Rate The Last Movie You Saw

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Playtime - (1967)

I finally got around to Playtime, the destination I was aiming for before I decided to tackle of all of Jacques Tati's films in chronological order. I've been watching all of the special features regarding his previous films, because his movies are so ripe for analysis, and because I'm always discovering new little moments I've missed. Playtime is the same, only more so. It's too much to take it all in on my first viewing - there's too much crammed into it's two hours, and I was just grabbing what I could as Monsieur Hulot's 24 hours in Paris flew by. At first there's a nice and easy pace during the first half - the part spent around office buildings. Then "playtime" commences and everything is wound-up until we're travelling at a frightful speed as revellers enjoy their time at a completely dysfunctional nightclub. Everyone enjoys themselves despite the fact that everything is falling apart due to cockeyed designers. Tati plans and executes clever, funny moments with such precision - I really look forward to watching and listening to what others have to say about it, and watching it again. What he has to say about modern society still rings true - but he was seeing trends decades before those trends transformed our modern world into what it is today. That's what surprised me the most.

9/10


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Censor - (2021)

Points to the movie for it actually being about something that's worth exploring regarding the video nasty period in Britain. It's dark, and it's cold - visually, sound-wise and character-wise. Oh, and ... Full review here, in my watchlist thread.

6/10

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Keanu Reeves owned this movie

Fat City -

Have you ever had a really good day? You know, the kind of day where you got your dream job, you said "I love you" to your dream girl or guy for the first time and they said it back, etc.? This delightfully gritty '70s drama expertly captures the vibes of the next day, whether it's all the work required to maintain the previous one's fortunes or accepting that, sadly, maybe it wasn't such a good day after all. The amateur/veteran dynamic is a reliable one for good reason, with this one having an all-timer in Jeff Bridges' would-be boxing phenom, Ernie, and Stacy Keach's former phenom and current palooka, Billy. Where it's better than the average one is in how Ernie's setbacks while climbing the ladder and Billy's while trying to get back on it appear one and the same. It especially hits hard when Ernie's "next day" involves a huge change in his relationship with his girlfriend, while Billy's, thanks to a chaotic dinner scene, has him seeing new flame Orma (an excellent Susan Tyrell) in a less flattering light. While not a "boxing movie" per se since the aftermath of the match is more important than the outcome here, the fighting is still as unpredictable and thrilling as it is in Rocky. The city of Stockton is also an ideal location - it's not surprising that so many of the shooting locations were demolished after filming - and the Kris Kristofferson tunes hit just the right fatalistic tone.

The path to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is so elusive because its stepping stones resemble roadblocks and vice versa. This movie works as well as it does for how it reminds us that this rule applies to winner, loser, amateur and veteran alike. Director John Huston specialized in movies about guys like Ernie and Billy, and since this one is up there with the best of them, I'm surprised I had not heard it existed until recently. Oh, and as exciting as the boxing scenes may be, that dinner scene with Billy and Orma has peas and ketchup flying everywhere and may be even more pulse-pounding.

Glad you liked it! And glad I was able to inspire someone to check it out.

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Letterboxd

I think the script is fantastic. I actually like all the performances. I like the almost Altman-like way peopel talk over each other. I love the story. I love the themes. I love that Coppola made something small and intimate. I love the black and white (except when there's color). I love the sound. I love the odd camera angles and the sweat and grime. And I love that it's different from most things, almost like a French New Wave film but not quite.
Just that.

Ah, so it's the vibe itself? The fact that it is doing its own thing?

Dracula (1931) - 8/10

The third Dracula movie I've seen so far, I like it better than Nosferatu and about as much as the Christopher Lee version (probably worth a rewatch for comparison's sake, it's been a while since I saw it). While it can't match F.W. Murnau's visual brilliance, and the 50s version does a better job at selling Van Helsing's courage, this is undoubtedly the scariest of the three, it tells its story much more efficiently than Nosferatu, and Lugosi undoubtedly sells the role of Dracula better than anyone else. The scares can be accredited to the lack of music. Having that empty space between lines of dialogue, allowing us to drink in the unease and interpret Dracula's uncanniness for ourselves. The cast outside of Lugosi did a good job, with a clear second best being Dwight Frye as Renfield, and the cinematography ranges from adequate to really good in its own right. Some of the special effects are so dated they're laughable, but that's only 4-5 shots over the course of the movie. Not even close to a deal breaker.

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I'm the Yugoslav cinema guy. I dig through garbage. I look for gems.

I had already seen it, is free on Paramount so I thought I'd show my wife. Was fun watching her yell at the TV while being fooled. Meanwhile it held up just fine for me even knowing the outcome.

Holiday Boyfriend, 2023

Mandy (Natassia Malthe) is feeling the pressure of approaching middle age without a significant other. After her gym rat boyfriend inelegantly dumps her, Mandy is swept off of her feet by attorney Blake (Louis Mandylor), who is secretly just wooing her to gain American citizenship. When Blake flakes out on her around the holidays, Mandy invites co-worker Nathan (Paul Collett) to accompany her home for Thanksgiving and pretend to be Blake.

Inexplicable acting, writing, and editing make this by-the-numbers romantic comedy more of a disorienting fever dream.

Anyway, this movie is nuts and all over the place and I’ve watched it twice now and I’ll probably watch it again! I’m delighted that this movie exists! It ends with “rain” falling down on the main characters on what is a visibly very sunny day!



FULL REVIEW

Is it intentionally disorienting and nuts or is it so bad it’s funny?

The latter. (Though I do think that the movie is aiming for "wacky" and overshoots the mark in an enchanting way).

I mean, that's like one of the things I listed. I also mentioned script, directing, story...


Edit: Rumble Fish is probably one of my hundred favorite books I've ever read (and I read a lot). Maybe even Top-50, maybe even a tier higher. I love the story, I love the themes, I love the dialogue, it is a powerful piece of media to me. I thought Coppola adapted it amazingly and I actually love the film almost as much as the book, maybe sometimes more.
It is my favorite Mickey Rourke performance of his career (and I was a big Mickey Rourke fan when he was young).
In fact, the rumble scene from early in the movie is one of my favorite scenes in the history of Cinema. No joke.

Chicken for Linda!, 2023

Linda (Melinee Leclerc) is wrongly accused of theft by her mother, Paulette (Clotilde Hesme). When Paulette realizes her mistake, she offers to make things up to Linda, who requests a meal of chicken and peppers, one of the few memories she has of her deceased father. Chaos ensues as the pair steal a chicken from a neighbor, then go on a quest to find someone to help them kill and cook it. Along the way, police officer Serge (Esteban) gets caught up in the madness.

Engaging visuals don’t quite save a culinary quest that goes on too long.



FULL REVIEW

I loved that movie. Might have been my second-favorite movie of '24.

Haven't watched this in about 15 years after seeing it in the theater and watching it a few times at home with my wife (she loved it) and I enjoyed it just as much and in exactly the same way.
For me, Tarantino as I care for him ended after this film. Nothing since this has felt like the real Tarantino more like a really great impostor with no self-control has been running around making movies with his name. But this is the real thing. Even though it is probably the first film that is really guilty of his unlimited self-indulgence with the first group of girls maybe being a little bit too obnoxious, he keeps the film under two hours.
Also this is a great Kurt Russell performance, as someone I watched it with pointed out. And Zoe Bell charmed me to death yet again. She should have asked me to marry her, I probably would have said yes.
Anyway, just a really fun movie. Looks like it is my Fourth-favorite Tarantino film if Kill Bill is all one movie and maybe tied for Fifth-favorite if it's not.

The Color Of Money - 1986

Newman is a stud. Completely owns the role. I enjoyed the flick, I watched The Hustler a few weeks ago. I think I kind of enjoyed this one a little more. I think Newman was even better in this movie than he was in the original. I really liked the end of the movie. Bit of a cookie cutter film but I enjoyed it and Newman is the absolute highlight...deserved that Oscar.

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I came here to do two things, drink some beer and kick some ass, looks like we are almost outta beer - Dazed and Confused

101 Favorite Movies (2019)

This was actually my second-favorite Scorsese movie for most of my life. Not sure where it ranks now but still probably Top-4, definitely Top-5.

Interesting that Rourke plays the "Motorcycle Boy" in 1983 and then "Harley Davidson" in 1991.

It's cool that you like it. It's coming on a bit strong for my taste. However, I will return and watch the second half. I'll take a second sip, I cannot imbibe this drink all at once.

The Abyss (1989) - First viewing. Yeah, it’s three movies rolled into one and it’s gonna lose you at one point or another. It did me in the middle hour, and it could have used some trimming… But damn me if it wasn’t a blast, for its tension-filled atmosphere (filled with the fear of death, of your own kind and of the unknown) and the humanity of its characters; especially Harris and Mastrantonio who are the heart of it all. Hawksian spirit, Spielbergian sentiments.

Wasn’t a fan of encountering the aliens bits (just me a thing) but it’s not until the last minutes with those waves and the appearance of the giant submarine that everything prior pays off to leave us in a state of awe, the goal of every good sci-fi story. Look up it's behind the scenes trivia; they're rough... and they bleed into the movie to elevate it to something singular. 8.5/10.

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HEI guys.

Super - (James Gunn, 2010)

I'd probably give it a higher score if it wasn't for THAT scene with Wilson and Page. 06/10

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You don't remember me? We spoke on the phone two days ago. I told you I would find you.

(MILLS, 2008)