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Post by Mattsby on Jan 13, 2021 22:10:49 GMT
The Belle Star Story (1968) Under 7/10 but special bc it's the only spaghetti Western directed by a woman: Lina Wertmüller who replaced the original director after a few days, rewrote and recast some of it. It's disjointed and flashback-heavy but the action is awesome and Elsa Martinelli chain-smoking cigars and handling her business is worth the price of admission. Great year for Westerns; this one could use a restoration.
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Post by wilcinema on Jan 14, 2021 9:23:15 GMT
Inherit the wind: It didn't always flow exactly like I hoped it would but it's still a terrific ensemble piece with Spencer Tracy and Fredric March battling it out in court like two masters of acting.
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Post by Mattsby on Jan 14, 2021 19:02:38 GMT
Two from French-Swiss helmer Ursula Meier, Home (2008) 7/10 or higher, starring a silly, scary, manic-depressive Isabelle Huppert whose family lives in a remote home right next to a ceaselessly buzzing highway. There's a Eugène Ionesco absurdism to it - Charlie Kaufman fans should love it. It's an oddball, disturbing little movie. And then I watched Sister (2012) 8/10 maybe (and I prefer the French title The Child From Above) - loved this, about a ski resort pickpocket boy and his sister. It feels like a fresher sort of Dardenne movie and packs unexpected emotion without overdoing it. Meier is really gifted with actors, getting from them genuine-feeling chemistry.... She manages to tackle these two struggling family stories with totally different texture.... She has a sense of humor too, and a good eye for poetic compositions.
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Post by Pavan on Jan 14, 2021 19:57:10 GMT
Do the Right Thing (1989)-
Finally saw this Spike Lee joint. Its as if i was actually watching an incident that happened in a real neighborhood. Smart and vivid in its portrayal of different personalities. Still very much relevant today- 8.5/10
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Post by pacinoyes on Jan 14, 2021 20:38:32 GMT
While The City Sleeps (1956) - 8/10 - re-watch Fantastic later day noir by Fritz Lang which has one of his best scripts and a deep cast (Dana Andrews, Rhonda Fleming, Ida Lupino, Vincent Price, Thomas Mitchell, Howard Duff, George Sanders etc.) A tight 100 minutes and many great Lang shots of windows, glass, shadows, odd perspectives and odd character connections too......something of a minor classic - especially stylistically ........but that wraps up too neat.
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Post by countjohn on Jan 14, 2021 23:20:19 GMT
One Eyed Jacks
This really grew on me as it went along. The story is kind of an overlong boilerplate western, but Brando is giving 100% for one of the final times outside of a few of his comeback roles in the 70's and I liked his direction. It sort of has a distinctive visual style, I wish he could have directed movies in other genres with better scripts. Apparently directing this one wore him out so much he never wanted to do it again. Good score too. The last 15 minutes or so was really suspenseful stuff and elevated the movie for me. Speaking of the end this also has one of the earliest inversions of the "riding off into the sunset" stock situation that I've seen with Brando riding off into bleak snowy tundra at the end.
8/10
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Post by jakesully on Jan 14, 2021 23:47:52 GMT
Contraband Never even knew about this Marky Mark film before. It was actually entertaining from start to finish. Filled with good action scenes & a twist that I didn't see coming . 7/10
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Post by Pavan on Jan 15, 2021 16:56:10 GMT
Fitzcarraldo (1982)
An adventure that treads on dangerous and an ambition that treads on madness. Lengthy but every bit weighty as its steamship. Gets lost in its own logistics at times and i was expecting a more darker ending but otherwise this is pure and raw Herzogian cinema. Klaus Kinski was perfectly cast- 9/10
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Post by Pavan on Jan 15, 2021 20:22:21 GMT
The Sacrifice (1986)-
Can't say I'm really enamored by it but there are some powerful portions in it filled with stunning imagery that grabbed my full attention and at other times i was looking at my watch- 7/10
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Post by theycallmemrfish on Jan 15, 2021 20:44:25 GMT
Richard Jewell - should have been easily 20-30 minutes shorter. Fine performances from the principal three save this from being a mind numbing bore, at least.
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Post by Mattsby on Jan 15, 2021 21:38:44 GMT
The Night and the Moment (1994) Up to 7ish/10 - Dafoe is a libertine writer who has a battle of erotic wit with a noblewoman (Lena Olin) over the course of one night. There's a teasing self-aware air, a theater feel, to the perfs (even a complete fourth wall wink), and it's an eye-catching production, with a mostly Italian crew of the best of the best (Ennio score, big and beautiful; gorgeous Giuseppe Rotunno cinematography, etc). Miramax bought the US rights and shelved it for four years before putting it direct to video. Underrated a bit... 5.3 on IMDb! Sort of a downsized, comical, less complex Dangerous Liaisons - @tyler !
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Post by pacinoyes on Jan 16, 2021 9:04:23 GMT
Tesis (1996) - 7.5/10 rewatchAmenábar's marvelously entertaining and batshit insipid debut that makes Argento and De Palma seem like narrative masters and doesn't even introduce the idea of cops until it's ridiculously late. It's worse than "defund the police", it's ignore them altogether...... Ana Torrent is lovely (and adult!) and plays the De Palma Nancy Allen role but as a smart brunette (except for that cops thing ) and the film has enough style and zip and a point to be immensely satisfying ......there's a better, less popcorn version of this to be made....but this is a remarkably assured debut - Wes Craven whose Scream has much in common here would be proud.
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Post by pacinoyes on Jan 16, 2021 23:02:43 GMT
The Day of the Beast (1995) - 7.5 (maybe higher, fnck it)/10Never saw this before - even though it has quite a cult following and .....it's...........totally awesome. A genre mash-up satire that rivals Buffet Froid but not as sharp or tight (or as good) it goes off the rails in many wildly fun ways on purpose - it is great fun.......at first it seems too long, then you're sad that it ends. Part horror/part comedy/part religious allegory/part Omen/part Christmas film (?!?!) this is more clever than overtly funny but it's funny enough and it is as clever as hell (no pun). Highly recommended .......for some of you.
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Post by Mattsby on Jan 16, 2021 23:36:52 GMT
Ripley's Game (2002) 7.5/10 - Strange case where the movie is both underrated and overpraised depending on your view. It's coincidentally another fem-helmed movie I've seen recently that had paused US distribution - this was delayed two years and released straight to video in '04, hailed by a lot of critics at the time (NYT, New Yorker, Ebert) as the best Ripley - better than Purple Noon, American Friend, Talented Mr Ripley - wow. Wim Wenders already adapted the novel brilliantly but this one has its pluses - the major train sequence is better, and Hopper isn't as mysteriously wily and hilarious as Malkovich whose Ripley is at the front. Liliana Cavani (nearly 70y/o at the time) subdues her pet depravity in favor of Hitchcockian classiness and smoothed-in humor. She questions in her characters their taste, motives, and leverages. And smartly etches around Malkovich who can chill you on a dime, in a glance or a single word, and there is something wonderful in his perf too, the feel of something opened, someone learning to reflect. He's also very funny at times - like his amazing diss to a leather-jacketed Ray Winstone - "You look like you're on a condom run for the mob" - or when seconds before murdering several people on the train he puts out his cigarette bc he realizes he's in the non-smoking section.
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Post by wilcinema on Jan 17, 2021 15:42:43 GMT
The Day of the Beast (1995) - 7.5 (maybe higher, fnck it)/10Never saw this before - even though it has quite a cult following and .....it's...........totally awesome. A genre mash-up satire that rivals Buffet Froid but not as sharp or tight (or as good) it goes off the rails in many wildly fun ways on purpose - it is great fun.......at first it seems too long, then you're sad that it ends. Part horror/part comedy/part religious allegory/part Omen/part Christmas film (?!?!) this is more clever than overtly funny but it's funny enough and it is as clever as hell (no pun). Highly recommended .......for some of you. Is this the Spanish one by Alex de la Iglesia?
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Post by pacinoyes on Jan 17, 2021 16:09:47 GMT
The Day of the Beast (1995) - 7.5 (maybe higher, fnck it)/10Never saw this before - even though it has quite a cult following and .....it's...........totally awesome. A genre mash-up satire that rivals Buffet Froid but not as sharp or tight (or as good) it goes off the rails in many wildly fun ways on purpose - it is great fun.......at first it seems too long, then you're sad that it ends. Part horror/part comedy/part religious allegory/part Omen/part Christmas film (?!?!) this is more clever than overtly funny but it's funny enough and it is as clever as hell (no pun). Highly recommended .......for some of you. Is this the Spanish one by Alex de la Iglesia? Yes! Tbh I was expecting some more chatter about this post since it has quite a cult following and we have some horror movie aficionado types on MAR - Tommen_Saperstein, cheesecake, Mattsby etc. even though this isn't horror specifically as much as mash-up/satire............somehow this is one of those movie that always got by me.....I thought it was a blast mostly ......
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Post by wilcinema on Jan 17, 2021 16:17:04 GMT
Is this the Spanish one by Alex de la Iglesia? Yes! Tbh I was expecting some more chatter about this post since it has quite a cult following and we have some horror movie aficionado types on MAR - Tommen_Saperstein , cheesecake , Mattsby etc. even though this isn't horror specifically as much as mash-up/satire............somehow this is one of those movie that always got by me.....I thought it was a blast mostly ...... De La Iglesia is very good at mixing genres. La Comunidad and Balada Triste de Trompeta are my favorites but he has made other good ones. Acción Mutante is a blast
And of course, there is Pedro behind his success. He produced his first movie.
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Post by cheesecake on Jan 17, 2021 16:47:52 GMT
Is this the Spanish one by Alex de la Iglesia? Yes! Tbh I was expecting some more chatter about this post since it has quite a cult following and we have some horror movie aficionado types on MAR - Tommen_Saperstein , cheesecake , Mattsby etc. even though this isn't horror specifically as much as mash-up/satire............somehow this is one of those movie that always got by me.....I thought it was a blast mostly ...... I had it on a past 31 Days and it's SO FREAKING GOOD. Love it.
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Post by Tommen_Saperstein on Jan 17, 2021 19:59:33 GMT
I *almost* watched Day of the Beast last October. I'll see it eventually. I saw de la Iglesia's Last Circus yeeeeears ago and didn't connect with it, so that might explain my cold feet. but pacinoyes , you say Buffet Froid, I pay attention
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Post by Mattsby on Jan 18, 2021 0:58:04 GMT
Jennifer's Body (2009) - I hope the lords of lurid high-school horror satires with split-diopter shots and thorough sexiness will forgive me for waiting a dozen years to see this. Because I won't. Would make a helluva double feature with My Soul To Take.
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Post by Pittsnogle_Goggins on Jan 19, 2021 2:13:41 GMT
Billy Elliot. First time watch. Pretty great and Jaime Bell gave a fantastic child performed. I definitely got a bit choked up around hi and his dad towards the end.
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Post by Joaquim on Jan 19, 2021 3:16:11 GMT
Rewatched Caligula the other night and I am here to put respect on its name bc I will not stand idly by as it sits in the low 5s on IMDb and mid 2s on letterboxd. Yes the central message of the film, that absolute power corrupts absolutely, is inherently flawed considering Caligula was already corrupt and twisted well before he took power (on my birthday, very cool) and the hardcore stuff actually is unnecessary sometimes but let’s look past that. The cast is stacked and the big names actually performed. No, no one gave the best performance of their life here (except the penthouse models), but it was good enough. The costumes and sets are incredible and I will go as far as to say nomworthy. And while it’s not historically accurate to a perfect tee, it does a pretty good job of sticking close to the historical records of Tacitus and Suetonius, and as a total dork for anything Ancient Rome I can appreciate that. It’s also kinda funny in parts, I fucking belly laughed when Caligula pointed out a senator’s wife’s hairy nips then angrily told the senator she was gonna scare the customers away. It’s 2.5hrs long but feels 45mins shorter and that ultimately left me wanting more but maybe that’s just bc I know there’s so much more to tell about this guy. Before you know it the praetorian guard is taking his ass out. Caligula needs the miniseries treatment, although to be fair so should most Roman emperors
Still a 7/10
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Post by MsMovieStar on Jan 19, 2021 13:58:21 GMT
Oh honey, I surrendered my inhibitions and watched this: Garden of Eden (2010) with Mena Suvari, Jack Huston and Caterina Murino. It's based on a Hemingway story about a ménage à trois set in the South of France in the 1920s (but filmed in Spain). High production values, gorgeous locations, great costumes, great music, but sadly the acting was a bit flat and lacking, especially Mena Suvari, who didn't quite capture the excitement of a crazy femme fatale for me. Shame because it's a gorgeous production 6/10. It sits well with; The Moderns (1988) Henry & June (1990) and Head in the Clouds (2004), if some of those are your favorites, but not quite as good.
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Post by Mattsby on Jan 20, 2021 3:48:42 GMT
Two that were regular watches during my childhood..... Nick of Time (1995) - Depp and Walken were and are two of my fav actors and I remember finding this in a bargain bin somewhere and felt almost like I'd discovered it - and it fittingly felt "small" to me at the time, which I can better articulate now what I couldn't then - it feels very made for tv, though it wasn't. The camera isn't exactly handheld, it's grumpy, a little off, imperfect (even the coloring seems pale and undone). I'd wager a lot of shots were done in one take and the whole movie has that fast-food feel and effect - enjoyable but cheap (even though it had a sizable budget!) and not very nutritional, though that's besides why we're here - there's something to be said for its Hitchcockian struggle around the time gimmick. Depp wobbles to the finish line here tho he had a great decade, meanwhile Walken ("I'll make GRAVY of your daughter") is a riot and there's one moment where he checks the coin return on a payphone that I'd bet was improvised and it's a great little moment. Strange open-ending as if they expected sequels.... It ends like Cronenberg's Shivers, the virus (an evil political adviser) has left the building. Wayne's World (1992) - I have a soft spot for duo comedies, going back to the vitaphone vaudeville one-reelers with those geniuses Shaw and Lee. Wayne and Garth ("two chimps on a davenport!" ) are funny at times or so intentionally unfunny they are again funny. I remember quoting half of this movie with my friends back in the day, which is ironic bc the movie is itself a referential barrage. Director here Penelope Spheeris is really fascinating - gutter punk queen and comedian go to. She keeps this loony, times the pauses right, and makes sure the winks don't stop on our account. Many will hate this off the bat, and I wouldn't say I love it but it holds up for me - a ridiculously self aware two-way satire, and there's Tia Carrere.... shwing!
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Javi
Badass
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Post by Javi on Jan 20, 2021 22:26:50 GMT
First Cow - Really loved this. Reichardt continues to carve out one of the most perceptive, beautiful filmographies out there—almost like a mythology made up of small fables. She's the poet of American movies today imo. Nowhere near as unsettling as Meek's Cutoff--it's actually a very inviting, warm film. If it's less complex than Cutoff, it's also more alive, more full of details: the melting pot in primitive America seems to precede America itself. And in this particular garden, the temptress isn't a snake but the eponymous cow herself: her milk means money and progress, but also that holy flavor that makes foreigners feel at home. (And there's nothing but foreigners around!) You know you're in the presence of talent when a film makes you feel deeply about a cow. Most directors have no idea how to film human beings interacting with nature in an evocative way. Reichardt knows how. Deep greens and browns work their spell on us, framing the forest as if it were shielding the characters—as if they were children. Also loved John Magaro in this, a lyrical performance... his natural man maybe the hero we didn't know we needed. Most of all this movie made me really, really happy. Of course it's got flaws (most of them in the writing) but its humanity comes through and that constitutes a miracle in 2020. Holy...
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