Movies You've Seen Recently |OT| June 2017
- Thread starter Divius
- Start date
AngmarsKing701
Member
The bolded is so great. Gave me a chuckle. I think I saw about five minutes of this movie when my wife had it on as background noise one night. And ... yeah ... that was all I needed.
Daughters of the Dust (1991): The first film by an African American woman to get theatrical distribution; it's rather disquieting that it took until 1991 for that to happen, and even then it was an arthouse-only deal. This is often mentioned in cinephile circles as an overlooked classic, but I can't assent to that view, myself. Obligatory mention that I'm not within the main target audience for this sort of narrative, but anyway: Dash's storytelling/visual style is at times a lot like Terrence Malick, and it has the same tendency to both intrigue and frustrate me. At its best my interest in it was mainly in seeing the depiction of such a specific time and cultural setting, but I was never invested in anything happening, and at times I really just had no idea what was going on (like at the end, when suddenly
.
an Indian rides up on a horse and one of the women joins him and they ride off together. I checked the plot summary afterward and apparently that guy was a pre-existing character, but I had no clue about it
Cripplegate
Member
I suppose I should keep weekly reactions to the Twin Peaks thread, but I gotta check in with Movie-GAF real quick and shout it to the heavens that the two-hour premiere of Twin Peaks: The Return is the best two hours of anything I've watched all year. David Lynch is back holy shit people. I was screaming. I got up two or three times to pace around the room shouting WTF. That scene with the glass box, OMG, my heart fucking stopped. And that ending, with the Chromatics song, and suddenly recognizing old faces... I got so emotional, goddamn. This hit me so hard. This was everything.
Also wanted to mention this here as a follow-up to my recent post about my Fire Walk with Me rewatch, because I said The Missing Pieces probably don't matter but are nice to see all the same, but NO, look at that, two episodes into S3 and there's already a direct reference to one of the deleted scenes. (And Movie-GAF was right, lots of Fire Walk with Me references throughout, so I'm glad I watched it again before jumping into this.)
A nice send-off for The Log Lady, too. Gonna get real emotional again when Albert shows up.
Also wanted to mention this here as a follow-up to my recent post about my Fire Walk with Me rewatch, because I said The Missing Pieces probably don't matter but are nice to see all the same, but NO, look at that, two episodes into S3 and there's already a direct reference to one of the deleted scenes. (And Movie-GAF was right, lots of Fire Walk with Me references throughout, so I'm glad I watched it again before jumping into this.)
A nice send-off for The Log Lady, too. Gonna get real emotional again when Albert shows up.
I also saw the other day, trippier than i was expecting.
Reminded me of Picnic at Hanging Rock at times.
Hexxen-Panda
Member
Miss Hokusai (2015)
It's not a bad "chill-out and enjoy the atmosphere and scenery" kind of movie. There's not really a plot or an overarching conflict, because the film takes on a more episodic approach and I liked that aspect quite a bit. The animation is pretty nice for the most part, and the characters are given enough meat to them to make them feel realistic and grounded.
Even for an anime movie about eccentric artists and extravagant dream sequences about dragons and demons, there are some moments of understated beauty that I really appreciated.
It didn't blow me away or anything, but I really liked it!
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Higly impressed with how frankly, for a 1950's mainstream film, it deals with highly sensitive subject matters that even modern films would fear to tread.
It is also impressive that for a 3 hour film where most of the screen time is spent in one room, it is directed in a visually engaging style, with engaging use of blocking and camera movements to reflect the changes in mood and perceptions of the courtroom.
I really liked that both the defendant and the prosecutors are very slimy in their methods; the ambiguity surrounding the whole case really made the film for me.
Great film.
It's not a bad "chill-out and enjoy the atmosphere and scenery" kind of movie. There's not really a plot or an overarching conflict, because the film takes on a more episodic approach and I liked that aspect quite a bit. The animation is pretty nice for the most part, and the characters are given enough meat to them to make them feel realistic and grounded.
Even for an anime movie about eccentric artists and extravagant dream sequences about dragons and demons, there are some moments of understated beauty that I really appreciated.
It didn't blow me away or anything, but I really liked it!
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
Higly impressed with how frankly, for a 1950's mainstream film, it deals with highly sensitive subject matters that even modern films would fear to tread.
It is also impressive that for a 3 hour film where most of the screen time is spent in one room, it is directed in a visually engaging style, with engaging use of blocking and camera movements to reflect the changes in mood and perceptions of the courtroom.
I really liked that both the defendant and the prosecutors are very slimy in their methods; the ambiguity surrounding the whole case really made the film for me.
Great film.
Fallout-NL
Member
Definitely. It's one of my all time favorite horror films.
More shorts!
Child Eater: Truth in advertising! The ol' Boogeyman tale gets a bit of an update in this agreeable short that takes its cues from the babysitter setups of slashers while throwing in a bit of Grimm fairy tale appeal to jazz things up a bit. One can appreciate the effort her to spice things up further with a relationship detail to add to the drama, but for me, it felt like it was too sudden to throw at the viewer and didn't seem to really add that much beyond a nasty sting in the tail that I'm not sure is anatomically correct to suggest (trust me, what I'm saying makes sense when you see it). Other than that, it's got good fundamentals and a willingness to go just beyond the pale in order to secure a good jolt or two, though I did find the acting to be really weak across the board. Not bad at all.
The Banishing: I'm beginning to sense a trend with this director! Another agreeable tale, this time of sisters coming together to ward off a spirit afflicting them. Like Child Eater, there's a good understanding of the fundamentals for the tale that they're telling here, and this one has the benefit of a good relationship at its core, proving that sometimes casting actual sisters as sisters can be a tremendous boost to your emotional credibility. It feels appropriately spooky and intense during the ritual itself, and you really do buy into the concern each has for the other. As I said in my first sentence, however, the filmmaker here seems to have a fondness for a particular kind of ending, and I think here it's a bit of a fatal flaw as it comes across as being too mean-spirited and cruel, especially as a relevant bit of information comes by far too quickly for it to register properly to make it work beyond the sheer shock value factor. It flies in the face of the nice setup they had going, and I don't think the complete defeat of expectations justified going down such dark road. That I liked the rest of it as much as I did shows that there is a lot of value here, but man, does it want to erase all of it or what!
Invaders: A short that cherishes the old adage of brevity being the soul of wit. Two would-be home invaders seem a bit more concerned with what to wear to the party they intend to crash, including one of the most hilarious Eyes Wide Shut references out there. Once they figure that out, the fun really begins in what is sure to delight anyone asking for a bit of extreme bloodshed to go along their laughter. The fact that the film doesn't bog itself down needlessly and lets the gags play out with a surprising lack of dialogue really caters to my love of physical comedy, so it's hard for me not to make this an easy high recommendation for those seeking out horror shorts that don't take themselves too terribly seriously. There's even some really cool shots to take in, including a deeply memorable POV shot through a mask, so it's got the comedic chops and the technical artistry to leave one very satisfied.
Lake Nowhere: Basically, what Astron-6 always keeps trying to do, but here, it's successful! Though it's a bit over 51 minutes in its entirety, the actual feature occupies about 40 of it, which feels like the perfect length for its dead-on impersonation of one of those rural horror films you come across at a flea market in a box for some other movie that you were looking for, wondering if anyone else on the planet has seen it. It really does feel like it fell out of a time portal, suggesting a messy but promising filmmaking team from 30 some-odd years ago with plenty of heart and no money to work with. That's important, since it knows that sincerity is a big reason why any of these retrosploitation projects can work at all, so it never plays itself off as self-aware or smarmy like so many have done in the past. Even the VHS aesthetic actually works here, though it does sometimes play up the whole "you're watching a real VHS tape" gag a little too strongly prior to getting into the meat of the film. Speaking of, the trailers before the film starts are pretty mint, and I must profess a need to see more of The Harvest Man, as that looks like a real good time and worth its own expansion. All in all, this is how to do these kinds of things properly.
Child Eater: Truth in advertising! The ol' Boogeyman tale gets a bit of an update in this agreeable short that takes its cues from the babysitter setups of slashers while throwing in a bit of Grimm fairy tale appeal to jazz things up a bit. One can appreciate the effort her to spice things up further with a relationship detail to add to the drama, but for me, it felt like it was too sudden to throw at the viewer and didn't seem to really add that much beyond a nasty sting in the tail that I'm not sure is anatomically correct to suggest (trust me, what I'm saying makes sense when you see it). Other than that, it's got good fundamentals and a willingness to go just beyond the pale in order to secure a good jolt or two, though I did find the acting to be really weak across the board. Not bad at all.
The Banishing: I'm beginning to sense a trend with this director! Another agreeable tale, this time of sisters coming together to ward off a spirit afflicting them. Like Child Eater, there's a good understanding of the fundamentals for the tale that they're telling here, and this one has the benefit of a good relationship at its core, proving that sometimes casting actual sisters as sisters can be a tremendous boost to your emotional credibility. It feels appropriately spooky and intense during the ritual itself, and you really do buy into the concern each has for the other. As I said in my first sentence, however, the filmmaker here seems to have a fondness for a particular kind of ending, and I think here it's a bit of a fatal flaw as it comes across as being too mean-spirited and cruel, especially as a relevant bit of information comes by far too quickly for it to register properly to make it work beyond the sheer shock value factor. It flies in the face of the nice setup they had going, and I don't think the complete defeat of expectations justified going down such dark road. That I liked the rest of it as much as I did shows that there is a lot of value here, but man, does it want to erase all of it or what!
Invaders: A short that cherishes the old adage of brevity being the soul of wit. Two would-be home invaders seem a bit more concerned with what to wear to the party they intend to crash, including one of the most hilarious Eyes Wide Shut references out there. Once they figure that out, the fun really begins in what is sure to delight anyone asking for a bit of extreme bloodshed to go along their laughter. The fact that the film doesn't bog itself down needlessly and lets the gags play out with a surprising lack of dialogue really caters to my love of physical comedy, so it's hard for me not to make this an easy high recommendation for those seeking out horror shorts that don't take themselves too terribly seriously. There's even some really cool shots to take in, including a deeply memorable POV shot through a mask, so it's got the comedic chops and the technical artistry to leave one very satisfied.
Lake Nowhere: Basically, what Astron-6 always keeps trying to do, but here, it's successful! Though it's a bit over 51 minutes in its entirety, the actual feature occupies about 40 of it, which feels like the perfect length for its dead-on impersonation of one of those rural horror films you come across at a flea market in a box for some other movie that you were looking for, wondering if anyone else on the planet has seen it. It really does feel like it fell out of a time portal, suggesting a messy but promising filmmaking team from 30 some-odd years ago with plenty of heart and no money to work with. That's important, since it knows that sincerity is a big reason why any of these retrosploitation projects can work at all, so it never plays itself off as self-aware or smarmy like so many have done in the past. Even the VHS aesthetic actually works here, though it does sometimes play up the whole "you're watching a real VHS tape" gag a little too strongly prior to getting into the meat of the film. Speaking of, the trailers before the film starts are pretty mint, and I must profess a need to see more of The Harvest Man, as that looks like a real good time and worth its own expansion. All in all, this is how to do these kinds of things properly.
pauljeremiah
Gold Member
Saw Baby Driver the other night as part of Odeon's Screen Unseen.
By the time Baby Driver reaches its second act, what was at first a cool and interesting editing gimmick becomes tired and stale.
From a technical point of view, Baby Driver is amazing from Wright's use of the camera to how much information he is able to squeeze into his quick kinetic edits or his long single take shots.
Where Baby Driver falls down for me is the story. It's simplistic and is only there to bring us from set piece to set piece and offers little in proper character development.
By the time Baby Driver reaches its second act, what was at first a cool and interesting editing gimmick becomes tired and stale.
From a technical point of view, Baby Driver is amazing from Wright's use of the camera to how much information he is able to squeeze into his quick kinetic edits or his long single take shots.
Where Baby Driver falls down for me is the story. It's simplistic and is only there to bring us from set piece to set piece and offers little in proper character development.
Messofanego
Banned
Disagree on character development, most of the characters have satisfying arcs and development. It's not complex but working off a simple plot, it's appropriate. The characters at the end of the movie are different from the beginning in significant ways. The final setpiece is wild with the reversing and one climax action of it was foreshadowed by Baby's action in the shop room with a toy car. Lots of good setups and payoffs.
Yup, not even a huge horror fan, but I adored that movie. May need to revisit it soon..
Cripplegate
Member
Okay, actual movie review now:
The White Balloon (9/10) - This was an absolute delight. The debut of Jafar Panahi, working from a script by Abbas Kiarostami (RIP), The White Balloon unfolds in real time, entirely from the perspective of a little girl who wants nothing more than to buy the cute, chubby goldfish she saw in the market for that day's New Year celebrations (the goldfish her family already have are too skinny, and are not cute). After arguing with her mother, the girl races back to the market with a single note of money in hand, and misadventure ensues.
I'm not sure if a plot description could really spoil the movie, as it's largely about the various encounters the little girl, Razieh, has in the city. Each encounter or episode has its own charms and intrigue, and added up, they tackle a variety of topics. The incredible strength of the film is how resolutely it remains in Razieh's perspective, so that she witnesses a lot of arguments or discussions or what not that she may not entirely understand, but the audience does. Panahi has achieved quite a feat here, crafting something that plays wonderfully as a charming family film, but also plays wonderfully as a subtle and deft socio-political drama (the final episode has the most clear and potent example of a political theme, and has left a deep, lasting impression in my mind; I'm still thinking about those images a day later). The White Balloon has to be one of the most impressive debuts I've seen, ambitious yet small and unassuming in scale, beautifully directed, and careful and thoughtful in its construction. (Of course, a Kiarostami script is an unfair advantage.)
Protip: If you get a chance to watch this movie, do so obviously because it's great and I recommend it, but then go back after you watch it and watch the opening scene again. It will blow your goddamn mind.
The White Balloon (9/10) - This was an absolute delight. The debut of Jafar Panahi, working from a script by Abbas Kiarostami (RIP), The White Balloon unfolds in real time, entirely from the perspective of a little girl who wants nothing more than to buy the cute, chubby goldfish she saw in the market for that day's New Year celebrations (the goldfish her family already have are too skinny, and are not cute). After arguing with her mother, the girl races back to the market with a single note of money in hand, and misadventure ensues.
I'm not sure if a plot description could really spoil the movie, as it's largely about the various encounters the little girl, Razieh, has in the city. Each encounter or episode has its own charms and intrigue, and added up, they tackle a variety of topics. The incredible strength of the film is how resolutely it remains in Razieh's perspective, so that she witnesses a lot of arguments or discussions or what not that she may not entirely understand, but the audience does. Panahi has achieved quite a feat here, crafting something that plays wonderfully as a charming family film, but also plays wonderfully as a subtle and deft socio-political drama (the final episode has the most clear and potent example of a political theme, and has left a deep, lasting impression in my mind; I'm still thinking about those images a day later). The White Balloon has to be one of the most impressive debuts I've seen, ambitious yet small and unassuming in scale, beautifully directed, and careful and thoughtful in its construction. (Of course, a Kiarostami script is an unfair advantage.)
Protip: If you get a chance to watch this movie, do so obviously because it's great and I recommend it, but then go back after you watch it and watch the opening scene again. It will blow your goddamn mind.
Rhomega Beta
Member
The Third Man: I thought this was a good mystery with a famous first look at Orson Welles's character, as well as the "cuckoo clock" speech. It's amazing where your childhood friends will end up.
Man Vs.: A premise so ripe for treatment that I'm surprised it really hasn't been done before: what if one of those "man against wilderness" shows goes wrong in a horror movie kind of way? Kudos to the filmmakers here for sticking to that premise wholesale with our hero, recording B-roll as often as he's willing to before it becomes clear that what he's sharing the Ontario wilderness with isn't the type to share campfire stories. It certainly also helps that they make our hero easy to root for, as Chris Diamantopoulos gives off a nice everyman persona who knows he's under pressure right from the jump, but keeps his wits about him as much as he's able while trying to figure his way. Kind of like an actual wilderness man! Throw in some nicely desolate scenery and a good build-up to the core mystery of what's out there hunting our hero, complete with some nicely tense moments centered around the realization of this being a case of "monkey see, monkey do" that pays off in some cool ways, and you have the makings of a low-key success. And then the movie decides to finally show off what's been hunting Doug all this time and we start running into what can be mildly described as "some big fucking problems." The low budget suited the story remarkably well up until the revelation, which then undoes it with the all-CG creation that does not hold up under any kind of scrutiny at all on a visual level. That is somehow bested by the wild leap the film makes with its origins, which takes our modest but effective trappings and tries to violently shift it elsewhere to debilitating effect, increasing the scope well beyond what the film is capable of supporting comfortably. Even worse, the film then decides to throw in an absolute whopper of a double-down on the whole enterprise, further solidifying what an ill-conceived turn it amounts to in the end with no appreciable gain to be found. It's a real shame that they decide to go where the film goes, because a straightforward approach to the material would have been more than enough for a successful film, as it would have benefited tremendously from sticking to more modest aims. Instead, we wind up with two-thirds of that hypothetical film that has an absolute disaster bolted onto it for its final third. When it's good, it is quite good, but when it's bad, it's bad at the worst possible time. I can't bring myself to hate it, but man, talk about squandering your potential.
Baroquemantic
Member
Life (2017)
That...was great. Fuck the ending, though! That said, I'd be down for a sequel. Also, the Venom/symbiote fan theory got me weak.
8/10
That...was great. Fuck the ending, though! That said, I'd be down for a sequel. Also, the Venom/symbiote fan theory got me weak.
8/10
Maybe something where the lady floating in space is picked up, and then her and a ragtag group of Marines take on the creature which by now has multiplied so there's a whole bunch of them.
Fancy Clown
Member
LIFES
Bloody Mama
Better than I expected! What I was expecting was a trashy, hysterically over-the-top Bonnie & Clyde. But it's not ithat over the top, and the production actually looks more refined and well-rounded than Bonnie & Clyde does. Shelley Winters is a pretty solid Ma Barker, and there's some good supporting turns from Pat Hingle and some of the guys playing her kids (including DeNiro, in one of his earliest roles, as a demented glue-sniffing punk). Bruce Dern is also okay, but there's something really unsettling about 70s Bruce Dern that I can't put my finger on. The finale is a really well-staged shootout sequence, and the movie is packed with criticisms of Wall Street, the police, and the generally well-off in life delivered via stock footage that you don't often see in a Corman film (the commentary, I mean, not the stock footage).
But the movie overall doesn't add up to a whole lot for me. The plot is a very loosely knit collection of vignettes, with a stop-and-start pace that dampens momentum and character relationships. It feels simultaneously like more than the sum of its parts and less than the sum of its parts, and I can't really tell what that's supposed to mean. Still, this is all in all a solid 30s gangster movie, not a bad riff off Bonne and Clyde at all. And, as one of Corman's final directed films, it really marks how far he came as a filmmaker from an earlier genre pic like Machine-Gun Kelly.
6/10
Better than I expected! What I was expecting was a trashy, hysterically over-the-top Bonnie & Clyde. But it's not ithat over the top, and the production actually looks more refined and well-rounded than Bonnie & Clyde does. Shelley Winters is a pretty solid Ma Barker, and there's some good supporting turns from Pat Hingle and some of the guys playing her kids (including DeNiro, in one of his earliest roles, as a demented glue-sniffing punk). Bruce Dern is also okay, but there's something really unsettling about 70s Bruce Dern that I can't put my finger on. The finale is a really well-staged shootout sequence, and the movie is packed with criticisms of Wall Street, the police, and the generally well-off in life delivered via stock footage that you don't often see in a Corman film (the commentary, I mean, not the stock footage).
But the movie overall doesn't add up to a whole lot for me. The plot is a very loosely knit collection of vignettes, with a stop-and-start pace that dampens momentum and character relationships. It feels simultaneously like more than the sum of its parts and less than the sum of its parts, and I can't really tell what that's supposed to mean. Still, this is all in all a solid 30s gangster movie, not a bad riff off Bonne and Clyde at all. And, as one of Corman's final directed films, it really marks how far he came as a filmmaker from an earlier genre pic like Machine-Gun Kelly.
6/10
pauljeremiah
Gold Member
Went to the midnight showing of Transformers The Last Knight last night. It's bad like really bad. Normally you can give Bay's films a pass for lack of story because the action is enjoyable and such but this is a convoluted mess. The lore around the Transformers themselves is interesting and I really wish we had a robot only film, the human element is what drags these films down.
Paris Can Wait ***1/2 The Trip + Certified Copy. Diane Lane is great, obviously, and Arnaud Viard puts just the right amount of detail into his performance to feel like a person without canceling out his character's function as a manifestation of another life path. Only an octogenarian could make such an accessible and wise first fiction feature; this is dramatically complex while being a complete breeze.
Beeswax ***1/2 Bujalski has some sort of writing/editing touch and talent to work with actors that gives his movies unique life, his distinctive hangout rhythms somewhere in the orbit of Linklater and Jarmusch yet totally distinct. Probably comes from how he built this and his previous two features out from the main characters, constructing them around non-acting friends of his. Here those friends are Tilly and Maggie Hatcher, 20-something twin sisters and roommates in Austin. Their relationship isn't even the one we see most of in the film, as Tilly and Maggie are at separate crossroads, but the ways the girls differ and complement each other forms the foundation. From there Bujalski focuses on the idea of partnership, in family and friendship and love and business--how cooperation can come easily and comfortably without any effort or be impossible to establish no matter how hard both sides claim to be trying.
The Roost **1/2 Tom Noonan's fun in the framing device, which nests the true feature in a fabricated public access horror movie night. The main movie is...whatever. The costumes and characters are extremely mid-aughts. For schlock about carnivorous bats that turn people into flesh-eaters those archetypes like the hair-swoop scenester asshole are perfectly functional. Functional and nothing more, though Ti West nearly makes this special in moments like a patience-trying false ending where two characters trapped in a barn silently think about their dead friends and the futility of their situation and break down. That durational effect and sudden introduction of legitimate dread into a campy creature feature is shocking and cool.
Beeswax ***1/2 Bujalski has some sort of writing/editing touch and talent to work with actors that gives his movies unique life, his distinctive hangout rhythms somewhere in the orbit of Linklater and Jarmusch yet totally distinct. Probably comes from how he built this and his previous two features out from the main characters, constructing them around non-acting friends of his. Here those friends are Tilly and Maggie Hatcher, 20-something twin sisters and roommates in Austin. Their relationship isn't even the one we see most of in the film, as Tilly and Maggie are at separate crossroads, but the ways the girls differ and complement each other forms the foundation. From there Bujalski focuses on the idea of partnership, in family and friendship and love and business--how cooperation can come easily and comfortably without any effort or be impossible to establish no matter how hard both sides claim to be trying.
The Roost **1/2 Tom Noonan's fun in the framing device, which nests the true feature in a fabricated public access horror movie night. The main movie is...whatever. The costumes and characters are extremely mid-aughts. For schlock about carnivorous bats that turn people into flesh-eaters those archetypes like the hair-swoop scenester asshole are perfectly functional. Functional and nothing more, though Ti West nearly makes this special in moments like a patience-trying false ending where two characters trapped in a barn silently think about their dead friends and the futility of their situation and break down. That durational effect and sudden introduction of legitimate dread into a campy creature feature is shocking and cool.
Ghost_Messiah
Member
The Dinner: One of the worst films I've ever seen and a complete waste of two hours. It's pitched as this super intriguing mystery film and there's hints of that, but what actually happens in the film is vague flashbacks alluding to the mystery, whilst 90% of the run time is pointless non-story, complete with an endurance test of a history/war sequence, and the plot remains at a total standstill not even beginning or glowing with momentum or heat until the final 15 minutes, where you're given a very rushed story that leads to a non-ending. There isn't actually an ending. The film just stops. I don't think I've ever seen a film that doesn't start until the 90 minute mark. Avoid this one.
With the talent of the cast involved, it could have been really good. Instead it's just a waste of time, and whoever wrote the screenplay needs to be fired. 0/5
With the talent of the cast involved, it could have been really good. Instead it's just a waste of time, and whoever wrote the screenplay needs to be fired. 0/5
chekhonte
Member
I've been on a Tarkovsky tour and recently watched Solaris and loved it. I really like it that there was a time and a place where a person could make films so obtuse and so interesting. It's why the 3rd season of Twin Peaks seems like such a miracle. It shouldn't exist but yet it does.
Cripplegate
Member
I can't get excited about that level of wasted talent. The Dragon Tattoo nonsense put me to sleep for the same reason.
But hey I could be wrong.
But hey I could be wrong.
Rhomega Beta
Member
Cars 3: I'll go ahead and call this the best in the trilogy. It's not just about getting old, it's about going the way of Doc Hudson: being tossed aside for the rookie. The nature vs. technology method of training reminds me of Rocky IV. There's beautiful scenery, not as much Mater as in either movie, and the ending is the best way to go, really. So I really liked this movie.
Transformers: The Last Knight: I'm usually one to see the Bayformers movies as guilty pleasure, but here, I just found this dull. Really, the only interesting points are
, which I'm sure will be expanded on in Transformers 6. I don't care for the characters. There was a point where I forgot what the McGuffin was. There was so much action I had no idea what was going on. I don't care much for it at all.
Transformers: The Last Knight: I'm usually one to see the Bayformers movies as guilty pleasure, but here, I just found this dull. Really, the only interesting points are
Cybertron and Unicron
Baroquemantic
Member
Sure, why not. Bring in Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence from the other Life as well.
Infernostew
Member
Such a waste. Fuck Brad Pitt.
TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared
Member
Cardboard Gangsters is another Irish that is so grim and dark that I couldn't honestly say I enjoyed watching it. Thats not to suggest it was bad, I was quite gripped by it, just that its not an enjoyable film.
It's set and filmed in Darndale, an area I'm quite familiar with since its not far where I live, and in certain parts of it the shots are excellent, particularly the outside shots. Asthetically speaking they've also got the visual details bang on. Other parts and shots definitely suffer from a clear lack of budget though.
The acting in the film can be quite hit or miss, although the lead of Jay was done superbly, and at the very least all the characters but one feel pretty authentic to the area and the story they're telling.
Said story is pretty easy to guess and follows a predictable narrative thread, but its significantly buoyed by the superb performance of the lead and the grimness of the tale and the ending. A better word for the grimness might be a unique energy thats also present in other Irish films like Glasslands or My Name is Emily, and while its not enjoyable per se, like I said, its pretty gripping to watch.
A pretty good film, held back by budget, lackluster acting, and a predictable narrative, but definitely worth a watch.
Oh and Conor McGregor has a 4 second cameo for some reason. Feels weird.
It's set and filmed in Darndale, an area I'm quite familiar with since its not far where I live, and in certain parts of it the shots are excellent, particularly the outside shots. Asthetically speaking they've also got the visual details bang on. Other parts and shots definitely suffer from a clear lack of budget though.
The acting in the film can be quite hit or miss, although the lead of Jay was done superbly, and at the very least all the characters but one feel pretty authentic to the area and the story they're telling.
Said story is pretty easy to guess and follows a predictable narrative thread, but its significantly buoyed by the superb performance of the lead and the grimness of the tale and the ending. A better word for the grimness might be a unique energy thats also present in other Irish films like Glasslands or My Name is Emily, and while its not enjoyable per se, like I said, its pretty gripping to watch.
A pretty good film, held back by budget, lackluster acting, and a predictable narrative, but definitely worth a watch.
Oh and Conor McGregor has a 4 second cameo for some reason. Feels weird.
Two recent rewatches of 2016 films that are now on Netflix:
Moana (2016): I've had more time to listen to the soundtrack since I first watched the movie, and the songs (which I always liked) have grown on me more. This is flat-out one of the most beautiful CGI-animated films ever made; the detail on the water and hair, especially, is remarkable. And there's some really great facial animation, like
. This is the movie people wanted Brave to be.
The Edge of Seventeen (2016): My opinion on it is pretty much unchanged; really impressive, even if the final few scenes do feel a bit like Kelly Fremon Craig was told she had only five minutes to wrap it up when she was expecting to have fifteen. Also, it's weird to think that most teens today probably think of Hailee Steinfeld primarily as a pop star, rather than an actress.
Moana (2016): I've had more time to listen to the soundtrack since I first watched the movie, and the songs (which I always liked) have grown on me more. This is flat-out one of the most beautiful CGI-animated films ever made; the detail on the water and hair, especially, is remarkable. And there's some really great facial animation, like
Moana's realization when she first sees her grandmother's manta ray reincarnation moving through the water, where she's both saddened and elated within the span of a few seconds
The Edge of Seventeen (2016): My opinion on it is pretty much unchanged; really impressive, even if the final few scenes do feel a bit like Kelly Fremon Craig was told she had only five minutes to wrap it up when she was expecting to have fifteen. Also, it's weird to think that most teens today probably think of Hailee Steinfeld primarily as a pop star, rather than an actress.
BlueTsunami
there is joy in sucking dick
Beatriz at Dinner
Wooh, this movie was a gut punch. I liked how the debate between the to main players was framed. Like the conversation between the two could not be avoided. Definitely not a subtle film, only in parts.
Wooh, this movie was a gut punch. I liked how the debate between the to main players was framed. Like the conversation between the two could not be avoided. Definitely not a subtle film, only in parts.
old
Member
The Hero
Pepron steals it. Ritter was barely in it. Offerman was funny. Movie ended on a weird note. Still found it enjoyable. Well acted and well written. A solid character study film.
My Cousin Rachel
Very beautifully shot. Many scenes could be background wallpapers for your PC. Kinda drags in the middle but the core mystery kept me intrigued.
Pepron steals it. Ritter was barely in it. Offerman was funny. Movie ended on a weird note. Still found it enjoyable. Well acted and well written. A solid character study film.
My Cousin Rachel
Very beautifully shot. Many scenes could be background wallpapers for your PC. Kinda drags in the middle but the core mystery kept me intrigued.
Mifune: The Last Samurai
Been meaning to watch this for awhile. Interesting look a the early days of Japanese cinema and Kurosawa's and Mifune's meteoric rise to the top of world cinema. Some of the co-commentators like Scorsese feel kind of wasted.
Blue Ruin
Great film - - genuine suspense and great pacing. Fantastic performance by Macon Blair.
Moonlight
Yeah, just now getting around to seeing this. Extremely impressive performances, cinematography and script. Only criticism I have is that Mahershala Ali is so good that the film hurts from his absence in the final acts.
Been meaning to watch this for awhile. Interesting look a the early days of Japanese cinema and Kurosawa's and Mifune's meteoric rise to the top of world cinema. Some of the co-commentators like Scorsese feel kind of wasted.
Blue Ruin
Great film - - genuine suspense and great pacing. Fantastic performance by Macon Blair.
Moonlight
Yeah, just now getting around to seeing this. Extremely impressive performances, cinematography and script. Only criticism I have is that Mahershala Ali is so good that the film hurts from his absence in the final acts.
De Palma
I'd give a lot for more docs about filmmakers going through their entire filmography and commenting on what they meant, what they went through, and what became of it. Brian De Palma was perfect for such treatment, and it is great. I missed out on most of his early stuff, but it's fascinating watching him go over his work. I'll definitely be watching some of them in the near future.
Big Hero 6
This one was better than I was expecting. Its main theme is loss and healing, and that works well. The villain and his motivation was a tad lackluster, but the gang and Hiro and Baymax were well worth the journey. I hope we get more, or is the TV series all they're going to end up doing?
Mississippi Grind
Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds play gamblers that team up and travel down the Mississippi for fortune and glory. Really damn good, their chemistry is perfect, and the desperation they go through, especially Mendelsohn, is both harrowing and fascinating. But even though it can get a little dark, the movie is still a lot of fun to watch.
I'd give a lot for more docs about filmmakers going through their entire filmography and commenting on what they meant, what they went through, and what became of it. Brian De Palma was perfect for such treatment, and it is great. I missed out on most of his early stuff, but it's fascinating watching him go over his work. I'll definitely be watching some of them in the near future.
Big Hero 6
This one was better than I was expecting. Its main theme is loss and healing, and that works well. The villain and his motivation was a tad lackluster, but the gang and Hiro and Baymax were well worth the journey. I hope we get more, or is the TV series all they're going to end up doing?
Mississippi Grind
Ben Mendelsohn and Ryan Reynolds play gamblers that team up and travel down the Mississippi for fortune and glory. Really damn good, their chemistry is perfect, and the desperation they go through, especially Mendelsohn, is both harrowing and fascinating. But even though it can get a little dark, the movie is still a lot of fun to watch.
Ghost_Messiah
Member
Anyone know if The Bad Batch is any good? Dystopian sci-fi, just released and starring Keanu Reeves. Reviews seem to be split down the middle. Anyone seen it?
Puck Beaverton
Banned
It's love it or hate it. Haven't seen it, but it sounds kinda batshit.
He went after Sofia Coppola in the same article, and that I can't abide by, and so it evens out.
Also, in his Transformers "review":
Oh, Armond...
Baroquemantic
Member
Before I Fall
Ya know, I'll give it to them for not doing the usual ending you get in these types of movies. Not bad, not great, but I liked it for what it is. Some good music and I like the way this was shot.
6.5/10
Ya know, I'll give it to them for not doing the usual ending you get in these types of movies. Not bad, not great, but I liked it for what it is. Some good music and I like the way this was shot.
6.5/10
AngmarsKing701
Member
Passengers (2016) - this one's a rewatch, as they showed it on our ship last night. I still like it for what it is, but I understand the people who don't like it, given what it could have been.
It's essentially three movies: act one where Jim wrestles with his moral dilemma, act two where Jim and Aurora fall madly in love and act three where all hell breaks loose and our heroes must save the day.
Act one is where the meat of this story really is, and when I was watching it last night, I realized they hadn't sold me on Jim's loneliness. I get that they had three acts to tell in 100 minutes, so all three of these acts have pacing issues. But the first act is so critical a foundation to the rest of the movie that it coming away flat is a mis-step. Just slapping a beard on Pratt and having him wallow in a room full of dirty dishes wasn't enough for me. I just did not feel his despair. And yes, there's a scene where he wrestles with the possibility of suicide. I don't know ... I felt Bill Murray give off more despair in Groundhog Day when he goes through the "this will never end" phase of his repeating day.
Regardless of this qualm, and regardless of the fact that this could be a really different movie if certain different paths are taken, I still liked it.
It's essentially three movies: act one where Jim wrestles with his moral dilemma, act two where Jim and Aurora fall madly in love and act three where all hell breaks loose and our heroes must save the day.
Act one is where the meat of this story really is, and when I was watching it last night, I realized they hadn't sold me on Jim's loneliness. I get that they had three acts to tell in 100 minutes, so all three of these acts have pacing issues. But the first act is so critical a foundation to the rest of the movie that it coming away flat is a mis-step. Just slapping a beard on Pratt and having him wallow in a room full of dirty dishes wasn't enough for me. I just did not feel his despair. And yes, there's a scene where he wrestles with the possibility of suicide. I don't know ... I felt Bill Murray give off more despair in Groundhog Day when he goes through the "this will never end" phase of his repeating day.
Regardless of this qualm, and regardless of the fact that this could be a really different movie if certain different paths are taken, I still liked it.
EverythingShiny
Member
I've been on a Jeff Nichols binge the past few weeks. I watched Mud last year, but I've watched Shotgun Stories, Take Shelter and Midnight Special in pretty quick succession this month and he's probably one of my favorite directors working right now. I'll be watching Loving this weekend, too, which I'm looking forward to as I also love Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga.
I can definitely see why some people think his movies are boring, but he's really great at capturing emotion and relationships. Of course, it helps that he has Michael Shannon in everything. Take Shelter is probably my favorite of the bunch and part of that is Michael Shannon's amazing performance.
I can definitely see why some people think his movies are boring, but he's really great at capturing emotion and relationships. Of course, it helps that he has Michael Shannon in everything. Take Shelter is probably my favorite of the bunch and part of that is Michael Shannon's amazing performance.
TissueBox
Member
Armond's a fan of Edgar so it's no surprise. Any case I must stop this trembling excitement. *jumps into sauna*
Definitely agree with you, Nichols is a damn fine filmmaker, and Michael Shannon must be his good luck charm haha. Take Shelter I think is Nichols' best (though I also need to see Loving, so that's tentative!), and Michael Shannon is definitely a big reason for it being his best.
I seem to recall his review for the last one agreeing with everyone that it was terrible, but he decided to turn his review into a review of Snowpiercer, where he tried to argue it was just as bad and maybe even worse! Oh, Armond, indeed!
Anyway, more shorts!
The Stomach: One of those "you have to see it to believe" kind of concepts that actually works pretty well. Mixing a bit of the supernatural and body horror with a lo-fi grimy British crime drama, the short defies easy classification at virtually every juncture, and yet feels strangely cohesive, thanks to the decision to have all of the characters accept the strange premise wholesale. It manages to tell a complete story rather concisely, though as I've read about it, there are plans to try and expand this out to a feature-length film, which I think could work just as well as the idea of this very unique kind of spirit medium has a lot of available roads to travel down without feeling like it's straining the central concept. If it somehow doesn't come to fruition, this is still a pretty rad short that definitely wins points for originality.
Innsmouth: Re-imagining The Shadow over Innsmouth as a kind of modern day police procedural seems like a funky enough idea that could easily be made interesting, though realizing the run time here was as short as it is, I was skeptical of its chances of delivering a solid enough mystery by the end. There's the initial disappointment of being right when it becomes clear that it won't, but the real compounding factor here is the direction that it does go in thereafter, coming across a late night Cinemax lesbian sex program of what eight dollars gets you in the Gothic atmosphere department, and somehow, the acting is even worse than those expectations may lead you to believe. The only reason I won't go all the way down the scale for a rating is that it does generate one surprisingly effective shock that can only be described as "vagina oculus," which is amusingly at odds with the more atmospheric kind of chills that it's failing to produce throughout. Otherwise, Dagon has got nothing to worry about here, and I'd recommend the hell out of the music video for Escape from Midwich Valley as a superior choice for anyone with a jonesing for a short film version of the story.
Jack Attack: Gory little romp that's basically one joke, but it's a good joke. Rather nice production values help make this a good time, especially since they use some rad practical effects for the gore that will certainly be hard to forget anytime soon. Not really much to say otherwise, but I honestly can't think of a single thing bad to say about this one!
The Last Time I Saw Richard: I got the sense that this may have been cut down from an idea for a feature-length film, since there's clearly a lot here that could support a film quite a bit longer than what we got here. This does end right when things get rather intriguing, but it does a lot right with the central relationship (especially once it veers into a different direction than either of our heroes were expecting!), as well as getting into their respective headspaces once their situation escalates. Really good use of the setting and some rather nice sound design, too. Would really love to see this expanded out further!
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
This movie is (obviously) a mistake.
The first 30~40 minutes made me want to like it, you kinda feel like it could be good time. But after the third or fourth Ritchian montage I was kind of completely fed up with that shit. Guy Ritchie abused that crutch as if he was an actual invalid. Sequences that could've and should've been allowed to breathe and play out are compressed in such a way by Ritchie's hyperkinetic editing style that they crumble into nothing of worth.
There's a moment where Arthur, frustrated and angered by the consequences of his lineage, is fed up of the weight Excalibur puts upon him and throws it into a lake. About 15 seconds later he's back to holding it up again (magically given back to him through a pool of mud), his previous emotional state evaporated. How am I supposed to feel anything for these people and their plight? The movie often feels like a train out of control, somehow running over itself as it careens off a cliff. I can't say if it was chopped to death in the editing room or if this is Guy Ritchie being Guy Ritchie.
But my biggest problem with it undoubtedly its visual style. It looks bleak, grim, just fucking grey, from top to bottom. It's definitely one of the dullest fantasy movie I've ever seen. There are interesting conceptual ideas here, but they all look like dirt. Literal dirt. There's zero variation in the movie's color palette. The trees look indistinguishable from the rocks. Why would you have your movie about magical swords, monster-summoning mages, sea witches, giant elephants and a veritable medieval superhero look like this shit? If King Arthur had been visually arresting and spellbinding I could've overlooked a lot.
I feel like maybe at some point during its development it could've had a good end-result. King Arthur for me is like all those shitty DC movies are to its fanboys. I want a good King Arthur movie. But that is certainly not going to happen with Guy Ritchie at the helm and not with whichever visual artists he hired.
Oh and I just have to bring a couple of 100% CGI sword fights. How in the name of Merlin did this movie cost $175 million? A lot of the VFX looked plain awful, the alleged human characters looked more like rubber puppets. If looked at this stuff immediately after seeing the equally terrible computer-generated people from The Matrix Reloaded you'd think there was been no progress in the realm of visual effects.
This movie is (obviously) a mistake.
The first 30~40 minutes made me want to like it, you kinda feel like it could be good time. But after the third or fourth Ritchian montage I was kind of completely fed up with that shit. Guy Ritchie abused that crutch as if he was an actual invalid. Sequences that could've and should've been allowed to breathe and play out are compressed in such a way by Ritchie's hyperkinetic editing style that they crumble into nothing of worth.
There's a moment where Arthur, frustrated and angered by the consequences of his lineage, is fed up of the weight Excalibur puts upon him and throws it into a lake. About 15 seconds later he's back to holding it up again (magically given back to him through a pool of mud), his previous emotional state evaporated. How am I supposed to feel anything for these people and their plight? The movie often feels like a train out of control, somehow running over itself as it careens off a cliff. I can't say if it was chopped to death in the editing room or if this is Guy Ritchie being Guy Ritchie.
But my biggest problem with it undoubtedly its visual style. It looks bleak, grim, just fucking grey, from top to bottom. It's definitely one of the dullest fantasy movie I've ever seen. There are interesting conceptual ideas here, but they all look like dirt. Literal dirt. There's zero variation in the movie's color palette. The trees look indistinguishable from the rocks. Why would you have your movie about magical swords, monster-summoning mages, sea witches, giant elephants and a veritable medieval superhero look like this shit? If King Arthur had been visually arresting and spellbinding I could've overlooked a lot.
I feel like maybe at some point during its development it could've had a good end-result. King Arthur for me is like all those shitty DC movies are to its fanboys. I want a good King Arthur movie. But that is certainly not going to happen with Guy Ritchie at the helm and not with whichever visual artists he hired.
Oh and I just have to bring a couple of 100% CGI sword fights. How in the name of Merlin did this movie cost $175 million? A lot of the VFX looked plain awful, the alleged human characters looked more like rubber puppets. If looked at this stuff immediately after seeing the equally terrible computer-generated people from The Matrix Reloaded you'd think there was been no progress in the realm of visual effects.
Discotheque
Banned
Shannon in Take Shelter is one of my favorite performances ever. Perfectly captured that sense of paranoia and potential mental illness. I found loving to be the weakest Nichols film but still he's had a solid filmography
Looking forward to whatever he has up next.
Suddenly, Last Summer (1959): Joseph L. Mankiewicz directs a Tennessee Williams adaptation starring Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and Montgomery Clift. Hepburn, especially, is totally at home with Williams' dialogue, and it's a bit of a change of pace to see her playing the villain. From what I've read, Clift was really struggling during this production as a result of his earlier accident, and it shows in the finished product; he's overwhelmed by his costars, though in fairness to him he's in a part that gets a lot of screentime but doesn't really do much. As a stage adaptation, this is heavily depend on monologues, most of which are staged competently enough, but the ending is hilariously overwrought and doesn't work at all, either from a cinematic perspective (it's Taylor monologuing over a series of dramatizations of what she's describing) or even just as a climax (apparently Europe has a problem with
).
cannibal children