Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Part#: Some High Number +4

[ProstheticConscience]

The Domestics

with people

Soon. The US military carpet-bombs its own people with chemical weapons (Trump's administration finally reaches its logical conclusion) and pretty much everyone's wiped out. Well, not everyone. A goodly chunk form into gangs with their own theme (Gamblers, Plowboys, Ghosts, etc) and the remainder of the population tries to stay as close as possible to their old lives; the Domestics. Two of them are a couple in their 20's who go on a road trip to the girl's parents' place in Milwaukee and run afoul of cannibals, crazies and the gangs themselves along the way. Shooty stabby time.

Yawn. Gory but boring. Movie has nothing to say. Once again, takes the view that humans are all in their hearts one step away from going full Road Warrior when the chips are down. The gangs' fashion designers show some creativity, but that's about it. Different gang motifs...yeah, there's a good reason to watch a movie. Not.

On Netflix.

Antifa as seen in Mike Pence's nightmares.

 

[kihei]

Da 5 Bloods (2020) Directed by Spike Lee 7A

Four black soldiers return to Viet Nam to find and bring home the remains of a fallen comrade and to hunt for millions in gold if only they can figure out where they buried it. Da 5 Bloods resembles a black The Deer Hunter much less than it does an imaginative reinvention of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, a movie where the search for gold drives a man mad. Of the returning soldiers, Paul (Delroy Lindo) is the most psychologically scarred by his experience in what the Vietnamese in the movie refer to as The American War. When things begin to go wrong, his paranoia begins to endanger everybody. His three pals have fared better over the years, now mostly thinking that they should have been more concerned with their own freedom back in the USA than in fighting against people with whom they had no cause to argue whatsoever. While throughout the movie director Spike Lee makes explicit political references to black blood spilled at home and abroad without recompense, Da 5 Bloods is not a preachy film. The emphasis rests primarily on the gold the old friends are trying to find and how that changes their relationships for better or for worse. With Lindo giving an awards-calibre performance as Paul, Da 5 Bloods is probably Lee's most successful movie since Do the Right Thing. True, the group of ex-soldiers is often unbelievably lucky in finding things in the middle of nowhere, but, otherwise, Lee does an excellent job controlling a movie with a lot of sprawl. Da 5 Bloods is likely the best movie of the new year, although admittedly the bar has been pretty low so far.

Available on Netflix

 

[Osprey]

My only real reassessment is with Moonraker. Given that James Bond goes to space it's always the easy punchline for "worst." I'm not going to give it a vociferous defense BUT I have to admit I enjoyed it a little more than expected. The humor is eye-rolling bad, especially anything involving Jaws (who had no business coming back). And yeah, Bond in space is deeply silly. All that said, I have a soft spot for 70s space special effects and these are perfectly fine for the time. The Venice and Rio locales stand out and are well used. Drax is a corny villain, but Michael Lonsdale commits. Lois Chiles is an underrated Bond Girl in all senses of the role. When I complete this rewatch it certainly may still be in the bottom five ... but it might not.

I watched Moonraker a few years ago (for what felt like the first time, even though I likely saw it as a kid and just forgot) and was surprised that it wasn't nearly as bad as I was bracing for. I actually found it somewhat entertaining and would definitely watch it again. I can totally see how it would irritate hardcore Bond fans, but I've always been more of a casual fan. Also, seemingly like you, it reminded me of the late 70s and 80s space films that I grew up with, the kind that didn't care much about the science. It might be ridiculous for a Bond film, but I thought that it was pretty decent as a space fantasy. Maybe just imagine that it's what Bond dreamed one night after having one too many martinis.

 

[Babe Ruth]

Big Fan (2009)

As a long time critic of fanatical sports-fandom, I was looking forward to laughing at a light hearted depiction of a cretinous super-fan.. but this was a surprisingly grim portrayal. Patton Oswalt is a middle-aged man still living at home, engaged in a child like worship of the NY Giants. I credit the movie for taking on the stupidity of obsessive sports fans. But the life of Oswalt's character was hard to watch. There were some funny, realistic moments of sports talk radio feuding, but.. kinda depressing for me. Actress playing Oswalt's sister in law looked good, & the mom was spot-on as a frustrated, disappointed caretaker to Oswalt.

 

[ORRFForever]

The King Of Staten Island (2020) :

Scott is a 24 year old who could pass for 40, mostly because of the abuse he does to his body. He lives at home with his mom and wants to be a tattoo artist - even though he's awful at it. He's also loud. Really loud. So is everyone in this movie.

Scott's life is a mess and he blames his mental illness. To the movie's credit, it doesn't shy away from Scott's issues, it embraces them.

Pete Davidson plays Scott and is, well, himself. Bill Burr plays Scott's mother's love interest - it's the first movie I've seen him in and he's quite good. Maude Apatow and Marisa Tomei are fine in limited roles.

I'm hit or miss when it comes to Judd Apatow movies. Mostly miss. They're too long and the characters are usually annoying and not someone you'd want in your life. This movie is no different. Still, I liked it more than most of Apatow's work and it provided some solid laughs.

7/10

 

[ProstheticConscience]

Just tried to watch The Lighthouse again...for about the third time. Got about halfway through this time.

I remember seeing glowing reviews of it in earlier incarnations of this thread. No idea why.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Just tried to watch The Lighthouse again...for about the third time. Got about halfway through this time.

I remember seeing glowing reviews of it in earlier incarnations of this thread. No idea why.

The cinematography, performances, cruel humor, dialogue and cadence were all first-rate, IMO. One of my favorite American films ever.

 

[kihei]

Lola Montez (1955) Directed by Max Ophuls 6A

The word for Lola Montez is "opulent." Making use of Cinemascope and vivid '50s Technicolor, Lola Montez is gorgeous to behold. The movie also has an arresting framework. Most of the action takes place at a Big Top where Lola's scandalous life is played out as a circus act with Peter Ustinov, speaking excellent French, playing the ringmaster. As Lola's story unfolds, the circus scenes are interspersed with flashbacks that reference her many lovers including such luminaries as Franz Liszt and King Ludwig of Bavaria. Being Max Ophul's last movie, it is no surprise that his focus is a predictable one for him. He really specializes in movies about women in distress--a kind of continental Douglas Sirk only with more style and a life-long fascination with elaborate tracking shots. Not that Ophuls challenges the accepted moral straight-jackets of his time, the ridiculous double standard that men who like sex are manly but women who like sex are harlots or worse. While it is refreshing to see the portrayal of a 19th century woman who was so far ahead of her time, Lola (Martine Carol) is seen ultimately as a tragic figure, eternally condemned by her notoriety. For all the movie's sumptuous razzle-dazzzle, the bummer here is that any semblance of substance has gotten lost amidst the boffo eye candy. Usually Max Ophuls is a director well worth exploring, but you might want to reserve Lola Montez until Grandma comes over for a visit.

subtitles

available on Criterion Channel

 

[Spring in Fialta]

The King Of Staten Island (2020) :

Scott is a 24 year old man who looks 40 plus. He lives at home with his mom and he wants to be a tattoo artist even though he's terrible at it. He's also loud. Really loud. So is everyone in this movie.

Mostly Scott is screwed up. To the movie's credit, it doesn't shy away from his issues. In fact, it embraces them.

I'm hit or miss when it comes to Judd Apatow movies. Mostly miss. They're too long and most of the characters are annoying and not someone you'd want in your life. This movie is no different. Still, I liked it more than most and it provided a bunch of laughs.

7.5/10

I will never understand what some folks see in Pete Davidson. I don't know what he's good at.

 

[Trap Jesus]

So... I'm 0/2 for finishing Tarkovsky's classics (Solaris and Stalker). Honestly, I was liking Stalker a lot more than Solaris, I was just in the completely wrong headspace to watch it. The big standout to me from watching more than half of each was sound design though, it's excellent in both movies. I can still remember a lot of the sound effects vividly. Cinematography was also excellent in Stalker, it's just... the slowest thing imaginable.

 

[ORRFForever]

Just tried to watch The Lighthouse again...for about the third time. Got about halfway through this time.

I remember seeing glowing reviews of it in earlier incarnations of this thread. No idea why.

I agree. I hated it, too. And yes, we are the exception in this thread.

My old review...

The Lighthouse [2019] :

While watching The Lighthouse, I kept thinking of the quote from Pauline Kael's Raging Bull review :

"Listening to Jake and Joey go at each other, like the macho clowns in Cassavetes movies, I know’ I’m supposed to be responding to a powerful, ironic realism, but I just feel trapped. Jake says, “You dumb f— k,” and Joey says, “You dumb f—k,” and they repeat it and repeat it. And I think...

What am I doing here watching these two dumb f—ks?"

2.5/10

 

[ProstheticConscience]

The cinematography, performances, cruel humor, dialogue and cadence were all first-rate, IMO. One of my favorite American films ever.

I just found it boring as hell.

I agree. I hated it, too. And yes, we are the exception in this thread.

My old review...

The Lighthouse [2019] :

While watching The Lighthouse, I kept thinking of the quote from Pauline Kael's Raging Bull review :

"Listening to Jake and Joey go at each other, like the macho clowns in Cassavetes movies, I know’ I’m supposed to be responding to a powerful, ironic realism, but I just feel trapped. Jake says, “You dumb f— k,” and Joey says, “You dumb f—k,” and they repeat it and repeat it. And I think...

What am I doing here watching these two dumb f—ks?"

2.5/10

It reminded me of a Guy Maddin movie like Keyhole or The Saddest Music in the World...only nobody told Willem Dafoe and RPat it wasn't serious.

I will never understand what some folks see in Pete Davidson. I don't know what he's good at.

I actually read a good review of his standup once; it's like hanging out with your stoner friend who just won't shut up.

 

[ORRFForever]

I just found it boring as hell.


It reminded me of a Guy Maddin movie like Keyhole or The Saddest Music in the World...only nobody told Willem Dafoe and RPat it wasn't serious.


I actually read a good review of his standup once; it's like hanging out with your stoner friend who just won't shut up.

TBH, I don't know who Guy Maddin is.

As for The Lighthouse, I can see some people liking it - it they fell into the movie's superficial traps like foggy ghosts and the lighting/shadows. I just never did.

Besides, how much yelling can two people do?

 

[kihei]

La Belle Noiseuse (1991) Directed by Jacwues Rivette 9C

Frenhofer (Michel Piccoli), an aging artist whose best years are well behind him, seeks to rediscover his muse when Nicholas, a young artist with a beautiful girlfriend, comes to visit him in his beautiful fortress/chateau in France. Nicolas suggests that he use Marianne (Emmanuelle Baert) as a model and Frenhofer's partner Liz (Jane Birken) agrees. Although in very different ways, all bite off more than they may be able to chew. Le Belle Noiseuse is one of the best movies that I have seen about the creative process. About half of this four hour film is spent watching the battle between artist and subject as it unfolds in Frenhofer's studio. Marianne spends the entire time nude and Frenhofer tries to bend her to his will not out of malice but in an attempt to get at some sort of truth that he is looking for and trying to paint. But things get rough physically and psychologically. A great deal of time is spent just watching her pose and him sketch. Naysayers will suggest this movie is literally like watching paint dry, and they wouldn't be totally off base, but they wouldn't be getting the point of the movie either. Eventually the two, Frenhofer and Marianne, share a like mind about the importance of what is being created in the studio. I found these scenes compelling, as both characters struggle to maintain some control of the situation, The rest of the movie, the turmoil that their lovers and friends undergo while the battle rages in the studio, are less successful, more given to cliche moments of jealousy, betrayal and abandonment. But everything does miraculously come together in the end in a most satisfying way. Michel Piccoli gives perhaps the best performance of his distinguished career, and Emmanuelle Baert has never been better (or braver for that matter). La Belle Noiseuse is among the best directed films of the 1990s.

subtitles

available on Criterion Channel

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Just tried to watch The Lighthouse again...for about the third time. Got about halfway through this time.

I remember seeing glowing reviews of it in earlier incarnations of this thread. No idea why.

So... I'm 0/2 for finishing Tarkovsky's classics (Solaris and Stalker). Honestly, I was liking Stalker a lot more than Solaris, I was just in the completely wrong headspace to watch it. The big standout to me from watching more than half of each was sound design though, it's excellent in both movies. I can still remember a lot of the sound effects vividly. Cinematography was also excellent in Stalker, it's just... the slowest thing imaginable.

1) Try Son nom de Venis dans Calcutta désert... That's slow. Not Duras' best film, but her toughest to follow, especially if you haven't seen India Song.

2) Be it Tarkovsky or The Lighthouse, you have every right to think that's boring. You tried and re-tried to watch them and that's more than most people do.

TBH, I don't know who Guy Maddin is.

As for The Lighthouse, I can see some people liking it - it they fell into the movie's superficial traps like foggy ghosts and the lighting/shadows. I just never did.

Besides, how much yelling can two people do?

3) Now that I have a problem with. The Lighthouse can feel slow, boring, a little clumsy, but it certainly doesn't present "superfical" narrative traps, and saying its aesthetics is superficial is kind of dumb (let's weight it down.... cinematography work vs "character yelling too much", what's superficial?). I'm saying that and I didn't even particularly like the film, it's just that you can't go out of your way like that to make yourself right...

4) Guy Maddin is a pretty interesting director with a unique vision, his films are either complete miss or very interesting exercices de style. @ProstheticConscience 's comment is actually right on the nose.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

La Belle Noiseuse (1991) Directed by Jacwues Rivette 9C

Frenhofer (Michel Piccoli), an aging artist whose best years are well behind him, seeks to rediscover his muse when Nicholas, a young artist with a beautiful girlfriend, comes to visit him in his beautiful fortress/chateau in France. Nicolas suggests that he use Marianne (Emmanuelle Baert) as a model and Frenhofer's partner Liz (Jane Birken) agrees. Although in very different ways, all bite off more than they may be able to chew. Le Belle Noiseuse is one of the best movies that I have seen about the creative process. About half of this four hour film is spent watching the battle between artist and subject as it unfolds in Frenhofer's studio. Marianne spends the entire time nude and Frenhofer tries to bend her to his will not out of malice but in an attempt to get at some sort of truth that he is looking for and trying to paint. But things get rough physically and psychologically. A great deal of time is spent just watching her pose and him sketch. Naysayers will suggest this movie is literally like watching paint dry, and they wouldn't be totally off base, but they wouldn't be getting the point of the movie either. Eventually the two, Frenhofer and Marianne, share a like mind about the importance of what is being created in the studio. I found these scenes compelling, as both characters struggle to maintain some control of the situation, The rest of the movie, the turmoil that their lovers and friends undergo while the battle rages in the studio, are less successful, more given to cliche moments of jealousy, betrayal and abandonment. But everything does miraculously come together in the end in a most satisfying way. Michel Piccoli gives perhaps the best performance of his distinguished career, and Emmanuelle Baert has never been better (or braver for that matter). La Belle Noiseuse is among the best directed films of the 1990s.

subtitles

available on Criterion Channel

Written by Pascal Bonitzer, one of my favorite minds of French cinema.

 

[Voight]

Wast watching Cape Fear today.

Nick Nolte looks like Donald Rumsfeld's twin or younger brother in this movie.

 

[ProstheticConscience]

TBH, I don't know who Guy Maddin is.

As for The Lighthouse, I can see some people liking it - it they fell into the movie's superficial traps like foggy ghosts and the lighting/shadows. I just never did.

Besides, how much yelling can two people do?

Author/director/weirdo from Winnipeg. Watch the movie Keyhole if you can find it. I defy anyone ITT to make it all the way through and explain it afterwards.

 

[ORRFForever]

3) Now that I have a problem with. The Lighthouse can feel slow, boring, a little clumsy, but it certainly doesn't present "superfical" narrative traps, and saying its aesthetics is superficial is kind of dumb (let's weight it down.... cinematography work vs "character yelling too much", what's superficial?). I'm saying that and I didn't even particularly like the film, it's just that you can't go out of your way like that to make yourself right...

I found it all very familiar - much of it reminded me of 2018's The Vanishing...



In fact, if I was a betting man, I'd bet both movies were filmed on the same island / same lighthouse.

As for the ghost scenes...

I thought they were predictable and looked phony / silly / over the top. I thought a lot of it looked like something a university film student might dream up - thinking he was being clever.

Anyway, if anyone wants a higher quality / more intense Lighthouse movie...

The Vanishing [2018] :

3 men alone on an island - they run / maintain a lighthouse. One day they come across a body and a box of gold. 2 of the men are thrilled but the oldest/wisest knows their finding will bring nothing but trouble. He's right !

The Vanishing is ( loosely ) based on the Mystery Of Flannan Isle and it's an interesting, well made character study.

7.25/10

 

[Osprey]

I liked The Vanishing, as well. I gave it a 7/10. It's a recommendation to those who liked the premise and setting of The Lighthouse, but not so much the story and style.

 

[ORRFForever]

The Hunt (2020) :

When you hear "Blumhouse", what comes to mind? To me, Blumhouse means "quality", "excellence" and "high end entertainment". Why would The Hunt be any different?

The Hunt reverses Hollywood's usual "human hunts human" story line. Instead of the MAGA hat wearing "deplorables" being the "hunters", they are the "hunted", and, for the first hour, it's fresh and fun. Unfortunately, with about 30 minutes left, the movie runs out of ideas and we're left with a Kill Bill-esk fight scene that goes on and on and on.

Still, The Hunt was much better than I hoped and I laughed a lot!

7/10

 

[ProstheticConscience]

The Platform

with Spanish people who really need to read end user agreements more carefully.

Future prison/thing/place/dystopia. 2 people live to a floor in a vast vertical prison with a huge rectangular hole in the floor. Every day, a concrete slab starts at the top loaded with food made by top-flight chefs, and it descends floor by floor for people to eat their fill. You in the top, say, 20 levels or so? Great! Pig out! Once you get into the levels after about 140 or so...not so much. You can't keep any food after it leaves either, or your floor either freezes or boils. After it hits the bottom, the slab flies back up through the hole at shotgun speed. It's a total OSHA nightmare. Every month, people are gassed and wake up on a random level. Your cellie jumps into the hole? You get a new one. You kill and eat your cellie? Also get a new one. Nobody seems very fussed about cannibalism here...the kicker is some people actually enter this place voluntarily. Like the main character Goreng, this Frank Zappa-looking guy who brought in a copy of Don Quixote as the one thing he was allowed to bring in. Usually people bring weapons, and for very good reason. He sinks through various stages of grief and insanity as the reality of the place settles in and he witnesses and causes murder most foul. There's a hell of a lot easier ways to quit smoking, dude.

Overbearing social commentary smacks you in the face the whole movie. People up top can shit on whoever they like below, eat all the food they want, and there's nothing the lower levels can do about it. The director's subtlety reminds me of a rhinoceros I once knew. I could forgive it if he stuck the ending, but he doesn't. It's an interesting enough premise, and a harrowing journey going through it, but the ending's a total faceplant. Reminds me of a Shyamalamadingdong movie without a twist.

On Netflix.

Please sir...I want some more...!

 

[ORRFForever]

I liked The Vanishing, as well. I gave it a 7/10. It's a recommendation to those who liked the premise and setting of The Lighthouse, but not so much the story and style.

Do you think it was the same island / same lighthouse?

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Do you think it was the same island / same lighthouse?

From what I can find quickly, nope. The Lighthouse was filmed in Nova Scotia, and The Vanishing in Scotland, where the original legend is set, but not same lighthouse, if I understsood correctly.

 

[ORRFForever]

From what I can find quickly, nope. The Lighthouse was filmed in Nova Scotia, and The Vanishing in Scotland, where the original legend is set, but not same lighthouse, if I understsood correctly.

Thanks!