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Yeah, nothing about this looked good and there was and is no way I'm watching this.
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Let the Right One In (2008) - 8/10
I remember seeing the Matt Reeves version when it came out not being aware of US remakes. I remember enjoying it but I haven't gone back and re/watched it. This one is pretty good, I don't venture outside US language much in this current era but this was a good.
I remember seeing the Matt Reeves version when it came out not being aware of US remakes. I remember enjoying it but I haven't gone back and re/watched it. This one is pretty good, I don't venture outside US language much in this current era but this was a good.
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I generally try to be very careful about spoilers, so I always feel bad when I mess up in that regard..
The Thing From Another World, 1951, 2nd watch (B)
It's not knock-you-on-your-ass kind of good, but the production values are better than most of what was made at the time. I honestly think that this is the worst of the three.
It's not knock-you-on-your-ass kind of good, but the production values are better than most of what was made at the time. I honestly think that this is the worst of the three.
I think that we've talked about this back on Corri and we disagreed, I cannot fathom love for Part IV (which I know is not actually called Part IV). To me, Part III is a shocking drop-off from Part II, just a nose-dive in every quality of the film... but Part IV, if it's any better at all, it ain't by much. I hadn't seen it since I was a teenager and when I rewatched it a couple of years ago my reaction was just, man this movie sucks, it is as paint by numbers as anything I've seen, it lacks tension or any real scares because they're just rushing to the kills and setting up zero suspense, the acting is bad, the characters are stupid, nothing about the movie elevates it above III really. I actually used the stop-watch on my phone to time the stalk-n-kills (I am not makin' this up, if Corri hadn't been taken down, you could look up my post from then) from the first moment it's introduced that this character is a victim to the moment they are dead and one was as short as 7 seconds, others were 10, 11, 14 seconds... how is that a horror movie? What's scary about that? I really thought the movie was just as low-brow as it could be and now that I've watched the one with the psychic, the on in the Big Apple, the one in space, they're all just the same movie with some little trick just enough to make an excuse to make another one. So, to me, IV is the one that really establishes, "This is what we're doing. Low-skill cash grabs off a popular villain." Which is fine if they end up being silly fun.
As for VI, I know there's a lot of love for it, I don't really understand why, it also did not do much for me, maybe it seemed like the production value was a little higher? I can't quite figure out what makes that one stand out so much for F13 fans.
The movies, after II, are interchangeable (except for IX which, honestly, I kinda enjoyed MORE because it was just SO unapologetically ridiculous and out there, and had the Necronomicon in it) runs through low-tension kills, intended to be laughed along with... which is actually totally fine with me. I am very happy to watch any one of them (because it doesn't matter which one) and just chuckle along with the low-budget, low-imagination badness of them all.
As for VI, I know there's a lot of love for it, I don't really understand why, it also did not do much for me, maybe it seemed like the production value was a little higher? I can't quite figure out what makes that one stand out so much for F13 fans.
The movies, after II, are interchangeable (except for IX which, honestly, I kinda enjoyed MORE because it was just SO unapologetically ridiculous and out there, and had the Necronomicon in it) runs through low-tension kills, intended to be laughed along with... which is actually totally fine with me. I am very happy to watch any one of them (because it doesn't matter which one) and just chuckle along with the low-budget, low-imagination badness of them all.
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Black Caesar -
Larry Cohen's movies are nothing if not politically charged and they're all the better for it. From the police brutality in Maniac Cop to the dark side of capitalism in The Stuff, you have to admire that he was not content with leaving audiences merely thrilled and chilled. The same can be said of Black Caesar, which between its assassinations and clandestine gangster negotiations tells a tale of institutional racism in New York. The city has always been a sight to behold, but with this movie's breathtaking aerial and street-level footage, its depiction is particularly special. Fred Williamson does impressive work as the adult Caesar for how he makes you admire his ambition to turn Harlem around, loathe him as his power hunger makes him lose sight of his goal and alienate those closest to him and pity him as his foes gain the upper hand. I also enjoyed Art Lund's performance as racist, corrupt antagonist Officer McKinney and Gloria Hendry's as Caesar's long-suffering partner Helen. There's also the climactic sequence where Caesar fights for his life while nursing a gunshot wound, and while it strains credulity, it reminded me of the similar sequence in Uncut Gems for how it does not let up until the very end. If my description of Caesar's arc sounds familiar, it is, so gangster movie aficionados may find the movie to be old hat. My interest waned from time to time, but it has enough going for it from its politics to its performances for me to recommend it, especially if you're a fan of Larry Cohen and/or movies set in New York. Oh, and how could I forget: the soundtrack features some of James Brown's best work.
Larry Cohen's movies are nothing if not politically charged and they're all the better for it. From the police brutality in Maniac Cop to the dark side of capitalism in The Stuff, you have to admire that he was not content with leaving audiences merely thrilled and chilled. The same can be said of Black Caesar, which between its assassinations and clandestine gangster negotiations tells a tale of institutional racism in New York. The city has always been a sight to behold, but with this movie's breathtaking aerial and street-level footage, its depiction is particularly special. Fred Williamson does impressive work as the adult Caesar for how he makes you admire his ambition to turn Harlem around, loathe him as his power hunger makes him lose sight of his goal and alienate those closest to him and pity him as his foes gain the upper hand. I also enjoyed Art Lund's performance as racist, corrupt antagonist Officer McKinney and Gloria Hendry's as Caesar's long-suffering partner Helen. There's also the climactic sequence where Caesar fights for his life while nursing a gunshot wound, and while it strains credulity, it reminded me of the similar sequence in Uncut Gems for how it does not let up until the very end. If my description of Caesar's arc sounds familiar, it is, so gangster movie aficionados may find the movie to be old hat. My interest waned from time to time, but it has enough going for it from its politics to its performances for me to recommend it, especially if you're a fan of Larry Cohen and/or movies set in New York. Oh, and how could I forget: the soundtrack features some of James Brown's best work.
Last edited by Torgo; 04-27-21 at 02:02 PM.
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BRINGING OUT THE DEAD (1999)
A film from Martin Scorsese
Most of my fellow posters from Corrie now that as much as I respect Scorsese, I'm not a huge fan of his films, or at least I don't connect with them as much as others. So when I put this challenge upon me, I decided to walk a bit away from the beaten path. I remember this film got some lukewarm/polarizing reactions back in the day, but in recent years, I've read how its reception has changed, so why not? The film follows Frank Pierce (Nicolas Cage), an overworked and overstressed paramedic in Manhattan. While working the night shift, she befriends the equally troubled daughter of a patient (Patricia Arquette) while he's also haunted by visions of those that he couldn't save. The film, which was written by Paul Schrader, has a lot of parallelisms with Taxi Driver, and maybe even Schrader's First Reformed, as they all feature lonely men trying to cope with their diseased surroundings. Pierce is accompanied in his work by three separate partners (John Goodman, Ving Rhams, and Tom Sizemore) on each shift, which delineate each of the film's acts. I'm still trying to figure out what to make of it, but I did find it interesting how each of the partner's personalities cover every part of the spectrum (from overly confident and "religious" to mostly crazy and violent). There's a definitive religious subtext to everything that happens that I'm still puzzling over, but I'll just say that I really liked it, and that I'm still thinking about it, which is a good thing.
Grade: (with potential to go up to )
A film from Martin Scorsese
Most of my fellow posters from Corrie now that as much as I respect Scorsese, I'm not a huge fan of his films, or at least I don't connect with them as much as others. So when I put this challenge upon me, I decided to walk a bit away from the beaten path. I remember this film got some lukewarm/polarizing reactions back in the day, but in recent years, I've read how its reception has changed, so why not? The film follows Frank Pierce (Nicolas Cage), an overworked and overstressed paramedic in Manhattan. While working the night shift, she befriends the equally troubled daughter of a patient (Patricia Arquette) while he's also haunted by visions of those that he couldn't save. The film, which was written by Paul Schrader, has a lot of parallelisms with Taxi Driver, and maybe even Schrader's First Reformed, as they all feature lonely men trying to cope with their diseased surroundings. Pierce is accompanied in his work by three separate partners (John Goodman, Ving Rhams, and Tom Sizemore) on each shift, which delineate each of the film's acts. I'm still trying to figure out what to make of it, but I did find it interesting how each of the partner's personalities cover every part of the spectrum (from overly confident and "religious" to mostly crazy and violent). There's a definitive religious subtext to everything that happens that I'm still puzzling over, but I'll just say that I really liked it, and that I'm still thinking about it, which is a good thing.
Grade: (with potential to go up to )
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BRINGING OUT THE DEAD (1999)
A film from Martin Scorsese
Most of my fellow posters from Corrie now that as much as I respect Scorsese, I'm not a huge fan of his films, or at least I don't connect with them as much as others. So when I put this challenge upon me, I decided to walk a bit away from the beaten path. I remember this film got some lukewarm/polarizing reactions back in the day, but in recent years, I've read how its reception has changed, so why not? The film follows Frank Pierce (Nicolas Cage), an overworked and overstressed paramedic in Manhattan. While working the night shift, she befriends the equally troubled daughter of a patient (Patricia Arquette) while he's also haunted by visions of those that he couldn't save. The film, which was written by Paul Schrader, has a lot of parallelisms with Taxi Driver, and maybe even Schrader's First Reformed, as they all feature lonely men trying to cope with their diseased surroundings. Pierce is accompanied in his work by three separate partners (John Goodman, Ving Rhams, and Tom Sizemore) on each shift, which delineate each of the film's acts. I'm still trying to figure out what to make of it, but I did find it interesting how each of the partner's personalities cover every part of the spectrum (from overly confident and "religious" to mostly crazy and violent). There's a definitive religious subtext to everything that happens that I'm still puzzling over, but I'll just say that I really liked it, and that I'm still thinking about it, which is a good thing.
Grade: (with potential to go up to )
A film from Martin Scorsese
Most of my fellow posters from Corrie now that as much as I respect Scorsese, I'm not a huge fan of his films, or at least I don't connect with them as much as others. So when I put this challenge upon me, I decided to walk a bit away from the beaten path. I remember this film got some lukewarm/polarizing reactions back in the day, but in recent years, I've read how its reception has changed, so why not? The film follows Frank Pierce (Nicolas Cage), an overworked and overstressed paramedic in Manhattan. While working the night shift, she befriends the equally troubled daughter of a patient (Patricia Arquette) while he's also haunted by visions of those that he couldn't save. The film, which was written by Paul Schrader, has a lot of parallelisms with Taxi Driver, and maybe even Schrader's First Reformed, as they all feature lonely men trying to cope with their diseased surroundings. Pierce is accompanied in his work by three separate partners (John Goodman, Ving Rhams, and Tom Sizemore) on each shift, which delineate each of the film's acts. I'm still trying to figure out what to make of it, but I did find it interesting how each of the partner's personalities cover every part of the spectrum (from overly confident and "religious" to mostly crazy and violent). There's a definitive religious subtext to everything that happens that I'm still puzzling over, but I'll just say that I really liked it, and that I'm still thinking about it, which is a good thing.
Grade: (with potential to go up to )
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Ad Astra (2019)
Better late than never. Not much to say about it - though, thank you, @Takoma11, for getting me to watch this. You’re great at influencing people! What I would say, ironically, is that I did sort of feel I was watching Brad Pitt acting. But that’s in no way because he wasn’t convincing - rather, it gave me very strong ‘The Tree of Life’ vibes, especially as narration starts right from the opening credits.
Up until they featured, I was convinced the space monkeys had to either be a joke, or a sci-fi superplot. To think I could have missed that when reading around the film! That said, they weren’t really space monkeys, they were monkeys in space (which I know makes sense to some people, but my mind has conjured up a kind of alien hybrid animal that doesn’t need oxygen. I also may have been subconsciously thinking of 12 Monkeys, which I love.) So @Takoma11, far from spoiling it, you may have set me up a bit, as I’d expected something more mind-boggling.
Anyway, to me, the earthly space monkeys were easily the best thing about it. Brad Pitt is good, but the lack of story development has prevented me from fully enjoying his performance. I concede it may be a fine film, just not my cup of tea. It feels utterly plotless, which I think is a big no-no in sci-fi. Twenty minutes before the end, Pitt says, ‘Beneath [the] surface, there was nothing.’ - and that, to me, sums up the film pretty well.
Better late than never. Not much to say about it - though, thank you, @Takoma11, for getting me to watch this. You’re great at influencing people! What I would say, ironically, is that I did sort of feel I was watching Brad Pitt acting. But that’s in no way because he wasn’t convincing - rather, it gave me very strong ‘The Tree of Life’ vibes, especially as narration starts right from the opening credits.
Up until they featured, I was convinced the space monkeys had to either be a joke, or a sci-fi superplot. To think I could have missed that when reading around the film! That said, they weren’t really space monkeys, they were monkeys in space (which I know makes sense to some people, but my mind has conjured up a kind of alien hybrid animal that doesn’t need oxygen. I also may have been subconsciously thinking of 12 Monkeys, which I love.) So @Takoma11, far from spoiling it, you may have set me up a bit, as I’d expected something more mind-boggling.
Anyway, to me, the earthly space monkeys were easily the best thing about it. Brad Pitt is good, but the lack of story development has prevented me from fully enjoying his performance. I concede it may be a fine film, just not my cup of tea. It feels utterly plotless, which I think is a big no-no in sci-fi. Twenty minutes before the end, Pitt says, ‘Beneath [the] surface, there was nothing.’ - and that, to me, sums up the film pretty well.
Last edited by AgrippinaX; 11-24-20 at 07:38 PM.
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Ad Astra (2019)
It feels utterly plotless, which I think is a big no-no in sci-fi. Twenty minutes before the end, Pitt says, ‘Beneath [the] surface, there was nothing.’ - and that, to me, sums up the film pretty well.
It feels utterly plotless, which I think is a big no-no in sci-fi. Twenty minutes before the end, Pitt says, ‘Beneath [the] surface, there was nothing.’ - and that, to me, sums up the film pretty well.
The more I've thought about it, my opinion of it has improved slightly.
WARNING: spoilers below
At a very basic level, it's just about a man realizing that he's followed in his father's footsteps using professionalism and reputation as a guiding principle and coming to terms with how shallow that is.
I think that there's actually a neat bluff in the film. We get a lot of hints that being in space can make you crazy or mess with you (the frozen co-pilot, the mutinying crew, yes even the space monkeys). But then in the end we find out that the father hasn't become a monster from being in deep space. He never cared about his family and cared more about proving that he was right than seeing what was really there.
It is, to a degree, about Pitt's character gaining closure regarding his father. But it's also about him reevaluating his life.
I really liked the part where he reflects that he'd always told himself that he preferred solitude, but he realizes on board the rocket that this isn't true and that he craves human connection.
It's almost like one of my favorite lines from The Zero Effect: "When you go looking for something specific, your chances of finding it are very bad. Because of all the things in the world, you're only looking for one of them. When you go looking for anything at all, your chances of finding it are very good. Because of all the things in the world, you're sure to find some of them."
I think that there's actually a neat bluff in the film. We get a lot of hints that being in space can make you crazy or mess with you (the frozen co-pilot, the mutinying crew, yes even the space monkeys). But then in the end we find out that the father hasn't become a monster from being in deep space. He never cared about his family and cared more about proving that he was right than seeing what was really there.
It is, to a degree, about Pitt's character gaining closure regarding his father. But it's also about him reevaluating his life.
I really liked the part where he reflects that he'd always told himself that he preferred solitude, but he realizes on board the rocket that this isn't true and that he craves human connection.
It's almost like one of my favorite lines from The Zero Effect: "When you go looking for something specific, your chances of finding it are very bad. Because of all the things in the world, you're only looking for one of them. When you go looking for anything at all, your chances of finding it are very good. Because of all the things in the world, you're sure to find some of them."
Again, there are some strong thematic echoes here with Lost City of Z in terms of men trying to find their place in the world by venturing to extreme places and conditions.
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I love that one, though I’m definitely no fan of Scorsese, generally speaking. Even Van Morrison’s ‘T.B. Sheets’ fits perfectly. I wouldn’t have thought to really compare it to First Reformed, as Bringing Out the Dead is, after all, supernatural. But they do all fit together thematically. As as aside, I think Scorsese used to be very good at exploring subtle religiosity - something he seems to have given up in recent years, with things like Silence feeling somewhat bland in comparison to earlier work.
WARNING: spoilers below
Like I said, you have a lonely, and to varying degrees, troubled character as the lead; the character finds his convictions and beliefs challenged by various events around him (political situations, general decay in society, failure at his job, environment); the character decides to take matters in his own hands (against crime, against life/death, against religion); at the same time, he is drawn to "salvation" by a female character (Betsy/Iris, Mary *wink, wink*)
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Django -
Quentin who
Quentin who
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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0
I really just want you all angry and confused the whole time.
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It's a Cronenberg alright. This movie does not hold back any punches, brace yourselves.
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There has been an awekening.... have you felt it?
There has been an awekening.... have you felt it?
Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic (1973) -
Gretel and Hansel (2020) -
I See You (2019) -
Make Up (2019) -
Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001) -
Gretel and Hansel (2020) -
I See You (2019) -
Make Up (2019) -
Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001) -
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I love that one, though I’m definitely no fan of Scorsese, generally speaking. Even Van Morrison’s ‘T.B. Sheets’ fits perfectly. I wouldn’t have thought to really compare it to First Reformed, as Bringing Out the Dead is, after all, supernatural. But they do all fit together thematically. As as aside, I think Scorsese used to be very good at exploring subtle religiosity - something he seems to have given up in recent years, with things like Silence feeling somewhat bland in comparison to earlier work.
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'A Scene at the Sea' 1991
Takeshi Kitano
Takeshi Kitano
Almost like a silent film such is the lack of dialogue. Very beautiful love story with typical Kitano traits. Perhaps a bit too quiet compared to his other films but still worth a watch and a lovely emotional ending.
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Make Up (2019) -
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They filmed the screenplay in 1977 but bottled airing it, so the writer and director remade it. For the record try not to take my one-liners overly seriously (or even at face value at times), I often merely like to work a playful connection to either the title or content into the words. Had the BBC aired their version it's highly unlikely this version would have ever been made and I'm quite glad it was.
I remember being young and the kerfuffle at the time. Saw years later after the theatrical release and thought it intensely powerful. Didn't realise it was originally part of the "Play for Today" cannon and pulled only for it to be recut/shot.It's a really scary film.
