Movies you've just watched

[Xyga]

Descent was good but not one of the best at all

IMHO the true ending changes the movie for the better by a non-negligible percentage, but yeah agreed it's good yet not in the same league as Gokseong.
Still, these past 10 years or so as far as remember I have hardly seen any horror/thrillers that have managed to surprise me or genuinely creep me out.
Curious to know about your list of other good candidates (?)

[soprano1]

The Raven (1963)
What the fuck did I just saw?

[iconoclast]

From the last 10~ years, I'd put Diary (2006) and Kotoko in the same league as The Wailing. They're psychological horror though, so they're a bit different (especially Kotoko). A Tale of Two Sisters and Noroi are older, but I'd recommend them above anything else. They're the two best horror movies I've ever seen.

[EmperorIng]

All fine films, to be sure. All though, my favored Bud Spencer and Terence Hill film is Lo chiamavano Trinità.

Well I'll take that as a recommendation! This scene in particular is promising. I'm largely unfamiliar with Bud Spencer save for a movie or two. But I know Europe loved the man dearly.

Otto e Mezzo is probably among the greatest films ever made, as far as i'm concerned. A tour de force if there ever was one.

People often credit La Dolce Vita as the best Fellini. Don't get me wrong; I think it's an incredible film and a masterpiece (and with one of the most haunting closing shots in film, imo). However, Otto e Mezzo felt far more watchable, with more humor and charm.

Something about how utterly pathetic Mastroianni's character is just strikes me as hilarious: how the women in his life walk all over him, so he has constant fantasies about how he controls their lives and dominates over them sexually. How he is constantly badgered by his producers so he fantasizes about them getting a nice rope around their neck. How he thinks he is some worthwhile filmmaker when he's making some stupid sci-fi schlock. He is the ultimate loser but that is what gives the film its tenderness. His constant flashbacks and daydreams being a way of how he escapes his miserable life and how we see just how he became (or how he thinks he became) to be such a messed-up person.

So humor is mixed poignantly with pensive or somber moments; this is why I prefer it over the more slow-paced and apathetic mood of La Dolce Vita.

I think this is also present in Fellini's other masterpiece, Amarcord. My professor in college who turned me on to Fellini maintains that Amarcord is his greatest film, and I think it's one of his best. But for me its Otto e Mezzo all the way (with Amarcord in second place as of this post: I haven't watched the early stuff like Cabiria or La Strada).

[Zen]

A Tale of Two Sisters and Noroi are older, but I'd recommend them above anything else. They're the two best horror movies I've ever seen.

Agreed.
The wailing is an enjoyable film to be sure but not in the same class as these two. Noroi, in particular, struck me. A masterpiece of horror.

Also, Kôji Shiraishi directed (and wrote the screenplay for) Okaruto in 2009, four years after directing Noroi. If I recall correctly, Okaruto had

Spoiler

a superfluous and ludicrous few seconds tagged on the ending

Despite that minor detail, it is a very engaging and creepy film.

[kaicooper]

The Raven (1963)
What the fuck did I just saw?

looool..how was it?

======

The Wailing..there r 2 scenes cant stop loughing
first scene when the Dad/Police eating and doughtier asks him who's dead
second that creepy girl throwing stones on Police officers lol

[Skykid]

From the last 10~ years, I'd put Diary (2006) and Kotoko in the same league as The Wailing. They're psychological horror though, so they're a bit different (especially Kotoko). A Tale of Two Sisters and Noroi are older, but I'd recommend them above anything else. They're the two best horror movies I've ever seen.

Fuck me, I thought a Tale of Two Sisters was a complete turd. Never again.

[soprano1]

The Raven (1963)
What the fuck did I just saw?

looool..how was it?

======

The Wailing..there r 2 scenes cant stop loughing
first scene when the Dad/Police eating and doughtier asks him who's dead
second that creepy girl throwing stones on Police officers lol

The casting made it pretty awesome, but the story, while structured, was weird as hell. Jack Nicholson looked liked he was taken right out of a Happy Days episode, minus wardrobe.

[Vexorg]

Rogue One: ***1/2

Better than any of the prequel trilogy movies, and maybe even better than Episode 7, but that's not a particularly high bar. The Battle of Scarif was much better done than any of the battles in Episode 7, although a lot of the plot in this one seemed forgettable. On the other hand, a number of the characters felt generic and underdeveloped. More comments in spoiler text:

Spoiler

Given the nature of the story they are telling here it wasn't too much of a surprise when this ended up being basically a "Everyone dies" type movie, but when pretty much everyone already knows how it ends there probably aren't a lot of other options. The scale of destruction resulting from the battle makes it a little hard to believe that the Rebel Alliance had enough resources remaining to mount an effective attack on the Death Star at the Battle of Yavin though.

The one part I find a little hard to believe is how easily they were able to take out AT-ATs in this movie, when they had so much trouble with them at Hoth. You'd think they'd keep a few of those bombs around...

[TransatlanticFoe]

Spoiler

The rebel fleet is scattered and their main base still secret at the beginning of IV, returning to the base would compromise it. They don't know there's a timeline on the Death Star attack until it shows up in orbit but it's stated the defence is geared to a large scale assault so they only send what fighters they have (assuming they even had capital ships to hand)

The AT-ATs went down to torpedo hits, in Empire they only have speeders (which were only recently adapted to the cold conditions) because they need what starfighters they have to escort the convoy. The ground defence is to delay the Empire long enough to get the transports away, even assuming the starfighters were adapted to the cold, it'd be sily to risk them knowing you needed them once you got off planet

[rapoon]

From the last 10~ years, I'd put Diary (2006) and Kotoko in the same league as The Wailing. They're psychological horror though, so they're a bit different (especially Kotoko). A Tale of Two Sisters and Noroi are older, but I'd recommend them above anything else. They're the two best horror movies I've ever seen.

All great movies, particularly Noroi. One aspect of The Wailing that deserves as mention is the overwhelming mythological/religious symbolism (personally, I know jack shit about east asian mythology). It's been well received in Korea from this perspective and there are multiple granular reviews/explanations out there (detailed analysis). After running that through a translator (obviously not perfect, but you get the gist), I rewatched it and the experience was much different.

[Ed Oscuro]

Grizzly Man (2005) rewatch. [...] I wish someone could've sat Timmy down and explained that to his silly mop head, but I suspect it'd have been futile. 3;
Silly comment, not really worth it, but:

Spoiler

The bears already tried

I gotta say, the remixed Young Indiana Jonze Chronicles (each pair of episodes recut into one) is better than I'd have thought. There are some pretty wooly-headed lessons for kids in here but the cinematography is technically excellent, so it serves enough as a departure from strict travelogue. I'm only two episodes in, however. Of those, the second (really parts two and three) is better - maybe Tim saw the young Indy / Teddy Roosevelt one? - but the section with the French modernists was a blast. Silly stuff, but good fun. Spoilers: Climbing down the drainpipe never works in real life!

Other random thought: Did "The 39 Steps'" autogiro scene (quite funny to modern viewers) have any influence on Farenheit 451's tense aerial chase scenes? Or North by Northwest? Unfortunately for Hitch's film, it looks like a last-minute inclusion but the germ of an interesting idea is there.

[BIL]

Reviewing my options for cinematic beary terror, I'm reminded that his memorable term for Alaskan backcountry "the grizzly maze" made it into at least one subsequent film. Unfortunately for Tim, it's pretty much Bear Gon Kill You Muhfucka! The Movie. Not what he'd have wanted, though to be fair, that's what he got! *badumpf*

Lake Eerie (2016) Chris Majors
Bad, bad, bad. Lasted eight minutes. The scoring, directing, "acting", all atrocious.
Lance Henriksen is in it somewhere but I was long gone by then.

Nothing worse than a shitty horror movie starring lovable Lance Henriksen. He always does his best no matter the circumstances. 3; Beware Harbinger Down aka Inanimate (see post linked above), it is perhaps the worst tripe the great man has yet endured.

To make up for it, let's enjoy a classic Henriksen turn as ornery gambling hardcase Reno Crevice, in the Walter Hill-directed Tales from the Crypt episode "Cutting Cards!" "Park it yourself, asshole!" He's great in "Yellow" too!

[copy-paster]

Under Siege

Not great, but still enjoyable action flick. Even the Seagal haters would find this one is his best.

Also, is Van Damme's Sudden Death worth watching? looks like Die Hard on a hockey stadium.

[Ji-L87]

Under Siege

Not great, but still enjoyable action flick. Even the Seagal haters would find this one is his best.

Also, is Van Damme's Sudden Death worth watching? looks like Die Hard on a hockey stadium.

I like this movie enough to own the soundtrack. I've tried to figure out why I like it so much. It's not really because of the action scenes but rather the setting, atmosphere and characters (they're corny but fun).

It was the first Seagal film I saw and when I tried to watch some other ones, I struggled to find something that had the same feel to it. I do really like Nico: Above the Law as well (again, great soundtrack and atmosphere).

[emphatic]

Also, is Van Damme's Sudden Death worth watching? looks like Die Hard on a hockey stadium.

Watch it, it's good. Knock Off is probably one of my favorite Van Damme movies if that's anything to go after.

[Skykid]

Under Siege

Not great, but still enjoyable action flick. Even the Seagal haters would find this one is his best.

Also, is Van Damme's Sudden Death worth watching? looks like Die Hard on a hockey stadium.

I like this movie enough to own the soundtrack. I've tried to figure out why I like it so much. It's not really because of the action scenes but rather the setting, atmosphere and characters (they're corny but fun).

It was the first Seagal film I saw and when I tried to watch some other ones, I struggled to find something that had the same feel to it. I do really like Nico: Above the Law as well (again, great soundtrack and atmosphere).

Nico is so awful my brother and I gave the DVD back to each other rewrapped for birthdays and Christmases for 6 straight years as a booby/joke gift.

[Mischief Maker]

Under Siege

Not great, but still enjoyable action flick. Even the Seagal haters would find this one is his best.

Also, is Van Damme's Sudden Death worth watching? looks like Die Hard on a hockey stadium.

I like this movie enough to own the soundtrack. I've tried to figure out why I like it so much.

Erika Eleniak popping out of a cake?

[blackoak]

I've been continuing my Criterion viewings with The Story of Film documentary series as a rough guide. Some recent selections:

The Grand Illusion - Renoir's excellent anti-war film about solidarity between Europeans during WWI. The illusion, of course, is that any difference exists between the common man that would justify the carnage of that debacle. A timely viewing, given the steadily mounting drumbeat for war with Russia/China. I can't imagine a film like this being made today: it would either be all cynicism and "human darkness durrrr" or the sincere but childish (and annoying) quixotics of a Wes Anderson. Also made me realize I still need to watch Rules of the Game.

The Fire Within - Existential despair, a good cinematic companion to something like Nausea or Journey to the End of the Night. I hadn't cared much for Malle's Elevator to the Gallows, so this was a pleasant (?!) surprise. I loved it.

mada da yo - Kurosawa's final film, a kind of idealized view of growing older. It's like Kurosawa saying, "this is how I'd like to be treated." It's idealized, but not without moving drama and hardship--sentimental in the good sense of the word. Ranks very high in the Kurosawa I've seen, and I loved the calling back to the Japanese lit classic Hojouki.

Down By Law - Many plot/scene similarities to Grand Illusion actually. Almost feels like a modern, offbeat American update, with the incarceral state taking the place of WWI wartime. I never really liked Dead Man, but I thought this was great.

[wgogh]

Down By Law - Many plot/scene similarities to Grand Illusion actually. Almost feels like a modern, offbeat American update, with the incarceral state taking the place of WWI wartime. I never really liked Dead Man, but I thought this was great.

It is a great film. I love when a movie does much with little, same reason why i like Stalker.
Saw mostly because of Tom Waits

[GaijinPunch]

Shin Gojira [2016]

Hilarious. Pros are the action, and the fact that they tried to actually explain his origin (maybe a bit too much) and worked into the fact that there is the US-Japan Peace Treaty which gets sticky when the SDF tries to do anything, illustrates the impotence of Japanese bureaucracy. Cons are the layer of commercialism, execution of just about everything, the "American" Japanese girl who can't string an English sentence together but speaks fluent Japanese and randomly breaks out into shitty English, caricaturish characters. It's basically what you'd expect from a Japanese film.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

First time I saw this, and was thoroughly entertained. Asks a lot of questions about what I assume could be possible in the near future. Solid performances all around and interesting direction.

[Marc]

Just 2atched West Of Memphis. Still not sure what to make of it all. Yes, I've obviously read the many countries terms arguments.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Under Siege

Not great, but still enjoyable action flick. Even the Seagal haters would find this one is his best.

Also, is Van Damme's Sudden Death worth watching? looks like Die Hard on a hockey stadium.

I like this movie enough to own the soundtrack. I've tried to figure out why I like it so much.

Erika Eleniak popping out of a cake?

Can't forget that particular classic of the birthday gal with that delicious rack of hers. Hot damn!

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[GaijinPunch]

Solaris (1972)

My first Tarkovsky film. A slow burn - I get the feeling most of his will fall under this category. Very much more with less, and makes me wonder why any film would ever be shot at any aspect ratio less than 1:2.35. I want the set designer to come and redecorate my home. There was one bit I didn't get, but not sure I should think on it. The extended drive sequence is clearly shot in Tokyo at the current time, but never quite mentioned where on Earth the first part of the story takes place.

[Xyga]

Noroi (2005) by the recommendations.

... Well it was okay~ish but beyond the documentary thing, extremely generic and quite cheap, a collection of all the typical Japanese pop horror stuff, all completely predictable, so far behind the great film quality and originality of Geokson I don't understand all the praise for Noroi.

[Opus131]

The movie makes more sense if you understand Tarkovsky is a traditionalist and this was his answer to 2001. The film is essentially anti progress and anti science fiction. The Tokyo scene was meant to convey the absurdity of futurism, of being dazzled by marvels which would just seem mundane to anyone actually living in the future.

All in all i will say Solaris is probably among my least favored Tarkovsky films (which is not much of a criticism, since all of his films are masterpieces). I didn't like the lead, and i found his approach to be somewhat heavy handed (the aforementioned traffic scene was down right pedantic). Tarkovsky himself was not happy with the result and made another attempt with Stalker, where he succeeded completely in my opinion. Solaris remains a work of genius, but a somewhat flawed one.

My favored Tarkovksy films are Andei Rublev, Stalker, and Nostalghia, with Solaris, Mirror and The Sacrifice coming at a second. He also happens to be my favored director, since i'm being pressured to explain my tastes here.

[Opus131]

People often credit La Dolce Vita as the best Fellini. Don't get me wrong; I think it's an incredible film and a masterpiece (and with one of the most haunting closing shots in film, imo). However, Otto e Mezzo felt far more watchable, with more humor and charm.

Something about how utterly pathetic Mastroianni's character is just strikes me as hilarious: how the women in his life walk all over him, so he has constant fantasies about how he controls their lives and dominates over them sexually. How he is constantly badgered by his producers so he fantasizes about them getting a nice rope around their neck. How he thinks he is some worthwhile filmmaker when he's making some stupid sci-fi schlock. He is the ultimate loser but that is what gives the film its tenderness. His constant flashbacks and daydreams being a way of how he escapes his miserable life and how we see just how he became (or how he thinks he became) to be such a messed-up person.

Don't forget the critic and the magician, which are two other sides of the Mastroianni character (which ultimately is Fellini himself), the critic representing his rational and intellectual side and the magician representing his side as "artist" qua trickster, qua fraud (notice how Mastroianni greets the magician as an old friend but finds the critic insufferable). Otto e Mezzo is basically the only film i can think of that is akin to a Bachian fugue (though in terms of "type" of genius i would classify Fellini as being closer to Beethoven). The various voices are part of a very intricate polyphonic discourse between what are literally independent and contrasting point of views. And this discourse is constantly moving, there's nothing static or "dry" about it.

So humor is mixed poignantly with pensive or somber moments; this is why I prefer it over the more slow-paced and apathetic mood of La Dolce Vita.

I think this is also present in Fellini's other masterpiece, Amarcord. My professor in college who turned me on to Fellini maintains that Amarcord is his greatest film, and I think it's one of his best. But for me its Otto e Mezzo all the way (with Amarcord in second place as of this post: I haven't watched the early stuff like Cabiria or La Strada).

Personally, i'm only somewhat partial to anything Fellini did after Otto e Mezzo. All of his early films are great, from I Vitelloni to Cabiria (the latter being my favored among his early films, La Dolce Vita and Otto e Mezzo being more of a "middle" or transitional period for him) all the way to lesser known stuff like Il Bidone. The biggest thing that transpires in those movies is his sense of compassion, as well as an inward sense of beauty and innocence (he referred to this as the "Moon" in his last film) slowly being crushed by harsh existential realities which seem to have rendered him a cynic by the time he made La Dolce Vita (the young girl beckoning to Mastroianni at the end of the film and him failing to heed her calls is very significant). After that, he became more of an "intellectual" which in my opinion was a detriment to his art. I never found all that Jungian and neo-realistic stuff to be really interesting. And in some cases i found it to be rather abhorrent. Sometimes the old Fellini makes an appearance which often can redeem a film. In Satyricon for instance we find instances of real beauty being contrasted with the general ugliness and debauchery of the movie. During the scene where Trimalchio's wife is seen writhing around in some grotesque parody of a dance, the camera pans out to show us a traditional Roman beauty, a reminder of what was lost. We also see the same with the Roman family committing suicide (this time it was beauty of character), and then Encolpius, reminding us that while poetry may die, the things that have inspired poetry (the seasons, the wind, the sun, and ultimately man himself, that is, everything that is beautiful and true) will live on even after he is gone.

In most other cases however this moments of the old beauty of soul that was characteristic of Fellini are too sporadic and brief to save a film. In Il Casanova, there's a very beautiful scene where the Casanova is carrying his drunken mother in his back, and in a fit of nostalgia for more innocent times, he reverts from his pretentious and "erudite" Italian to his old Venetian dialect. But aside for this the movie is essentially worthless. A work of genius, but worthless. As is Giulietta con gli spiriti, a film whose "message" i consider to be downright satanic (it is ok to "sin" as long as one sins cheerfully and without care. The true essence of the Freudian conception of "liberation").

All in all, i consider Fellini to have been a good soul corrupted by modernism, like a beautiful gem being covered in mud, the original brilliance only being able to shine sporadically, in whatever "clean" spot has remained in him through out the years.

[system11]

Rogue One - really enjoyed it. Well made, good story, hot actress, cool robot. What's not to like?

[wgogh]

Rogue One - really enjoyed it. Well made, good story, hot actress, cool robot. What's not to like?

Forgettable characters, but that didnt stoped me from liking Arthur C Clarke books either, so...

[GaijinPunch]

The movie makes more sense if you understand Tarkovsky is a traditionalist and this was his answer to 2001.

So was he lying when he said he saw 2001 years after he made Solaris? I'm taking that off of an IMDB trivia snippet, so...

The Tokyo scene was meant to convey the absurdity of futurism, of being dazzled by marvels which would just seem mundane to anyone actually living in the future.

Reading a bit more it makes a bit more sense that it was meant to look like a futuristic city, and nowhere in Russia would have pulled that off at the time. Apparently they were supposed to film at some 1970 expo in Tokyo but fucked it up.

All in all i will say Solaris is probably among my least favored Tarkovsky films (which is not much of a criticism, since all of his films are masterpieces). I didn't like the lead, and i found his approach to be somewhat heavy handed (the aforementioned traffic scene was down right pedantic). Tarkovsky himself was not happy with the result and made another attempt with Stalker, where he succeeded completely in my opinion. Solaris remains a work of genius, but a somewhat flawed one.

I read that he was not super pleased with it. I kind of liked the lead, in that he was not super masculine, or even attractive. Quite subtle, which I guess I found the mood. I guess it's good I started w/ this then if they only get better. Will probably try Stalker next.

My favored Tarkovksy films are Andei Rublev, Stalker, and Nostalghia, with Solaris, Mirror and The Sacrifice coming at a second. He also happens to be my favored director, since i'm being pressured to explain my tastes here.

Will comment more when I watch others. I watched this on a plane though, so probably didn't give it the treatment it deserved. I can't watch this stuff w/ my girlfriend and nearly 3 hour blocks alone where I'm awake enough to pay attention are unfortunately rare.