Movie Tab II

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

Curious now as to what you consider an accurately-rated 8-hour film.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

Only one I've seen. Never got to Shoah yet.

That's a 9-hour film.

Hmm... I think I need to find 8 hours' time at some point. Hopefully, that 1080p version on YouTube is fine.

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"It's dawn and the sun is out. It's going to be hot today, isn't it?"

The challenge one faces when attempting to write about a legend is that firstly, the legend is well known and therefore many have studied it to death, and secondly, the legend is worshipped, and therefore one has to find a way to bypass its status of a masterpiece and tackle it on a more personal level. The legend is Yasujiro Ozu's Tokyo Story, and the personal approach is perhaps the only way to write about the film and still create an interesting piece of text.

I first watched Tokyo Story back in March 2013. I'm quite sure it was my first Ozu film and a sort of gateway to Japanese cinema. It was by no means the first Japanese film I have ever seen but certainly the first of this kind. I remember liking it very much but still leaving with a 'that's it?' sort of impression. Rewatching it now, almost 8 years later, I confirm - yes, that's it! But after numerous other Ozus, Naruses, Yamadas, Goshos, Shimizus et al, that 'it' took on some inexplicable, deep meaning. Back in the day I watched other Ozu films and liked them more than Tokyo Story. Perhaps I still do. But that's beside the point.

I come from a very small family and one that seems to get smaller each year. I never felt that way before but recently I've been finding myself moved by cinematic depictions of families, especially in Japanese cinema. Of course, it's best when the depicted family is a perfect one - that's when my heart starts racing. But usually, this is not the case. As much as the importance of both love and family have grown in my eyes tremendously, the idea that family is family no matter how bad its members are is largely lost on me. It's too idealistic even to me. However, the idea that a black sheep can still reunite with their loved ones... When depicted skillfully and with a lot of heart like in Yoji Yamada's About Her Brother, now that's touching and relatable in some ways. But Tokyo Story is not about that.

The most surface-level meaning to Tokyo Story, to put it as ambiguously as possible, is that one should keep close to their family before it's too late. Then, you have a lot of other observations and meanings to the film, both apparent and hidden, that I'd rather not mention in detail here so as not to ruin the experience of those of you who still haven't seen this film (seriously, what are you waiting for?!). I'm not intending to enter into polemics with the film's message. As long as I believe that you ought to keep close to those you love, not all of us are fortunate enough to have their beloved ones in their family. Another point, children are entitled to their own lives and do not owe anything to their parents - a point the film is not denying. I believe the film is downright saying this but still focusing on the feelings of the parents. That's perhaps what makes it so powerful and humane.

Ozu's approach is original even though it's just your usual shōshimin eiga that was quite popular at the time. But Ozu ignores the 180-degree rule. Ozu tells the story like nobody before him but many after. The things he talks about - sure, say, the idea that the bonds of love are stronger than the bonds of blood. Naruse did that as early as in 1932 in his beautiful silent No Blood Relation. But the way Ozu talks about it. Or rather how he doesn't talk about it at all but shows it - that's interesting. And how Chishu Ryu's character copes with loss. How he utters "It's dawn and the sun is out. It's going to be hot today, isn't it?". There is not a hint of melodrama in that but it hits you hard all the same. This is pure melancholy.

So perhaps Mizoguchi was right to praise Ozu and say what Ozu does is much more mysterious than Mizoguchi's own films. After all, Ozu's films are, or at least this film - Tokyo Story is, pretty straightforward. But Ozu's films are all about life. And what's more mysterious than life?

Two weeks ago I rewatched Tokyo Story, a film mostly composed of gorgeous static shots with the camera placed relatively low so as to imitate the point of view of a person sitting on the floor. I especially loved the pillow shot portraying three-or-so women in kimonos standing on the bridge. Quite breathtaking! All actors give convincing performances. Chishu Ryu and Chieko Higashiyama create perhaps the most charming couple of all time! And Setsuko Hara - what a charming flower she is! A morning glory of film! And definitely a more presentable morning glory than that of my own. ;) Oh, how I love Japanese films that evoke mono no aware. Makes me want to watch Shimizu's Ornamental Hairpin again. Makes me want to watch other Ozu films, other movies from the Noriko Trilogy. Makes me want to watch movies. The journey of a cinephile is a long one, so it's good to get back to a familiar place from time to time.

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San Franciscan lesbian dwarves and their tomato orgies.

I hated Pulp Fiction when I first watched it back in 2011, I couldn't stand the excessive swearing and as I literally watched it in between some of the best films ever made and films that made me a cinephile and changed my life (Werckmeister Harmonies, Stalker, Seventh Seal), Pulp Fiction seriously let me down.

I really liked Pulp Fiction when I rewatched it in 2014. I remember watching it in a rented room with a laptop on my lap (after all it's called a LAPtop, eh?!). I'd definitely become more open-minded since 2011 and simply enjoyed the film for what it was. I even found myself caring for the characters toward the end of the film.

It's been years and I might rewatch it. I've watched all Tarantino films since and even though I don't think Pulp Fiction is a masterpiece nor even Tarantino's best, I agree it's a fun film.

Not So Recent Viewings:
The Light House (Eggers, 2019)-

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Elf (Favreau, 2003)-

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I'm Thinking of Ending Things (Kaufman, 2020)-

The Mimic (Huh, 2017)-

Borat: Subsequent Movie Film (Woliner, 2020) -

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American Graffiti (1973)



Really expected to dislike it but ended up liking it very much! Great late-night mood and just a lot of fun spiced up by competent filmmaking. Didn't expect Harrison Ford in this! Also, great music.

January, 2021 movies watched-

Crazy Murder (2014) - An A+ for revolting.

Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) + A very good movie but it's nothing more than expected.

The Secret in Their Eyes (2009) Repeat The only "thriller" I can think of that touches my soul.

Philadelphia (1993) A good movie that would have been better if I saw it 20 years ago.

Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) Just not for me.

Becky (2020) Excruciatingly typical.

Aniara (2018) - Above average Swedish Sci-Fi.

VFW (2019) + Good time nonsense.

Barry Lyndon (1975) Repeat Leaves me a little cold, yet I find it practically flawless.

In a Glass Cage (1986) Repeat Above average for a sick film but it's another that leaves me cold.

Rudderless (2014) + Kind of like a good made for TV movie.

Shame (1968) Repeat One of my favorite movies from director Bergman.

The Sea Inside (2004) + A very moving film starring the great Javier Bardem.

Sundays and Cybele (1962) Foreign language Oscar winner that I can't believe I didn't know about before.

The Day of the Jackal (1973) Repeat Much more enjoyable this time with knowing what pace to expect.

The Man from Nowhere (2010) Repeat Above average action film but the lack of originality was more apparent this time.

Carcinoma (2014) - Well done but not easy to get through.

The Guilty (2018) A lot out of very little.

Vampyr (1932) Repeat Love the visuals and sounds but that's it.

La Dolce Vita (1960) Repeat Still not sure what to think of this one.

The Whisperers (1967) - Decent kitchen sink that I thought should have been better.

January viewings-21

January watches (includes rewatches that have never been rated on here):

*missing poster is The Badge Of Marshal Brennan

I saw Mirror quite a few years ago now and it was so impenetrable to me that it took a long time to rediscover the desire to give Tarkovsky another whirl. When I saw first Andrei Rublev and then later Stalker pop up on our top 100 list I knew it was about time. And what a densely challenging, frustrating, thought-provoking, otherworldly, rewarding experience it ended up being.

It’s clear that Tarkovsky intended this film to be an intensely personal experience for each individual that takes the leap into this almost 3-hour long spiritual journey, whose modest plot follows three men as they venture into the mysterious Zone, in search of a Room which supposedly has the power to grant a person’s innermost desire. I feel it’s pointless to try to discern any concrete “point” Tarkovsky was trying to make; it’s so densely packed with ideas that each viewer will draw a different conclusion. The fact that you can find masses of wildly varying interpretations of this film around the web is proof of that. At any rate, I can’t pretend to completely understand even my own feelings about it after one viewing.

Purely as a piece of visual art, it’s beautiful and full of unforgettable images. It’s not a beautiful world they inhabit, certainly not, at least, in the pre- and post- Zone sequences (emphasised by the murky sepia-toned cinematography, contrasting the escape into the expectant colour of the Zone). But the way it is photographed (along with the sparse soundtrack) gives it a distinctive magical-realist quality for which I struggle to find a comparison. The languid flow of the camerawork, allowing us to absorb each shot, the lingering close-ups of the wonderfully expressive performances of Kaydanovskiy and Solonitsyn particularly, suck you almost into a trance at times.

I’m sure it’s possible to let all of this good stuff simply wash over you and enjoy the imagery without even trying to dissect the film’s many themes too much. But there’s so much there that it seems a shame not to at least try to pick apart what it all means to you.

For me, the journey of the Stalker, the Writer and the Professor is a metaphor for life itself, and the three men each represent the vastly different approaches we can take to finding happiness within it – led by God, by art, by science. In reality we are of course complicated beings more than likely dominated by a combination of these things, in conflict with one another, just as the three men butt heads – like the writer mocking the Stalker with his crown of thorns, and the latter, near the end of the film, decrying lack of faith and the spread of cynicism. Their snaking, illogical route through the Zone is the similarly snaking one our lives take, stumbling around in the darkness in search of meaning and an ideal of desire fulfilment and contentment. The nature of the journey changes as our philosophy and mindset does, just as the Zone becomes crueller as the writer infects the group with his increasing agitation and scepticism. The journey, and the destination, is about so much less than giving us what we want, as much as revealing to us our deepest truths, things we wouldn’t admit even to ourselves. The “meat grinder” has this effect on the writer, who admits that his profession is a torment to him, and at the precipice of the Room we learn that a previous Stalker, “Porcupine,” learnt this same reality in the harshest of ways.

Be careful what you wish for, then. Whether it is indeed a real, magical place, or – more likely – a product of the imagination, the Room is a dangerous proposition, revealing not what we tell ourselves and others we desire, but what our true nature dictates we do. In this way, beyond the superficial (like the visual transition to colour), the comparisons to The Wizard of Oz are apt. The men ultimately find that what they seek is a facade, but not in the “you had it in you all along” kind of happy way of Fleming’s film. The men are ultimately shown the unattainability of what they set out to obtain.

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen something that has felt so mysteriously resonant, made me think so much. I can’t pretend to have a theory about all of it, and maybe mine is the shallowest of possible interpretations. But it has made me keen to revisit and dig deeper into the mystery.

Where did you watch this? I am having trouble finding a place to access this...

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It's available on Prime Video here in the UK, sorry I wouldn't know about US availability.

Love that Stalker review Skepsis. I feel similarly about my thoughts on it doing the movie justice, but I think they do. Because Stalker is about the never ending spiritual journey and it's encapsulated perfectly here. I plan on watching this and Solaris again sooner than later. Can't wait.

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Letterboxd

“Except for markf, you’re all a disgrace to cinema.”

Mad Max: Fury Road


While not the "10/10 best movie of the year" the internet might say it is, to me Mad Max: Fury Road is a thoroughly entertaining flick where person drive car into other person car and big explosion happens. Needed more guitar man tho.

The Social Network


For me, I usually care much more about who's writing a movie than who's directing it. I think it's a lot easier for a mediocre director and a good screenwriter to make a good film than vice versa. There are a few guys who stand outside this generalization and Fincher is absolutely one of them. Not saying the screenplay here isn't great, because it is, but to me what makes this film work is just how well Fincher is able to piece together scenes to make a very compelling narrative. Also hahaha it's funny lizard man do you get the joke he is lizard

There Will Be Blood


This is one of my favorites, but I don't want to sing its praises since I think it's best going in blind. What I will say is that this movie is almost perfect in every way, and I think you could analyze and dissect it for hours. What I think's more fun, and more entertaining to read as you slurp down that coffee like the drone you are, is what sucks in this film. There is one scene, one scene in the 158 minute running time that pulls a Perfect Blue and just throws all the subtlety out the window. I won't say what it is for those who haven't seen the film, but it gets pretty cartoony and two-dimensional for this one scene, before getting back to the great stuff. For any other movie this would take off some points, but the rest of this film is so ******* good that I don't think it matters all too much.

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Been watching too many good movies lately, I'll try to see some ****tier ones and let you fine folks know how agitated they make me because that makes for better entertainment.

Dark of the Sun (1968) -
Mercenaries hired to snatch some diamonds in the Congo. A good movie with a low-buttoned shirt and hair on its chest. The score is an excellent Morricone knock off, albeit too light for often brutal & heavy content. Other than that, it's a little too tightly edited for my liking. The gorgeous scenery feels cramped.


The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971) -
Aggravating young Satanic collective up to no good. Harbors an authentic enough 1600s atmosphere within a nice rural setting. Good dialogue and acting too. Despite some silly zoom-in scares, it's probably better than I'm giving it credit for, but it just never grabbed me.


Blast of Silence (1961) -
An anti-social hitman on a job. It's got a ton of dark noir-ish style, and is a pretty good character study of someone that, without sinister narration detailing his inner thoughts, would seem like a pretty unremarkable fellow. Some character actions seem unnatural, and the composer could use an odd dose of ritalin.


Memories of Murder (2003) -
An old favorite that I hadn't seen in years. A group of knuckle-happy detectives in a military-governed South Korea investigate (and attempt to frame) certain oddball suspects for a series of murders. The characters drive the story, and are able to pull off comedy without diminishing the gravity of the subject matter. This has to have one of my favorite epilogues too; bitter and chilling.

Affleck, 2010



Excellent crime thriller set in my neck of the woods. Perfectly paced with some excellent performances. Be careful down Charlestown, alright kid?




Tarkovsky, 1979



Hypnotic and thought provoking, I don't think I quite understood some of it, but I was certainly pulled into the proceedings. Watched this in an effort to 100% the recent best-of list. Probably deserves a higher mark, but some sections were a struggle to get through. I am sure that is all on me.



OK, now that we have the actual films out of the way...



Greenwald, 1980



Awful stuff. Love every second of it. Watched it with my two year-old daughter and she was dancing along with the musical number. Will watch again, probably soon.





Hill, 1979



Not so awful stuff. Love every second of it. My wife hates this movie, so there is a constant barrage of derision funneled my way whenever I watch this, to which I respond by proceeding to quote the film for a week straight after I watch it.