Film What's the Last Film You Saw? v. Tell Us What You Thought!

[Cream Gravy?]

I have like 7 films I recently watch to review, but who gives a fuck lol.

I've taken to writing a list, it's past 10 movies now... been a bad few weeks for me mentally, so it's been hard to write, but still plowing through the movies.

 

[Buzz Lightbeer]

I saw Climax (2018 ). Weird film, semi enjoyed it, I had to look past the absolutely awful portrayal of LSD, even though it wasn't the point of the movie. 6/10

 

[Max Power]

I've taken to writing a list, it's past 10 movies now... been a bad few weeks for me mentally, so it's been hard to write, but still plowing through the movies.

For me it's a bit more nihilistic -- who cares what I rate a film. Why bother taking the time to write down my thoughts? (the irony that I started this thread is not lost on me)

Although -- shout out to @ghostfreak for recommending Letterboxd. I haven't signed up yet but seems like a neat idea. At least then my rating adds some value to something, somewhere.

I think.

Spoiler

inb4: "you create your meaning, kid!"

 

[Cream Gravy?]

For me it's a bit more nihilistic -- who cares what I rate a film. Why bother taking the time to write down my thoughts? (the irony that I started this thread is not lost on me)

I feel that too. Who's gonna read my drawn out movie reviews in the dark corner of a harm-reduction site? Not many. But I still like to do it to keep my writing skills up, to keep the films fresh in my mind, and to advise others of great films I've seen. Many a times I've read peoples' reviews here and then decided for or against watching a film.

No review yet, but shout out to American Honey. Why does it take an English woman to capture so perfectly the picture of impoverished youth in America? Great film, Netflix took it away. No clue where it might be streaming now.

 

[neversickanymore]

News of the World. The whole premise of these bad men putting all this effort into getting one girl in that lawless time seemed damn unbelievable.. plot undercurrents were interesting but not captivating. This film I doesn’t it end up working.

 

[birdup.snaildown]

Come As You Are (2019)

A comedy/dramady about three guys with disabilities that travel across the country to visit a brothel that (as they say) caters to "people like us".

All four major characters (Sam, Scotty, Mo & Matt) are well defined and likeable. The acting is good, not great. Gabourey Sibide (best known for Precious) plays a no-nonsense support worker.

This film doesn't try too hard to impress. It isn't desperate for laughs, but it does drag a bit at times.

Janeane Garofalo is surprisingly good. I'm not usually a fan of her comedic stylings, but her role (in Come As You Are) is mostly dramatic and she does a great job.

Unlike a lot of films about guys getting laid, there is a sensible and mature message by the time the credits role.

It's not a great film, but it's certainly different and I appreciated it as someone who has personally worked in the disability sector for over a decade.

The actor who plays the main character (Scotty) is Ben Stiller's son Ari Tenenbaum from the Wes Anderson classic.

3.5 / 5

 

[Max Power]

Who's gonna read my drawn out movie reviews in the dark corner of a harm-reduction site?

Ha, hit the nail on the head with this one!

Although I did recently learn about this site:

https://www.criticker.com/

I've yet to sign up, but apparently the benefit of leaving ratings is getting suggestions back for more movies based on my tastes. The more I rate, the better the suggestions. I hear it's pretty accurate. Has anyone here tried it?

Alright, here goes:

Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021) by Zack Snyder
So The Flash is DC's answer to MCU Spiderman, eh? And Aquaman is an alcoholic? And why do they play the George Bluth/Iraq/Middle Eastern background jingle from Arrested Development every time Wonder Woman is on screen? So many questions. Maybe it's because I haven't seen many of these DC films. From the few I've seen, they lack the humor and charm the best MCU films do (see: the Guardians series). Also 4 fucking hours? Fuck off. Fuck right off with this filth. 1.5/5

Törst AKA Thirst (1949) by Ingmar Bergman
Early Bergy, he's still finding his legs. But there are flashes. The close ups, the framing . . the rocky marriage. Man, the plot is convoluted as all fuck though. I knock off points if I have to concentrate too much lol. 2/5

Possession (1981) by Andrzej Zulawski
Woo, where to start. This was a stressful film to watch. Also, maybe it's because I saw this right after the film above, but I got heavy Bergman vibes. The religious overtones, the marriage troubles, the close ups on the face. Those were the positives, I suppose? The first third of this film may be an homage to Bergman, but after that it goes off the rails and becomes a fever dream, bordering on surrealism. Weird film but there is a lot to chew on, symbolism wise. Maybe one day I'll be arsed enough to revisit this to really dissect the meaning of it all. More than likely, I'll just watch a YouTube review. 3/5

La Haine AKA Hate (1995) by Mathieu Kassovitz
Great job on the character development in this one. Really felt like I was just spending the day with some chavs on the streets of Paris. I heard Tarantino refer to "hanging out" films (he was talking about Dazed and Confused IIRC) and I suppose this would qualify as one. Except this isn't a comedy set in Austin, it's a drama set across a canvas of socio-political turmoil, specifically as it relates to police abuse. Very topical. Anyway, there were some good shots in this one, pacing could have been better, but the acting (and the ending!) make this one above average. 4/5

Nomadland (2020) by Chloé Zhao
Watched this before I even knew it was nominated for anything, let alone before it actually won. Cinematography is beautiful and the directing is strong. Frances McDormand absolutely kills these types of roles. Would love to see her act across from Javier Bardem. Random thought. Also, I like the idea of the whole nomad thing. And yet, with all the accolades, I felt it was missing something to truly take it over the top into a certified Classic. I don't know if the simplicity of the film is throwing me for a loop or if I am second guessing my rating after this won the awards, but. 4.25/5

Seppuku AKA Harakiri (1962) by Masaki Kobayashi
What a great film. Two hours just flew by. Just a well made story, beautiful directing, and great acting. The plot for me is the strongest part, the way the story unfolds (in a non-linear fashion) is just so masterfully done. Not much more to say, one of the greats. 4.5/5

Le Samouraï (1967) by Jean-Pierre Melville
Seen this on a bunch of lists. It inspired John Woo to make The Killer. And yet, I haven't been this let down since Rebel Without a Cause. Don't get me wrong, the main character is cool as fuck. In that cool, French way. And he's a fucking assassin for Christ's sake. And there some cool shots/vibes, considering it's a noir set in 60s Paris. But it's not enough to carry 100+ minutes. Not a bad film, just overall forgettable. Sometimes I wonder if 'influential' films (that came out 50+ years ago) have permeated film culture so deeply that they lose that impact they had upon their original release and unfairly come off as stale now even if they were groundbreaking at the time. Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED talk. 3.5/5

Play Misty for Me (1971) by Clint Eastwood
Eastwood's first time directing. And it's a solid effort. Great performance from a young Jessica Walter AKA Lucille Bluth (RIP). Man, two AD references in the same post. Score! Unfortunately, the plot feels played out and nothing really stood out about this film, particularly, outside of Walter's performance. The stalker story has been done to death. Also, her character gives so many Stage 5 clinger red flags early on that it's hard to sympathize with Eastwood's character here. And gotta knock off points for that, plot-wise. 3.5/5

 

[birdup.snaildown]

why do they play the George Bluth/Iraq/Middle Eastern background jingle from Arrested Development every time Wonder Woman is on screen?

 

[cduggles]

La Haine AKA Hate (1995) by Mathieu Kassovitz
Felt like I was just having out with some chavs on the streets of Paris. I heard Tarantino refer to "hanging out" films (he was talking about Fast Times at Ridgemont High at the time FYI) and I suppose this would qualify as one. Except this isn't a comedy set in Austin, it's a drama set across a canvas of socio-political turmoil, specifically as it relates to police abuse. Very topical. Anyway, there were some good shots in this one, pacing could have been better, but the acting (and the ending!) make this one above average. 4/5

Great movie.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Yeah "La Haine" is one of my favorites for sure! The anti-hero main characters, the dialogue, the social commentary etc, it's all done to perfection in that one...it one of those films that moves seamlessly from hilarious comedy to poignant drama. It's a great movie!

 

[Buzz Lightbeer]

Keep up the movie reviews guys, saw some excellent ones from in this thread lately

 

[neversickanymore]

The Trial of the Chicago 7 .. not bad.. “overruled”. Enjoyed it. American corruption is unique as we feel a need to justify it and for that God bless us.

 

[Cream Gravy?]

Gosh my list of unreviewed films is like 14 now... I'll try and get started today, finally feeling rested after a long week. Also wanted to knock out The Neon Demon too. I have a bit of a thing for Elle Fanning even if she put on some weight in 2020

 

[Cream Gravy?]

Alright, got 14 movies to review... gonna start with the ones I don't recall as well and work forward each day.




Ordinary People (1980)

This film encapsulated my high school 'tragedy' sooooooo well. It hit me on so many levels.

In essence, it was about a family who had lost their eldest son in a boating accident. The younger son, being the survivor, blames himself for the death of his brother and as such we see him at the beginning of the film having recently returned home from a long stay at an in-patient hospital for having cut his wrists (down the river, ain't no attention seeking here...) and nearly bleeding to death.

We see his parents try to interact with him. Their life should be peachy keen, they're rich as can be, the father (played excellently by Donald Sutherland) is a businessman or lawyer of some type and makes big bucks. The mother is the unaffectionate type... we see this play out till a sort of shocking end to her roll in the family. She's always trying to pretend her son isn't depressed, ignore his suicide attempt, while his dad is trying to understand his grieving son and grieve himself.

The wife is ashamed of their son seeing a psychologist (of course, it's 1980) and denies it to people, while the husband desperately tries to understand and help his son, realizing just how much his other son's death truly impacted him as well.

I don't wana give away too much of the plot. Watching this 2 hour family tragedy is worth doing is all I'll say. As someone from a less affluent but still very socially strict family who tried to off himself at 16... I really, really identified with this film. My wife said to me, "Oh wow, so the whole movie is just based off your high school years huh?" Gave me a chuckle... in a sad, yet good way.

I think any parent dealing with a depressed child should give this movie a watch. The film won 4 Oscars, and they were all well deserved. Can't recommend this one enough!

8.5/10




American Honey (2016)

Not much to this film (yet a 2hr53min run time!) and yet it was so powerful. A group of impoverished teenagers travel from city to city in the U.S. trying to con rich folks into buying magazine subscriptions (and yes, it's contemporary, people in the film laugh at the concept of magazines). Led by a bitch of a woman (played by Riley Keough) who lords over the group, and her lackey played by a very charismatic Shia LeBeouf, they expose to us the collapse of the American dream. The lead actor Sasha Lane does an amazing job portraying the struggles that white Southern impoverished youth face (poverty in America isn't racial... slaves are needed no matter their skin color. The slaves at your small-town Walmart are white, have you noticed?) and the film is so gripping that you just can't look away, despite the runtime!

No contemporary film has helped me to realize just how far we've fallen in America, how sad our lives truly are here; yes, the kids have their fun, they travel, they sing along to crappy rap music to pump themselves up... but in the end, the music always stops, and we see them having that 'thousand yard stare' as they blankly look out the window at run down small towns throughout the South and Midwest.

In my experience, no other film has EVER captured youth poverty so fucking well. Most of the 'actors' were just kids the director approached on the street and interviewed on the spot, giving the film a truly realistic and gritty feel. Even Sasha Lane as the lead lol... when she was approached on the beach in Panama City by the casting crew, she tried to walk away with her friend because they thought they were being scouted for porn. That says it all right there I feel.

Amazing film. Depressing, gritty, true to life. A bit long winded though, so by the end you feel the message is being pounded into your face a biiiit too much. But by then, you're nearly done with the film, and by gosh does this message need to be seen and heard. The Zoomers are being left behind, and well... America doesn't care.

7.7/10

 

[Cream Gravy?]

The Neon Demon (2016)

This N.W.R. film was... something lol. Drive was a classic, but the screenplay was written by someone else. Here we see Winding-Refn in his true, self-indulgent form; the technicolor beauty of this film cannot be denied, and yet it's only skin-deep (no pun intended).

Elle Fanning was only 16 years old when they shot this film, so unfortunately(?) the nudity was rather limited. There are a few scenes where we get a pretty good look at Fanning in her panties (sorry y'all, I'm a perv). Anyways, she really showed some amazing acting chops in this one. Despite N.W.R.'s terrible screenplay, we see Fanning truly hit her stride. To be frank all the acting was good, from her to Keanu Reeves. But the plot... the screenplay... bleh!

This was a gorgeously shot film with a fantastic soundtrack full of good actors. BUT, it was not a good film. I had my wife watch it a second time with me to confirm my feelings about it, and both of us turned to each other and said, "I feel like I was just visually raped." I think that about sums it up lol.

If you're cool with gorey, outré type stories, this'll tickle your fancy. If on the other hand you're repulsed by say, necrophilia... steer clear.


5/10 (because it did spur me to watch it twice)

 

[Burnt Offerings]

^ Yeah that movie was lame. I liked some of his other movies like, as you said, "Drive", even "Only God Forgives" (which, admittedly, was slow as hell and definitely self-indulgent but had some good elements I thought). I also liked NWR's "Pusher" trilogy, which is done is a quite different style than his later films...more realistic and gritty, less stylized...but I didn't like "The Neon Demon" at all. I only watched about half of it, turned it off and never finished it

 

[birdup.snaildown]

Bloodthirsty (2020)

Following the tradition of taking classic horror tropes in different directions, Bloodthirsty mixes lycanthropes with the indie music scene. It's a weird beast. The twist near the end didn't do much for me. The transformation scene pales in comparison to 1981's American Werewolf in London. The cast is a bit of a mixed bag. I was looking forward to seeing Michael Ironside, but he only makes a cameo appearance... Overall, Bloodthirsty was a pretty forgettable experience but decent enough to keep me watching until the end.

2/5

 

[birdup.snaildown]

Fiddlesticks. This is what I was expecting but in the back of my mind I was trying to convince myself to overcome my cynicism and give it a chance. I don't know if I'll be able to. The last thing I want to do is watch a bunch of hollywod elites appropriate my culture if it's clear they didn't put in the effort to truly understand it.

YMMV.

It's probably worth watching for Glenn Close's performance. It depends on how much an Oscar queen you are, I guess. I'm always curious about nominated performances. In this case, she deserves the nom more than the Borat girl. Can't say if she deserved to win. I haven't seen Winners or The Father yet. The latter is definitely on my short list, but not just because of the quality of the cast. I also have a serious thing for Olivia Colman. If I had to pick top my top two celebrity crushes, it'd be her and Mary Steenburgen (circa 1993).

I realize I have unusual taste, but - if anyone happens to be interested - Colman did a nudist film with Robert Webb (the idiot from Peep Show). Throughout the entire history of cinema, there are few scenes from movies that I can substitute for pornography. Steenburgen seducing a young Johnny Depp in What's Eating Gilbert Grape also does the trick for whatever reason. I'd rather not think about why too much.

I went off on a bit of a tangent there.

Elegy isn't a bad film. Don't not watch it based on my opinion. I liked Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull and I hated There Will Be Blood, so what the fuck do I know?

I suggest you give it a go.

NSFW:

 

[Snafu in the Void]

If you're a fan of horrible B Movies and lovable bad movies this is a jackpot. Rates 2.9 on IMDB.

This movie is so hilariously bad and the fact that it stars Bruce Willis makes it infinitely more hilarious.

It has a decent budget and production and takes itself seriously which makes it even more funny.

The acting, characters, dialogue, effects and death scenes are SOOOOO bad I was laughing like a little kid watching family guy.

Definitely worth a watch.

I'd give it 8.5/10 in entertainment value. I loved it.

They probably spent 95% of the budget just to hire Willis and that makes it worth watching alone.

 

[Cream Gravy?]

I didn't like "The Neon Demon" at all. I only watched about half of it, turned it off and never finished it

The first half is the only worthwhile footage anyhow. I'd say by around 60 minutes in, turn off the film. You've got your answers by then lol.

I liked Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull and I hated There Will Be Blood, so what the fuck do I know?

Woah. I don't even know how to comprehend those words different strokes for different folks!