Movies you've just watched

[Lord British]

Are you gonna go for the gold: AKA The Human Condition? If you ever take a 3 hour flight it's awesome.

I'm about to, yes!

I'm one hour into it. Awesome so far! Horrifying.

[vol.2]

Aggro Drift 8/10

Harmonie Korine is usually not usually my cup of tea, but this was something special. An 80 minute long film, entirely shot in a weird IR type filter that follows a professional assassin in Miami who believes he's a noble hero.

It's getting like a 20% on rotten tomatoes, and this is the first time I feel like that's a badge of honor. I have never seen anything like it before, and I feel pretty confident that the reviewers just didn't get it. It's somewhere between a real action film amd something you'd watch in a museum behind one of those black curtains rooms. If you don't have a good amount of patience for artistic liberties, then you might want to stay away, but I honestly hope you all go out and watch it, preferably in a theater if you can.

It reminds me a lot of the creativity of the early 2000s, like all of the crazy stuff from those Whitney Biennials from around that time. Good vibes

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Aggro Drift 8/10

Harmonie Korine is usually not usually my cup of tea, but this was something special. An 80 minute long film, entirely shot in a weird IR type filter that follows a professional assassin in Miami who believes he's a noble hero.

It's getting like a 20% on rotten tomatoes, and this is the first time I feel like that's a badge of honor. I have never seen anything like it before, and I feel pretty confident that the reviewers just didn't get it. It's somewhere between a real action film amd something you'd watch in a museum behind one of those black curtains rooms. If you don't have a good amount of patience for artistic liberties, then you might want to stay away, but I honestly hope you all go out and watch it, preferably in a theater if you can.

It reminds me a lot of the creativity of the early 2000s, like all of the crazy stuff from those Whitney Biennials from around that time. Good vibes

The 1981 horror film of Wolfen with lead actor Albert Finney, in some scenes, uses some cool IR thermal heat special effects to further depict the werewolves' ability to detect the heat signatures given off by the human victims that fall prey to them (those damned pesky female mosquito fiends have built-in IR heat detecting sensors to home in on their prey as well). At the time of Wolfen's theatrical release on the silver screen, it was considered groundbreaking and innovative, especially within the horror film genre itself.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[TransatlanticFoe]

Dune part 2

Bit disappointed. Thufir was completely absent (something was filmed, but cut), which is a massive shame because his part would have worked well alongside the Feyd/Bene Gesserit plotline. And would have been a suitable replacement for all the pointless Paul/Chani scenes.

Seriously, did we need all that? She spends most of the film frowning into the camera and being grumpy with Paul, then fucks off at the end. The final battle is rushed, Rabban goes down like a chump (still better than suddenly appearing as a severed head I guess), Thufir is gone - and yet we spend so much time dragging out the inconsequential and an utterly baffling romance. Almost everything outside of that is great - Giedi Prime, Fremen vs. Harkonnens, Bene Gesserit scheming. It's just derailed every time Paul and Chani have anything to do with each other, or it drags its feet around Fremen prophecy.

Lynch rushed the second half and it turned out confusing as fuck. Villenueve spent too much time with it in the wrong places and it comes out almost as bizarre. It's pretty clear this was done with Messiah in mind, so what should be an ending of sorts is actually an awkward middle entry of a trilogy. It's not awful or anything and of course it's better than Lynch's studio-butchered effort, but even just cutting about 50 mins for pacing would have improved it.

[Air Master Burst]

Kong x Godzilla is the movie of the decade so far. While not "good" in the traditional sense, it fucking owns in every way it is possible for a movie in which a giant lizard suplexes a giant ape to fucking own:

Theres a tribe of kongs in the hollow earth ruled by this lanky asshole kong with a soul calibur whip and a slave pet frost kaiju

Kong gets his arm all fucked up from frost breath so the stupid humans give him a massive mecha gauntlet like ash in army of darkness

At one point kong is attacked by a group of scraggly dickweed kongs so he PICKS UP A BABY KONG AND USES IT AS A CLUB TO BEAT DOWN THE OTHER KONGS! This was the loudest I've audibly cheered in a theater since probably The Raid.

Theres at least one solid 15 minute segment with absolutely no dialogue other than ape grunts. This inhibits the flow of the story in no way whatsoever. Star Wars Holiday Special eat your fucking heart out!

Notice I havent even touched on the Godzilla portion of this movie, and he's the fucking headliner. Go see this shit in the theater if you still can!

[vol.2]

The 1981 horror film of Wolfen with lead actor Albert Finney, in some scenes, uses some cool IR thermal heat special effects to further depict the werewolves' ability to detect the heat signatures given off by the human victims that fall prey to them (those damned pesky female mosquito fiends have built-in IR heat detecting sensors to home in on their prey as well). At the time of Wolfen's theatrical release on the silver screen, it was considered groundbreaking and innovative, especially within the horror film genre itself.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

I've always been curious about that one. I lived near the American Museum of the Moving Image in Queens for awihle, and they had some of the animatronics from that movie on display. I love practical effects from that time period; it's all so cool what they do with just materials and their hands.

I couldn't find reference to it in their current collection, but I think it's still there. In the same room, they have one of the scale models of the Tyrell Co from Blade Runner.

[it290]

^ Ha, I saw that Regan animatronic when I was ~5-6 years old as part of a traveling show at the Denver Art Museum (also included props like original R2D2 & C3PO costumes and some others), and it scared the crap out of me (much more than the movie itself did when I eventually watched it).

Been watching a bunch of things but as far as new releases, I saw Furiosa twice last week and loved it—a worthy (though much more character-driven) followup to Fury Road in every way.

[vol.2]

I Saw the TV Glow 6.5/10

New flick by Jane Schoenbrun (We're All Going to the World's Fair), stars the kid from Detective Pikachu (and the DnD movie) as a HS kid who watches a TV show called "The Pink Opaque" with another student. The why and the how of things are very much the core of the movie, and it's going to leave a bit of head scratching most likely.

Spoiler

We (the viewers) are supposed to be torn between whether or not what we are seeing is real, or the kid is just crazy. There are a couple of scenes which playout not from the kid's POV, which would establish the magic/fantasy explanation as true, but the overwhelming other evidence provided suggests that he is hallucinating.

The movie has no resolution and gives you a choice of either believing in it's own fantasy, or not. The novelty of the movie is that there are a few scenes (or a collection of scenes scattered throughout the movie), which provide evidence that the magic/fantasy answer is true in the movie logic and that are presented as being from the POV of the watcher and not the protagonist, suggesting that the decision is up to you, and is not contained within the narrative of the film.

This challenges our preconceived notions of how a film is "supposed to work," and allows for the underlying messages of the film to take center stage. Those messages though are largely trite observations of suburban liminality and a half-baked attempt to address gender identity.

I didn't agree with the directorial decision to subvert the language of film as it doesn't seem to benefit the gestalt, and it serves to rob us from any in-film resolutions (whether you choose to believe one solution or the other). So, essentially, the film puts the authority of interpretation directly on the viewer, and it feels very gimmicky to me.

On the plus side, I thought the performances were above average, the effects were all really cool and well done, and the fictional in-film universes created are captivating and mysterious. I got some really strong early Twin Peaks vibes from parts of the movie. Unfortunately, by way of the movie's gimmick, the viewer is not allowed to peak behind the curtain and thus there is very little opportunity for world-building or environmental touches, and that really hurts the film

I would recommend checking it out, but maybe don't trip over your self to get out to a theater. It's got a lot of really interesting things going on, but when it comes to the heart of the movie, it ends up being style over substance most of the time.

[vol.2]

Furiosa 6/10

Saw it last weekend.
I didn't like it as much as the first one. The car battles were good, but it felt kind of rehashed from the first one, and I didn't really get into the characters so much this time. ATJ was great, but I thought Chris Helmsworth and her didn't have on-screen chemistry. It was a decent way to pass an evening, but it's not going to start any new religions

[NYN]

What about the mileage aka run time? Granted, it's all Einstein.

Seeing it twice didn't seem too much, or not mentioning it as a negative with a sober comment. Miller spent a year in the cutting room, so I will expect some pacing. Not to want too much after Fury Road, it's just being "mediocre" can't be enough, now. We knows that "Hope is a mistake.", to quote the Rock-a-tansky.

[it290]

I'm usually all in for a tight 90 but Furiosa's runtime felt totally fine to me. It's broken into five chapters and there are places here and there where it maybe lags a little bit (especially in comparison to Fury Road which is essentially a 2 hour action scene), but given the epic scope of the story I think the runtime is totally fine and justified and it does a lot to add to the worldbuilding and character.

[vol.2]

What about the mileage aka run time? Granted, it's all Einstein.

Seeing it twice didn't seem too much, or not mentioning it as a negative with a sober comment. Miller spent a year in the cutting room, so I will expect some pacing. Not to want too much after Fury Road, it's just being "mediocre" can't be enough, now. We knows that "Hope is a mistake.", to quote the Rock-a-tansky.

Oh, it's definitely better than "mediocre!"

Honestly though, I just didn't feel super enthusiastic about it when I left the theater. It's possible that I just wasn't in the right mood or something, but I was not energized by the major conflict in the film between ATJ and Helmsworth. When it was action packed, it was great. The car chases and the gun battles were excellently choreographed.

Perhaps they reused a little too much of the last film because so much of it takes place inside Joe's stronghold. The brief glimpse into the place of abundance was cool, and the fight in Gas City was fantastic; all the new locations were fun and good. I guess it felt (to me) a little bit like an "expansion" and not a full new game if you will

I liked it. It was good, and maybe if I had been in a different mood I would have loved it.

[Lord British]

I Saw the TV Glow 6.5/10

New flick by Jane Schoenbrun (We're All Going to the World's Fair), stars the kid from Detective Pikachu (and the DnD movie) as a HS kid who watches a TV show called "The Pink Opaque" with another student. The why and the how of things are very much the core of the movie, and it's going to leave a bit of head scratching most likely.

Spoiler

We (the viewers) are supposed to be torn between whether or not what we are seeing is real, or the kid is just crazy. There are a couple of scenes which playout not from the kid's POV, which would establish the magic/fantasy explanation as true, but the overwhelming other evidence provided suggests that he is hallucinating.

The movie has no resolution and gives you a choice of either believing in it's own fantasy, or not. The novelty of the movie is that there are a few scenes (or a collection of scenes scattered throughout the movie), which provide evidence that the magic/fantasy answer is true in the movie logic and that are presented as being from the POV of the watcher and not the protagonist, suggesting that the decision is up to you, and is not contained within the narrative of the film.

This challenges our preconceived notions of how a film is "supposed to work," and allows for the underlying messages of the film to take center stage. Those messages though are largely trite observations of suburban liminality and a half-baked attempt to address gender identity.

I didn't agree with the directorial decision to subvert the language of film as it doesn't seem to benefit the gestalt, and it serves to rob us from any in-film resolutions (whether you choose to believe one solution or the other). So, essentially, the film puts the authority of interpretation directly on the viewer, and it feels very gimmicky to me.

On the plus side, I thought the performances were above average, the effects were all really cool and well done, and the fictional in-film universes created are captivating and mysterious. I got some really strong early Twin Peaks vibes from parts of the movie. Unfortunately, by way of the movie's gimmick, the viewer is not allowed to peak behind the curtain and thus there is very little opportunity for world-building or environmental touches, and that really hurts the film

I would recommend checking it out, but maybe don't trip over your self to get out to a theater. It's got a lot of really interesting things going on, but when it comes to the heart of the movie, it ends up being style over substance most of the time.

JS hasn't been on my radar until I saw her Criterion Closet appearance (I try to watch all these) a few days ago. I'm curious about ISTTVG.

https://youtu.be/Q0iOBmGQKQ8?si=TwLShoCg4F04-oph

[cj iwakura]

Challengers was amazing, fired on all cylinders from start to finish, and that soundtrack is an all-timer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63k6AfvLsso

[vol.2]

JS hasn't been on my radar until I saw her Criterion Closet appearance (I try to watch all these) a few days ago. I'm curious about ISTTVG.

https://youtu.be/Q0iOBmGQKQ8?si=TwLShoCg4F04-oph

Oh man, I haven't watched one of those in awhile. I feel like I might go down a rabbit hole


If you do see it, I would be curious to know your opinion, especially your reaction to this:

Spoiler

I felt like there is a tension in the structure of the film between revealing enough details to effectively build a world, and limiting those details in order to serve the gimmick of the film. It presents this bleak world without meaning as a metaphor for closeted queerness, but also as metaphor for suburban isolation and liminality. In keeping salient details about the lives of the characters from us, it makes a deeper exploration of those concepts impossible and puts the onus on other elements to make it whole and to succeed as film.

On the whole, the film felt like it had about the depth of a high budget Goosebumps episode. This isn't strictly a bad thing, but it was clearly aiming a lot higher than that, and it fails at it because it tries to rely too heavily on a gimmick, essentially shoehorning the movie into the framework of the gimmick.

[Lord British]

Songs From The Second Floor - 2000 - Roy Andersson (Sweden)



This one was pretty goofballs.

[Vexorg]

The Princess and the Frog: ***

Within the next couple of weeks (assuming they can get the kinks in the new ride worked out) the Tiana's Bayou Adventure ride will be opening at Walt Disney World as a replacement for Splash Mountain, and after watching the POV of the new ride it occurred to my wife and I that we had never seen the movie the new ride is based on. Surprisingly, it's better than I expected it to be given how hackneyed some of the Disney Princess movies can be. Granted, it's basically a canned rom-com plot with frogs, alligators and a lot of jazz music thrown in, but they managed to at least make the characters interesting along the way, and the Randy Newman-led soundtrack is quite good.

TL;DR version: Not-so-rich-idiot-with-no-day-job prince meets witch doctor, gets turned into frog, meets girl, thinks girl is princess, kisses girl, girl also gets turned into frog and both get launched into the bayou on a bunch of balloons to find their way back to civilization while at each other's throats, etc.

[NYN]

The Ice Storm

A film directed by Ang Lee. Who knows this one? A first, although I knew about it since the '97 release somehow it never happened. Many faces known in this, and an unknown Ricci role post Casper pre Sleepy Hollow that made it cool to watch. Who is this bug-eyed E.Wood? And will he ever get another acting credit? The other drowsy dude with the Marvel comic in hand, will he ever play one of those heroes? Not-so-happy family back in ca. '73, the sex is a major thing here. Repressed, swinging, first-time. I don't know much with Kevin Kline, his highly incompetent father figure here will stay with me. Not for aggressive or abusive shades, just plain inept. And it ends with a unkindly bummer, that I found surprising now as I would've then. What? No. Huh? OK, then. I doubt that many saw this and care to remember. I never forgot it, yet it took a while.

[Lord British]

The Ice Storm

A film directed by Ang Lee. Who knows this one? A first, although I knew about it since the '97 release somehow it never happened. Many faces known in this, and an unknown Ricci role post Casper pre Sleepy Hollow that made it cool to watch. Who is this bug-eyed E.Wood? And will he ever get another acting credit? The other drowsy dude with the Marvel comic in hand, will he ever play one of those heroes? Not-so-happy family back in ca. '73, the sex is a major thing here. Repressed, swinging, first-time. I don't know much with Kevin Kline, his highly incompetent father figure here will stay with me. Not for aggressive or abusive shades, just plain inept. And it ends with a unkindly bummer, that I found surprising now as I would've then. What? No. Huh? OK, then. I doubt that many saw this and care to remember. I never forgot it, yet it took a while.

Heard of it. Added to the watchlist!

[GaijinPunch]

The Ice Storm

A film directed by Ang Lee. Who knows this one? A first, although I knew about it since the '97 release somehow it never happened. Many faces known in this, and an unknown Ricci role post Casper pre Sleepy Hollow that made it cool to watch. Who is this bug-eyed E.Wood? And will he ever get another acting credit? The other drowsy dude with the Marvel comic in hand, will he ever play one of those heroes? Not-so-happy family back in ca. '73, the sex is a major thing here. Repressed, swinging, first-time. I don't know much with Kevin Kline, his highly incompetent father figure here will stay with me. Not for aggressive or abusive shades, just plain inept. And it ends with a unkindly bummer, that I found surprising now as I would've then. What? No. Huh? OK, then. I doubt that many saw this and care to remember. I never forgot it, yet it took a while.

I still use the phrase "key party" regularly.

[NYN]

Ah, ahaha. He knows, Charles.

"Tricky Dick failed first teen sex" sounds like a contender for some wink-wink vocabulary, back when. Rings very mundane 27 years later in the I-porn age. Or so I would guess!!

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

The Ice Storm

A film directed by Ang Lee. Who knows this one? A first, although I knew about it since the '97 release somehow it never happened. Many faces known in this, and an unknown Ricci role post Casper pre Sleepy Hollow that made it cool to watch. Who is this bug-eyed E.Wood? And will he ever get another acting credit? The other drowsy dude with the Marvel comic in hand, will he ever play one of those heroes? Not-so-happy family back in ca. '73, the sex is a major thing here. Repressed, swinging, first-time. I don't know much with Kevin Kline, his highly incompetent father figure here will stay with me. Not for aggressive or abusive shades, just plain inept. And it ends with a unkindly bummer, that I found surprising now as I would've then. What? No. Huh? OK, then. I doubt that many saw this and care to remember. I never forgot it, yet it took a while.

I still use the phrase "key party" regularly.

I enjoyed it quite a lot, just like every other Ang Lee film (although I enjoyed the "Father knows best"-trilogy a lot more), and thought about it quite a bit in the days after I watched it.

[Air Master Burst]

Under Paris is wild! I've been burned by so many lame budget-ass shark movies that I almost didn't make it to the first big massacre. Typical Jaws setup, Paris has a big-money international triathlon coming up so the Stupid Mayor won't close the beaches, er, canals.

There's a little bit of lip service paid to these being EVOLVED SUPER-SHARKS, but this is basically a flimsy excuse to set up what might be the most batshit ending to ANY shark movie in history:

So of course the giant shark gets out and starts chomping triathloners and civilians while the horrified Stupid Mayor watches on, and this scene is glorious and worth the price of admission alone if you're like me and always root for the sharks. Unfortunately,

Spoiler

Stupid Mayor called out the army to pull security, so of course they start blasting the shark with machine guns and sniper rifles(?!). The shark dodges most of these and leads the boats to a bunch of old unexploded WW2 shells. These proceed to chain explode, destroying several bridges and FLOODING THE ENTIRETY OF MOTHERFUCKING PARIS. The movie ends with our two leads stranded wounded on a rooftop SURROUNDED BY SHARK FINS, because PARIS IS SHARKTOWN NOW, BABY!

Not since Zardoz has an ending been so unintentionally and hilariously cathartic. Definitely worth tossing on in the background one evening!

[GaijinPunch]

I've been burned by so many lame budget-ass shark movies

I really can't say that this is me.

[Air Master Burst]

I've been burned by so many lame budget-ass shark movies

I really can't say that this is me.

I honestly can't think of a single subgenre of film that has more absolute trash-tier entries than shark horror. I guess this isn't surprising when you consider all they really need to film 90% of these things is a weekend boat rental and maybe some diving gear.

Once you've seen 10 minutes of something like Sharks of the Corn you realize goofy Syfy cgi trash like Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf is basically Jaws in comparison to most of this subgenre.

Of course I still keep watching them, because sharks are fucking dope.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

After rewatching the 2016 film of "The Autopsy of Jane Doe" on Netflix, it is a mastercraft film within the horror film genre (with it's exceptional and overall tight pacing). With a running time of only an hour and 26 minutes, it starts off as an ordinary autopsy procedure but with effective subtle twists and spins revealed here and there, that isn't the case here. As this film moves along, we learn the true nature of why things start happening the way they do. At the eventual conclusion, it leads to a stunning revelation you will not guess/see coming -- what is it? Watch TAOJD and find out.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[NYN]

I saw that! It has Brian Cox in it! I, too, extend a recommendation. The gal who "played" the stark-naked lady corpse is one hardcore pro. The HOURS it took to expose her in that way!

I agree mostly, and cannot hold back about some minor objections upon further re-watching. More in a personal flavour, than really critique:

Spoiler

I strongly dislike in any form of fiction any and all self-sacrifice, such in this example. It's as old as the stone tablets and I don't approve of it as anything relevant. "Human", my left cheek!
Secondly, yes it's for dramatic purposes, but "they" kill the only living female in this. I liked her. Not cool, man!

Y'all watch it where you can! Go on. It's got two for the doe.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Once you've seen 10 minutes of something like Sharks of the Corn you realize goofy Syfy cgi trash like Sharktopus vs. Whalewolf is basically Jaws in comparison to most of this subgenre.

Of course I still keep watching them, because sharks are fucking dope.

it's amazing what some people subject themselves to in the search for sharky awesomeness, kudos!

[Air Master Burst]

Ultraman Rising is one of the cutest things I've seen in a while. Perfect movie to drop on fathers' day, too! I've never been a huge Ultraman fan, but holy shit will this hit HARD for anyone who ever watched Ultraman with a parent or child.

The kaiju design is delightfully chonky across the board, everything's really colorful and well-animated, and the baby kaiju does the Godzilla dance. Can't really ask for much more than that!

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Ultraman Rising is one of the cutest things I've seen in a while. Perfect movie to drop on fathers' day, too! I've never been a huge Ultraman fan, but holy shit will this hit HARD for anyone who ever watched Ultraman with a parent or child.

The kaiju design is delightfully chonky across the board, everything's really colorful and well-animated, and the baby kaiju does the Godzilla dance. Can't really ask for much more than that!

Haven't seen any Ultraman film or episode, but I am looking forward to watching Shin Ultraman. Hideaki Anno might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I haven't seen a single bad film from the man. Shin Godzilla and Cutey Honey were great.