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What films have you recently watched? Weekly Discussion
24 points | 37 comments | 2 months ago ago by AutoModerator from criterion
Share and discuss what films you have recently watched, including, but not limited to films of the Criterion Collection and the Criterion Channel.
Zackwatchesstuff |13 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
The Leopard: I take back what I said about De Sica being the only Italian director who could have existed as they did without Rossellini - Visconti belongs on the list as well. Along with Bertolucci, this is source code for the neurotic poetry of classic Italian-American artists like Scorsese and, in particular, Coppola. It also boasts an extended party scene nearly as good as Playtime or The Rules of the Game.
Bhuvan Shome: Mrinal Sen is the Godard to Ray's Truffaut, and it's nice to get another classic example of Godard's influence taking on new political relevance as a casual language for revolution in other countries. This film also a healthy dose of independently minded comedy, and is probably closer to a precursor for The Darjeeling Limited than any Ray.
Paisan: I'm not much for heavy symbolism and stuff as much as I used to - I tend to prefer a movie like this, where the complexity comes from observing situations and considering their consequences. Rossellini got just as much beauty from explaining as anyone ever got from poetry.
The Only Son: Ozu was always Ozu. His first sound film represents a complete understanding of why the medium was different from silents and how to get the effect of devastating and precise family comedies like Tokyo Chorus and *I Was Born, But.. *.
Every Man For Himself: Maybe the most normal Godard movie ever made, as the core actors seem to have been given a lot of room to relate to each other. It could be a Pialat at times, or Keep Your Right Up at others.
Men Behind the Sun: I saw this on a lot of horror movie lists and felt it fair to give it a shot. "Exploitation" is probably closer, but it still has scenes as horrifying as anything I know, including Salo, a film it probably out-achieves artistically despite being less traditionally art.
Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: De Sica's film seems almost like a riff on musicals at first, as people gather to see and cheer for Mastroianni and Loren, generally meddling in their affairs. That's until you remember they did the same thing to the father and son in Bicycle Thieves. I don't know how this compares with average Italian comedy, but I thought it was stunning and exciting, even if the segments ever so slightly decreased in quality as they continued.
South: This movie is often underrated because of its lack of preparation, but its urgency and directness (despite Akerman's signature style) is very impressive to me, and her film always seems purposeful (if not as layered or sweeping as her next documentary expose, the frightening From the Other Side.
Song at Midnight: The stink of revolutionary cinema is heavy with this neglected classic, but is it really more stiffening than the pulp conventions of classic monster movies. What I love about this movie most may not even be intentional - its striking use of pitch black in key moments, especially the opening.
Merrily We Go to Hell: I can see why Dorothy Arzner would have considered this her best movie. The writing is pitch perfect, going to strange places that even recent movies about alcoholism can't get to effectively. For those put off by Christopher Strong's apparently stiffness, this film has a much more intimate style.
Stray Dog: A kaleidoscope of styles, but despite Kurosawa himself once claiming the film was all style, it communicates sadness and self-loathing very well. There are elements of this movie which are more like modern crime drama than noir, but modern stuff rarely has this kind of invention and weight.
The Heiress: You can always rely on a William Wyler movie to have people say things as they may have more or less said them. He is definitely up to the challenge of interpreting Henry James, a writer whose charms are dramatically effective but not exactly dramatized in a direct and cinematic fashion. Clift's squirminess goes a long way towards making the film work. Some funny stuff, too.
Futures2004 |1 pointwritten 2 months ago ago
Oof men behind the sun always scared me too much to watch, maybe because it's based on real life. Is it a film you'd recommend ever?
Zackwatchesstuff |2 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
I would recommend it, but I would warn you as much as if we were talking Salo or Last House on the Left. This movie does things to arms that made me as uncomfortable as Pain Olympics. Arms.
binaryan |1 pointwritten 2 months ago ago
What other Mrinal Sen would you recommend?
Zackwatchesstuff |2 pointswritten 1 month ago ago
I never responded to this. I only saw Bhuvan Shome. I hear the Calcutta trilogy is good.
BuckeyeCZ |9 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
Smiles of a Summer Night (1955) - My first plunge into the Bergman Box! Honestly, not at all surprised Bergman had this witty, fun comedy within his means. Eva Dahlbeck is a force of nature in this film.
Rebels of the Neon God (1992) - To be honest, I'm not usually a fan of the '90s waves of films exploring young aimlessness. But this one really grabbed me. Feels more grounded and tangible. Kinda feels like a mix of Rebel Without a Cause and Chungking Express with a touch of Taxi Driver?
Poltergeist (1982) - A really fun time. Really epitomizes how much I wish I was into horror when I was younger.
The Shining (1980) - Such a great Kubrick outing. I realize there's not much new I can say. Loved the score. Surprisingly breezy for its length.
Adele Hasn't Had Her Dinner Yet (1978) - Oldřich Lipský!!! Between this and Lemonade Joe, I'm convinced he's the most under appreciated Czech filmmaker. Kind of like a hybrid of Mel Brooks and Karel Zeman. Would love to see him in the Collection someday.
jrpierce |5 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
I've been watching Billy Wilder's movie on repeat for some for about a month. Just great quality films IMO. Hard to choose but Some Like it Hot is my pick (today) as the favorite.
Edy_Birdman_Atlaw |3 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
Whats your favorite? I'm thinking about Blind Buying Ace in the Hole.
I absolutely love The Apartment, Some Like it Hot, Double Indemnity, and Sunset Blvd
It's good. Not My favorite. You've listed all the ones I'd put above it. I'd also add Seven Year Itch, Fortune Cookie, & a couple others above it. It's still great. You just don't find a director like this man anymore imo.
thewaldorf |2 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
Ace in the Hole is my favorite Billy Wilder movie because it's the most uncompromised. But I like dark movies, that's just me.
Sunset Boulevard is a close second.
becks32milan |1 pointwritten 2 months ago ago
I have been on the same theme for some time now. Saw Sunset Blvd., Some like it hot, The Apartment and Witness for the prosection with the latter being my favourite of his. Even though all those movies were 8+, this one just left me in awe.
However, I believe The Apartment is his masterpiece - as a vibe, as a story and consistency.
jrpierce |1 pointwritten 2 months ago ago
The Apartment holds up so well and still plays today! The timing, the story, the jokes, the atmosphere. All perfect.
funnyj10 |6 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
I watched 12 Monkeys and Polyester for the first time. Monkeys was decent, didn't love it but it was entertaining. Polyester was surprisingly hilarious, it was my first Waters movies so I didn't know what to expect but I really enjoyed it.
I also rewatched Inside Llewyn Davis. Liked it a lot more the second time through.
Just finished Local Hero. I've seen it many times before, but I never tire of watching it to lift my spirits. Yeah, it's a bit bittersweet, but it's also so inspiring and life-affirming in such an inventive and benevolent way. I still don't know why Bill Forsyth stopped making films over twenty years ago, at the age of only 53. He still had a lot to offer to the world of cinema.
PumpkinBuster12 |4 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
I'm about halfway through Local Hero (first watch). I like any film set in Scotland, so it's hard not to enjoy!
NeoNiCally |5 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
Wrapping up with Octoberfest and 2 films I watched since the end of Octoberfest.
Carnival of Souls: Out of all the films I have seen in my life, there are only 5, or maybe even 6 films to ever terrify or disturb me: A Clockwork Orange, Eraserhead, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Exorcist, arguably Zodiac for a bit, and Carnival of Souls, which is probably the second most terrifying film I've ever seen behind Eraserhead, which is probably the closest I'll ever be to turning off my TV for the sake of keeping myself together. It is not to say that Carnival of Souls is one of the most terrifying films of all time, it is just ghastly and eerie as hell. I have never been so scared of death himself and it's such a weird, unique little film that you would end up watching in one of those drive-in theaters in the 60s. It has that cheap, B-movie look to it but at the same time it really sticks onto you after a while. I also HATE organ music most of the time, even though I loved Last Year at Marienbad soundtrack, which sadly consisted of 5 songs for some reason on the album, even though there was MUCH MORE than just 5 songs. Because I hate organ music, this movie 1.) gave me nightmares through music and 2.) gave me nightmares through its bizarre imagery. Sure, for a 77 minute movie with a bunch of scares, note: NOT jumpscares, it felt a bit cheap and very restrained because of the time and pacing but it still scares the living hell out of me. It's not that scary folks, I'm just a pussy. But holy fuck is it great.
Once Upon a Time in China: I LOVE Chinese films. I don't give a damn if it was Donnie Yen throwing 25 fucking straight knees to Xing Yu in Flash Point (Ironically Donnie liked Xing Yu in Ip Man, it feels weird thinking about Ip Man beating up a friend of his haha) or>! if it was a mermaid getting hit with a golf club!< in Stephen Chow's The Mermaid, Hong Kong never fails to bring up some entertaining shit. John Woo and Infernal Affairs is literally a Melville film but the action and drama is on crack. Imagine Alain Delon shooting up a hospital to pieces with his pal Yves Montand (Not that it happened). Once Upon a Time in China IS an action film with crazy ass stunts and shit. However, like Ip Man, it does very well with its story. In comparison to many other Chinese films now, OUaTiC doesn't feel or strongly create a patriotic feeling to it. It's no China No.1 and it doesn't need to be. Instead, it has a lot of beautiful contrasts in the film. Old vs. New, Culture Clashes, Poor Vs. Rich, etc. These dynamic contrasts in the story all are split up into little side stories that help tie up the main story altogether into one of the best Chinese epics of all time. It's a fascinating and well paced film, even though it is slower than other martial art films. I still like Ip Man and Fearless much more than this but what those two films lack is the intensity and Jackie Chan tier action that defined the 90s and show the true dedication that the Chinese will do just for a movie. With this top tier dedication and passion for action and story, this is a certified hood classic in my books.
The Shining: This has got to be one of my favorite watching experiences I've ever had with anybody. John Wick: Chapter 3 was an absolute blast watching when the audiences gasp whenever John Wick pulls a brutal kill, Pretty in Pink was a very interesting film with my father's commentary on how the 80s were like from his college experiences, and watching An Autumn Afternoon with my grandparents as they begin to reminisce on their days when they were young in 60s Japan. This viewing, my 4th or 5th viewing for those curious, is a wonderful one but not one that I paid attention to like everyone else. I decided to bring some friends over at my house and we watched it altogether. One of them wanted to watch the film and get into it and failed. The other two were talking a lot and having a hilarious commentary on it. It doesn't sound like the ideal filmgoing experience but for somebody who watched this film 4 or 5 times already (I feel bad for my friend who tried to watch it without getting distracted sorry man), it was an absolute blast watching it and loving how less scary it felt. One thing I will never forget was when one of my friends told me to stop the film at the lady in the bathtub scene and his friend took a picture of him doing a pose next to it on screen. My friend was gonna send it to him but accidentally sent it to one of my friend's girlfriend. The rest of the film after that point was just my friends trying to clear up the situation at this point haha. I know it sounds immature but just so you know, my friends and I are all high schoolers doing stupid stuff. Those who are wanting an actual review, here's this: Great film and beautiful cinematography but don't expect to be too scared by this and it is a bit overhyped. I will say one thing though: DON'T LISTEN TO THE CONSPIRACY THEORIES. THEY ARE TERRIBLE (All of the ones that I have read so far).
Dragon Inn: Just like Hard Boiled last week, I told myself I was gonna watch, but I ended up watching the entire thing. 1.) I love Chinese films, 2.) I love Chinese martial art films and 3.) I love Chinese martial art films with a great soundtrack. I find it hilarious that whenever somebody that's intimidating walks or makes a leap, the sound of two boards/sticks/"whatever you want to call it" claps together to create tension. This film is like a Chinese opera brought to life and it's BEAUTIFUL. The action scenes aren't too crazy since it's Pre-Bruce Lee, but they are on a whole different level of poetry and violence. John Woo is a modern poet of action films but King Hu is a god tier poet of action. I love the fact that most of this takes place in one place. There is a lot of creative kills in this and everything about this is just fun as hell to watch. One thing that hasn't aged well is the running which is probably the funniest thing I've ever seen. This is one hell of a ride and I don't think there are much Taiwanese (Or Mandarin) films I consider essential and No.1 must watch (John Woo and Wong Kar-wai is all Cantonese for those who are wondering), but Dragon Inn and A Touch of Zen alongside Edward Yang other Taiwanese New Wave films take the spot as a must watch.
The other 4 films are down in the comments below. Sorry for the long post and I will be watching Ip Man series most likely next time so stay tuned next week! My reviews are posted on my Letterboxd if you want to read these some time later on.
Hubie Halloween: THIS. Is how I spent my Halloween. I didn't go on a horror film spree of the most iconic movies of all time, I was watching Adam Sandler movie with a horny Maya Rudolph, unsympathetic Kevin James, that mom from Modern Family (I almost wrote Family Guy), and a furry Steve Buscemi. I have officially seen it all folks and I wished I haven't. But, this is the first Adam Sandler film I've seen in YEARS and it feels refreshing even if it was a stupid movie, which the last time I've ever seen a film that was given bad ratings was back when I last time watched an Adam Sandler film (8-9 years ago). Not gonna lie, this felt refreshing and I'm glad I watched it, but at the same time it was fucking terrible. To cut it short, I bathed myself in cool, refreshing dog shit and I liked it.
Halloween: Ok yeah, I actually watched this one right after. This is a first time watching and it's tense to say the most. It's not scary which I expected it to be but it was actually pretty chill. The entire idea of the killer just standing outside was scary for a while but after that, it wasn't that scary. I'm surprised it wasn't that scary at all but Carpenter managed to make the first 60-70 minutes extremely tense. It's much about the tension and unease than it is to scare you and it's not nightmare material either. It's a great thriller and I loved this one. I wonder how many times people made the Halloween theme song into a rap beat though. That's the 1 million dollar question I have. I still remember the time when RDCWorld1 used a remix of that song haha.
A Better Tomorrow: Did I mention my love for Chinese films? Chow Yun-fat is ABSOLUTELY SEXY AS FUCK in this film and the style of this is fascinating. I'd argue that it has better story than The Killer but lacks the emotional aspect of The Killer. This is probably my 3rd or 4th time watching this all within two years. I've seen The Killer about 6-7 times and Hard Boiled about 128 times already. It's one of my favorite films and it's very much about redemption and morals. I loved this story a lot and I can understand why it was ranked the 2nd best Hong Kong movie as voted by Hong Kong. Such a shame that Fortune Star's 4K restoration rescored everything and the sound effects aren't as great as always by Fortune Star.
Beast Stalker: Another Chinese film and one I didn't like at all. To be honest: it did take me nearly a year to finish this one so I can't have the right to fully judge it. It's a very emotional film at best but everything about this film was done poorly I'm guessing because of the low budget it has. It's not that tense of a film and the editing was actually for a "Don't Text While Driving" ad instead of an action film. But, Chinese films always have problems with their editing so I didn't expect too much and I still felt a bit disappointed. It feels disappointing because everything about this film was done poorly, but it still managed to feel at least satisfactory which I find interesting. If I had to summarize what I felt throughout the entire time I was watching this from 11 months ago to now: This movie reminds me a lot of The Office.
FisterCrunchman |4 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
The Criterion Channel just added Hellraiser (1987) and I got my wife (who doesn't care for horror movies) to watch. She loved it, partly due to the fully 1980s Claire Higgins.
Also watched Jeanne Dielman (1975) and The Red Desert (1964). The former deserves every accolade it's received. The latter is not really my thing but the color is amazing (and Monica Vitti is so beautiful).
This weekend going to rewatch an all-time favorite also just added to the Channel — The Bad Seed (1956). It's a classic in the evil kid genre. Speaking of evil kids, I might revisit Village of the Damned (1960) although I'm thinking of checking out The Masque of the Red Death. I haven't seen it but Corman, Poe and Vincent Price sounds what I need after a stressful week.
It took me nearly a week, but I finally finished Possessed (1931). I can't say that I really cared for the film, but I was able to add my first non-mustache Clark Gable film to the list! Most of the reviews are big on this film, so don't listen to me and go check out a Crawford/Gable pre-code pairing!
dougprishpreed69 |3 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
koker trilogy, le samourai, jules and jim, repo man
Nevtendo |3 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
Quitting - Zhang Yang (2001)
A movie about a man addicted to drugs and how he and his family deals with it and his mental health. It is an interesting movie in that it is biographical, and casts the main character's real life family members and people in his life down to the very doctors and mental ward patients etc. It is definitely thematically similar to other 6th generation Chinese movies, in that it depicts a modern day "drifter," in Beijing, and depicts drug use and metal/rock music that became popular there.
Another interesting twist is that at some point it is revealed the characters are acting out this biographical story as a theatrical play within the movie. Real life people depicting an event in a staged play within a "fictional," movie. Maybe it is a bit gimmicky but I loved similar movies like Antiporno, Holy Mountain, Truman Show, the recent Pain & Glory and it mixes in a very Iranian wave of using non actors and the blending of fiction and reality. The dialogue between family members did feel very "theater," but for the first part I thought it was because they were amateur actors, not because they were supposed to be theatrical. I gotta say all the actors did a great job and fooled me.
Two Women - Vittorio De Sica (1960)
Been watching a lot of De Sica movies recently and Two Women might be my favorite of them all. It might also be the most brutal of them all. It is simply about a mother and daughter displaced from Rome that finds refuge in a village during WWII, and their encounters with wartime issues, death, German soldiers, English soldiers, American soldiers, Indian soldiers etc. Let's just say it isn't really that happy. Sophia Loren is great in this, and it is definitely a good looking movie.
Other movies of note: The Pawnbroker, The New World, F For Fake, Postcards From The Edge
DrNogoodNewman |3 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
I'm starting my way through the new Korean film collection on the Criterion Channel, which I'm really looking forward to. Just watched The Quiet Family, which was fun if not completely satisfying. I'm watching Joint Security Area now. I wasn't sure about it during the first act, but wow, the flashback plot is amazing. Haven't finished it yet.
binaryan |3 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
Just watched I Know Where I'm Going! for the first time—can't believe I hadn't seen it before. So good, easily in my top 100 of all time. I understand now why Scorsese said "I reached the point of thinking there were no more masterpieces to discover, until I saw I Know Where I'm Going!"
Did you think of Barry Lyndon as a comedy or a drama?
Try it as a comedy the next time.
DJBillyMac |2 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
The Fly (Cronenberg) - My first Cronenberg, actually. Great practical effects and a really unnerving story with some solid subtext about relationships.
Godzilla - Started the boxset! This movie kicks ass. I loved the sequences of Godzilla rampaging through Tokyo, and the story holds up really well imo. I mean, it's obvious that it's a guy in a suit, but even for that, I think it looks great.
Sleepy Hollow - Love the production design and cinematography of this one! Interesting choice to turn it into a sort of supernatural murder mystery a la The Hound of the Baskervilles. I think it basically works.
Roma - Revisited this one - had seen it before but not my Criterion copy. Folks... it's still great. I think I might slightly prefer Y Tu Mama Tambien but damn Alfonso Cuaron makes amazing movies.
The Killers (Siodmak) - Had a bit more in common with stuff like Out of the Past and Double Indemnity than I expected plotwise, but it's got a great cast and really excellent moody cinematography with some great shadows. I don't think it's like, one of the very best noirs, but it's very good.
The Killers (Siegel) - lmao did you guys know Ronald Reagan is in the Criterion Collection
The Bakery Girl of Monceau and Suzanne's Career - The first two in the Eric Rohmer's Six Moral Tales set. 'Moral Tales' had me expecting something more like, say, Aesop's Fables and not so much 'college kids having relationship drama', but these are stylish movies that feel reeeeally accurate to shitty, self-centered 20-year-olds trying to figure out love and themselves.
Peking Opera Blues - My fourth Tsui Hark, probably tied for my favorite with Once Upon A Time In China. Great to see one of these sort of historically action dramedy movies that were so popular in China in the 80s and 90s focused entirely around women characters. This movie rules
thehurrytheharm |2 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
All four Scream movies: The first two were pretty fun and I'm a sucker for 2000s teen dramas. I wasn't big on the latter two, though
Oldboy: Genuinely one of the best films I've ever seen
lordtrapula |2 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
lttp: Watched Kwaidan (1965) for Halloween, while it had some really predictable writing for some of the stories, it had some of the most beautiful visuals I've seen in any film really. Probably the best set design i've have ever seen. The sets were so stilted and obvious yet so vibrant and worked with the storybook nature of the film.
Lady Of The Snow was probably my fav of the batch but the Earless one was pretty good. That ending was so bizarre and nonsensical, I loved it anyways lol
It wasn't the scariest film ever, but boy it had an atmosphere that could be really unsettling at times.
TheBeerHunter47 |3 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
I picked up Kwaidan about 4 years ago the stories you mentioned are the ones that have stuck with me since watching it.
ringed_mortality |2 pointswritten 2 months ago ago
I Watched
The Thing,
Eraser head
All for the first time. I got burnt out from watching 4 movies a day for a bit but I'm hoping to pick back up. Gotta take advantage of this time.
Tomorrow (Sunday the 8th) I'll try to watch a few more movies but who knows if I'll be able to
I was able to watch Oceans 11 and My Week with Marilyn for the first time.
dmsn7d |1 pointwritten 2 months ago ago
Just watched Persona and Tokyo Story for the first time each this week. I really enjoyed both of them.
TheSeekerAround |1 pointwritten 2 months ago ago
Recently I was rewatching " Time Table (1956) [Film Noir] "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Vj_lMvczow
Great rewatching experience. You should also watch it. I just want Criterion to add it to their list for restoration.
ChunLi317 |1 pointwritten 2 months ago ago
I watched "King of New York" for the first time a few days ago and I loved it.
The characters, the setting, the story, the dialogue, it all seemed to fit so well. I'm a little upset I hadn't seen this before now.
Highly recommend for sure.
I also watched "The Ice Pirates", definitely not as good. Very dated dialogue and jokes, some worked, some didn't. Also seemed to be torn between a serious space adventure and a comedy.
There's better ways to spend 90 minutes, but worse ones too I guess.
Tonman53 |1 pointwritten 2 months ago ago
I just finished watching Secret Sunshine for the first time. The movie was really good and Jeon Do-Yeon's performance was astounding, but holy hell was it bleak. It was one of maybe two times where after watching a movie I went, "..... I need to watch something happy now." I'd recommend at least one viewing for sure.
Totorotextbook |1 pointwritten 2 months ago ago
Watched:
The Hours: The main appeal was performances but this didn't do anything for me. Kidman was great, Toni Collette popping up for five minutes was a nice surprise, but I felt that while some of the film was subtle other parts were so heavy handed with what they were trying to say that it felt forced.
Breaking the Waves: I like Lars Von Trier's work but the main appeal of many of his films to me is his casting of female leads. Emily Watson is incredible, at some points subtle and nuanced and others keen and childlike, she really is the highlight of the film. Skarsgard is great too, and as far as Von Trier goes while this is not my favorite of his films I do think I'll be revisiting it again eventually as I tend to do with his work to better appreciate them.
Little Women (2019): This was the last film I saw in the theaters before the world went to hell, and I still get a grin every time I watch it. Gerwig's directing is great, the casting superb, and overall it reminds me of a bygone era of literary adaptions of public domain works with huge stars that swept the 1990's but has slowly fizzled out.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: I don't know what there is to say about this film that hasn't been said- it's great. Tobe Hooper's film transcends horror and feels more like a found reel of snuff film, and it still packs the same punch it did some forty years later. I do have a soft spot for the sequels but as far as the first goes it will always have a soft spot for me.
florezmith |1 pointwritten 2 months ago ago
Watched The Brood (1979) - love the narrative flow of 70's sci-fi/horror, where we're exposed to some unsettling, unexplained phenomenon and there is an entire movie in between the first reveal and the final bat*#@& explanation. Was pleasantly surprised when the unsettling Cronenberg body squick was revealed, we love a doting mother.
House (1977) - Wow. Wowee wow wow wow. The opening was colorful and chaotic and melodramatic, as if Douglas Sirk had directed a Japanese Beach Party film and that film was haunted by demons on ghost!crank. This movie feels like the vestigial tail of some alternate film timeline where this was as big as Star Wars and directors spent the last 40 years trying to imitate and innovate on it.
Autumn Sonata (1978) - Watching Ingrid argue with the director about the minutia of her characterization in the documentary - not wrestling for some superior artistic control but really grinding the material down to get closer and closer to the emotional truth - gives you an idea of the sort of work that went into her performance, which was brilliant. Liv Ullman was lapidary as the shrinking violet blossoming into anger, electrified by misreciprocated love, lost love, and cruel love. My heart is full.
Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991) - At this point we had 5 Nightmare on Elm Street films and no explanation as to where Freddy's dream powers came from, so the marketplace clamored for more lore. Peter Jackson wrote a screenplay for this film that was never used. Johnny Depp has a cameo and is listed in the credits as "Oprah Noodlemantra." Bizarre! The most important moments of the film are when something flies at the camera to take advantage of the climax being filmed IN GLORIOUS 3D!!!! and when the protagonists go into Freddy's brain and the interior is a mock up of a neural network but "Freddified" ie covered in a layer of red gore. I, for one, love an externalization of an interior state corrupted by malice or despair - the scene with the suicide house from What Dreams May Come (1998) is the highlight of the movie.
mostlyasoiaf |1 pointwritten 2 months ago ago
The New World : I got this as a blind buy @ b&n, had wanted to see it for years but the library must have lost their copy, blah blah, got the impression it was worth just purchasing, esp at 50% off. So worth it! I watched all 3 cuts in two days, extended is definitely my favorite. It's like immersive art, the way it was filmed and edited; the music is amazing. I can't wait to make my parents and husband watch this with me after Thanksgiving dinner.
Similarly
Dead Man : I had only seen one Jarmusch film before this but now I'm a lot more appreciative, followed it with Down By Law and Broken Flowers, and I enjoyed them all, they're more emotional than plot driven, I'd say. I was looking for pre-pirate Johnny Depp and this was the perfect choice. Nobody is such a great character, and the film is just beautiful. I especially loved their trip down the river at the end.