What movie did you watch today?
Moderator: drizzle
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Tommy Bunz
- Posts: 17474
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:02 am
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Tommy Bunz
- Posts: 17474
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:02 am
Wake Wood (2011)
Not "an instant folk-horror classic" as described by some of the media, this is still a really good film however. The film stars Aidan Gillen (better known to you lot as Mayor Tommy Carcetti from The Wire) a vet surgeon (he even performs an actual real life C-Section on a cow) and his pharmacist wife still coping with the loss of their young daughter that was savagely mauled by a dog. They've relocated to Wake Wood, a rural Irish village led by an elusive elder played brilliantly by Timothy Spall. They're presented with a deal where if they settle for life in the village, their daughter will be brought back to life for three days. This was an enjoyable and unsettling low budget gem that marries the past with the present successfully. The whole bizarre resurrection process was awesome, I loved how they mixed modern equipment like tractors and fire extinguishers with cow shit and pagan ramblings and it still felt like an ancient occult ritual. From there on, the important plot revelation takes over the rest of the film and i won't go any further with the details. Despite the strong performances I still found the film a bit too rough around the edges and the uptempo soundtrack didn't exactly blend in well with the dark tone of the film, these factors bothered me somewhat but overall this was still a well executed film. I also want to add, a creepy little girl running around the woods at night is still more terrifying than some masked serial killer with a machete. A really solid entry in the current mini folk-horror renaissance.
Not "an instant folk-horror classic" as described by some of the media, this is still a really good film however. The film stars Aidan Gillen (better known to you lot as Mayor Tommy Carcetti from The Wire) a vet surgeon (he even performs an actual real life C-Section on a cow) and his pharmacist wife still coping with the loss of their young daughter that was savagely mauled by a dog. They've relocated to Wake Wood, a rural Irish village led by an elusive elder played brilliantly by Timothy Spall. They're presented with a deal where if they settle for life in the village, their daughter will be brought back to life for three days. This was an enjoyable and unsettling low budget gem that marries the past with the present successfully. The whole bizarre resurrection process was awesome, I loved how they mixed modern equipment like tractors and fire extinguishers with cow shit and pagan ramblings and it still felt like an ancient occult ritual. From there on, the important plot revelation takes over the rest of the film and i won't go any further with the details. Despite the strong performances I still found the film a bit too rough around the edges and the uptempo soundtrack didn't exactly blend in well with the dark tone of the film, these factors bothered me somewhat but overall this was still a well executed film. I also want to add, a creepy little girl running around the woods at night is still more terrifying than some masked serial killer with a machete. A really solid entry in the current mini folk-horror renaissance.
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drizzle
- Awesome Vatican Assassin
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haven't seen it but i've heard it's not terrible, just pretty inaccessible if you're not a die hard fan of french noirTommy Bunz wrote:So have any of you three seen the Le Deuxieme Souffle remake? It can't be that bad right? Anything with Bellucci has to be at least watchable....
http://www.steadybloggin.com - some of these are my thoughts yo
Island Of Death (1977)
A prime example of the outrageously vile lengths some film makers will go to make a tidy profit. This is one hilarious tour de force of sexual depravity and violence from the very start and pure dumb exploitation to just switch your brain off to. The film follows a couple who have fled London and found solace in the tranquil Greek island of Mykonos only for them to exact some quasi-religious retribution or just for kicks carnage upon some of the inhabitants. From goat-fucking to a mock crucifixion to burning the face off an overdosed tubby lesbian. Designed to offend the PC brigade and give them seizures it's hardly a surprise this got banned in the early eighties and became a notorious entry in the video nasty witch-hunt. I enjoyed this wonderful piece of sleazy euro-trash that still managed to fit in some promotional material for the greek tourism board. According to director Nikos Mastorakis, the male lead (Bob Belling) eventually committed suicide in real life by attaching a tube to a propane tank and into his mouth
The Horseman (2008)
An amazing full length feature debut from director Steven Kastrissios. It's a full-on revenge thriller of the vigilante caliber that stands-out from the typical Paul Kersey variety by it's lead protagonist being remarkably complex compared to many other celluloid vigilantes. Our anti-hero doesn't enjoy or relish his vengeance upon his daughter's killers, at times his raw anger and hatred is inflicted upon himself by self-harming and in one encounter he actually feels remorseful when he corners one perpetrator. It's a deep character study of an anti-hero at odds with himself and a refreshing take on this very familiar subject matter. It's what makes this film so compelling to watch as you're witness to some brutal genre style violence and privy to the psyche of the anti-hero and his hunger for self redemption. Kind of regret putting off seeing this film for so long as it was an incredible take on a much-loved format for me.
A prime example of the outrageously vile lengths some film makers will go to make a tidy profit. This is one hilarious tour de force of sexual depravity and violence from the very start and pure dumb exploitation to just switch your brain off to. The film follows a couple who have fled London and found solace in the tranquil Greek island of Mykonos only for them to exact some quasi-religious retribution or just for kicks carnage upon some of the inhabitants. From goat-fucking to a mock crucifixion to burning the face off an overdosed tubby lesbian. Designed to offend the PC brigade and give them seizures it's hardly a surprise this got banned in the early eighties and became a notorious entry in the video nasty witch-hunt. I enjoyed this wonderful piece of sleazy euro-trash that still managed to fit in some promotional material for the greek tourism board. According to director Nikos Mastorakis, the male lead (Bob Belling) eventually committed suicide in real life by attaching a tube to a propane tank and into his mouth
The Horseman (2008)
An amazing full length feature debut from director Steven Kastrissios. It's a full-on revenge thriller of the vigilante caliber that stands-out from the typical Paul Kersey variety by it's lead protagonist being remarkably complex compared to many other celluloid vigilantes. Our anti-hero doesn't enjoy or relish his vengeance upon his daughter's killers, at times his raw anger and hatred is inflicted upon himself by self-harming and in one encounter he actually feels remorseful when he corners one perpetrator. It's a deep character study of an anti-hero at odds with himself and a refreshing take on this very familiar subject matter. It's what makes this film so compelling to watch as you're witness to some brutal genre style violence and privy to the psyche of the anti-hero and his hunger for self redemption. Kind of regret putting off seeing this film for so long as it was an incredible take on a much-loved format for me.
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Comedy Quaddafi
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- Joined: Mon May 14, 2007 12:15 pm
- Location: Southsea, UK
Nokas (2010) - A movie about the biggest robbery in Scandinavian history. It only covers the factual story of the robbery, ignoring many of the trivial plot-devices you always have to endure in heist movies. Just a robbery, but isn't that what we watch these movies for? I strongly recommend this to all fans of heist flicks, it's basically a well-produced reconstruction documentary. I wish my fellow Scandinavians, at least, would give a fuck about Norway, their movie-industry is consistently putting out brilliant movies. The movie was quite controversial, as many claimed it was "too soon" - since it is unusual for cops to get killed over here.
Cure (1997) - Serial killer movie, sort of. Like Kiyoshi Kurosawa's great horror movie Kairo, this plays by it's own rules, using genre-conventions to talk about the human condition. Kairo focused on loneliness while this is communicating something about the human tendency to suddenly act aggressive. There's definitely something here for fans of more traditional thrillers of this sort, and a little extra on top of that.
Whether to Jason of Philaflava or John Podesta, I will speak my fucking perspective openly
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Here's what I watched this week:
Open City (1946) - Italian film about Nazis in Italy tracking down people in the resistance.
Some memorable scenes in this thatגll stay with you.
My only complaint was that since it was subtitled, not all the words shown. People would be talking, yet nothing would show on screen. Perhaps it was meaningless dialog, I mean I doubt I lost anything from the story, but still, it would be nice to know what exactly is being said.
Zombieland (2009) - I never really got all the hype about zombies. People like to speculate on what to do if there were a zombie apocalypse. That topic is just too silly for me to even think about giving a serious answer.
Having said that, I did watch the entire first season of The Walking Dead, even though I really only liked the first episode.
As for this film, I really didnגt find it funny. The Bill Murray appearance was nice, though I knew about it in advance. I did like Jesse Eisenbergגs pre-The Social Network Facebook mention.
Decision Before Dawn (1951) - True story about the US Military in France, using German P.O.W.גs as spies to alert them on German activity.
Cool to see a younger Oskar Werner, who I really only knew from Fahrenheit 451.
Fa yeung nin wa aka In the Mood for Love (2000) - Beautifully shot film about a man and a woman that discover their significant others are having an affair with each other. The 2 form a friendship, but try not to live their lives like their cheating partners.
F for Fake (1973) - Orson Welles directs and stars in this documentary about fraud.
A few different stories are covered, including a painter that fools dealers and museums with replica works.
A lot of talk about director Howard Hughes as well. Iגve seen some of his films, but never really knew much about him or his scandals. I guess I should watch The Aviator someday.
Jeanne Dielman
23, quai du Commerce
1080 Bruxelles (1975) - I canגt believe I sat through all 3 hours and 21 minutes of this. It sounded interesting. A widowed woman living with her teenage son, whores herself for money while her son is away at school.
This film is all about rituals. It covers 3 days and itגs basically the same thing day after day. It almost felt like a documentary. The camera is basically stationary with each shot. You pretty much see everything this woman does...in its entirety. Iגm not complaining about watching her bathe, but you see her polishing shoes twice, cleaning her tub twice, standing in line at a bank, washing dishes, etc... These are all scenes that felt like they were 5 minutes each, with no dialog. I know itגs meant to show how ritualistic this womanגs life is, but itגs not very compelling on screen. Then again, maybe it was, afterall, I did watch the whole thing.
Open City (1946) - Italian film about Nazis in Italy tracking down people in the resistance.
Some memorable scenes in this thatגll stay with you.
My only complaint was that since it was subtitled, not all the words shown. People would be talking, yet nothing would show on screen. Perhaps it was meaningless dialog, I mean I doubt I lost anything from the story, but still, it would be nice to know what exactly is being said.
Zombieland (2009) - I never really got all the hype about zombies. People like to speculate on what to do if there were a zombie apocalypse. That topic is just too silly for me to even think about giving a serious answer.
Having said that, I did watch the entire first season of The Walking Dead, even though I really only liked the first episode.
As for this film, I really didnגt find it funny. The Bill Murray appearance was nice, though I knew about it in advance. I did like Jesse Eisenbergגs pre-The Social Network Facebook mention.
Decision Before Dawn (1951) - True story about the US Military in France, using German P.O.W.גs as spies to alert them on German activity.
Cool to see a younger Oskar Werner, who I really only knew from Fahrenheit 451.
Fa yeung nin wa aka In the Mood for Love (2000) - Beautifully shot film about a man and a woman that discover their significant others are having an affair with each other. The 2 form a friendship, but try not to live their lives like their cheating partners.
F for Fake (1973) - Orson Welles directs and stars in this documentary about fraud.
A few different stories are covered, including a painter that fools dealers and museums with replica works.
A lot of talk about director Howard Hughes as well. Iגve seen some of his films, but never really knew much about him or his scandals. I guess I should watch The Aviator someday.
Jeanne Dielman
23, quai du Commerce
1080 Bruxelles (1975) - I canגt believe I sat through all 3 hours and 21 minutes of this. It sounded interesting. A widowed woman living with her teenage son, whores herself for money while her son is away at school.
This film is all about rituals. It covers 3 days and itגs basically the same thing day after day. It almost felt like a documentary. The camera is basically stationary with each shot. You pretty much see everything this woman does...in its entirety. Iגm not complaining about watching her bathe, but you see her polishing shoes twice, cleaning her tub twice, standing in line at a bank, washing dishes, etc... These are all scenes that felt like they were 5 minutes each, with no dialog. I know itגs meant to show how ritualistic this womanגs life is, but itגs not very compelling on screen. Then again, maybe it was, afterall, I did watch the whole thing.
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Comedy Quaddafi
- Posts: 13515
- Joined: Mon May 14, 2007 12:15 pm
- Location: Southsea, UK
Solid horror-fun this weekend
The Pack (2010) - Gotta join the chorus of people who give it half-hearted praise. It's a French horror movie which lacks identity, some shouts are given to recent French classic like Haute Tension (the truck is back in this movie) though. It can't decide if it wants to be nasty, a horror-comedy or a zombie-movie. It has a From Dusk Till Dawn-like shift in plot which I enjoyed, but not enough is made of it - clearly due to budget limitations. There are lots of good scenes and crazy ideas, so I could see this being a cult favorite in the future.
Meatgrinder (2009) - A depressing and at times shocking movie from Thailand, which has a lot to say. What is wants to say isn't that interesting though, fairly standard dreary psychodrama (except there's a woman who goes crazy and puts people-meat in her soup). It is shot in lots of very creative ways, there's an abstract use of color and the lack of it and that made it very watchable for me - paired with moments of extreme, it almost resembles a low-brow Samurai movie in it's reveling in spraying blood and chopped off limbs. Pretty good, brave movie. Some unforgettable scenes in this, especially the final 20 minutes.
The Pack (2010) - Gotta join the chorus of people who give it half-hearted praise. It's a French horror movie which lacks identity, some shouts are given to recent French classic like Haute Tension (the truck is back in this movie) though. It can't decide if it wants to be nasty, a horror-comedy or a zombie-movie. It has a From Dusk Till Dawn-like shift in plot which I enjoyed, but not enough is made of it - clearly due to budget limitations. There are lots of good scenes and crazy ideas, so I could see this being a cult favorite in the future.
Meatgrinder (2009) - A depressing and at times shocking movie from Thailand, which has a lot to say. What is wants to say isn't that interesting though, fairly standard dreary psychodrama (except there's a woman who goes crazy and puts people-meat in her soup). It is shot in lots of very creative ways, there's an abstract use of color and the lack of it and that made it very watchable for me - paired with moments of extreme, it almost resembles a low-brow Samurai movie in it's reveling in spraying blood and chopped off limbs. Pretty good, brave movie. Some unforgettable scenes in this, especially the final 20 minutes.
Whether to Jason of Philaflava or John Podesta, I will speak my fucking perspective openly
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Tommy Bunz
- Posts: 17474
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:02 am
Crimewave (Sam Raimi, 1985) - This is the movie Sam Raimi directed between Evil Dead 1 & 2 and the second thing the Coen Brothers wrote that was made into a feature film. You'd think that this combination of talent would be gold but really they are just lucky this didn't bury the careers of all three of them. Just an overall bad movie. I can normally handle a lot of camp humor but everything here is just dialed up and overacted to untolerable levels. A lot of that lies with the fact that most of the cast just aren't up to it, other than Bruce Campbell in a too-short appearance. Imagine the Ace Ventura movies if the entire cast tried to overact like Carrey and you get an idea of how ridiculous this is. Also, the dialogue and plot is actually pretty shallow and shitty for something from the Coen's. It has its moments but overall this was a real disappointment.
Triangle (Ringo Lam, Hark Tsui & Johnnie To, 2007) - Pretty entertaining crime caper film about 3 friends who find a treasure and immediately start mistrusting each other. Eventually some gangsters they know, a crooked policeman and one of their wives also become involved and everything turns into a shitty mess with multiple twists and turns. Basically this is Snatch but with asian people. The movie was made with each director doing a 30 minute segment but everything is told in one unified vision, you can't really notice when it switches unless you are looking at the clock. Liked this a lot.
Paperhouse (Bernard Rose, 1988) - Might be my favorite movie I've watched in a couple months. A young sick girl starts having bizarre dreams whenever she loses consciousness, only the dreamworld she enters is based on one of her own drawings. In this world she meets a boy who is not able to walk and is trapped in the house she drew. The boy is based on a real child who is another patient of her nurse and who is dying. The rest of the film blurs the line between fantasy and reality as she tries to save the boy and wrestles with her own demons. This is a really fantastic film that deserves a much higher profile. Some really unique cinematography with real world locales that are distorted to look like a 10 year old's unrefined drawing skills and a great moody Hans Zimmer score. If you like Pan's Labyrinth you should like this as well, very similar films.
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drizzle
- Awesome Vatican Assassin
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- Location: where people throw ducks at balloons and nothing is as it seems
dude crimewave is nowhere near that bad
http://www.steadybloggin.com - some of these are my thoughts yo
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Tommy Bunz
- Posts: 17474
- Joined: Wed Oct 24, 2007 9:02 am
I really thought I was going to love it and tried to but I couldn't get into it. I normally can get down with campy movies but the schtick in this just didn't work for me. Its heart is in the right place but like I said the actors just really weren't up to the task of playing it up to that level and making it enjoyable, imo.
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Comedy Quaddafi
- Posts: 13515
- Joined: Mon May 14, 2007 12:15 pm
- Location: Southsea, UK
2LDK (2008) - Want to see two hot Japanese women being bitchy and beating the shit out each other for an hour? Then this movie is for you. Tons of fun, hugely entertaining to me. If you ever had an annoying roommate you will be able to relate to this. These two women are polar-opposites and they are competing for the same lead-role in a movie, this makes all of the tension surface and explode in girl-on-girl violence.
That was MY shampoo!
Whether to Jason of Philaflava or John Podesta, I will speak my fucking perspective openly
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Battle: Los Angeles(2011)
Went into this not expecting much, thought it was good though. All the action was on point, they kept the cheese to a minimum in my opinion. It was expected though because of the civilians and the connection of the Ssgt and the other marine to his brother. I guess because I knew it was coming it didn't really bother me.
Went into this not expecting much, thought it was good though. All the action was on point, they kept the cheese to a minimum in my opinion. It was expected though because of the civilians and the connection of the Ssgt and the other marine to his brother. I guess because I knew it was coming it didn't really bother me.
My Soul To Take (2010)
I'm a die hard fan of Wes Craven but even I'll admit he has made some real stinkers in the past, My Soul To Take might just take the crown for his absolute worst film. This film kicks off with an admittedly great beginning but it quickly descends into a woefully bad movie once the opening is over. It's an incoherent mess of cluttered ideas and atrocious acting and some absolutely dire dialogue "I eat death for breakfast". Bizarrely there's a genuinely decent supernatural plot buried somewhere that revolves around the Riverton Ripper and seven teens who were born on the night of his demise, it's all lost however with an unfocussed narrative and a thoroughly unlikeable cast. I will give Craven credit for trying to do something different from the standard formula and breaking away from the usual predictable cliches, but it's a complete failure on this project and so poorly handled that I found myself bored shitless. A really piss poor movie.
A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
Personally, I liked the Friday The 13th remake (I'm probably the only person on the planet that does) and I was keen to see Platinum Dunes' treatment of one of the greatest horror movies of the 80's, unsurprisingly the original trumps this sterile remake in every way, except for one factor that this version delves deeper upon - Freddy Kruegar's relationship with his victims. Jackie Earle Haley's take on one of the GOAT slasher villains is pretty good and leaves the wise-cracking to a bare minimum - he's a lot angrier, even so Robert Englund in the original (when he was far more serious) was still better, far more sadistic and terrifying. The weakest element of this film was the bad revision of Nancy, she's far too emo and lacked the big character transition from potential victim to fighter, there's no ingenuity of her setting booby traps and none of the obstacles Heather Lagenkamp faced from her sheriff father (John Saxon's character is completely written out). The supporting cast were particularly bland, and like the current deluge of teen horror films, none of the characters stood out. Clancy Brown was actually wasted in this and only appeared in a few scenes. None of the kills match the ferocity of the original, Kris's death scene is basically Tina's albeit tamer and there's no Glen style blood fountain, even the bath scene is all wrong. An average and unnecessary remake.
I'm a die hard fan of Wes Craven but even I'll admit he has made some real stinkers in the past, My Soul To Take might just take the crown for his absolute worst film. This film kicks off with an admittedly great beginning but it quickly descends into a woefully bad movie once the opening is over. It's an incoherent mess of cluttered ideas and atrocious acting and some absolutely dire dialogue "I eat death for breakfast". Bizarrely there's a genuinely decent supernatural plot buried somewhere that revolves around the Riverton Ripper and seven teens who were born on the night of his demise, it's all lost however with an unfocussed narrative and a thoroughly unlikeable cast. I will give Craven credit for trying to do something different from the standard formula and breaking away from the usual predictable cliches, but it's a complete failure on this project and so poorly handled that I found myself bored shitless. A really piss poor movie.
A Nightmare On Elm Street (2010)
Personally, I liked the Friday The 13th remake (I'm probably the only person on the planet that does) and I was keen to see Platinum Dunes' treatment of one of the greatest horror movies of the 80's, unsurprisingly the original trumps this sterile remake in every way, except for one factor that this version delves deeper upon - Freddy Kruegar's relationship with his victims. Jackie Earle Haley's take on one of the GOAT slasher villains is pretty good and leaves the wise-cracking to a bare minimum - he's a lot angrier, even so Robert Englund in the original (when he was far more serious) was still better, far more sadistic and terrifying. The weakest element of this film was the bad revision of Nancy, she's far too emo and lacked the big character transition from potential victim to fighter, there's no ingenuity of her setting booby traps and none of the obstacles Heather Lagenkamp faced from her sheriff father (John Saxon's character is completely written out). The supporting cast were particularly bland, and like the current deluge of teen horror films, none of the characters stood out. Clancy Brown was actually wasted in this and only appeared in a few scenes. None of the kills match the ferocity of the original, Kris's death scene is basically Tina's albeit tamer and there's no Glen style blood fountain, even the bath scene is all wrong. An average and unnecessary remake.
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Comedy Quaddafi
- Posts: 13515
- Joined: Mon May 14, 2007 12:15 pm
- Location: Southsea, UK
You're a brave man, Spartan.
Let the Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974) - Good vintage zombie-movie. It excels in building tension, which is typical for the earlier zombie-movies I've seen. There are also some eco-messages in this, but it doesn't get overbearing. Ray Lovelock is in it, looking dreamy as always. The plot is pretty standard but with a few variations on the usual format, there are also enough wacky moments and incompetent acting from the supporting cast to ensure it doesn't get boring.
Strange Circus (2007) - Disturbing weirdness, so many extremely controversial moments in this but never just for the sake of controversy. It's odd to me that this is so unknown, given how much publicity a lot of much inferior "shocking" movies get. To give you an idea, a young 6th grader gets locked inside a cello-case and gets forced to watch her parents have sex. There's a point to all of this madness which surface later - when the lines between fiction and reality, an authorship and imigination gets blurred. All of the extremely symbolic scenes started to bore me a bit, if this was less artistic I could have enjoyed it more I think. As it stands, I'll say it's "interesting" but that's about it.
Let the Sleeping Corpses Lie (1974) - Good vintage zombie-movie. It excels in building tension, which is typical for the earlier zombie-movies I've seen. There are also some eco-messages in this, but it doesn't get overbearing. Ray Lovelock is in it, looking dreamy as always. The plot is pretty standard but with a few variations on the usual format, there are also enough wacky moments and incompetent acting from the supporting cast to ensure it doesn't get boring.
Strange Circus (2007) - Disturbing weirdness, so many extremely controversial moments in this but never just for the sake of controversy. It's odd to me that this is so unknown, given how much publicity a lot of much inferior "shocking" movies get. To give you an idea, a young 6th grader gets locked inside a cello-case and gets forced to watch her parents have sex. There's a point to all of this madness which surface later - when the lines between fiction and reality, an authorship and imigination gets blurred. All of the extremely symbolic scenes started to bore me a bit, if this was less artistic I could have enjoyed it more I think. As it stands, I'll say it's "interesting" but that's about it.
Whether to Jason of Philaflava or John Podesta, I will speak my fucking perspective openly
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Here's what I watched this week:
Banshun aka Late Spring (1949) - My second time seeing an Ozu film. The first was Tokyo Story, which I really loved. I did attempt to record one on TCM a few weeks ago, but my DVR didnגt record it. I canגt even remember what it was called, but it sounded interesting, something about kids wanting a TV. Unfortunately itגs not available to stream on Netflix.
This one is about a 27-year-old woman still living with/caring for her widowed father. All of her friends and relatives urge her to go off and get married, but she remains content being with her father, whom she greatly admires.
Seems more like a chick flick type, but I enjoyed it.
Arthur (1981) - With the remake coming out this week, I figure I might as well finally check out the original. I never had any intention of seeing the remake and now that I saw this one, I know for a fact that I never will.
This was seriously, a very funny film. I really had no idea how funny it was going to be. Dudley Moore was outstanding as a drunk.
I do have the sequel in my Instant Netflix queue, but Iגm in no rush to see it. I donגt want to ruin my thoughts on what I feel about this one.
The only positive thing I can say about Russell Brandגs version, was that it brought to my attention that I needed to see Mooreגs. I donגt care if Brandגs version gets 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. I will not see it!
I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! (1968) - Peter Sellers plays an upright mid-30s lawyer about to be married, who suddenly embraces the hippie lifestyle after he unknowingly eats pot laced brownies.
Obviously, a very dated film, but still had some funny moments.
Starship Troopers (1997) - For some reason, this film constantly gets mentioned on the Ron & Fez show. I never got the references, so I finally watched it and now I can laugh and laugh every time Ron mentions Johnny Rico or says the line גthis is a bug planet.ג
I found this to be somewhat enjoyable, a little too silly for me. I did laugh when I recognized גJeffג from Saved by the Bell and גHankג from Breaking Bad.
Down to the Bone (2003) - Vera Farmiga was a guest on the Ron & Fez show this week. Prior to her coming in, Ron was talking about some of his favorite roles of hers and this film was brought up. Later, when Vera showed up, she brought up this film as being one that she wishes more people would see. I queued it up on Netflix and watched it that night.
Very good story about a mother of 2 young children, trying to kick her cocaine habit. I have never done any type of illegal drug, so I canגt relate to that euphoric feeling of taking drugs or trying to stop, yet Iגm fascinated with dramatic films about them. I canגt get into the comedies though. Iגve never seen Half Baked, Pineapple Express, or any Cheech & Chong film.
This was highly enjoyable.
District 9 (2009) - At first I really liked the documentary style and the whole back story, but then they showed a character attempting to get aliens to sign eviction notices. I thought they were kidding, but then they were going door-to-door. I really couldnגt take it serious after that, so it kinda ruined the whole thing for me.
L
Banshun aka Late Spring (1949) - My second time seeing an Ozu film. The first was Tokyo Story, which I really loved. I did attempt to record one on TCM a few weeks ago, but my DVR didnגt record it. I canגt even remember what it was called, but it sounded interesting, something about kids wanting a TV. Unfortunately itגs not available to stream on Netflix.
This one is about a 27-year-old woman still living with/caring for her widowed father. All of her friends and relatives urge her to go off and get married, but she remains content being with her father, whom she greatly admires.
Seems more like a chick flick type, but I enjoyed it.
Arthur (1981) - With the remake coming out this week, I figure I might as well finally check out the original. I never had any intention of seeing the remake and now that I saw this one, I know for a fact that I never will.
This was seriously, a very funny film. I really had no idea how funny it was going to be. Dudley Moore was outstanding as a drunk.
I do have the sequel in my Instant Netflix queue, but Iגm in no rush to see it. I donגt want to ruin my thoughts on what I feel about this one.
The only positive thing I can say about Russell Brandגs version, was that it brought to my attention that I needed to see Mooreגs. I donגt care if Brandגs version gets 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. I will not see it!
I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! (1968) - Peter Sellers plays an upright mid-30s lawyer about to be married, who suddenly embraces the hippie lifestyle after he unknowingly eats pot laced brownies.
Obviously, a very dated film, but still had some funny moments.
Starship Troopers (1997) - For some reason, this film constantly gets mentioned on the Ron & Fez show. I never got the references, so I finally watched it and now I can laugh and laugh every time Ron mentions Johnny Rico or says the line גthis is a bug planet.ג
I found this to be somewhat enjoyable, a little too silly for me. I did laugh when I recognized גJeffג from Saved by the Bell and גHankג from Breaking Bad.
Down to the Bone (2003) - Vera Farmiga was a guest on the Ron & Fez show this week. Prior to her coming in, Ron was talking about some of his favorite roles of hers and this film was brought up. Later, when Vera showed up, she brought up this film as being one that she wishes more people would see. I queued it up on Netflix and watched it that night.
Very good story about a mother of 2 young children, trying to kick her cocaine habit. I have never done any type of illegal drug, so I canגt relate to that euphoric feeling of taking drugs or trying to stop, yet Iגm fascinated with dramatic films about them. I canגt get into the comedies though. Iגve never seen Half Baked, Pineapple Express, or any Cheech & Chong film.
This was highly enjoyable.
District 9 (2009) - At first I really liked the documentary style and the whole back story, but then they showed a character attempting to get aliens to sign eviction notices. I thought they were kidding, but then they were going door-to-door. I really couldnגt take it serious after that, so it kinda ruined the whole thing for me.
L
this documentary is the shit..
The documentary is about Z Channel which was one of the first pay cable TV stations in the US. Z Channel became famous for showing an eclectic variety of films, including foreign language, silent, documentary, director's cut, forgotten, overlooked, under-appreciated, erotic as well as mainstream films, without commercials and uncut and letterbox-ed when possible.
The film also tells the story of Z Channel's programming director Jerry Harvey who was a true film lover, programming genius, and a man almost single handedly responsible for getting many great films shown to the public. It gives insights into Harvey's constant battle with personal demons which resulted in him ending his own life and the life of his wife in a murder-suicide.
The Social Network(2010)
Great writing makes a movie about a website more appealing then it has any business being. Good acting throughout. Rowing scene was beautifully shot.
Django(1966)
One of the dopest characters to be put on to film, I mean dude drags around a coffin with a mini gun in it. Got cheesy at times regarding the mexican bandits though.
Great writing makes a movie about a website more appealing then it has any business being. Good acting throughout. Rowing scene was beautifully shot.
Django(1966)
One of the dopest characters to be put on to film, I mean dude drags around a coffin with a mini gun in it. Got cheesy at times regarding the mexican bandits though.
I Spit On Your Grave (2010)
Some elements of this film work better than the original, for example, the antagonists are provided with better character detail in this version, but we lose that all important manifestation of Jennifer Hills from victim to avenging angel. The film focuses more on the antagonists once the multiple rapes are over. The original 1978 film wasn't perfect by any means, amateurish in many departments but it did fuck with me psychologically (and still does to this day) more than this film - the long distance shots and torturous screaming from far away or off-camera had a better effect than here where everything is handed to you on a plate with little for the audience to mentally fill in. Like most contemporary films i tend to watch, the over reliance to use harsh steel filters and washed-out colors really do this film no favors. The original used real daylight and made the most of the idyllic locations to make the backwoods sexual assault all the more horrific and believable. I hate taking pot-shots but it's always going to be hard for a recent update to compare to such a notorious title without instantly assessing it from the jump-off. The violence in this remake is far more graphic however with some truly disturbing and sadistic scenes which make the pay-offs more satisfying compared to the abruptness in the original (with the exception of the bath scene). It's a better film than some other modern remakes like Last House On The Left and A Nightmare On Elm Street. I did find it an unsettling film so I guess that makes it a success in it's own right and might be just enough to make it a stand alone title.
Some elements of this film work better than the original, for example, the antagonists are provided with better character detail in this version, but we lose that all important manifestation of Jennifer Hills from victim to avenging angel. The film focuses more on the antagonists once the multiple rapes are over. The original 1978 film wasn't perfect by any means, amateurish in many departments but it did fuck with me psychologically (and still does to this day) more than this film - the long distance shots and torturous screaming from far away or off-camera had a better effect than here where everything is handed to you on a plate with little for the audience to mentally fill in. Like most contemporary films i tend to watch, the over reliance to use harsh steel filters and washed-out colors really do this film no favors. The original used real daylight and made the most of the idyllic locations to make the backwoods sexual assault all the more horrific and believable. I hate taking pot-shots but it's always going to be hard for a recent update to compare to such a notorious title without instantly assessing it from the jump-off. The violence in this remake is far more graphic however with some truly disturbing and sadistic scenes which make the pay-offs more satisfying compared to the abruptness in the original (with the exception of the bath scene). It's a better film than some other modern remakes like Last House On The Left and A Nightmare On Elm Street. I did find it an unsettling film so I guess that makes it a success in it's own right and might be just enough to make it a stand alone title.
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Comedy Quaddafi
- Posts: 13515
- Joined: Mon May 14, 2007 12:15 pm
- Location: Southsea, UK
Thinking back on it, my biggest issue with it might be the woman, she just doesn't let go like Keaton did. I take it you like it better than ASTDarkness remake.
Japanese Exploitation double-bill
Female Yakuza Tale (1973) - Sequel to Sex & Fury, will have to agree with drizzle that this is slightly better. It's not a better movie as such, it's just a bit more crazy and has a lot more nudity and is generally less art-like, which works to it's favor. Ms Ike gets involved in a drug-smuggling ring where women transport in their vags. The highlights is the start and end but there's enough going on in between to keep you happy. A certain character was a bit underused IMO "When I pray, I kill."
Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice (1972) - Honestly, there were parts which bored me a bit but I did enjoy this movie. It really picks up during the second half where the sleaze gets substituted for lots of fighting. Hanzo is a tubby bad ass for sure.
Japanese Exploitation double-bill
Female Yakuza Tale (1973) - Sequel to Sex & Fury, will have to agree with drizzle that this is slightly better. It's not a better movie as such, it's just a bit more crazy and has a lot more nudity and is generally less art-like, which works to it's favor. Ms Ike gets involved in a drug-smuggling ring where women transport in their vags. The highlights is the start and end but there's enough going on in between to keep you happy. A certain character was a bit underused IMO "When I pray, I kill."
Hanzo the Razor: Sword of Justice (1972) - Honestly, there were parts which bored me a bit but I did enjoy this movie. It really picks up during the second half where the sleaze gets substituted for lots of fighting. Hanzo is a tubby bad ass for sure.
Whether to Jason of Philaflava or John Podesta, I will speak my fucking perspective openly
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I don't think it was Sara Butler's performance that was the problem, I doubt many actresses would have even auditioned for the infamous role let alone make a decent attempt like she did, I felt it was the way her character was tampered with by the writers. Incidentally, the "Forgive me, Father for I will sin" line was sadly omitted from the film but does appear in a deleted scene and on one of the trailers. Probably to make her inevitable reappearance more of an impact, didn't really work in my opinion and that missing link that bridges her payback all the more out of tune.Comedy Quaddafi wrote:Thinking back on it, my biggest issue with it might be the woman, she just doesn't let go like Keaton did. I take it you like it better than ASTDarkness remake.
Yeah it's better than the And Soon The Darkness remake for sure.
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Comedy Quaddafi
- Posts: 13515
- Joined: Mon May 14, 2007 12:15 pm
- Location: Southsea, UK
School of the Holy Beast (1973) - Nun-movie from Japan, a country which does not have a huge history of Catholicism at all. I doubt the director even knew what Catholicism is. It's an extremely goodlooking film, especially when a woman gets beat up with rose-stilks and petals fly everywhere like confetti during a parade. Enough weird sets happen for this to not get boring and the generally gorgeous look of the movie helps too.
The Frightened Woman (1969) - Odd 60's (almost) Gialli with a sweet Cipriani score. It's about a sadistic man and a woman's attempt to "cure" him while also trying to save her life. It's done incredibly well with a surreal interior of the house which most of it is set in. Check this:
"When I was young I saw two scorpions making love. I thought they were fighting. My father explained what was happening, and he told me that once they are done the female kills the male scorpion. I got incredibly angry, grabbed a stone and beat that female scorpion to a pulp. I thought that was how all women made love."
Whether to Jason of Philaflava or John Podesta, I will speak my fucking perspective openly
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Random Sample
- Posts: 13973
- Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2003 3:55 pm
- Location: Pittsburgh PA
- Contact:
Winter's Bone - 9\10 - Really liked this movie. One of the better flicks I have seen in recent memories.
Little Fockers - 1\10 - Literally the least funny movie I have ever seen. I didn't laugh once. I don't even know why I watched it. It gets one point, because you get to see Alba in her underwear.
Little Fockers - 1\10 - Literally the least funny movie I have ever seen. I didn't laugh once. I don't even know why I watched it. It gets one point, because you get to see Alba in her underwear.
Here's what I watched this week:
Win Win (2011) - Went to this never seeing a trailer or even reading any reviews on it. I had no idea what it was going to be about. I saw this because it was directed by Tom McCarthy, who made one of my all-time favorite films, The Station Agent.
This film did not disappoint. Great blend of comedy and drama.
Paul Giamatti plays a stressed out struggling lawyer, who also coaches a consistently losing high school wrestling team. He ends up becoming the guardian of a wealthy old man who suffers from dementia. He does this because itגs an extra $1500 in his pocket. Things get complicated when the teenage grandson of the old man suddenly shows up, because heגs run away from his drug abusing mother. The boy was a wrestling sensation at his school before he quit the team. So now things start looking up for the lawyer/wrestling coach.
I know itגs early to start talking Oscars, but I wouldnגt be surprised if this gets some nominations. Then again, I thought Get Low was an excellent film last year and that didnגt get any recognition at the Oscars.
Source Code (2011) - I thought this film would be a bit repetitive with the plot being that a man continue reliving the same 8 minutes until he can locate who bombed the commuter train heגs aboard.
It was not.
This was a very well told story. I was into it the whole time.
I still need to see Moon, which Iגve never heard anything bad about. Looks like Duncan Jones is off to a great start and is a director to look forward to seeing more films from.
Cronos (1992) - I only watched this because it was a Criterion release. This however did not look like a Criterion release. This was more like a low budget 80s late night cable movie.
I really did not like this. I have to wonder why Criterion was behind this. I guess because it was Guillermo del Toroגs directorial feature film debut.
Iגd probably appreciate this more without the Criterion banner. I guess I just expected much more. Then again, Criterion have also released Armageddon, The Rock, and Robocop.
Splendor in the Grass (1961) - To give you an idea just how old this film is, in the opening credits where itגs listing the stars names, the final one reads גand introducing Warren Beatty.ג
This was actually a really good film about teenage sexuality in the late 1920s. Beatty plays a guy who wants to have sex with his girlfriend (Natalie Wood). You can tell she wants to give it up, but sheגs reluctant. She also has a mother that constantly tells her sex is bad. It drives her so mad that she has to be institutionalized.
Gorky Park (1983) - Political thriller set in Russia about 3 murdered people which an investigator believes the KGB is behind.
Lee Marvin is in this and even in his much older age, his on screen presence was very good.
Three OגClock High (1987) - Probably the worst of the 80s high school comedies.
I swear I thought the entire film was going to be a dream. Probably wouldגve liked it better if it were.
I didnגt recognize the star, but doing an IMDB search on him revealed that he played 3-D in the Back to the Future films.
Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), Scream 3 (2000) - With the 4th installment coming out tomorrow, decided to watch the 3 leading up to it.
It had been years since Iגve seen these. I had never even seen part 3 until today.
The original is still great. That opening was very strong and highly suspenseful. Thereגs no way anyone ever suspected that Drew Barrymore would die within the first 10 minutes. That really set the tone and kept you guessing throughout.
One thing I never understood is Henry Winklerגs role. It was fun seeing him as the school principal and the role was certainly more than just a cameo appearance, yet his name does not show up in the credits. Never understood why. If I remember correctly, Kathy Bates had a funny part in Rat Race and her name didnגt appear either.
Anyway, the original Scream was still fun after all these years. The thing that sucked, which apparently I never knew, but Iגve owned all 3 on DVD and the first one is non-anamorphic, so I had to watch it windowboxed, so that was disappointing. After all these years, this is the first time Iגve watched these on DVD.
Part 2 is no where near as good as the original, but itגs still quite enjoyable. I did recognize a very young Josh Jackson (Peter Bishop from Fringe) in the classroom scene.
As for the killer, I had no idea who the actor was until the end credits, then I was like גoh shit, that was Justified.ג
Part 3 was mediocre. I didnגt care about any of the גStabג actors, so their killings were meaningless to me.
The reveal of the killer and his reasons were really dumb, though this film was much harder to guess who the killer was.
Each of these films got worse and worse, now Iגm questioning why I want to see part 4 tomorrow. I guess itגs the nostalgia factor.
Win Win (2011) - Went to this never seeing a trailer or even reading any reviews on it. I had no idea what it was going to be about. I saw this because it was directed by Tom McCarthy, who made one of my all-time favorite films, The Station Agent.
This film did not disappoint. Great blend of comedy and drama.
Paul Giamatti plays a stressed out struggling lawyer, who also coaches a consistently losing high school wrestling team. He ends up becoming the guardian of a wealthy old man who suffers from dementia. He does this because itגs an extra $1500 in his pocket. Things get complicated when the teenage grandson of the old man suddenly shows up, because heגs run away from his drug abusing mother. The boy was a wrestling sensation at his school before he quit the team. So now things start looking up for the lawyer/wrestling coach.
I know itגs early to start talking Oscars, but I wouldnגt be surprised if this gets some nominations. Then again, I thought Get Low was an excellent film last year and that didnגt get any recognition at the Oscars.
Source Code (2011) - I thought this film would be a bit repetitive with the plot being that a man continue reliving the same 8 minutes until he can locate who bombed the commuter train heגs aboard.
It was not.
This was a very well told story. I was into it the whole time.
I still need to see Moon, which Iגve never heard anything bad about. Looks like Duncan Jones is off to a great start and is a director to look forward to seeing more films from.
Cronos (1992) - I only watched this because it was a Criterion release. This however did not look like a Criterion release. This was more like a low budget 80s late night cable movie.
I really did not like this. I have to wonder why Criterion was behind this. I guess because it was Guillermo del Toroגs directorial feature film debut.
Iגd probably appreciate this more without the Criterion banner. I guess I just expected much more. Then again, Criterion have also released Armageddon, The Rock, and Robocop.
Splendor in the Grass (1961) - To give you an idea just how old this film is, in the opening credits where itגs listing the stars names, the final one reads גand introducing Warren Beatty.ג
This was actually a really good film about teenage sexuality in the late 1920s. Beatty plays a guy who wants to have sex with his girlfriend (Natalie Wood). You can tell she wants to give it up, but sheגs reluctant. She also has a mother that constantly tells her sex is bad. It drives her so mad that she has to be institutionalized.
Gorky Park (1983) - Political thriller set in Russia about 3 murdered people which an investigator believes the KGB is behind.
Lee Marvin is in this and even in his much older age, his on screen presence was very good.
Three OגClock High (1987) - Probably the worst of the 80s high school comedies.
I swear I thought the entire film was going to be a dream. Probably wouldגve liked it better if it were.
I didnגt recognize the star, but doing an IMDB search on him revealed that he played 3-D in the Back to the Future films.
Scream (1996), Scream 2 (1997), Scream 3 (2000) - With the 4th installment coming out tomorrow, decided to watch the 3 leading up to it.
It had been years since Iגve seen these. I had never even seen part 3 until today.
The original is still great. That opening was very strong and highly suspenseful. Thereגs no way anyone ever suspected that Drew Barrymore would die within the first 10 minutes. That really set the tone and kept you guessing throughout.
One thing I never understood is Henry Winklerגs role. It was fun seeing him as the school principal and the role was certainly more than just a cameo appearance, yet his name does not show up in the credits. Never understood why. If I remember correctly, Kathy Bates had a funny part in Rat Race and her name didnגt appear either.
Anyway, the original Scream was still fun after all these years. The thing that sucked, which apparently I never knew, but Iגve owned all 3 on DVD and the first one is non-anamorphic, so I had to watch it windowboxed, so that was disappointing. After all these years, this is the first time Iגve watched these on DVD.
Part 2 is no where near as good as the original, but itגs still quite enjoyable. I did recognize a very young Josh Jackson (Peter Bishop from Fringe) in the classroom scene.
As for the killer, I had no idea who the actor was until the end credits, then I was like גoh shit, that was Justified.ג
Part 3 was mediocre. I didnגt care about any of the גStabג actors, so their killings were meaningless to me.
The reveal of the killer and his reasons were really dumb, though this film was much harder to guess who the killer was.
Each of these films got worse and worse, now Iגm questioning why I want to see part 4 tomorrow. I guess itגs the nostalgia factor.
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LilLeftBrain
- Posts: 12266
- Joined: Fri Mar 04, 2005 7:16 pm
- Location: burn pile