Saulnier, 2013
After watching
Green Room, I wanted to check out some more work from the director. Another strong entry here, although I liked
Green Room a bit more.
Snyder, 2016
The comic genre of films has gotten pretty stale for me as of late. Mostly due to a glut of movies that use a similar formula in structure, tone, and narrative. So much so that I didn't bother to shell out cash for any of the latest crop, including the latest
X-Men film, Civil War, and Batman vs Superman. The latter got kicked around by the critics, so I paid very little attention to it when it was in theaters. Silly me. Visually and stylistically, it blows away most of the comic flicks I have seen, and unlike some of Snyder's other work (I'm looking at you,
Sucker Punch), it didn't go off a cliff midway through the film. It definitely has its problems, Eisenberg's performance of Lex Luthor being the most egregious problem, but it was nowhere near a bad as I had heard, and some sections we excellent. Snyder has remarkable command of visual style, which I think was a perfect fit for a film like this. I might even watch this one again.
McLean, 2005
I have been watching a fair amount in the thriller/horror genre lately, and this is one of the better low-budget flicks I have seen so far. A couple of scenes had me crawling the walls, which is I guess what one is trying to achieve when they watch films of this sort. Effective and stark with a memorable antagonist.
Gilbert, 1977
This is close to the top of the list for me when considering the camp Bond flicks. Well into the late 70s, Bond films were well into the self-parody period of their existence. This film is shot quite a bit better than most of the others surrounding it, and aside from kind of a dud villain, it's epic and most of all, fun. Cool car chase in this one.
Glen, 1981
I remembered liking this one a lot back when it was first out, but it just doesn't hold up very well now. The tacked-on intro that has nothing to do with the actual film, an aging Roger Moore, and an icy bond girl don't help the cause. It's not all bad, as it has a couple of cool set pieces and an interesting bit player or two. Not one of the better camp flicks for Bond, though.
Glen, 1987
I had a tough time rating this one. In some ways, this film was doing the gritty, post-modern thing decades before Daniel Craig showed up, but the film also suffers from a bit of an identity crisis dude to the time it was made and audience expectations at the time. No maniacal super-villain in a grey suit trying to shoot the moon with a laser or any such nonsense like that. Down-to-Earth criminals and militants doing bad things with guns and drugs are what Bond gets mixed up with this time. A well-played antagonist that never really goes over the top with a believable Russian military defector premise is a strong point, while a doe-eyed moron of a bond girl is not so good. I recall this film getting a luke-warm reception when it was released, with people claiming it just wasn't as fun as the Moore flicks that preceded it. I guess I can see that point. The Living Daylights has a more serious tone, and Tim Dalton's bond, which is excellent IMO, was a different animal completely. This is probably the best Bond film of the 80s. Too bad legal issues put the series on the shelf for six years after the next film, or we may have had more from Dalton.
Spottiswoode, 1997
Next up on the Bond front was 1997's
Tomorrow Never Dies. This probably deserves a bit lower on the rating, but I am a sucker for ol' Jonathan Price and Michelle Yeoh was a bad-ass Bond girl. Also, the premise was a bit unnerving given today's media-dominated climate. This one resonates more now than it did then. That said, it;s mostly run-of-the-mill stuff and it could use a bit more development and drama instead of just leapfrogging from one action scene to the next until the end. Probably more of a
but I knocked it up a bit for Jon Price.
Laugier, 2008
This flick is so depraved, I had trouble finding a screen shot that didn't violate forum rules. Ultra violent, bleak, and shocking, I doubt I would ever watch it again. That said, I will never forget it. Seriously visceral and very well-made, but I wonder if there is an audience for stuff this extreme. I don't think I am part of it.
Gilliam, 1985
This gets more accurate and therefore more terrifying every year. Our world looks more and more like the world of Brazil every day.