc. all coalesce in a maelstrom of images culled from hundreds of films (and Twin Peaks, apparently). Wish I could say it was as good as I make it sound.

Wild Bill (Walter Hill, 1995) - 2

I'm starting to get the impression that Walter Hill isn't really a director with too many masterpieces in him - I'm certainly not getting much out of any film he's done after, say, Streets of Fire. It certainly doesn't help that I'm coming to his tale of the eponymous cowboy after having already seen it so masterfully handled in Deadwood (which, in fairness, Hill did have a hand in), but there are enough of Hill's better touches at work that I ultimately don't hate it.

The Ballad of Narayama (Shohei Imamura, 1983) - 4

A Palme d'Or-winning tale of a rural Japanese village where archaic traditions and the cruel indifference of the natural world cause the locals to behave horribly towards one another and sometimes themselves. Incredibly transfixing and horrifying.

Thief (Michael Mann, 1981) - 4.5

At once an extremely archetypal one-last-job movie and yet so remarkably possessed by verve and panache that its structural simplicity ultimately doesn't matter. Hard-boiled performances, immaculately-structured setpieces, and aesthetic flourishes make for a film that could very well topple Heat for my favourite Mann (which is definitely no small feat).

Monkeypunch

02-11-18, 03:43 PM

Panic in Year Zero! - What the heck IS this movie? A family man (Ray Milland) takes his wife and kids on a fishing trip when WWIII breaks out and a nuclear blast levels Los Angeles. The family then goes full bonkers survivalist almost immediately. Lots of (offscreen) raping and (surprisingly graphic for the times) killing and paranoia ensue until the film's anti-climactic non-ending. It also has a confusing cool jazz soundtrack that doesn't belong in the movie, and Frankie Avalon for some reason...I don't even know what to make of it, but it's strangely watchable. I can't go any higher than 2.5 though. It's as problematic as Red Dawn was in the 1980's. Is the film condoning or condemning this behaviour? I really can't tell.

Alex95

02-11-18, 09:30 PM

The other movie tab was getting so large that many dial-up members were complaining that they quit frequenting the thread due to the length it took to load. So I'm making this new one and closing the old.

Post away!
the last movie i watched was the invisible guest

Alex95

02-11-18, 09:30 PM

Alex95

02-11-18, 09:31 PM

re93animator

02-12-18, 06:34 PM

Scream of Stone (1991) – 2.5
It drags quite a bit, and none of the characters are as unusually fascinating as many of Herzog’s others, but the landscapes are the dominant focus, and they’re milked for all they’re worth.

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942) – 3.5
A pretty unexciting plot hoisted up by a few distinct personalities and great dialogue.

Splash (1984) – 3
Easy to watch, formulaic, dumb fun. The impending one-liners are predictable, but still get a few chuckles out of me.

The Hitchhiker (1953) – 3
An entertaining thriller with less campy affectations than I expected (still quite a few though), a ton of sandy grit, and a notable villain.

TokeZa

02-13-18, 03:12 PM

http://deeperintomovies.net/journal/image10/decasia1.jpg

Decasia (2002) by Bill Morrison 4

Juliet of the Spirits (1965) by Federico Fellini 3.5

About Elly (2009) by Asghar Farhadi 3+

Twin Peaks (1990-1991) by David Lynch 4+

http://alexkittle.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/onibaba1.jpg

Onibaba (1964) by Kaneto Shindô 3.5

The Florida Project (2017) by Sean Baker 3

Nights of Cabiria (1957) by Federico Fellini 3+

https://rowereviews.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/3/2/12321416/6244348_orig.png

Murmur of the Heart (1971) by Louis Malle 4.5

Tristana (1970) by Luis Buñuel 4+

Damnation (1988) by Béla Tarr 4.5

High School (1968) by Frederick Wiseman 3.5+

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/524fc875e4b05c977ba53361/t/57231bed9f72660cf97b3a7d/1461918715638/LO?format=500w

Los Olvidados (1950) by Luis Buñuel 3.5

The Nile Hilton Incident (2017) by Tarik Saleh 3+

The Scarlet Empress (1934) by Josef von Sternberg 3.5

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) by David Lynch 3

https://silentlondon.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/the-goddess-1934.jpg?w=1200

The Goddess (1934) by Yonggang Wu 4

Husbands and Wives (1992) by Woody Allen 4

DAVID JAXX

02-13-18, 07:15 PM

Just watched Roman Holiday DVD. (13th Feb) :cool: I think that the often televised chocolate ad confused me because it seems to blur two films. An animated Audrey Hepburn is on a bus dressed the way she is in Roman Holiday singing Moon River with an Italian in an army cap in a car. You make think this is all Roman Holiday, but she in fact sings the song in Breakfast at Tiffany's. So two films combined. A version of the ad on YouTube shows the Italian without a cap. Also, Roman Holiday is in black and white- the commercial promising to the confused colour. Well... I liked the DVD, anyway.

HashtagBrownies

02-14-18, 07:36 AM

Seen in February Pt.1

41694
3
Eh, it was pretty boring and uninteresting. I found it very hard to care for the characters. Considering this was the butchered film, the original cut would probably be way better.

41695
4
Damn, this is pretty funny. The performances from everyone are very good. The film’s satire on the generic American films was genius, the ‘fatties’ trailer could totally pass off as a real trailer. I love how the film went into territory’s no film would ever go (Robert Downy doing blackface, jokes about the mentally disabled etc.).

41696
4
Pretty emotional. The film's tone is a little confused, some parts it wants to be Green Room and other parts it wants to be a generic ITV crime drama. The poster advertises itself as an exploitation rape and revenge films from the 70's and punk rock is scored to some very brutal moments. The ITV crime drama bits take up a chunk of the last act, it's pretty annoying but not experience ruining. The main character is very interesting, the man who performs him does it fantastically.

If the film was less 'Midsomer Murders' and more 'Last House on the Left' I'd like it alot more.

41697
4
Sure it’s Oscar-Bait, but it’s good Oscar-Bait. Tom Hanks gives a very believable performance. The plot is directed and written to make it as interestingly as possible. The montage showing how the newspapers were produced was super cool.

41698
4
Great story. I enjoyed all the scenes revolving around Desmond’s real-life incident’s. Garfield gives a fantastic performance. I liked the interviews at the end.

My only problem with the film was the second-half of the second act (The two battle scenes before the rescue). The CGI in them is absolutely horrible, some of the worst I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen knock-off Disney movies with better CGI. Gibson shot the battle scenes in a very eventful, exciting way, which heavily downplay’s the pacifist message of the film. I enjoyed the good parts of the film too much to give it a lower rating.

41699
4.5
Re-watch
Man, this film is fantastic. Despite Kevin being the title character, it's more of a character study on Swinton's character. All of the actors play their parts excellently, possibly helped by Ramsay's excellent direction. The non-linear structure really works for the film, it allows you to keep on guessing as to what happened.

Some people don't like how a deep red colour is evident in almost every scene. I think it's really clever actually. Eva is plagued with the thoughts of the incident and her influence on Kevin. When the tomatoes are thrown at her house it's almost impossible for her to get the red colour off, a la Lady Macbeth can't wipe the blood from her hands, like she can't wipe her misdeeds from her subconscious (Out, damned spot! Out!).

I think re-watching the film was a great idea. I noticed some very subtle things that I didn't notice on my first watch. The first time Kevin is happy around Eva is when she's reading the story of Robin Hood to him, a man known for his bow and arrow.

41700
4
Brilliant. Everyone in the film gives an absolutely fantastic performance. You really get to love the characters and want to see them succeed.

41701
4
Super funny. John Cleese is a master when it comes to reforming comedy, his scenes never failed to gain a laugh out of me. The plot of the film is intricate but easy to follow. I noticed that the film was directed by the same guy who directed the golf segment in Dead of Night, interesting bit of trivia there.

41702
4
Loads of fun. I absolutely adored all the meta and fourth wall jokes, considering I don’t particularly like superhero movies. Reynolds performances was brilliant. The plot of the film was great.

41703
3.5
I enjoyed it. There were lots of stupid moments (I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs at the plane scene). I didn’t like how violent shots were edited out to get a PG-13 rating. I don’t know what the original plot of the film was but I’d say it was better without all the re-writes. I’ll definitely check out the book.

Chypmunk

02-15-18, 07:01 AM

February (pt i):

4
Pygmalion (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030637/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Anthony Asquith & Leslie Howard, 1938)
The War Zone (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0141974/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Tim Roth, 1999)

3.5+
Song For A Raggy Boy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339707/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Aisling Walsh, 2003)

3.5
The Beloved Rogue (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0017667/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Alan Crosland, 1927)
The Scarlet Pimpernel (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025748/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_14) (Harold Young, 1934)
What Doesn't Kill You (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1133991/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Brian Goodman, 2008)

3+
Blonde Ice (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041187/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Jack Bernhard, 1948)
Chained (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1989475/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Jennifer Lynch, 2012)
Craig's Wife (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027474/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Dorothy Arzner, 1936)
Topaze (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024684/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) (Harry d'Abbadie d'Arrast, 1933)

3
Of Human Bondage (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025586/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (John Cromwell, 1934)
One Rainy Afternoon (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028062/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Rowland V. Lee, 1936)
Orlando (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107756/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Sally Potter, 1992)
Pet Sematary (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098084/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Mary Lambert, 1989)
The Affairs Of Cellini (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024816/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Gregory La Cava, 1934)
The Boys From County Clare (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337631/?ref_=nv_sr_7) aka The Boys & Girl From County Clare (John Irvin, 2003)

2.5+
Death Machine (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109575/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Stephen Norrington, 1994)
Nattlek (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060740/?ref_=nv_sr_2) [Night Games] (Mai Zetterling, 1966)
The Bat Whispers (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020668/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Roland West, 1930)

2.5
Notorious But Nice (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024394/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Richard Thorpe, 1933)

2
Unbroken (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1809398/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Angelina Jolie, 2014)

1.5+
Missing Girls (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027974/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Phil Rosen 1936)

Mr Minio

02-15-18, 01:42 PM

Ma vie de courgette [My Life as a Courgette] (2016) - 4.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/15a20a72b079402ebbc269fd47a7b294/tumblr_opcwlfsEOS1qknuxro1_500.gif

I don't know if I just happened to watch two animations that made me cry in a row, or if I'm just a crybaby. Wait, aren't they the same thing? Either way, this is yet another great animation film. It's very touching, and has many wonderfully beautiful scenes, as well as some heart-warming ones. Its simplicity is its greatest strength as it allows to focus on film's main theme without any distractions. The film handles a very serious, depressing subject matter and does it with ease and impressive sincerity.

Les yeux ne veulent pas en tout temps se fermer ou Peut-être qu'un jour Rome se permettra de choisir à son tour [Othon] (1970) - 3

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BhV-mkBQw5A/WQbPsCiKhKI/AAAAAAAAK8c/bWlYfkw606gK0sgQLY3g9Kad_-hu1PzMgCK4B/s1600/othon.jpg

Forget how I said previous Straub-Huillete films were prolix. This one beats them to death and is one of the wordiest films I've ever seen. One character literally spits out words like a machine gun, and others are not far behind. Sure, the framing is good, and it's interesting to see Ancient Romans in a contemporary city, but hell, can't you shut up for a minute? The whole S-H filmography can be summed up by: "Why must one talk? Often one shouldn't talk, but live in silence. The more one talks, the less the words mean.”. And I say this fully aware of the fact Godard loved their films. Even though I never find their films masterpieces (maybe with the exception of Too Early / Too Late), and often am irritated by how declamationial they are, something's making me watch S-H films, and I'm still intrigued to see more.

スーパーＧＵＮレディワニ分署 [Super Gun Lady: Police Branch 82] (1979) - 4

https://assets.mubi.com/images/film/148973/image-w1280.jpg?1450142474

After having seen two first installments of Angel Guts series, both directed by Chusei Sone, I was happy to find out this little gem was directed by the guy as well. It's much superior to his other two I saw. Brutal and unrelenting, with a great bank robbery finale.

天使のはらわた　名美 [Angel Guts: Nami] (1979) - 3.5

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A different director, Ishii writes the screenplay again, and... a triumph! The best in the series so far. The story felt bigger and more complex than in the other two, even though I don't think it really was. More twisted than kinky, and it unfolds better than you'd expect from the "female journalist gets interested in rape" premise. The ending is a little bit meh, hence not 4 stars.

銀蝶渡り鳥 [Wandering Ginza Butterfly] (1971) - 4

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A billiards duel tribute to The Hustler and what a great massacre at the end - Meiko Kaji in white kimono with a katana - a prelude to Lady Snowblood. Surprisingly not too sleazy, but quite cheap, and that makes it even better! Meiko is lovely as always.

The Offence (1972) - 4.5

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Sean Connery's best performance! I love how well Lumet directs his actors. The film is talky, but never boring, or fatiguing. The theme of discovering your inner darker self may not be too original, but the execution is so mind-boggling and strong, the film deserves the highest praise.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) - 3.5

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A pretty murky topic executed in a B-movie way with pretty wooden acting (that's a compliment), and cool rubber special effects. Not as shocking as it could be, but still quite a shockfest for uninitiated in this kind of cinema.

Mark of the Vampire (1935) - 3.5

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After the legendary Dracula, Tod Browning and Bela Lugosi return after four years with another vampire film. Thought to be an unofficial remake of London after Midnight, a lost silent horror film with Lon Chaney, Mark of the Vampire is a solid horror with hints of comedy, as well as an unexpected twist towards the end.

Phantom (1922) - 3.5

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Made right after the film that made Murnau widely-recognized, Nosferatu, Phantom, despite its title, is not a horror film. It's a movie about a man's fatal infatuation with a woman whose mirrored image he eventually finds and becomes the slave of, which leads him to ruin. Thea von Harbou's screenplay isn't the strongest point of the film. I was quite disappointed with it, especially given she's written some of the best screenplays in all silent cinema. The source, a book, may be the cuplrit. Even though a lesser Murnau, it's still great to see how the director handles the story and tries to squeeze out as much as he can using double exposiition and various hues of tinting.

Psy II: Ostatnia krew [Pigs II: The Last Blood] (1994) - 2.5

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A sequel to a Polish classic which I also found a mediocre film. Ms. M don't kill me, please! It starts off promising with a cheesy, matchstick box shooting duel. Sadly, it goes downhill from there. Still watchable, but nothing worth talking about.

আগন্তুক [The Stranger] (1991) - 4

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Satyajit Ray's Swan song (see what I did here?) is a talky film, but also one that's pretty to look at. The use of colour in interiors (especially at the beginning of the film) reminds me of Yasujiro Ozu's late colour films. The film's main theme is identity (although it has more themes than that). I think it carries a very powerful message, just like the eponymous stranger says (rephrased): "What is a passport, if not just a picture of a person with his name under it? In reality it tells you nothnig about the person. It takes time to get to know a person.". Two scenes in the film are especially striking: the tribal dance when Anila joins the people of the village, and the finale.

Mr Minio

02-15-18, 01:42 PM

Le film est déjà commencé ? [Has the Film Already Started?] (1951) - 5

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"Cinema is dead, and if it isn't, we must destroy it." - Mr Minio

Has the Film Already Started? is (after Isou's Venom and Eternity) yet another masterpiece of Lettrist cinema, that despite its obscurity seems to have inspired many, from Godard to Brakhage. Just like Joyce destroyed and rebuilt literature, Lettrists first set out to introduce the world to their vision of poetry with poems consisting of sounds, syllabes, and alphabets (both existing and made up ones), that were not to be understood, but taken the way they are. With the combination of pronouncing both the actual letters as well as mouth farts, rhythmic incantations, and indistinguishable mumblings, they created a new language, made of such letters (hence their name - Lettrists).

After poetry, they set out to strike another art - cinema. As Isou says through the mouth of Danielle in Venom and Eternity: "This bloated pig [cinema] will soon explode". Of course, he, as well as other auteurs of Lettrist cinema, knew their films will be scandalous, so he remarks in the second part of the film: "Your hissing and your booing make no impression on me, because from Victor Hugo's "Ernani" to Bunel's "The Age of Gold," Cannes Grand Prize winner, everything I have loved has always been hissed and booed at first. At the premiere of "The Age of Gold" the angry audience broke the theatre seats. What worse can happen to me, and how can that affect me? The seats do not belong to me". Not just expecting such reactions, but rather encouraging them was Lemaitre in Has the Film Already Started?. He took cinema to its extremes, merging it with other arts, setting up provocations, and extending the film through the screen, onto the whole screening room and beyond.

It originally premiered in 1951 in Paris, and was one giant artistic provocation, a weird mix of avant-garde cinema and avant-garde performance. Colloquially speaking, Maurice Lemaitre might've been the first cinema troll. He would advertise the film beginning at 8:30, but the theatre wouldn't open until one hour later. The audience waiting outside the theatre was literally asssaulted by ice water buckets and carpet dust coming from apartment windows above the cinema. He would play Griffith's Intolerance, the ending of some random Western film, hang various objects like hats to cover the screen, set up a quarrel between the director and projectionist, which resulted in the latter tearing apart the film stock. While all of this was taking place, the voices of people shouting insults at the film were heard from the film's score. Before any member of the audience even thought about raging against the whole thing, paid actors hidden amongst the audience had already done it. Lemaitre succeeded. Chaos reigned. Cinema was destroyed.

But among all this juvenile goading, there is the film itself. Almost marginalized, set up merely as an ignition, an instrument of controversy. This invites the viewer to look at it solely through the prism of cheap provocationism, but seen as a single film, without all the controversy that surrounded its premiere, one finds it's not without its merits. Let me elaborate.

The problem with cinema in the 40s and at the beginning of 50s was that it was stale. Sure, there were experimental films since the birth of cinema, but the mainstream was more or less always the same. Silent cinema was different, because it didn't rely on dialogue. It conveyed its message through visuals and intertitles. Then came talkies that initially froze the development of camera movement. Dilettantes might say (and they actually did!) that sound annihilated cinema, but that's not entirely true. Yes, many early talkies were overreliant on the new invention, but many great directors (Lang, Pabst etc.) quickly adopted and mastered it. But cinema did need change. And this change did indeed come and revolutionized the way we look at film. It was the French New Wave, and other Waves all around the world, that did it. Many claim French writers for Cahiers du cinema were the first. But what about Lettrists? Those, who arguably influenced them.

Lettrists were right that cinema needed change, but one could accuse them of taking an arguably odd way of turning it into a radio play. Isou said: "Radio through television becomes a species of Cinema. Why shouldn't Cinema, in turn, become a species of radio?". He tried to destroy its visual aspect: "From the point of view of photography, I'll smite the picture with sun rays. I'll take old stock shots and scratch them; I'll claw at them so that unknown beauty sees the light of day. I shall sculpt flowers upon the film stock.". He tried to totally dismantle all elements of cinema.

Lemaitre's Has the Film Already Started? is perhaps even more avant-garde than Venom and Eternity. It has moments of unadulterated visual beauty. Shot (although this might not be the best choice of words) in both black and white and colour, but narrated almost non-stop, it can be considered an early (extreme) essay film. A frame by frame inscription in hand writing that was just like those at the end of some Brakhage films, or various numbers appearing at the screen bring to mind intertitles built of words and numbers used by Godard, see: chapter numbers in Masculin, Feminin, but these are only two possible influences the film had on other filmmakers.
Ç̶̬͎̈̀̓̀̿͠ḯ̴̧̡̲̖̠̥̠̇̊̈́̏̊̊̑̃͂̄̕ͅn̷̢̢̞͕̬̻̼͓̜͍̣̤͔͈̋́͛ͅe̷̻̥̞̿̆m̷̬͎̖̠͚̲̤̱͔͓̝̀͂͑̽ą̴͈͉̟̞͈̭̯̪͉̞̏͊͋̾̎͐ ̶̯͙͔̣̙͈̠̳̻̈͊͒̈ǐ̶͍̬̤́̈́͗̍̈́͗̍̐̈́͝s̶̡̢̝͙̻͈̘͍̟̤̞͉̫̩̊͊̓̿͆̇̑̉̈̋͐̽͐̂̚͜ ̶̛̣̮̩̩̈́͗̏̑̽͛͂̀̔̉̂̚͝͝d̷̨̯̦̲̦̭̜̭̗̉̈́̓͑͒͑e̴͎̣̺̻̺̋̽͘a̵̜̔͘ͅd̷̡̧̠͕͍̯͂́͑̊͌́̎͆̃̚̚͘͝,̴̼͈̮̻̲͙̣͍̳͙̮̜̯̱́̈́̄̐ ̶͔̳̟̈́̍̀å̵͎͌̀͂͊̊͐̅͘ń̶͖̩̤̟̲̮̳̹̟̹̭͇̂̒̈́͗̋͗̌d̴̡̧͉̗͎̤̥̭͔̘̲̤̯̲̽͊̎̂͝ ̵̡̛͉̍͗̇̅͛͛̈́̋̉̚͜͠ͅi̸̛̥͕̇̊͂̅̌͗͌̿͗́̚̕̕͝ͅf̴̡̝̺̟͍̗͚͎̭̣͚̿̋̒̓̇̆́͒͠ ̴̛̪̠̦͕̪̰͉̩̟̗͈̝͒̈̎̊̂͂͜͝͠ì̸͎͍͎̬̲̮͎̣̖̓̈͠ţ̴̰̦̯͉̤̯̱̩̱̘̳͉̇̾̆̂̊ ̶̬̙̌i̸̡̨̢͉͈͎̻̜̩̮͔̭̱̿͠s̷̛̛͖̣̭̠̝̘͗̿̿̇͂͋̋͊̀̇̿ń̷̢̳͙͉͖͈͕̞̠͇̓͐͆́̆͠'̵̖͓̒͋̿̒̀͘͠t̴̖̜̦̻̮̱͒̅̊̂̆,̸͎̟̩̰̓͗ͅ ̷̨͕̦̭̪͎̦͈̠̙̦̖̎͋̿̅̈́̀̾̈̀̄̐̍̔͘͜͝w̵͉̩̅̈́͗̔̊̊́͐̍͑̕͝ė̶̛̞̖̙̙̻̈̓͂̍̂̆̄͒̚ͅ ̷̛̞̺̗͔͓̙͉̟͓̯̜̹̬̩̥͐̓̅̐̑͘m̸̡̪̫̤̹̮͕̠̤̳̏͊̆͑̀͑̈͠͝ų̴̖̳̮͚͎̻̎̎̍s̵̠̞̙̠͓͈̃̊t̸̗͇̮̩͂̅͋̊̾͝ ̴̖͕̪̓̿̊̇͋͊
d̴̙̘͈̦̯̳͕̤̺̼͇̜̕e̶̡̹̟̫̗̩̖͉̖̝̘̣͔̥͛̆͋́̽̋͜s̶͇͔̱̫̥̱͙͕̞̹̍̂͗̄͂̒̐̽͂́̅̒̊̕͝ͅt̴̖̫̩͉͉̞͆͑̄̏͑͆̓̚ͅr̶̙̫̤̗̬͂͗̽͒͛͋̉͗̏͘ ̗̲̦ỡ̵̗͎̼̮͈͉͚̟̮̺͙̱͔͛͊̔͑̒̕͠ŷ̵̧̡̯̪͕̫̻́̌̀̉̄̈́̃͗́ ̴̭̻̬̪̍̄͒̉̿į̴͎̰̪̍̒̄̉́́̇͗̀t̵̫̰̣̟͖̗̪͇͂̅̏̈͆̚͝͠Ç̶̬͎̈̀̓̀̿͠ḯ̴̧̡̲̖̠̥̠̇̊̈́̏̊̊̑̃͂̄̕ͅn̷̢̢̞͕̬̻̼͓̜͍̣̤͔͈̋́͛ͅe̷̿̆ ̻̥̞m̷̬͎̖̠͚̲̤̱͔͓̝̀͂͑̽ą̴͈͉̟̞͈̭̯̪͉̞̏͊͋̾̎͐ ̶̯͙͔̣̙͈̠̳̻̈͊͒̈ǐ̶͍̬̤́̈́͗̍̈́͗̍̐̈́͝s̶̡̢̝͙̻͈̘͍̟̤̞͉̫̩̊͊̓̿͆̇̑̉̈̋͐̽͐̂̚͜ ̶̛̣̮̩̩̈́͗̏̑̽͛͂̀̔̉̂̚͝͝d̷̨̯̦̲̦̭̜̭̗̉̈́̓͑͒͑e̴͎̣̺̻̺̋̽͘a̵̜̔͘ͅd̷̡̧̠͕͍̯͂́͑̊͌́̎͆̃̚̚͘͝,̴̼͈̮̻̲͙̣͍̳͙̮̜̯̱́̈́̄̐ ̶͔̳̟̈́̍̀å̵͎͌̀͂͊̊͐̅͘ń̶͖̩̤̟̲̮̳̹̟̹̭͇̂̒̈́͗̋͗̌d̴̡̧͉̗͎̤̥̭͔̘̲̤̯̲̽͊̎̂͝ ̵̡̛͉̍͗̇̅͛͛̈́̋̉̚͜͠ͅi̸̛̥͕̇̊͂̅̌͗͌̿͗́̚̕̕͝ͅf̴̡̝̺̟͍̗͚͎̭̣͚̿̋̒̓̇̆́͒͠ ̴̛̪̠̦͕̪̰͉̩̟̗͈̝͒̈̎̊̂͂͜͝͠ì̸͎͍͎̬̲̮͎̣̖̓̈͠ţ̴̰̦̯͉̤̯̱̩̱̘̳͉̇̾̆̂̊ ̶̬̙̌i̸̡̨̢͉͈͎̻̜̩̮͔̭̱̿͠s̷̛̛͖̣̭̠̝̘͗̿̿̇͂͋̋͊̀̇̿ń̷̢̳͙͉͖͈͕̞̠͇̓͐͆́̆͠'̵̖͓̒͋̿̒̀͘͠t̴̖̜̦̻̮̱͒̅̊̂̆,̸͎̟̩̰̓͗ͅ ̷̨͕̦̭̪͎̦͈̠̙̦̖̎͋̿̅̈́̀̾̈̀̄̐̍̔͘͜͝w̵͉̩̅̈́͗̔̊̊́͐̍͑̕͝ė̶̛̞̖̙̙̻̈̓͂̍̂̆̄͒̚ͅ ̷̛̞̺̗͔͓̙͉̟͓̯̜̹̬̩̥͐̓̅̐̑͘m̸̡̪̫̤̹̮͕̠̤̳̏͊̆͑̀͑̈͠͝ų̴̖̳̮͚͎̻̎̎̍s̵̠̞̙̠͓͈̃̊t̸̗͇̮̩͂̅͋̊̾͝ ̴̧̖͕̪̓̿̊̇͋͊d̴̙̘͈̦̯̳͕̤̺̼͇̜̕e̶̡̹̟̫̗̩̖͉̖̝̘̣͔̥͛̆͋́̽̋͜s̶͇͔̱̫̥̱͙͕̞̹̍̂͗̄͂̒̐̽͂́̅̒̊̕͝ͅt̴̖̫̩͉͉̞͆͑̄̏͑͆̓̚ͅr̶͂͗̽͒ ̙̫̤̗̬̗̲̦͛͋̉͗̏͘ỡ̵̗͎̼̮͈͉͚̟̮̺͙̱͔͛͊̔͑̒̕͠ŷ̵̧̡̯̪͕̫̻́̌̀̉̄̈́̃͗́ ̴̭̻̬̪̍̄͒̉̿į̴͎̰̪̍̒̄̉́́̇͗̀t̵̫̰̣̟͖̗̪͇͂̅̏̈͆̚͝͠Ç̶̬͎̈̀̓̀̿͠ḯ̴̧̡̲̖̠̥̠̇̊̈́̏̊̊̑̃͂̄̕ͅn̷̢̢̞͕̬̻̼͓̜͍̣̤͔͈̋́͛ͅe̷̿̆ ̻̥̞m̷̬͎̖̠͚̲̤̱͔͓̝̀͂͑̽ą̴͈͉̟̞͈̭̯̪͉̞̏͊͋̾̎͐ ̶̯͙͔̣̙͈̠̳̻̈͊͒̈ǐ̶͍̬̤́̈́͗̍̈́͗̍̐̈́͝s̶̡̢̝͙̻͈̘͍̟̤̞͉̫̩̊͊̓̿͆̇̑̉̈̋͐̽͐̂̚͜ ̶̛̣̮̩̩̈́͗̏̑̽͛͂̀̔̉̂̚͝͝d̷̨̯̦̲̦̭̜̭̗̉̈́̓͑͒͑e̴͎̣̺̻̺̋̽͘a̵̜̔͘ͅd̷̡̧̠͕͍̯͂́͑̊͌́̎͆̃̚̚͘͝,̴̼͈̮̻̲͙̣͍̳͙̮̜̯̱́̈́̄̐ ̶͔̳̟̈́̍̀å̵͎͌̀͂͊̊͐̅͘ń̶͖̩̤̟̲̮̳̹̟̹̭͇̂̒̈́͗̋͗̌d̴̡̧͉̗͎̤̥̭͔̘̲̤̯̲̽͊̎̂͝ ̵̡̛͉̍͗̇̅͛͛̈́̋̉̚͜͠ͅi̸̛̥͕̇̊͂̅̌͗͌̿͗́̚̕̕͝ͅf̴̡̝̺̟͍̗͚͎̭̣͚̿̋̒̓̇̆́͒͠ ̴̛̪̠̦͕̪̰͉̩̟̗͈̝͒̈̎̊̂͂͜͝͠ì̸͎͍͎̬̲̮͎̣̖̓̈͠ţ̴̰̦̯͉̤̯̱̩̱̘̳͉̇̾̆̂̊ ̶̬̙̌i̸̡̨̢͉͈͎̻̜̩̮͔̭̱̿͠s̷̛̛͖̣̭̠̝̘͗̿̿̇͂͋̋͊̀̇̿ń̷̢̳͙͉͖͈͕̞̠͇̓͐͆́̆͠'̵̖͓̒͋̿̒̀͘͠t̴̖̜̦̻̮̱͒̅̊̂̆,̸͎̟̩̰̓͗ͅ ̷̨͕̦̭̪͎̦͈̠̙̦̖̎͋̿̅̈́̀̾̈̀̄̐̍̔͘͜͝w̵͉̩̅̈́͗̔̊̊́͐̍͑̕͝ė̶̛̞̖̙̙̻̈̓͂̍̂̆̄͒̚ͅ ̷̛̞̺̗͔͓̙͉̟͓̯̜̹̬̩̥͐̓̅̐̑͘m̸̡̪̫̤̹̮͕̠̤̳̏͊̆͑̀͑̈͠͝ų̴̖̳̮͚͎̻̎̎̍s̵̠̞̙̠͓͈̃̊t̸̗͇̮̩͂̅͋̊̾͝ ̴̧̖͕̪̓̿̊̇͋͊d̴̙̘͈̦̯̳͕̤̺̼͇̜̕e̶̡̹̟̫̗̩̖͉̖̝̘̣͔̥͛̆͋́̽̋͜s̶͇͔̱̫̥̱͙͕̞̹̍̂͗̄͂̒̐̽͂́̅̒̊̕͝ͅt̴̖̫̩͉͉̞͆͑̄̏͑͆̓̚ͅr̶͂͗̽͒ ̙̫̤̗̬̗̲̦͛͋̉͗̏͘d̴̙̘͈̦̯̳͕̤̺̼͇̜̕e̶̡̹̟̫̗̩̖͉̖̝̘̣͔̥͛̆͋́̽̋͜s̶͇͔̱̫̥̱͙͕̞̹̍̂͗̄͂̒̐̽͂́̅̒̊̕͝ͅt̴̖̫̩͉͉̞͆͑̄̏͑͆̓̚ͅr̶͂ ̙̫̤̗̬̗̲̦͗̽͒͛͋̉͗̏͘ỡ̵̗͎̼̮͈͉͚̟̮̺͙̱͔͛͊̔͑̒̕͠ŷ̵̧̡̯̪͕̫̻́̌̀̉̄̈́̃͗́ ̴̭̻̬̪̍̄͒̉̿į̴͎̰̪̍̒̄̉́́̇͗̀t̵̫̰̣̟͖̗̪͇͂̅̏̈͆̚͝͠Ç̶̬͎̈̀̓̀̿͠ḯ̴̧̡̲̖̠̥̠̇̊̈́̏̊̊̑̃͂̄̕ͅn̷̢̢̞͕̬̻̼͓̜͍̣̤͔͈̋́͛ͅe̷̿̆ ̻̥̞m̷̬͎̖̠͚̲̤̱͔͓̝̀͂͑̽ą̴͈͉̟̞͈̭̯̪͉̞̏͊͋̾̎͐ ̶̯͙͔̣̙͈̠̳̻̈͊͒̈ǐ̶͍̬̤́̈́͗̍̈́͗̍̐̈́͝s̶̡̢̝͙̻͈̘͍̟̤̞͉̫̩̊͊̓̿͆̇̑̉̈̋͐̽͐̂̚͜ ̶̛̣̮̩̩̈́͗̏̑̽͛͂̀̔̉̂̚͝͝d̷̨̯̦̲̦̭̜̭̗̉̈́̓͑͒͑e̴͎̣̺̻̺̋̽͘a̵̜̔͘ͅd̷̡̧̠͕͍̯͂́͑̊͌́̎͆̃̚̚͘͝,̴̼͈̮̻̲͙̣͍̳͙̮̜̯̱́̈́̄̐ ̶͔̳̟̈́̍̀å̵͎͌̀͂͊̊͐̅͘ń̶͖̩̤̟̲̮̳̹̟̹̭͇̂̒̈́͗̋͗̌d̴̡̧͉̗͎̤̥̭͔̘̲̤̯̲̽͊̎̂͝ ̵̡̛͉̍͗̇̅͛͛̈́̋̉̚͜͠ͅi̸̛̥͕̇̊͂̅̌͗͌̿͗́̚̕̕͝ͅf̴̡̝̺̟͍̗͚͎̭̣͚̿̋̒̓̇̆́͒͠ ̴̛̪̠̦͕̪̰͉̩̟̗͈̝͒̈̎̊̂͂͜͝͠ì̸͎͍͎̬̲̮͎̣̖̓̈͠ţ̴̰̦̯͉̤̯̱̩̱̘̳͉̇̾̆̂̊ ̶̬̙̌i̸̡̨̢͉͈͎̻̜̩̮͔̭̱̿͠s̷̛̛͖̣̭̠̝̘͗̿̿̇͂͋̋͊̀̇̿ń̷̢̳͙͉͖͈͕̞̠͇̓͐͆́̆͠'̵̖͓̒͋̿̒̀͘͠t̴̖̜̦̻̮̱͒̅̊̂̆,̸͎̟̩̰̓͗ͅ ̷̨͕̦̭̪͎̦͈̠̙̦̖̎͋̿̅̈́̀̾̈̀̄̐̍̔͘͜͝w̵͉̩̅̈́͗̔̊̊́͐̍͑̕͝ė̶̛̞̖̙̙̻̈̓͂̍̂̆̄͒̚ͅ ̷̛̞̺̗͔͓̙͉̟͓̯̜̹̬̩̥͐̓̅̐̑͘m̸̡̪̫̤̹̮͕̠̤̳̏͊̆͑̀͑̈͠͝ų̴̖̳̮͚͎̻̎̎̍s̵̠̞̙̠͓͈̃̊t̸̗͇̮̩͂̅͋̊̾͝ ̴̧̖͕̪̓̿̊̇͋͊d̴̙̘͈̦̯̳͕̤̺̼͇̜̕e̶̡̹̟̫̗̩̖͉̖̝̘̣͔̥͛̆͋́̽̋͜s̶͇͔̱̫̥̱͙͕̞̹̍̂͗̄͂̒̐̽͂́̅̒̊̕͝ͅt̴̖̫̩͉͉̞͆͑̄̏͑͆̓̚ͅr̶͂͗̽͒ ̙̫̤̗̬̗̲̦͛͋̉͗̏͘ỡ̵̗͎̼̮͈͉͚̟̮̺͙̱͔͛͊̔͑̒̕͠ŷ̵̧̡̯̪͕̫̻́̌̀̉̄̈́̃͗́ ̴̭̻̬̪̍̄͒̉̿į̴͎̰̪̍̒̄̉́́̇͗̀t̵̫̰̣̟͖̗̪͇͂̅̏̈͆̚͝͠Ç̶̬͎̈̀̓̀̿͠ḯ̴̧̡̲̖̠̥̠̇̊̈́̏̊̊̑̃͂̄̕ͅn̷̢̢̞͕̬̻̼͓̜͍̣̤͔͈̋́͛ͅe̷̿̆ ̻̥̞m̷̬͎̖̠͚̲̤̱͔͓̝̀͂͑̽ą̴͈͉̟̞͈̭̯̪͉̞̏͊͋̾̎͐ ̶̯͙͔̣̙͈̠̳̻̈͊͒̈ǐ̶͍̬̤́̈́͗̍̈́͗̍̐̈́͝s̶̡̢̝͙̻͈̘͍̟̤̞͉̫̩̊͊̓̿͆̇̑̉̈̋͐̽͐̂̚͜ ̶̛̣̮̩̩̈́͗̏̑̽͛͂̀̔̉̂̚͝͝d̷̨̯̦̲̦̭̜̭̗̉̈́̓͑͒͑e̴͎̣̺̻̺̋̽͘a̵̜̔͘ͅd̷̡̧̠͕͍̯͂́͑̊͌́̎͆̃̚̚͘͝,̴̼͈̮̻̲͙̣͍̳͙̮̜̯̱́̈́̄̐ ̶͔̳̟̈́̍̀å̵͎͌̀͂͊̊͐̅͘ń̶͖̩̤̟̲̮̳̹̟̹̭͇̂̒̈́͗̋͗̌d̴̡̧͉̗͎̤̥̭͔̘̲̤̯̲̽͊̎̂͝ ̵̡̛͉̍͗̇̅͛͛̈́̋̉̚͜͠ͅi̸̛̥͕̇̊͂̅̌͗͌̿͗́̚̕̕͝ͅf̴̡̝̺̟͍̗͚͎̭̣͚̿̋̒̓̇̆́͒͠ ̴̛̪̠̦͕̪̰͉̩̟̗͈̝͒̈̎̊̂͂͜͝͠ì̸͎͍͎̬̲̮͎̣̖̓̈͠ţ̴̰̦̯͉̤̯̱̩̱̘̳͉̇̾̆̂̊ ̶̬̙̌i̸̡̨̢͉͈͎̻̜̩̮͔̭̱̿͠s̷̛̛͖̣̭̠̝̘͗̿̿̇͂͋̋͊̀̇̿ń̷̢̳͙͉͖͈͕̞̠͇̓͐͆́̆͠'̵̖͓̒͋̿̒̀͘͠t̴̖̜̦̻̮̱͒̅̊̂̆,̸͎̟̩̰̓͗ͅ ̷̨͕̦̭̪͎̦͈̠̙̦̖̎͋̿̅̈́̀̾̈̀̄̐̍̔͘͜͝w̵͉̩̅̈́͗̔̊̊́͐̍͑̕͝ė̶̛̞̖̙̙̻̈̓͂̍̂̆̄͒̚ͅ ̷̛̞̺̗͔͓̙͉̟͓̯̜̹̬̩̥͐̓̅̐̑͘m̸̡̪̫̤̹̮͕̠̤̳̏͊̆͑̀͑̈͠͝ų̴̖̳̮͚͎̻̎̎̍s̵̠̞̙̠͓͈̃̊t̸̗͇̮̩͂̅͋̊̾͝ ̴̧̖͕̪̓̿̊̇͋͊d̴̙̘͈̦̯̳͕̤̺̼͇̜̕e̶̡̹̟̫̗̩̖͉̖̝̘̣͔̥͛̆͋́̽̋͜s̶͇͔̱̫̥̱͙͕̞̹̍̂͗̄͂̒̐̽͂́̅̒̊̕͝ͅt̴̖̫̩͉͉̞͆͑̄̏͑͆̓̚ͅr̶͂͗̽͒ ̙̫̤̗̬̗̲̦͛͋̉͗̏͘

Ms. M

02-16-18, 08:28 AM

Psy II: Ostatnia krew [Pigs II: The Last Blood] (1994) - rating_2_5

A sequel to a Polish classic which I also found a mediocre film. @Ms. M (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=96627) don't kill me, please! It starts off promising with a cheesy, matchstick box shooting duel. Sadly, it goes downhill from there. Still watchable, but nothing worth talking about.

I won't, I haven't seen first nor second part:shifty:
Why international title is Pigs? Bizzare. Don't you think?

Mr Minio

02-16-18, 12:05 PM

Why international title is Pigs? Bizzare. Don't you think?

"Police - pigs
Back in 1809, Sir Robert Peel entered the House of Commons in London - he developed a passion for Sandy Back pigs found in Ireland and began to breed them in Tamworth. Soon, these pigs were known as Tamworth pigs. Pig slang was commonplace in Tamworth because of this, it was in 1829 that the relation to police came into it.
Politicians were concerned about the way London was policed and Sir Robert Peel changed things - his changes resulted in the formation of the Metropolitan Police. This is why police are referred to as 'Bobbies' or 'Peelers'; they were Bobby's boys...
Due to the pig nature that Tamworth had become, the police suffered the same fate as other Tamworth products did: They became related to pigs.

Starting in August 1968 and for a number of years afterwards, police officers were called pigs by young people, the disenchanted and even the media. This came about when a group who called themselves the Yippies, protested near the 1968 National Democratic Convention in Chicago. They had a small pig as their presidential candidate, and when police disrupted their demonstration, they started to call the police pigs. The expression caught on. Years later, the radical leaders of the Yippies became mainstream and calling police "pigs" drifted into the past

just two reasons i found on the internet. there will be loads more though"

Ms. M

02-17-18, 06:07 PM

Why international title is Pigs? Bizzare. Don't you think?

"Police - pigs
"
Wow! I didnt expect such a advanced reply. Thanks:)

Iroquois

02-17-18, 11:16 PM

Sudden Death (Peter Hyams, 1995) - 2.5

I think a lot of how much I like a given JCVD movie will hinge on how weird it gets while letting the Muscles from Brussels do his thing and, while this Die-Hard-at-a-hockey-game certainly has its moments (the mascot fight being the obvious highlight), it's ultimately a rather pedestrian affair.

The Savages (Tamara Jenkins, 2007) - 3

A somewhat average mid-'00s American indie about bickering siblings who both happen to be dissatisfied academics that does have an edge thanks to some solid work from both Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman.

UHF (Jay Levey, 1989) - 2.5

Much like True Stories in that it sees a musician I like try his hand at translating his off-beat musical sensibilities into a feature film to middling results. A key difference is that Weird Al's humour is a lot broader and more juvenile than David Byrne's art-school weirdness so the big problem is that the movie never stops feeling like it's trying too hard to make me laugh and, while that doesn't mean I hate it, it just makes for a mildly depressing experience.

Kicking and Screaming (Noah Baumbach, 1995) - 1

I don't often use the word "painful" to describe the experience of watching a movie but oh my damn was this so awful that I could've sworn it was making me feel physical hurt (and I say that as someone who's seen a few other Baumbach works and thinks he's generally OK-ish).

She's Gotta Have It (Spike Lee, 1986) - 3.5

Lee's energetic debut feature is not only a solid piece of work in its own right but it also makes for a welcome reminder that I really need to get around to watching or re-watching his other films.

Suicide Kings (Peter O'Fallon, 1997) - 2

A decent enough high concept - a group of friends kidnap a crime boss in order to pay off some other kidnappers - gets given a rather clunky '90s American indie treatment that pulls in a few too many directions at once and is held together largely by Christopher Walken's turn as the boss in question.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (Paul W.S. Anderson, 2016) - 3

Original review found here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1644040-resident-evil-the-final-chapter.html). This plays a little better on a second viewing, though.

Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig, 2017) - 2.5

Coming-of-age movies in general seem really hard to get right, especially when they try to be as down-to-earth as this one does without sacrificing compelling narrative or characterisation in the process. As such, I don't think this one does particularly well at distinguishing itself in, well, any capacity.

The American President (Rob Reiner, 1995) - 2

Ehh, I haven't much cared for Sorkin's writing in general and this proto-West Wing romantic dramedy about a widowed President starting a romance with a lobbyist starts off promisingly but it doesn't make much use of that promise as it progresses.

Dracula Untold (Gary Shore, 2014) - 2

I can't tell if this particular attempt by Universal to start a shared universe is better or worse than Tom Cruise Meets The Mummy - maybe Dominic Cooper looking awfully brownface makes this one just a little bit worse - but this also has a fascinatingly bizarre excuse for a high-concept PG-13 blockbuster in making Vlad the Impaler a conflicted good guy who turns to vampirism so as to save his subjects (and family) from ruin. Halfway-watchable wasted potential, which is still far from the worst thing I've seen lately.

Captain Spaulding

02-18-18, 08:17 PM

January Viewings

https://i.imgur.com/qElo2KC.gif
Heavy Traffic (Ralph Bakshi, 1973) 3
The Petrified Forest (Archie Mayo, 1936) 3
Dave Chappelle: Equanimity (Stan Lathan, 2017) 3
Dave Chappelle: The Bird Revelation (Stan Lathan, 2017) 2.5
The Sword in the Stone (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1963) 2.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/151f31874c3d0232cef610213af7a890/tumblr_owhprahczV1rxjpb7o1_500.gif
Bound (The Wachowskis, 1996) 3
Kazaam (Paul Michael Glaser, 1996) 1.5
Down Periscope (David S. Ward, 1996) 2
Tokyo Tribe (Sion Sono, 2014) 3
Resident Evil (Paul W.S. Anderson, 2002) 3 [REWATCH]

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/26/bc/71/26bc71551eca4087c38f8480eff8853c.gif
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (Alexander Witt, 2004) 3 [REWATCH]
Resident Evil: Extinction (Russell Mulcahy, 2007) 2.5 [REWATCH]
Resident Evil: Afterlife (Paul W.S. Anderson, 2010) 2 [REWATCH]
Resident Evil: Retribution (Paul W.S. Anderson, 2012) 1.5
Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (Paul W.S. Anderson, 2016) 2

https://78.media.tumblr.com/c13383bb2e8639031f69cb0986523e5b/tumblr_okxilsdszw1tm2uuvo1_500.gif
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour, 2014) 3
The House (Andrew Jay Cohen, 2017) 1.5
Kong: Skull Island (Jordan Vogt-Roberts, 2017) 2.5
Predestination (Michael & Peter Spierig, 2014) 3.5
Molly's Game (Aaron Sorkin, 2017) 3

https://78.media.tumblr.com/f313088b39d2c8f67078941adcf08a9c/tumblr_os5rvtZ4WQ1s9ni9fo1_500.gif
Bus Stop (Joshua Logan, 1956) 2
House of Wax (Andre DeToth, 1953) 3
Fast Company (David Cronenberg, 1979) 2
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (John Huston, 1972) 4.5 [REWATCH]
Darkman II: The Return of Durant (Bradford May, 1995) 2

https://i.imgur.com/EtIBKvI.gif
The Last Dragon (Michael Schultz, 1985) 3
Wind River (Taylor Sheridan, 2017) 3
Freebie and the Bean (Richard Rush, 1974) 3.5
Private Parts (Paul Bartel, 1972) 2.5
Con Air (Simon West, 1997) 4 [REWATCH]

https://78.media.tumblr.com/f89b2778a239a0fca8f22793c22331ef/tumblr_ow5xtrTQ5J1toamj8o1_500.gif
The Brides of Dracula (Terence Fisher, 1960) 3
Safe in Hell (William A. Wellman, 1931) 2.5
City of Ember (Gil Kenan, 2008) 2.5
Treasure Planet (Ron Clements & John Musker, 2002) 2.5
Red Sonja (Richard Fleischer, 1985) 2.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/fc3d262d5095a1b2176b3b3d049d9b1b/tumblr_o2van8emlN1s01qkyo1_500.gif
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (Nathan Hertz, 1958) 2.5
American Mary (Jen & Sylvia Soska, 2012) 1.5
Dolores Claiborne (Taylor Hackford, 1995) 3.5
The Fox and the Hound (Ted Berman, Richard Rich & Art Stevens, 1981) 3 [REWATCH]
Outlander (Howard McCain, 2008) 2.5

Monthly Total: 40

Thoughts on a Few of the Films:

Heavy Traffic is the best I've seen from Bakshi. There's his usual obsession with animated anatomy (I lost count of how many boobs popped out of dresses) and the movie gleefully wallows in its own vulgarity. The movie also feels more personal and experimental than his other works, with its tale of a young, underground cartoonist both escaping and embracing the seedy characters and inner-city chaos of his neighborhood through animation and imagination. Equally amusing and disturbing at times, particularly in scenes that mix Tom and Jerry-style violence with domestic abuse and homophobia. Free-wheeling. Anarchic. Borderline offensive. A must-watch for fans of adult animation.

I'll never object to watching Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon play tonsil tag, but I wasn't really feeling Bound during its early, erotic-thriller stage. Gershon's performance consists entirely of pouting, and I found her constant butch posturing a tad ridiculous. That, along with the stilted dialogue, gave the film a certain artifice that kept me unengaged. Once the finger-banging ended and the noir aspect kicked in, however, I found the film much more compelling. Some of the tension relies a bit too much on dumb decision-making, but I can't really count that as a criticism since even smart people make bad decisions during stressful situations. Overall, Bound injects a routine noir plot with just enough freshness -- due more to the Wachowski's style and approach than the lesbian relationship -- to make it worthwhile. I'd love to see the Wachowskis take a break from big-budget sci-fi and direct something on a similarly small, intimate scale.

I watched Shaq's much maligned superhero movie, Steel, a few months back. Despite it being god-awful from every objective standpoint, I found myself entertained by its terrible acting and cheesy 90's charm. I was hoping for a similar result with Kazaam, but watching Shaq play a rapping genie who lives in a boom-box and tries to pacify some annoying, candy-obsessed brat with daddy issues and bad teeth is far more insufferable. Shaq's likability and the plot's befuddling barrage of what-the-f**ck-were-they-thinking kept me from outright hating this piece of sh*t. Plus I was weirdly amused by how accidentally racist and pedophiliac Kazaam feels, with the boy repeatedly emphasizing that he "owns" Shaq, along with scenes of Shaq stalking, sleeping and showering in front of an adolescent. I was going to label this scene (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=s1Fasz6_ibI") the nadir of rap, but after just re-watching it on YouTube, I'm thinking it might be the zenith instead. Somebody please buy me the soundtrack.

Tokyo Tribe is unlike anything I've seen. A hip-hop musical that's like a warped Japanese version of West Side Story involving Yakuza, human furniture, martial arts, gratuitous panty shots, fingers as cigars and a weird obsession with "small weenies." Playfully perverse. Bizarrely original. Although I'll admit that at times it felt like I was watching a 2-hour music video.

Being a fan of the games (especially the second one, which remains one of the best and scariest video games I've played), as well as a huge sucker for zombies (at least back before movies and TV shows ran them into the ground), I was stoked for the Resident Evil adaptation when it was first released, only to suffer crushing disappointment upon watching it. The movie was nothing like I'd envisioned and I hated that it took more of an action approach instead of focusing on the horror. Maybe my taste has devolved over the years, but my opinion of the first film improved greatly upon a recent re-watch. As a fun, schlocky, mindless action-horror, Resident Evil succeeds. The laser booby trap remains a memorable scene (although I wish the sequels didn't return to that well ad nauseam). Whereas I used to roll my eyes at the ridiculousness of Milla Jovovich going all Jackie Chan on a zombie dog, I now find myself wearing a goofy grin during those same sequences. Even the heavily dated CGI now carries a nostalgic charm. Apocalypse is also entertaining and contains the best action of the series, while resembling the video games more than the others. (I could watch Jill Valentine headshot motherf**kers in her tube top and short shorts on an endless loop.) As for the later sequels, I'm not a fan of the heavy shift toward science-fiction. The plots get increasingly silly with the introduction of telekinesis and armies of clones, and it feels like Paul W.S. Anderson keeps changing his mind on the direction of the series in between each contrived cliffhanger and its follow-up. I especially hated Retribution, with its cheap re-integration of past characters and its confusing clusterf**k of a simulated plot. The influence of Mad Max: Fury Road is immediately noticeable in The Final Chapter, and the movie gets off to a decent start, despite the action being edited to the point of near incomprehension, but eventually the film succumbs to its own stupidity. By the fourth entry, my initial goodwill toward the series was already extinguished.

The Girl Walks Home Alone at Night looks fantastic with its stylish, crisp, black-and-white cinematography, and its Iranian setting (even though it's filmed in California) sets it apart from typical vampire fare, but I personally didn't think the film had much to offer beyond its aesthetic. The brooding tone becomes a bit overkill after awhile. There's also a smug pretentiousness to the film that turned me off.

Bus Stop features the most obnoxious character I've ever seen, as Don Murray's caveman in a cowboy hat whoops and hollers like a hound in heat for the entire length of the movie. His insufferable overacting was nominated for an Academy Award, which flabbergasts me and gives me yet another reason not to take the Oscars seriously. Marilyn Monroe also gives a lackluster performance, mostly due to her botched attempt at a Texas accent, but her sex appeal and screen presence still light up the screen. The plot is presented as a romantic-comedy, even though the events sound like something from Fatal Attraction, with Murray's character stalking, harassing and repeatedly forcing himself on Monroe despite her futile attempts at escape. Very dated.

The Last Dragon is blaxploitation with a black belt. Part MTV. Part Bruce Lee. Very fun if you're into 80's cheese. Also highly quotable ("Kiss my Converse!"). After seeing her in this and a few other things, I'm starting to think Vanity might've been the hottest woman on the planet during the mid-80's -- although her kidnapping subplot involving a video arcade mogul and his wannabe Cyndi Lauper girlfriend is easily my least favorite part of the movie. Sho'nuff, the Shogun of Harlem, deserved much more screen time.

I'd be shocked if Freebie and the Bean didn't provide a sizable spark of inspiration for Shane Black's career, since this 70's buddy-cop action-comedy feels like an early prototype for The Nice Guys and other similar films. Alan Arkin (with a full head of hair!) and James Caan make an excellent duo, constantly busting each other balls when they're not crashing their car through apartment buildings and going all Gunfight at the OK Corral in bowling alley bathrooms. The dialogue is consistently amusing, even when it's loaded with racial epithets. Cars crunch gloriously in numerous exciting and dangerous chase scenes. The plot is secondary since the movie's propulsion relies on the chemistry between Arkin and Caan. My favorite first-time viewing from January.

Mr Minio

02-19-18, 03:22 PM

Chantal D., star (1968) - 4

Took more than 300 screencaps from this and decided to turn them into a film of its own. The film became a mini version of the actual movie!

https://thumbs.gfycat.com/InfiniteElectricArmedcrab-mobile.mp4

Mingusings

02-19-18, 03:46 PM

On the Beach Alone at Night (Sang-soo Hong, 2017): 3_5
Thelma (Joachim Trier, 2017): 2_5
The Post (Steven Spielberg, 2017): 2_5
Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976): 4_5
The Color of Money (Martin Scorsese, 1986): 2_5
When a Woman Ascends the Stairs (Mikio Naruse, 1960): 2
Vanishing Point (Richard C. Sarafian, 1971): 1_5
All the Jazz (Bob Fosse, 1979): 2_5
The Skin I Live In (Pedro Almodovar, 2011): 3_5
East of Eden (Elia Kazan, 1955): 2_5

Chypmunk

02-19-18, 04:05 PM

Captain Spaulding

02-21-18, 03:22 AM

Hi there Captain Spaulding, nice to see you fitting a good number of movie watches in :up:

I've seen a number of those in your latest viewing list and agree with the majority, about the only major difference is American Mary which I give a 3+ but I can fully understand anybody not really liking it at all. Glad your appreciation of the original Resident Evil has gone up, I've never played the video game(s) so never had any basis other than to accept it as it was and have always enjoyed it as a piece of futuristic action though I'm not so much a fan of others that I've seen in that franchise. Love the neo-noir tone of Bound and agree the aesthetic of A Girl Walks Home Alone is delightful but like you I also just found it a little lacking overall. Not seen Bus Stop for a number of years but even then it was looking rather dated.

Never even heard of The Last Dragon but it sounds like my sort of fun so I'll have to try and give it a look at some point so a special thanks for taking the time to expand on that one :up:

Gracias, señor. Although I'll have to step up my game quite a bit if I'm to keep up with your viewing numbers. :)

As for American Mary, I'm a little surprised by its mostly positive reception. I thought the premise had the potential to provide some great body horror, but with the exception of one or two scenes (most notably the limbless body on hooks), I found it rather lacking in that regard. I don't require gore in my horror films, but I think American Mary would've benefited from a little more splatter. The writing and acting was also rather poor, in my opinion. I never bought into the characters or their actions or their world. I also docked an extra half popcorn for that horrid ending. I can't say I'm much of a fan of Katharine Isabelle, either. I thought Emily Perkins was the MVP of the Ginger Snaps films, yet every time I read about those films, Isabelle is usually the one receiving the majority of praise.

The directors of American Mary are pretty hot, though. I'd gladly be the meat between their sandwich. :randy:

https://i.imgur.com/eCLDfQ0.jpg

Ultraviolence

02-21-18, 01:09 PM

https://i.imgur.com/eCLDfQ0.jpg

:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Iroquois

02-23-18, 07:21 AM

The Room (Tommy Wiseau, 2003) - 4.5

Huh, I only just re-watched this about two months ago and now here I am again. In any case, consider that rating to be sufficiently sincere.

Creed (Ryan Coogler, 2015) - 3.5

Definitely better than I had originally thought (not even gonna bother linking the initial review) - still not entirely sure about it being a modern classic but I found it much more solid this time around to the point where I'm seriously considering re-watching every Rocky and even looking forward to this one's sequel (which is a big deal considering that I don't give much of a damn about sports movies in general).

King of New York (Abel Ferrara, 1990) - 3

Speaking of "better than I remember", remember when I said this was one of the worst movies I'd ever seen? Now I've got the proper perspective to actually appreciate it a bit even if it does run over all sorts of familiar ground (and it definitely helps that I'm watching it on a decent-quality DVD instead of a run-down VHS tape because there are some eye-catching compositions in here).

Heathers (Michael Lehmann, 1988 - 5

Original review found here (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1440817-heathers.html). Needless to say, I really like this film.

The City of Lost Children (Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro, 1995) - 4

This blend of steampunk aesthetics and dark fairytale sensibilities is very much my kind of movie - it's certainly enough to make me think that I need to see more of Jeunet's work.

Black Panther (Ryan Coogler, 2018) - 3.5

Marvel's back at it again with a movie that goes deeper than most of their other installments (even though it is prone to quite a few of the more obvious flaws, a lot of which wouldn't have seemed so bad if this had come out ten movies ago) and ultimately ends up being not just one of the franchise's best but also works well enough as its own thing.

As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses Of Beauty (Jonas Mekas, 2000) - 3.5

Mekas turns a decade's worth of the home movies he shot obsessively across his lifetime into a sprawling five-hour ode to the joys of a life well-lived in the company of many loved ones across the world and back again. My main problem with the film is that it understandably feels too long (I was appreciating it at first but really started to feel the repetition after a couple of hours), yet I am still reluctant to say that it should've been shorter. It earns its length and yet it doesn't. A curious distinction, but then again life is curious so it fits...kind of. Hmm.

Super Dark Times (Kevin Phillips, 2017) - 2

Not sure what the fuss was about with this morbid little tale of small-town teenagers covering up a fatal accident. There are some appreciable attempts at building an unsettling atmosphere both in its depictions of adolescent toxicity and traumatic nightmares

Brawl in Cell Block 99 (S. Craig Zahler, 2017) - 3.5

Zahler lives up to the expectations set by Bone Tomahawk with another sadistically off-beat genre exercise that sees Vince Vaughn (in what may very well be his best role) slowly but surely descend into the hellish bowels of the American prison system in order to save his family. Strangely paced, idiosyncratically written, and above all relentless in its execution.

Six Shooter (Martin McDonagh, 2007) - 3

A short and simple debut from McDonagh that does a decent enough job of summing up his artistic sensibilities (for better and or worse). Definitely makes me want to re-watch In Bruges more than his last couple of features do, that's for sure.

Mr Minio

02-25-18, 12:06 PM

Orphans of the Storm (1921) - 3.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lgdqpbNv3N1qg3p22o1_500.gif

天使のはらわた赤い淫画 [Angel Guts: Red Porno] (1981) - 3.5

http://www.cutscenes.net/get_file/0/77293e97f76c9c36540b5011bee48ac5/4000/4132/screenshots/1.jpg/

তিতাস একটি নদীর নাম [A River Called Titas] (1973) - 3.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/8ab937b5b3bb388074f2fb0e986cf019/tumblr_n3wh62GLxj1qlzsfyo5_250.gif

Wodzirej [Top Dog] (1978) - 4.5

http://i.iplsc.com/jerzy-stuhr-w-filmie-wodzirej-fot-kinorp/0004AMDC2IFKNIOV-C122-F4.jpg

イド [ID] (2005) - 2.5

http://www.horror-extreme.com/Content/images/id/asian-horror-movies-id.jpg

Heima (2007) - 3.5

http://jaredmobarak.com/wp-content/filmstills/heima01.jpg

La tarantola dal ventre nero [The Black Belly of the Tarantula] (1971) - 3.5

http://cinemademerde.com/sites/default/files/styles/full_movie_image/public/movie_image/Black_Belly_Tarantula-sleepwcat.gif

Ludzie z pociągu [Night Train] (1961) - 4

http://www.cyfraplus.pl/ms_galeria/galeria/3135_1.jpg

Tylko umarły odpowie [Only the Dead Can Answer] (1969) - 3.5

https://naekranie.pl/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Tylko-umarły-odpowie-e1422637098700.jpg

Mega Python vs. Gatoroid (2011) - 2

http://humanechoes.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/vlcsnap-2011-11-10-23h02m42s61.jpg

उसकी रोते [Our Daily Bread] (1970) - 4

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ALKc5X4t6jQ/UwCx8S8u-WI/AAAAAAAAMsw/hspONlb36s8/s1600/Our+Daily+Bread+7.jpg

銀蝶渡り鳥　牝猫博奕 [Wandering Ginza: She-Cat Gambler] (1972) - 4

http://iv1.lisimg.com/image/1905982/688full-wandering-ginza-butterfly-2%3A-she--cat-gambler-screenshot.jpg

Dillinger è morto [Dillinger Is Dead] (1969) - 4

https://78.media.tumblr.com/ec282631f9caa2ea4897f6a8c4d0dbc4/tumblr_o8246nJdLz1ro2c2ro1_500.gif

Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960) - 3.5

http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/sites/bfi.org.uk.films-tv-people/files/styles/gallery_full/public/image/saturday-night-sunday-bfi-00m-fw3.jpg?itok=1XRWbbDT

Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan [Norte, the End of History] (2013) - 3.5

http://cinema-scope.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Norte_08.jpg

Wake in Fright (1971) - 3.5

https://www.sbs.com.au/movies/sites/sbs.com.au.film/files/styles/full/public/images/s/i/site_28_rand_317707071_wake_two_up_627.gif?itok=Hh46uUVx&mtime=1393416123

斬る [Kill!] (1968) - 4

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/stills/131705-5e4b2dd8942b2e24a17290758f171d0e/Film_313w_Kill_bw_original.jpg

ゆきゆきて、神軍 [The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On] (1987) - 4.5

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HQw6MaZ2-2M/UlWeLLRc_aI/AAAAAAAAFeU/TIIY-cUbG5k/s1600/Emperors+Naked+Army+01.jpg

If you don't agree with any of these ratings, we can move on to a discussion.

HashtagBrownies

02-26-18, 08:16 PM

Seen in February Pt.2

42290
5
A fantastic spectacle. I can never resist a play. The costumes and sets were total eye-candy. I love Edmondson in The Young Ones and Bottom, so seeing him in this was brilliant. It was interesting to see Luscombe’s interpretation of the gay relationships, he’s great at making the actors show sexual tension. The ending took a very dark tone, which I was not expecting. I absolutely adored all the song and dance numbers, there’s just something about posh men acting like children that’s so entertaining. The lines are delivered brilliantly. The physical comedy (And dirty jokes!) were the highlight of the whole thing, it never failed to make me laugh. The short film that accompanied the cinema broadcast was super interesting aswell.

42291
3
Very bizarre. I liked the soundtrack and imagery, but the lack of an obvious plot structure made the film very hard to enjoy. Not as good as Primer. I’m excited to see what Shane makes next.

42294
3.5+
Very enjoyable. The really fake effects made the film very charming. Everyone gave a believable performance. My only problem is that despite being labelled a comedy, there weren’t too many jokes.

42295
4
A fascinating study of gender. It was a good idea to adapt the book during the 90's, due to all the women's rights stuff that happened in the 60's. There's some wonderful set design and costumes and the soundtrack is absolutely beautiful (Though one track at the start sounded like something from a dungeon-crawler). The use of people playing roles of the opposite sex was a very cool stylistic choice, possibly inspired by the use of boy's in the roles of girls during plays during that time. The film splits itself up with different era's with different titles, it's a brilliant way of showing how views on women changed throughout time. The stark contrast between 1850 and modern times just shows how much we've changed within the last 100 years. Swinton gives a brilliant performance, she makes it very hard not to care for her character. Some people may not like the fantasy stuff,but I feel like it's the only possible way for the film's plot to work.

42296
My review: https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1870487-the-lady-from-shanghai.html

42297
4
A very interesting story, with some great performances and a brilliant ending. The soundtrack was no subtlety whatsoever though. I love how the film smoothly flows from the point of view from one character to another.

42302
3.5
This film seems more like a series oaf jokes lined together with a microscopic plot, not that that’s a bad thing or anything, but it leaves me very confused about the film’s message. Throughout the film I thought I was supposed to see Dangerfield as the bad buy and the granddad as the good guy, but at the end of the film it completely swaps that around and I am super confused.

42298
3.5
Predictable, but very funny and entertaining. Those lads don’t look 15 at all though.

42300
4+
An absolute marvel. I can’t respect the director enough for wanting to do the film entirely practical in the actual cold with little to no CGI, all filmmakers should aspire to be like him. I also respect all of the actors for going through these conditions and giving a brilliant performance.
The cinematography is just gorgeous. The direction in this film is absolutely jaw-dropping; There’s a lot of long shots, and the way Iñárritu shoots his scenes is almost exactly like how Cuarón shoots his trademark long shots. I don’t know what type of camera they used, but the one they used allowed to to see everything in the frame. This and the way the scenes are shot make the entire experience feel real, like you are actually there. Speaking of real, the little CGI used is flawless, that bear basically looks like a real bear. The fight scenes also feel real as well, you can almost feel the stabs and punches.

42301
4
Quite the wacky comedy. Lots of fun action with great comedy and very memorable characters. Maybe a bit too long.

cricket

02-28-18, 04:33 PM

February, 2018 movies watched-

The War Zone (1999) 4 British drama that is extremely upsetting.

Last Flag Flying (2017) 3- Pretty solid but nothing about it stands out.

American Made (2017) 3+ My kind of movie but not as good as it should have been.

Call Me By Your Name (2017) 3.5+ I didn't quite completely love it because I didn't feel anything.

Stronger (2017) 4.5 Personal unobjective rating although I do believe it's a terrific film.

Caligula (1979) 3 So over the top crazy that I enjoyed this mess of a movie.

Only the Brave (2017) 3.5+ True life adventure that becomes emotional.

Glory (1989) Repeat viewing 3.5+ A little too feel good for a war film but still a great story told well.

Ghosts of the Civil Dead (1988) 3 Bleak and brutal Australian prison drama.

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) 3.5- Haven't quite loved anything yet from the director, but I'm starting to think he's required viewing.

American Graffiti (2017) Repeat viewing 3.5 A solid movie that gives me a great feeling.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) Repeat viewing 3.5 A rare musical that I enjoy.

Phantom Thread (2017) 3.5 I raised my rating after thinking about it a bit.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) Repeat viewing 3.5 Great for Kinski and the on location filming.

Shallow Grave (1994) Repeat viewing 3+ Much better than my first viewing.

The Glass Castle (2017) 2.5- Not bad but comes off like a made for TV movie.

Diary of a Teenage Girl (2015) 3.5- A more explicit coming of age film that wasn't that far from being great.

American Assassin (2017) 3+ Entertaining action film with a fun performance from Michael Keaton.

L'Avventura (1960) Repeat viewing 2.5 Technically beautiful but I don't believe in the characters.

The Florida Project (2017) 3.5+ I love watching trashy people.

The Elephant Man (1980) Repeat viewing 3.5 I can't pick out any flaws but I only like it.

Rebecca (1940) Repeat viewing 4.5- I now think it's probably Hitchcock's best.

Dunkirk (2017) 3 It certainly has it's merits; I just wasn't completely involved.

Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) 3.5- A step down from the first but still plenty of fun.

Super Dark Times (2017) 3 Nothing new or special but I like these types of movies.

In the Mood for Love (2000) 3 Good film but not close to having enough emotional impact for me.

Total February viewings-26
Total 2018 viewings-59

Chypmunk

02-28-18, 05:37 PM

February (pt ii):

4.5
Near Dark (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093605/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Kathryn Bigelow, 1987)

4
Harlan County U.S.A. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074605/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Barbara Kopple, 1976)
Secrets & Lies (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117589/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Mike Leigh, 1996)
Suspiria (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076786/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Dario Argento, 1977)
The Fighter (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0964517/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (David O. Russell, 2010)

3.5+
Hardware (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099740/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Richard Stanley, 1990)
Hell's Angels (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020960/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Howard Hughes, Edmund Golding & James Whale, 1930)
Olympia 1. Teil - Fest der Völker (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030522/?ref_=nv_sr_4) [Olympia Pt 1: Festival Of Nations] (Leni Riefenstahl, 1938)

3.5
Gloria (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2425486/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_17) (Sebastián Lelio, 2013)
Il portiere di notte (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071910/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [The Night Porter] (Liliana Cavani, 1974)
Monster (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0340855/?ref_=nv_sr_3) (Patty Jenkins, 2003)
Olympia 2. Teil - Fest der Schönheit (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030523/?ref_=tt_rec_tt) [Olympia Pt 2: Festival Of Beauty] (Leni Riefenstahl, 1938)

3+
Diabolik (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062861/?ref_=nv_sr_1) aka Danger: Diabolik (Mario Bava, 1968)
Dark Journey (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028767/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) aka The Anxious Years (Victor Saville, 1937)
King Solomon's Mines (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029081/?ref_=fn_al_tt_4) (Robert Stevenson & Geoffrey Barkas, 1937)
Point Break (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102685/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Kathryn Bigelow, 1991)
Still Alice (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3316960/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Richard Glatzer & Wash Westmoreland, 2014)

3
Berkeley Square (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023794/?ref_=nv_sr_3) (Frank Lloyd, 1933)
Bridal Suite (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031120/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Wilhelm Thiele, 1939)
Shukujo wa nani o wasureta ka (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029557/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [What Did The Lady Forget?] (Yasujirô Ozu, 1937)
Ten Cents A Dance (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022469/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Lionel Barrymore & Edward Buzzell, 1931)
The Iron Lady (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1007029/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Phyllida Lloyd, 2011)

2.5+
Mamma Mia (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0795421/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Phyllida Lloyd, 2008)
Night World (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023271/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Hobart Henley, 1932)
The Lobster (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3464902/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2015)

2.5
Bullet Boy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0385568/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Saul Dibb, 2004)
Killing Ground (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4728386/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Damien Power, 2016)

2
Noah (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1959490/?ref_=nv_sr_3) (Darren Aronofsky, 2014)
The Hallow (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2474976/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Corin Hardy, 2015)
White Slaves Of Chinatown (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129598/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_12) aka Olga's White Slaves (Joseph P. Mawra, 1964)

1.5+
Olga's Girls (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058427/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_11) (Joseph P. Mawra, 1964)

1.5
Deadly Revenge (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3234196/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) (Michael Feifer, 2013)
The Future (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235170/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_3) (Miranda July, 2011)

1+
Wanderlust (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655460/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (David Wain, 2012)

0.5
Olga's House Of Shame (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126562/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_9) (Joseph P. Mawra, 1964)

HashtagBrownies

02-28-18, 10:16 PM

Seen in February Pt.3/3

42382
btw this poster is f*cking terrifying
4.5
A horror film that gives a complete crazy ride of emotions. The direction and writing is fantastic, everyone feels and acts like a real person. You genuinely feel like crying during the emotional scenes. Overall what I loved most about the film was the complete sense of isolation and terror , I really can’t put this feeling into words without describing scenes from the movie. The film does an amazing job at making you feel how alone everyone is in the film, it leaves you with no hope. Usually I would complain for a film being too dark in colour but for this film it makes total sense. I can see why some people thought it was boring and not scary, but it was the exact opposite for me. I’m excited to see Krisha by the same director.

Sorry if this seems a bit ranty, I just loved this so much!

42383
4
A delightfully devilish black comedy that’s brought together by two brilliant leads and a great script. It really started to lose my attention in the second half though.

42384
4
A brilliant dark drama. When going into it I thought it was gonna be about a weird religious cult, oh how wrong I was! Going into the film I also thought the title was meant to be ominous, but when I neared the end of the film I realised it was a summary of the film's plot and themes. Tore is a fantastic character (He's funny, cute and interesting) and the main focus of the film, his interactions with the family, is very entertaining. The romance between Tore and the girl is very cute and feels real. A flaw I had with the film was how they kept using the same stock crow sound effect over and over again. Do the filmmakers think we're too stupid to realise it?

For the first 1/2 of the film you're so used to the heavy but overall optimistic atmosphere you are completely thrown off when s*it goes from 10 to 10,000,000. One of my problems with the film was how one or two scenes near the end felt needlessly cruel, as in, it was trying so hard to mess with your emotions that it accidentally made a plot-hole.Throughout the film the wife character seemed fairly reluctant to the harming of Tore, but in the scene at the end she just goes full out with her lady friends. I don't get it.
My biggest flaw of the film however was the character motivations. The whole film revolves around the father character torturing Tore. This is awful, he must have a very interesting reason behind this. His reason: He stole some of his food and he's a pacifist. WTF THAT'S SO STUPID!!! If the father character is meant to be a sadist or psychopath they should've mentioned it because I didn't catch onto it at all
Overall this was a very intriguing and f*cked up experience.

Camo

03-01-18, 02:53 AM

February Watches:

35. Darkest Hour (Joe Wright, 2017) 1.5
36. Noroi: The Curse (Kôji Shiraishi, 2005) 3.5
37. I, Tonya (Craig Gillespie, 2017) 3
38. Noriko's Dinner Table (Sion Sono, 2005) 4
39. Los Olvidados (Luis Buñuel, 1950) 5
40. A New Leaf (Elaine May, 1971) 4.5+
41. Old Joy (Kelly Reichardt, 2006) 3-
42. A Fantastic Woman (Sebastián Lelio, 2017) 4
43. Punch Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2002) 4.5+
44. Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2017) 4.5+
45. Faces Places (Agnes Varda & JR, 2017) 4.5
46. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2017) 3.5
47. Super Dark Times (Kevin Phillips, 2017) 3.5-
48. Marie Antoinette (Sofia Coppola, 2006) 4.5
49. Nostalgia For The Light (Patricio Guzmán, 2010) 3.5
50. News From Home (Chantal Akerman, 1977) 3.5
51. [REC] (Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza, 2007) 3
52. Je, Tu, Il, Elle (Chantal Akerman, 1974) 4
53. The Blackcoat’s Daughter (Oz Perkins, 2015) 2
54. No Home Movie (Chantal Akerman, 2015) 5
55. Ouija: Origin of Evil (Mike Flanagan, 2016) 3.5-
56. Night of the Demon (Jacques Tourneur, 1957) 3.5
57. Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Chantal Akerman, 1975) 3
58. Braindead (Peter Jackson, 1992) 2.5+
59. The Headless Woman (Lucrecia Martel, 2008) 3
60. Annabelle (John R. Leonetti, 2014) 0.5
61. The Cloverfield Paradox (Julius Onah, 2018) 1.5
62. Rabid (David Cronenberg, 1977) 3
63. Streetwise (Martin Bell, 1984) 5
64. Trouble In Paradise (Ernst Lubitsch, 1932) 4+
65. Peeping Tom (Michael Powell, 1960) 4+
66. La Ciénaga (Lucrecia Martel, 2001) 3.5+

February Watches: 32
2018 Watches: 66

Favourite First Time Watch:

https://i.imgur.com/3o9TeFc.jpg

Mr Minio

03-01-18, 03:00 AM

54. No Home Movie (Chantal Akerman, 2015) rating_5 That's a very high rating. Especially given how you rated two other superior (in my opinion) Akerman films. Why exactly did you love it so much?

Ultraviolence

03-01-18, 09:56 AM

------Oscar 2018------
The Shape of Water (2017) [Guillermo del Toro] ★★
All the Money in the World (2017) [Ridley Scott] ★★
Phantom Thread (2017) [Paul Thomas Anderson] ★★★★
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) [Martin McDonagh] ★★½
Lady Bird (2017) [Greta Gerwig] ★
Mudbound (2017) [Dee Rees] ★★½
Dunkirk (2017) [Nolan] ★★★★
Get Out (2017) [Jordan Peele] ★★★½
The Post (2017) [Steven S.] ★★★
Darkest Hour (2017) [Joe Wright] ★★
Call Me by Your Name (2017) [Luca Guadagnino] ★★

The Square (2017) [Ruben Östlund]★★★★
Loveless (2017) ‘Нелюбовь’ [Andrey Zvyagintsev] ★★★★

------Others------
A Bay of Blood (1971) [Mario Bava] ★★★
Murder on the Orient Express (1974) [Sidney Lumet] ★★★
Dragon Inn (1967) ‘龍門客棧’ [King Hu] ★★★★
Blade Runner (1982) [Ridley Scott] ★★★★★
Focus (2015) [Glenn Ficarra, John Requa] ★
Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982) [Alan Parker] ★★★★★
Amadeus (1984) [Miloš Forman] ★★★
Oscar (1991) [John Landis] ★★★★
The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006) [Ken Loach] ★★★
StageFright:Aquarius (1987) [Michele Soavi] ★★★
True Grit (1969) [Henry Hathaway] ★★★★
Sex and Fury (1973) ‘不良姐御伝猪の鹿お蝶’ [Norifumi Suzuki] ★★★★
Shadow of a Doubt (1943) [Alfred Hitchcock] ★★★★
The Burning (1981) [Tony Maylam] ★★★
The House on Sorority Row (1983) [Mark Rosman] ★★
The Great Escape (1963) [John Sturges] ★★★★½
Split (2016) [M. Night Shyamalan] ★★★★
Lethal Weapon (1987) [Richard Donner] ★★★★
L’Enfer (1994) [Claude Chabrol] ★★★★
The Color of Lies (1999) [Claude Chabrol] ★★★½
The Seven Deadly Sins (1962) [Philippe de Broca/Claude Chabrol/Jacques Demy/Sylvain Dhomme/Jean-Luc Godard/Édouard Molinaro/Roger Vadim] ★★★
Senso (1954) [Luchino Visconti] ★★★★½
Antonio das Mortes (1969) [Glauber Rocha] ★★★½
The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939) ‘残菊物語’ [Kenji Mizoguchi] ★★★★
The 47 Ronin (1941) ‘元禄忠臣蔵’ [Kenji Mizoguchi] ★★★★
Sunset Boulevard (1950) ★★★★
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) [Frank Capra] ★★★
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) [Frank Darabont] ★★★
Full Metal Jacket (1987) [Stanley Kubrick] ★★★★
All Good Things (2010) [Andrew Jarecki] ★
Wake of Death (2004) [Philippe Martinez] ★★
La Belle Noiseuse (1991) [Jacques Rivette] ★★★★★
Cemetery Man (1994) ‘Dellamorte Dellamore’ [Michele Soavi] ★★★½
Thief (1981) [Michael Mann] ★★★½
Wolf Warrior (2015) ‘战狼’ [Wu Jing] ★★
Reservoir Dogs (1992) [Quentin Tarantino] ★★★★
Pulp Fiction (1994) [Quentin Tarantino] ★★★★★
Jackie Brown (1997) [Quentin Tarantino] ★★★★★
Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair ★★★★★
[B]Lady Snowblood(1973) ‘修羅雪姫’ [Toshiya Fujita] ★★★★★
Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance (1974) ‘修羅雪姫怨み恋歌’ [Toshiya Fujita] ★★
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) [David Lean] ★★★★½
Hardball (2001) ★★★½
[B]Hard Eight (1996) [Paul Thomas Anderson] ★★
Punch-Drunk Love (2002) [Paul Thomas Anderson] ★★★½
Boogie Nights (1997) [Paul Thomas Anderson] ★★½
Aventuras en Marte (1981) [Roberto Bolaños, Enrique Segoviano] ★★★★

------2017 films------
The Florida Project [Sean Baker] ★★★
The Outlaws ‘범죄도시’ [Kang Yun-sung] ★★★
Good Time ★★★★½
[B]V.I.P. ‘브이아이피’ [Park Hoon-Jung] ★★½
Old Stone ‘Lao Shi’ [Johnny Ma] ★★★★★

------Andrei Tarkovsky------
Ivan’s Childhood [1962] ★★★★
Mirror [1975] ★★★★★
STALKER [1979] ★★★★★
Nostalgia [1983] ★★★★★
Voyage in Time (1983) [Andrei Tarkovsky, Tonino Guerra] ★★★★

------Animation------
A Silent Voice (2016) ‘聲の形’ ★★★★
[B]Urotsukidoji I: Legend of the Overfiend (1989)[Hideki Takayama] ★★
Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) ★★★

------Concerts------
[B]Gojira: The Link Alive (2007) ★★★★★
Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii (1972) [Adrian Maben] ★★★★★

------Shorts------
À propos de Nice (1930) [Jean Vigo] ★★★
Taris (1931) [Jean Vigo] ★★★★

------Garbage------
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) [Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg] 👎

2018 watches: 90 films

-There are some rewatches missing, but it doesn't matter;
-I use stars for rating in my personal txt control. It's too many films, so I just don't feel like putting all of them in [rating]rating_.etc; :D
-The colors mean nothing;
-The films was watched between January 09 and February 27.
-Edit¹: Added 2 more films.

Velvet

03-01-18, 03:02 PM

That's a very high rating. Especially given how you rated two other superior (in my opinion) Akerman films. Why exactly did you love it so much?

I havent seen it but it seems more ascessible

Mr Minio

03-01-18, 03:07 PM

I havent seen it but it seems more ascessible Not exactly an action-packed film, but I see how it might be perceived as more accessible compared to the slowness of Jeanne Dielman or News from Home. It's got a more immediately understandable premise, too.

Camo I recommend Portrait of a Young Girl at the End of the 1960s in Brussels.

Camo

03-01-18, 03:21 PM

I understood them all fine definitely was more nervous than i should have been about their difficulty, i just got a lot more out No Home Movie. Think watching News From Home before No Home Movie and getting an insight into Akerman and her mothers relationship helped me appreciate the latter more.

Will check that out Minio, was thinking about watching From The East next.

Also i don't have mentions on.

Mr Minio

03-01-18, 03:37 PM

From The East is great too. My favourite scene from the film is the one with a Russian woman making sandwiches.

Mr Minio

03-02-18, 04:02 AM

Twice-Told Tales (1963) - rating_3

https://i.imgur.com/6YsYHOh.gif
@Swan (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=49314) getting old.

Three horror stories with Vincent Price. The first one is great, even though it's predictable. The other two are okay. Far from the best of its kind, but still worth it if you love Price.

অরণ্যের দিনরাত্রি [Days and Nights in the Forest] (1970) - rating_4_5

http://rarefilm.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Aranyer-Din-Ratri-AKA-Days-and-Nights-in-the-Forest-1970-2.jpg
<3

Yet another Satyajit Ray masterpiece. When you hear "Indian cinema", the first thing that comes to your mind is Bollywood. The second is Satyajit Ray. He seems to be the sole force fighting the stereotypical image of Indian cinema being just luscious musicals, or action-packed 3 hours long Masalas, and even though there were many other greats creating Parellel Cinema back then, he is probably the greatest of them. Simply put the film is a buddy comedy drama that involves four friends spending a holiday in the country, and three women these men interact with (one of the men is an unnattractive dwarf and has to resort to gambling while his peers accompany the ladies). Eventually the film induces this bittersweet feeling of nostalgia when the holidays are over and you have to part with the people you befriended.

Céline (1992) - rating_4_5

https://i.imgur.com/dHUaztX.png
Too many beautiful frames in this film to pick just one.

A rightly luministic film about the light in all of us. Christian sanctity achieved by Eastern methods. Finding the meaning in the face of death. The beauty of nature expressed in painterly framing.

In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni [We Turn in the Night, Consumed by Fire] (1978) - rating_2_5

https://i.imgur.com/wmv0hq4.png
Dude uses found footage and mumbles for 90 minutes.

His best so far, although still a mediocre film. Unlike in The Society of the Spectacle, there are some attempts at incorporating poetry into the boring overtly academic Marxist "capitalist society sucks, and people like you, you consumeristic capitalist pig, contribute to the collapse of the World" theories. Some of the still photos used are beautiful, and the semi-autobiographical parts are interesting. Too bad the whole thing is too much into politics and too little into beauty. Lettrism > Situationism.

Great shorts:
A Mal Gam A (1976) - rating_4

https://i.imgur.com/75iSU0N.png

Zulueta is a master of atmosphere and his (sadly) only full-feature Arrebato is the best example of this. This short film is probably his second best. I love how much the ambience adds to the overall mood.

Moon's Pool (1973) - rating_4

https://i.imgur.com/rooLC7z.png

Bathing in the moon's pool is like being in your mother's womb.

+ BONUS:

Top 10 seen in February:

1. Has the Film Already Started? (Maurice Lemaître, 1951)
2. Céline (Jean-Claude Brisseau, 1992)
3. Moments choisis des Histoire(s) du Cinéma (Jean-Luc Godard, 2004)
4. Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (Ivo Caprino, 1975)
5. My Life as a Courgette (Claude Barras, 2016)
6. The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On (Kazuo Hara, 1987)
7. Wodzirej (Feliks Falk, 1977)
8. Days and Nights in the Forest (Satyajit Ray, 1970)
9. Pirosmani (Giorgi Shengelaia, 1969)
10. The Offence (Sidney Lumet, 1972)

Iroquois

03-05-18, 08:15 AM

Good Time (Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie, 2017) - 4

Plays a little better a second time around as there are quite a few important subtleties that I don't think I picked up on initially. Also still my pick for best score of 2017.

Howard the Duck (William Huyck, 1986) - 2

Surprisingly enough, this is one of those "worst movies ever" that is too damn weird and singular to genuinely hate. I wouldn't say there's much to recommend about it on its own merits, though.

Dead Slow Ahead (Mauro Herce, 2015) - 3

A brief but slow documentary about life on a freighter. A starkly beautiful portrait of machine against nature and the humans that are glimpsed or heard moving around in the belly of a steel beast.

The Lost City of Z (James Gray, 2016) - 3.5

I do like a good jungle movie from time to time and this one certainly delivers in that regard with its tale of an explorer and his obsession with locating the eponymous ruins.

The Salvation (Kristian Levring, 2014) - 2.5

I guess there's a certain novelty in the Danish taking their own stab at making a classic revenge Western and there's nothing particularly terrible about the execution, but there's nothing all too inspired about it either. It's a watchable diversion but in no way essential.

Dear Basketball (Glen Keane and Kobe Bryant, 2017) - 2

One of those try-to-separate-the-art kind of deals where you can appreciate the effort that went into the sketchbook-style animation and the triumphant John Williams score but can't really muster any enthusiasm for the fact that it's about Kobe Bryant of all people.

Negative Space (Ru Kuwahata & Max Porter, 2017) - 3

A French stop-motion short that looks like it was cut from the same cloth as My Life As A Zucchini and is all the better for it. Also taught me some valuable lessons about packing luggage.

Lou (Dave Mullins, 2017) - 3

I haven't really been keeping up with Pixar's features that much in recent years, but at least the shorts seem to be maintaining a decent standard of quality. This particular one - about a pile of lost property that comes alive in order to scare a bully straight - condenses that familiar charm into a handful of minutes and is all the better for it.

Revolting Rhymes (Jan Lachauer & Jakob Schuh, 2016) - 2.5

I feel like I've read Roald Dahl's twisted take on classic fairytales before - in any case, this adaptation doesn't do too bad a job at translating his sensibilities into a colourful computerised creation (though the fairly long running time and clunkier attempts at rhyming and storytelling work against it quite a bit).

Garden Party (A Lot of People, 2017) - 3

My personal favourite of the official nominees thanks to its mix of remarkably high-end visuals and darkly humourous excuse for a narrative. Definitely hoping that it'll win but maybe not.

Lost Property Office (Daniel Agdag, 2017) - 2.5

I'm guessing this screening included a bunch of honourable mentions (and a few brief interludes) to pad out the running time - it certainly doesn't seem to reflect all that well on these particular shorts. Anyway, this is a fairly standard flight-of-fancy short that at least manages to create a distinctive aesthetic.

Weeds (Kevin Hudson, 2017) - 2

A relatively bleak take on the usual vaguely inspirational rise-above-circumstances narrative that centres many short films (especially coming directly after that previous one) that is quick and efficient.

Achoo (A Lot of People, 2017) - 2.5

What if Dumbo but with dragons?

DeKalb Elementary (Reed Van Dyk, 2017) - 3.5

Definitely the best of the live shorts with its dramatically solid tale of a lone gunman preparing to carry out a school shooting and the receptionist who tries to talk him out of it.

The Silent Child (Chris Overton, 2017) - 3

A straightforward message movie that nevertheless manages to put together a brief but sufficiently effective tale of the conflict that arises over a family trying to deal with their youngest child being deaf and the social worker who does her best to help the situation.

My Nephew Emmett (Kevin Wilson, Jr., 2017) - 2.5

This feels like the weakest of the live-action nominees if only because it's a little too simple with its re-enactment of the events leading up to Emmett Till's death as seen through the eyes of his uncle. That doesn't make it worthless, but there's only so much to be gained from it.

The Eleven O'Clock (Derin Seale, 2016) - 3

The only one out in the live-action category that opts to be a comedy, this time about the battle of words that ensues between a psychiatrist and a patient who believes that he's the real psychiatrist. It certainly doesn't lack for laughs and doesn't wear out its welcome.

Watu Wote (All of Us) (Katja Benrath, 2017) - 3

Another competently-made but not especially remarkable true-story dramatisation, this time about a terrorist attack that unfolds on an African border road.

Nemanja

03-05-18, 02:51 PM

@ Mr Minio
thanks for this masterpiece

Wodzirej (1978)

laj la la laj la la laj :)

Mr Minio

03-08-18, 09:23 AM

Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs (1974) - rating_4_5

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v52NlFPqQ6Q/TzJ-w-9UU8I/AAAAAAAAAxQ/LKa0n9fsHrg/s1600/00000.mpls_snapshot_00.55.40_%5B2011.10.18_22.46.34%5D.jpg

A terrifying satire on totalitarism, a spoof on NSDAP, a film that starts off hilariously and gradually gets darker, scarier, and more extreme. Little Malcolm, based on a play by David Halliwell, is the only film in a very long period of time that had me both laughing out loud, and sitting silently in shock during its duration time. John Hurt and David Warner give great performances as well.

A Sun-Tribe Myth from the Bakumatsu Era (1957) - rating_3_5

http://www.cinemas-online.co.uk/images/Bakumatsu-TaiyDen-33810_3.jpg

Listed as the 4th best Japanese film of all time by Kinema Junpo, the film is a solid comedy, albeit not a masterpiece by any stretch. I thought it's more like the 400th best Japanese film of all time, and even this I'm not so sure. ;) Either way, the film is enjoyable enough, though I have to say it's not exactly up my alley humour-wise. Not even close to the brilliance of Yamanaka's The Million Ryo Pot.

Farewell, My Lovely (1975) - rating_3_5

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0729/0023/products/vlcsnap-2015-05-17-16h19m37s987_grande.png?v=1509237798

A Chandler adaptation with Robert Mitchum playing Marlowe. Mitchum is old and weary, and that suits his character perfectly. A really nice noir mood. Nothing groundbreaking, but it's enjoyable enough.

Heaven's Gate (1980) - rating_3

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/X2cWhnYtPI4/maxresdefault.jpg

My second Cimino and for the second time I'm not sold. The film starts off with a bang, a great speech sequence followed by a grandiose dance, and then it's 20 years later, and it's a western, and everything kind of goes downhill. The cinematography by Vilmos Zsigmond is pretty good. I especially liked the use of smoke, dust and other fumes that creates a layer in almost every other scene. Huppert in all her female glory wasn't that bad to look at either. I enjoyed the performances of Isabelle Huppert, Christopher Walken and John Hurt. I think my biggest issue was that the story was so underwhelming, and I can't really put my finger on why as I have nothing against beautiful scenes that are there just to be beautiful and don't add anything to the narrative.

Millennial Bee (1983) - rating_4_5

http://internationals.sk/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/vcela.jpg

Almost four years after I saw (and absolutely loved) my first Jakubisko film and a long time since I saw a Czech or Slovakian film, I decided to finally branch out and get me some of this Slovakian goodness. And boy, was it worth it. Jakubisko started in the 60s and was one of the most talented maverick directors to come from Czechoslovakia.Millennial Bee, a film from the 80s, still has a lot of verve of his New Wave films, and uses similar tricks, moves at a neckbreaking speed, and presents a magical rural life similarly to Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. I was afraid Jakubisko might have degraded in quality once Czechoslovak New Wave ended, but it looks like my fears were unfounded. Can't wait to see his other acclaimed 80s film.

Every Man for Himself (1980) - rating_3_5

https://www.moma.org/d/assets/W1siZiIsIjIwMTUvMTAvMTQvdnBkZzZyZW5zX3pvb21fMTQxODc2ODM3MV9ldmVyeW1hbl8yeC5qcGciXSxbInAiLCJjb252ZXJ0 IiwiLXJlc2l6ZSAxMDI0eDEwMjRcdTAwM2UiXV0/zoom_1418768371_everyman%402x.jpg?sha=b521738e0d3adc0f

Well, I happened to watch two films with Isabelle Huppert in one week, and both times I hadn't known she stars in the film until I started watching it. Godard again tries to mock capitalist society, but this kind of taunt escapes me yet again. He also adds some kinky, fetishistic sexual stuff, but you'd have to be a prude to find it revolting. It's not exactly what most people consider normal, but I didn't find it that insulting. Having watched more than 100 pinku eiga films I might be biased, though. :P Godard falls in love with frame by frame slow motion in this, too, and exploits it to a moderate success. Not one of my favourites of his, but not a puny film either.

A Dedicated Life (1994) - rating_4

https://assets.mubi.com/images/film/22622/image-w1280.jpg?1517766660

My second Hara documentary and I'm impressed once again, although I'm not really sure how good the actual film is in terms of moviemaking as opposed to how good the subject matter is. It's just your usual documentary cinema verite style, but the person portrayed once again proves to be a fascinating character, hence the film's excellence. Also there is a twist in the film, and normally you wouldn't expect a twist from a documentary, so that's good, too.

The Deserter and the Nomads (1968) - rating_4_5

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MLOeZbEREQE/U8_2Ah8oRHI/AAAAAAAAGh8/m7Ke98GDAr0/s1600/vlcsnap-2014-07-23-23h18m33s149.png

Another Jakubisko and yet another masterpiece! I usually don't overread into other people's thoughts, but I just couldn't say this any better than some guy on Letterboxd who rightly noticed that Jakubisko:

- Prophesized the gigantic scope of Kusturica's spectacles
- Had the anarchic disorder of Jancsó's anti-war testaments
- Predated Terayama's ferocity of the wilderness and symbolisms to unravel the psyche
- Featured Kalatozov's hand-held camera style and tracking shots
- Used animals like Jodorowsky would
- Features nudity as confidently as Greenaway
- Appreciates nature visually with the passion of Malick
- Predicted Lopushanskiy's scope of an apocalypse in Dead Man's Letters (1986)
- Colored the screen with silent-film-like tints to separate time settings and accentuate emotionsWhat a joy I am still able to find such gems after intensively trying to fish them out of cinema's pond for 7 years. By the way, Slovakian is the closest language to Polish. I could understand a lot!

Bone Tomahawk (2015) - rating_4

https://i.imgur.com/fmjFd9a.gif

Zahler might be the best craftsman in American film industry today, and I'm using the term 'craftsman' fully aware of its derogatory meaning, yet at the same time I also lament at how he could make a film that is an ultimate masterpiece had he made it more artsy. But... firstly, it's probably my personal fault (or should I say preference), more than the director's fault, and secondly, I really can't imagine how Zahler could have made Bone Tomahawk even better without going into the artsy pantsy territory that obviously is not his cup of tea (perfectly alright, and if that's not his strength, it would be extremely risky for him, too, so I guess it's better he does what he does best). I heard people saying Bone Tomahawk is a Tarantinian film, but I beg to differ. It's not. It's not a meta film, although the director loves his B-movie stuff. The dialogues are witty and sharp, but are not ironic (don't confuse characters being ironic at times with the dialogue and film being ironic in general). It doesn't have the usual Tarantino's shenanigans either. Calling this Tarantinian is like calling every second slow cinema film Tarkovsky-esque. But to the point:
I love how the film is shot in digital yet it looks really good. It embraces the digital filmmaking and doesn't try to fight or resist it.
I love the portrayal of the cannibals. They are genuinely terrifying, dangerous and powerful and you can feel it all during fights.
I love how there is so much heart put into the film and its characters. The flea circus monologue is a particularly touching example of this.
I heard about the infamous halving being a strong scene, but I would have never guessed it's THAT strong. No doubt one of the most gruesome scenes I've seen in years.
Having a tendon inflammation, I could deeply identify myself with Arthur (admittedly his condition was worse, though). This gets a strong 4 stars, but I can't bring myself to giving it a 4.5. I don't know why. I'm a boring, sad artfag, I guess.

D’ici là (1997) - rating_3_5

http://i.imgur.com/p7wnGfi.jpg?1

My second film of the director. He's extremely influenced by some other greats like Godard here, and once again focuses on the fleeting nature of time. No doubt would be a 4 if not for the fact I watched Bone Tomahawk just before.

Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) - rating_4

https://68.media.tumblr.com/19910bf781f8d48fbfaa245a3da348c8/tumblr_ow6m6j8V9R1rspc69o5_400.gif

Second Zahler and only a little bit inferior to his debut, but still a great, great film! Of course, the film is enjoyable without all this, but I can't stop thinking that it has some political message hidden in it. The hero is a patriot, his attitude towards Hispanics is particular to say the least (or is it just a coincidence?), he goes to extremes hurting and taking many lives in order to save the life of his cheating wife and unborn child (family values over everything else). Quite a portrayal of pro-Trump nationalistic American if you ask me. I feel this theory is quite stretched and unfounded, but I can't get it out of my head for some reason. A minor nitpick would be he's too overpowered. It's understandable he defeats the 'your average Joe' guards in the first prison, but the second prison guards look like freakin' Waffen-SS karate squad yet he handles them with such ease... The violence wasn't as gruesome as in Bone Tomahawk either, and the head-stomping was extremely B-movie-like (me gusta). I can't wait to see another Zahler film!

Repeated Abscences (1972) - rating_5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJHXndoyC2Q
https://i.imgur.com/t8LkIKU.jpg

My second Guy Gilles film, and what a soul-crushing masterpiece! A sublime study of faces, depression, alienation, drug addiction, and homosexualism (or was it 19th century-esque bromance?), shot and told with extreme understanding, poetic touch, and visual beauty. I wanted to describe my favourite scene, but then realized that the entire film is one big favourite scene of mine. However, if I had to choose just one, I believe it would be a moment of otherworldly beauty: that sequence when camera shows a bunch of androgynous faces sunk in the shadows with Lacrimosa playing in the background. "Lives end, but feelings are forever."

Oh my, 2018 is going to be amazing. I've only seen four rating_5 films in 2017. I've already seen four (and am thinking about the fifth) such films in 2018 and it's just the beginning of the year!

Iroquois

03-11-18, 10:54 AM

The Battle of Algiers (Gillo Pontecorvo, 1966) - 4

It's not every day that I see such a well-renowned classic that does more than just hold up - if anything, its dramatisation of the years-long conflict between Algerian freedom fighters and the French occupying forces still feels astonishingly and depressingly fresh in terms of both cinematic panache and thematic resonance respectively.

Sweet Country (Warwick Thornton, 2017) - 4

Thornton's true-story Western about an indigenous stockman going on the run after shooting a white landowner is self-defence definitely pays homage to other similarly revisionist tales like The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith or The Tracker while still managing to carve out a unique identity for itself. Mesmering outback footage blends with a bleak tale of rural retribution to be an early contender for one of the best films of 2018.

A Fantastic Woman (Sebastian Lelio, 2017) - 3.5

A fairly solid Almodòvar-esque film that does a decent job of juggling a variety of tones - serious, surreal, sentimental - in telling its tale of a transgender woman handling the aftermath of her boyfriend's death.

The Illumination (Krzysztof Zanussi, 1973) - 2.5

Zanussi's film about the life and times of an aspiring physicist who undergoes all sorts of experiences and setbacks (both personal and professional) across the years has its moments and is definitely carried by its more experimental flourishes than any narrative consistency.

Before the Flood (Fisher Stevens, 2016) - 3

It's a little hard to judge movies like this that need to be so direct in communicating with an audience about an important cause, but I'll give this credit for being more than just a blandly agreeable reminder about a big issue that I'm already aware of and in favour of solving.

Alphaville (Jean-Luc Godard, 1965) - 3.5

A simple but effective hybrid of sci-fi and noir as filtered through Godard's cinematic idiosyncrasies that manages to be inventive enough with its approach to genre storytelling without getting too bogged-down in Godard's trademark polemicising.

Assault on Precinct 13 (John Carpenter, 1976) - 4

Carpenter at his rawest, if not necessarily his best.

Mute (Duncan Jones, 2018) - 2

I do like a good tech-noir and this certainly promised that much but the execution itself is very underwhelming. There is just enough of an emotional throughline with the mute protagonist searching for his lost love to save this from being a total catastrophe, but the film's decision to juggle his already-loose arc with an extremely bloated B-plot involving a pair of scumbag surgeons really doesn't do this film any favours.

Red Sparrow (Francis Lawrence, 2018) - 2.5

The hard thing to judge about this rather grim tale of one woman being forced to play psychosexual spy games is how much of its positive (and perhaps even negative) qualities can be credited to its obvious auteurist influences by the likes of Cronenberg and Verhoeven, to say nothing of whether its deliberate slowness isn't just dullness or if its lengthy and convoluted back half serves the story instead of hampering it.

I Live in Fear (Akira Kurosawa, 1955) - 3

Maybe my least favourite Kurosawa as of writing but that's hardly the worst thing I could say about this tale of an elderly patriarch (somewhat convincingly played by a 35-year-old Toshiro Mifune, no less) and his quixotic plans to save himself and his family from nuclear catastrophe. It meanders quite a bit at times but never totally loses sight of its purpose.

HashtagBrownies

03-11-18, 06:51 PM

Seen in March Pt.1

42735
Garden Party
3.5
OMG THE FROGGOS ARE THE CUTEST THING I’VE EVER SEEN EEK! DON’T YOU DARE HURT MY FAT FROGGY BOI!

But in seriousness, the animation’s fantastic looking.

42736
4
Just an overall great film. It made me really wanna go outside. That skydive scene was fantastic. Keanu Reeves is kinda hilariously bad in this. You can’t stop yourself from laughing whenever he tries to be witty or serious.
I AM AN FBI AGENT!

42737
3.5
I swear I'm not going on a Keanu Reeves marathon! I went into this not knowing he was in it, seeing him was a very pleasant surprise! But yeah it was good. Performances were good. I really liked the scenes of the creatures travelling quickly through the city.

42738
4.5+
Completely wonderful. Seriously debating if this or A Ghost Story is my favourite film of 2017. The film has a real, comforting, sleepy, nostalgic feel of being on a holiday and being too relaxed to do anything made with a combination of its realistic dialogue, beautiful colour pallet and 35mm camera. The ending is so sad OMG! Timothée Chalamet is awesome and so is Hammer. Some may be creeped out with the age difference, but they address the concern in the film and I feel it’s alright as they’re both age of consent.

In nearly every LGBT film I’ve seen they always have to say s*it like “What will our parents think if we do this?!” and then at the end of the film they have to make a big song and dance number about how it’s ok to be gay. This film has none of that, it just treats the relationship as if it’s the most casual thing ever, I love it; Making being gay not a big deal is better than making a big deal about how it’s ok to be gay. The romance in the film is so beautiful and when something bad happened I felt emotions that I've never felt in a film in years.

42739
3.5
Above average. Fonda’s performance is pretty good. The first hour where he’s being interrogated is pretty cool. The scene where the son is talking to Fonda made me smile so hard. Some cool shots. A problem though was that the ‘right’ man looked nothing like Fonda.

42740
4-
Great. Ronan’s fake American accent is really good, and so is her performance. She feels like an actual teen, and Metcalf feels like an actual mom. It’s really nice to see a movie for your demographic where people actually have ache and are fat, you never see that in other films and it pisses me off. Basically all of the interactions between Ronan and Metcalf and Feldstein felt 100% real, which I loved. Lots of emotional moments and a very powerful final shot.

The plot is kinda hard to take seriously though considering this plot’s been done the same way over and over again.

https://vimeo.com/192514508
3.5
I'm not the type of guy who go's out of his way to watch hundreds of weird, short films on Letterboxd that only 2 people in the world have seen, but the premise hooked me hard enough to want to see it. The idea's pretty unique, and it's pretty tense and suspenseful. Maybe it taking place during the daytime adds to that.

42741
3.5+
Overall just a very entertaining and engaging movie. It was a great idea to adapt this autobiography, as this story is really original. The performances were fine, the soundtrack was fine. The emotional moments worked well. I liked the characters. The foreskin scenes made me cringe so hard OMG. The final scene was very nice.

I don't really have anything to say about this film, as I feel like every element was 'good' and there's nothing that stood out to me. My only other criticism is that the sex scene is hilariously unrealistic, almost cartoonish. The film does look like it was just filmed on sets, but that's not a particular issue.

42742
3
You can tell this was actually filmed out in the freezing cold, which is cool. The performances are great, especially the lady. The soundtrack is soul-crushing, it makes those emotional scenes alot more emotional. The cinematography is great, and the way the director places the camera makes for some really great looking shots.

This would all work perfectly, if this film wasn't so BORING! I mean, these aren't my type of movies. I'd most likely never watch something like this on purpose. I had to watch this film in two halves to get through it. The film is just REALLY drawn out, that interrogation scene went on for way too long. It wasn't helped either with the boring shot/reverse-shot. It's a real shame because this film has some brilliant material, which would be perfect in another movie.

42743
4
Damn it’s pretty sad, but kinda inspiring, and undeniably great. Robbie and Janney’s performances were brilliant. The director is fantastic; he can make you feel the soul-destruction during the emotional abuse scenes, he can make you feel the punches during the physical abuse scenes, he can make you feel those damn tears during the crying scene, he really is a dictionary definition of a great director. The way in which it was told (mockumentary comedy with fourth-wall breaks) surprisingly works really well. My only real problem is that when the story gets to the scandal, there’s tons of parts that could be trimmed out and the film would overall be better, and make that section feel less drawn out.

Mr Minio

03-15-18, 04:23 AM

Ulzana's Raid (1972) - rating_4

https://hqofk.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/ulzana3.jpg?w=840

A gritty, brutal western with a pretty good performance from Burt Lancaster. Loved the idea of a young idealistic boy's beliefs getting crushed by reality. Robert Aldrich is a director I love, and even though this is far from his best efforts, it's still a solid film!

The Tempest (1979) - rating_3

https://quixotando.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/derek-jarman-william-shakespeare-the-tempest-1979-248.jpg?w=512

My least favourite Jarman so far. Quite an original yet wacky Shakespeare adaptation with occasional gothic horror vibes (Ken Russell's vastly superior Gothic comes to mind).

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990) - rating_4

http://iv1.lisimg.com/image/4305786/500full-rosencrantz--guildenstern-are-dead-screenshot.jpg

Didn't really think much of it in terms of filmmaking. It's very plain visually, and pales in comparison to many other rather ravishing films I watched lately. Still, I loved the chemistry between Oldman and Roth, their word games, and film's kind of humour. Laughed a couple of times as well. When the film ended I still didn't know which one is Rosencratz and which one Guildenstern.

Sitting on a Branch, Enjoying Myself (1989) - rating_4_5

http://rarefilm.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Sedim-na-konari-a-je-mi-dobre-1989-1.jpg

Perhaps his best. An outstanding showcase of sensitivity. Jakubisko manages to depict tragic events in a beautiful, humane way. It's incredible how he creates such an idyllic haven inside the evil of this world. The highest level of film art.

Occupation in 26 Pictures (1978) - rating_3_5

https://i.imgur.com/8Xjpt.jpg

Quite a disappointment, really. Especially given the film is highly regarded amongst my film buff friends. It's shot and plays like a cheap Nazisploitation, and quickly turns out to be a Communist propaganda picture. The infamous bus scene was not as brutal as I heard it was. All this being said, the film successfully depicts how an ideology can be both connecting and divisive. The wide streets of Dubrovnik populated by pigeons, but devoid of humans are a sight to remember, too.

In the White City (1983) - rating_4

https://theflickeringmoment.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/white-city-3.jpg

A very Wendersian film. An irrational hero struggles to make his life right on the land yet he can't help loving sea the most.

Angel Guts: Red Vertigo (1988) - rating_3_5

KINKY

Ishii's directional debut, and as much as I loved the way it was directed, this time the story was extremely weak, and hardly believable, based around some confused understanding of Stockholm Syndrome. Deus ex machina ending felt kinda contrived as well. Two more films in the series to go. Let's hope for at least one great film.

It's Better to Be Healthy and Wealthy than Poor and Sick (1992) - rating_4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w533_and_h300_bestv2/rGlbnTPkZUflaYsvghPlmUkBtpH.jpg

I'm on Jakubisko binge! This one is from the 90s, but still has the usual Jakubisko visual cues, and great music to go with it. The film is one of the most 90s films ever, and given it takes place in Slovakia, it hits close to home. While many people complain 80s were extremely kitschy and cheesy, I can't help thinking it's the 90s that were like that.

The Devil (1972) - rating_4

https://www.ica.art/sites/default/files/styles/banner-landscape/public/images/WEBDevil3.jpg?itok=l3Pj8kaR

I'm not big on Żuławski's expressionist style. All throughout the film the actors are either running around screaming, or lying in convulsions. If you want to say something meaningful, you don't have to scream it to the viewer's ear while beating him over his head. Still, there's method in this madness. The film is uncouth, and there's some primordial power to it, which made it fascinating. The hand-held camerawork fits its style, too.

In a Year with 13 Moons - rating_4

http://altscreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/13-Moons-2.jpg

Nicely shot (but at times things seemed a little bit off) and depressing story about a man who decides to become a woman for love.

Build a House, Plant a Tree (1980) - rating_3_5

https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/fp-img/img/film/xNwcX1VazztqcswqcYWGkr2M0XO.jpg

Jakubisko's most down-to-earth yet, and it's quite understandable given it's his first film after a nine years long ban on filmmaking.

The Feather Fairy (1985) - rating_4

http://rarefilm.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Perinbaba-AKA-The-Feather-Fairy-1985-1.jpg

One could say that given his eye for nifty visual effects, and magical nature of his oeuvre, Jakubisko should direct a fairy tale. Well he did, and here it is! It stars Giulietta Masina as well!!!

Man Follows Birds (1975) - rating_4_5

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qp9DoCY-lEI/U308qzJYnaI/AAAAAAAAGSI/wEVbrolOAPM/s1600/Man+Follows+Bird.jpg

For what it's worth, this is the best film from Uzbekistan. A poetic yet violent account of the lives of three orphan children who prematurely have to face the evil of this world. Of course one could nitpick at film's editing that's kind of rough around the edges at times, but juxtaposed to the film's poetic beauty, it becomes unimportant.

A Story of the Forest: Mavka (1980) - rating_4

https://img.reelgood.com/content/movie/55e135d9-94c5-447a-9b0d-764e255c7765/backdrop-1920.jpg

Some sorcery at work here.

The Disaster Artist (2017) - rating_4

http://kusinakulture.pl/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/the-disaster-artist-620x330.jpg

You're tearing me apart, Franco! The best movie on aliens in years. The best Hollywood dream movie in years. As visually plain, uninteresting and boring as The Room itself. Almost as funny as The Room itself. A couple of lines had me laughing out so loud I was screaming. The final message of the story is: "You can laugh, you can cry, you can express yourself, but please don't hurt each other. Okay? Enjoy The Room.". Or maybe it is: "You can do anything if you have money".

Camo

03-15-18, 02:37 PM

In a Year with 13 Moons - rating_4

http://altscreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/13-Moons-2.jpg

Nicely shot (but at times things seemed a little bit off)

What do you think was off?

Mr Minio

03-15-18, 03:12 PM

What do you think was off? There was a scene with a woman (I guess) framed in a way that was supposed to look like a painting. However, since I saw a bunch of films who perfected this tableau vivant aesthetic, I couldn't help noticing something's off. Maybe the lighting. I'm not sure. It's a minor detail, but for some reason it stood out for me and really put me off for a moment.

There were some other visual moments in this that lacked perfection, and I realize how much I'm nitpicking, especially given the cinematography is great nevertheless, but lately I've been finding myself more and more attached to the visual side of films, to the point every little detail matters, and I haven't felt like this in years.

Camo

03-15-18, 03:16 PM

There was a scene with a woman (I guess) framed in a way that was supposed to look like a painting. However, since I saw a bunch of films who perfected this tableau vivant aesthetic, I couldn't help noticing something's off. Maybe the lighting. I'm not sure. It's a minor detail, but for some reason it stood out for me and really put me off for a moment.

There were some other visual moments in this that lacked perfection, and I realize how much I'm nitpicking, especially given the cinematography is great nevertheless, but lately I've been finding myself more and more attached to the visual side of films, to the point every little detail matters, and I haven't felt like this in years.

Do you remember what scene?

Think perfection is an insane metric plus it's impossible to define many find beauty in flaws, now i'm nitpicking haha. Get what you mean though. I thought it was stunning but my favourite thing about the film was possibly the sound.

Mr Minio

03-15-18, 03:31 PM

Do you remember what scene?

https://i.imgur.com/6wkSwEB.png

Now that I look at it, I'm not even sure he wanted to make it look painterly in the first place.

It's chiaroscuro, but the blocking is weird.

Camo

03-15-18, 03:48 PM

https://i.imgur.com/6wkSwEB.png

Now that I look at it, I'm not even sure he wanted to make it look painterly in the first place.

It's chiaroscuro, but the blocking is weird.

Was going to look for it and take a screenshot of it myself once you told me what it was so thanks for pointing out the exact moment. Honestly, i don't even remember that.

Chypmunk

03-15-18, 03:49 PM

March (pt i):

4.5
Suna no onna (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058625/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) [Woman In The Dunes] (Hiroshi Teshigahara, 1964)

4+
Das Leben der Anderen (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0405094/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [The Lives Of Others] (Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, 2006)

4
My Brother The Devil (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2076897/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Sally El Hosaini, 2012)

3.5+
Badlands (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069762/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Terrence Malick, 1973)
Dodsworth (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027532/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (William Wyler, 1936)
Janis: Little Girl Blue (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3707114/?ref_=nv_sr_7) (Amy Berg, 2015)
Le salaire de la peur (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046268/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [The Wages Of Fear] (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1953)
Przypadek (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084549/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1987/1)

3.5
Stories We Tell (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2366450/?ref_=nv_sr_1) ([B]Sarah Polley, 2012)

3+
Bande de filles (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3655522/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Girlhood] (Céline Sciamma, 2014)
Big Eyes (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1126590/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Tim Burton, 2014)
Equus (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075995/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Sidney Lumet, 1977)
Suffragette (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3077214/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Sarah Gavron, 2015)
Wadjda (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2258858/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Haifaa Al-Mansour, 2012)

3
Tetsuo (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096251/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) aka Tetsuo: The Iron Man (Shin'ya Tsukamoto, 1989)

2.5
Won't Back Down (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1870529/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Daniel Barnz, 2012)

2+
Bottoms Up (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024910/?ref_=fn_al_tt_3) (David Butler, 1934)

2
Cameraperson (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5375040/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Kirsten Johnson, 2016)

1.5+
Christmas Evil (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081793/?ref_=nv_sr_1) aka You Better Watch Out (Lewis Jackson, 1980)
Tarnished Lady (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022463/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (George Cukor, 1931)

1.5
A Film With Me In It (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1139319/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Ian Fitzgibbon, 2008)
Carnage Park (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4335650/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Mickey Keating, 2016)

1
No Home Movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4881016/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Chantal Akerman, 2015)

re93animator

03-17-18, 01:35 AM

Bean (1997) – 3
For some reason, I’ve only seen these movies in fragments, despite loving the show. It has a few recycled jokes and some dull humor, but Bean still makes me laugh. I would’ve preferred more bits of him being a mischievous as*hole, as opposed to totally charming though. :)

Mr. Bean’s Holiday (2007) – 3.5
This is much truer to Mr. Bean’s language transcending humor, and it’s unexpectedly pretty. The scenery and music illustrates a lot of French charm in the spirit of Tati, but it loses a lot of it in the final half hour unfortunately.

The Shape of Water (2017) – 4
Del Toro’s always been very visual, but I think his movies keep getting better in that regard. This almost feels more like a Jeunet flick with the quirky outcast lead and quasi-surreal world. Entertaining dark whimsy with commentary at a focal point.

Sea of Love (1989) – 3
A good comedy hiding in an ok crime thriller.

Menace II Society (1993) – 3.5
This is pretty basic and predictable for a street crime movie, albeit executed really well. Most of the characters seem like cardboard cutouts, but the volatile ones are still anxiety-inducing.

Ghosts of the Civil Dead (1988) – 4.5
There’s a story being told, but it takes a backseat to the uncomfortable routine prison life shown. It might be too brooding and monotonous for many, but it has one of the best gritty, vile, misanthropic atmospheres I’ve seen, and a poetic use of the camera.

Iroquois

03-18-18, 08:38 AM

The Departed (Martin Scorsese, 2006) - 2.5

I still stand by most (if not all) of the criticisms I made in this review (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1260630-the-departed.html), but the fact that I've watched this as many times as I have (at least four by my count) would suggest that it is doing something right even as I'm still inclined to consider it one of Scorsese's weakest films (out of the ones I've seen, anyway).

Class of 1999 (Mark L. Lester, 1990) - 3

A sci-fi B-movie about a not-too-distant future where high schools are practically war zones and ex-military robots are used to replace teachers. Much like the director's earlier Commando, a good supporting cast and over-the-top action help carry this fairly short movie through a saggy middle section.

The Gift (Sam Raimi, 2000) - 2.5

Raimi adds his signature frenzied approach to a rather middling (albeit well-cast) Southern Gothic murder mystery centring around a psychic who starts having visions related to the case in question.

Man on Wire (James Marsh, 2008) - 3.5

That movie about the guy who tightrope-walked between the Twin Towers that one time. Definitely one of the better "fun" documentaries.

The Emoji Movie (Tony Leondis, 2017) - 0.5

I sort of want to rate it a notch higher because it's almost too obvious a contender for the worst movie of the year (and potentially in the running for worst movies ever made), but it really doesn't do anything to merit such positive consideration.

Camouflage (Krzysztof Zanussi, 1977) - 3

My second Zanussi after The Illumination that is arguably better (or at least playing to different strengths and being more agreeable in the process). It's much more linear and less overtly experimental in its use of a grad-school narrative as a backbone for philosophical musings and whatnot, which is okay enough but not amazing either.

Miracle Mile (Steve De Jarnatt, 1988) - 3

Perhaps the high concept of an everyman accidentally finding out about an impending nuclear strike and reacting to it in real time was always going to be more intriguing in theory than in any possible execution (much less the warmed-over After Hours riff that this movie provides) but it picks up enough momentum across its second half to carry it over the finish line.

The Atomic Café (Jayne Loader/Kevin Rafferty/Pierce Rafferty, 1982) - 3.5

A montage of archival footage that centres on the creation of the atomic bomb and the ways in which it impacted the world, whether through corny-looking American PSAs or stark documentation of radiation sickness. It may not be anything particularly novel to juxtapose the devastating reality of nuclear warfare against the frequently absurd ways in which it was addressed in the media back home ("duck and cover", anyone?), but this still does an effective enough job weaving it all together into a cinematic installation.

Dead Man's Letters (Konstantin Lopushansky, 1986) - 4

Gotta hand it to the Soviets to deliver a relentlessly grim tale of the post-nuclear wasteland and one elderly academic's attempts to maintain some semblance of hope as he navigates its many obstacles in a film that can perhaps best be summed up as Threads meets Stalker.

The Gunfighter (Henry King, 1950) - 3.5

I do like a good "remorseful outlaw" story and this one certainly delivers in that regard. Anchored by yet another great turn by Gregory Peck (did he ever do a bad one?), sharply written, and efficiently constructed.

Mr Minio

03-18-18, 03:15 PM

日本春歌考 [A Treatise on Japanese Bawdy Songs] (1967) - 4.5

http://twi-ny.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/sing-a-song-of-sex-2-e1460902507164.jpg

悦楽 [Pleasures of the Flesh] (1965) - 4.5

https://i.imgur.com/PPWRoL5.png

The Petrified Forest (1936) - 4

https://mattsko.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/petrified-forest-500.gif

Nejasná správa o konci sveta [An Ambiguous Report About the End of the World] (1997) - 4

http://img.ceskatelevize.cz/program/porady/95156/foto09/03.jpg?1366642256

Combat d'amour en songe [Love Torn in Dream] (2000) - 4

http://fr.web.img3.acsta.net/r_1280_720/medias/04/99/25/049925_ph1.jpg

Mikreh Isha [A Woman's Case] (1969) - 4

https://i0.wp.com/25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ln9p9dGyrn1qc42blo1_500.gif

天使のはらわた　赤い閃光 [Angel Guts: Red Flash] (1994) - 4

https://i.imgur.com/85on0TP.png

新宿マッド [Shinjuku Mad] (1970) - 4

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哥 [Poem] (1972) - 4.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/afc5d40dfffbd75e4dcdc8773077b255/tumblr_op16alGzUa1r5fazco3_1280.jpg

宵闇せまれば [When Twilight Draws Near] (1969) - 4

https://i.imgur.com/RGW466J.png

A bad movie? What's that?

Captain Spaulding

03-23-18, 03:29 PM

I was going to post everything at once, but the post was long and unwieldy, so I'm splitting it into two parts. I'll post the other half tomorrow.

February Viewings: Part I

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Paranormal Activity (Oren Peli, 2007) 2 [REWATCH]
Paranormal Activity 2 (Tod Williams, 2010) 1.5
Paranormal Activity 3 (Henry Joost &Ariel Schulman, 2011) 1.5
Paranormal Activity 4 (Henry Joost & Ariel Schulman, 2012) 1
Godzilla Raids Again (Motoyoshi Oda, 1955) 2

https://i.imgur.com/H9r1Qa7.gif
Ninja III: The Domination (Sam Firstenberg, 1984) 3
White Material (Claire Denis, 2009) 2.5
10 to Midnight (J. Lee Thompson, 1983) 3
Zatoichi and the Chest of Gold (Kazuo Ikehiro, 1964) 3
Zatoichi's Flashing Sword (Kazuo Ikehiro, 1964) 2.5

https://i.imgur.com/qaMfNhD.gif
The Dressmaker (Jocelyn Moorhouse, 2015) 2.5
To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (Beeban Kidron, 1995) 2.5
The Belko Experiment (Greg McLean, 2016) 2.5
Hardbodies (Mark Griffiths, 1984) 2.5
Desert Hearts (Donna Deitch, 1985) 4

https://i.imgur.com/0uR26aR.gif
Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse (Christopher Landon, 2015) 2
Destry Rides Again (George Marshall, 1939) 3.5
A Bronx Tale (Robert DeNiro, 1993) 3
R.O.T.O.R. (Cullen Blaine, 1987) 0.5
The Notorious Bettie Page (Mary Harron, 2005) 2

https://i.imgur.com/JgAriH2.gif
The Love Witch (Anna Biller, 2016) 2.5
Beverly Hills Ninja (Dennis Dugan, 1997) 3.5 [REWATCH]
Logan Lucky (Steven Soderbergh, 2017) 2.5
One Way Passage (Tay Garnett, 1932) 3
The 15:17 to Paris (Clint Eastwood, 2018) 1.5

Thoughts on a Few of the Films:

Is there a sorrier excuse for a horror franchise than the Paranormal Activity series? Each entry is 80-something minutes of passively watching uninteresting people sit around with their thumbs up their ass until sh*t finally hits the fan in the last few moments. "Scares" consist of car keys falling from the counter, pots rattling in the kitchen, cabinets opening by themselves. I guess if you're the type of person whose mind automatically jumps to "My house is haunted!" at the merest creak in the night, then sure, the simplicity of this paranormal activity might be relatable enough to cause a few nervous glances over your shoulder, but otherwise give me a f**king break. I misremembered the first movie being pretty solid, probably because I saw it in a packed theater during its buzzworthy release, but it suffers from the same nothing-f**king-happening syndrome that afflicts the sequels. For the most part, the casts in these movies deliver believable performances. I like the initial attempt at building a backstory to tie the movies together, even though that aspect feels dumber with each entry. And there are brief moments of (squandered) dread to be found, such as the clever utilization of a rotating fan in Paranormal Activity 3. The original's simplicity was borne out of necessity, but the sequels exploit that same simplicity to a slovenly, cynical degree. The only frightening thing about the Paranormal Activity series: how much money it has scammed from the wallets of audiences. Sadly, despite my bored contempt for this series, I still plan on watching the last two entries because apparently I hate myself.

10 to Midnight is a slasher-inspired crime-thriller slathered in sleaze, and it fully delivers the type of trashy, mindless entertainment I've come to expect from Canon Films. Charles Bronson does his Charles Bronson thing, but the real star is Gene Davis as a prank-calling, sex-starved serial killer who strips butt-ass naked before stabbing women to death (because his knife is his penis, as Bronson eloquently puts it). There's more nuance than expected when it comes to moral principals, with Bronson's detective having to resort to underhanded tactics in order to capture the killer while his partner is less willing to sully their badge of honor (even though breaking the law would likely save lives), but the film is mostly concerned with delivering effective violence and montages of boobs. The last act is edge-of-your-seat stuff. Worth watching just to see Charles Bronson hold up a sex toy during an interrogation and yell, "IT'S FOR JACKING OFF, ISN'T IT!"

It's easy to think of Desert Hearts, with its late 1950's setting, gorgeously stark Western landscapes, and its revolving wardrobe of cowboy shirts, as the lesbian Brokeback Mountain, but that lazy comparison doesn't do justice to this beautiful, empowering, hugely underrated/underseen landmark of queer cinema. Notable upon release as the first film to feature a lesbian relationship minus the tragedy and sensationalism, it's a shame that Desert Hearts isn't more well-known. The film is full of longing and tender eroticism. The romance is 100% believable. The performances natural, the dialogue memorable, the soundtrack evocative, the cinematography exquisite. In the opening scenes, I mistook Helen Shaver, star of the picture, as a woman two or three decades older than her real age, due to her restrictive clothing and tightly-bound hairstyle. As the film progresses and she slowly embraces her true self, the hairstyle and wardrobe become freer as she becomes more comfortable in her own skin, passion seemingly providing an elixir of youth and beauty. It's subtle details like this that make Desert Hearts special. I don't think I've seen Patricia Charbonneau in anything else, but I fell in love with her here. (It doesn't hurt that she reminds me quite a bit of Natalie Wood in the looks department.) Great film and a potential new favorite. Very happy to have randomly stumbled across this gem on Filmstruck.

As a huge fan of westerns and James Stewart, there was never any doubt that I'd like Destry Rides Again. The movie is well-paced, well-written, and Stewart once again proves that he's capable of laying on the charm more convincingly than any actor ever. Yet I felt a tinge of disappointment as the movie veered from its playful, silly tone of the first half into more serious, traditional territory. The most enjoyable parts belong to Marlene Dietrich, whether it's her musical numbers or her extended cat fights, and she gets to play a more empowered role than you typically find for women in classic westerns. The final shoot-out, as predictable as it may be, still thrills. I look forward to riding with Destry again since the shift in tone probably won't bother me as much with a re-watch. A classic of the genre for a reason.

Growing up, Beverly Hills Ninja was one of my most-watched VHS tapes. I loved 90's SNL, so naturally I loved Chris Farley. I loved ninjas and anything related to martial-arts. I thought Mortal Kombat was the greatest movie ever made, so the presence of Liu Kang (Robin Shou) as Farley's adoptive brother in the movie was a major bright spot. And apparently ten-year-old me must've been really into physical comedy, because I thought Beverly Hills Ninja was a laugh riot back then. I hadn't watched this movie in many years and was looking forward to a stroll down memory lane. Let's just say that it's, um, not as funny as I remembered. The bulk of the jokes are just Chris Farley crashing into objects. Nostalgia is a powerful thing, though, so despite the movie's lack of quality or laughs, I still find Beverly Hills Ninja fairly enjoyable. For a man of his size, Farley had amazing physicality. The soundtrack is cheesily on the nose ("Kung Fu Fighting," ""Turning Japanese," "I'm Too Sexy" during Farley's striptease), but it's a fun listen nonetheless. It was also nice to finally get some of the jokes and references that went over my head as a kid, such as "Mr. Dojo Risin'." I'm disappointed that the movie hasn't held up well over the years, and it saddens me a little that I can no longer consider this a favorite comedy, but spending 90-minutes enveloped within fond childhood memories is never a bad thing.

HashtagBrownies

03-23-18, 03:36 PM

https://i.imgur.com/ShU2o4b.gif

That moment was the first ever time I screamed during a film, I'm ashamed to say.

Chypmunk

03-23-18, 03:39 PM

I was going to post everything at once, but the post was long and unwieldy, so I'm splitting it into two parts. I'll post the other half tomorrow.

Very proud to be able to say I've never watched any of the Paranormal Activity series and have no intention of doing so. Your ratings and thoughts only cement that resolve.

I'll look forward to tomorrow's post with the other half as I think the only of those I would have actually seen is Destry Rides Again and that would have been decades ago so I can't really comment on it but I do hope to rewatch it in the not too distant future (assuming it is available to me). I do have Ninja III DVR'd for a watch sometime though .... so I could reach the heady heights of having seen two of those you listed :eek: :D

As always it's nice to see you post!

Captain Spaulding

03-25-18, 03:03 AM

I'll look forward to tomorrow's post with the other half as I think the only of those I would have actually seen is Destry Rides Again and that would have been decades ago so I can't really comment on it but I do hope to rewatch it in the not too distant future (assuming it is available to me). I do have Ninja III DVR'd for a watch sometime though .... so I could reach the heady heights of having seen two of those you listed :eek: :D

As always it's nice to see you post!

You're not missing much. I watched a lot of crap last month. Surprised you haven't yet seen One Way Passage, though, considering how many 30's films you've been watching this year. It's a bit slight, but definitely worthwhile.

Ninja III is spectacularly stupid, but in a fun way. If you want to see a chick ward off evil ninja spirits by randomly busting into aerobic exercises, Ninja III is your film. Leave your brain at home and you should get some enjoyment out of it.

Captain Spaulding

03-25-18, 03:13 AM

February Viewings: Part II

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Baby Driver (Edgar Wright, 2017) 3
White Sands (Roger Donaldson, 1992) 2.5
Suburbia (Penelope Spheeris, 1983) 1.5
Gifted (Marc Webb, 2017) 2.5
Superstar (Bruce McCulloch, 1999) 2

https://i.imgur.com/K4X9at8.gif
Wonder Woman (Patty Jenkins, 2017) 3.5
The Roaring Twenties (Raoul Walsh, 1939) 4
Nothing Bad Can Happen (Katrin Gebbe, 2013) 3.5
He Knows You're Alone (Armand Mastroianni, 1980) 1
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (Werner Herzog, 1972) 5 [REWATCH]

https://i.imgur.com/hODtKjv.gif
Friday (F. Gary Gray, 1995) 2.5
Next Friday (Steve Carr, 2000) 1.5
Friday After Next (Marcus Raboy, 2002) 2
Never Too Young to Die (Gil Bettman, 1986) 2.5
Detroit (Kathryn Bigelow, 2017) 3.5

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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (James Gunn, 2017) 4
Vagabond (Agnès Varda, 1985) 3.5
Bucktown (Arthur Marks, 1975) 2
Look Who's Talking (Amy Heckerling, 1989) 2
Doc Hollywood (Michael Caton-Jones, 1991) 1.5

https://i.imgur.com/jtmYKsE.gif
Uncle Buck (John Hughes, 1989) 3.5
The Boss Baby (Tom McGrath, 2017) 2.5
Winchester (Michael & Peter Spierig, 2018) 1
The Do-Over (Steven Brill, 2016) 2.5
Girlfight (Karyn Kusama, 2000) 2.5

Monthly Total: 50
Yearly Total: 90

Thoughts on a Few of the Films:

Given the nearly unanimous praise it received, Baby Driver turned out to be a major disappointment. I wanted to punch the titular Baby in the face and break his iPod for much of the movie. He reminded me too much of the obnoxious asshats who upload videos onto YouTube of themselves dancing and lip-synching. His bland, unappealing nature is made even more conspicuous by the supporting cast of colorful, magnetic villains. The movie finally started to grow on me in the second half, once the stakes had been properly raised, and I at least stopped rooting for Baby to get run over by his own car. Jon Hamm was fun until he turned into the Terminator. I'm not a big Jamie Foxx fan, but I thought he was the best part of the movie. I didn't buy Kevin Spacey's turnabout at the end, nor the romance between Ansel Elgort and Lily James. Even the car chases were underwhelming. On a positive note, the sound editing/mixing nominations were well earned, and I admire the film's energy. This is an example of a movie making me sound like a hater just because I thought it fell well short of the hype, even though I liked the movie overall.

Wonder Woman, on the other hand, totally lived up to the hype. I hate how so few superhero movies are stand-alone stories nowadays, and the need to throw multiple superheroes into every film also annoys me, so Wonder Woman getting her own self-contained origin story without the studio making it feel like a really expensive trailer for the next DCEU installment is an automatic plus. Gal Gadot is a goddess and a perfect fit for the character from a physical standpoint, although I'm not yet convinced of her abilities as an actress. Chris Pine, whom I find underrated in general, provides the heart, charm and levity. The WWI setting adds a fresh touch. The fish-out-of-water humor is mostly successful. The score is exhilarating, especially when it kicks in just as Wonder Woman emerges from the bunker during the excellent No Man's Land sequence. I hated the big battle at the end, however, which conjured PTSD flashbacks to Batman v. Superman, and the CGI was surprisingly wonky throughout the movie. Very odd casting choice for Aries, too -- fake-out or not, it was still unconvincing. To call Wonder Woman the best movie in the DCEU isn't much of a compliment, but I'd take Wonder Woman over most of the MCU movies as well.

Sandwiched between the lackluster bookends of Detroit is an excellent film. The long, harrowing sequence at the Algiers Hotel is intense, disturbing, uncomfortable, infuriating, depressing, and about two-hundred other adjectives. Bigelow does a great job of turning viewers into helpless spectators, and the actors/actresses involved deliver believable, difficult performances. I was skeptical that Will Poulter could play a convincing cop (especially after I caught an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! where he admitted that he doesn't even know how to drive), but he was very convincing as a despicable piece of sh*t. It's a shame that everything in Detroit outside of the Algiers Hotel is much less effective. The animated prologue adds nothing to the film. The chaotic opening also threw me for a loop, and it took awhile before things settled down and I was able to find anything or anyone to latch onto. The fallout from the Algiers Hotel tragedy and the trials in court aren't given the necessary time and depth. There are also a few instances where the script feels too much like it's directly commenting on today's news rather than the events portrayed within the film, to the point where I would not been have shocked if #BlackLivesMatter had flashed on the screen. Regardless of some of my issues, though, Detroit is a very effective, depressingly relevant film. It might not make my Directed by Women ballot, but it won't miss the cut by much.

I never expected to love Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 as much as I did. The first film was good -- I gave it three popcorns -- but I don't remember much about it. Vol. 2, on the other hand, is one of the most joyful, entertaining movies I've seen in a long time. I'm surprised that the general consensus seems to be that this one isn't quite as good as the first. I'd go so far as to label Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 the best MCU film yet, as well as one of the best superhero films, period. There are a lot of jokes in this film, and I'd say 99.5% landed for me. When I wasn't laughing out loud, I was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. The film is weird, irreverent, goofy, silly, exciting, imaginative, loaded with pop-culture references (Giant Pac-Man gleefully makes up for his appearance in Pixels), full of quotable dialogue ("I'm Mary Poppins, ya'll!"), and it even managed to manipulate my emotions to an embarrassingly successful degree. If I had to nitpick, I'd say that the David Hasselhoff references become a bit overkill, the mixtape isn't quite as good as in the first film, and I don't see the point of bringing Stallone aboard for what felt like 30 seconds of screen time, but everything else in Vol 2 is aces. Baby Groot is the cutest thing ever. The hilarious opening credits sequence, when the camera focuses on Groot dancing aloofly while a huge battle takes place in the background, immediately won me over and perfectly set the tone for the rest of the film. The comic timing from everyone in the cast is spot-on. I should hate a film that feels like it was filmed entirely in front of a green screen, but the special-effects are amazing and so god*amn colorful that it's like watching a live-action cartoon on acid. Between this, Logan, Wonder Woman, and Thor: Ragnarok (which I enjoyed significantly more than its predecessors, probably because it also felt foremost like a comedy and a superhero film secondly), 2017 was a stupendous year for superhero movies, and I'm typically apathetic about the genre.

Chypmunk

03-25-18, 03:38 AM

You're not missing much. I watched a lot of crap last month. Surprised you haven't yet seen One Way Passage, though, considering how many 30's films you've been watching this year. It's a bit slight, but definitely worthwhile.

Ninja III is spectacularly stupid, but in a fun way. If you want to see a chick ward off evil ninja spirits by randomly busting into aerobic exercises, Ninja III is your film. Leave your brain at home and you should get some enjoyment out of it.
Added One Way Passage to my ever expanding list of films to try to locate and view. Ninja III sounds exactly like I'd expected and hoped for, my brain is kind of in shut-down mode naturally right now so I might throw it on when herself goes for the expected 'jet lag' nap sometime today.

Looks like your second half of Feb was a little more enjoyable on the whole than the first. We're on the same page with regards The Roaring Twenties and whilst you rate Aguirre higher than I do I still think it's an excellent fillum :up: Only other one of those I've seen is Look Who's Talking which I wasn't a fan of either.

I enjoyed the first Guardians movie more than I expected (not really much into DC or Marvel) so look forward to checking out Vol. 2 whenever it airs on one of our limited channels, I'll probably also give Wonder Woman an outing as and when via the same medium too as it seems to be fairly well received in general.

Iroquois

03-25-18, 11:29 AM

La jetée (Chris Marker, 1962) - 4.5

I've been meaning to start using more 4.5s lately, if only so I can at least start giving certain re-watches the respect they deserve. That brings me to this, which I would definitely consider one of the best sci-fi movies ever made for managing to do so much in such an inventive manner. Now I need to revisit Twelve Monkeys.

Hiroshima mon amour (Alain Resnais, 1959) - 4.5

While I can definitely understand those who would complain about the film shifting from oblique montage to relatively conventional melodrama around the 20-minute mark, it's not enough to stop me from thinking more and more of this film each time that I see it (if only because the main character's internal conflict is also presented obliquely enough to demand active interpretation on the part of the audience).

Black Rain (Shohei Imamura, 1989) - 4

My second Imamura after The Ballad of Narayama definitely feels similar in that it is mostly a quiet drama about tha inhabitants of a small Japanese village that will occasionally interject with scenes of abject horror (in this case, depicting the aftermath of the Hiroshima bombing). The ensuing story - picking up a few years later as a handful of survivors readjust to normal life - is compellingly low-key to the point where picking up on the smallest narrative developments provides the largest emotional resonance.

The Last Metro (François Truffaut, 1980) - 3

A perfectly adequate drama about life in a Vichy theatre as its Jewish owner must hide in its basement and oversee his wife's operation of the business. Despite the ever-looming threats to the business (not just from Nazis, but also French collaborators who would cause trouble out of spite), this maintains an appreciably languid pace where one can get to know and appreciate the ensemble at work within the theatre and get a sense of their inner lives that makes the film work more than anything else.

The Cloverfield Paradox (Julius Onah, 2018) - 1.5

Was there much point in really watching this well after it got a surprise release to largely negative reviews (especially when I was already kind of indifferent to the first two Cloverfield movies)? I guess not, but that didn't stop me. Anyway, I've been somewhat forgiving of space-weirdness movies in the past (hello, Supernova) but this one does very little for me despite that understanding.

Threads (Mick Jackson, 1984) - 4

I had my doubts that this would live up to its rather intimidating reputation as one of the bleakest movies ever made, but even with that in mind it still packs a remarkable punch as it transitions from a kitchen-sink drama about a bunch of ordinary Brits to a clinically detailed depiction of trying to survive in a post-nuclear environment. Between a blunt visual style that doesn't sugar-coat matters with cinematic artifice and editing choices that use terrifyingly silent and informative title cards to drive home the reality of the matter, this is definitely something that'll stick with me.

Man on the Moon (Milos Forman, 1999) - 3.5

An above-average biopic that does a decent job of reflecting the off-kilter nature of its subject even if it doesn't quite mitigate the ways in which he might grate on an unsuspecting public with his antics.

Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders, 1987) - 4.5

Another classic re-watch that I just had to upgrade to 4.5. The world of the angels and the ways in which they intermingle (or don't) with the mortal realm still proves a source of perpetual fascination, as does said mortal realm itself with its well-executed inclusions of appearing-as-themselves artists like Peter Falk or Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. This is definitely going into consideration for the next Top 100 I do.

When the Wind Blows (Jimmy T. Murakami, 1986) - 3.5

After having absorbed a whole bunch of grimly realistic nuclear-themed movies recently, it's easy to see this animated tale about an ageing British couple doddering around in their cottage as an inferior work that can't help but repeat a lot of the same stuff that was brought up in something like Threads. That being said, I do give it credit for using its kindly old characters to not only satirise the absurdity of how citizen and government alike may react to the prospect of nuclear war but also drive home how thoroughly incomprehensible the effects can be.

The 15:17 to Paris (Clint Eastwood, 2018) - 1

I've long since accepted that Eastwood is more miss than hit as a director but the tack he takes with his latest real-life hero story (casting the actual participants as themselves in the events leading up to and including their foiling a terrorist attack) is almost too fascinatingly bizarre to dismiss outright. It still doesn't manage to save the film, though.

HashtagBrownies

03-26-18, 09:42 AM

Seen in March Pt.2

43177
3.5
Lovely little film. The soundtrack is really great, very melancholy. The costume and set design is fairly average. The main part of the film for me was the main girls. They're all performed brilliantly as if they actually exist and you seriously care for them. I would always be shocked when something bad happened to them and I would always smile when something good happened to them, and those reactions were not on purpose. You get to experience the girl's highs and lows, laugh with their casual jokes and get excited by father's mail as if you were a member of the family.

My only gripe is that I experienced a serious drop in interest at the '4 years later' part of the film, not sure if that was me or the film, but fortunately I got invested again in the last 20 minutes.

43178
4
Brilliant. Holy s*it, this is really interesting. Considering this is one of the most famous scenes in film history, it’s awesome to hear a bunch of well respected film nerds totally dismantle the scene and reveal why it’s so great. I even noticed a few bits about the shower scene that hadn’t caught my eye before! I should really re-watch Psycho again.

43179
3.5
Wow, I really went out of my comfort zone going into this film, and I don't regret it. Sarah Polley is a pretty great director and writer, she is able to make everyone act and speak in a way that is almost the same as real life, down to mannerisms and all. Michelle Williams and Seth Rogen are fantastic in the film, it's strange to see him outside comedy. The soundtrack was brilliant and there were some fantastic song choices. There's one fairly obvious, but pretty meaningful visual metaphor. I also think this is the only film I've seen where there's a dream sequence that ACTUALLY adds something to the film.

Also if you didn't find the 'cold water' scene and the last 5 minutes absolutely heart shattering, you truly are a monster!!!

43180
4+
Haven’t seen a full-on horror film in quite some time, and my God this was a jump back into the genre. It has that ‘Is she insane or is it real’ atmosphere and holds it for the entire film. They make you aware of this through the film with some very creepy subtleties that aren’t shoved down your throat. The colour pallet is very, very bleak, which helps this atmosphere aswell.

But the main point is; This movie hella scary. Some unique camera techniques, great editing, appropriately placed music, heavy use of the uncanny valley and that bloody story-book make it this way. Whenever there’s a jumpscare or a startling moment, it just happens; no stupid sound queues or ‘shing’ noise. THANK YOU SO MUCH JENNIFER KENT YOU DON’T KNOW HOW LONG I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR A HORROR MOVIE TO DO THIS! The scary scenes walk the fine line of ‘too tame’ and ‘too over-the-top’ absolutely perfectly.

If I was to give a criticism its that the child actor is kinda bad. Whether he’s scraped his knee or he’s being sucked into the pits of hell, he still gives the exact same scream.

43181
3.5
Oh my God it's Cricket!

A nice, entertaining, laid back road movie. I don’t live in America so I always like these films that show off the American landscapes and its overall feel.

43182
4-
Another Hitchcock movie set in a small location, and it has all the element of a great Hitchcock movie, lots of mystery and lots of surprises.

I didn’t like the first 20 minutes of the film when they were in the hotel, it was completely pointless and the attempts at comedy were extremely awkward and silly. I REALLY didn’t like how the last 20 minutes suddenly turns into an action espionage movie, it didn’t fit the film at all. It should’ve been completely rewritten.

43183
4
Usually I would never go to a type of movie like this, but the glowing reviews convinced me otherwise, and I can safely say this was so funny. The fact that I’ve seen an adult comedy that doesn’t rely on sex jokes honestly astounds me. All of the actors were on point, they delivered all of the jokes brilliantly. The plot is very interesting with lots of clever twists and turns that I never saw coming. Also Meth Damon is the most amazing person ever created. The soundtrack was pretty cool, sounded like something from Hotline Miami. That tracking shot in the mansion was soooooo cool. All the cute little references were awesome.

43184
3.5
This film really takes its time. The ending was a little too abrupt for my liking. Besides that the gore and violence in the film was great. That scene where they were cutting off the girls face was absolutely disgusting and awesome at the same time, it was like looking at a car crash. Just seeing the gross stuff they could get away with back then is amazing.

43185
4-
Just a very entertaining, funny movie. Tom Hanks is great in this. The slapstick is pretty good. Corey Feldmen and the teens are the best in this (YEAH PIZZA DUDE!). I liked the overall feeling of this nice, American, summer sunlight-saturated suburb where everyone knows everyone. It’s also pretty cool that the film never leaves the cul-de-sac. The sense of mystery and intrigue to know what’s going on was handled very well.

43186
4-
I liked it very much. Edward Norton’s performance is brilliant. The editing is fantastic, shots are quickly edited together with close-ups to give a very uncomfortable amount of tension. The title is very bad though, I can never remember it. It seems more appropriate for a dark thriller than a courtroom drama.

Joel

03-26-18, 07:44 PM

Harry Brown (Daniel Barber, 2009) 3+

Mentions Robert Ginty and instantly has my attention...:D

Mr Minio

03-29-18, 03:59 AM

Pardon the scarcity of text. I don't feel like writing much. :(

Homoti (1987) - rating_3_5

http://iv1.lisimg.com/image/2612029/320full-homoti-screenshot.jpg

A Turksploitation E.T. rip-off aka the best worst film ever made. Almost a metaphysical experience! Almost.

The White Bird Marked with Black (1971) - rating_4

http://ilarge.lisimg.com/image/7520434/849full-the-white-bird-marked-with-black-screenshot.jpg

Another Ilyenko. A folklore-driven film about Hutsul peasants during World War II. Great cinematography.

Affair in the Snow (1968) - rating_4_5

https://wondersinthedark.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/affair-snow-2.jpg

Cold movie, cold snow. Ayako Wakao is a walking piece of art, but her coldness is even bigger than the snowy landscapes of the movies.

A Story Written with Water (1965) - rating_4

http://ilarge.lisimg.com/image/7040679/849full-a-story-written-with-water-screenshot.jpg

Yoshida never disappoints me as far as cinematography goes.

Deux fois (1968) - rating_3

http://metrograph.com/uploads/films/Deux_Fois_Jackie_Raynal-1455657253-726x388.jpg

A decent Zanzibar Group film. Kind of aimless. Has a kinky scene of a girl pissing.

Cruel Gun Story (1964) - rating_3_5

http://www.camera-roll.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/gunstory01-938x535.jpg

A nice neo-noir heist film with Mr. Hamster as the lead, and a pretty bitter ending. Quite a typical cookie-cutter Nikkatsu production of the time, but still of great value and enjoyability.

Inspector Palmu's Error (1960) - rating_3_5

https://assets.mubi.com/images/film/29810/image-w856.jpg?1445892333

Finnish cult classic. An Agatha Christie-esque crime plot staged as indoors dialogue-driven intrigue. Not the best film ever made, but a solid one!

Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958) - rating_4

http://ilarge.lisimg.com/image/4633264/777full-big-deal-on-madonna-street-screenshot.jpg

A top-notch comedy with a top-notch cast. A great classic in Italy, and it's easy to see why. I had a lot of fun watching it.

The Devil's Eye (1960) - rating_4

http://rarefilm.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/The-Devils-Eye-1960-1.jpg

A great film in general, and a mediocre Bergman film in particular.

…And the Fifth Horseman Is Fear (1965) - rating_4

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cCDupl7vGPU/Vi4xbG_In8I/AAAAAAAAJvg/IRWpYc8G7UE/s1600/vlcsnap-2015-10-26-18h46m18s232.png

A gritty, dark Czech film on a Jewish doctor in Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia era Prague.

Le clair de terre (1970) - rating_4_5

https://img00.deviantart.net/e056/i/2011/009/d/2/le_clair_de_terre___1970_by_silesius22-d36sfhu.jpg

Guy Gilles mon amour. I love his montage.

Love at the sea (1965) - rating_4

http://p1.storage.canalblog.com/16/34/110219/109079238.png

Gilles' first feature length.

The Garden That Tilts (1974) - rating_3_5

http://rarefilm.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Le-jardin-qui-bascule-1975-1.jpg

A subpar Gilles, but still a good film.

Pine Flat (2005) - rating_3

http://db-artmag.de/archiv/assets/images/603/46.jpg

An extreme form of contemplative cinema similar to James Benning films, it's built of several dozens minutes long static shots of nature with some people within the frame (or not). The interlude is the most beautiful part of the film.

The Werewolf Versus the Vampire Woman (1971) - rating_2_5

http://ilarge.lisimg.com/image/3217556/856full-the-werewolf-vs.-the-vampire-woman-%28aka-werewolf-shadow%29-screenshot.jpg

Eh, I like me some sleaze, but this was painfully mediocre and tedious.

The Deserted Archipelago (1969) - rating_4

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gRWMZ-x-wV0/S2OW_FRWbcI/AAAAAAAAGnI/E5lqsf6ZrBg/s400/Kanai2.PNG

A surrealist nightmare. Wakamatsu-like cheap yet ravishing black and white cinematography mixed with Oshima-like politics, with Tsukamoto-esque body horror elements, and black comedy (a nun shooting a machine pistol is one of the best images I've seen recently).

Manji (1964) - rating_4

https://1630revellodrive.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/manji-sleeping-medication-dosage.jpg?w=460

A movie that starts off like an overzealous Sirkian melodrama quickly twists and turns into so much more. From the worship of Ayako Wakao's body, to passionate lesbianism, to a series of lies, betrayals and manipulations, to a threesome, to a foursome, to a staggering, hard-hitting finale, it is not a surprise this was based on a Tanizaki novel. Masumura is a beast. I need to watch his entire filmography (dozens of titles!!!) now.

Chypmunk

03-31-18, 05:49 PM

March (pt ii):

4.5
Oldeuboi (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364569/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Oldboy] (Chan-wook Park, 2003)

4+
Boksuneun naui geot (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0310775/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance] (Chan-wook Park, 2002)
Scarface (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023427/?ref_=nv_sr_3) aka Shame Of A Nation (Howard Hawks & Richard Rosson, 1932)

4
The Thirteenth Floor (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139809/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Josef Rusnak, 1999)
Tyrannosaur (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1204340/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Paddy Considine, 2011)

3.5+
Chinjeolhan geumjassi (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451094/?ref_=tt_rec_tt) [Lady Vengeance aka Sympathy For Lady Vengeance] (Chan-wook Park, 2005)
Desire (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027515/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_29) (Frank Borzage, 1936)
Nema-ye Nazdik (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100234/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) [Close Up] (Abbas Kiarostami, 1990)
The Bad And The Beautiful (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044391/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Vincente Minnelli, 1952)

3.5
Astenicheskiy sindrom (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096841/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) [The Asthenic Syndrome] (Kira Muratova, 1990)
City Girl (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0020768/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (F.W. Murnau, 1930)
Maid Of Salem (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029190/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Frank Lloyd, 1937)
Steamboat Round The Bend (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027042/?ref_=nv_sr_3) (John Ford, 1935)
Tang shan da di zhen (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1393746/?ref_=nv_sr_5) [Aftershock] (Xiaogang Feng, 2010)
Turist (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2121382/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Force Majeure] (Robin Östlund, 2014)
Waterloo Bridge (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022550/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (James Whale, 1931)

3+
Fruitvale Station (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2334649/?ref_=nv_sr_2) aka Fruitvale (Ryan Coogler, 2013)
My Sin (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022178/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (George Abbott, 1931)
Portrait Of A Gallery (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7745940/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Adrian McCarthy, 2017)
Some Mother's Son (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117690/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Terry George, 1996)
The Emperor's Candlesticks (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028829/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_18) (George Fitzmaurice, 1937)
The River (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043972/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Jean Renoir, 1951)

3
Army Of Darkness (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106308/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Sam Raimi, 1982)
Here Comes The Summer: The Undertones Story (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5605934/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Chris Wilson, 2012)
The Longest Ride (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2726560/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (George Tillman Jr., 2015)

2.5+
The Kennel Murder Case (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024210/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Michael Curtiz, 1933)

2.5
The Penguin Pool Murder (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023327/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (George Archainbaud, 1932)

2+
Bank Alarm (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028607/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Louis J. Gasnier, 1937)
God Help The Girl (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2141751/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Stuart Murdoch, 2014)
Pursuit (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4971424/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_3) (Paul Mercier, 2015)

2
Grace Of Monaco (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2095649/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Olivier Dahan, 2014)
Ninja III: The Domination (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087805/?ref_=nv_sr_3) (Sam Firstenberg, 1984)
Pride And Prejudice And Zombies (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1374989/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Burr Steers, 2016)
The Fly II (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097368/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Chris Walas, 1989)
Yellow Cargo (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028521/?ref_=tt_rec_tt) aka Sinful Cargo (Crane Wilbur, 1936)

1.5+
Citadel (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1641975/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Ciarán Foy, 2012)
Spy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3079380/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Paul Feig, 2015)

1.5
Hot Pepper (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024141/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_25) (John G. Blystone, 1933)
Navy Spy (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125432/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_4) (Joseph H. Lewis & Crane Wilbur, 1937)
The Gold Racket (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028943/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_3) (Louis J. Gasnier & Joseph H. Lewis, 1937)

HashtagBrownies

03-31-18, 09:52 PM

Seen in March Pt.3/3

43378
3.5+
Really sad! Whenever you hear about Stephen Hawking you kinda imagine him as a god walking with men, but this film makes you realize he was just an ordinary guy like you or I. The music is great, it’s so good at making you feel emotional. The lighting is very strange in some scenes though. Some people don’t like that it only reflected on the romantic part of his life, but I like it as it makes him seem more human. I have to wonder though, did I only feel emotional because of the manipulative music?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKQpG7EjXsg
3.5
Pretty creepy. The use of stop motion was pretty great.

43379
4
This was shot on an iPhone? Holy sh*t. The performances from everyone are all brilliant, especially the mother. Maybe it’s because it was shot on an iPhone, but the way the camera shoots the film gives loads of room around the main character. This gives a constant feeling of the character being watched which, intentional or not, is very effective. The last five minutes were a little silly and the main theme sounded like something from a soap opera (The rest of the soundtrack is great though).

Also Josh from The Blair Witch Project’s in this, very nice to see him still getting work.

43380
4.5+
How have I not discovered this totally gnarly movie until now?! This is just one of the most purely awesome movies I’ve ever seen. These dude-bro characters who say ‘dude’ and ‘woah’ are just bodacious. The fact that my main man Keanu Reeves is playing a dude-bro character is just pure perfection. I could not stop smiling internally during this excellent film. I’ll probably see this dozens of times in the future.

43381
3.5
A very interesting topic. The camera is super HD, which was cool. The information in this was presented very interestingly, with a great soundtrack, editing and effects.

43382
3.5+
A very good sic-fi. Natalie Portman at it again with the best crying face in the game. The world of the Shimmer is very unique and you want them to stay to see more of it. It was cool to see it go full 2001 at the end, but I don’t see what was the point in portraying it with such emotional music, it wasn’t that sad really. Very nice cinematography. Feels very similar to Sicario and Arrival, so I wonder what it would be like if Denis Villeneuve directed it. It was interesting how it was done as mumble core, but it made me sleepy.

43383
4.5+
Sometimes movie watching looses its magic, the passion to watch them seems to dwindle when everything you see is either "Great" or "Good", but you'll most likely not care about within a week's time.
But then you watch something as magical as Nightcrawler, and the passion and magic comes flooding back. This will be one of the first films I think of when reflecting back on my 2018 watches.

This is as pure as a dark thriller can get. I was completely immersed, I haven’t felt that in a while. The main character is a total sociopath, a completely unique specimen. During long scenes you can see him manipulating everyone around him with just his words for personal gain, no sympathy for anyone whatsoever. Jake does a wonderful performance as him. One of my favourite characters in cinema.

The cinematography is fantastic. It was that pure threatening darkness that gives it the ultimate thriller look. The direction is also brilliant. There are slow zooms that are used very effectively. The red car is almost a symbol, you know that when you see it something bad is going to happen.

That shot near the end where Louis is happily negotiating a high price for his footage while it is paused with the lady, and between those two on the screen you can see the paused image of his dead apprentice staring at him. That moment is just absolute pure movie magic.

43384
4+
Perfect animation. The sense of adventure of traveling across the island was wonderful. Wes Anderson’s style works with some films and not with others, but I feel it works with this one as it is animated. I saw Fantastic Mr Fox hundreds of times when I was younger so I’m naturally biased towards this film. I don’t like how the other main dogs were completely forgotten about at the half-way mark. The romantic plots felt completely pointless.

43385
4
The concept is brilliant, having to kill a member of your family to save them all, and the person orchestrating this event can’t be harmed. The fact that it's based on a Greek Tragedy adds to that. I liked the colour pallet, lots of whites. I loved all the uncomfortable disturbing, creepy moments, they really added to the tension. The last 10 minutes were crazy.

But I hated, and I mean HATED the direction. All of the actors deliver their lines completely monotone with no emotion whatsoever. The monotone dialogue makes us not care for the characters, giving the film no tension, which really disappoints me, because I want to experience this horrifying event with empathy and shock, not with neutrality. This worked for the Lobster due to its genre and subject manner, but when you’re doing an intense, psychological thriller it just looks incredibly pretentious. It’s way too long, there’s way too many scenes of the kids dicking around in their wheelchairs and hospital beds. Those moments most certainly killed any tension. The music was also overdone, the overuse of the disturbing music lessens the effect of the music on the actually scary moments.

43386
4-
The relationship between the teacher and the girl was the the best thing ever, it was so damn sweet. The little girl was so cute! The ending was too abrupt. I feel like they made it sad so they could get their message across, but with an extra five minutes and a happy ending they could get across the message with a more satisfying film.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

I am legitimately shocked at how perfect Nightcrawler and Bill and Ted were. The other films I’ve seen this week don’t belong on the same planet as them. What will April have in store? I don’t know!

cricket

04-01-18, 08:34 AM

March, 2018 movies watched-

Deliver Us From Evil (2006) 3 High quality documentary that I didn't exactly enjoy.

Los Olvidados (1950) 4+ Powerful and upsetting tale of Mexico City delinquents.

The Station Agent (2003) 4- A very human story with the perfect mix of comedy and drama.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017) 2 A big fight to stay awake.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) 4 As much as I enjoyed it, I wish it was better.

The Piano Teacher (2001) 3.5- Typical Haneke with a great performance from Isabelle Huppert.

Dodsworth (1936) 3.5 Well done bittersweet classic about a marriage coming apart.

Creep (2014) 2.5- Not bad thanks to two suitable performances.

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013) 3 The first time out of 3 chances that I have enjoyed a Jim Jarmusch movie.

The Prince of Tides (1991) 3.5 Almost great.

Lady Bird (2017) 3.5 Touching and a strong cast.

Way Out West (1937) 2.5 Amusing but not much more for me.

Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989) 2.5+ One of the most bizarre movies I've seen.

I, Tonya (2017) 3 Disappointing even if it was still pretty enjoyable.

Hombre (1967) 3.5 Paul Newman back with the director of HUD for a very strong western.

House of Tolerance (2011) 3.5- Hooking ain't easy, even in 1900.

The Bad and the Beautiful (1952) 3.5+ Excellent cast, melodrama, and indictment on Hollywood.

Battle of the Sexes (1952) 3 Great true story, and a good but not great movie.

A Bittersweet Life (2005) 4+ It's always nice when a movie meets your high expectations.

Lady Snowblood (1973) 3.5 Everything about it is super cool.

City Girl (1930) 4 Heartbreaking and beautiful.

La Bete Humaine (1938) 3- Good movie but I've had trouble connecting with anything from director Jean Renoir.

Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations (1936) 3.5+ Amazing look at history with great direction.

Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty (1936) 3 Still impressive and with exciting events, but the awe factor has lessened.

Out of the Blue (2006) 3- Solid true crime story that could have benefited by going a little deeper.

Awakenings (1990) 3.5 Overall a very moving film even if I watched with raised eyebrow every once in a while.

Fanny and Alexander (1982) 3+ It's good, but director Bergman has several movies I like more. And I don't have to spend over 3 hours watching them.

The Masque of the Red Death (1964) 2 I didn't dislike it. I just thought it was blah.

Captain Courageous (1937) 3.5- Surprisingly touching and a good watch.

The Shape of Water (2017) 5 The Academy screwed up. This should have won many more awards.

Close-Up (1990) 3 Amusing and a little different.

Constantine (2005) 2 Not my kind of movie.

Amores Perros (2000) 4 Three interconnected stories, this movie has a ton of energy.

Total March viewings-33
Total 2018 viewings-92

TokeZa

04-02-18, 01:17 PM

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P8P0R8GNNL8/Uy-AhVx9w1I/AAAAAAAAAew/6OKDA8s8CQc/s1600/horse+thief2.png

The Horse Thief (1986) by Zhuangzhuang Tian 3.5+

The Lost Weekend (1945) by Billy Wilder 2.5

News from Home (1977) by Chantal Akerman 4

Hatari! (1962) by Howard Hawks 3.5+

http://s2.dmcdn.net/Qu75Y/1280x720-ukH.jpg

En Kärlekshistoria (1970) by Roy Andersson 3.5+

Neighbors (2014) by Nicholas Stoller 1.5

Make Way for Tomorrow (1937) by Leo McCarey 4+

Taipei Story (1985) by Edward Yang 4+

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/67/38/c5/6738c54a831adc167de0a0b3fa3d4848.jpg

Stolen Kisses (1968) by François Truffaut 3+

Pandora's Box (1929) by Georg Wilhelm Pabst 3.5

Umut (1970) by Yilmaz Güney and Serif Gören 3.5+

Play (2011) by Ruben Östlund 4

https://assets.mubi.com/images/film/149048/image-w1280.jpg?1519816121

I Don't Belong Anywhere: The Cinema of Chantal Akerman (2016) by Marianne Lambert 3.5

The Color Wheel (2011) by Alex Ross Perry 3

Angel's Egg (1985) 3+

Eden (2014) by Mia Hansen-Løve 2.5

http://www.courtisane.be/sites/default/files/westofthetracks3.jpg

Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks (2003) by Bing Wang 5

Serial Mom (1994) by John Waters 2

Thief (1981) by Michael Mann 3.5

The Green Fog (2017) by Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson 3.5+

http://www.kickseat.com/storage/my-dinner-with-andre.jpg?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1343693864939

My Dinner with Andre (1981) by Louis Malle 3.5+

Elevator to the Gallows (1958) by Louis Malle 3.5

Foreign Parts (2010) by Verena Paravel and J.P. Sniadecki 3.5+

Ludwig (1972) by Luchino Visconte 3.5+

http://i.imgur.com/3OXMECa.jpg

Reassemblage (1983) by T. Minh-ha Trinh 3.5+

Drifting Clouds (1996) by Aki Kaurismäki 3.5+

Wild (2016) by Nicolette Krebitz 2

Out 1, noli me tangere (1971) by Jacques Rivette and Suzanne Schiffman 4+

thracian dawg

04-02-18, 10:17 PM

March views.

★
To Die For (1995) - Van Sant
These characters here are too witless to even merit satire.

★½
The Voices (2014) - Satrapi
I think the filmmakers failed to establish a lead character, so when Anna Kendrick steps up as someone genuinely wonderful and caring, she becomes the main character in the film. Unfortunately they kill her off almost immediately--- which sinks their own film. Plus the tonal shifts between delightful talking heads in the fridge next to the mustard jar, and the vicious misogyny of stabbing someone 20 or 30 times (accidently) requires mad story telling skills the filmmakers clearly don’t possess.

★★
Never so Few (1959) - Sturges
Just how brutal is jungle warfare? Sinatra is forced to wear a goatee. Just how inhumane is jungle warfare? There is no extra money for incidentals---when someone gets a major wound, Sinatra just shoots them in the head to end their suffering---then out of the jungle for a little R&R! Suffice to say the non sequiturs begin to overwhelm the film. The bit parts include Charlie Bronson as a Navajo wind talker. George Takei has one line complaining about hospital food. And very kinetic Steve McQueen crackles on screen even when he just stands there.

Insight (2011) - Gabai
The unreliable narrator is only thing going for this murder mystery.

The Kid ( *= rewatch) (1921) - Chaplin
The mechanics of the story were too evident, getting the kid out into the street, getting him abandoned correctly with no way to find him then the tramp saving the only scrap of evidence. The poor unwed girl becomes rich and famous, her kid is magically returned and as a reward, the tramp takes up residence with them.

Tilly’s fractured Romance (1914) - Chaplin
Chaplin plays a supporting character, a cad who tries to steal a big wad of cash from a big country girl. If you think falling down in funny, this one’s for you.

An American in Paris (1951) - Vinnelli
A poor starving artist finds himself adopted by a sugar mamma, who is going to promote the hell out of his career in exchange for some bed-time canoodling. A lot of product placement here: the Gershwin songs.

★★½

The Forest for the trees (2003) - Ade
A newly graduated school teacher with big dreams moves to the big city, despite the best of intentions, she seems to dig herself deeper into failure with each hapless move, becoming increasing bewildered and alienated in the process. This was Maren Ade’s graduate film---she also directed Toni Erdmann.

Summertime (1955) - Lean
Katherine Hepburn is a spinster who splurges for a vacation of a lifetime in Venice. The ultimate value of her adventure is symbolized by white gardenias and a red goblet she finds in an antique shop: one of a kind valuable or a worthless fodder sold to the clueless American tourists?

Aragami (2003) - Kitamura
This was film dare from a producer to two young directors: can you make a film with a fight to the death in a single location? The answer is yes for this film. An immortal war god is tired of slicing and dicing over the centuries and sees a possible heir to the crown when a wounded samurai knocks on his temple door.

Caught (1949) - Ophuls
The young woman dedicates herself to the art and craft of bagging a rich man and when her all dreams comes true, she learns, without love a 50 room mansion is a pretty empty place to live. Apparently the director, Max Ophuls must have really enjoyed his time working with Howard Hughes. The multi-millionaire here is a complete nut-cake---who marries the girl just to spite an observation his shrink made about him.

Side street (1950) - Mann
A part-time letter carrier he can steal 200 bucks, but accidently stealing 30,000 puts him into the big leagues where just to staying alive another hour is his only concern.

Thoroughbreds (2017) - Finley
A black comedy that kind of works in one or two scenes---but fails to go for the jugular. The film opens big: Amanda has self -diagnosed herself as a well- adjusted sociopath and spots the same latent tendencies in her new tutor; the film then waits 40 minutes before adding anything to the mix. This is one film that could actually benefit from CGI; the last sequence of Amanda’s new home should end with her turning to a mirror and smiling. The final reveal would be Honeymooner’s black eyes staring back at her.

Seconds (1966) - Frankenheimer
Very oppressive paranoid story about a guy who did everything that was required of him every day of his life, but forgot live it. He is given a brand new “rocking” exterior but he is still the same clueless dolt he always was.

Cry of the City (1948) - Siodmak
Two kids from the same neighbourhood cross paths later as adults as a decent Detective hunting an escaped Mad dog killer on his final spree. Lots of great bits of the director drawing out the tension in the story.

Kiss me Deadly (1955) - Aldrich
There is almost an open antagonism at work here. The film repeatedly mocks and ridicules the hard boiled investigator who is completely amoral and sadistic. There is also a deliberate hostility where they kill off every single character in the franchise.

★★★

Running Scared * (2017) - Kramer
An over the top action film about the kid next door who borrows a Mafioso’s gun to take a pop shot at his abusive stepfather then escapes into the night, putting our man through a desperate odyssey to find the kid and the gun . His wife (Vera Farmiga) kicks some serious butt when she stumbles upon a secret ginger bread house hidden within an apartment building.

People will Talk (1951) - Mankiewicz
Cary Grant plays a kind hearted doctor who is just too good to be true. A jealous colleague begins a witch hunt to bring him down and get him disbarred from the medical profession---there has be some dirt, somewhere in his past, even if he has attack his friends to find it.

The Taste of Tea (2004) - Ishi
A tender portrait of a slightly eccentric family; the father is a hypnotist; the wife thought she had to give up her animation interests for marriage but now spends her days working on a film project. The Grand father is a delightful loon. The son tends to fall in love with girls he never talks to. The small daughter is followed around by a 50 foot giant of doppleganger who watches over her from a safe distance.

Common Wealth (2000) - Alex de la Iglesia
A black comedy about an old man wins the lottery. At first everyone in the building is happy until he refuses to treat everyone to free swag. So they plot to steal his fortune hidden somewhere within his apartment the moment he kicks the bucket. This death watch of a few weeks has lasted 20 years, and everyone has become driven insane with greed when the day finally arrives.

Clouds of Sils Maria (2014) - Assayas
The ravages of time are brought into high relief, when a movie star is offered a chance to reprise a role that 20 years ago brought her onto the world’s stage. But this time, the ingénue role goes to a Hollywood wild child and she is being offered the role of the older woman who is driven to despair because of her.

Sleeping Beauty (2011) - Leigh
The bedtime story gets re-imagined as a character study of a young student struggling to makes ends meet through various part-time jobs. When offering her the high paying gig, the CEO of Noki Inc. purrs: Your vagina is a temple. Sleeping beauty: Lady, my hoo- hoo is not a temple.

The Master (2012) - Anderson
Definitely, not the feel good movie of the year. Props to the costume design: Freddy Quell never looks comfortable or at ease in his own skin, a single moment in the film.

The Immigrant (2016) - Gray
A vicious mack has a whole operation in place where he spots vulnerable women arriving at Ellis Island then orchestrates their doom and their (lucrative) descent into prostitution. Marion Cotillard knocks off another waif performance, with her entire being is dedicated to amassing enough money to buy her sister’s freedom.

A Girl in Black (1956) - Cacoyannis
Marina is already living a tragic life before two big city guys decide to kill some vacation time in her small fishing village. They spot Marina in the village square, and flip a coin to see who gets her. The locals are even worse.

Surveillance (2008) - Lynch
I assumed I was going to watch a crime procedural and this is how read it … with things just slightly off here and there at first then later on, completely off the rails. All this is explained when the film switches genres near the end.

Frozen Land (2005) - Louhimies
A symphony of sadness and despair. The film is kind of daisy chain, where each character passes along their anger at their misfortune, ending with tragic consequences---which jump starts the whole cycle over again.

A cottage on Dartmoor (1929) - Asquith
A hairdresser falls tragically in love with a manicurist who---of course falls for someone else. One of the last British silent films to be made.

Hedwig and the angry inch (2001) - Mitchel
The cover art to this film just doesn’t do any justice to the hysterical humor in the film.

As Life goes by (2003) - Meunier
A gentle documentary about a small French village and its inhabitants, who still live within nature and the natural cycles of the seasons and life. The 105 year old doyenne of the village still sings fight songs. A farmer plants the sapling that in 30 years will provide the wood for his coffin.

★★★½

The Unbearable Lightness of Being * (1988) - Kaufman
I forgot about all the great performances and moments in this thing; Juliette Binoche as the small town girl; Lena Olin as the restless free spirit and Daniel Day-Lewis as the inveterate womanizer.

They Live by Night (1948) - Ray
A fantastic romantic coda of two young lovers opens … a Film Noir? At their very first meeting, he is seen through a veil of kisses (a lattice screen of X’s) the same pattern repeats across the shadows on her hat pulled down tightly over her head. If this was a romance, this would be a truly remarkable introduction, however this is a Film Noir and these strike-outs show they are doomed from the outset.

Coup de grâce (1976) - Schlöndorff
A group of aristocrats return to the place during World War one where they grew up as children. The fighting around them matches the escalating, take no prisoners battle between an officier and the heiress when he coldly refuses her marriage request.

Let Joy Reign Supreme(1974) - Tavernier
This is filled with delightful tit for tat dialogue, and wonderfully absurd situations. Like the future 10 year king is practising war games with a actual cannon and he has a hissy fit when they won’t let him put real condemned prisoners in the play fort he is aiming at. This drama almost seems one step removed from a Monty Python film.

Cape Fear (1962) - Thompson
What’s great here is the imposed censorship; so you have these weird extended avoidance scenes where they weren’t allowed to express or even suggest what is happening on screen. A shirtless Robert Mitchum apparently was a code violation they got away with. A dazzling ending, where one character drops his mask to reveal they are in fact twins, although one is a harmless garden variety criminal and the other one is major league predator, willing to bait the hook with his own wife and daughter and sacrifice the life of an innocent cop, then uses the law to indulge his own sadistic appetites at a safe distance.

Double Indemnity * (1946) - Wilder
Wow, this is just chock-full of great little details. Walter Neff"s tragic flaw is fully revealed and visible through-out the film in the form of a slutty blonde wig. Like a moth to a flame, he is helpless against its gravitational pull, and goes with a big dumb grin on his face to the gas chamber.

★★★★

Predestination (2014) - Spierig
This starts off rather conventionally with a bit of action, then veers off into strange territory when a cross-dresser walks into a bar and bets a barkeep, she has the best story he will ever hear in his life. There is a great cascading finish where they start throwing out all these questions and images. Interestingly in “Seconds”, the five inch height difference between the two characters didn’t bother me, however I’ll fight to the death to defend the five inch difference in height between the two characters in this film. A nice moment: the stunned look on the guy’s face when he meets her for the first time: “ Wow, you’re beautiful, someone should have told you that”

Mr Minio

04-03-18, 10:05 AM

A weird mix of very new and very old this time.

Нелюбовь [Loveless] (2017) - 4

https://nofilmschool.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_wide/public/loveless_andrey_zvyagintsev_9.jpg?itok=z-vlxs0I

A little bit too straightforward, but hard-hitting. Too bad no metaphysics again. :( Searchers. <3

Loving Vincent (2017) - 3

https://thepoly.org/assets/uploads/events/Loving_Vincent.jpg

Nice visuals, but sadly, a movie without a soul. The story is a typical A to B, B to C. One would like a more experimental approach given such form.

Within Our Gates (1920) - 3

https://criticsroundup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/within-our-gates-still1-526x295.jpg

A "Race film" (don't confuse with racing!). Every time the preacher appeared I couldn't hold my laughter. That mug of his! Apart from this, a mediocre film.

Häidenvietto Karjalan runomailla [Wedding in Poetic Karjala] (1921) - 3

https://assets.mubi.com/images/film/112006/image-w1280.jpg?1445946236

An ethnographic film on Karelian wedding. A much more tedious and static compared to Nanook, but made a year before. Obviously, it was staged.

Stavitel chrámu [The Cathedral Builder] (1920) - 3.5

https://pic4.filmovamista.cz/img/1316-Stavitel-chramu/27192-Petr-odchazi-miniature.jpg

Envious people summon the devil. :)

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) - 4

https://78.media.tumblr.com/bad3304c90dd38ac2061bb51192af84b/tumblr_p1wjzaa3EH1ufyp5oo1_540.gif

Most characters here are highly questionable, but the way it was written, acted and crafted... Wonderful!

The Shape of Water (2017) - 3

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

Typical post-modernism - a misch-masch of everything. A fairy tale for adults, a painfully Hollywoodish mix of Creature from the Black Lagoon and Pan's Labyrinth. Obviously, romantic love is conditioned culturally, not biologically. The creature just wanted to tap that ass, and succeeded. But I mean, an aquatic monster without tentacles is a worthless aquatic monster. Okay, enough. The film was highly watchable, but greatly perfectible.

Elle (2016) - 3.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/bdb5b89d51f20696ae71accbc864756c/tumblr_oekhk3OWgA1soti42o1_500.gif

I hoped for more degeneration (the son). Huppert makes this movie. What an actress! The Piano Teacher this ain't, but a solid film. Loved how it played with genre conventions.

Running on Empty (1988) - 4.5

https://medialifecrisis.com/files/images/articles/201512-Popgap/Running-On-Empty-1988/Running-On-Empty-1988-00-21-53.jpg

A very touching story. So much truth, beauty and heart here. Every hug and kiss wields so much sincerity, that I could truly believe in their love. Lumet masterfully guides his actors, and Phoenix gives an outstanding performance. <3

Annihilation (2018) - 3

http://www.simbasible.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/1-10.gif

A Stalker for our times. A watered down, safe version, with an all-female multiracial team, obligatory action sequences (in fear the spectator will get bored if there are no monsters), wacky CGI, too bright and kitschy computer-game-like environment, and mind-boggling last 15 minutes. Actually, I really liked the last 15 minutes. I wish the entire film was like that. Apart from all badmouthing, the movie was enjoyable enough.

Lady Bird (2017) - 1.5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/81a4a9fd579af28399b37f9f9cb7309b/tumblr_p1njc6F0yc1up42jgo5_540.gif

There is absolutely NOTHING for me here. The life of American teenagers is my least favourite topic in cinema, only second to the life of American teenagers in a college.

Sette note in nero [The Psychic] (1977) - 4

http://www.mondo-digital.com/psychic3big.jpg

What a gem! Fulci delivers once again! His gore films are a hit or miss for me, but I absolutely love his gialli! Loved the ending when Chekhov's gun finally fired!

Das Rätsel der roten Orchidee [Secret of the Red Orchid] (1962) - 3

https://www.welt.de/img/bildergalerien/mobile106376682/8022505967-ci102l-w1024/EDGAR-WALLACE-DAS-RAETSEL-DER-ROTEN-ORCHIDEE.jpg

A quaint little Krimi. Klaus Kinski and Christopher Lee don't save it from being only okayish, though.

+

BONUS:

My top 10 seen in March:

1. Repeated Absences (1972) dir. Guy Gilles
2. Sitting on a Branch, Enjoying Myself (1989) dir. Juraj Jakubisko
3. The Millennial Bee (1983) dir. Juraj Jakubisko
4. Poem (1972) dir. Akio Jissoji
5. Affair in the Snow (1968) dir. Yoshishige Yoshida
6. Earth Light (1970) dir. Guy Gilles
7. A Treatise on Japanese Bawdy Songs (1967) dir. Nagisa Oshima
8. Man Follows Birds (1975) dir. Ali Khamrayev
9. The Deserter and the Nomads (1968) dir. Juraj Jakubisko
10. Pleasures of the Flesh (1965) dir. Nagisa Oshima

What a month. What a month!

MijaFrost

04-03-18, 01:28 PM

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017) - 4

https://78.media.tumblr.com/bad3304c90dd38ac2061bb51192af84b/tumblr_p1wjzaa3EH1ufyp5oo1_540.gif

Most characters here are highly questionable, but the way it was written, acted and crafted... Wonderful!

You liked something "mainstream"!
I was wondering if I should watch this, and now your high rating has convinced me that I should.
Lots of other interesting stuff you've mentioned which I'll add (the ones I hadn't seen) to my watchlist if I haven't already.

Mr Minio

04-03-18, 01:31 PM

Lots of other interesting stuff you've mentioned which I'll add (the ones I hadn't seen) to my watchlist if I haven't already. Look up my previous posts in this thread, bro. A lot of goodness to choose from. Or just browse through my enormous list (https://rateyourmusic.com/list/mrminio/movies-that-deserve-a-cookie/).

MijaFrost

04-03-18, 01:37 PM

Look up my previous posts in this thread, bro. A lot of goodness to choose from. Or just browse through my enormous list (https://rateyourmusic.com/list/mrminio/movies-that-deserve-a-cookie/).

I checked out the list. Nice. Many there I've been planning to watch.
I need more free time. :(
And yeah, I read your film list posts here when I see them.

MijaFrost

04-03-18, 03:13 PM

March Views, Pt. I:

1. The Legend (1994) - ★★★★

I was expecting less, but this film surprised me. The "modern" details like the subtle promotion of transgenderism and lesbianism, the satire (showing how a woman could consent to abuse from her husband because he wooed her with his romantic side), the fact that women were some of the best "warriors" with awesome fight sequences (which is what I like to see in martial arts films), and the humor - which seemed tongue-in-cheek at the same time as it was over-the-top. This got a lot more smiles out of me than Jackie Chan's Drunken Master from 1978 (which I didn't find very funny despite it being sold as a "comedy").

2. Only Yesterday (1991) - ★★ 1/2

A 27-year-old woman visits people in the countryside and spends her entire trip obsessing over and rambling about her experiences when she was 10-years-old. There's nothing wrong with being nostalgic sometimes, but if I met somebody new and all they did was talk about their childhood memories, I would think they had definite issues. She hardly even spends the time to listen to the stories of the people she meets, while expecting them to care about what *she* tells them.
The animation was nice, and I like seeing "the busy but quiet country life," but I wasn't very entertained by this self-absorbed 20-something.

3. Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983) - ★★★

This movie was effing nuts! After causing one to be slackjawed in amazement at the sheer insanity of the current scene, it would leap into a new scene that was even more wild and unbelievable than the first. Long live the creativity of 1980's Hong Kong wuxia!
The plot was the opposite of linear, and so it was too much of a mess to award a higher rating, but I still enjoyed it. Directed by Tsui Hark.

4. Kamikaze Girls (2004) - ★★★ 1/2

A distant, reclusive teenage girl who loves Lolita dresses becomes friends with her total opposite - a young female gangster, and they go on adventures together. A quirky Japanese treat.

5. What Did the Lady Forget? (1937) - ★★★

A young woman just wants to have fun while visiting her uncle and uptight aunt, but the aunt is constantly on her case. Her uncle is more sympathetic, and he also jumps at the chance to escape his dominant wife for a while.
I didn't like how the aunt thought it was acceptable to speak so harshly to her niece - I would never put up with that from a relative. She was also disrespectful to her husband by not even caring about his wishes, and then the movie makes light of a moment of domestic violence which is supposed to "put her in her place." I suppose that Ozu was working with what he knew from his time period. He liked women who were a little modern, but not TOO modern. At the end of the day, he wanted to see the women listen to a man and follow his directives.

6. Annihilation (2018) - ★★★ 1/2

I appreciated how this went in a very different direction than the typical "alien invaders" tale. I thought it was creative, especially the ending, but it left quite a bit of unexplored potential. Ambiguity is a popular choice for directors, but it might also just be equivalent to not knowing where to take the story (i.e., a cop out).

7. 3-Iron (2004) - ★★★ 1/2

This film was great, but I have the same criticisms as that for Annihilation, regarding the last part of the film. Was it supposed to be taken literally, or was it a figurative representation of a mental breakdown? Was the director being lazy for failing to establish this, or simply enjoying his artistic license? From what I've seen of Ki-duk Kim so far, he does seem to have a partiality towards leaving the audience to discern their own interpretations.

8. Little Forest: Summer & Autumn (2014) - ★★★ 1/2

This plays like a lovely little documentary about a young girl's countryside experience of nature and food. It's as if the main character from Only Yesterday was more mature, less focused on herself, and instead wanted to share the joys, triumphs, and struggles of her quiet life with the world. There is also an "imaginary" scene where a plant grows on her body... like in Annihilation (but filmed several years before).

9. Dream (1967) - ★★★

From the director Sang-ok Shin, who was later captured by Kim Jong-il and forced to make movies in North Korea, comes a story of a Buddhist monk who falls into lust with a noblewoman and chooses to run away with her. A theme of many films about Buddhist monks is avoiding temptation and the lure of the world outside the monastery, and the consequences of what happens when they follow the path away from the Buddha. This movie was more melodramatic than others I've seen, and the monk didn't have a very strong character, so it was hard to feel sympathetic towards him.

10. Ugetsu Monogatari (1953) - ★★★ 1/2

Another film about the consequences of succumbing to the desires of passions and greed, except that it's about regular family men rather than monks. I want to re-watch it sometime to see if I missed any hidden meanings or symbolism the first time.

11. Top Lady of the Sword (1993) - ★★★

This wuxia movie was promising (it reminded me of Dragon Inn from 1967), but the ending was very disappointing. It leaves you wondering what was the point of the entire film.

12. Iron Monkey (1993) - ★★★ 1/2

I would have given this 3 stars, but I thought the kid deserved that half-star. It wasn't bad, but I preferred The Legend.

UpgradeYourDad

04-03-18, 11:43 PM

I'll probably have more fleshed out thoughts but:

Annihilation (2018, Alex Garland) 4

The Death of Stalin (2018, Armando Iannucci) 3

Arrival (2016, Denis Villeneuve) 4.5

The Isle of Dogs (2018, Wes Anderson) 4

Ultraviolence

04-04-18, 08:47 AM

Ultraviolence

04-04-18, 10:07 AM

Part 1

Face/Off (1997) [John Woo]
https://fanart.tv/fanart/movies/754/moviebanner/faceoff-5180eb2a72fb7.jpg
★★★★★
Some might call me crazy but in 1997, John Woo created an action masterpiece in Hollywood when he released Face/Off. Frenetic, phenomenal camera work and the best of all: One of the best stunts I've ever seen in an American movie. The film does not waste time on the dramas, it is more concerned about the action. The film has absurd moments, totally absurd moments and other moments even more absurd. That's the proposition! Read the synopsis, the idea itself is already crazy. Not so crazy nowadays, since we already have registered cases of face transplant. I do not mind the exaggerations, in fact that's what I want to see when I go to see a fanciful action movie. Face/Off knows what he is from the first minute. Adrenaline from start to finish, an exaggeration! Nic Crazy vs Vincent Vega (he finally gives a foot massage). "Five stars? Absurd!"

A Most Violent Year (2014) [J.C. Chandor]
https://fanart.tv/fanart/movies/241239/moviebanner/a-most-violent-year-5453e53244c5c.jpg
★★½
Lots of anticipation around this movie. It took me a long time to finally watch it. The bitter taste of disappointment was strong in this one. Oscar Isaac was really good, by far the best aspect of this film. Jessica Chastain... I don't know what happened to her. She was really bad! The errors of continuity (goofs) are something that I always emphasize in productions of low budget. But in this case it was difficult, since many sequences lost all impact or logic, thanks to terrible jump cuts! For example: Man 1 stops the car in front of a truck, forcing him (the truck driver) to stop the truck, soon after, the man 1 points a gun to the truck driver, man 1 assumes the direction of the truck and drives in the same direction where the car he'd used to make the truck stop, except that... where's the ****ing car? He does not exist anymore. it's things like that that annoys me, there were too many. But okay, I would have relieved all this if the drama of the characters were plausible.
https://78.media.tumblr.com/0d5fd2dc1013f6367f2f482928b336ff/tumblr_npcq9k9BPt1svefdfo2_500.gif
It is in the moments that they try to create tension that the movie fails miserably, the decisions are so stupid that it reminds me of the slashers of the 80s, with dumb characters. "They are under a lot of pressure!" Yes, in times of tension, people tend to make hasty/stupid decisions, but in this movie, decisions are ALWAYS stupid, and resolutions are even more moronic. The death of a certain character in the end could mean something if he had not previously done all he could to be a stupid character. Without empathy his death is a relief. Oscar went really well in his role as gangster businessman, and as I said, Jessica, in my point of view, was very bad as the hysterical wife who turns out to be a strong character. In the midst of all this, there are still elements that save A Most Violent Year from being a total atrocity, with at least interesting dialogues and some minor characters that looks decent for a movie like this.

Baraka (1992) [Ron Fricke]
https://fanart.tv/fanart/movies/14002/moviebanner/baraka-594d65570ad99.jpg
★★★★½
An experimental documentary directed by Ron Fricke, cinematographer of Koyaanisqatsi, the first of the trilogy Qatsi, by Godfrey Reggio. Often compared to Koyaanisqatsi, the main subject of Baraka is in fact similar, including footage from various landscapes, churches, ruins, religious ceremonies and cities, mixing with life, in a quest for each painting to capture the great pulsation of humanity in the daily activities. Wonderful, scary and very sad. A remarkable experience!

------Films------
Antiporno (2016) ‘アンチポルノ’ [Sion Sono] ★★★½
Chasing the Dragon (2017) ‘追龍’ [Wong Jing, Jason Kwan] ★★
Wild Strawberries (1957) [Ingmar Bergman] ★★★★★
Loving Vincent (2017) [Dorota Kobiela, Hugh Welchman] ★★★★
Breathless (1960) ‘À bout de souffle’ [Jean-Luc Godard] ★★★★
The Famous Sword Bijomaru (AKA The Sword)(1945) ‘Meitô bijomaru’ [Kenji Mizoguchi] ★★★½
RoboCop Director's Cut (1987) [Paul Verhoeven] ★★★
Requiem for a Dream (2000) [Darren Aronofsky] ★★★★
Julieta (2016) [Pedro Almodóvar] ★★★½
Elle (2016) [Paul Verhoeven] ★★
The Outsider ★★★★
Annihilation ★★
The Piano (1993) [Jane Campion] ★½
28 Days Later (2002) [Danny Boyle] ★
In Our Time (1982) ‘光陰的故事’ [Chang Yi Ko I-Chen Jim Tao Edward Yang] ★★★★
Melancholia (2011) [Lars von Trier] ★★★½
In the Realm of the Senses (1976) ‘愛のコリーダ’ [Nagisa Ōshima] ★½
The Hidden Fortress (1958) ‘隠し砦の三悪人’ [Akira Kurosawa] ★★★★½
Blade Runner 2049 [Denis Villeneuve] ★★★★½
Old Stone (2016) [Johnny Ma] ★★★★★

------Animation------
Hellsing Ultimate I (2006) ‘ヘルシング I’ [Tomokazu Tokoro] ★★★★
Hellsing Ultimate II (2006) ‘ヘルシング II’ [Tomokazu Tokoro] ★★★★½
A.D. Police Files (1990) [Nishimori Akira, Hidehito Ueda] ★★★½
Murder Princess: Birth (2007) [Tomoyuki Kurokawa] ★★★★
Murder Princess: Coronation (2007) [Tomoyuki Kurokawa, Shinya Kawamo] ★★★½
Murder Princess: Return (2007) [Tomoyuki Kurokawa, Tomoaki Ohta] ★★★
M.D. Geist (1986) ‘装鬼兵MDガイスト’ [Hayato Ikeda, Koichi Ohata] ★★★
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin I - Blue-Eyed Casval (2015) ‘機動戦士ガンダム THE ORIGIN I 青い瞳のキャスバル’ [Yoshikazu Yasuhiko] ★★★★
Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin II – Artesia’s Sorrow (2015) ‘機動戦士ガンダム THE ORIGIN II 哀しみのアルテイシア’ ★★★
Dragon Ball Z: Bardock, the father of Goku ★★★★
Devilman: The Birth (1987) [Umanosuke Iida] ★★★

------Concerts------
Paradise Lost: Live Death (1989) ★★★½
Morbid Angel: Live Madness (1989 ★★★½
Katatonia - Live Consternation (2007) ★★★★
Katatonia - The Black Sessions Live (2005) ★★★★★
Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Night (2013) ★★★★½
Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii (1972) [Adrian Maben] ★★★★★

------Shorts------
Blade Runner: Black Out 2022 (2017) ‘ブレードランナーブラックアウト 2022’ [Shinichiro Watanabe] ★★★★
2036: Nexus Dawn (2017) [Luke Scott] ★★½
2048: Nowhere to Run (2017) [Luke Scott] ★★★
Dear Basketball (2017) [Glen Keane] ★★★

------Documentaries------
Face to Face: Visconti vs Fellini ★★★★
Faces Places (2017) ‘Visages, villages’ [Agnès Varda, JR] ★★½
Abacus: Small Enough to Jail (2016) [Steve James] ★★★★
78/52 (2017) [Alexandre O. Philippe] ★★★

------TV------
Dragon Ball Super - Season 5: The Tournament of Power ★★
Samurai Jack - Season 5: The Last Season ★★★★
The Sinner (2017) ½

Mr Minio

04-04-18, 02:50 PM

Santo el enmascarado de plata y Blue Demon contra los monstruos [Santo and Blue Demon Against the Monsters] (1970) - 3

https://cdn.pastemagazine.com/www/articles/Wolfman%20%28Custom%29.png

My first Lucha libre. Very campy and terrible in the best worst film ever made way.

Colloque de chiens [Dog's Dialogue] (1977) - 3.5

https://i.imgur.com/7SdMiua.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/FsI4uk7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/zrAw5xf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ILaVdBl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/iwISNsw.jpg

Ruiz tries La Jetée-core. The result is a superb circular melodramatic story! Took some neat screenshots.

CONFESSION＝遥かなるあこがれギロチン恋の旅 [Confession] (1968) - 4

https://i.imgur.com/obCJCma.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/3c21RuX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NvGMrBA.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/x7v2dhj.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/vemIZCg.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/FgPiQx7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qjlji3F.jpg

Obayashi does it once again. Pure fun. Pure beauty! Almost as great as Emotion! This is the kind of cinema I want to watch! So much better than a bunch of other 4s I gave, but kind of inferior to director's other masterpieces I saw, so I'm really torn with this one. Anyway, I took some screenshot just for fun. The film is so much better when you see it moving, though. And the sentimental music is to die for. <3

cat_sidhe

04-05-18, 07:30 AM

Sette note in nero [The Psychic] (1977) - 4

http://www.mondo-digital.com/psychic3big.jpg

What a gem! Fulci delivers once again! His gore films are a hit or miss for me, but I absolutely love his gialli! Loved the ending when Chekhov's gun finally fired!

When someone rates Fulci highly:

http://cdn1.alloy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/ovaries-exploding-tony-stark.gif

:kiss:

Mr Minio

04-05-18, 08:28 AM

:kiss: You got a good taste, girl.

Iroquois

04-06-18, 08:52 AM

Jim and Andy: The Great Beyond (Chris Smith, 2017) - 2.5

Not sure if watching this so soon after Man in the Moon itself was a good idea or not because I think I'd had just about enough of this kind of disruptive performance-art kind of thing already, which is a shame because the bits that actually revolve around Jim Carrey himself and his own inner turmoil are actually kinda good.

Hook (Steven Spielberg, 1991) - 3

I'm amused more than anything that this gets considered a contender for Spielberg's worst film when it doesn't really strike me as being that far removed in quality from E.T (though I suppose I'm probably more likely to re-watch that than this). In any case, this definitely has an appreciable mix of craftsmanship, weirdness, and heart that makes it easier to like than expected.

Braveheart (Mel Gibson, 1995) - 2

Ehhh, maybe I could go half a point higher but man this is much more of an overlong and clunky chore of an epic than I remember where everything it sets out to do as a movie seems like it's been done considerably better before and since.

Annihilation (Alex Garland, 2018) - 4

I appreciate that Garland's follow-up to the tautly-constructed Ex Machina takes a considerably looser approach with its abstract tale of a team of scientists investigating an alien phenomenom that keeps hitting them with surprises. In many ways a blend of many movies I like. the only issue I really take with it is that it never quite manages to distinguish itself that much in the process.

BPM (Robin Campillo, 2017) - 3.5

A drama loosely based around the exploits of a real-life collective of AIDS activists that has some issues with its length, structuring, and focus but nevertheless stays on-point and emphasises how the personal becomes political and vice versa.

I Know Who Killed Me (Chris Siverston, 2007) - 1

Another one of those worst movies ever made that I personally can't exactly bring myself to hate (though it's not for a lack of trying on this movie's part). While it is a frequently absurd mishmash of genres and tones that fails at virtually everything it attempts to do, there's enough mind-boggling weirdness here that I practically consider it outsider art.

Tomb Raider (Roar Uthaug, 2018) - 2.5

While this may technically improve on the Jolie movies in certain regards, I do wonder whether or not it's really that much better in the long run. At its heart a very by-the-numbers blend of high-stakes adventure and icon origin story, it gets by on having semi-competent set-pieces and talented performers making the most of some rather under-developed roles. I wonder if it's too much to hope that this actually gets an improved follow-up that actually manages to do something useful with this film's incredibly egregious sequel hook.

Forrest Gump (Robert Zemeckis, 1994) - 3.5

Of all the Best Picture winners I've seen, this one might very well inspire the most ambivalence. It's very easy to criticise its gormless hero and the journey he takes through American history (especially considering its prevalence of trite cultural references, uncanny celebrity encounters, and heavy-handed needledrops), but it still works at its core and that does carry it past any abrasive surface-level details.

Pacific Rim (Guillermo Del Toro, 2013) - 3.5

I think I'm due to revisit various Del Toro projects (and this one seemed timely considering the sequel's release, even though I still haven't gotten around to it). This one certainly isn't bad as it leans into its superficially absurd premise of giant robots fighting giant monsters and actually embeds some decent character arcs and elaborate art direction in the process.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston (Jeff Feuerzeig, 2005) - 3.5

This reminded of Tarnation a bit with its deep focus on Texas culture and how it can embrace and/or damage the individuals within it, namely by tracing the eponymous eccentric as his burgeoning musical career becomes affected by his mental illness. It's certainly not as harrowing as Tarnation - this one certainly has moments of levity amidst the darkness - but it's a decent little rockumentary that does attempt something a little deeper than chronicling a standard rise-and-fall.

honeykid

04-06-18, 11:36 AM

Although I remember literally nothing about it, I do remember liking 'I Know Who Killed Me'. Not that it was great or anything, but liking it nonetheless.

Iroquois

04-06-18, 11:49 AM

I noticed that it was airing on TV around the same time that We Hate Movies was going to do an episode on it so that played into the decision to actually watch it. It certainly feels like it should've been cranked out by some Argento wannabe circa 1986 - if that had been the case, I might well have given it a higher rating.

Mr Minio

04-08-18, 01:56 PM

Le silence de la mer [The Silence of the Sea] (1949) - 4

http://www.cinemas-online.co.uk/images/20645_Le-Silence-De-La-Mer-08.JPG

Right here we have a debutant using cinema's tools like a professional. A prodigy who will astound the world with Le Samourai, Army of Shadows and Le Cercle Rouge. The story is set in France in 1941. There is a rather talkative German officer, and an old man and his niece who answer with silence. The Silence of the Sea is a film about peace amongst nations, a platonic romance and willful ignorance that can only keep you ignorant for so long. Finally, it's a film about disillusionment when you realize the machine of death can't be stopped by beautiful poems and orations on brotherly love. It's also a film on individuality. The love of an individual, and the goodness of an individual. But it was made too early. The wounds were too fresh.

くちづけ [Kisses] (1957) - 4

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_pTvIRwDJyBs/TH6nWgrK_EI/AAAAAAAAAAk/dhCGMgXu1d0/s1600/vlcsnap-2010-09-01-15h10m03s84.png

A kiss as a sign of love. A kiss as a sign of understanding. A kiss is given a great significance in this debut feature of prolific Yasuzo Masumura. This is a teen movie, a film on the first love, a film on hardships and similar existences that connect people. A film on the ability of saying "Yes. I love you" instead of "Yes. I want you", a film on the unloved finding love. And all this told in a modern, jazzy, breezy way. Hitomi Nozoe is the perfect girl for this role. She's perfect. And that's exactly the point.

Phantom Thread (2017) - 4

https://78.media.tumblr.com/74192815b44f6ae34e963e19303fd2dd/tumblr_p2b78wZBJU1qzw7lko3_540.gif

My favourite Anderson film since Magnolia is a film of details. Little gestures rise to the level of epic spectacles, Day-Lewis' performance, full of sparky nuances, draws a not-so-obvious portrait of a man who gives everything to his profession. Anderson's direction (he was also the DP) extracts the essential from well-lit interiors of post-war London mansion, and enforces his Fabian tactics, while also reinforcing subcutaneous Freudian eroticism so abundant in the relations between the lovers.

Safe (1995) - 3

http://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/moore-safe-promo.jpg

Haynes' skill in portraying the dark side of the twentieth century paranoia, hinging on, if not Lynchian, then at least Eyes Wide Shut era Kubrickian, dense atmosphere masterfully exemplified in the first third of the film is wasted on the exploitation of the activites of a non-enigmatic ecologist cult in a deeply Americanized, unravishing way.

Les amants réguliers [Regular Lovers] (2005) - 4

https://i2.wp.com/24fpsverite.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Les-Amants-Réguliers.jpg

A film as a time capsule. Garrel manages to kidnap the viewer and throw him in the midst of the events of May 1968 with such vigor and conviction, one has to reassure himself the film was indeed made in 2005, and is not a documentary reel from the events it portrays, but only a skillful recreation. But that's only the beginning of this 3 hours long film. Garrel wonderfully catches the zeitgeist of late 60s Paris, and draws a portrait of uncertain youth. First disappointed with revolution, then with love, in the fumes of opium and weed, the sad face of Garrel's son. Perhaps one of the very last films on the children of Marx and Coca-Cola. I have to watch this movie's twin brother now. Bertolucci's The Dreamers.

乳房よ永遠なれ [The Eternal Breasts] (1955) - 4.5

http://sensesofcinema.com/assets/uploads/2018/03/TheEternalBreasts-750x400.jpg

Contrary to what many people say, Kinuyo Tanaka was not the first Japanese female director (that would be Tatsuko Sakane), but this fact does not, of course, take away her brilliance. There is no doubt that The Eternal Breasts is special, although I'm not going to lie - I have a hard time articulating why I loved it so much. The story is extremely daring and tackles many themes, and the framing is extremely beautiful, even attempting Mizoguchian frame-within-a-frame technique. I guess it's just the combination of the two and a certain poetry of the film won my heart. Also, it's the earliest Japanese film I saw that had an image of female breasts, although in a non-erotic context.

Le moindre geste [The Slightest Gesture] (1971) - 2.5

http://www.dvdclassik.com/upload/images/critique-le-moindre-geste-daniel-deligny-manenti7.jpg

Although not pointless, the film is completely aimless. It's about two guys who escaped an asylum and now roam free mumbling some incoherent bullsheet. I imagine the idea was to make the viewer experience the world the way they do for 90 minutes, or at least to experience how it feels to be near such handicapped people.

Home Movie, autour du 'Lit de la vierge' [Home Movie: On the Set of Philippe Garrel's 'Le lit de la vierge'] (1968) - 4.5

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_UhCLxQNazU4/S_B-_HLh_-I/AAAAAAAAABw/BJwgfLsh8qk/s1600/Tina+Aumont+in+Home+Movie+9.JPG
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_UhCLxQNazU4/S_B_9ksw_NI/AAAAAAAAACQ/p1gV5aIpRIY/s1600/Tina+Aumont+in+Home+Movie+15.JPG

Tina Aumont is everything. The way this film was shot and edited is similar to the works of Pierre Clémenti. There is a shot of daylight sky, and then an almost invisible cut to the twilight sky. Countless close-ups of Aumont's face and naked body (!!!) mixed with the exploding fireworks, reverie-like colorful neon-like... ugh, it's simply an eye-candy made the right way.

Hospital Brut [Dirty Hospital] (1999) - 3

https://78.media.tumblr.com/158bb5860fff69d847054b4f00f30b1d/tumblr_ny46104VeU1rtynt1o1_r1_500.jpg

Talk about mind-boggling. Totally out there, but it's so focused on being as weird as possible, that it kind of loses on all other fronts.

The River (1951) - 3.5

http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/sites/bfi.org.uk.films-tv-people/files/styles/gallery_full/public/image/bfi-00n-fzk-the-river.jpg?itok=1es_ndoT

The flow of the river is just like the flow of life. Every person we meet makes us either die a little bit, or live a little bit. But in reality nothing dies. The death of a child means another is on his way to be born. A surprisingly rich film thematically given its Technicolor postcard from India premise.

Salomé (1976) - 4

https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1488639396i/22139275.png

Salomé is a kind of film alchemy very close to Kenneth Anger, but apart from the beginning, a much slower and mysterious one. It's a film that rather focuses on the texture of light than anything that has to do with a story. An intertitle card in 1922 silent film Salome says: "The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death". In this version of Salomé, the mystery itself is great.

Camo

04-08-18, 08:05 PM

March Watches:

67. Strange Days (Katheryn Bigelow, 1995) 4.5-
68. Tomboy (Céline Sciamma, 2011) 3-
69. Vampyr (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1932) 3+
70. The Breadwinner (Nora Twomey, 2017) 4-
71. Phoenix (Christian Petzold, 2014) 4.5+
72. Dodsworth (William Wyler, 1936) 3-
73. Death and the Maiden (Roman Polanski, 1994) 2
74. Wild Tales (Damián Szifron, 2014) 4.5-
75. Frances Ha (Noah Baumbach, 2012) 5
76. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Frank Capra, 1939) 3.5
77. Paris Is Burning (Jennie Livingston, 1990) 4.5+
78. In A Year With 13 Moons (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1978) 5
79. Silverlake Life: The View from Here (Peter Friedman, 1993) 4
80. Ravenous (Antonia Bird, 1999) 3-
81. Fried Green Tomatoes (John Avnet, 1991) 2.5
82. Victoria (Sebastian Schipper, 2015) 3.5+
83. Lola (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1981) 3-
84. BPM (Beats per Minute) (Robin Campillo, 2017) 4+
85. A Star Is Born (George Cukor, 1954) 1
86. Nocturama (Bertrand Bonello, 2016) 3
87. The Quiet Man (John Ford, 1952) 4+
88. My Life As A Zucchini (Claude Barras, 2016) 4.5
89. The Long Gray Line (John Ford, 1955) 3.5
90. Interstellar (Christopher Nolan, 2014) 3+
91. Wagon Master (John Ford, 1950) 5
92. Leviathan (Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel, 2012) 2.5
93. Equinox Flower (Yasujiro Ozu, 1958) 4-
94. Poetry (Lee Chang-dong, 2010) 4+
95. Early Summer (Yasujiro Ozu, 1951) 4.5+
96. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, 2011) 3
97. Kiss Me Deadly (Robert Aldrich, 1955) 2.5
98. Annihilation (Alex Garland, 2018) 4
99. Night and the City (Jules Dassin, 1950) 4-
100. Wolf Children (Mamoru Hosoda, 2012) 3
101. Johnny Guitar (Nicholas Ray, 1954) 4.5+
102. Why Don't You Play In Hell? (Sion Sono, 2013) 3.5-

March Watches: 36
2018 Watches: 102

HashtagBrownies

04-13-18, 07:20 PM

Seen in April Pt.1

43703
[REWATCH]
4+
Haven’t seen this since I was a little boy, didn’t really like it when I was younger so it was in desperate need of a re-watch. This was one worthy re-watch. The soundtrack is utterly brilliant, one of the best; Don’t think I can elaborate further since everyone knows what I’m talking about. I thought the film had a very nice atmosphere of the beach town and being on the sea with sea as far as the horizon. The tension in this film is brilliant, you’re on the edge of your seat even when you know what’s going to happen. I feel like it could have had less dialogue scenes though.

And oh my f*cking God, if you find me a film with a more badass ending than Jaws, you are lying.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oFl_2p_LHU

I get goosebumps just thinking about it!

43704
4
Leonardo DiCaprio is so awesome and cool in this, I utterly loved the ways he tricked people and the police. The performances from Hanks and Leo were great. The relationship between Leo and Hanks so so emotional, it’s really sad seeing Hanks slowly getting to like Leo but having to arrest him. The lighting is very realistic.

43705
4
One of the better movies of this decade. Romance movies back then were very cheap and manipulative, having sad music whenever the main characters do anything. This film is completely different though. The relationship between the main characters is very realistic and not exaggerated. Music is used very sparsely yet I felt more heartbroken by the end of the film than I probably have with any other romance film. I loved the inner monologues of the main character, they’re very dark and deep, kinda reminds me of Shakespeare.

43706
4
Watched the Disney dub. Just such a nice and happy movie. I loved the feeling of the beautiful, green rural area and most of the animation (The bus stop scene is totally gorgeous). Lots of cute moments where you just want to give Totoro and great, big hug. My only criticism is that the ending is VERY anticlimactic.

43707
3+
My review. PLEASE READ! https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1887309-a-quiet-place.html

43708
[REWATCH]
4+
Slow movies are usually better on a re-watch as you are prepared for the slowness. The tension is utterly horrific, nothing much happens but all the implications, static shots and disturbing imagery allows it to be. The static shots never felt boring. They are used fairly uniquely, at the start of the film the static shots are kinda associated with the ‘camera’, but as the film goes on and it blurs the line, you're eventually biting your nails near the end needing to know if the scene is a scene or a ‘tape’. That final shot is pretty genius, it’s so simple yet depending how you look at it your interpretation of the film could be totally different from someone else.

Also Jesus Christ the suicide scene is still the most shocking scene in all of cinema, I'm lucky I didn't have an anxiety attack!

43709
4
One of the better Pixar films imo. The animation is fantastic, it’s made over 10 years ago yet it still looks perfect. The main characters are not sentient, but ironically their relationship is one of the most entertaining and heartwarming out there. It’s one of the best satires on consumerism (I know that wasn’t the director’s intention). One thing I liked though was that all the fat consumers are portrayed as overall friendly and kind people, and not angry idiots like most satires of consumerism do. The comedy was pretty nice. The use of classic musical songs was lovely. WALL-E is very cute!

43710
3+
What the hell the audio is HORRIBLE! I thought the was restored, well it wasn’t restored enough! The first 40 minutes are super boring, the plot just meanders with a garbage romance that no one cares about. The ‘freaks’ were all very interesting and unique (that legless guy must have the strongest arms ever!). The last 10 minutes were awesome, the ‘bird lady’ was really disturbing. I would’ve loved to have seen the lost uncut version, I read about it and it sounds REALLY f*cked!

43711
3.5
Lots of fun. I haven’t seen much (or any!) Hammer films so this was a unique experience. The Hammer colour pallet is very appealing, the gore looks pretty awesome. I loved all the scary scenes with gore or blood etc. Christopher Lee is a brilliant Dracula.

Also this made my grandmother kinda nostalgic and got her to tell me stories about when she saw it 50 years ago, I’m very happy I got her to experience this again.

43712
4.5
Look guys, I really can’t put this into words. This movie made me so damn happy I wanted to cry to release it as it was so overwhelming. The plot is fantastic, it’s pretty inspiring to upcoming filmmakers. The humour was pretty funny and the main character was super adorable. Those VHS episodes of Brigsby Bear look like a legit kids show from the 80's, it's so cool! If you watched any old kids shows with puppets when you were younger, this will be quite the nostalgic experience.

This film made me feel more happy and empathetic to characters than most movies I’ve seen have. I’d even argue it’s a more happy movie than Totoro.

re93animator

04-15-18, 01:32 AM

Gentleman Jim (1942) – 3.5
Notably dated, but the rugged & silly old boxing is a blast (esp. the wild fight on the docks). The acting is rowdy and almost purely comic, despite IMDB’s misleading drama label.

Experiment in Terror (1962) – 3.5
Bold lighting, offbeat wide angles, some unusual settings, influence on Twin Peaks, and another smooooth Mancini score. This feels almost satirical of noir, but still cool and taken seriously enough. It seems very ahead of its time. Also, Glenn Ford nails it, despite playing a pretty straightforward FBI agent, and the villain is eeexcellent.

Day for Night (1973) – 4
Very entertaining dramedy about a mostly pretentious film crew making a simple production unreasonably troubled.

Johnny English Reborn (2011) – 3
Not saying much, but I think it’s much better than the first. The comedy is just a little less garden variety, and there’s no phony Malkovich accent to power through. Rowan is fun as usual.

Kaplan

04-15-18, 07:06 AM

The Shape of Water. I really liked it. A well-told story that looks amazing. Rating: A.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. This movie is just a mess. Nothing makes any sense in this movie. No one acts like real people, nothing happens in any way that resembles how the world functions, and the mix of over-the-top outrageous humor clashes with the all of the very serious issues going on in this movie. It feels insulting. Murder and rape, domestic violence, racism, police brutality all seems trivialized by extremely poor humor. It does not work for me at all. I would say I hated it, but it does offer some great performances. It's just too bad I disliked all the characters. Rating: C-

Iroquois

04-15-18, 07:22 AM

Night Moves (Kelly Reichardt, 2013) - 3.5

Finally got around to watching a Reichardt film and I'm definitely impressed enough to want to check out more. A nice and low-key tale of environmental concerns gone wrong.

Near Dark (Kathryn Bigelow, 1987) - 4

I put this in a Top 100 a few years back but now I don't think it's quite at that level (top 1,000 maybe). Still an enjoyable watch in many ways - the '80s/vampire/Western aesthetic, the Aliens alumni doing some of their best work, the lean and mean pacing - but each viewing makes it just a little bit harder to overlook the flaws.

Rio Grande (John Ford, 1950) - 2.5

This Reconstruction-era tale of the family drama that unfolds between a veteran cavalryman, his rookie son, and his estranged wife isn't bad or anything, but it's not quite up to the standard set by the other Ford/Wayne collaborations I've seen. Has a remarkable amount of songs in it.

Icarus (Bryan Fogel, 2017) - 3

Reminds me of 2016's Tickled a bit in that it's an investigative documentary that starts on a simple and relatively light-hearted note before taking a sharp turn into darker territory with the reveal of a disturbing conspiracy. Otherwise, nothing too special about this one.

The Square (Ruben Östlund, 2017) - 3

I kind of want to treat this as the Palme d'Or equivalent of Birdman in how it functions as an effective-up-to-a-point satire of art and its place within the broader context of life itself, especially when it comes to reflecting or even influencing people's senses of morality (or just superiority).

Eat Drink Man Woman (Ang Lee, 1994) - 4

A very good reminder that I haven't checked out nearly as much of Lee's filmography as I should have. An unassuming (but artfully shot) dramedy about a widowed chef and his three adult daughters had my attention from start to finish in a way that I honestly did not anticipate - not even sure I have a favourite Lee (maybe Crouching Tiger?) but this would have to be up there.

Ready Player One (Steven Spielberg, 2018) - 2.5

Felt very ambivalent about this one. I want to treat its as Spielberg re-examining his life's work and what it's meant to not just the world but to himself, but I wonder if there's really that much more to this aggressively high-concept blockbuster that seems like it should very much be in my wheelhouse but can't help but suffer for a number of reasons.

Back to the Future Part III (Robert Zemeckis, 1990) - 2.5

I think it is pretty telling that I didn't get around to re-watching this along with the first two parts back in 2015 because it really does feel like the weakest of the three (albeit in some instances it has the advantage over II). At least the technical side of things holds up well enough and the Western setting still has a certain novelty (plus Mary Steenburgen puts in good work), but otherwise it very much feels like it's running on fumes.

The Color Wheel (Alex Ross Perry, 2011) - 2

A brief monochromatic indie about an obnoxious brother-sister pair who are forced to take a road trip together that isn't too bad as far as movies about intolerable people interacting with even more intolerable people go (I'd take this over Kicking and Screaming, for instance) but it's still quite the endurance test.

Army of Shadows (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1969) - 4

Haven't watched a Melville since Le Samourai and that was ages ago, which is a pity because that makes it easy to forget how good his stuff can be. That's certainly true of this fictionalised tale of the French Resistance that's sharp, deliberate, and always engaging.

Chypmunk

04-15-18, 08:08 PM

April (pt i):

3.5+
10 Cloverfield Lane (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1179933/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Dan Trachtenberg, 2016)
Jag är Ingrid (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4621016/?ref_=nv_sr_3) [Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words] (Stig Björkman, 2015)
Song Of Granite (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5765144/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Pat Collins, 2017)

3.5
Deux jours, une nuit (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2737050/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Two Days, One Night] (Jean-Pierre Dardenne & Luc Dardenne, 2014)
Elser (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1708135/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) aka 13 Minutes (Oliver Hirschbiegel, 2015)
It's Not Yet Dark (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5433330/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Frankie Fenton, 2016)
Selma (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1020072/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Ava DuVernay, 2014)

3+
Bastille Day (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2368619/?ref_=nv_sr_2) aka The Take (James Watkins, 2016)
Billy Fury: The Sound Of Fury (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5123908/?ref_=nv_sr_2) (Alan Byron, 2015)
Lycanthropus (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055106/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) [aka Werewolf In A Girl's Dormitory] US vsn (Paolo Heusch, 1961)
The Flying Deuces (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031322/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (A. Edward Sutherland, 1939)

3
Girls About Town (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021910/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (George Cukor, 1931)
Hebi no michi (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241588/?ref_=nv_sr_8) [Serpent's Path] (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1998)
Kisses (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0975684/?ref_=nv_sr_4) (Lance Daly, 2008)

2.5+
A Shriek In The Night (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024554/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Albert Ray, 1933)

2.5
Kumo no hitomi (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0241644/?ref_=tt_rec_tt) [Eyes Of The Spider] (Kiyoshi Kurosawa, 1998)
Say It In French (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030718/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_12) (Andrew L. Stone, 1938)
Streamline Express (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027053/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Leonard Fields, 1935)

2+
Her Mad Night (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022995/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) aka Held For Murder (E. Mason Hopper, 1932)
Indiscreet (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022000/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2) (Leo McCarey, 1931)
The Silent Child (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6186970/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Chris Overton, 2017)
Vantage Point (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0443274/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Pete Travis, 2008)

2
Sensation Hunters (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025762/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Charles Vidor, 1933)

1.5+
Bill Cracks Down (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028634/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (William Nigh, 1937)
Morals For Women (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022161/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) aka Big City Interlude (Mort Blumenstock, 1931)

1.5
Like Minds (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425196/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Gregory Read, 2006)
The Phantom (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022265/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_7) (Alan James, 1931)

UpgradeYourDad

04-15-18, 09:56 PM

Ingrid Goes West (Spicer, 2017)1.5. What do you call a black comedy that just isn’t funny? What do you call a drama where characters actions don’t have any consequences?

The Warriors (Hill, 1979) 4 a classic I love to revisit.

Loner

04-16-18, 03:14 AM

Husbands (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065867/)

Ah, Cassavetes.

0

Beauty Day (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1922555/)

Before Jackass, there was Ralph Zavadil aka Cap'n Video from St. Catharines, Ontario. He would perform not very well thought out stunts broadcast on the local cable access channel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G58gvcjk0qI

Yep, that's all good fun when your the only one getting hurt, but his reckless behavior involves other people and animals.

3

Mr Minio

04-16-18, 07:03 AM

Femmes, femmes (1974) - rating_4

http://www.otroscineseuropa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/9_femmes-femmes-177092_655x.jpg

My first Vecchiali. It starts from a hip credits sequence during which numerous pictures of actresses are shown. Then the film itself starts, and, well, it's like a sitcom. But with deliberate artistic choices (shot in black and white, occassional long takes, musical numbers) that elevate it. The film is set in a comedic tone, but the underlying themes are dark and serious. Ultimately it turns out to be a female buddy film.

Sem Essa, Aranha (1970) - rating_4

https://i2.wp.com/www.cineclube.ufsc.br/wp-content/uploads/sem-essa-aranha.jpg

My first Sganzerla, and what a showcase of unadulterated, controversial, underground, edgy, avant-garde, anti-establishment filmmaking. Shot entirely with a hand-held camera, on a shoestring budget, with no straightforward narrative structure, it openly criticizes the Brazillian government that imposed dictatorship. It's openly subversive (Communist?) too as the bourgeoisie is criticized harshly, and the condition of the poor is one of the main themes.

Kristove Roky (1967) - rating_3_5

http://iffk.in/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/6_The-Prime-of-Life_2.jpg

Jakubisko's debut feature, and a disappointment in a way. The black and white cinematography is pretty good (I especially like the whiteness of the mise en scene), but his trademark style, and the atmosphere of all his later films is missing. Still worth it for that cute Slovak girl, and that 8 1/2 reference was kewl.

Following the Sun (1961) - rating_4

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w780/s62DOiH41mj2OWXANf6vHS120I0.jpg

A Soviet film from Moldavia about a young boy taking a trip through the city in order to follow the sun (he believes that if you follow the sun you can go around Earth and come back where you came from). Along his way he meets many people and experiences many events. It's nice to see things that are quite incomprehensible for him, but obvious for the viewer (as long as the viewer is an adult). The colour cinematography is rad, too, especially when he uses a piece of colored glass and observes the world through it, which manifests itself in eye-candy sequences.

Anna (1967) - rating_3

https://alchetron.com/cdn/Anna-1967-film-images-2169f3d7-6333-4885-b49a-7c331e377d1.jpg

A solid Karinasploitation film. The first color film aired on French TV. A colorful musical with music of Serge Gainsbourg. Sadly it doesn't have the same beauty Jacques Demy's musicals have. It doesn't have the same striking color Coutard cinematography Godard films have. However, it has Anna Karina sporting many different costumes and being cute as always. Recommended for @Swan (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=49314), Karina's secret lover.

On Dangerous Ground (1951) - rating_4_5

https://bamlive.s3.amazonaws.com/styles/program_slide/s3/Ray_Dangerous-Ground_002.jpg?itok=DS0xAt7v

Nicholas Ray's best! What a lyrical beauty of a film! It starts like a rather standard film noir, but later on the asphalt jungle is replaced by open skies, rain by snow. Loved the ambiguity of the characters. Ida Lupino gives a tremendous performance as well!

The Lair of the White Worm (1988) - rating_4

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/30/bb/f8/30bbf88e0d0aef4cdd8505c70241a4be.jpg

Ken Russell... you kinky bastard! I tried counting the number of fetishes portrayed here, but lost count and set out to just enjoy the hell out of it. And I did. It's like Russell's Gothic mixed with his Altered States with a tiny bit of Devils during nightmare sequences. And it was so much FUN.

New Old (1979) - rating_4

http://explodedviewgallery.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/14-new-old-de-pierre-clementi-3.jpg

Not his best, and a little bit overlong, but still so much FUN and eye-candy!

Diary (1983) - rating_4

https://media.senscritique.com/media/000000073246/source_big/Yoman.png

A 5 and a half hours long home camera recordings with director's commentary is so much more interesting than it seems.

Pépé le Moko (1937) - rating_3_5

https://storage.canalblog.com/61/58/110219/63883971.png

A wonderfully shot Poetic Realism film, but I wasn't a fan of the story nor Gabin's character. :(

He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life (1986) - rating_4

http://markwebber.org.uk/archive/gallery/archive/Czk7iYzXEAATTC1.jpg

Another Mekas. Another 2.5 hours of his home movies shot on the invincible Super 8. Beautiful, but not beautiful ENOUGH.

Paisan (1946) - rating_4

http://deeperintomovies.net/journal/image11/paisan4.jpg

NOBODY directs death better than Italian Neorealists. I guess since they just had to cope with it on everyday basis, they naturally acquired a natural talent in recreating it. It took me way too long to finally complete Rossellini's War Trilogy, but oh well... Onto his Bergman Trilogy now!

Ultraviolence

04-16-18, 01:22 PM

Sem Essa, Aranha (1970) - rating_4

https://i2.wp.com/www.cineclube.ufsc.br/wp-content/uploads/sem-essa-aranha.jpg

My first Sganzerla, and what a showcase of unadulterated, controversial, underground, edgy, avant-garde, anti-establishment filmmaking. Shot entirely with a hand-held camera, on a shoestring budget, with no straightforward narrative structure, it openly criticizes the Brazillian government that imposed dictatorship. It's openly subversive (Communist?) too as the bourgeoisie is criticized harshly, and the condition of the poor is one of the main themes.

You got it right!
:yup:

Iroquois

04-21-18, 12:43 PM

Mary Magdalene (Garth Davis, 2018) - 2

The idea of a film that attempted to fill in the gaps on the eponymous Biblical figure is a promising one, but the resulting film is a serious disappointment that leans more towards ponderous pauses than poignantly slow meditations and barely delivers anything of worth despite featuring some capable performers.

Alice (Jan Švankmajer, 1988) - 3.5

As far as creepy Eastern European stop-motion animated films based on classic fantasy tales go, this isn't quite on the same level as Krysař. That being said, it's still got enough sheer weirdness packed into its brief running time to make for a good watch anyway.

Female Trouble (John Waters, 1974) - 3.5

I'm still inclined to think of this as a lesser Pink Flamingos, but at least now the margin between the two is much smaller than it was before.

Desperate Living (John Waters, 1977) - 3.5

More '70s Waters trashiness, this time expanding the scope just a little more to indulge some weirdly feudalistic tale of the hierarchical warfare that can unfold even on the absolute fringes of society. If I'm not careful, he could end up becoming one of my favourite filmmakers.

Night and Fog (Alain Resnais, 1956) - 4

Second time viewing this makes me wonder exactly how much one needs to or even can re-watch a film like this, but there's no denying its power even on a re-watch. Very much essential viewing.

Distant Sky (David Barnard, 2018) - 4

Even though I already saw this particular type of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds concert early last year, seeing it rendered through some relatively sharp digital photography against the push and pull of an eager Danish crowd was enough to put me right back into the thick of that experience. Obviously one for the fans who would tolerate its lengthy running time, though I'm sure even casual viewers could get at least something out of its more cathartic numbers.

Shivers (David Cronenberg, 1975) - 3.5

Obviously not the best Cronenberg film due to its generally rough approach to themes and subjects that he would cover much better in subsequent films, but I reckon it holds up remarkably well.

The School of Rock (Richard Linklater, 2003) - 3

I'm inclined to think that this is a little better than I originally thought, though of course the film's heavily-professed mission of Sticking It To The Man through the majesty of good old-fashioned rock-'n'-roll naturally rings a little hollow within the context of a family-friendly Hollywood movie (though there is something to be said for the rather inclusive ways in which it treats its rather basic message). Having Linklater on board certainly goes a long way towards making this worthwhile.

Frankenstein (James Whale, 1931) - 4

Boy, did this one live up to expectations. While it would be easy enough to chide this for its simplistic rendition of the original text, more credit must be given for how it's able to pack in so much - remarkable-for-its-time cinematography, genuinely unsettling atmosphere, strong emotional payoffs - into such a lean running time. I'm definitely looking forward to watching Bride of Frankenstein at this rate.

Certified Copy (Abbas Kiarostami, 2010) - 3.5

This is actually the first Kiastorami I've watched and, while I'll admit it's not the ideal introduction, it's certainly an engaging introduction to his filmography that takes a nominally romanticised tale of an author and one of his readers going on a day trip in a picturesque corner of Italy and turns it into an examination of the authenticity of art, emotions, and relationships. I'll definitely have to check out more of his work now.

Miss Vicky

04-21-18, 01:24 PM

Iroquois

04-21-18, 01:32 PM

Even though I'm pretty sure that I'm gonna hate it, I'm kind of jealous that you've seen it. It doesn't seem to be playing anywhere around here. Guess I'll have to wait for the bluray.

I figured you'd be interested purely on the basis of ol' whatisname, so I guess I will say that he has a real Dafoe-in-Last-Temptation vibe about him that is one of the film's few strengths. For what it's worth, I still don't know when/if I'm likely to get a chance to watch You Were Never Really Here.

Loner

04-22-18, 03:57 AM

La La Land 0.5 I wonder if the a-holes who made this crap ever watched The Umbrellas of Cherbourg?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqzQn15mFao
The Saragossa Manuscript 0.5
Get Out 3.5
I, Tonya 3
Peace Hotel 3
La Ceremonie 4
Turtles Can Fly 4
The Square 3.5
I, Daniel Blake 3

Mr Minio

04-22-18, 05:48 AM

The Saragossa Manuscript 0.5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h1Ed-gXs0Y

re93animator

04-23-18, 07:27 AM

Frankenstein (James Whale, 1931) - 4

I'm definitely looking forward to watching Bride of Frankenstein at this rate.

Be prepared for less gothic atmo, more comic relief, and a greater sense of code-era Hollywood. It's still really fun though.:)

Mr Minio

04-24-18, 02:50 AM

Meteora (2012) - rating_3

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a8gOOtXLTJ8/VU5daILWt2I/AAAAAAAAEbM/LuyWyg5jFTY/s1600/2012%2BMeteora%2Bcrucifixion.jpg

Solid slow cinema on the fight between human desire and contrived concepts of religion that ultimately turns into a fight with oneself. The film mixes live action with animation made to resemble Orthodox icons. I thought the long, static take on the grass, the centerpoint of the film, was handled very well.

Sicily! (1999) - rating_3_5

http://deeperintomovies.net/journal/image10/sicilia1.jpg

I appreciate Straub & Huillet's vision and artistry in how they block a scene, in how they instruct actors in declamation, and such, but I'm not big on their themes, and their films feel pretty cold and just too contrived for their own good.

Bang Bang (1971) - rating_4

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pIUUjGt8DPM/WGBzE_SZbvI/AAAAAAAAhQk/igAv1C_orRImpMqEmhQr05XIizmMeM2xgCEw/s640/bang%2Bbang00005.png

People seem to overrate the hell out of it on Letterboxd. It's not a masterpiece, but it's certainly a film of many qualities. It's funny (the monkey mask), it's weird (the three freaks), it's skillfully done (the bar conversation scene). Hard not to see the influence Godard had on the director, not to mention he claims it's a Maoist film.

Bathory: Countess of Blood (2008) - rating_2_5

http://www.frockflicks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/bathory-2008-52-elizarrest.png

My first real disappointment with Jakubisko! For a film clocking at 140 minutes, there are maybe 5 minutes of pure Jakubisko here. The rest is sadly a typical film of its kind - something you'd expect from a TV station like Zone Romantica, or something. A shoutout to @MovieGal (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=80538), though.

Dead Reckoning (1947) - rating_4

https://www.moma.org/d/assets/W1siZiIsIjIwMTUvMTAvMTQvOWZsMmxhM2kycF96b29tXzE0MTg3NjgzMzRfZGVhZHJlY2tvbmluZ18yeC5qcGciXSxbInAiLCJj b252ZXJ0IiwiLXJlc2l6ZSAxMDI0eDEwMjRcdTAwM2UiXV0/zoom_1418768334_deadreckoning%402x.jpg?sha=7cf80d00c998303a

Pure film noir! All conventions and tropes of the genre are here! What a fierce femme fatale! What a badass, love-struck Bogie! Such ambiguity and dark romanticism!

City Streets (1931) - rating_4

https://78.media.tumblr.com/5a49bf6bd67e7808dc03166daabe6fc5/tumblr_opkbh6zhOS1s3mivlo1_500.jpg

An art gangster film! Such a powerful pre-code gem! It already uses sound, alright, but it doesn't stop the director from incorporating some silent cinema techniques, and a little bit of experimental approach. At first I thought it's going to be a Lonesome kind of film, then a Sunrise kind of film, but then it turned out to be a gangster film that really is an art melodrama at heart. Also, what a powerful ending with the three gangsters just casually walking away - this gave me the same feeling that "three men standing, looking at a baby" scene in Stagecoach gave me. I enjoyed the film's visuals much more than the visuals of Dead Reckoning, the latter being much more typical. This film's cinematography freakin' rocks! WOOH!

La Terra Trema (1948) - rating_4_5

https://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BZTAwNmRhMGYtMjk3Yi00MzdiLTk2ZDEtMDgzNzg5ZTc3YzBlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNzA5MjIzMjA@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,13 33,1000_AL_.jpg

At last I watched the only major Visconti I still hadn't seen. Also, a milestone Italian Neorealism picture. I believe that with this film Visconti made something I like to call "Aesthetic Neorealism". It's got all traits of Neorealism, along with its simplicity and asceticism, but at the same time its so visually pleasing, the framing is almost too beautiful to be true. A take away from an otherwise documentary-like quality of the film, but at the same time a great merit of the film too.

M/Other (1999) - rating_4_5

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fs24PqNaiVY/TVMvrZd15wI/AAAAAAAABOM/TDHo5Lyeqts/s1600/Mother+other.jpg

Some critic said that in the 70s films somehow stopped talking about life and started talking about other films, but he clearly never saw M/Other that is LIFE ITSELF (then again, cinema is life itself too, and maybe he actually saw the film, how do I get out of this sentence?). It always astounds me how as far as contemporary cinema goes, it is Japanese movies that get life closest to how it is. Happy Hour is a prime example, and also one of my favourites of all-time. This film is a pretty darn good one too. One of the director's - Nobuhiro Suwa's - greatest strengths, apart from expert framing and incredibly realistic portrayals of relationships, is the use of silence in people's conversations. I watched the film and thought - "that's how it is in real life - he got it right". Ever too often do we see people in movies discussing their relationship, or problems they are facing and simply flooding each other with words, but in reality, when striken, when hurt, we often spend a lot of time in silence. These long pauses are what make many scenes even more powerful too. The story is simple - perhaps something Koreeda could make as well - but Suwa's inventive technique and approach to filmmaking elevate the story to eleven. A pretty tremendous film and, I believe, one that watched at different stages of your life (also depending on your life experience) will be perceived differently (just like Tokyo Story, or something). Not a work of art, but a work of life.

Timeless Bottomless Bad Movie (1997) - rating_4

http://images3.cinema.de/imedia/3615/1933615,eMqzvIen2uXwPCEyquRK8FdNTmyCqI7orbps1820CJwxtyH2Ha4S8p2hrefHGvJWba39KQMQHz2ZSpbI0jtVCA==.jpg

For such a "bad movie" that was pretty great, better than some widely-acclaimed "classics", but my flamboyant contrarianism aside, one discovers 'bad' has many meanings. The film depicts the so called 'difficult youth' - runaways, punks, thieves, hooligans, and juxtaposes the footage of their actions to some footage of the homeless of Seoul. The hand-held camerawork is hypnotizing enough, and the director films his subjects' actions without judging. It's also amongst the most real docudramas I've ever seen. Oftentimes it's so hard to distinguish what is real and what is not. The hip titles at the beginning of the film might make a misleading impression on the viewer, that film is 100% truth, but it's a trickery - "no fixed actors" means no professional actors, not no actors at all, or that nothing is acted. Somebody said the film is "Harmony Korean", and that's quite spot on as controversy is a key element of both this film and, say, Gummo, and also the social problems are similar in both. I found the gang rape scene pretty disturbing, mainly because it was so plain, and also because the cameragirl was pretty shocked by it. Then she confronted one of the rapists and he beat her up. This looked so real I'm no longer sure if it was real, or not.

Gushing Prayer: A 15-Year-Old Protitute (1971) - rating_4

https://www.berlinale.de/media/filmstills/2018_1/forum_16/201819762_1_IMG_FIX_700x700.jpg

After three 150 minutes long films that day I felt like watching something shorter. Well, this pinku eiga film definitely had all traits of a Wakamatsu film (after all Adachi wrote some of his screenplays), but at the same time was much more radical in its political themes. Above all, however, I found it incredibly depressing, as the main theme, besides Marxist rhethorics, is basically suicide. The film is quite provocative and edgy, you know, even the title is. A prostitute 15 years old girl, and a juxtaposition of sex (gushing) and religion (prayer). The director had many problems with Japanese censorship, so he said freak it, I'm from Japanese Red Army (basically a Marxist-Leninist terrorist group), I'm going to Lebanon. What a controversial figure, for sure. I have to watch more of his films now.

Husbands (1977) - rating_4_5

https://sixlittlethings.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/husbands-197001891321-22-47.jpg

One of the funniest comedies I've ever seen. Cassavetes' top 4! I mean, I liked the New York part, but the London part! Oh my God, the London part! That freakin' old lady in the casino. This had me laughing out loud. Or that rape - the funniest rape ever filmed! Or Falk and that Chinese girl. :( Truly, this is cinema verite. THIS IS LIFE!

Boy (1969) - rating_4

https://alchetron.com/cdn/Boy-1969-film-images-00127123-14ab-4e67-ba79-949a642bcd9.jpg

Yet another Oshima and yet another brilliant piece of filmmaking. A rather tame (for the director) depiction of a real-story on a dysfunctional family that lives from car accident frauds. The director manages to build up sympathy and empathy for the boy pretty quickly, and before you know it, it all explodes in a couple of final scenes. But even before this, every incoming car has a life-threatening aura around it. Might be a 4.5 film.

The Seed of Man (1969) - rating_3_5

http://rowereviews.weebly.com/uploads/1/2/3/2/12321416/4356280.png?725

Director's worst so far. A solid yet underwhelming hip 60s post-apocalyptic film with Wiazemsky and Werckmeister Harmonies-core whale.

HashtagBrownies

04-25-18, 07:26 PM

Seen in April Pt.2

43999
4
I was very afraid that this would be one of those films that portrays black people as completely perfect and white people as Satan, thankfully it didn’t turn out that way. It has a very similar premise and style to La Haine. There’s lots of good tension. The film’s very funny aswell (Man, your Jordan’s are f*cked UP!). I really liked the atmosphere of a boring, hot closed off area where everyone knows your name. I absolutely loved the moral quandary the film raises at the end.

44000
4-
The characters are very interesting, they get you engaged and you really care about them. The cinematography is brilliant. The film’s pretty creepy and scary, especially in the last 5 minutes. The editing, loud noises and lack of music contributed to it. I loved how the film kept itself completely ambiguous, and didn’t bash us over the head with a certain answer (Something not even The Shining got right); It was cool how there were a few odd moments at the start of the film that could influence someone’s view of the film. The fact that certain questions are left unanswered makes the film even creepier.

44002
4+
The first half of this film is a little weird; The film seems more concerned with portraying a family get-together than actually developing the characters and the soundtrack is kinda artsy fartsy. Fortunately the film gets much better as it goes on and the soundtrack becomes brilliant. The film becomes a total emotional roller-coaster. Everyone in the film acts like an actual family members, giving us some of the most realistic performances of all time. The film uses some VERY effective slow zooms to increase the emotion and the changing aspect ratios was cool too.

ALSO THAT ENDING TOTALLY F*CKING DESTROYED ME OMG!

44003
4
This film is pure cheese, and it’s awesome. It’s very funny in that cheesy sort of way with lot’s of terrible puns. Price gives a great performance. I quite enjoy Shakespeare so that influenced my liking of the film. And damn those death scenes are BRUTAL, watch out Saw!

44004
[REWATCH]
4.5-
Haven’t seen this in ages, but I’m very glad I saw it again. Just utter hilarity. When you got Hardy’s screams of pain, the slapstick violence and the noisy piano it’s impossible not to laugh. The only thing that could make this better is if Laurel had one of his signature crying scenes.

44005
4
It was exactly what I expected it to be: Not a movie, but an experience. This is an adventure film that gives off the sense of adventure in one of the best ways I’ve ever seen. This is helped by its brilliant score, emotional moments and visuals. It almost feels spiritual in a way. Some of the characters make REALLY stupid decisions though.

44006
[REWATCH]
(Hard to think of accurate rating, maybe: ) 4.5+
Haven’t seen this in years, it was time to revisit. Its been on my mind ever since I re-watched it, and the more I think about it, the better it becomes. Not as bed-wettingly scary as I thought it was, but it’s still pretty damn scary. What can I say that other hardcore fans of this film haven’t said before? Now firmly cemented as my favourite horror film.

44007
[REWATCH]
4
Not nearly as good as I originally remember it, but still great. Probably because the greatness of watching Se7en for the first time is being in utter shock at the deaths, cringing at their descriptions and the extreme intensity of the last 25 minutes. That effect is lost on you on a re-watch. The descriptions of the deaths are still horrific though, the last 25 minutes are still brilliant and so is the soundtrack.

44008
3.5
Very unique and intense. The dialogue is kinda cheesy and the ending is longer than Return of the King.

44011
3.5
Has some very beautiful and realistic matte paintings. The characters are pretty interesting. Some of the imagery is very creepy or poetic. I loved the suspenseful scenes in the second half.

mark f

04-25-18, 07:41 PM

Your ratings are whack, but that's nothing new. :cool:

Joel

04-25-18, 09:06 PM

Not really an actual film but - Ash Vs. Evil Dead season 1

I don;t know. It's funny and campy but at the same time, the supporting cast kind of makes it boring and typical/routine. It also seems like they are pissing on the grave of Ecvil Dead II and at the same time digging up the first film for a kind of foggy narrative concerning the origin of sin on Ash's part. Season 2 seems to pick up a bit, but all in all, it's just slightly above completely average.

Lee Majors plays a good dad. I wanna meet that dad.

I'm happy Campbell called it quits finally. I have yet to finish season 2 and 3, but so far I can tell that it's gonna run its curse in a big way. Sam Raimi behind the camera is SORELY missed!

HashtagBrownies

04-26-18, 03:21 AM

Your ratings are whack, but that's nothing new. :cool:

I'm too lazy to set out specific guild-lines.

Mr Minio

04-26-18, 12:46 PM

I'm too lazy to set out specific guild-lines. I think mark f shed a tear when he found out you rated Blair Witch Project higher than his favourite The Innocents.

Iroquois

04-28-18, 12:42 PM

A Quiet Place (John Krasinski, 2018) - 2.5

A passable enough high-concept horror that sets up a decent atmosphere across its first half but actually starts to lose traction once it heads into more direct moments of suspense and thrills.

Birdemic: Shock and Terror (James Nguyen, 2009) - 3

Second time around and I'm still not entirely sure how I want to rate this. It's horrendous by damn near every objective measure of quality (I think the best thing you can say about it is that it's environmentally conscious and even that is compromised by how didactically it is handled), but that's obviously not of major concern if you're using it as a source of unintentional hilarity - or is it? Even by such irony-soaked standards, movies like The Room or Troll 2 are still vaguely functional in a way that Birdemic doesn't quite manage to achieve and that is something I do have to count against the movie.

Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977) - 4.5

I'm currently undecided about what my favourite Lynch film is, but this is definitely one of the main candidates for the position. Depends on how the others hold up on re-watch, I suppose - this one certainly does.

The Untamed (Amat Escalante, 2016) - 2.5

An unsettling (if somewhat familiar) blend of alien horror and marital drama about a freaky sex alien and how it starts to wreak havoc on an already-dysfunctional family. It doesn't deviate too far from its obvious influences and only has so much to say, but it certainly doesn't lack for provocation.

Isle of Dogs (Wes Anderson, 2018) - 4

Haven't watched anything by Anderson in a while so I'm willing to consider the possibility that I'm being overly wowed by his style as a result, but even with that in mind this film does manage to tick a lot of my boxes and provide a new favourite for the year (questionable approach to Japanese culture notwithstanding, of course).

Hercules Returns (David Parker, 1992) - 2.5

A local comedy about film-loving underdogs who must salvage a screening of an old Italian movie by improvising their own comedic dialogue. The jokes vary quite wildly between the funny, the problematic, and the obnoxiously Australian.

Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (David Lynch, 1992) - 3.5

The staggering gulf in difference between this and the typical episode of the show's original run is a real double-edged sword that does make me rethink certain aspects of the show for better and for worse (but mostly for the better). Seeing as both times I watched it were following full viewings of the TV series, the real question is whether or not I'd ever bother to watch it outside of that particular context.

Breaking the Waves (Lars von Trier, 1996) - 4

Ehhh, I'm a little reluctant to give this too much credit because of how von Trier really ran the one-woman's-suffering plot into the ground across what feels like every single one of his movies but at least this one holds it together better than most (mainly due to Emily Watson really doing an amazing job with what could have been a really thankless role).

Rampage (Brad Peyton, 2018) - 1.5

I saw this mainly because of MovieBob sincerely calling it the best videogame movie ever made (low bar, I know, but he still gave it 3.5/4 so...) but honestly that just makes me think of how I'd gladly take so many of the messily ambitious videogame movies that have been made (hello Resident Evil) over something that plays like the kind of anonymous Dwayne Johnson solo vehicle I've otherwise done a fairly good job of avoiding.

Glitter (Vondie Curtis-Hall, 2001) - 0.5

As with so many of the so-called worst movies ever made, I do question exactly how much it deserves my personal seal of disapproval - on the one hand, there's nothing that's overly offensive about its existence beyond the standard popstar vapidity, but on the other hand there's nothing to actually like about it either.

Mr Minio

04-29-18, 06:36 PM

Stromboli, terra di Dio [Stromboli] (1950) - 3.5

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/it/archive/d/d2/20100616182048%21Stromboli-Bergman-vulcano.png

The first installment in Rossellini's Bergman Trilogy is somewhat a disappointment. I greatly enjoyed the documentary-like portrayal of the people on the secluded island (outstanding fishing scenes!), and quite sympathized with Bergman's doom-stricken character, but found the ending to be extremely ill-fitting and shoddy.

隣りの八重ちゃん [Our Neighbour, Miss Yae] (1934) - 4

https://www.moma.org/d/assets/W1siZiIsIjIwMTUvMTAvMjIvMTlpdWluNjFxaF8xMjI1OTEuanBnIl0sWyJwIiwiY29udmVydCIsIi1yZXNpemUgMTAyNHgxMDI0 XHUwMDNlIl1d/122591.jpg?sha=308fe16ee2492455

A little bit of confusion on my side before I found out this film was not directed by Hiroshi Shimizu - a director whose films I really like, but by Yasujiro Shimazu, a filmmaker I hadn't known until now. A wonderful piece of shōshimin eiga that tackles more serious themes often in a very comedic way. Unrequited love, marital innuendos in discussions of teenagers, laugh-out-loud funny holes in socks, and a refreshing showcase of everyday life of average people.

Az én XX. századom [My Twentieth Century] (1989) - 4

https://i1.wp.com/www.theartsshelf.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Screen-Shot-2017-02-08-at-11.21.56.png?fit=1213%2C546&ssl=1

My first Ildikó Enyedi film and a pretty good set of vignettes with utmost respect for and fascination with early twentieth century. A kind of magical poetic realism. With outstanding black-and-white cinematography, and a wonderful pretext of a plot.

Drowning by Numbers (1988) - 4

http://cdn.0123movies.com/upload/2016/12/movie_drowning-by-numbers-1988.jpg

A black comedy so full of details and little references, I don't think it's really possible to get everything after only one watch. That being said, the film is enjoyable enough without really getting too deep into it, and the visual side is something to behold.

Kagadanan sa banwaan ning mga Engkanto [Death in the Land of Encantos] (2007) - 5

https://theseventhart.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/death-in-the-land-of-encantos.jpg

I didn't know how to rate this one. So i gave it a 5. I RECOMMEND THIS WAY OF RATING FILMS. This is a monumental 9 hours long behemoth of slow cinema that combines mesmerizing contemplative scenes, documentary-like interviews, and insights on Philippines, its people, government (what a pugnacious critique, a desperate scream of objection!), art and much more. It starts off by depicting the aftermath of a great typhoon that devastated the Bicol Region and at the same time introducing the hero, a poet returning home. I won't give you anything beyond this, but there's so much to it! If I had to nitpick, I'd say some things (political) were told too straightforwardly, albeit with due rage.

Night Awake (2016) - 4

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Fdijzmvi8-k/V_aD5CBsjMI/AAAAAAAAA0Y/VLLElKGRPBI1CoBwUV5yeVWTN4iRfJZmgCPcB/s1600/Night%2BAwake%2B008.jpg

A work of an alchemist. A work of a dustman. I haven't read on how the director made the film, and I don't want to. I don't want to ruin the effect, the mystery. Was he salvaging some half-destructed film like Takahiko Iimura, or was he meticulously preparing every frame like Stan Brakhage? Is he a black magician whose incantations hidden deep inside this film have a dizzying effect on the viewer? This film has one of the best sound mixing/engineering I've ever heard. Every little scratch, crack and hum is given such significance in the otherwise dark ambient/noise background. Visually, this is anti-cinema! I've never seen anything quite like it! This is an attempt to totally destroy cinema as it is and re-invent it from a scratch, but nothing beyond it as it's still in the phase of being reconstructed. Also one of the most effective horror films out there - a genuinely horrifying experience, an attack on all senses. A film should be an engima and Sandy Ding gets it. I didn't know how to rate it either, but rated it a 4. I guess it needed to be 10 hours long...

Camo

04-30-18, 03:04 PM

April Watches:

103. Fort Apache (John Ford, 1948) 4.5-
104. Antiporno (Sion Sono, 2016) 4.5
105. The Long Voyage Home (John Ford, 1940) 4+
106. Aquarius (Kleber Mendonça Filho, 2016) 3.5-
107. Love Birds (Dover Koshashvili, 2017) 2-
108. Tobacco Road (John Ford, 1941) 2+
109. The Look of Silence (Joshua Oppenheimer, 2014) 5
110. Ready Player One (Steven Spielberg, 2018) 2.5
111. You Were Never Really Here (Lynne Ramsay, 2017) 5
112. Mr and Mrs. Smith (Alfred Hitchcock, 1941) 2-
113. The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (Isao Takahata, 2013) 4+
114. Lifeboat (Alfred Hithcock, 1944) 3.5+
115. The Handmaiden (Park Chan-wook, 2016) 4.5
116. Late Spring (Yasujiro Ozu, 1949) 5
117. This Is The End (Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, 2013) 3+
118. Bowfinger (Frank Oz, 1999) 4.5
119. Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Jake Kasdan, 2007) 2-
120. Tommy Boy (Peter Segal, 1995) 2.5
121. Seven Days In May (John Frankenheimer, 1964) 4+
122. Paddington (Paul King, 2014) 3.5
123. The 'Burbs (Joe Dante, 1988) 5
124. Happy End (Michael Haneke, 2017) 3.5
125. Andre The Giant (Jason Hehir, 2018) 3-
126. The Goonies (Richard Donner, 1985) 2.5
127. Drunken Angel (Akira Kurosawa, 1948) 3.5-
128. Stray Dogs (Tsai Ming-liang, 2013) 3+
129. Night Nurse (William A. Wellman, 1931) 4
130. A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (Martin Scorsese, 1995) 3.5
131. Safe In Hell (William Wellman, 1931) 3-
132. Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (Tim Burton, 1985) 3.5
133. High Anxiety (Mel Brooks, 1977) 2.5-
134. Dumb and Dumber To (Bobby and Peter Farrelly, 2014) 3
135. Paddington 2 (Paul King, 2017) 4
136. The Long Goodbye (Robert Altman, 1973) 4.5
137. My Voyage To Italy (Martin Scorsese, 1999) 4-
138. Happy-Go-Lucky (Mike Leigh, 2008) 4
139. Heroes For Sale (William Wellman, 1933) 4.5
140. Oki's Movie (Hong Sang-soo, 2010) 2.5
141. Wild Boys of the Road (William Wellman, 1933) 4.5+
142. The Day He Arrives (Hong Sang-soo, 2011) 4+
143. I Was Born, But... (Yasujiro Ozu, 1932) 4
144. The Assassin (Hou Hsiao-hsien, 2015) 3.5
145. Goosebumps (Rob Letterman, 2015) 3
146. Daddy's Home (Sean Anders, 2015) 1.5
147. Split (M. Night Shyamalan, 2016) 2.5+
148. A Story of Floating Weeds (Yasujiro Ozu, 1934) 3
149. 10 Rillington Place (Richard Fleischer, 1971) 3.5

April Watches: 47
2018 Watches: 149

Chypmunk

04-30-18, 03:21 PM

April (pt ii):

4.5
Hable con ella (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0287467/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_9) [Talk To Her] (Pedro Almodóvar, 2002)
Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245429/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Spirited Away] (Hayao Miyazaki & Kirk Wise, 2001)
Warui yatsu hodo yoku nemuru (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054460/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [The Bad Sleep Well] (Akira Kurosawa, 1960)

4
Grave Of The Fireflys (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095327/?ref_=nv_sr_1) aka Grave Of The Fireflies dubbed vsn (Isao Takahata, 1988)
Monsieur Lazhar (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2011971/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Philippe Falardeau, 2011)
Waste Land (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1268204/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Lucy Walker, Karen Harley & João Jardim, 2010)

3.5+
Akai tenshi (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139820/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Red Angel] (Yasuzô Masumura, 1966)
Ragtime (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082970/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Milos Forman, 1981)
You Only Live Once (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029808/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_87) (Fritz Lang, 1937)

3.5
Araburu tamashiitachi (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0305240/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Agitator] (Takashi Miike, 2001)
City Streets (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021750/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_106) (Rouben Mamoulian, 1931)
Destry Rides Again (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031225/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (George Marshall, 1939)
Legend (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3569230/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Brian Helgeland, 2015)
Street Scene (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022436/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_103) (King Vidor, 1931)

3+
Beterang (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4768764/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Veteran] (Seung-wan Ryoo, 2015)
Oh, Mr. Porter! (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029335/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Marcel Varnel, 1937)
The Merry Widow (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025493/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_75) (Ernst Lubitsch, 1934)

3
Sabotage (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028212/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_88) (Alfred Hitchcock, 1936)
True Confession (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029695/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_58) (Wesley Ruggles, 1937)

2.5
Acceptance (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1359551/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Sanaa Hamri, 2009)
Bitva za Sevastopol (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4084744/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [Battle For Sevastopol] (Sergey Mokritskiy, 2015)
Redeemer (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298519/?ref_=nv_sr_3) (Graeme Clifford, 2002)

2+
Three In The Attic (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0063693/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Richard Wilson, 1968)

1
My Entire High School Sinking Into The Sea (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5538568/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Dash Shaw, 2016)

UpgradeYourDad

04-30-18, 05:57 PM

1
My Entire High School Sinking Into The Sea (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5538568/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Dash Shaw, 2016)

Ouch. I remember catching this at SLIFF and not thinking it was that awful. May I ask why you hated it?

Chypmunk

04-30-18, 06:00 PM

cricket

04-30-18, 06:14 PM

April, 2018 movies watched-

Assassination (2015) 3- Decent enough, but not what I look for in a foreign film.

Phenomena (1985) 1.5+ After 4 films, I'm disappointed in director Dario Argento.

Ed Wood (1994) 3.5+ Much more enjoyable than I expected.

Phoenix (2014) 3+ Good all around but it's only the ending that'll stick with me.

Small Town Crime (2017) 3.5- Darkly funny and a terrific John Hawkes.

If I Die Before I Wake (1998) 2+ A little below average but still worth watching for fans of home invasion movies.

The Burbs (1989) 2.5 Worth watching for prime Hanks and the rest of the cast.

All the Money in the World (2017) 3.5 As much as I liked it, I still think it could have been better.

The Children (2008) 1.5+ Horror that needed humor and atmosphere.

Benny's Video (1992) 3.5 Another cold and quality film from director Michael Haneke.

Small Faces (1996) 3.5 Gangs and growing up in Scotland make for good drama.

The Undying Monster (1942) 3 Werewolf/mystery film with outstanding atmosphere.

Molly's Game (2017) 3.5+ Fast paced with an interesting story and excellent performances.

Entre Nos (2009) 2.5 I cared about the characters but thought it would have been better as a book.

Total April viewings-14
Total 2018 viewings-106

HashtagBrownies

04-30-18, 07:16 PM

Seen in April Pt.3/3

44160
3.5-
Very, very average. Pretty sure no-one would remember it if it wasn’t the first feature length movie with sound. It’s interesting that the whole film was silent except for the song parts, it really helped to elevate those parts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkhNED3-mnI
3.5+
Very haunting allegory about the destruction of nuclear warfare, told with childlike animation, sounds effects and narration.

44162
4
I was expecting it to be one of those mediocre Hollywood thrillers she I first started it, as the film went on I realised it certainly wasn’t. The story was very original and great, so are the characters.

This film is a huge cluster fudge of unexpected plot twists, it’s so awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LowU9vKZzJs
A film made BEFORE Sallie Gardner at a Gallop...WHAT?!?!?!

UpgradeYourDad

04-30-18, 07:37 PM

Ouch. I remember catching this at SLIFF and not thinking it was that awful. May I ask why you hated it?
I found the score quite irritating in places, the crude animation style didn't do a lot for me tbh and overall despite the odd worthy line and it's dark nature I thought it was actually quite immature ... so basically just not my cup of tea really.

Fair point. I don’t remember too much about the score, but I do remember really liking the animation style. I just saw it’s on Netflix so I might do a rewatch here soon.

Ultraviolence

05-02-18, 09:36 AM

Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972) Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes’ [Werner
Herzog] rating_5
https://www.phoenix.org.uk/content/uploads/2018/02/Aguirre-Wrath-of-God-1200x600-c-default.jpg
Soon after the first glimpse of the mountains appears, and the atmospheric soundtrack starts, I was swallowed into a damp universe. Under Aguirre's command, I felt that I was going crazy little by little along with his team. I can not help but feel melancholy and frightened when I see Aguirre in the middle of that hostile nature. It is as if I feel totally engulfed in the midst of his megalomania. All 5 times I watched the movie, I was amazed by the feeling and the power that Klaus' performance conveys.
From the moment they descended in the clouds, until our last view of Aguirre on the Amazon River, my emotions were totally manipulated by this fantastic movie!

Stagecoach (1939) [John Ford] rating_3_5
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) [John Ford] rating_4_5
The Searchers (1956) [John Ford] rating_4_5
You Were Never Really Here (2017) [Lynne Ramsay rating_4
Who Can Kill a Child? (1976) ‘Quién puede matar a un niño?’ [Narciso Ibáñez Serrador] rating_3
By the Sea (2015) [Angelina Jolie] rating_3
A Quiet Place (2018) [John Krasinski] rating_3
SPL: Kill Zone (2005) ‘殺破狼’ [Wilson Yip]
rating_4
SPL 2: A Time for Consequences (2015) ‘杀破狼2’ [Soi Cheang]
rating_4
Dolls (2002) [Takeshi Kitano] rating_3_5
Harakiri (1962) ‘切腹’ [Masaki Kobayashi] rating_5
Ugetsu (1953) ‘雨月物語’ [Kenji Mizoguchi] rating_4_5
Tenebre (1982) [Dario Argento] rating_3_5
Osaka Elegy (1936) ‘Naniwa erejî’ [Kenji Mizoguchi] rating_4
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) ‘Les parapluies de Cherbourg’ [Jacques Demy] rating_4
Saturday Night Fever (1977) [John Badham] rating_4

donniedarko

05-03-18, 09:55 PM

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/villains/images/2/2e/The-Shape-of-Water-Mixhael-Shannon-Mr.-Strickland.png/revision/latest?cb=20180113231255
Best Villain in Years, Michael Shannon- Shape of Water

Recent Watches (Ranked)
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (Gibney, 2005)- 4
The Shape of Water (del Toro, 2017)- 4
A Futile and Stupid Gesture (Wain, 2018)- 4-
RV:[SHORT] Envelope (Nuzhnyy, 2012)- 4-
The Red Pill (Jaye, 2016)- 4-
Kung Fury (Sandberg, 2015)- 3.5-
Hush (Flanagan, 2016)- 3+
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (K. Smith, 2008)- 3
Duplex (DeVito, 2003)- 3
RV: Anger Management (Segal, 2003)- 2
Keeping Up with the Joneses (Motolla, 2016)- 1
RV: The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (Rodriguez, 2005)- 1
Mother's Day (Marshall, 2016)- 0.5

thracian dawg

05-03-18, 11:08 PM

April views

★★

Brooklyn (2015) - Spicer
The historical details and the processes fill this story out. Given the current hysteria about immigration, it’s refreshing to be reminded that once upon a time if you weren’t coughing up a lung you were welcomed into the country. I also liked revelation on her return visit home that there is only one degree of separation between a wonderful life and one lived in soul crushing poverty.

Lady of Burlesque (1943) - Wellman
A nice mix of the obvious romantic conclusion; the slinky outfits and show tunes; chorus girl cat fighting, and a back stage psycho killer on the loose. There’s a nice gag where there is an air slap in a comedy skit and the guy teases her under his breath during the entire routine and at the end of it she says: “I’ve been waiting all night for this” and really belts him one. This gesture repeats in Ball of Fire when she took a swing at another actress and she accidentally broke her jaw.

★★½

The Death of Stalin (2017) - Iannucci
The bar was really low here: are evil dictators bad? Does one fear for one’s life at the slightest slip of the tongue or impropriety? Does one constantly worry about accidently falling out of lock step with everyone else or were you a little slow in throwing your rock at the designated enemy du jour? If Iannucci had any real balls he would zatz the financial system or a big bank, which if you think about it, is also setting the bar ridiculously low. Best thing about this is Jason Isaacs chewing up the scenery as an eleven star general.

Midnight Sun (2018) - Speer
A disease of the week / dying girl movie---with all icky, un-photogenic parts edited out. So the audience is treated to a delightful summer of love with the clock ticking between vampire girl and fish boy. She literally flames out in a blaze of glory.

The Stranger (1946) - Wells
Nazi hunter Edward G Robinson thinks he’s found one hiding in Small-town, USA. When the suspected Aryan wasn’t being the most popular teacher in the local high school, he spends his free time repairing a long dormant clock in the town square. The climax was great, once repaired, a life-sized knight tolls the hour by going around a track with his sword drawn, you kind of knew someone was going to get their eye poked with that.

The Witch (2015) - Milestone
The daughter actually reveals the obvious when she says to her father: “we are living on a farm in the middle of the wilderness, but you’re no farmer and even a worse woodsman.” She left out the part of the family slowly starving to death. The following spring their bodies were discovered and their folly over time became this is old wives tale. They are completely subsumed to the elements and prayer is merely a way of trying to control the calamities of existence and Mother Nature, which always demands more and better piety or failing that, finding someone to blame when misfortune strikes.

Ball of Fire * (1941) - Hawks
It’s not hard to fall in love with Barbara Stanwyck as Sugarpuss O’Shea in this film. When she takes off her fur coat inside the library she shimmers like an apparition. She may not have the book smarts and academic credentials to match the high-brow professors in the room, but her definition of the word yum-yum will hold up to the highest academic challenge. The only downside is that the slang they use has become so dated it’s a kind of hieroglyphics that requires explanation.

Dollars (1971) - Brooks
A heist film set in a Hamburg bank from the early 70’s. There’s a great bit when a kooky Goldie Hawn is startled by a phone and she reacts by jumping in the air with a scissor kick. Warren Beatty must have killed off two of his stunt doubles in the making of the film, he runs flat out for the last 20 minutes of the film.

Samurai 3: Duel at Ganryu Island (1956 (https://www.imdb.com/year/1954/?ref_=tt_ov_inf)) - Inagaki
The last film in a trilogy where master swordsman Musashi fights his most deadly opponent. On the boat ride over to the small island where they are going to duel to the death, he takes a tree branch with him and whittles out a wooden sword then repeatedly conks his opponent over the head with it.

Final Portrait (2017) - Tucci
A portrait that was to have taken a single afternoon stretches into weeks; the sitter discovers with horror that he could basically sit there for the next 10 years without anything tangible as a result. Giacometti is not interested in churning out a commodity but discovering something authentic about the person looking back at him and the person painting the picture. This is a portrait of the artist as an old man.

★★★

Isle of Dogs (2018) - Anderson
I saw this simply because they mentioned Kobayashi several times in the trailer. There are lots of cute moments, lots of liquid eyes overflowing with anthropomorphic tears; although Scarlett Johansson was a total diva becoming a kind of attention hog in her scenes. Also the disclaimer about animals NOT being harmed during filming was missing from the credits--- in a film with an awful lot of exploding ordnance and vicious dog fighting.

Scarlet Street (1945) - Lang
This is like sliding into a warm bubble bath, setting up the story details here and there but gradually the water gets cold and then it gets positively freezing. A timid bank clerk falls for the wrong woman. He gets away with the crimes but later on, the poor guy is driven mad by guilt.

The Devils (2002) - Ruggia
Abandoned by their parents as children, Joseph has one goal in life: to stay united with his 12 year old autistic sister. They live on the streets until caught, then his sister is put in specials needs and he is dumped in an orphanage. He immediately escapes---breaks her out of her institution then they live on the streets until they are caught again. This desperate cycle begins to mirror his sister’s autism, becoming a disconnected revolt against all authority at times slightly disturbing, and at times fiercely poetic.

Samurai 2: Duel at Ichijoji Temple (1955 (https://www.imdb.com/year/1954/?ref_=tt_ov_inf)) - Inagaki
The continuing saga of master swordsman Musashi moving from biography to hagiography; this is the episode from his life where he wiped out an entire samurai school.

All Girls are crazy (2003) - Pouadoux
Chick flick seems like a slight derogatory term; so I’ll call this a screwball romance where a high school teacher spots Prince Charming for the very first time in a hospital corridor, anesthetized on a gurney---in a moment of desperation; she wheels him out and kidnaps him.

Eye on Juliet (2017) - Nguyen
This is a meditation on technology and instant communication played out as a romance. In the first world, you simply expand the search perimeters on your dating app and now you have dozens of hot and heavy hook-ups lined up in the hallway. This contrasts with the remote Maghrebian village, where they still have to truck in water and you have to carry it home in sloshing buckets. There is a great joke here where the dangers of surveillance are in the ancient village where everyone knows your business but not in the technological wonderland, where every key stroke is logged in, every phone conversation is recorded, and every image search isstored forever in your endlessly expanding personal blackmail file in Bluffdale, Nevada.

Killa (2014) - Arun
11 year old Chinmay and his mother try to start all over by moving from the big city to a sea-side village after his father passes away. Like way stations on the path to adulthood, he leaves his childhood behind in quiet moments of looking at the world around him and understanding a little of how it all works. This is a charming remembrance of a childhood.

Unsane (2017) - Soderbergh
A great seamless mix of grainy, pop-eyed paranoia; corporate malfeasance; and a dog eared copy thrown in of the best seller: The Gift of Fear. The catch here is that if you are legally confined to an institution; nothing you say or do is lucid because your behaviors are merely manifestations of your particular pathology … that is, until you are allowed to step over the invisible line at the front door dividing who is sane and who is certifiable.

Il Generale Della Rovere (1959) - Rosselini
The use of studio sets and rear projection adds to the already theatrical story of a con man’s transformation. The Germans maintain a zero tolerance policy on any kind of resistance which means people are scooped up nightly for any kind of violation. This allows our anti-hero to masquerade as the negotiator between certain bribable bureaucrats with the right rubber stamp and certain desperate relatives with enough cash for the bribes; sometimes he wins, but most of the time his charges are executed or shipped off to Germany as slave labour. Either way, he keeps a large cut in the transaction. However when he swindles the wrong person, he is put into the system. This is a nice moral wasteland where everyone is trapped right or wrong by their own personal notions of courage and duty.

★★★½

Journey’s End (2017) - Dibb
Every British regiment gets rotated to the front line six days out of every month---a major push by the enemy is expected at any time now, so each rotation in--- increasingly becomes a death sentence and each rotation out becomes a Godsend. The brother of the woman Captain Stanhope was courting has just graduated from officer’s training school (he was too young to fight at the start of the war) He expressly demands to serve under his most excellent command. After three years of war, the only thing left that terrorizes Captain Stanhope is the thought the woman back home in England may discover that he is only a shadow of his former self. The film reads like a Wilfred Owen poem.

The Strange love of Martha Ivers (1946) - Milestone
This Film Noir opens nicely, setting up the drama of three children who dream of escaping their desperate lives. As adults they don’t seem to have evolved a single step beyond those situations; the young girl despised the cruelty of her legal caretaker but seems to have grown up to become her. The sudden return of the one only who did escape, can only mean one thing: blackmail.

Beirut (2017) - Anderson
There is some sly humour in the opening sequence at the party where a university professor goes around a Lebanese cocktail party explaining all the factional in-fighting and vested interests in the beleaguered country but never once mentions the most important player at the party that keeps the endless cycle of violence alive; supplying all factions with guns, gasoline and lawyers assuring that vendettas and blood feuds are the standard operational mode for the country.

Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto (1954 (https://www.imdb.com/year/1954/?ref_=tt_ov_inf)) - Inagaki
There is great misdirection here in the story of two village youths who head off to war to seek fame and fortune. The opposite happens, their side is decimated and they barely escape with their lives. When one man returns home later he is reviled and hunted by the villagers for being a dishonourable deserter.

Lean on Pete (2017) - Haigh
15 year old Charley follows around his ne’er-do-well father as he moves around from town to town trying to find work and stay out of trouble. The kid has a wonderful vulnerability; he likes to run because he made the football team in his last school, so maybe he’ll make it a repeat performance at his new school, although it must have been a real small town because he looks a little too slight to be a footballer. He finds a part-time summer job at a racetrack down the way One of the jockeys, warns him not to get attached to the horses, because they are only transient investments that are shipped off to the glue factory once they begin to lose money. But how can Charley not become emotionally attached to Lean on Pete, this beautifully doomed quarter horse?

Phoenix (2014) - Petzold
Being the sole survivor of her family; Nelly has inherited all her families’ wealth. Her husband thinks she died during the war and spotting her in the street thinks she could be---with a little coaching--- a dead ringer for his dead wife. He quickly enlists her in a scam to steal her inheritance. Completely annihilated by the war; Nelly reconstructs her identity from this psychic rehearsal; a near dead soul slowly re-awakening to life by walking in her old shoes and talking in her words and gestures and finally singing with her voice. Nina Hoss gives another master class in acting.

You were never really here (2017) - Ramsey
The pedophile sex ring as a metaphor for political corruption has been done before but never with such troubling poetry. It’s kind of like somebody smashed a mirror with their fist and now all you have are drops of blood and jagged shards of lying on the floor, but sifting through it, ever so often some broken pieces connect and suggest a moment of hope somewhere down the line. There’s a great,discordant soundtrack.

Bleak Moments (1978) - Leigh
This was Mike Leigh’s first film. A dance of despair filled with averted looks and silence and all the dancers have feet of clay. The two office workers have a harried home life caring---in one case, for an invalid mother and the other a mentally challenged sister. Work becomes a kind of oasis. They have to steal any personal time. The lead actress, Anne Raitt has a wonderful face, and she matches the rather grim and uncaring world stare for stare, but angling her face slightly she becomes warm and beautiful. How does one get the words out as one character says in the film, when you don’t know the easy gambits of conversation? The personal limitations are all self-imposed: how does one become … more wonderful? The film is the opposite of bleak and intensely dramatic because it could be shattered at any moment with the right word or the tiniest gesture.

Iroquois

05-06-18, 10:52 AM

Trash Humpers (Harmony Korine, 2009) - 1.5

For a good chunk of the running time I was definitely ready to 0.5 Korine's returning to his favourite subject of directionless small-town weirdos doing weird stuff (in this case a bunch of old people - or young people wearing old-people masks) but there are some moments, especially towards the end, that are at least enough to make me think that there's a point to this apparently nonsensical trash (even if it's not strong enough to save the whole film).

Paddington 2 (Paul King, 2017) - 4

Still holds up on a second viewing.

Terms of Endearment (James L. Brooks, 1983) - 3

A decent mid-tier Best Picture winner from a decade that produced quite a few mid-tier winners. I really would've liked it if Family Guy hadn't spoiled it for the sake of a gag that was unfunny even by their standards.

Slacker (Richard Linklater, 1990) - 5

Fun fact: this was the first movie I ever reviewed on this website. Now, over a decade later, I think it definitely deserves the full five. If it's not an all-time favourite, it might as well be.

Polyester (John Waters, 1981) - 3

A recognisably transitional Waters piece that's a bit more polished (and - pun intended - watered-down) than his '70s work as it works off a melodramatic tale about a woman on the verge on a nervous breakdown.

Hairspray (John Waters, 1988) - 3

On that note, this sees Waters get even more accessible with its gormless semi-parody of 1960s teen movies. Still quite a bit of fun, though.

The Lure (Agnieszka Smoczyńska, 2015) - 2.5

I do respect the audacity of its genre-bending premise - a horror/musical about two killer mermaids who end up joining a nightclub band - but I do feel a little annoyed that I can't really get into it as much as I'd like.

Bird (Clint Eastwood, 1988) - 3

A filmmaker with a style as blunt as Eastwood's really does need some good subject matter to either compliment it or make up for it, so I reckon this rather by-the-numbers biopic about Charlie Parker fits that criteria just fine.

Avengers: Infinity War (Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, 2018) - 3.5

Definitely one of the better myth arc installments of the MCU that does a solid job of delivering on a decade's worth of promise and mitigates a lot of the franchise's usual flaws in the process.

The Last Detail (Hal Ashby, 1973) - 4

Re-watched this in anticipation of Last Flag Flying and, well, it kinda seems like Nicholson's early-'70s run of movies blurs together a bit at times but what a magnificent blur it is. Also, this may well be the most tolerable I've ever found Randy Quaid.

Ultraviolence

05-07-18, 02:45 PM

Andrei Tarkovsky's filmography final rating:
1962 - Ivan’s Childhood ★★★★
1966 - Andrei Rublev ★★★★★
1972 - Solaris ★★★★★
1975 - Mirror ★★★★★
1979 - STALKER ★★★★★
1983 - Nostalgia ★★★★★
1983 - Voyage in Time [Andrei Tarkovsky, Tonino Guerra] ★★★★
1986 - The Sacrifice ★★★★★

One of the best directors ever!

---

Benny’s Video (1992) Directed by Michael Haneke ★
https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1896317#post1896317

Through the Looking Glass (1976) Directed by Jonas Middleton ◘ (atrocity)
One of that films that you ask yourself "What the **** I just watched?". Everything was very poorly made, I can enjoy B movies without care, but this one wasn't the case. It starts okay and it becomes an atrocity later on. I'll not talk about the acting 'cause we all know that is not the point in this kind of movie...

The Saragossa Manuscript (1965) ‘Rekopis znaleziony w Saragossie’ Directed by Wojciech Has ★★★★★
https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=1897331#post1897331

1408: Directors Cut (2007) Directed by Mikael Håfström ★★
Mr. Håfström have proved lots of time that he's an incompetent director. In 1408 he could manipulate the camera better than in his other works, but still incompetent in manipulate the audience. The script doesn't help. The ending looked like a comedy movie, the theatrical ending was even worst. I think he just didn't care anymore half way through the production.

Small Town Crime (2017) Directed by Eshom Nelms, Ian Nelms ★★
It starts as a serious crime/drama, and then it adds awkward humor with cartoon characters, what they were after? I don't know. Anthony Anderson was incredible bad. The same goes with Octavia Spencer! Oh God, even Robert Foster was bad! I'll blame the director's! This guys don't know how to make a salad!

Frenzy (1972) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock ★★★
Not one of the best Hitchcock movie... It looks like a parody of The Wrong Man. The film had some really interesting moments, like the 'truck' one. What's wrong with the script? It was playing for the circumstances. Good direction by the master (what more can we expect?) but not substantial as lots of his other movies.

Red Beard (1965( ‘赤ひげ’ Directed by Akira Kurosawa ★★★★★
http://www.cantstopthemovies.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/113.jpg
There's a scene late in the movie that it's a simple shot of a well, but it was so incredible shot that I was mesmerized. The reflections of the ones that was looking to the water was something that made me scream! It reminded me of The 47 Ronin (1941) by One Scene, One Shot master Kenji Mizoguchi, there was some scenes in Red Beard that was so mezmerize that I though Kurosawa was possessed by Mizoguchi's ghost, and both were working together. It's not the story, it's the way he told the story! In the beginning you know that the young Dr. Noboru Yasumoto will at some point become the medic we expect, but HOW and WHY? That's Kurosawa at his best!

Satantango (1994) ‘Sátántangó’ Directed by Béla Tarr ★★★★★
http://offscreen.com/images/made/images/articles/_resized/00-AEsatantangoD3_012212-resize-crop_1000_420_90_c1.jpg
There was a moment in this 7 hrs and 30 min movie that I was so immersed that I start to feel physically ill. I paused, hugged my dogs, and realise I couldn't continue my life without finishing this journey first. I drinked some water and eated some biscuits and this is it: I went back! I didn't stopped until the credits showed up. I swear, I was there, I was there with all that characters, looking at them. Not a mere viewer, I was participating, somehow...
A 14 minutes dicurse, a world created with the maximum of possible details, uncomfortable, strange. This film is black magic. I've never had so much fun watching a dance scene before! I swear, after the film ended, I was still hearing the tango deep in my mind!

jiraffejustin

05-08-18, 02:33 AM

I'll post some ratings of the non-hof stuff I've seen since the beginning of April. It's almost exclusively shorts and there is not a lot of it.

DeKalb Elementary (2017; Van Dyk) - 3
Chicken Scared by Torpedo (1887; Muybridge) - 2.5
Man Walking Around a Corner (1887; Le Prince) - 0.5
Child Carrying Flowers to Woman (1887; Muybridge) - 3.5
Cat's Cradle (1959; Brakhage) - 2.5
Eye Myth (1967; Brakhage) - 4
The Wold Shadow (1972; Brakhage) - 3.5
The Garden of Earthly Delights (1981; Brakhage) - 2
The Terrys (2011; Tim & Eric; Rewatch) - 5
Eveready Harton in Buried Treasure (1929; Hardon(?)) - 4
Regen (1929; Franken & Ivens) - 1.5
Mosquinha (1890; Marey) - 3
Silence (1971; Shinoda) - 4.5

Ultraviolence

05-08-18, 08:13 AM

Silence (1971; Shinoda) - rating_4_5

Great film! :)

Mr Minio

05-08-18, 10:58 AM

Ultraviolence gets it!

UpgradeYourDad

05-09-18, 06:25 PM

Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Nichols, 1966)

Absolutely brilliant. It lasts a little bit too long, but ultimately loved it 4.5

HashtagBrownies

05-10-18, 08:47 PM

Seen in May Pt.1

44380
4
The colours, the framing, the lighting, the costumes and the soundtrack were lovely as is to be expected from Paul Thomas Anderson. It was pretty funny too. Daniel Day Lewis’ performance was pretty brilliant (PLEASE DON’T RETIRE!).

44381
3.5
My first Jean-Luc Goddard film, and it was fairly similar to what I expected. The direction was very bizarre; the camera is placed in extremely odd positions whenever the characters are having a conversation. Some chapters really dragged on, but I loved chapters 8 and 11.

44382
I have no words.I’ll give myself a few more years and I’ll probably appreciate it then. I absolutely adored the last 2 minutes though.

44383
3.5
The whole film was shot like a music video, I’m not sure if that was intentional or if Greg hadn’t a clue what he was doing. The plot was actually really intriguing. It’s a delight to see Tommy and Greg onscreen again, the Room really means a lot to me.

44384
3.5+
I was kinda disappointed that it only reflected on a tiny bit of Lynch’s life and left out a 4 decade chunk. Lynch is a really good storyteller, his slow way of speaking gets you a bit excited to hear what he’s gonna say next. I really liked how Lynch’s creepy-ass paintings and music were placed over his stories to add to them. I liked the scenes of him interacting with his daughter. The ending is pretty damn abrupt.

44385
4
If there’s one word to describe this film, it’s authenticity. From being filmed in the actual Amazon, to the water on the lens, to how pained the actors look, you really feel as if you’re there going insane with them. The scenery was very appealing. The soundtrack was absolutely gorgeous. The performances are great. Aguirre is an amazing character; He kinda reminds me of those universally recognised characters from legends that are a symbol of evil. (My God, I’ve never seen pupils that small. He truly is mad). The final scene is just wonderful. I’d love to hear about all the behind the scenes stories with this film, they sound absolutely mad!

44386
4
Very funny. I loved all the witty, polite dialogue between enemies. This film is WAY too quotable! It’s a very relaxed, eased back film. I liked the inclusion of the film being a story, it didn’t ruin the immersion at all.

44387
4.5
The animation is beautiful and the soundtrack is unbelievably gorgeous, it highly appeals to the old timely 1900”s ascetic. It kinda reminds me of the claymation adaption of The Wind in the Willows. The characters are great; They’re very likeable. It’s pretty funny, in a cute sort of way. The mystery was very intriguing and so is the villain.

44388
3.5-
Yep, this was dumb.

44389
4-
It was an interesting choice to have no music. The performances from the main two are brilliant; They seem like everyday people you’d see on the way to the shop. The dialogue is very realistic. I loved the shots of the dark green landscapes shadowed by the grey, raining overcast. The last 10 minutes are great, kind of akin to The Graduate.

Mr Minio

05-11-18, 01:28 AM

HashtagBrownies: Same rating for Vivre sa vie and Avengers - you're doing to wrong, bro!

HashtagBrownies

05-11-18, 05:35 AM

HashtagBrownies: Same rating for Vivre sa vie and Avengers - you're doing to wrong, bro!

https://media.giphy.com/media/KYNywoibU1PQ4/giphy.gif

Mr Minio

05-11-18, 07:41 AM

Heimat: A Chronicle of Germany (1984) - rating_4

http://www.tasteofcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Heimat-1984.jpg

There are films whose length actually adds to the overall enjoyment, and others whose gargantuan duration is an actual issue. Heimat lies somewhere inbetween. It took me three days to finish this 15 hours long German epic spanning more than six decades, telling the story of more than six people, and taking place in more than 6 locations (666 - Hellish signs confirmed). The little Hermann episode is the most powerful and beautiful.

Smart Money (1931) - rating_4

https://cdn.britannica.com/700x450/40/178740-004-8A3220A0.jpg

Edward G. Robinson and James Cagney in one movie? Well, theoretically... Cagney does not really get enough screen time here, and the film is virtually a Robinson's show-off. An interesting, positive pre-code portrait of a gangster.

Brute Force (1947) - rating_4

https://twentyfourframes.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/brute-burt.png

A brute force indeed! A film as brutal as it is poetic.

Shock (1946) - rating_3_5

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/6goXr9YlP7Fo6zg1X2R9Eabmn-iXHhtD_SzG8_NS529ejrdyrMOsr-84JqJD27uXP0AdxK7UX193n22YMpKuEEs6byE7ZARY8QQYfgGC04y3opLJEHFuTEP60qYCo1d4mJhJMQ=w1000-l75-rj

A B movie (The next one should be a C not a movie. Sorry, I don't know my alphabets.) with Vincent Price with a somewhat Hitchcockian vibe to it. Gotta love young Price (the old one too).

The Beaches of Agnes (2008) - rating_3_5

http://iris.theaureview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/agnesunfilm.jpg

The film struck me as incredibly plain and unpretentious. A sort of a watered-down Chris Marker-core with no forced intellectualism of, say, Godard. As such, it seemed very down-to-earth in a kind of uninspiring way. But... Agnes is a very kind grandma, and her warmth and natural interest in people is enough of a reason to not be disappointed in the end.

Faces Places (2017) - rating_3

http://www.indiewire.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/337575.jpg?w=780

Meh, this one was inferior to the previous Varda film. This time Agnes and some modern artist (who wears shades all the time like Godard) travel around France painting huge murals portraying people they met. The idea wasn't bad, but I wasn't a fan of the execution. Towards the end of the film they both get totally wrecked by normie-destroyer Godard. I found the very ending very contrived, though.

Why Worry? (1923) - rating_3_5

http://sensesofcinema.com/assets/uploads/2017/03/Cteq_Why-Worry-750x400.jpg

A rather minor Harold Lloyd, but Jobyna Ralston and the scene with a giant shooting a canon attached to his back are worth the time!

The Awful Truth (1937) - rating_4

https://i.imgur.com/6hpW1.gif

One of the best screwballs! Had me laughing quite a lot.

Island of Lost Souls (1932) - rating_3_5

https://mkrspaceship.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/ae756-losts.gif?w=720&h=540

Now that was something. Not the level of Freaks, but what a wonderful H.G. Wells fare! Love the visuals.

Dredd (2012) - rating_4

https://i2.wp.com/gifrific.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Dredd-Shattered-Glass-Cinemagraph.gif?ssl=1

Loved how unrelenting, unadulterated and to-the-point it was! I really enjoy action films taking place mainly in one location, like Assault on Precinct 13, Green Room, or Attack the Block. Now I have to add Dredd to this list. The slowmo falling effect towards the end might've been too showy, but it's the closest thing to Zhora execution in Blade Runner I've ever seen.

Horse Feathers (1932) - rating_4

https://78.media.tumblr.com/23756964a806ee28bd81d6ff8f43cfec/tumblr_p67ehyKmNv1s8161wo1_500.gif

This feels like a secondary Marx Brothers film, but it's so absurdist, I just couldn't not love it. I think the 30s is my favourite decade for comedies.

Hotel du Nord (1938) - rating_4

http://sensesofcinema.com/assets/uploads/2013/12/HOTELDUNORD702.jpg

Not a towering masterpiece Children of Paradise is, and not an outstanding achievemtn like Port of Shadows, but it's my third favourite of Carne now. The lighting is to die for!!!

My Man Godfrey (1936) - rating_3_5

http://78.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_maiqxaT9gf1qakh43o1_500.gif

Enjoyed it a great deal, but didn't laugh as much as during other 30s comedies I saw. Surely an inexorable criticism of aristocracy, though.

The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue (1974) - rating_3_5

http://www.parkcircus.com/assets/0013/6128/ti112217_large.jpg?1435313717

A solid zombie flick with an interesting, subversive ending.

Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (1927) - rating_4

https://78.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lt476rJW1q1qcay1ao1_500.gif

A pretty good city symphony film. The cinematography is reliable (especially the night takes!), but the Berlinese montage is not really on the level of Vertov in Man with a Movie Camera (or any Soviet Montage film for that matter), or Gance in La Roue.

Borderline (1930) - rating_4

http://beinecke.library.yale.edu/sites/default/files/styles/node_banner/public/signature_media/robeson.jpg?itok=vn5uOk0A

TFW you start a "race film" and find out there will be no Fast & Furious-like racing. Seriously, though, this is a wonderfully progressive film that talks about an interracial love triangle (the black man is played by the genius singer Paul Robeson!). The film employs some really intriguing, avant-garde montage techniques.

Bread (1929) - rating_4

http://www.iwm.at/wp-content/uploads/Bread-1.png

Now that's what I'm talking about! Beautiful cinematography & montage.

The Self-Seeker (1929) - rating_3_5

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/ufc/stills/self_seeker/large/Self-Seeker-8.jpg

Same director as above, but I wasn't big on the comedy format. The film was banned on its release.

The Blue Sky Maiden (1957) - rating_3_5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/81d979fec514b9535bc6893cdf5abbf2/tumblr_owt55yiTvs1qzxeqqo1_500.gif

I adored the beauty of the cinematography (definitely getting Ozu vibes, but the film came out before the first Ozu film in color!!!) and Ayako Wakao (simply lovely), but I found the story to be quite infantile in this teen movie way (director's other film about teenagers Kisses was much better).

Europe ’51 (1952) - rating_4_5

https://78.media.tumblr.com/3cf2bb90f4cb8ab2fe73f7c5b7b8b18c/tumblr_oceexx07Zx1tta8m3o1_r1_500.gif

My favourite Rossellini so far! A woman trying to find redemption is mistook for a lunatic by some, and for a saint by others. It's not hard to say which camp Rossellini identifies with.

Poto and Cabengo (1980) - rating_3_5

https://fourthreefilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Poto2.jpg

The subject is interesting and the execution serves it well, but I can't say I was blown away.

donniedarko

05-11-18, 08:56 PM

https://uproxx.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/wish-i-was-here.jpg?quality=95&w=650&h=467
Wish I Was Here (Braff, 2014)
Zach Braff may just be the most human director in Hollywood. The way he's able to capture life and create identifiable unique characters is phenomenal. Wish I Was Here, his crowdfunded film, feels like a grown up Garden State. His dry observational and cut-scene comedy is the same in this film as his other works. Kate Hudson is at her absolute best here, and from what I saw here Joey King is a phenomenal young actress to look out for. The Braff brothers even manages to create a character from Jim Parsons (better known as Sheldon) that you feel like you understand to his core in only 2 minutes of screen time.Despite being extremely human and lifelike for the majority some moments feel extremely cliche and look like a Hallmark commercial. But the touching scenes of family really hit home. Hope Braff makes more feature films,and less spread apart.
3+

http://i.cdn.turner.com/v5cache/TCM/Images/Dynamic/i378/freaks32_livingbreathingmonstrosities_FC_HD_2997_470x264_102820150441.jpg
Freaks (Browning, 1932)
Really hard film to assign a rating, definitely unique. In my personal viewing experience there wasn't much of a horror element to this film. Really the parts of the film that are supposed to be scary feel are the most riveting for me, the ending had me a little amped but not scared. However the wedding scene was pure cinema. I felt sick to my stomach and empathized with the "freaks" as humans, not characters. The film would be a masterpiece if Browning focused more on story and narration, but as an exhibit Freaks quite a bit just in some masterfully shot scenes.
3

The Week of (Smigel, 2018)
Guess I'm kind of a sucker for a good disaster weeding movie. For a Sandler and Chris Rock led film it's pretty damn funny- kept me laughing throughout. The turning points of location at the end was terribly executed, and the director gives you hardly any idea of who any of the characters are but it's still good fun mix of Jewish schmucks and high energy blacks. Probably the best Adam Sandler role in fifteen years.
3

Little Evil (Eli Craig, 2017)
Second Netflix original comedy this time as a horror spoof. Mainly revolves around The Omen but plenty of obvious homages to other classics. Pretty weak but you'd still have a hard time finding a more watchable horror parody since Scary Movie 2
2-

donniedarko

05-11-18, 09:01 PM

:rotfl: looks like 16 year old Donnie was pretty upset about Wish I Was Here being crowd funded:
Seriously this **** is stupid. Kickstarter was intended for people who can't get the funds themselves, this guy has plenty of connections of rich producers who will fund him. Kevin Smith got it right, this should be for independent Filmmakers. Why the **** should I fund something that I'll have to pay to see anyways. And Scrubs is an awful show.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯Scrubs has kind of grown on me

re93animator

05-14-18, 04:36 AM

Dracula A.D. 1972 (“) – 2.5
Pretty entertaining modern (in '72) Dracula and Van Helsing tale. Lee is billed as the lead, but hardly has any screentime. Ill-fitting funk music can either ruin it or turn it into a comedy.

Night Creatures (1962) – 3.5
A poorly labeled movie that stands well enough without the brief campy horror aspect. It’s really a very good movie about pirates and bootlegging liquor, with some faux-horror tacked on to give it a green light I suppose. Captain Clegg was a more apt title.

Jour de fete (1949) – 3
A bicycle postman starts to worry that his old-fashioned ways are being overtaken by speedy modern conventions. It was before Hulot, but it still has Jacques Tati’s offbeat charm. The cross-eyed fellow hammering a nail killed me.

The Petrified Forest (1936) – 4.5
Damn! A brave and complex introspective on society that still carries a lot of relevance. I feel like it could be taken in many ways. It’s hard to believe it was written in the 30s, though less hard to believe it was originally a play. The tactless machismo is the most dated part of it.

Ultraviolence

05-14-18, 10:16 AM

Island of Lost Souls (1932) - rating_3_5

https://mkrspaceship.files.wordpress.com/2016/06/ae756-losts.gif?w=720&h=540

Now that was something. Not the level of Freaks, but what a wonderful H.G. Wells fare! Love the visuals.

Very sexy and a very good use of make up!
Nice to see this film around.

Sedai

05-14-18, 10:35 AM

War for the Planet of the Apes
Reeves, 2017

1_5

http://cdn2us.denofgeek.com/sites/denofgeekus/files/2017/06/war_for_the_planet_of_the_apes_review_caesar.jpg

I hated this film. I watched the entire thing, but I wanted to turn it off several times throughout its run time. Terrible script, cardboard cutout villain, and an absolute boat load of forced sentimentality delivered with manipulative music. A disappointing end to the trilogy.

Iroquois

05-14-18, 10:42 AM

New Jerusalem (Rick Alverson, 2011) - 3.5

A psychologically-charged mumblecore piece about an ex-military Irishman and his friendship with his evangelical American co-worker. Simple, down-to-earth, and much more engaging than I could have anticipated.

Super Troopers 2 (Jay Chandrasekhar, 2018) - 2

Experience has taught me to keep my expectations in check when watching a belated sequel to a cult comedy so I ultimately didn't mind this too much, but it's still pretty weak.

Last Flag Flying (Richard Linklater, 2017) - 3.5

Linklater follows up two youth-oriented movies with something considerably more mature with this sequel of sorts to The Last Detail about Vietnam vets on a road trip. It does a solid job of recapturing that particular film's magic with a good lead trio just chilling on a road trip (shame that it drops off a bit towards the end, though).

Wild Tales (Damián Szifrón, 2014) - 2.5

An anthology film built around the theme of people being pushed to the point of animalistic retribution against those they feel wronged by, often with some kind of social/political bent to the ever-escalating proceedings. Unfortunately, that common thread means that the installments get more than a little repetitive and even the attempts to change it up tend to fall flat.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Mike Newell, 2018) - 2

It doesn't get much more British and whimsically bittersweet than this post-WWII drama about a writer who becomes engrossed in the lives of a small handful of villagers who started a book club while under Nazi occupation. It's watchable, sure, but it's still pretty dry for the most part.

Tremors (Ron Underwood, 1990) - 2.5

I'm still wavering on this particular B-movie that pits a handful of rural types against a bunch of gigantic underground monsters. It's pretty decent on a technical level but I don't find it either funny or scary so I'm ultimately a bit underwhelmed by the whole thing.

Monty Python: Almost The Truth (Alan G. Parker/Bill Jones/Ben Timlett, 2009) - 3

Technically, I watched the six-episode cut instead of the abridged version, but screw it, I'm still counting it. Anyway, this is an informative enough chronicle of the group's history with some good interviews and some footage I haven't seen before (I had already absorbed a fair chunk of their history through books) but I'm still not quite sure how you're supposed to really assess something like this beyond its bluntly informative nature and own lacklustre attempts at replicating Pythonesque humour.

Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (Lam Nai-Choi, 1991) - 4.5

Original review (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1375905-riki-oh-the-story-of-ricky.html). Still one of my favourite pieces of unadulterated cinematic ass-kicking.

Nightbreed (Clive Barker, 1990) - 3.5

The mind behind Hellraiser comes up with another elaborately twisted horror full of strange creatures and convoluted mythology that honestly clicked with me a lot better than I expected and made for a hell of a ride (plus, David Cronenberg is perfectly cast as a creepy psychiatrist).

Speed Racer (Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski, 2008) - 4

Definitely holds up better than I remember, especially when considering how it serves as a complete audio-visual antithesis to The Matrix (swapping out desaturated slo-mo for hyperkinetic psychedelia) while still embodying a thematically similar core. Might well be my second-favourite Wachowski film after The Matrix.

Mr Minio

05-14-18, 12:25 PM

Very sexy and a very good use of make up! Too predatory to me. The dame needs a manicure.

Chypmunk

05-15-18, 03:46 PM

May (pt i):

4
Escape From New York (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082340/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (John Carpenter, 1981)
Theeb (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3170902/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Naji Abu Nowar, 2014)

3.5+
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2488496/?ref_=nv_sr_5) (J. J. Abrams, 2015)

3.5
Papillon (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070511/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Fraklin J. Schaffner, 1973)
Penthouse (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024435/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_3) (W.S. Van Dyke, 1933)
The Man Who Changed His Mind (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0027938/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_108) (Robert Stevenson, 1936)
Un dollaro tra i denti (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060325/?ref_=nv_sr_1) [A Stranger In Town aka For A Dollar In The Teeth] (Luigi Vanzi, 1967)

3+
Nyonin aishû (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029326/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1) [A Woman's Sorrows] (Mikio Naruse, 1937)
Red-Headed Woman (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023385/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Jack Conway, 1932)
The House Of Rothschild (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025272/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Alfred L. Werker & Sidney Lanfield, 1934)

3
Ekstase (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022867/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_4) [Ecstacy] (Gustav Machatý, 1933)
Mondo Hollywood (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061988/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Robert Carl Cohen, 1967)
Petticoat Fever (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028097/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_52) (George Fitzmaurice, 1936)
Sing Street (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3544112/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (John Carney, 2016)

2.5+
A Dangerous Method (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1571222/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (David Cronenberg, 2011)
The Bishop Misbehaves (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026120/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Ewald André Dupont, 1935)
The Smiling Lieutenant (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022074/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Ernst Lubitsch, 1931)

2.5
Alice In Wonderland (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0023753/?ref_=nv_sr_7) {Norman Z. McLeod, 1934)
The House Of Secrets (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0029028/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Roland D. Reed, 1936)
The Mad Empress (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032740/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) (Miguel Contreras Torres, 1939)

2+
Dark Places (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2402101/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Gilles Paquet-Brenner, 2015)
Iron Man (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022002/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Tod Browning, 1931)

2
Starcrash (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079946/?ref_=nv_sr_1) (Luigi Cozzi, 1978)
Where There's A Will (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028496/?ref_=nv_sr_5) (William Beaudine, 1936)
Woman In The Dark (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026003/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) aka Woman In The Shadows (Phil Rosen, 1934)

1.5+
Four Jacks (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245905/?ref_=nv_sr_7) (Matthew George, 2001)

1+
The Sea Ghost (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022352/?ref_=nv_sr_1) aka U-67 (William Nigh, 1931)

aronisred

05-17-18, 11:55 AM

the 13th warrior

4

A middle eastern diplomat is sent to build foreign relationships as a punishment for being attracted to a higher officials wife.In the process he is forced to team up with a group of Norsemen to rescue a village from a savage army of non humans.

This movie came from a period of time which I would like to call as golden age of high risk movies.Movie studios still haven't figured the formula to make billions as they do now. There are only few IPs worth investing multi hundred millions into.So studios were forced to invest into the ideas of successful directors and writers and movie stars.Michael Crichton following the success of Jurassic Park wanted to make a movie based on his book eaters of the dead.He was able to assemble John McTiernan(Director of Die hard and Predator) to helm the project and also Crichton wanted to have some input on the project. With the success of Jurassic Park and cache from McTiernan filmography , they were given full reigns by the studio.

The most impressive thing about this movie is the scope of it. The huge budget shows on the screen.Everything about the movie feels real.You are transported to the time period.The second most impressive thing about it is its willingness to take ill-advised risks. At this budget the movie needs an all american movie star at the helm to recoup its money back in a traditional sense.But the film makers were hoping for it to be surprise hit. Even though the budget of the movie kept increasing after the shooting began had they not believed that the quality of the film would bring in audience they wouldn't have gone on to spend more to finish the movie. Add to that the presence of a middle eastern lead in a movie about Norsemen you get a very bold film.

The plot revolves around the concept of chosen one and coming to terms with one's destiny. These concepts could have been dealt in a much deeper and darker way but instead the filmmakers choose to make an action movie with these concepts being glossed over and given a backseat to the action elements of the movie. The concept of "fear of the unknown" was done much better but there is some disconnect between the fear of characters in the movie and the fear of audience. Audience might not be as scared of the protagonists as the characters in the movies do. Respecting the ways of others is a concept the movie dealt with in a practical manner. In reality people do not respect others just because they are different. They respect others if they prove that they are worth respecting.

One of the weakest elements of the movie is the transition of a diplomat into a warrior being able to fight protagonists who seem to be bred for war.Antonio banderas was good fit for the role.All the supporting characters were good.

This movie was dealt a bad hand at box office and critical reception. It should receive the same respect as Independence day. If independence days is still being remembered as a fun blockbuster then this movie needs to be remembered as a dark action blockbuster and not as the biggest box office bomb of all time.

Mr Minio

05-17-18, 04:06 PM

Memories of Matsuko (2006) - 4.5

https://i.imgur.com/B1H2Vup.jpg

A truly depressive misery porn story told in a frantic, semi-frivolous way that surprisingly intensifies the main protagonist's hopelessness even more. A hard-to-believe streak of unlucky events carries hapless Matsuko, and with her - the viewer, through her life. An existence full of pain, grief, violence and sharp turns of events. The style of the film is vivid, erratic featuring mawkish musical numbers. The director finds the right balance between serious themes and not-so-serious form, and can't be accussed of levity either. Moreover, the movie uses digital photography in a wonderful way truly proving it to be almost a different medium with its own use and purpose. My second Nakashima and my second 4.5. I'll be watching Kamikaze Girls next.

The Phantom Tollbooth (1970) - 3.5

https://i2.wp.com/www.sp-bx.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Image-34-7.jpg?fit=800%2C445&ssl=1

A children's film on how important it is not to be lazy and struggle to acquire knowledge. Mostly animated with live-action scenes only at the beginning and end, the film is fun. I especially liked the two characters of Humbug and Spelling Bee and their oratorical battles. Truly a film that will give children something to ponder on.

Alone in the Night (1994) - 3.5

At last I watched the last film of the Angel Guts series! Virtually being a Yakuza revenge flick, it's the least pinku eiga-ish of the series (that, quite honestly, was never purely pinku eiga-ish to begin with). Of course, the viewer still gets a fair amount of rape scenes, but the Yakuza scenes and the revenge themes are very prevalent, and Ishii tells the minimalistic story at a deliberately slow pace. After having finished the entire series I can't say it's the best series ever. It's definitely got some pretty good installments, with Red Flash's exquisite, dark mood taking the lead, and the rest crawling under, and there really are no terrible parts, but only one 4 star film out of 7 is still a slight disappointment. .

Juliet of the Spirits (1965) - 4

http://www.berkeleyside.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Juliet-of-the-Spirits.jpeg

I've still got me some backlog with ma man Fellini (Satyricon comes to mind...), but I'm slowly and steadily catching up on his filmography. The film is a feast of hues, an oniric tale of jealousy. What it lacks in narrative and story it makes up in splendid cinematography.

Face (2009) - 3.5

https://asiasociety.org/sites/default/files/styles/1200w/public/0/091115_tsai_face_1.jpg?itok=HFvzl_gT

The last full-length Tsai I still hadn't seen, and his only made in Europe with both Taiwanese and French actors. The movie starts from a trademark water leak scene. The Taiwanese man tries to stop it, but fails as the water pours out into the corridor. Cut. We're in Paris now. Low-held camera observes a tiny brook in the gutter. Is Tsai trying to say that even though he made the film in France, the water is still flowing, his artistic fluids are still flowing, that is his style will not change? Well, all his sparks are definitely still there, but at times it just doesn't feel the same. Then again, tell me the name of a different film in which Jean-Pierre Leaud performs a Buddhist mantra, or one in which a white girl sings a Shidaiqu song in Chinese, while in the sewers, WHILE a naked man lies before her. Or one in which Mathieu Amalric has a spontaneous homosexual coitus IN BRUSHES with Tsai's favourite actor. Louvre kind of forced some modern art parts that left me cold.

The Towering Inferno (1974) - 3.5

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZuK3Hhdftig/WAUO5IV93SI/AAAAAAAAVaU/cJGFOFOmSAwDMH-0XCdLzmkqFSTKKPE1wCLcB/s1600/Towering-Inferno-Fred-Astaire-Jennifer-Jones-Astaire-1974.JPG

The idea of getting burned alive is one extremely horrifying, and one scene in this movie presents this idea. Literally. Or another - falling from a skyscraper - no doubt much more effective after 9/11. Apart from this, this is a highly enjoyable disaster flick with Newman, McQueen and Astaire. The last one's final scene was predictable as hell, but it still made me feel sad. He also looks so quaintly gentlemanly - love his face!

Journey to Italy (1954) - 4

https://s3.amazonaws.com/criterion-production/janus_stills/1499-/28081id_28081_070_w1600.jpg

Pompeii AD 1954. The final installment in Rossellini's Bergman trilogy and the second best at that. A portrait of a decaying marriage, of a couple taking a trip to Naples. Their games, lack of understandment and the background vistas surrounding Vesuvius make for a perfect setting. The ending, even if out of place and hard to believe was for some reason extremely satisfactory and beautiful.

Portrait of Madame Yuki (1950) - 4.5

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-4g2Bfo0CNp4/VVqbQ6jt8rI/AAAAAAAAEjg/ZxvNVgyfc7Y/w640-h480/retrato%2Bsenhora%2Byuki%2B3.jpg
http://iv1.lisimg.com/image/3812585/640full-portrait-of-madame-yuki-screenshot.jpg

How majestic and full of mystery are these landscapes of glory, mists of loss, frames of poetry, crane shots of misery! The story of unhappiness, devastating enough by itself and also thanks to Michiyo Kogure's splendid performance in the eponymous role, is elevated to the level of masterpiece by the out-of-this-world cinematography. This is a film in which even water splashing out of a public bath has power to move mountains. Mizoguchi is no doubt one of the masters. Visual and otherwise.

True Story of Woman in Jail: Sex Hell (1975) - 3.5

http://infini-tropolis.com/reviews/images/sexhell02.jpg

I mean, how can you go wrong with a title like this? This is the first part in the trilogy I'm starting right now. The film is a rather usual Women in Prison Pinky Violence flick with lesbian scenes, guards mistreating female prisoners, and a mandatory escape plan. An interesting ironic ending too.

Seances (2016) - 3.5

A film made by an algorithm that chooses from a lot of footage shot by Maddin and also some random footage from the Internet to create a short film. This is advertised as a one-time life experience, because the film is different every time you refresh the site. They say you can watch any given film only once. Well, only once my ass:

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

aronisred

05-17-18, 05:02 PM

Gold

2

Its the story of a prospector whose life becomes a roller coaster ride after he finds gold in Indonesian forest.

This script has been floating around in Hollywood for close to half a decade.At one point it has Christian bale and Michael Mann attached. But ultimately it ended up with post oscar win Matthew Mcconaughey and director Stephen Gaghan. Often times Hollywood has a very predictable process in terms of getting talent attached to a project. In terms of directors, first priority for scripts like these is to go for auteurs because success for these scripts is to get an oscar nomination.If they aren't available they would go for directors who are less consistent but made a good movie a while ago. Directors like James Mangold , Stephen Gaghan fall into the category. Its understandable why the stars of the movie and studio would green light the project with Stephen Gaghan at helm.

The best thing going for this movie is the performances of Edward Ramirez and Mcconaughey. Ramirez is perfect for the role of cunning yet charming geologist kind of like a movie director who should sell the money guys on his idea to get funding. Ramirez in a similar way sells the idea of existence of gold in this remote location. Mcconaughey on the other hand even though not as perfect fit for the role of prospector as Ramirez was for his role still managed to make the role believable. There are shades of harvey weinstein to his role (excluding the sexual harassment aspect) in terms of being driven and physically repugnant look.

The best way I can describe this movie is its Sheep in wolf of wall street's clothing. Its one of those movies where reality meets fantasy. Its similar to why people buy lottery or participate in treasure hunts. Everything changes overnight. The key element to these kinds of movies is that people should buy the change of circumstances. Audience need to witness the overnight shift of life. This script seems to have become obsolete the moment wolf of wall street hit big. This movie was made on a low budget. So the transition from down on luck to obscenely rich didn't work.

In movies like these the lead character at the center of this storm need to be the one driving the narrative and not be a pawn.Every absurd thing that happens in wolf of wall street is driven by Jordan Belfort but not so much in this movie. Even the drive of the lead character in the movie in not well established. If you are a stock broker, then your drive to make money at any cost is much more believable than a prospector deciding to go to Indonesia with a vague knowledge about its existence.The direction did not help either. It lacked the momentum required. The production isn't high profile enough to generation anticipation for this movie.The story is very formulaic even in its reveal.

aronisred

05-18-18, 09:33 AM

Revenge(2018)

4

An "apparent" gold digger on a vacation with her married fling to an isolated location proves to be more than what appears to the eyes.

Most of the movies that are so-called classics are made by men.So we don't even have a scale to compare them with movies by female filmmakers.But this movie would give classics of the rape revenge sub-genre a run for their money. Most of those movies have the inevitable rape scene which borders on being porn. It may be because the directors are men and the thought of rape isn't enough for them, so they want to realize it on screen or may be not.But this movie has its head in the right place.

The most unique thing about this movie is its relevance to the metoo movement.It doesn't even try to make a point that "rape is committed by those in your social circles and not some stranger from the bushes".It just happens.This is not one of those movies where a woman goes into a remote wooden house to write a book and she gets violated by a bunch of hillbillies. Its a movie where white collar multi-millionaires commit heinous acts.The blood and gore is heightened and logic sometimes doesn't apply but I would take that to a cookie cutter plot any day of the week.The concept of male gaze is dealt with in an interesting way.

So all in all this movie is an interesting take on the subject matter with lots of metaphors and its relevant both behind the cameras and in front of the camera.

aronisred

05-18-18, 12:50 PM

The Revenant
2

A guide to a group of fur trappers embarks on a perilous journey to avenge the man who killed his son and left him for dead after mauled by a bear.

There is a well know truth about Hollywood that there is a pecking order where in studio executives don't care about the right fit for the role but they care about the most commercially viable choice for the role.The revenant is a frontier epic made for 130+ million $.Let that sink in.This type of movies are not made anymore.So this is an anomaly.

There are 3 best things going for this movie - production budget,direction and cinematography. What would you do when you have 130 million $ to shoot a survival tale in the wilderness ? go to pristine land and shoot in natural light and realize each and every moment in the movie to the best possible extent. That's exactly what the director does.Direction is the key because the script onto itself is not very strong.Compare this movie to something like hostiles where in the direction doesn't help elevate the thin story where as Innaritu is too good to not let that happen.Cinematography is linked to production budget. Here is the thing about production budget. Any movie with 100 million budget will have some outstanding technical achievements. So dwelling on those is pointless.

Casting for the most part is okay except for the lead. DiCaprio is miscast in the role and I can see why because of his box office appeal for this type of movies.He seemingly takes on dramas and make them epic but those projects are always anchored by a top director. .And as i said the pecking order in Hollywood makes sure that he gets what he wants(scripts with scope for epic film making and Directors who can deliver).His Oscar win has more to do with the situations surrounding his performance and not his performance.

The script of the movie is very thin. One of the biggest flaws for me even so more than Dicpario's casting is that the audience don't buy that the character has suffered enough. Movies about pain,suffering and loss are not just about gory scenes shots for 100 million dollars.They should pull the heart strings. The time between the moment Dicaprio was left to die and the moment he started walking felt very abrupt and that it came out of nowhere. Every shot in the movie screams 100 million $.In a way the weak story which is void both thematically and emotionally is covered and wrapped in a 100 million $ well shot and directed movie. There is no nuance to it. Traditional twist shot for 100 million $ is still traditional twist.

So all in all Dicaprio casting didn't disappoint because the movie turned in profit.The director didn't let the tech department's efforts go in vein because they all got nominations.A generic story line wrapped in a pretty box.

Ultraviolence

05-18-18, 01:11 PM

My second Nakashima and my second 4.5. I'll be watching Kamikaze Girls next.

Confessions was the other one?

True Story of Woman in Jail: Sex Hell (1975) - rating_3_5

http://infini-tropolis.com/reviews/images/sexhell02.jpg

I mean, how can you go wrong with a title like this? This is the first part in the trilogy I'm starting right now. The film is a rather usual Women in Prison Pinky Violence flick with lesbian scenes, guards mistreating female prisoners, and a mandatory escape plan. An interesting ironic ending too.

I need this in my life
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/youtubepoop/images/7/7e/Sanji_after_nosebleed.gif/revision/latest?cb=20150712004103

Mr Minio

05-18-18, 05:34 PM

Confessions was the other one? Yep.
I need this in my life There are many more better pinkus/pinky violence flicks, though. :P

aronisred

05-18-18, 06:09 PM

The Wolf Of Wall Street

3

A corporate epic that masquerades as a cautionary tale about capitalism but in reality its just a movie about debauchery and crime with filmmakers having a bit too much fun on screen and most importantly it appeals to 14 yr old kids due to lot of obscenity,machismo,misogyny and criminal behavior.

Portrayal of debauchery has never been done better on screen. That's partly because of 130 million $ price tag on the movie.One of the things I noticed is a trend during awards season.If a movie is the flagship movie of a major studio, then that movie will inevitably get nominated for some Oscars. To be a flagship movie of course it had to be good but in terms of box office and hype, the movie would be well received. If Argo was not distributed by Warner brothers then it would have been a very good thriller but not an Oscar winning thriller.Wolf of wall street bumped Jack Ryan movie into January and became an Oscar player.

One of the major flaws of the movie is its shallow nature and its appeal to multiplex superficial audience.Ever wonder why Damien Chazelle won Oscar on his second movie where as Scorsese had to wait 30 years ? its because of story telling quality of Scorsese which in this movie is very shock value based. Lets show breasts !!!! shock value , lets show drugs !!!! shock value,lets show sex!!!! shock value, lets show people getting whacked !!! shock value. There is nothing deep in the movie. There has been no movie at this scale made since Casino, so the current generation of moviegoers felt that its very fresh.

The script of the movie had some outrageously funny sequences but the main strength of the movie in terms of its staying power all the way till the academy award nominations is its box office performance overseas in Europe,Asia and Australia. And the reason its nominated for Oscars and not 22 jump street is because its a real life story and its directed by Scorsese and its a movie not based on an IP.

The critics circle in LA and New York is a bunch of auteur fanboys and businessmen. If a critic is an auteur fanboy then they will give certain leeway and pass if their favorite director makes a movie.I noticed it during 2013 Oscars wherein people started criticizing American Hustle as a Scorsese ripoff even though the movie is much complex than a Scorsese movie can ever be.Where as a sub-par and superficial movie about wall street like this one gets a pass and praise because its a Scorsese movie.Same with the big short.When that movie came, people were so hell bent on judging this comedic director turned serious filmmaker that half of their reviews contained how a comedic director made a serious movie.That is a disgrace to journalism.The other half businessmen are favor based critics. As long as the marketing team of the star or the studio or the film takes care of them financially and socially they praise the movies and stars. It helps even more when your star is popular.

Transition from comedy to drama is one of the most difficult things to do in Hollywood not just because of the commercial risks at box office but also because of the circle of people you work with. Traditionally serious dramas and epics have created filmmakers who developed a foothold in the elite circles of Hollywood and that continued on into academy voting community. So an auteur making dark comedy gets praise where as a straight up comedic director making a dark comedy gets scrutinized.

Kaplan

05-19-18, 05:14 AM

Some newer movies I've seen lately:

Downsizing. I liked it far more than most of the critics rated it, though it does veer off quite a bit in the second half. It is a movie with blatant flaws, but I enjoyed it, and I thought the actress Hong Chau was great in it. Rating: B-

Wonder Wheel. Woody Allen's latest film is set in Coney Island in the 1950s, and again it seemed to generate a lot of criticisms from the critics, but I liked it a lot. It's very stagey because it's playing around with the themes found in stage plays, especially those by Eugene O'Neill, but underneath the playfulness of its premise is a solid, emotional story, and Kate Winslet is really good in it. Rating B.

Isle of Dogs. I took my five-year-old to see it and she liked it and I loved it, and we both agree the best scene was the dogs fighting over the garbage. Yet as much as I liked it, I would probably rank it near the bottom of Wes Anderson's films. But that's no slight. Rating: B+

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lxqzem01IU

Iroquois

05-19-18, 08:20 AM

Body Melt (Philip Brophy, 1993) - 3

Satirically-minded splatter comedy about a sinister health club that's produced an all-new treatment with some...unpleasant results. Worthwhile as an insane B-movie that marinates in '90s Australian kitsch while also featuring Braindead-esque gore and weirdness.

The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese, 1983) - 4.5

In many ways this dark satire about an unhinged would-be comedian proves to be quintessential Scorsese that creates a welcome variation on the uncomfortable psychology of Taxi Driver. Now I really need to revisit After Hours.

The Soft Skin ( François Truffaut, 1964) - 3

While the premise of a married academic having an affair with a younger woman is as trite as they come, Truffaut is talented enough to wring a decent movie out of the proceedings. The first half or so feels notably Bresson-like in its near-monotonous detailing of how its protagonist goes about arranging and carrying out said affair.

The Fog (John Carpenter, 1980) - 4

First time watching this in over a decade and it holds up quite well. I might even give this the edge over Halloween (with which this film shares a similar small-town-terrified-by-past premise) because of how it features some of the best atmospherics of Carpenter's already-atmospheric career.

A Gorgeous Bird Like Me (François Truffaut, 1972) - 2

Even Truffaut can only do so much with this tale of a sociopathic female prisoner relaying her eventful life story to a naive male sociologist.

Unsane (Steven Soderbergh, 2018) - 3

I've always been lukewarm on Soderbergh as a filmmaker, recognising his strengths while never thinking that any of his films were great. This would explain why I gravitate more towards his semi-experimental genre exercises than his "classic" works - this iPhone-shot psychodrama about a woman dealing with both a stalker and involuntary institutionalisation leans towards the former and is good (but not too good) in that regard.

My Neighbour Totoro (Hayao Miyazaki, 1988) - 4

Though it's arguably Ghibli's most iconic film and certainly considered one of their best, I still think it's merely great instead of an unquestionable masterpiece. Still hoping that one day it just clicks.

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (Hayao Miyazaki, 1984) - 4.5

Still my third-favourite Miyazaki (and, for that matter, Ghibli) behind Mononoke and Spirited even though the ways in which it serves as a rough draft for the former become readily apparent this time around (though its more dated aspects only add to the charm).

Two English Girls (François Truffaut, 1971) - 3

Another instance of Truffaut making decent work of an otherwise dry-sounding premise, this time a turn-of-the-century romance about a young Frenchman and his dueling relationships with a pair of English sisters.

The Woman Next Door (François Truffaut, 1981) - 2.5

The problem with MUBI putting out a bunch of Truffaut films like this is that they blur together a little and thus this complicated little romantic drama about a family man whose ex-lover unintentionally moves in next door doesn't quite have that much impact in the end.

donniedarko

05-19-18, 09:12 PM

Isle of Dogs. I took my five-year-old to see it and she liked it and I loved it, and we both agree the best scene was the dogs fighting over the garbage. Yet as much as I liked it, I would probably rank it near the bottom of Wes Anderson's films. But that's no slight. Rating: B+

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Lxqzem01IU

Going to have to check this one out, only heard good stuff. Haven't watched an animated film in a minute. Suasage Party was proabbly the last

Joel

05-19-18, 10:35 PM

Christmas Office Party(2016) 2 - such a promising premise and such a disappointing movie. Had a 1/2 handful of moments but who cares?

David Bowie: The Last Five Years(2017) 3+ - Did the usual flashback and random history editing that I hate since it CLEARLY states it's about "The Last Five Years", but..whatever...the Tony Visconti segments are priceless because he breaks down the multi tracks of Bowie's last album (which is phenom)!

Wind Chill(2007) 2.5 - Not a bad ghost story but hindered by mechanics that seem to kind of go nowhere. I hated the two leads at first. I grew to tolerate them. Ring a bell? It's a good movie for atmosphere alone.

Tales From the Crypt: Demon Knight(1995) 3 - Stupid but something about it worked for me. It's a late night before bed horror film elixir. It hits its marks but never overwhelms. It's not bad, but it is absolutely not good, either.

aronisred

05-21-18, 11:50 AM

Hostiles

4

A legendary army captain forced to escort his arch enemy to his sacred burial ground as a PR stunt by politicians comes to terms with his demons.

Scott Cooper fell into my radar during the abysmal box office performance of out of the furnace. Its one of the two Christian bale movies that came out in the fall of 2013. While American Hustle took off this movie was DOA at box office and also critically.He is an actor turned director who is trying to create a directorial style that particular to him.He definitely has something to say as a director and that comes through in his movies.He is not one of those directors like peter berg or Gavin O'Connor or Antoine Fuqua who make movies that feel like a cookie cutter studio movies but very well made. Scott Cooper has a style and vision that is unique. But the only problem is that his vision and skills are not experienced enough and honed enough to be making movies that star some of the very top movie stars in the world.

Hostiles deal with highly ambitious concepts of "respect the others" and "learned hatred" and "origin of trauma of soldiers" because these could have easily failed. There is no point in praising the physical violence in the movie because its done very often. But some of the scenes depicts emotional trauma like never before. There is some risk taking there. Aggregate review on rotten tomatoes points out the unevenness of the movie and movie is uneven not just in terms of story but pace, emotional punch and descent into misery. Some scenes are very powerful where as some scenes feel amateurish in emotional depth.

One of the tricks done by master filmmakers in dealing with political subject matters is to go about it indirectly.Same concept as in this movie is dealt in a round about way in the Revenant. The main story is of revenge but in doing so they touch upon topics of treating nature and natives with hostility. Even Unforgiven starts as a revenge and it slowly descents into the core of westerns.When you have movies with the sole concept of hate, the director has to be very careful how they make the movie without being too obvious. Due to that I feel that the director has to be more experienced than him to make a movie that is so tricky.

The dissection of story gives us lot of threads. The reflection of different people christian bale could be is seen in rory cochrene and ben foster as all 3 men love doing what they do.The origin of divided america. The effects on soldiers for following the orders and doing their job.But the problem is , the director is not talented enough to make them feel natural and instead they all stick out way too on the nose.

So all in all this movie doesn't deserve the treatment it got during awards season with seemingly no major studio willing to give Oscar campaign and release for this movie and all the awards organisations shunning it.Luckily they were saved by entertainment studios to give Oscar push which didn't pan out in terms of acclaim.But the release schedule did help it financially.

aronisred

05-21-18, 02:36 PM

There will be blood

5

This movie chronicles the rise of a ruthless oil tycoon and at the same time it dissects him to show the invincible drive it took to claim what's his in the land of opportunities.

People call Daniel Day Lewis one of if not the greatest actor ever.One of the key things people forget about acting is that however great a performance is, it should land in a great movie for it to receive the universal acclaim. A performance will never be good enough to make a bad movie great.It might make it watchable at parts when the actor is on screen but it cannot lift the whole movie.Actors that are considered to always knock it out of the park are often times in movies by auteurs.Jared Leto is an example for the opposite case. He is one of those actors who dreams big, he isn't afraid to follow heath ledger as joker or gain obscene amount of weight to play a murderer in a movie by a first time director. I think that is one his biggest mistakes. An actor can be talented enough to play a role but if the filmmakers are not talented enough to surround the performance with a great movie then it's all a waste.To me one of the main differences between actors like DDL and others who are equally talented and much more versatile is that DDL is the chosen one by hollywood. His public persona is what Hollywood highlights as what every actor should aspire to be - should not be a fodder for tabloid culture , should not make movies for pay check and should commit yourself to your character. This is one of the most important aspects of his legendary status.

Paul Thomas Anderson(PTA) is one of those directors that I hate and respect at the same time. He is what is wrong with auteur culture. He has a cult following who will embrace his movies no matter what but his cult is not large enough to make 100 million at box office but its large enough to get his movies awards recognition. Since people who vote him into nominations for awards are filmmakers themselves he must be talented. That sort of forces film buffs to like his movies because film community says so and not because you think his movies are great.

Having said all that,this movie is a masterpiece. The performance of DDL is little over hyped but the movie is so fresh and epic and actually deep that the character at the center of it shines brighter than it actually is.This is the story of a winner that feels most relatable to winners in real life. A movie like Wolf of wall street feels relatable as a success story if you are a 15 yr old. But if you are CEO of a company, then this movie will feel like a relatable success story. Meanness, lack of empathy, drive, focus are all essential parts of being a leader.The movie was made at the lower end of mid-level budget but it has the feel of an epic.The antagonist does what he is intended to do. The antagonist in this movie is not on the same level as protagonist but he is significant part of the power the protagonist gains in the movie. The antagonist is a metaphor for small reporters who can take down a president or CEO of a company with a news article. No matter how powerful a CEO of a company is, the moment a no name reporter exposes his dark secrets of sexual abuse, he/she will be taken down. Relationships are everything and people take advantage of it for their own gain. That to me is the essence of characters in the movie.

So this movie is so unique and original in terms of the canvas used to study capitalism.It could have been set in field of marketing or wall street , but PTA choose to do in this era and it lend itself to epic film making. DDL despite overacting at times and camera lingering long enough to show us that he is "acting" still puts out an impressive performance for ages.

Ultraviolence

05-21-18, 02:39 PM

The Color of Pomegranates 1969 ‘Цвет граната’ Directed by Sergei Parajanov ★
Black Sabbath 1963 ‘I tre volti della paura’ Directed by Mario Bava ★★
Halloween II 2009 Directed by Rob Zombie ★
Winter Sleep 2014 ‘Kış Uykusu’ Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan ★★★★★
Federal Police – No One is Above the Law 2017 ‘Polícia Federal - A Lei é Para Todos’ Directed by Marcelo Antunez ★
Aquarius 2016 Directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho ■
Fitzcarraldo 1982 Directed by Werner Herzog ★★★★★
Burden of Dreams 1982 Directed by Les Blank ★★★★
Family Nest 1979 ‘Családi tűzfészek’ Directed by Béla Tarr ★★★★
Children 1976 Directed by Terence Davies ★
Madonna and Child 1980 Directed by Terence Davies ■
Death and Transfiguration 1983 Directed by Terence Davies ■
Kalifornia 1993 Directed by Dominic Sena ★★★
Stay 2005 Directed by Marc Forster ★★
Cliffhanger 1993 Directed by Renny Harlin ★★
Barry Lyndon 1975 Directed by Stanley Kubrick ★★★★★
Assassination 2015 ‘암살’ Directed by Choi Dong-hoon ★★★

The Silence Trilogy ★★★★★
Through a Glass Darkly 1961 ‘Såsom i en spegel’ Directed by Ingmar Bergman
Winter Light 1963 ‘Nattvardsgästerna’ Directed by Ingmar Bergman
The Silence 1963 ‘Tystnaden’ Directed by Ingmar Bergman

Rating system:
★★★★★ Masterpiece
★★★★★ Great
★★★★ Very Good
★★★ Good
★★ Bad (sometimes interesting)
★ Very Bad
■ Atrocity

Velvet

05-21-18, 02:42 PM

The Color of Pomegranates 1969 ‘Цвет граната’ Directed by Sergei Parajanov ★

Mr Minio

Ultraviolence

05-21-18, 02:43 PM

Mr Minio rage in
5
4
3
2
1...

Velvet

05-21-18, 02:44 PM

I havent seen it but why dont you like it

Mr Minio

05-21-18, 02:57 PM

The Color of Pomegranates 1969 ‘Цвет граната’ Directed by Sergei Parajanov ★
Black Sabbath 1963 ‘I tre volti della paura’ Directed by Mario Bava ★★ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJiRTbLtl7w

Eh, I have to rewatch The Color of Pomegranates. Seen it years ago and only liked it. Black Sabbath is sooo good.

Ultraviolence

05-21-18, 03:03 PM

I havent seen it but why dont you like it

I did a lot of research on Sayat-Nova's work and life before watching the movie. It is a biography that attempts to reveal the poet's life visually rather than literally. In my view the film can't capture the depth of Sayat-Nova's thoughts (For the books: I'm not comparing poems and music with cinema). I was very attracted to his music and poems. They are beautiful, deep, provocative. The film does not reach any of these levels.
This is considered one of the best movies ever made. I can see its aesthetic beauty, maybe if I had seen this movie at another time in my life, or if I had seen it fifty years ago, maybe I had a different view. But today, I find it empty.

Now take a look at this:

I beheld my love this morning

I beheld my love this morning, in the garden paths she strayed,
All brocaded was the ground with prints her golden pattens made;
Like the nightingale, I warbled round my rose with wings displayed,
And I wept, my reason faltered, while my heart was sore dismayed.
Grant, O Lord, that all my foemen to such grief may be betrayed !

Love, with these thy whims and humours thou hast wrecked and ruined me.
Thou hast drunk of love's own nectar, thy lips speak entrancingly.
With those honeyed words how many like me thou hast bound to thee!
Take the knife and slay me straightway-pass not by me mockingly.
Since I die of love, 'twere better Beauty stabbed and set me free.

For I have no love beside thee-I would have thee know it well.
Thou for whom e'en death I'd suffer, list to what I have to tell.
See thou thwart not thy Creator,-all the past do not dispel:
Anger not thy Sayat Nova, for when in thy snare he fell
He was all bereft of reason by thy whims' and humours' spell.

aronisred

05-21-18, 10:28 PM

no country for old men

4

An ex-soldier stumbles up a huge amount of cash and is pursued by a sociopathic hitman with his own set of rules. As the body count piles on, the archaic police system in rural south, in charge of the case learns that it is unprepared for the evil they are dealing with.

There have been movies about drug cartels like Sicario but this movie even though it deals with drug cartels is much more transcendent than any of those. No good deed goes unpunished is the essence of the story.

The Coen brothers are one of those directors whose movies are destined to not be epics. They make a very specific type of movie that are fun watches and may be rewatches but thats it.The darkness is comedic in nature at times.There is hyper realism to them and most of the times they have old men at the heart of the story. In a way they make movies that are very appealing to Oscar voters. Most of the revenue for their movies come from retirees who watch movies and older people.They are the exact specimens of what elite hollywood thinks is auteur filmmaking. They make movies that are mid to low budget. They are never style over substance. They rarely cast beautiful people and they don't have movie star roles. They make original movies. Win for this movie at Oscars was because of "its' time for a coen brothers" narrative among the voters. But it certainly was more deserving than many movies nominated that year. There will be blood sort of became masterpiece over years for me but this was an instant great movie.

Javier Bardem Oscar win is one of those instances were a role fits an actor very well and the actor is not a famous movie star and belongs to one of the countries which is good overseas market for US. So he kinda fits the bill for "Oscars are international awards" token program. This is one of the things that kinda pisses me off with performances. Some times certain actors fit certain roles without having to do much but for some reason they will be awarded because they are lucky someone wrote some role for them. But certain times an actor has to work so hard to create a character that is unlike them and it gets ignored. Sometimes luck takes precedence over hard work.

The thriller aspect of the movie is the best part. The intricacies of the cat and mouse chase and the character study of both the cat and mouse is awesome.The moment where this movie sort of stopped being your very well made thriller and became an Oscar material is towards the ending where it becomes more philiosophical and less conventional.So it kinda deserved its awards for the most part but it is not that much better than your conventional well made thrillers.

Mr Minio

05-22-18, 02:45 AM

In my view the film can't capture the depth of Sayat-Nova's thoughts Tarkovsky failed to illustrate the meaning of Stanisław Lem's Solaris too. He created his own meaning.

I find it empty. Now I feel the need of rewatching it, so that I can even start a discussion.
Now take a look at this I think you're doing yourself a disservice trying to compare two different artforms, and one great artist making a work of art inspired by another.

aronisred

05-22-18, 11:32 AM

The 24 Hour War

5

The race between Ford and Ferrari at 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans that started as a race for market dominance but turned into something much more than that.

This movie came under my radar recently when James Mangold tweeted at me in response confirming that there is a Big-Budget Ford V Ferrari movie in works at 20th Century Fox.It seems like its going to star Christian Bale and Mat Damon.It looks like its going to be an Oscar contender.

One of the reason why sports movies other than boxing are not embraced at Oscars is because the stories lacked human drama. Most of them are cookie-cutter inspirational movies with nothing challenging.One of the most high profile sport that kind of epitomizes the stereotype of luxury of sports is Auto Racing.There is direct correlation between the race competition results and sales of cars. Winning brand sees a spike in sales.So this sport kinda always felt like a corporate sport with no human element to it. You see a boxing match and see a guy getting beaten up. But driving a car ? where is the human drama in that ? that's the popular theory. Rush from 2013 did nothing to improve that. That is to be expected from a generic director like Ron Howard. It was so glossy and shiny and felt like Hollywood movie.

This movie has 2 characters that kind of rose to the top.Even though its a documentary I did feel emotionally connected to 2 characters.They are Enzo Ferrari, the head of Ferrari and Ken Miles, the auto testing engineer and race car driver for Ford-Shelby motors.The rest of them felt like generic humans. Both of them possessed drive and determination against all odds.These two humans felt like they were in the race because its their destiny and not because its their job.I cared more for the test drivers and race car drivers in those days because there is a real possibility one might die once they step into race tracks even while testing.Most of the guys from that time died relatively young in auto accidents.So these aspects form the emotional core for this movie. It did not feel like a corporate one-upping and it felt more like humans desire for dominance.The rest is your usual research material in documentaries about history of Ferrari and the win in 1967 Le Mans to prove that Ford win at 1966 Le Mans wasn't a fluke.

There is something about Ken Miles that is so haunting. He is like a fearless machine just driving and is willing to die at any moment because he loves what he is doing. He seems like an adrenaline junkie and not your typical womanizer but a much more deep.Others felt so generic but this guy has very profound facial features and it stuck with me even after watching the movie. The fact that he was screwed over by Ford Jr to slow down , so they can win first 3 positions at Le Mans 1966 kind of made him an even more of a tragic figure. He did not even have a chance to race the next year due to untimely demise in an accident.

The movie version at the core story in this Documentary was supposed to be called go like hell with either Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt or both attached to star in it but given that they are going for Christian bale and Matt Damon, I am hoping studio knows whats in their hands.This story has transcendental quality to it and not just another Tom Cruise action vehicle. At the very least the movie should win the sound awards at the Oscars when it releases.This story lends itself to more of a Dunkirk kind of cerebral movie rather than a biopic. Christopher Nolan would have been a better director for this story but James Mangold will do.

UpgradeYourDad

05-22-18, 04:42 PM

*just a heads up, some light spoilers in here*

Zodiac (Fincher, 2007)

Is there really anybody better to cover the story of these unsolved slayings than David Fincher? We know he’s got style ala Fight Club. We know he’s got a well-toned knowledge of the subject matter ala Se7en. The dude clearly knows what he’s doing and his interest transcends into this film well.

We open with a lovingly shot scene of July 4th, 1969; the second Zodiac murder. The perpetrator quickly sends encrypted notes to local newspapers taking credit for the acts. This includes the San Fransisco Chronicle where we meet Avery (Downey Jr.) and Graysmith (Gyllenhaal). Their chemistry flows great with Downey being the cocky but likeable man he’s had locked down since his renaissance and Gyllenhaal transforming from a “boy scout” to letting his obsession catch the better of him..

Partners Toschi (Ruffalo) and Armstrong (Edwards) soon get tasked on finding out who the Zodiac is. Ruffalo has always been competent, even if I don’t necessarily like the movie he’s in, his presence never hinders it. While they never “find” the killer, Fincher all but puts a giant red arrow next to John Carroll Lynch’s terrifyingly calm performance saying “HEY HERE IT IS THIS IS THE GUY!!!”

My chief problem with Zodiac, is that there simply isn’t more Zodiac. This might come off as an odd statement due to the 2 and 1/2 hour runtime, but this would have benefitted from being a miniseries more than anything. What there is of the script is paced well and breeds a certain amount of anxiety, but it ultimately feels like two films pressed into one. Fincher wants to tell everything, and I would have loved to watch more of it.

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good slow-moving open-ended mystery across beautiful California landscapes. Give it some time and it’ll be a true crime classic.

4.5

Iroquois

05-23-18, 11:24 AM

Roar (Noel Marshall, 1981) - 2.5

The infamous movie about the adventures of an eccentric conservationist and his family that involved untrained animals attacking cast and crew alike is a curious one to actually rate because of how extremely messy it is in every conceivable way. The novelty value comes and goes at the drop of a hat here, though there's enough here to merit a single seeing-is-believing watch.

Heat (Michael Mann, 1995) - 5

Another bump up to the fives with this sprawling cops-and-robbers epic. It's not without its flaws (there is some considerably clunky dialogue in here and it's always distracting how a certain character is able to swiftly and silently escape his would-be executioners in an early scene), but screw it, fives aren't meant to be perfect.

The Intruder (Roger Corman, 1962) - 3

Corman does a socially conscious drama about a white supremacist looking to stir up racial tensions in a recently-desegregated Southern town. It's certainly got a bit more weight to it than the likes of, say, A Bucket of Blood, but it's generally just alright more than anything.

Day of the Fight (Stanley Kubrick, 1951) - 2.5

Decided to go through all of Kubrick's earliest films so I started with what I initially thought was his first foray into filmmaking (apparently Flying Padre came first?) - a short documentary about a boxer preparing for a big fight. A moderately interesting piece of work.

Flying Padre (Stanley Kubrick, 1952) - 2

Similar to Day of the Fight in that it's a straightforward newsreel kind of film, this time about a priest who uses an airplane to visit remote parishes and parishioners (which understandably proves for an overall milder experience, though I don't think there's much to appreciate about this kind of film beyond the novelty of seeing where Kubrick got his start).

Fear and Desire (Stanley Kubrick, 1953) - 2.5

Kubrick's first (barely) feature-length film has a decent premise about soldiers stuck behind enemy lines and getting a little crazy, which is almost enough to make it good. There are bits that stick and bits that don't, but at least I can see myself potentially revisiting it.

Beauty and the Beast (Jean Cocteau, 1946) - 3.5

Considering how used I am to Disney's version of the story, seeing this distinctly ornate rendition proved a welcome variation. There's a bit of a false note regarding the ending that makes me hesitate to give it a 4, but otherwise I quite liked this film.

The Elephant Man (David Lynch, 1980) - 4.5

It's always weird when I re-watch a film and then wonder "did I review this one already" and do a search and bam (https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1385135-the-elephant-man.html). Anyway, yeah, I concur with 2015 me, this is still a magnificent piece of work.

The Seafarers (Stanley Kubrick, 1953) - 1

While Kubrick's other shorts were tolerable enough due to being brief little human interest stories, this one is a lengthy and monotonous half-hour documentary about the ins and outs of joining a seafarers' union. Picking this as Kubrick's overall worst film is too easy.

Killer's Kiss (Stanley Kubrick, 1955) - 2

Kubrick does a quick and mean little noir about a boxer getting involved with a dame and dealing with a shady businessman and his goons, though I found it a bit whatever. As with Fear and Desire, wouldn't mind giving it a second chance another time.

aronisred

05-23-18, 11:54 AM

the day of the jackal

5

A race against time to stop the assassination of French President Charles de Gaulle by a charismatic , highly Intelligent and meticulous assassin.

The good old days of American cinema was ruled by auteur filmmakers until Heaven's gate kind of ruined it for the rest. The main reason behind that is there is a clear understanding by investors that filmmakers are good at making movies and the investors are good at marketing movies. As the fans of films grew up and started trying out careers in Hollywood, that in a way sort of ruined film making . Someone like Hitchcock never had enough reference points as to what he is trying to achieve. There is a certain element of creation in those stories for the first time in cinema.With blockbusters reaching wider audience, all kinds of people from different backgrounds started working in movies. You get directors like Anton Fuqua,Peter berg and Gavin O Connor who are just macho men trying to make masculine movies with no auteur vision expect to make cookie cutter well made manly movies that are destined to be forgotten. There are also corporate "filmmakers" like Kevin Feige or Marvel directors who are just studio executives in filmmaker clothing. They are just fans who make movies for fans. They have no vision, their desire is to recreate the things they liked when they watched movies.

This movie is about smart people doing smartthings. It operates at very high intellectual level. You have people trying to overthrow governments. You have a President who is unflinching even when warned about the plotted assassination. You have high ranking security officials with massive resources tracking the assassin and at lost but not the least , the assassin who has done this before and is so deep in the undercover that his actual identity is unknown even by the end of the movie.

One of the things that's outstanding about this movie is that the two leads are unknown and one of them doesn't even look like a movie star but still the movie was an expensive production shot in international locations with considerably huge budget. The movie doesn't even have a back ground music and it doesn't even dumb down the plot to anyone. It's like a puzzle that fills in as it goes along. I guess that's the privilege you are the director who won 4 Oscars.The assassin and his portrayal is one of the early instances that demonstrated audience attraction to anti-heroes. Its one of the early movies where in you are rooting for the assassin.I always wondered what does it say about our society when Joker is so popular among fans.He represents anti-establishment.

In conclusion, this movie is a treat to watch and still holds up. The steps and methods followed to track the assassin in early stages are little too convenient. The way they track down the supposed real identity of Jackal is out of the blue and the leaks about the status of the hunt from the security team is convenient as well . But that's overcome as the movie goes on because the cat and mouse game worked perfectly.The assassin role must be a dream role for any actor because of the boundaries he crosses both physical and psychological to achieve his goal.

aronisred

05-24-18, 11:15 PM

Logan

2

Wolverine aka Logan at the end of his life learns what It means to be human by developing a bond with a younger mutant.

Very few directors get to make movies at mid budget level on original concepts and only 2 directors can make a movie at big budget level without movie stars attached and they are Christopher Nolan and Steven Spielberg. You bring in money , you make your next project a little higher profile building of that success. Right project with right cast and right director is box office gold for relatively most part. James mangold is a journey man director but a much better director than Ron Howard. He made a paycheck movie aka knight and day. He realised that he needs box office success to make movies he is interested in. So gave wolverine two shots and the second shot worked or according to many it worked.Now he is off to doing ford v Ferrari movie which is a non IP movie.

People said that Patrick Stewart and the young actress deserved awards consideration and Hugh Jackman as well. But I don't think so. There is a strange occurrence that takes place when a well known and beloved character is portrayed with vulnerability. People bring all the baggage from previous appearances and that heightens their reaction to the current performance.So its an unfair comparison to compare a series of movies and legacy and the current performance with a performance from a single movie by other actors.The story is very generic to be honest. It follows "wannabe serious superhero movie" formula beat by beat with pit-stops and the only daring aspect of the movie is its tone and lack of action for the most part. These kind of movies can't be exciting without a constant through line through out the movie. If there isn't a ticking clock through the movie audience are not gonna sit and watch a drama with a superhero at the center of it. So it follows cat and mouse chase as the narrative tool.

I hope that this movie is not any indication of how ford v Ferrari by James mangold is going to turn out.That movies needs a cerebral Dunkirk kind of feel...not much plot or sitting in board rooms with old men smoking and thinking about how to beat ferrari. This movie had lot of scenes where the bond between the leads need to strengthen but the narrative flow kinda felt weak for that to happen.Nothing mind blowing here.There were some characters introduced as part of twist but that took me more out of the "hyper realistic" vibe the director was going for. Given the budget of the movie , I don't think studio took a gamble with this movie because a wolverine movie is gonna make at least 300 million at minimum.

I think this movie received critical acclaim because of the nature of story telling and the box office results that produced. There is barely any superhero element to it. But its not a transcendental movie like the dark knight. Nonetheless its far better than more than half of the marvel movies which only do lip service to bigger themes but end up being about punching,running and quips.I do think its little overrated.

donniedarko

05-26-18, 01:12 AM

https://media.giphy.com/media/xT1TU2yS6p2bKyqJNu/giphy.gif
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (McDonagh, 2017)
Wow, I have to say this is a rather impressive film. I was incredibly impressed by the dynamics. By the trailer I assumed that McDormand's character and Harrelson's would act as counterparts, but it really is impressive how well the two compliment each other. Both McDormand and Harrelson put up stellar performances, but Rockwell stole the show. Playing the dim witted, too dumb to have a moral compass, drunkard cop who still lives at home with his mama (Sandy Martin- who's pretty much the same character as in Always Sunny). The films dark humor works great for not making it to impressive, and I like how it pushed the barriers, but in a few moments I wish the film took itself a bit more seriously. When Mildred was about to get beat by her ex-husband, I didn't see the entrance of his younger GF as a necessary cheer up moment. Despite the humor the film still holds an incredibly pissed off tone through out, like a modern Network.
3.5+

Rules of The Game (Renoir, 1939)
I did quite enjoy this film, Renoir certainly has a unique french sense of humor. This film feels like an observational critique of more than the higher classes, but also French society as a whole. Some humorous moments of projection ("oh, but he seems so tasteful") and social comments about french adultery (I can't imagine two men fighting over a women). Rules of the Game feels more to me like a collection of humorous skits than an inter connected piece, but I'm very well missing something. I'd like to watch this again soon, and some other Renoir works.
3-

30s Hitchcock
https://media3.giphy.com/media/9pJ9n2jgcJAqc/giphy.gif
The 39 Steps
Despite some cheesy moments the film begins incredibly intriguing and continues to be engaging throughout. Hitchcock shows much of his early directorial brilliance with the visual gags in the film, truly showing how a great film doesn't deteriorate with age. The train chase scene was fantastic.
3.5+

Secret Agent
First of all the hairless Mexican is a hilarious character who was able to pull this film along past its cheesy and predictable love story. But despite some great cinematic shots the film lacks in entertaining narration. I did enjoy the first half quite a bit, but the film felt like a chore after.
2

Sabotage
2-

The Skin Game
"I didn't make it by choice, and there isn't much to be said about it." - Alfred Hitchcock
1.5--

Still To Watch: The Man Who Knew To Much/Young & Innocent

aronisred

05-27-18, 12:30 AM

The Great Gatsby

1

A former bootlegger, now a multi-millionaire who inherited his wealth from his mentor is trying to reconnect with his ex-lover by recreating his love for her using his incredible wealth.

There are very few certainties in Hollywood. Certain directors are extremely dependable in delivering a great movie from a good-great script. There are a handful of them. And a Leonardo Dicaprio movie will make a profit and has 80-90% shot at Oscar glory, whether in nominations or wins. Its a commonly known statistic among Hollywood executives. So, most of the time whenever a script renders itself to epic scale filmmaking he will be the first one to be offered. Most of the times he will be the only one to be offered and they even gestate the project until he is freed up.But he knows his worth and he will do anything he can to maintain his brand of star power. So he will only work with top directors and wait for several years before making a project if those directors are not available.

Once a Dicaprio movie comes out there are lot of "money" guys aka agents , publicists , studio executives and producers with vested interested in its success. Even though its not their movie, since its Dicaprio's movie they want to get the project some recognition so that they can keep him around to green light risky projects . Since the movie is directed by auteurs , you get the attention of critics and since Dicaprio has been following the shtick for quite some time he has developed a major fan following similar to Tarantino but only bigger and add to that the usual fan following for a hot male movie star and you have recipe for financially successful movie.

Given all this support why is this movie not any good. It has all the usual Dicaprio tropes like Big budget with epic scale and story that will appeal to masses. But the problem lies in Baz Luhrmann. Who is not a consistent movie director. But it was still very calculated from Dicaprio's part to hire him to tell this type of story given that he made this kind of movies throughout his career. The movie is all style and no heart. There is no chemistry and no entertaining qualities to it. Oscar wins are expected in technical categories because of tens of millions thrown at them.

So all in all this movie is a snooze fest with no magic of the novel. But the most interesting aspect of the movie is that this movie is a case study in dissecting the strategy followed by Dicaprio for almost all his movie to get Oscar attention and box office hit . If this movie worked then no one would have pointed that out but the failure of this movie exposed the who strategy. A movie like Gravity or Life of pi just need to be good and they get Oscar attention . But for an actor like Dicaprio who is aiming to get oscar attention with every movie, you need a well thought out strategy. Funny thing is in an industry like hollywood which has worshipped Harvey Weinstein for decades despite all the allegations surrounding him, it's not that hard for an actor to repeat his Oscar strategy with every movie and not face any blowback.

aronisred

05-27-18, 06:28 PM

Nightcrawler

3

A young, hungry and driven sociopath finds the perfect line of work for his sensibilities and stops at nothing to realize his destiny.

Jake Gyllenhaal is an actor whose career can easily be dissected and his motivations and goals can easily be traced back to the movies and the point of time in his career he made certain choices. Its hard to dissect career of someone like Matt Damon or George Clooney because their choices have been very varied and much more artistic from the get go with some commercial fair thrown in there. But Jake Gyllenhaal is an actor whose early choices were highly guided by his parents. It almost felt like his parents read the scripts to okay them for him.His facial features are something that women may find attractive but men certainly don't want to follow him into a battle. He doesn't have that macho look. Partly because of his blunt nose and elongated face.

So what can Jake's career tell us about hollywood pecking order? For better or for worse every top director plays it safe in casting either financially or critically. Hiring Daniel Day Lewis doesn't necessarily guarantee box-office but most certainly does it guarantee Oscar attention. Hiring DiCaprio doesn't necessarily means he is right fit for the part but it does guarantee box office and may be Oscar attention.So unless you are in that top 3 numbers on a call sheet for a role, your chances of getting best scripts is null . So Jake Gyllenhaal started his career doing interesting work but none of it is a masterpiece. Most them are just non embarrassing but most certainly interesting choices. His earlier choices highly indicate that he wanted to work with auteurs but the financial performance of those movies is not impressive, so he did not become the first choice for other directors after those movies performed poorly. He tried becoming commercially viable by making movies like Prince of Persia and Love and other drugs, but those movies are flavor of the movie and they didn't have staying power even after the week they came out. So these choices of making himself commercially viable kind of backfired. Add to that his less masculine look. He suddenly dropped off the lists of many directors casting choices. One of the hard evidenced fact here is that he fired his agent around this time because they couldn't get the roles he wanted. So since then he has been making low profile independent projects with small distributors and he started a production company that develops their own movies. So you get movies like Enemy, prisoners, southpaw, nightcrawler,demolition or stronger. All these are very low profile movies which are dumped in September or in summer.Oscar campaign is a very expensive affair and if a movie isn't making bank at box office , studios aren't gonna spend anymore money to campaign for the movies and also the movies have to be edgy without being preachy and something new.So in a way Jake is trying to create his own movies by defying the pecking order in hollywood. Leonard Berstein movie sort of highlights the point. The movie is produced at his production company with director of true detective at helm, which is to be expected because that how Jake operates now a days. Instead of waiting for high profile roles which he is not gonna get with Gosling , Fassbender , Hardy and other mega super stars in line before him, he is just collaborating with reliable dependable directors based on their previous works. Anyone would wanna work with Nolan, Tarantino or scorsese or Spielberg or finches but they would wanna work with those actors which is rare and also the money guys would wanna work with these actors. So all in all he is swimming upstream against the pecking order but I don't know how much good would it do for an actor to go up against paramount/Scorsese and Spielberg production.

This movie is one such movie. Where Jake decided to work with director who wanted to work with him rather than chase directors he wanted to work with. It one of those American psycho wannabe movies. Its got a fairly straight narrative with few expected twists and one unexpected twist.It does invoke that night life vibe from heat or collateral.Its funny what it says about our society when a character like this movie's lead or Joker from the dark knight is praised for being complex and memorable.Why are we attracted to these roles ?

But in the end I give most praise for this movie to Dan Gilroy than Jake Gyllenhaal because its the whole concept of the movie and its execution thats impressive and not the screenplay per se. Jake relied heavily on memorizing few lines and looking hungry and frail. As opposed to becoming another character with voice modulations or something. I did think Bradley Cooper deserved the Oscar nomination way more than Jake Gyllenhaal, People need to understand that just because someone is playing a sociopath or psychopath doesn't mean their performance is great. Risk has to be take in terms of acting choices and not just displaying bad behavior in a glorious light.

HashtagBrownies

05-27-18, 09:14 PM

Seen in May Pt.2

44766
4
Its been a while since I've seen a film with this epic of a scope, and another classic marked off the list. The film looked super daunting going into it (3&1/2 hours, set in 1500's, etc.) but I was actually never bored, sure I had to take a break during the intermission, but I'm sure everyone did. I never lost interest and was always waiting for the next scene with patience. The film's basically a comedy-drama, something absolutely hilarious happens every two minutes (Most of it done by a brilliant performance from Mifune). I'd say Kurosawa is a way better writer than he is a director; I loved the dialogue. Certain shots very visually appealing (The fight scene in the rain, the final shot). My favourite Kurosawa film so far.

44767
3.5
As a non-Marvel fan, I thought it was a fun popcorn flick. Thanos is a brilliant character. It's very funny. The stakes are really high in this one compared to other superhero flicks, you actually feel like something bad could go down (Like REALLY bad!).

44768
3.5
Lots of tension. The film raises alot of questions involving morality, justice and perversion. At first you think Ellen Page is some kind of 'Badass feminist icon' delivering justice to a man who deserves it. As the film goes on though, you realise that it's not about justice, it's about sadism. By the end you're rooting for the bad guy and are seriously questioning who is the more morally superior person in this situation.I didn't really like the shaky-cam. It's also interesting to note that the director (David Slade) also directed one of the most polarizing episodes of Black Mirror, Metalhead. The shaky-cam is still there but you can see he has certainly improved.

44769
4
It's really cool seeing all of these beloved Disney movies for the first time that everyone else has seen. The songs are great, the characters are great and the animation's very expressive. I don't think it's as good as Aladdin though.

44770
4
The direction, editing and dialogue is great. It's pretty funny. Mr. Smith is a brilliant character, he's a shy young man who can not be subverted from his morals. It's very poignant and inspirational, even to someone who isn't American. Still relevant today.

44771
4+
Awesome. I loved all the characters and the comedy and setting. The Giant is so cute, your soul just tears apart whenever you see him looking distressed. Way better than what I've seen from Disney. Also very sad!

44772
3.5
Probably the most Hollywood Irish film. It's super funny, loved all the comedy. The music's pretty great. You'd swear this film is based on a biography, considering those films usually completely loose their structure in the second half (Which unfortunately this film does), but it isn't. Can't wait to see more by the same director.

44773
4.5- Re-watch
I really can't put this into words. I just loved how the film was portraying itself as a true story, what with the disturbing narration at the beginning, the blunt title and the camera quality resembling the one common with exploitation flicks. The ending is fantastic, ending completely abruptly as it would if this was a true story, with the contrast between the loud noises and sudden blackout giving you major goosebumps. Our main character doesn't win due to being badass, she wins by just escaping. The sound design is great, completely loud and in your face. The film is structured in a very weird way: The first part is very slow with absurd and surreal humour, the second part is a 'kill all the teens' slasher movie, and the last third is pure terror, trauma and brutality. The last third where there's only one girl left is the highlight of the film.

I'm really having trouble putting this into words, I'm just completely mesmerized by it's techniques, presentation, horror and shock.

44774
4 Re-watch
Everyone always remembers the gags like 'Tale of the Lonesome Pine' and the water, but what I found way funnier were the little stuff like Stan messing up common sayings and getting tickled. Don't think it's as good as 'The Music Box' though.

44775
My first Bela Tar film, and I really don't know what to say. I'm not convinced that it's the masterpiece everyone describes it to be, and i'm not entirely convinced it's pretentious drivel. Some very beautiful images. I got kinda sad whenever the horse was onscreen. I really liked the piece of music that was used, but it was used way too much and in random spots. If the director really wanted to make a film of this nature, he should've completely omitted music and have the only soundtrack be the constant wind. I'm very disappointed and annoyed that the music was used in the last 10 minutes, that's supposed to be when sound and sight are gone from existance but there's still music. That scene where they were trying to escape the farmhouse could've been ALOT shorter!

Also how come it's set in the 1880's and they're like a ride away from Turin yet they live in an apocalyptic wasteland?