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

[kihei]

By the way anyone interested in seeing Memoria, can find it if they just check out the usual places.

 

[Chili]

Odds Against Tomorrow-1959

A bank heist film with interesting angles. Earl (Robert Ryan) has been in trouble in the past (including manslaughter). Johnny (Harry Belafonte, what a voice!) is a night club singer/musician with gambling debt troubles. Burke (Ed Begley Sr), a former cop, recruits the two reluctant accomplices for the job who take an instant dislike to each other. Good supporting cast including Shelley Winters, Gloria Grahame and a small early role for Wayne Rogers (Trapper from M*A*S*H*). Packs alot of story into 95 minutes. Nice location shots, tense, well done.

 

[Martinez]

Tried to watch the Power of the Dog the other week. Really don't see what the big deal was. Got sick of watching Benedict Cumberbatch be a dick to everyone after about twenty minutes.

I enjoyed the eerie feeling it gave me for most of it

 

[ItsFineImFine]

The Ides of March (2011) - 4/5

Very House of Cards-esque with that talkative 00s/early 10s cynicism and political drama. Strong cast even though the screenplay is quite basic. Ryan Gosling in particular....he hasn't been in a a film since 2018's First Man btw and not really any TV so not sure what's going on there but he exudes charisma and has some fantastic scenes in this with Hoffman/Tomei/Clooney. Clooney's directing is quite basic but it's fast-paced enough and lets the story and the actors do the talking, very watchable film.

Can't help but feel the politics of today have made it more dated than it is though.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Sorry for the huge image, but this poster is so nice...

Censor (Bailey-Bond, 2021) - Tough movie to rate because it does a lot of brilliant things just-almost-right. I hope I'm right in thinking that it's a first feature film that's indicative of great things to come. It's abundant in formal and visual/aesthetic little gems, and themes are really interesting too (and right in my alley - the parallel between censorship and repressed memory is a limitless pond for story ideas, so you just wish Bailey-Bond had gone a little further in her dig / the ironic discourse on the blame horror movies had to deal with is a fun side addition too). Apart from some way too obvious winks at Evil Dead, the film's reflexivity is kept in check and opens it up to different readings. Having a censor for a main character is quite a challenge for a horror director - the censor being the enemy - but Bailey-Bond does a great job at juggling between serious and sarcastic while dealing with that intrinsic holier-than-thou position (the censors' job being to watch - continuously - material other people wouldn't be able to cope with, without being themselves affected). The film doesn't deliver as expected on the gore level - all the Video Nasties references put these expectations quite high - but other than the silly producer's death, it still manages to bring back some of that 80s fun. The last few image glitches in the sister's return and reunion with the parents are superbly done and really made me wish for more. 6/10

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Sorry for the huge image, but this poster is so nice...

Censor (Bailey-Bond, 2021) - Tough movie to rate because it does a lot of brilliant things just-almost-right. I hope I'm right in thinking that it's a first feature film that's indicative of great things to come. It's abundant in formal and visual/aesthetic little gems, and themes are really interesting too (and right in my alley - the parallel between censorship and repressed memory is a limitless pond for story ideas, so you just wish Bailey-Bond had gone a little further in her dig / the ironic discourse on the blame horror movies had to deal with is a fun side addition too). Apart from some way too obvious winks at Evil Dead, the film's reflexivity is kept in check and opens it up to different readings. Having a censor for a main character is quite a challenge for a horror director - the censor being the enemy - but Bailey-Bond does a great job at juggling between serious and sarcastic while dealing with that intrinsic holier-than-thou position (the censors' job being to watch - continuously - material other people wouldn't be able to cope with, without being themselves affected). The film doesn't deliver as expected on the gore level - all the Video Nasties references put these expectations quite high - but other than the silly producer's death, it still manages to bring back some of that 80s fun. The last few image glitches in the sister's return and reunion with the parents are superbly done and really made me wish for more. 6/10

That poster is rad.

 

[Sentinel]

The Ides of March (2011) - 4/5

Can't help but feel the politics of today have made it more dated than it is though.

Precisely. This movie did not age well, and it's only ten years old.

 

[heatnikki]

Bring it On, 5/10.

Defo much more enjoyable on release when a late teenager than it was now​

 

[heatnikki]

The Privilege

Seems to be a german horror and was a fairly good film. Still left me a little confused as to what the story was about but conveniently set up for a sequel.

 

[Mario Lemieux fan 66]

King Richard: 7.8/10 Good movie with a great performance by Will Smith.

spider man no way home: 7.8/10 Not as good as the hype but still better than almost all the best picture nominee.

Nightmare alley (2021): Good acting, cinematography, decent action but too long for it's own good.
7.3/10

a hero: 7/10 At some point you stop rooting for the main character with all the bad decisions he takes.

Coda: 6.8/10 Better acting and story than the original but the ending is better in the original. Not a best picture caliber nominee.

West Side Story (2021): 6.8/10 Not very good. Watch the original instead. Not a best picture caliber nominee.

Licorice pizza: 6.5/10 Not a best picture caliber nominee.

 

[Pink Mist]

Black Girl / La Noire de... (Ousmane Sembène, 1966)

Black Girl is a 60-minute-long film; hardly a feature film but longer than a short, but it packs a mighty punch in those 60 minutes. The film depicts a Senegalese woman who moves to France to become a maid to a wealthy white couple. Told that she was to be a nanny to their children, instead she is confined to the apartment and forced to clean and cook for the family. Defiant against the misrepresentation of her duties and her marginalization, she pushes back and begins to rebel against the white family. Produced in 1966, six years after Senegal’s independence from France, Black Girl is a rich critique of (post-)colonialism, such as the continued subjugation of Africans and colonial relationship by the French. The film is considered to be the first film from sub-Saharan Africa to receive critical attention and it is a powerful landmark film. Mbissine Thérèse Diop is fantastic as the lead and is quiet and subservient in the beginning but slowly as the abuse comes from the white mother in the family she boils into a desperate rage against her slave like treatment. Likewise, the film is simply shot in a minimalist style, but as the tension builds up there is a stylistic explosion to highlight her frantic mindset. I haven’t watched anything by Sembène prior to this (or much from Sub-Saharan Africa in general), but I want to dive into more of his work since he is a strong postcolonial voice who captures complex themes and critiques in an effective and powerful manner. Highly recommended.

 

[kihei]

Black Girl / La Noire de... (Ousmane Sembène, 1966)

Black Girl is a 60-minute-long film; hardly a feature film but longer than a short, but it packs a mighty punch in those 60 minutes. The film depicts a Senegalese woman who moves to France to become a maid to a wealthy white couple. Told that she was to be a nanny to their children, instead she is confined to the apartment and forced to clean and cook for the family. Defiant against the misrepresentation of her duties and her marginalization, she pushes back and begins to rebel against the white family. Produced in 1966, six years after Senegal’s independence from France, Black Girl is a rich critique of (post-)colonialism, such as the continued subjugation of Africans and colonial relationship by the French. The film is considered to be the first film from sub-Saharan Africa to receive critical attention and it is a powerful landmark film. Mbissine Thérèse Diop is fantastic as the lead and is quiet and subservient in the beginning but slowly as the abuse comes from the white mother in the family she boils into a desperate rage against her slave like treatment. Likewise, the film is simply shot in a minimalist style, but as the tension builds up there is a stylistic explosion to highlight her frantic mindset. I haven’t watched anything by Sembène prior to this (or much from Sub-Saharan Africa in general), but I want to dive into more of his work since he is a strong postcolonial voice who captures complex themes and critiques in an effective and powerful manner. Highly recommended.

I can recommend Moolaade. Daunting subject matter: genital mutilation. But a very important and well-executed movie.

 

[Pink Mist]

Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977)

David Lynch’s Eraserhead, like most absurdist films, is impossible to describe and do it justice. The simple way to describe it is that a man knocks up a girl who gives birth to mutant baby who won’t shut the f*** up and stop crying. But of course its weirder than that. Eraserhead is Lynch’s first film, and to be honest he is a director I’ve never been that big of a fan of. He has a great visual style and plays with some interesting ideas but at times I find he leans too hard into opaqueness at the expense of his story. Eraserhead is probably his most straightforward story of his I’ve seen, which is funny considering I see people commonly say didn’t get it. I found its meaning actually quite on the nose and clever, though I suppose it could get lost in the bizarreness of the film. The most impressive part of this film is the sound design on display here. This film is a masterpiece in sound editing as Lynch creates an unsettling soundscape through a mixture of his score, babies crying, among other strange noises to amplify the themes of his film. I think the film begins to unravel at bit and become unfocused at the end as Lynch throws literally everything at the wall, but until then it is really strong. Still not a big fan of Lynch but this is the best of his I’ve seen.

 

[ItsFineImFine]

The Odd Couple (1968) - 7.5/10

I know people say 70s cinema is interesting but I think studios let directors go a bit too batshit insane and inane in the 70s so it's the late 60s which are a good intersect of conventional and new film making for me and it works well in this comedy. This script doesn't have to be too over the top, it lets Mathau and Lemmon show some strong acting chops. I'm not sure how much improvisation is going on here but the direction feels controlled rather than the more chaotic 70s direction. Some movies do a great job of having a character who you don't necessarily relate to but can fully empathize through and Mathau does that here. I also think it's funnier than stuff I've seen from Mel Brooks, got actual laughs instead of just chuckles from me, especially the last 15-20 minutes.

The sequel is even better

 

[Osprey]

The Odd Couple (1968) - 7.5/10

I know people say 70s cinema is interesting but I think studios let directors go a bit too batshit insane and inane in the 70s so it's the late 60s which are a good intersect of conventional and new film making for me and it works well in this comedy. This script doesn't have to be too over the top, it lets Mathau and Lemmon show some strong acting chops. I'm not sure how much improvisation is going on here but the direction feels controlled rather than the more chaotic 70s direction. Some movies do a great job of having a character who you don't necessarily relate to but can fully empathize through and Mathau does that here. I also think it's funnier than stuff I've seen from Mel Brooks, got actual laughs instead of just chuckles from me, especially the last 15-20 minutes.

The sequel is even better

I love Lemmon and Matthau. The Fortune Cookie and The Front Page are two other good early ones of theirs. My favorites are Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men and I like Out to Sea more than most people, it seems. Buddy Buddy was a little disappointing, but it's hard to be too disappointed when Lemmon and Matthau team up.

 

[Chili]

I love Lemmon and Matthau. The Fortune Cookie and The Front Page are two other good early ones of theirs. My favorites of theirs are Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men and I like Out to Sea more than most people, it seems. Buddy Buddy was a little disappointing, but it's hard to be too disappointed when a film features Lemmon and Matthau.

Same here, they were a great comedy team and both were pretty versatile actors. I met Jack Lemmon in an airport once. There were back to back benches and I sat down and looked over my shoulder and he was looking back at me on the other side. When he realized I recognized him, he gave me the type of smile you would give a friend you hadn't seen in years. Wasn't long before he got up for his flight (Chicago), was a really long line but wasn't long before one of the staff came out and escorted him and a few others that had joined him right to their flight. In Chris Lemmon's biography of his dad, he says he never knew anyone who had a bad word to say about Jack which I can believe.

 

[Chili]

The Life of Émile Zola-1937

Biopic of the 19th century french author. a man who would speak out against what he felt was wrong (reminded me of Victor Hugo). The interesting part of the film was his connection to 'The Dreyfus Affair', a man who was tried and convicted of treason and transferred to Devil's Island. The story takes a while to build but the court room scenes are worth it (the transcripts would make an interesting read). J'accuse, a long letter he wrote that was published is online, pretty profound document. Some impressive military parade scenes. Enjoyed the film.

Papillon-1973

McQueen and Hoffman in their prime. Appreciate the detail of the opening scenes as the prisoners are escorted to Devil's Island. Beautifully photographed, a story of perseverance. The gator wrassling scene is impressive. Nice touch with end credits showing shots of the real prison at that time. Great book, great film, one of my favorites.

 

[Osprey]

Same here, they were a great comedy team and both were pretty versatile actors. I met Jack Lemmon in an airport once. There were back to back benches and I sat down and looked over my shoulder and he was looking back at me on the other side. When he realized I recognized him, he gave me the type of smile you would give a friend you hadn't seen in years. Wasn't long before he got up for his flight (Chicago), was a really long line but wasn't long before one of the staff came out and escorted him and a few others that had joined him right to their flight. In Chris Lemmon's biography of his dad, he says he never knew anyone who had a bad word to say about Jack which I can believe.

That reminds me of one of my favorite TV moments:

 

[Chili]

That reminds me of one of the favorite TV moments:

That is so cool. Thanks.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Eraserhead (David Lynch, 1977)

David Lynch’s Eraserhead, like most absurdist films, is impossible to describe and do it justice. The simple way to describe it is that a man knocks up a girl who gives birth to mutant baby who won’t shut the f*** up and stop crying. But of course its weirder than that. Eraserhead is Lynch’s first film, and to be honest he is a director I’ve never been that big of a fan of. He has a great visual style and plays with some interesting ideas but at times I find he leans too hard into opaqueness at the expense of his story. Eraserhead is probably his most straightforward story of his I’ve seen, which is funny considering I see people commonly say didn’t get it. I found its meaning actually quite on the nose and clever, though I suppose it could get lost in the bizarreness of the film. The most impressive part of this film is the sound design on display here. This film is a masterpiece in sound editing as Lynch creates an unsettling soundscape through a mixture of his score, babies crying, among other strange noises to amplify the themes of his film. I think the film begins to unravel at bit and become unfocused at the end as Lynch throws literally everything at the wall, but until then it is really strong. Still not a big fan of Lynch but this is the best of his I’ve seen.

Good point about the audio. I'm the opposite, though. I think it's a fairly mediocre film but with some really bonkers shots, though.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

I can recommend Moolaade. Daunting subject matter: genital mutilation. But a very important and well-executed movie.

Was wondering if you could help here: You once gave a great review to a (probably West) African movie. I had watched it as well and loved it but can't remember the title at all. It's a fairly recent film, less than ten years old. The plot revolves around a Muslim man (I think a Tuareg? His house is definitely in the desert) wrongly accused of a crime and the oppression which a town lives under through the control of a group similar to Boko Haram. The climax is one of the main characters getting shot to death trying to run to the man when he's about to be executed. It might be his wife, if I recall correctly. Would you remember the title?

FORGET IT. GOT IT. IT'S Timbuktu (2014).

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Jeen-Yuhs (2022) - The first part of the Kanye West documentary. The narration is a bit annoying and it's obvious that their exaggerating the 'struggle' of Kanye West being taken seriously as an MC (reservations that I think are still completely appropriate, IMO) that rings pretty hollow (i.e., it didn't take long for him to blow up moving to New York and even he was struggling to get a record deal as an MC openly admits that he's getting 40, 50K a beat from the biggest names in hip-hop). Still, the raw footage is great, especially when Mos Def is around, and there's a particularly inspired bit where both Mos Def and Kanye West rhyme using two-word sentences.

I think it's one of those works that would have worked better without a clear narrative (or at least not so shoe-horned) but the appeal definitely would have been lesser to the average viewer. The footage, not the writing or sensibilities, makes this. Kanye West has definitely lost a lot of the charm that he held back then, though. Which is a big part of what makes this documentary work so far. An obvious chip on his shoulder and not particularly intelligent, it's pretty compelling to see one of the 21st century's most polarizing cultural figure grind to achieve what he thinks should be coming to him from the start. Watching him perform All Falls Down to confused office workers at the defunct Roc-a-Fella offices is worth a watch. Just a bunch of cool snippets that end up to, well, not a whole, but a pretty entertaining piece. Still, there's little funnier than how this guy reacts when he's butthurt or annoyed. There's a hilarious scene where the guy who taught him how to make beats releases a track dissing Kanye West. Kanye West immediately goes for the phone and wonders why he's already on the receiving end of diss records before he's even signed.

 

[OzzyFan]

Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
3.15 out of 4stars

"In 1945, a one-armed stranger comes to a tiny western town possessing a terrible past they want to keep secret, by violent means if necessary."
A great noir western with a slow burn yet tightly written mystery and drama at it's core. Most surprising to me, it included a few quality memorable action sequences done in 3 different physical styles. I blame me for this, but I the film personally didn't get my mind spinning on anything of real interest to me, even though it did have a plethora of themes that included responsibility, emotional stability, oppression/bullying, morality, guilt, mob mentality, caution of appearance judgements, and prejudices. That said I was amazed with it's entertainment value and quality across the board. Well acted by all, with great turns from Spencer Tracy and Robert Ryan in the 2 lead spots.

The Face Behind the Mask (1941)
2.90 out of 4stars

"Janos Szabo is a kind, innocent immigrant to America. Just after he arrives though, he is caught in a fire and his face is horribly burned and disfigured. Although a skilled craftsman his hideous features make it impossible for him to get work, and driven by despair he is forced to turn to crime to live."
A great noir film featuring Lorre as a captivating lead alongside some morals and food for thought. I was surprised when I read that there was trouble directing Lorre due to him drinking 'alcoholic breakfasts' and the necessity of shooting his scenes in the morning, because I thought he was spot on and his usual active elaborate self for the majority of the movie. This was "another" tale about the question "Is it ethical to turn to a life of low end crime as a means of survival due to severely unfortunate life circumstances? Especially when the situation involves life or death or even homelessness/starvation." And the movie carried that out fascinatingly well. At what point does doing bad things for good reasons become a moot point? At what point does one lose their honor, identity, or even the viewer's sympathy through living life like this? We are also given the view on the other side of the spectrum also, without explaining how or why for those curious of seeing this. Sometimes it's not the situation you are given that is awful, but how you react to it is what determines it's meaning and effect on your life. Some people can create lemonade out of even the most sour lemons. Not to mention, the story has a couple twists and turns with closure.

X/The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963)
2.65 out of 4stars

"A doctor uses special eye drops to give himself x-ray vision, but the new power has complicated consequences."
A good sci-fi horror/drama about a cautionary scientist's self-experimentation with the unknown, yet fascinating tool of x-ray vision and beyond. Milland carries this Corman film well in the lead role, and the concept of x-ray eyes is well explored and it's journey well evolved. It covers about all the bases it needs to with it's concept: medicinal use, fun use, use out of need, and more that I won't ruin. The pov "x-ray" vision eyes, albeit a touch repetitive, is a feast for the eyes to see kaleidoscope-like light spectrums, through/into items, and past human clothes to skin depth, organ depth, and skeletal depth. I debate on what the true theme of the film is, so I'll just lay out my top possibilities: "curiosity killed the cat", obsession, addiction, and/or megalomania.

Dog (2022)
2.60 out of 4stars

"Army Ranger Briggs (Channing Tatum) and Lulu (a Belgian Malinois dog) buckle into a 1984 Ford Bronco and race down the Pacific Coast in hopes of making it to a fellow soldier's funeral on time, whom was also Lulu's handler during wartime. "
A surprisingly good drama comedy that is more serious than expected as it explores the topics of mental/emotional trauma of post war-experienced soldiers and their struggled assimilation into society and their family/personal lives (this includes dogs that have seen action also for the record). Don't get me wrong, there is still a solid amount of goofball humor and dog related 'cuteness' mixed in, but it's definitely not drowning in it. It tries hard enough to explore the serious nature of it's seriously "under real world resolved" subject matter in it's own way, that isn't as deep as you'd want it to be but refreshingly extensive. Full of heart and widespread emotions. Definitely better than I expected it to be.

 

[Pink Mist]

3-Iron / 빈집 (Kim Ki-duk, 2004)

A young drifter spends his day looking for empty homes of people away on vacation to crash in while they are away. He never steals anything, he just makes himself at home for a few nights and even does the occupants laundry before he leaves. One day he breaks into a house without realizing that one of the occupants is actually still home – a woman recovering from abuse from her husband. Once discovered they leave together and have a silent relationship based upon empathy of their difficult pasts. The film starts out very conventional as a simple story about this couple breaking into apartments and developing a bond with each other, but in the last 30 minutes it takes a magical realism turn and becomes a ghost story. The first two thirds of the film are really strong, though I wasn’t sure about the last act when I was watching it last night. However, it has really grown on me after sleeping on it. 3-Iron is a quiet film and has very little dialogue, both of the leads don’t say a single word throughout the entire film (save a few significant words at the end). Both leads put in very impressive expressive performances in their wordless roles and have a great chemistry together. The film’s quiet meditation on two people forming a connection in a lonely world and rediscovering life through small but significant transgressions is very poetic and powerful. There are a few blips here and there where the film becomes a little too quirky, but overall it is an exceptional work.

 

[MMC]

How the hell is Artemis Fowl a real life Disney movie that was put out for release in 2020?