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Victim of The Night
I've talked a few times about having some mixed feelings about Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, so maybe that's what you're thinking of.
I do remember that. If I remember right, years back you really liked it and recommended it but over time you've felt more problematic toward it and cooled some?



Victim of The Night
OK so maybe I've watched 3 movies since but special mention to this one - a strong contender for funniest film ever made - an absolute scream. A perfect comedy with insane lead chemistry, fantastic writing, and perfect direction. Lightning in a bottle. If you haven't seen it, you absolutely must. Like it made my top 10 favorites have to. 256/10.

This is actually one of my favorite movies ever. It used to run on HBO when I was a teenager in the 80s and I would just watch it over and over.



The Missing (2003)

Pretty gruff western regarding an absentee father (Tommy Lee Jones) and his embittered daughter (Cate Blanchett). They are tracking a troop of people smugglers who have abducted her daughter/his grandaughter.

This is overlong, and, despite some decent scenes meanders around the nub of the story. It also descended into a series of rather unimpressive firefights during ambushes that just seemed that Howard had completely ran out of ideas.
Both leads were good.



I like Chadwick Boseman a lot and I haven't seen the film yet so I don't know if the performance is just stellar, but with Ledger and him, I hope we're not setting the precedent that if you die the year you give a strong performance you automatically get the statues.
Boseman is sensational in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Even compared to his other performance that year (Da 5 Bloods), let alone his iconic Black Panther, it's unlike anything I've seen from him before. It's certainly an Oscar Worthy performance, much like Ledger' Joker.

Now, was it better than Delroy Lindo in Da 5 Bloods? I don't know about that. But it's certainly better than Oldman's rewarmed Churchill in Mank.

When they pull a Bullock in Blind Side level of gaff on someone's death, I'll be concerned.




Lucky (2020, Natasha Kermani)

Feminist mystery thriller with time-loop mechanics kinda similar to Palm Springs (wife finds herself trapped in a loop where she is assaulted by a stranger in her own house only to learn from her husband it's happened before somehow without her knowing it). Interesting concept and metaphorical subtext but the execution leaves a lot to be desired, and I mean A LOT.



Victim of The Night
Boseman is sensational in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Even compared to his other performance that year (Da 5 Bloods), let alone his iconic Black Panther, it's unlike anything I've seen from him before. It's certainly an Oscar Worthy performance, much like Ledger' Joker.

Now, was it better than Delroy Lindo in Da 5 Bloods? I don't know about that. But it's certainly better than Oldman's rewarmed Churchill in Mank.

When they pull a Bullock in Blind Side level of gaff on someone's death, I'll be concerned.
Ya know, I actually thought Bullock gave a pretty nuanced and screen-commanding performance with the role, though I probably would have given the statue to Streep given that I did not see Mulligan's or Sidibe's films. But let's be honest, Oscars are often handed out as recognition of career work and while young performers often win Oscars these days, just as often it feels like there's a sense of, "Well, this is their first or second major role, they'll still be around later, we can give it to the old standby who's never been rewarded."

On the original topic. I strongly look forward to Boseman's performance. I just watched the trailer and he looks great. So does Davis, actually.
I really feel bad for Lindo, though, I've always thought he was underrated and now he finally gets a role that gives him a legit shot and Boseman dies so no one else even gets to be in the conversation. One assumes.



Victim of The Night

Lucky (2020, Natasha Kermani)

Feminist mystery thriller with time-loop mechanics kinda similar to Palm Springs (wife finds herself trapped in a loop where she is assaulted by a stranger in her own house only to learn from her husband it's happened before somehow without her knowing it). Interesting concept and metaphorical subtext but the execution leaves a lot to be desired, and I mean A LOT.
Ya know, I think my favorite time-loop movie, outside of Groundhog Day, is probably Triangle.
And I had a quibble with Triangle but really that movie got it right.



Ya know, I think my favorite time-loop movie, outside of Groundhog Day, is probably Triangle.
And I had a quibble with Triangle but really that movie got it right.
I haven't seen that one - added to my watch list.



Ya know, I actually thought Bullock gave a pretty nuanced and screen-commanding performance with the role, though I probably would have given the statue to Streep given that I did not see Mulligan's or Sidibe's films. But let's be honest, Oscars are often handed out as recognition of career work and while young performers often win Oscars these days, just as often it feels like there's a sense of, "Well, this is their first or second major role, they'll still be around later, we can give it to the old standby who's never been rewarded."

On the original topic. I strongly look forward to Boseman's performance. I just watched the trailer and he looks great. So does Davis, actually.
I really feel bad for Lindo, though, I've always thought he was underrated and now he finally gets a role that gives him a legit shot and Boseman dies so no one else even gets to be in the conversation. One assumes.
Sure. All of the Oscars deal with popularity and in party politics. That doesn't stop me from judging the merits of the performance against other winners as a metric of "worthiness."

If Boseman wins, did his death likely contribute to that win? Sure.

Was his performance better Oldman in Churchill or Malek in Bohemian Rhapsody? Absolutely.



I'll need to give Ma Rainey a shot. I didn't dislike Boseman in the other films mentioned, but perhaps because he was playing archetypes or symbolic figures rather than fully three-dimensional characters, I didn't quite grasp the greatness that others have found in those performances.



rbrayer's Avatar
Registered User
This is actually one of my favorite movies ever. It used to run on HBO when I was a teenager in the 80s and I would just watch it over and over.
It's so unbelievably rewatchable! I watched it on my own then preempted my wife and I's movie night to watch it again only 2 days later and loved it even more.



rbrayer's Avatar
Registered User
Ever since watching the remake, I've been meaning to re-visit the original; thanks for reminding me
I've never seen the remake, though honestly, I can't see the logic in remaking this. It's a perfect film. That said, I'm curious what you will think of the two in comparison to each other.





Story of the investigation and prosecution of the loon who killed Medgar Evers 30 years after the murder. Wasn't bad but it was a little uneven. Generally I enjoy these kinds of films when they concentrate on the investigation or the trial, not both. When they try to combine the two neither gets the attention it deserves, they kind of feel watered down and usually falls flat. Still a very watchable movie.




Lenny

Very interesting movie about the life of comedian Lenny Bruce and his struggles with his wife, addiction and obscenity laws. Not a fan of Lenny Bruce as a comedian but he was a very interesting guy and I love comedians who push buttons. Dustin Hoffman was very good in this although his one weakness was the actual telling of jokes/stand up. I think one of the tougher roles an actor can do is portray a comedian, especially on stage, and it's mostly due to the fact that comedians, really good ones, have a unique presence when performing which is very difficult for a non comedian to capture. Away from the stage, even later in the movie when he's on stage not doing jokes but rambling about his obscenity case, Hoffman was outstanding. Valerie Perrine also gives a very strong performance as Bruce's wife.



Adopt a Highway (2019)

Likeable enough film on it's own legs but Ethan Hawke lifts this out of the mundane with his performance.

A film where I wanted the story to be longer and richer as his performance deserved it.





The Dunwich Horror - I know this was released in 1970 before The Evil Dead movies but it's still sort of jarring to hear someone breezily utter the line, "And now, if you'll take the Necronomicon and return it to the library ...". Despite that intimation this isn't a particularly compelling movie and for anyone but hardcore Lovecraft fans there's not much to recommend. It moves slow even with the story being downright anorexic and the acting isn't exactly Oscar caliber. Dean Stockwell, I suppose, tries to add some semblance of villainy to his character of Wilbur Whateley, the last of his line of an accursed family of heretics. But his campy, wild-eyed performance turns out to be mostly distracting when everyone else is going for conventional. The fact that Sandra Dee's Nancy Wagner (who's supposed to be college aged) instantly falls under his spell when he's practically twirling his mustache was a bit of a sticking point for me.

And it doesn't matter all that much if anyone is unfamiliar with Lovecraft's 1928 novelette since the film departs from it radically while keeping the central conceit of an obsessed Wilbur consumed with the idea of opening a portal between dimensions. His aim is to allow "The Old Ones", an ancient race of Godlike beings, entry into our world. Lovecraft's works are usually so cabalistic in tone that it's a challenge to capture their true essence onscreen. So it seems unfair to fault this movie for underperforming. The third act big reveal of whatever it is the family keeps locked up in an upstairs room is okay given the technology available at the time. I guess if you're a horror fan and curious about Lovecraft you can give this a try. But since it roams so far afield from the authors work then you should at least have some fun and watch something like Die, Monster, Die instead.




LA Confidential is a great, great movie. The second best neo-noir ever made about Los Angeles, behind of course, Chinatown.

First Cow (2019, Kelly Reichardt)

Another brilliant exploration of friendship / deconstruction of the western genre by Reichardt. The signature style in firmly in place - slow, meditative pacing, lingering pauses and silences, stunningly beautiful portrayal of nature almost as a character of its own, all amid a simple story told effortlessly and perfectly. Reichardt's ability to say so much with so little and make you care about her characters by taking her time and digging deep into the subtleties of human communication is downright remarkable (check out also how she builds suspense toward the climactic moment of the two friends getting busted). This is pure cinema made for the purest of intentions, with the utmost love and care for the subject matter - that's how I felt watching it.
Loved every second of it - definitely highly recommended.
Well, if you guys like Chinatown or Revisionist Westerns, you should definitely check out my write-ups for them in the genre deconstruction thread...


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SPRING NIGHT, SUMMER NIGHT
(1967, Anderson)
A film with the word "Spring" in its title



"Whenever you try to live your life but... just don't work out."

Set in rural Ohio, Spring Night, Summer Night follows the events surrounding a dysfunctional family. Carl (Ted Heim) is the oldest son of miner-turned-farmer Virgil (John Crawford), who has remarried with Mae (Marj Johnson) with whom he has a bunch of other children, including Jess (Larue Hall), who is slightly younger than Carl. All of these characters fit the above mold of feeling trapped and smothered by the circumstances around them. Be it financial struggles, longings of a long-gone past, or an unwanted pregnancy.

I stumbled upon this film pretty much by chance while browsing Mubi, and although it was far from great, I still found myself pleasantly surprised by how honest and genuine it felt. Despite treading a decidedly controversial topic, the film handles it with care. Part of that is because of the pensive performances of the cast, but also to Anderson's melancholic direction, which often puts the surroundings in the foreground, as if the mountains and trees were absorbing the characters. His direction is still somewhat amateurish, but there are flairs of goodness here and there.

Other than that, some performances are a bit spotty (particularly of the supporting characters), the pace is a bit sluggish, and the way the characters try to handle the main conflict in the last act might be a bit cringey and problematic. But I will still give it props for putting it forward in 1967. Also, the black and white cinematography is quite good.

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot
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First Cow (2019, Kelly Reichardt)

Another brilliant exploration of friendship / deconstruction of the western genre by Reichardt. The signature style in firmly in place - slow, meditative pacing, lingering pauses and silences, stunningly beautiful portrayal of nature almost as a character of its own, all amid a simple story told effortlessly and perfectly. Reichardt's ability to say so much with so little and make you care about her characters by taking her time and digging deep into the subtleties of human communication is downright remarkable (check out also how she builds suspense toward the climactic moment of the two friends getting busted). This is pure cinema made for the purest of intentions, with the utmost love and care for the subject matter - that's how I felt watching it.
Loved every second of it - definitely highly recommended.
I loved this movie. I had already made up my Top 25 or else it might well have made it. As it is it's easily in my Top 50.



I do remember that. If I remember right, years back you really liked it and recommended it but over time you've felt more problematic toward it and cooled some?
Yes. While I love the film's themes and think it is incredibly sensitive to the fears and anxieties of growing up, I have mixed feelings about the use of an actual teenager in the role. Especially as the gap between her age and mine grows.

I haven't seen that one - added to my watch list.
I second the recommendation. Triangle is fabulous.