Movie Tab II

Bumblebee (2018)

A few scenes were shot at the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, where I live. Absolutely surreal seeing that in a big modern blockbuster. Unfortunately, I didn't care for the movie. I guess it's technically more "competent" than the Bay ones, if you see competency as safe, conventional, generic filmmaking. Because this is one of the most generic blockbusters I've seen recently, so generic I started drifting away due to boredom. There is nothing compelling here in the craft or storytelling. In a weird way, I almost like the Bay entries more, for the sole reason that at *least* they have the unhinged insanity as you would expect from Bay. Quality filmmaking or not, the batsh*t craziness of those outweighs the play-it-safe filmmaking of this one for me.

Christmas Evil (1980)

I liked this one when I first saw it, but I found it mostly lackluster this time around. I guess because it doesn't seem to add up to much at the end (although the final moment was pretty awesome). Fiona Apple's dad (who she definitely got her sad eyes from) is awesome, hilariously creepy throughout, and any enjoyment I got out of it this time was because of him.

The Favourite (2018)

Such a vibrant film, booming with life. The first time I saw it I was struck by the main trio (Weisz, Colman, and Stone) and the power dynamics between their characters. I still think that’s the highlight - easily the best ensemble of the year.

This time though I was really taken by the cinematography. I seem to like the fisheye shots more every time they show up, and the close-ups - of Stone in particular - are gorgeous. It feels like Lanthimos and his DP Robbie Ryan had a confident understanding of what they wanted with the camerawork overall while still allowing themselves an avenue for creative freedom, because there are plenty of recurring techniques and as a whole it feels strongly cohesive, but also never stops feeling fresh and inventive. A nice balance to have.

Aquaman (2018)

I thought this looked really terrible and I was considering not seeing it. But I did anyway. Turns it it's mostly bad, but there is some stuff I appreciated. It seemed Wan was having a fun time which is always a good thing. I also thought the action was pretty damn cool (the best action bit was Kidman in the intro), and I just love the underwater fishy setting. In the same way Star Wars is a "space opera", this is a "fish opera". The CGI, which any other day I would loathe, was weirdly enjoyable - I think because the crazy CGI-fest quality is exactly what Wan was going for. Lastly, Patrick Wilson was pretty good as the villain.

Those are fine compliments, but the cons are more affecting. The script is lazy, exposition-heavy and shallow (pun! ), which may be the key reason I watched it - and admired what I did - at a distance the whole time. Just as detrimental is that Momoa does not work at all as Aquaman and should not have been cast.

Mystery Train (Jim Jarmusch, 1989) -

Jarmusch's anthology film centred around a run-down Memphis hotel and the various guests who come to stay there one night still proves an enjoyable watch a second time around with its eccentric cast of characters, uncomplicated approach to overlapping narratives, and off-beat sense of humour.

The Christmas Chronicles (Clay Kaytis, 2018) -

It turns out that there's only so much novelty value to be had in having Kurt Russell play Santa Claus in what is otherwise a decidedly generic saving-Christmas kind of movie. That being said, it's at least a semi-tolerable example of a saving-Christmas movie and the man himself commits to the role well enough.

The Predator (Shane Black, 2018) -

Yep, I watched it a second time and...no significant change here. Still can't deny that it's a disappointment, though not the biggest disappointment. Undecided as to whether or not it's the worst in the series (might be tied with Predator 2 in that regard).

The House With A Clock In Its Walls (Eli Roth, 2018) -

While the prospect of seeing a notorious gorehound like Roth try his hand at a family-friendly brand of horror is too much of a novelty to disregard, for the most part this means that he is so far outside his wheelhouse that he can only resort to delivering a barely-remarkable piece of sub-Tim Burton dark fantasy.

The Foreigner (Martin Campbell, 2017) -

A promising logline - Jackie Chan seeks vengeance against the IRA bombers who killed his daughter by targeting former ringleader turned seemingly legit politician Pierce Brosnan - barely goes anywhere as Chan and any possible action antics (even some relatively easy stuff given Chan's advanced age) are sidelined in favour of an intrigue plot that isn't all that intriguing.

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (David Yates, 2018) -

I barely have any tolerance for the original Harry Potter series so I'm not sure why I've managed to watch both the prequel spin-offs, especially when I didn't much care for the first Beasts. The second one seems like it has room for improvement but quickly exacerbates the same faults that plagued its predecessor and just makes for a film that does an exceptional job of speaking to the worst aspects of contemporary franchise filmmaking. Can they even get to five installments at this rate?

The Night Comes For Us (Timo Tjahjanto, 2018) -

I don't think I'm as overly impressed by this recently-popularised brand of hyper-kinetic Indonesian action movie as other people. While I somewhat appreciate that this film makes a decent effort at providing fast-paced and bloody carnage that's tinged with the sort of eccentric extremity that plays like an attempt at attaining cult status, it's still weirdly middle-of-the-road for me with its bloated running time and lacklustre heroic bloodshed narrative.

Mortal Engines (Christian Rivers, 2018) -

Though I will concede that this is a fundamentally generic example of a young adult dystopia, I find it sufficiently distinguished by its fantastic (if implausible) core concept of a post-apocalyptic world where entire towns and cities move on gigantic tracks that's aided by Weta-level effects wizardry that places it on the right side of average.

Thief (Michael Mann, 1981) -

Though I'd obviously still consider Heat to be Mann's masterpiece, I reckon this is a worth choice for a runner-up. Right from the very first frame where Tangerine Dream meets neon-lit bitumen, it's very much my kind of movie and (depending on what you do or do not count as part of the sub-genre) a strong contender for the best one-last-job movie out there.

Prince Avalanche (David Gordon Green, 2013) -

A fairly standard two-dudes-bickering indie. Really not a whole lot to say about it.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

VICE



I just watched the best movie of the 2018. Adam McKay directs a satirical comedy/horror about the rise of Dick Cheney through the ranks of Washington D.C.

I am a huge fan of the big short and with this movie Adam Mckay takes a shot at Washington D.C and the political power during bush era. The movie is one of the most unique movies ever made. It grew on me after I watched it last night. McKay avoids so many pitfalls in the movie. When you make a movie about Dick Cheney, you never make a hero out of him. It is incredibly easy to make a success story with a bitter social message tagged on as cautionary tale. It is tempting. But a movie about Dick Cheney should be more about the effects of his actions and how he became what he became and less about accidentally idolizing him. The movie is dense and loaded with lot of stuff and facts. McKay has slowly but surely became an auteur. I love his style so much. In the first 10 minutes you notice that the movie is creating this portrait of warped American dream. You know about his background and where he is now. It competently wraps up lot of threads and starts focusing on his current timeline. It never goes overboard with emotions. There is a lot of emotion in the real life itself. You don't have to make up fake emotional scenes. The movie super imposes dramatic scenes with real life footage to kind of paint a grim picture of people in power and how decisions made in closed doors impact the world.

The stands outs are Christian bale's realistic tranformative performance, editing, screenplay, and sam Rockwell's performance. All these things work extremely well. It gets better a second time. FINALLY a movie doesn't feel like it could be directed by anyone. I honestly don't think any director could have made a movie like this.

There was zero risk of McKay painting a sympathetic portrait. He hates that whole group of politicians and is almost comically unsubtle about it. Remember that shoehorned anachronistic joke about Brick working for the Bush administration at the end of Anchorman?

I agree that he's proven himself a very good director, though, so I'm sure I'll see this at some point, if only to see Bale's performance. I'll also be sure to Google around for any related fact checks.

I was wondering how long it would take for aronisred to reappear on this site just to say that Vice was awesome. I've got half a mind to see it today, though I'll obviously temper my expectations.

I don't think that Brick/Bush joke counts as anachronistic (assuming Brick is in his early-40s like Steve Carell was in 2004 and the film takes place in the early-'70s then Brick would be in his early-70s during the early-2000s - old, sure, but not exempt from working in federal government as a certain other idiot TV personality has proven) or even particularly shoehorned (if only to draw the connection between one idiotic boys' club and another).

The Howling (1981)

A reign of urban terror begins at a bizarre Western Avenue trashy adult theater, as TV Newscaster Karen White fights against her stressful impulses, leading her to "the Colony" to conquer her inner demons. She's tormented by night of savage shrieks and unearthly cries, of warlocks and demons, sending her out into the trees for answers... where elemental Marsha roams like a bitch in heat. Cool events unfold for the characters inside the story, this was better than my first viewing, and a successful film when released... Though not enough pull despite cruelty and violence, and the audience is kept at a distance.

Rating: 6.0 / 10

Dead Man's Chest (2006)

Been a while since the whirlpool of Deep Sea adventures caught me quite like they have over the past few nights. Character interplay as the wedding of Elizabeth & Will gets broken up immediately by the wickedly charismatic Cutler Beckett, Governor of The East India Trading Company. When it comes to film-making, there's so much for me here. Seabound excitement, misty boat air, and the deep sea creatures of Davy Jones. Actually, these movies are like the True Star Wars of the 2000s. You've got The Triangular Love of Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, & Jack Sparrow. The Middle Chapter where the Dame is tempted by the charming scoundrel Jack, who drives the fastest ship in the galaxy The Millenium Falcon, err The Black Pearl... Where's he's chased by The Darth Vader of The Caribbean, Davy Jones, played wonderfully through Motion Capture by Bill Nighy, whose heart is RIPPED out and hidden in a chest. What wonderful characterization with the mystical Tia Dalma Sea Witch tucked up the in wooded bayou. More galaxy war tie-ins with pirates Pintell & Regetti, one tall and lanky, the other short and tough, resembling 3PO and R2. You mus sail to end of the ert and beyond. The first movie in this series, it's great, yet SO OVERPLAYED, I can't watch it anymore. This one though, tremendous and fresh, hadn't seen it in a while either. "We have our heading," Summon THE KRAKEN. I could say A LOT more about these movies. I could talk about them forever. And pledge myself to an entire venue assigned to these films. Slap Me, Not Lying, Watch The Movie. Whoops, You Found Me!

Rating: + 8.5 / 10

Summon The Kraken



Hell Night (1980)

As an Initiation into their fraternity and sorority, four pledges must spend the night in Garth Manor, twelve years to the day after the previous resident murdered his entire family. This horror flick's cast includes Vincent Van Patten (Rock 'N Roll High School), Peter Barton (Friday The 13th: The Final Chapter), Kevin Brophy (The Seduction), and Linda Blair. The pledges ignore the warnings that the deserted-mansion is haunted by a crazed killer, until one-by-one, their group mysteriously disappears either through a prank or otherwise. Fun, but also a college movie, seemed like it could've been made by any scrubs, only this one has then 21-year-old Linda Balir, caromming oversized breasts and all.

Rating: 6.0 / 10

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Yeah, I don't think The Howling is superb either but it has one of the best looking werewolves ever. A proper crinos form from White Wolf's RPGs

I remember a lot more of Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) when I watched these two around the same time a few years ago. Like when Santa Billy pins the topless girl on the deer antlers while yelling out BONUS.

Mary Poppins Returns (Rob Marshall, 2018)

It's fine and I was able to get through it mostly because I can watch anything with Emily Blunt, but I was left wishing there was a bit more magic here. And honestly, I just don't have a lot to say about it, which is never a good sign for me.

Ben is Back (Peter Hedges, 2018)

Absorbing and powerful, with less heavy-handedness than I was expecting. I have a family member who is a recovering alcoholic, and while Ben deals with a different drug addiction, the parallels definitely hit home. With some better direction it could have been outstanding, but the gut-wrenching nature of the story, the great performances by Roberts and Hedges, and an absolutely fantastic ending (one of the best of the year, in my opinion) make this film a solid piece of work for me.

Green Book (Peter Farrelly, 2018)

I'm a bit mixed here. On one hand, the script is so unbelievably superficial and heavy-handed. Everything is forced in the storytelling. On the other hand, it's a very competant film, with a wonderfully vibrant performance by Viggo, as well as solid pacing and cinematography that - while not flashy - was very technically sound. I loved the use of focus and different types of focal lengths that add up to very competent camerawork done with obvious skill.

Snowbird (Sean Baker, 2016 - Short)

Of all the work I've seen by Sean Baker - Tangerine, The Florida Project, and now this 2016 short film he made after Tangerine (both of which use an iPhone) - this one has to be my favorite. It's a beautifully understated and stripped-down story about a young (I'm guessing 20-something) girl who bakes a cake and goes around the trailer park having a slice with each of her neighbors. We get a snapshot of each meal, a glimpse into the lives of these people and their relationship with our main character (some seem close, some not so much). It all concludes with a fascinating last meal with a neighbor named Bob. The final moment seems surreal and ambiguous at first, but quickly makes sense. Despite the simplicity there is an undeniable, organic humanity that I just love and is an unmistakable part of Baker's style. I also think the guy does a great job of making the iPhone quality an inherent part of the film that can't be taken away from it.

The Endless (Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, 2017) -

I ultimately felt rather ambivalent about this story of two former cult members revisiting said cult for the first time in years only to realise that there may actually be something legitimate about the movement's rather kooky-sounding beliefs and practices. It's a bit of a slow starter for me even as it builds an investment-worthy relationship between the two leads (played by the directors themselves, no less) that does lead into some bizarre supernatural shenanigans, but it never quite manages to rise above passable.

The Sacrament (Ti West, 2013) -

The third West movie I've seen is my least favourite so far as he does a found-footage horror about some VICE journalists checking out a totally-not-inspired-by-Jonestown compound. Unfortunately, his films' fatal flaw (a knack for building unease ultimately coming at the expense of satisfactory pay-offs) becomes especially pronounced here. Maybe I just don't care for cult-themed horrors in the first place - or, at the very least, this film makes me question if I ever truly liked the sub-genre.

Starry Eyes (Dennis Widmyer and Kevin Kolsch, 2014) -

Rounding out this trifecta of underwhelming cult-themed indie horrors is this Hollywood-based tale of a struggling actress whose desperation for a role inevitably takes a turn for the sinister. Superficially familiar, subtextually basic, and overall a viewing experience that is unpleasant with very little in the way of justification.

Short Term 12 (Destin Daniel Cretton, 2013) -

Original review found here. I stand by a good chunk of what I wrote a few years back and am even willing to acknowledge that I didn't give the film its due in certain areas. The subsequent years have only confirmed its indelible demonstration of Lakeith Stanfield's acting ability.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Rodney Rothman/Peter Ramsey/Bob Persichetti, 2018) -

Still going back and forth on whether or not to give this the full four. I do appreciate how it hybridises different styles and emphasises its brashly cartoonish nature while still making sure to ground its wackiness in the sort of good-natured heroism one has always associated with the character (no matter the specific incarnation). However, it never quite manages to cohere as well as I'd have hoped (even after allowing for how its premise requires a certain degree of incoherence) and for long stretches it's only mildly entertaining in terms of both humour and adventure, though it does make up for that with certain moments of extravagance in both departments.

Bohemian Rhapsody (Bryan Singer and Dexter Fletcher, 2018) -

As much as I like Queen, I really couldn't put up with this aggressively by-the-numbers biopic that plays less like a warts-and-all portrayal of its subject than a character assassination (to say nothing of how clumsy it tends to be on both technical and artistic levels).

The Five Venoms (Chang Cheh, 1978) -

"Toad Style is immensely strong and immune to almost any weapon. When properly used, it's almost invincible." (ooh-ah)

One of the classic Shaw Brothers movies that's interesting because of how much it leans on its heavy plot - an elaborate murder mystery involving secret double lives and buried treasure - instead of just being a straightforward beat-the-titular-bad-guys piece. Not likely to top 36th Chamber of Shaolin as my favourite of theirs, but still an essential piece of the martial arts canon.

Goon (Michael Dowse, 2011) -

Surprisingly enjoyable sports comedy that takes a similiar premise to The Waterboy - hard-hitting manchild ends up joining sports team - and plays it for the same kind of dramedy that crystallised Punch-Drunk Love so well, which is a fair comparison considering how this also involves an actor known for playing idiotic meatheads getting to do the same thing but with more feeling and son-of-a-bitch does Seann William Scott make it work.

Red Christmas (Craig Anderson, 2016) -

An ostensibly Australian Christmas-themed horror where an already-tense family gathering is set upon by a hooded figure who plans to attack everyone there because of abortion (long story). The ways in which this film supposedly tries to both-sides the abortion issue through its rather grotesque and tasteless plot and character developments definitely don't work in its favour (coming across more as anti- than pro-choice despite its villain's motivations) and even as a straight-up slasher it leaves a lot to be desired in terms of either tension or gore. At least the Argento-style lighting is fun to watch.

Friday After Next (Marcus Raboy, 2002) -

The original Friday is a low-key comedy favourite so it's disappointing to see such rapidly diminishing returns from the sequels, especially this Christmas-themed threequel (speaking of which, I wonder how many franchises have Christmas threequels - National Lampoon's Vacation, Harold and Kumar, Iron Man...any others? Anything to take my mind off what a disappointment this is.)

Everything I've seen since like July:
RW Blue Velvet (Lynch, 1986)-

The Killing of A Sacred Deer (Lanthimos, 2017)-

+
M (Lang, 1931)-

+
Mother (Arnofsky, 2017)-

The Death of Stalin (Iannucci, 2017)-

-
My Darling Clementine (Ford, 1946)-

Daddys Home Two (Anders, 2017)-

The Man Who Knew Too Much (Hitchcock, 1934,)-

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Cam (Daniel Goldhaber, 2018)

Pretty solid movie with a good lead actress. It boasts a concept that's booming with creative potential - I was constantly thinking up interesting places the film could go while my friend and I were watching it. But the actual movie doesn't seem to make that absolute most of that potential, even if the result is respectable. Because of that I was left feeling a sort of empty appreciation, I guess.

Vice (Adam McKay, 2018)

Cringe-worthy. In it's defense the acting is great and there was a sharp, positive shift in quality during the last five minutes. But the rest is a tonal catastrophe with some of the worst attempts at humor I've ever seen in cinema.

Death Proof (Quentin Tarantino, 2007)

Tarantino's messiest film, maybe, but it has enough style and an incredible final chase sequence that it's all worth it by the end. Zoe Bell is the real highlight here; I wish she got more of the attention she deserves.

Skate Kitchen (Crystal Moselle, 2018)

I really love the kind of stripped-back realism this film so effortlessly achieves throughout most of it's runtime, and that Mid90s didn't. Where with the latter Jonah Hill seemed so desperate in his attempt at "hangout cinema" that it all felt kind of forced, this one does it with ease. Maybe it's because Moselle's first film was a documentary, but I think it has more to do with the creative process behind the film. I was reading about it: Moselle had met the girls (all real skaters and non-actors) on a train, and became friends with them. A movie came out of that, drawing from their real lives and conversations. To me, having that kind of loose creative process and making something very worthwhile out of it seems difficult to do, and therefore I always appreciate movies like this. I loved sitting around with all these characters, listening to them talk about everyday stuff. And for non-professionals these girls can act very well. The main character Camille, played by Rachelle Vinberg, was my favorite character, but I thought the best performance was given by Nina Moran. My only criticism may be that the film was so light in plot (a good thing to me), and the realism so intensely real, that whenever there were plot devices they felt like just that. However, I do think Moselle did a pretty commendable job blending those moments with the rest of it.

Three more movies of 2018 to see until I hit 100!

God I'm behind on this.

Seen in November Pt.1


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Wasn't expecting this to be a comedy! Overall the film IS pretty funny (Especially the monk segment). The soundtrack was very good, as is to be expected from Morricone. The title sequence was very original, never heard of a film before where the main credits are sung. The main performances were good too (Loved that little neck move Toto kept making). Also woah, the Italian censors were WAY more lenient than the American ones were back then (I seriously can't believe they got away with 'You have nice t*ts'!)

But unfortunately, the film isn't all pros. The second half is more focused on boring political junk. If the whole film was a silly comedy like the first half I would 'love' it instead of 'liking' it.


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You can't go wrong with Leo and Scorsese. I didn't know anything about Hughes so I was expecting this to focus alot more on the film-making aspect, when that wasn't the case. Leo and Blanchett's performances were on-point (Was Hepburn really that sassy in real life? I hope so!).

It is quite the interesting story. Nowadays celebrities are very open about their mental issues, but less than 80 years ago a person like Howard Hughes could get lobotomized if he was in the wrong place/said the wrong thing at the wrong time. I like the way in which the film portrays Hughes, he isn't necessarily a s*itty person, he just has alot of problems. At first I thought he had Autism, due to the dinner scene: It perfectly shows how awkward Hughes feels around this quick, careless chatter and doesn't pick up on the social cues very well.

The film's also very well shot. The scene where Leo locks himself in the theatre and is talking to Hepburn on the other side looks gorgeous. Also that final scene is great too.



Apart from one cool looking shot, this film is kinda a turd. The music was so annoying and strange, the wackiest, most abrasive damn noises play when nothing remotely creepy was on-screen. The acting was, uh, not good ("You killed my mother" Wow you sound really angry about it). The blood looks like paint and the ending really, really tries to stretch its ending past a reasonable limit. In fact the whole film stretches itself past a reasonable limit. So many scenes go on for too long and feel like they go nowhere.



RE-WATCH
Still has the best effects in the game. Didn’t remember the soundtrack being this amazing. It’s a lot slower than I remember, I think I might like it a little bit less. Still a classic though.


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What a hidden gem I’ve stumbled upon!! A film with only 2 characters (Technically 3 if you count Alec Cawthorne’s appearance in the middle act) in one location could have so many twists and turns? This is basically a dialogue film that mystery fans will get a kick out of with non-stop back and forth. Michael Caine is starting to become one of my favourite actors now. This film has so many different and clever twists. Apart from one twist, I didn’t see any of the rest coming. The ending is just insane.



This was actually a very entertaining watch! This is the type of film I could imagine watching while behind the counter at a VHS store. A couple of generic upstanding citizens of America face off against the EVILLL! hillbillies. I enjoyed all of the dialogue before crap went down. The music was good. The blood may have looked cheap but that didn't stop me from lovin' all the shootin' (That one effect of the guys face blown off, holy crap!) I find it really funny how they condemn the hillbillies for hunting even though they're doing THE EXACT SAME THING!

That shot at the end with the dude in the water looked very cool. The sequel-bate ending kinda annoyed me though: I just wanted a happy, satisfying conclusion for the film, I doubt people are rallying in the streets for a sequel to Hunter's Blood. Also maybe it hasn't aged well politically: Like, holy s*it, he just randomly puts his hand down the woman's' shirt? Was that even ok back then?!



A slightly weaker Carpenter but still a good film. I quite liked the performance of the main lead, how he slowly transformed from a likeable nerd to a villain. There were many cool moments with the car (When it was on fire holy crap that was cool!). The ending didn’t feel satisfying though, it left me wanting more.


+
I could talk about how this movie's really dumb and has terrible dialogue (The Jurassic Park girl says some weird stuff), but i just don't have the heart to do so. The reason: These were the exact type of movies I watched when I was in single digits. You know the ones, dumb kids movies that always had simple character types, a generic but nostalgic soundtrack and a 'race against the clock' finale. I guess they would be films like Dunston Checks In, Snow Buddies and Baby's Day Out (Hey, this is by the same director as 'Baby's Day Out', a true auteur!). All else I could really say is that I thought it was funny when the dude gave the kids cigarettes and the duck kid was very cute.


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A very good looking film, there’s lots of shots and film-making comparable to Ozu and Haneke. The simplistic filming style shows us that a good story is sometimes what is only needed to carry a film along. A great performance from Ethan Hawke.




+
I didn't understand any of the jokes as I've barely seen any Giallo films (except maybe Suspiria), but overall I enjoyed myself. If I did notice any reference it's the unique colours and bizarre zooms. It kinda looks like a student film. The 'whodunnit' story-line was fairly entertaining. The gore and violence were awesome. The screams sound genuine and pretty horrifying. There were lots of sexy ladies!

That's all i can say, how is someone who's watched almost no Giallo films supposed to get the full experience of a parody of one. I'll stick with the first Scary Movie for now.

Also the dude from The Human Centipede 2 plays the priest, how ironic.

Seen in November Pt.2/2


+
The more I watch these damn animal films, the more I think I’m a furry. This is probably one of my favourite Disney films, I enjoyed it more than the classics. I loved the characters and the adventure between the main leads. The script was great. It’s really funny and there’s lots of great scenery.



A nice wholesome Christmas film. A real family treat, kids who believe in Santa and grown-ups who don’t believe can enjoy it the same. Edmund Gwenn gives a great performance as the supposed Santa. His friendly, happy nature is exactly how many people imagine Santa to be (Glad he won an Oscar for the role). I couldn’t help but notice some homosexual undertones with John Payne’s character, or maybe that’s just my wild imagination. Also "Faith is believing when common sense tells you not to.” is such a good line.



The first 15 minutes had me really confused, I kept thinking to myself "Is this the right movie?!". The music in the film is horribly inappropriate, it sounds more like a buddy-cop movie than a horror movie. I really liked the mystery aspect to it, it felt like a spooky version of Cluedo. I thought it was cool how the film gave you time to decide your choice (Did anyone pick correctly?). Some of the scenes were kinda tense I guess. Also it was cool to see General Tarkin in it.



A film that really holds no boundaries when depicting the terrible lifes of these people. The film portrays these events without exploitation or obvious emotional manipulation, as if these are just the facts of life. Nothing particularly wrong with it, it’s just not my type of film.

Welcome to Marwen (Robert Zemeckis, 2018) -

I guess it's low expectations that led to me appreciating this more than most. It's heavily flawed and I'm sure the real guy is way more interesting, but the movie ended up being more of a compelling tale about a damaged soul (played pretty wonderfully by Carrell - c'mon, he's great here) than I was expecting. Nothing special at all but a bit better than people are saying.

We the Animals (Jeremiah Zagar, 2018) -

I get a lot of enjoyment seeing some current burgeoning filmmakers internalize post-Tree of Life Terrence Malick's style - the introspective narration, flowing camerawork and tone poem quality - and make their own artistic statement out of it. This is a great example of that. Specifically, it's a tone poem about childhood that blurs the line between reality and a 9 year old boy's imagination and interweaves that into his feelings and internal struggles. All captured on glorious Super 16mm film.

Support the Girls (Andrew Bujalski, 2018) - +

I guess it's a good thing that the last film I watch this year, and the 100th film of 2018 I've seen, goes to the one with maybe the best but certainly my favorite ending of the year. Something about it, despite being one of the emotionally quietest (albeit entirely cathartic) moments of the film, is incredibly memorable. I'll leave it at that regarding the ending.

It's such a charismatic flick and one of my top favorites of the year right now. The story rests entirely on the main character of Lisa - she's our emotional core - and Regina Hall's down-to-earth performance doesn't just gain that necessarily basic investment but accomplishes a much stronger bond between audience and protagonist. I dug everything about this, but none of it would have worked without Regina Hall. It's not a showy performance but it's a damn good one anyway, and she deserves whatever accolades she has gotten or will get for this film.

And with that, I can get back to watching movies of any year.

That's a lot; I've only managed 45 thus far, and this isn't including most of the "popular" films that are winning awards and are included on people's Best-Of lists.

Do you have a list somewhere on the site with all the 2018 releases you've seen? I like your reviews so I'm curious.

(I did watch Support the Girls and I agree about that one.)

Quitting the Tab indefinitely. In the meantime, have this:

The Nightmare Before Christmas (Henry Selick, 1993) -

Second viewing. Time will tell if I decide to work this into an annual Christmas rotation, but as it stands it's still a thoroughly enjoyable subversion of the saving-Christmas formula that fills its short runtime with well-aged stop-motion, excellent musical numbers, and one of the better distillations of Tim Burton's extremely distinct style.

Die Hard (John McTiernan, 1988) -

Original review found here. Probably my first time watching this since writing that review and I could go back and forth on whether or not to give this the full five.

John Dies at the End (Don Coscarelli, 2012) -

Original review found here. Good to see that I called it growing on me, though given what this film's about that may not be the best metaphor.

Meek's Cutoff (Kelly Reichardt, 2010) -

Reichardt does a Western, this time applying her extraordinarily patient and methodical approach to the tale of a wagon train getting lost on the Oregon trail. Balancing between the direct and the oblique as often it needs to - perhaps a little more so in the latter's case, though it at least makes sense for it to do so in its contradiction of manifest destiny.

Aquaman (James Wan, 2018) -

It's easy to be skeptical of how the DCEU has more or less settled into creating their own off-brand variations of MCU installments (with this obviously inviting comparisons to the cosmic spectacle and socio-political intrigue of Thor: Ragnarok and Black Panther respectively). It's not without its fun moments and there's quite a bit to appreciate about how much it commits to its bombastic science-fantasy that even finds time to appropriate and subvert H.P. Lovecraft's capacity for nautical horror, but it's still a little more sluggish and shambolic than it really should be.

Black Mirror: Bandersnatch (David Slade, 2018) -

Does the notorious sci-fi anthology series' choose-your-own-adventure "event" qualify as a movie? Given how much its multitude of binary choices lead the hapless protagonist in circles or down unavoidable paths, it might as well be. To that end, it's a novel variation on Black Mirror's usual format where technological dreams inevitably give way to nightmares, but in doing so it sacrifices the series' tendency towards human-centric messaging in favour of merely dicking around with its concept. To this end, I question if I'll ever revisit it to take paths I originally missed.

The Squid and the Whale (Noah Baumbach, 2005) -

In my experience, Baumbach's films tend to be a hard sell because of how much they involve putting up with such irritatingly self-absorbed characters acting out in such obnoxious ways that even in-story justification does little to make it easier to process. That being said, this is the first time I've re-watched one of his films, which I think should speak for how well the film manages to justify its depiction of such shamelessly flawed individuals and criticises its male leads' behaviour.

Vice (Adam McKay, 2018) -

While a technically well-meaning film that aims to depict career politician Dick Cheney's negative influence on a political system that was already pretty broken and how severely it impacted the course of modern history, it's still quite a mess in terms of its filmmaking and the ways in which it attempts to be actively satirical of its subject that somehow fail to gel with how much of the film proves a little too good at humanising him. Points for effort, I guess.

The Favourite (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2018) -

Watching The Lobster in 2015 felt like a breath of fresh air with its none-more-black humour, but it's only meant that Lanthimos' last couple of films have felt like diminishing returns in that regard, especially this debaucherous exercise in period-piece power games. Still enough going on that I don't particularly mind it, but I'm not overly thrilled about it either.

Cold War (Pawel Pawlikowski, 2018) -

A brief but patient and low-key tale of two Polish citizens - one a professional musician, the other a peasant with a lovely singing voice - whose constantly-complicated love story plays out against many different geographical and political backdrops over the years. Its running time keeps things appreciably concise - a quality that is reflected in the crispness of the cinematography, the sharply-crafted diegetic musical numbers, and the effectiveness of a romance that plays out largely in the most fleeting of moments.

The Apartment (Billy Wilder, 1960) -

Opted to revisit this for New Year's (for some reason I was under the impression that this was like a New Year's movie but it's really only the last five minutes or so) and I don't think I'll contest its position as one of the best films ever made.

Cosmopolis (David Cronenberg, 2012)

A fascinating take on the modern world of capitalism. As our protagonist takes his journey in his limo, the images convey both his personal life and capitalism collapsing around him, standing strong in the face of attack, determined to persevere. As the protagonist attempts to draw conclusions that aren't there from incomprehensible patterns and data, he also struggles to draw meaning from his own life, acts of sex and violence are meaningless for most the part as the film travels towards a fascinating final act.

Key Largo (John Huston, 1948)

Although regarding as a classic of the "film noir" genre, apart from having a stellar crime cast, the rest of the film is quite far removed from other similar films of the time. Set largely inside a Florida hottle, with our characters cooped up together because of a hurricane, John Huston's suspensful direction and a few fantastic performances help to ratch up the suspense to the maximum before a tonal shift to a more usual thriller in the final act. It's easy to see how this has inspired a number of "hold up" films, with the most obvious being the The Hateful Eight.

Maps to the Stars (David Cronenberg, 2014)

Another cynical Cronenberg film, this time taking aim at the lives of the people of Hollywood. Like similar films, although shallow characters and obvious messages become repetitive, there is enough stylistic direction to keep things interesting enough. In the second half it turns from a more loose critique of the world of Hollywood to a personal story. It didn't pack the same visceral punch as Cosmopolis, but like all of Cronenberg's work that I've seen so far it was filled with memorable scenes that made me feel very uneasy. Decent enough, but I don't think I would rush to watch it again.

The Other Side of the Wind (Orson Welles, 2018)

Although much closer to F for Fake than Citizen Kane, this film is completely fresh and nothing like Welles had done before. Even though the film has been finished by people other than Welles, from what I understand about the history of the project, I doubt the finished product would have looked much different to what we see now. Welles' desire to challenge viewers, to evolve as a filmmaker and create a lasting masterpiece is absolutely fascinating. Essentially we have three Welles characters, that is: Welles portraying two different film directors, and John Huston playing Orson Welles the character. Although directed by Welles, Welles directs the primary film as if he is the editor for a documentary film crew, then there is the film within the film that Welles directs as if he is an artistic avant-garde film director like Antonioni. Although this film is more akin to a parody than a serious effort, it has some absolutely incredible sequences that you wont soon forget. Then there is John Huston's character who is undoubtedly supposed to resemble Welles, he gives a furious raw performance that is genuinely terrifying at times. I found the film to be absolutely mesmirising, a must watch for film fans.

In the Shadow of Women (Philippe Garrel, 2015)

Although this film is extremely short in length and deliberately strips down the story to the bare bones of a male and a female couple and not much else, it surprised me in how it was able to my experience accurately convey an interesting picture of modern relationships.

They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead (Morgan Neville, 2018)

An accompanying documentary to The Other Side of the Wind, this is an insightful piece of work which helps explain the context behind the film and understand why Welles made the decisions he made. The main feeling I felt after watching this was sadness and frustration of how Welles was treated by the American studios after Citizen Kane.

__________________

December, 2018 movies watched-

Rush (2013) Repeat viewing + It's just a very well crafted film that I enjoyed a little more the second time.

Memories of Murder (2003) I needed a more consistently dark tone in order to love it.

First Reformed (2017) Pretty much a dud.

Carnival of Souls (1962) + Creepy and surreal.

The Editor (2014) Horror comedy that was enough fun to be worth watching.

Onibaba (1964) Repeat viewing Such a unique movie.

The House on Straw Hill (1976) - Decent exploitation that could have used more exploitation.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Repeat viewing + One of my favorites in the fantasy category.

Deep Red (1975) Repeat viewing - The first time I gave it 2/5. Go figure.

Hellboy (2004) Cool character and lead performance.

Hour of the Wolf (1968) Repeat viewing Effective psychological terror from director Bergman.

Baskin (2015) - A messy horror even with good tension and gore.

Friday the 13th (2009) - Just as good as any other in the series for me.

Train to Busan (2016) I would have loved it if it were a little nastier.

Haxan (1922) + I couldn't get into the narrative but it is awesome visually.

Pulse (2001) A pretty solid horror/drama that unfortunately lacks thrills.

Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre (2009) Some qualities I really like but just not that good.

Eden Lake (2008) Repeat viewing I wouldn't call it great but it's totally my kind of movie.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016) Pretty solid from start to finish.

Singapore Sling (1990) One of the strangest movies I've ever seen.

Roar (1981) A crap movie whose production story makes it fascinating to watch.

The Amityville Horror (1979) Repeat viewing + A good classic horror carried by James

The Howling (1981) Repeat viewing + Still love it but I don't think it's as great after many years.

A Simple Favor (2018) - Good dark humor and a very good Anna Kendrick.

The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970) What I would expect the average good Giallo to be.

Total November viewings-25
Total 2018 viewings-312

Seen in December Pt.1


+
Watched the dubbed version. I loved the over-the-top action, it was completely ridiculous but also fun. I liked the relationship between the two male leads. That scene with the two of them with guns drawn in the blind lady’s house was super cool.


RE-WATCH

Saw it in a theatre. I mean it’s Die Hard, what can I say?



I mean I had no interest in seeing this but my school group had to go so ummmmmmm......
I liked the development of the Rocky IV character from "EVIL COMMIE REE!" to an actual human being. Fight scenes were good, pretty inspirational. The overuse of pop songs for the soundtrack didn't work for me. I feel like watching the first Creed now.



You can’t go wrong with John Hughes. The comedy was great, lots of creative set pieces. I love the characters in this, with the late-great Candy as the talkative goofball and Martin as the ‘proper’ businessman.



It's funny, the characters are interesting, the visuals are amazing. My only real issues were that it felt kinda claustrophobic being set entirely in the city (I dunno the trailer made it look like a big epic adventure) and the second act felt very short.


+
Had no interest in watching this but we watched it in religion class so ummmmmmm……

The script is incredibly average and predictable and you could probably disprove 95% of this film with a five minute Google search. It’s just a simple, not boring film that gets you excited about conspiracy theories and makes you want to research them.


RE-WATCH

I mean it’s Toy Story 2 what am I supposed to say?


RE-WATCH

Classic. The ‘Walking in the Air’ sequence is incredibly beautiful. The whole short is just solid overall.


RE-WATCH

This film is an actual fever dream and I love it. So many dumb scenes and lines that make you laugh (Put that cookie down, NOW!). I just love anything with may boy Arnold.



Solid thriller from the director of my favourite episode of Black Mirror. ’Solid’ is the perfect description for it because it does everything to exactly an above-average level and nothing else (Likeable protagonists, hate-able villain and slightly sympathetic cohorts, good tension). That’s not a bad thing (It’s actually a very good thing), it just makes it impossible to talk about. I didn’t like the ending, felt unrealistic and bleak for the sake of it.