“That was fun” is probably the most common phrase I’ve heard about Promising Young Woman and after finally watching it I can see why. I won’t add anything else other than saying that I love when a scene finds the perfect piece of music the way that they used the instrumental cover of Toxic leading into the final showdown. That was amazing and just helped build the entire atmosphere.
Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Cinema at the End of the World Edition
- Thread starter ProstheticConscience
- Start date
It took Fruit Chan more than a decade to film this. He was an assistant director for the longest time, and he saved the unused film stocks that they cut out on the editing floor to make this film.
It is really messy, and I thought the ending voiceover makes things too obvious, but it feels rather fresh, because there is a sense of reckless abandonment that perfectly fits with the theme of the adolescence rebellion in the movie. I do not grade it too high because of how rough it is, but I do like it quite a bit.
If you are interested, check out the rest of his Handover Trilogy, which captures the angst and uncertainty of the Handover quite well. The following movie, The Longest Summer, is even more avant garde than this one, but Little Cheung is by far the most mature and my favourite in the trilogy.
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Yeah, it is fun, but that is about it. At the moment, I think the director is rather overrated. People like to push the narrative that she is the next big thing, and this movie is the next chapter of female empowerment, but frankly, it is just a mainstream entertainment vehicle that does its job, nothing more, nothing less. She was also the showrunner for the second season of Killing Eve, but it paled in comparison to the first season.
Yeah that's pretty close to how I feel about it too. It's very rough and lo-fi but as you said it kind of fits the aesthetics and theme of the story. It took me a while to get into it because of this rawness to it, but it eventually won me over a bit. If I were to rate it it would be about a 6/10.
Yep, The Longest Summer is on tap for later tonight and then probably Little Cheung sometime this weekend. Good to hear that he reigns it in a little bit for Little Cheung because he obviously has good style it just needs a little bit more maturity and focus
ItsFineImFine
Registered User
- Aug 11, 2019
- 3,745
- 2,389
ProstheticConscience
Check dein Limit
"Fun"? I actually saw that a while ago, and fun isn't the word I thought of for it. Didn't do a review as I thought it would be redundant, but I thought it was more sad that anything else. A sad, traumatized, bitter woman stuck in place and unable to move forward due to profound loss and institutionalized callousness to sexual assault...yeah, not real fun.
ProstheticConscience
Check dein Limit
The Song Remains the Same
with Led Zep
Concert footage of one of the few truly brilliant bands in music history interspersed with clips from the tour and various other things.
Any fan of rock or metal needs to see this and have it seared into their brains.
I've always been more of a Black Sabbath fan, but holy shit...
with Led Zep
Concert footage of one of the few truly brilliant bands in music history interspersed with clips from the tour and various other things.
Any fan of rock or metal needs to see this and have it seared into their brains.
I've always been more of a Black Sabbath fan, but holy shit...
Chili
Time passes when you're not looking
- Jun 10, 2004
- 8,793
- 4,931
The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell-1955
True story of a WWI war hero who risked his career to make the public aware of the frustrations of airmen in his era. Half the film is in the military court room where his avenue to defend himself is limited. Interesting story, especially the prédictions he made long before they became true. Well done.
True story of a WWI war hero who risked his career to make the public aware of the frustrations of airmen in his era. Half the film is in the military court room where his avenue to defend himself is limited. Interesting story, especially the prédictions he made long before they became true. Well done.
Yeah, fun. I was also able to have fun watching movies like Get Out, Fargo, JoJo Rabbit, and many more despite bad things happening. I guess I’m shallow enough that I can watch a movie as just a movie.
I hated JoJo Rabbit.
I also would not call Fargo fun, but I did enjoy it, and I do get what you mean.
6/10 is about right, but it is also one I would recommend. It is rather unique, even for an indie film.
The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell-1955
True story of a WWI war hero who risked his career to make the public aware of the frustrations of airmen in his era. Half the film is in the military court room where his avenue to defend himself is limited. Interesting story, especially the prédictions he made long before they became true. Well done.
I just finished this and, no surprise, I really liked it. It was incredibly interesting to learn about how, even after their use in WWI, aircraft weren't taken seriously by the US Armed Forces and that men like Mitchell actually had to fight to keep the air service equipped and relevant. It's scary to think of how much more badly prepared for WWII we might've been if not for forward-thinking people like Mitchell. I just love movies that are both entertaining and educational.
A lot of the acting was good, but I was extremely impressed by the actor who cross examines Mitchell near the end. I was wondering aloud how an actor this terrific didn't become more famous. It turns out that I was watching a young Rod Steiger and didn't even realize it.
Thanks a lot for the recommendation. It's on YouTube if anyone else cares for a military-themed courtroom drama (sort of like an ancestor of A Few Good Men, but without pretty, young people).
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I hated JoJo Rabbit.
I also would not call Fargo fun, but I did enjoy it, and I do get what you mean.
Nothing more fun than the wood chipper.
It's probably a matter of perspective. It couldn't have been much fun for the guy in the white socks.
I watched a Danish film and its new, American remake back to back last night...
The Guilty (2018) - 7/10 (Really liked it)
A stressed police officer assigned to an Emergency Services call center (Jakob Cedergren) tries to help a caller who's in grave danger. It's a Danish crime thriller that takes place entirely inside a small call center and seemingly in real-time. There may better examples, but it reminded me a little of Buried, Oxygen and Pontypool (though a completely different genre than all of them) because most of the dialogue takes place over the phone and we feel some of the officer's frustration at being stuck in the call center. It's slow, talkie and completely devoid of action, but you end up hanging on every word that the callers say, waiting for the next clue to the puzzle. There's also a slowly unfolding mystery of why the officer is in the call center. There were some plot elements that seemed a bit far fetched at the time, but, in hindsight, knowing what I know now, I suppose that they weren't. The story is simple, but tense, and has a pretty good twist. I recommend the film if you don't mind subtitles and have Hulu. If you prefer English language or have only Netflix, try the remake, instead...
----------------
The Guilty (2021) - 6/10 (Liked it)
A stressed police officer assigned to a 911 call center (Jake Gyllenhaal) tries to help a caller who's in grave danger. This American remake is practically a carbon copy. Nearly all of the above review applies here, so read that if you skipped it. The differences are minor. One is that Gyllenhaal gives a more intense performance, maybe partly because we Americans don't handle stress as gracefully as the Danes. He's excellent, though I did occasionally wonder if it was just a bit too intense, but his character is dealing with more than I can imagine. Regardless, maybe not since Falling Down have I seen a character more in need of a vacation. Another difference is that the ending was just slightly "Hollywoodized," in one way that made me roll my eyes, but another that I felt made for a bit more satisfying of a conclusion. For the most part, though, it's the same story, with the same beats and the same tension (Antoine Fuqua directed it, BTW). It's a completely unnecessary remake, but a pretty good one, nonetheless. I'm scoring it just below the original because I was slightly less riveted, but much of that could've been simply because I already knew the story and it was fresh in my head. The RT scores are also lower than for the original, but I think that some of that is more people watching it because it's on Netflix and has Jake Gyllenhaal and expecting a different kind of movie. 90 minutes of the inside of a call center, without much to listen to but phone conversations or look at but Gyllenhaal's tortured face isn't going to be for everyone. If that doesn't scare you, though, it's worth checking out on Netflix.
The Guilty (2018) - 7/10 (Really liked it)
A stressed police officer assigned to an Emergency Services call center (Jakob Cedergren) tries to help a caller who's in grave danger. It's a Danish crime thriller that takes place entirely inside a small call center and seemingly in real-time. There may better examples, but it reminded me a little of Buried, Oxygen and Pontypool (though a completely different genre than all of them) because most of the dialogue takes place over the phone and we feel some of the officer's frustration at being stuck in the call center. It's slow, talkie and completely devoid of action, but you end up hanging on every word that the callers say, waiting for the next clue to the puzzle. There's also a slowly unfolding mystery of why the officer is in the call center. There were some plot elements that seemed a bit far fetched at the time, but, in hindsight, knowing what I know now, I suppose that they weren't. The story is simple, but tense, and has a pretty good twist. I recommend the film if you don't mind subtitles and have Hulu. If you prefer English language or have only Netflix, try the remake, instead...
The Guilty (2021) - 6/10 (Liked it)
A stressed police officer assigned to a 911 call center (Jake Gyllenhaal) tries to help a caller who's in grave danger. This American remake is practically a carbon copy. Nearly all of the above review applies here, so read that if you skipped it. The differences are minor. One is that Gyllenhaal gives a more intense performance, maybe partly because we Americans don't handle stress as gracefully as the Danes. He's excellent, though I did occasionally wonder if it was just a bit too intense, but his character is dealing with more than I can imagine. Regardless, maybe not since Falling Down have I seen a character more in need of a vacation. Another difference is that the ending was just slightly "Hollywoodized," in one way that made me roll my eyes, but another that I felt made for a bit more satisfying of a conclusion. For the most part, though, it's the same story, with the same beats and the same tension (Antoine Fuqua directed it, BTW). It's a completely unnecessary remake, but a pretty good one, nonetheless. I'm scoring it just below the original because I was slightly less riveted, but much of that could've been simply because I already knew the story and it was fresh in my head. The RT scores are also lower than for the original, but I think that some of that is more people watching it because it's on Netflix and has Jake Gyllenhaal and expecting a different kind of movie. 90 minutes of the inside of a call center, without much to listen to but phone conversations or look at but Gyllenhaal's tortured face isn't going to be for everyone. If that doesn't scare you, though, it's worth checking out on Netflix.
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Freaks (1932)
3.30 out of 4stars
"A circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance."
As sad as it is shocking, an excellent horror-drama that uses real life side show circus performers as on screen actors. Portrays these less fortunate type of people in a perfect light, humanizing them while showing the world that it's not fair that they are shunned, mocked, exploited, and abused when all they truly want is to be seen as ordinary people that want community and acceptance. The main storyline is also an excellent metaphor for this. Yes, some of these people are visually shocking, but they are still people. Some of the imagery in this is iconic for that, but the emotional pain and hardships these people go through was thoroughly explored and felt also. It's tragic in all honesty. And for the record, this is apparently the movie that brought us the "Gooble gobble one of us" chant/line.
Dead of Night (1945)
3.10 out of 4stars
"Architect Walter Craig senses impending doom as his half-remembered recurring dream turns into reality. The guests at the country house encourage him to stay as they take turns telling supernatural tales."
Creepy fun atmospheric old school "campfire stories" platform movie. There are 5 firsthand haunted/macabre stories that all deliver the goods, albeit some more in-depth and enjoyable than others. And the last 2 stories, 1 definitely my favorite and the other in the argument for #2, have a notable amount of dark humor thrown in. Altogether very enjoyable.
Tremors (1990)
2.70 out of 4stars
"Natives of a small isolated town defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one."
A playful creature horror comedy that met expectations on what I've heard and read. Nothing groundbreaking or extraordinary, but a well done and nice tight short campy-ish/silly-ish fun movie.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
2.25 out of 4stars
"Eddie Brock attempts to reignite his career by interviewing serial killer Cletus Kasady, who becomes the host of the symbiote Carnage and escapes prison after a failed execution."
More action, more humor, and much less serious than the first Venom movie, or it's working within it's wheelhouse now. Solid unspectacular popcorn entertainment. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one, but if not then do stay away (aka, this will not convert anyone). Apparently going to do $71+million at the box office this weekend in the US, it's going to make money and likely create monetary reason for a third movie.
"Unique style/Vision" is what you are asking for maybe? An excellent naturalist vs a smart people pleaser? I don't know if I pay that much attention or take things in that way to notice in all honesty, or at least circumstantially. Maybe you are right, I am not sure.
On the Midnight Mass (2021) Netflix Mini-Series...
"An isolated island community experiences miraculous events - and frightening omens - after the arrival of a charismatic, mysterious young priest."
I think it was an excellent horror/drama story about grief, addiction, and faith/religion (amongst other less explored topics). The spins he used to explore the subject matter were smart and he gave great commentary on the subjects and food for thought while being entertaining. This was more dialogue/cerebral focused than visual horror, albeit it delivered on both fronts. Well thought out, well executed, and well-acted.
And it was well worth my time. I always have a hard time considering "TV"/Mini-series vs movies because of the time value and commitment aspects. Committing 7-8hours+ to a Series/Mini-Series vs a 1.5-2hrs movie is a big difference, and that series I can't consume in 1 night either, which is a negative for me. I admittedly use some of my movie picks on low aiming or low successful vehicles, but if I'm committing that much time to something, it has to be worth it and then some. Midnight Mass definitely was worth it.
3.30 out of 4stars
"A circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance."
As sad as it is shocking, an excellent horror-drama that uses real life side show circus performers as on screen actors. Portrays these less fortunate type of people in a perfect light, humanizing them while showing the world that it's not fair that they are shunned, mocked, exploited, and abused when all they truly want is to be seen as ordinary people that want community and acceptance. The main storyline is also an excellent metaphor for this. Yes, some of these people are visually shocking, but they are still people. Some of the imagery in this is iconic for that, but the emotional pain and hardships these people go through was thoroughly explored and felt also. It's tragic in all honesty. And for the record, this is apparently the movie that brought us the "Gooble gobble one of us" chant/line.
Dead of Night (1945)
3.10 out of 4stars
"Architect Walter Craig senses impending doom as his half-remembered recurring dream turns into reality. The guests at the country house encourage him to stay as they take turns telling supernatural tales."
Creepy fun atmospheric old school "campfire stories" platform movie. There are 5 firsthand haunted/macabre stories that all deliver the goods, albeit some more in-depth and enjoyable than others. And the last 2 stories, 1 definitely my favorite and the other in the argument for #2, have a notable amount of dark humor thrown in. Altogether very enjoyable.
Tremors (1990)
2.70 out of 4stars
"Natives of a small isolated town defend themselves against strange underground creatures which are killing them one by one."
A playful creature horror comedy that met expectations on what I've heard and read. Nothing groundbreaking or extraordinary, but a well done and nice tight short campy-ish/silly-ish fun movie.
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
2.25 out of 4stars
"Eddie Brock attempts to reignite his career by interviewing serial killer Cletus Kasady, who becomes the host of the symbiote Carnage and escapes prison after a failed execution."
More action, more humor, and much less serious than the first Venom movie, or it's working within it's wheelhouse now. Solid unspectacular popcorn entertainment. If you liked the first one, you'll like this one, but if not then do stay away (aka, this will not convert anyone). Apparently going to do $71+million at the box office this weekend in the US, it's going to make money and likely create monetary reason for a third movie.
"Unique style/Vision" is what you are asking for maybe? An excellent naturalist vs a smart people pleaser? I don't know if I pay that much attention or take things in that way to notice in all honesty, or at least circumstantially. Maybe you are right, I am not sure.
On the Midnight Mass (2021) Netflix Mini-Series...
"An isolated island community experiences miraculous events - and frightening omens - after the arrival of a charismatic, mysterious young priest."
I think it was an excellent horror/drama story about grief, addiction, and faith/religion (amongst other less explored topics). The spins he used to explore the subject matter were smart and he gave great commentary on the subjects and food for thought while being entertaining. This was more dialogue/cerebral focused than visual horror, albeit it delivered on both fronts. Well thought out, well executed, and well-acted.
And it was well worth my time. I always have a hard time considering "TV"/Mini-series vs movies because of the time value and commitment aspects. Committing 7-8hours+ to a Series/Mini-Series vs a 1.5-2hrs movie is a big difference, and that series I can't consume in 1 night either, which is a negative for me. I admittedly use some of my movie picks on low aiming or low successful vehicles, but if I'm committing that much time to something, it has to be worth it and then some. Midnight Mass definitely was worth it.
Pranzo Oltranzista
Registered User
- Oct 18, 2017
- 3,981
- 2,900
I finished that last night too and it might just redeem Flanagan to me quite a bit. Or maybe he's just way more of a seriesmaker than a filmmaker.
Watch out, this comment is full of spoilers.
Midnight Mass (Flanagan, 2021) - I know it's not a movie, but still, here goes nothing. Vampires were the natural go-to metaphor during the whole of the AIDS crisis: the blood infection, the carnal transmission, and the dangerous temptations of the flesh, it was a perfect match. They're not as easily associated to the current pandemic, but Flanagan avoids any direct reference to it and makes it work through other themes that can currently be applied to our mass hysteria: faith, belief, lies. Someone in another thread proposed that the series was welcoming of all beliefs, and to me it sits exactly at the opposite pole. The priest (it took me until the last episode to finally appreciate the actor) is a very interesting character and a comment on both religion and the generalized skepticism towards reason and science we now live through: out of selfish choices he comes back to his community and introduces himself through intentional lies - and when he finally comes clean and tells the truth, it's only to realize the beliefs he imposed on everyone around him were actually causing more harm than good and that he was praying to false gods (or false angels). His take on science not being able to understand his true condition, and him taking off his colar at the end are nice touches. Flanagan avoids making things too obvious, and the metaphor remains thin and careful right up to that chilling ending: the "sick" people end up, through their own making, with no more safe places (or beds) to fall back to, and that line: "I think I've killed my mom" (how many people have killed their moms this year?). Horror should be used to discuss and challenge reality, and Flanagan does pretty good here. I wished he went further, it still remains at the level of the tv-show narratives, but the result is still interesting enough. The highlight of the whole thing clearly being Riley (the atheist)'s take on death, more complex and more interesting than any paradise you're being sold. 5/10
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I did not realize there is an American remake out now. I really enjoyed the Danish one, because the script is just great. There are so many twists and turns that just creep up on the audience.
KallioWeHardlyKnewYe
Hey! We won!
- May 30, 2003
- 15,772
- 3,808
I finished this this weekend as well and honestly thought it was fantastic. I think two things that Flanagan has shown he does very well (here, and Hill House specifically) are:
1) He excels at character-driven horror. Granted, he has much more room to build and stretch in a mini-series like this versus a standard movie. But other series (TV and mini-variety) flub characters all the time too so I'm not going to ding him too much. I am genuinely interested in most of these people — a care for the good ones and am intrigued and even detest the bad ones. Real emotional reaction driven by the people, not shocks or circumstance. There are surprises and scares, as one expects from horror, but I think they hit because of the people, not because it's a bit of trickery in plotting or execution.
2) He's clearly consumed all the same horror that most of us fans have, but unlike so many other horror directors I don't think he's obsessed with shoving references down your throat. God bless Peter Jackson but I feel like he birthed a whole generation of filmmakers whose sole purpose is to tell you that yes, they too have seen and liked Dead Alive and Bad Taste. And I'm not going to harp on Ari Aster again, but dude could have just tweeted he watched The Wicker Man I didn't need a 2.5 hour riff (and then an even longer director's cut!). ANYWAY, it all just flows much more naturally from Flanagan's work without a constant, distracting nudging the viewer.
The funny thing is a lot of the story and the decisions are kinda predictable. I don't know that a single thing that happens surprised me, but it was effective nonetheless because of how well it's all executed. In fact, the predictability added in a lot of ways to the tension.
One big, obvious reference (but not in an intrusive way) is Stephen King. I saw a movie a few weeks ago that I loved (Dead & Buried) and I said it was the best Stephen King movie I've seen that actually isn't a Stephen King movie. This, however, is an even more worthy of that moniker. And it may even trump the master in a way since it has a satisfying ending (apologies to Uncle Stevie).
Hamish Linklater was one of the more compelling villains I've seen on screen in a while and I've never seen Sarah Sloyan before (that I remembered) but I thought she did incredible work with what is essentially a one-note character.
Forbidden Planet (1956).
Don't think I had ever seen this, but the robot was familiar to me because I had seen it in an episode of Mork & Mindy (if I remember right).
Great sets, costumes, and special effects (for it's era). A beautiful female lead (Anne Francis), timeless morality tale,.. basically sci-fi at it's finest. If you like '60s Outer Limits, this is a perfect watch.
I rate it an 8 (10 pt. scale)
Don't think I had ever seen this, but the robot was familiar to me because I had seen it in an episode of Mork & Mindy (if I remember right).
Great sets, costumes, and special effects (for it's era). A beautiful female lead (Anne Francis), timeless morality tale,.. basically sci-fi at it's finest. If you like '60s Outer Limits, this is a perfect watch.
I rate it an 8 (10 pt. scale)
Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Memoria gets a unique release format:
Tilda Swinton’s ‘Memoria’ Gets Exclusive Theatrical Run – Forever
That could be a tough ticket in Toronto, first time around anyway.
Tilda Swinton’s ‘Memoria’ Gets Exclusive Theatrical Run – Forever
That could be a tough ticket in Toronto, first time around anyway.
The other day, I was proud of myself for finally spelling "Gyllenhaal" correctly. Suddenly, it doesn't seem so hard.
Pranzo Oltranzista
Registered User
- Oct 18, 2017
- 3,981
- 2,900
Funny because when I read your point #1, I thought "well, it's like he's talking about Frank Darabont", and then you bring up Stephen King... I don't think Flanagan is nowhere near Darabont's knack for characters, but they did run a bit of the same tracks. Maybe there's something about King's characters.
When you say "here and Hill House", that's what I meant by seriesmaker. He did very good on both of these, but the few films I've seen from him (3) were nowhere near close to this care for character writing. Doctor Sleep still managed to have a pretty compelling story (even if borderline cliché at times), but Oculus and Gerald's Game were pretty meh.
The Longest Summer / 去年煙花特別多 (Fruit Chan, 1998)
On the eve of the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China, Ga Yin (Tony Ho) and his friends are released from the British Army and made unemployed. Bored and un(der)employed, with the help of Ga Yin’s brother Ga Suen (Sam Lee) who works for the Triads, he and his comrades decide to rob a British bank. The second film in Fruit Chan’s Handover Trilogy about the transition of Hong Kong from the UK to China, this one focuses more explicitly on the handover itself with shots of the Handover Ceremony. The Longest Summer is a less juvenile work than Made in Hong Kong and a bit less raw, but I find it suffers from a lot of the same problems as the first film in the trilogy, primarily that it runs too long. The ending of the film just drags on and on and much of it could have been cut, and I must admit I feel like I missed something because I had trouble following the story in the back third of the film. But that may be on me watching it late at night, but I didn’t really care to go back and figure out what I missed.
On the eve of the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China, Ga Yin (Tony Ho) and his friends are released from the British Army and made unemployed. Bored and un(der)employed, with the help of Ga Yin’s brother Ga Suen (Sam Lee) who works for the Triads, he and his comrades decide to rob a British bank. The second film in Fruit Chan’s Handover Trilogy about the transition of Hong Kong from the UK to China, this one focuses more explicitly on the handover itself with shots of the Handover Ceremony. The Longest Summer is a less juvenile work than Made in Hong Kong and a bit less raw, but I find it suffers from a lot of the same problems as the first film in the trilogy, primarily that it runs too long. The ending of the film just drags on and on and much of it could have been cut, and I must admit I feel like I missed something because I had trouble following the story in the back third of the film. But that may be on me watching it late at night, but I didn’t really care to go back and figure out what I missed.
