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I thought Godzilla vs Kong was an ok enough dumb blockbuster but it’s weird because it fully embraces the silliness of the Godzilla movies but also plays it big budget and deathly serious. It’s a spectacle. And yeah the human stuff is especially dumb and all divided up all over the place. I’m curious to see how it holds up when I’m not watching it in a quarantine.
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Aug 7, 2023 23:28
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I really like Godzilla vs. Kong, it's the one from that series that I go back to and rewatch regularly because I do enjoy the absurdity and some of the visuals are pretty stunning. That said, similarly to last week when I voted against They Live, I have to dock it some points just because the horror factor isn't really there. I haven't seen The Watcher yet, but if it's a solid thriller with some strong horror elements, I could see myself voting for it.
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Aug 8, 2023 14:14
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Uncle Boogeyman posted:Godzilla vs. Kong is worse than Godzilla '98 and it's not close Both are pretty loving bad but if I had to choose just one I'm going with the former.
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Aug 8, 2023 14:26
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At least GvK is fun. 98 is just a miserable viewing experience
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Aug 8, 2023 14:28
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I enjoy Godzilla 98 as well, probably more than most, but it's big weakness is pacing issues. It's more than 20 minutes longer than Godzilla vs. Kong and there's a whole chunk of it in the middle that really is a snoozer. It starts strong and finishes strong, but it's always a challenge to stay engaged in that middle part.
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Aug 8, 2023 14:28
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Samfucius posted:I write my reviews very, very fast so if it came off as though I think we have too many movies about women I'd like to pump the brakes on that. I’m sorry if I misinterpret you or put words in your mouth. That topic is a bit of a trigger for me I guess. My bad. I certainly think you can just think Watcher or any film is simply derivative or doesn’t do anything to set itself apart or just plain bad. It doesn’t just have to get a pass because it was made by a woman, even over a similar film made by a man. I think often even the lesser films of this type made by women are of value because they come from a female perspective and have a slightly different approach (or sometimes a very different one). But they can still just be mediocre or bad or lesser than the films that came before them.
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Aug 8, 2023 19:20
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I'm voting Watcher over GvK. Maika Monroe is a great lead even if I think Watcher is a bit plain/straightforward at times. Solid idiot bf and Burn Gorman is very creepy.
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Aug 9, 2023 16:15
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Yep, I watched(haha) Watcher last night and it's not reinventing the wheel or anything but it was really really effective at building tension. A lot of that is the strength of the two opposing forces in the film, Maika Monroe and Burn Gorman are really good together and even though they don't share the screen much overall, the scenes they do have are edge of your seat/watch through your hand type stuff. I'm still not quite sure how I feel about the ending though, I'll have to sit with that for a while. It felt to me like they wanted to give Maika's character a big dramatic death scene, but that really would've been a huge bummer and I think left a bad final impression so they tried to have their cake and eat it too. I think I would've preferred if she just kills him in a more straightforward way instead of the fake out.
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Aug 10, 2023 14:04
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Basebf555 posted:I'm still not quite sure how I feel about the ending though, I'll have to sit with that for a while. It felt to me like they wanted to give Maika's character a big dramatic death scene, but that really would've been a huge bummer and I think left a bad final impression so they tried to have their cake and eat it too. I think I would've preferred if she just kills him in a more straightforward way instead of the fake out. Yeah, but then you dilute the impact of that last shot, which is what the whole film was about/building towards. She was right the whole time - there was a creepy stalker, he was dangerous, he did try to kill her - and she manages to come out of it alive but presumably mute for the rest of her life. And all she can do now is stare at her husband with a mix of anger, regret, disgust and rebuke - it's an "I told you so" kind of ending, and it hits a little harder knowing that a woman was responsible for writing and directing it.
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Aug 10, 2023 15:12
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Class3KillStorm posted:Yeah, but then you dilute the impact of that last shot, which is what the whole film was about/building towards. She was right the whole time - there was a creepy stalker, he was dangerous, he did try to kill her - and she manages to come out of it alive but presumably mute for the rest of her life. And all she can do now is stare at her husband with a mix of anger, regret, disgust and rebuke - it's an "I told you so" kind of ending, and it hits a little harder knowing that a woman was responsible for writing and directing it. To be a bit more specific, the part I wasn't sure that we really needed was where she's crawling on the ground, then you have that death moment where the blood is spreading in a huge pool beside her and her eyes go still and it's all of those typical movie cues that say "SHE'S DEAD". It felt like an unnecessary swerve, but I guess I see what you're saying where if you don't have her come that close to death, then the stalker doesn't have a reason to start leaving the apartment and you don't get the same moment at the end where she shoots him through the doorway and then walks out and stares. You'd have to write it a slightly different way to achieve the same moment.
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Aug 10, 2023 15:19
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I'll be getting Watcher and GvK in today but I have finished Lady Terminator vs Rats. I suspect Lady T will win handidly but I was just bored to tears. I don't necessarily have any real criticisms to level. It wasn't as upsetting or offensive as I feared or anything. And anything I would call "stupid" or "dumb" would almost certainly be the point. This is just the kind of film made for and appreciated by an audience and a vibe that isn't me. Rats on the other hand was a pleasant surprise. Not a great film but a really enjoyable little throwback creature film that kind of felt in the vein of stuff like The Birds and Arachnophobia. Not as good as those of course but surprisingly way better than I expected from a TV movie. Just a very solidly made story of those natural creatures posing an unnatural danger and a bunch of solid characters gradually realizing it and getting freaked the gently caress out. If anyone's ever lived in a city or had mice in their home or something the film does a real good job of taking that feeling that the pests are always around in the shadows and behind the furniture and any moment.... just ramped all the way up to 11. A good ghost story makes me just a little scared to turn the lights off for fear of what's in the corner and so does a good creepy crawly movie. Its not perfect. There's tons of rats but there probably could be a touch more rat action and gore. The second act probably drags a bit and the last act probably comes a little late. And there's some bad TV CGI. But I had a really good time. So easy vote for me, even though I suspect I'll be in the minority.
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Aug 10, 2023 17:17
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STAC Goat posted:I'll be getting Watcher and GvK in today but I have finished Lady Terminator vs Rats. Actually, we've been chatting around the Godzilla vs. Watcher debate for a couple of days, but does anyone have any thoughts about the other match up? I won't personally have a chance to watch either before the end of voting on Sunday, and I'm curious where everyone else's head is at in regards to this (to selfishly see if my team has any chance to get to the next round, I admit).
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Aug 10, 2023 19:53
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As I said I'll be voting for the Rats. I think its a very solid creature flick. Lady Terminator is very very stupid but clearly by design and clearly chasing the "midnight movie" or "trash cinema" audience. I got nothing out of it but I suspect it will resonate with more people in the voting pool and pull it out. The Rats specifically doesn't go the campy direction that a lot of people would probably expect or prefer it to go, instead having characters and taking itself seriously and rolling out slowly and stuff. Worked for me but I am the atypical audience member here. But I'm also a huge Eeyore who always expects to be on the wrong side of things so who knows?
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Aug 10, 2023 21:41
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But she's a lady and a terminator! I assume. I haven't watched it
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Aug 10, 2023 22:30
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Its Friday! Have I been saying "Its Thursday" all year? Its weird how much routine sticks with you. Point is there's about 48 hours left to watch movies and vote in this week's polls. I should also get started on writeups. But that's my problem. You got time to watch more Lady Terminators, Rats, giant monster fights, or dark looks at the cruel way our society treats women? I dunno. Still haven't gotten to that one but will today. Probably broke the week's mood though, huh? You can vote in this round until 12 noon EST Aug 13th (or when I get to it) Next Week! - 5. Wes Craven vs. 8. The Brutal Brits - 7. Bracketology Redux vs. 11. Foreign Horror for American Teenagers
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Aug 11, 2023 17:13
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Tarnop posted:But she's a lady and a terminator! I assume. I haven't watched it I actually really want to address this because there's a large swathe of movies that are described as trash and I think this one really deserves to get a lot more specific. It's still obviously totally fine to dislike it. When people talk about trash cinema it's not really a unified term. I've heard it used by people who don't watch a lot of movies and stick it on something generic and boring like a late Friday the 13th entry. I'd agree with them, that movie is trash. And then there are people who watch a lot of movies who use it to describe things that are weird and grimy and low budget, but still have a huge amount of originality. Like Hausu, which is terribly acted and barely holding together. It's absolutely trash. It's also one of the most visually original movies of its time and an absolute blast to watch. Moomin Dreams bought me the soundtrack for my birthday, it's a stone cold favorite. They're both trash but someone who doesn't know them except by that description would be very surprised to find out they have nothing in common. Maybe I'm insane but Lady Terminator is way closer to the hausu end of the trash spectrum. There are scenes and lines that will absolutely stick with you.
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Aug 11, 2023 19:19
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Samfucius posted:I actually really want to address this because there's a large swathe of movies that are described as trash and I think this one really deserves to get a lot more specific. It's still obviously totally fine to dislike it. 
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Aug 11, 2023 20:35
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I agree entirely, trash is not a word I use to describe bad movies. This is hardly an original take but as long as a movie isn't boring then I'll probably get something out of it
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Aug 12, 2023 01:34
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In the match-up between the social commentary film about being a woman in modern society that's directed by a woman and features a joke about The Godfather, and the big spectacle movie about a scientist seeking the key to a massively destructive source of energy that results in the leveling of a city, I think I'm choosing the former.
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Aug 12, 2023 05:03
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  Its a way closer battle than I expected but Lady Terminator scores the 7-5 win over The Rats. A tough loss for Chucky and his Pals but a good fight put up. Meanwhlile H. Tjut Djalil picks up his second win in a row and has single handily carried Indonesian Insanity into the Elite Eight. And they’ll go up against my Ladies Night team as it gets a pretty strong 10-4 win over Godzilla vs Kong in our Barbenheimer RNG Tribute match. That drops Adam Wingard to 1-2 in Bracketology while Ladies Night heads back to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row. Can they make it a step further or will Indonesia continue to represent its contest winning insanity? A question for a mother week. For now lets look at this week.  5. Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes Part II vs. 8. (Tarnop’s The Brutal Brits) Alex Garland’s Men Oh, Wes. So close and yet so far. He had a good run but it seems sure to end here as Craven draws a film that even he dismissed as little more than a paycheck that he disowned. An unnecessary sequel to his big breakout cult classic there’s not a lot positive to say about it EXCEPT that one of its main protagonists is a dog. And he gets full on characterization and a feud with Michael Berryman. So really. Worth watching IMO. Even when his heart isn’t in it Wes gives it his weird spin. Still. Alex Garland picked up a win earlier in the tournament with Annihilation and now brings another trippy visual display to the table. Men is a polarizing film - not just for the anti-woke/“too many films about women’s issues” crowd or the general split over A24 films - but also just because its a narratively challenging film with some very weird twists and turns. Still its a very ambitious and visually memorable film with a number of standout elements. And its going against the Hills Have Eyes II. So you know. Its yours to lose here, Brits. Try not to be too Brutal on Wes. The Hills Have Eyes Part II is available for streaming on Arrow, Fandor, Kanopy, Screambox, and Tubi. Men is available for streaming on DirectTV, Fubo, Paramount+, and Showtime.  7. (Goat’s Bracketology Redux) Spike Lee’s Da Sweet Blood of Jesus vs. 11. (Sam’s Foreign Horror for American Teenagers) Ben Wheatley’s Rebecca The RNG does it again as it draws Redux vs Redux. My official “movies that have been in this tournament before” team draws the legendary Spike Lee in a rare horror appearance remaking one of the more seminal black films Ganja & Hess. G&H won back in 2021 as part of MacheteZombie’s Championship One n Done team. Spike’s version is an odd bird as its a very faithful adaption going so far as to replicate some of the adlibbed scenes from the original. It also structures the entire film into a logical narrative essentially making the movie Bill Gunn intended to make before he got angry at the studio and purposely started removing scenes and poo poo to make the film as confusing as possible. That dreamy and confusing aspect is a lot of what people respond to in the original making Spike’s experiment/tribute a curious one. On the flip side of things we have Ben Wheatley returning to the tourney for the fifth time with a remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca. Hitchcock drew his original back in our very first tournament falling in the Sweet Sixteen to Cronenberg’s The Fly. Not much you can do there, really. Wheatley remade this deeper cut Hitchcock for Netflix a few years ago giving it a second chance in the tournament. But a Hitchcock remake made for Netflix certainly comes with some cynicism. But hey I’m sure the movie will have less baggage starring Armie Hammer, right? Da Sweet Blood of Jesus is available for streaming on Kanopy, Plex, Roku, Tubi, and Vudu. Rebecca is available for streaming on Netflix. That’s our week. A weird one as we get two questionable remakes of films long running Bracketology participants will remember seeing in past tournaments going up against each other. We also get a recent notable if polarizing film vs the universally panned sequel to a cult classic. Maybe not the most marquee matchup but definitely a weird sampling of movies to give a shot. That’s Bracketology for you. And this is the Sweet Sixteen so two of these films will earn a bid into the Eight. You decide who. As always the goal is to just have fun and watch what you want. We try and make sure every film is reasonably available, some are a little harder to find than others and not everyone has the right streaming services so if you need help finding any of the films ask and help might be right around the corner. It will. I have the movies. Just ask. You can vote in this round until 12 noon EST Aug 20th (or when I get to it) Next Week! 1. Lewton Bus vs. 5. Alfred Hitchcock 7. All Hail Stephen King vs. 14. Wyrd Woods and Macabre Magick Spreadsheet Letterboxd List
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Aug 13, 2023 17:00
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I watched Men by myself in a completely empty theatre and I never got spooked but I was fully interested. It's certainly not perfect but I was genuinely surprised when I saw the overwhelmingly negative reaction. It may be my team but I've never actually seen Wheatley's Rebecca. I hope he remembered to include his signature weird poo poo and not just a straight Hitchcock remake. Samfucius fucked around with this message at 18:41 on Aug 13, 2023 |
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Aug 13, 2023 18:25
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Samfucius posted:I actually really want to address this because there's a large swathe of movies that are described as trash and I think this one really deserves to get a lot more specific. It's still obviously totally fine to dislike it. My only major disagreement here is I would never in a million years use the word "trash" to describe Hausu. There is too much craftsmanship at play in it to use that descriptor and the performances are not bad, they're stylized and deliberately hammy. Think about the performances at the beginning of Mulholland Dr -- would you say Naomi Watts is giving a bad performance in that movie? Perhaps not every performer in Hausu is on that level, but Obayashi is using his actors weak spots to amplify the cartoonish nature of the entire movie. I don't know how you could say that movie is barely holding together when its gonzo, sporadic nature is its entire reason for being. To me, Trash is more akin to Z-grade, lower production values, something the director may or may not have done out of their own passion, but nevertheless works. Hausu isn't bad in any sense -- it's just different. It goes against your expectations of what a movie is supposed to look or feel or behave like. Many people see that and equate that with "bad" or even the dreaded "So Bad It's Good" descriptor. However, what they're actually trying to describe is something that has defied every sensibility they have about what cinema is.
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Aug 13, 2023 23:28
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TrixRabbi posted:My only major disagreement here I think this is a great proof of my point, I want people to be specific about what they mean when they say trash because the definitions are so broad and not at all set in stone. We clearly agree in general on Hausu, but our terms and connotations are different.
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Aug 14, 2023 05:23
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It's usually pretty clear from context whether someone means trash (derogatory) or trash (complimentary) For example in Goat's post (which I think is the one you meant to quote since it used the word trash and mine didn't but maybe not) it's pretty clear that when he refers to Lady Terminator being a film for lovers of "trash cinema", he's saying he knows there are people out there who find value in this kind of film but it's just not for him. And I think you made your own point more confusing by referring to Hausu as trash which I don't think I've seen anyone here on CineD do. That film is generally held in pretty high regard around here, that's certainly what got me to watch it
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Aug 14, 2023 11:53
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Tarnop posted:That film is generally held in pretty high regard around here, that's certainly what got me to watch it Yeah! As it is most places. Trash isn't a perjorative to everyone. That's all.
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Aug 15, 2023 08:53
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It's only right that The Hills Have Eyes 2 would take down Wes because that movie is a turd so Wes deserves it. RIP Wes
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Aug 15, 2023 14:46
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Can't spell Trash without trashure is all I'm saying. Also I'm saying Rebecca is quite the baffling director + film combination.
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Aug 16, 2023 00:25
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Basebf555 posted:It's only right that The Hills Have Eyes 2 would take down Wes because that movie is a turd so Wes deserves it. RIP Wes That’s mean. Like you never took a lousy job to pay the bills.
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Aug 16, 2023 00:47
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My favorite thing about The Hills Have Eyes 2 is it came out the same year as A Nightmare on Elm Street. How many directors have their best movie and their worst movie come out in the same year?
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Aug 16, 2023 01:23
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Wes’ problem more than anything is probably just work ethic. It seems like he never really turned down a movie even when he thought it was a bad idea. And certainly early into his career before he had made a name for himself why would you? But Wes worked and did a lot of movies that clearly weren’t his movies. They were jobs. The good thing about Wes is even in those movies I think he gives it best and adds something to them. The Hills Have Eyes 2 is a bad movie that doesn’t need to exist. But Wes still found the time to put in a subplot another a dog getting revenge.
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Aug 16, 2023 01:38
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Men does enough to be more interesting and entertaining than Hills Have Eyes pt. 2. Easy vote there but wasn't really into either film. Other than some of the cool visuals in Men.
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Aug 16, 2023 16:21
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I thought Men was great. I didn't know that the internet reaction was overwhelmingly negative; glad I stopped reading anything about films online other than my Criticker predicted scores
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Aug 16, 2023 18:02
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for all that The Hills Have Eyes 2 is so functionally incompetent as to barely be a movie, I'll still take it over Men lol
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Aug 16, 2023 19:08
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I watched Men in May and while I didn’t hate it I kind of have no interest in rewatching it. Still it’s Hills Have Eyes 2. And as much of a Wes mark as I am I can’t just go “good doggy, you get my vote”. So I dunno how that’s gonna go. I guess I’ll rewatch Hills and depending on how bad it is I’ll decide if I have to rewatch Men.
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Aug 16, 2023 21:15
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The scene in Men where she’s on the walk to the tunnel is better than the entirety of 2Hills2Eyes
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Aug 16, 2023 21:18
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I think there’s some very good performances and I’d agree that scene is very good. But the last act loses me and I just don’t respond to Garland’s style and approach. He feels heavy on the trippy visual stuff that does little for me and shaky on the narrative and thematic stuff that I usually respond to. But again. I can’t honestly say it’s not a better film objectively than Hills 2. At most I could say I enjoy the latter more. But I don’t know that I can say that either.
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Aug 16, 2023 21:22
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I like Ben Wheatley but Rebecca sucked
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Aug 17, 2023 00:21
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MacheteZombie posted:I like Ben Wheatley but Rebecca sucked I have no idea how he ended up directing it. Such a poor fit on paper end in reality
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Aug 17, 2023 01:01
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I watched Rebecca last night. Hard to put my finger on it but the movie felt plodding like there wasn't any of that intensity you get when, for example, Hitchcock tells a story. It was pretty, some nice scenery, but I don't see much of a reason to ever watch it over the Hitch version.
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Aug 17, 2023 14:22
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MacheteZombie posted:I like Ben Wheatley but Rebecca sucked Ben Wheatley's journeyman turn has been really weird. In the Earth was okay, at least.
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Aug 17, 2023 16:12
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