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I think From Dusk Til Dawn is awesome right up to the point when vampires appear, but it's a fun movie regardless.
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The Hateful Eight (Quentin Tarantino, 2015) - +
I bet if I just sat down and read the script while listening to the score, I could have a similar experience as I had watching the film. Those were my two favorite aspects of the film, the script and the score. What Tarantino did here was take a masterfully told story and translate it to screen, plain and simple. What I mean is - there isn't as much "show-offy" filmmaking stuff here as you might expect from a Tarantino flick, I guess. He doesn't need to show off, he doesn't ever need to compensate. The script is it's own masterpiece, and is cinematic in it's own right. Throw in some quality performances and a killer score by Morricone, and you have a stunning masterpiece by Tarantino.
As it stands, this is one of my most enjoyable Tarantino viewings yet. In fact, I hereby declare it my second favorite Tarantino flick! If it holds up my second viewing, I will give it a full score.
I bet if I just sat down and read the script while listening to the score, I could have a similar experience as I had watching the film. Those were my two favorite aspects of the film, the script and the score. What Tarantino did here was take a masterfully told story and translate it to screen, plain and simple. What I mean is - there isn't as much "show-offy" filmmaking stuff here as you might expect from a Tarantino flick, I guess. He doesn't need to show off, he doesn't ever need to compensate. The script is it's own masterpiece, and is cinematic in it's own right. Throw in some quality performances and a killer score by Morricone, and you have a stunning masterpiece by Tarantino.
As it stands, this is one of my most enjoyable Tarantino viewings yet. In fact, I hereby declare it my second favorite Tarantino flick! If it holds up my second viewing, I will give it a full score.
I loved it too Swan. Was much better than I expected although not sure it would be in my top 2 of his, probably not far off though.
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Favorite Movies
The Hateful Eight (Quentin Tarantino, 2015) - +
Read my mini-review here.
Brooklyn (John Crowley, 2015) -
Lazily filmed with a cliched, predictable script, the only saving grace to this film is Saoirse Ronan, who is wonderful.
The Revenant (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 2015) -
While I could appreciate this film in terms of craft, which is usually what I look for in cinema, there is something about this film that keeps me from giving it a great score. It's a movie that I have yet to form a real opinion on, and my rating could very well increase or decrease with upon rewatch.
Miami Connection (Woo-sang Park, 1987) -
Read my mini-review here.
Read my mini-review here.
Brooklyn (John Crowley, 2015) -
Lazily filmed with a cliched, predictable script, the only saving grace to this film is Saoirse Ronan, who is wonderful.
The Revenant (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, 2015) -
While I could appreciate this film in terms of craft, which is usually what I look for in cinema, there is something about this film that keeps me from giving it a great score. It's a movie that I have yet to form a real opinion on, and my rating could very well increase or decrease with upon rewatch.
Miami Connection (Woo-sang Park, 1987) -
Read my mini-review here.
Knock Knock (Eli Roth, 2015)
A twisted, captivating, and misunderstood horror masterpiece by my favorite modern horror director Eli Roth.
Roth has never let me down. Odd because not many people seem to appreciate his films. But Cabin Fever, as some of you know, is one of my all-time favorites of the horror genre. I think Hostel is underrated, too. Far too many are quick to criticize movies featuring gruesome torture, while not realizing a film like Hostel achieves exactly what it sets out to do, and does it well. But above all else, above what I find to be the infused intelligence in his otherwise campy, shlocky modern horror films (he has some overarching reason for making each of his films - something you don't see a lot in horror these days), above the great horror filmmaking craft... his films are just damn fun. I think the best compliment I can give this film is it absolutely entranced me like films rarely do now.
Call it "Lords of Salem syndrome" if you want: a horror film that is critically panned by most, but that I personally see as something of a masterwork. As I was watching the film I was constantly taken aback by the greatness of the script, the music, the absolutely phenomenal performances by Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas (and a suitably campy-but-great performance by Mr. Reeves). And then there were the little touches. People who have seen the film know what I mean when I reference the "Facebook" bit at the end. I laughed at that moment, partly because it was funny but mostly because it was a moment of brilliance that cemented what I was had been thinking throughout Knock Knock -
That this movie is un-f*cking-believably awesome, wrinkles and all.
Call me a Roth fanboy, but I'm proud to be one when he makes films like this.
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A twisted, captivating, and misunderstood horror masterpiece by my favorite modern horror director Eli Roth.
Roth has never let me down. Odd because not many people seem to appreciate his films. But Cabin Fever, as some of you know, is one of my all-time favorites of the horror genre. I think Hostel is underrated, too. Far too many are quick to criticize movies featuring gruesome torture, while not realizing a film like Hostel achieves exactly what it sets out to do, and does it well. But above all else, above what I find to be the infused intelligence in his otherwise campy, shlocky modern horror films (he has some overarching reason for making each of his films - something you don't see a lot in horror these days), above the great horror filmmaking craft... his films are just damn fun. I think the best compliment I can give this film is it absolutely entranced me like films rarely do now.
Call it "Lords of Salem syndrome" if you want: a horror film that is critically panned by most, but that I personally see as something of a masterwork. As I was watching the film I was constantly taken aback by the greatness of the script, the music, the absolutely phenomenal performances by Lorenza Izzo and Ana de Armas (and a suitably campy-but-great performance by Mr. Reeves). And then there were the little touches. People who have seen the film know what I mean when I reference the "Facebook" bit at the end. I laughed at that moment, partly because it was funny but mostly because it was a moment of brilliance that cemented what I was had been thinking throughout Knock Knock -
That this movie is un-f*cking-believably awesome, wrinkles and all.
Call me a Roth fanboy, but I'm proud to be one when he makes films like this.
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Wow, I think you've given the film the highest praise it will ever get.
All I think about when I see this film is free pizza.
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Suspect's Reviews
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Wow, I think you've given the film the highest praise it will ever get.
All I think about when I see this film is free pizza.
All I think about when I see this film is free pizza.
You did a link to the page we're on!
The Great Silence (Sergio Corbucci, 1968) -
Such an awesome revisionist spaghetti western. For a while I was championing style more than I championed substance, and yeah, every time I see a stylistic move by a director I get a bit giddy. But I think there's a balance now. There's style in craft but I'm starting to realize (and how could I not notice this before?) that there is style in storytelling, as well! But I think substance is important too. Maybe it was watching The Hateful Eight Like and absorbing the beauty in its screenplay, but I feel like I was realizing this even before seeing that. With... well, a lot of things, style and substance should balance each other out.
I thought this film did that nicely. It had plenty of style to spare, but also had great characters and an engaging story that kept me going. What I loved about it though was how it might challenge ones perception of what "should" happen in a story. Especially with the incredible ending. Perhaps one of the best endings I've seen. This is a bleak, nihilistic western done right, and a clear influence on that Tarantino guy.
Such an awesome revisionist spaghetti western. For a while I was championing style more than I championed substance, and yeah, every time I see a stylistic move by a director I get a bit giddy. But I think there's a balance now. There's style in craft but I'm starting to realize (and how could I not notice this before?) that there is style in storytelling, as well! But I think substance is important too. Maybe it was watching The Hateful Eight Like and absorbing the beauty in its screenplay, but I feel like I was realizing this even before seeing that. With... well, a lot of things, style and substance should balance each other out.
I thought this film did that nicely. It had plenty of style to spare, but also had great characters and an engaging story that kept me going. What I loved about it though was how it might challenge ones perception of what "should" happen in a story. Especially with the incredible ending. Perhaps one of the best endings I've seen. This is a bleak, nihilistic western done right, and a clear influence on that Tarantino guy.
I disagree way too strongly with your review of HF8 to rep it, but that '68 western by Corbucci sounds and looks awesome. Definitely want to watch that some time.
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Miami Connection > anything Tarantino has ever done!
AGAINST THE NINJA!
AGAINST THE NINJA!
I disagree way too strongly with your review of HF8 to rep it, but that '68 western by Corbucci sounds and looks awesome. Definitely want to watch that some time.
Corbucci's masterwork lower than Tarantino? Swan, you're going downhill!
Or maybe, I'm a loser piece of sh*t. I'm not really sure.
Current Top Five Directors
1. Werner Herzog
2. Ingmar Bergman
3. Roman Polanski
4. Buster Keaton
5. Luis Bunuel
Honorable mention: your face.
1. Werner Herzog
2. Ingmar Bergman
3. Roman Polanski
4. Buster Keaton
5. Luis Bunuel
Honorable mention: your face.
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