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La Dolce Vita (1960) -


I've talked about my relationship with Fellini in the past, but everything I've seen from him so far has left me cold. In addition to this film, I've also seen 8 1/2 and La Strada. While I don't have any issues with those films per se, I felt like they flew over my head. Given that, I wasn't so hot on rewatching this film concerning its 3 hour runtime, but to my surprise, I ended up liking it quite a lot. Though I'm not sure I loved it per se, it's definitely made me more eager to revisit 8 1/2 and La Strada.

On the surface, this film is lovely to look at. It largely consists of various parties Marcello goes to, where he's surrounded by his friends and various women he intends to start a successful relationship with. The deeper one delves into these scenes, however, Marcello's lifestyle feels less like a utopia and more like a prolonged mid-life crisis. The great tragedy of Marcello is that he desperately craves a change in scenery, yet every event he attends results in the same scenery and a similar outcome of winding up back at square one. Instead of abandoning this unfulfilling lifestyle though, he keeps on attending these parties, experiencing more and more failed relationships along the way. Though it's unclear what he wants, there seems to be something he intends to obtain from this lifestyle before he fades away from it altogether, except, one party after another, his attempts keep falling flat. On the surface, it could be said that his intention is to start a successful relationship, but I think his motives are more complex than this. He's already engaged to Emma, yet cheats on her and shows little interest in their relationship. However, if their relationship seems as if it's about to be destroyed, he attempts to prevent that from happening. This raises questions on whether he even knows what he wants. Whatever his intentions are, it's clear his desires won't be fulfilled in his current state.

The most commonly criticized aspect of this film is its length. While I'm not going to pretend the movie kept me fully engaged all throughout (I felt its length in a couple party scenes in the latter half), I think its length was part of the point. I love how Rotten Tomatoes has "...La Dolce Vita remains riveting in spite of -- or perhaps because of -- its sprawling length." in the film's Critical Consensus. Marcello seems trapped in a never ending cycle of attending parties and forming relationships, yet always ends up unfulfilled. His response to these failed attempts are to try again and again until something finally works out. In that sense, the repetition adds more layers to Marcello's characterization. I suspect that another rewatch will make this aspect more profound. As it currently stands, I struggled with the film somewhat (albeit, far less than I did when I first watched it), but the odds of me revisiting it are definitely much higher than they previously were.

Overall, I really liked this film. Brimming with bloat and repetition, it's not for everyone, but there's definitely a lot going on in the film beyond presenting a gorgeous portrait of nightlife in Rome interspersed with some drama. It's not quite a great film for me (again though, I suspect I'll like it more with another viewing), but it's grown on me to the point it's now my favorite of Fellini's films.

This is a movie that I rated 7.5/10, watched 3-4 times, but felt cold.. As you mentioned, repetitive and bloated. I'm convinced the movie would be much better if you removed Anita Ekberg (and ever character in Fellini's movies who are English who speak with a lousy Italian accent)...
I'm not sure why I rated it that high, but cold is the last feeling I got with "La Strada". It's my #2 ever, thought it was funny at times, tragic, fine script, and I felt for Gelsomina, and even Zampana ("Zampano is here" - cracked me up).. Did you see "i vitelloni"? It's a good one.... The one movie of his I couldn't stand is 8 1/2, which I did see twice... Have you seen "Nights of Cabiria"? It's probably my 2nd favorite movie of his, but he's more miss than hit for me..



Concussion (2015)


I probably won't ever watch this again, but it was very compelling to see. It's a mixed bag in terms of writing, editing, etc, and I'm not sure if I ever completely bought in to Will Smith's accent.





Below Zero. Nice action movie from Spain, a bit gory too.
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100 Days to Live (Ravin Gandhi, 2019)
5/10
The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity (Jingming Guo, 2020)
5/10
Breaking News in Yuba County (Tate Taylor, 2021)
5/10
A Crooked Somebody (Trevor White, 2017)
+ 6/10

Two crooked somebodies (Clifton Collins Jr and Rich Sommer) get together at a night of psychic entertainment and mess up things.
Paradise Cove (Martin Guigui, 2021)
5/10
Smart Woman (Gregory La Cava, 1931)
5.5/10
Expiry (Tom Gatley, 2021)
5/10
15 Killings (I. Drakos, 2020)
5.5/10

Of all the sick and twisted serial killer movies, this one is more interesting than most (here with neurologist Maria Olsen and psychopath Steve Bongeorno) and a somwhat poetic ending.
Walker (Tsai Ming-Liang, 2012)
5/10
The Shining Hour (Frank Borzage, 1938)
5/10
Fear of Rain (Castille Landon, 2021)
+ 5/10
The Story of Luke (Alonso Mayo, 2012)
6.5/10

Funny, relatable film about two autistic individuals (Seth Green and Lou Taylor Pucci) helping each other at work and finding a girlfriend.
Sator (Jordan Graham, 2019)
+ 5/10
What a Blonde (Leslie Goodwins, 1945
5.5/10
Sacrifice (Andy Collierc & Toor Mian, 2020)
5/10
Silk Road (Tiller Russell, 2021)
6/10

On the dark web, Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht (Nick Robinson) and demoted DEA agent Rick Bowden (Jason Clarke) cross paths and it doesn't turn out too well.
Payback (Joseph Mensch, 2021)
5/10
Son of the South (Barry Alexander Brown, 2020)
5.5/10
Trauma (Lucio A. Rojas, 2017)
5/10
I Blame Society (Gillian Wallace Horvat, 2020)
5.5/10

Definitely has its laughs and shocks, mostly provided by lead/writer/directot Gillian Wallace Horvat, but too in love with itself, which is actually the point of the movie.
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This is a movie that I rated 7.5/10, watched 3-4 times, but felt cold.. As you mentioned, repetitive and bloated. I'm convinced the movie would be much better if you removed Anita Ekberg (and ever character in Fellini's movies who are English who speak with a lousy Italian accent)...
I'm not sure why I rated it that high, but cold is the last feeling I got with "La Strada". It's my #2 ever, thought it was funny at times, tragic, fine script, and I felt for Gelsomina, and even Zampana ("Zampano is here" - cracked me up).. Did you see "i vitelloni"? It's a good one.... The one movie of his I couldn't stand is 8 1/2, which I did see twice... Have you seen "Nights of Cabiria"? It's probably my 2nd favorite movie of his, but he's more miss than hit for me..
It is certainly repetitive, but I also think the repetition was the point. Of course, even with that knowledge, I still struggled with the film somewhat, but I feel like I might like it more with another rewatch. Who knows.

I liked La Strada quite a lot. I remember thinking the final act somewhat flew over my head, but I'll have to rewatch it someday as I feel I may like it more. The same goes for 8 1/2.

I haven't seen I Vitelloni and Nights of Cabiria yet, but I plan to watch them soon as I heard they're among his best films.



The Horse's Mouth (1958) Directed by Ronald Neame and starring Alec Guinness, Kay Walsh, Renee Houston, and Mike Morgan. This Oscar nominated comedy is about a somewhat boorish painter just released from prison in search of his next project. Guinness is good in the lead role, but I found the film somewhat underwhelming. It wasn't very funny or entertaining to me. It dragged on, even though it is only 95 minutes, it felt longer. It's not a bad film, but I don't consider it very interesting or enjoyable. My rating is a 6/10.



Monster Hunter (2020)

Surprisingly entertaining action sequences, and Milla is still hot. There's no real story or characters, but the effects are good. Definitely more fun than the previous Godzilla.
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Snooze factor = 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




this movie is probably the weirdest film i ever saw , 7/10



News of the World (2020)

A cliched and predictable western that doesn't seem to trust its slow pace and bare-bones structure. Instead, it puts a regular stream of obstacles and dangers on its protagonists' way (some just for cheap thrills, some to relay a message). I'm not a fan of Kelly Reichardt, but Paul Greengrass could have taken some hints from her style on this one. Still, the relationship between Hanks and Zengel has enough warmth and chemistry to make the film alright.







Snooze factor = 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
is it good? i saw the other 2 but not this



is it good? i saw the other 2 but not this
I can't really remember the other two. A bit too silly in parts for me but had a smile on my face through most of it. Enjoyed it. Adored the daughters, hope they get their own movie.





So long ago since I’ve seen this movie. So good. The chemistry between Nouri & Beals was so delightful. Music & songs so good too. Entertaining movie during a pandemic.
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Alright its finally over (for now), wrapping up Bond Watch 2021.

Skyfall (Sam Mendes, 2012)
This is that specific brand of trite, scientific crowd-pleaser the Marvel films are. The melodrama, the fanservice, all that ****. And its so tragic that it would go this way as the Craig era films never really got to carve out their own identity. I guess now that this story arc has wrapped I'll mention how none of the M stuff has ever worked. She's been written to be a complete buffoon for 7 films straight at this point and I can't really feel for her when she gets her comeuppance. I know the Brosnan films and the Craig films aren't in the same timeline but I'm already just too annoyed with her character by the time Casino Royale rolls around to possibly get invested in her and Bond's relationship which is the emotional crux of the film, but I digress. Back to stuff that's relevant to Skyfall specifically. Like most aspects of the film, the action is fine in the moment most times but immediately forgettable and the finale is especially weak. The same can be said for the film visually pretty much. It looks good for sure but there's literally only one scene that looked good in a way that made me feel any sort of way. Groan-worthy dialogue (but that comes with the Marvel formula they nicked) and Javier Bardem is just a complete charisma void as the villain. The full positive things I have to say about it are that despite the runtime it doesn't feel THAT long and (again, Marvel) it skates by on being blandly agreeable in a way that doesn't make me think its out right bad but it does mean that there's no way I could ever respect it.


Spectre (Sam Mendes, 2015)
Finally wrapping up the Bond films (for the time being, of course) with a high point for the Craig era. While I don't think the current style of mainstream filmmaking is suited well to the James Bond tone, this is probably as close as its gonna get and I think this is first script from this iteration of Bond that really "gets it". It's still got its problems of course. Once again, there's too much focus on side characters (though to a far lesser degree this time) and although the pacing is spot on for the most part, it really starts barrelling towards the finish line in the last hour or so and loses a good bit of tension in the process and the finale isn't anything special either. It doesn't really have any big moments but it just skates by on capturing enough of that classic Bond vibe without without relying on fanservice or feeling derivative. Good cast for this one too as Waltz, Bautista and Seydoux fit quite well here. Hope Bautista gets the Jaws treatment and come back for the next one. Happy to have had an overall pleasant experience with the franchise again.


Currently final Bond rankings:
01. From Russia with Love
02. Thunderball
03. The Spy Who Loved Me
04. Diamonds are Forever
05. Moonraker
06. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
07. Licence to Kill
08. Tomorrow Never Dies
09. The World Is Not Enough
10. Dr. No
11. The Man With the Golden Gun
12. Octopussy
13. A View to a Kill
14. For Your Eyes Only
15. Die Another Day
16. Spectre
17. Live and Let Die
18. You Only Live Twice
19. The Living Daylights
20. Quantum of Solace
21. Goldfinger
22. Casino Royale
23. Skyfall
24. GoldenEye


and now I can finally go back to watching dumbass art films



Run Hide Fight (2020)

Surprisingly decent Die Hard lite that replaces the terrorists with school shooters. It has a smaller scale and slower pace, but the structure is very close to McTiernan's classic. Not the greatest film out there, but I enjoyed it.



Alright its finally over (for now), wrapping up Bond Watch 2021.

Skyfall (Sam Mendes, 2012)
This is that specific brand of trite, scientific crowd-pleaser the Marvel films are. The melodrama, the fanservice, all that ****. And its so tragic that it would go this way as the Craig era films never really got to carve out their own identity. I guess now that this story arc has wrapped I'll mention how none of the M stuff has ever worked. She's been written to be a complete buffoon for 7 films straight at this point and I can't really feel for her when she gets her comeuppance. I know the Brosnan films and the Craig films aren't in the same timeline but I'm already just too annoyed with her character by the time Casino Royale rolls around to possibly get invested in her and Bond's relationship which is the emotional crux of the film, but I digress. Back to stuff that's relevant to Skyfall specifically. Like most aspects of the film, the action is fine in the moment most times but immediately forgettable and the finale is especially weak. The same can be said for the film visually pretty much. It looks good for sure but there's literally only one scene that looked good in a way that made me feel any sort of way. Groan-worthy dialogue (but that comes with the Marvel formula they nicked) and Javier Bardem is just a complete charisma void as the villain. The full positive things I have to say about it are that despite the runtime it doesn't feel THAT long and (again, Marvel) it skates by on being blandly agreeable in a way that doesn't make me think its out right bad but it does mean that there's no way I could ever respect it.
I liked it more than did you. In fact I re-watched it the other night just to get a respite from some of the crappola being put out today.

I thought the story was interesting enough in comparison to some of the other Bond movies. Of course it was unbelievable, but then the entire series is fantasy.

Mendes did nice work, and I loved the photography of Roger Deakins. Thomas Newman wrote a nice score, keeping to the spirit of Bond films. I liked Bardem as the villian. Although goofy, he had a certain threatening quality. He sure got to act all the emotions!



Lord Jim - This is a 1965 adaptation of a Joseph Conrad novel and directed by Richard Brooks. He's a competent enough director I suppose (in the Ron Howard vein) and was responsible for some films I really enjoyed like The Professionals (immediately following this in 1966) and In Cold Blood. But like I said, those were competent movies, owing most of their appeal to the writing and the stars. Brooks was more of a "first do no harm" kind of director and even though he wrote the screenplays for all three of the films mentioned, Joseph Conrad is such a problematic author to transfer to the big screen that Brooks is ultimately unable to do his novel justice. It feels overlong and Brooks by the numbers approach is not a good fit. Peter O'Toole plays the young seaman who devotes the remainder of his life to rectifying a failure of cowardice in the first act and does a commendable job as Jim. He's three years removed from Lawrence of Arabia so comparisons are unavoidable given the "white savior" aspect of both roles. And speaking of echoes, the choice of Eli Wallach to play the head bad guy naturally calls to mind the character of Calvera in The Magnificent Seven. Anyway, the cast is dependable and this is with James Mason not actually showing up until the last act. I thought there was entirely too much pontificating at the end there but again this was mostly due to Brooks trying to jam Conrad's dense metaphysical, romantic adventure into a two and half hour film. 75/100