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

[Spring in Fialta]

Velvet Underground (2021) Directed by Todd Haynes 8A (documentary)

The band was not a conventional rock band and Velvet Underground in a not a conventional rock documentary. Todd Haynes, not my favourite director (Carol; Far from Heaven), seemed an odd choice initially to be involved in this film and then I remembered his curious approach to Bob Dylan (I'm Not There) and the connection made more sense. For a California guy, Haynes has a very good grasp of the '60s New York avant-garde art scene and he plugs the band right into it. This is a rock doc that is all about context and focuses on each of the original members, not just the querolous Lou Reed and the classically-trained lover of musical chaos John Cale who wanted to make music that was both elegant and brutal. Indeed, Cale especially makes for a great interview. Most of the film is devoted to the early days of the band, how they came together, how they teethed on the gay bar scene, and how they eventually were championed by and fit right in with Andy Warhol. As in real life, Nico comes...and she goes. Making good use of seldom seen archival footage, Haynes finds an interesting visual style with reference to the split-screen effects that first emerged in the '60s. At the moment the only rock bio that I can think of that is better is Martin Scorsese's in-depth take on George Harrison, Living in the Material World. High praise, in other words.

Sidenote: Shareefruck, wherever you are, we need you to review this one.


Best of '21 so far

1, The Power of the Dog, Campion, US
2. Drive My Car, Yamaguchi, Japan
3. The Cloud in Her Room, Zheng, China
4. Annette, Carax, US
5. Bergman Island, Hansen-Love, France
6. Identifying Features, Valadez, Mexico
7. Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue, Jia, China (documentary)
8. Azor, Fontana, Argentina
9. Velvet Underground, Haynes, US (documentary)
10. The Green Knight, Lowery, US

Where did you see this?

I want to watch this and I have Power of Dog comping up.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Where did you see this?

I want to watch this and I have Power of Dog comping up.

Streaming through AppleTV in the U.S.

 

[Osprey]

Hot Dog...The Movie (1984) - 4/10
A comedy about young people getting their thrills on and off of the ski slopes. Started OK, but quickly went downhill.

Hamburger: The Motion Picture (1986) - 5/10
A follow-up to Hot Dog that rips off Police Academy. No shortage of burgers, buns or Butkus. Should've been called Cheeseburger: The Motion Picture.

Chicken Sandwich: The Musical (1988) - 10/10
OK, I just made this one up, but I'd totally watch it.

 

[NyQuil]

Hot Dog...The Movie (1984) - 4/10
A comedy about young people hotdogging on and off of the ski slopes. Breathtaking visuals outdoors and in. Started OK, but quickly went downhill.

Hamburger: The Motion Picture (1986) - 5/10
A follow-up to Hot Dog that rips off Police Academy. No shortage of burgers, buns or Butkus. Should've been called Cheeseburger: The Motion Picture.

Chicken Sandwich: The Musical (1988) - 10/10
Ok, I just made this one up.

Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) is the missing element.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Hot Dog...The Movie (1984) - 4/10
A comedy about young people hotdogging on and off of the ski slopes. Attractive visuals outdoors and in. Started OK, but quickly went downhill.

Hamburger: The Motion Picture (1986) - 5/10
A follow-up to Hot Dog that rips off Police Academy. No shortage of burgers, buns or Butkus. Should've been called Cheeseburger: The Motion Picture.

Chicken Sandwich: The Musical (1988) - 10/10
Ok, I just made this one up.

If you like skiing, Better Off Dead (1985) is a much more enjoyable watch than Hot Dog.

 

[kihei]

The Guardian's Best of 2021 is out again. The top 10 countdown is on for a short period.

The 50 best films of 2021 in the US: 50-9

There is a UK and US version. I think the Guardian's film critics argue across the pond so they make up two voters list. (the results are from 2 sets of critics, so they differ slightly)

Really glad to see that Identifying Features made both lists. Definitely one of the best films of the year that too few have seen.

 

[Osprey]

If you like skiing, Better Off Dead (1985) is a much more enjoyable watch than Hot Dog.

I agree. I watched and reviewed it a few months ago and it's what led me to Hot Dog. Thanks, anyways.

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

 

[kihei]

The Rescue (2021) Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin 8A (documentary)

Probably people will remember this incident as soon as I mention it. In 2018, twelve young soccer players and their coach got trapped very deep in a flooded cave in Thailand. The ordeal lasted close to three weeks. You gotta see this documentary.

The Rescue is the most suspenseful movie that I have seen in a long, long time, this despite me remembering how the story ended. The events that take place in this film are approximately 100 times more astounding than the plot of any thriller you wish to name. My jaw was constantly dropping for a variety of reasons. Thai Navy Seals tried to rescue the boys, but though they are considered among the very most elite of their kind in the world, they didn't have the right expertise to swim for several kiloometers in pitch black darkness in torrentially flooded caves. Eventually the situation became so desperate that a few middle-aged British men who were weekend hobbyists (!) were called upon to to do the hard work of finding out whether anyone was still alive and getting them out safely if that was possible. These guys and a doctor pal who entered into the equation later were ingenious in coming up with impossible solutions that they somehow made work. I'm not going to give away any more of what happens. And I can only give away as much as I have because when you watch this documentary, you still won't believe what you are seeing Or how this doc was even shot, for that matter. The Rescue has flaws--more should have been heard from the Thai families who suffered through this great ordeal. Nonetheless, The Rescue is just outrageously gripping. As well, it will make you feel good about humans for a change, about all the British and Thai and US and Chinese and Australian and European people who played important roles in this story. The Rescue is a feel-good movie that earns its status honourably--an absolute must-see and perfect for family viewing (though quite possibly too intense for young children). Of course, there may be one side effect: you may never step into a cave again.


Best of '21 so far

1, The Power of the Dog, Campion, US
2. Drive My Car, Yamaguchi, Japan
3. The Cloud in Her Room, Zheng, China
4. Annette, Carax, US
5. Bergman Island, Hansen-Love, France
6. Identifying Features, Valadez, Mexico
7. Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue, Jia, China (documentary)
8. Azor, Fontana, Argentina
9. The Rescue, Vasarhelyi and Chin, Thailand/UK (documentary)
10. Velvet Underground, Haynes, US (documentary)

 

[Puck]

Really glad to see that Identifying Features made both lists. Definitely one of the best films of the year that too few have seen.

There are many there I had not heard of (let's say more than usual). Thanks for the tip on Identifying Features, will look for it.

The Power of the Dog has been available for awhile but on the surface, I was never really interested. Of course you can't tell a book by it's cover, it's getting great reviews everywhere, I will watch it around Xmastime.

I would vote that 2021 has NOT been a good year for movies. But that might be just me. I might have gotten a bit cranky during the pandemic lockdowns. So it might be me and not the films. (not sure)

p.s. I have not seen 8 of the 10 films on your top ten list yet, so there is still hope for 2021 I suppose.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

I agree. I watched and reviewed it a few months ago and it's what led me to Hot Dog. Thanks, anyways.

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

Glad you liked it.

Apparently John Cusack saw the screening and walked out after 20 minutes because he hated it (he claimed it made him look like a fool).

Ironically Cusack helped Savage Steve edit the film.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

If you like skiing, Better Off Dead (1985) is a much more enjoyable watch than Hot Dog.

I must have seen that movie about a hundred times between 1985 and 1990...

 

[kihei]

There are many there I had not heard of (let's say more than usual). Thanks for the tip on Identifying Features, will look for it.

The Power of the Dog has been available for awhile but on the surface, I was never really interested. Of course you can't tell a book by it's cover, it's getting great reviews everywhere, I will watch it around Xmastime.

I would vote that 2021 has NOT been a good year for movies. But that might be just me. I might have gotten a bit cranky during the pandemic lockdowns. So it might be me and not the films. (not sure)

p.s. I have not seen 8 of the 10 films on your top ten list yet, so there is still hope for 2021 I suppose.

while the year is getting better, I think it is the weakest I cam remember this century. If it wasn't for some good docs, the year would be pathetic.

I noticed, too, that more obscure movies are making people's lists than in the past. Partly that's because of the quality of the year. But I think the big reason is movie viewing has become so fragmented . This was the trend anyway, but the pandemic makes it worse. It all depends on what streaming services one watches. No longer does a viewer have general access to everything, legally anyway.

 

[kihei]

My error

 

[kihei]

Between this, Get Back and The Sparks Brothers it's been a pretty good year for compelling rock documentaries.

Even the lower tier of rock docs I've watched this year have all been fairly solid — Bee Gees, Kenny G, DMX, Zappa, Alanis Morisette.

Add the Brian Wilson doc Long Promised Road.

 

[Shareefruck]

The New King of Comedy (2019) by Stephen Chow - 1.5 or 2.0 (Neutral/Positive)
Tried this on a whim, and while I don't love it, it's Chow's strongest since Kung Fu Hustle after a string of forgettable or outright bad movies.

Broadly about an extra who loves acting and continually grinds through the process hopelessly in a bleakly/darkly comedic way. Pays tribute to failed actors, with extras played by real extras, including the lead actress, who's great and basically lives the role in real life (ironically, the only time a Stephen Chow movie succeeded without him as the lead). Supporting cast has fun quirks that are well performed too.

Chow's sensibilities when he's in this mode feels unique to me-- aggressively miserable/unsavory in a totally emotionally manipulative, yet weirdly sincere way, occasionally bitterly sweet/absurd, with certain comedic charms and eccentricities that are distinctly his. The movie ends up getting a bit meta and art-imitates-life in a way that's neat, but the conclusion that it leaves you with feels unsatisfying, questionable, and contrived to me.

Makes me want to see if King of Comedy holds up on rewatch, as it shares similar DNA but is far more beloved. (not a remake, btw, just similar ideas/tone)

 

[Puck]

while the year is getting better, I think it is the weakest I cam remember this century. If it wasn't for some good docs, the year would be pathetic.

I noticed, too, that more obscure movies are making people's lists than in the past. Partly that's because of the quality of the year. But I think the big reason is movie viewing has become so fragmented . This was the trend anyway, but the pandemic makes it worse. It all depends on what streaming services one watches. No longer does a viewer have general access to everything, legally anyway.

Agreed. The business model in the movie industry is changing rapidly, the last medium to be adversely affected by modern tech, with recent moves accelerated by the pandemic. Bit torrents are affecting the bottom line like Napster did for music. Tech is blowing a hole in the major studios obscurantist accounting policies; I'm not shedding any tears there. Mostly teens and younger people still going to brick and mortar theatres though and the content reflects that today more than ever (horror flicks, superheroes and futuristic fantasy). More senior content is flowing more to paid streaming for folks sitting on the couch.

The indies and art-house flicks are still doing somewhat ok but looks like Hollywood is careful where it puts its investments (fewer big budget old-fashioned Hollywood movies)

 

[kihei]

There are many there I had not heard of (let's say more than usual). Thanks for the tip on Identifying Features, will look for it.

I just remembered. It's still available to rent at TIFF.net. Once you get to the site, click TIFF digital screenings. Rumage around a bit through the offerings and you will find it as well as many other fine films. The site is like having an international film theatre in your living room.

 

[kihei]

The Unforgivable (2021) Directed by Norma Fingscheidt 3A

An ex-con cop killer (Sandra Bullock) is released from prison after twenty years and has to find her way in a society that still holds a sizeable grudge against her. Okay, fine. But why isn't that enough to make a good movie about? But, no, we get revengeful sons of the deceased, an estranged sister, a really nice guy love interest, a bleeding heart lawyer, a bleeding heart lawyer's bleading heart wife, and great whacking glops of melodrama and sentimentality. Nobody is going to find this shit interesting. Yet, we get stories like this in the name of escapism. Well, damn, how much escapism do we need? I get enough watching sports, do I need movies like this as well? What kind of miserable life would require escapism at this level? And why do people seem to need escapism all the time? Real people's lives are less predictable than these endless cookie-cutter atrocities that get churned out by Hollywood, so why not weave stories out of real lives? I would take every single person involved with this film, pin their eyes back ala A Clockwork Orange and have them watch Manchester by the Sea a hundred times or until they finally figure it out--it is possible to make staight stories about humans being human which are infinitely more interesting than the horseshit that Hollywood usually dreams up.

Netflixx

 

[Osprey]

Sandra Bullock as a cop killer? What's next, Tom Hanks as a pedophile or Bill Cosby as a rapist?

If a 3A makes you swear twice, kihei, I'd hate to see what a 1A or 2A review is like. Actually, scratch that. I'd love to see that. I can recommend a few Bruce Willis films to you.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Actually, it makes me think @kihei, do you have an actual saving of your lowest ratings of all-time?

 

[kihei]

Actually, it makes me think @kihei, do you have an actual saving of your lowest ratings of all-time?

No, I don't. To me these movies are ultimately unmemorable, so I never bothered. Why give them that much thought? It never seemed worth it.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

No, I don't. To me these movies are ultimately unmemorable, so I never bothered. Why give them that much thought? It never seemed worth it.

Because it's funny!

I'll go to my grave thinking that there's as much to say about bad art than there is to say about good art. The only time someone should refrain is when they have a public platform and could hurt someone's pocket (i.e., if you're famous/influential, never be mean about a living artist's work. I think it's poor form.).

 

[Spring in Fialta]

The New King of Comedy (2019) by Stephen Chow - 1.5 or 2.0 (Neutral/Positive)
Tried this on a whim, and while I don't love it, it's Chow's strongest since Kung Fu Hustle after a string of forgettable or outright bad movies.

Broadly about an extra who loves acting and continually grinds through the process hopelessly in a bleakly/darkly comedic way. Pays tribute to failed actors, with extras played by real extras, including the lead actress, who's great and basically lives the role in real life (ironically, the only time a Stephen Chow movie succeeded without him as the lead). Supporting cast has fun quirks that are well performed too.

Chow's sensibilities when he's in this mode feels unique to me-- aggressively miserable/unsavory in a totally emotionally manipulative, yet weirdly sincere way, occasionally bitterly sweet/absurd, with certain comedic charms and eccentricities that are distinctly his. The movie ends up getting a bit meta and art-imitates-life in a way that's neat, but the conclusion that it leaves you with feels unsatisfying, questionable, and contrived to me.

Makes me want to see if King of Comedy holds up on rewatch, as it shares similar DNA but is far more beloved. (not a remake, btw, just similar ideas/tone)

I can't recommend The King of Comedy enough. So good.

 

[Shareefruck]

I kind of side with Kihei about the lowest ratings thing. Anything that doesn't reach a certain threshold of worthwhile may as well just all be zeroes for me. That's kind of why I curve my rating scale the way I do. I hate how conventional scales leave half of the ratings for the bad movies (or in some cases, 70% of it)

I can't recommend The King of Comedy enough. So good.

Yeah, I remember liking it a lot, but it's been a while.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

I kind of side with Kihei about the lowest ratings thing. Anything that doesn't reach a certain threshold of worthwhile may as well just all be zeroes for me. That's kind of why I curve my rating scale the way I do.

Yeah, I remember liking it a lot, but it's been a while.

Oh, I totally get where he's coming from and my reply isn't an argument, just that for me, zeroes are worth a shit, so to speak. I can feel almost as strongly about my dislike for something as I do about my love for it and think it can be just as worth talking about or as memorable.