I hated it, and I think it was the start of a very long slump for Malick. He came out of it with 2019's A Hidden Life, though. In the nick of time as far as I was concerned.
Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Spring 2021 Edition
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You will love it. I learned it because I needed a word to describe how I feel towards the Leafs during the Nonis era.
He was the GM in Vancouver, and I knew how well his tenure will go.
ItsFineImFine
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Ball of Fire (1941) - 7/10
Barbara Stanwyck acts very naughty while Gary Cooper plays a more subdued straightman (basically a nerd). It's not quite funny but it is better in terms of storyline than a lot of other screwballs because it generally avoids being over the top in terms of zaniness. Honestly more of a screwball-lite.
edit: Also give me Gary Cooper's nerd in this film over Henry Fonda's spineless drip from The Lady Eve any day.
Barbara Stanwyck acts very naughty while Gary Cooper plays a more subdued straightman (basically a nerd). It's not quite funny but it is better in terms of storyline than a lot of other screwballs because it generally avoids being over the top in terms of zaniness. Honestly more of a screwball-lite.
edit: Also give me Gary Cooper's nerd in this film over Henry Fonda's spineless drip from The Lady Eve any day.
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That was my first Malick viewing experience and as you can imagine, I’m on the fence about whether I’d want to watch anything else from him.
If you had to recommend just one of his films, which one would you choose? I was thinking about “The Thin Red Line.”
What score you would have given “The Tree of Life” by the way? I’m very curious.
Unholy Diver
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It popped up in an episode of the Simpsons in 1991, had never heard of it prior to Lisa explaining it to Homer
This is hard to answer but probably his first film Badlands is where I'd start with Malick. It's fairly accessible and probably his most conventional film. Though someone could make the case for Days of Heaven or The Thin Red Line
Just make sure your next Malick is NOT Knights of Cups, To the Wonder or Song to Song
A Hidden Life is also excellent though it may be an acquired taste
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Good advice. Badlands is a good place to start. Then The Thin Red Line (probably his best movie--if I could only recommend one, this would be it), then Days of Heaven. I'm in the minority, but I quite liked The New World as well. Wrap it up with A Hidden Life and skip the rest. Let us know your thoughts however far you get.
KallioWeHardlyKnewYe
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I'll stan for any of his first three movies too. I would also agree that Badlands is probably his most accessible and The Thin Red Line is his best.
I think both The New World and The Tree of Life are partial movies. Both have stretches that are among Malick's best work -- the first half of The New World, and the Brad Pitt parts of The Tree of Life — but I struggle with the pieces that aren't those segments.
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In Fabric (2018) directed by Peter Strickland
A red dress bought at a strange department store (on sale) haunts and kills whoever wears it. A very strange art house horror-comedy about a cursed dress and the unlucky people who come to possess it (or rather who the dress possesses). A lot of silly fun, a throwback to giallo films though it runs a little long for its own good. The first half of the film, which is about a lonely woman (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) who buys the dress at the department store, is a lot more compelling then the second half of the film which is about a suburban couple (Leo Bill and Hayley Squires) who come to later own the dress. Would have been better. I wish Strickland had stuck to just telling the story from the first half of the film, but otherwise it is a fun and stylish movie.
A red dress bought at a strange department store (on sale) haunts and kills whoever wears it. A very strange art house horror-comedy about a cursed dress and the unlucky people who come to possess it (or rather who the dress possesses). A lot of silly fun, a throwback to giallo films though it runs a little long for its own good. The first half of the film, which is about a lonely woman (Marianne Jean-Baptiste) who buys the dress at the department store, is a lot more compelling then the second half of the film which is about a suburban couple (Leo Bill and Hayley Squires) who come to later own the dress. Would have been better. I wish Strickland had stuck to just telling the story from the first half of the film, but otherwise it is a fun and stylish movie.
Sinister wasn't sinister and Insidious wasn't insidious, 3As to both. The search for a genuinely scary horror movie continues.
Pranzo Oltranzista
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Jack Reacher (McQuarrie, 2012) - It's dumb fun entertainment until Mr. Reacher drops his guns to go mano-to-mano with a crook (while he knows there's at least another killer loose & the lady he's supposed to be there to save is still tied up nonetheless) - then it's just dumb. Don't sell me a super-smart soldier if he's obviously intellectually challenged. 2/10
Tkachuk4MVP
32 Years of Fail
Continuing on through the BP nominees:
Nomadland - 6/10
What am I missing here? I felt similar to how I did watching First Cow; namely, that in the pursuit of minimalism, character development and storytelling got the short shrift. In Nomadland's case, McDormand has a little to work with in the character development department, but it's in service of a journey that I didn't find particularly interesting, engaging, or enlightening.
Promising Young Woman - 8.5/10
This and Sound of Metal are my favorites of the nominees thus far. This movie somehow pulls off the dual task of having us root for the heroine in her revenge fantasy pursuit, while also wanting her to break free of that same pursuit which has consumed her life. It's uncomfortable to watch at times (intentionally so) but it has a lot to say and gets its message across without being exploitative or preachy. The acting is also fantastic across the board, and it's hard to believe this is Emerald Fennel's first film with the way she is able to navigate through this difficult material.
Nomadland - 6/10
What am I missing here? I felt similar to how I did watching First Cow; namely, that in the pursuit of minimalism, character development and storytelling got the short shrift. In Nomadland's case, McDormand has a little to work with in the character development department, but it's in service of a journey that I didn't find particularly interesting, engaging, or enlightening.
Promising Young Woman - 8.5/10
This and Sound of Metal are my favorites of the nominees thus far. This movie somehow pulls off the dual task of having us root for the heroine in her revenge fantasy pursuit, while also wanting her to break free of that same pursuit which has consumed her life. It's uncomfortable to watch at times (intentionally so) but it has a lot to say and gets its message across without being exploitative or preachy. The acting is also fantastic across the board, and it's hard to believe this is Emerald Fennel's first film with the way she is able to navigate through this difficult material.
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Perhaps you have watched so much by now, you might have developed an immunity to horror movies.
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jasonleaffan
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Tkachuk4MVP
32 Years of Fail
The Hell House title reminded me of His House, one of my favorites from 2020. I'm sure kihei's already seen it though, like he has everything else
.I've read about 8 of the books and that's kind of what makes the character fun and interesting. He's smart like a detective, but also impulsive and gets into fist fights just because he likes them. Not doing things by the book or what you'd expect of a disciplined officer is part of his appeal. He's not supposed to be super realistic, but slightly larger than life. I can understand how it'd be hard to buy "larger than life" with Tom Cruise in the role, though.
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Pranzo Oltranzista
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Really? Never cared watching it myself, and the "One of the best of the found footage genre" in the trailer really ain't appealing - beyond Cannibal Holocaust, is there a good horror film in that 'genre'?
Pranzo Oltranzista
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I've read about 8 of the books and that's kind of what makes the character fun and interesting. He's smart like a detective, but also impulsive and gets into fist fights just because he likes them. Not doing things by the book or what you'd expect of a disciplined officer is part of his appeal. He's not supposed to be super realistic, but slightly larger than life. I can understand how it'd be hard to buy that with Tom Cruise in the role, though.
It's not just the non-realistic aspect - the 5 vs 1 fight was non-realistic and he walked into it like it was free cheesecake night, but it was still fun. The moment he drops the guns at the end is not just "oh what a cool confident no-shit given character", it's plain stupid on a tactical level - and there he lost me. Oh, and I like Tom Cruise!
jasonleaffan
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It's a genuinely scary found footage film, unlike Cannibal Holocaust which just wants to shock you. I watch a lot of horror films and He'll House LLC is one of the only ones I can think of that made me second guess a shadow in the room I was watching.
So far, here are the ratings for the Best Picture Oscar contenders that I have watched:
Nomadland: 8/10
Judas and the Black Messiah: 7.5/10
Sound of Metal: 7.5/10
The Trial of the Chicago 7: 6.75/10
Promising Young Women: 6.5/10
Mank: 6/10
Minari 5.5/10
Nomadland is indeed the best movie of the year, worldwide, but There is No Evil is very close behind. I have both at 8/10, but Nomadland pulls ahead because it is a more complete story, while the last part of There is No Evil is rather weak compared to the rest of the movie.
In my opinion, First Cow is the big snub of the awards season, because it is probably the second or third best movie in the U.S. from last year, along with Judas and the Black Messiah, as I have the same grade for both. Never Rarely Sometimes Always, at 7/10, is the other notable snub.
Minari is the movie that confuses me. People and critics alike rate it highly, but I am rather bored by it. It is a flat and predictable movie, to be honest, and at times, I just find it utterly unrealistic. While I am happy that both Yuen and Youn Yuh-jung got nominations, I am not sure it is deserved. Youn is fine, but I have seen better performances from her. Meanwhile, Yuen, like the movie, is quite flat in his performance, and I think everyone else overshadowed him.
There are a couple more that I have to get through, but I can probably safely say that this is indeed a weak year. Unfortunately, it may be the case for next year too, because the cupboard looks bare too.
Nomadland: 8/10
Judas and the Black Messiah: 7.5/10
Sound of Metal: 7.5/10
The Trial of the Chicago 7: 6.75/10
Promising Young Women: 6.5/10
Mank: 6/10
Minari 5.5/10
Nomadland is indeed the best movie of the year, worldwide, but There is No Evil is very close behind. I have both at 8/10, but Nomadland pulls ahead because it is a more complete story, while the last part of There is No Evil is rather weak compared to the rest of the movie.
In my opinion, First Cow is the big snub of the awards season, because it is probably the second or third best movie in the U.S. from last year, along with Judas and the Black Messiah, as I have the same grade for both. Never Rarely Sometimes Always, at 7/10, is the other notable snub.
Minari is the movie that confuses me. People and critics alike rate it highly, but I am rather bored by it. It is a flat and predictable movie, to be honest, and at times, I just find it utterly unrealistic. While I am happy that both Yuen and Youn Yuh-jung got nominations, I am not sure it is deserved. Youn is fine, but I have seen better performances from her. Meanwhile, Yuen, like the movie, is quite flat in his performance, and I think everyone else overshadowed him.
There are a couple more that I have to get through, but I can probably safely say that this is indeed a weak year. Unfortunately, it may be the case for next year too, because the cupboard looks bare too.
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Pranzo Oltranzista
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Heard that before though... Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity were "genuinely scary" too.
Might have been the intent yes, shock and gross, but it still ended up as a heck of a film - and I didn't imply that it was scary, I said good. Anyway, I'll probably have a look at HH LLC, I'm just not very enthousiastic.
Yep, made my top twenty for the year.The Hell House title reminded me of His House, one of my favorites from 2020. I'm sure kihei's already seen it though, like he has everything else
I am the reverse of you.
I can see your point of view on Nomadland, but I think it is one of those movies that casts a spell on the audience. Rather it works or not, however, depends on each individual, and the result varies widely.
For me, I find it the journey rather interesting. Most road trip movies is a search and discovery of something, rather external or internal, but Nomadland is the opposite, as the main character actually wants to preserve a part of herself. That is why despite the vast open landscape, it is also contrasted by a sense of melancholy and restlessness, because Fern, McDormand's character, does not exactly know what she wants either. kihei wrote in his review that the movie is a new update on the American Dream, and I absolutely agree. At the same time, I am also reminded of George Carlin, as he said, "The reason they call it the American Dream is because you have to be asleep to believe it." Like the movie, a lot of people have start to wake up, and they are aimless and confused like Fern. Thus, I disagree that McDormand is given nothing to work with, because she absolutely nails it.
Meanwhile, I find Promising Young Woman rather shallow. It is different, it reflects the current social atmosphere, and Mulligan is great, but there are some plotholes that stick out.
I get that this is a story of "revenge", but I never understood why she waited to carry out her revenge. For me, the introduction requires a fair bit of suspension of disbelief, and at times it takes me out of the movie every time I try to understand why.
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