TheKaeptain
Banned
Wait this is based off pleb votes?
Movies You've Seen Recently |OT| Nov 2013
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Wait this is based off pleb votes?
But Akira is better and more fun to talk about than Honneamise.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
how bout a lttp: Porco Rosso thread
OP can be like, "hey, this movie's pretty sweet!" and the replies would be various levels of affirmation
OP can be like, "hey, this movie's pretty sweet!" and the replies would be various levels of affirmation
Dragoon En Regalia
Member
Looks like I'm watching Zanjeer sometime this week (thank you Mark Cousins thank you Mark Cousins ad infinitum). After that, probably some straightforward Bollywood melodrama stuff.
kurisu_1974
Banned
I'm at 206 / 250 on the IMDb Top-250, and I also wanted to complete it this year. Not going to happen.
Watched this weekend:
I Can See You (2008)
Weird no-budget horror/thriller, looks very cheap and the acting is really bad, and the whole movie exists as an excuse for the last 20 minutes, which is an awesome montage of crazy images and very effective sound effects.
Before Midnight (2013)
While I think I understand what they did there, I didn't really like it, but somehow I think that's partly the point. But still, even accepting these rather unlikeable and suddenly much less interesting protagonists, I also missed the atmosphere that was present in the photography and locales of the first two movies. I also hated that part where they are all sitting at the table and telling stories in the most forced way. And I really *loved* Before Sunset...
Safety Last! (1923)
Crazy good Harold Lloyd film, I was genuinly sweaty-palmed during that famous stunt in the last part. Really hated the girlfriend tho, such a golddigger. Must say I liked this more than Keaton's The General.
Man of Steel (2013)
Was expecting even worse, but this was all in all a pretty useless addition to the Superman canon. And a waste of Michael Shannon.
The Way Way Back (2013)
Great coming of age movie, Sam Rockwell nailed it, film reminded me a bit of Little Miss Sunshine even if it's never that good. Some genuinly funny moments.
The World's End (2013)
Another one of these films where I loved it until the "twist" - or rather the change in scope (another recent one was Kill List) - but then didn't really care for it anymore. The sci-fi / invasion part felt a bit derivative, and the ending was just cheap.
Watched this weekend:
I Can See You (2008)
Weird no-budget horror/thriller, looks very cheap and the acting is really bad, and the whole movie exists as an excuse for the last 20 minutes, which is an awesome montage of crazy images and very effective sound effects.
Before Midnight (2013)
While I think I understand what they did there, I didn't really like it, but somehow I think that's partly the point. But still, even accepting these rather unlikeable and suddenly much less interesting protagonists, I also missed the atmosphere that was present in the photography and locales of the first two movies. I also hated that part where they are all sitting at the table and telling stories in the most forced way. And I really *loved* Before Sunset...
Safety Last! (1923)
Crazy good Harold Lloyd film, I was genuinly sweaty-palmed during that famous stunt in the last part. Really hated the girlfriend tho, such a golddigger. Must say I liked this more than Keaton's The General.
Man of Steel (2013)
Was expecting even worse, but this was all in all a pretty useless addition to the Superman canon. And a waste of Michael Shannon.
The Way Way Back (2013)
Great coming of age movie, Sam Rockwell nailed it, film reminded me a bit of Little Miss Sunshine even if it's never that good. Some genuinly funny moments.
The World's End (2013)
Another one of these films where I loved it until the "twist" - or rather the change in scope (another recent one was Kill List) - but then didn't really care for it anymore. The sci-fi / invasion part felt a bit derivative, and the ending was just cheap.
Messofanego
Banned
The Devils is weird and great, a unique beast. A ton of memorable imagery.
It's kind of insane to think that some of this actually happened. Basically, think examination of a person of religion in like how celebrity culture is nowadays. Make sure to get the uncut version, and also watch the enlightening documentary about why it was controversial.
TheKaeptain
Banned
In the top 50 alone I've only seen 6 of the films :\
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
What I've seen, with my comments interpolated. I would say prioritize Harakiri and Duck Amuck, since the former is such an essential part of most conversations on film, while the latter is short and just a blast, even 50+ years later.
Here's a link to Duck Amuck. Clocks in at just under 7 minutes.
Liquidsnake
Banned
Man of Steel: 10/10.
Once in a while a movie comes along and tugs at your heart with emotions and action that reminds you of why you love movies so much. Exposition that is smarter than what movies critics give it credit for. Man of Steel is such a movie.
With a complicated story that ranges from political struggles, to dealing with teenage angst, trying to find your place in the world, to dealing with life altering decisions; Zack Snyder covered it all. Approaching Man of Steel with a clean palette, he was able to paint a picture that might be looked at in time as a masterpiece.
From some of the best casting choices to the most awe inspiring camera work, you really believed a man can fly. Some of the best action sequences that made me forget about the Avengers.
With tears in my eyes, I stood in my living room clapping at the screen as the credits rolled.
Every once in a while we are lucky enough to see a meteor slicing through the sky.
Every once in a while we are lucky enough to witness something special.
I cried during the birth scene
I shed a tear during the loss scene
I shed a tear when Supes had to make a very tough decision at the end.
Caville is Superman. Superman is emotionally half human. To be human is to feel. Thank you Snyder for understanding that.
This movie is beast. 10/10.
Once in a while a movie comes along and tugs at your heart with emotions and action that reminds you of why you love movies so much. Exposition that is smarter than what movies critics give it credit for. Man of Steel is such a movie.
With a complicated story that ranges from political struggles, to dealing with teenage angst, trying to find your place in the world, to dealing with life altering decisions; Zack Snyder covered it all. Approaching Man of Steel with a clean palette, he was able to paint a picture that might be looked at in time as a masterpiece.
From some of the best casting choices to the most awe inspiring camera work, you really believed a man can fly. Some of the best action sequences that made me forget about the Avengers.
With tears in my eyes, I stood in my living room clapping at the screen as the credits rolled.
Every once in a while we are lucky enough to see a meteor slicing through the sky.
Every once in a while we are lucky enough to witness something special.
I cried during the birth scene
I shed a tear during the loss scene
I shed a tear when Supes had to make a very tough decision at the end.
Caville is Superman. Superman is emotionally half human. To be human is to feel. Thank you Snyder for understanding that.
This movie is beast. 10/10.
Charles Foster Kane
Rosebud
^^Dat peer pressure.
@Liquid. Never change.
@Liquid. Never change.
Expendable.
Member
Doh, I've definitely seen Duck Amuck when I was a kid. Nice to revisit, thanks for the link. Will get to the others!
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Duck Amuck is better postmodernism than just about any writer you might read in a college class on the subject, unless Vonnegut is in the curriculum.
Kilgore Trout
Member
Liquid is the perfect example of Poe's Law.
Liquidsnake
Banned
Absolutely not.
"I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man."
George Washington
As a child I could not have imagined a time where movies about super heros, where given so much respect by Hollywood, to call on Directors like Nolan. Its actually mind blowing.
I thought they would always be trapped in the made for TV Captain America mold.
Duck Amuck is brilliant. I love the other one which is a sort of literal deconstruction of colloquial language. edit: this one(couldnt find better quality): http://vimeo.com/65693911
Charles Foster Kane
Rosebud
Today we saw Rififi, an entertaining French noir with an agin criminal, a heist, a dame (several dames, in fact), and criminal arguments.
We also saw Peeping Tom, which was basically Maniac but good.
And finally we saw Nebraska, which was a pretty damn great film about a man taking his senile father to try and collect some sweepstakes winnings. It's the kind of film I love, mixing deadpan comedy with melancholy character drama.
We also saw Peeping Tom, which was basically Maniac but good.
And finally we saw Nebraska, which was a pretty damn great film about a man taking his senile father to try and collect some sweepstakes winnings. It's the kind of film I love, mixing deadpan comedy with melancholy character drama.
Dragoon En Regalia
Member
Take that, David Foster Wallace!
Just saying: the guy's earned some criticism recently
I exactly remember why Snowy dislikes Buñuel, but to each his own I guess. I've seen folks rag on The Ruling Class for getting away with stuff that's pretty tame for this director.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Bunuel is the mid-century equivalent of guys who think "Pastafarianism" is some kind of incisive critique of organized religion. His movies are so OBVIOUS. "Oh, now the religiots are stuck in their church! Oh ho ho, Luis, you sly devil...."
I'll admit he has good scenes - the dog/wagon in Viridiana comes to mind - but his movies are largely pretty dull and empty, when you really consider what they say and how they say it. His biggest contribution to world cinema is being one of Allen's influences.
Edit: I say this from having seen about a half-dozen of the man's movies. Perhaps there's one or two in his large corpus are legitimately good, but still, unless the ones I've seen have ALL been his worst movies (and incidentally his most known/acclaimed), with the rest being good to great, the man's batting average - which I think must be at least part of how an artist is considered, in the long run, for of course consistency is a measure of one's skill in ANY human endeavor - would still not be particularly competitive.
I'll admit he has good scenes - the dog/wagon in Viridiana comes to mind - but his movies are largely pretty dull and empty, when you really consider what they say and how they say it. His biggest contribution to world cinema is being one of Allen's influences.
Edit: I say this from having seen about a half-dozen of the man's movies. Perhaps there's one or two in his large corpus are legitimately good, but still, unless the ones I've seen have ALL been his worst movies (and incidentally his most known/acclaimed), with the rest being good to great, the man's batting average - which I think must be at least part of how an artist is considered, in the long run, for of course consistency is a measure of one's skill in ANY human endeavor - would still not be particularly competitive.
Just watched How I Live Now. Knew almost nothing going into it. Was a lot more romantic and powerful than i would have anticipated. Really good stuff.
First half or so was somewhat rushed for my liking (it definitely needed to be longer so as to flesh out the relationship between Daisy and Edmond, which blossoms out of the blue, as well as give the audience some time to develop a connection with the secondary family members, particularly Isaac), but the second was quite good. Very beautiful film, though. I posted my thoughts in the Saoirse appreciation thread a couple of days ago (I neglected to mention the soundtrack at the time but it's fantastic).
MidnightCowboy
Member
12 Years a Slave is superb, McQueen and Bobbitt have delivered the goods 3 times now. The cast is great all around, from Ejiofor and Fassbender all the way down to characters with a single line (Sal from Mad Men!) It's a stunning looking film too, there's lots of beautiful shots of trees and water, a particularly mesmerizing shot of embers, and a heartbreaking, powerful shot of
. It's a simple way to put it, but the film just looks really pretty. That juxtaposes magnificently with the brutality of certain scenes. One extended sequence in particular is among the most uncomfortable I've seen. My only complaint would be the soundtrack, it's too loud for its own good. It works in some scenes, but others it falls short. Also the ending, while heartwarming, felt too cliche or, and I hate to put it this way, Hollywood. Maybe I'm just comparing it too much to Shame, which had a shocking, gut punch of an end. Anyway, I can't think of a better director than McQueen to have emerged in the past 5 years, the closest that comes to mind is Jeff Nichols.
As for Bunuel, all I've seen is Land Without Bread. I don't think I got a good taste.
4th wall breaking
As for Bunuel, all I've seen is Land Without Bread. I don't think I got a good taste.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
The ending works because
McQueen empties it of the mawkishness it COULD have had. It's not heartwarming, but awkward, and there's an emptiness to it, a sense that, while this is what Solomon has wanted to return to the whole film, it simply is not, perhaps could never BE enough. Not to mention things like him apologizing, the looks on everyone's faces, the shock of seeing that EVERYONE looks so different from how they had near the beginning, the fact that Solomon now looks so odd in his finely-tailored suit, etc. The ending to Shame is better, but then, Shame sits firmly in my list of top 5 films of the 21st century thus far, so...
ViewtifulJC
Banned
That kind of reassuring ending is probably how the movie got made. It certainly wouldn't be at the forefront in the Oscar conversation if it wasn't there.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
It's not really
that reassuring, though. He gets back to his family, sure, but it's a tiny consolation, at best, for the horror he's seen. He can't really go back, given what he now knows of the world he lives in, his knowledge of how perilous his position is and always will be. The nice clothing is now as much of a costume as his slave shirt was, at the beginning. You can hope he finds peace, but it's the kind of hollow hope that sustained him throughout his own ordeal. And history has no clue of the end of his life, as the final title card notes, so it's almost as though, for all he did after returning, the whole thing was truly quite meaningless, at least in his own time - no justice, little remembrance, and a lot of baggage he's left with, emotionally and psychologically.
I also don't really get why the music was so bothersome for people. Does it really matter that it sounds like other Zimmer scores? It's simple, emotional, and matches the tone of the movie. And in a few spots - the boat, the lynching - it takes the neat tack of sounding like an action movie, and I would argue it fits those scenes far better than any action movie, for there's more inner tension and urgency than there might be in a thousand chase scenes.
Edit: I said this in the "official" thread, but I almost feel like the marketing did a disservice to the movie. It's not REALLY a modern "Oscar movie" in any real respect, save that it's "about" a major historical horror - which is not really its true thrust, artistically or philosophically. Yet that's how it's been treated by watchers, who argue endlessly about racial minutia on IMDb toward no real end, and critics, who should know better but use it as an excuse to engage in PC preening (and, of course, to bash Hunger and Shame retrospectively, in ways that reveal they didn't even really engage with those movies in the first place).
I also don't really get why the music was so bothersome for people. Does it really matter that it sounds like other Zimmer scores? It's simple, emotional, and matches the tone of the movie. And in a few spots - the boat, the lynching - it takes the neat tack of sounding like an action movie, and I would argue it fits those scenes far better than any action movie, for there's more inner tension and urgency than there might be in a thousand chase scenes.
Edit: I said this in the "official" thread, but I almost feel like the marketing did a disservice to the movie. It's not REALLY a modern "Oscar movie" in any real respect, save that it's "about" a major historical horror - which is not really its true thrust, artistically or philosophically. Yet that's how it's been treated by watchers, who argue endlessly about racial minutia on IMDb toward no real end, and critics, who should know better but use it as an excuse to engage in PC preening (and, of course, to bash Hunger and Shame retrospectively, in ways that reveal they didn't even really engage with those movies in the first place).
ViewtifulJC
Banned
Well, it is more "conventional" than his other films. Its his first movie that normal people might want to see, and its got a bigger audience of potential watchers. You take the good with the bad.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
I agree with all that. I was actually shocked he was able to get such artistry in a movie with broad appeal. I'm just saying, it's odd to see the movie's acclaim, as it's almost like people watched a different movie from me, at times. I wonder if this is how I would've felt seeing Blowup marketed as a film to be enjoyed for its lewdness, or Eyes Wide Shut being marketed as a psychosexual thriller. Whatever it takes to help a great artist break out, I suppose.
I do wonder if Brad Pitt required his role to be what it was, though, as it wasn't just his acting that jarred; the writing of that character was more simplistic, as well.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
Its funny seeing him in the trailer when he's almost an extended cameo. I'm a big fan of Pitt, but is one of the worst performances I've seen from him, lol. Its especially jarring because his two scenes share screentime with the two best performers in the show.
Discotheque
Banned
eh i think he served his purpose in that role. he's just larger than life at this point that it's bound to take some people out of the film.
and even though he produced the film i doubt brad pitt had a say as to which character he wanted to be. he just wanted to be in it and mcqueen gave him this role specifically.
and even though he produced the film i doubt brad pitt had a say as to which character he wanted to be. he just wanted to be in it and mcqueen gave him this role specifically.
ViewtifulJC
Banned
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Fassbender's so fucking good, man. I can't say it's as complex or nuanced a role as what he does in Hunger or Shame, but considering how easily this performance could have fallen apart, I don't think it uses less of his skill as an actor. Having done a bit of acting, myself, he's the kind of actor who can make you feel like a real nothing even when he's not really "doing" anything in particular.
hot blood - *** 1/2
first of all, i've never seen a classic hollywood film about gypsies, so it's interesting from that perspective. second, this is probably the closest ray ever came to making a musical without actually making a musical (he did this again later in party girl). even a fight scene at the end is choreographed as dance. i really love the accentuated reds and the way the film's lust and violence drive its more musical moments. hot blood is like the b-side of rebel without a cause but with everything taken to a more extreme degree. definitely one of the more intriguing of ray's lesser known films.
first of all, i've never seen a classic hollywood film about gypsies, so it's interesting from that perspective. second, this is probably the closest ray ever came to making a musical without actually making a musical (he did this again later in party girl). even a fight scene at the end is choreographed as dance. i really love the accentuated reds and the way the film's lust and violence drive its more musical moments. hot blood is like the b-side of rebel without a cause but with everything taken to a more extreme degree. definitely one of the more intriguing of ray's lesser known films.
The Number 23
Not your finest hour, Jim Carey. I will say, it's a fun movie to watch with a group of drunk friends; we just made fun of it the whole damn time. The whole premise of the movie lends itself so perfectly to ridicule, we had a good time the whole way through.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (my girlfriend and I were in a Jim Carey mood, apparently)
This movie was a lot funnier to me when I was eight
There were a few chuckles here and there, but nothing outlandishly hilarious. We're going to watch the sequel soon, and I distinctly remember that one being better in nearly every single way. Distinctly.
Not your finest hour, Jim Carey. I will say, it's a fun movie to watch with a group of drunk friends; we just made fun of it the whole damn time. The whole premise of the movie lends itself so perfectly to ridicule, we had a good time the whole way through.
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (my girlfriend and I were in a Jim Carey mood, apparently)
This movie was a lot funnier to me when I was eight
There were a few chuckles here and there, but nothing outlandishly hilarious. We're going to watch the sequel soon, and I distinctly remember that one being better in nearly every single way. Distinctly.
kurisu_1974
Banned
Is that all you got from his films? How many/which have you seen? You should take his movies serious, but I feel you take them too serious maybe - part of it is just poking some good old fun at the establishment. Also most of these were made in the 60s. His later films like Belle de Jour and Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie have a bit more to them than your parodizing description.
Prisoners
Jesus christ what an exhausting and intense movie. Oscars all up in this bitch too.
I really enjoyed this, hoping for some oscar nods..
I'll be honest, I wouldn't buy Hunger. It's a great film, but I would never go back and watch it. It's pretty damn brutal in spots.
Dragoon En Regalia
Member
I wouldn't buy Hunger either way—I'd rather buy something to eat.
Now I'm pissed off that Letterboxd lists Monsieur Hire as streaming when it isn't. Good thing I know a Canadian feature that's the same length...
Now I'm pissed off that Letterboxd lists Monsieur Hire as streaming when it isn't. Good thing I know a Canadian feature that's the same length...
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