Movie Tab II

I was afraid that if I binge only French New Wave films, I'll burn out pretty fast, so I toned down and also watched lots of other films.

Made in U.S.A (1966) -



Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations.

She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949) -



A disappointment! The Technicolor cinematography is sure mighty pretty, but it didn't feel heart-stopping nor meticulously framed. Plotwise, the film is even more of a pean for cavalry than the first in the trilogy, and surely lacks a counterpoint Henry Fonda's character was in Fort Apache. Even the comedic relief seemed way goofier, and more along the way of something like The Quiet Man, that I didn't like either. I think I'm too lenient with it, especially given my ratings for other color Ford films, but, heh, the thing is still on: I love black and white Ford whereas I'm not too keen on his color features.

Rio Grande (1950) -



The last in John Ford's Cavalry Trilogy and arguably the most effective and successful in showcasing the trademark Ford feelgoodness. The more Ford I watch, the more I understand why people compare him to Ozu. Even though these two directors utilize their ideas in different ways, there is some similarity, mostly in how they use pleasant background music during scenes, and how some of their films have these moments of unadulterated "idyllic joy" for lack of better wording. Think that shot in Stagecoach during the baby scene, that frames three men standing in a chamber. They just could stand there forever. There was a similar shot in this film, too, but I can't remember it now. Surely not as beautiful and memorable as the Stagecoach one, but it's there. It's there. The film itself is pretty great, with astonishing horse-riding stunts and absolutely outstanding songs sung by some Cavalry soldiers.

Paris nous appartient [Paris Belongs to Us] (1961) -



Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations.

Freedom (2000) -



It's been years since I've seen a Bartas, and even though I initially did not feel like watching this film, I'm glad I finally did. If you're familiar with films of the Lithuanian director, you know what to expect. Minimal slow cinema at its (almost) best with (almost) no dialogue. Some frames are breathtaking. Especially the ones in a cave with faces of people handsomely illuminated in the dark. While contemplating you can even ruminate on the meaning of the film's title. Kewl.

Outtakes From the Life of a Happy Man (2013) -



Films like this remind me why I started watching films seriously in the first place. Outtakes... is nothing new if you're familiar with Jonas Mekas. It's a mosaic created of many seemingly meaningless moments of his life. Things and people he recorded on his Super 8 camera in the span of a couple of decades. Impressively edited, accompanied by church music and occasionally Mekas' narration, the film scoops everything that's great about As I... and puts it into 70 minutes or less. Even though it doesn't seem too impressive on paper, the film is an incredible experience you have to live through. Mekas records the everyday, the meaningless details, the beauty of moments held in time, and adds poetic intertitles inbetween. He never pretends that his film is anything more than some random moments, and an attempt to catch these brief glimpses of beauty of everyday life. Even though, the eye of his camera is his third eye, one can relate to a lot of what is shown, since the life of these people wasn't that different from our lives. Sure, some of the footage is very personal to Mekas and the viewer may miss a lot of context, but as some clever man once said: "The most personal is the most universal". To me, this is the ultimate of self-expression. It's incredible how much a single man with a camera can do.

Peggy and Fred in Hell: The Complete Cycle (2002) -



Excited with Outtakes From the Life of a Happy Man I put this movie on right after. It's an American avant-garde film, too, albeit a totally different one. Almost a post-apocalyptic experience, and a very experimental one, in which ideas are stretched, spread and executed in a way that eventually turn out to be rewarding, but nonetheless dull and quite pointless. Still, the eerie atmosphere and metallic quality make the film worth seeing.

7th Heaven (1927) -



Borzage may be the Douglas Sirk of silent cinema (or he may be not, I only saw three of his films). This film could be divided into two distinguishable parts. The first one talks about a pair of people falling in love, and is filled with a lot of melodramatic (albeit adorable, take that Sirk!) scenes. In the second part two people who have just found each other have to be separated. The film is far from a masterpiece, but just like another Borzage film I saw, Lucky Star, it honestly portrays a true, pure love. Films like this are necessary, and it's quite a heartwarming experience, watching them.

煙突の見える場所 [Where Chimneys Are Seen] (1953) -



My second Gosho and yet another great film whose depiction of its characters is very humane yet not devoid of humour. The titular chimneys are a pretty neat metaphor, that plays with the viewer.

How the West Was Won (1962) -



An epic spanning more than 30 years telling the story of one pioneer family, from the time they decided to go to the Wild North of the USA, to the Civil War. Starring many prominent actors, including James Stewart, Henry Fonda and Richard Widmark, the film is truly epic in its scope. However, as a movie, it's only decent. Ford's final part did not film Fordian at all, and every single frame of this film, although enjoyable, felt uninspired, defiled by blockbuster formula.

Sleepless Nights Stories (2011) -



I just couldn't stop myself from watching another Mekas. Yet another diary film of his, but filled with contemporary footage with sound, hence losing its ethereal feel. It's basically a bunch of recordings of people chatting, telling stories and celebrating. As he did in decades past, despite his age, Mekas still meets many people connected with art (Abramović, Korine, Garrel, Björk) which gives an impression he surely is a people person. Sadly, digital camera is not Super 8, and therefore the film looses its poetry, aesthetics and everything that made Mekas' older footage as beautiful as it was. The approach is different, too. The rapidly edited collage formula of his best known work is replaced with long uncut takes, but these are digital. And digital is ugly. Nuff said.

Qui êtes vous, Polly Maggoo? [Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?] (1966) -



Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations.

La boulangère de Monceau [The Bakery Girl of Monceau] (1962) -



Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations.

__________________
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.

Watchs in January so far

Jeanne dielman
A man Escaped
The mirror
band of outsiders
satantango
sans soleil
The dream of a ridiculous man
A gentle women
The shawshank redemption
A touch of zen
lethal weapon
lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring

Not feeling well so I watched some american films and they werent that great

__________________

Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Rian Johnson, 2017) -

Think I may have liked this a little more a second time around. I started a review, but we'll see if I finish it.

The Girl on a Motorcycle (Jack Cardiff, 1968) -

It's interesting to see veteran cinematographer Cardiff take on a film that dabbles with '60s counterculture (and features some remarkably unconventional photography as a result) but it's ultimately attached to a rather passable story.

Teorema (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1968) -

First Pasolini film I've seen is very whatever. I suppose it's easier to appreciate in theory than in actuality.

World of Tomorrow Episode 2: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts (Don Hertzfeldt, 2017) -

Had to watch it at least one more time before the Vimeo rental ran out - yes, it's still good.

Los olvidados (Luis Buñuel, 1950) -

I could be glib and summarise this as the best after-school special of all-time, but while that does seem like a fairly accurate summary of how it structures its loosely-based-on-actual-events narrative about the wayward youths of Mexico City, the film as a whole nevertheless does an astonishing job of crafting a deep and powerful cinematic experience out of the proceedings.

All the Money in the World (Ridley Scott, 2017) -

I tend to be extremely whatever about Ridley's more grounded/modern movies and this one definitely feels a little on the long side, but as with any Ridley joint the devil really is in the details and its attempts at character study (both of J. Paul Getty and of Gail Harris) certainly gives it an edge over the typical true-story crime thriller.

For a Few Dollars More (Sergio Leone, 1965) -

Original review found here. Anyway, it still owns.

Hummingbird (Steven Knight, 2013) -

I generally find Statham to be kind of annoying as a screen presence, but he's always had a magnetism that made me wonder if he could work better for me if he just appeared in the right movies. This one seemed like it'd be a step in the right direction, but unfortunately a semi-competent revenge/redemption thriller only does so much to make him seem better.

Koyaanisqatsi (Godfrey Reggio, 1982) -

I'll concede that this isn't exactly a film you can re-watch too many times for fear of diluting its power as an audio-visual experience, but I think I've spaced out my viewings enough for it to work just fine (this marks the second - guessing the first was back in 2010 or so, so I daresay that's enough time between watches). Anyway, this is essential viewing.

Cameraperson (Kirsten Johnson, 2016) -

A fascinating work wherein veteran documentary cameraperson Johnson combs through decades of footage from a wide variety of personal and professional projects to craft a mosaic that does an apt job of covering the breadth of human emotion in the space of about a hundred minutes or so.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

January (pt i):


Kreuzweg [Stations Of The Cross] (Dietrich Brüggemann, 2014)
Strangers On A Train (Alfred Hitchcock, 1951)

+
Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick, 1975)


If I Were King (Frank Lloyd, 1938)
Mazurka (Willi Forst, 1935)


Café Metropole (Edward H. Griffith, 1937)
Gone With The Wind (Victor Fleming, George Cukor & Sam Wood, 1939)
Paura nella città dei morti viventi [City Of The Living Dead aka The Gates Of Hell] (Lucio Fulci, 1980)
Secretary (Steven Shainberg, 2002)
Triangle (Christopher Smith, 2009)

+
Hitlerjunge Salomon [Europa Europs] (Agnieszka Holland, 1990)
Jurassic World (Colin Trevorrow, 2015)
Merrily We Go To Hell (Dorothy Arzner, 1932)
The Rise And Rise Of Michael Rimmer (Kevin Billington, 1970)
The Three Musketeers (Allan Dwan, 1939)


Avengers: Age Of Ultron (Joss Whedon, 2015)
The Hunter (Daniel Nettheim, 2011)
The Paperboy (Lee Daniels, 2012)


Blood And Bone (Ben Ramsay, 2009)
Dance, Girl, Dance (Frank R. Strayer, 1933)
Gatti rossi in un labirinto di vetro [Eyeball aka The Secret Killer] (Umberto Lenzi, 1975)
Late Extra (Albert Parker, 1935)
No Good Deed (Sam Miller, 2014)
When A Stranger Calls (Simon West, 2006)

+
Identity Thief (Seth Gordon, 2013)
Insidious: Chapter 3 (Leigh Whannell, 2015)
Ladies In Love (Edward H. Griffith, 1936)
Twin Husbands (Frank R. Strayer, 1933)

+
Boot Camp aka Punishment (Christian Duguay, 2008)

Seen in January Pt.2


+
Such a beautiful movie, its imagery aswell. It has some fantastic soundtrack choices. I liked how there would be a hard cut between the past scenes and the present day scenes, showing the main characters mood. A brilliant movie about the human spirit.



Great fun. Very cheesy, but in a good 'Escape From New York' type of way. The lighting, settings, costume design and soundtrack work together to give you that authentic 80's feel (I know it was the 70's, shut up). The bad guy is memorable. I liked the feeling of them going on an epic adventure despite the fact it would only take them a half-hour car trip. I like the guy the film transitioned from scene to scene, very unique. All of the Warriors are memorable in their own special way.


-
Pretty good. The idea is super original (I know it was a remake, but still). The characters are all well established. The editing is great, certain shots cut off at the right time to give the proper amount of tension. The shots of the green and luscious jungle are very appealing to the eye. Also that bridge scene, holy crap, that's some 10/10 material right there. My heart was absolutely pounding out of my chest. How the hell did the people behind this film make that scene look so authentic without risking their lives?!

I wasn't a fan of the first half though. I like the character introductions but I wished it established the dynamite as soon as possible.


+
Cool cop drama. The plot is very original and an interesting concept. Some pretty cool looking shots. Some interesting themes. The soundtrack by my main man Morricone is brilliant as is to be expected. The ending was pretty cool. I really doubt I’ll watch this film ever again though.


+
This was a blast. Brilliant performances, colours, direction, plot and soundtrack, lighting. The ending feels very realistic compared to most crime movies.


+
I liked the Wes Anderson style, but it gets REALLY tiring after a while. Some of the secondary characters are cool, others are really weird and pointless (The toddlers that like orchestras, like seriously that sounds like a character my seven year old self would come up with!). The soundtrack was great, and the script was very good too.

Also Brick from The Middle…instant brownies points.


+
God this film has so much heart. The script is fantastic, very hilarious moments. I loved Mcdormand’s character, loving but no bulls*it. The soundtrack and performances are also brilliant.



I must’ve been in a bad mood the first time I saw this, because now I find it hilarious! Certainly a laugh per minute film. The expressiveness of the Monty Python crew makes the film that much funnier. Also the British accents might have a hand in that too.



This would work WAY better as a documentary than a story movie. I didn’t particularly care for the story bits but I has immediately engrossed in the info dump bits. The whole film makes you feel inspired afterwards, also that title card before the credits begin…what a wonderful message.



Found it on YouTube, I guess it must’ve originated after all the memes of “Billy isn’t eating his food”. Fun time waster.


+
Wonderful. The performances from the main two are so genuine, their characters,their relationship and humorous conversations are some of the best I’ve seen in a long time. The soundtrack and images are beautiful.

Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2017):
Super Dark Times (Kevin Phillips, 2017):
Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade, 2016):
Autumn Tale (Eric Rohmer, 1998):
Contact (Robert Zemeckis, 1997):
Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951):
The Seven Year Itch (Billy Wilder, 1955):
Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder, 1959):
The Apartment (Billy Wilder ,1960):
One, Two, Three (Billy Wilder, 1961):

The Fallen Idol (1948) -



The weakest Reed out of the three of his I've seen, but still a great film with impressive acting from the little boy that avoids the usual cliches of the time. And years before 400 Blows and A Little Fugitive as well. A pretty dark theme crawling under the seemingly dull crime case, too. It's not another Odd Man Out, but still more than a noteworthy film.

Blonde Venus (1932) -



Even though not as abundant as The Scarlet Empress, nor as grandiose as Shanghai Express, the cinematography in Blonde Venus is really solid. It does not glorify Dietrich, but gives a fair portrait of her character, a woman whose good deed starts an avalanche of events that turn the entire world against her. I really enjoyed her fallen woman performance here. The film is a melodrama, but it isn't sugary and avoids soap opera giving a realistic story instead. Although von Sternberg ends his film with a mandatory happy ending, it's delivered with a lot of grace and poignancy, that moved me. Not to the point of crying, but just saying "That was beautiful".

No Home Movie (2015) -



Akerman's final film before her suicide is a duly depressing look at her relationship with her mother with some insights into bonds, communication and... Holocaust. Using long, static takes, Akerman makes her mother's apartment a world populated by very few people. The most important amongst them is obviously her mother, lazily crossing the frame, or staying within it, always the centerpiece of action, even if she does not appear to at first. And all these mundane moments are just a big build-up to the final shot of the film One of the most powerful minimalistic ways of portraying loss I've seen.

Last Chants for a Slow Dance (1977) -



My second Jost. A film shot on the budget of 2000$ is an impressive achievement in terms of visual flair, quite experimental and surprisingly innovative. The story is just an excuse as Jon Jost seems to be more interested in style, but its psychological traits are interesting enough to please every cinema buff. I'd like to recommend this film to @Swan as it neatly shows how far you can get with so little, and it places creativity over exuberance

New Rose Hotel (1998) -



Brechtian decomposition turns into one giant mess of a film, and it's really hard to tell how much control over this Ferrara actually had, and how much of it is just dubious, semi-randomized mind-boggler. Dafoe and Argento give solid performances, while Walken is outstanding with his snarky remarks and bitchin' cane. The dark, cyberpunk vision of future is surprisingly contemporary, and the third part of the film, one long retrospection that nicely dips into dreamy atmosphere, has an impeccable flow, I'm not sure if New Rose Hotel is a great film, but I know it's a film I greatly enjoyed.

女高生　天使のはらわた [Angel Guts: High School Coed] (1978) -



The first in a 9 (!) part series. Sadly, only 7 of them are available on the Internet. Either way, I still have 6 more before I finish, and I can only hope the series picks up after the mediocre first installment. It's a weird mix of pinku eiga, and thug (they're not even gangsters) film, that is quite okayish, but nothing new, exciting, or outstanding as far as the genre goes. I really enjoyed the shots of the raped girl in the rain, that were aesthetically pleasing, and way above everything else the film had to offer in terms of visuals. Then again, everyone knows that a pinku eiga without an enema is a worthless pinku eiga.

The Bed You Sleep In (1993) -



Jon Jost's magnum opus in which he combines a devastating story with wonderful Technicolor cinematography and moving music. The actor from Last Chants for a Slow Dance appears again and gives a very solid performance. The visuals here are superb with interesting, unusual framing (just like director's other films). The color pallette is just perfect, and the long pillow shots between important scenes serve not as a detachment from the plot, but quite contrary, as intensifiers of emotions. A downright depressing film, too, that, similarly to the films of David Lynch, portrays a seemingly serene town in the Northwestern USA that has its dark side.

The Tales of Hoffmann (1951) -



Going into yet another colour Powell and Pressburger film you can be sure that the visual side of it will be spellbindigly beautiful. This film is no exception, and being an adaptation of Offenbach's opera, the scenography, sets, and Technicolor are all delightful. The problem is Offenbach's opera isn't that great in itself. I just don't love it, but greatly appreciate how the Archers made it as good as they could. If Powell and Pressburger were to adapt Wagner, they'd make a masterpiece.

La carrière de Suzanne [Suzanne's Career] (1963) - ???



Read about it at Arthouse Mafia Monthly Thematic Explorations.

Le beau Serge [Handsome Serge] (1958) - ???



Read about it at Arthouse Mafia Monthly Thematic Explorations.

แม่โขงโฮเต็ล [Mekong Hotel] (2012) -



Weerasethakul's one hour long film might be perceived as a minor entry in his oeuvre, but don't let it discourage you, because if you enjoy Joe's movies, you will most definitely dig this one as well. It's really quite a typical film of his that mixes oriental folklore and politics, the second one surprisingly bluntly. What really elevates this film is the acoustic guitar score that constantly echoes in the background, something like the Andian tune in Duras' Baxter, Vera Baxter, and enhances every scene creating this perfect idyllic mood of long gone holidays.

Lola (1961) - ???



Read about it at Arthouse Mafia Monthly Thematic Explorations.

Spokój [The Calm] (1980) -



Kieślowski's TV film made in 1976, but not screened until 1980 talks about a man who just got out of prison and simply wants to lead a normal life, but finds himself in a dispute, trapped between two sides of a conflict. Not quite on par with his greatest films, but still a wonderful, thought-provoking film.

Chaplin's Mutual Comedies (1916-1917) - varied -



In the past two weeks I've watched all* Chaplin Mutual Comedies available in the Mutual Comedies box. All of them were beautifully restored and enjoyable, but they lacked the essential poetry Chaplin's 20s and later films had. It's interesting to see same actors appearing in every one of these shorts. There's Purviance. She is hot. There's a fat dude. He's grumpy. There's a skinny tall dude. He's hilarious. And of course there's Chaplin. He is... well, Chaplin. Some gags made me laugh, some didn't, but except for The Pawnshop, that was pretty lousy, all shorts were very enjoyable!

* All but one. I didn't watch The Immigrant as I've already seen it before.

* These opinions may or may not be true.

Mystery Train (Jim Jarmusch, 1989) -

What can I say? Jarmusch just makes movies that I straight-up like to watch - they're calm, controlled, and have considerable character. That's certainly true of his plan to deliver an anthology of interlocking tales that all involve a run-down Memphis motel. I'd say it's towards the weaker end of his filmography but there's such litte variation in terms of his overall quality that that's not a problem.

Darkest Hour (Joe Wright, 2017) -

Another awards season, another stuffy biopic that becomes an odds-on favourite purely on the basis of a single grand-standing performance. Really hoping for an upset this year.

Life of Brian (Terry Jones, 1979) -

Many years ago, this was Top 100 material for me. However, this recent viewing left me rather cold - now that the laughs (which were never that frequent in the first place, especially compared to Grail) have worn off with repeated viewings, it's hard not to find a certain degree of fault with the satirical subtext that only makes me think that this doesn't hold up. (Never mind the rating, my feelings about this are too complicated for a satisfactory rating - it could easily swing at least half a popcorn in either direction.)

The Red Pill (Cassie Jaye, 2016) -

A documentary about the controversial "men's rights" movement that initially seems like it could actually make a convincing case for their continued existence but even the film's attempts to acknowledge opposing viewpoints and the movement's toxic reputation (such as they are) can't do enough to stop this playing like propaganda.

Tarnation (Jonathan Caouette, 2003) -

What initially seems like it's going to be an obnoxiously-edited (did you hear that this was made entirely on an iMac, bro?) collage of home movies by an angsty theatre kid soon turns into an affecting piece of work about multi-generational abuse and small-town tragedy as filtered through a constantly-watching lens.

No Home Movie (Chantal Akerman, 2015) -

Even though I went in expecting a film as glacially-paced as Jeanne Dielman, this posthumous work that tracked Akerman's final interactions with her mother somehow felt twice as long at half the running time. I also know not to expect an "enjoyable" film necessarily, but even with that caveat I regret that I did not find this especially compelling even as a documentary about stillness and motion, permanence and fragility, mother and daughter, home movie and no home movie. Such is the way of things.

Non-Stop (Jaume Collet-Serra, 2014) -

I like Liam Neeson enough to be disappointed that his late-period action/thriller pics have trouble living up to their B-movie promise, but I can still identify a sizeable gulf in quality between this twisty airplane thriller and, say, Taken 3.

Down Terrace (Ben Wheatley, 2009) -

Five films in and I'm still unsure what I even really think of Wheatley as a filmmaker (as of writing, I still consider High-Rise my favourite work of his and even that's a low that I'm unlikely to re-watch) so I question why I keep seeking out his work. His low-key debut about a family of crooks may be my least favourite film from him yet, but it's still mildly watchable.

Dawson City: Frozen Time (Bill Morrison, 2016) -

This documentary about the discovery of long-lost silent films underneath the eponymous town soon elaborates upon the town's storied history in a way that becomes one hell of a microcosm for America itself that manages to encapsulate many human and societal flaws in telling an astounding story of how art can persevere throughout almost anything.

Metallica Through the Never ( Nimród Antal, 2013) -

It gives me no pleasure to say that Metallica's admirable attempt at a feature-length music video - which intercuts their concert with a roadie's surreal cross-town journey - isn't all that fun to watch. I suspect I'll always have a soft spot for these guys and their music (which does involve a solid greatest-hits set here) and the high concept's not a bad one, but the execution's not especially engaging.

Seen in January Pt.3



I guess I’m just not a gangster film guy lol.



I can tell some are going to find this film boring, and if I was watching this in a certain mood I would probably mind it boring too. But I'd have to disagree. I thought the film was kinda going for a White Ribbon/Sátántangó approach where they include scenes some would consider pointless in order to give a realistic depiction of the film's events. This overall makes the film feel more like an experience than a story film, which I think REALLY works for it. Ramsay's direction is great, you can tell she wanted to convey every emotion described on the pages of the original novel with just the camera and the actress. You can also tell her direction works as despite the main character barely talking when she is by herself, you can tell every emotion and thought running through her head. Something about this makes the whole film feel very personal; did Ramsay direct this film based on a fictional story in such a way in which it relates to a significant moment in her life? Maybe this is how she directs ALL of her films, considering that the direction in Morvern Callar (the long scenes of a single character doing nothing) feels very similar to the direction of We Need to Talk About Kevin. Also to back up my point again Ramsay has a child (Going by Wikipedia, I'm too lazy to check anything else). Maybe I should watch Ratcatcher before coming to this conclusion.

Also a few extra points:
-There are some brilliant visual metaphors.
-The soundtrack gives off the emotion of each scene in a surreal, dreamlike way.

While I do think We Need to Talk About Kevin is leaps ahead of Morvern Callar, I'm gonna need to re-watch it to see if my opinion of it has increased.



My God, this movie is so beautiful. It made me emotional to the level I haven’t experienced in a really long time. The combination of the visuals and the absolutely beautiful soundtrack are the main source of this. It was a genius idea to make the ghosts sheet ghosts, the film wouldn’t be nearly as good if it was a see-through actor or something like that. That makes it easier to sympathies with the ghosts in my opinion.

I will agree the first third of the film is pretty boring, but apart from that it’s the best film to have ever come out of 2017.



Brilliant little crime drama. The plot is very intriguing and the characters are all very interesting. The set designs and the clothes are pretty cool too.



If there's one word to describe this film, it's atmosphere.

I wasn't really fond of anything in the movie until I hit about the 30 minute mark. There was just something about the romantic plot that got me into it. While there are many great things about the film, I think it relies solely on its atmosphere. The dark, deserted streets where you feel danger around every corner, despite being so close to home. When the film first started and I saw it was in b&w, I thought it was just 'hipster trash'. I began to realize that it actually was used to increase the intimidating atmosphere of the film. The soundtrack is pretty good, one piece took heavy inspiration from Morrocone's "The Ecstasy of Gold" (My favourite piece of music of all time btw). The song choices were awesome, I enjoyed every one of them. I noticed the way in which certain scenes were shot to create suspense, that was pretty cool.
Also the film had a budget of only $57,000 and was raised on Indigogo. Kudos to the person who set up the page.

A fairly solid, atmospheric film. Might check out 'The Bad Batch' by the same director.


+
Very interesting experience.. There was one character that was completely ignored but all of the other characters were very interesting and really well developed, you really wanted them to make it out in the end. I was very glad it didn’t do what most movies set in the 80’s do and make a bunch of lame 80’s throwbacks. The second half of the film even feels like one of those 80’s kids adventure movies (The Goonies, The Lost Boys etc.) Bill Skarsgård was absolutely fantastic as Pennywise. There are lots of effective scares as a matter of fact; (IT’s legit terrifying teeth, the projector scene).

Some effective jump-scares has that f*cking stupid ‘shing’ noise, HOLLYWOOD PLEASE STOP DOING THAT!!!! I have no shame in admitting that there are many Hollywood trash moments (Like during the rock fight some of the rocks looked like bottom-tier CGI WTF?!?!?!), but apart from those moments it’s very solid movie.

Also #RichieForPresident2020



Really weird seeing a 40’s movie in colour, it actually improves the film though. The ballet and music scenes were fantastic. Not much to say apart from that.



Man this is great. A brilliant story. The visuals, character designs and animation are awesome looking. Lots of good comedy. All of the characters are interesting and sympathetic. The original songs are super memorable.



A pure, clean gimmick film. It sounds like one I’d come up with “Hey guys, how about we make a crime film where the shootout scene lasts the entire movie!” The characters are all memorable and are performed well. Nice soundtrack.

I guess my only real problem is that the layout in which the shootout takes place is very complicated, making it more confusing than exciting. I also wished the costume designers did a better job of identifying who’s on which side.



Awww this is so sweet! The animation is very fluent and energetic (Something’s going on in every frame). Lots of real emotion and I even smiled without trying to once in it.

I love how they gave the bully some character, how he’s not just a generic, fat bully, but how he bullies because he was bullied himself once.

I wonder if I could watch "The Red Shoes" even if I FF all the dancing stuff?

I should have asked this question before I tried watching "All That Jazz" but after a while, I had to turn it off.

The dancing stuff is like a 20 min sequence, the rest of the film is plot.

海滩的一天 [That Day, on the Beach] (1983) -



Yang's first full length, clocking at astounding 167 minutes, is also his second favourite of mine, only inferior to The Terrorizers. No matter how pretentious it sounds, while watching the film, I felt I'm watching a film of a master. Despite the fact the film is novelistic and heavy on plot, it's a wholly cinematic experience as Yang is the master of his craft. The cinematography, by Christopher Doyle, is far from showy, and things depicted are never gloriously spectacular, but, just like Ozu, Yang has a gift of making these non-spectacular events look spectacular. I can't really put my finger on what exactly makes the cinematography so great, though. Maybe a person more experienced in the field could technically explain the intricacies of Yang's style he employs not only in this, but every film of his I saw (only Mahjong left). That's why I'm referring to Yang himself, and not Doyle, even when it comes to the visual side of the film. I'm not denying Doyle's influence and prowess as a cinematographer, but it seems to me it's Yang that is the auteur from the very beginning and it's he who controls the movie. Now, it's easy to belittle the film, because it never pretends it's anything more than a slice of life story, but the way it opens before the viewer, is just like a world opening before a new-born baby, revealing something new every minute, but concealing the rest. And it opens several times, in a story within a story formula, all of them interconnected, but as any true flashback should, highly subjective. My absolutely favourite part is the furthest recollection of Jia Li's childhood, when she, as a little girl, peeps on his father. His glasses are such an eye-catching symbol in this scene. The acting is really solid from the entire cast, and Sylvia Chang, who plays Jia Li, is simply outstanding, changing her appearance like a chameleon. When her character gets older, she does not simply play a more mature character. She matures with the character. The film twists viewer's expectations at least a couple of times, maintaining not just a portrait of life in Taiwan in the 80s, but in more general terms, life in general. The observations Yang makes on memories, relationships, marriage, and love are as universal as ever. We never get the answer to the main question posed at the beginning, but the answer is unimportant. It's how we, along with the characters, got there that is important. That Day, on the Beach feels like a story told to you by a friend you haven't seen for years, a kind of familiar outsider, who would have actively taken part in it, if not for certain circumstances of fate.

Les jours où je n'existe pas [The Days When I Do Not Exist] (2003) -



A wonderful Bressonian fairy tale on existentionalism. The framing and the way people move is pretty Bressionian, and the director cooperated with Eugene Green, so everything makes sense. The film asks many questions about life and seems to encourage us to celebrate it, despite its shortcoming, personal disabilities, and problems. If you have only one hand, then be grateful, as there are people who lack both hands. If you don't have your hands, be grateful, as there are people who don't have hands nor legs. If your life is half as short as everybody else's, be grateful, as it could've been four times as short, or eight times as short. This gratefulness does not have to be towards God, but towards anything, really. Towards just the mere fact you are alive, and that you can read these words. Sometimes you have to lose something to really recognize its value, as to have it without losing it seems the most natural thing in the world, because you arrogantly think it's your due. The true problem is lack of love, and loneliness. Does it make life not worth living?

天使のはらわた 赤い教室 [Angel Guts: Red Classroom] (1979) -



Superior to the first, but not much. I can't really tell if I'm just jaded with pinku eiga, or if the films of this series are only okay, but I'm yet to be satisfied. This one is more experimental visually, which is always a good thing, and the screenplay, written by Takashi Ishii, has a very fine take on man's love for a fallen woman, a theme Ishii explores further in his later films. Still, the film seemed only fine. But maybe it's because I watched two great ones before. Takashi Ishii will direct a couple of last in the series. Hopefully these are noteworthy.

Le soulier de satin [The Satin Slipper] (1985) -



Man, that was draining. I found the film a real challenge, and I'm saying this as a dude who watched Satantango, Lav Diaz's Melancholia and Manuel de Oliveira's other lengthy films (the longest - Doomed Love - 261 minutes) in one sitting with no issues. Maybe I was a little bit tired, overwhelmed by the films I saw the day before, or simply found the film tedious. Or more likely, it's because that during its stupendous 7 hours running time, the film is non-stop talking. Oliveira continues the tradition of film d'art, and creates a true theatrical experience. At one point in the movie, one of the actors says that cinema and theatre are the same, further confirming Oliveira's take on the medium of the time. Of course, Bresson would strongly disagree. Either way, Oliveira once again proves to be an expert luminist, making his film not only take place in 16th century, but also look 16th century, with its wide spectrum of picturesque mise en scene, from tableaux vivant collective scenes. to painterly landscapes, to Caravaggian chiaroscuro. He enhaces all of this even more with moving backgrounds allowing for nifty perspective tricks, and surprising changes of scenery. Just like Doomed Love, the film is very novelistic and theatrical, but kind of lacks the former's charm. It's also too prolix, albeit of great oratory quality. A great work of art, but not one of my favourites.

Мисс Менд [Miss Mend] (1926) -



A 4 hour long Russian silent that masterfully mixes the serials of Feuillade and Lang's Dr Mabuse, adding some good ole Soviet propaganda for a good measure. As befits a Soviet Montage movie, the film is incredibly fast-paced. The plot unravels at neckbreaking speed and beautifully blends comedy, crime and melodrama. It's interesting to see film's portrayal of America in the first two thirds, and its juxtaposition to Soviet Russia in the last third. The criminal mastermind is evil itself - hating on Bolsheviks, and unscrupulously killing several people, including a child, whereas the bourgeoise willingly funds his experiments, and rapes innocent low-class women. Three reporters, including the director Boris Barnet himself, try to thwart evil plans of poisoning people of Russia. This leads to many a peripeteia. The film is incredibly entertaining and these 4 hours feel like an hour and a half. What a pity the eponymous Miss Mend, Natalya Gland, only starred in this and one short (Chess Fever, it's a decent little film). She had nice screen presence.

Une journée d'Andrei Arsenevitch [One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevich] (2000) -



One master filmmaker makes a film about another. The results are, as expected, good. Marker's observations are spot on and even though he does not shed a new light on Tarkovsky's work, he reinforces it. Marker does not explain why Tarkovsky is great. He just tries to make us see it ourselves, using some clips from his films, and narration. Some of these clips are so beautiful that they made me cry, even though these were just singled-out scenes with no context (although I saw these films years ago, so I more or less remember the context). It's the sheer poetic beauty of these films that are the nourishment for my soul. Marker made me remember how extraordinary Tarkovsky is. What a genius he is. He made me want to rewatch these masterworks. To again delve into this metaphysical word and ponder about the meaning of life. And he adds an interesting anecdote about Stalin, as well.

Masculin féminin [Masculine Feminine] (1966) - ???



Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations.

Les bonnes femmes [The Girls] (1960) - ???



Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations.

Les carabiniers [The Carabineers] (1963) - ???



Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations.

La collectionneuse [The Collector] (1967) - ???



Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations.

La baie des anges [Bay of Angels] (1963) - ???



Read about it at Arthouse Mafia: Monthly Thematic Explorations.

My God, I could only dream of having your attention span.

My advice for those who want to watch a long film is precisely that: Get comfortable, and cut off any connections with the outside world. For the upcoming hours you want to be alone with the movie. Don't force yourself into long films, watch them only if you feel like it. Don't try to fight with the movie. If the film is 7 hours long IT WILL take you (at least) 7 hours to finish it, and you will possibly not watch anything else, or maybe even not do anything else this day. Let the movie flood you, surrender to it.

Hollywood Burn (Soda_jerk and Sam Smith, 2006) -

Never quite sure which Internet videos can be counted for the Tab, but whatever. This absurdist mashup that makes a deliberate mockery of copyright laws through its tale of a brainwashed Elvis clone fighting Charlton Heston's Moses starts off as a promising parody but loses its momentum pretty severely about halfway through.

Los Angeles Plays Itself (Thom Andersen, 2003) -

Very much my kind of documentary as Andersen relays an appreciably cynical thesis through a delightfully caustic narrator to analyse the various ways in which the eponymous city is either misrepresented or represented all too well by the cinematic medium. Three hours of potentially dry discussion of architectural history and socio-political developments become enthralling and intriguingly controversial (such as the suggestion that Blade Runner is in some ways more utopian than actual Los Angeles).

I Am Not Your Negro (Raoul Peck, 2016) -

A subject like James Baldwin may be underserved by such a brief documentary that aims to cover the most contentious points in the life of one very contentious (but never without reason) individual even as it intersperses his writings and experiences against the racial tensions of 21st-century America. The film certainly doesn't lack for competence and it's entirely possible that I wouldn't have recognised Samuel L. Jackson doing such sombre narration if I hadn't already known about his involvement.

Children of Paradise (Marcel Carné, 1945) -

I kind of wish I'd known about the production history before starting this (it certainly seems to add remarkable subtext to certain developments), but even so this still proves a great and respectable melodrama that readily earns its status as an all-time classic.

Histoire(s) du cinéma (Jean-Luc Godard, 1998) -

Watching all eight parts of this in one sitting while not possessing a strong understanding of the French language made this an experience that can accurately be described as "challenging". That does limit my ability to rate it a bit (as does the moments where it becomes hard to determine how much of the chaotic incomprehensibility is by design or not) but as far as overwhelming cinematic experiences go it's definitely up there.

La dolce vita (Federico Fellini, 1960) -

As if I needed a reminder that I'm extremely behind on watching Fellini's films (only other one I've seen is 8½) and this didn't wow me like that one did but it certainly makes me think that I've been sleeping on this master filmmaker for too long.

The Post (Steven Spielberg, 2017) -

Speaking of master filmmakers being slept on for too long...hmm, still undecided as to whether or not this rating deserves an extra half. One of those movies where I notice the editing for better and for worse.

Pickpocket (Robert Bresson, 1959) -

Four films in and I'm finding Bresson a remarkably consistent director not just in terms of quality but in terms of his approach to his subjects (with the obvious point of comparison being A Man Escaped in that both films examine their protagonist's methodologies and psychologies while providing fascinatingly precise detailing of their every action). This may be my favourite film of his yet (and not because it happens to be so short).

True Stories (David Byrne, 1986) -

Sad to say I didn't like this more. I've been a long-time fan of Talking Heads and seeing an eccentric artist like Byrne try his hand at making a feature film would always be an intriguing proposition, but the results are a little disappointing. Maybe it's just that it ends up feeling like yet another story of quirky small-town Americans with little in the way of favourable distinction that I just feel very whatever about it. Pity.

I, Tonya (Craig Gillespie, 2017) -

A passable enough biopic about the eponymous figure skater that doesn't do too bad a job of see-sawing between the harshness of depicting abusive relationships and the black comedy of seeing its white-trash principals acting ridiculous (plus looking for the seams in the CGI face-replacement). The performances are certainly good, though.

Raising Cain (1992) -



It's been a while since I've seen something as deliberately kitschy as this, and years since I've seen anything from De Palma, so I needed about 30 minutes to get accustomed to the wackiness of it, but once it clicked, I really started enjoying it. The film is pretty out there with Hitchcockian tropes turn 180 degrees, black comedy touch, and TV soap opera parts. It never takes itself seriously which really helps, and the finale is 100% De Palma. Surely not up there with his best, but still a nice odd little film.

Hawks and Sparrows (1966) -



My last Pasolini, and also one of my favourites of his. A film that, like The The Gospel According to St. Matthew, takes a story filled with religion, and makes it Communist. The film achieves an indescribable simplicity, both in its Medieval as well as contemporary parts, but does not refrain from some modern/hip effects like speeding up the film.

Sunflower (1970) -



Late De Sica starring Loren and Mastroianni. A melodrama on Italian soldiers forced by Mussolini to Russian front to help Germans in their fight against USSR. It's far from De Sica's Neorealist masterpieces, but a solid melodrama with good acting from both leads and pretty colours. Also an anti-war film with almost no war at screen. Quite honestly, I had a hard time empathizing with Marcello's character, even taking into account what he's been through. Thankfully, this didn't stop me from enjoying the movie.

A Ghost Story (2017) -



Quite a thought-provoking film, but one that's weakened by Interstellar-esque ideas of space and time (albeit done better) and redundant long monologue towards the end. I was disappointed by the cake scene as well as there's been a lot of hype built around it, people naming it the best scene of the year, and some others the final factor that made them turn off/hate this film. It's allegedly a very long scene, but subjectively it didn't feel that long to me. I was expecting something else, I guess, so I don't consider it movie's fault. The film looks pretty, but I wouldn't go as far as some people and call it Malickian. It had no voiceover, only a couple of external shots felt like Lubezki-shot late Malick. The idea to make Affleck wear white sheet was a risky one, but it worked quite well, wasn't laughable, or weird. Perhaps the best film on eternal recurrence since The Turin Horse.

The Thin Man (1934) -



The film's alright, but it suffers from everything them talkies suffered from at the time. The dog is cute, but the cinematography is so plain, and for a screwball comedy it only has a decent amount of funny remarks and situations. Still, very enjoyable to watch, hence the high rating.

Guess Who's Coming for Dinner (1967) -



I love Katharine Hepburn. She makes my heart melt. She was such a wonderful actress, perhaps the best in Hollywood at the time, and her late career performances were simply breathtaking! As always she overshadows everybody else, but is not the only great actor here. Spencer Tracy gives another strong yet subdued performance with ingenious final monologue. Poitier is very laid back yet his acting is tight. I love how his character tries to resolve a stressful situation with a lot of humour and smiling. The freakin' priest is the best priest ever, a freakin' expert at interracial marriages, and who knows perhaps he has a black hostess at his presbytery, if you know what I mean. Poitier's beloved is kinda weak, but she's pretty, and I guess that's all her role required. The twist here is that the title not only references the guy whom we acquaintance in the first 5 minutes of the film, but also several other people. Another twist is that Hepburn would cry so naturally, because she was devastated by the fact that her (boy)friend, Spencer Tracy - he plays the father in the movie, was very sick. As a matter of fact he died 12 days after they finished shooting the film. One could start nitpicking about the false progressiveness of the film. Namely, how more or less the parents are okay with him being black as long as he is an important man with a good job. But it's just a product of its time. Nowadays (most) people in the West don't pay much attention to social status, or if the man has a good job (you are a woman and you do? You worthless money digger! - See? the attitude has changed since then). Then, in India caste system is still very important. So here you have it. Another thing is that many people today would oppose not to interraciality of the marriage, but the fact they've known each other for only 10 days. Don't know how it was in the 60s, but many films from the 40s suggest that quick marriages were quite popular back then (and often lead to even quicker divorces.). Although, I guess, films are not a good statistical sample for this.

Atlas (2013) -



A combination of Pedro Costa's In Vanda's Room with dark films of Philippe Grandrieux might seem a little bit too polished, and photographic (after all the director is a photographer), but it keeps artistic unity, and turns out to be a piece of art that was meticulously thought over. Sure, the narration in various languages plays like misery porn, but it's not like it's separated from the visuals, that show this dark, unrelenting world of drugs and prostitution. The film indeed is an atlas, an overview of degradation and decay that are very similar, no matter which part of the world you are in.

Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003) -



Some person wrote this is the best piece of modern film criticism there is. If that's true, then it shows everything wrong with modern film criticism in 3 hours or less. The narrator is nitpicking at unimportant trifles, like abbreviating Los Angeles to L.A., or the fact that a character leaving a building in one part of the city immediately teleports to another, and invents fancy theories that are really hard for me to agree with. This fault-finding of his shows no love for cinema, and a desire to pan not just films, but the entire Hollywood film industry. His choice of films is quite arguable, too, as he merely chooses clips to reflect what he is saying, hence only depending on film essay's illustratory characteristic. That's ages behind Marker, or Godard, who perfected the form. There is no enthusiasm in his voice, and he quite frankly sounds as if he was imprisoned in MovieGal's dungeon against his will. Some parts of the film are cool, and when he states facts instead of making up stuff, the film gets mildly interesting, but then again falls into the nihil. Too socio-political. Too formal. Too long. The film fails as a poetic essay film. It fails as city symphony. It fails as a love letter to L.A.. It's only good as a source of reference as to which films used a given hall in some scene. If this is the peak of modern criticism, then the entire modern criticism SUCKS.

January (pt ii):

+
Tsubaki Sanjûrô [Sanjuro] (Akira Kurosawa, 1962)


David Bowie: The Last Five Years (Francis Whately, 2017)
Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson, 2012)
The Fault In Our Stars (Josh Boone, 2014)
The Pool (Chris Smith, 2007)

+
Anthropoid (Sean Ellis, 2016)
Enduring Love (Roger Michell, 2004)
Hacksaw Ridge (Mel Gibson, 2016)
Lo squartatore di New York [The New York Ripper] (Lucio Fulci, 1982)
No Man Of Her Own (Mitchell Leisen, 1950)
The Dead Girl (Karen Moncrieff, 2006)
The Light That Failed (William A. Wellman, 1939)
The Rains Came (Clarence Brown, 1939)


Blow Out (Brian De Palma, 1981)
Private Number (Roy Del Ruth, 1936)
The Magdalene Sisters (Peter Mullan, 2002)
The Nanny (Seth Holt, 1965)

+
All Is Lost (J.C. Chandor, 2013)
Feet First (Clyde Bruckman & Harold Lloyd, 1930)
Pretty Baby (Louis Malle, 1978)
The Man With The Iron Heart (Cédric Jimenez, 2017)
Three Blind Mice (William A. Seiter, 1938)


Honor Among Lovers (Dorothy Arzner, 1931)
The Grey (Joe Carnahan, 2011)

+
Bad Girl (Frank Borzage, 1931)
Menschen am Sonntag [People On Sunday] (Robert Siodmak, Edgar G. Ulmer, Rochus Gliese, Curt Siodmak & Fred Zinnemann, 1930)


Angela (Rebecca Miller, 1995)
The Healer aka Little Pal (Reginald Barker, 1935)

+
Hoosier Schoolboy (William Nigh, 1937)
House Of Danger (Charles Hutchison, 1934)
The Rogues' Tavern (Robert F. Hill, 1936)


Lockout (Steve Saint Leger & James Mather, 2012)

+
Goddess Of Love (Jon Knautz, 2015)


Insurgent (Robert Schwentke, 2015)

January 2018 watches

Rewatches are in blue

07/01 - The Thing (John Carpenter; 1982) -

08/01 - Brigsby Bear (Dave McCary; 2017) -

09/01 - Loving Vincent (Dorota Kobiela & Hugh Welchman; 2017) -

11/01 - Kramer vs Kramer (Robert Benton; 1979) -

16/01 - Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (Elio Petri; 1970) -

16/01 - Orlando (Sally Potter; 1992) -

19/01 - The Last Supper (Stacy Title; 1995) -

20/01 - Sicario (Denis Villenueve; 2015) -

21/01 - Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee; 1989) -

23/01 - A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour; 2014) -

25/01 - Sling Blade (Billy Bob Thornton; 1996) -

30/01 - We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsey; 2011) -

31/01 - Take This Waltz (Sarah Polley; 2011) -

Jan '18 total: 13
2018 total: 13

__________________
Letterboxd

January, 2018 movies watched-

The Ascent (1977) + Powerful Soviet war film.

Take This Waltz (2011) I almost dislike it as much as I like it. Either way, it gives me strong feelings.

Little Women (1994) Fine enough except it wasn't very interesting to me.

Bodom (2016) Out of Finland and highly recommended for horror fans.

American Psycho (2000) Repeat viewing Good movie but I don't like it as much as I thought I did.

Orlando (1992) High marks for originality and Tilda Swinton.

Rough Night (2017) - Just what you'd expect unfortunately, but I laughed enough to enjoy it.

Europa Europa (1990) + Excellent combination of Power and entertainment.

Bad Day for the Cut (2017) + Highly recommended for fans of revenge films.

The Beguiled (2017) I enjoyed it plenty but still inferior to the original.

Sleepless in Seattle (1993) + I cried a little.

Freehold (2017) - Simple but squirm inducing.

The House is Black (1963) Upsetting short documentary that I found average.

The Virgin Suicides (1999) + Beautiful and tragic.

Out of the Blue (1980) A movie that I'll never forget.

Leatherface (2017) Strong violence and gore but not much else.

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) - Good humor and cast.

A Short Film About Love (1988) Subtly powerful and probably better than I'm rating it.

Life (2017) - Some tension and a cool monster.

Gerald's Game (2017) I liked the first 20 minutes.

Jennifer's Body (2009) + Good campy fun.

Flaenset (2000) Made well enough to enjoy if you like a little savagery.

Ripley's Game (2002) John Malkovich as Ripley is tough to beat.

Logan Lucky (2017) + Should have been so much better.

Rise of the Footsoldier 3 (2017) - Nonstop violence, drug use, and hot girls.

It (2017) + I wish it were about 20 minutes shorter.

Harlan County, USA (1976) About striking Kentucky miners in the 70's, it's now one of my favorite documentaries.

Children of a Lesser God (1986) Decent romance with two good performances.

90 Minutter (2012) Norwegian film that's well made and ends strong, but it's a little slow to get there.

Brigsby Bear (2017) I don't know how anyone could not like this.

Rolling Thunder (1977) + A must for revenge film fans.

Detroit (2017) A meaningful story and a movie that has a ton of life to it.

The Edge of Seventeen (2016) + Highly recommended to anyone who likes coming of age type of movies.

Total viewings-33