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Nomadland (2020)


I was really looking forward to this one given all the praise it received, and I know a person or two that has tried this lifestyle. However I just couldn't truly get into it. The documentary-like style was fine, and it was wonderfully shot. The pace just felt a bit too slow maybe...



Victim of The Night


Equinox, 1970

A man named David (Edward Connell) has been in a mental institution for a year, following the strange deaths of his friends. David's doctor plays a tape of an interview with David to a curious reporter, and the film almost entirely takes place within the story being told on the recording. In it, we learn that David, Jim (Frank Bonner), Susan (Barbara Hewitt), and Vicki (Robin Christopher) went on an ill-fated trip into the woods where they encountered a creepy ranger named Asmodeus (Jack Woods) and procured a book of possibly evil origin.

Maybe it's just that I was expecting this movie to be total junk, based on years of seeing certain images from it or hearing it get joked about, but I thought that this was not half bad! There are some . . . choices . . . that detract from the film, but overall I was surprised at how much it succeeded at generating some real suspense.

The main selling point of the film is the effects, a mix of stop-motion animation and forced perspective scenes. I really enjoyed these effects, as they had both an old-school charm and a weirdness to them that set them apart from other similar monster sequences. While the infamous beast on the film's cover gets most of the attention, I really liked the sequence above. I also liked some of the cuts, as when a flying demon tackles a person and then the edit cuts to him in human form.

In terms of what doesn't go as well, the characters are not developed in any meaningful way. For the most part I liked the character of Asmodeus (and his habit of suddenly appearing, on horseback, right in front of or behind the main characters). There is something off about him, and this works best when he is silently menacing. Later in the film when the acting is less, um, subtle, it trips over into something too silly for me.

Not a great film by any means, but I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected. The ending is also a lot stronger and more menacing than I would have thought.

Such a strange movie.



Victim of The Night
I really like Solaris. And while no on really talks about it all that much, the American remake (which is like, half the length) does have some interesting moments.
I really liked Soderbergh's remake but I had no idea it was a remake so I wasn't comparing it to anything. For a long time I thought it was the best thing he or George Clooney ever did but I haven't seen it for about 15 years.



Victim of The Night
I can respect that, but Gladiator is certainly the most flawed film I've ever given five stars to, I still think it makes for a good accidental companion piece to Crouching Tiger, as a historical Action/Drama from 2000 (and also the closest thing to a "pure" Action film to win the Best Picture Oscar, which is nice for me, since it's one of my favorite genres), andI still can't help but get swept up in its grandeur anyway, for the things it does right; I mean, the scene where Commodus is being raised up to the floor of the Colosseum, as the crowd chants and Zimmer's score booms? That's about as epic as it gets, man:

Yeah, I hear ya. Just not my brand of marmalade.
Crouching Tiger, on the other hand, is still one of my favorite movies I've ever seen.



I really like Solaris. And while no on really talks about it all that much, the American remake (which is like, half the length) does have some interesting moments.
I wouldn't mind watching that as well. I'd like to see what Soderbergh and Clooney can do with it.



Cría cuervos (1976)

This was recommended on the basis of my liking of The Spirit of the Beehive. The connection is quite easy to see, and it's not restricted to Ana Torrent. The films share lots of themes (mainly death, and a child dealing with it), but Cria cuervos is less fantastical and less innocent. I wish it had gone deeper into the darkness instead of just continuously hinting at Ana's fascination with death. It trades away too much of the childish charms of The Spirit of the Beehive without ever fully committing to its more morbid path. Oh, and Porque te vas is such a great song and it's used so damn well in this film.

So yeah, a good film but I prefer The Spirit of the Beehive.
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I wouldn't mind watching that as well. I'd like to see what Soderbergh and Clooney can do with it.
I think they were in a bit of a pickle, because either you ape the original (which has a very particular dreamy and disturbing magic) or you change the story and anger probably 60% of your potential audience.

I thought they did a good job. Not nearly as good as the original, but maybe like a 3.5/5 compared to a 4.5/5

And I did approve of one significant change/addition they made to the story. Also, the cast is great.



I think they were in a bit of a pickle, because either you ape the original (which has a very particular dreamy and disturbing magic) or you change the story and anger probably 60% of your potential audience.

I thought they did a good job. Not nearly as good as the original, but maybe like a 3.5/5 compared to a 4.5/5

And I did approve of one significant change/addition they made to the story. Also, the cast is great.
I would expect it to be at least worth watching. I've seen nine of his movies (out of the 29 listed on IMDb) and Soderbergh has never disappointed me.





White Rock, 1977

This documentary, hosted by actor James Coburn, explores the sports and competitions at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck.

Okay, I did not realize that James Coburn sassily introducing me to a variety of winter sports was something that I desperately needed in my life. And this film only has 88 votes on IMDB!! What the heck?!

This is a novel approach to a sports documentary, and especially an Olympic one. For lack of a better explanation, this is kind of like a hangout movie. Only Coburn is hanging out with top-tier Olympic athletes. The structure of the film is very similar all the way through: with help from experts, Coburn attempts various facets of the different sports (riding in a bobsled, briefly tending goal at an ice hockey practice, and completing part of a skiing/shooting biathlon. Once Coburn, and by proxy the audience, really get a grip on the challenges inherent in the sport, the film cuts to footage of the actual Olympic competition.

It's a great way to structure the documentary. Rather than choosing a particular country or athlete to follow/support, this strategy pushes respect for all of the athletes. Even a montage of skiers wiping out on a nasty turn takes on far less of a mean-spirited feel after Coburn and some close-up camera work have helped us understand that these athletes are traveling at speeds up to and exceeding 60 MPH.

Coburn is an easy and amiable host. He is game for trying out the different sports, and doesn't let ego get in the way of admitting how hard they are. For example, he huffs and puffs through the biathlon before conceding that there's no way he could steadily fire a gun after twice the amount of skiing, reminding us that athletes who exceed 8 shots must then do penalty skiing laps.

While it's true that there is no central "narrative" here, I kind of liked that. It meant that you were never rooting for or against anyone, but rather marveling at the skill and dedication of all of the athletes.

This was a different kind of sports/Olympic documentary and I thought it was really fun and refreshing.




I would expect it to be at least worth watching. I've seen nine of his movies (out of the 29 listed on IMDb) and Soderbergh has never disappointed me.
With the exception of Unsane, I would agree.








Devil's Knot (2013) - 4.5/10. Not sure why Colin Firth was cast for a movie that was set in the south of US. The movie is pretty basic, run of the mill, by the book court room drama. Nothing special. I was disappointed considering I love court dramas and tend to rate them a wee bit higher than normal.
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Devil's Knot (2013) - 4.5/10. Not sure why Colin Firth was cast for a movie that was set in the south of US. The movie is pretty basic, run of the mill, by the book court room drama. Nothing special. I was disappointed considering I love court dramas and tend to rate them a wee bit higher than normal.
You'd be much better off watching the excellent but infuriating documentary 'Paradise Lost', which tells the story right from the beginning. There's also another called West of Memphis I think, which is ok but not great.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117293/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2



You'd be much better off watching the excellent but infuriating documentary 'Paradise Lost', which tells the story right from the beginning. There's also another called West of Memphis I think, which is ok but not great.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117293/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2

Seen that a long time ago!



Not sure why Colin Firth was cast for a movie that was set in the south of US.
It’s called “acting” for a reason.
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Venus (2006)

Some daft bits, some touching bits. A bit one dimensional but ,given the age of Peter O'Toole, a lovely warmth is spread throughout. Jodie Whittaker is exceptional.