The Resident Bitch's Movie Log

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Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
Still never seen that one though I've been curious for a while, largely down to your great love for it. Lovely review as always





Veneno para las hadas(Poison for the Fairies) (Carlos Enrique Taboada, 1984)
Imdb

Date Watched: 5/24/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 16th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by pahaK
Rewatch: No


I had some very mixed feelings about this one. Although I was thankful for the relatively short run time, I found the majority of the film to be an absolute chore to get through. The acting by the two leads was pretty unconvincing to me, even for children, and I found Veronica far more annoying than at all creepy or sinister. Making matters worse was the awful sound quality. As the film went on, I began to wonder why this film is rated so highly.

And then the ending happened. I can't say that it came completely as a surprise as I expected it to culminate in something like that, but I didn't expect the cold and calculated method of it. I thought that was wonderful and really elevated the film, but not so much that I can say I actually enjoyed it. I'm probably overrating it in relation to my experience watching it, but those last few minutes were great and I do need to give credit for that.

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Wait Until Dark (Terence Young, 1967)
Imdb

Date Watched: 5/26/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 16th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by HashtagBrownies
Rewatch: No


This was a solid film, but I have very little to say about it. The performances were strong, the story was interesting, and there was a fair amount of suspense to it. I never found myself bored, but I also never felt any emotional connection to its characters and nothing about the film stood out as anything particularly special or surprising. An entertaining watch, but not a film watching experience that is likely to stay with me or make want to revisit it.

+





Naked (Mike Leigh, 1993)
Imdb

Date Watched: 5/29/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 16th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by neiba
Rewatch: No


Naked is a well constructed film. The performances are very strong (particularly that of David Thewlis) and the dark and grimy look of the cinematography lends itself well to the film's sort of nihilistic tone. I can definitely see why some people would really enjoy it.

However, I'm not one of those people and I struggled to get through what turned out to be a little over two hours of awful people being awful to each other - with only a sprinkling of witty lines and the filmmakers' obvious skill to keep me from absolutely hating it.






Mr Freedom (William Klein, 1968)
Imdb

Date Watched: 5/31/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 16th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by Siddon
Rewatch: No


Mr. Freedom is certainly a film with something to say about the violence, racism, hypocrisy, and self-aggrandizing of the stereotypical American and the Red, White, and Blue blinders he wears when it comes to the rest of the world - and I can respect that. I can also respect the work that went into the film's creation.

However, the cartoonish delivery of its commentary on the subject was too extreme for me to enjoy it and its novelty wore off long before the end credits rolled.




You can't win an argument just by being right!


Naked (Mike Leigh, 1993)
Imdb

Date Watched: 5/29/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 16th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by neiba
Rewatch: No


Naked is a well constructed film. The performances are very strong o(particularly that of David Thewlis) and the dark and grimy look of the cinematography lends itself well to the film's sort of nihilistic tone. I can definitely see why some people would really enjoy it.

However, I'm not one of those people and I struggled to get through what turned out to be a little over two hours of awful people being awful to each other - with only a sprinkling of witty lines and the filmmakers' obvious skill to keep me from absolutely hating it.


I like him and would watch a movie just on that alone but I will take your word on it. There's enough ofk awful people doing awful things to each other at the Moment so I' LL give it a pass right this minute.

Lovely style as usual, Miss V!



Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
I' LL give it a pass right this minute.
Don't do it. This is an outstanding film. @Miss Vicky definitely has a hard time getting into films if she can't relate to/doesn't like the protagonist(s).
__________________
Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.





Three Monkeys Üç Maymun (Nuri Bilge Ceylan, 2008)
Imdb

Date Watched: 6/3/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 16th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by Okay
Rewatch: No


Three Monkeys offers up a fascinating premise with a series of situations that are not all crystal clear in terms of their ethics and morality. It's a brooding, contemplative movie that follows the excrutiating disintegration of a family. The idea of it is excellent.

Unfortunately the reality of it didn't work very well for me, but this is less the film's fault than it is mine. I often struggle with keeping focus in slow-paced films (and OMG is this film slow!) and this problem was exacerbated by the summer heat, the foreign language, and my lack of sleep. But I was watching the film via a free trial subscription that was about to run out so putting it off wasn't really an option.

However, the pacing wasn't my only problem. There were other issues that I had with the film that kept me from engaging - like scenes that contained dialogue despite the actors not moving their mouths and the depiction of the younger brother just felt awkward and unnecessary.

Still, I felt a good amount of respect for what the film was striving to achieve and I can definitely see why it would work well for others.

+





Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (Tom Tykwer, 2006)
Imdb

Date Watched: 6/11/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 16th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by edarsenal
Rewatch: No


Perfume: The Story of a Murderer is a very sensual yet deeply unsettling film with very dark themes. I really loved the look of it, with its rich colors and admirable attempt to bring scents to the screen. I did go into it with some reservations, however. I expected to be very much put off by the considerable amount of narration as well as by its fantasy elements. I also found myself caring very little for its characters and yet I still was very much engrossed in the story it told.

Or, at least, I was for the first two hours or so. Unfortunately, however, I was much less enraptured by the end of Perfume, where its fantastical elements pushed a bit too far and my ability to suspend disbelief was stretched beyond its limits. As is generally the case, the fault here probably lies more with me than with the film, but it is what it is. Still, I really enjoyed about 80% of it - and that's much more than I can say for a lot of movies.






Call Me By Your Name (Luca Guadagnino, 2017)
Imdb

Date Watched: 06/13/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 16th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by MovieMad16
Rewatch: Yes.


I first watched this film about two months ago. I'd had high hopes for it, but somehow struggled to connect and was ultimately disappointed, though I did appreciate the look of the film and thought it was well crafted. I'm not sure what exactly went wrong last time, but after tonight's rewatch I can confidently say that the issue then was something other than the film.

While I wouldn't go so far as to say that I truly loved it this time around, I was completely engrossed in the story and felt strongly for Elio's journey. I think Timothée Chalamet did a splendid job of portraying the curiosity, confusion, and longing of a young man coming of age, discovering his sexuality, and summoning the courage to pursue what he wants. I was also a lot more taken with Armie Hammer's performance here as the conflicted Oliver and bought into the romance between them.

And, as before, I still loved the look of the film. The breathtaking backdrop of Italy was the perfect setting for the doomed love affair, and the pastels and muted colors leant the whole thing a dream-like quality that was very fitting. The music too, really helped to enhance the film and add to the feelings of excitement, discovery, and loss.

I'm really glad that I decided to give Call Me By Your Name this second chance instead of letting my previous experience be the only impression I get of it. I don't know that it will ever be a personal favorite film, but it is one that I now both respect and genuinely enjoy.

+



I've not been watching very many movies in the last few weeks due to some personal stuff (some good, some bad) and most of what I have seen have been rewatches of films that I've already written up at some point, so I'm not going to log them again. I'm also going to be traveling for the next week or so and likely won't be online much if at all for awhile.

I did, however, visit the cinema twice since my last post in this thread and I do want to get some brief thoughts posted for those films. So here goes:

* * *



Bao (Domee Shi, 2018)
Imdb

Date Watched: 6/23/18
Cinema or Home: Cinema
Reason For Watching: It’s Pixar
Rewatch: No


This is the short that appears before The Incredibles 2. From a visual standpoint, it looked great but nothing stood out as being anything special and it didn't really resonate with me from an emotional standpoint. Still much better than that Frozen piece of crap Disney subjected the audience to last time a Pixar film was in theaters.




* * *



Incredibles 2 (Brad Bird, 2018)
Imdb

Date Watched: 6/23/18
Cinema or Home: Cinema
Reason For Watching: It’s Pixar
Rewatch: No


I would've preferred it if the whole superhero/Sci-Fi/Action aspect of the film would've been toned down some, but I know that's a lot to ask from a super hero film and probably isn't something most of the audience would want anyway. Still, it was a fun movie and there was plenty of other scenes to be had. I particularly enjoyed the scenes with Edna Mode, my favorite character from the original, and the scenes in which Mr. Incredible struggled to cope with his new role as stay-at-home-dad.






Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (J.A. Bayona, 2018)
Imdb

Date Watched: 7/4/18
Cinema or Home: Cinema
Reason For Watching: Entertainment
Rewatch: No


Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom was always going to be about dinosaurs getting loose and eating people. It doesn't require a whole lot of originality in the writing to make this sort of film work. At least not for me. And yet, there were some places where the film really fell short. There were several scenes that were just silly and some that made no sense even for a brainless popcorn flick like this - most notably was the scene in which the latest genetically engineered bad dino met its demise thanks to some (pretty questionable) coordinated teamwork by our heroes.

Still, there was plenty of cool adventure scenes and people getting eaten by dinosaurs so I can't say I wasn't still entertained.

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Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
I know it's been a few weeks now but glad to see you enjoyed both Incredibles 2 and Fallen Kingdom. I know they were amongst a very small group of films you were looking forward to so glad they were positive experiences



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
RE: BAO

My wife, bawled like a little baby during this.
__________________
"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews





The Bodyguard (Mick Jackson, 1992)
Imdb

Date Watched: 07/12/18
Cinema or Home: On the portable player in the car
Reason For Watching: Needed entertainment during a long car trip
Rewatch: Yes.


There once was a time when Kevin Costner was my favorite actor. I was obsessed with him and The Bodyguard came out at what was probably the height of that obsession and I loved it immediately. Since then I've always had a soft spot for it, but as I watched it this most recent time, I came to realize just how silly and formulaic it is. It views much like a bad romance novel and I couldn't help but laugh at some of the scenes that were created for no other reason than to make Costner look like a badass. And yet, I still found myself enjoying every stupid minute of it.






Amos & Andrew (E. Max Frye, 1993)
Imdb

Date Watched: 07/13/18
Cinema or Home: On the portable player in the car
Reason For Watching: Needed entertainment during a long car trip
Rewatch: Yes.


A writer and black activist buys a house in an upscale white neighborhood, where he is mistaken for a burglar by some nosy neighbors and soon his house is surrounded by cops. He steps outside, reaches his arm out to try turn off his car alarm, and the cops open fire.

This is how Amos & Andrew, a buddy comedy from the early 1990s, begins. I'm not sure what exactly possessed me to rewatch this film but I was struck by how much those early scenes paralleled so may of the news reports that have surfaced in recent months. But as I said, this is a comedy, and it laughs at racism and at the ridiculous knee-jerk, irrational reactions that both the whites and blacks exhibit in reaction to the situation.

Unfortunately, the execution of the film comes off as a bit clumsy and it relies too heavily on silliness and slapstick, but I still found it entertaining enough.

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In case anybody was wondering, I have not abandoned this thread. I simply have been in a very bad movie watching slump and, until today, had not watched any movies (at least not all the way through) since my last write up.

After announcing the nominations for the 17th HOF, I decided to jump right in and watch the first of the 15 nominees:

* * *


The Dressmaker (Jocelyn Moorhouse, 2015)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/15/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 17th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by Citizen Rules
Rewatch: No.


I must say that when I saw that this film had been nominated, I was not at all excited about it. Just the title was a bit of a turnoff for me and the trailer made it seem as though it would provide little more than some light entertainment.

And for the first part of the film, I thought those initial impressions were going to be proved true. I didn't care much at all for Hugo Weaving's character (and still didn't really by the end of the film) - who felt perhaps a little more caricature than character to me and that was true of many of the other supporting characters. Also I thought Liam Hemsworth's Teddy did little more than to serve as a bit of eye candy (and he isn't even the best looking Hemsworth brother, that one's in a different 17th HOF nom) with little about him to make him feel real.

Thankfully, the lead role is in the far more capable hands of Kate Winslet who infuses her performance with a strong sense of glamour, strength, and vulnerability. I really felt for her struggles to understand her past, cried tears over her losses, and smirked along with her as she exacted her revenge. And it's really this performance that made the film for me. Sure, I laughed at some of the antics of the other characters and liked the bright colors and overall look of the film (though I don't give a flying crap about fashion and haven't worn a dress since my brother's wedding several years ago), but there wasn't a whole lot else here. Still, I had a good time with it and it was a good way to break my two month streak of not being able to finish a movie.






Amélie (Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain) (Jean-Pierre Jeunet, 2001)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/18/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 17th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by TheUsualSuspect
Rewatch: Yes.


Jean-Pierre Jeunet makes films that are beautiful and highly imaginative. They're full of brilliant colors and quirky, off-beat characters who find themselves in bizarre situations. In many ways his work reminds me of that of Wes Anderson, but unfortunately that is not a compliment. Both directors create worlds that are wonderful to look at but are filled with characters that are so off-beat and quirky as to make them off-putting for me.

And this was very much true for the people of Amélie, particularly for Miss Poulain herself. I think I was meant to find her sly smile and wide eyes endearing, but instead I found her kind of creepy. Her rather unethical - if well-intentioned - methods of affecting other people's lives didn't help the situation, either.

Still - and has been the case with the three other Jeunet films I've seen - I was at least reasonably well entertained by all the weirdness. It's just not something that will stick with me or leave me with any desire to revisit it on my own.

+





Day for Night (La nuit américaine) (François Truffaut, 1973)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/19/18
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 17th MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by
Nathaniel
Rewatch:No.


With its visual beauty and fastidious attention to detail, Day for Night leaves no doubt that its director and star, François Truffaut, is a man who is deeply passionate about his work. He brings the audience into the world of the filmmaker - with all the struggles, personal dramas, setbacks, clashing egos, and re-writes - and laughs at it all.

For that I have nothing but respect, but unfortunately I was not laughing with him. There were some scenes that were mildly amusing, sure, but ultimately I just couldn't bring myself to care about this collection of obnoxious, narcissistic fools and was rather bored by it.

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