Some of their picks are perfect, some feel a little more... like popular choices. Their #1 is about right, I'd say. Good to see Munich and Eternal Sunshine in there.
No Let the Right One In hurts me, though.
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Movies You've Seen Recently |OT| June 2017
- Thread starter Divius
- Start date
Some of their picks are perfect, some feel a little more... like popular choices. Their #1 is about right, I'd say. Good to see Munich and Eternal Sunshine in there.
No Let the Right One In hurts me, though.
BaronLundi
Member
Some good stuff, some oddities. One of the worst Pixar films and no Mulholland Drive (really?).
Also Yi Yi and The Gleaners and I are from the 20th century but whatever.
Also Yi Yi and The Gleaners and I are from the 20th century but whatever.
Premature Burial
It's June, which means it's time again for my annual Corman marathon. Two years ago, I watched half of his famous Edgar Allen Poe cycle; this month, I'm getting into the other half, starting with Premature Burial. My main interest in the Poe cycle was Vincent Price, so the fact that this is the one film that doesn't include him at all made it my least anticipated of the group, but it actually ended up being pretty good! Ray Milland is in the lead here, and his performance is much stronger here than another Corman film, X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes. Milland's character is tortured by obsessive thoughts and fears over being buried alive, and both he and Corman bring out that paranoid atmosphere quite well. The budget on this must have been pretty limited, since there's only about 2-3 sets, but they look good and have that usual gothic flavor Corman achieved so well on these Poe films, and the relative little amount of real estate helps add to the overall claustrophobic feel of the movie. Maybe it was my lowered expectations, but I was surprised with how much I liked this one.
7/10
The Haunted Palace
This one, despite starring Price, is a little more ho hum though. While the idea of the story is interesting, the stakes are never quite clear enough or Price's character well-defined enough to get all that invested in what happens. There's a lot more space in this movie, but many of the main sets are plainly recycled from previous Poe films, which takes me out of it a bit. The ending is a nice bit of twistedness, though. All in all, an okay but slight entry in the Poe cycle, and probably my least favorite of the group so far.
6/10
It's June, which means it's time again for my annual Corman marathon. Two years ago, I watched half of his famous Edgar Allen Poe cycle; this month, I'm getting into the other half, starting with Premature Burial. My main interest in the Poe cycle was Vincent Price, so the fact that this is the one film that doesn't include him at all made it my least anticipated of the group, but it actually ended up being pretty good! Ray Milland is in the lead here, and his performance is much stronger here than another Corman film, X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes. Milland's character is tortured by obsessive thoughts and fears over being buried alive, and both he and Corman bring out that paranoid atmosphere quite well. The budget on this must have been pretty limited, since there's only about 2-3 sets, but they look good and have that usual gothic flavor Corman achieved so well on these Poe films, and the relative little amount of real estate helps add to the overall claustrophobic feel of the movie. Maybe it was my lowered expectations, but I was surprised with how much I liked this one.
7/10
The Haunted Palace
This one, despite starring Price, is a little more ho hum though. While the idea of the story is interesting, the stakes are never quite clear enough or Price's character well-defined enough to get all that invested in what happens. There's a lot more space in this movie, but many of the main sets are plainly recycled from previous Poe films, which takes me out of it a bit. The ending is a nice bit of twistedness, though. All in all, an okay but slight entry in the Poe cycle, and probably my least favorite of the group so far.
6/10
MidnightCowboy
Member
Million Dollar Baby...at 3? The fuck?
No In the Mood for Love either. Very much feels like very personal choices instead of legitimate best films. 40 Year Old Virgin? Million Dollar Baby? Hurt Locker? Inside Out? Uhhhhh okay....
Inside Out is one of the worst Pixar films?
All lists of this sort are personal choices. Taste is inherently subjective.
Mulholland Drive and In the Mood for Love wouldn't be on my Top 25 of the 2000s either.
Get hype!
MidnightCowboy
Member
Ratatouille is the best Pixar movie of the century (and probably of all time tbh).
BaronLundi
Member
Sure. Although I would argue value/merit is not entirely subjective.
Inside Out is not the worst but I do think there are at least half a dozen (way) better Pixar movies released this century.
No The New World or The Tree of Life? Choosing Inside Out as the de facto Pixar film? Disgusting.
Besides that, it's solid. Munich in particular is a really good pick.
Also, there's a clear lack of Spike Jonze in this list.
There are certainly things that can be assessed with some measure of objectivity, particularly technical elements, but I think there's a pretty hard limit on how important that is in weighing a film.
Kubrick's films are pretty much flawless on a technical level, for instance, but he's a filmmaker I admire much more than love.
It Comes At Night
While billed as more of a horror film in its trailers, this is a thriller about family, trust, and desperation. I'm not going into anything story-wise about this one, because it's an experience type of movie. It won't be for everyone, as it's slow, and a little floaty and dreamy at times. Another great performance from Joel Edgerton, and everyone else is on their game, too. I was certainly in awe at a few points, and glad it didn't go certain ways that usual movies like this do. It's a raw as hell film, and I loved it. It's only been an hour since I got out of it, but I think it's at the top of 2017 for me currently.
While billed as more of a horror film in its trailers, this is a thriller about family, trust, and desperation. I'm not going into anything story-wise about this one, because it's an experience type of movie. It won't be for everyone, as it's slow, and a little floaty and dreamy at times. Another great performance from Joel Edgerton, and everyone else is on their game, too. I was certainly in awe at a few points, and glad it didn't go certain ways that usual movies like this do. It's a raw as hell film, and I loved it. It's only been an hour since I got out of it, but I think it's at the top of 2017 for me currently.
Here are 25 of the best films of the decade. This list is unbiased and completely objective in nature.
Before Sunset
Beginners
Blue Valentine
Carol
Certified Copy
Coraline
Drive
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fish Tank
Her
In the Mood for Love
Lost in Translation
Mulholland Drive
Revanche
Right Now, Wrong Then
Spirited Away
Still Walking
The Double
The Handmaiden
The Lobster
The Master
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
The Tree of Life
Whiplash
Yi Yi
Before Sunset
Beginners
Blue Valentine
Carol
Certified Copy
Coraline
Drive
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Fish Tank
Her
In the Mood for Love
Lost in Translation
Mulholland Drive
Revanche
Right Now, Wrong Then
Spirited Away
Still Walking
The Double
The Handmaiden
The Lobster
The Master
The Tale of Princess Kaguya
The Tree of Life
Whiplash
Yi Yi
Obviously these are my favorites
MidnightCowboy
Member
Whiplash isn't sniffing the top 25.
Also The Grand Budapest Hotel is the best Wes Anderson movie of the century, followed by either Life Aquatic or Darjeeling.
I am a recent Certified Copy convert tho. I'm still thinking about that movie almost a week later.
Also The Grand Budapest Hotel is the best Wes Anderson movie of the century, followed by either Life Aquatic or Darjeeling.
I am a recent Certified Copy convert tho. I'm still thinking about that movie almost a week later.
This list is biased
My feelings are completely objective in nature and for the good of all people and tastes.
This is a pretty fantastic list, I'm liking a lot of the choices. I don't know if I could even attempt a list, since a lot of my picks would blur would I consider the best versus the best in terms of importance.
Saw the 45th anniversary screening in NYC last month and it was unlike any movie experience I'd ever had, even having seen the film numerous times but only in living rooms.
There were only four people, myself included, when I saw it. The two girls near the middle were definitely not impressed, and the other dude was completely still in his chair when I left, haha. I think it got to him.
But yeah, don't go in expecting a horror or zombie film, it's not that at all. Going in wanting something interesting, you get that for sure.
Yep it comes at night is one of those movies that will get mixed reviews but will be later appreciated.
Edit : there were like a total of 8 people in my theatre.
I am seeing colossal and Wonder Woman next week.
Yeah, shame it's gonna get slaughtered by the likes of The Mummy. Hopefully, it still does well enough.
Sounds good to me.
I'm really hoping it gets some of The Witch crowd in some form, since A24 distributed both, and it deserves the attention. Deadline is reporting it'll get a $9.1 million opening, which, with its $5 million budget (according to Wikipedia, at least), is definitely a win!
Lmfao. Hurt Locker and Inside Out too.
Highly doubt I'll get to see either in theaters, considering they're only getting limited releases. Fingers crossed, though.
since they are both A24 films they will be on Amazon for sure.
brianjones
Member
don't believe the hype
lol I saw your review. So harsh mane
I got Good Time and Woodshock in mine. Both looked crazy good!
nailbombxx
Member
Amadeus (1984)
80's Mozart is the best. Really fantastic drama. Wickedly funny at times and the performances are great.
80's Mozart is the best. Really fantastic drama. Wickedly funny at times and the performances are great.
I would be jealous if I didn't already watch the Woodshock trailer through GAF.
A24 is a beast
Infernostew
Member
I'm seeing It Comes At Night on Sunday morning. Really looking forward to it.
Discotheque
Banned
You liked Krisha too right? What was so different about this one to make you not like it so much haha
Planning on checking it out next week
The Godfather: Part III: In the running for perhaps the world's most expensive commemorative scrapbook. It's been long known that the intentions of this film were purely financial, so it's hard to knock it specifically for being a cash grab when it's transparent about that aspect from the beginning. Grabbing as many actors as it possibly can for one last go-around with these characters, both beloved and relatively obscure alike, the film is essentially one epic farewell tour for all involved as it tours both sides of the Atlantic. But what else is there to really say after the apocalypse that Michael alone stood in at the end of its excellent predecessor? As it turns out, it's really not much: age has softened Michael somewhat as he pursues some kind of absolution for all the evil he's committed in his life, surrounded by what remains of his family: his still strangely close children (Franc D'Ambrosio as Anthony, who is fine for the brief screen time he gets; Sofia Coppola, in a role no actress was going to be able to save, so her dodgy acting here really doesn't matter much), Connie (Talia Shire going full-on vamp and making the movie far more entertaining when she's on screen; her bit towards the end with the opera glasses is some first-class ham), Not Tom Hagen (George Hamilton in a thankless rewrite after Robert Duvall declined to appear in this), Composite Sonny Corleone (Andy Garcia, much more believable as a lively hood than the boring New and Improved Michael the film desperately wants you to believe he is) and, occasionally, Kay (Diane Keaton, who is charged with delivering slight variations on the big speech she gives to Michael in part 2 to remind the audience that Michael is still evil). For his part, Pacino seems suitably tired and exhausted as Michael this time around, which is appropriate given the story that's being told here, but there's a sense that his heart just isn't that into it, as one gets the sense that he was just as done with the character as Coppola was with this story 15 years previously, with little of the genuine intensity he once had when Michael does flare up. It doesn't help that the main plot is determined to be as uninteresting as possible, with little of the implied history with our new group of ending montage victims that previous films enjoyed to make their eventual ends remotely suspenseful, while also leaning heavily into ridiculous romantic subplots, both old and tedious (the town tour that Michael takes Kay on is ceaseless in its inanity), as well as new and insufferable (any interest in Vincent and Mary getting together dies as soon as they keep bringing up the whole first cousin thing, but it keeps going and going and going...). The movie also has a bad habit of trotting out cameos from anyone interested in being in a Godfather film again, and while it was nice of them to bring back as many of the actors as possible, it really doesn't add up to much other than being something temporarily interesting to note. Even most of the big setpieces don't do much more than evoke the scenes that were better, be they another hit at a New York Festa celebration or the big climatic "something religious happening while people are getting whacked left and right" montage, leaving the over-the-top but entertaining helicopter massacre as the sole point of interest on that front. The film makes it hard to plead its own case for relevance as it deploys a fair amount of stock footage, like it's obligated every so often to remind you of the greatness of the previous films as if it wasn't common knowledge. Truth be told, and perhaps contrary to popular belief, this film's existence does little to diminish the power that its predecessors continues to enjoy to this day, because there's nothing that this film does to even instigate such an offense. Indeed, that might actually be the single biggest problem of the film: it's so beholden to its legacy that it feels hopelessly stuck in honoring them rather than striking out to do anything new and interesting, even if it could have meant failing at it. The film doesn't do anything particularly bad, but it commits perhaps an equally grave offense by doing nothing at all. It's a handsome looking film that's technically accomplished on virtually all fronts (the less said about the compositing in a particular death scene and Pacino's makeup in the final scene, the better), and it knows how to hit the notes that have been played before. But at the end of the day, I wish I could actually hate the film, because then I'd feel strongly about it in some way, rather than struggle to remember it scarcely an hour after watching it. For better and for worse, it merely exists.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
I finally rejected the gaf-only policy and made a letterboxd account.
https://letterboxd.com/futs/
For those still using that.
https://letterboxd.com/futs/
For those still using that.
Cripplegate
Member
I haven't checked out the new Twin Peaks yet but I'm just about prepped now. I ended up going back to watch a bit of the original series over the course of the week, just to get a feel for it, and of course watched the final episodes again to get an exact sense of where everything left off (and also because "Beyond Life and Death" is one of the best hours of television, so why not watch it again). And because I've read a few comments here on GAF about how important the movie seems to be so far in the new series, last night I decided to rewatch
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (10/10) - I still think this is the best movie ever made about abuse. I actually struggled to get through parts of it again, because it makes me sick in the pit of my stomach. Also, it was amusing watching "Beyond Life and Death" and this again in close proximity, because so much of what I thought I remembered about that cliffhanger was actually material from Fire Walk with Me (e.g. "I am the arm and I sound like this" which I was convinced was a scene from the series). The opening of the movie definitely feels off a bit, with the investigation into Teresa Banks and the disappearance of Desmond (and a random David Bowie), but all of the material set in Twin Peaks is pretty much peak Lynch. Sheryl Lee gives a performance for the ages, and I think this is a vital film not because of what it adds to the mythology (which doesn't actually seem like much, outside of the introduction of the emerald ring) but because it gives the show its heart: It gives us Laura Palmer, and forces us to bear witness to her suffering and her humanity. There are moments here as good as anything Lynch has ever directed (the journey through the painting, OMG), and the final image is one of the most heartbreaking endings in cinema (it's also lowkey the best way to end the story after the show's cancellation).
I also just watched The Missing Pieces for the first time, because I totally forgot it was a thing until now. I don't know if this is actually necessary going into S3 and there really isn't much here anyways. It's certainly interesting to watch after Fire Walk with Me because it provides some insight into Lynch's creative process, and it's easy to see why a lot of this material hit the cutting room floor, not only for pacing, or narrative focus, but also to avoid redundancy (some of the deleted scenes talk more about the emerald ring, for example, and the last thing you want to do is over explain stuff like that). There are two pretty neat things going on here however. First, all the extra scenes with David Bowie's character, which explain his bizarre cameo (it's a shame we won't see this character again). Second, the scenes at the end that continue on from the S2 cliffhanger, showing Annie and Boop again (what are we calling the Bob Coop doppelganger, anyways?). It's pretty cool to see this footage, and see that Lynch had wanted to do more with the cliffhanger. But, again, it's also easy to see why it was cut, because this is Laura's story first and foremost.
There were two scenes that were really cool, though. First, Bob declaring that he has the fury of his own momentum. I think Lynch could have worked that in, just for the performance. Those are the little moments that make Twin Peaks shine. Second, the shot of Laura Palmer standing under the fan, in close-up, bathed in white light. The shot is held for maybe half a minute, and begins with Laura in a trance and transforms from creepy to pure WTF-ery as a smile ever so slowly creeps across her face until she goes full Joker. I have no idea how Lynch could have used that in the final version but damn what a shot. I was screaming.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (10/10) - I still think this is the best movie ever made about abuse. I actually struggled to get through parts of it again, because it makes me sick in the pit of my stomach. Also, it was amusing watching "Beyond Life and Death" and this again in close proximity, because so much of what I thought I remembered about that cliffhanger was actually material from Fire Walk with Me (e.g. "I am the arm and I sound like this" which I was convinced was a scene from the series). The opening of the movie definitely feels off a bit, with the investigation into Teresa Banks and the disappearance of Desmond (and a random David Bowie), but all of the material set in Twin Peaks is pretty much peak Lynch. Sheryl Lee gives a performance for the ages, and I think this is a vital film not because of what it adds to the mythology (which doesn't actually seem like much, outside of the introduction of the emerald ring) but because it gives the show its heart: It gives us Laura Palmer, and forces us to bear witness to her suffering and her humanity. There are moments here as good as anything Lynch has ever directed (the journey through the painting, OMG), and the final image is one of the most heartbreaking endings in cinema (it's also lowkey the best way to end the story after the show's cancellation).
I also just watched The Missing Pieces for the first time, because I totally forgot it was a thing until now. I don't know if this is actually necessary going into S3 and there really isn't much here anyways. It's certainly interesting to watch after Fire Walk with Me because it provides some insight into Lynch's creative process, and it's easy to see why a lot of this material hit the cutting room floor, not only for pacing, or narrative focus, but also to avoid redundancy (some of the deleted scenes talk more about the emerald ring, for example, and the last thing you want to do is over explain stuff like that). There are two pretty neat things going on here however. First, all the extra scenes with David Bowie's character, which explain his bizarre cameo (it's a shame we won't see this character again). Second, the scenes at the end that continue on from the S2 cliffhanger, showing Annie and Boop again (what are we calling the Bob Coop doppelganger, anyways?). It's pretty cool to see this footage, and see that Lynch had wanted to do more with the cliffhanger. But, again, it's also easy to see why it was cut, because this is Laura's story first and foremost.
There were two scenes that were really cool, though. First, Bob declaring that he has the fury of his own momentum. I think Lynch could have worked that in, just for the performance. Those are the little moments that make Twin Peaks shine. Second, the shot of Laura Palmer standing under the fan, in close-up, bathed in white light. The shot is held for maybe half a minute, and begins with Laura in a trance and transforms from creepy to pure WTF-ery as a smile ever so slowly creeps across her face until she goes full Joker. I have no idea how Lynch could have used that in the final version but damn what a shot. I was screaming.
Rhomega Beta
Member
I think Letterboxd is the most popular for MovieGAF. I take it you're a MSTie too?
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
As in Mystery Science Theater? No, actually. I hate that show, to be honest. They always come across like people shouting stuff at the screen (while you're watching the movie), not having fun with the movie or at its expense. RLM's Best of the Worst does that a lot better, without having to play Reference: the game the whole time. And actually being funny, because I really don't find MST funny at all. It's like being a screening where someone in front of you thinks their bad puns are amazing, when they're just bad puns. I would get a refund on that screening.
I actually just watched The Sword And The Dragon (Ilya Muromets) because I felt like it, and for a 1956 movie that thing is Epic. Considering the other '50s movies I watched in past months are black & white US and UK nuclear monster movies, there really is a huge difference with this movie. It really doesn't belong with that 'Best Worst movie' format, in my opinion.
Messofanego
Banned
There's no one left to love us.
My Life As A Courgette/Zucchini
Icare, or Courgette as he likes to be called, accidentally kills his abusive mom and gets sent to a foster care home with other kids from quite damaged backgrounds. For an animated film, there are no kid gloves being used here with the dark subject material. Make no mistake, these kids are going through PTSD with their own particular fixations like Courgette who religiously holds to a beer can, Georgie who eats toothpastes because his mom had OCD, Ahmed who wets his bed, or Simon who can't seem to ever have a shower. I definitely got Roald Dahl vibes, down to focusing on mainly working class kids. However, it's not a bleak film and has plenty of laughs that highlight hope. This is the kind of film that treats its kid characters like real kids, who can handle mature subject matter and are wise beyond their years rather than insecurely needing to go for a joke like the majority of western CGI flicks that feel mandated to be (usually mediocre-to-bad) comedies. What's impressive is despite a short runtime of 66 minutes, the film has a measured pace with editing more reminiscent of live-action arthouse films and never feels rushed to come to resolutions. Not surprising to hear Celine Sciamma (screenwriter who also directed the excellent Girlhood) and Claude Barras (first time directing) note the Dardennes and The 400 Blows as inspiration. The humour, drama, romance, and character development, all have their day in the sun in a natural fashion. The animation, cinematography, and voice acting (English dub) were really good. Nick Offerman is so soft-spoken and warm here as a cop (who has to endure water balloons dropped on his head because kids of deported or arrested parents are not fans of cops!) in possibly my favourite performance by him.
I can easily see this being not just the best animated film of the year, but one of the best films of 2017 period. Don't miss out.
My Life As A Courgette/Zucchini
Icare, or Courgette as he likes to be called, accidentally kills his abusive mom and gets sent to a foster care home with other kids from quite damaged backgrounds. For an animated film, there are no kid gloves being used here with the dark subject material. Make no mistake, these kids are going through PTSD with their own particular fixations like Courgette who religiously holds to a beer can, Georgie who eats toothpastes because his mom had OCD, Ahmed who wets his bed, or Simon who can't seem to ever have a shower. I definitely got Roald Dahl vibes, down to focusing on mainly working class kids. However, it's not a bleak film and has plenty of laughs that highlight hope. This is the kind of film that treats its kid characters like real kids, who can handle mature subject matter and are wise beyond their years rather than insecurely needing to go for a joke like the majority of western CGI flicks that feel mandated to be (usually mediocre-to-bad) comedies. What's impressive is despite a short runtime of 66 minutes, the film has a measured pace with editing more reminiscent of live-action arthouse films and never feels rushed to come to resolutions. Not surprising to hear Celine Sciamma (screenwriter who also directed the excellent Girlhood) and Claude Barras (first time directing) note the Dardennes and The 400 Blows as inspiration. The humour, drama, romance, and character development, all have their day in the sun in a natural fashion. The animation, cinematography, and voice acting (English dub) were really good. Nick Offerman is so soft-spoken and warm here as a cop (who has to endure water balloons dropped on his head because kids of deported or arrested parents are not fans of cops!) in possibly my favourite performance by him.
I can easily see this being not just the best animated film of the year, but one of the best films of 2017 period. Don't miss out.
Saw this recently too and I agree fully. It started off fine but as soon as they introduced Calvin as a Lifeform it went into Prometheus levels of dumb.
As you say, just utterly bleak. Felt pointlessly so. Also just rather boring.
xrnzaaas
Member
Lifehttps://www.themoviedb.org/movie/395992-life aka The Seventh Passenger of ISS was a good sci-fi horror for about 20 minutes, but then it turned into a shitty one. If you think scientists from Prometheus were fucking stupid then you can watch this to see a new low. Also I hated how after EVERY bigger scene the camera had to start switching between crew members faces as they kept staring. Oh, and not a fan of a predictable
ending
. At least the station CGI and the alien design were okay, but I wouldn't watch it again and I wouldn't recommend it.
Outer Limits
oh noes they were hinting that the escape pod with Jake was the one moving away from Earth, who would've guessed it was the other way around
Huh. That is not the case with this movie
Messofanego
Banned
That means I'm gonna love it. I've been getting It Follows vibes defo, and the way people are talking about the movie.