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6.5/10
They don't age gracefully. I don't think this movie will age well, either.
6.5/10
They don't age gracefully. I don't think this movie will age well, either.
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Cry-Baby
(John Waters, 1990)
I have a rocky history with this movie and with John Waters movies in general. I liked Serial Mom a lot when I was a kid, but didn't care for it at all the last time I watched it. I thought Pecker was just okay and that Pink Flamingoes was absolute dog shit. As for Cry-Baby? I saw it a few times growing up and kind of liked it, but I hated it the last time I watched it (around 15 years ago).
It's been in my DVD collection for probably 20 years now so I figured I had nothing to lose by giving it another shot and... well, I guess I'm back to kind of liking it? As is typical of Waters, the movie is weird and stupid and trashy, but that weird, stupid trashiness has its charm and Johnny Depp looks pretty damn good in it so I was amused enough to not get too annoyed by the songs... this time, at least.
That said, I probably won't watch it again anytime in the next decade or so - but it just might sneak onto my ballot.
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By The poster art can or could be obtained from 20th Century Fox., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8214548
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness - (1958)
I ought to do an essay on the seven mid-20th Century Hollywood sins. Yesterday it was pairing a 60-year-old Fred Astaire with Leslie Caron, who was barely out of her teens (and whose character was 18-years-old.) With The Inn of the Sixth Happiness, we have Curt Jurgens and Robert Donat playing Chinese characters. I do understand, though, the financial implications of having/losing their star power (if only Donat didn't speak with a broad English accent, and Jurgens his Austrian one!) To be doubly fair, Captain Lin Nan (Jurgens) is half Dutch. The person this is all about however, is Gladys Aylward, who was an evangelical Christian missionary who went to China and devoted every ounce of her being towards doing good. Playing her is Ingrid Bergman (I've heard comment that the energetic Katherine Hepburn would have been a better fit.) This is a bit of a slog, at 158 minutes, but it's not all that bad. The screenplay gives Aylward an inner moral compass that works naturally, and she isn't dogmatic or overly focused on religion - just right and wrong. Her faith is important to her, but there's a balance that I think they got just right. Be warned - although this is based on a real person, the white saviour trope is really pushed to it's limits here - she has to teach the backward Chinese population everything it seems, and tell the what to do in every situation - lest they run around screaming or accidentally walk into walls. Thus, the film was banned in China, who convinced Indonesia to ban it as well. Some nice cinematography and committed performances make it a film I don't regret sitting through from start to finish despite the areas it falls down in a little.
6/10
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I will always love this movie….
I really liked that song. Until my girlfriend and I broke up, then I hated it.
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Chompy and the Girls
A much better movie than I expected, thanks to some strong performances from the main cast. The Chompy effect is indeed ridiculous, but as bizarre horror-comedy, it works.
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Slotherhouse 10/10
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Carefree (1938) Rewatched on dvd. This is a fun and entertaining musical comedy starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.
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The Cremator -
As dark as a dark comedy can be, this Czech masterpiece is deserving of an equally dark compliment and descriptor: it does for the Holocaust what American Psycho does for '80s yuppie culture. Did this movie inspire that one? I don't know, but it also belongs on the shortlist of the best movies that juxtapose mental and societal collapse. Rudolph Hrusinky gives an all-time great performance as crematorium director Kopfrkingl, a man who makes you constantly question if everything about his sanity and perfect family life is all presentation. His espousal of the Buddhist philosophy that true peace and happiness come with being reduced to ashes is convincing enough, but the movie is full of other equally funny and cringeworthy things that make you go "hmm," a highlight being his compulsion to hide every bare space on his home's walls with beautiful artwork. There is violence in the movie - the details of which I won't discuss for fear of spoiling it and turning you away - but it's a nice change of pace to see a movie where Nazi occupation occurs without marching armies, flags fluttering in the breeze, etc., but through conversation instead. Besides getting to witness how the typical family in one of their annexed countries could have reacted, it's a worthy reminder that telling can be just as effective - and chilling - as showing. Luckily, the Nazis' gradual encroachment concords with how the movie reveals the implications and consequences of Kopfrkingl's peculiar philosophy, not to mention the unraveling of his supposed sanity. Again, hopefully not to spoil the end result, but it is bound to recall equally funny and disturbing moments from a similar, umm...combative classic from American Psycho's era that I also wouldn't be surprised this one influenced.
This is one of the highest-rated Czech movies and rightly so. It's deserving not just for its distinct take on the Nazi occupation, but also for how it proves that the people we should worry about the most are those who claim to know what is best for everyone. It goes without saying that there are several movies about Europe during WW2 and there are bound to be more. I thought I had seen every kind under the sun, but I assure you that I have seen any like this one. However, if you are still not convinced, it's worth checking out for also being one of the best dark comedy/psychological thrillers I've seen.
As dark as a dark comedy can be, this Czech masterpiece is deserving of an equally dark compliment and descriptor: it does for the Holocaust what American Psycho does for '80s yuppie culture. Did this movie inspire that one? I don't know, but it also belongs on the shortlist of the best movies that juxtapose mental and societal collapse. Rudolph Hrusinky gives an all-time great performance as crematorium director Kopfrkingl, a man who makes you constantly question if everything about his sanity and perfect family life is all presentation. His espousal of the Buddhist philosophy that true peace and happiness come with being reduced to ashes is convincing enough, but the movie is full of other equally funny and cringeworthy things that make you go "hmm," a highlight being his compulsion to hide every bare space on his home's walls with beautiful artwork. There is violence in the movie - the details of which I won't discuss for fear of spoiling it and turning you away - but it's a nice change of pace to see a movie where Nazi occupation occurs without marching armies, flags fluttering in the breeze, etc., but through conversation instead. Besides getting to witness how the typical family in one of their annexed countries could have reacted, it's a worthy reminder that telling can be just as effective - and chilling - as showing. Luckily, the Nazis' gradual encroachment concords with how the movie reveals the implications and consequences of Kopfrkingl's peculiar philosophy, not to mention the unraveling of his supposed sanity. Again, hopefully not to spoil the end result, but it is bound to recall equally funny and disturbing moments from a similar, umm...combative classic from American Psycho's era that I also wouldn't be surprised this one influenced.
This is one of the highest-rated Czech movies and rightly so. It's deserving not just for its distinct take on the Nazi occupation, but also for how it proves that the people we should worry about the most are those who claim to know what is best for everyone. It goes without saying that there are several movies about Europe during WW2 and there are bound to be more. I thought I had seen every kind under the sun, but I assure you that I have seen any like this one. However, if you are still not convinced, it's worth checking out for also being one of the best dark comedy/psychological thrillers I've seen.
Last edited by Torgo; 06-02-24 at 04:21 PM.
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The Fall Guy (2024)
This was braindead stuff, I didn't really go in with many expectations and it pretty much delivered them. The "knowing" Colt Seavers narration really doesn't work but queues up a few good laughs I guess. I thought it flat overall but then I'm a child of the 80s and the TV series did have a certain swagger. Wonder when Gosling will get back to acting. Keenly awaiting the "Highway to Heaven" reboot starring Jason Momoa.
This is total fluff
This was braindead stuff, I didn't really go in with many expectations and it pretty much delivered them. The "knowing" Colt Seavers narration really doesn't work but queues up a few good laughs I guess. I thought it flat overall but then I'm a child of the 80s and the TV series did have a certain swagger. Wonder when Gosling will get back to acting. Keenly awaiting the "Highway to Heaven" reboot starring Jason Momoa.
This is total fluff
The Cremator is also worth seeing for the excellent cinematography with many creative angles and use of lens.
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The Cremator is also worth seeing for the excellent cinematography with many creative angles and use of lens.
Juraj Herz also directed that Beauty and the Beast movie I reaally liked. Surprised I had not heard of him until recently.
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In A Violent Nature
I’m usually on the lookout for films playing near me that have limited release windows. In the last few years, I’ve favored them over larger blockbuster type movies, with a few exceptions. So when a Canadian slasher film about a killer back from the dead stalking teenagers, mostly told from his pov, appeared at my local Regal Cinema that was described as part slow cinema? I was obviously intrigued.
We follow the killer from behind, the camera fixed at a point where we see his back, but not his face. That comes later. He’s obviously cut from the Jason Voorhees mold. Inspired really. He silently stalks his prey in search of a necklace, which is really a mcguffin.
Most of the film is spent following him as he walks seemingly aimlessly through the woods. 15 minutes into the film, one couple left. 45 minutes into it, a lone guy some seats to me left also got up to leave. That left 3 of us, me and one couple a few rows behind me. I could hear her loudly complaining about the film. It’s different, and as such it isn’t something they could appreciate.
Most people are programmed to expect something like Friday the 13th, Halloween and or Scream. We barely get to know the victims, and maybe 10 minutes is spent on them. It isn’t like those films I mentioned previously because most of their discoveries of the bodies or clues are done off screen. It the killer doesn’t witness it, neither do we.
That’s not to say we don’t understand what’s going on, of the killer’s motivations. There are explanations and a backstory given by the victims at a campfire (because it always is to be told at a campfire). The killer watches and listens. Does he recognize his own story?
I have reason to believe he does, as he has brief flashes of his past life. A memory here. A moment where he stop to look at a keychain as if it reminds him of something. Something from his youth perhaps? There is little explanation to it. We’re meant to ponder these moments for ourselves.
And the death scenes? Perhaps a few over the top, but of course it would have to be. He is angry. He is relentless. He is without mercy. There is 2 particular deaths that stood out and I’m sure you’ll appreciate them as I did.
4/5 stars.
Recommend
I’m usually on the lookout for films playing near me that have limited release windows. In the last few years, I’ve favored them over larger blockbuster type movies, with a few exceptions. So when a Canadian slasher film about a killer back from the dead stalking teenagers, mostly told from his pov, appeared at my local Regal Cinema that was described as part slow cinema? I was obviously intrigued.
We follow the killer from behind, the camera fixed at a point where we see his back, but not his face. That comes later. He’s obviously cut from the Jason Voorhees mold. Inspired really. He silently stalks his prey in search of a necklace, which is really a mcguffin.
Most of the film is spent following him as he walks seemingly aimlessly through the woods. 15 minutes into the film, one couple left. 45 minutes into it, a lone guy some seats to me left also got up to leave. That left 3 of us, me and one couple a few rows behind me. I could hear her loudly complaining about the film. It’s different, and as such it isn’t something they could appreciate.
Most people are programmed to expect something like Friday the 13th, Halloween and or Scream. We barely get to know the victims, and maybe 10 minutes is spent on them. It isn’t like those films I mentioned previously because most of their discoveries of the bodies or clues are done off screen. It the killer doesn’t witness it, neither do we.
That’s not to say we don’t understand what’s going on, of the killer’s motivations. There are explanations and a backstory given by the victims at a campfire (because it always is to be told at a campfire). The killer watches and listens. Does he recognize his own story?
I have reason to believe he does, as he has brief flashes of his past life. A memory here. A moment where he stop to look at a keychain as if it reminds him of something. Something from his youth perhaps? There is little explanation to it. We’re meant to ponder these moments for ourselves.
And the death scenes? Perhaps a few over the top, but of course it would have to be. He is angry. He is relentless. He is without mercy. There is 2 particular deaths that stood out and I’m sure you’ll appreciate them as I did.
4/5 stars.
Recommend
Last edited by Wyldesyde19; 06-02-24 at 04:44 PM.
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Juraj Herz also directed that Beauty and the Beast movie I reaally liked. Surprised I had not heard of him until recently.
is a must-see, too.
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Godzilla Minus One
SF = Z
[Snooze Factor Ratings]:
Z = didn't nod off at all
Zz = nearly nodded off but managed to stay alert
Zzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed
Zzzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed but nodded off again at the same point and therefore needed to go back a number of times before I got through it...
Zzzzz = nodded off and missed some or the rest of the film but was not interested enough to go back over it
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The Fall Guy (2024)
This was braindead stuff, I didn't really go in with many expectations and it pretty much delivered them. The "knowing" Colt Seavers narration really doesn't work but queues up a few good laughs I guess. I thought it flat overall but then I'm a child of the 80s and the TV series did have a certain swagger. Wonder when Gosling will get back to acting. Keenly awaiting the "Highway to Heaven" reboot starring Jason Momoa.
This is total fluff
This was braindead stuff, I didn't really go in with many expectations and it pretty much delivered them. The "knowing" Colt Seavers narration really doesn't work but queues up a few good laughs I guess. I thought it flat overall but then I'm a child of the 80s and the TV series did have a certain swagger. Wonder when Gosling will get back to acting. Keenly awaiting the "Highway to Heaven" reboot starring Jason Momoa.
This is total fluff
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A passion project that pays homage to 1980s and 1990s martial arts tournament films. Great cast, led by German martial artist and actor Mathis Landwehr, who is forced to enter a Kumite in Eastern Europe, when the organizers kidnap his daughter. The film builds up as he befriends two other fighters, Damon Spears (No Retreat, No Surrender's Kurt McKinney) and Lea Martin (stunt performer Mounia Moula), whose wife and sister are kidnapped and also forced to fight.
The film also has martial arts film icons Billy Blanks and Cynthia Rothrock as Michael's trainers, the former looking for revenge against the organizer and the latter, the former sensei of the current Kumite champ, Dracko, played by German wrestling champion Mike Derudder. There's also Michel Qissi from Kickboxer 1 and 2 and the organizer's henchman Wolf and Matthias Hues as the organizer himself.
Connecting to Bloodsport is the appearance of Bolo Yeung's son David as a fighter named Yulong and YouTuber David Kurzhal, aka Viking Samurai, who plays a kick-ass fighter named Marcus. The Kumite fights are somewhat short compared to what we are used to today, but have that 80s flavor thanks to the choreography of Mike Moller (who also plays a trainee for Michael named Lightning).
If you like Bloodsport, Kickboxer, other tournament films, then you might enjoy this one. Speaking of the aforementioned films, Paul Hertzog scored the film and Stan Bush has 2 new songs on the soundtrack he wrote just for the film, "No Surrender" and "Running the Gauntlet".
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