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Post by MrsLangdonAlger on Apr 2, 2016 23:28:38 GMT -5
Midnight Special
I really liked it! Very well acted, doesn't over-explain itself, good tension, and interesting. I'm a sucker for Nichols' filmmaking in general. It's weird, though, during it I occasionally got the feeling that it's one that will get backlash or won't be looked upon kindly years from now. And at that time, I will be irritated.
Anyway, I liked Take Shelter better, but I still enjoyed the hell out of this.
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Ice Cream Planet
AV Clubber 
I get glimpses of the horror of normalcy.
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Post by Ice Cream Planet on Apr 3, 2016 6:43:08 GMT -5
Hotel Rwanda. I don't remember the Rwandan Genocide from the news, but I do remember it being a current event. If the film is any indication, it's not how I imagined. Kigali isn't a poor city; it doesn't look so different from an American city. That's terrifying. It also felt close to home in another way. It reminded me of stories Holocaust survivors would tell; the things they would do to survive, or to die with dignity. Holy shit did the rest of the world drop the ball, and the movie doesn't shy away from that fact. Very powerful. I can't remember which film I saw that floated this theory, but some historian/anthropologist hypothesized that a part of the reason the genocide was overlooked at the time was because Kurt Cobain's suicide happened right around then. Obviously, Cobain's death is tragic, but it is distressing and says a lot about global news and media that one singer's death managed to overshadow the slaughter of thousands upon thousands of individuals. |
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Post by Return of the Thin Olive Duke on Apr 3, 2016 11:13:32 GMT -5
Hotel Rwanda. I don't remember the Rwandan Genocide from the news, but I do remember it being a current event. If the film is any indication, it's not how I imagined. Kigali isn't a poor city; it doesn't look so different from an American city. That's terrifying. It also felt close to home in another way. It reminded me of stories Holocaust survivors would tell; the things they would do to survive, or to die with dignity. Holy shit did the rest of the world drop the ball, and the movie doesn't shy away from that fact. Very powerful. I can't remember which film I saw that floated this theory, but some historian/anthropologist hypothesized that a part of the reason the genocide was overlooked at the time was because Kurt Cobain's suicide happened right around then. Obviously, Cobain's death is tragic, but it is distressing and says a lot about global news and media that one singer's death managed to overshadow the slaughter of thousands upon thousands of individuals. I remember that from Long Way Down. I think a bigger factor may have been that there was also a genocide happening in Europe. Although the UN couldn't be bothered to do anything there either because it was only "the 14th worst place in the world." |
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Ice Cream Planet
AV Clubber
I get glimpses of the horror of normalcy.
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Post by Ice Cream Planet on Apr 4, 2016 16:21:25 GMT -5
Listen to Me Marlon
A haunting, heartbreaking, occasionally unfocused documentary/cinematic collage concerning the life of Marlon Brando. I applaud the film for its more messy approach instead of boringly lining up all of his life events like dominoes. It better captures his tortured genius. The film can occasionally fall a bit on the fawning side, but given the man was such a great talent and beauty, it's forgivable to get caught up in his legendary status. He really was an actor for the ages.
On the Waterfront
Save for an ending that is perhaps just a bit heavy on the uplift side, this is still a remarkable, brutal classic. Brando more than deserved his Oscar for his ferocious, danced performance, although all the actors are splendid. The atmosphere of working class despair and fear has also aged beautifully.
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Post by Jean-Luc Lemur on Apr 5, 2016 12:57:39 GMT -5
April & the Twisted World (Avril & le monde truqué)An extremely cool French comic book-style alternative history/science fiction story—a very Jean-Luc Lemur sort of movie and my favorite one of the year so far (sorry, Coens and Haynes, but old-school Vernian/Second Empire adventure is impossible to beat).
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Ice Cream Planet
AV Clubber
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Post by Ice Cream Planet on Apr 5, 2016 16:54:00 GMT -5
Strangers on a Train
I have two responses to this film, one positive and one negative. As an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's fantastically sour, misanthropic thriller, it's a largely toothless, tepid affair. As an Alfred Hitchcock film, it's a very well directed feature, with some queasy and humorous moments that rank among his best.
I have a feeling I would have liked it more had I not read the novel. Unsurprisingly, Highsmith's acidic worldview would never gel well with the Hayes Code and the general conventions of Old Hollywood. Hell, her acidic worldview probably only became an easier sell after the 90s.
But, credit where credit is due: Hitchcock certainly knows how to craft a good set piece.
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Post by MrsLangdonAlger on Apr 5, 2016 21:16:00 GMT -5
April & the Twisted World (Avril & le monde truqué)An extremely cool French comic book-style alternative history/science fiction story—a very Jean-Luc Lemur sort of movie and my favorite one of the year so far (sorry, Coens and Haynes, but old-school Vernian/Second Empire adventure is impossible to beat). I'm so mad this isn't in Chicago yet, and I don't see it showing up any time soon. |
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Post by Stuffed Salvador on Apr 5, 2016 22:48:31 GMT -5
Eye in the Sky
Not sure if I agree with the politics of drone warfare that this movie is touting, but as a film, it's a neat little thriller with several genuinely suspenseful moments (most of which involve Very Important British Actorsâ„¢ sitting around a table debating stuff.) Plus, the cast is pretty good together even if most of them don't share scenes with each other.
Hello, My Name is Doris
Sally Field's great performance is trapped in a nice but forgettable movie that she is able to elevate into something that's almost great.
Also, I thought I could handle my cringe comedy but nooooope! I had to walk out and hide in the lobby for a bit during the last act.
10 Cloverfield Lane
This holds up on repeat viewing in case you were wondering.
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Post by Jean-Luc Lemur on Apr 6, 2016 11:38:18 GMT -5
April & the Twisted World (Avril & le monde truqué)An extremely cool French comic book-style alternative history/science fiction story—a very Jean-Luc Lemur sort of movie and my favorite one of the year so far (sorry, Coens and Haynes, but old-school Vernian/Second Empire adventure is impossible to beat). I'm so mad this isn't in Chicago yet, and I don't see it showing up any time soon. Watching it I was actually reminded of all the slightly oddball (including my first encounters with Miyazaki) animated films I saw at the Gene Siskel Film Center, so I’d look out for it there (I was actually on the verge of becoming a member, and then I found out I had the opportunity to move to Amsterdam). |
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Post by rimjobflashmob on Apr 7, 2016 11:20:48 GMT -5
House (1977) and Upstream Color (2013), two films that will probably play much better if you go in knowing absolutely nothing about them. The former was a fever dream of hilarious insanity that I had actually seen scenes of before, but seemed even more insane when put in proper context. Its editing and effects are incredible (and bizarre), but what little plot there is is not as hard to follow as detractors make it seem. On the other hand, the latter was much more of a slow burn, shot and scored gorgeously, with minimal dialogue and handholding. The disorienting and horrifying first third gives way to slightly more organized structure as the film unspools into a quasi-love story with haunting undertones. Loved both of these and would watch them again in a heartbeat.
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Post by Sanziana on Apr 7, 2016 12:39:14 GMT -5
rimjobflashmob Those movies are both completely crazy and completely magnificent. I still have to see Shane Carruth's Primer, but something tells me I'm going to love it.
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Post by rimjobflashmob on Apr 7, 2016 12:42:46 GMT -5
rimjobflashmob Those movies are both completely crazy and completely magnificent. I still have to see Shane Carruth's Primer, but something tells me I'm going to love it. I somehow haven't seen Primer yet either, but after Upstream Color I will watch anything Carruth puts on film. I also downloaded the script to his probably-never-to-be-made A Topiary, excited to read that as well. |
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Post by Stuffed Salvador on Apr 7, 2016 15:08:07 GMT -5
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Post by rimjobflashmob on Apr 7, 2016 15:12:48 GMT -5
I found it via a comment in one of the Upstream Color AVC articles, sent you a PM. |
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Post by Stuffed Salvador on Apr 7, 2016 15:20:50 GMT -5
I found it via a comment in one of the Upstream Color AVC articles, sent you a PM. Gracias |
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Ice Cream Planet
AV Clubber
I get glimpses of the horror of normalcy.
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Post by Ice Cream Planet on Apr 8, 2016 18:41:22 GMT -5
Rebecca
A film that is about as good as its original source material. Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's novel strikes me as one of his more strange films simply because it's a melodrama and not much of a thriller, although it does maintain his trademark visual flairs. Joan Fontaine is wonderful as the lead, and Judith Anderson gives one of the great creepy performances for the ages. Both actresses should have won Oscars for their work. The only weak spots in the film were the exposition-heavy second half (a necessity, but what works well in the novel was a bit clunky on the screen) and Laurence Oliver's overly stiff, mannered performance.
Still, a very enjoyable film. I wouldn't say it was one of Hitchcock's best, but it was fun, much like the book.
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Post by Stuffed Salvador on Apr 8, 2016 18:55:01 GMT -5
Rebecca A film that is about as good as its original source material. Alfred Hitchcock's adaptation of Daphne du Maurier's novel strikes me as one of his more strange films simply because it's a melodrama and not much of a thriller, although it does maintain his trademark visual flairs. Joan Fontaine is wonderful as the lead, and Judith Anderson gives one of the great creepy performances for the ages. Both actresses should have won Oscars for their work. The only weak spots in the film were the exposition-heavy second half (a necessity, but what works well in the novel was a bit clunky on the screen) and Laurence Oliver's overly stiff, mannered performance. Still, a very enjoyable film. I wouldn't say it was one of Hitchcock's best, but it was fun, much like the book. I actually saw this movie a few weeks ago and did not like it. It didn't help that most of the time I kept thinking "Ugh, half of the problems in the film could be solved if someone fired the maid." Agree with you on Laurence Oliver though. The first half I thought his character acting stiff kind of added a mystery to his character but as the film went on I realized that he was just giving a stiff performance. |
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Post by Jean-Luc Lemur on Apr 8, 2016 19:09:32 GMT -5
Ah, Rebecca—I remember someone (non-sarcastically) calling me a homophobe after mentioning I liked the film back in 2006. I still enjoy it a lot, particularly for the great little role it gives George Sanders (menacing, mischievous, but appealing in his own way). I think Olivier’s mannered stiffness was really just the way Olivier did everything—it comes from his approach to the stage, and as strange as it seems today I think a lot of his reputation comes from having played roles without that sense of naturalness—there’s a beauty in his performances, and even if it isn’t quite a human one it can be effective (though I wouldn’t necessarily say Rebecca’s one of his best performances, either, it does suit the sort of character he’s playing—one who’s not forthcoming with the truth).
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Ice Cream Planet
AV Clubber
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Post by Ice Cream Planet on Apr 8, 2016 20:09:26 GMT -5
Stuffed Salvador: One thing to book did better was in having it be entirely from the perspective of the second Mrs. de Winter, who suffers from incredibly low self-esteem and general insecurity. It made a lot of her decisions seem more natural, because you could never quite trust just how truthful she was being in her own right. But, the film has to make it all literal, so there are times where the narrative moves close to Idiot Plot territory. Jean-Luc Lemur: Rebecca is homophobic? Geez, I didn't even think The Celluloid Closet took it that far. I'll admit I need to see more of Oliver's work. I wonder if his theatrical flair works better in Shakespeare adaptations? Here it just feels awkward; I get Maxim is not the most forthcoming characters, but at least the novel made it seem like he actually had passionate emotional responses rather than play-acting them. But, Olivier got an Oscar nomination for his work, so what do I know? I do wonder if Oliver's stiffness may have been partially because he hated Joan Fontaine. He does seem a bit more at easy in the few scenes he has where she isn't in the frame.
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Post by Jean-Luc Lemur on Apr 9, 2016 13:33:00 GMT -5
Ice Cream Planet I think it’s not the most favorable depiction of probably lesbians, which is what sparked the offense. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen his Shakespeare adaptations— Hamlet stands out for being all cinematic and black-and-white, but there’s still a lot of lyrical recitation in the acting, but it doesn’t really matter since the whole film’s kind of abstract. Richard III is definitely really stagey until the end, purposefully so, and a bit static and boring (I’ve heard similar about his Othello, which I haven’t seen, despite curiosity about young Maggie Smith as Desdemona). I think Henry V needs to be seen on the big screen, or at least a big TV—it shifts back and forth from stagey (I think the look was inspired by medieval miniatures) to very dynamic to stagey again. I saw it on VHS on a tiny TV so it didn’t really work for me, but given what I’ve heard about it elsewhere I think it might be impressive properly viewed.
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Dellarigg
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Post by Dellarigg on Apr 9, 2016 17:10:07 GMT -5
Woyzeck.
One of those pieces of writing that strike me as being peculiarly modern in many respects - some of the things Woyzeck says as his mind collapses could've come from a modern horror novel. I also liked the way Herzog set up the look of the interior scenes, with the characters in pools of light that give way to shadows around the edges. Kinski is terrifying but pitiable, and Eva Mattes portrays her own slump beautifully (especially in the children's story Tom Waits 'covered'). Best line came when Woyzeck was talking about the plight of the poor: 'And I think even if we got to heaven, we would have to work the thunder.'
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Post by Stuffed Salvador on Apr 9, 2016 17:52:18 GMT -5
Dolores Claiborne
So this was a lot better than I thought it'd be. I may actually love this whereas I only just like the book. Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh and Judy Parfitt are so insanely great in this.
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Ice Cream Planet
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I get glimpses of the horror of normalcy.
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Post by Ice Cream Planet on Apr 9, 2016 18:43:42 GMT -5
Dolores ClaiborneSo this was a lot better than I thought it'd be. I may actually love this whereas I only just like the book. Kathy Bates and Jennifer Jason Leigh and Judy Parfitt are so insanely great in this. I had the inverse feeling (loved the novel while I was more mixed on the film), although I was amused that I thought Jennifer Jason Leigh was the best part of the film whereas her character (as an adult) had such a small role in the book's narrative. Funny how that all works out. |
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Post by Mrs David Tennant on Apr 9, 2016 21:11:18 GMT -5
The Princess Bride. It is literally the perfect movie.
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repulsionist
TI Forumite
actively disinterested
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Post by repulsionist on Apr 10, 2016 13:34:35 GMT -5
Chandu the Magician (1932) - Impromptu library pick-up in Fox Horror packaging. Great cinematography from James Wong Howe in this one. Lots of great set pieces. Basically, this is an Aryan-Anglo superhero (Lowe) annointed by mystical, white magic super-power bestowing Vedantic sects set to battle ancient Egyptian black magician Roxor (Lugosi). Some severe torture in this Pre-Code film, I'd say. Overall, very enjoyable.
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Post by Superb Owl 🦉 on Apr 11, 2016 8:10:21 GMT -5
The Intern
Pretty enjoyable despite some weirdly outdated gender politics (which the movie also tries to call out?). The whole thing kind of skates by on the charm of it's cast, which is fine for Saturday night redbox and Chinese take-out movie.
Creed
I liked it and I'm always happy to see Michael B. Jordan get good parts, but I found it a little disappointing after all the glowing word of mouth. I imagine I'd be singing a different tune if I'd actually managed to see in the theaters early on, before the hype train took off.
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Dellarigg
AV Clubber
This is a public service announcement - with guitars
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Post by Dellarigg on Apr 11, 2016 8:28:48 GMT -5
MacbethOrson Welles version from 1948. This is a decent stab overall. The absolute cheapness of the budget leads to some good effects - the 'set', for instance, is basically stone walls open to the elements, amping up the brutality of life in those days. We don't see the killing of Duncan, which is how Shakespeare stages it, though most versions feel it's too powerful a moment to leave offscreen. I could perhaps have done without the over enunciated Scots burr, or the addition of the Holy Man character, but Welles is fine, as is Jeanette Nolan as Lady Macbeth. He also gets a shot of classic witchery: 
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Dellarigg
AV Clubber
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Post by Dellarigg on Apr 12, 2016 8:03:44 GMT -5
MacbethThe recent version with Fassbender. I reviewed this here when it came out in the UK, and have nothing much to add, but here goes. This version makes more of the implications of the 'I have given suck' speech than any other I know, and it's a fascinating avenue to explore: this is a very violent play when it comes to children. Interestingly, a child accompanies the witches here, too. Fassbender is fine, but I think Marion Cotillard steals it, and is one of the best Lady Macbeth's committed to film: from the start we see the fear behind the determination, as if she knows her own breakdown is as foretold as every other element in the story. Also, superb eye make-up. 
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Post by Superb Owl 🦉 on Apr 12, 2016 8:32:07 GMT -5
Spectre
It's a little slow, right? Not bad necessarily, although I think I have personally felt diminishing returns with each of Craig's Bond movies since Casino Royale. The Sam Smith song was as lousy as advertised and they used Waltz's hammy villainy too sparingly.
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Post by The Most Popular Commenter on Apr 12, 2016 18:56:08 GMT -5
Hardcore Henry.
Extremely dumb, extremely offensive and extremely good. Sharlto Copley irritates me a lot but I coped with the large amounts of him it featured.
Midnight Special.
My favourite movie so far this year. The first Joel Edgerton performance I've loved and Mike and Dunst are great as ever.
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