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Real talk, I have sat down to watch Scanners three times for this challenge, and have fallen asleep at the half-way point each time. That has been my history with the film for years. I can't not fall asleep to it. It's like cinematic melatonin for me. On Tuesday, I was like "I'm doing it! I'm staying awake! This is exciting! Ha ha, yes!" and then Robert Silverman's character is murdered, I blacked out and woke up to the end credits. So tonight I'll try once again, from Silverman's death, to watch it to it's conclusion.
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May 27, 2021 22:04
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I’m also Creature and Nightmare. I had to look up Robert Silverman to remind myself who he played.
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May 27, 2021 23:31
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Franchescanado posted:Real talk, I have sat down to watch Scanners three times for this challenge, and have fallen asleep at the half-way point each time. I dont think Scanners is very good. Its almost good but its boring due to the lead. Ironside is awesome but it doesn't make up for the rest of it.
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May 27, 2021 23:50
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Yeah, Scanners is two memorable gore scenes starring a strong antagonist that bookend the film and then like an hour of a really bad lead piecing together a conspiracy. Unless you really enjoy that conspiracy stuff its a drag.
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May 28, 2021 00:29
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The better Scanners is Brian De Palma’s The Fury. I can’t recognize who also made that connection on Discord, but I share that conclusion.
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May 28, 2021 00:56
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Finally got the last one in under the wire. 2. Shinya Tsukamoto’s Nightmare Detective vs. 7. (STAC Goat’s Creature Features) Guillermo del Toro’s Hellboy STAC Goat posted:
STAC Goat posted:
Nightmare Detective isn't terrible and Hellboy isn't great but Hellboy is unquestionably more my thing than ND. Not super horrory but that's not been the standard here and its got monsters and demons and great goop and creatures so its plenty horror enough. And a lot of ND is kind of a cop thriller so it evens off. Ultimately its definitely a taste clash and I get why some people are going with Tsukamoto and not loving GdT's comic adaption. But I'm going the way of my guys this time.
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May 28, 2021 06:25
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Franchescanado posted:The better Scanners is Brian De Palma’s The Fury. This makes me want to watch that.
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May 28, 2021 07:05
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Super down after events of the last day or two. Something feels very off about Bracketology, something missing, and I just feel a hole while doing this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28Gj5Bfj90Y Alright, I’ll soldier on and find the results… Did anyone else notice that I was so sick last week I put the movies in the wrong bracket?   We have another tie! Second week in a row we couldn’t decide a winner and once again 1 abstention proves every vote counts. Guillermo del Toro’s superhero adaption and Shinya Tsukamoto’s nightmare fueled cop thriller both had their share of fans and detractors and it all ended up evening off to send both into the Sweet Sixteen… or I guess its Eighteen at this stage. Some much for whittling these down. But the 2 seed Tsukamoto avoids becoming the fifth bye to be knocked out early and GdT avoids an unceremoniously early elimination after last year’s run. For Tsukamoto it also propels him into the Top 5 of directors just under Gasper Noe. And on the other side it sends Creature Features into the Top 5 of teams. In the other bracket we have another big upset as Team David go down in just the second round. Irony or Death’s experiment was a sound one. Team the two Davids who individually made big marks on last year’s tournament but now didn’t have enough films to run on their own, but ultimately the diminished pools that forced them to team might have done them in as Scanners was largely criticized. Of course it was also up against a classic and while some were less than impressed by Creature’s historical legacy on Hollywood it was still more than enough to give Jack Arnold a decisive victory. As a matter of fact this victory along with The Incredible Shrinking Man makes Jack Arnold the new #1 director of the tournament overthrowing Gasper Noe! It also propels Team Universal into the Top 5 for teams. And that sets up a second 3 way contest for our next round, although one with a unique aspect as I have a chance to pull off some magic. With two teams in the battle of Team Universal vs Creature Features vs Tsukamoto I go in with a 67% chance of victory and a truly miraculous defeat from the jaws of victory. Ok, now lets see what this week has for us. 4. (Franchescanado’s Femme Fatale) Mary Harron’s American Psycho vs. 5. (STAC Goat’s Team Grindhouse) Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof  A pretty interesting double feature draw this week I think. Both pretty dark comedy kind of things? It feels a little bit like a sure thing here for American Psycho but Death Proof feels like a nice opener for it. Fran’s Femme Fatale is fighting with the rest of the big teams as they just dropped out of the Top 5 but have a chance to climb back in this week, while Team Grindhouse is really just fighting to keep my W/L ratio above the Mendoza Line. That’s a pretty deep baseball reference so no one got it but its very self deprecating. I don’t got a lot to say here. Both Harron and Tarantino are making their Bracketology debuts so no history and like I said, this one feels like a lock. But I am looking forward to both rewatches as I haven’t seen either in awhile so I’m interested to see how they hold up. American Psycho is free on Pluto in the US. Death Proof is free on Plex, The Roku Channel, Tubi TV, and VUDU Free in the US. 16. (Tarnop’s Predation) Alice Lowe’s Prevenge vs. 8. William Castle’s I Saw What You Did  We’ve had a couple of impromptu stars in this bracket like Larry Fassenenden who didn’t have any films he directed in this tournament but popped up multiple times as an actor and producer. Alice Lowe now joins that group as two weeks ago she starred in and co-wrote Sightseers in a losing effort against the rampaging monster of Team Vulgaer and now she once again stars in a film that is also written by her but also directed. I’m not sure there’s been anyone in this tournament so far to take all three roles which makes Tarnop’s predator this week unique. Her opponent is William Castle who comes off a decisive win against the questionable entry of Showgirls but will probably get a tougher challenge this week with what seems to be a weaker entry. Oddly this makes all four films this week comedies, if dark comedies or satires, which could help or hurt Castle as either his campy style will not be held against him or be overwhelmed by others doings similar things. And for Predation its an attempt to keep winning and keep pace with the team stats. Prevenge is on AMC+, Shudder, and Direct TV in the US. I Saw What You Did is free on the Internet Archive. That’s our week. Kind of a surprisingly light week by our standards, if serial killers can be categorized as light. But the RNG continues to make curiously appropriate weeks happen with three films that feel like they have fairly similar themes and approaches, if different styles. And I’m gonna do my best to enjoy it because next week… anime. Vote or change your vote until 3 AM EST June 4th (or when I wake up) Bracket & Noms Spreadsheet Letterboxd List Next Week! Round 2! - 3. Tobe Hooper vs. 6. The Nephilim - 15. Brian Yuzna vs. 7. Team It's Not A Cartoon, Mom! It's Art! 😫
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May 28, 2021 08:01
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We now get to argue about which version of Death Proof is superior! (It's the shorter, Grindhouse theatrical cut. Director's Cut gets bogged down in the excess dialogue)
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May 28, 2021 14:58
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Either way I'm voting for it over American Psycho
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May 28, 2021 16:48
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The full length Death Proof is not a bad movie on its own, but it is the worst Quentin Tarantino movie. So, it has that going for it?
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May 28, 2021 17:04
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Death Proof rules and the extended version is better but it is not even remotely close to being as good as American Psycho, one of the best horror movies of the 21st century easily
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May 28, 2021 17:07
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MacheteZombie posted:Either way I'm voting for it over American Psycho Is this because you love Death Proof or is there an issue you have with American Psycho? I liked Death Proof but I only saw it once when Grindhouse first came out so I'm looking forward to rewatching to see if my opinion has evolved. But it's gonna have to really wow me to have a chance against American Psycho.
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May 28, 2021 17:23
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I like both of those films quite a bit, I'll have to think about that one, though I am leaning American Psycho. The other two are new to me. Glad they're easily available. I'll probably watch both this weekend.
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May 28, 2021 17:27
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Basebf555 posted:Is this because you love Death Proof or is there an issue you have with American Psycho? I'm definitely going to be in the minority on this one. I just like death proof more. It's just such a great take on exploitation films, Kurt Russell is great, and the ending sequence is baller. American psycho is great, don't get me wrong. It's just a personal preference thing.
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May 28, 2021 18:05
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Death Proof is one of the most underrated Tarantino’s. Right now I put it higher than pulp fiction.
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May 28, 2021 20:18
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Its been a minutes since I saw Death Proof but I remember loving Russell, loving all the women against him, and loving the Zoe Bell action finale. Although it was the film that finally sold me on the feet thing. I just would be shocked if it beats American Psycho. And I've never LOVED AP. I'm not sure its as complete a narrative or gives me the closure I need. But its also been a minute for me with that one so I'm interested to rewatch.
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May 28, 2021 20:38
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The closure is that Patrick Bateman is a loon
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May 28, 2021 20:46
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CelticPredator posted:The closure is that Patrick Bateman is a loon, but also that the 1980s were such a period of drug-addled self-delusional self-absorbed lunacy and bigotry that Bateman's brand of violent fantasia and self-aggrandizement is not only tacitly approved but out and out rewarded. Which denies Bateman his own sense of self-closure, as he will seemingly go on in such a self-perpetuating system forever, with no one around to check his impulses or even recognize his growing insanity, since they're all treated as a mild joke to be mildly tolerated and quickly ignored.
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May 28, 2021 21:38
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Oh definitely voting American Psycho here - Death Proof is a very strong entry but you can't beat AP with just very strong. The others, I haven't seen, but I heard interesting things about Prevenge.
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May 29, 2021 14:28
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16. (Tarnop’s Predation) Alice Lowe’s Prevenge vs. 8. William Castle’s I Saw What You Did Prevenge (2016) Directed by Alice Lowe Watched on Shudder This was already on my list after watching Sightseers, which I really enjoyed. I also generally like horror comedies. Prevenge didn’t disappoint me at all.  Ruth is very pregnant and she’s very out for revenge on the people she blames for her husband’s death. The twist is that her future daughter is the one calling the shots. It’s all an extended metaphor for pregnancy itself. When you are pregnant, everyone treats you differently. More often than not, the treatment is completely unfair. In addition, you’re not necessarily in control of your own body or mind anymore.  I think that Alice Lowe is a very talented writer and she has a real knack for dark, deadpan comedy. Prevenge is evidence that she also knows how to direct. It’s not a perfect movie by any stretch, but it was very entertaining and well done. I’m excited to see what she does next.  I Saw What You Did (1965) Directed by William Castle Watched on Internet Archive I Saw What You Did is only the second William Castle movie I’ve seen, so I was a little disappointed that he didn’t show up at the beginning to introduce the movie and tell us what the gimmick would be. The tone is also really weird at the beginning, like a 60s sitcom. It even has a jaunty, upbeat soundtrack.  In this movie, Kit and Lib are two teenage pals who spend the night making prank calls. When they accidentally prank a murderer, then visit his house, not a whole lot actually happens. It’s the strangest thing. What would otherwise set up a very tense situation is just really boring. Until the last ten minutes of the movie, it never really feels like anyone is in danger, except of course the folks who were murdered.  I don’t think that I Saw What You Did is necessarily a bad movie. William Castle is definitely a competent director. It’s just not really compelling in any way. None of the characters are especially interesting. It is ahead of its time as a parable about the dangers of technology. For me, Prevenge is the obvious choice in this matchup.
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May 29, 2021 21:27
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STAC Goat posted:
So i didn't love either. Prevenge is probably the better made film. Castle's might have actually been more my thing at its highs and less not my thing at its lows. Lowe just doesn't seem to be my thing and Castle is kinda fun if not my favorite. But the trajectory of the films went the exact opposite ways. Castle's had me and gradually lost me while Lowe reeled me in when I was flailing. So I think I gotta give it the credit for that and the vote. Also my problems with Prevenge are purely taste ones while I think Castle kind of screwed up his idea a bit so it was neither comedy nor thriller. So yeah, I guess I'm voting Prevenge.
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May 30, 2021 11:17
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The way Castle deflates the tension in that movie — it's like watching someone who starts doing some jokey parody of a 'dance routine' with some silly kicks and spins but then halfway through you start to realize that no, they're actually moving their body fantastically, they really are dancing, and then they do some stupid move on purpose to let you know they aren't being 'serious' about it. I would have been into it if it the movie had just stuck with it.
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May 30, 2021 15:47
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STAC Goat posted:Yeah, Scanners is two memorable gore scenes starring a strong antagonist that bookend the film and then like an hour of a really bad lead piecing together a conspiracy. Unless you really enjoy that conspiracy stuff its a drag. Shrecknet fucked around with this message at 02:39 on May 31, 2021 |
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May 31, 2021 02:37
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STAC Goat posted:
I like Death Proof. I might actually like it more than American Psycho. It more fun, or at least the finale is. But Bale's performance is pretty fun too. Ultimately Death Proof's just punching outside its weight class here. I could make a lot of arguments for it but I'd be lying if I said I thought it was the better movie. And even if I did I can't imagine it making much difference. I'm tempted to throw Zoe Bell a pity vote but I'm probably doing American Psycho.
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Jun 1, 2021 07:46
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I think the best, or most satisfying, way to look at the ending of American Psycho is that it's a mix of both things. Is Bateman losing his grip on reality to the point that everything we see may not actually be happening? Absolutely yes. Would Bateman still probably be getting away with almost everything he's done, even if it were real? Also yes. So the loss of identity that Bateman experiences throughout the movie is important thematically but also to the literal plot. Bateman himself has no real identity, he's completely hollow, but all that does is put him in the same mishmash of identical Gordon Gekko clones that populate the world he lives in. Nobody can tell anybody apart because nobody cares to, and they've all been living in that world long enough that almost all of their individual identities have been replaced by artificially constructed personalities that are specifically designed to compete and win(in ever aspect of life, down to which restaurants you can get reservations at) at all costs. And because they're so meticulously designed for this one particular goal they're almost all identical. So regardless of how much of it actually happened, Patrick Bateman exists in a culture where a brutal serial killer can blend in without even trying. In this world it doesn't seem ridiculous at all that a killer could get away with their crimes because a witness saw some completely unrelated person at a restaurant and thinking it was the victim, provides the killer with an alibi. Because nobody knows each other and nobody has a personality or individual identity to latch onto, so Patrick Bateman blends right in with the background.
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Jun 1, 2021 15:37
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4. (Franchescanado’s Femme Fatale) Mary Harron’s American Psycho vs. 5. (STAC Goat’s Team Grindhouse) Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof American Psycho Directed by Mary Harron Watched on Amazon American Psycho is the secretly and overtly campy 80s prequel to The House That Jack Built that I never knew I needed until I watched it and it occurred to me that they’re both about white men who appear to have some kind of antisocial personality disorder, are much more interesting and charismatic than anyone else around them, and largely exist in a consequence-free world. Christian Bale is flabbergasting as Patrick Bateman. The rest of the characters, with the exception of Chloë Sevigny as Jean and Willem Dafoe as Detective Kimball, kind of fade into the background. This makes sense because it’s really a story about Bateman and his perception of reality. I think that Jean and Detective Kimball might be given more weight because they’re the only ones who really see the man behind the curtain, even a little bit.  Overall I thought that American Psycho was technically excellent — the music, the cinematography, everything just works. In spite of all of the sex and violence is did feel a little sterile though. I’m assuming this is because we’re never really seeing this as they are.  I haven’t actually read much about this movie so I’m not sure if this is an obvious take or not, but the way I understood the ending is that Bateman is delusional and never actually did any of the things he confessed to doing. This means that the prostitute he referred to as Christine (who is also the only person who could be a witness to his crimes) may not have existed at all. This could work because of the way they meet up. Bateman picks her up in a limousine that only appears in these scenes and she’s in an area of town where there is literally no other person.  Death Proof Directed by Quentin Tarantino Watched on Tubi I had seen the shorter Grindhouse version of Death Proof. Here, the prologue is stretched out to about an hour instead of whatever shorter length it was in the double feature. I couldn’t find this info but I didn’t spend much time looking. It seems like it should be relatively easy to find out though?  Part of me wants to criticize Tarantino for making movies just to pepper them with references, but I’d do the exact same thing if I ever became a famous director. I especially liked when Julia called Stuntman Mike “Zatoichi” because he didn’t notice the very obvious billboard. It’s also fascinating to me that all of Tarantino’s movies potentially take place in the same magical realism universe.  The longer version of Death Proof is still a lot of fun. I was a little apprehensive because I figured it would be a lot of padding or scenes that should have been cut anyway, but instead we got a lot more character development and no pacing issues that were obvious enough for me to notice. The finale is really what sets this movie apart. Anyone who has seen it knows already, but I don’t want to say anything more about it because it’s just fantastic if you’re coming in completely unspoiled. I could go either way with this matchup. I think they're both great movies. American Psycho is more interesting, but Death Proof is more fun.
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Jun 2, 2021 16:47
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I'm gonna promote the wonderful Faculty of Horror podcast for their American Psycho episode. It was recorded with a live audience, in a post-Trump presidency (from a Canadian perspective), and they discuss both the book and movie. Episode 57. Hard Bodies: American Psycho It's a great listen from a great podcast.
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Jun 2, 2021 16:56
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Its that day of the week. You've still got about 38 hours to watch some movies, talk about them, and vote. You can vote or change your vote until 3 AM EST June 4th (or when I wake up).
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Jun 2, 2021 17:52
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I think I just really click with William Castle style/sensibilities because I Saw What You Did was another Castle hit for me. Don't get me wrong, it's not up there with The House on Haunted Hill or The Tingler, mostly because it doesn't have an overwhelmingly charismatic presence like Vincent Price. But I enjoyed the odd tone of this movie, and yea even despite how goofy it is a times I thought there was still a decent amount of Hitchcock-like tension. Prevenge is sort of blah, it never really surprised me or had me guessing about where it was going and I thought even Alice Lowe was just ok in it. And there's not much that's fun about it, even if it's supposed to be a black comedy. Maybe I've just seen enough of this sort of thing where it's a damaged person going on a somewhat comedic murder spree, this one just didn't bring anything new to the table. And in the spirit of the tournament I did rewatch Deathproof and I enjoyed it a lot, probably moreso this time around. I think I've probably gained more of an appreciation for Kurt Russell since this movie was released. Anyway, it's a solid little movie and I'm glad I rewatched it but American Psycho is a borderline masterpiece. I see Patrick Bateman's situation as almost similar to Superman's(without the moral code of course), he's an alien dropped into a world where it just so happens that his alien qualities actually give him advantages over other people. And it's such a bizarre world that Bateman moves through, for me it almost does have a sci-fi or fantasy quality to it where there's all these strange rules and dynamics that I have no context for because I've never been a cutthroat Wall Street guy in the 80's. And that's where most of the comedy comes from, the absurdity of how these people live and the hollowness of all of their interactions. They're basically all striving to become like Patrick Bateman, so he's ahead of that game because it comes so naturally to him. It's a unique and endlessly rewatchable film. So my votes were actually pretty easy this week, I Saw What You Did and American Psycho.
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Jun 3, 2021 15:05
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I'm tentatively leaning Prevenge and American Psycho. I really like Prevenge's simple premise, it's colorful palette, and it's dry British sense of humor. I gotta give William Castle's film a chance, I just haven't had time for it yet. Hopefully tonight. I think American Psycho had it's fingers on the pulse back in 2000, and it's only become more depressing/prescient over the least 21 years. I also love it's bizarre, darkly absurdist sense of humor and all the performances. If I have time I'll rewatch Death Proof too, but the Friday 3AM deadlines have always been a challenge for me (cuz I have Fridays off, usually, and is when I get a lot of movie-watching done), and it's only gotten worse now that I'm fully vaccinated and restrictions have relaxed greatly. I've always found Death Proof a middling slow flick from Tarantino, but maybe I appreciate it more now? But not enough to say it's better than American Psycho, one of the most interesting horror films to be directed by a woman and to explore toxic masculinity and psychopathy in capitalism.
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Jun 3, 2021 15:44
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Franchescanado posted:If I have time I'll rewatch Death Proof too, but the Friday 3AM deadlines have always been a challenge for me (cuz I have Fridays off, usually, and is when I get a lot of movie-watching done), and it's only gotten worse now that I'm fully vaccinated and restrictions have relaxed greatly. I've always found Death Proof a middling slow flick from Tarantino, but maybe I appreciate it more now? But not enough to say it's better than American Psycho, one of the most interesting horror films to be directed by a woman and to explore toxic masculinity and psychopathy in capitalism. Again, this is why I favor the shorter Grindhouse cut. I missed Grindhouse when it was in theaters so I only saw the films later as individually packaged DVDs, which had Tarantino's longer director's cut. But it's plodding! It gets bogged down in the dialogue, which of all his films is the most insider-baseball of forgotten 70s media nerd poo poo. Like the vast bulk of what they discuss in that film is movies and TV and I think, especially if you don't follow the references, it's a bit alienating and tedious before you get to the goods. The theatrical version trims the fat significantly. The dialogue is punchier and those scenes feel more purposeful and less meandering. You get less of Tarantino himself as the bartender which is good and you really get a tight, focused film. That's to say nothing of the action which is by far some of the best of the last 20 years. The final act car chase is an all-timer.
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Jun 3, 2021 16:51
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Yea I have to agree with that. I was surprised when I checked the runtime on it and saw that it was almost a full 2 hours, so I assumed it probably was an extended cut. And I have no issue with Tarantino dialogue, I can't say I was sitting there bored during the movie but at the same time I think it would flow a lot better if some of that stuff in the middle was taken out.
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Jun 3, 2021 17:02
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I debated rewatching Death Proof and American Psycho long enough to run out of time to watch them, but I did get to Prevenge and I Saw What You Did. I'm going to go with Prevenge, it's simply a more interesting movie. Castle's prank call psa is a bit to straightfoward and shallow while Prevenge takes a stab at looking at the struggles of pregnancy and grief in a unique way. Lowe's deadpan comedy is great. I'm sticking with Death Proof, a top 3 QT flick imo (I agree the shorter cut is the one to go with).
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Jun 3, 2021 19:27
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Prevenge That movie gave me a lot of feelings, like annoyance at the camerawork, great boredom with the story, just general complete disinterest in what was happening on screen, and then surprise at how it all sort of fell into place again in the ending from the halloween party on. I guess murderous women and Halloween parties are a great mix. I was genuinely considering a complete re-evaluation of the movie at the end, but then it took the coward's way out and ended with a joke and comedy cut to credits that completely undercut the last couple minutes of the movie. What a shame. Still, as far as director's debuts goes, this is far better than for example The Roost. It's definitely rough, the tone is all over the place, but there is plenty of filmmaking style and talent displayed. I Know What you Did Eh. An interesting premise, but overall just a sub-par attempt at a Hitchcock-style movie. Not exactly terrible, I liked the performances, but the story that I was hoping for never materialized - an anthology style horror with the girls calling various people who end up committing horrific crimes. Prevenge it is. And American Psycho.
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Jun 4, 2021 04:21
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Hey, turns out we hit a new high of voters this week. Lets see our results.   No real drama this week. American Psycho and Prevenge seemed like the favorites from comments and sure enough both won the week comfortably. So at least there will be one matchup in the next round that isn’t a three way. Both films actually rack up enough votes to join the Top 5 movies in the tournament and knocking Singapore Sling, Trouble Every Day, Gremlins 2, and Peeping Tom off the list. And while Mary Harron and Alice Lowe both made their first (and only) appearances as directors so there’s no movement for them as individual directors, Predation adds to its total votes retaking the team lead from Team Vulgaer and Femme Fatale join the field knocking Andrzej Żuławski & Jerzy Kawalerowicz out of the top five. On the loser side Death Proof joins its Grindhouse partner Planet Terror in both getting knocked out, so that might be the permanent end of Team Grindhouse. But Castle will probably be back in any future tournaments to share his unique brand of horror whimsy. Meanwhile this sets a major clash of two of the top teams in this tournament next round as Fran’s Femme Fatale goes against Tarnop’s Predation. Should be a blood bath. Speaking of blood baths… 3. Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre vs. 6. (Irony or Death’s The Nephilim) Jennifer Chambers Lynch’s Chained  Yo, I’m sorry, Ms. Chambers Lynch. The Randon Number Generator can be very cruel sometimes. Hooper draws his biggest gun in the second round and its hard to see it losing this one. Its such a lopsided battle on paper that maybe I can justify not watching Lynch’s film? I try and be balanced with the pull quotes and get a representative sampling of whatever popular opinions I see in the review. But with Chained every single review focuses on how brutal and difficult the film is. I suppose that’s a fitting double feature for the film that basically created the genre and maybe Lynch can tap into people who find Hooper’s film tame compared to the decades of torture and violence it inspired. Its gonna be a herculean feat for the spawn of the Davids to knock off the legend and his legendary film here. But we’ve seen a lot of legends fall and we’ve seen a number of legendary films fall off or come close. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre is on AMC+, ARROW, Criterion, DIRECTV, fuboTV, IMDb TV, Showtime, Shudder, and Tubi TV. Chained is on Tubi TV. 7. (A Conglomerate of People Who Hate Me’s Team It's Not A Cartoon, Mom! It's Art! 😫) Eiichi Yamamoto’s Belladonna of Sadness vs. 15. Brian Yuzna’s Amphibious 3D  So its not just anime, its brutal rapey anime. Doesn’t sound like the week I develop an appreciation for anime but I’m not really the audience here. The anime team seems like its drawing strong and Yuzna’s drawing into his deep, questionable, cheap stuff here but that’s worked for him a couple of times now. Yuzna clicks with people in a way that seems to often overshadow the technical quality of the film, or maybe even is enhanced by it. So can the Bracketology King of Upsets pull off another one and spare me another anime film? Or do the animated films keep rolling. I haven’t been keeping the stat but I do believe they’re undefeated so far. edit: Sequel Alert: Belladonna of Sadness is apparently the third of a thematic trilogy called Animerama. Although apparently they have no story or character links and even the creative people behind the first two films have nothing to do with Belladonna? So I'm not exactly sure how they're related besides being anime from the same studio. But this is my nightmare. An anime rape film that's the third of a trilogy where the first two films are two hours. And apparently they're all really porny? I'm frightened. A Thousand and One Nights Cleopatra Belladonna of Sadness is on Kanopy, realeyz, and Tubi TV Amphibious 3D is on Youtube That’s our week. Its a rough week for me when TCM is the only film I really feel comfortable watching. I’m 50/50 on watching at least two of them and it really feels like a harsh week even for our crowd. Or what’s left of our crowd. Vote or change your vote until 3 AM EST June 11th (or when I wake up) Bracket & Noms Spreadsheet Letterboxd List Next Week! - 4. The One n Dones vs. 5. Wuxia Horror - 1. John Carpenter vs. 9. W&W aka As Seen On V/H/S STAC Goat fucked around with this message at 07:07 on Jun 5, 2021 |
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Jun 4, 2021 08:13
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Well that' an unfortunate draw for Team Nephilim.
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Jun 4, 2021 13:15
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Probably an unfortunate draw for Hooper as well because he really needed to save TCM for a tougher matchup. Now going forward he's really only got Eaten Alive, The Funhouse, Invaders From Mars, and then a bunch of stuff of questionable quality.
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Jun 4, 2021 15:51
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I must report a Bracket Master oversight. Sequel Alert: Belladonna of Sadness is apparently the third of a thematic trilogy called Animerama. Although apparently they have no story or character links and even the creative people behind the first two films have nothing to do with Belladonna? So I'm not exactly sure how they're related besides being anime from the same studio. But this is my nightmare. An anime rape film that's the third of a trilogy where the first two films are two hours. And apparently they're all really porny? I'm frightened.
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Jun 5, 2021 07:05
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I will say, for as graphic as Belladonna is, I found it immensely beautiful and moving at the same time. Like calling it an “anime rape movie” feels overly dismissive to me because this really is a film with a deep sense of humanity. However, disclaimer, I’m going off of six year old memories of seeing the restoration in d theater.
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Jun 5, 2021 14:01
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