Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Cinema at the End of the World Edition

[HanSolo]

No Time to Die-8/10

As a send off for Craig's Bond, it works really well. The action is exciting and well choreographed. The finale is handled better than any attempt to imbue emotional depth than any other film in the quintilogy. As much as Craig felt phoned in in Spectre, I thought he really handled the send off very well in this one. The movie is long but nothing is superfluous. For how much talk there was about how this film was going to be sloppy, I didn't really get that sense.

While I will say that everything had a purpose I still felt as though the movie tried to do too much. All the threads were handled better than in Spectre but it still reached to accomplish too much. Rami Malek's villain whose name I already forgot is memorable but to me not exactly impactful. I don't want to get into the weeds of the totality of his motivations but it felt...undercooked. We understand why he wants to strike out at Madeline but his wider threat seems...well, like I said. Undercooked for a movie so packed with content.

Ultimately I can't really decide where I'd place it. Certainly above Quantum and Spectre and below Casino Royale but I need time to decide how I rank it against Skyfall.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

No Time to Die (Fukunaga, 2021) - Great action sequences, but all the rest is pretty boring. And well, that villain's substory and motives... HanSolo said undercook, I'll say stupid. 4.5/10

 

[HanSolo]

No Time to Die (Fukunaga, 2021) - Great action sequences, but all the rest is pretty boring. And well, that villain's substory and motives... HanSolo said undercook, I'll say stupid. 4.5/10

I don't think his plan is stupid so much as it is underexplained and lacks foundation for motive.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I don't think his plan is stupid so much as it is underexplained and lacks foundation for motive.

I didn't want to imply you thought it was stupid.

 

[Osprey]

Island of Lost Souls (1932)
3.35 out of 4stars

"The mad doctor Moreau conducts ghastly genetic experiments on a remote island in the South Seas, much to the fear and disgust of the shipwrecked sailor who finds himself trapped there."
A pre-code horror movie that's as mentally stimulating as it is visually. It is visibly shocking with it's island of humanoids being explored. The atmosphere created by the "unknown" inhabitants, and the excellently played by Laughton doctor role, is just as distressing prior to as it is after the big reveal for their existence. The how and why this is being done also only adds layers to this fear and moral issues at hand and inferred. The "house of pain" is as imaginatively fear and sadness evoking as it is spoken in the film. And purposely or not, there is a lot of commentary to be taken from this movie including subjects as nature vs nurture, the scientific abilities and rights of man, the pros and cons of scientific research/testing and it's subjects consequences, power dynamics, human dominion, and colonialism. An interesting historical fact, it was infamously banned in Britain after it's initial release.

I gave you a "like" mostly because I approved of this review, but then looked up some stills and realized that I hadn't seen the film. I think that what happened is that I came this close to watching it last year, but then decided to save it so that I could read the novel first. I went ahead just now and watched it, anyways, and enjoyed it. I was especially impressed by the sets and the hair and makeup. I can see why it was controversial, not just in Britain, but in several other countries. In the US, it was pre-Code, but still banned in 14 states, partly for its acceptance of evolution.

Spoiler

Amusingly, when it was re-released in 1941, the Hays Office required that all lines referencing the fact that Dr. Moreau created the beastmen be cut. That's the whole plot!

Did Dr. Moreau call it the House of Pain because he had no anesthesia or did he have no anesthesia so that he could call it the House of Pain? Hmm...

I liked how Dr. Moreau was too much of a gentleman to simply force himself on Lota and impregnate her that way, but was totally OK with amorally creating dozens of beastmen, whipping them and cutting them open while they screamed. At least he had some principles, right?

Speaking of Lota, I think that she might've originally been a frog... because she croaked at the end.

Another 1932 horror with Laughton (and Karloff instead of Lugosi) that you may like is The Old Dark House, that I reviewed a year ago and is on YouTube.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

No Time to Die (Fukunaga, 2021) - Great action sequences, but all the rest is pretty boring. And well, that villain's substory and motives... HanSolo said undercook, I'll say stupid. 4.5/10

My all-time favorite Bond plan is in Skyfall where Javier Bardem rolls out this elaborate, world-hopping trap for James Bond and M that culminates with ... him just putting on a police uniform and walking into a meeting with a gun, firing wildly. I laugh every time.

 

[OzzyFan]

I gave you a "like" mostly because I approved of this review, but then looked up some stills and realized that I hadn't seen the film. I think that what happened is that I came this close to watching it last year, but then decided to save it so that I could read the novel first. I went ahead just now and watched it, anyways, and enjoyed it. I was especially impressed by the sets and the hair and makeup. I can see why it was controversial, not just in Britain, but in several other countries. In the US, it was pre-Code, but still banned in 14 states, partly for its acceptance of evolution.

Spoiler

Amusingly, when it was re-released in 1941, the Hays Office required that all lines referencing the fact that Dr. Moreau created the beastmen be cut. That's the whole plot!

Did Dr. Moreau call it the House of Pain because he had no anesthesia or did he have no anesthesia so that he could call it the House of Pain? Hmm...

I liked how Dr. Moreau was too much of a gentleman to simply force himself on Lota and impregnate her that way, but was totally OK with amorally creating dozens of beastmen, whipping them and cutting them open while they screamed. At least he had some principles, right?

Speaking of Lota, I think that she might've originally been a frog... because she croaked at the end.

Another 1932 horror with Laughton (and Karloff instead of Lugosi) that you may like is The Old Dark House, that I reviewed a year ago and is on YouTube.

It's funny, The Old Dark Horse has ironically been on my radar. I hope to see it in the next few weeks. I think the Lota thing was more about research than wanting or needing, or maybe impotence..... It's rather interesting what was claimed to be off limits or unheard of to show in films or media devices less than 100years ago compared to now. It's like a completely different planet from an alien galaxy almost.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

American indie films (unless you're into horror) have been really poor the past year. Thought we'd get something better coming out of Covid.

 

[nameless1]

Yeah, I just went through a film fest, and nothing reached 7/10 on my scale. To be fair, I did not go into the theatre, so I missed award contenders like Belfast and Bergman Island, or big productions like The Electric Life of Louis Wain, but this year's overall film selection has been even worst than last year.

 

[kihei]

Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch. You would think this guy would be right down my alley, but you would be wrong. It's like he creates the most dazzling gift-wrapped present under the tree, intricate, imaginative, beautiful to look at. Then you open the package up and there is nothing inside it. 5B

 

[kihei]

You just need Belfast, and I think you got all the contenders.

Memoria. Though that may end up a 2022 release.

 

[kihei]

Wife of a Spy (2021) Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa 7B

Set in Kobo, Japan in 1940 just before the war, Yusaku photographs atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese army in Manchuria and he faces a moral dilemma. Be a loyal citizen or find some way of releasing the footage for the world to see. His wife Satoko first is suspicious of his actions, but then wholeheartedly supports them, putting her own life at risk for his cause. Part melodrama, part moody romance, part slow-burn suspense thriller, Wife of a Spy raises a lot of interesting issues almost in passing. When does loyalty to country become an affront to humanity? And is that an easier question to answer when the characters are Japanese, not Canadian? What if doing the right thing entails deep personal cost for others; what then? Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa first foray into historical drama lacks neither atmosphere nor unexpected surprises. The film sets a languid but still apprehensive pace, and the payoff is beyond brilliant. Wife of a Spy is an entertainment that seems to be thoughtful, bleak and, as the end credits’ role, potentially hopeful (if double-edged), though it’s the bleak bits that will stay in my mind for some time. One hell of an ending.

subtitles


Best of '21 so far

1, The Power of the Dog, Campion, US
3 The Cloud in Her Room, Zheng, China
2. Bergman Island, Hansen-Love, France
4. Red Moon Tide, Patino, Spain
5. The Year of the Everlasting Storm, Panahi, et al, various countries
6. Wife of a Spy, Kurosawa, Japan
7. Identifying Features, Valadez, Mexico
8. The Green Knight, Lowery, US
9. Undine, Penzold, Germany
10. Manor House, Puiu, Romania

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Dune. I liked it!

Halloween Kills. I also liked this, but put more detailed thoughts in the Halloween thread.

The Monster Club. Uber-dorky anthology movie that mixes a trio of modern/Gothic horror tales (with EC comics style twists/morality) with Vincent Price and John Caradine listening to horror-themed New Age rock in said Monster Club. I found this odd mishmash to be kinda charming, but I suspect I'm in the minority here.

The Town that Dreaded Sundown. I know some folks consider this an underrated gem, but it didn't do much for me. The title is killer and bag-headed murderer is a menacing visual, but save for one specific murder, it didn't work for me as horror and any stretches with the cops were dull to the point of annoyance. The faux-documentary narration feels interesting on paper. It wasn't in execution.

Seance. Streaming on Shudder, a nice little girls school-set story (from the co-writer of the wonderful You're Next) that juggles a few different things and mostly succeeds. I LOL'd mightly at one of the kills. Good cast. Keeps you on your toes.

The Stuff. For a good time call Larry Cohen. A big, broad, gelatinous satire that's as fun as I remembered from my childhood. 1980s America: Dumb, gluttonous and afraid of Commies. Ah how things change!

Horror Express. Just like Murder on the Orient Express but with a a hairy monkey monster alien capable of possessing humans. I think the science is sketchy, but I had good time! Especially when Telly Savalas drops into the last third of the movie and definitely thinks he's in a different (possibly better!) movie. Pair this with Capricorn One for a double feature of films where Telly Savalas shows up for 10 minutes at the end to consume every bit of scenery he possibly can.

Wolf's Hole. I stumbled on this one via Criterion Channel. Directed by Czech filmmaker Vera Chytilova (Daisies). Eleven kids are sent off to a ski retreat for unclear reasons. Something strange is definitely afoot ... but what? It's horror, but of a more offbeat sort, filtered through Chytilova's skewed vision. I thought it was pretty compelling but it isn't going to be for everyone.

The Long Hair of Death. Barbara Steele. That's the review. Barbara Steele.

 

[nameless1]

Memoria. Though that may end up a 2022 release.

Yep, it was at VIFF, but only in theatres, so I missed that too.

 

[nameless1]

Wife of a Spy (2021) Directed by Kiyoshi Kurosawa 7B

Set in Kobo, Japan in 1940 just before the war, Yusaku photographs atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese army in Manchuria and he faces a moral dilemma. Be a loyal citizen or find some way of releasing the footage for the world to see. His wife Satoko first is suspicious of his actions, but then wholeheartedly supports them, putting her own life at risk for his cause. Part melodrama, part moody romance, part slow-burn suspense thriller, Wife of a Spy raises a lot of interesting issues almost in passing. When does loyalty to country become an affront to humanity? And is that an easier question to answer when the characters are Japanese, not Canadian? What if doing the right thing entails deep personal cost for others; what then? Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa first foray into historical drama lacks neither atmosphere nor unexpected surprises. The film sets a languid but still apprehensive pace, and the payoff is beyond brilliant. Wife of a Spy is an entertainment that seems to be thoughtful, bleak and, as the end credits’ role, potentially hopeful (if double-edged), though it’s the bleak bits that will stay in my mind for some time. One hell of an ending.

subtitles


Best of '21 so far

1, The Power of the Dog, Campion, US
3 The Cloud in Her Room, Zheng, China
2. Bergman Island, Hansen-Love, France
4. Red Moon Tide, Patino, Spain
5. The Year of the Everlasting Storm, Panahi, et al, various countries
6. Wife of a Spy, Kurosawa, Japan
7. Identifying Features, Valadez, Mexico
8. The Green Knight, Lowery, US
9. Undine, Penzold, Germany
10. Manor House, Puiu, Romania

That was a TV movie, so I debuted rather to watch it or not. I guess I will put it on the list.

 

[member 51464]

The Last Duel - This movie deserves better than being a box office bomb.

Another very solid outing for Matt Damon following Stillwater, which also seemed largely overlooked.

 

[PocketNines]

A History of Violence (2005)
96 min

4 / 4 stars
~#60 all time doom noir

Indelible supporting performances from William Hurt, Maria Bello, Ed Harris

 

[kihei]

I'm Your Man (2021) Directed by Maria Schrader 6A

I'm Your Man is Germany's strong submission for the International Film Oscar. To finance her research, Alma agrees to live with a robot for three weeks, one that is designed to be her ideal partner. She is a participant in a trial whose aim is to determine whether such technology is feasible and desirable in the future. Alma has a lot of edges and isn't exactly an easy target for romance. She'd be a real handful in a relationship though it would never go that far as you wouldn't survive the first date. "Tom," learning what to do and more importantly what not do, nevertheless begins to get Alma to relax a little. Things get complicated.

If I'm Your Man were a Hollywood movie, which it likely soon will be and radically dumbed down in the process, this flick would be a standard rom-com. But I'm Your Man has a Teutonic head on its shoulders and a penchant for keeping an eye on social implications while we watch Tom and Alma's relationship develop. The conclusion Alma comes to is a bit of a surprise, and I have to say rather Germanic in its reasoning. If you liked Her, you will probably like I'm Your Man though the vibe is significantly less poignant and much more skeptical. Anyway this is one of those European films that could find a North American audience pretty easily.

subtitles


Best of '21 so far

1, The Power of the Dog, Campion, US
2. The Cloud in Her Room, Zheng, China
3. Bergman Island, Hansen-Love, France
4. Red Moon Tide, Patino, Spain
5. The Year of the Everlasting Storm, Panahi, et al, various countries
6. Wife of a Spy, Kurosawa, Japan
7. Identifying Features, Valadez, Mexico
8. The Green Knight, Lowery, US
9. I'm Your Man, Schrader, Germany
10. Undine, Penzold, Germany

 

[NyQuil]

My all-time favorite Bond plan is in Skyfall where Javier Bardem rolls out this elaborate, world-hopping trap for James Bond and M that culminates with ... him just putting on a police uniform and walking into a meeting with a gun, firing wildly. I laugh every time.

Spectre was always ruined for me for two reasons:

1. Blofeld leaves Bond his explosive wrist watch when he tortures him for some reason. For a supposed super genius master criminal, it was pretty clumsy.

2. Bond manages to shoot down a helicopter with his sidearm while on a choppy boat in the Thames.

I know, they are little quibbles among the many insane and crazy hijinks and stunts, but they seemed particularly thoughtless.

 

[Hockeyfrilla]

No Time to Die - 7/10 (Theater)

The Suicide Squad - 6/10 (HBO Max)

 

[OzzyFan]

Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch. You would think this guy would be right down my alley, but you would be wrong. It's like he creates the most dazzling gift-wrapped present under the tree, intricate, imaginative, beautiful to look at. Then you open the package up and there is nothing inside it. 5B

I'm curious (forgot) on what's your opinion of Tarantino? And Tarantino ranking and productively compared to Wes Anderson?

 

[kihei]

Lamb (2021) Directed by Valdimar Johannsson 6A

Childless sheep farmers in a very remote area of Iceland discover that one of their sheep has given birth to a strange creature, lamb from the neck up, seeemingly human from the neck down. Rather than destroy it, they decide to raise it as if it were some kind of blessing. It is amazing that the movie makes this ridiculous premise work as long as it does. Up until the ending (I laughed), Lamb does weave a bit of a spell. Excellent acting, especially Noomi Rapace, and sensitive directiion help to tempt the audience into suspending disbelief for this admittedly tall tale. Lamb is billed as a horror movie, which I would quibble with a little; it's more of a contemporary fable. I feel sheepish about recommending a movie with this plot, and I don't want to be accused of pulling the wool over anyone's eyes. But if you can accept the premise, you will be rewarded. The ending makes Lamb a bit less than a sheer delight, but at least you won't feel fleeced for watching it.

subtitles

 

[Puck]

Lamb (2021) Directed by Valdimar Johannsson 6A

Childless sheep farmers in a very remote area of Iceland discover that one of their sheep has given birth to a strange creature, lamb from the neck up, seeemingly human from the neck down. Rather than destroy it, they decide to raise it as if it were some kind of blessing. It is amazing that the movie makes this ridiculous premise work as long as it does. Up until the ending (I laughed), Lamb does weave a bit of a spell. Excellent acting, especially Noomi Rapace, and sensitive directiion help to tempt the audience into suspending disbelief for this admittedly tall tale. Lamb is billed as a horror movie, which I would quibble with a little; it's more of a contemporary fable. I feel sheepish about recommending a movie with this plot, and I don't want to be accused of pulling the wool over anyone's eyes. But if you can accept the premise, you will be rewarded. The ending makes Lamb a bit less than a sheer delight, but at least you won't feel fleeced for watching it.

subtitles

Ewe...the baaaad kihei, you kid us, not sure you had more enjoyment watching the film or ramming thru all the shearing puns

 

[Tasty Biscuits]

A Chinese Ghost Story (1987). B+
Worth your entertainment dollar and then some. Simply put, I had a blast watching this one. It deftly combines action, romance, comedy, and the supernatural all into one satisfying piece of cinema (and in only 98 minutes, no less)! It spawned two follow-up sequels, and it's not hard to see why. The acting is good (Kar-Wai Wong aficionados may recognize a young Leslie Cheung as the male lead). The score features multiple original songs, one of which I can only describe as an expository rap, which is performed by the actor like a rap-battle except there is no one else on screen. You will laugh, but you are meant to laugh. The comedy is deliberate and well-executed. There is one very fun, gnarly death scene. The effects look fantastic, which admittedly caught me a bit by surprise (one creature in particular in the film's final 3rd is a true delight).

I couldn't help but think of the first Pirates of the Caribbean while watching this, in terms of the ambition, seamless blending of genres, and overall good time had while watching (and likely inferior sequels as well). Not sure what I was expecting, but I certainly wasn't expecting this.
(on Prime).

 

[kihei]

I'm curious (forgot) on what's your opinion of Tarantino? And Tarantino ranking and productively compared to Wes Anderson?

I don't rank either of them very highly. Though I did like Once upon a Time in Hollywood, more than any other Tarantino movie since...I was going to say Pulp Fiction, but I think I actually liked it better than Pulp Fiction. With Anderson, I like his two animated films way better than anything else he has directed. They are almost in a dead heat for me--a pair of showy directors with more peculiarities than I want to tolerate.