Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate it | {Insert Appropriate Seasonal Greeting Here}

[OzzyFan]

I think you are right about the "D," and I will change the score accordingly. It's odd perhaps, but I didn't think of Mad God as torture porn when I watched it. But now that you mention it, that's a good description of huge, great whacking chunks of the thing.

On the other hand, how could such a detailed vision of hell by definition be anything but torture porn?--thats the nature of the place. Distressing as Mad God is, it seems to me a defensible work of art whose primary impact is experiential rather than intellectual, at least on first viewing (though a second viewing won't be arriving for me any time soon).

But it is completely understandable to me why perhaps most people would not choose to experience this vision. I'm not saying it is up there with Dante's Inferno or anything close, but I think one could draw comparisons to some of Hieronymus Bosch's paintings. In this modern, secular age, it almost comes as a shock that such coherent visions of hell continue to have such power over our minds.

I think at the end of the day, you are more correct in your examination of the material just due to the fact that you look at it for how it was made to be interpreted more than I do. Even if I may be right about the D rating difficulty of sitting through or absorbing the material, it at the end of the day is what it was meant to be, an experiential artsy film about some sort of hell, which is by definition a place full of "torture porn". Now torture porn elements are presented a bit differently than your "mainstream torture porn movies", albeit still the same heart and meat definitely. Relative quality of the film I believe we are also pretty close on, albeit you are a touch higher in your view of it, likely because my personal take on the material. And I think that at the end of the day is the difference. All said and done, I didn't really watch it because the story anyway, I watched it for it's technical stop motion achievements, but I don't know if I personally could recommend it to anyone to view for that just because the harshness of the material and no-narrative/no-dialogue characteristics. That said, if anyone has an interest in seeing a technically skilled dark vision of hell, Mad God is a worthy enough ticket to ride.

 

[Pink Mist]

Chess of the Wind / شطرنج باد (Mohammad Reza Aslani, 1976)

Sometimes you never know what you’re going to find at an antique shop. Chess of the Wind was a film released just prior to the 1979 Iranian Revolution and was screened only once before being banned due to its content. Rough VHS bootlegs of the film were passed around between hardcore cinephiles, but the negatives of the film were presumed lost. That is until 2014 when the director’s son found negative prints of the film at the back of a thrift store, and it was restored into 4K in 2020 by Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project.

Chess of the Wind is set in 1920s and follows a paralyzed woman who is the heir to the fortune of an aristocratic family. However, her house if full of individuals eager to take that fortune off her hands: her cruel husband, stepchildren/nephews (I missed exactly what their relations were), the maid. After she kills her husband and dissolves the body in acid, she is haunted by his ghost. It is easy to see why this film would get banned under censorship laws in Iran, there is a very subversive streak to the film not only its comments on gender and class in Iranian society, but I was surprised to see lesbianism in the film too. The film itself is beautiful, well shot and with top tier set design – if you love Persian carpets this is the film for you as the sets are heads to toe covered in gorgeous rugs. The film also plays a lot with genre, starting out like a Shakespearian drama about the aristocracy, transitioning to a mystery film, before ending almost like a giallo film. The restoration itself is amazing, I don’t know how these things work or what the conditions of the negatives were, but you could not tell that this film was once lost. A gem of a discovery for the film community and worth seeking out – I was fortunate to see it in 4K in theatres.

 

[guinness]

Lucky Night - (1939)

Picture-making persisted, a tiresome necessity in a chaotic world. A lame bit of whimsy called Lucky Night was co-written by Vincent Lawrence, who, strangely enough, did so well with Test Pilot. The studio thought it would be a good idea to team me with Robert Taylor, Metro’s reigning heartthrob. Our first day on the set I played records, which we did sometimes to fill those endless waits between shots. In fact, Joan Crawford employed someone just to operate her phonograph. I was listening to some wonderful Cuban music when Robert Taylor approached: “Do you have to play that sexy stuff all the time? It’s the dirtiest music I ever heard.” That was my first day with him. I thought, Oh, brother!

He was a bit stuffy, but we got along all right—during the picture, that is; later on I didn’t get along with him. He became one of the tattletales, one of the guys who named innocent names to the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947. Come to think of it, he acted somewhat deviously on Lucky Night. He was engaged to Barbara Stanwyck, whom I always liked, but for some reason he tried to cook up a little triangle; he wanted her to think I was after him. Barbara’s maid mentioned this to Theresa, who assured her that nothing could have been farther from the truth. I’m not sure Barbara believed her, because on the last day of shooting she came by in a limousine and whisked him off to be married.

Loy, Myrna. Being and Becoming (p. 212). Dean Street Press. Kindle Edition.

Her and Taylor had terrific chemistry is this movie, but I couldn't make sense of the plot:

A wealthy woman meets a bum on a park bench and marries him the same evening. (IMDB summary)

It's ridiculous, and it's non sensical, but the movie actually started off well enough, somewhat screwball and madcap.

But the it was the aftermath of the marriage, beginning with the following day - the movie didn't know where to go, how to grow the characters. Her character just wanted to settle down, he wanted to keep living frivolously and couldn't grow up, wanted to drink and be merry.

I suppose like a shotgun Vegas wedding, no one should've been surprised that it didn't work out.

However, like too many of these movies I've been watching lately, the ending just wraps things up too quick, too neat, too nicely (it does work out...why? Stupid. Characters too stupid to thrive).

5/10. I really enjoyed the chemistry between the leads, but the story was schizophrenic or bi-polar.

And also because I've watched a ton of Loy movies, it slowly dawned on me, the number of hats she wore. I get that it must have been the style back then, but some of them were really awful. Thankfully, I wasn't the only to notice:

Friday Foto Follies: Myrna Loy’s Hats – Once upon a screen… (aurorasginjoint.com)

 

[The Macho King]

Myrna Loy is amazing and I love her and she's a 10/10 even if the movie is a 3.

 

[shadow1]

The Big Lebowski (1998) - 10/10

A rare 10 for me. I was probably the last person on earth to see this movie. The Dude has been a pop culture icon for decades, but I somehow didn't watch The Big Lebowski until 2020. I assumed it was a straight comedy that wasn't going to match my tastes.

In reality, it's a noir film with comedy in it, and lots of commentary on classism and society in general. The Dude represents the far left, Walter represents the far right, and Donnie represents everyone else - stuck in the middle, struggling the keep up with current events (and being told to shut up when he asks about them), and is just content enjoying his hobby. Donnie spends all his time bowling as The Dude and Walter sit around and make (mostly bad) decisions driven by their respective ideologies.

At the end of the movie, there's only partial resolution. Bunny Lebowski was never actually kidnapped, so the "mystery" is solved. Every other event of the movie turned out driven by greed, miscommunication, poor decision making, and self interest. There's no real character development or lessons learned. Aside from one dead Donnie - who had no part in driving the events of the movie but is the only collateral damage - everyone is the same as when we met them. Things happened, life moves on.

 

[The Macho King]

The Big Lebowski (1998) - 10/10

A rare 10 for me. I was probably the last person on earth to see this movie. The Dude has been a pop culture icon for decades, but I somehow didn't watch The Big Lebowski until 2020. I assumed it was a straight comedy that wasn't going to match my tastes.

In reality, it's a noir film with comedy in it, and lots of commentary on classism and society in general. The Dude represents the far left, Walter represents the far right, and Donnie represents everyone else - stuck in the middle, struggling the keep up with current events (and being told to shut up when he asks about them), and is just content enjoying his hobby. Donnie spends all his time bowling as The Dude and Walter sit around and make (mostly bad) decisions driven by their respective ideologies.

At the end of the movie, there's only partial resolution. Bunny Lebowski was never actually kidnapped, so the "mystery" is solved. Every other event of the movie turned out driven by greed, miscommunication, poor decision making, and self interest. There's no real character development or lessons learned. Aside from one dead Donnie - who had no part in driving the events of the movie but is the only collateral damage - everyone is the same as when we met them. Things happened, life moves on.

I don't know if I *quite* agree with your take on the political message of Walter, Dude, and Donnie, but otherwise I like your take.

Regarding your spoiler:

Spoiler

Considering the main "antagonists" (such as they are) are nihilists, the ending itself with its rather unsatisfying conclusion vis a vis character development, plot resolution, etc. is itself kinda nihilistic. I don't know if that's the intention or not, but it gives an interesting thread that runs through it all.

Also I can't f***ing believe you didn't see it until recently, just because it's Coen Bros. and they don't really do simple films. Whoever gave you that impression I want to take a baseball bat and go to town on their corvette.

 

[guinness]

To be fair, I don’t think the Big Lebowski was popular when it came out.

Although, I started to play Big Lebowski for my dad once, and he couldn’t get into it at all.

Which I can understand. Collectively, I think it’s great, but I would struggle to explain it. Maybe that’s why it didn’t do great when it was first released.

 

[The Macho King]

To be fair, I don’t think the Big Lebowski was popular when it came out.

Although, I started to play Big Lebowski for my dad once, and he couldn’t get into it at all.

Which I can understand. Collectively, I think it’s great, but I would struggle to explain it. Maybe that’s why it didn’t do great when it was first released.

Before I saw it (in like 2001 or so I think?), I always linked it with that Woody Harrelson comedy Kingpin. I don't know if they came out around the same time, but "funny movie with bowling" seemed to have a lot of overlap there.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970) - 7/10

Early sci-fi AI film where an AI meant to protect mankind goes rogue. I think from that description you know how the film will go. Of course it's a 70s film so it's more talkative no terminator style action here. It's a solid film but starts to slow down in the second half and peters out into an unsatisfying ending due to its short runtime.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Sorceress. (1982 one). A classic good-bad movie though I have to admit I genuinely liked the dated special effects and the general costumes/set design. Definitely cheap but it doesn't look cheap the way some cheap movies look cheap. I won't say too much about this schlocky sword-and-sorcery flick, so as to save its many surprises, but if you're a fan of one-star quality but four-star entertainment value, check this out.

Arcade. A classic bad-bad movie. Director Albert Pyun is bad but he's been better than this (JCVD's Cyborg is pretty fun). Same for producer Charles Band. You'll recognize several of the actors. It was an early script by David Koepp! So there's some talent here. Script feels like a Nightmare on Elm Street rehash, but with none of the fun. There are many things to criticize but it's hard to see anything other than the special effects which were probably bad in the moment and are among the worst I've ever seen in a mainstream-ish movie. I'd say you have to see them to believe, but I don't want to put that evil on you.

 

[nameless1]

If you didn't enjoy Police Story 2, hopefully you're still willing to check out Police Story 3 (aka Supercop).

Police Story 3 is one of Jackie Chan's more well known/better movies. The action is ramped back up, and co-star Michelle Yeoh matches Jackie with great stunts of her own. It's more of a loose sequel to the first two though, with only a couple supporting characters returning (in smaller roles).

Man, the stunts in Police Story 3 are insane. Chan was at his absolute peak at this point, physically and creatively, and along with Drunken Master 2, those two featured some of the best action cinematography in the history of cinema. Even though he still had a couple more good years afterwards, they still do not match up to his works from 1992 to 1994.

 

[nameless1]

Night of the Comet (1984) - 6/10

After a comet wipes out nearly all life on Earth, two valley girls (Catherine Mary Stewart, Kelli Maroney) go to the mall, fight over the last boy alive and run from zombies... you know, the usual end of the world routine. Basically, it's an 80s teen version of I Am Legend with small doses of horror, sci-fi and comedy. It's light, fun, campy and very 80s. For example, with everyone that they've ever known dead, but with an empty mall to themselves, the two girls gleefully try on clothes while the soundtrack plays Cindi Lauper's "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," naturally. I liked how the two actresses looked nothing alike, but had the same big 80s hair, as if the filmmakers were saying "see? they really are sisters." A young Robert Beltran, in literally the only thing outside of Star Trek: Voyager (Chakotay) that I've seen him, is also in it. There isn't much plot or character development, but its 80s-ness was nostalgic and the end of the world could never be bad with Catherine Mary Stewart.

If you are interested in another 80s end of days movie, I would recommend The Miracle Mile. This was on The Black List before it was even a thing for years, and the script indeed does stand out as the best thing about the movie. I wish it got a better lead though, because Anthony Edwards' wooden acting drags the whole product down, but overall, I did enjoy it, and I think it is underrated at this point.

While it bombed at the box office, the two leads, Edwards and Winningham, eventually got together in real life, as they married each other recently, so I guess it worked out, in the end.

 

[Osprey]

If you are interested in another 80s end of days movie, I would recommend The Miracle Mile. This was on The Black List before it was even a thing for years, and the script indeed does stand out as the best thing about the movie. I wish it got a better lead though, because Anthony Edwards' wooden acting does drag the whole product down a tad, but overall, I did enjoy it, and I think it is underrated at this point.

While it bombed at the box office, the two leads, Edwards and Winningham, eventually got together in real life, as they married each other recently, so I guess it worked out, in the end.

I was just about to watch something else tonight, but I always do what I'm told, so...

I liked it. I see why Night of the Comet reminded you of it, as they're both low budget, subtle dark comedies about the end of the world. I also see what you mean about the script. It's clever and satirical. I was reminded of the Winston Churchill quote "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." The running joke that everyone that Harry needs help from to get out of the city gives it only if they can bring someone else was funny and true. If the world ever ends, the most caring and decent people will likely perish because of their selflessness and the survivors who'll re-populate the planet will be the thoughtless people who didn't hesitate or stop to help anyone. Cheery, huh? Also, this is why you should never answer a ringing pay telephone. In fact, don't ever answer the phone in movies, period. Nothing good ever happens. I'd heard of this movie before, but I've never been much of an Anthony Edwards fan (something about his acting, as you noted), which is likely why I never had an interest in checking it out. Thanks for the recommendation. I'd give it a 6/10 (same as Night of the Comet), since I enjoyed it enough to be glad that I watched it. It's free on Tubi if anyone else cares to watch it.

 

[nameless1]

I was just about to watch something else tonight, but I always do what I'm told, and...

I liked it. I see why Night of the Comet reminded you of it, as they're both lower budget, subtle dark comedies about the end of the world. I also see what you mean about the script. It's clever and satirical. I was reminded of the Winston Churchill quote "A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." The running joke that everyone that Harry needs help from to get out of the city refuses to give it unless they can bring someone else was funny and true. If the world ever ends, everyone with an ounce of caring and decency will die because of it and the only survivors to re-populate the planet will be the selfish, thoughtless people who didn't hesitate or stop to help anyone. Cheery, huh? Also, this is why you should never answer a ringing pay telephone. Nothing good ever happens in a movie when a character answers a pay telephone. I'd heard of the film before, but I've never been much of an Anthony Edwards fan (something about his acting, as you noted), which is likely why I never had an interest in checking it out. Thanks for the recommendation. It's free on Tubi if anyone else cares to watch it.

Luckily pay phones are pretty much extinct these days, and nobody calls anymore.


I actually have not thought about the selfish survivor, but you are absolutely right. That is a good inside joke, if that was the intention of the scriptwriters.

Of course, this movie is not perfect, and some plot points can still be cleaned up to create more ambiguity and flow smoother, but the 80s was pretty bad for Hollywood movies, and I truly find this as one of those hidden gems that should have gotten more attention. I am glad you liked it.

 

[kihei]

Navalny (2022) Directed by Daniel Roher 7A (documentary)

Alexei Navalny is the Russian-opposition leader who has fearlessly taken on Vladimir Putin. An outspoken anti-authoritarian who has called Putin a “political weasel,” Navalny became such a thorn in Putin’s side that the Russian leader attempted to have him murdered. Navalny was poisoned (seemingly the regime’s method of choice when dealing with dissidents who it wants to silence) during a trip to Siberia, and only survived because the pilot opted to make an unscheduled emergency landing. As he later recovered in Bavaria, he and a pair of investigative tech geeks managed to actually put together what happened. The movie allows the detective work to unfold like in the best political thrillers. The end result is modern reportage that absolutely nailed my attention to the screen.

Navalny is equal parts John le Carre espionage intrique, part political expose, and part very flattering portrait of Navalny, who is handsome, down-to-earth, charming and speaks very good English. One can understand why Putin sees this guy as a threat. He has millions of followers on YouTube and in Russia. Adoring crowds great him everywhere he goes. Though the thriller part is a real grabber and how the story unfolds is simply flabbergasting, it is the portrait of an authoritarian regime and its soul-destroying thuggery that I will remember the longest. While the doc is sometimes a little too slick for its own good (key reveals occur in English-- not Russian, How'd that work?), Navalny is designed not just to inform but also to entertain. It accomplishes both admirably.

Almost entirely in English

HBO

 

[frisco]

Badlands (9.0/10)-Martin Sheen gives one of the great underrated performances and Sissy Spacek is right on the mark. Not a typical movie as you'd expect from Malick one of my favorite directors. He also wrote and produced. The violence is gruesome but the film doesn't make any judgments to the point where he don't think of them as villians. Just takes you along for a pleasing ride which is odd considering the subject matter. Rich details and dialogue in as much as the characters are not considered at all intelligent nor educated to any degree.

People tend to lump Badlands in with Bonnie and Clyde and Natural Born Killers but they are just different type of movies. I'd say Kalifornia kind of captures Badlands to a certain degree.

My Best-Carey

 

[Osprey]

The Paleface (1948) - 7/10 A cowardly dentist (Bob Hope) is mistaken for a gunslinger after meeting Calamity Jane (Jane Russell). It's Bob Hope doing what he does best, this time in an Old West setting. He's funny when he's scared and funny when he acts tough. Jane Russell plays a very strong female character, especially for the 40s, and the "straight man" to Hope's antics. She and the rest of the film are gorgeous in Technicolor, which is a treat for a comedy (or any kind of film) in the 40s. In one memorable scene, a hidden Jane kills a dozen Indians with her rifle that Paleface thinks that he killed. You can't go wrong with Bob Hope. You know exactly what you're going to get.

Son of Paleface (1952) - 7/10 The Harvard graduate son of the original Paleface (Bob Hope) goes West to collect his father's inheritance and falls for a sexy outlaw (Jane Russell). It's more of the same, though perhaps even sillier. It's never explained why his love interest looks exactly like his mom or why he never notices, but this isn't the type of movie that you expect to make sense. Roy Rogers appears in this as a singing cowboy (of course) and foil for Hope. In one funny scene, Hope shares a bed with Rogers' horse Trigger and the two fight over the blanket. I liked the story of the original a little bit better, but got to see a whole lot more of Jane Russell in this one, so it balances out.

 

[Pink Mist]

Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Eliza Hittman, 2020)

Autumn (Sidney Flanagan) is a 17-year-old girl living in rural Pennsylvania who has become unexpectedly pregnant. Although she wishes to terminate the pregnancy, since she is under 18 she cannot do that without parental consent and instead needs to travel to New York in order to privately get an abortion. Bringing her cousin along, the duo makes the trip to NYC and navigate the streets of New York and stares of creepy men to pay out of pocket for an abortion. Shot in a Dardenne brothers like naturalistic style, Never Rarely Sometimes Always feels like an American sister film to 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days about the struggles to get abortions in a society hellbent on oppressing women. With the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade in the US, it is also impossible to view this film as anything other than a reality many women in a post-Roe v. Wade America (of course as this film shows, for many, abortion rights were already heavily restricted). The film is very subtle but does makes the pointed choice to show the daily harassment of (teenage!) women in society – there are no redeeming male characters in the film, all interactions with men have implications of potential violence or degradation – something some may find off-putting but I thought was effective at getting into the heads of the characters. Going into the film I thought the title was kind of stupid, however there have been few scenes in recent months that have devastated me more than the titular scene – what a heartbreaking interaction that was and Hittman makes the wise decision to make it mostly a long take of Flanagan’s face who effectively conveys the trauma of her character. Great performances by Flanagan, who I believe was a first-time actor, and I can see why the film was considered one of the best of that year and its story and themes were very prescient.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Threads

with British people who really aren't having a good time.

Sheffield late 70's, maybe early 80's. It's grim, it's boring, it's ugly. The people speak in some bizarre, arcane dialect lost to time. Jimmy and Ruth are a (maybe?) young couple canoodling in their ragged Ford Cortina listening to Johnny B. Goode on the radio one day, when urgent bulletins interrupt the music. USA and USSR are getting owly, and things aren't looking good. Periodic narration and news briefs detail the deteriorating political situation while we follow some folks going about their daily business in grim, Thatcherian England. Ruth's pregnant, she and Jimmy start fixing up a flat while he works at a joinery and downs pints at the pub in his off hours...but fate isn't kind to these two. Or anyone else. Nuclear war breaks out at lunch one day, and the apocalypse follows close behind.

This isn't one of your fun apocalypses like Mad Max or anything. Nope. Buckle up for a real end of the world scenario...no, mutants don't crawl out of the sewers, but starvation, exposure and all the other mundane problems we'll really have to deal with raise their heads. How do you grow food? How do you harvest it? Process it? Bake bread without ovens, electricity? Etc etc etc? Oh...no doctors, no hospitals, no care for the millions of people with radiation sickness who are puking out their guts, losing their hair, crying for lost wives, husbands and children...no schools to teach any survivors...yeah. Not fun. And worth considering as we all sleepwalk into our own apocalypse...right. Yeah. That's a thing, folks. Ugh.

A long-lost artifact from the cold war that remains terrifying and timely. Long considered one of the scariest movies ever made, and the really scary thing is we're still teetering on the edge, but for reasons all our own. Makes you wonder if our species really is suicidal.

On youtube. Watch it ad-free if you can; intrusive ads for Hyundais and toothpaste every few minutes really break the immersion.

You'll wish traffic wardens were still a thing...

 

[The Macho King]

This isn't one of your fun apocalypses like Mad Max or anything. Nope. Buckle up for a real end of the world scenario...no, mutants don't crawl out of the sewers, but starvation, exposure and all the other mundane problems we'll really have to deal with raise their heads.

Are we talking about the same Mad Max?

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Are we talking about the same Mad Max?

The Mad Max saga is a positively uplifting celebration of joy compared to Threads. Fast cars, your friends around, plenty of recreational options...oh yeah. Threads makes Mad Max look like a day at the beach.

 

[The Macho King]

So for date night me and the wife watched...

Blade (1998)

Yes men, be jealous because she picked it. I have so much time for this movie. It's not high art and it isn't trying to be. It is a movie that knows exactly what it is and doesn't try to he anything more or less. It is hard not to compare it to current comic book movies and this just stands apart in a significant way. Blade doesn't try to be broad with a ton of quips, gags, and fan service a la MCU, and it isn't embarrassed by the source material like most DC movies.

It isn't a flawless movie. The CGI looked bad back then and it looks worse now. The female lead doesn't really have anything to do. I noticed some bad editing cuts throughout. The action is often a lot of quick cuts so that's a little disappointing.

But the actors are all going for it and it does a great job of selling the mood of a vampire movie. Snipes leans into every one liner or splash panel shot. Dorff is chewing every scene he's in. Kristofferson just oozes grumpy asshole energy. And the guy who plays Quinn is great in everything he's in and this is no exception.

Also a Marvel movie with a black lead, extreme violence, cursing and a whole lot of horniness?

10/10 for vibes. 7/10 for just a fun f***ing movie.

 

[Bounces R Way]

The Gray Man (2022) - 7/10

Been a while since anybody has put out a decent standalone spy/action thriller. Thought this one hit at least most of its marks. Had all the classic spy movie character tropes, strong silent type male lead(Gosling), older father figure agency authority(Billy Bob Thornton), ambitious calculating rising star with something to hide, psycho operative antagonist(Chris Evans was fantastic), female lead that risks her career to help the handsome protagonist, and of course the civilian thrown into harms way. All very familiar but something to be said for a well executed cliché.

The beginning moved a little fast but does setup the rest of the film well. I did enjoy that they gave the spy element some decent airtime and let it shape the story somewhat. A lot of these types of movies just kind of half ass that aspect as an easy excuse for all the action shoot em up stuff. This one at least gave it some service, even if it wasn't the most original plot. The action was well done, lots of Bourne-esque sequences that for the most part were realistic. Well edited for sure. There were some good lines for Gosling and Evans in particular, definitely a script that didn't take itself too seriously but just seriously enough. Maybe I'm overselling it here, didn't have a ton in the way of originality or a compelling story of global intrigue, but refreshing to see an action movie where the parts came together competently.

 

[Pink Mist]

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance / 친절한 금자씨 (Park Chan-wook, 2005)

The final instalment of Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance trilogy following Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Oldboy, Sympathy for Lady Vengeance (also just known as Lady Vengeance) follows a woman who was wrongly imprisoned for 13 years who wins favour of her fellow inmates and plots out her revenge to murder the real culprit. Renowned by many as one of the key films and trilogies in the South Korean New Wave (I have seen Oldboy but I have not seen Mr. Vengeance), I am left nothing but disappointed by Lady Vengeance. The film is an utter mess of style and structure that does not work. The first half is told through fragmented flashbacks of her time in prison cut to the experiences of her fellow inmates, cut to the present and it is both plodding and unnecessarily convoluted. To be fair I have similar complaints about Oldboy, a film I am also a little cooler on than other cinephiles (I believe, it has been a long time since I’ve seen it so I may be remembering wrong). The film does pick up in the second half as the tone and structure shift, and it has a really disturbing and brutal infamous scene involving a VHS, but by this point I was already pretty checked out and not really invested in Lady Vengeance as a character that the last few scenes were more shocking than powerful and effective. Stylistically sometimes it works and the ending is undoubtably harrowing but I found it difficult to engage in the mess.

 

[OzzyFan]

Misery (1990)
3.10 out of 4stars

“After a famous author is rescued from a car crash by a fan of his novels, he comes to realize that the care he is receiving is only the beginning of a nightmare of captivity and abuse.”
A great psychological horror thriller on obsession with tight pacing, endless suspense, smart decisions, and great acting, including an Oscar winning Kathy Bates performance. Also works very well looking at it from a dark comedy perspective too, and that doesn’t even get into the efficient bits of humor thrown into the side story. Bates is nothing short of brilliant as a controlling manic psychopath superfan. And Caan plays the sneaky appeaser well, as both try to manipulate the other throughout. Some nice commentary here on how fanbases/general-audiences want more of the same “hit/popular” material from their authors(or movies) instead of new creative or experimental works from the writers they love. Also a view of how some people hold celebrities on pedestals as idolized God figures and/or are blinded by the image of someone rather than the reality. And of course, let’s not forget the infamous “hobbling scene”.

The Naked City (1948)
3.05 out of 4stars

“A step-by-step look at a murder investigation on the streets of New York City.”
A great police procedural noir mystery that tells its tale in a realistic and rather light sort of way. Uncharacteristically of noir, it’s a rather mellow tale. Its characters deal with serious subject matter in a cleverly, sometimes tedious, methodical way and often use quick witted dialogue. Knocking on doors, dragging in suspects/contacts, and all the legwork needed to find all the details/circumstances surrounding this dead model and trying to put the puzzle pieces together is the goal. Small and big clues pop up as the process moves forward in which, but the characters themselves are just as alluring as the mystery. The cops are all charismatic and focused “nice good guy” types, and one key person brought in for questioning pulls you in with his web of lies and the mystery surrounding him. Barry Fitzgerald as the main joke throwing lieutenant is the attention grabber, but De Corsia in a small role is the real superb stand out of the cast. The film rightfully won awards for its cinematography and editing, keeping things on topic and showcasing New York City during the late 1940’s. Also spawned a TV show of the same name and influenced many crime investigation shows since being released with its format and style, which seems to be the biggest impact of its existence.

The Black Room (1935)
2.70 out of 4stars

“With Boris Karloff playing twins in a dual role in the late 18th century, twins are born to the ruling Bardon de Berghman in Tirol Austria, and the youngest is sent away due to a family legend stating the youngest twin will kill the oldest in a black room. Two decades later, the elder twin arranges the younger twin’s return so the brothers may rule their country jointly. The younger brother slowly finds out that the elder's rule was tyrannical and involves the mysterious disappearance of many locals.”
A great horror drama about fate and prophecy during feudal times with top notch Karloff performances. Easily amongst Karloff’s finest work as he plays 2 different personality twins that sometimes share the screen together. If monitored closely, you can even see some detailed differences between the 2 characters he portrays, Karloff showing excellent attention to detail. While that is likely the main attraction, there is a bit of a spooky feel based on the plot, well done castle/town visuals, and “Karloff’s performances”. Slightly predictable but enjoyable, well done and well directed. Lastly, everytime I see Karloff or Jeremy Irons I think they can be father and son they look so much alike.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)
2.90 out of 4stars

“A widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress, and decides that she must have one of her own no matter how impractical.”
A great feel good heartwarming enchanting joyous adventure comedy light drama film. Before seeing this, I read a review calling it “Paddington done in a Phantom Thread style setting” with an adult targeted audience, and that matches it perfectly. It’s an endlessly breezy smooth charming tale full of optimism against adversities, and one of the most charming adult films I’ve ever seen. And even the adversities are told with a rather soft touch. Manville carries the role very well and the “periodic” visuals are at times eye catching. The movie promotes “never giving up on your dreams”, “be nice and comforting to everyone no matter what”, “good things happen to good people”, “diligence pays off”, “humans are deep down kind hearted”, “true beauty is on the inside and shown on the outside in our actions”, and “there is light in even dark times and situations”. It’s easy for one of these movies to feel overly sentimental or otherwise ineffective, but this one hits the right note from the beginning and plays it all the way till the ending.

Nope (2022)
3.00 out of 4stars

“Residents of an isolated inland gulch in California witness a mysterious and abnormal event and attempt to capture video evidence of a UFO.”
A great horror sci fi comedy, I enjoyed it, albeit it's definitely imperfect and a touch messy. I actually have difficulty grading this and reviewing it. On one hand, it borrows a good amount from the films Jaws (yep), Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and War of the Worlds (2005). On the other hand, it borrows very cleverly, creates distinction on its use of those things, and is effective in implementation. There are things I really like in it, and there are a few choices I question and am divisive on how great this movie is. I’ll say the humor is good, some of the horror bits are great, and meat is intriguing while leaving some things left unexplained/unanswered after a slow and somewhat meandering 20-30minute beginning set-up. There are some themes and metaphors/notes in the movie, but I feel the more I say on that the easier it will be to ruin the “unveiling”. I do want to correct one thing I have read about this movie. A lot of people/reviews say it’s not as “brainy” or “deep” as Peele’s previous 2 films, I disagree. The more I think about this movie, the more points I see Peele making or hinting at with the film’s elements/decisions.