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Mad Max 1 can be hard to take, since so much of it is building towards a horrifying thing happening- it's similar to a lot of revenge movies of the decade but not as sleazy as most.
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Jan 15, 2018 03:18
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The Shape of Water 7/10. Everything was great, except the central premise. I know it isn't that much different from Beauty and the Beast but I always viewed that as more of a romantic love. I wasn't ready for the hot dirty swamp thing sex.
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Jan 15, 2018 10:07
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God Told Me To (1976) - I got distracted and missed a chunk in the middle so I'm not really comfortable giving it an actual rating but the ending was insane. 1990: The Bronx Warriors (1982) 4/5 - Good trashy fun. https://youtube.com/watch?v=15JdRShvApE Kedi (2016) 4/5 - I liked the cats, they were very cute. The Blade (1995) 4/5 - Tsui Hark wuxia that reminded me a lot of a revisionist western in the way he strips out most of the heroism and duty and focuses on the horror of what's happening. A great training sequence and solid action throughout. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) 3/5 - It's a star wars. D.O.A. (1980) 3/5 - Fine, but not much of a point to it beyond having some cool old footage. And every other band in the movie is better and more interesting than the Sex Pistols.
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Jan 15, 2018 18:47
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I feel like band documentaries are always an hour too long somehow.
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Jan 15, 2018 19:02
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SlipUp posted:I feel like band documentaries are always an hour too long somehow. Seriously. I think they go a bit meandering at some points to keep a viewer on the hook waiting for it to the finale of the ultimate triumph or tragedy. Watched Sample This about the Incredible Bongo Band a while back. For about the last half hour it seemed like they were wrapping up with ‘they kept making music blah blah blah’ but then they drop this loving bomb about the drummer with only a few minutes left to go. I’d give it four out of five stars. Day Of the Dead:Bloodlines We knew it would be bad; the kind of crappy low budget zombie movie you can rip on relentlessly. But oh my god, we were not prepared for how achingly bad it was. I give it a ffffffffffffffuck no out of five.
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Jan 15, 2018 19:28
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SlipUp posted:I feel like band documentaries are always an hour too long somehow. I haven't seen too many but there are some really good ones. Gimme Shelter and the Decline of Western Civilization films are great. Instrument (Fugazi), A Band Called Death I liked well enough, it's been years but I remember enjoying the Flaming Lips doc Fearless Freaks. If concert films count as documentaries then Stop Making Sense and Sign o the Times are both amazing.
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Jan 15, 2018 19:49
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The Love Witch A modern movie ripping off (really well) a 70s pulp vibe, down to the cardboard acting. Each set is a lovingly crafted array of small details, foreshadowing and color coordination. The plot is ostensibly about a witch who casts spells to make men love her, but it's more of an exploration of the way personality disorders and trauma manifest themselves in relationships. The story is clever and fun, the aesthetics are beautiful, the subject matter is thought provoking and the witchcraft is 100% accurate to modern practice (right down to the creepy dudes teaching "sex magic"). Don't sign up if you're not a fan of period-accurate acting; the faithfulness to the stiff delivery could be offputting if you're looking for a virtuoso performance. 5/5
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Jan 16, 2018 06:11
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So far, I'm making good at seeing at least one film a day this year. Due to work, I've had to just fit in a short or two sometimes, but I've been making up for it on other days. Films from Science is Fiction: 23 Films by Jean Painleve [DVD]: The Love Life of an Octopus (1967) Acera, or the Witches' Dance (1972) Le Vampire (1945) Freshwater Assassins (1947) Sea Ballerinas (1956) Diatoms (1968) Pigeons in the Square (1982) Bluebeard (1936) The Octopus (1927) Sea Urchins (1928) Daphina (1928) The Stickleback's Egg (1925) Experimental Treatment of a Hemorrhage in a Dog (1930) I've really enjoyed Painleve's work. On the surface, they seem like just some educational films, except these are the ones that inspired what came after. Sometimes, he works in some amazing humor. La Vampire compares the vampire bat to Murnau's Nosferatu and there's even a comparison to Nazis. The photography is often quite beautiful, especially in the two octopus films. He's fascinated with these sights and wants to share his enthusiasm. Films from The Mack Sennett Collection, Vol. 1 [Blu-ray]: The Curtain Pole (1909, D.W. Griffith) The Manicure Lady (1911, Mack Sennett) A Dash Through the Clouds (1912, Mack Sennett) The Water Nymph (1912, Mack Sennett) A Grocery Clerk's Romance (1912, Mack Sennett) On His Wedding Day (1913, Mack Sennett) Bangville Police (1913, Henry Lehrman) A Fishy Affair (1913, Mack Sennett) The Speed Kings (1913, Wilfred Lucas) A Thief Catcher (1914, Ford Sterling) The Dentist (1932, Leslie Pierce) - 4/5 The Fatal Glass of Beer (1933, Clyde Bruckman) - 5/5 I've had this amazing set of Mack Sennett comedies for a while, but have only cherry picked a few so far. The first one was surprising between Sennett starring and it being directed by D.W. Griffith. Not a lot of people know he did comedies (including one with W.C. Fields in the 20s). Sennett directed and starred in several of these. Other familiar faces show up like Mabel Normand, Roscoe Arbuckle, and Dot Farley. Oh yeah, some short guy with a toothbrush mustache. According to the audio commentary for A Thief Catcher, the only surviving print in the world was found at a Michigan flea market and it's officially Chaplin's first screen appearance. The two W.C. Fields shorts are among my favorite short films of all time. The Dentist has a lot of great moments like the golf game and easily the most lewd tooth pulling I've seen in a pre-code film (it was cut out in later years). It also has Bud Jamison (who's in a ton of Three Stooges shorts) and the long-faced Louise Cavanna. The real classic of Fields' short films is The Fatal Glass of Beer. It's one of the funniest films ever made. It's a mockery of melodrama, even down to intentionally having bad editing, bad special effects, and other continuity faults. It's all how it was designed by Fields, based on one of his stage routines. And it ain't a fit night out, for man or beast! By Brakhage: An Anthology - Volume Two [Blu-ray - Disc Two]: Visions in Meditation #1 (1989, Stan Brakhage) Visions in Meditation #2: Mesa Verde (1989) Visions in Meditation #3: Plato's Cave (1990) Visions in Meditation #4: D.H. Lawrence (1990) Unconscious London Strata (1981) Boulder Blues and Pearls and... (1992) The Mammals of Victoria (1994) From: First Hymn to the Night – Novalis (1994) I Take These Truths (1995) The Cat of the Worm’s Green Realm (1997) Yggdrasill: Whose Roots Are Stars in the Human Mind (1997) "..." Reel Five (1998) Persian Series #1 (1999) Persian Series #2 (1999) Persian Series #3 (1999) Chinese Series (2003) For Stan (2009, Marilyn Brakhage) Now that I've seen a good amount of Stan Brakhage's work, I really have a better understanding of how light and the individual frame matter for filmmaking. His films are about moments and light. I always love the hand-painted films the most (the Persians are among my favorites now), but sometimes just light from unfocused subjects make for an alluring sight. I did find it interesting how his last works, that of the 90s, seem to be more accessible. Some have sound and almost take on a musical shape. I'd love to see more of his work now, though I'd imagine going through all 400 would be quite a task. Other Shorts: Free Radicals (1958, Len Lye) [YouTube] Trade Tattoo (1937, Len Lye) [YouTube] We Work Again (1937) [Blu-ray] Catalog (1961, John Whitney) [YouTube] Gus Visser and His Singing Duck (1923) [DVD] Why the hell are Len Lye's films so hard to find on DVD? There's a few on a UK GPO compilation, but no comprehensive edition.  We Work Again is neat mainly for featuring footage of Orson Welles' "Voodoo Macbeth" production, which looks awesome. Also, Gus Visser and His Singing Duck is the strangest "antique" film I've seen.Dekalog (1988-89, Krzysztof Kieślowski) [Blu-ray - Episodes Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, and Ten] Combined score: 5/5 Kieslowski's epic is one of the greatest film experiences I've had. It's obvious why it's essential to see the films in order because they're all interconnected. Obviously, you realize that it's all set in the same small area, many in the same building. Six starts off somewhat lighthearted, but turns dark quickly. It's probably more realistic and the opposite of a typical Hollywood treatment. Seven is harrowing, even with a few red herrings to surprise the viewer (Kieslowski almost pokes fun at himself at one point, hoping people didn't forget One). Eight is one of my favorites of the entire series, though. It's an understanding of grief and regret, even with the best intentions. The classroom scene is absolutely brilliant. Nine is also a great one. It reminded me of Three Colors: White, except it's a more sobering and serious take on impotence rather than an ironic comedy. Or perhaps it's actually darkly funny? There's some incredible shots in this one, like an elevator ride having light appear only fleetingly over the actors' faces. Kieslowski rewards viewers with then tenth episode, which is a true comedy and often hilarious. It revels in becoming more ridiculous as it goes on. I also liked how it poked fun at the series, with it opening with the rock musician brother doing a punk rock song literally reflecting the nature of Dekalog. It's not just about humor, as it ends on a wonderful note. The Wind Journeys (2009, Ciro Guerra) [DVD - Thanks, therattle!] - 4/5 The road movie, Colombian style. An accordion player treks out to return the devil horn decorated instrument to its owner. Not much to the plot, perhaps, but it's rich in character and atmosphere. There's also some great songs, including an accordion duel. Really nice photography and likable lead actors. This is the first South American film I've seen, I think. La Dolce Vita (1960, Federico Fellini) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 While I think La Strada, 8 1/2, and Nights of Cabiria are all better films, this is still peak Fellini. Epic in scope, but surprisingly compact. The long running time at least serves to show the fatigue of so much happening in Marcello's life within a few days. Some of it gets a bit grim and I'm surprised to see Fellini go that far. The camera work is incredible - nothing looks as gorgeous on screen as B&W scope. Anita Ekberg is a temptress with the black dress and cavorting around the fountain. I did like the occasional turns for comedy, which took the edge off. There's one shot that's incredible in how it shifts perspective (and the Criterion Blu-ray has a featurette just on this aspect of the film). The Matinee Idol (1928, Frank Capra) [DVD] - 3/5 Charming formerly lost silent comedy. The fact that the main character is in blackface is kind of awkward, as is a rude homophobic bit. Capra made better films, but Bessie Love is a dream.  The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953, Roy Rowland) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 Absolutely insane Technicolor fever dream written and designed by Dr. Seuss. Though, Hans Conried as Dr. T is a treasure. There's one scene where he tries to put the "whammy" on the plumber and it's like something out of a Bob Clampett cartoon. This was a failure upon release, but its imagination and penchant for the bizarre makes it more obvious how wrong-minded later live action Dr. Seuss films were. Yeelen (1987, Souleymane Cissé) [DVD - Thanks, therattle!] - 4/5 I've only seen two other African films (Touki-Bouki and The Gods Must Be Crazy), but this is a wonderful slice of magical realism. One thing I love about seeing films from "alien" countries to the norms of the United States is seeing what other cultures do. The language of cinema is the same. I found myself fascinated by this. The cinematography is excellent, even if simplistic. Even the one moment of special effects is handled like a Melies film rather than anything showy. The Lure (2015, Agnieszka Smoczynska) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 When I read about this being a Polish mermaid horror-musical set in the eighties, my curiosity was piqued. This lives up to the unusual combination. Some stunning musical sequences, but also plenty of blood. The two leads playing Silver and Golden, the mermaids, are entrancing. It's easy to see why they were cast, as their gaze is almost hypnotic. This dabbles in surrealism often, making me unsure what was really happening. Not for the weak-stomached, but well worth a watch. The Lost World (1925, Harry O. Hoyt/Willis O'Brien) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 One of the major silent features I hadn't seen yet. It's actually shocking by how much this resembles King Kong, except with dinosaurs instead of an ape. The special effects are impressive, even for the 20s. I loved the frequent comedy relief, which gave this a lighter tone. Wallace Beery is great as Professor Challenger, plus Bessie Love also co-stars (and as dreamy as she looks in The Matinee Idol). This is an essential film for fans of fantasy and adventure - I particularly liked finding out that Up had borrowed a setting. Do note that there's a blackface character, but graciously not too grating compared to other films. Make sure you see the new restoration on Blu-ray, as it looks fantastic and has a wonderful orchestral score. GOG (1954, Herbert L. Strock) [Blu-ray 3D] - 4/5 This is such a quintessential 50s sci-fi that's only missing aliens. There's a complex computer mainframe that wreaks havoc with testing chambers and robots. I was kind of surprised by the high body count. While not graphic, there's some disturbing deaths - two get frozen solid and shatter (off-screen). Others get cooked to death by ultrasonic waves and centrifugal force. The 3-D is really good here and helped by some rather stunning color. If you check out the Blu-ray (put out by Kino Lorber and with a restoration by 3-D Film Archive), you'd never know it was rather bad shape. The Mad Magician (1954, John Brahm) [Blu-ray 3D] - 4.5/5 Vincent Price as a murdering magician should be enough to get someone interested in a movie. And it's just over an hour long, without any wasted time. One thing I've noticed about 50s 3-D films is how graphic they are for the time - this isn't shy about severe heads and cremated bodies. Price gets some rather impressive makeup, playing multiple characters. This almost plays like a Columbo or Murder She Wrote episode in the way that we already know whodunit, but get to watch how characters find out. This also has some really nice 3-D, with a few 3-D gimmick shots but mostly taking advantage of the depth. There's also a lot of good illusions that even with movie magic, they look quite convincing. edit: Forgot the Brakhage films and La Dolce Vita. Egbert Souse fucked around with this message at 05:19 on Jan 22, 2018 |
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Jan 22, 2018 04:53
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The Post - 4/5 - Spielberg, Streep, and Hanks should make for a more grand experience than this ends up being. It's a very tight story with some charm, but comes off with less heart and lingering emotion than Spotlight had a few years back. Some gorgeous cinematography and lighting, great acting of course, and a good mix of period piece stuff (especially the printing press visuals) with modern times relevance still makes for a great movie in the end.
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Jan 22, 2018 05:20
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Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) rewatch 5/5 Starman (1984) 4/5 A Ghost Story (2017) 4/5 A Better Tomorrow 2018 (2018) 1/5 Mom and Dad (2018) 3/5
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Jan 22, 2018 17:53
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Sorry, lost track of time.Zogo posted:Curious about these ones. Call Me By Your Name - 87/100 One of the strongest of the year. Wonderful performances all around, especially by Chalamet, though Hammer and Garrel are no slouch either, and the film plays out like a languid, sunny day. Hammer's performance conveys the unphased, almost effortless masculinity of someone who has learned to hide in plain sight. I think one of the things that the film does so right is analyze how the roles of masculinity and femininity start as shared assumptions for the purpose of building trust relationships in family and community, which gradually become entire libraries of performative tasks in adulthood that are divorced from much association with the individual. Hammer's blatant, almost rude confidence is associated with his American heritage (which is quaint because Americans are generally pretty uncomfortable with sexuality unless it's commodified), but in actuality it's a sort of armor he wears in order to conceal sensitivity and vulnerability. I'd say it would've benefited from 10 minutes being paired off the latter third, but the closing credits scene is a stunner so that's mostly forgiven. Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri - 70/100 This one didn't land for me, though I'm not fond of the director's work previously either so I'm not surprised. McDormand gives a fantastic performance within the confines of a film that is, frankly...kind of lame. 2016 was such a landmark year for films by black directors or films that explored black life in America, that I kind of expected more in 2017 from a film that seems to want to confront white racism with frankness. Unfortunately, we get tokens, or partially constructed characters, or brute force narrative turns where racism and misogyny are handwaived away with rural life being used as a scapegoat. This film bops around so loving much that you can't ever get a grasp on any single theme or tone. There are some other good performances buried here underneath all the posturing and moral equivalency. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - 89/100 Ashamed that it took me so long to get around to this. To put it simply, this is a stunning film with incredible performances that just barely overstays its welcome. The Malick influences cannot be denied, but there's more going on here than just imitation for sure. It actually shares the darkness and emotional complexity of other 2007 powerhouses (a very dark year, when I think back) like There Will Be Blood and No Country for Old Men, and a sense of the unstoppable imperatives of history playing out. Yes, the viewer knows what will happen, but the weight of the experience depends so much more on understanding why it happens...and a lot of the emotional complexity and tension derives from the viewer only ever coming to ambiguous conclusions. Like No Country and TWBB it's a very masculine film, macabre, and nomadic and mainly divorced from the society of women, though not without its own form of respect for what the experience of that society entails. In the end though it's mostly concerned with the sincerity of personal codes and how those codes both dovetail and collide with established LAW over the course of industrialization. The Kid Stays in the Picture - 79/100 I had fun watching this, and it really is a fascinating story, but I couldn't shake the notion that what was being shown on-screen didn't add to the experience much at all, because most of the weight of story depends on our acceptance of the (unreliable?) narration of Zanuck and the intrigues therein. I think this one probably would work better in its original form or as an audiobook, but as an early entry in Brett Morgan's directorial career (Morgan also made 2017's best documentary and one of my favorite's ever "Jane") it mostly works.
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Jan 22, 2018 23:35
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Airplane II: The Sequel (1982): C The original Airplane! is a classic. It's been quoted so much that it's gotten cliche. Its sequel is only half as good - if that. Although there are some funny bits, the movie feels like it's trying too hard. When it's not rehashing old jokes from the original (often unfunnily), it's milking jokes so much that they really aren't that funny anymore. Most everything else - including Shatner being Shatner - feels forced. They were probably going for the type of sequel where it's clear that the writers have run out of ideas, and they succeeded beyond their wildest dreams to show that. Edit: Amended my rating downward and cleaned up a few grammatical errors
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Jan 23, 2018 20:41
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Electric Dreams: Safe and Sound 2/5 Safe and Sound is an episode from an anthology of Philp K Dick shorts. Its like 45 minutes long, but Im putting words on a cell phone machine about it. Its gotta go somewhere, why not here? The short explores an authoritarian highschool through the eyes of a midwestern diplomat's daughter. The themes follow scare state surveillance societies, teenage highschool drama, and mental illness. The peice does not tackle race, it really tries hard to sweep it under the rug and file the serial numbers off of concepts tied to race. The beginning is shocking and tone setting. We see the activist diplomat from the Free States of Californian Transplants crossing a boarder checkpoint with her daughter, the main character whos name Ive already forgot. The diplomat serves a dual purpose in exposing up the outside world and acting as a parent who just doesn't understand. She acts as a stand in for the hippy liberal viewpoint in a world where every holoscreen shows FOX News. We see a red haired, bright eyed, innocent, white girl having to go through the poors only security line. It frames a cell phone like device, the Dex, as the passport into personhood, higher learning, and dumb cartoons where cats hump chickens. The very next day she gets one. This leads to a series of conversations with a tech support dude who sounds like Otacon from MGS culminating into the weakest excuse for terrorist attack of a climax. Her dads history of mental disorders invite the viewer to question the what codex calls are technology or are schitzophrenic stress talks. It simulates the frantic nature of a voice in your head really well... Up until the last 15 minutes where it clarifies what is and is not real in a series of flashbacks. It is disappointing to have a work of sci fi so untrusting of the viewer. Quick Synopsis: homegirl sells out her ma cuz she wanted a new iphone
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Jan 24, 2018 00:27
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:Sorry, lost track of time. Could not agree more. Thought it was an absolute mess.
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Jan 24, 2018 07:04
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - 89/100 I wish there were more films that approached history like this one.
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Jan 24, 2018 23:52
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I finally saw The Last Jedi this afternoon with a woman I've been seeing. A few plot details were spoiled for me already (ramming enemy ships in hyperspace), but most of them weren't. Overall, I would probably give the movie a solid B. A few stray observations: * A lot of the story was deus ex machina (Finn and whatshername about to be executed by the stormtroopers until, at the last moment, BB-8 shot at them, Leia being able to use the Force to fly back into the ship just in time), etc. * At the same time, the movie sometimes played with our expectations a little in unexpected ways (Benecio del Toro ending up being an amoral turncoat, Admiral purple hair actually being cool), etc. * A lot of the story we had seen before. In some cases, that was OK because it was a parallel to the past (the way Rey's showdown with Snoke was handled, Luke begging "our last hope" not to be impulsive and run off to do battle against evil). In some cases, it seemed like setting up set pieces for the sake of set pieces (the battle on the planet with the old Rebel base), etc. * As someone who is much more of a Star Trek fan than a Star Wars one, I thought Luke was handled with much more respect and honor than James Kirk. I don't understand nerds who claim that the movie "ruined" Luke. * The scenes of the Resistance hanging on to the barest amount of hope to hold out against the New Order was extremely inspiring to me in the Trump era.
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Jan 25, 2018 00:08
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I think I still owe some reviews in this thread but let me dump these first Paddington 2 A The Commuter B- Battle of the Sexes B- The Hero C- And here's what I saw at Sundance and I should in theory be writing up in the thread I made for it anyways: Lizzie C+ Mandy A Sorry to Bother You B Pity A- Yardie C Dead Pigs A- Search A- Foxtrot B The Guilty A- Tyrel A- Damsel C- Monsters and Men C+ Revenge B Come Sunday B- Nancy B Lords of Chaos A- The Last Race B Never Goin Back C Time Share (Tiempo Compartido) B+ An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn B-
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Jan 28, 2018 17:15
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Saw CHiPS. Pretty funny. Much better than I expected. The talk about eating butt had me rolling. 7 out of 10.
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Jan 29, 2018 04:45
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I just saw Goodbye Christopher Robin, just go watch it if you like movies.
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Jan 29, 2018 15:48
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Ey Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2017) A Rodan (Ishirō Honda, 1956) rewatch B+ The Catch (Nagisa Ōshima, 1961) B The Christian Revolt (Nagisa Ōshima, 1962) B- Cruel Tales of Bushido (Tadashi Imai, 1963) A- The Mysterians (Ishirō Honda, 1957) B- Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925) A Miyamoto Musashi (Tomu Uchida, 1961) B Miyamoto Musashi II: Duel at Hannya Hill (Tomu Uchida, 1962) B Miyamoto Musashi III: Birth of the Nito-ryu Style (Tomu Uchida, 1963) B- Miyamoto Musashi IV: Duel at Ichijyo-ji Temple (Tomu Uchida, 1964) A- Miyamoto Musashi V: Duel at Ganryu Island (Tomu Uchida, 1965) B Come and See (Elem Klimov, 1985) A+ Pleasures of the Flesh (Nagisa Ōshima, 1965) B
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Jan 29, 2018 16:31
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Blade Runner 2049 (2017) 4/5 Adaptation (2002) 5/5 - shameful thread Face/Off (1997) rewatch 4/5 This is the fewest movies I've watched in a week since last July. Mostly because I've also started watching: Twin Peaks: The Return episodes 1-9 - So good and I've never been so glad to be watching on blu-ray rather than streaming something.
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Jan 29, 2018 18:42
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Ivan the Terrible, Part I (1944, Sergei M. Eisenstein) [Filmstruck] - 5/5 Ivan the Terrible, Part II (1958, Sergei M. Eisenstein) [Filmstruck] - 4/5 The Old and the New (1929, Sergei M. Eisenstein/Grigori Aleksandrov) [Filmstruck] - 4/5 Three Songs About Lenin (1934, Dziga Vertov) [Blu-ray] - 3/5 Salo: or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975, Pier Paolo Pasolini) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 Duel (1971, Steven Spielberg) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 The sheer quality of cinematography and montage in both installments of Ivan the Terrible make one wish Eisenstein had lived to make more sound films. It's actually shocking that in his lifetime, he only completed seven feature films in a ten year period. I've never seen a film lit as painterly. If the visuals weren't enough, there's the added bonus of Sergei Prokofiev scores. Yes, the films are over-the-top and not at all realistic, but it would be besides the point. I will say that the first Ivan must have left a huge impression on Orson Welles as it's really obvious his Macbeth and Othello were heavily influenced by Eisenstein's film. While Part II kind of drags, the last act is mostly in color and it's absolutely stunning. It's like an oil painting brought to life. I also watched Eisenstein's last silent film, The Old and the New (aka The General Line). While it's obviously full of propaganda, the actual craft is quite amazing. Two sequences of note. The first is a cream separator being used, which is way more elaborate and beautifully photographed than you'd expect for a simple machine. (It's also really obvious Kenneth Anger had seen this before making Eaux d'artiface, too). There's also this incredible scene of a cow being led out to mate with a bull that's about the most insane thing I've seen in a silent. While I get the sense that Eisenstein was more interested in cinema than socialism, Dziga Vertov was a true believer. Three Songs About Lenin is an hour-long love letter to him. It's actually kind of neat seeing Soviet propaganda pieces from that time and comparing it to current media - I wonder what E and V would think about Fox News cribbing their techniques. Two long-unseen films I've finally seen. Salo is one of the most disturbing films I've seen. It's an endurance test. At the same time, it has some dark humor that makes it even more disturbing. I can't say I want to see it again, but it deserves its reputation. Also, Spielberg's feature-length debut (if you don't count the first Columbo episode) is amazing. You'd never think it was some rookie that had been making TV episodes for a year or two. It's minimalistic, but rich on suspense and scares. There's also some incredible camera work. One shot goes from Mann's perspective to the front of the truck in one take. If you haven't seen it yet, do it. (Also, the version on Blu-ray looks and sounds incredible - they obviously put a ton of work into remastering the film) Finally finished Science is Fiction [DVD]: The Fourth Dimension (1934, Jean Painleve) - 5/5 The Struggle for Survivial (1937, Jean Painleve) - 3/5 Voyage to the Sky (1937, Jean Painleve) - 4/5 Similarities Between Length and Speed (1937, Jean Painleve) - 4.5/5 Even though these are meant to be educational films, they're quite fun. My favorites are The Fourth Dimension and Similarities... which have some incredible moments of surrealism. They also have a humorous tone, sort of reminding me of how shows like Bill Nye and Beakman's World would treat science with humor. It's also funny to see how wrong Voyage to the Sky is, but even the film makes it clear it's just theory at that time. and more Mack Sennett comedies [Blu-ray]: Recreation (1914, Charles Chaplin) The Great Toe Mystery (1914, Charles Avery) Shot in the Excitement (1914, Rube Miller) The Noise of Bombs (1914, Mack Sennett) Ambrose's First Falsehood (1914, F. Richard Jones) A lot of the early ones aren't exactly masterpieces, but there's fleeting gags and scenes. The highlight of this round is The Noise of Bombs, which has a ton of "before they were famous" comedy legends like Edgar Kennedy, Charley Chase, Charles Murray, and future director Eddie Cline. I did think the funniest was Ambrose's First Falsehood, which is helped by Mack Swain's look of stupor.
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Jan 29, 2018 22:43
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Netflix randomly sent me Salo without me asking for it when I had the DVD plan and while it was a meant to be a cruel prank, I really appreciated it. But also will never watch it again. -- I, Tonya is kind of strange because it feels like a Will Ferrell movie or something at first but it's worth watching because it ends up having a lot of depth. Paddington 2 is worth seeing because it's just magical. I went into this cynical as gently caress and I couldn't get make it through the 10 minute mark laughing out loud. -- I think that's it for 2017 movies (I guess Paddington 2 is technically a 2018 release).
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Jan 29, 2018 22:55
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Yeah Duel's still a little obscure but it's like the definitive good first feature: a tight simple story executed with limited resources but a poo poo ton of skill. Spielberg pretty much came in knowing how to do this.
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Jan 30, 2018 01:25
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I just watched John wick 10/10 loving great film,lost a bit of steam during that last fight but the ending was loving worth it :]
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Jan 30, 2018 02:50
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Brazilianpeanutwar posted:I just watched John wick 10/10 loving great film,lost a bit of steam during that last fight but the ending was loving worth it :] If it hadn't lost steam would it be 11/10?
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Jan 30, 2018 02:54
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:If it hadn't lost steam would it be 11/10? The fight didn't ruin my enjoyment i just thought it wasn't as good as the other ones,can't wait to watch the sequel.
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Jan 30, 2018 11:26
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quote:Paddington 2 is worth seeing because it's just magical. I went into this cynical as gently caress and I couldn't get make it through the 10 minute mark laughing out loud.  I’m 31, have no fond childhood memories of Paddington bear, but we gave Paddington a shot when it was on Netflix and couldn’t make up our minds what to watch.I was so goddamn charmed by it. So of we decided to see #2. I give both a 5/5. Bring me more charming bear movies. LadyPictureShow fucked around with this message at 23:39 on Jan 30, 2018 |
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Jan 30, 2018 15:39
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Ender's Game (2013) - I caught this in theaters originally, and thought it was decently mediocre then. The rewatch 5 years later really surprised me. The camera work on this film is absolutely gorgeous, it's really solidly directed, the casting makes sense and at this point my only problems with it are the inevitable child actors and the wobbly script. On re-watch, this is probably really the best they could have done with the source material in a 120 minute runtime. Rating: better than expected
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Jan 31, 2018 19:34
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Had one hell of an upswing thanks to The Shape of Water and a bunch of award headliners opening near me. Then depression reared its godawful head and I shut down for a bit. Still, this was a good month, and I'm girded back to my semi-regular self so here's to hoping for a more productive February. Scale is Like/Indifferent/Dislike Like: Straight Outta Compton (rewatch for podcast, discussion at 34:17) Work It (podcast, discussion at 19:36) Melville (podcast, discussion at 9:55) Girls Trip The Shape of Water Dunkirk Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (rewatch for podcast, discussion at 21:06) The Cat Piano (rewatch for podcast, discussion at 4:47) Call Me By Your Name Lady Bird Indifferent: Atomic Blonde Junko's Shamisen (podcast, discussion at 13:19) Dislike: The Post I, Tonya Detroit
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Feb 1, 2018 02:38
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Hell yeah.
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Feb 1, 2018 02:41
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Only the Brave The Peter Berg movie that wasn't actually directed by Peter Berg. Fantastic movie, does everything you expected it to do, but it does it really, REALLY well. 4.5/5
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Feb 2, 2018 00:45
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In the past 10 days I saw Three Billboards and Phantom Thread. Three Billboards was very entertaining. All of the actors were great, even the people with small parts like the teenage heartthrob of McDormand's ex and her teenage son were perfect. Peter Dinklage almost seems out of place in the movie until his restaurant scene with McDormand and you realize how perfect he has played his part. Sam Rockwell's character just completely threw me for a loop, half the movie I spent hating him, then you kind of feel sorry for him, then you don't love him so much as just consider him to be human which is honestly a huge feat after he delivers the line, "It's 'Persons of color'-torturing business". McDormand and Harrelson are of course great. A movie well worth watching. Phantom Thread was, without any doubt in my mind, the most boring movie I have ever paid to see. There was nothing about his movie that interested or excited me. For what it's worth, my date was really excited to see it and her first comment when the movie was done was, "how did that get nominated for anything". radical meme fucked around with this message at 23:05 on Feb 2, 2018 |
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Feb 2, 2018 23:01
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Takes all kinds, I guess.
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Feb 2, 2018 23:04
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Was on a bit of a documentary kick this week. Palace of Silents (2010, Iain Kennedy) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 Affectionate look at the Silent Film Theatre in Los Angeles (better known as The Cinefamily today). It covers the beginnings, as well as the life of founder John Hampton. It then goes into the second ownership with Lawrence Austin and the scandal that ensued, the next owners, and the up-until-recently current owners. A lot of it almost sounds too outlandish to be true, but there's testimonies by people who worked there and knew the players involved. Someone should make this into a dramatic movie. When You Wore a Tulip and I Wore a Big Red Rose (1983, Stephen Schaller) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 A documentary/essay on the making of the earliest surviving film made in Wisconsin. It's so close to coming off like one of Christopher Guest's mockumentaries, except it's 100% real here. I loved the interludes with a former theatre pianist playing tunes she used to play for the movies, as well as the son of the stars of the film opening up a can with the only surviving print of The Lumberjack, that this film covers the making of. Anger Me (2006, Elio Gelmini) [DVD] - 4/5 Mostly an interview with filmmaker Kenneth Anger as he talks about his early life, his films, and other experiences. Anger himself is absolutely riveting to listen to. Lots of great stories, such as meeting D.W. Griffith as a teenager or hanging out at the Cinemateque Francais. Only issue I have with this is that all the music, except for excerpts from Lucifer Rising, have a cheesy synth music track added. While I get why the pop tunes of Rabbit's Moon and Scorpio Rising had to be substituted, there's no reason to replace the Resphigi, Vivaldi, or Janacek pieces. More curious is the fairly awful condition of the clips from his films, despite the existence of the gorgeous HD restorations used for home video. Seven Wonders of the World (1956, Various) [Blu-ray] - 3.5/5 Another of the 50s Cinerama travelogues. This had to be amazing on a huge Cinerama screen, but you get a little taste of the grandeur on Blu-ray. Creative Process: Norman McLaren (1990, Donald McWilliams) [NFB app] - 4/5 Terrific documentary on the life and work of Norman McLaren. I will admit that I kind of spoiled this for myself since nearly everything is seen in the old DVD set that was released with his life's work, such as test footage and interviews. Still, this is perfect for anyone just getting into his films or wanting a starting point. (It's worth saying NFB Canada's Apple TV app is fantastic. Lots and lots of films in HD that aren't available anywhere) Buster Keaton Rides Again (1965, John Spotton) [NFB app] - 5/5 Made during the filming of one of Keaton's last films, The Railrodder, a film for the National Film Board of Canada. They sent along a crew to document the making of the short. As expected, it's pure gold. One of the best sequences is Keaton trying to convince the director (Gerald Potterton) to film a scene a certain way. He decides to do it differently, as to not put Keaton in danger. His persistance leads to them reshooting the scene his way and it's ten times funnier. I will say it's slightly macabre near the end, as you see Keaton go into a coughing fit - he died of lung cancer the following year. Yet he's running around and still putting 110% into his performance. (Also, The Railrodder is absolutely worth seeing) Lucky (2017, John Carroll Lynch) [DVD -  Netflix] - 4/5If you're seeing this movie, it's because of Harry Dean Stanton. Which is fine. There's not much else going on, but that's why you're seeing it, right? Kong: Skull Island (2017, Jordan Vogt-Roberts) [Blu-ray] - 3.5/5 At first glance, I was expecting this to be another dumb pro-war propaganda piece while trying to ape (heh heh) Apocalypse Now. Well, it wears the influence on its sleeve all the way, even down to preserving the "war is bullshit" tone. Terrific cast, even if half of them don't exactly make it alive. I've kind of soured on violent films lately, so it might just be me when I say it's a little too bloody. But then again, war is hell. More shorts: The Lumberjack (1914, O.W. Lamb) Fictitious Anacin Commercial (1967, David Lynch) Absurd Encounter with Fear (1967, David Lynch) Nothing really to say about The Lumberjack other than it's a decent film for its time. The two Lynch shorts are amazing because I assumed he didn't even pick up a camera until he made Six Figures Getting Sick and The Alphabet. They're homemade vignettes, but his trademarks are already showing. I'm guessing "Fear" was something Lynch found packed away in a closet, but it's one of the few times were film decomposition actually makes a film more effective.
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Feb 5, 2018 02:39
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The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938, Rewatch): A+ One of my favorite movies. How The West Was Won (1962): A Edit: I don't see the point in monopolizing the thread by making a new post for another movie I've just seen. Cocoon (1985): B+ Interesting themes about aging and facing one's mortality. I also couldn't help but notice that Horner self-plagiarized music he lifted directly from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, another one of my favorite movies. F_Shit_Fitzgerald fucked around with this message at 22:49 on Feb 8, 2018 |
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Feb 7, 2018 20:03
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Watched Arrival yesterday. Great start, but man...everything that had to do with the military dragged this movie down so much for me. Unreasonable reactions and responses left and right. Aliens land on the planet, what do we do if we get stuck in our communication efforts? Point all our guns at them, of course. Louise: "I can see the future." - Ghost Dog: "Yeah we gave it our best, but our best was not enough. Off you go now!". Kinda surprised at all the praise this got. 3/5 if I had to give a rating. Also RIP Jóhann Jóhannsson, who is responsible for the best thing about this movie.
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Feb 11, 2018 03:34
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FeastForCows posted:Watched Arrival yesterday. Great start, but man...everything that had to do with the military dragged this movie down so much for me. Unreasonable reactions and responses left and right. Aliens land on the planet, what do we do if we get stuck in our communication efforts? Point all our guns at them, of course. Louise: "I can see the future." - Ghost Dog: "Yeah we gave it our best, but our best was not enough. Off you go now!". I thought it was a respectful adaptation, and Adams was awesome. But yeah, the military parts suck and the movie has nothing on the book.
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Feb 11, 2018 11:02
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L’Âge d’Or (1930, Luis Buñuel) [Filmstruck] - 3/5 Cinerama Adventure (2002, David Strohmaier) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 Logan (2017, James Mangold) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 Baby Driver (2017, Edgar Wright) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 A Boy and His Dog (1973, L.Q. Jones) [Filmstruck] - 3/5 Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962, Agnes Varda) [Filmstruck] - 5/5 Dont Look Back (1967, D.A. Pennebaker) [Filmstruck] - 4.5/5 Jimi Plays Monterey (1986, D.A. Pennebaker/Chris Hegedus) [Filmstruck] - 4/5 Shake! Otis at Monterey (1986, D.A. Pennebaker/Chris Hegedus) [Filmstruck] - 5/5 National Film Board of Canada shorts (NFB app and NFB YouTube channel): Favorites marked with * The Impossible Map (1947, Evelyn Lambart) Song of the Paddle (1978, Bill Mason)* Impressions of Expo 67 (1967, William Brind) Free Fall (1964, Arthur Lipsett)* Monsieur Pointu (1976, André Leduc/Bernard Longpre) Mr. Frog Went A-Courting (1974, Evelyn Lambart)* Fine Feathers (1968, Evelyn Lambart) The Lion and the Mouse (1974, Evelyn Lambart) The Hoarder (1969, Evelyn Lambart)* Paradise Lost (1970, Evelyn Lambart) The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse (1980, Evelyn Lambart) Toys (1966, Grant Munro)* Ashes of Doom (1970, Grant Munro) Dance Squared (1961, René Jodoin) Notes on a Triangle (1966, René Jodoin)* Rectangle & Rectangles (1984, René Jodoin) Norman McLaren: Complete Films (1933-1949) [DVD unless noted] 7 Till 5 (1933) Polychrome Fantasy (1935) Camera Makes Whoopee (1935) Hell Unlimited (1936, co dir with Helen Biggar)* Book Bargain (1937)* News for the Navy (1937) The Obedient Flame (1939) Love on the Wing (1939) Scherzo (1939) Spook Sport (1939 - dir. Mary Ellen Bute, animation by McLaren) [Blu-ray]* Stars and Stripes (1939)* NBC Valentine Greeting (1940) Dots (1940) Loops (1940) Boogie-Doodle (1940) [NFB app]* V for Victory (1941) Mail Early (1941) Hen Hop (1942)* 5 for 4 (1942) Dollar Dance (1943) Alouette (1944, co. dir René Jodoin) [NFB app] Keep Your Mouth Shut (1944)* C'est L'aviron (1944) A Little Phantasy on a Nineteenth Century Painting (1946) Hoppity Pop (1946) La-haut sur ces montagnes (1946) Fiddle-de-dee (1947)* La poulette grise (1947, co. dir Evelyn Lambart)* Begone Dull Care (1949, co. dir Evelyn Lambart) [NFB app]*
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Feb 12, 2018 02:58
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It's pretty weird and its gore is gratuitous but Body Melt is worth seeing because it's really quirky and it feels like Mad Max's long lost, mutated and inbred cousins.. I liked Black Panther a lot, some of my good friends hated it, but I guess to me it's important to see things like this that are going to inspire debate because the worst thing is when people have strong opinions on things they haven't seen. The Wizards is certainly something else. Tryhard thoughts on the world that some will try to argue is relevant and racism that I guess is satire. I guess. I thought it was kind of awful, but it has really stuck with me and I guess it's worth seeing for the music, which is great, and some of the artistic decisions are interesting.
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Feb 21, 2018 19:36
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