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

[kihei]

Undine (2021) Directed by Christian Penzold 6B

Undine is a modern retelling of the myth of a water sprite who must kill any man who betrarys her. But what if she falls in love with somebody else first? For some the premise alone will be enough reason to ignore the film. Which is too bad, because Undine is a lovely work. Ultimately about love and the perishability of great plans that eventually come to ruin, director Christian Penzold manages to find a creditable balance between a tragic romance and a modern adult fairy tale. While I did sometimes wonder if the inspiration for this film might have been The Shape of Water, I found the end result quite beautiful and touching. Penzold (Transit; Phoenix; Barbara) is very good at getting at complex human feelings in a way that often leaves behind a lingering haunting sensation. He achieves that once again although he also owes a lot here to his cinematographer Hans Fromm for finding perfect images to accompany this story. Not too everybody's taste but pleasantly different and quite involving, Undine is among the best movies of the year.

subtitles

TIFF.net


Best of '21 so far

1. Red Moon Tide, Patino, Spain
2. The Cloud in Her Room, Zheng, China
3. Undine, Penzold, Germany
4. Identifying Features, Valadez, Mexico
5. Manor House, Puiu, Romania
6. The Dig, Stone, UK

 

[HanSolo]

Blade Runner 2049: 8.5/10

The only movie of this length and pace I'll ever rewatch. This was probably my 6th rewatch and it still bugs me that this did poorly at the box office. If we ever get out of this COVID nightmare, we need more blockbusters like this. The average high budget movie these days never even attempt this kind of cinematic polish or this thought provoking writing or taking its time to build a scene to give it the right atmosphere. Yeah, the movie falters with its sluggish pacing to build that atmosphere but I think it's a sacrifice that helps more than it hurts.

The more times I watch this, the more frustrated I get at the state of "pop culture" cinema. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a dumb fun blockbuster as much as anyone else. But we need more quality blockbusters with depth and adept storytelling.

 

[Ginger Papa]

Constantine (2005) Directed by Francis Lawrence (his debut) 8/10

​

My 15 year old daughter has been wanting to watch something serious with me (we’ve been watching Brooklyn Nine-Nine). I recalled this one was pretty clean for language and nudity.

The film is based on the DC Hellblazer comic book Series. It portrays John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) as a cynical psychic with the ability to perceive and communicate with half-angels and half-demons in their true form.

Constantine exorcises demons back to Hell to earn favour with Heaven but has become weary over time. He helps a troubled police detective (Rachel Weisz is solid) learn the truth about her twin sister's death while simultaneously unraveling a much larger and darker plot.

Shia LeBeouf works well as Constantine’s young apprentice and Tilda Swinton as the angel Gabriel is excellent each time she’s on the screen. Djimon Hounsou was a great choice for Poppa Midnite & Peter Stormare plays one of the creepier Satan’s I’ve seen.

We both really enjoyed it and it actually stood the test of time quite nicely.
When I watched this back when it came out for rental in 2006, I remember thinking that Keanu was still acting like Neo. This time I noticed several scenes where his acting was quite good, his appeal near the end in particular (I won’t describe it in more detail in case anyone hasn’t seen it, even though it’s 16 years old).

My daughter asked me why they never made a sequel, considering how good it was & she looked up how well it did. She then answered her own question and said, “Oh yeah, he had to become John Wick and then retire and get married!” I couldn’t have thought of a better answer if I had a week….

 

[OzzyFan]

The Last Man on Earth (1964)
2.70 out of 4stars

"The survivor (Vincent Price) of a global epidemic battles a race of zombie vampires in an adaptation of Richard Matheson's "I Am Legend.""
Not anywhere near as good as the novel and called a "disappointment" by Matheson himself, yet it has some redeeming qualities. The loneliness/inner turmoil and "almost meaningless" repetitive routined existence are portrayed well, the flashback sequence gives necessary backstory and a different type of fear and sadness to the story, most notably this film "was a huge inspiration for Romero's Night of the Living Dead", and of course the ending twist. I won't flip the brilliant twist for those who don't know the story or movie, but it is still shockingly intelligent.

The Night House (2020/2021)
2.70 out of 4stars

"A widow begins to uncover her recently deceased husband's disturbing secrets."
Rebecca Hall is nothing short of great in this slow burn psychological mystery/horror. The buildup for the story step by step is done excellently, but the twist and ending is going to make or break your thoughts on the film. I liked it but didn't get the closure I felt was needed given all the proceedings. The metaphor for grief also works here very well along with giving you lots of food for thought on mental health, mortality, and "skeleton's in the closet".

Reminiscence (2021)
2.20 out of 4stars

"Nick Bannister, a private investigator of the mind, navigates the alluring world of the past when his life is changed by new client Mae. A simple case becomes obsession after she disappears and he fights to learn the truth about her."
As a poster previously stated, it's exactly concept wise Minority Report meets Inception, except it's not great and incredibly messy. The script is interesting the whole way through, but a giant choppy muddled non-sensical mess, as are Hugh Jackman's actions on and off throughout the movie. So much potential wasted on an interesting concept.

 

[Osprey]

The Green Knight (2021) - 5/10 (Didn't like or dislike it)

After accepting a challenge from an uninvited guest, King Arthur's nephew (Dev Patel) must undertake a journey to confront him a second time and accept his fate. Don't expect Excalibur (as you may from the trailer). Like the 14th-century poem that it's based on, this is a story that's light on action and excitement and heavy on morals, metaphors and themes (namely, honor and courage). It's really beautifully filmed, with many visually appealing shots, slow pans and scene transitions. The sets and costumes look realistic, modest and lived in. There's an effort at authenticity, down to the characters' accents and manners of speech. The acting is very good, including from Patel, though I had trouble liking or empathizing with his character because he made several dumb decisions which took me out of it. The first 30 minutes are solid and engaging (and contain most of the scenes in the trailer), but the rest of the film felt less interesting and stretched to make the short tale last two hours and the slightly underwhelming ending didn't really make up for it. The film is on the heavy side, with little optimism or levity, and fairly depressing. It's poetic, mesmerizing and deliberately paced... or artsy, trippy and boring, depending on your tastes. I'm somewhere in the middle because I appreciated the artistry and themes to an extent, but also felt that the filmmaker went a little overboard. I read a review that described the film as "an attempt at art rather than entertainment." If you're looking for an artfully crafted film, you may be satisfied. If you're hoping for an entertaining movie, you may be disappointed. It's now available for rent, but consider what you're in the mood for first.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Forgot to rate these two.

Free Guy (Levy, 2021) - Dumb, but way less than I thought. The first half is even quite interesting. 4.5/10

The Suicide Squad (Gunn, 2021) - Dumb, just as expected. Not as good as his guardians films, but a lot better than the original SS. 4/10

In both cases, it was great to be back in a movie theater. First films I've seen on a big screen since Color Out of Space.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Red Dawn. Big ol' right wing wet dream of a movie, but a pretty entertaining big ol' right wing wet dream of a movie.

Pledge Night. I was stunned to see this was made in 1990 and not 1980. Felt way more like an early slasher horror than something that came out when the form was pretty well established let alone arguably done to death. Skip over the pretty dumb and dull first 45 minutes to get what to what you really come here to see.

Hitch-Hike. 1970s Italo-exploit-trash. An unhappy couple are making their way through the most un-California looking California ever (since it's actually Italy). They pickup a hitchhiker. They shouldn't have. This does a couple unexpected and at least semi-interesting things that won't allow me to totally dismiss it but it's sooooo tedious it's hard for me to recommend it. I watched this the same day I watched a 3-hour-15-minute movie and I swear to you this 100-minute flick felt far longer.

Game of Death II. The first part is Frankensteined from old Bruce Lee clips, ham-fistedly dropping him into a new story years after his death for completely crass money-making reasons. It is sorta interesting to watch how poorly that's executed. But the odd thing about this movie is that once they give up that ghoulish pursuit and the story shifts to another character I really enjoyed the ridiculousness that follows

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Red Dawn. Big ol' right wing wet dream of a movie, but a pretty entertaining big ol' right wing wet dream of a movie.

Pledge Night. I was stunned to see this was made in 1990 and not 1980. Felt way more like an early slasher horror than something that came out when the form was pretty well established let alone arguably done to death. Skip over the pretty dumb and dull first 45 minutes to get what to what you really come here to see.

Hitch-Hike. 1970s Italo-exploit-trash. An unhappy couple are making their way through the most un-California looking California ever (since it's actually Italy). They pickup a hitchhiker. They shouldn't have. This does a couple unexpected and at least semi-interesting things that won't allow me to totally dismiss it but it's sooooo tedious it's hard for me to recommend it. I watched this the same day I watched a 3-hour-15-minute movie and I swear to you this 100-minute flick felt far longer.

Game of Death II. The first part is Frankensteined from old Bruce Lee clips, ham-fistedly dropping him into a new story years after his death for completely crass money-making reasons. It is sorta interesting to watch how poorly that's executed. But the odd thing about this movie is that once they give up that ghoulish pursuit and the story shifts to another character I really enjoyed the ridiculousness that follows

I don't think I've seen Pledge Night! As for Hitch-Hike, haven't seen it in like 25 years, so I won't defend the film, but hey, Franco Nero and David Hess!!

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

I don't think I've seen Pledge Night! As for Hitch-Hike, haven't seen it in like 25 years, so I won't defend the film, but hey, Franco Nero and David Hess!!

Both Nero and Hess are A LOT to take.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Both Nero and Hess are A LOT to take.

Ahahahah!

Just saw that I have the film at 7/10 on IMDB! I should watch it again, sometime after the gialli...

 

[Osprey]

I don't think I've seen Pledge Night!

It surprises you that there's a 1-star horror film that you haven't seen?

As for Hitch-Hike, haven't seen it in like 25 years, so I won't defend the film, but hey, Franco Nero and David Hess!!

Corrine Clery is the name that caught my attention.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

It surprises you that there's a 1-star horror film that you haven't seen?

Corrine Clery is the name that caught my attention.

Oh you dirty dog... But yeah, her too!

And I think I've seen most crappy slashers from the 80s. Maybe I'm way off, but it's pretty rare I hear about one that escaped me.

 

[OzzyFan]

Dirty Pretty Things (2002)
3.20 out of 4stars

"Irregular migrants Okwe and Senay work at a posh London hotel and live in constant fear of deportation. One night Okwe stumbles across a human heart clogged in a toilet, setting off a series of events that could lead to disaster or freedom."
I was surprised I've never heard of this movie. First and foremost, it's a comprehensive example of what some illegal/newly legal immigrants face in first world countries set as a faux biographical drama. The movie also contains the elements of thrillers, crime dramas, and even a platonic romance. The movie covers so many corners of the hardships of these immigrants in a tight flowing sensical entertaining way. Those struggles include working multiple under legal waged jobs, police force pressures, housing, food, exploitative/abuse attempts towards them everywhere, religious intolerance, ethnic intolerance, internal/external desolation, illegal actions for moral purposes, black market enticements, and unacknowledged professional skills/qualifications. The sacrifices some of these people make for "a better life" in some form of way is an honestly astonishing unacknowledged achievement.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Juggernaut

with Canadian people

Ashcroft 2017...uh wait, no, I mean small town USA 1986. Saxon Gamble, all-around mean guy who everyone in town hates has returned after the death of his mother, which he's convinced wasn't the suicide the local law and coroner say it was. He visits dad, former abusive drunk who's now the town preacher. And who hates him. He then visits his big bro...who also hates him. Bro's fiancee thinks it's a good idea to host a family dinner, but realizes it wasn't as she clears up the wreckage of her dining room a half hour later. There's mysterious missing people, a couple of local thugs who go back with Saxon and not-so-gently help him in his inquiries, and a strange life insurance policy in mom's name with an unexpected beneficiary. Lots of meaningful glances are exchanged, plenty of shots of rolling hills and outdoor vistas lurk in the background...and oh yeah, there's a murder mystery of the quiet, understated, Canadian kind.

Meh. Plods along with none of the urgency you'd expect from the title and premise. Apparently shot in like three weeks for the Whistler Film Fest a few years ago. Meanders towards an unsatisfying non-climax. Did I mention it's Canadian?

No, not this guy. Unfortunately.

 

[Osprey]

Hitch-Hike. 1970s Italo-exploit-trash. An unhappy couple are making their way through the most un-California looking California ever (since it's actually Italy). They pickup a hitchhiker. They shouldn't have. This does a couple unexpected and at least semi-interesting things that won't allow me to totally dismiss it but it's sooooo tedious it's hard for me to recommend it. I watched this the same day I watched a 3-hour-15-minute movie and I swear to you this 100-minute flick felt far longer.

I just finished this and actually didn't think that it was that bad. Well, strike that... it was that bad, but to the point that I found it pretty funny. It wasn't really tedious for me (except maybe near the end) because the characters (especially the husband), the dialogue and the dubbing were entertainingly bad and just the "spaghetti-ness" of it all was consistently amusing. You weren't kidding about it not looking much like California, especially between Vegas and LA. I guess that it's only fair, though, considering how many times California has stood in for other locations (my favorite being The Adventures of Robin Hood, in which a community park in Chico, California stood in for Sherwood Forest, England). Also amusing was the shameless rip off of Duel, but with a much less intimidating truck. I can't say that I was a huge fan of Ennio Morricone's porno soundtrack, though. What was he thinking scoring the film like that, especially the assault scenes? Anyways, yeah, it's a pretty bad movie, but I was sort of entertained by that. It probably helped that I'm a sucker for road trip terror films and I was also in a laughing mood tonight. Regardless, thanks for the "recommendation."

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

I just finished this and actually didn't think that it was that bad. Well, strike that... it was that bad, but to the point that I found it pretty funny. It wasn't really tedious for me (except maybe near the end) because the characters (especially the husband), the dialogue and the dubbing were entertainingly bad and just the "spaghetti-ness" of it all was consistently amusing. You weren't kidding about it not looking much like California, especially between Vegas and LA. I guess that it's only fair, though, considering how many times California has stood in other locations (my favorite being The Adventures of Robin Hood, in which a community park in Chico, California stood in for Sherwood Forest, England). Also amusing was the shameless rip off of Duel, but with a much less intimidating truck. I can't say that I was a huge fan of Ennio Morricone's porno soundtrack, though. What was he thinking scoring the film like that, especially the assault scenes? Anyways, yeah, it's a pretty bad movie, but I was sort of entertained by that. It probably helped that I'm a sucker for road trip terror films and I was also in a laughing mood tonight. Regardless, thanks for the "recommendation."

And Corrine Clery?

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Ahahahah!

Just saw that I have the film at 7/10 on IMDB! I should watch it again, sometime after the gialli...

Would you believe me if I told you I thought "Pranzo probably likes this" while I was watching it?

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Would you believe me if I told you I thought "Pranzo probably likes this" while I was watching it?

Absolutely. Just wondering if it came with sighs and eyes rolling!

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Absolutely. Just wondering if it came with sighs and eyes rolling!

Not at all!

 

[Puck]

Would you believe me if I told you I thought "Pranzo probably likes this" while I was watching it?

Yes. I thought the same thing watching the trailer for this movie (This looks like one for Pranzo)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9165824/

I think Pranzo might have his online persona set and locked.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Yes. I thought the same thing watching the trailer for this movie (This looks like one for Pranzo)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9165824/

I think Pranzo might have his online persona set and locked.

I think you got me wrong though! I really should go back to some 8-9-10/10 films for a while (I just don't feel I still have the brain juices to really appreciate them, and I'm really lazy). This looks like a 4, maybe 5 at best.

 

[Puck]

I think you got me wrong though! I really should go back to some 8-9-10/10 films for a while (I just don't feel I still have the brain juices to really appreciate them, and I'm really lazy). This looks like a 4, maybe 5 at best.

Perhaps you are a misunderstood film critic. Aren't we all.

I would suggest trying out The Green Knight next. It's not a horror flick but it has a supernatural side to it you might appreciate. And symbolic beheadings that need interpretation.

Invictus pointed out that the film script did not follow the original. I did not know what he meant at first. I walked into the film cold without knowing the backstory. Now that I have read some reviews I can see what he means. I also prefer the original not the film's interpretation.

Some reviews might contain spoilers but I would suggest reading the Gawain story in Wikipedia before watching the film. It discusses the original not the film and will help with watching the film later. I'm including this for everyone, not just for Pranzo. In retrospect, if I had read this before watching the film it might have helped.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight - Wikipedia

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Perhaps you are a misunderstood film critic. Aren't we all.

Well, I've been a film critic, years ago, and I've taught film studies too... but then again, I've had a lot more fun teaching zombies than Godard (I did both).

 

[Puck]

The Show, Directed by Mitch Jenkins, written by Alan Moore (more of a Moore project), 6.0+

I decided to take a peek. Just watched it. I liked it. If you saw the strange film Under the Silver Lake and liked it, you will probably also enjoy this one. Is the genre a whodunnit detective mystery, a gothic horror film, or a paranormal fantasy? A bit of everything I suppose but perhaps just an interesting dream from the mind of its creator, Alan Moore who has written V for Vendetta, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Watchmen and various superheroe stories for DC comics. In this film, he also plays Frank Middleton which explains the weird dream sequences (is he tapping his own mind in the show?). Technically, our protagonist, played by Tom Burke, is trying to retrieve a lost artifact, a stolen Rosicrucian cross. What makes the film interesting however is all the very interesting characters he comes across trying to solve the riddle. I loved the kid detectives, the voyeur superhero, the cab drivers, the voodoo doctor drug dealer, and mostly all the characters that make up the British town town of Northampton. To paraphrase Emerson in this one , it's not the destination that matters, but the journey.

 

[Chili]

Act of Violence-1949

A WWII vet is forced to confront his past when one of his victims finds him and has vengeance in mind. And the pursuit begins. It's called a 'B' film but it's well done, held my interest throughout. One of Fred Zinnemann's early films, a bit of a sneak peak of his style of some of his films to come (i.e. High Noon & The Day of the Jackal).

Suspenseful noir, stellar cast, nicely filmed. Enjoyed it.