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Dol posted:Could you expand on your thoughts on these two? I'm interested to hear more about them. Sure. It's kind of impossible to really talk about On the Beach at Night Alone without discussing it in relation to the real life scandal. So, briefly, Hong Sang-soo is a Korean art-house director and this year his affair with actress Kim Min-hee (The Handmaiden is probably what anyone here knows her from) was made public and he's currently divorcing his wife. The film is about an actress (Kim) who spends the first segment in Hamburg seemingly as an escape to avoid dealing with press and rumors about her affair with a married director. She returns to Korea, reconnects with some friends, and has a chance encounter with the director. There's basically everything you would expect from a Hong film: men treating women badly, extremely long takes of soju-fueled conversations that swing between friendly and extremely uncomfortable, lack of any real plot or resolution. It's a movie that's mostly dialogue that is extremely naturalistic and delivered in long uncut scenes. The camera will pan and zoom, but there's no shot-reverse shot. To me, it's an incredibly effective way to anchor the viewer and reinforces the connection to the emotional complexity on display. Kim Min-hee is tasked with carrying the whole movie and she is incredible and honestly it's worth watching just for the sake of that one performance. The real life couple seem to be doing fine, but this film is definitely not kind to either of them. It's definitely a minimalist film, but has left me with more to think about and struggle with than just about anything else I've seen lately. Hopefully that helps? I've been having a tough time fully processing this one and feel kind of unqualified to really dissect it too much. It does make me want to see more and I did like it more than the other two I've seen from Hong (Right Now, Wrong Then and Woman is the Future of Man). I'm not terribly well versed on Godzilla (though I plan on working on it soon, now that they've added a bunch to Filmstruck) having only seen the original and Shin Godzilla. Shin Godzilla was actually the first one I watched all the way through, but watching it again it was nice to be able to compare to the original. It's definitely more fun, where the first was incredibly bleak, but takes a very similar head on approach to the social commentary. There's a lot to read into it with regards to not just ineffective bureaucracy in the face of disaster (Fukushima) but Japan's place in the world at large, specifically in relation to the UN and USA. At one point a character says "Post-war goes on forever" which I think is a pretty good indicator of the sort of politics it's dealing with. Also the monster is fantastic and there is a great mix of practical and digital effects which work really well on what I have to assume was a pretty limited budget. It's a gorgeous movie. Also checked IMDB and is it always this creepy there? 
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Dec 18, 2017 18:55
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FancyMike posted:On the Beach at Night Alone (2017) 4/5 - Kim Min-hee is incredible. Beautiful film but maybe not recommended as someone's first Hong due to how personal it is, reflecting on both his previous work and the affair with Kim.
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Dec 18, 2017 20:21
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It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947): B+ A movie about a rich man looking through the glass onion to see the other half live, and gaining perspective from it? Just the kind of movie we need in this modern Gilded Age. The Sound of Music (1965, Rewatch): B I know the story is saccharine and not particularly accurate (the Von Trapps didn't flee from the Nazis during or immediately after the Anschluss; they boarded a train to Italy in 1938, if I remember correctly). It's not my favorite musical movie (that would be Fiddler on the Roof), but I actually like this movie. The music is good, the acting is good, and it's an engaging story.
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Dec 18, 2017 20:26
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The Disaster Artist - 4/5 Captures the feel of the book and wonderfully communicates the appeal of the Room to unfamiliar audiences. Conflating Tommy' s slow acceptance of the response to the Room over the years into premiere night was a particularly well done sequence. They play down a lot of Tommy's worst traits to make him more sympathetic, but the changes make sense and I got to watch my entire family make Wiseau impressions on the drive home. Finally, more Room references have a place in my life. Star Wars: The Last Jedi 4.5/5 Still riding high, grade might change later. Larger opinions: KILL YOUR GODS. NOSTALGIA IS A MISTAKE AND DEIFYING YOUR HEROES WILL ONLY CAUSE YOU SUFFERING. ONLY BY LETTING GO OF THE PAST AND TRYING THE NEW CAN YOU SUCCEED. KILL YOUR GODS. The decision to center the conflict on Rey and Kylo learning to let go of their idols in different ways is loving brilliant. Rey learns to be a new jedi, not grounded in the past, but in the future. Kylo succeeds by killing his master, but obsesses over the rest of his heroes not meeting his standards. The Rebels get away because he couldn't handle the idea of Luke still living, daring to exist after failing to be the Great Legend Luke Skywalker. Because nostalgia doesn't meet reality, he (and the rest of the First Order trying to be the Empire) ultimately fail. Because they have the new, the Rebels are able to escape and inspire another generation of heroes. Its genius, brilliant at every step, and I totally get why it got such a split reaction from fans. Kill your nerd gods kill your nerd gods KILL YOUR NERD GODS.
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Dec 20, 2017 07:41
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Jumanji 2: jungle boogaloo Pretty fun but a bit shallow and loaded with chekov's guns, as you couldve expected.
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Dec 21, 2017 03:52
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Star Wars: The Last Jedi: A- Cannot understand why there are petitions wanting to "force this out of the canon" which by itself is moronic. This exceeded my expectations, very fun the whole way through, though I'm sad already that Rian Johnson won't be back for the next one. I don't really want JJ Abrams again.
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Dec 21, 2017 05:11
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Star Wars: The Last Jedi: 8.5/10 Very good, especially after finding The Force Awakens to be mostly a weak retread that Did Some Things Right. Most of the humor worked, porgs were cute, some ships got blowed up real good-like, bad guys get dunked on, and there is a planet whose surface is made entirely of squibs. Very good acting all around, especially from Hamill, Fisher, Dern, and del Toro. Suffers mainly from being a bit over-long and often predictable (though often in unpredictable ways, if that makes any sense). Meaty Ore fucked around with this message at 08:05 on Dec 21, 2017 |
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Dec 21, 2017 08:01
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The Christmas Shoes (2002): D- I willingly subjected myself to this tripe to write a humorous review for friends. It wasn't quite as saccharine as I was expecting, but it was still enough to make my spleen hurt.
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Dec 21, 2017 23:01
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F_Shit_Fitzgerald posted:The Christmas Shoes (2002): D- I'd be curious to see that humorous review, and also to hear your opinion on which is worse: the movie, or the song itself.
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Dec 22, 2017 16:55
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InterrupterJones posted:I'd be curious to see that humorous review, and also to hear your opinion on which is worse: the movie, or the song itself. The tone is set for this movie very early on when a character complains to her mom "I'm queasy". No doubt that by the end of this movie, most of the audience felt the same way. Of all the jingly Christmas songs you tend to hear this time of year, one of the most divisive is "The Christmas Shoes". There doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground with this song; you either love it or hate it, and I readily admit that I fall into the latter camp. Someone evidently listened to a song designed to be as saccharine as possible and said to themselves, "Gee...that would make a great movie!". As expected, the result is less a movie than a series of Hallmark channel movie-like cliches: finding the True Meaning Of Christmas (tm). In one case, this involves a son buying his mom what looks like Dorothy's ruby slippers before she passes away from plotitis. In another case, an embarrassed looking Rob Lowe plays a grinch-y workaholic dad who learns to value his family time over his very prestigious small-town lawyer career. He's working on an environmental case ("something something fishermen something land use") that occupies so much of his attention and time that he fails to show up for his daughter's performances at one of the town's seemingly hundreds of Christmas concerts. These two plot lines converge when the dying woman's son collects empty cans so that he can buy the shoes. Just as in the song, Lowe shows up at a local department store on Christmas eve, buying random things (a Monopoly board, a teddy bear, a doll) in order to placate his daughter (because, you see, he was so eevil that he didn't think to buy her any Christmas gifts until just now). While there, he runs into the son, who is $5 of the cash needed to buy the shoes. Lowe gives the kid a $20 to cover the cost of the shoes, but neither he nor the kid actually walk up to the cashier to give the money; the kid runs out to give his mother the present before she passes, and Lowe realizes that Christmas Is More Than Things and walks out without paying for anything. So I guess the takeaway was that it's OK to openly loot a store if it's for Christmas. Son gives his mom the shoes, and much weeping and gnashing of teeth (from me, as I sat and watched this crap) happened. Rob Lowe, meanwhile, met his wife and daughter while they were caroling and has a reconciliation scene. The final scene confusingly jumps from the kid running around with his dog sometime after Christmas to "modern day" (about a decade or so later), where Rob Lowe (who looks exactly the same) is at the grave of his mother. The kid, now a twentysomething adult in medical school, shows up at his mother's grave to honor her. The way this was filmed made it either look like they had buried the mom on Christmas day or that Rob Lowe was a time lord. My teeth were hurting from the sugar by the end. So to answer your question about whether I think the song or the movie is worse: I'm going to go against the grain a bit and say the song. The movie wasn't 'good' by any stretch of the imagination, but the movie was not quite as horrifically bad as I was expecting. You can always just refuse to watch the movie, but the song is three minutes of scientifically-designed, focus-tested syrup that you just can't escape this time of year. I can't really say anything more about the song that Patton Oswalt hasn't already covered, and probably more hilariously than I ever could.
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Dec 22, 2017 19:38
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By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume One (Stan Brakhage) [Blu-ray] Desistfilm (1954) Wedlock House: An Intercourse (1959) Dog Star Man (1962-1964) The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes (1971) Cat's Cradle (1959) Window Water Baby Moving (1959) Mothlight (1963) Eye Myth (1967) The Wold Shadow (1972) The Garden of Earthly Delights (1981) The Stars are Beautiful (1974) Kindering (1987) I... Dreaming (1988) The Dante Quartet (1987) Night Music (1986) Rage Net (1988) Glaze of Cathexis (1990) Delicacies of Molten Horror Synapse (1991) Untitled [For Marilyn] (1992) Black Ice (1994) Study in Color and Black and White (1993) Stellar (1993) Crack Glass Eulogy (1992) The Dark Tower (1999) Comingled Containers (1997) Lovesong (2001) I've held off on seeing much of Brakhage due to expecting watching films in complete silence to be odd. After taking advice from other posters, I dove in feet first. I watched everything over two nights as the Criterion Blu-ray is neatly divided into two programs. Wedlock House is where I really "got" what Brakhage was going for. It's about glimpses of light and using your imagination to connect everything. Dog Star Man takes it even further. I was hooked on the images, looking for shapes, and assembling the meaning. The most difficult film I watched was The Act of Seeing with One's Own Eyes, which is 30 minutes of Brakhage recording autopsies. At first, it was only somewhat uncomfortable, seeing dead bodies, naked and still. Then the bodies are disassembled and picked apart. It was horrifying at first, except the stress on images quickly makes it transcendent. Brakhage doesn't adorn images with anything other than what you're seeing. I kept thinking about what it must have been like for him, except I soon became fascinated. I was seeing the human body demystified. Of the second program, much of the films are hand-painted ones. I'm particularly fond of them, especially The Dante Quartet (which features 70mm and IMAX, allowing for a startling amount of detail). None of the films match the absolute splendor of Window Water Baby Moving. It features the birth of Brakhage's daughter with no attempt to hide anything. Yet it's beautiful. It's human life. With cuts moving back and forth in time, it seems to convey the excitement and stupor of the birth of a child. His films are about stirring up emotions with images. Two other films of note are Mothlight and The Garden of Earthly Delights, both created by placing organic matter between tape and converting it to a photographed image. I kept thinking about how that's what a "one dimensional" image would look like. I was also fond of The Stars Are Beautiful, one of the few films of his on this collection with sound. I'm looking forward to watching the second volume soon. The Trial (1963, d.p. Edmond Richard) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 Orson Welles manages to capture the dread and absurdity of Kafka perfectly with this low-budget, but infinitely imaginative adaptation of his last book. Anthony Perkins is fantastic as Joseph K, maintaining a sense of paranoia and vulnerability. Especially impressive is the use of some lengthy takes, especially in the opening scene in K's apartment. There's a great supporting cast including Jeanne Moreau, Romy Schneider, Akim Tamiroff, and even Welles himself (as the Advocate). The cinematography is incredible, often with massive structures dwarfing the actors. But the best aspect of the film is the way it plays like a nightmare, with an adherence to dream logic that does justice to the source. Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964, d.p. Gilbert Taylor) [Blu-ray] - 5/5 One of the funniest movies ever made and hasn't lost any of its punch over the last 50 years. I particularly love how committed to making everything look like something from a documentary this is. The realism makes the comedy that much more effective because it's about the absurdity of nuclear war. The cast is what really carries the film. Peter Sellers is obvious amazing in all three of his roles, but I don't think enough is made about how George C. Scott steals ever drat scene he's in. It's one thing for Sellers to be funny because he's always done comedy, but Scott's facial expressions alone are enough to make me laugh. I chuckle just thinking of his face during the call with the Soviet premier, slowly chewing his gum. But I don't know to laugh or cry that it's still a relevant film 50+ years later. Chimes at Mignight (1966, d.p. Edmond Richard) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 Welles and Shakespeare make for great cinema and this might be his best (even if I'm particularly in love with his Othello lately). Lots of great scenes. John Gielgud is a joy to watch in this, but Keith Baxter is, too. There's also some other familiar faces. Fernando Rey plays one of the lords, Jeanne Moreau has a brief scene (much of it laying on top of Welles, much to his likely delight), and Welles even cast his daughter Beatrice in a cute role as a page. Welles himself plays Falstaff in a larger than life role, often charming and hilarious, but also heartbreaking. There's also a battle scene that's simply jaw-dropping. One of the most beautifully shot of Welles' films, using light and fog to great effect. Suspiria (1977, Dario Argento) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 I'm not exactly a fan of slasher movies, but this is certainly the best I've ever seen of the genre. Argento seems less interested, though, in realism, but rather like something out of a dream or nightmare. Jessica Harper is wonderful in the central role (she's great in Phantom of the Paradise, which apparently Argento loved too). The most surprising role, though, as seeing Alida Valli as a somewhat butch creepy headmistress. She was also great in Eyes without a Face, which similarly used gore as a contrast between beautiful visuals. For that matter, the cinematography and production design are some of the most stunning I've seen. This looks like 50s Technicolor as shot by Mario Bava. The color just jumps off the screen. But there's also some incredible shots using the Technovision frame like a mural. And the score adds another layer of unease. I'm eager to check out more Argento films now, though I don't know if any will match this. (Also, this is via the new Synapse Blu-ray, which is one of the best restorations I've ever seen on the format). Scrooge (1935, Henry Edwards) [TCM] - 4/5 This is one of the best "straight" live-action adaptations of A Christmas Carol I've seen. It's almost minimalistic. You don't even see Marley or two of the Ghosts, which are represented with lighting and sound instead. While I think Alistair Sim is a better Scrooge, this doesn't have the baggage of unnecessary plot. This is no-nonsense Dickens, with nary a moment wasted. (For reference, my favorite live-action non-gimmick ACC is the 1984 George C. Scott one) Love Finds Andy Hardy (1938, George B. Seitz) [TCM] - 2.5/5 A bit grating, but alright. With the right editing, someone could turn this into something Lynchian. Santa Claus (1959, Rene Cardona/K. Gordon Murray) [MST3K] - Movie: 2/5; Episode: 5/5 This has to be the weirdest Santa movie. The MST3K episode is a standard at Christmas (I find Santa Claus Conquers the Martians to be a bit boring). I will hand it to the filmmakers for at least making it fascinating in a train wreck sort of way. Still, what the hell were they smoking? A Visit to Santa (1963, Clem Williams) [YouTube] - 0/5 Horrible in every way. It's so obvious that someone decided to take home movie footage of Santa parades and turn it into this disturbing little short. If the often out of focus footage isn't creepy enough, perhaps it's the creepy narrator, the cheesy organ music, or the fact Santa's workshop looks like Uncle Marvin's living room.
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Dec 26, 2017 03:27
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Thanks for the nice write-up of that Brakhage set. I bought it years ago and feel real bad about not having watched much of it. Godzilla Raids again (1955) 3/5 - Lesser Godzilla but it was fine. Outrage (2010) 3/5 - Nothing amazing and not the best from Takeshi, but still solidly enjoyable. A Hero Never Dies (1998) 4/5 - Another fantastic hitman melodrama from Johnnie To. Add this to the long list of movies which should be amazing visually but the dvd is rear end. Paradox (2017) 4/5 - Not quite as good as the previous two SPL films but I liked it quite a bit. Doesn't have enough Tony Jaa, he only gets one fight but it's the best one. Louis Koo does a surprisingly good job leading a martial arts movie. The Shape of Water (2017) 5/5 - Beautiful Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010) 4/5 - Lots of fun. An army of naked elves Black Christmas (1974) 4/5 - A really good slasher, among the best, with some refreshingly progressive politics Krampus (2015) 3/5 - Some good monsters and pretty fun. And I'm definitely down for a Christmas movie that ends with the entire family being dragged to hell
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Dec 26, 2017 20:22
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National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - 4.5/5 Been a few years since I've watched this and we put it on the projector last night while drinking eggnog and whiskey. Great times and probably my favorite Christmas movie. A Christmas Story - 4/5 I will always love this one for the Wonder Years-like tone the narration gives it. The dad is the standout character for me and reminds me of my father in law way too much. Home Alone - 4/5 Holy crap I don't remember Macaulay Culkin being this young. Been about 10 years since I've seen this one but the slapstick humor and youth angst/fear dynamic still works great. I remember liking the second one more as a kid but watching both now, this one definitely holds up better. Home Alone 2 - 3/5 Still a good holiday movie that kids will enjoy, but not as good as the original.
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Dec 26, 2017 20:35
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Bottom Liner posted:
Yeah, Home Alone has really solid internal consistency for what should be a throwaway movie. Cool to see a John Candy cameo, too. As christmas movies go you could do far worse.
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Dec 26, 2017 20:51
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Bottom Liner posted:Home Alone - 4/5 Holy crap I don't remember Macaulay Culkin being this young. Been about 10 years since I've seen this one but the slapstick humor and youth angst/fear dynamic still works great. I remember liking the second one more as a kid but watching both now, this one definitely holds up better. I'm going to watch this movie with my 6 y/o son tomorrow, for his first time. We're Dutch, so me and my wife will have to talk him through it a bit, but looking forward to it.
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Dec 26, 2017 23:50
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Last Flag Flying I love Linklater movies. LOVE. All capitals. don't know any director who can capture moments that are just...true. I didn't grow up in the 70's and I'm most certainly not from the US but Dazed and Confused still captured a moment of my life that no other artist has managed to describe in a way that brought me back to those moments like that. Sure, the details are different but he managed to capture the essence of the experience. The same is true for many of his other films, especially the Before... trilogy. If that fight in the third movie didn't hit you like a nuke I don't want to know you. This said, I was very skeptical about Last Flag Flying because it seemed to be aimed at an American audience from what I read before I watched it. I'm glad to say that the movie works just fine for a non-American audience (or at least it did for me). Movies rarely make me cry but Last Flag Flying actually managed to make me cry twice, once from laughter and once more because Linklater just nailed the emotions in an important scene near the end. It's hard to describe the movie without it sounding like a total drag. Carell, Fishburne and Cranston used to be buddies in Vietnam, now Carell's kid has died in the service and he wants his old mates to join him for the funeral. Cranston plays a sarcastic, alcoholic bar owner while Fishburne's role is the polar opposite, his character turned to religion after the war. This setup seems very played out but Linklater makes it work. The three old war buddies discuss all kinds of subjects without any hangups, they fall right back to the familiarity they developed in Vietnam and their exchanges are a joy to watch. The leads are absolutely perfect. Carell gives the best performance of his career, Fishburne is at the top of his game as well and Cranston finally delivers what I expected from him after Breaking Bad. While this movie is very focused on the characters it also addresses other subjects like aging, children dying in wars and how we try to make sense of it and the Vietnam and Iraq wars in general. It doesn't really try to give you answers but those topics are going to be stuck in your head for a few days after you watch the movie. For me this was a solid 10/10. A few words about the scenes that made me cry: First: Them sitting in the freight wagon with the marine. I haven't laughed at a movie like that in a very very long time and I love that I laughed WITH them about their old stories. Usually movies put something in front of you that you can laugh AT but Linklater just nailed the the back-and-forth of people telling old stories. The Doc Holiday joke also really got me. The other scene was obviously at the funeral. Them showing up in uniforms could have easily been turned into a stupid "America gently caress yeah" moment but with everything that happened before it just became a deeply personal gesture. Also honorable mention for the Eminem discussion in the truck. I love Linklater dialogues so much. I can't overstate how much I loved this movie
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Dec 27, 2017 02:08
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Greatest Showman: 3/5, simple but fun story, with some neat direction and choreography. Worst part was how obvious the dubbing was, its what takes me out of most musicals. Shape of Water 4/5, drat good but just didnt fully click for me, but it was close got any sevens fucked around with this message at 03:28 on Dec 27, 2017 |
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Dec 27, 2017 03:18
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Star Wars: The Last Jedi - a solid Eh+ I mean, it was alright. There was a lot to like, and a lot to dislike. Like the Force Awakens, I still think the original actors are superior to the younger cast which is a shame since they're all dying both on screen and in real life with a few exceptions. I love Adam Driver and John Boyega in these movies, but am less keen on Daisy Ridley and Oscar Isaac, and am more or less indifferent towards Domhnall Gleeson and Kelly Marie Tran. The action and effects were all pretty good - arguably the most important part of Star Wars movies - and the plot was fine. It took a few turns I wasn't expecting, and a few things happened that I really wish didn't happen. Nothing pertaining to Luke's character...I feel like the outrage over all of that is a bit unwarranted. I just don't really feel passionate about it one way or the other, since it just doesn't have the same feel anymore.
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Dec 27, 2017 20:47
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Egbert Souse posted:By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume One (Stan Brakhage) [Blu-ray] Good on you for diving into the set. I watched two a week and wrote about every film in each volume. It was extremely rewarding, really helped change the way I take in film, and led to watching Maya Deren, Kenneth Anger, and (slowly) Jean Painleve. Putting a kibosh on capsule thoughts since these are links to full reviews. Scale is Like/Indifferent/Dislike. Like: Bright The Boss Baby Alien: Covenant Indifferent: mother! Wind River Dislike: Star Wars: The Last Jedi
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Dec 27, 2017 23:45
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Punch Drunk Drewsky posted:
HAHA, holy gently caress, is this some inverted bizarro verse we're living in?
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Dec 28, 2017 01:56
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All the Money in the World 4/5, couldnt tell there were any issues fitting Plummer in at the last second, he was impeccable as a Scrooge. Michelle Williams was also pretty darn good. Not the typical hostage movie where everyone loses their sanity etc like that Mel Gibson one (which I still like) so its not as emotional
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Dec 28, 2017 03:22
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The Immortal Story (1968, dir. Orson Welles/d.p. Willy Kurant) [Blu-ray] - 5/5 God, I wish Welles got to direct more short form stuff like this. At just under an hour, Welles adapts a story by Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dineson). After a career in B&W, he finally got to direct in color. And it's gorgeous. Much of the film doesn't even feature movement, but the lighting alone is incredible. A tiny cast of just four, half of which being Welles and Jeanne Moreau (making her third appearance in a Welles film - The Deep would have been her fourth in a row!). Not much to say, but it's one of the most beautiful and haunting films I've seen. I think it's also the only film of his with a sex scene, which is handled as tenderly as something by Kieslowski. I watched both the French and English cuts, but the English wins if just for Welles' narration. Also, check out the quick cameo of Fernando Rey near the beginning. Christmas Evil [aka You Better Watch Out] (1980, Lewis Jackson) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 I went in expecting a tongue-in-cheek slasher, but got a dark satire on Christmastime capitalism. This is basically "A Taxi Driver Christmas" except there's some interesting differences. Harry is actually a successful upper-level worker at a toy factory, but his madness stems from being taken for granted and the soulless work. Brandon Maggart is likable, even when he's giving the axe to some snotty Christmas Catholics. One thing that impressed me was the amazing cinematography. Much is shot with diffusion lenses, much like A Christmas Story, made three years later. There's some great tracking shots and angles, almost like something from a Kubrick film. F for Fake (1973, Orson Welles, d.p. Gary Graver) [Blu-ray] - 5/5 (rewatch) I've said it before, but this is probably the film I'd pick as my all-time favorite movie. Whether it's the fact much of the film is just Welles talking or the breathtaking editing. The fact this didn't make a splash is infuriating because so many documentaries are modeled after the same essay style (especially Michael Moore). The real highlight of the film is a gorgeous piece on authorship, with Welles speaking over dreamlike shots of Chartes cathedral. "Maybe a man's name doesn't matter... all that much." The final act, with Welles spinning his own bullshit story after covering the masters of bullshit is the cherry on top. We're so easily led into garbage just because it's told well. Filming "Othello" (1979, Orson Welles, d.p. Gary Graver) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 Finally, I've seen all of Orson Welles' completed feature films, at least until The Other Side of the Wind supposedly comes out in 2018 (from Netflix, no less). This isn't quite as polished, but it's similar to F for Fake in that it's an essay film. A lot of it is just Welles talking about his thoughts on the film and explaining motiviations. There's also a slightly awkward part with Welles having lunch with his co-stars Micheal MacLiammor and Hilton Edwards. Still, it's like an illustrated commentary. Makes me wish Welles had recorded some commentaries for his films because they'd own. The Puppetoon Movie (1987, Arnold Leibovit) [TCM DVR] - 4/5 I've seen a few of the George Pal Puppetoons over the years, but this gives a nice look at the best of them. There's short bookends with then-familiar stop-motion stars Gumby and Pokey that kind of seem out of place, but it's in good spirits. The real star are the shorts, with largely complete versions of The Philips Broadcast of 1938, Tulips Shall Grow, Jasper in a Jam, John Henry and the Inki-Poo, and Tubby the Tuba. While the somewhat embarrassing design of Jasper doesn't hold up well, John Henry is fantastic. This has to be the oldest film I've seen where African-American characters are portrayed in animation with absolutely no stereotypical looks. All the characters are modeled realistically and with dignity. No big lips or Stepin' Fetchit voices. Tulips Shall Grow is also amazing for being an anti-war piece. Tubby the Tuba was one of my favorites as a kid and seeing it in quite lovely Technicolor is a plus. This makes me want to see more of the original shorts! A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935, Max Reinhardt/William Dieterle) [TCM DVR] - 4/5 This has to be one of the most beautifully photographed B&W films I've ever seen. Largely looking like something from a dream, with glittery overlays and gauze. Just the lighting alone is gorgeous. The adaptation utilizes much of the Warner Bros. regulars of the time, including James Cagney (who spends half the movie in a donkey mask!), Olivia de Havilland, Joe E. Brown, and Hugh Herbert. Mickey Rooney also has a major role as Puck. It's a little overlong, but I kept staring at the photography and costume design. Also, now I know where a shot in Scorpio Rising came from. Catch My Soul [aka Santa Fe Satan] (1974, Patrick McGoohan) [Blu-ray] - 3/5 A flawed, but certainly unique and ambitious "folk rock" adaptation of Shakespeare's Othello. This time moving to the then-present day in what seems to be a Christian commune. It's a bit stagey at times, but interesting. Richie Havens is haunting as Othello. Seasons Hubley doesn't get much to work with as Desdemona. Lance LeGault alternates between devilish and silly, often reminding me of Pitch in the Mexican Santa Claus movie. Susan Tyrrell appears as Emilia and while appearing only briefly, is a standout role. The real star of the show is Conrad Hall's cinematography, which is outstanding. The songs are also really good, one sung by Havens that's stuck with me. Liquid Sky (1982, Slavka Tsukerman) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 I'll just paste Letterboxd's plot summary: "Invisible aliens in a tiny flying saucer come to Earth looking for heroin. They land on top of a New York apartment inhabited by a drug dealer and her female, androgynous, bisexual nymphomaniac lover, a fashion model. The aliens soon find the human pheromones created in the brain during orgasm preferable to heroin, and the model’s casual sex partners begin to disappear." If that doesn't make you want to see this, perhaps it's the non-stop amazing cinematography. The whole movie is lit with neon colors with saturation maxed out. There's even a shot of the New York skyline that's bright purple. Anne Carlisle is fantastic in a dual role as Margaret (the said fashion model) and Jimmy, the drug dealer. The film is punctuated with a synth soundtrack that's like something from an arcade game. It's an absolute trip of a movie and it runs with an utterly ridiculous premise in full confidence. Who needs drugs when you have movies like Liquid Sky?
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Jan 1, 2018 07:30
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The shape of water: Is there a thread for this yet? Cause this is great. (5/5)
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Jan 1, 2018 23:38
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The last of my 2017 watches, ended the year pretty good overall. Not yet sure what to make the first of 2018 Atomic Blonde (2017) 4/5 Hard Target (1993) 4/5 The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) 3/5 Yourself and Yours (2016) 4/5 Fat Choi Spirit (2002) 4/5
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Jan 2, 2018 00:36
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Haven't posted in here in awhile The Killing of a Sacred Deer A Wonderstruck C Lady Bird A- Roman J Israel, Esq C+ Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri B Thor: Ragnarok B- Murder on the Orient Express B- The Disaster Artist C+ The Shape of Water B+ Star Wars: The Last Jedi B+ The Florida Project A+
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Jan 6, 2018 18:33
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glam rock hamhock posted:Haven't posted in here in awhile
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Jan 6, 2018 18:42
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The Shape of Water - 4.5/5 Del Toro’s best work IMO. Great performances across the board and some really fantastic standout set design and cinematography. Octavia Spencer is typecast hard here but she’s so loveable and great that I don’t mind. Great score too. Sicario - 5/5 Ashamed that it took me so long to see this, by what a ride. I love this entire neo-western trilogy but I’m torn on which is the best. Sicario has the best cinematography hands down, but Hell or High Water and Wind River both had some really special elements as well. Not sure about the sequel that’s coming, would feel better leaving this one as is. Emily Blunt was great and not having her character as an emotional anchor for the sequel will turn it into a more typical suspense/thriller.
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Jan 6, 2018 18:58
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Hostiles (2017) 3/4, i wanted to love it but only just liked it  Fits the melancholy theme i guess
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Jan 8, 2018 02:20
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I'll see how long I can keep it up, but I'm aiming to see at least feature a day (or at least a few shorts). Jabberwocky (1977, Terry Gilliam) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 I was expecting the worst, but then I realized Gilliam directed half of Monty Python and the Holy Grail. This still has a lot of Pythonesque humor, but this captures a unique medieval feel that vastly more expensive films fall short on. Michael Palin stars as a hopelessly naive cooper's assistant Dennis (a cooper is a barrel-maker, by the way). What I enjoyed about the film is that it has this dream logic to it. Dennis is almost sleepwalking through one impossible situation after another, usually surviving only by sheer chance. There's kind of a bit too many jokes around piss and poo poo, then again, it's the dark ages. For being such a cheap movie (and possibly because of the stellar restoration), it's wonderfully shot. Grainy and diffused, much like Holy Grail, giving it a patina less like a studio epic. By Brakhage: An Anthology - Volume Two [Blu-ray, Disc One] Went through another disc of Stan Brakhage films on Criterion's set. The Wonder Ring (1955) Two:Creely/McClure (1965) The Dead (1960) 23rd Psalm Branch: Part I (1967) 23rd Psalm Branch: Part II (1978) Scenes from Under Childhood, Section One (1967) The Machine of Eden (1970) Star Garden (1974) Desert (1976) The Process (1972) Burial Path (1978) Duplicity III (1980) The Domain of the Moment (1977) Murder Psalm (1980) Arabic 12 (1981) I'm finding that the key to understanding Brakhage is to realize that his films are visual thought and as much about looking. You could argue that his work is a natural progression from the actualities of the dawn of cinema, except with an avant-garde flair. Something as simple as The Wonder Ring is "just" views of a train station and ride, but you look at the details of the frame. This is capturing a moment in time and the light. The first part of 23rd Psalm Branch is one of my favorites of what I've seen so far. Assembled from war footage primarily, it's a grisly assemblage of the components of war. Destruction, death, and horror. The second part almost pales in comparison, but I interpreted it as an antithesis, perhaps more about peace. Desert, Star Garden, and Arabic 12 are interesting because they're almost exclusively about the play of light. Murder Psalm was oddly nightmarish (appropriately enough, inspired by a nightmare Brakhage had) made up mostly of stock footage (including a Korean-colored Looney Tune!). Much of it is almost obscured except with faint images seen under layers of paint. Dekalog (1989-1990, Krzysztof Kieślowski) [Blu-ray] One, Two, Three, Four, and Five I still have three episodes to go, but the first seven have been some of the most deeply moving and wonderful cinema I've ever seen. Few, if any directors, have such a passion for their characters as Kieslowki. He digs deep into humanity and truth. While everything I've seen from him is absolutely beautiful on a cinematic scale, I've been in awe of how much focus is just on faces and observation. As for the individual episodes, every single one has had me glued to the screen. One had me bursting into tears by the end. Instead of relishing in sadness, we're only treated to the perspective of the character in question. I felt what the character must have. Two is similarly harrowing. While I've never been gravely ill, the scenes in the hospital room capture the sort of delirium of illness. Again, Kieslowski isn't interested in dwelling on the obvious - I cried again at the end of Two when I realized the past of the doctor. Three was a bit more surreal, almost bordering on comedy (not quite as much as Three Colors: White). Four is probably the most dialogue-dense of the series I've seen, but again I was totally absorbed. Five is probably the greatest of the parts I've seen so far. While I'm already against the death penalty, this is a film that explains why it's immoral. Through shadowy and drab colors, we see the day of a drifter until he commits the murder. It's shocking, though not graphic (I'm told the feature version is). But we're quickly shown the parallels between a murder and a state execution. It's shown in detail so that we see every step. Killing is killing, no matter who's doing it or why. The Sheik (1921, George Melford) [Blu-ray] - 3/5 This is like watching a well-done parody, except finding out it's what's been parodied for decades. While I really would have rather my first Rudolph Valentino movie be The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (which is MIA in any decent quality), this captures his screen persona. I do feel that the film was meant to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Kind of racist, though I can't say I'm shocked that a 1921 film would be racially insensitive. Gunga Din (1939, George Stevens) [TCM DVR] - 4/5 Wow, this is basically the ground floor for the modern action movie, not to mention a huge inspiration on Indiana Jones. While it's obnoxiously colonialist, I can't say it's not to be unexpected for something released on the edge of WWII. Still, the chemistry between the three leads - Cary Grant, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Victor McLaglen is fantastic. There's some great comic moments scattered around, between some great action setpieces. It's also quite rapidly paced, especially for a 1939 film. I was amused to realize that the end battle was what was being spoofed in the opening scene of The Party, plus the score was re-used for the newsreel in Citizen Kane. And some shorts by Jean Painleve [DVD]... Hyas and Stenorhynchus (1927) Sea Urchins (1958) How Some Jellyfish Are Born (1960) Liquid Crystals (1978) The Seahorse (1934) Shrimp Stories (1964) I've had the Criterion set for a while, but after watching a handful of films, I kind of forgot about it. I really wish some of these were shown in school when I was young because I would have loved these. Painleve takes nature footage and turns it into something exciting and fascinating, but never dry. The narration is often amusing and joval, plus some nice music. One standout is Liquid Crystal, which is almost psychedelic, which is neat considering this guy was making films back in the 20s. Also, the running gag of the end "FIN" spelled out with stuff like seaweed or seahorses is cute.
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Jan 8, 2018 05:04
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 Baahubali: The Beginning (2015) 4/5 - linking because they're kind of big: gif gif Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) 5/5 - These movies were awesome. Lots of fun and great action spectacle the 5 hours flew by. Netflix has three different dubs, but the best way to watch them is on Youtube where they're available in the original Telugu. Moonlight (2016) 5/5 shameful thread Brawl in Cell Block 99 (2017) 3/5 - Don Johnson is a great villain and the movie needed more of him. I liked the pacing and how it slowly veers further and further from reality until it ends in a crazy dystopian setting with basically no fanfare. Vaughn was good, but I just couldn't get into his character and a lot of time is spent with him. That's the one place where it falters a bit for me. The Act of Killing (2012) 5/5 - shameful thread A Better Tomorrow III: Love and Death in Saigon (1989) 4/5 - I might like Woo's version a little more but both of them are so much better than part 2 was. Lady Bird (2017) 4/5 The Look of Silence (2014) 4/5 mother! (2017) 4/5 -  still processing this one but I think I liked it quite a bit
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Jan 9, 2018 20:32
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The Shape of Water - 87/100 Phantom Thread - 92/100 Call Me By Your Name - 87/100 The Post - 72/100 Lady Bird - 77/100 Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri - 70/100 Star Wars ep. VIII - 74/100 Coco - 74/100 Pusher - 80/100 Pusher 2 - 85/100 Pusher 3 - 81/100 Kill, Baby, Kill… - 78/100 World of Tomorrow pt. 1 - 90/100 Nocturnal Animals - 80/100 The Straight Story - 78/100 Apocalypse Now Redux (rewatch) - 91/100 The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - 89/100 The Disaster Artist - 70/100 Thelma - 79/100 Shadow Dancer - 79/100 Camille Claudel (rewatch) - 89/100 The Kid Stays in the Picture - 79/100 Thor: Ragnarok - good-/marvel Drowning by Numbers - 84/100 8 1/2 Women - 66/100 Goltzius and the Pelican Company - 78/100 Dante's Inferno - 88/100 The Boy Friend - 88/100 The Rainbow - 82/100 The Music Lovers - 87/100 Mahler - 81/100 Women In Love - 82/100 Crimes of Passion (1984) - 70/100 Whore ("If You Can't Say It, Just See It") - 75/100
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Jan 12, 2018 09:56
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:Call Me By Your Name - 87/100 Curious about these ones.
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Jan 14, 2018 00:21
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Alright, I'll put together some words over the next few days.
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Jan 14, 2018 00:51
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Four Christmases 3/4 Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon have decent chemistry, good supporting cast. Relatable. Good family flick. The Admiral: Roaring Current 3/4 This korean movie is based on the folk hero Admiral Yi. Overdramatic. First hour is painfully slow. Last hour is basically nonstop action. Cool stuff. Naval battles with cannons and Samurai. Good payback after being forced to watch Teen Mom OG. Waterloo 4/4 Great war movie. Historically basically spotless. Actual faithful full scale re enactment of the battle by its soviet director and the actual red army detachment loaned to him. Wanted - 2/4 Better than I remember, but still very derivative. Khoon Khoon 2/4 A great retro hindi trash movie on netflix. Highly reccomend if you like that thing. If you don't like campy movies you won't like this. Father of the Bride 3/4 Steve Martin is a really funny guy. Movie has some heart. A feel good sit through. Gay stereotypes have thankfully progressed. Father of the Bride 2 1/4 Easily sidetracked and some of the camoes take away from the pacing while they mug for the camera. Plot is razor thin. Eye roller. That Awkward Moment 1/4 Its like two totally different movies smushed together. Key plot points are dropped or are etheral, paid lipservice but totally ignored. The characters are flat or unlikable as a result of trying to have 4 interlaced romance plots. I thought the improv was terrible with the credit reel being cringe bad. The Bad Bunch 4/4 Deep thinker. I interpret it as an exploration about why we choose to be with the people we are with despite their flaws. Opening is pretty rough. Some minor cannibalism. Distrubing implications everywhere so be ready for that. Neat to see a physically handicapped character treated seriously. Well, no leg mounted cannon at least. Feels almost light a brighter version of The Road. Jim Carrey was good in his minor role as was Keanu Reeves. The Disaster Artist - 3/4 Funny. Different from the book enough to warrant reading it even if you see this. James Franco is good. His brother isn't as strong an actor. Might be worth watching the Room first. 13 Going on 30 3/4 Surprisingly pleasant rom com i never got around to seeing as a teenage boy when it came out. Probably for the best. Mark Ruffalo and Jennifer Garner are great. Relatively funny. Geostorm 0/4 Haphazard plot, terrible acting, senselessly long. Does not actually dipict titular Geostorm, only presents the possiblity of one. Kinda like Jurassic Park if you got rid of all the dinosaurs but kept the rainstorm. Volcano 3/4 A good disaster flick. Lava is a great villian/antagonist. Some very laughable moments but i felt actual tension where it should be. Pacing is good. Acting is loving horrible but its kinda funny. Disaster movies kinda have to focus on comedy and spectacle over human emotional devestation. The Day After Tomorrow 2/4 Razor thin plot. Acting is surprisingly good considering they do venture into emotional territory moreso than say Volcano but literally everything else is inferior. Deep Blue Sea 3/4 Gets better everytime I see it. Great cast. Somewhat cliche. Good pacing and spectacle make this a good Jaws meets Jurassic Park flick. Back when shark movies had a budget and werent intentionlly bad. Godzilla 1/4 American version. They rip off the Jurassic Park raptors hard. Well the whole movie does really. The intentionally funny parts are cring worthy. The cgi has not held out well at all. Apocalypto 4/4 loving gorgeous to look at. Historically spotty but some neat real stuff did make it in. The acting is passable but none of the roles call for anything extraordinary really. Plots kinda thin to be honest but i like the genre blending. Hacksaw Ridge 3/4 Did not know Vince Vaughn was in this so watching after Four Christmases was pretty great. Did not like the lead's acting. Don't know if that was the character. Maybe I just hate his face. Gives me a Dirty Dozen kind of feel. I like Gibson as a director. A story worth knowing. I know the character is historically accurate but not so familar on battle details so idk there. I like Hugo Weavings role, barely recognized him. Some haunting scenes have stuck with me. Mother! 4/4 I interpreted is as a feminist film the first time I saw it, I've heard about the enviromental angle and i could see it. Good art house style horror film that you'd expect from Arronofsky. Financially a disappointment, artistically a return to form. SlipUp fucked around with this message at 17:05 on Jan 14, 2018 |
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Jan 14, 2018 02:12
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Mad max : fury road 4/5 I wasn't expecting a whole lot but i thought it was really enjoyable,great action scenes,solid characters. Villian was a bit duff and didn't seem to do much but whatever. Felt like the movie dragged (haha) a bit when they got to the swamp but it was still really good,i liked the rictus guy alot and was sad to see him go,he was a more interesting guy than the main villain. When i first came to SA i got trashed for saying mad max 1 wasn't so great and i stand by it,fury road was better for sure but of course there's going to be a huge difference between two movies and 30 + years.
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Jan 14, 2018 03:04
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Brazilianpeanutwar posted:
More likely that I'd trash you for not seeing Fury Road in theaters.
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Jan 14, 2018 09:02
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:More likely that I'd trash you for not seeing Fury Road in theaters. Cinemas are loving rubbish now,especially where i live but i do see your point,the spectacle would have been great.
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Jan 14, 2018 15:15
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You're still wrong about Mad Max 1.
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Jan 14, 2018 15:50
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HUNDU THE BEAST GOD posted:You're still wrong about Mad Max 1. Ehhh it just doesn't do anything for me,fury road felt like my kind of "post apocalyptic".
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Jan 14, 2018 16:02
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| # ? May 14, 2024 12:25 |
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Ohayō gozaimasu Godzilla (Honda Ishirō, 1954) rewatch A Duel of Blood and Sand (Matsuda Sadatsugu, 1963) B A Bloody Spear on Mount Fuji (Uchida Tomu, 1955) A- Godzilla Raids Again (Oda Motoyoshi, 1955) C Floating Clouds (Naruse Mikio, 1955) B+ Night and Fog in Japan (Ōshima Nagisa, 1960) B+ I, the Executioner (Katō Tai, 1968) B+
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Jan 14, 2018 17:17
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