list/discuss/rate - your recently watched movies

The Disaster Artist

Endearing if odd tale of Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero (James & Dave Franco) who after failing as actors in Los Angeles make their own movie.   Based on the book about the making of The Room, known as one of the worst films ever produced, both Francos are excellent in their respective parts as they struggle to figure out who they are as creators, people, and friends.   Indeed like watching a disaster unfold in slow motion, The Disaster Artist is a reasonable offering of tragicomedy, and all too human.





Edited by Atavachron - March 16 2018 at 03:01

Justice League

Shockingly adequate first DC team-up is fast paced and fun, liberally exploiting each archetype character.   I would've liked to have seen something a bit more original than yet another all powerful monster-god who wants to rule and/or destroy the Earth.   But that aside, though not quite on the Avengers level, Justice League was fine.   I hope the next one is even better.

What We Do In the Shadows (2014) Directed by Jermaine Clement and Taika Waititi


The premise of four flatmates in New Zealand who are 21st Century vampires is probably the nadir of 'plausible' but a likeable cast, scalpel sharp script and a healthy respect for what is being lampooned somehow conspire to make this work brilliantly. New Zealand cinema has always punched above it's weight as evidenced by Deathgasm, Once Were Warriors, Stickmen and (early) Peter Jackson: Bad Taste, Braindead, Meet the Feebles etc. The success of the so-called 'Mockumentary' genre seems to rest entirely upon a familiarity with the target genre that often dwarfs that of it's most lauded exponents e.g. Spinal Tap. The only precedent I can cite from What We Do in the Shadows is maybe, Man Bites Dog from 1992 where a camera crew are invited to follow a Belgian serial killer around for the purposes of a documentary. That sounds grim, but the makers of What We Do in the Shadows clearly understand that getting shot in the head for the contents of your purse and having your blood drained by a fictitious predeceased predator are poles apart when it comes to taste.


Edited by ExittheLemming - December 06 2019 at 20:49

The Flight of the Phoenix -- I love these kinds of movies; characters, and how they react in certain situations. If anyone has any other classic (before 1980) movies like this, or "Ana-ta-han" or "Lord of the Flies" I'd appreciate it.

Watched Tarkovsky's Stalker, surprisingly, for the first time yesterday. What a beautiful film. Enjoyed all the psychological and phylosophical themes as well as the aesthetics and the visual symbolism. Will definitely be returning to this one many many times.

The Post

Decent journalistic drama that documents military analyst Daniel Ellsberg who leaked the secret Pentagon study on the Vietnam War and its findings that the war was unwinnable with Meryl Streep just fine as Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham and Tom Hanks typically unconvincing as her chief editor.   Labelled a "historical political thriller", it is neither very thrilling nor very political and is more centered on the legal battle and Constitutional crisis these events caused, and in that sense is a pretty good if slowly unfolding depiction of a national emergency no less serious than Watergate.

Hostiles

Vivid depiction of the American plains circa 1890 as a bigoted cavalry captain (Christian Bale) and a small group of ragtag soldiers lead an imprisoned Cheyenne warcheif and his family back to their Montana homeland.   Written and directed by Scott Cooper, the story moves along without too much nonsense and though is both hyperviolent and ultra-realistic, does address some interesting themes of racism and intolerance.   However, character development is not what it could be and the film seems a bit clipped at times, letting the audience fill-in its own rationale instead of illustrating it properly, detracting from what otherwise could have been a great film.

Larkstongue41 wrote: ^ I love Stalker. One of two perfect Tarkovsky flims (along with Andrei Rublev; I might add The Mirror in the future). There's such an aura of mystery throughout and the way he reduces colour in select scenes makes it one of the most visually appealing films I've seen. Long post incoming. I really should do these more often and develop my impressions more extensively but I'll try to keep it short for this time. Melancholia - Lars Von Trier (2011) First Von Trier film. Liked it a lot. Best portrayal of depression in cinema ever? Also quite stunning visually and I loved how he plunges you straight into the picture, no introductory credits or anything, just the title of the film and the director's name straight after the prologue. Although a bit on the cliche side, I liked the broader message of the film. 7.5/10 La Grande Illusion - Jean Renoir (1937) Such a pleasant film. As a native french speaker, I don't remember ever hearing the french language used in such a refreshing and playful manner. Quite funny, some insightful socio-political commentary, and flwless cinematography all make up for a very enjoyable experience. 8/10 The Graduate - Mike Nichols (1967) One of those highly acclaimed classics. I found it good at best. Apart from a few interesting shots, it was fairly unoriginal. I love Simon & Garfunkel but what was the director thinking in using "The Sound of Silence" in a scene that is supposed to show the protagonist having accomplished something  and then using "Scarborough Fair" 3 damned times in a row. That last one got me frustrated honestly. 5.5/10 Fanny & Alexander - Ingmar Begman (1982) Decided to watch what many call the Bergman masterpiece after a long wait. I was disappointed. Bergman is one of those directors who had difficulty transitioning to colour imo (along with Fellini and Kurosawa). It serves the purpose of the film well in this case, but the colors in many of the shots make life seem bleak and dull. I've never seen a movie tackle the concept of imagination quite as skillfully as this one but I feel like it could have been developed in clearer and more meaningful way. I also can't wrap my mind around how Bergman intended this to be a series; four hours were more than enough. 6.5/10 Antichrist - Lars Von Trier (2009) Again no introductory credit. The plot is nothing new, stories such as this one have been around for centuries but Von Trier has the skill to make it such an awful and troubling experience (which is entirely his purpose). He was able to make me look away from the screen in disgust which is enough for me to say that he is a very good director when it comes to convey emotion. Didn't like it nearly as much as Melancholia. 6/10 City of God - Fernando Meirelles (2002) Very entertaining account of life in the Brazilian favelas. Not much to say other than it was engaging. 6/10 Nashville - Robert Altman (1975) I guess this is one of those movies that need context or a certain nostalgia to fully appreciate and I wasn't around in 1970s America so I didn't get too much into it. Gotta give props to it being the only musical I've seen in which the music happens contextually. City of Lost Children - Jean-Pierre Jeunet (1995) With Amelie, Delicatessen and then this one, the Jeunet/Caro collaboration never ceases to amaze me. Just like the other two, this film is a lot of fun and it is quite inventive visually. 7/10 La Strada - Federico Fellini (1954) A totally Felliniesque film. This actress is a real ray of sunshine. 7/10 Breaking the Waves - Lars Von Trier (1996) It seems like Von Trier likes to divide his films in specific parts. The movie as a whole works relatively well but the choice of music during the transitions from one chapter to the next was highly questionable. You are plunged in rural Scotland in a very modest and ecclesiastical setting but then you have the climax of Deep Purple's Child in Time running on a fix image for a complete minute? Not effective and totally out of place in my mind. I also would have loved to see the protagonist communicating with God in a better way than her just changing voice to indicate whether it's her or God who's speaking. I prefer Melancholia but I have to say this is a more ambitious and accomplished film. 7.5/10 Three Colours Trilogy - Krzysztof Kieslowski (1993-94) First entry, Blue, was disappointing. It has some strong artistic features but they are not effective at all imo. I get the intention behind the long fade-outs interrupting dialogues but the desired result (representing time standing still for the main character) was not achieved in my experience. White was good but not very memorable but Red was extremely engaging and insightful. Blue - 5/10 White - 6/10 Red - 8/10 Whole - 7/10 Les Regles du Jeu - Jean Renoir (1939) Another fun Renoir film but I was a lot less engaged with this one than with La Grande Illusion. 7/10  Spirited Away - Hayao Miyazaki (2011) Only my second Japanese Anime viewing from acclaimed director Miyazaki and another disappointment for me. I keep hearing from trustworthy sources how great Anime is but I can't seem to appreciate it too much. I probably would have marveled at this as a child though. 5/10 L'Avventura - Michelangelo Antonioni (1960) Awesome visual experience. I felt like a tourist in Italy the whole time. The film is quite enigmatic throughout but it suffers from a complete lack of resolution which could have been handled more comprehensively. 7.5/10 Satantango - Bela Tarr (1994) Definitely a top 5 director for me after this one. There are a lot of immensely skillful cinematographersbut Bela Tarr is in a league of his own. Who else can make a 8 hour long film with only 150 shots (way less than most 90 minutes flick today), each as enthralling as the next, and manage to keep the viewer completely immersed and insensitive to distractions? It was quite a profound experience. Eerie, hypnotic, philosophical. A true work of art. 9/10 ............... (not quite finished yet)

MortSahlFan wrote: Cobra Kai (The Karate Kid series) -- 10 episodes, and boy I was surprised. The first 2 episodes on YouTUbe are free, but if you search, you can find the rest.