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Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.

Murmur (Heather Young, 2019)
6-/10
Iron Warrior (Al Bradley [Alfonso Brescia], 1987)
4/10
Nathalie... (Anne Fontaine, 2003)
+ 6/10
Annette (Leos Carax, 2021)
6/10

Narcissistic singer Adam Driver uses his "daughter" in more ways than one in a darkly bizarre musical.
Track of the Moon Beast (Richard Ashe, 1976)
4/10
Out of My League (Alice Filippi, 2020)
6/10
In Pursuit of Silence (Patrick Shen, 2015)
6.5/10
The Green Knight (David Lowery, 2021)
5.5/10

Sir Gawain (Dev Patel) "slays" the Green Knight and then travels on a year-long journey after which he may confront him again.
My Love, Don't Cross That River (Jin Mo-young, 2014)
6/10
Invasion from Inner Earth (Bill Rebane, 1974)
+ 4.5/10
Clambake (Arthur H. Nadel, 1967)
5.5/10
PAW Patrol: The Movie (Cal Brunker, 2021)
6/10

Yep, the Doggy Police are cute, but they're the most-competent public service employees in Adventure City.
The Wanting Mare (Nicholas Ashe Bateman, 2020)
5.5/10
The Alpha Incident (Bill Rebane, 1978)
5/10
Chloe and Theo (Ezna Sands, 2015)
5.5/10
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf (Kwang Il Han, 2021)
+ 6.5/10

Mercenary swordsman fights monsters including a new, more-dangerous one.
Blood Harvest (Bill Rebane, 1987)
5/10
Tales of Dracula (Joe DeMuro, 2015)
6/10
Wicked Blood (Mark Young, 2014)
+ 5/10
Vampire (E.W. Swackhamer, 1979)
6/10

Although he's still being aided by retired cop E.G. Marshall, architect Jason Miller here is at the mercy of vampire Richard Lynch in San Francisco.
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He has been on auto-pilot mode for a couple of years now. I think the most notable thing he has done recently are his two films with Shyamalan (Split and Glass). Other than that, it's mostly DTV fodder where he grumbles for less than 5 minutes, and that's it.


EDIT: I recently read this article and I thought it was a fascinating look at why this old action stars (Willis, Sly, Arnie, even De Niro and Pacino) agree to go this route.
Thanks for the link, my man! The article confirms some of my suspicions, and explains some things I didn't know. There's always been a battle between business people and the arts-- especially film and music. The business people are always going to win, so will see how long this king of financing he dregs will last. He sounds like the ultimate, and you can believe others will copy him.



EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS
(2002, Elkayem)
A film with the number Eight in its title
-- recommended by Darren Lucas --





Eight Legged Freaks follows a group of people from a small Arizona town as they face mutant spiders that are the result of a toxic waste spill. The main focus of the story is Chris (David Arquette), the son of the former owner of the mine that made the town prosper, and Samantha (Kari Wuhrer), the tough sheriff he used to be in love with.

For the most part, the film doesn't take itself too seriously, and manages to find a good balance between thrills and comedy, which reminded me of stuff like Tremors, Critters, or even Gremlins. The special effects might be cheap, but I guess it kinda works for the kind of film it ends up being.

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot
I thought it was fun as well. Kind of Class AA ball but still fun. Plus it's got a young Scarlett Johansson in one of her first roles.



Wrong Move (1975)

"I want to be a writer, but is that possible when you don't like people?
If only I could write. Write!
"
I definitely can relate to the aspiring writer in this Wim Wenders film (my first, I'm pretty sure). It's weird and illogical but somehow intriguing. I guess I should check out some other films by him. And yes, I chose this film out of curiosity after reading the IMDb trivia for my previous watch To the Devil a Daughter.
Wow, if that's accurate then please try Wings of Desire and/or Paris, Texas and let us know what you thought.



I watched Racket Girls (1951) on blu ray. Also known as Pin-down Girl or Blonde Pickup, its about a gangster who uses women's wrestling as a front for illegal activity. The film has really low ratings, a 1.7 on imdb and a 1.5 on letterboxd, with some people saying it is one of the worst films ever. In my opinion, this isn't anywhere near as bad as some people say. It has its flaws and limitations, but this is nowhere near one of the worst films ever. It has its charm and there is fun to be had. My rating is a
.
Your post inspired me to watch Racket Girls (1951) It wasn't great, but it had some good & unique things about it. The story premise was pretty fresh. I've not seen another film noir about a Congressional hearing into the illegal 'fixing' of women's wrestling matches. Come to think of it a 1951 film that shows women wrestling, including two real women wrestling champions is also unique.

But what I really liked was the casting. The slimy bookies and promoters looked authentic and not like actors...Now it's too bad they couldn't act. But even the flat acting had some kind of charm, maybe. I'd give the movie a
+



EDIT: I recently read this article and I thought it was a fascinating look at why this old action stars (Willis, Sly, Arnie, even De Niro and Pacino) agree to go this route.
Pretty good article. Thanks.



Victim of The Night


Midnight in the Switchgrass (2021)

I'm wondering what the "over and under" number would be on this flick in terms of how many minutes the average viewer could watch until they shut it off in disgust. I'm guessing 30 minutes. I made it almost that long, even though my stomach was starting to hurt.

I was hooked in by seeing that it "starred" Bruce Willis. In the few scenes that he was in, it was embarrassing to see a big name actor like he rattle off lines as if he were reading from a teleprompter, and not very well at that! Someone can refresh my memory if he's done a noteworthy job in any film since 2013's Red 2.

Emile Hirsch showed some engaging talent as a Florida cop collaborating with federal agents on a kidnapping/murder case, supposedly patterned after the "Truck Stop Killer" murders. Megan Fox and Lukas Haas both acted reasonably well.

But it was the idiotic and trite screenplay and dialogue that were right up next to laughable that sunk this turkey. Perhaps Willis is in debt and needs to keep making poor movies at a high fee. But avoid this one.


Doc's rating: 2/10
A buddy of mine is friends with Bruce Willis. Willis was at my buddy's wedding... and was a complete ******* to anyone who even tried to speak to him. But what I learned from my friend is that Willis doesn't give one **** anymore. He does an endless stream of movies where he gets paid a bunch of money to show up for one day of shooting or three days of shooting or whatever and then he's free again to do whatever the hell he wants. He has little if any interest in acting anymore except as a way to keep all the bills paid so he just churns out Red Box fare when it suits his schedule and he really doesn't care what anybody thinks about it.
Strange but it is what it is. Personally, having met him and feeling that he was a real douchebag, I enjoy seeing his public shame even if he doesn't care at all (and he doesn't).



Victim of The Night
EIGHT LEGGED FREAKS
(2002, Elkayem)
-- recommended by Darren Lucas --





Eight Legged Freaks follows a group of people from a small Arizona town as they face mutant spiders that are the result of a toxic waste spill. The main focus of the story is Chris (David Arquette), the son of the former owner of the mine that made the town prosper, and Samantha (Kari Wuhrer), the tough sheriff he used to be in love with.

For the most part, the film doesn't take itself too seriously, and manages to find a good balance between thrills and comedy, which reminded me of stuff like Tremors, Critters, or even Gremlins. The special effects might be cheap, but I guess it kinda works for the kind of film it ends up being.

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot
I enjoyed this when it was released but haven't seen it since.



Victim of The Night
Wrong Move (1975)

"I want to be a writer, but is that possible when you don't like people?
If only I could write. Write!
"
I definitely can relate to the aspiring writer in this Wim Wenders film (my first, I'm pretty sure). It's weird and illogical but somehow intriguing. I guess I should check out some other films by him. And yes, I chose this film out of curiosity after reading the IMDb trivia for my previous watch To the Devil a Daughter.
Paris, Texas is my favorite film not named The Rocky Horror Picture Show.



I forgot the opening line.

By David O. Selznick Productions - Source, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/inde...curid=45595201

The Fallen Idol - (1948)

Terrific film from Carol Reed based on a short story by Graham Greene. The film takes place in an Embassy in London, from the point of view of a child (the son of important diplomats) who idolizes butler Baines (Ralph Richardson) - when Baines is discovered by the child having an affair there starts a series of secrets, lies and trouble - eventually leading to someone's death. The kid finds himself in a world he doesn't understand - with potentially tragic results. Reed and Greene would be nominated for Oscars for directing and adapted screenplay. I enjoyed every minute.

7.5/10


Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17682428

Dracula : Prince of Darkness - (1966)

I really did not expect this to be as good as it turned out being. A lot of fun, in a Hammer Horror film way with distinctive use of colour and sets. This was Christopher Lee's second go-around as Dracula and he gives one hell of a performance without uttering a single word. Charles 'Bud' Tingwell might not mean much to people here, but he does to me and I was astonished to see him in this. I haven't seen the other Lee Dracula films but now I feel I must.

7/10


By STX Entertainment - http://cdn3-www.comingsoon.net/asset...teenposter.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51106187

The Edge of Seventeen - (2016)

Nadine (Hailee Steinfeld) is a good-looking high school girl, but a little 'out-there' and as such she struggles to make friends or cope with things that include her father's death and her brother stealing her best friend. She eventually makes an impassioned pass at bad-boy Nick (Alexander Calvert,) which just makes everything worse. It takes caring teacher Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson) to help sort things out - just by being there for her. A nice little coming-of-age film. I'll swear that's the female version of me at that age. I enjoyed it without the movie becoming a favourite of mine - and think that if I were younger I'd take the film more to heart.

6.5/10



I also found it quite interesting. From a thematic point of view, watching it very close to watching Stranger by the Lake made for an interesting viewing experience.
Hmm, yeah I remember Stranger by the Lake as being quite an interesting watch, shall we say!






A darker remake of Tommy.

9/10



Victim of The Night
EDIT: I recently read this article and I thought it was a fascinating look at why this old action stars (Willis, Sly, Arnie, even De Niro and Pacino) agree to go this route.
Rats, I got a paywall.



The subscribing splash comes up, but you can close it in the X and still read the article. At least that's how I read it.
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The Green Knight -


Have you ever thought up "what if" scenarios about movies like "what if Disney produced a Halloween movie" or "what if David Cronenberg directed Patch Adams?" The Green Knight plays out like you'd expect if you asked, "what if A24 produced a movie based on Arthurian legend?" To be fair, I love a lot of movies the studio is associated with, especially Moonlight and Good Time, but I'm not the only one who’s first thought when their logo appears on the screen - admittedly, internet memes are partially to blame - and think "art house." While I love many movies considered art house fare, the flourishes in movies with this label, whether they're unusual camera angles, lens flare, color saturation, etc. range from appropriate, meaningful, organic, etc. to showing off, and I believe that most of the ones in this movie fall into the latter category. In other words, well, word, which I hate to say because it's is often misused, but "pretentious" could apply here. Case in point: there's a long take showing Gawain and his horse leaving Camelot to face the titular foe. While it indicates how alone they are on this mission, it calls too much attention to itself, overstays its welcome and made me wonder if director David Lowery's real intent is for me to think "wow, that’s a cool shot" instead of understanding the scene's purpose. An unfortunate side effect of all this showing off is that it kept me at a distance from our hero, which is not only disappointing because he's in nearly every shot, but also because he's played by Dev Patel, who is one of my favorite actors lately. Despite how many affectations are in the movie and how disconnected it made me feel, there are enough good things in it for me to mildly recommend it. The supporting cast, Sean Harris as King Arthur and Joel Edgerton as a castle lord in particular, give professional and possibly the best performances I've seen by them, the atmosphere is organically murky and mysterious when it needs to be, and if any of the flourishes worked for me, the ones that created ambiguity about what's real and what's a product of Gawain's imagination and anxieties definitely did. It's too bad that it ultimately amounted to the movie version of a thin soup in an overly ornate ceramic bowl to me, not to mention filled my head with more "what if" scenarios. Specifically, what if William Friedkin, Martin Scorsese or someone else like them had directed this? I'm not asking because of their skill levels - I mean, Lowery may have their potential - but because they are directors who excel at letting the audience walk in their protagonists' shoes and at telling stories like this one in which their character, bravery, beliefs, etc. are put to the test. Lowery, on the other hand, made me feel like there was a film school between Gawain and myself.





2nd-Re-watch...Ben Stiller created his masterpiece as the director, co-screenwriter, and star of this dead on satire of Apocalypse Now and the documentary Hearts of Darkness which finds five actors working on a big budget action film turned into real soldiers through a bizarre series of events. The Oscar-worthy screenplay combines an on-target look at the Hollywood machine as well as the behind the scenes turmoil that surrounded the Coppola classic. Stiller's cast is perfection with standout work from Robert Downey Jr, who earned an Oscar nomination as an arrogant Australian actor who undergoes a "pigmentation augmentation" so that he can play a black character, Matthew McConaughey as Stiller's agent, and especially Tom Cruise, who buries his sex symbol image to be believable as the hard-assed producer of the movie. Cruise should have received an Oscar nomination too. Research revealed that Cruise came up with the look for his character completely, including prosthetic hands. Funny, smart, and richly entertaining...still.



Registered User
Still Water - Matt Damon ( B - )




By David O. Selznick Productions - Source, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/inde...curid=45595201

The Fallen Idol - (1948)

Terrific film from Carol Reed based on a short story by Graham Greene. The film takes place in an Embassy in London, from the point of view of a child (the son of important diplomats) who idolizes butler Baines (Ralph Richardson) - when Baines is discovered by the child having an affair there starts a series of secrets, lies and trouble - eventually leading to someone's death. The kid finds himself in a world he doesn't understand - with potentially tragic results. Reed and Greene would be nominated for Oscars for directing and adapted screenplay. I enjoyed every minute.
This one was a lot funnier than I expected it to be. "I know your daddy!"

Hmm, yeah I remember Stranger by the Lake as being quite an interesting watch, shall we say!
There's a common thread between the two films regarding a fatalistic or self-destructive streak in these young men who are clearly nice/smart/handsome enough to attract someone who wouldn't want to abuse them. But it's been a few years since I watched either of them, so I'd need to revisit them to be more specific.



PHOENIX
(2014, Petzold)
-- recommended by Sylvie --



"The clinic needed pictures for the reconstruction. Sorry. That's the wrong word. Dr Bongartz used it and I simply... Re-creation is better, right?"

Phoenix follows Nelly (Nina Hoss), a former singer trying to pick up the pieces of her life after the end of World War II. A survivor of a concentration camp, Nelly was left for dead after being shot in the face, but undergoes reconstructive surgery in an attempt to regain her normal life. "How do you want to look?", asks the doctor, trying to give her the option to start life anew, but Nelly wants to look "exactly like I used to". But sometimes, the wounds are too deep, too severe, "it's never quite the same".

Phoenix a slow burner, as director and co-writer Christian Petzold takes his time to set the story, and build the characters. The fire you can feel from the three main performances also doesn't let the story feel stuck, but rather keeps it moving, wondering what will happen next. The film is not a thriller, but a more introspective character study as we see them each pondering their next steps, and what to do. How can we reconstruct, or recreate after... this?

Grade:



Full review on my Movie Loot