Movie Tab II

Desolationwas also my favorite of the trilogy and I was able to have fun with it.

But I really hated Battle of the Five Armies, for many of the same reasons you did except even moreso.

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/watching movies for mark f/
MovieMeditation's Cinema Reviews // Film Diary 2015 // Letterboxd Profile // MovieMeditation's Top 50 Horror

Agree with you on The Gunfighter, Captain, except I completely forgot about it in regards to my preliminary 50's list. That's a great one!

Schindler's List (Steven Spielberg, 1993):
Rome, Open City (Roberto Rossellini, 1945):
Wild at Heart (David Lynch, 1990):
Lost Highway (David Lynch, 1997):
Speed (Jan de Bont, 1994):
Love and Anarchy (Lina Wertmüller, 1973):
Cobain: Montage of Heck (Brett Morgen, 2015):
Don't Look Now (Nicolas Roeg, 1973):
They Came Together (David Wain, 2014):
Martha Marcy May Marlene (Sean Durkin, 2011):

Some thoughts on Speed, Ming?

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5-time MoFo Award winner.

Speed was definitely a fun film to watch. It's a film I should have hated as it's quite dumb. The characters and dialogue are just plain silly. Some of the plot points (ie the Arizona Wildcats) were so ridiculously contrived. And it's about 20 minutes too long. That being said, I had a blast watching it. I think the best way to sum it up is through the scene in which the bus has to "jump" the gap on the highway. When the camera shows the gap, I'm thinking to myself "Oh my gosh this is completely impossible." Followed by "I can't wait to see this."

Song of the Sea (2014)

Mr. Turner (2014)

Ex Machina (2015)

+
Black Mass (2015)

The Rack (Arnold Laven, 1956)

The Minus Man (Hampton Fancher, 1999)

+
Igor (Anthony Leondis, 2008)

+
We Are Still Here (Ted Geoghegan, 2015)

+
A family moves into a new house and finds there’s a presence there. Is it their dead son or something far more sinister?
Adventures of the Penguin King aka Penguins (Anthony Geffen, 2012)

The Kremlin Letter (John Huston, 1970)

The Karnival Kid (Walt Disney & Ub Iwerks, 1929)

+
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, 2015)

-

When his former childhood friend Olivia Wilde is diagnosed with leukemia, awkward, self-loathing Thomas Mann is forced by his mom to visit her, but they actually find they do like each other and continue the visits.
Mickey's Choo-Choo (Ub Iwerks, 1929)

+
Flaming Bullets (Harry Fraser, 1945)

You Know My Name (John Kent Harrison, 1999)

The Honey Pot (Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1967)

With the help of “stage manager” Cliff Robertson, millionaire Rex Harrison convinces his three former mistresses (Capucine, Edie Adams & Susan Hayward) that he’s about to die so he can see what each will do to try to get his money.
The Song of Sparrows (Majid Majidi, 2008)

+
Diary of a Country Priest (Robert Bresson, 1951)

+
Pickpocket (Robert Bresson, 1959)

+
A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson, 1956)

-

On the day that he learns he’s to be executed by the Nazis, French Resistance fighter François Leterrier finally attempts his long-planned-for escape from prison.
Letters to Max (Eric Baudelaire, 2014)

Volcano (Mick Jackson, 1997)

Rebel Without a Cause (Nicholas Ray, 1955)

East of Eden (Elia Kazan, 1955)

His brother’s girlfriend (Julie Harris) spends a personal moment with troubled Cal (James Dean).

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

Coriolanus

"Our virtues lie in the interpretation of the time. One fire drives out one fire. One nail, one nail. Rights by rights falter, strengths by strengths do fail. "

Though Coriolanus was marketed as an action movie, it's much more niche. Unlike the 1995 film adaptation of Othello, which was successfully turned into an erotic thriller, Coriolanus requires more of a suspension of disbelief. Shakespeare's obscure tragedy of a proud Roman (Caius Marcus, later becoming Coriolanus) who makes an excellent general but is unable to play the political game that would give him ultimate power does not immediately strike you as being great material for a film. Whilst the film doesn't convince me that Coriolanus is anything more than a minor play, director/star Ralph Fiennes has fashioned it into an intriguing film.

Despite the mentions of Romans, the film is set in a present-day unnamed Eastern-European country that calls itself Rome. This contrivance is something that you will have to deal with as there's many mentions of Rome and everyone has a Roman name. Beyond that, the setting actually works pretty well; by linking the play to a specific conflict, it makes it feel more immediate. Stage productions struggle with making the voices of the plebs distinct from the ruling class (awful Cockney accents abound) but here, Serbs are the people. This consistency means that the people really do feel like a radical protest group fighting for justice for their fellow citizens.

Vanessa Redgrave is excellently commanding as Volumnia, Coriolanus' mother. There's clear Oedipal tinges in her performance but this is wisely kept to a minimum. One of the best scenes of the film is when Volumnia is tending to Coriolanus' battle wounds, bandaging his bare chest. His fragile wife Virilia (Jessica Chastain) looks in but immediately shuts the door as if she's walked in on something she really shouldn't have. The temptation with a Shakespeare play is to squeeze as many lines in as you can but screenwriter John Logan's instinct for creating more cinematic scenes that are blended with Shakespeare's scenes mean that the film really does feel like a film throughout. The use of news programmes as a running update on events has been used in other films (Baz Luhrman's prologue of Romeo and Juliet for example) but the Shakespearean language fits so beautifully here that I didn't resent the cliche.

I'd be lying if I said that my attention never wandered; even with judicious cuts it is still a dense play. Having less of the lines makes the film shorter but it doesn't make Shakespeare's writing tighter. As a protagonist Coriolanus doesn't really have the same appeal as Hamlet, which is a fault of the text. Fiennes makes a bold interpretation that may not be correct but works in the context of the film; here, Coriolanus is not just unwilling to talk to the people because he's proud but because he is genuinely uncomfortable outside of a battlefield. By nature, he fiercely shuts himself off from people; unable to be anything other than what he is, we see that he will never be able to fulfil the greatness his mother envisages. Why Coriolanus cares so much about his mother's opinion still remains baffling but Fiennes fashions together a decent character and it doesn't feel as if he's fighting against the text in order to do it.

Initially Coriolanus is the baddie but then up pops his old miltiary rival Aufidius (Gerard Butler). Their confrontations are charged with a homoerotic tension that the characters seem only partly aware of. It doesn't go quite into Women in Love territory but there's many intimate moments. Butler is noticeably weaker as an actor than Fiennes, and certainly less accomplished with the speaking of the text, which takes something away from their rivalry but isn't enough to kill the film.

Though it springs from a weak source, this is an interesting adaptation that genuinely makes the play relevant.

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You cannot have it both ways. A dancer who relies upon the doubtful comforts of human love can never be a great dancer. Never. (The Red Shoes, 1948)

I DVRed The Honey Pot, and I'm hoping to watch it in the next few days. I'm looking forward to it even more now that I see that you liked it.

Hidden (Duffer Bros., 2015)

The Dead 2: India (Ford Bros., 2014)

The Great Outdoors (Howard Deutch, 1988)

Slow West (John Maclean, 2015)

-

Scottish teenager Kodi Smit-McPhee and helpful drifter Michael Fassbender make a surprising team on their journey through the American west.
Hollidaysburg (Anna Martemucci, 2014)

Not Cool (Shane Dawson, 2014)

From the Terrace (Mark Robson, 1960)

Hausu (Nobuhiko Ôbayashi, 1977)

+

Seven girls spend the summer at one of their aunt’s house, and in the second-half of the film, the house goes ape-***** crazy.
The House of Seven Corpses (Paul Harrison, 1974)

Kite (Ralph Ziman, 2014)

Tomorrowland (Brad Bird, 2015)

Sea of Vapors (Sylvia Schedelbauer, 2014)

Powerful, dramatic experience, full of personal meaning and wow moments. I almost had to brace myself for fear of being sucked in, but it was exhilarating while I was down that rabbit hole. It sorta reminded me of the first time I saw the 2001: ASO star gate sequence - only more intense.
The Messenger (David Blair, 2015)

Blanket Statement #2: It’s All or Nothing (Jodie Mack, 2014)

-
Uncle Buck (John Hughes, 1989)

American Graffiti (George Lucas, 1973)

+

On the night before he’s scheduled to fly off to college, Richard Dreyfuss helps the Pharaohs pull a prank on a hardass cop in this kaleidoscope about one night of what it was like to be a California teenager in ’62.
Platform (Jia Zhangze, 2001)

Last Train Home (Lixin Fan, 2009)

-
Funny Lady (Herbert Ross, 1975)

+
The Confession (Costa-Gavras, 1970)

High-ranking member of the Czech communist government Yves Montand is tortured by the same government and forced to confess to treason although he’s innocent of the crime.

LILO & STITCH (2002)

His destructive programming is taking effect
Illegal Experiment 626 is to be transferred to prison on an asteroid by the Galactic Federation Headquarters. instead he escapes to earth, a planet full of primitive morons. maybe more a 7ish movie that i'm boosting bc i like Stitch

Rating: 8.0 / 10

Some thoughts on Tomorrowland, mark? From the trailer I thought it'd be something you'd enjoy.

Tomorrowland looks really good, has several cool scenes and ideas, and is mostly-well-acted, but it's also a bit convoluted and overlong. It probably has one too many plot threads for it to be as successful as it should be, but for someone like me who totally relates to where it's coming from, I still enjoyed it and had to give it a positive rating.

As I said, I've only seen the trailer and, I think, one clip, and I thought it looked ok. Certainly not the failure I predicted it would be, which is kind of sad and also shows (were it needed) that big box office and good filmmaking have little, if anything, to do with each other. It looked like strong, classic narrative storytelling, which is why I thought you'd enjoy it.

Every new movie I've seen since my last post (July 30th)
MASH

+
Mission: Impossible - Rouge Nation

-
The 40 Year-Old Virgin

The Gift

+
Charlotte's Web

Allegro Non Troppo

-
Alice in Wonderland

+
The Jungle Book

Beauty and the Beast

-
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

They Live

-
Forbidden Planet

E.T.

+
Straight Outta Compton

-
The Day the Earth Stood Still

+

Sleepwalk With Me

-
Rashomon

Spirited Away

Kingdom of Dreams and Madness

Primer

+

Glad you liked Primer!

520) September 11th: The Red Badge of Courage (1951)
521) September 12th: The Lusty Men (1952)
522) September 12th: Miracle in the Rain (1956) +
523) September 13th: Shall We Dance (1937) +
524) September 13th: Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)
525) September 14th: Executive Suite (1954)
526) September 14th: With a Song in My Heart (1952)
527) September 15th: Coming Home (1978)
528) September 15th: No Time for Sergeants (1958) +
529) September 16th: The Verdict (1982)
530) September 16th: Dreamboat (1952)
531) September 17th: Mister Roberts (1955)
532) September 17th: Compulsion (1959) +
533) September 18th: Lady Killer (1933)
534) September 18th: The High and the Mighty (1954)

^ Is he idling posts to be able to post links and then he will spam the hell outta the forum?

Among the Missing (Albert Rogell, 1934)

Relentless (George Sherman, 1948)

+
The Measures (Jacqueline Goss & Jenny Perlin, 2014)

+
Sorry, Wrong Number (Anatole Litvak, 1948)

+

Lonely invalid Barbara Stanwyck thinks she hears someone in her house.
Stolen Identity (Gunther Fritsch, 1953)

+
The Stone Killer (Michael Winner, 1973)

Five and Ten (Robert Z. Leonard, 1931)

Homicidal (William Castle, 1961)

Whoever’s homicidal in Solvang, Caifornia, has some deeply-rooted psychological issues, or is it just an excuse for the “fright break”?
The Last Shot You Hear (Gordon Hessler, 1969)

Why Be Good? (William A. Seiter, 1929)

No Other Woman (J. Walter Ruben, 1933)

+
Scary Movie (Keenen Ivory Wayans, 2000)

Marlon Wayans isn’t the only one.
Every Thing Will Be Fine (Wim Wenders, 2015)

Lizzie Borden Took an Ax (Nick Gomez, 2014)

Roadie (Michael Cuesta, 2011)

The Nazi Plan (George Stevens, 1945)

Consisting entirely of Nazi-made films which highlight their systematic erosion of certain ethnic groups’ rights and warmongering, here is an image of Hitler declaring war on the evil U.S.
Something Always Happens (Michael Powell, 1934)

Contraband aka Blackout (Michael Powell, 1940)

+
Robot Wrecks (Edward L. Cahn, 1941)

Love Story (Arthur Hiller, 1970)

Since Ali MacGraw's smart and poor, naturally she and "preppie" Ryan O'Neal fall in love.

September, 2015 movies watched-

Glory (1989) Uplifting Civil War film.

Life of Brian (1979) Repeat viewing - Something is keeping me from loving this and I don't know what it is.

Smiles of a Summer Night (1955) - A very different movie than I'm used to from director Bergman, and an excellent one.

The Man from Laramie (1955) From the top 100 Westerns list, and starring the great Jimmy Stewart, but it was just ok for me.

Seven Days (2010) - Intense and brutal French Canadian thriller.

State of Play (2009) - Entertaining thriller with a good cast.

Daughters of Darkness (1971) + Erotic vampire flick with superb atmosphere.

Ride Lonesome (1959) - Nothing I disliked about this, just nothing that stood out to me in any way.

Lars and the Real Girl (2007) Gosling is good, and the doll and the movie are cute.

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) Repeat viewing Very good movie, but I really wished I loved it.

Dazed and Confused (1993) Repeat viewing Amazing soundtrack helps to bring a nice nostalgic feel.

Life Itself (2014 Very strong documentary about the legendary Roger Ebert.

Spirited Away (2001) Repeat viewing - Better for me the second time around, but still not my kind of movie.

The Phantom of Liberty (1974) I'm not generally a fan of surrealism, but like most Bunuel films, I enjoyed this anyway.

Young Frankenstein (1974) Repeat viewing Comedic masterpiece.

The Drop (2014) Surprisingly intense crime drama with Tom Hardy and James Gandolfini.

The Naked Spur (1953) Decent Western but nothing that stood out for me.

Eyes Without a Face (1960) It was ok, but it just didn't excite me in any way.

Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005) Interesting, informative, and well paced.

Lady Killer (1933) Comedy/crime film with James Cagney that I found to be very entertaining.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) - Not a complete waste, but too over the top for me.

Triumph of the Will (1935) - It started to feel monotonous to me, but it's a fascinating look at history.

Pure Luck (1991) - Nothing special, but an nice comedy for an easy going mood.

Frontier(s) (2007) Repeat viewing + Violent French horror that's right up my alley.

Titicut Follies (1967) - Very good documentary showing the treatment of inmates at the Bridgewater State Hospital for the criminally insane back in the 60's.

Cannibal Holocaust (1980) Repeat viewing - This movie is truly deserving of its reputation.

Trick 'r Treat (2007) + Quick, entertaining horror anthology that's good for around Halloween.

Food Inc. (2008) + This documentary could've used a little more pizazz, but it's informative and very well done.

Broken Arrow (1950) Nice Western in which Jimmy Stewart tries to broker peace with the Apaches.

The Cremator (1969) Repeat viewing - Unique and creepy with a great lead performance.

For a Few Dollars More (1965) Repeat viewing + Definitely a top 10 Western for me.

Coming Home (1978) Repeat viewing + One of the top handful of movies that have gotten to me emotionally.

Goodfellas (1990) Repeat viewing + Still my favorite.

Exit Through the Gift Shop Very good documentary that I never would've watched on my own.

My Dinner with Jimi (2003) + This is a fun movie for anyone who likes 60's rock, and the scene that goes with it.

Paths of Glory (1957) + That's a pretty powerful twist on the war movie.

Backcountry (2014) Effective but very slow adventure/thriller.

The Orphanage (2007) + This is a very well made horror movie.

East of Eden (1955) + I'm not sure how I feel about James Dean, but this was a good story.

Last Train Home (2009) Excellent Chinese documentary detailing the struggles of one family of migrant workers.

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) Repeat viewing The prototype for my kind of horror.

Antfarm Dickhole (2011) + As terrible as it was, I still moderately enjoyed it.

Apache (1954) - Decent Western, but strange watching Burt Lancaster play an Apache.

September viewings-43
Total 2015 viewings-359