Last Movie You Watched and Rate It | Spring 2021 Edition

[The Kingslayer]

Oh... "Thanks" for reminding me of Halloween: Resurrection... The terribly low point of a vastly terrible series. True that there is links to be made. I'm with you with the basement mystery, it was pretty well built, but majorly disappointing. It showed how limited the production was, I was hoping for something gruesome to counterpoint the whole "leave it in the dark" approach.



I hate to be that guy, but:



But you're right. Don't Look Now is not exactly a horror film - it's actually one of the very rare true "fantastic" films, as Todorov understood the genre.



I've watched it recently because it was mentionned here (by kihei and someone else), and I liked it a lot. In fact, someone just asked me for my horror recommandations of the last 10 years, and this is what I sent her (horror understood in its widest form):

Saint Maud (2019)

Possessor (2020)

The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears (2013)

The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017)

The Babadook (2014)

Berberian Sound Studio (2012)

Hereditary (2018)

Under the Shadow (2016)

Suspiria (2018)

It Follows (2014)

Under the Skin (2013)

Mother! (2017)

The Woman in Black (2012)

The Conjuring (2013)

Evil Dead (2013)

The Neon Demon (2016)

The Void (2016)

The Witch (2015)

Color Out of Space (2019)

The Lighthouse (2019)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Thanks for this. I've seen a few of these and im going to try and watch them all over the next few weeks.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Thanks for this. I've seen a few of these and im going to try and watch them all over the next few weeks.

Nice! Please report back! Just be aware that there's quite a few in there that are a stretch as "horror films".

 

[Osprey]

Promising Young Woman (2020) - 4/10 (Disliked it)

A woman who dropped out of med school and now works in a coffee shop while living at home takes out her bitterness on men that she doesn't even know by seducing them and chopping their balls off. Ok, she doesn't do that last part (at least I think not), but I wish that she would've, since it might've made this film as fun as advertised. Instead, we aren't shown or even told what she does to the men after revealing to them that she's not actually drunk. That's probably so that we can imagine as much as we're personally comfortable with excusing her for, which seems like a clever cop out. I didn't find anyone in the film, including the lead, Cassie, to be likeable (except for maybe her dad, Mr. Krabs). She came across as a psychopath, a psychopath that I was expected to cheer for because her victims ostensibly deserve what she does to them. The filmmakers even put a 13-year-old girl in a short skirt and made her as dumb as a rock just so that we wouldn't feel sorry for her when Cassie deceives and uses her, which seems pretty hypocritical in a film that repeatedly preaches that a woman wearing sexy attire and getting drunk isn't "asking for it." The film goes to lengths like that and not revealing what Cassie does to the men presumably to try to keep us from judging and souring on her. While she repeatedly extorts apologies from others, not once is it suggested that her actions might be questionable or is the viewer encouraged to come to his or her own conclusion about them. Little in the film made any sense, like how she could confidently seduce literally hundreds of men, deny them sex and never have it turn out badly for her (until the one time that she predicted that it would) or why someone would keep video evidence of rape on a phone for 7 years. It felt to me like we're expected to excuse the film's weaknesses and cheer for Cassie because it's the politically correct thing to do. It's well made and it has its moments, but, to me, it's yet another recent film put on a pedestal more for its social relevance than its quality.

And, with that, I've finally watched all of the Best Picture nominees... a couple of days later than I intended, but oh well.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Nice! Please report back! Just be aware that there's quite a few in there that are a stretch as "horror films".

If it falls in the category of "entertaining" im in regardless of the genre.

 

[Osprey]

If it falls in the category of "entertaining" im in regardless of the genre.

If you want recommendations for which films are entertaining, definitely start with the person who just gave a 5/10 to Die Hard.

 

[kihei]

Promising Young Woman (2020) - 4/10 (Disliked it)

A woman who dropped out of med school and now works in a coffee shop while living at home takes out her bitterness on men that she doesn't even know by seducing them and chopping their balls off. Ok, she doesn't do that last part (at least I think not), but I wish that she would've, since it might've made this film as fun as advertised. Instead, we aren't shown or even told what she does to the men after revealing to them that she's not actually drunk. That's probably so that we can imagine as much as we're personally comfortable with excusing her for, which seems like a clever cop out. I didn't find anyone in the film, including the lead, Cassie, to be likeable (except for maybe her dad, Mr. Krabs). She came across as a psychopath, a psychopath that I was expected to cheer for because her victims ostensibly deserve what she does to them. The filmmakers even put a 13-year-old girl in a short skirt and made her as dumb as a rock just so that we wouldn't feel sorry for her when Cassie deceives and uses her, which seems pretty hypocritical in a film that repeatedly preaches that a woman wearing sexy attire and getting drunk isn't "asking for it." The film goes to lengths like that and not revealing what Cassie does to the men presumably to try to keep us from judging and souring on her. While she repeatedly extorts apologies from others, not once is it suggested that her actions might be questionable or is the viewer encouraged to come to his or her own conclusion about them. Little in the film made any sense, like how she could confidently seduce literally hundreds of men, deny them sex and never have it turn out badly for her (until the one time that she predicted that it would) or why someone would keep video evidence of rape on a phone for 7 years. It felt to me like we're expected to excuse the film's weaknesses and cheer for Cassie because it's the politically correct thing to do. It's well made and it has its moments, but, to me, it's yet another recent film put on a pedestal more for its social relevance than its quality.

And, with that, I've finally watched all of the Best Picture nominees... a couple of days later than I intended, but oh well.

I had a very different reaction to this film. I thought Promising Young Woman was part cultural polemic, part social satire and part feminist revenge fantasy meant deliberately to elicit strong responses from its viewers. Certainly it is a polarizing film, but I think the aim is to get people discussing Cassie, her cause concerning the exploitation of "consent", and her actions in support of that cause.

I didn't worry about what she did to the men--I thought the point was pretty clear that her purpose was to humiliate them, and I required no more detail than that. I think Cassie's actions are presented as being highly questionable--her anger may be justified, but her behaviour certainly doesn't always follow suit. She is blind to anything but her goal, consumed by rage. Yet she is a monster with what could easily be seen as a righteous cause which is a complicated combination of things to be (director Fennel has even suggested there is a horror element to her film (rogerebert.com)). Also the movie is a satire, by definition a "work of art which uses humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize prevailing immorality or foolishness, esp. as a form of social or political commentary." (Oxford) Like Dr. Strangelove, Parasite or American Psycho, Promising Young Woman isn't going to be "realistic" in the manner that straight dramas like Manchester by the Sea, Blue Valentine or The English Patient are. Ultimately I think Cassie serves the movie's purpose very well: her actions excite debate on a wide spectrum of issues and attitudes.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

part cultural polemic, part social satire and part feminist revenge fantasy meant deliberately to elicit strong responses from its viewers. Certainly it is a polarizing film

Sounds like you're talking about Despentes' Baise-moi (!).

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

I had a very different reaction to this film. I thought Promising Young Woman was part cultural polemic, part social satire and part feminist revenge fantasy meant deliberately to elicit strong responses from its viewers. Certainly it is a polarizing film, but I think the aim is to get people discussing Cassie, her cause concerning the exploitation of "consent", and her actions in support of that cause.

I didn't worry about what she did to the men--I thought the point was pretty clear that her purpose was to humiliate them, and I required no more detail than that. I think Cassie's actions are presented as being highly questionable--her anger may be justified, but her behaviour certainly doesn't always follow suit. She is blind to anything but her goal, consumed by rage. Yet she is a monster with what could easily be seen as a righteous cause which is a complicated combination of things to be (director Fennel has even suggested there is a horror element to her film (rogerebert.com)). Also the movie is a satire, by definition a "work of art which uses humour, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize prevailing immorality or foolishness, esp. as a form of social or political commentary." (Oxford) Like Dr. Strangelove, Parasite or American Psycho, Promising Young Woman isn't going to be "realistic" in the manner that straight dramas like Manchester by the Sea, Blue Valentine or The English Patient are. Ultimately I think Cassie serves the movie's purpose very well: her actions excite debate on a wide spectrum of issues and attitudes.

I also thought it was pretty clear what she was doing to the men — exposing them. The opening sequence and credits have a fun feint toward violence but it turns out that ain't blood, it's just ketchup. Beyond that I felt she's out there teaching men lessons, not enacting bloody revenge. That is at least right up to her last potential victim where she does have the threat of violence. And what happens there?

Spoiler

He kills her. His violence trumps her violence.

I also don't think she "predicts" the death as much as invites it. It's practically a suicide.

You don't have to squint hard to see the movie making a statement about the cost of obsession and revenge. Is she righteous and justified? The movie definitely thinks so (and makes her look cool doing it). Does it come at a cost? Clearly. I think it reckons with its internal morality fine. Everyone ultimately pays for their sins in some way.

What I find interesting about the discussion around this movie is that boiled down to its essence isn't this essentially John Wick? Maybe the Academy Awards have given PYW a sheen of respectability or importance that blocks the mind from drawing a line to other revenge flicks like a John Wick, but when the credits roll didn't we just watch a brilliant, highly skilled person expertly dismantle a network of bad dudes solely for the single-minded purpose of righting a deeply held wrong?

Would it be picked at the same way if it wasn't part of the awards season this year or would it still be picked at because while killing someone's dog (John Wick) or nearly killing them (Kill Bill) is black-and-white justification for revenge, issues surrounding sexual assault and matters of consent are seen as gray by many.

 

[kihei]

Sounds like you're talking about Despentes' Baise-moi (!).

Er, no. I would say that Baise-moi is a quite different kettle of fish. A different kind of audience confrontation involved, if I recall.

 

[heatnikki]

Smokey and the Bandit (1977) - 9 / 10
A goofy classic with non-stop action and a great soundtrack.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Die Hard 4.0 (Wiseman, 2007) - I can't decide which of the titles is dumber, I went with the one from the credit, even though IMDB has it as Live Free or Die Hard - which as very little to do with the film itself. It has a cool variety of dumb action scenes, but very poor bad guys, a conventionally bland hero-duo that ain't as funny as in the third film, and Kevin Smith (but why?? the guy isn't even believable as himself in Joey... he makes Matt Leblanc look like an actor). I think I've had a little more fun than with 2 and 3, but that's probably because I hadn't seen it before (or completely forgot about it). 3, maybe 3.5/10.

 

[nameless1]

Personally, I thought Promising Young Woman is fun, but I am not that impressed with it. I know it is supposed to be satire, but there are plotholes that requires too much suspension of disbelief, and while its portrayal of men is interesting and can even be seen as refreshing, it also is so one-sided, that it pretty takes a sledgehammer to the head of the audience to get its point across. Since Fennel also headed up season 2 of Killing Eve, which pales in comparison to her predecessor's work, I think she is overrated, and no more than the favour of the month. There is very little depth to her, to be frank.

I do like it, but it is no more than a 6.5/10 to me.

 

[Osprey]

I had a very different reaction to this film. I thought Promising Young Woman was part cultural polemic, part social satire and part feminist revenge fantasy meant deliberately to elicit strong responses from its viewers. Certainly it is a polarizing film, but I think the aim is to get people discussing Cassie, her cause concerning the exploitation of "consent", and her actions in support of that cause.

I don't think that the aim of the film was to start a discussion. It's a pretty one-sided film in which we're expected to cheer for Cassie each step of the way on her righteous crusade, including when she ridicules other points of view (like the Dean's). What's left to discuss when the film makes it a point that she's in the right and everyone else is wrong? To me, the way to encourage discussion is by asking a question and letting others answer it for themselves, but this film asks no questions and, instead, has answers for every other point of view or excuse (each one represented by a different character).

You don't have to squint hard to see the movie making a statement about the cost of obsession and revenge. Is she righteous and justified? The movie definitely thinks so (and makes her look cool doing it). Does it come at a cost? Clearly. I think it reckons with its internal morality fine. Everyone ultimately pays for their sins in some way.

Sorry, but I don't see it that way. Not once is the righteousness of what she's doing questioned. The film even goes out of its way to absolve her of wrongdoing by not actually having her do anything illegal. Essentially, Cassie is portrayed as an angel exacting revenge in Nina's name, an allusion seemingly driven home by the playing of "Angel of the Morning" when she gets that revenge.

Spoiler

When her mission eventually backfires, it's not portrayed as her paying a price, IMO. It's portrayed as her being a victim of a larger, stronger person who has gotten away with violence towards women before. We aren't led to feel sorry for her and the tragic choices that she made. We're led to feel anger because of the injustice of him getting the upper hand on her, the exact opposite of what we wanted to happen, and that anger is stoked by having the violence towards her go on for as long as it does. That's important because, if it were merely portrayed as her receiving what was coming to her, we wouldn't be angry about it and the last few scenes (particularly the wedding) would lose most of their satisfying bite.

I believe that the film is about the cost of perpetrating and dismissing violence against women. If it had actually been about that and the cost of obsession and revenge, it would've been a more interesting and thought-provoking film, IMO.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

A Good Day to Die Hard (Moore, 2013) - I get it that most of these sequels are based on standalone material and that the Die-Hard elements were forced to them, but this one really feels like it just doesn't belong. McClane ain't funny anymore, and his son is just a downer. The f/x looking like they were rendered through a video game engine makes the whole last sequence look like shit. Really just a boring action film, I already had it on IMDB and won't move it from its 2/10.

 

[NyQuil]

A Good Day to Die Hard (Moore, 2013) - I get it that most of these sequels are based on standalone material and that the Die-Hard elements were forced to them, but this one really feels like it just doesn't belong. McClane ain't funny anymore, and his son is just a downer. The f/x looking like they were rendered through a video game engine makes the whole last sequence look like shit. Really just a boring action film, I already had it on IMDB and won't move it from its 2/10.

I like how they just go about shooting up Moscow and there are no real ramifications about dispensing massive amounts of violence in a foreign country.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I like how they just go about shooting up Moscow and there are no real ramifications about dispensing massive amounts of violence in a foreign country.

Ahah, absolutely! Plausibility wasn't the strong point of the series, but this one is "special". When he drives half a mile on top of cars in a trafic jam on the highway was also very "impressive".

 

[nameless1]

Ahah, absolutely! Plausibility wasn't the strong point of the series, but this one is "special". When he drives half a mile on top of cars in a trafic jam on the highway was also very "impressive".

In real life, you know Russians will already be out to chase after him with baseball bats.

 

[Puck]

I thought Promising Young Woman was not the greatest but Mulligan's performance was captivating. She is the whole movie.

Mulligan was not on my radar until The Dig and Promising Young Woman. She has a certain charismatic 'je ne sais quoi', something like Isabelle Huppert. I think some of that comes from being smarter than average.

On having to suspend belief in action thrillers, I somewhat find curious complaints from horror genre fans on that issue. I guess suspending belief on zombies and vampires is much easier and another trick altogether.

Mind you I'm not a big fan of Bruce Willis but I don't dislike him either. I only have 3 on my current list to stay away from, Cage (weird), Adam Sandler (man-boy act) and Casey Affleck (trade mark depressing). But it's not a hate, I will watch them if I have to. But they always seem to disappoint or annoy me for some reason.

 

[Pink Mist]

I thought Promising Young Woman was not the greatest but Mulligan's performance was captivating. She is the whole movie.

Mulligan was not on my radar until The Dig and Promising Young Woman. She has a certain charismatic 'je ne sais quoi', something like Isabelle Huppert. I think some of that comes from being smarter than average.

On having to suspend belief in action thrillers, I somewhat find curious complaints from horror genre fans on that issue. I guess suspending belief on zombies and vampires is much easier and another trick altogether.

Mind you I'm not a big fan of Bruce Willis but I don't dislike him either. I only have 3 on my current list to stay away from, Cage (weird), Adam Sandler (man-boy act) and Casey Affleck (trade mark depressing). But it's not a hate, I will watch them if I have to. But they always seem to disappoint or annoy me for some reason.

Carey Mulligan always blends with Michelle Williams for me. Both great actresses but they usually play similar roles and look alike. Always mixing up which movies they've been in

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

On having to suspend belief in action thrillers, I somewhat find curious complaints from horror genre fans on that issue. I guess suspending belief on zombies and vampires is much easier and another trick altogether.

Oh, I was only answering to NyQuil's comment, plausibility doesn't affect my appreciation of the film (see original comment, it's crap, but for other reasons). I'm well aware of the contrat de lecture I get into when I'm watching a Die Hard or John Wick film.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

Cotton Club Encore. Francis Ford Coppola's reclaimed, re-edited, rereleased early 80s gangster bomb. I'm a sucker for a good movie resurrection story. Projects done wrong by studio interference and restored to original intent (or at least refashioned into something better). I don't have the original version as a comparison. Only ever caught it in bits and pieces on cable in my youth but it never grabbed me. Reading up on this, Coppola took about about 15 minutes from the original release and added nearly 30 minutes in. That's substantial change!

This restores Coppola's original plan to have a dual-track story following the respective rise of musician Dixie Dwyer (Richard Gere) and dancer Sandman Williams (Gregory Hines). Apparently the original version cuts a lot from Sandman's story (shocking!) as well as musical performances at the Cotton Club to give more time with Dixie's gangster-focused story line. Considering the Hines plot and the performances are what I liked the best, I think I can safely say I like this version better than the original sight unseen.

But did I like this? No, I did not. Hines is good. Bob Hoskins and Fred Gwynn have great presence and rapport as a pair of gangsters (best scene in the movie by far is an argument between them). But beyond them the acting is broadly bad, specifically a horribly miscast Gere and an outright atrocious Nicolas Cage as his brother (is he a hot head? You bet he is!). The gangster stuff is so generic and dull. Again, the dancing and singing is pretty good, but not enough to warrant an endorsement.

It does have a small moment that I adored -- Broadway legend Gwen Verdon plays Gere's mom. In the movie's closing moments there's a small bit where she randomly shows a young girl how to dance. Serves no purpose in the movie. It's just a brief spotlight. It made me smile.

 

[Pink Mist]

Anna Christie (1930) directed by Clarence Brown

Garbo Talks!

The estranged daughter (Greta Garbo) of the captain of a coal barge (George F. Marion, hamming it up with an awful Swedish accent) returns to visit him after 15 years of separation and haunted by her dishonourable past as a sex worker. A box office hit in 1930 which drew crowds as it was the first speaking role for Hollywood star Greta Garbo as she made the transition from silent films to talkies. And did they ever draw out that moment. You have to wait 16 minutes into the film listening to two drunks have incoherent conversation before Greta Garbo shows up and says her famous first words on screen "Gimme a whisky, ginger ale on the side, and don't be stingy, baby!". This was probably a magical moment for audiences in 1930 with the long tension of wondering when she will show up in the film, but for a viewer today who has seen Garbo in later speaking roles already it is an absolute slog to sit through those 16 minutes (note that it is also only an 89 min film, so 16 minutes is a substantial amount of the films runtime). The rest of the film is also just not really good. It’s clear there’s some growing pains in the transition to sound as the blocking is horrendous as Brown tries to hide the microphones, and the editing needs a lot of work as sequences run for far to long before a cut. The film is honestly just dull and kind of boring, not really worth watching aside from those watching for its historical importance or Garbo completionist.

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

The Last Blockbuster. As a child of the 80s I too am nostalgic for video stores. But I'd be a liar if I didn't struggle somewhat with tears shed over Blockbuster, which was basically the Walmart of video stores and aggressively drove countless mom-and-pops out of business. If you'll allow a twist on the oft quoted The Dark Knight quote ... You either die a villain or live long enough to become the hero, I suppose. On the positive side, it increased access to movies and thus created more movie lovers, which is good! And the central figure here is a lone franchisee who essentially has become a mom-and-pop so the underdog vibe is not fully unwarranted in her case. Still, I couldn't quite embrace it.

I do miss the concept of a physical video store. I just do not weep for this particularly iteration of it.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

I do miss the concept of a physical video store. I just do not weep for this particularly iteration of it.

Went to see my mother yesterday and saw this just 5 minutes away from her place... still alive and rockin'!

 

[kihei]

Carey Mulligan always blends with Michelle Williams for me. Both great actresses but they usually play similar roles and look alike. Always mixing up which movies they've been in

The pair that drive me absolutely to distraction are Claire Danes and Kursten Dunst, similar kind of blondes, practically interchangeable in every role that either ever played, with maddening similar names. I have started to just treat them as a single entity rather than struggle with which one was in what.