|
Isle of Dogs - 93/100 Charming, funny, easy on the eyes, provocative, dense and schizophrenic.
|
#
?
Mar 27, 2018 08:29
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 23:17 |
|
|
Love, Simon (2018) - This is being called a gay coming-out John Hughes movie and... that's not inaccurate. Simon is a closeted gay teen who becomes fascinated by an anonymous poster on the school's blog who reveals he's gay. Simon and "Blue" begin a correspondence via email that helps both process their sexuality, their relationship to their friend groups, and so on. Unfortunately, a dipshit at the school spies Simon's emails and threatens to reveal his secret. The film is sweet, sentimental, and I'm pleased to say, pretty funny. I laughed out loud several times. The characters are standard teen coming-of-age types, but they play their parts well and have nice chemistry. I laughed, I cried, I left satisfied. It should be noted: this film is VERY white (despite several characters of color) and VERY upper middle class and very best case scenario. This is the story of a privileged white boy coming out and how it rattles some of that privilege. This is definitely NOT the experience of every queer teen and it plays out more like wish fulfillment than telling a ~powerful untold story~ or whatever (at least to me). There is a transwoman of color in the film who actually is the first to come out at the school years prior, but much like many trans WOCs, her pioneering feels a little... glossed over by the film. If racial/queer intersectionality is extremely important to you, this film may frustrate you. The film has also been criticized for being banal. And it is. It's banal in the way John Hughes movies and Can't Hardly Wait and She's All That and 13 Going on 30 and Never Been Kissed and all those other heteronormative me-too teen movies are banal, and that's why I think it's important. Queer kids deserve poppy, sugary normalizing romances just like anyone else. To paraphrase Ricky Carmona from the Who Shot Ya podcast, sometimes it's nice to have a film about the cause that's not about the cause, you know? However, if you are expecting to see a trenchant, insightful character study that challenges everything you thought you knew about sexuality, you will be disappointed. This is a sweet little story about two gay boys trying to figure out how to kiss (and maybe... just maybe... they will!). 3/5 stars - it's nothing special and that's exactly why it matters That Dang Dad fucked around with this message at 13:44 on Mar 27, 2018 |
|
#
?
Mar 27, 2018 13:42
|
|
|
Ready Player One - 3.5/5 - Proof that Steven Spielberg can polish a turd.
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2018 04:41
|
|
|
Breakfast At Tiffany's (1961): B Not exactly the movie I was expecting, but it was all good...except for that shockingly offensive walking stereotype that Mickey Rooney played. Deathtrap (1982): A Full of twists that I honestly didn't see coming. I enjoyed the hell out of this movie, both because of the acting (Reeve and Caine) and the convoluted - in a good way - story. I don't want to say too much more because it might potentially spoil it, but this movie is an underrated classic. It also had a great soundtrack that sounded like baroque-era classical music. But because there's a video game with a similar name, I couldn't find it on Youtube, unfortunately. F_Shit_Fitzgerald fucked around with this message at 05:32 on Apr 1, 2018 |
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2018 05:29
|
|
|
I think if you really like robots hitting monsters, and aren't looking for anything else at all, you might enjoy Pacific Rim: Uprising. Ready Player One is worth seeing just to know about this thing for yourself, but there's a particular homage that might (or might not) be appealing to cinema classics that at least I found to be the most exciting thing in the film. Or maybe anthropological curiosity over how Spielberg managed to make the references a little more relevant to a wider audience. You can read my over-long review of it here if you really want to but it's not my best work by any means. The best movie of the week, and honestly these would've had to be some terrific-rear end movies to come close because Frankenhooker is terrific magic. It's a movie from the mid to early 90s about a guy who builds a Frankenstein monster out of Time Square street walkers. Yes, it delivers on the premise. Definitely see it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 1, 2018 19:28
|
|
|
Unsane (2018): B- Really good movie that just gets better and better as it goes on. I think the whole "lets shoot the whole movie on an iPhone" thing is kind of limiting, and you see that in this movie.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2018 00:01
|
|
|
A Quiet Place - 4.5/5. Really enjoyed this, fantastic directorial debut for John Krasinski. The story is small and contained and the film respects its concept which is what makes it work so well. The characters are smart and the performances are fantastic. A couple of hokey beats but overall I loved it. revised to 4/5 Bottom Liner fucked around with this message at 04:35 on Jun 8, 2021 |
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2018 04:10
|
|
|
Bottom Liner posted:A Quiet Place - 4.5/5. Really enjoyed this, fantastic directorial debut for John Krasinski. The story is small and contained and the film respects its concept which is what makes it work so well. The characters are smart and the performances are fantastic. A couple of hokey beats but overall I loved it. Absolutely not his directorial debut & I highly recommend the portion of the round table interview he's on where after Michael Haneke details why he finds films like Downfall/etc. irresponsible to make in their use of human suffering as drama the moderator throws it to him & he essentially makes an accidental Jim Halpert face
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2018 04:25
|
|
|
Ah cool, thought I heard in a radio review it was his first. I'll look that up though.
|
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2018 04:28
|
|
|
Mayhem 2017 4.5/5 I often complain about how nobody makes creative medium budget movies anymore and am happy to be proven wrong. Mayhem is really fun. Violent and fun. There’s a strong office space vibe and a dash of every-indie-movie-ever (like the obligatory love scene) with standard story beats but it’s quite well put together. I really enjoyed it, and will probably watch it again soon, which is saying a lot these days. Matthew Blackheart Monster Smasher 2001 6.5/5 Last week I bought about a thousand VHS tapes from some guy I met at Goodwill and this was among them. I’ve watched it three times since. This movie is fantastic. I think it was made for tv? Basically it’s the exact same plot as Captain America, only the hero is Ash from Evil Dead. A young Jay Baruchel co-stars as a Benjamin Button. The dialogue is amazing. At one point Blackheart fucks a woman who turns into a demon just like in Wicked City. In general the story is very much and-then-this-happened-and-then-that-happened so it’s a great b-movie to have on in the background or watch with friends. I had a hard time following the plot, but the dialogue is amazing. For example they go to a goth club and Blackheart looks at a dancer and says “that’s the kind of lady who’d make a priest kick in a stained glass window” - pretty much every line he delivers is equally great, completely deadpan quotable one liner territory. In my favorite scene Blackheart is gonna call a woman and Baruchel hands him a cellphone and is like “aww it’s cute you’re nervous about a girl” and Blackheart’s like “what? No, how do you use this thing? Where’s the dial? Which button do I push to talk” because he was also frozen or something in WWII like Captain America. Anyway I’m not sure many people ever watched this movie so I highly recommend you seek it out. It’s bad but also surprisingly earnest and expensive-looking, definitely a movie with a vision. And that vision is - What If Captain America Was Ash From Evil Dead? What then? bad day fucked around with this message at 04:44 on Apr 7, 2018 |
|
#
?
Apr 7, 2018 04:39
|
|
|
The Florida Project (2017, Sean Baker) [Blu-ray] - 5/5 - One of the best films from last year. Beautifully shot and acted, touching, but with much needed humor. Husbands (1970, John Cassavetes) [DVD] - 3/5 - Some parts are hard to watch, but the ten minute scene of Peter Falk and Cassavetes puking while Ben Gazzara stands around smugly is great cinema. Take the Money and Run (1969, Woody Allen) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 - Terrific, flawed debut by Allen. Lots of great sight gags. A Woman Under the Influence (1974, John Cassavetes) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 - Who says who is crazy? Festival (1967, Murray Lerner) [Filmstruck] - 5/5 - Not a bit of wasted time, just lean and entertaining. The Exile (1931, Oscar Micheaux) [Blu-ray] - 2/5 - After seeing some terrific silents from Micheaux, his talkies are a big disappointment. The Connection (1961, Shirley Clarke) [Filmstruck] - 5/5 - Absolutely brilliant between the faux documentary format and some drat amazing dialogue. Lost Highway (1997, David Lynch) [DVD] - 3.5/5 - Flawed, but any Lynch is worth time watching. The Thing (1982, John Carpenter) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 - Can't believe I waited this long - great sci-fi, gory, but tense from start to finish. The Great Moment (1944, Preston Sturges) [DVD] - 3.5/5 - Can't decide what sort of film it is, but some good bits (it was heavily re-edited by the studio) Thundercrack! (1975, Curt McDowell) [Blu-ray] -  - Film can be summed up by a shot of George Kuchar getting a graphic handjob by a gorilla in gooey close-up.The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976, John Cassavetes) [Blu-ray - Director's Cut) - 4.5/5 - Easily my favorite Cassavetes so far. Children of Divorce (1927, Frank Lloyd) [Blu-ray] - 3/5 - Worth seeing for Gary Cooper and Clara Bow together, though a bit melodramatic. The Saphead (1920, Herbert Blache/Winchell Smith) [Blu-ray] - 2.5/5 - Underwhelming compared to Keaton's own work through the 20s, but he's alright in the acting role. King of Kings (1961, Nicholas Ray) [TCM - rewatch] - 5/5 - My favorite Biblical movie. It's the Old Army Game (1926, A. Edward Sutherland) [Blu-ray] - 3.5/5 - W.C. Fields and Louise Brooks! Reworked into It's a Gift as a talkie, a superior film, but some good scenes. Zorns Lemma (1970, Hollis Frampton) [Blu-ray] - Three/Five - Hypnotic, even if tedious for being an hour long. Horse Feathers (1932, Norman Z. McLeod) [Blu-ray - with commentary] - 4.5/5 - One of the best Marx Bros. comedies. Lady Bird (2017, Greta Gerwig) [Blu-ray] - 5/5 - One of the best debut films I've seen. Saorise Ronan is incredible in this. Running Wild (1927, Gregora La Cava) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 - W.C. Fields turns his life around after being hypnotized into thinking he's a lion. Hilarious and briskly plotted. The Girl from Chicago (1932, Oscar Micheaux) [Blu-ray] - 2.5/5 - Almost reminds me of David Lynch, but crippled by amateurish production. The Covered Wagon (1923, James Cruze) [Blu-ray] - 3.5/5 - One of the big silent epics, also a good western. Highlight would be Charles Ogle as a grizzled cowboy. Master of the House (1925, Carl Th. Dreyer) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 - I never thought I'd laugh during a Dreyer film! Great plot and performances, but made me laugh quite a bit. Don Juan (1926, Alan Crosland) [DVD] - 3/5 - Pretty good silent known more for being the first feature with sync Vitaphone music. The Garden of Allah (1936, Richard Boleslawski) [Blu-ray] - 3.5/5 - Oddly plotted, but Marlene Dietrich in Technicolor is hard to resist. Moonlight (2016, Barry Jenkins) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 - This reminded me of "transcendental style" films like those of Bresson and Dreyer. Beautifully shot and edited, but with heart at its center.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2018 13:07
|
|
|
Egbert Souse posted:
This movie is amazing. There are multiple cuts of it, too, and they play out a bit differently.
|
|
#
?
Apr 9, 2018 19:56
|
|
|
Leonard Part 6 (1987, Rewatch): D Ridiculous and unfunny story. Joyless, wooden acting. The most obvious product placements since Mac and Me.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2018 16:57
|
|
|
The Siskel and Ebert review of Leonard Part 6 is by far the best part of it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCOf91smkXU
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2018 17:06
|
|
|
Isle of Dogs - A+ I can honestly call this my favorite Wes Anderson movie. Probably has something to do with that fact that I do, in fact, love dogs; but honestly, you don't have to be a dog lover to enjoy this movie. The animation was great, the writing was rock solid, the atmosphere was surprisingly intense, the humor was subtle and witty in ways we've come to enjoy from his movies, but most importantly it felt quite a bit more serious than most Wes Anderson films. There seemed to be a lot more emotion conveyed by the characters than is typical for these movies, and it was conveyed so organically and believably. I can't think of much that I didn't enjoy about this movie, and it's probably the best film of 2018 so far. 100% recommended to anyone who thinks they'll even remotely enjoy it.
|
|
#
?
Apr 12, 2018 17:16
|
|
|
Rampage is good fun 4.5/5 solid popcorn action flick
|
|
#
?
Apr 13, 2018 19:54
|
|
|
Apocalypto / Mel gibson 2006 I'm not usually someone who pays much attention to cinematography but i was blown away by the use of colour during the slave market scenes,it was so striking and unfortunately i can't bloody screencap any of it otherwise i'd post loads of images. The violence is upsetting but there's nothing overly gratuitous or crass,it's just humans doing horrible poo poo to each other to survive,i thought the scene involving the slave guy hanging off the cliff was amazing and i can't for the life of me figure out how they even did all of that because it didn't look massively greenscreened. While i was watching it i was just constantly thinking of fallout 2 and thinking the villain of this movie would look just like Kaga.
|
|
#
?
Apr 15, 2018 18:08
|
|
|
Kedi (2016, Ceyda Torun) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 Opening Night (1977, John Cassavetes) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 Way Down East (1920, D.W. Griffith) [Blu-ray] - 3.5/5 The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013, Isao Takahata) [Blu-ray - subtitled] - 4.5/5 L'inhumaine (1924, Marcel L’Herbier) [Blu-ray] - 3/5 Veiled Aristocrats (1932, Oscar Micheaux) [Blu-ray] - 2/5 Ten Minutes to Live (1932, Oscar Micheaux) [Blu-ray] - 2.5/5 L.A. Confidential (1997, Curtis Hanson) [Blu-ray] - 5/5 A Zed & Two Noughts (1985, Peter Greenaway) [Filmstruck] - 4.5/5 Birthright (1939, Oscar Micheaux) [Blu-ray] - 3/5 The Edge of the World (1937, Michael Powell) [Filmstruck] - 3.5/5 Sweet Charity (1969, Bob Fosse) [DVD] - 4/5 The Bronze Buckaroo (1939, Richard C. Kahn) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 mother! (2017, Darren Aronofsky) [Blu-ray] - 4/5 + Search for Paradise (1957, Otto Lang) [Blu-ray] - 3/5 The Man with the Golden Arm (1955, Otto Preminger) [DVD] - 4/5 More shorts (from ubuweb, YouTube, DVD, and Blu-ray): [Most interesting/favorite ones noted with asterisk] The Extraordinary Child (1954, Stan Brakhage)* The Way to Shadow Garden (1954, Stan Brakhage) Paradigm (1969, B.S. Johnson)* Ten Second Film (1965, Bruce Conner) Science Friction (1959, Stan Vanderbeek)* Wheeeels No. 1 (1958, Stan Vanderbeek) Corridor (1970, Standish Lawder)* Quasi at the Quackadero (1976, Sally Cruikshank)* Come Closer (1952, Hy Hirsch)* A Bird's a Bird (1915, Walter Wright) A Rhapsody in Black and Blue (1932, Aubrey Scotto)* Thanatopsis (1962, Ed Emshwiller)* Hold Me While I'm Naked (1966, George Kuchar)* Flaming Creatures (1963, Jack Smith)* (nostalgia) (1971, Hollis Frampton)* Classics from the Van Bueren Studio (compilation including Aesop's Fables, Tom & Jerry, The Sunshine Makers, and Neptune Nonsense)* Technicolor Dreams & Black and White Nightmares (compilation of public domain cartoons including the 1933 Wizard of Oz, The Snowman, Oswald Rabbit, etc)*
|
|
#
?
Apr 23, 2018 12:09
|
|
|
You Were Never Really Here - A Just give Joaquin Phoenix a god drat Oscar already. Also great direction by Lynne Ramsay.
|
|
#
?
Apr 24, 2018 02:37
|
|
|
My friend has a funny story about how they wouldn’t hire him as an extra in Doc Hollywood (my friend and a lot of their mutual buddies’ families were extras in the movie) because he didn’t live in the town he shot the movie, and Leaf (as he was called) threw a hissy fit about being in Space Camp and his brother being famous and all.
bad day fucked around with this message at 01:26 on Apr 25, 2018 |
|
#
?
Apr 25, 2018 01:23
|
|
|
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968, Rewatch): B I have nothing against McQueen, Dunaway or the rest of the cast of the original, but I honestly prefer the 1999 remake. I've always thought that Brosnan's version of Thomas Crown was more clever. It felt like he was really playing a cat and mouse game with Rene Russo. Another problem with both the 1968 original and the 1999 remake is that both Dunaway and Russo figure out the plots way too quickly. The police are completely flummoxed, but they both waltz in there and in the space of five minutes, are on to Crown. It's unrealistic; especially with a plot as intricate and clever as Crown's.
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2018 03:08
|
|
|
Avengers Infinity War - 5/5 if you’re a comic or MCU fan. The Russo’s pulled off a crazy feat bringing together so many threads and really made Thanos work mainly thanks to Josh brolan’s great work and a script that smartly focuses on him. It was a perfect screen version of a crossover comic event with some real heart. 3/5 for someone not invested in the characters or universe. Still an enjoyable and subversive super hero movie with tons of spectacle. There were a few scenes that needed another pass on the CGI work though.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2018 20:18
|
|
|
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle - 4 - A very very solid action-adventure flick. Bonus points for the ending being a little bit out of left field.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2018 03:58
|
|
|
If you're anti-Wes Anderson, I don't think Isle of Dogs is going to change your mind, but it's a really pleasant movie that made me feel nice. I'd like to see The Alien Factor remade with Zach Galifianakis in the lead, and it's just strange enough to be fun. Avengers: Infinity War does a really nice job with Thanos, at least. "Riveting" is an overused term in film review, but I was just completely engrossed by The VVitch. I guess the challenge is the dialogue but it's worth taking it on.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2018 05:17
|
|
|
Rick posted:If you're anti-Wes Anderson, I don't think Isle of Dogs is going to change your mind, but it's a really pleasant movie that made me feel nice. I like this style of quick reviews even though I'm not gonna follow it. Borg McEnroe (2017) dir. Janus Metz 7.5/10 Columbus (2017) dir. Kogonada 9/10 Good Time (2017) dir. Safdie Bros 8.5/10 All the Money in the World (2017) dir. Ridley Scott 7/10 Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (2017) dir. Martin McDonagh 9/10 Darkest Hour (2017) dir. Joe Wright 6.5/10 The Florida Project (2017) dir. Sean Baker 9/10 Call Me By Your Name (2017) dir. Luca Guadagnino 9/10 Getting the cinematographer from Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Uncle Boonmee was such a good choice. Paddington (2014) dir. Paul King 8.5/10 Will warm the coldest of hearts. Samurai Cop (1991) dir. Amir Shervan 4/10 Would be completely unwatchable solo, but a fun watch with friends as a stunningly bad movie. Not like Troll 2 or The Room level though, there's classic "so-bad-it's-good" movies I'd watch before this one. Clown (2014) dir. Jon Watts 8/10 Clown is way better than it has any right to be and the "Cloyne" scene with Peter Stormare is among the best scenes in the last decade of cinema. I was completely surprised by how good this turned out to be. I still haven't watched his Spiderman movie but I'm glad Jon Watts seems to be doing well for himself because from this movie, he seems like a fun and creative guy. I'll definitely check out Cop Car. Creep (2014) dir. Patrick Brice 8/10 I was really unsettled after this one and I'm not easily freaked out by horror films, worthwhile watch but deeply uncomfortable. Creep 2 (2017) dir. Patrick Brice 7.5/10 While it does some interesting things in it's own right, it can't match up with the shock of the first movie. Six Degrees of Separation (1993) dir. Fred Schepsi 7/10 Just OK comedy-of-manners but great Will Smith performance. The Cloverfield Paradox (2018) 6.5/10 I liked this more than a lot of other people but people's complaints are completely warranted. Though I certainly wasn't bored, it's easily the weakest of the three Cloverfield movies yet. The Wailing (2016) dir. Hong-jin Na 8.5/10 This movie's great but don't expect to walk away satisfied. Worthwhile for fans of Korean cinema or horror. Before I Wake (2016) dir. Mike Flanagan 5/10 Disappointing movie, really liked Hush and Gerald's Game by this director, has a few interesting moments but can't in good conscience recommend it. Black Panther (2018) dir. Ryan Coogler 8/10 Mute (2018) dir. Duncan Jones 6/10 A baffling movie, unlike most so-so or bad movies this doesn't feel like someone failing to accomplish what they set out to achieve. This movie feels like it hits every single mark that Duncan Jones wanted it to, just that every single one of those marks is a terrible idea. Annihilation (2018) dir. Alex Garland 8/10 The Belko Experiment (2016) dir. Greg McLean 6.5/10 The Untouchables (1987) dir. Brian De Palma 9/10 Style over substance, but oh what style it is. Phantom Thread (2017) dir. Paul Thomas Anderson 9/10 This is the best film about romance I've seen in recent memory. That might make me sound cynical, because this absolutely an abusive relationship. At the same time, Anderson hits points that I think will ring true for many more than they're willing to admit. A Bigger Splash (2015) dir. Luca Guadagnino 7.5/10 Quite good character study, I like this one more in retrospect than I did immediately after watching. A Quiet Place (2018) dir. John Krasinski 4/10 An unfortunate movie, where it takes an interesting premise and then makes the blandest possible movie out of it. Just watch It Comes At Night instead. BOAT SHOWBOAT fucked around with this message at 07:38 on May 2, 2018 |
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2018 10:59
|
|
|
The Big Boss (1971, Lo Wei) [DVD - English dub] - 3/5 Fist of Fury (1972, Lo Wei) [DVD - subtitled] - 3.5/5 Raising Arizona (1987, Joel Coen/Ethan Coen) [Blu-ray] - 4.5/5 Inland Empire (2006, David Lynch) [DVD] - 3/5 Sins of the Fleshapoids (1965, Mike Kuchar) - 4/5 The Secret of Wendel Samson (1967, Mike Kuchar) - 3/5 The Craven Sluck (1967, Mike Kuchar) - 3/5 Doctor Strange (2016, Scott Derrickson) [Netflix] - 3.5/5 I forgot that I had a cheap DVD set of Bruce Lee movies, so I finally have seen some of his work. It's easy to see why he became such a star since his charisma is there on the screen from the start. While not the most complex or intelligent plots, The Big Boss and Fist of Fury are both amazingly well shot and edited, with impressive fight choreography. I found the fights in Fist of Fury to be way more dazzling, including one where Lee takes on an entire dojo. Raising Arizona has been one of my favorite Coen Bros. movies and seeing it again after at least a decade or two is a lot of fun. Nicolas Cage and Holly Hunter are amazing in this. Every line, every gesture is perfect. The surrealistic aspect works well, as it's already a fairly silly movie. I'll say the opening pre-credits sequence is one of the best sustained bits of cinema ever created. Though, as funny and weird the film gets, I forgot how wonderful and beautiful the ending was. Finally saw Inland Empire, leaving only Wild at Heart as unseen David Lynch features. It's a bizarre, disorienting film, though I didn't find it as powerful as the rest of his work. I really need to see it again since I'm still thinking about it. After seeing Thundercrack!, I wanted to see more films by George and Mike Kuchar. Sins of the Fleshapoids by Mike Kuchar is quite amazing for being no-budget and working like a silent film. It's funny, but I'm really impressed with how nice the Kuchars' films look. It's one thing to make a cheap film and it looks like junk, but they made stuff that was bathed in Technicolor hues. I'm catching up on Marvel films so I can see Infinity War before it gets spoilered to hell and back. While I thought Doctor Strange was incredible visually, it's mediocre on most other levels. It comes off as a movie heavily re-edited because of the lack of focus and a generally rushed plotline. Still, kind of neat to see a mainstream film take on this sort of trippy visual style.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2018 12:52
|
|
|
Disobedience (2018): Lesbian love story between Rachel McAdams and Rachel Weisz, set in an orthodox Jewish culture. The pacing could have been better. The sex scene was tastefully done. The husband looked exactly like Michael Fassbender but wasn't that good of an actor so that lowered my enjoyment. Overall the acting felt really subdued and the plot dragged on for 20 minutes longer than it should have. C+
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2018 18:04
|
|
|
The guy that plays the husband looks EXACTLY like Fassbender.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2018 18:07
|
|
|
BOAT SHOWBOAT posted:I like this style of quick reviews even though I'm not gonna follow it. Hey thanks, yours are pretty succinct and informative as well. For me it's more of a factor of the more words I write on something, the less interested my friends are in my reviews.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2018 18:07
|
|
|
No idea why I said it was Bong Joon Ho's cinematographer, I meant the guy who did Uncle Boonmee.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2018 07:40
|
|
|
Infinity War: 8/10, the highest score I've ever given a MCU movie
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2018 08:16
|
|
|
John Wick: Drive, but better John Wick Chapter 2: Casino Royale, but worse
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2018 08:19
|
|
|
Venuz Patrol posted:John Wick: Drive, but better  whaaaaat
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2018 14:38
|
|
|
I love John Wick, and I love Drive, but that is an absolute apples and oranges comparison. Like, I'm genuinely not sure what those movies even have in common aside from neon, electronic music (and not even the same kind), and a quiet criminal as the protagonist (and that's tenuous given that Wick is normal-person quiet and a hitman, whereas Driver is creepy quiet and a... driver)
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2018 23:30
|
|
|
Loveless - 94 A Quiet Place - 69 Lean On Pete - 85 Avengers: Infinity War - decent / marvel I, Tonya - 74 Underground - 88 Breaking the Waves - 86 Gemini - 72 Song to Song - 85 The Sacrifice - 85 (Delius) Song of Summer - 75 Elgar - 73 The Debussy Film - 88 Always on Sunday - 70 Isadora: The Biggest Dancer in the World - 72 The Grandmaster - 70
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2018 01:04
|
|
|
BeanpolePeckerwood posted:Loveless - 94
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2018 02:26
|
|
|
Super Troopers 2 - Not as good as the original. So many jokes were just shoehorned in, led to a lot of lazy dialogue. The whole movie is basically Canadian stereotypes vs. American stereotypes. Farva was the only redeeming thing in the entire movie, he had several funny moments and was the only time anyone in the theater actually audibly laughed (yes there were like 8 people in the theater). C-
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2018 12:08
|
|
|
LORD OF BOOTY posted:I love John Wick, and I love Drive, but that is an absolute apples and oranges comparison. Like, I'm genuinely not sure what those movies even have in common aside from neon, electronic music (and not even the same kind), and a quiet criminal as the protagonist (and that's tenuous given that Wick is normal-person quiet and a hitman, whereas Driver is creepy quiet and a... driver) theyre both tales of hyper-competent, unstoppable vengeance against criminal enterprise. the only difference between the two is that Standard is a dog now
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2018 17:57
|
|
|
Tailored Sauce posted:Super Troopers 2 - Not as good as the original. So many jokes were just shoehorned in, led to a lot of lazy dialogue. The whole movie is basically Canadian stereotypes vs. American stereotypes. Farva was the only redeeming thing in the entire movie, he had several funny moments and was the only time anyone in the theater actually audibly laughed (yes there were like 8 people in the theater). Oh, THAT'S the movie I saw that I forgot to review. I knew I saw something else but couldn't recall it for the life of me. Yeah, I agree with what you wrote. I know some people that are major Super Trooper fans and I think they at least should see it.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2018 19:47
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 14, 2024 23:17 |
|
|
Coaaab posted:You watched a grip of interesting films, so go ahead Typing too late at night so if these make no sense it's not my fault Loveless - 94 mother! was my favorite of 2017 but Loveless manages to bump Phantom Thread down a spot for my runner-up from last year. It's simultaneously beautiful, meticulously composed, honest, provocative, and crushing. I'm not surprised to see some French funding money for this pic, the frank (and frankly beautiful) presentation of sexual intimacy feels like it would be pretty controversial amid Russian orthodoxy, not to mention the subversive political inserts (for reference the film takes place in 2012). Loveless feels both of a period in its commentary on contemporary parenting, life under capitalism, class/income inequality and the social expectations of the sexes, and yet also timeless and epic in that way that Russian art often accomplishes by way of considered pacing and dramatic emphasis, or lack thereof. A masterpiece of contemporary filmmaking from a director in total control of his ability. Lean On Pete - 85 Sort of a treat to watch a film that takes place in Portland, and depicts Portland Meadows with love while expanding that portrait into what's almost a world-fable. Without going into spoilers, this film is quite a bit more complex than the trailer lets on, and if you want an accurate depiction of poverty in 2018 then this is about as close to dead-on as you can get. Moreover, it movingly captures the process of anesthetization that occurs to some after continual bouts of loss. It's a meandering film, quiet and authentic, and may make you reevaluate your opinions about community, institution, employment, class, immigration, wealth, labor, and emotional connection. Underground - 88 Caught a restored DCP of Underground a few weeks ago and I feel like I'm still processing it, it's just so dense and insane. I imagine it definitely sinks in if you have any knowledge of the former Soviet Union, former Yugoslavia, or civil war in general. The whole thing is a rambling, carnivalesque identity crisis...a musically insane and lamenting elegy for the lost ideal of social cohesion during the 20th century, and how ostensibly good and genuine people can get caught up in the movement of the times and forego humanity and dignity by perpetuating crimes against their neighbors. Breaking the Waves - 86 I'm still catching up with some of the early Von Trier and I must say that it was kind of a thrill to watch two actors I love in their first big break. The film's structure is probably what I like most, like a grungy biblical tale separated into chapters by moving impressionist paintings out of an alternate reality children's book. I'm sure its shock value has worn off somewhat in the last 25 years, but what remains is beautifully contradictory and human. I truly feel that films like this along with Greenaway's Drowning By Numbers were huge influences for early Wes Andersen films...but maybe that's off-base. Gemini - 72 I met Katz when he opened his new film here and he's just about the most affable person you can imagine. I kind of feel that way about his film, too. It's affable, even though it's probably going for mysterious, twisty, and exotic, like a neo-noir often does. Maybe there's a layer I'm missing, or maybe not. Maybe what has been set up as a whodunnit is really just an expose on artifice. The style is all there. The film looks and sounds absolutely stunning, but does it have anything to say? Or does that even matter? Song to Song - 85 More than anything Song to Song convinced me that the recent autobiographical trilogy by Malick is indeed, first and foremost, experimental cinema. It feels like Malick has been through the steps of a director's elimination diet, first eschewing dialogue, then screenplay, and finally even attempting to move beyond the conceit of central characters. To the Wonder, Knight of Cups, and Song to Song all feel like actor's/cinematographer's workshops to a degree, however professionally done, simply because so much seems improvised on the spot. Of the three films on offer I feel like Song to Song is the only one that truly succeeds in this gamble, not only is Chivo's camerawork unbelievably playful and kinetic (this man truly is a loving master)...but the actors can actually keep pace with him and play it on the spot without much confusion. Malick is absolutely treading the boundaries of film itself and I'm very excited to see what lessons he brings back from the frontier when he directs a standard, scripted narrative again. The Sacrifice - 85 I'll watch Tarkovsky any day and I've always been in love with Solaris, but I honestly latch onto his earlier films like Andrei Rublev more than the rest of his work, mainly because they feel so blunt at times. The Sacrifice definitely is preoccupied with the spiritual qualities of the back half of his career, but that's not to say it isn't political. This film plays out like an extended dream sequence that occasionally lapses into nightmare, and I'd say contemplation of Nuclear Holocaust is a fair subject to make a nightmare out of. There are a few scenes that a friend of mine thought were blatantly sexist, but I found them quite moving, a sort of acknowledgment that the world systems that brought us to the brink here were male dominated...and that we'd best pray at a different altar if we want to make it out of the 21st Century. With all the reminders going around of cyber espionage possibly combining with 70 year old nuclear infrastructure that's fallen into disrepair...nightmares seem conceivable, even tangible. The Grandmaster - 70 Wong Kar Wai is a legend to me, the man can almost do no wrong, but I'd say this film is at the bottom of his catalogue. It's really a mess in terms of pacing and editing, and though it's beautifully shot it just doesn't pull together with the sense of spontaneity or precision that Wong and Doyle brought to the table in their collaborations. Wong's wonderful sense of montage and emotional depth is buried beneath mounds of exposition and posturing, and I don't really feel like it works as a decent wuxia film either. I watched the full, uncut version, and I just don't know. It's a bit of a bore.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2018 11:53
|
|