Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate it | {Insert Appropriate Seasonal Greeting Here}
- Thread starter ProstheticConscience
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KallioWeHardlyKnewYe
Hey! We won!
- May 30, 2003
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Deep Water. An erotic thriller that isn't overly erotic nor very thrilling. I am not clamoring for a pre-quel to this but my biggest criticism is that none of the characters in the movie seem like they'd ever actually be in each other's lives, right down to minor friends. What's in the movie makes sense in that bubble but why anyone in it is in the positions they're in in the first place felt both unexplored and important. She's horny because ... she's Italian? He's mopey because ... he's rich? What's up with these people's parties? Flirts with some interesting provocations, but never really commits to any really interesting ideas. It openly begs you to mock the title. There's a bit of deus ex machina at the end of this that's some of the worst I've seen in a movie in some time. There's an incredibly annoying and out of place cute kid performance here too that also raises more questions than creates answers. All this said, everyone is very committed and in spite of its faults there is some entertainment to be had in that sorta turn-your-brain-off, kill-two-hours way. Not sure I'll ever go back to it though.
KallioWeHardlyKnewYe
Hey! We won!
- May 30, 2003
- 15,768
- 3,807
No Way Out. Sometimes you watch a movie and it's just good, right? A very good example of what it is. Nothing necessarily innovative and maybe no single aspect that hasn't been done well or better elsewhere, even with actors that all have been better in other things, but the movie itself just has all of its pieces clicking in place. And you get to the end and you don't have anything radical or necessarily insightful to say, but you're like "Damn, that was a good movie." That's No Way Out. A very 1980s thriller (in good ways) that manages to juggle a love triangle/murder plot with spy b.s. and international intrigue.
I also had this "It's just a damn good movie" experience recently with the Sidney Lumet/River Phoenix drama Running On Empty too. My brief review of which was lost in the migration and I'm too lazy to rewrite it -- but seek it out!
I also had this "It's just a damn good movie" experience recently with the Sidney Lumet/River Phoenix drama Running On Empty too. My brief review of which was lost in the migration and I'm too lazy to rewrite it -- but seek it out!
Turning red: 8/10 One of the best movie of the year with Riders of justice.
Drive My Car: 7.8/10 One of the best movie of the year. Probably the best movie with King Richard amongst the Oscar nominees.
Parallel Mothers: 7.8/10 One of the best movie of the year. The movie should have been nominated for the foreign category instead of The Hand of god.
Drive My Car: 7.8/10 One of the best movie of the year. Probably the best movie with King Richard amongst the Oscar nominees.
Parallel Mothers: 7.8/10 One of the best movie of the year. The movie should have been nominated for the foreign category instead of The Hand of god.
Manoel’s Destinies / Manoel dans l'île des merveilles (Raúl Ruiz, 1984)
After watching City of Pirates earlier, with its surrealist dream/nightmarish story, and hearing that Raúl Ruiz directed a children’s film shortly afterwards I had to track it down. Manoel’s Destinies (also known in English as Manuel on the Island of Wonders) is one of those children’s films from those ‘80s that I can’t imagine children watched. Maybe I’m wrong, I wasn’t alive during the ‘80s, but I was left thinking “I can’t believe he made this for kids”. In part this is because of its surrealist nature, although I actually think children have a lot less difficulty with surrealism than adults (have you seen children’s shows/movies?? they couldn’t be more absurd/surreal), but primarily because of some of the unsettling and frightening scenes. The film follows a boy, Manoel, who wanders into a strange garden that lets him go back and forth in time where he meets his future/past self, he also meets a strange lumberjack who tricks him into swapping bodies with him, ghosts and a sea captain and other strange and beautiful things. The plot is incomprehensible so just go with the flow and follow Ruiz’s dreams here, but he is playing with a lot of interesting philosophical ideas and approaches it with childlike wonder. Like City of Pirates, the film is desperately in need of a restoration. The only version I could track down looks like it was recorded off TV onto a VHS, so it has a grainy discoloured quality to it, though to be honest I think it enhances the dreamlike qualities of the film.
1st of 3 parts of the film
After watching City of Pirates earlier, with its surrealist dream/nightmarish story, and hearing that Raúl Ruiz directed a children’s film shortly afterwards I had to track it down. Manoel’s Destinies (also known in English as Manuel on the Island of Wonders) is one of those children’s films from those ‘80s that I can’t imagine children watched. Maybe I’m wrong, I wasn’t alive during the ‘80s, but I was left thinking “I can’t believe he made this for kids”. In part this is because of its surrealist nature, although I actually think children have a lot less difficulty with surrealism than adults (have you seen children’s shows/movies?? they couldn’t be more absurd/surreal), but primarily because of some of the unsettling and frightening scenes. The film follows a boy, Manoel, who wanders into a strange garden that lets him go back and forth in time where he meets his future/past self, he also meets a strange lumberjack who tricks him into swapping bodies with him, ghosts and a sea captain and other strange and beautiful things. The plot is incomprehensible so just go with the flow and follow Ruiz’s dreams here, but he is playing with a lot of interesting philosophical ideas and approaches it with childlike wonder. Like City of Pirates, the film is desperately in need of a restoration. The only version I could track down looks like it was recorded off TV onto a VHS, so it has a grainy discoloured quality to it, though to be honest I think it enhances the dreamlike qualities of the film.
1st of 3 parts of the film
Not that it's even close in story or genre, but all this talk of CODA keeps reminding me of the Sound of Metal (2019), which is a great movie "involving" the subject of the deaf community with a great Riz Ahmed performance. "A heavy-metal drummer's life is thrown into freefall when he begins to lose his hearing."CODA (2021) - 5/10
The good: The mostly deaf household was unique and it was interesting to see the different dynamics between deaf and hearing family members. I was impressed by the deaf actors. The story and situations were occasionally touching and got me to laugh or smile.
The bad: It did feel formulated to please and win awards. I don't always mind that, but this seemed a little too manufactured. It often felt like an after school movie. I could've used more of the unique deaf family drama and less of the cliched high school drama.
The ugly: The music teacher got on my nerves and the "Glee" portions were torturous, especially since it was the same songs over and over again. I should've muted them and pretended that I was deaf.
Basically, I liked and was interested in parts of the film and really disliked and wanted to fast forward through other parts.
By the way, was I the only one a little surprised that the plot involves a teenage girl repeatedly visiting and being alone with her male teacher in his home?
Also, I just noticed this...
The very next day...
There's a scene in CODA where a musical performance is happening and the audio is muted for 30 seconds to give the point of view of the deaf observers. It seemed really familiar and you just made me realize why. It's the very thing that Sound of Metal did a lot, since that entire film was from the point of view of a deaf person. CODA is almost entirely from the point of view of a hearing person and her experience with deaf people, not so much the experience of deaf people. So, interestingly, the two films involve the same subject, but from different perspectives.
I loved CODA but that is a personal judgement. Any review is subject to the bias of the critic. They have personal preferences. They are influenced by external and internal factors.
So best to make up your own mind and definitely never trust me....
A month ago I was sure Encanto was going to run away with Best Animated Film but Flee seems to be catching up. I'm hearing a lot of buzz about Flee lately. Flee is more adult oriented and most Oscar voters are in that demographic, so Encanto is in trouble.
Hearing good things about the Indian documentary Writing With Fire. I have it queued on my PC for a viewing. I haven't seen many of the Oscar-nominated documentaries this year, (this one is a recommendation). It will be relatively difficult to judge to the rest.
So best to make up your own mind and definitely never trust me....
A month ago I was sure Encanto was going to run away with Best Animated Film but Flee seems to be catching up. I'm hearing a lot of buzz about Flee lately. Flee is more adult oriented and most Oscar voters are in that demographic, so Encanto is in trouble.
Hearing good things about the Indian documentary Writing With Fire. I have it queued on my PC for a viewing. I haven't seen many of the Oscar-nominated documentaries this year, (this one is a recommendation). It will be relatively difficult to judge to the rest.
ProstheticConscience
Check dein Limit
Black Crab
with Swedish people, including Noomi Rapace (who always must have horrible things happen to her...what weird typecasting)
Our go-to damsel in heart-wrenching distress is Caroline Edh, an unfortunate lady in a post-apocalyptic Sweden where a brutal war has reduced just about everywhere to rubble. Somehow her "side" in the war has figured out she's a figure skater, and she's given a mission to skate across 100 knots of frozen sea to a secret base in Odo (wherever that is). She a few stock characters grab their ponchos and mysterious packages that will end the war and set off into the dangerous darkness, dodging enemy snipers, sketchy locals and any number of environmental hazards to deliver...? Pathos ensues.
Actually saw it over the weekend, but wanted to put a little space in the thread between reviews of it. Details of exactly who the sides are are kept deliberately vague, no doubt setting up the "Who are really the bad guys here?" vibe. Meh. Bleak, Scandinavian, and Rapace is of course battered and bruised both physically and emotionally. Odd little slice of the movie world she's got cornered there.
On Netflix if you've got nothing whatsoever to do. Meh.
By far the happiest moment of the movie.
with Swedish people, including Noomi Rapace (who always must have horrible things happen to her...what weird typecasting)
Our go-to damsel in heart-wrenching distress is Caroline Edh, an unfortunate lady in a post-apocalyptic Sweden where a brutal war has reduced just about everywhere to rubble. Somehow her "side" in the war has figured out she's a figure skater, and she's given a mission to skate across 100 knots of frozen sea to a secret base in Odo (wherever that is). She a few stock characters grab their ponchos and mysterious packages that will end the war and set off into the dangerous darkness, dodging enemy snipers, sketchy locals and any number of environmental hazards to deliver...? Pathos ensues.
Actually saw it over the weekend, but wanted to put a little space in the thread between reviews of it. Details of exactly who the sides are are kept deliberately vague, no doubt setting up the "Who are really the bad guys here?" vibe. Meh. Bleak, Scandinavian, and Rapace is of course battered and bruised both physically and emotionally. Odd little slice of the movie world she's got cornered there.
On Netflix if you've got nothing whatsoever to do. Meh.
By far the happiest moment of the movie.
The Ox-Bow Incident (1942) - 8/10
Two cowboys (Henry Fonda, Harry Morgan) arrive in a dusty town and find themselves caught up in a vigilante mob determined to lynch a trio of suspected cattle thieves and murderers. This very unusual western has almost no action and doesn't glorify cowboys or killing. I'd call it an anti-western, but 50 years before Unforgiven popularized the term. In fact, having just written that, I'm reading that this is Clint Eastwood's favorite film, which makes so much sense. What it does have is a lot of debate about the rights of the accused and the righteousness of mob justice. It reminded me of 12 Angry Men, not just because Fonda stars, but because it's about the moral few standing up against those eager to execute a possibly innocent person. It's sort of a trial film, itself, except that it takes place far from any courthouse. It's a serious film with a powerful ending and is not what I was expecting when I picked out a western to watch, but I loved it. I recommend it if you like darker westerns. It's on YouTube here.
Trouble in Paradise (1932) - 7/10
"A gentleman thief and a lady pickpocket join forces to con a beautiful perfume company owner." It all goes well until a love triangle develops in this romantic comedy from Ernst Lubitsch. I was delighted by how witty and funny it is and impressed by how polished and "modern" it felt for 1932. It was hard to believe that "talkies" had been around for barely 5 years, since this film relies heavily on quick dialogue and repartee. The actors (Herbert Marshall, Kay Francis and Miriam Hopkins) really get into character, perhaps hamming it up a little, but that's part of what makes it so charming. The dialogue and plot are clever. The idea of thieves teaming up to pull a bigger con reminded me of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, among other films. The fact that they do it by rigging things so that they get employed by their mark and can work from the inside reminded me of Parasite. Though it was familiar, it was neat to see where other films may've gotten some inspiration. My only disappointment is that the third act didn't feel quite as strong as the first two, probably because the humor and cleverness tailed off a bit in favor of the love triangle. Overall, it was still a very enjoyable film and I can only imagine how even more delightful it must've been in 1932, when such dialogue comedies had to have still felt very new.
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Abouna / أبونا (Mahamat-Saleh Haroun, 2002)
One evening Tamir and Amine’s father gets up and leaves over the sand dunes near their Chadian village off to another life in Morocco, never to be seen again by the two boys. Confused and upset over his disappearance the two young boys (15 and 8ish) skip school and look over him, leading them to the local cinema where they happen to see him in a locally made film. They promptly steal the film reel but get caught by the police and their mother ships them off to a koranic school in an isolated village. A coming-of-age film from Chad, this is my second film I’ve seen from director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun who deploys a patient and humanistic style much like he did in A Screaming Man. Also like A Screaming Man, despite Chad being one of the poorest countries in the world, Haroun does not direct “poverty porn”. Are hardships shown in his film? Undoubtedly, however there is a warmth and sense of community despite (or maybe in part because?) of the hard conditions in which the characters are situated and it is a great story of children growing up and into themselves and forgiving their parents. Haroun uses colour to beautiful results here, vibrant and bold colours in clothing are used in contrast to the desert setting and is used to display the beauty of Chadian life. My issue with he film is that the film is a little unfocused; I don’t think Haroun knew where the film was going to go and it felt a bit like he was making up the plot as he was going along (which I don’t have an issue in something like City of Pirates that I reviewed earlier this week as it is a surrealist film, but it doesn’t work here). I think A Screaming Man is probably a better place to start with Haroun, but this one is still worth watching. It also has a great score that I can’t get out of my head.
Also I laughed out loud that the local cinema in Chad where the two boys stole their father’s film had an advertisement for a screening of Jim Jarmusch’s Stranger than Paradise, an excellent film that I haven’t even seen screened at my local cinemas.
One evening Tamir and Amine’s father gets up and leaves over the sand dunes near their Chadian village off to another life in Morocco, never to be seen again by the two boys. Confused and upset over his disappearance the two young boys (15 and 8ish) skip school and look over him, leading them to the local cinema where they happen to see him in a locally made film. They promptly steal the film reel but get caught by the police and their mother ships them off to a koranic school in an isolated village. A coming-of-age film from Chad, this is my second film I’ve seen from director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun who deploys a patient and humanistic style much like he did in A Screaming Man. Also like A Screaming Man, despite Chad being one of the poorest countries in the world, Haroun does not direct “poverty porn”. Are hardships shown in his film? Undoubtedly, however there is a warmth and sense of community despite (or maybe in part because?) of the hard conditions in which the characters are situated and it is a great story of children growing up and into themselves and forgiving their parents. Haroun uses colour to beautiful results here, vibrant and bold colours in clothing are used in contrast to the desert setting and is used to display the beauty of Chadian life. My issue with he film is that the film is a little unfocused; I don’t think Haroun knew where the film was going to go and it felt a bit like he was making up the plot as he was going along (which I don’t have an issue in something like City of Pirates that I reviewed earlier this week as it is a surrealist film, but it doesn’t work here). I think A Screaming Man is probably a better place to start with Haroun, but this one is still worth watching. It also has a great score that I can’t get out of my head.
Also I laughed out loud that the local cinema in Chad where the two boys stole their father’s film had an advertisement for a screening of Jim Jarmusch’s Stranger than Paradise, an excellent film that I haven’t even seen screened at my local cinemas.
KallioWeHardlyKnewYe
Hey! We won!
- May 30, 2003
- 15,768
- 3,807
Pump Up the Volume. I think this is one of the best movies ever made about high school teens. About how you're different and how you're the same. About how you have so many thoughts and feelings but no where to go. About the all consuming self importance that can accompany that time in life. The characters here could easily be seen as insufferable and dramatic, but that's being a teen. The adults are almost cartoonish villains, but again a lot of adults seem that way when you're that age. Christian Slater's an actor I've always had a soft spot for (even if most of his career has been spent toeing a line between a ham sandwich and a dime store Jack Nicholson). This is among his best performances believably conveying both an almost crippling shyness and the electric anger he can only turn on when he's behind a mic. Angsty, earnest and timeless. Killer soundtrack too.
Tasty Biscuits
with fancy sauce
The French Dispatch (2021). B-
While I liked the first section fine (the second being the least enjoyable of the three), section 3 for me is where the movie is most quality (courtesy of my man Jeffrey). You can't go wrong with Wright. I found his character's musings about self-introspection to be equal parts humorous and sneakily shrewd, and his thoughts on the experience of being abroad quite poignant in its perceptiveness -- all that to say, the film is not entirely without some substance to take away.
There's always talk when a Wes Anderson movie comes out about how all his movies (especially the more recent offerings) are basically the same, and while he undeniably has a signature style, I find each film to just be slightly different enough--in "wavelengths" if you will--that if you go in expecting exactly the same thing as before, you'll be thrown for a bit of a loop at first. I've never met a Wes movie I didn't like more upon re-watch and I suspect this one will be no different.
West Side Story (2021). C+
It's not about the what, it's about the how. This of course applies to film in general, but goes doubly so for movie-musical adaptations. There is already very familiar source material in the broadway production (+ prior movie, in this case), so you're left with the classic dilemma: change too much, and you risk ruining a good thing for no reason; change too little, and it bears asking, why bother in the first place? Thankfully, the changes in Spielberg's take on this classic (which more resembles the original musical than the original movie) are all worthwhile. In particular, the new choice in character for the song "Somewhere" gives it an entirely new depth and dimension, and is the film's highlight. Well done in that regard.
What else do you look at when you've seen the same musical more than once? The casts. Sure, you've seen, say, "Book of Mormon" x amount of times, but that Elder Cunningham from the 3rd time was the most memorable. The movie fares well in this regard. Well, save for Ansel Elgort, who sings like he's in a musical, but doesn't really act like it. There's always talk of playing to the back row for stage productions vs acting for the camera for movies, and how you don't want to mix approaches, but IMO that gets thrown out the window a bit with musicals. You gotta give it that extra oomph in order to try (and ultimately, still fail, even if only a little) to capture the energy from seeing the live stage musical when it's translated to film, and while mostly everyone is up to task, Elgort plays things a bit too tight to the vest for my tastes, and stands out negatively because of this.
It's very obvious the film was made to be enjoyed with the big screen in mind, so my apologies to Mr. Spielberg for not doing so. I can see how much easier it'd have been to get swept away in the production if I were in a theater atmosphere, instead of at home on the couch (and the movie freezing 4 times), but alas. I liked the film well enough. It's good fun. It justifies its existence. I certainly don't regret the time spent watching it. I just wonder if I missed out on a superior experience. Oh well.
I had an almost embarrassing self-realization about halfway through the first section, where I thought to myself "articles from a fictional paper...why should I care?" after which I shortly realized "Pretty much everything you watch is about fictional characters, dummy, it's just the way this is presented that feels foreign." It's paper articles, but in visual form. You're bang on about the heart, which seems to be the main criticism of many. We usually associate heart with character choices in relation to other characters and forces within a film. Here, like you said, it's in everyone's collective dedication (director included) to journalism itself that the movies finds its raison d'être. Not the easiest sell, indeed.
While I liked the first section fine (the second being the least enjoyable of the three), section 3 for me is where the movie is most quality (courtesy of my man Jeffrey). You can't go wrong with Wright. I found his character's musings about self-introspection to be equal parts humorous and sneakily shrewd, and his thoughts on the experience of being abroad quite poignant in its perceptiveness -- all that to say, the film is not entirely without some substance to take away.
There's always talk when a Wes Anderson movie comes out about how all his movies (especially the more recent offerings) are basically the same, and while he undeniably has a signature style, I find each film to just be slightly different enough--in "wavelengths" if you will--that if you go in expecting exactly the same thing as before, you'll be thrown for a bit of a loop at first. I've never met a Wes movie I didn't like more upon re-watch and I suspect this one will be no different.
West Side Story (2021). C+
It's not about the what, it's about the how. This of course applies to film in general, but goes doubly so for movie-musical adaptations. There is already very familiar source material in the broadway production (+ prior movie, in this case), so you're left with the classic dilemma: change too much, and you risk ruining a good thing for no reason; change too little, and it bears asking, why bother in the first place? Thankfully, the changes in Spielberg's take on this classic (which more resembles the original musical than the original movie) are all worthwhile. In particular, the new choice in character for the song "Somewhere" gives it an entirely new depth and dimension, and is the film's highlight. Well done in that regard.
What else do you look at when you've seen the same musical more than once? The casts. Sure, you've seen, say, "Book of Mormon" x amount of times, but that Elder Cunningham from the 3rd time was the most memorable. The movie fares well in this regard. Well, save for Ansel Elgort, who sings like he's in a musical, but doesn't really act like it. There's always talk of playing to the back row for stage productions vs acting for the camera for movies, and how you don't want to mix approaches, but IMO that gets thrown out the window a bit with musicals. You gotta give it that extra oomph in order to try (and ultimately, still fail, even if only a little) to capture the energy from seeing the live stage musical when it's translated to film, and while mostly everyone is up to task, Elgort plays things a bit too tight to the vest for my tastes, and stands out negatively because of this.
It's very obvious the film was made to be enjoyed with the big screen in mind, so my apologies to Mr. Spielberg for not doing so. I can see how much easier it'd have been to get swept away in the production if I were in a theater atmosphere, instead of at home on the couch (and the movie freezing 4 times), but alas. I liked the film well enough. It's good fun. It justifies its existence. I certainly don't regret the time spent watching it. I just wonder if I missed out on a superior experience. Oh well.
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ItsFineImFine
Registered User
- Aug 11, 2019
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Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)
3.05 out of 4stars
"Ashamed that his father lived a life of crime, New York City cop Dixon has a reputation for being too tough on criminals. So when Dixon unintentionally kills a murder suspect during a routine questioning, he hides the fact from the department and tries to pin the killing on his nemesis, notorious gangster Scalise. The snag in the cop's plan comes when his boss wrongly accuses the father of Dixon's love interest of the murder."
A great gritty entertaining noir with snappy dialogue, and the whole movie can be summed up as "a story about a detective with daddy issues". I'm being facetious here obviously, but that is actually the reason for everything that happens with the protagonist, whom Dana Andrews humanizes excellently while still being displayed as a tough guy. The whole movie is really a character study of Dixon. Dixon's hate for his father transformed him into the man he is presently in this and is the reason he lives the way he does. You learn fairly early that Dixon's father, whom he hates, was a criminal, and Dixon is the way he is towards criminals because of this fact. The inner battle of Dixon's conscience takes place throughout while he acts out of hate, fear, guilt, sympathy, and sometimes even romance, albeit not the sappy kind. Dixon acts in his own tainted morally gray "ends justify the means" sort of way, bringing up discussion points on his tactics and "own form of justice". One could also say this movie to be viewed as a journey of fighting, escaping, or conquering one's past or fate/genes.
D.O.A./Dead On Arrival (1949)
2.75 out of 4stars
"Frank Bigelow, an accountant, told he's been poisoned and has only a few days to live, tries to find out who killed him and why."
A good noir mystery thriller about how the most inconspicuous events in life can become extremely meaningful. While this film isn't anywhere the top or median on thought provocation or thematical depth amongst the noir films I've seen, it still is an entertaining twist filled adventure with plenty of intrigue. I have a couple gripes, the most obvious being with the beginning set-up of "why is a man going on a week long solo vacation from his fiance he's about to marry"? Seeming for "solo bachelor party activities" and likely infidelity or "to figure out if he wants to breakup with his clingy/overbearing fiance that works directly with/for him"? Either answer doesn't help create too much sympathy out of the gate for our main protagonist or seem logical for him being alone for such an occasion aside from selfish freedoms, or at least I'd wish they built more around that background situation for mystery purposes since they chose that 'angle'. Again though, that's just a personal nitpick. And this film is an obvious inspiration for the Statham film Crank.
Vicious Fun (2020)
2.65 out of 4stars
"In 1983, a caustic film critic for a national horror magazine finds himself unwittingly trapped in a self-help group for serial killers. With no other choice, Joel attempts to blend in or risk becoming the next victim."
A good fun lighthearted comedy horror that immerses itself in killer/murderer subgenre in a very meta way. I might even go as far as calling this a satire, and obvious ode to 80's murder movies. It does a great job of bringing out the weirdness and humor in a wide range of stereotypical murderers, foolhardy gullible cops, and the foolish victim character. Finish it off with a few splashes of gore, a mysterious woman with a hidden agenda, and a synth music score and you've got yourself a movie that solidly accomplishes what it set out to do.
The Raven (1963)
2.60 out of 4stars
"In 1506, Magician Craven is still deeply depressed two years after the death of his beloved wife Lenore. One day, he's visited by magician Bedlo, who has been transformed into a raven after losing a duel to Dr. Scarabus, an evil wizard. After Craven transforms Bedlo back into a human, Bedlo claims to have seen Lenore's ghost at Scarabus' castle, prompting the two to head to Scarabus' castle to seek Craven's lost love."
An over the top comedy/parody with horror elements and includes Price, Lorre, Karloff, Corman, Matheson, and even a young Jack Nicholson attached to the project. It's definitely along the silly side, so the humor is either up your alley or you're going to find it offputting. I personally giggled throughout, especially at Lorre who is scene stealing and self deprecating. Some nice wit and slapstick mixed in here alongside a long ending wizards/magician duel. Some interesting background on the movie also. Shot in 15days, Lorre improvised a lot, Karloff was agitated by a lot of things while making the movie, Lorre and Nicholson didn't get along, etc.
X (2022)
2.90 out of 4stars
"In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film on an elderly couple's rural Texas property, but when their elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives."
A surprisingly great slasher horror movie with a plot that effectively enhances it's mood. First I want to say that the 2 horror movies I've seen from West made me believe he was ultimately mediocre, unimaginative, and boring within the genre that he revered, but X made me change my mind on these things. For starters, the plot elements of 'sex and murder' itself alongside his excellent editing techniques make this movie a very tense and thrilling ride (not to mention an unorthodox fitting score also helped). It does this alongside creating much more of a story than any slasher film 'needs', literally the first 2/3 of the film is storytelling and character building alongside some broad and narrow commentary. The last 1/3 is shocking and exciting enough to carry the film home satisfyingly, while even being a touch sad in a way. Also, some nice bits of humor are sprinkled in also showing how multifaceted this is. After that I am mixed on how much credit and high regard to give for the subtext going on throughout, part of which is only scratched upon. Some nice parallel statements and commentary are made about 'porn and horror', their movie elements, and even a debate of love vs lust (pre-meditated/planned murder vs rage/bloodlust?). Without ruining anything, other themes in the movie include youth/aging/elderly-ness, repression/regret, hope/despair, greed, and I'd even say superficiality.
The Outfit (2022)
2.60 out of 4stars
"In 1950's Chicago, an expert tailor from England, who's shop is used for mob activities, has to survive one fateful night in his shop alongside mobsters whose plans have gone sideways with adverse consequences."
A good mystery crime drama that is very similar to Reservoir Dogs. Ugh, the more I think about it, the more I see just how much of an imitation The Outfit is to Reservoir Dogs. I left the theater pleased, but I have contemplatively come to the conclusion that it steals too much to be coincidental. Don't get me wrong, there are a few parts and characteristics that make it stand on it's own, but to me it's so close to Reservoir Dogs that it isn't even funny. The 1 location setting, the trust issues/fingerpointing, the scheming, the scrambling, the 'situations gone sideways', and I could go on and on and on but won't ruin it for those curious. See for yourself if you want to judge or are interested.
3.05 out of 4stars
"Ashamed that his father lived a life of crime, New York City cop Dixon has a reputation for being too tough on criminals. So when Dixon unintentionally kills a murder suspect during a routine questioning, he hides the fact from the department and tries to pin the killing on his nemesis, notorious gangster Scalise. The snag in the cop's plan comes when his boss wrongly accuses the father of Dixon's love interest of the murder."
A great gritty entertaining noir with snappy dialogue, and the whole movie can be summed up as "a story about a detective with daddy issues". I'm being facetious here obviously, but that is actually the reason for everything that happens with the protagonist, whom Dana Andrews humanizes excellently while still being displayed as a tough guy. The whole movie is really a character study of Dixon. Dixon's hate for his father transformed him into the man he is presently in this and is the reason he lives the way he does. You learn fairly early that Dixon's father, whom he hates, was a criminal, and Dixon is the way he is towards criminals because of this fact. The inner battle of Dixon's conscience takes place throughout while he acts out of hate, fear, guilt, sympathy, and sometimes even romance, albeit not the sappy kind. Dixon acts in his own tainted morally gray "ends justify the means" sort of way, bringing up discussion points on his tactics and "own form of justice". One could also say this movie to be viewed as a journey of fighting, escaping, or conquering one's past or fate/genes.
D.O.A./Dead On Arrival (1949)
2.75 out of 4stars
"Frank Bigelow, an accountant, told he's been poisoned and has only a few days to live, tries to find out who killed him and why."
A good noir mystery thriller about how the most inconspicuous events in life can become extremely meaningful. While this film isn't anywhere the top or median on thought provocation or thematical depth amongst the noir films I've seen, it still is an entertaining twist filled adventure with plenty of intrigue. I have a couple gripes, the most obvious being with the beginning set-up of "why is a man going on a week long solo vacation from his fiance he's about to marry"? Seeming for "solo bachelor party activities" and likely infidelity or "to figure out if he wants to breakup with his clingy/overbearing fiance that works directly with/for him"? Either answer doesn't help create too much sympathy out of the gate for our main protagonist or seem logical for him being alone for such an occasion aside from selfish freedoms, or at least I'd wish they built more around that background situation for mystery purposes since they chose that 'angle'. Again though, that's just a personal nitpick. And this film is an obvious inspiration for the Statham film Crank.
Vicious Fun (2020)
2.65 out of 4stars
"In 1983, a caustic film critic for a national horror magazine finds himself unwittingly trapped in a self-help group for serial killers. With no other choice, Joel attempts to blend in or risk becoming the next victim."
A good fun lighthearted comedy horror that immerses itself in killer/murderer subgenre in a very meta way. I might even go as far as calling this a satire, and obvious ode to 80's murder movies. It does a great job of bringing out the weirdness and humor in a wide range of stereotypical murderers, foolhardy gullible cops, and the foolish victim character. Finish it off with a few splashes of gore, a mysterious woman with a hidden agenda, and a synth music score and you've got yourself a movie that solidly accomplishes what it set out to do.
The Raven (1963)
2.60 out of 4stars
"In 1506, Magician Craven is still deeply depressed two years after the death of his beloved wife Lenore. One day, he's visited by magician Bedlo, who has been transformed into a raven after losing a duel to Dr. Scarabus, an evil wizard. After Craven transforms Bedlo back into a human, Bedlo claims to have seen Lenore's ghost at Scarabus' castle, prompting the two to head to Scarabus' castle to seek Craven's lost love."
An over the top comedy/parody with horror elements and includes Price, Lorre, Karloff, Corman, Matheson, and even a young Jack Nicholson attached to the project. It's definitely along the silly side, so the humor is either up your alley or you're going to find it offputting. I personally giggled throughout, especially at Lorre who is scene stealing and self deprecating. Some nice wit and slapstick mixed in here alongside a long ending wizards/magician duel. Some interesting background on the movie also. Shot in 15days, Lorre improvised a lot, Karloff was agitated by a lot of things while making the movie, Lorre and Nicholson didn't get along, etc.
X (2022)
2.90 out of 4stars
"In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film on an elderly couple's rural Texas property, but when their elderly hosts catch them in the act, the cast find themselves fighting for their lives."
A surprisingly great slasher horror movie with a plot that effectively enhances it's mood. First I want to say that the 2 horror movies I've seen from West made me believe he was ultimately mediocre, unimaginative, and boring within the genre that he revered, but X made me change my mind on these things. For starters, the plot elements of 'sex and murder' itself alongside his excellent editing techniques make this movie a very tense and thrilling ride (not to mention an unorthodox fitting score also helped). It does this alongside creating much more of a story than any slasher film 'needs', literally the first 2/3 of the film is storytelling and character building alongside some broad and narrow commentary. The last 1/3 is shocking and exciting enough to carry the film home satisfyingly, while even being a touch sad in a way. Also, some nice bits of humor are sprinkled in also showing how multifaceted this is. After that I am mixed on how much credit and high regard to give for the subtext going on throughout, part of which is only scratched upon. Some nice parallel statements and commentary are made about 'porn and horror', their movie elements, and even a debate of love vs lust (pre-meditated/planned murder vs rage/bloodlust?). Without ruining anything, other themes in the movie include youth/aging/elderly-ness, repression/regret, hope/despair, greed, and I'd even say superficiality.
The Outfit (2022)
2.60 out of 4stars
"In 1950's Chicago, an expert tailor from England, who's shop is used for mob activities, has to survive one fateful night in his shop alongside mobsters whose plans have gone sideways with adverse consequences."
A good mystery crime drama that is very similar to Reservoir Dogs. Ugh, the more I think about it, the more I see just how much of an imitation The Outfit is to Reservoir Dogs. I left the theater pleased, but I have contemplatively come to the conclusion that it steals too much to be coincidental. Don't get me wrong, there are a few parts and characteristics that make it stand on it's own, but to me it's so close to Reservoir Dogs that it isn't even funny. The 1 location setting, the trust issues/fingerpointing, the scheming, the scrambling, the 'situations gone sideways', and I could go on and on and on but won't ruin it for those curious. See for yourself if you want to judge or are interested.
Thucydides
Registered User
- Dec 24, 2009
- 8,164
- 851
Thucydides
Registered User
- Dec 24, 2009
- 8,164
- 851
Don't know how I've missed it all these years but I just watched Almost Famous for the first time and yeah, it's awesome.
Cast, script, soundtrack.
All top notch. 10/10.
Cast, script, soundtrack.
All top notch. 10/10.
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
One of my biggest contrarian pick in 21st century films. Never understood the hype, personally.
I've always felt like I was born 30 years too late and that I should have grown up during the 60/70's, so movies like this and Dazed and Confused really strike a chord with me.
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
Definitely love Dazed and Confused which feels a lot more organic to me, which is funny because IIRC, Almost Famous is based on Cameron Crowe's youth.
Yeah, Dazed is absolutely amazing, and yeah AF is a semi autobiography. The idea of being a 15 year old kid touring with The Allman Brothers and having behind the scenes access to some of the biggest names in rock history blows my mind. Didn't know a whole lot about Cameron Crowe until I watched AF but holy crap the man had a pretty interesting youth.
TheDoldrums
Registered User
Been watching some of the best picture nominees this week. Overall I think it's a bunch of solid movies, albeit pretty uninspired. I had some positives and issues with all of them.
the power of the dog 7/10
Great performances but my word, this thing seems to be on a mission to be as subtle and slow-burn as possible. And I usually have a high amount of patience for this style. Malick and PTA are my two favourite directors and even I thought there could be more going on. It's a great story that could have been told much more economically without missing much imo.
coda - 6/10
Kind of typifies the uninspired feeling I got from this crop of movies. There isn't a single surprising beat in the story. I do think the cast was likeable overall and found it enjoyable, but I'll be pretty disappointed if this wins Best Picture.
nightmare alley 6/10
Another film without any real surprises. This one really let me down because I feel like the genre is rife for twists but like...nah. But as the haunted drifter "Stan" Bradley Cooper delivers his best performance since portraying "Sack Lodge" in Wedding Crashers
don't look up 6/10
this is a SNL sketch stretched over two hours, like it's one joke being told repeatedly. But I was still entertained by the characters and comedy. Jonah Hill comes across like a Veep character which is a very good thing
licorice pizza 8.5/10
this is one of my least favourite PTA films, which still comfortably slots ahead of the other stuff because even a washed (joking) genius still shows flashes. Obviously not reaching the heights of his immaculate run from 1997-2012 where basically everything he made was 10/10. Impressive lead performances from debut actors. Great cameos and music as you would expect from Paul Thomas Anderson making a movie in 70's LA.
the power of the dog 7/10
Great performances but my word, this thing seems to be on a mission to be as subtle and slow-burn as possible. And I usually have a high amount of patience for this style. Malick and PTA are my two favourite directors and even I thought there could be more going on. It's a great story that could have been told much more economically without missing much imo.
coda - 6/10
Kind of typifies the uninspired feeling I got from this crop of movies. There isn't a single surprising beat in the story. I do think the cast was likeable overall and found it enjoyable, but I'll be pretty disappointed if this wins Best Picture.
nightmare alley 6/10
Another film without any real surprises. This one really let me down because I feel like the genre is rife for twists but like...nah. But as the haunted drifter "Stan" Bradley Cooper delivers his best performance since portraying "Sack Lodge" in Wedding Crashers
don't look up 6/10
this is a SNL sketch stretched over two hours, like it's one joke being told repeatedly. But I was still entertained by the characters and comedy. Jonah Hill comes across like a Veep character which is a very good thing
licorice pizza 8.5/10
this is one of my least favourite PTA films, which still comfortably slots ahead of the other stuff because even a washed (joking) genius still shows flashes. Obviously not reaching the heights of his immaculate run from 1997-2012 where basically everything he made was 10/10. Impressive lead performances from debut actors. Great cameos and music as you would expect from Paul Thomas Anderson making a movie in 70's LA.
Across the Pacific (1942) - 7/10
Before America's entrance into WWII, a disgraced officer boards a Japanese ship headed for the Orient via the Panama Canal and finds himself in an international plot. It's a spy thriller notable for reuniting director John Huston and actors Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet and Mary Astor after they worked together on The Maltese Falcon the previous year. It's also notable because the original script had Bogart disrupting a Japanese plot to attack Pearl Harbor and had to be changed when, during pre-production, the Japanese actually attacked Pearl Harbor. I thought that this was entertaining and well paced. I enjoyed the playful and sarcastic flirting between Bogie and Astor early on. Later on, intrigue builds, things get more serious and it feels like every character has a secret. The last half hour features action in Panama. None of the characters reach the Pacific. I guess that this was the title before they had to do the re-write and they didn't bother to change it or they figured that it'd help ticket sales. Anyways, it's certainly not a classic like The Maltese Falcon or even one of Bogart's better films, but I still enjoyed it.
Passage to Marseille (1944) - 7/10
Set during the Nazi invasion of France, five men are picked up by a French ship and tell the story of how they came to be adrift. It's another reunion, this time with director Michael Curtiz and Humphrey Bogart, Claude Rains, Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet working together again after Casablanca two years earlier. Needless to say, it isn't nearly that good, but I still found it to be a good WWII film. It's obvious that it was made to be very pro-French, so you might call it a wartime "propaganda" film, but it seemed like it was with good intentions, save for one notable scene near the end. The film's most distinctive feature, though, is its awkward structure that features a flashback within a flashback within a flashback. No joke... 15 minutes in, a character starts to tell a story, then a character in his story eventually tells a story of another character, who then eventually tells the story of another character. It felt like Inception. At least all of the stories are interesting and come together eventually. Bogart plays a Frenchman, but doesn't attempt an accent because he's Bogart. Something that I found unintentionally funny is that there's a scene in which he tells a guest to "sit down," and the guest cheerfully says "thanks," so it was evidently scripted to be cordial, but Bogart is unable to say "sit down" without it sounding like it's an order at gunpoint. Anyways, the film has a little mystery (who the adrift men are) in the first act, drama in the middle act and then a lot of action in the final act. I found it entertaining, especially by the end, and in spite of its unorthodox structure.
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Chili
Time passes when you're not looking
- Jun 10, 2004
- 8,778
- 4,900
Roman Holiday-1953
A princess tired of her sheltered life, sneaks out of the residence where she is staying in Rome. This leads to meeting a newspaperman and her taking a Ferris Bueller type of day off from her duties. Great scenic shots of Rome as the Princess enjoys her day of freedom.
Too bad it's not in colour (which William Wyler acknowledged) otherwise, just a wonderful, timeless film thanks to Audrey Hepburn's charismatic performance.
The Next Three Days-2010
A man's wife is convicted of killing her boss. Believing her innocence, after all legal means are exhausted, he forms a plan to gain her freedom. The camera tells much of the story as his plan progresses. Well done, suspenseful.
No Highway in the Sky-1951
An engineer believes he has discovered a dangerous flaw in an aircraft's design. It's only a theory but his airline sends him to a recent crash site to further investigate. En route, he learns that the aircraft he is on is approaching the danger point based on his theory. Gripping, edge of the seat drama as the flight unfolds. There is a bit of Harvey in Jimmy Stewart's performance (Harvey was made the year before with the same director). Fine cast, enjoyed this film. Available on YouTube.
Knight Without Armour-1937
Robert Donat (The 39 Steps) on the run again. This time his companion, the Countess (Marlene Dietrich), is the hunted. The setting is the October Revolution and as an aristocrat, she faces execution if caught and identified. Good production values brings the constant danger to life. A couple of memorable shots, the Countess outside her estate searching for her maid being suddenly surrounded by a couple of hundred angry men. Another, a train carrying people fleeing the war zone, with dozens riding on top of the rail cars. Reminded me some of Dr Zhivago. Interesting historical drama. Also on YouTube.
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