Night of the Living Dead, Carnival of Souls, Onibaba, Kuroneko, Videodrome, Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby are a few off the top of my head.
Night of the Living Dead, Carnival of Souls, Onibaba, Kuroneko, Videodrome, Repulsion, Rosemary's Baby are a few off the top of my head.
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
Also Vampyr - Der Traum des Allan Gray and Eraserhead. Arguably Sweet Movie.
Just because...
The Fabelmans (Steven Spielberg, 2022) mild
Petite maman (Céline Sciamma, 2021) mild
The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh, 2022) mild
The last book I read was...
The Complete Short Stories by Mark Twain
The (New) World
24. The Gambler (1974) - Caan is the man. Its dark stuff, hopeful yet aware of the reality of the tragic titular gambler - obviously an influence on Uncut Gems.
Been meaning to watch this.Quoting Mal (view post)
Expires in a couple days, better get to it!
What an odd ending!
So yeah, The Gambler is another 70s movie that just makes the 70's stick out as an awesome decade in filmmaking for me.
The characters feel lived in, it's not your typical plotting from beginning to end, and James Caan is more or less still playing as Sonny Corleone, one of my favorite characters in movies.
Plus, there's a scene where James Caan is merciless on his mother in tennis and almost drives a car right into a tollbooth (which has to just be a mistake that they just kept in).
I suppose this can set in for Week 52 on my list.
Thanks for keeping the thread alive everyone.
I'm sorry I haven't been keeping it updated and active. Work has been nuts (at least I've got an assistant manager now!), and with Jen losing her vision our ability to watched subtitled stuff has been reduced hugely.
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
Does Criterion channel not have a viewing history?
Probably not. They can't even have a channel on the PS4
BUTTT.... 50% off sale starts... today??
Got the World of Wong Kar Wai box set.
It is the most extra box set I've ever seen.
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
22. Vernon, Florida (1981) - A little gem from Errol Morris about turkey hunting and old timers shooting the shit. I enjoyed it, very much a throwback to more simple times (at least, for most of the US).
23. Eating Raoul (1982) - This is a odd, nasty little dark comedy about a couple trying to scrape up some cash to buy a house/restaurant - and in the process they realize they can lure, rob, and murder unsuspecting victims from a sex ad to fund their dreams. The joke execution is fairly solid and the performances oddly charming. It is a very frank film, with loads of content that would make most run for the hills. But it hit the right notes for me and gave me plenty to chew on, so I'm looking forward to watching more from star/writer/director Paul Bartel (and lucky for me, I just blind bought a copy of his film Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills from the Kino sale). 7/10
Thanks for the reminder - this is one I missed.
This was loads of fun - great recommendation!
Last edited by Yxklyx; 07-04-2021 at 01:13 AM.
5. Released on Laserdisc (Criterion Collection Laserdisc Titles) - Forbidden Planet 5/5
This was slower than I expected it to be and some of the dialogue within the love story hasn't aged well, but it gets a perfect score for the sound design alone, which makes the film grow uneasier with every new detail the C-57D crew discovers in Dr. Morbius's paradise. Plus the mix of practical and lighting effects for the time were awesome, the sets pop with vibrant colors thanks to the choice of film stock in addition to the subsequent restoration, and the narrative is packed with harrowing yet thought-provoking ideas about God complexes, man's appetite for destruction and its place as a form of creation. Phenomenal stuff.
13. 1950s - La Strada 4/5
Having seen a few films from Fellini before this one, I was waiting for the surrealistic elements to make their appearance and give the film a lighthearted turn. What I got was a film that was surprisingly more grounded in realism and devastating than any of the prior films from Fellini I had seen up to that point. The vaudeville acts at its center wandered post-war Italy hoping for a reversal of fortune that sadly never comes, giving the film a melancholic tone throughout the series of vignettes that play out. Thankfully, Giuletta Masina provides levity through a charismatic, visually-driven lead performance as her character tries to bring hope and optimism to her dying world.
Random aside: I went to a seminar before La Strada that was about Fellini's career, where I learned his films would gradually add more surrealistic and stream-of-consciousness elements as his life progressed. It's as if he always knew that the world of dreams provides more joy and hope than reality ever could, and by the end of La Strada, I was heartbroken that its characters didn't have a place like that to which they could retreat.
27. Directed by Federico Fellini - Nights of Cabiria (if repeat viewings count) 5/5
A keen observation of a changing Rome through the eyes of a spunky but endearing escort as she searches for a life of decadence and love down avenues of spirituality, romance, entertainment and high society until she learns all she needs to get by is an undying spirit. Giuletta Masina recorded another tremendous performance, delivering Cabiria's biting quips with savage ferocity and reacting to the events that unfold around her with powerful facial expressions and body language, especially when she dances alone on the sidewalk to Nino Rota's sweeping score, which aurally conveys Cabiria's dreams of being swept off her feet with wonder and beauty. Add gorgeous black and white cinematography and a meticulous 4K restoration, and you have another timeless masterpiece from Federico Fellini. 5/5
32. Watch any film featured in the Godzilla Boxset - Godzilla vs. Gigan 3.5/5
42. Samurai - Sword of Doom 4.5/5
48. Foreign-Language Oscar Winners (Criterion Collection: Foreign-Language Oscar Winners) - 8 1/2 (again, if repeat viewings count) 4/5
After my first viewing of this in several years, I remember why I didn’t understand much about it when I was in high school: It's really heady and packed with philosophical ideas about life, art and the film industry, leaving viewers with a lot to ruminate on well after the film’s conclusion. That said, I still love how grounded the dream sequences are while still feeling surreal, I love the soundtrack, and the film has been impeccably restored. At the end of it all, though, what is clear is the film's point that making a film is a replication of existence on Earth. Despite the pressures and stressors that come with it, the act of filmmaking is a grand union of eclectic stars and businessmen with eccentric artists, all of whom are carrying personal stories and employ them to not only put on a show for all audiences to enjoy, but also to replicate the spectacle of life itself.
Will post write-ups later. Don't mind me being a late entry.
Last edited by Ivan Drago; 07-04-2021 at 05:22 AM.
Last Five Films I've Seen (Out of 5)
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse (Mackesy, 2022) 4.5
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (Crawford, 2022) 4
Confess, Fletch (Mottola, 2022) 3.5
M3GAN (Johnstone, 2023) 3.5
Turning Red (Shi, 2022) 4.5
Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953) 5
615 Film
Letterboxd
Freaking ADORE Forbidden Planet. GOAT sci fi in my books.
"All right, that's too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?"
"Rick...it's a flamethrower."
"WEEK 19" - Any film in the 2010s - MINDING THE GAP
Criterion Sale at B&N.
Picked up:
Minding the Gap
Seconds
Memories of Murder
"Week 17" - 90s Film
DEEP COVER
This is a neat little gem that I would've never knew existed if it weren't for Criterion.
Pulpy, VERY early 90s, and Goldblum. For the most part, this works really well, although there's definitely some unintentional comedy that brings it down a notch.
I really liked Deep Cover. First watch was last year.
Bought the WKW set, The Breakfast Club, Sword of Doom, La Piscine and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg during the B&N sale last month. The only WKW films I’ve seen in that set are In The Mood For Love and 2046 so I’m really excited to dig into the rest!
Super bummed Nashville and Days of Heaven are out of print now, though.
Last Five Films I've Seen (Out of 5)
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse (Mackesy, 2022) 4.5
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (Crawford, 2022) 4
Confess, Fletch (Mottola, 2022) 3.5
M3GAN (Johnstone, 2023) 3.5
Turning Red (Shi, 2022) 4.5
Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953) 5
615 Film
Letterboxd
I should watch 2046 again.
Nashville?!
Stuff I've Watched out of *****
The Last Duel - ***
Only Murders in the Building: **
Squid Games: **.5
Yep. My gut says Paramount wanted their films back for Paramount+. That's why I also grabbed The Thin Red Line when I could.
Last Five Films I've Seen (Out of 5)
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse (Mackesy, 2022) 4.5
Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (Crawford, 2022) 4
Confess, Fletch (Mottola, 2022) 3.5
M3GAN (Johnstone, 2023) 3.5
Turning Red (Shi, 2022) 4.5
Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953) 5
615 Film
Letterboxd
Me too. I blind bought it years ago. Only thing I really remember is thinking the cinematography was astounding.
Picking up where I left off in May with some documentaries directed by women.
20. Directed by a woman -- Harlan County U.S.A. lives up to its reputation as one of the great docs. One wonders if a male filmmaker would've given as much attention to the families of the coal miners, particularly the wives who were essential to the strike efforts. And the music, good lord... these people aren't just singing songs, they're telling the stories of their sorrow and death-filled lives. Putting the music front and center allows the emotions to come through without resorting to the obvious tactics of lesser advocacy films (like zooming in on a teary testimonial for instance). Essential viewing if you're into documentary film or roots music. Four stars.
21. Pioneers of African American Cinema -- Two shorts from Zora Neale Hurston: Fieldwork Footage and Commandment Keeper Church, Beaufort South Carolina, May 1940. I guess aside from being an author, Hurston is regarded as the first female African-American filmmaker? These two super amateurish shorts with un-synchronized sound seem more like afterthoughts/by-products to the work Hurston was already doing in the respective communities, and as such their value is more anthropological than cinematic.
22. Documentary -- News from Home is further proof that Chantal Akerman is one of cinema's most radical formalists. On a strictly stylistic level I was enthralled, in a way, by her editing choices and superlative compositions. Thematically, however, I wasn't as tuned in as others -- the passive-aggressive mother gave me anxiety more than anything else. Three stars.
EDIT: I forgot to post week 19 a while back. 2010s -- Certain Women. I can't stay away from Reichardt even though I almost never love her movies.
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Last edited by Idioteque Stalker; 08-25-2021 at 05:48 PM.
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