Rate The Last Movie You Saw

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Minari (2020)


I don't think it will get the same love as Parasite did in the Oscars as a foreign film, but its still a lovely movie. A simple story that excellently touches on human emotion.



Rewatch of The Seventh Seal.

I'm convinced this is type of classic that only grows on you, and with every re-viewing you gain more and more of an appreciation for how special it is. It's theme is so powerful, and ever-present: How to reconcile the belief in God amid a world of darkness, while simultaneously attempting to reconcile with our mortality, and the fact that death is inevitable.

Brilliant film, and I'm now convinced it's Bergman's best work.




I fell asleep During Bugsy Malone. Nothing against the movie. I love the premise of middle school age kids playing gangsters and gangsters molls from a thirties gangster pic. It looked like it would be fun.



Minari (2020)


I don't think it will get the same love as Parasite did in the Oscars as a foreign film, but its still a lovely movie. A simple story that excellently touches on human emotion.
I plan on watching Minari next week.

Parasite got so much love because it's a truly extraordinary film. I'm not sure if Minari's gonna be on the level of Parasite, but that's okay, it's not the bar I'll measure it by.

Minari looks like an excellent movie, and I'm sure it is.



“I was cured, all right!”

Watched this back in the release, I was eleven. Didn't liked (was already a great fan of the comics, a great fan of Donner's Superman, Superman: The Animated Series and Smallville). Never rewatched. I think it's time.



Can't even see where the knob is


Lucky - ★★☆
-- Natasha Kermani, 2020 --
----------------------------------

Another "timely" movie full of timely timeliness, although I wasn't entirely clear on what this one was trying to say. The largely cryptic story takes place in one of those "everyone is an a-hole" unrealities/universes, akin to those found in films like The Lobster, High-Rise and The Double. Except here, everything that happens is strictly allegorical, similar to Aranofsky's Mother, meaning all logic and natural laws are casually tossed out the window, in favor of striking imagery or just plain weirdness that attempts to sell a point. I was not enamored with it, to be honest. In fact, it always kind of annoys me when movies rely heavily on the audience giving them a pass for things everyone gets nailed to the cross for.

The core concept and main selling point is creepy enough: a woman is stalked, night after night, by a masked slasher-type. Even when she manages to kill him, which is every time, he still pops up alive and well the following night. One major problem with this, of course, is that the slasher has to be portrayed as particularly inept at killing for the premise to work, which is precisely why this movie lacks the necessary tension. In many scenes, the guy appears to be behaving like a low-energy automaton, which may or may not be the point.

Which brings me to the actual meat of the movie: the sisterhood of women...Or whatever passes for it.....Or maybe the complete lack thereof? I'm not sure what is being argued, but this aspect overwhelms the less-timely-but-more-interesting horror aspects to the point where every scene is just a literalized metaphor for some social ill that is purported to exist.The filmmakers approach this by putting the lead actress in virtually every scene in the movie and making her the brunt of a quasi-satirical onslaught, which, I'm sorry to say, she is badly equipped to handle. I suspect she would've done better if this had been a more straightforward horror movie.



Zack Snyder's Justice League - ★☆☆☆☆
-- Zack Snyder, 2021 --
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I feel almost compelled to give this two stars, because, let's be honest, it does iron out some of the wrinkles found in the theatrical cut. But at around the halfway mark of this four-hour snoozefest, I began to realize that substituting half-assed Whedon-isms with full-assed Snyder-isms is like brushing your teeth with Nutella. If the 2017 TC is a baffling, mystifying hot mess of over-editing and mindless re-shoots, the 2021 SC is a plodding, self-indulgent bloatfest that thinks too highly of its previously shot material. I guess it works well if you're really invested in these characters and their world and you just want to see as much of them as humanly possible. Hell, I'm like that with some of my own favorite properties, so I totally get it.

But since these are NOT nearly my favorite properties, I found myself frequently pausing or otherwise interrupting my viewing, purely out of necessity. The movie isn't just long, it FEELS long. It never frickin' ends. And I made it through seven hours of Sátántangó just fine, lol. Doubling down on his absolute worst directorial tendencies, Snyder clearly set out to give us the epic story of tacky god worship that he felt we deserve. And the man was right....We do deserve everything he has done to us. Every last, mind-numbing minute of it.

I guess I should give the movie some credit for developing its characters a little better and reinstating the more "serious" tone of the early DCEU, but I'm having a very hard time getting past the boredom factor of this one.
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How am I supposed to find someone willing to go into that musty old claptrap?



Nomadland (2020)

Bit of a random-ish film selection for a sunny afternoon.

I got along with this for bits then ran out of steam during the longer "deep" sections. Obv a woman in trouble but there were hard edges to the character that seemed over the top.




Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.

Splinter (Toby Wilkins, 2008)
6/10
Dancing Sweeties (Ray Enright, 1930)
+ 5/10
Address Unknown (Kim Ki-duk, 2001)
6/10
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal (Chris Smith, 2021)
6.5/10

Hustler Rick Singer (Matthew Modine) [yeah, it's a documentary] spends years getting millions of dollars to get students into prestige colleges.
Fukushima 50 (Setsurô Wakamatsu, 2020)
6/10
Gushing Prayer: A 15-Year-Old Prostitute (Masao Adachi, 1971)
5/10
Ornamental Hairpin (Hiroshi Shimizu, 1941)
6/10
Raya and the Last Dragon (4 Directors, 2021)
- 7/10

Raya (voice of Kelly Marie Tran) is aided by Last Dragon Sisu (voice of Awkwafina) in her quest to reunite their land as per her late father's wishes.
Nowhere to Hide (Lee Myung-se, 1999)
6/10
Spring Is Here (John Francis Dillon, 1930)
5/10
The Hot Heiress (Clarence Badger, 1931)
5.5/10
Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art (Barry Avrich, 2020)
6.5/10

The largest art fraud in American history centers around NYC's art gallery Knoedler and its president Ann Freedman, but there are plenty of supporting players in the wide-ranging scandal.
Standby (Ronan & Ron Burke, 2018)
5.5/10
She Had to Say Yes (George Amy & Busby Berkeley, 1933)
5/10
Flying High (Charles F. Reisner, 1931)
6/10
Save the Green Planet! (Jang Joon-hwan, 2003)
6.5/10

Traumatized to the point of insanity, Shin Ha-kyun kidnaps businessman Yun-shik Baek to prove he's connected to the royalty of intergalactic alien invaders.
Hawk and Rev: Vampire Slayers (Ryan Barton-Grimley, 2020)
+ 5/10
South (Morgan Quaintance, 2020)
6.5/10 29 min
Deadly Illusions (Anna Elizabeth James, 2021)
+ 4.5/10
The Naked Island (Kaneto Shindô, 1960)
- 7/10

Lyrical film about the harsh life of a Japanese family cut off from others while still surrounded by a naturally-beautiful environment.
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THE WHISPERERS
(1967, Forbes)



Radio: "The problem, the major problem of old age is undoubtedly loneliness. A great many old people live entirely alone, unvisited and unwanted, living day in and day out in small rooms without company or friends."
Margaret: "Poor old souls."

The above quote comes from a news article that Margaret Ross (Edith Evans) listens to. A report she dismisses a bit condescendingly while standing alone, unvisited, in her small apartment, as if it had nothing to do with her. Because, even though Ross lives impoverished and alone, in a rundown street of England, she lives mostly detached from her reality, either consciously or subconsciously. That is the focus of 1967's The Whisperers.

The real highlight of the film is Evans' performance. A performance that, even before finishing the film, I felt was among the best female performances I've ever seen. The way Evans conveys the solitude and loneliness of Ross, hidden behind the facade of pretensions and false hopes was nothing short of impressive. The scene where she suddenly comes upon a money stash that was hidden by her son is a spectacle of emotions and non-verbal acting.

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot or in the HOF24.
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Pink Floyd - The Wall



I think it's impossible to adequately "review" this film without the context of the album; it is a distinct work and can be viewed by anyone, but its thematic ideas and construction are all based upon a similar framework, one that ends up making this film and the album it's based on so interesting. Therefore, to properly grasp my thoughts and opinions on this film, you will want to have some familiarity with the album.

The Wall is lightning in a cracked bottle, an undoubtedly flawed stroke of genius that ended Pink Floyd's 4 album long streak of making some of the best rock music ever. It is an hour and 20-minute long behemoth detailing the trials and tribulations of a troubled rock star named Pink. Based on the life of bassist Roger Waters (who wrote the vast majority of the album's material, and who came up with The Wall concept) and ill-fated former member Syd Barret, The Wall is not only a story of personal emotions such as alienation and loneliness, it also highlights societal issues like war and education. These two separate themes are woven together in a very non-linear fashion. Songs will reference not only past songs but future ones, and the various themes are often layered over each other simultaneously (The most brilliant of which being connecting an unstable relationship with Pink's father's death in WW2). At times this can make the album feel like a maze, and the constant flip-flopping of different ideas may be a turn-off for some. If you take the time to really dig into it all (for me this was taking notes on each song while listening, for the more astute it may just be listening more closely), however, you'll find something truly spectacular.

With that much out of the way, we can finally take a look at the movie. Pink Floyd - The Wall is a film written by Roger Waters, his first and only screenplay. Directed by Alan Parker, known for films such as Mississippi Burning (which I haven't seen), Pink Floyd - The Wall is kind of hard to describe. It certainly isn't a "normal" movie, being that it has almost no dialogue and is set to the pace of an album, but it still feels distinct enough to not just be a visual aid to the music. It can be enjoyed on its own and knows it's in a visual medium, highlighted by some excellent shots and its interspersed animated sequences by Gerald Scarfe. Even though it can be enjoyed on its own, what makes it great is remarkably similar to what makes the album great. Just like the album, the restriction of time is thrown away, and its non-linear chronology is used to great effect. You'll be lambasted with stark imagery and an unbridled brood and gloom that permeates throughout. Symbolism is thrown out practically every second, and the pace demands repeat viewings. Just like the album, the density here can be intimidating, and its chaotic layering is understandably a turn-off to some. However, if you take the time to wade through it all, what you'll find is worth every second.

Pink Floyd - The Wall is something truly special; it is an undeniably brilliant and beautifully flawed masterwork that is wholly unique and deserves to be experienced by all.




Pink Floyd - The Wall



I think it's impossible to adequately "review" this film without the context of the album; it is a distinct work and can be viewed by anyone, but its thematic ideas and construction are all based upon a similar framework, one that ends up making this film and the album it's based on so interesting. Therefore, to properly grasp my thoughts and opinions on this film, you will want to have some familiarity with the album.

The Wall is lightning in a cracked bottle, an undoubtedly flawed stroke of genius that ended Pink Floyd's 4 album long streak of making some of the best rock music ever. It is an hour and 20-minute long behemoth detailing the trials and tribulations of a troubled rock star named Pink. Based on the life of bassist Roger Waters (who wrote the vast majority of the album's material, and who came up with The Wall concept) and ill-fated former member Syd Barret, The Wall is not only a story of personal emotions such as alienation and loneliness, it also highlights societal issues like war and education. These two separate themes are woven together in a very non-linear fashion. Songs will reference not only past songs but future ones, and the various themes are often layered over each other simultaneously (The most brilliant of which being connecting an unstable relationship with Pink's father's death in WW2). At times this can make the album feel like a maze, and the constant flip-flopping of different ideas may be a turn-off for some. If you take the time to really dig into it all (for me this was taking notes on each song while listening, for the more astute it may just be listening more closely), however, you'll find something truly spectacular.

With that much out of the way, we can finally take a look at the movie. Pink Floyd - The Wall is a film written by Roger Waters, his first and only screenplay. Directed by Alan Parker, known for films such as Mississippi Burning (which I haven't seen), The Wall is kind of hard to describe. It certainly isn't a "normal" movie, being that it has almost no dialogue and is set to the pace of an album, but it still feels distinct enough to not just be a visual aid to the music. It can be enjoyed on its own and knows it's in a visual medium, highlighted by some excellent shots and its interspersed animated sequences by Gerald Scarfe. Even though it can be enjoyed on its own, what makes it great is remarkably similar to what makes the album great. Just like the album, the restriction of time is thrown away, and its non-linear chronology is used to great effect. You'll be lambasted with stark imagery and an unbridled brood and gloom that permeates throughout. Symbolism is thrown out practically every second, and the pace demands repeat viewings. Just like the album, the density here can be intimidating, and its chaotic layering is understandably a turn-off to some. However, if you take the time to wade through it all, what you'll find is worth every second.

Pink Floyd - The Wall is something truly special; it is an undeniably brilliant and beautifully flawed masterwork that is wholly unique and deserves to be experienced by all.

More like The Wall of text



Nomadland (2020)

Bit of a random-ish film selection for a sunny afternoon.

I got along with this for bits then ran out of steam during the longer "deep" sections. Obv a woman in trouble but there were hard edges to the character that seemed over the top.
I agree. This picture has received (and will receive) awards that IMO it does not deserve, simply because it has McDormand and Chloe Zhao in the production. McDormand pretty much played herself, and Zhao was missing for much of the filming. My review is here:

https://www.movieforums.com/communit...ad.php?t=63402



I just finished watching the movie Slaxx. It is a Canadian comedy/horror film about a pair of jeans that kills people. It was actually a good movie, well made and entertaining. I would rate it a
and recommend it, especially if you enjoy movies about inanimate objects that kill people.



I just finished watching the movie Slaxx. It is a Canadian comedy/horror film about a pair of jeans that kills people. It was actually a good movie, well made and entertaining. I would rate it a
and recommend it, especially if you enjoy movies about inanimate objects that kill people.
Sounds intriguing. I liked Rubber when I watched it.

And I haven't seen it but this sounds like it would be right up your alley.