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Moonlight was very impressive. It's a unflinching look at what life circumstances can do to people who are honestly trying their best and who have good intentions. It's one of those films where coming to terms with one's sexuality, drug abuse, bullying, or race are important components to the story being told and yet the movie isn't "about" those things. It's about life, and all that entails for the millions upon millions in this country who aren't born into the best of situations. All three of the actors who portray Chiron are great in their own way, but I think my favorite was the middle one. There's a quiet intensity there that radiates from him in a very palpable way. Movies like this that are about the more mundane, yet critically important parts of real life tend to pass me by, which is why I put it on my list in this thread. Sometimes I have to force myself to experience films like this and I'm almost always glad I did. Current List with a new entry: Santa Sangre: Been meaning to get to this for a while, for whatever reason I never hit play. Not sure why. Lost Highway: Probably the best Lynch film I've yet to see. Tough to know for sure though, because I haven't seen it! The Mechanic: I've seen Bronson in his old westerns, and also the Death Wish series, so this is one that I missed along the way that stands out. A Cure For Wellness:Still a paid rental but the cinematography looks top notch Chappie: I got kinda sick of Blomkamp but I should probably still check this one out at some point What Have You Done to Solange?: Probably the best giallo I've yet to see, at least so I've heard. Becket: My love for Lawrence of Arabia should have led me to this film a long time ago so now's as good a time as any. Totally forgot: friendo55 posted:Don't Look Now [1973] - (2017.06.20) - heard plenty about it as a rather memorable and standout film of the 70s. One of my best blind-buy decisions. One of the better looking horror films of all time in my opinion. Enjoy! Basebf555 fucked around with this message at 18:58 on Jun 27, 2017 |
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Jun 27, 2017 17:56
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Basebf555 posted:Current List with a new entry: gently caress. I really hope someone gives you Lost Highway. I may watch Casablanca tonight just so I can make you watch it, but I owe MZ a watch of The Love Witch.
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Jun 27, 2017 18:21
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That's the best way to put the teenage Chiron's performance - a quiet intensity... well said! I also need you to choose a movie from my list for me to watch. EDIT: thanks! friendo55 fucked around with this message at 05:15 on Jun 28, 2017 |
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Jun 27, 2017 18:34
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Franchescanado posted:I may watch Casablanca tonight just so I can make you watch it, but I owe MZ a watch of The Love Witch. You should watch Casblanca anyway, because it's perfect.
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Jun 27, 2017 19:00
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Gonna get into this. My letterboxd.Basebf555 posted:Lost Highway: Probably the best Lynch film I've yet to see. Tough to know for sure though, because I haven't seen it! Picking Lost Highway because I caught it on 35mm earlier this year and every time I see it I like it more. List: Moonlight - hearing Barry Jenkins talk about Wong Kar Wai made me really want to see this in the theater, yet I never got around to it. Akira - I've never watched an anime A Brighter Summer Day - want to get started with Edward Yang, but it's so long Last Year at Marienbad - started it once, fell asleep, sold the blu-ray without finishing it Godzilla (1954) - need to see the original The Departed - loved Infernal Affairs A Nightmare on Elm Street - afraid if I watch one I'll feel compelled to get through them all like I did with Hellraiser Repulsion - I've been meaning to watch this for well over a decade Vertigo - so far I've seen one Hitchcock ever. shameful.
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Jun 27, 2017 19:10
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Casablanca (1942) dir. Michael Curtiz It's strange finally watching a movie that I've experienced mostly through cultural osmosis. Just a tight movie. Even somewhat knowing the resolution--Ingrid Bergman gets on a plan and Humphrey Bogart doesn't, I didn't know Casablanca would be a tense film pulling at my heart strings. I think I'm going to re-watch this with the Roger Ebert commentary when I have some time to learn more about this cultural landmark of film. I want to watch more Humphrey Bogart. Had I known Claude Rains was in this film, I'd probably have watched it years sooner. My List The Thin Red Line (1998) - (6.27.17) My only Terrence Malick film I've seen is Tree of Life, which I really enjoyed. Fitzcarraldo (1982) - (6.23.17) The other big Werner Herzog narrative I haven't seen. F For Fake (1973) - (6.22.17) I've never seen an Orson Welles film Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) - (6.22.17) I rarely feel in the mood to watch westerns. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - (6.22.17) It's looooong and sounds kinda boring. Schindler's List (1993) - Promises of long and depressing movies about war keep me away After Hours (1985) - (6.22.17) I've been slowly filling in my Scorsese gaps. I own it on DVD Night of the Hunter (1955) - (6.22.17) The classic thriller/horror I've never seen. The Seventh Seal (1957) - (6.22.17) Just watched Persona recently. I'm borrowing the Criterion blu-ray of this right now, so it's a high priority. Ikiru (1952) - (6.22.17) I've only seen 2 Kurosawa films, but this one sounds like it could be my favorite. FancyMike posted:A Nightmare on Elm Street - afraid if I watch one I'll feel compelled to get through them all like I did with Hellraiser  I also followed you on Letterboxd. COMPLETED: Aguirre: The Wrath of God; Casablanca Franchescanado fucked around with this message at 01:39 on Jun 28, 2017 |
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Jun 28, 2017 01:37
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Franchescanado posted:After Hours (1985) - (6.22.17) I've been slowly filling in my Scorsese gaps. I own it on DVD You have a good and shameful ten but go with this underappreciated one. Menace II Society - This one was very tense and tapped into the horror genre a little. Every other scene features blunt gun violence that came as a surprise. Sometimes the guns are used by characters as a prank but usually not. It paints LA as a war zone even more than Boyz n the Hood does. The characters are primarily motivated by revenge and greed and this usually ends in tragedy. Guys being smoked right and left over cars, rims and drugs. The main character is Caine and he has tons of excellent quotes and good narration throughout. Something that's lost in more recent films. Also watched: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown - This one started out a little like Day for Night but quickly moved onto its own frenzied story. It mainly concerns lovelorn women and their problems with the men who cheat on them (and some Shiite terrorists) so it's a little zany. It could've been titled Passionate Women as the lead frequently smashes phones and answering machines and lights her bed on fire (to name a few things). So much passion! A comedy of errors with some fickle love thrown in. Looking forward to more Pedro Almodóvar films in the future. Procrastination (248 completed): #242 The Saragossa Manuscript - I started watching this once and realized it was one of those bastardly DVDs in the incorrect aspect ratio. 11/17/16 #244 On Golden Pond - Henry Fonda's last role. 11/26/16 James Bond versus Godzilla (25/58 completed): TCM: The Essentials: 52 Must-See Movies (49/52 completed): Now, Voyager - A Bette Davis film. 4/1/17 Winchester ’73 - Something about a rifle. 4/7/17 Leave Her to Heaven - Now here's one I haven't heard about. 5/19/17 Yahoo’s 100 Movies To See Before You Die (99/100 completed): Raise the Red Lantern - Something concerning 1920s China. 5/19/17 MTV Movie Award for Movie of the Year (24/26 completed): 1999 There's Something About Mary - I forgot to see this one. 5/31/17 BBC Culture: The 100 greatest American films (86/100 completed): #16 McCabe & Mrs. Miller - A moment of classic shame. 6/13/17 new #89 In a Lonely Place - Haven't seen a Humphrey Bogart or Nicholas Ray film in years. 6/27/17 new #98 Heaven’s Gate - I've seen Days of Heaven and Gates of Heaven but not this one. 6/27/17
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Jun 28, 2017 05:30
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Zogo posted:Raise the Red Lantern - Something concerning 1920s China. 5/19/17 A Nightmare on Elm Street - This was a lot more fun than I expected and I'd say it hold up well and is effectively creepy and unsettling. It manages to capture that strange dream state without overdoing it which was the biggest surprise to me; I expected something sillier. Two all time great horror movie kills. My wife thought it was cheesy and bad. 4/5 very good movie. List: Moonlight - hearing Barry Jenkins talk about Wong Kar Wai made me really want to see this in the theater, yet I never got around to it. Akira - I've never watched an anime A Brighter Summer Day - want to get started with Edward Yang, but it's so long Last Year at Marienbad - started it once, fell asleep, sold the blu-ray without finishing it Godzilla (1954) - need to see the original The Departed - loved Infernal Affairs Repulsion - I've been meaning to watch this for well over a decade Vertigo - so far I've seen one Hitchcock ever. shameful. Friday the 13th - I've missed a lot of horror classics Completed: A Nightmare on Elm Street [4/5] letterboxd
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Jun 28, 2017 17:10
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Stop into the horror thread sometime and say you've never seen a lot of horror classics. You'll get more recommendations than you can handle, and most will be a lot better than Friday the 13th(even if it's still pretty essential to watch once).
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Jun 28, 2017 17:14
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FancyMike posted:My wife thought it was cheesy and bad.  Basebf555 posted:Stop into the horror thread sometime and say you've never seen a lot of horror classics. You'll get more recommendations than you can handle, and most will be a lot better than Friday the 13th(even if it's still pretty essential to watch once). Do this! It's the best thread in CineD
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Jun 28, 2017 17:23
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I used to participate in this thread a few years ago, but I've since seen most of the films from my old list, so I might as well start a new one. Here goes. Black Girl (1966) I know shamefully little about African cinema. This seems as good a place to start as any. Broken Blossoms (1918) - Curious to see how this one holds up. Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) - Because for years, I thought it was called Cleo from 9 to 5, and the only way of undoing that shame is by actually watching it. Diary of a Country Priest (1951) - Au hasard Balthazar didn't do that much for me, but maybe I just can't relate to donkeys. Don't Look Back (1967) - The riveting sequel to Don't Look Now? Duel in the Sun (1946) - It's sometimes referred to as Lust in the Dust. How could I not find that intriguing? Floating Clouds (1955) - Despite having a decent grasp on Japanese post-war cinema, I've somehow never seen anything by Naruse. Time to rectify that. Germany, Year Zero (1948) - I've yet to be disappointed by Rossellini. Great Expectations (1946) - Well, you all know how the joke goes. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - A three-and-a-half hour film with a limited cast and barely any plot? Sign me up! __________________________________________________________________ FancyMike posted:Vertigo - so far I've seen one Hitchcock ever. shameful. It was a tough choice, but how often do you get to introduce someone to Vertigo?
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Jun 28, 2017 17:43
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Alright, I'm trying this again. Maybe this time I won't just watch one film and vanish for months. Also I found out about letterboxd from this thread, so here's mine. 1. Rosemary's Baby - Would be my first Polanski film. I've owned the DVD for over a decade. 2. The Thin Red Line - The only Malick film I've seen is Badlands. 3. Laura - Still haven't seen a whole lot of film noir. 4. Pan's Labyrinth - Yet another from the "I have owned this for years yet haven't watched it" pile. Looks like a great dark fantasy movie that I would totally love! 5. The Ladykillers - The original, not the Coen Brothers remake (which I also haven't seen). 6. Big Trouble in Little China - Only John Carpenter film I've seen is Halloween, but most horror movies don't really do it for me, and that was no exception. Maybe I'll like this better? 7. Vernon, Florida - Sounds interesting, would be my first Errol Morris film. 8. The 36th Chamber of Shaolin - I haven't seen any classic kung-fu films, and this one's on Netflix Instant now. 9. Destiny - Early Fritz Lang film I know nothing about. 10. The Nightmare Before Christmas - I suspect I'm the only person who was in this movie's target demographic when it was released who hasn't seen it. Watched: The Exorcist III (5/10) Samuel Clemens posted:Broken Blossoms (1918) - Curious to see how this one holds up. Me too! Rollersnake fucked around with this message at 04:19 on Jun 30, 2017 |
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Jun 29, 2017 06:23
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After Hours (1985) dir. Martin Scorsese Wow. Probably my 2nd favorite Scorsese film, right under Cape Fear. This is a hilarious nightmare. Everything flows, everything adds up to a paranoid plot, served with manic energy and logic that's stayed up too late and is running on fumes of caffeine. A city of lonely weirdos all packed together in the dirty streets. I had no idea Scorsese made films like this. Why doesn't everyone know about this film? My List In Cold Blood (1967) - (6.29.17) I've read the book, which I enjoyed. I know the movie looks great, I've seen the famous window rain show. I own it on blu-ray. The Thin Red Line (1998) - (6.27.17) My only Terrence Malick film I've seen is Tree of Life, which I really enjoyed. Fitzcarraldo (1982) - (6.23.17) The other big Werner Herzog narrative I haven't seen. F For Fake (1973) - (6.22.17) I've never seen an Orson Welles film Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) - (6.22.17) I rarely feel in the mood to watch westerns. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - (6.22.17) It's looooong and sounds kinda boring. Schindler's List (1993) - Promises of long and depressing movies about war keep me away Night of the Hunter (1955) - (6.22.17) The classic thriller/horror I've never seen. The Seventh Seal (1957) - (6.22.17) Just watched Persona recently. I'm borrowing the Criterion blu-ray of this right now, so it's a high priority. Ikiru (1952) - (6.22.17) I've only seen 2 Kurosawa films, but this one sounds like it could be my favorite. COMPLETED: Aguirre: The Wrath of God; Casablanca; After Hours Rollersnake posted:4. Pan's Labyrinth - Yet another from the "I have owned this for years yet haven't watched it" pile. Looks like a great dark fantasy movie that I would totally love! You're in for a treat.
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Jun 30, 2017 04:03
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Odd Man Out This was...good? The movie doesn't really get started until halfway through, when Mason is left for dead by a cabbie and discovered by a bulging-eyed poor guy who wants to use his find for money. Everything before that feels like something Powell and Pressburger could've done, but didn't, and it suffers as a result - the cast of characters Mason is briefly handed off to isn't quite vivacious or engaging enough, and Mason's character is more interesting unconscious or unintelligible than he is when he's stumbling around (with one delirious exception). The second half of the movie is about a group of people being drawn to his potential, which is much more enticing than him being pushed away by people afraid of being caught with him on their hands. A loony painter wants to paint him as he dies, to catch some kind of unknowable understanding in his deathly eyes, a doddering priest wants to save his soul before sending him off to prison, and a failed medical student wants to save his life to prove his own worth. It's thrillingly demented to realize the extent to which these characters are deeply damaged and fearsome, and the climactic hallucination in the last ten minutes makes up for the entire messy first half on its own. The structure is there for my favorite kind of movie but it doesn't hit all the notes like Third Man does. 8/10 shame sphere 1) A Poem Is A Naked Person - more les blank!!! 2) A Room With A View - yeah 3) No End - you say Kiesl i say Owski 4) The Pillow Book - greenaway is the man 5) The Entertainer - Lawrence Olivier enters the kitchen sink 6) Ashes and Diamonds - polandia 7) The Passion of Anna - one of the only major Bergmans I haven't seen 8) Veronika Voss - plowing forward with fassbinder 9) Meantime - 80s underground 10) Brute Force - BLAST HARDCHEESE Jules et Jim 6/10, Saving Private Ryan 9.5/10, Fitzcarraldo 9/10, The 39 Steps 7/10, Notorious 7/10, Run Lola Run 8/10, Downfall 7.5/10, The Searchers 7.5/10, Tokyo Story 7/10, Gone With The Wind 10/10, Touch Of Evil 9.5/10, Ikiru 7.5/10, The Apartment 7/10, Bicycle Thieves 7/10, Moon 7/10, The Color Purple 7.5/10. The French Connection 9.5/10, The Leopard 8/10, Yojimbo 8.5/10, Sanjuro 8/10, Das Boot 8.5/10, The Conformist 8/10, Breathless 9/10, Where The Wild Things Are 7.5/10, Vertigo 9/10, Raging Bull 10/10, Ordet 7/10, City Of God 9/10, The Wages Of Fear 9/10, Aguirre, The Wrath Of God 9/10, The Mirror 9.5/10, Through A Glass Darkly 10/10, On The Waterfront 6/10, The Straight Story 9/10, Lawrence Of Arabia 8.5/10, Dial M For Murder, 8/10 Winter Light 10/10, The Silence 9/10, Badlands 8/10, The Wrong Man 7/10, In The Mood For Love 9.5/10, Secret Honor 10/10, Gosford Park 10/10, Viridiana 7.5/10, The Exterminating Angel 9/10, Seven Samurai 10/10, Rashomon 9/10, The Godfather: Part II 10/10, La Dolce Vita 10/10, The Princess Bride 9/10, Bringing Up Baby 7/10, City Lights 9/10, Baraka 7/10, Au revior les enfants 8/10, Bonnie And Clyde 6.5, Hiroshima mon amour 8/10, Lost In Translation 10/10, The Piano 8/10, La Strada 7/10, Safety Last! 10/10 Vivre sa vie 9/10, Band Of Outsiders 8/10, Diary Of A Country Priest 7/10, Mommie Dearest 8/10, Once Upon A Time In The West 10/10, L'Atalante 7/10, All About My Mother 7/10, Shoot The Piano Player 8/10, Faces 10/10, The Passion Of Joan Of Arc 10/10, The Wild Bunch 6/10, Harold And Maude see my review, Pink Flamingos 8/10, Heat 10/10, Raising Arizona 7/10, L'Avventura 2/10, Atlantic City 9/10, The Magic Flute 9/10, Cleo From 5 To 7 9/10, Down By Law 10/10, Hoop Dreams 10/10, 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her ¿8/10?, La jetée 9/10, Night Of The Living Dead 9/10, Cool Hand Luke 6/10, Pather Panchali 10/10, The Terminator 6/10, The Trial 10/10, Exit Through The Gift Shop 10/10, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance 7/10, The Phantom Carriage 10/10, Au Hasard Balthazar 3/10, The African Queen 10/10, My Night At Maud's 10/10, The Testament Of Dr. Mabuse 10/10, La Haine 10/10, The Pianist 7/10, Four Lions A-, Scream A+, Ali: Fear Eats The Soul B-, The Naked City 7/10, Floating Weeds 9/10, Daisies 8/10, Stray Dog 8/10, Victim 6/10, Man Bites Dog 9/10, Night and Fog 10/10, Weekend 8/10, Jubilee 10/10, Sans Soleil 10/10, Candidate 8/10, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders 10/10, The Freshman 5/10, Garlic Is As Good As Ten Mothers 10/10, Branded to Kill 8/10, In Heaven There Is No Beer? 10/10, Blood Simple 10/10, The Marriage of Maria Braun 7/10, A Day In The Country 7/10, A Brief History of Time 10/10, Gates of Heaven 10/10, The Thin Blue Line 10/10, The Fog of War 10/10, My Beautiful Laundrette 10/10, Blind Chance 8/10, My Winnipeg 10/10, The River 7/10, Odd Man Out 8/10 (total: 128) Franchescanado gets Schindler's List
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Jun 30, 2017 04:23
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Lost Highway is definitely what I would call peak Lynch. It's true that when you watch a lot of Lynch you start to see patterns repeat themselves. Worlds within other worlds, people running away from themselves(literally and figuratively), the grossness of L.A., and outbursts of horrific violence. It's all here in Lost Highway, and I'd say in a more unsettling combination than even Mulholland Drive. It's not as deeply disturbing as Fire Walk With Me though, which makes it more "fun" to watch. I imagine Robert Blake's performance would have really been something at the time, unfortunately it was a bit blunted for me just because I had been aware of it for so many years, and of course also his real-life murder case. Tough to get that out of my head while he was on screen. All in all though the performances were great, obviously Patricia Arquette is a stand-out but Pullman and Robert Loggia are right there with her. Loggias tailgating scene is really a sight to behold. I did some reading on the symbolism in the film afterwards, and there is definitely elements there that I'd not have been able to interpret myself, such as the exploding cabin, with represents Fred's disintegrating mind as he struggles to come to terms with what he's done, which began by letting The Devil in. This is a very decipherable Lynch film, which in my opinion makes it better than something like Inland Empire, it makes you want to engage with it. My List with a few new entries: Santa Sangre: Been meaning to get to this for a while, for whatever reason I never hit play. Not sure why. The Mechanic: I've seen Bronson in his old westerns, and also the Death Wish series, so this is one that I missed along the way that stands out. A Cure For Wellness:Still a paid rental but the cinematography looks top notch Chappie: I got kinda sick of Blomkamp but I should probably still check this one out at some point What Have You Done to Solange?: Probably the best giallo I've yet to see, at least so I've heard. Becket: My love for Lawrence of Arabia should have led me to this film a long time ago so now's as good a time as any. Speed Racer: In the real world there's no shame in not having Speed Racer, but I've heard people talk about it very positively here. And I'm one of those weirdos who loves Cloud Atlas so... The Fury: Not really shameful, but I am trying to go through more of De Palma and this one is available on Netflix. Magic Hate Ball posted:7) The Passion of Anna - one of the only major Bergmans I haven't seen I'll be interested to see what you think of this one because I've seen a lot of Bergman as well but not The Passion of Anna. Watched: Moonlight, Lost Highway
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Jun 30, 2017 14:46
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Basebf555 posted:Santa Sangre: Been meaning to get to this for a while, for whatever reason I never hit play. Not sure why. Time to hit that play button. --- Broken Blossoms  The more things change... To me, D. W. Griffith is one of the most interesting directors in the canon, both for his tremendous influence on the art of narrative filmmaking and for the way his adoration of the American South frequently seemed to clash with his more liberal views. Previously, the only films of his I had seen where his two epics, The Birth of a Nation and Intolerance. While the story of Broken Blossoms is told on a much smaller scale, the themes that occupied Griffith in Intolerance are still present: the possibility of a kinship among humans that trascends racial barriers and the importance of kindness and tolerance in a cruel world. As I've come to expect from the man, Griffith paints with a very broad brush in Broken Blossoms. His characters represent archetypes more so than actual human beings; the mistreated orphan, the abusive foster father, the kind foreigner. Many of them do not have names, even our protagonist is only ever referred to as "The Yellow Man", signifying his emblematic status as not just a Chinese immigrant but the Chinese immigrant. This reluctance to commit to any specifics is perhaps the film's greatest flaw. As a love story, Broken Blossoms falls flat because we can never separate the Yellow Man as a human being from the Yellow Man as a concept. We are given a lot of information on what he is, but not who. The immediate comparison that came to my mind while watching the film was Fassbender's Ali: Fear Eats the Soul about a Morrocan immigrant falling in love with a German woman. Like the Yellow Man, Ali represents the experience of all immigrants, but he simultaneously manages to be a fully realised human being with fears, desires, and ideas. Ali's personality, while shaped by his background, is undeniably his own. Griffith never quite manages to make that (admittedly tricky) distinction, and his story suffers for it. Which is not to say that Broken Blossoms fails at eliciting emotions. The characters may be broad stereotypes, but when Lucy and the Yellow Man lean in on each other, neither one having experienced kindness in ages, we sense their tenderness. Similarly, Lucy's terror when she's hiding in the closet from her wrathful father feels as intense now as it must have done almost 100 years ago. Griffith employs the full range of cinematic techniques to achieve the desired atmosphere. His use of close-ups and framing to showcase a character's mood, the way he intercuts the peaceful tranquility of the lovers with the violence of a boxing match, the encroaching fog which nearly swallows up the harrowing finale all contribute towards making Broken Blossoms his most haunting feature. So yeah, all misgivings aside, I was very impressed by the film. The Birth of a Nation is an important milestone that forever changed the way we think about cinema, Intolerance is a technical triumph, whose intercutting narrative is in some ways still ahead of the curve, but Broken Blossoms is Griffith's emotional masterpiece. Definitely give it a chance if you're not averse to silent film (and if you are, shame on you  ).Black Girl (1966) I know shamefully little about African cinema. This seems as good a place to start as any. (new) J'accuse (1919) - I want to get into Abel Gance, but Napoléon seems a bit daunting as a starting point. Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) - Because for years, I thought it was called Cleo from 9 to 5, and the only way of undoing that shame is by actually watching it. Diary of a Country Priest (1951) - Au hasard Balthazar didn't do that much for me, but maybe I just can't relate to donkeys. Don't Look Back (1967) - The riveting sequel to Don't Look Now? Duel in the Sun (1946) - It's sometimes referred to as Lust in the Dust. How could I not find that intriguing? Floating Clouds (1955) - Despite having a decent grasp on Japanese post-war cinema, I've somehow never seen anything by Naruse. Time to rectify that. Germany, Year Zero (1948) - I've yet to be disappointed by Rossellini. Great Expectations (1946) - Well, you all know how the joke goes. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - A three-and-a-half hour film with a limited cast and barely any plot? Sign me up! Samuel Clemens fucked around with this message at 22:03 on Jul 1, 2017 |
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Jul 1, 2017 21:57
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Samuel Clemens watch Black Girl Capfalcon gave me Memories of Murder  What did I expect? Hmm. Generally when I think of asian cinema I think dissonant tonal shifts, which don't really work for me. Based on the 'every frame a painting' piece I was also expecting interesting direction. The tonal quirks were there, but they worked to kind of ground the characters as real people without taking me out of the piece. That was something the whole film did really well - everything felt real, everybody felt like they had their own life that was happening and the murders were just a thing that happened in the background of their own stories. The moments where the stories intersect were some of the most powerful in the film - the woman who changes her raincoat because she's been told it isn't safe, the heartbreaking scene near the end where two characters walk past each other - I got a strong sense that the women in the film fundamentally knew that they weren't safe, but they also recognized they couldn't ever be safe and still live their lives. It felt very real in that way. Similarly the detectives totally sold me on their downward slope of desperately trying everything to just stop this from happening, and being totally powerless, complete with the self-destruction their frustration brought on. The locations and cinematography was a part of the realness, and the movement of the camera and the actors within the scene (the EFAP guy pointed out) was strikingly good. I hadn't even realized known how much I want more films like this, and not to just watch peoples faces as they talk.The whole thing came together really well, and it just left me feeling so sad - sad for the women, sad for the stupid cops, sad for the people who got hurt by the cops, just sad. A very effective film, by far my favourite of the director's. Overall grade -  and  smashed together to make  Beasts of No Nation [2015] - whoo boy. Big fan of the director, but just never in the mood for a little child-soldiering. The Brothers Bloom [2008] - Liked looper, loved brick, interested to see how this goes. 12 years a Slave [2013] - a cheery movie to lift my spirits Badlands [1973] - people seem to think Terrence Malick is cool and someone described this as his 'most accessible'. I'm all about that Perfect Blue [1997] - nani?!? Killer Joe [2011] - alright alright alright Cave of Forgotten Dreams [2010] - It's not something I'd ever watch without prompting, but I've heard a lot about hetzog and I'm kind of interested in the cave paintings so  Moon[2009] - I remember people talking this up at the time and I like good scifi. Jackie Brown [1997] - tarantino spot Napoleon Dynamite [2004] lets get something (hopefully?) funny in here seen: Reservoir Dogs  - Fargo - Annie Hall - Chinatown - Casino - Nightcrawler  - Spotlight - 12 Angry Men - Superbad  - Borat  - The Hateful Eight - Memories of Murder
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Jul 2, 2017 06:52
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Schindler's List (1993) dir. Steven Spielberg While this was a dark and depressing story about the darkest blot in modern human history, it swept me away with it's heart and optimism for humanity when faced with hopelessness, desperation, and suffering. Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Embeth Davidtz, and of course Liam Neeson land career-defining performances here, but the film manages a magical feat that only films close to perfection can achieve: every performance captured on the screen is a knock-out. There are no weak characters, weak moments, or poor actors. I don't have any pretense about getting emotional during movies; I cried during the last twenty minutes of the film (and during several others, notably the scene where the luggage is taken from the racks and dumped, priceless possessions thrown around like junk, never to be returned to their owners who mistakenly expect their belongings when they reach their destination).. The moment when Oskar is presented with the ring and "I could have saved more" speech, the amazing ending with the survivor's visiting the grave, and many other moments are heart-wrenching and powerful. Fully deserving of it's reputation as Spielberg's greatest film and solidifies his place as the most well-known American director. It makes me wish he wouldn't waste his time on projects like The BFG and would concentrate on more powerful epics (I know his one for you, one for me routine). I have been very fortunate that each film that has been recommended to me has somehow been better than the previous one. My List The French Connection (1971) - (7.2.17) I have only seen William Friedkin's The Exorcist and The Hunted; I've been excited to watch this since his appearance on WTF podcast. I own it on DVD. In Cold Blood (1967) - (6.29.17) I've read the book, which I enjoyed. I know the movie looks great, I've seen the famous window rain show. I own it on blu-ray. The Thin Red Line (1998) - (6.27.17) My only Terrence Malick film I've seen is Tree of Life, which I really enjoyed. Fitzcarraldo (1982) - (6.23.17) The other big Werner Herzog narrative I haven't seen. F For Fake (1973) - (6.22.17) I've never seen an Orson Welles film Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) - (6.22.17) I rarely feel in the mood to watch westerns. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - (6.22.17) It's looooong and sounds kinda boring. Night of the Hunter (1955) - (6.22.17) The classic thriller/horror I've never seen. The Seventh Seal (1957) - (6.22.17) Just watched Persona recently. I'm borrowing the Criterion blu-ray of this right now, so it's a high priority. Ikiru (1952) - (6.22.17) I've only seen 2 Kurosawa films, but this one sounds like it could be my favorite. COMPLETED: Aguirre: The Wrath of God; Casablanca; After Hours; Schindler's List Letterboxd awesmoe posted:Jackie Brown [1997] - tarantino spot Luckily for you, this is better than the other Tarantino's you've watched already, and is a strong contender for his best film. Highly underrated.
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Jul 2, 2017 22:58
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Just wanna shout out that fantastic write up of Broken Blossoms. It's such a fascinating film and Griffith is maybe the most interesting director of the Silent era in my personal opinion. And the most flawed of the greats. I was hoping to watch Nerves quickly so I could assign it to you but I just moved into a new apartment this weekend and still haven't had time to watch it. By the way, just watch Napoleon. Do it. I did and I'm better for it.
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Jul 3, 2017 06:18
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Franchescanado posted:Ikiru (1952) - (6.22.17) I've only seen 2 Kurosawa films, but this one sounds like it could be my favorite. You can tell me how good it is and motivate me to watch it, then. The Outlaw Josey Wales  Holy hell, Clint Eastwood is a badass. He's got all the swaggering moral ambiguity and casual violence you could ever want in a man. I'm not old enough to know whether he is emblematic of American masculinity or created it out of whole cloth... But I understand my father a little better after watching Josey Wales (he cites it as his favorite movie). It's a pretty fantastic western, and a thoroughly enjoyable piece of cinema. Eastwood's Josey Wales is about as cool as you can be. He looks good, he's quick with tongue and steel, and he spits better than he shoots. It's got more heart than The Man with No Name movies, since this man has a name, and a past. The surrounding cast of characters is colorful and endearing. There is just enough humor and humanity in it to elevate it above your average western. Of course, it's got some problems. Like most westerns, it brushes aside slavery as a concept, which is more interesting than usual in this movie because it takes place in Missouri and also primarily concerns Confederate and Union soldiers. Of course, Wales is not a Confederate because of any affiliation with the south; he just wants revenge on the blues who murdered his family. Even still, he joins up with rebels to fight against the Union after the official end of the Civil War. I wouldn't find this as unsettling if the movie didn't also seem to want to tell us that the world is complex and ambiguous, and that morality is a shifting target. It's hard to watch this after having seen Unforgiven--but I guess that's why the latter is a revisionist western. I also think the relationship between Wales and Sondra Locke's Laura Lee is a little casually misogynistic (what movies from this time weren't, though?). In fact, all the female characters in this movie are a bit weak, as characters. Despite my quibbles with some of the content, I can find little fault with the movie as a piece of entertainment. It's beautiful, it moves, the action is solid, and Clint is doing Clint things. Worth my time. EXTRA REVIEWS!!! I watched a couple other things that were on my list, and one which was next in, so here are some bonus reviews for y'all. My Neighbor Totoro  Still have yet to be let down by a Ghibli film. This was simply a delight. Totoro is a wonderful character, the little girls in this movie are about as cute as children can be, and the story is heartwarming. The lack of a bad guy or really any major conflict--even what seems like a major conflict, or potential conflict, at the end is explained away as a overreaction--was a little strange, intellectually, but the film absolutely does not need a villain. It's hard to describe it as anything other than wonderful. And the animation quality was steller, as usual. Kill Bill: Vol. 1  People really love this movie. They sure do. I am not among those people, I do not think. Let me clarify: I really, really enjoyed watching this movie. I watched it at the New Beverly in Los Angeles, a great little theater presided over by Tarantino himself. It was full of people who love Kill Bill. It was a rowdy midnight showing. Great fun. And yet, when it was over, I was left wondering why exactly so many people love this movie. It seems, to me, to be the manifestation of all of QT's most extreme impulses. All of his movies have a similar vulgarity to them, a similar extreme nature, but here, I don't think those impulses work as well as they do both in earlier and later films. He holds his shots too long, he thinks his one-liners are sharper than they are, he thinks all the comic book and kung fu styling is cooler than it is. This movie is cool. It just felt basically from the get go like this movie is trying waaaaay too hard to be cool. I'm probably being overly harsh to this movie. I also must mention that (somehow) I saw Vol. 2 years ago, and I think that influenced this viewing. Even so, I just think QT has done way better work elsewhere. Cape Fear  I was hooked from the first shot of De Niro in prison, his tatted back coming into view as the camera pans down, the orchestra trumpeting the arrival of the devil. This movie is one hell of a De Niro performance--and his accent is bad, and his character is too flat. That's basically what I feel about this movie: Cape Fear is clearly the work of a master, and has some moments of absolute brilliance (the stunningly tense scene between De Niro and Nick Nolte's character's daughter comes to mind), but it is also a a little light on substance. Of course, when you're talking about Scorcese, that still puts it above most everything else; my viewing partner and I had a nice long chat afterward about all the subtext of this film, the moral ambiguity, the battle of good and evil, the cracks in suburban life, etc. etc. etc. But when you compare this to other Scorcese films, it felt thin. De Niro's Max Cady is too extreme to be truly compelling. The family stuff with Nolte, Jessica Lange, and Juliette Lewis is all good, but not overly sophisticated. It's good, not great, Scorcese. THE WATCH LIST Days of Heaven (1978): Seeing as Tree of Life is one of my favorite films, and I’ve seen none of his other movies, I should probably get started. This seems a good a place as any. Tokyo Story (1953): I keep seeing this all over “Best Films Ever”-type lists, and I hadn't even heard of it until a few years ago. Seems like a good candidate. The Birds (1963): One Hitchcock thriller for another. Le Samouraï (1967): The origin of cool. Or so I hear. Before Sunset (2004): Watched Before Sunrise a couple years back on a train to Vienna. Loved it. I guess it's time to continue the trilogy. Ikiru (1952): In general, I’ve seen too little Kurosawa. A Serious Man (2009): I'm a Coen brothers fan, and Chili tells me I need to watch it so we can discuss it. So here it is. Out of Sight (1998): I keep hearing people talk about this movie, and I hadn't even heard of it until this year. I like Soderbergh, so, cool. The Graduate (1967): One of my best friends claims this is the best movie he's ever seen. Good enough for me. A Few Good Men (1992): I just have a gut feeling that I’m supposed to watch this movie. The Watched List: Paths of Glory; The Apartment; Solaris; A Touch of Zen; Apocalypse Now; The Iron Giant; Psycho; Cape Fear; Kill Bill: Vol. 1; My Neighbor Totoro; The Outlaw Josey Wales
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Jul 3, 2017 11:16
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TrixRabbi posted:Just wanna shout out that fantastic write up of Broken Blossoms. It's such a fascinating film and Griffith is maybe the most interesting director of the Silent era in my personal opinion. And the most flawed of the greats. I was hoping to watch Nerves quickly so I could assign it to you but I just moved into a new apartment this weekend and still haven't had time to watch it. Thanks for the kind words. Funnily enough, I think your silent films thread was what made me aware of Broken Blossoms in the first place, so in a roundabout way, you did select it for me. I'll definitely watch Napoléon at some point, but I was kind of hoping some local theatre would show it in the near future, because by all accounts, it needs to be experience on a big screen. BeefSupreme posted:Kill Bill: Vol. 1 I feel similarly about Kill Bill as you do. If you get an opportunity, I'd definitely recommend checking out Lady Snowblood. It was Tarantino's major inspiration for Vol. 1, and contrasting the two really highlights where he went wrong in his direction.
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Jul 3, 2017 17:03
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I haven't seen Josey Wales in a long time but I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a revisionist western.
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Jul 3, 2017 17:14
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SleepCousinDeath posted:I haven't seen Josey Wales in a long time but I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a revisionist western. Well the western has been around for like 100 years now, so it's undergone a lot of revisions. It's just that Eastwood was around for so long he took part in two separate ones. Arguably three. Josey Wales is not the same kind of western that Unforgiven is, that's for sure. People see The Searchers for the first time and say "what's the deal? I thought this was supposed to be a revisionist western but John Wayne seems pretty much like John Wayne to me!" But The Searchers examines things that the westerns before it didn't, and doesn't shy away when the others before it did, so it's considered revisionist. Basebf555 fucked around with this message at 17:22 on Jul 3, 2017 |
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Jul 3, 2017 17:19
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Yea, that makes sense. I still haven't seen Unforgiven (it's almost like I should start a list...) so for all I know it makes Josey Wales look like the most basic poo poo in the world.
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Jul 3, 2017 17:27
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BeefSupreme posted:
I couldn't not choose this for you - even amongst all the other great films. Let me know what you think! I actually kind of like that you waited 2yrs or so before watching the next film - rather than those that binge-watch the trilogy in a weekend. Don't Look Now This was a great suspenseful thriller of a ghost story, and a lot of it is due to Julie Christie & Donald Sutherland. I heard a couple things going in - the explicit sex scene, and just how unsettling it was. I don't know how explicit that scene was, but the key was that it felt more realistic and authentic than just about any other love scene in the movies. The rolling around and not having everything look & feel perfect, was maybe what caused such a stir at the time. The unsettling nature... absolutely! This has that in spades, thanks to the two woman Heather (Hilary Mason) and the blind Wendy (Clelia Matania) who were friendly when they needed to be and then equally nerve-wracking without changing a whole lot. The on-location shooting in Venice was a huge standout too, and the visible & audible maze of corridors made for a chilling few sequences. The many callbacks of various themes, symbolisms, and colour schemes all came together beautifully by the end - even if it was a film that was plodding and almost boring at times. I don't know if it's a film I'd want to watch again, but I'm glad I saw it once and would recommend it as such. LIST Avanti! [1972] - (2017.06.07) - keeping a Lemmon film on here with another Wilder collaboration. Broadcast News [1987] - (2017.04.24) - I've heard nothing but great things, plus I just realized Jack Nicholson is in this. Cactus Flower [1969] - (2017.04.28) - more Walter Matthau, and with Ingrid Bergman! The Conformist [1970] - (2017.06.07) - one of the more acclaimed Italian films I've been meaning to see for years. Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte [1964] - (2017.04.09) - replacing an early Bette Davis film with a later one - EDIT: and Olivia De Havilland just turned 101! A Matter of Life & Death [1946] - (2017.06.12) - replaced "Happiness" with an apparently more pleasant & charming selection. My Dinner With Andre [1981] - **NEW** (2017.07.02) - a film that feels right up my alley, similar to 'The Trip' films or a platonic 'Before Sunset'..? Rome, Open City [1945] - **OLDEST** (2017.02.20) - Rossellini's War Trilogy has been sitting unwatched for too long.. this is the 1st in the trilogy. Woman in the Dunes [1964] - (2017.06.25) - similarly to Rome Open City, it's a Criterion boxset I need to dive into. De-shamed Pt2: True Romance (4/5), The Right Stuff (3/5), Syndromes And A Century (4/5), Still Life (3/5), My Cousin Vinny (2.5/5), Doctor Zhivago (3.5/5), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (4.5/5), Peeping Tom (4/5), Shadow of a Doubt (4.5/5), The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (4.5/5), Only Angels Have Wings (4/5), Umberto D (4/5), Anatomy of a Murder (4.5/5), Only God Forgives (1.5/5), Missing (3.5/5), Howl's Moving Castle (4.5/5), Rio Bravo (4/5), Cloud Atlas (3.5/5), Children of Paradise (4/5), That Obscure Object of Desire (5/5), The Fountain (3/5), Malcolm X (4/5), Warrior (4/5), American Movie (4/5), Being There (4/5), Leaving Las Vegas (4.5/5), Rope (4/5), Ed Wood (4.5/5), American Hustle (2.5/5), The Man Who Knew Too Much (3.5/5), Mister Roberts (4/5), Charley Varrick (4/5), A Face in the Crowd (4.5/5), Farewell My Concubine (3.5/5), Slacker (3.5/5), Drugstore Cowboy (4.5/5), Love and Death (3.5/5), Fantastic Mr. Fox (4.5/5), A Scanner Darkly (4/5), Marketa Lazarova (5/5), A Clockwork Orange (4.5/5), The Fly (5/5), Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (5/5), King Kong (5/5), Gilda (3.5/5), Airplane! (4/5), Nobody Knows (4.5/5), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (4.5/5), Dark Victory (3.5/5), Dead Man (4.5/5), Shane (4/5), Fail-Safe (4.5/5), It Should Happen To You! (4/5), I Killed My Mother (4/5), Bringing Up Baby (5/5), Happiness (1/5), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (2.5/5), Russian Ark (4/5), Don't Look Now (3.5/5), [Total:159]
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Jul 3, 2017 17:39
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SleepCousinDeath posted:I haven't seen Josey Wales in a long time but I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a revisionist western. I guess that's true, in some sense. The roles for women are strong by traditional western standards, even if I think they're a little weak. And the movie definitely re-examines the role of the Native American in society--and, in fact, has a pretty positive message and resolution on that front. Hell, Chief Dan George's Lone Watie is a significantly more nuanced character than Johnny Depp's Tonto (though that isn't saying much). But yeah, Unforgiven is a totally different type of revisionist, and Eastwood basically takes his own movies to task in that one--particularly in regards to violence. Comparing the stories of Jamie, the young rebel who idolizes Josey Wales, and the Schofield Kid, the young mercenary who idolizes William Munny in Unforgiven, paints a pretty clear picture of how these two movies see violence differently, and morality in the west. Samuel Clemens posted:I feel similarly about Kill Bill as you do. If you get an opportunity, I'd definitely recommend checking out Lady Snowblood. It was Tarantino's major inspiration for Vol. 1, and contrasting the two really highlights where he went wrong in his direction. I will definitely do that. I've been hearing a ton about that movie anyway, so I'll pick it up next time I see it (hopefully on sale!).
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Jul 3, 2017 18:37
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friendo55 posted:Rome, Open City [1945] - **OLDEST** (2017.02.20) - Rossellini's War Trilogy has been sitting unwatched for too long.. this is the 1st in the trilogy. Vertigo - I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting, but this was not it. Usually with something like this I would have seen an excerpt or heard bits of it that would trigger some sort of memory while watching it. But there was nothing. It was all completely new to me. The film didn't hit me deeply on a personal level, but the unexpectedly unspoiled experience of the characters, twists, and pure craft of it added up to one of the most engaging viewings I've had in a while. A wonderful portrait of a sad man and twisted desire. I see why this is always credited as Hitchcock's most personal film. "The gentleman certainly seems to know what he wants". 5/5 List: Moonlight - hearing Barry Jenkins talk about Wong Kar Wai made me really want to see this in the theater, yet I never got around to it. Akira - I've never watched an anime A Brighter Summer Day - want to get started with Edward Yang, but it's so long Last Year at Marienbad - started it once, fell asleep, sold the blu-ray without finishing it Godzilla (1954) - need to see the original The Departed - loved Infernal Affairs Repulsion - I've been meaning to watch this for well over a decade Friday the 13th - I've missed a lot of horror classics Rear Window - so far I've seen two Hitchcocks. shameful. Completed: A Nightmare on Elm Street [4/5], Vertigo [5/5] letterboxd
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Jul 3, 2017 19:08
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I think the only thing from Vertigo that's entered the public consciousness is the dream sequence and maybe the bell tower scene, which means it's one of the rare canon classics that isn't spoiled for a new viewer by pop culture references.
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Jul 3, 2017 21:04
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Magic Hate Ball posted:I think the only thing from Vertigo that's entered the public consciousness is the dream sequence and maybe the bell tower scene, which means it's one of the rare canon classics that isn't spoiled for a new viewer by pop culture references. That or the references themselves are so obscured that they're not picked up on until after the fact. The Simpsons has parodied it a ton but you'd never know it the way, say, Psycho and The Birds have been parodied.
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Jul 3, 2017 21:12
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FancyMike posted:
This one looks to be your most urgent watch... cheers! Rome, Open City What a devastating film this was, shot in 1944 Rome during heavy German occupation. It follows Resistance fighters Giorgio Manfredi (Marcello Pagliero) and his friend Francesco (Francesco Grandjacquet), along with help from priest Don Pietro (Aldo Fabrizi) as they look to escape the German SS troops. These German soldiers & Italian police together raid & evacuate buildings in order to capture the 2 men to gain information on the Resistance generals. What results is devastation and brutality - some that's truly heart-wrenching. The natural realistic shooting in the streets & alleyways were not only novel at the time, but necessitous, as Rossellini had no negative film stock to shoot with, having strict curfews, moving around from place to place, and under very limited funding. I can only imagine how this would've felt to see this while living in that time and place. LIST Avanti! [1972] - (2017.06.07) - keeping a Lemmon film on here with another Wilder collaboration. Broadcast News [1987] - (2017.04.24) - I've heard nothing but great things, plus I just realized Jack Nicholson is in this. Cactus Flower [1969] - (2017.04.28) - more Walter Matthau, and with Ingrid Bergman! The Conformist [1970] - (2017.06.07) - one of the more acclaimed Italian films I've been meaning to see for years. Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte [1964] - (2017.04.09) - replacing an early Bette Davis film with a later one - EDIT: and Olivia De Havilland just turned 101! Let the Right One In [2008] - **NEW** (2017.07.04) - this is one I've been constantly pushing back due to apparent butchering of English subs... valid? A Matter of Life & Death [1946] - (2017.06.12) - replaced "Happiness" with an apparently more pleasant & charming selection. My Dinner With Andre [1981] - (2017.07.02) - a film that feels right up my alley, similar to 'The Trip' films or a platonic 'Before Sunset'.. Woman in the Dunes [1964] - (2017.06.25) - similarly to Rome Open City, it's a Criterion boxset I need to dive into. *Note - Watchmen has already been selected, just finishing up the comic first before watching* De-shamed Pt2: True Romance (4/5), The Right Stuff (3/5), Syndromes And A Century (4/5), Still Life (3/5), My Cousin Vinny (2.5/5), Doctor Zhivago (3.5/5), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (4.5/5), Peeping Tom (4/5), Shadow of a Doubt (4.5/5), The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (4.5/5), Only Angels Have Wings (4/5), Umberto D (4/5), Anatomy of a Murder (4.5/5), Only God Forgives (1.5/5), Missing (3.5/5), Howl's Moving Castle (4.5/5), Rio Bravo (4/5), Cloud Atlas (3.5/5), Children of Paradise (4/5), That Obscure Object of Desire (5/5), The Fountain (3/5), Malcolm X (4/5), Warrior (4/5), American Movie (4/5), Being There (4/5), Leaving Las Vegas (4.5/5), Rope (4/5), Ed Wood (4.5/5), American Hustle (2.5/5), The Man Who Knew Too Much (3.5/5), Mister Roberts (4/5), Charley Varrick (4/5), A Face in the Crowd (4.5/5), Farewell My Concubine (3.5/5), Slacker (3.5/5), Drugstore Cowboy (4.5/5), Love and Death (3.5/5), Fantastic Mr. Fox (4.5/5), A Scanner Darkly (4/5), Marketa Lazarova (5/5), A Clockwork Orange (4.5/5), The Fly (5/5), Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (5/5), King Kong (5/5), Gilda (3.5/5), Airplane! (4/5), Nobody Knows (4.5/5), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (4.5/5), Dark Victory (3.5/5), Dead Man (4.5/5), Shane (4/5), Fail-Safe (4.5/5), It Should Happen To You! (4/5), I Killed My Mother (4/5), Bringing Up Baby (5/5), Happiness (1/5), The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (2.5/5), Russian Ark (4/5), Don't Look Now (3.5/5), Rome Open City (4/5), [Total:160] friendo55 fucked around with this message at 15:27 on Jul 5, 2017 |
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Jul 5, 2017 14:34
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friendo55 posted:Let the Right One In [2008] - **NEW** (2017.07.04) - this is one I've been constantly pushing back due to apparent butchering of English subs... valid? Definitely(still) required viewing I watched Santa Sangre. As it turns out this is my first Jodorowsky film, I thought I'd see Holy Mountain but I was confusing it with The Devils for some reason. Anyway, my desire to see Holy Mountain and El Topo is only stronger now that I've seen Santa Sangre. This film is an incredibly stylish slasher, much in the same way that Argento's masterpieces are packed with stylistic flourishes(although the styles used by the two directors are very different). The scenes of violence are extremely graphic, but also over the top at certain moments. The scene that births the film's killer is especially memorable. There just aren't that many times in your life when you'll watch a guy get a jar full of acid straight to the crotch. The latter portion of the film is very much like a giallo, and almost a bit predictable, but never so much so that I lost interest. It keeps things moving and doesn't drag the way these acid trip directors sometimes have a habit of doing. Like the best horror flicks, Santa Sangre is very tight and although its a solid 2 hours it doesn't feel like it. Highly recommended to any serious horror fan. Current List with a new entry: Barton Fink: I'm betting this is the best Coen Bros film I've never seen, although there are a small handful of others. The Mechanic: I've seen Bronson in his old westerns, and also the Death Wish series, so this is one that I missed along the way that stands out. A Cure For Wellness: Still a paid rental but the cinematography looks top notch Chappie: I got kinda sick of Blomkamp but I should probably still check this one out at some point What Have You Done to Solange?: Probably the best giallo I've yet to see, at least so I've heard. Becket: My love for Lawrence of Arabia should have led me to this film a long time ago so now's as good a time as any. Speed Racer: In the real world there's no shame in not having Speed Racer, but I've heard people talk about it very positively here. And I'm one of those weirdos who loves Cloud Atlas so... The Fury: Not really shameful, but I am trying to go through more of De Palma and this one is available on Netflix. Watched: Moonlight, Lost Highway, Santa Sangre Basebf555 fucked around with this message at 14:42 on Jul 5, 2017 |
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Jul 5, 2017 14:36
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We posted nearly at the same time! Need to pick one for me, instead. (I agree, having watched this just last week myself, that 1954's Godzilla is required viewing!)
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Jul 5, 2017 14:40
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Basebf555 posted:Becket: My love for Lawrence of Arabia should have led me to this film a long time ago so now's as good a time as any. I always get this and A Man For All Seasons confused but they are both great, so this is my pick for you. Jailhouse Rock was SO boring. I don't mind vainglorious movies used just to highlight a musician but my god watching Elvis just sit in front of a mic and record a song is insufferable. Even the titular number was sluggish. Oh I also saw Hacksaw Ridge which was good, it was a war movie that didn't feel like every other war movie. South Park put is best "Say what you want about Mel Gibson but the son-of-a-bitch knows story structure" I am also no longer using the Netflix Top 100 because they are pretty poo poo movies. I am going to switch it to 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Wiki. From the IMDB Top 250: Once Upon a Time in America 1984 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Wiki: Les Vampires (1915) From the Janus Arthouse Essential Collection: Umberto D. (1952) In memoriam, From Roger Ebert's Top Films of All Time List: Gates of Heaven (1978) Best Movies of All Time based on the Tomatometer (sigh) Score: Repulsion (1965) AFI 100 Years 100 Movies: The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946) List of films considered the best, Wikipedia: Cross of Iron (1977) The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made, NY Times: A Nous la Liberte (1932) Best 100 Movies Ever Made, TIME Magazine: Nayakan (1987) The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time, Empire Online: Completed Assignments: Mad Max, The Conversation, Tombstone, Diabolique, The Last Picture Show, Fanny and Alexander, Dawn of the Dead, The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly, Bridge on the River Kwai, Robot & Frank, 12 Angry Men, Seven Samurai, City Lights, Spartacus, La Règle du Jeu, Gravity, Mud, Aguirre, Wrath of God, Andrei Rublev, Captain Phillips, Mr Smith Goes to Washington, The King of Marvin Gardens, Once Upon a Time in the West, Still Walking, Come and See, Tokyo Story, The Intouchables, All About Eve, The Lives Of Others, L' Avventura, Paths Of Glory, Floating Weeds, High Noon, Jailhouse Rock York_M_Chan fucked around with this message at 16:31 on Jul 5, 2017 |
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Jul 5, 2017 16:20
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Hacksaw Ridge is gonna be on HBO later this month so I'm waiting on that so I don't have to pay for it. Thanks for picking Becket, I've really been meaning to see that for a long time. For someone who claims that that one of their all-time favorite films is Lawrence of Arabia, I've only ever seen O'Toole in maybe one or two others(The Last Emperor is the only one that comes to mind).
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Jul 5, 2017 16:26
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York_M_Chan, I'm going to tell you to watch Gates of Heaven for no particular reason. Cloud Atlas: This one was really good. It took some time to figure out how all the stories connect to each other, but it wasn’t as complicated as I feared. I had a little trouble tracking who was who because the makeup was so good that many of them were unrecognizable. I imagine there’s a giant diagram somewhere laying out the timelines and corresponding characters, but you don’t really need it. The settings were well-realized, from the Blade Runner future to the even further post-apocalypse where everyone spoke a weird pidgin English. The movie was attractive and the scenes connected one to another, so even though the plot was non-linear the themes flowed naturally from beat to beat. Fundamentally, it is a story about how people feel the need to make connections and how we should respect one another’s humanity (it kind of reminds me of the much-maligned Crash in that regard). I’ll be thinking about this one for a while. Rating: 4/4 116. Boogie Nights- Uh, porn is bad. You shouldn't watch porn, m'kay? 120. The Straight Story- Doug Walker described this as "a movie that seems really slow and tedious until you get to the end, and then you realize everything that happened was for a reason." So that interested me. Also, it's by David Lynch, who ranges from excellent (Mulholland Drive, Twin Peaks Season One) to pretty good (Blue Velvet, Twin Peaks Season Two). No, I've never seen Dune, why do you ask? 124. The Rules of the Game- I opened the They Shoot Pictures list, and this is number five. I've never even heard of it. 132. Five Easy Pieces- Continuing the Ebert list, I somehow skipped over this one. 133. The Stepford Wives- I recently saw Get Out, and I highly recommend it. I've seen a lot of comparisons to The Stepford Wives, and while I basically know what it's about I still think I should see it. 134. The Day the Earth Stood Still- More sci-fi that I need to see. 135. Man with a Movie Camera- Fourth wall? Never heard of it. 136. Forbidden Planet: Shakespeare in Space? 138. Throne of Blood: Kurosawa's Macbeth. I'm still mad I missed out on the arthouse theater's screening of this. 139. Birth of a Nation: Oh, boy, this is the big one. This is not a movie you watch for fun, but it's a movie that needs to be seen by anyone who cares about film history. Okay, tell me what I'm watching! Shame relieved: The Godfather: 3.5/4, The Godfather Part II: 4/4, Taxi Driver: 4/4, Casablanca: 4/4, Duck Soup: 2/4, Pulp Fiction: 4/4, Barton Fink: 3.5/4, Annie Hall:3/4, Rashomon: 4/4, Blade Runner: 3.5/4, Chinatown: 4/4, Nashville: 3.5/4, Goodfellas: 4/4, The Seven Samurai: 4/4, Superman: 2/4, The Exorcist: 3/4, A Face in the Crowd: 3.5/4, The Seventh Seal: 2.5/4, Treasure of the Sierra Madre: 3.5/4, Apocalypse Now: 4/4, 2001: A Space Odyssey: 2.5/4, The Deer Hunter: 3/4, Schindler's List: 4/4, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari: 3/4, Young Frankenstein: 3.5/4, Yojimbo: 3.5/4, Brazil: 3.5/4, Hamlet: 4/4, The Aviator: 4/4, Rocky: 3.5/4, Gandhi: 3.5/4, City Lights: 4/4, Battleship Potemkin: 3.5/4, Predator: 3/4, Easy Rider: 1.5/4, Platoon: 3.5/4, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: 4/4, Get Carter: 3.5/4, Full Metal Jacket: 4/4, My Dinner with Andre: 4/4, Lethal Weapon: 3/4, 3 Women: 4/4, Ikiru: 4/4, The Maltese Falcon: 2.5/4, Midnight Cowboy: 3/4, Gattaca: 4/4, Gone with the Wind: 3/4, Jaws: 4/4, The Bicycle Thief: 3/4, Sophie's Choice: 2/4, On the Waterfront: 4/4, North by Northwest: 3.5/4, Stagecoach: 3.5/4, E.T.: 2/4, Nosferatu: 4/4, Lawrence of Arabia: 4/4, Dirty Harry: 1/4, Vertigo: 3.5/4, Rebecca: 4/4, The Pink Panther: 3/4, Children of Men: 4/4, Wings of Desire: 3/4, Metropolis: 3.5/4, Born on the Fourth of July: 4/4, The Bridge on the River Kwai: 3.5/4, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind: 4/4, Being John Malkovich: 3/4, Adaptation: 4/4, Bonnie and Clyde: 4/4, Goldfinger: 3/4, A Streetcar Named Desire: 4/4, Dog Day Afternoon: 3.5/4, Leon: The Professional: 4/4, 8 1/2: 3/4, Mulholland Drive: 4/4, 12 Angry Men: 4/4, Safety Last: 3.5/4, Dogville: 4/4, The Rapture: 2/4, Blue Velvet: 3/4, Irreversible: 4/4, Airplane!: 3.5/4, Tokyo Story: 2.5/4, Big Trouble in Little China: 3.5/4, American Psycho: 3.5/4, Dr. Zhivago: 3/4, Leaving Las Vegas:4/4, The Bourne Identity: 4/4, Out of Africa: 3/4, The Usual Suspects: 3/4, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang: 4/4, Rain Man: 3.5/4, The Lost Weekend: 3.5/4, Ratatouille: 3/4, City of God: 4/4, Ed Wood: 4/4, Top Gun: 2.5/4, Trois Couleurs: Bleu: 3.5/4, The Hidden Fortess: 3/4, First Blood: 4/4, The Ten Commandments:3.5/4, Patton: 3.5/4, The Bourne Supremacy:3.5/4, King Lear (1983): 2.5/4, Repo Man: 2.5/4, King Kong: 3.5/4, Wall Street: 3/4, The Blues Brothers: 2/4, Trois Couleurs: Blanc: 2.5/4, Trois Couleurs: Rouge: 3.5/4, Animal House: 1.5/4, Ben-Hur: 3.5/4, Gojira: 4/4, Sunset Boulevard: 3.5/4, Falling Down: 4/4, The Night of the Hunter: 3.5/4, Ran: 4/4, The Battle of Algiers: 4/4, Z: 3/4, The Great Escape: 2.5/4, Cries and Whispers: 4/4, Enchanted: 3.5/4, Judgment at Nuremberg: 4/4, Cool Hand Luke:3/4, Scenes from a Marriage: 4/4, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956): 4/4, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978): 3.5/4, The Bourne Ultimatum: 3.5/4, F for Fake: 4/4, Spartacus: 4/4, I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang: 4/4, Sunrise: 3.5/4, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer: 1.5/4, Cloud Atlas: 4/4
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Jul 6, 2017 05:57
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Jurgan posted:138. Throne of Blood: Kurosawa's Macbeth. I'm still mad I missed out on the arthouse theater's screening of this. This is probably Kurosawa's best looking film that wasn't shot in widescreen, and one of his best overall. Definitely my favorite Macbeth adaptation of the ones I've seen. I watched Becket last night, which is a film completely driven by two powerhouse performances. I came for O'Toole, but ended up staying for Burton. O'Toole is fantastic, as expected, his Henry is properly arrogant and boarish, but also loveable in his own way(he has a few great one-liners that I'd love to use some day). Burton though, this performance really is a prime example of why his reputation is what it is. The depth he gives Becket just with his facial expressions is unbelievable, it's a fully formed character whose story arc is extremely believable despite covering a lot of ground in a fairly short amount of time. Stylistically Becket is the kind of film I will always have a soft spot for. Plenty of artificial looking sets with obvious matte paintings, bolstered by strong costuming and supported by great performances. A very colorful film as well, which is something I appreciate. The story itself wasn't really the draw for me here, because I knew it so well already, but it never really felt slow or dragged on despite a 2.5 hour runtime. Definitely one to check out if you have an affinity for historical epics. Current list with a new entry: Barton Fink: I'm betting this is the best Coen Bros film I've never seen, although there are a small handful of others. The Mechanic: I've seen Bronson in his old westerns, and also the Death Wish series, so this is one that I missed along the way that stands out. A Cure For Wellness: Still a paid rental but the cinematography looks top notch Chappie: I got kinda sick of Blomkamp but I should probably still check this one out at some point What Have You Done to Solange?: Probably the best giallo I've yet to see, at least so I've heard. Stoker: I absolutely loved The Handmaiden, this seems like a good one to go to next. Speed Racer: In the real world there's no shame in not having Speed Racer, but I've heard people talk about it very positively here. And I'm one of those weirdos who loves Cloud Atlas so... The Fury: Not really shameful, but I am trying to go through more of De Palma and this one is available on Netflix. Watched: Moonlight, Lost Highway, Santa Sangre, Becket
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Jul 6, 2017 15:53
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Basebf555 posted:Barton Fink: I'm betting this is the best Coen Bros film I've never seen, although there are a small handful of others. I am glad you liked Becket. Now I'm interested to see what you think of Barton Fink.  I had the morning free so I watched Gates of Heaven. I didn't realize it was Errol Morris' first film. It is about a Pet Cemetery in California but feels like an episode of This American Life or something by Studs Terkel. It is just about this Pet Cemetery, the people who run it, and the people who bury there pets there. There is really little action and not driving conflict, however Morris uses this location and its people to talk about hopes, dreams, spirituality, work ethic, family hierarchy, and love. Actually rather astounding when you think about it but it does feel rather disjointed at first. From the IMDB Top 250: Once Upon a Time in America 1984 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die Wiki: Les Vampires (1915) From the Janus Arthouse Essential Collection: Umberto D. (1952) In memoriam, From Roger Ebert's Top Films of All Time List: Best Movies of All Time based on the Tomatometer (sigh) Score: Repulsion (1965) AFI 100 Years 100 Movies: The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946) List of films considered the best, Wikipedia: Cross of Iron (1977) The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made, NY Times: A Nous la Liberte (1932) Best 100 Movies Ever Made, TIME Magazine: Nayakan (1987) The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time, Empire Online: A Matter of Life and Death (1946) Completed Assignments: Mad Max, The Conversation, Tombstone, Diabolique, The Last Picture Show, Fanny and Alexander, Dawn of the Dead, The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly, Bridge on the River Kwai, Robot & Frank, 12 Angry Men, Seven Samurai, City Lights, Spartacus, La Règle du Jeu, Gravity, Mud, Aguirre, Wrath of God, Andrei Rublev, Captain Phillips, Mr Smith Goes to Washington, The King of Marvin Gardens, Once Upon a Time in the West, Still Walking, Come and See, Tokyo Story, The Intouchables, All About Eve, The Lives Of Others, L' Avventura, Paths Of Glory, Floating Weeds, High Noon, Jailhouse Rock, Gates of Heaven
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Jul 6, 2017 17:53
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I'm glad someone gave Basebf555 Barton Fink. It's like the Coen Bros said "Hey, we should make a David Lynch film." I still don't understand all of it, and I love it for that.
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Jul 6, 2017 17:57
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York_M_Chan posted:Best Movies of All Time based on the Tomatometer (sigh) Score: Repulsion (1965) Repulsion - Catherine Deneuve is just the best. And that atmosphere. It kept me feeling tense and uneasy throughout without undermining the unpleasantness with any attempt at relief or closure. The lack of an attributable cause for her breakdown is what's most terrifying. There's a bit of a rape-revenge film in there too where the men are unable to recognize what's happening and in trying to get what they want drive her only further down the path of madness and eventually violence as an attempt to escape. I haven't seen too much Polanski, but from what I have I was not expecting so much surrealist influence. Not just the simultaneous breakdown of mind and aparment, but every time the camera returned to the straight razor I was thinking of the opening credits over Deneuve's eye. 4/5 I also watched Friday the 13th this week. I guess the second is supposed to be better? I'll get to that one soon. List: Moonlight - hearing Barry Jenkins talk about Wong Kar Wai made me really want to see this in the theater, yet I never got around to it. Akira - I've never watched an anime A Brighter Summer Day - want to get started with Edward Yang, but it's so long Last Year at Marienbad - started it once, fell asleep, sold the blu-ray without finishing it Godzilla (1954) - need to see the original The Departed - loved Infernal Affairs Rear Window - so far I've seen two Hitchcocks. shameful. Halloween - swapping a not great slasher for another (much better?) classic Blade Runner - probably the only person on this forum to have never seen it Early Summer - watched Late Spring earlier this year and really need to catch up on Ozu Completed: A Nightmare on Elm Street [4/5], Vertigo [5/5], Repulsion [4/5] letterboxd
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Jul 6, 2017 21:49
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The original Friday is okay at best. But I'll say this for the series, they're all unique in their own way and each one stands out for different reasons. The second is a much more aggressive, grimier film. The third gets a lot goofier and moves quickly. The fourth is a blast and features the best cast of the series. The fifth is a return to pure goofiness and does some great slasher-movie rules breaking. The sixth is an all-around tight film and a contender for the best of the series. The seventh introduces a psychic girl but winds up being the least original of the series and stands out as maybe the poorest. The eighth and ninth are different kinds of batshit insane nonsense. Jason X is unexpectedly fantastic and a ton of fun. And then Freddy vs. Jason is pretty dang good. The best to be said for the remake is that it isn't terrible.
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Jul 6, 2017 22:13
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