I'd bet November would be the one that you liked. Valley of Shadows (little boy walks into a dark, dark wood) is me falling for atmosphere again--but I really liked it.
Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Spring 2021 Edition
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I Saw The Devil wasn’t really a horror, but it did involve a psychopathic killer and gets your blood going a bit.
At TIFF that director said he saw the way the wind was blowing and just insanely amped up the gore. Not my cup of tea. Not cuz it grosses me out but because I think it is lazy storytelling.
Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, Aardman Animations, 7.5+
Dialogue free but very expressive. Loved it. I still think Soul will win this category for various reasons but Farmageddon is tied with Onward for no.2 spot. The three are actually very good and close to a toss-up but I'll still put my bets on Soul edging out first because of the more serious adult narrative content that might influence members of the Academy (but I'm no expert). Strange that Armageddon is considered a 2019 flick and nominated in 2021 but that's probably pandemic related. Netflix.
Dialogue free but very expressive. Loved it. I still think Soul will win this category for various reasons but Farmageddon is tied with Onward for no.2 spot. The three are actually very good and close to a toss-up but I'll still put my bets on Soul edging out first because of the more serious adult narrative content that might influence members of the Academy (but I'm no expert). Strange that Armageddon is considered a 2019 flick and nominated in 2021 but that's probably pandemic related. Netflix.
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
Agreed. Suspense more than anything else. The only thing that fits into conventional horror is its climax.
Pranzo Oltranzista
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Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
I'll admit I'm drinking a great Bordeaux but I have no idea what you're referring to. The denouement?
Pranzo Oltranzista
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Nah, the dénouement lends on the real-world mimetic model side of things. There's one moment that'd prove supernatural elements are part of the story (which would also take it out of the fantastic genre), but most people miss it.
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
Oh, and:
Boiling Point (1990) - Essentially perfect. Kitano holds up with my favorite of the 90s. Nobody has made gangster flicks like he has. His gags are as good - if not better - than what the Western world has to offer. To weave it with solemn crime is a great touch.
The Blue Room (2014) - Without major ambition, this is a masterpiece. Amalric's small changes from the book are perfect. Good on him to go for even less than 80 minutes. Feels like an exercise that bests what it achieved to do. Sensual in the best of ways.
Boiling Point (1990) - Essentially perfect. Kitano holds up with my favorite of the 90s. Nobody has made gangster flicks like he has. His gags are as good - if not better - than what the Western world has to offer. To weave it with solemn crime is a great touch.
The Blue Room (2014) - Without major ambition, this is a masterpiece. Amalric's small changes from the book are perfect. Good on him to go for even less than 80 minutes. Feels like an exercise that bests what it achieved to do. Sensual in the best of ways.
I'm writing this quick before I crash tonight. It's not thought out but just a quick take. There's probably a book or two to be written on the pop culture "horror movie genre" for the 21st century. In the 50's it was Westerns, in the 60's it's James Bond style spy movies, in the 70's it's mafia style gangster flicks and buddy cop flicks. Lately it has been comic book hero movies (Marvel and DC). Horror movies have always been around and it might be my imagination but I can't believe all the dumb horror films out this decade. I still think it is fueled by the viewing habits or tastes of the teen to early 20s demographic that still hit movie theatres in droves. Problem is, the content is mostly low-brow and low-budget. The writing sucks. It's a cheap way for producers to make a quick buck. Always has been. The next genre to take off next decade IMHO will be gamer movies. In other words, movies made from popular gaming titles. Parents will take their kids out to watch stuff they knew when they were younger much like how the comic universe content is popular now. It's already started. And horror movies will prolly mostly continue to truck on in the B category; there's always the odd good ones. But most of it is B level (like Hallmark style romance movies, always popular, lotsa crap). Personally the more interesting ones deal with a supernatural element, the slash, gore or monster flicks are more unpleasant and gruff. The genre will not disappear like Westerns. 'Horror' is very popular but not well managed. (if it is well done it probably falls under another category)
Just such an enjoyable film. I loved it.Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, Aardman Animations, 7.5+
Dialogue free but very expressive. Loved it. I still think Soul will win this category for various reasons but Farmageddon is tied with Onward for no.2 spot. The three are actually very good and close to a toss-up but I'll still put my bets on Soul edging out first because of the more serious adult narrative content that might influence members of the Academy (but I'm no expert). Strange that Armageddon is considered a 2019 flick and nominated in 2021 but that's probably pandemic related. Netflix.
Pranzo Oltranzista
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I won't!
It's not my take per se, if you read a little about the film, it should pop up.
At the end, when the daughter is cornered, the film's resolution seems to solve the tension between the wife's beliefs and the husband's skepticism: there was nothing supernatural, only some weird dwarf serial killer. But no, there's still another moment that can't be explained rationally. Most people who've seen the film once don't really notice it, if you see it twice it should be obvious.
Todorov's definition of the fantastic is pretty simple: is truly fantastic only the text (or film) that hangs out to the doubt. Was this all part of our known reality, or was something unexplainable happening? Don't Look Now is a unique case where you can only understand the supernatural components once you've been told there was none. Amazingly brilliant film.
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
Chateau Belair-Monange 2017. A very good Merlot. 100 bucks, which I don't usually do, but I just got poached to an international company + 10 percent bonus + almost 10K USD in stocks so I'm celebrating. Dominated the interview even while sick. It's amusing how impressed corporate folks are by experienced workers who can wax on about the arts.
Pranzo Oltranzista
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Chateau Belair-Monange 2017. A very good Merlot. 100 bucks, which I don't usually do, but I just got poached to an international company + 10 percent bonus + almost 10K USD in stocks so I'm celebrating. Dominated the interview even while sick. It's amusing how impressed corporate folks are by experienced workers who can wax on about the arts.
Congrats!!
Spring in Fialta
A malign star kept him
Thank you. I honestly couldn't have done this without HF. Sharing daily about movies, music and books is one hell of a way to develop some intellectual skills. Having some personal works published helps. I was able to bullshit it by tying it in with corporate work. They loved it.
Pranzo Oltranzista
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Crown Vic (2019)
Basically a meandering, clichéd cop drama.. all the typical memes of how a cop becomes warped by the mean streets he patrols.
Good casting, and some good atmospheric music as the two partners patrol late night LA. But the story was almost instantly forgettable, & contributed nothing new to the genre.
All things considered, it wasn't bad. I give it a 5 (10 point scale).
Basically a meandering, clichéd cop drama.. all the typical memes of how a cop becomes warped by the mean streets he patrols.
Good casting, and some good atmospheric music as the two partners patrol late night LA. But the story was almost instantly forgettable, & contributed nothing new to the genre.
All things considered, it wasn't bad. I give it a 5 (10 point scale).
Reminder Memo to Self: *Add link to HF Entertainment Thread to C.V.*
The House of the Devil (2009) - 7/10 (Really liked it)
A college student (Jocelin Donahue) desperate for money accepts a mysterious babysitting job from a stranger. Now this is my kind of horror: old-fashioned atmosphere, imagination and anticipation. It felt like a deliberate throwback to horror films from the 70s and 80s. It features a slow but steady burn, lots of still camera shots and minimal editing. For the first hour and change, it's very restrained, with almost no scares or even fast movements, just mounting mystery and tension as Samantha responds to the job offer and explores the house... and then it flips a switch and is a totally different film for the final 10 minutes. It's suddenly kinetic and violent, the camera work is drunk and the shots are short. It's like a film version of Ravel's Bolero, ramping up steadily and predictably over a long time and then suddenly going completely off key. I appreciated that on a creative level. I was also impressed with Donahue, who gives a very natural performance. The camera is almost always on her, but she acts like it isn't there. As funny as it may sound, I liked the way that she walked like a real person, not someone trying to look good doing it. I'm not sure that a real person would be brave or dumb enough to explore every room of a creepy owner's house, but that's on the script, not her. The film does employ a few horror tropes, like a phone ringing jump scare that I knew was coming. Also, the final 10 minutes weren't the most original, either, but the very end was pretty unique and unexpected. Overall, I really enjoyed it, mostly for how well the director slowly built tension and managed to make it feel like a throwback to much older horror films. Kudos to Pranzo for recommending a horror film that I enjoyed! It's on Prime Video.
A college student (Jocelin Donahue) desperate for money accepts a mysterious babysitting job from a stranger. Now this is my kind of horror: old-fashioned atmosphere, imagination and anticipation. It felt like a deliberate throwback to horror films from the 70s and 80s. It features a slow but steady burn, lots of still camera shots and minimal editing. For the first hour and change, it's very restrained, with almost no scares or even fast movements, just mounting mystery and tension as Samantha responds to the job offer and explores the house... and then it flips a switch and is a totally different film for the final 10 minutes. It's suddenly kinetic and violent, the camera work is drunk and the shots are short. It's like a film version of Ravel's Bolero, ramping up steadily and predictably over a long time and then suddenly going completely off key. I appreciated that on a creative level. I was also impressed with Donahue, who gives a very natural performance. The camera is almost always on her, but she acts like it isn't there. As funny as it may sound, I liked the way that she walked like a real person, not someone trying to look good doing it. I'm not sure that a real person would be brave or dumb enough to explore every room of a creepy owner's house, but that's on the script, not her. The film does employ a few horror tropes, like a phone ringing jump scare that I knew was coming. Also, the final 10 minutes weren't the most original, either, but the very end was pretty unique and unexpected. Overall, I really enjoyed it, mostly for how well the director slowly built tension and managed to make it feel like a throwback to much older horror films. Kudos to Pranzo for recommending a horror film that I enjoyed! It's on Prime Video.
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Me, too; me, too. I've seen the movie close to a dozen times and I have just spent a lazy morning replaying it in my head. And I'm still unsure of what you are referring to. Or, maybe put your comments in spoilers.You got me, I did PM you in the end!
Pranzo Oltranzista
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So glad you liked it! The ending was somewhat of a letdown to me, I always wish for the crypt (here the attic, or the basement in Hell House LLC) to be either terrorizing or to remain mysterious, but it's pretty much never the case. The first two Amityville films did ok at that, maybe The Changelling too.
Pranzo Oltranzista
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Mandy
2.80 out of 4stars
Let me start by saying this is not a movie for everyone or one that everyone will enjoy. Trip, is a word to describe this movie in a double-meaning sort of way. The sum of it's parts are a bit different than anything I've seen also. And to describe the type of movie it is, it's a tale of 2 halves, first half is a slow burn horror movie and the 2nd half is a revenge thriller, but it's clearly an arthouse piece. And while the first half is good, the last 2/3's of the movie is why you signed up to watch this film and it delivers. The movie isn't perfect and it's reach exceeds it's grasp, but it's reach is way out there and the film has a lot going for it. All the visual effects and tricks are very intriguing, albeit a couple times distracting. The mood setting is perfect imo. The soundtrack is well executed. The entire mixture of everything going on creates such a joyously crazed experience, all executed by a masterfully crazy Nicholas Cage performance.
Withnail and I
???
Supposedly a cult classic british dark comedy with Richard E Grant and Paul McGann. I found the 'schtick' more annoying than funny through the first 15minutes so I turned it off.
2.80 out of 4stars
Let me start by saying this is not a movie for everyone or one that everyone will enjoy. Trip, is a word to describe this movie in a double-meaning sort of way. The sum of it's parts are a bit different than anything I've seen also. And to describe the type of movie it is, it's a tale of 2 halves, first half is a slow burn horror movie and the 2nd half is a revenge thriller, but it's clearly an arthouse piece. And while the first half is good, the last 2/3's of the movie is why you signed up to watch this film and it delivers. The movie isn't perfect and it's reach exceeds it's grasp, but it's reach is way out there and the film has a lot going for it. All the visual effects and tricks are very intriguing, albeit a couple times distracting. The mood setting is perfect imo. The soundtrack is well executed. The entire mixture of everything going on creates such a joyously crazed experience, all executed by a masterfully crazy Nicholas Cage performance.
Withnail and I
???
Supposedly a cult classic british dark comedy with Richard E Grant and Paul McGann. I found the 'schtick' more annoying than funny through the first 15minutes so I turned it off.
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