Movies you've just watched

[Mischief Maker]

If Buckaroo Banzai is for kids, then so is Venture Bros.


In related news, I've been halfheartedly nibbling around the edges of the DC Murderverse with HBO Max. Suicide Squad 2 was good, but not as good as GotG 2. Joker was great for what it was.

So now I decided to try Shazam, the "light-hearted" and "kid-friendly" DC movie. It starts with a kid watching his abusive father dying in a car crash he caused, then a tiny child is abandoned by his mother in an amusement park in a nightmare-put-to-screen, then a nice psychologist lady who had no idea her boss was a supervillain accidentally dies a slow horrible death rotting from the inside while screaming the whole time. Then I was interrupted by something and didn't feel especially inclined to come back later.

I guess by "light-hearted" this movie is being graded on a curve? How dark do these Superfriends movies get? Like Mighty Morphin Power Rangers dark?

[EmperorIng]

speaking of weird dark fantasy, does Baron Munchausen get a recommendation from this crowd?

[drauch]

I'm not really a Gilliam fan outside of Brazil, but I liked it quite a bit. The Karel Zeman one from the 60's is also awesome and has a lot of cool imagery. All his stuff does, really, but that one really stood out.

[vol.2]

No way man. I watched Banzai as an adult and thought it was rad. It's just a fun movie with a lot of cool doods. Aliens and rock n' roll and adventure--that's all ya need.

well that's good to hear. it's been years since i seen it, so i just expected it to be something i had remembered with kid glasses.

[Vexorg]

Buckaroo Banzai is the type of movie you couldn't get away with making today, but back in the era it came out there was a large audience of kids raised on Saturday morning and weekday afternoon cartoons, plus another audience of grown ups raised on an endless stream of B movies and pulp novels, so they were used to that type of thing. If you tried to make it today you'd need to stick 75 minutes of origin story for the Hong Kong Cavaliers at the front of it, spend another 30 minutes figuring out the Oscillation Overthruster, and John Lithgow would show up with about 25 minutes of runtime remaining (12 of which would be the end credits) to kidnap Hikita, they'd save him and roll credits, spending two hours to get through 20 minutes of the original movie with plans for a Buckaroo Banzai cinematic universe that won't happen because this film bombed so badly.

Granted, it bombed pretty badly the first time around too, but this time around they'd manage to lose 10 times what the first film cost to make.

[Mischief Maker]

Buckaroo Banzai is the type of movie you couldn't get away with making today,

Let's hear it for cocaine!

[blackoak]

I used to get high and watch Buckaroo Banzai all the time. Love that movie. I would loop the ending (where they're all walking around) for like 20 minutes and just feel really sad when they all finally walked off screen.

My Dad, a chemist and musician himself, is a big fan too. Says that Banzai is who he aspired to be in the 80s, haha.

Hmm, might have to go watch it again now

[vol.2]

I love how it's rooted in a love of all things Japanese, which was an emerging niche at the time. Speed Racer and Macross and Astroboy and Sonny Chiba films and Godzilla. It's like the movie version of the first Buggles album but with less J.G. Ballard.

[cj iwakura]

I'm not really a Gilliam fan outside of Brazil, but I liked it quite a bit. The Karel Zeman one from the 60's is also awesome and has a lot of cool imagery. All his stuff does, really, but that one really stood out.

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is super underrated, but almost no one saw it.
Miracle that it finally got made aside, It's basically a love letter to indie film making.

[Vexorg]

Death on the Nile: **1/2

The second of the Kenneth Branagh Hercule Poirot films, based on the Agatha Christie book of the same name and following up on the 2017 adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express. The famous detective Hercule Poirot, a know-it-all played by Kenneth Branagh with a thick fake Belgian accent, finds himself on a luxurious paddlewheeler cruise down the Nile River to celebrate the wedding of a rich couple being stalked by the husband's ex-fiancé he ditched to marry someone much richer when his Jessica Fletcher syndrome kicks in and people start dropping like flies, and with a boatload of suspects who all have convenient motives for killing, it's up to him to find the killer. Differs quite a bit from the original book (Bouc, the train conductor from the Orient Express in the first film, takes the place of one of the characters from the original novel here) Not as good a movie as Murder on the Orient Express or Knives Out (to compare it to other recent entries in the genre), but it still has some pretty scenery and is reasonably entertaining, especially given the scarcity of proper Whodunnit films these days.

[xxx1993]

I've watched Death on the Nile and The Bubble today. The former is the second installment of Kenneth Branagh's Hercule Poirot movies, the latter is a COVID comedy on Netflix about a troubled production on a fictional Dinosaur-themed action movie.

[Mortificator]

You Are Not My Mother – Disappointing. The lead actress does well enough, but the one playing her mother/not-mother can't pull off the necessary menace, so I never forget that I really am just watching a middle-age woman stomp around and hiss. There are also some one-dimensional bullies who wander in and out of the picture. I don't know, maybe Irish kids nowadays really do try to murder each other for no reason while adults wander around obliviously. Seems like a bigger problem than the occasional fay doppelganger.

The Power of the Dog – A little interesting, though definitely not fun. There's a scene where Kirsten Dunst's character has to play piano in front of an audience when she's unprepared, and it's hard to watch, the vicarious shame is extreme. As for the main plot, I've heard it referred to as having a twist ending, which is way off. Once the halfway point's reached, everything's set up and lampshaded, and the rest is just moving things along to their necessary conclusion. There's no Statue of Liberty turning what you've seen before on it's head. The characters are underdeveloped, especially the brother who's disappears to do trivial business off-screen for a big chunk of the runtime, but I'm interested enough to start reading the novel it's based on.

[XoPachi]

Watched about half of The Shape of Water and I don't know...
I got bored and I was finding a lot of the acting really grating. I like the premise. Really like the premise. It's predictable, but how often do you see something like that on the big screen? Mute woman falls for a merman? Live action? Like come on.
I like that they weren't shy about real problems in the 1950's. I love American art and entertainment from that era, but if you were black, disabled, or a woman, god help you. And they showed all of that very bluntly. The pie bar scene really sticks out and shows that even a white man was seen as an "other" when standing up for blacks. It was that bad.

It was also interesting how the artist character was dealing with the transition from traditional to photographic mediums in advertising design. I don't think that's an angle of that point in history that's talked about a lot even when I was in college for it. Interesting minor subplot choice. I'd be curious to look into this more to see what that period was like. None of my books touch on it much.

There's a lot to appreciate about the movie. But I just got really impatient with it for some reason.

[xxx1993]

Saw The Contractor yesterday, the one with Chris Pine, Ben Foster, and Kiefer Sutherland. It was pretty good.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Goliathan (1977) - 5/10
Shitty actors, SFX, dialogue, and an attractive lady whose left nipple is hanging out of her ridiculous prehistoric fur bra all the time. Slept through the second half of the movie, but judging from the first half, it's campy fun if you're in the mood, which I wasn't.

Vampires 7/10
Good Carpenter flick. James Woods is pretty badass. Some of the music didn't really fit the mood of the film IMHO, which is remarkable since music is often great in Carpenter's films.

Imprint 8/10
This is from a time when Takashi Miike still pushed boundaries. Really uncomfortable torture scene and nihilistic tone throughout.

[NYN]

Vampires 7/10
Good Carpenter flick. James Woods is pretty badass.

I find it incredible how the movie depicts violence and abuse against men of the cloth and women in general and gets away with it in supernatural fashion. You can play drinking games to it and never get thirsty. Granted the priests are scumbags and the ladies are introduced as whores, which gives all a certain spin of, er, commentary, perhaps? Next to the practical fx, it's these things that stand out to me. With Woods at the center, priest-beating and lady-mistreating.

The Amityville Horror

The original movie based on the non-fiction book accounting a real hoax. You might know the story. James Brolin, father to Josh, gives the creepy stepfather in an performance and became virtually out of work for 2 years after, Margot Kidder gives a cheeky titty-tease, no kidding. I won't spoil anything when I write that the ultimate lame in a horror movie of some renown is that NOBODY GETS IT! Consider it a warning. Not even the meddling clergy are fair game! How can this be? The priest starts raving about Satan and gets chastised by his superior as a old-fashioned creep. A nun enters the den of evil and is not sexually-assaulted, instead is seen shooting hoops later with kids, throwing like a virgin. The whole family makes it out alive, with time to spare to go back to get the pet dog. What?! The hoaxer's report of false events is easy to discern. (re-watched Poltergeist before this and true enough it ends the same way AND NOBODY GETS IT, TOO; its atomic radiance of 80s kids phantasmagoria is the savety net for this one)

Riding the Bullet

Based on the story by a certain King. A young student on a Maine odyssey, hiking the hitch, to get to his Mom's hospital bed on All Hallows' Eve in 1969. You know what that entails. I never once believed that the movie was a period piece, accepting the costumes only as trick-o-treatin'. What I find fascinating is how messy all of this is. I am ready to argue that in most adaptations of King's stories his act gets cleaned up in the procces. And most of it profit from it, like, uh, IT, The Dead Zone, The Dark Half, and others ( not Kubrick's The Shining, that's another matter of debate ) and so does the audience. Not in this one. They kept all the crazy act. You could play the drinking game at every bit that is a daydream fantasy that ends in a flash and goes back to "reality" and massively get wasted for that. It's marvelous. To drop some names for the initiated: Nicotero and Berger for the few special make-up fx and Bernie Whrightson for some illustrations, was incentive enough for me. When all the tripping ends with the somber epilouge of a mature man taking stock, it's odd but oddly fitting. I will see this film again, I just know it.

edit: the > th

[EmperorIng]

I'm not really a Gilliam fan outside of Brazil, but I liked it quite a bit. The Karel Zeman one from the 60's is also awesome and has a lot of cool imagery. All his stuff does, really, but that one really stood out.

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is super underrated, but almost no one saw it.
Miracle that it finally got made aside, It's basically a love letter to indie film making.

I actually saw it in theaters! In the united states it played for precisely ONE NIGHT, that was the only night across the whole nation it was aired. I guess as an extra fuck you to Gilliam so people could say "look how poorly it did on the box office!" It is indeed great.

This week is a David Lynch film festival at my local theater the Music Box. Everything he ever did, and some stuff his daughter did and a few Twin Peaks collaborators. I don't have the time, or desire, to see everything, but I've bought tickets for
Blue Velvet
Lost Highway
The Straight Story
Wild at Heart

I've never seen any of them. This is going to be one movie-packed weekend; I might be lynched out by the time it's all said and done. I didn't have the fortitude to buy tickets for their new "4k" restoration of Inland Empire. I was intrigued but I don't think I could take the 3 hour chunk of time to watch it.

[NYN]

I don't have the time, or desire, to see everything, but I've bought tickets for
Blue Velvet
Lost Highway
The Straight Story
Wild at Heart

I've never seen any of them. This is going to be one movie-packed weekend; I might be lynched out by the time it's all said and done.

No viewing of The Elephant Man? Maybe you've seen it.

Best of experiences to you. From that list I only don't know The Straight Story, but got the DVD to remedy that very soon.
Same on Inland Empire. I only made it through it on 3 different sittings. Feel free to drop a line or more after the screenings.

[Vexorg]

Sonic the Hedgehog 2: **1/2

Got cheap tickets for this one from T-Mobile Tuesdays, and I'm guessing plenty of other people did too because the theater was pretty full. Lots of kids in the audience, and there seems to have been a conscious effort to make this movie more family friendly than the first one (probably just enough stuff thrown in to keep it from getting a G rating.)

I liked this one a bit better than I liked the first one, but they're both pretty average overall. The plot is a bit more involved this time (the characters of Tails and Knuckles are introduced early on in the film, and the Master Emerald is the Macguffin of choice this time around.) Jim Carrey tones down his nails-on-chalkboard antics from the first movie and is very slightly less unbearable to watch this time. For the most part the story is predictable until the whole thing goes completely off the rails (we're talking Big Lipped Alligator Moment level stuff)for about ten minutes halfway through, but that part of the movie is probably going to be the most entertaining for the grown ups watching.

And in a minor side note, an early scene allegedly takes place in Seattle, but bears basically zero resemblance to any part of the actual Seattle I'm familiar with. I saw one brief glimpse of something that might have been the Federal Courthouse in Downtown, but most of it seemed to be completely ficticious. That's the problem with works of fiction set in places you know; you know pretty much immediately when they are fake.

[GaijinPunch]

I've never seen any of them. This is going to be one movie-packed weekend; I might be lynched out by the time it's all said and done. I didn't have the fortitude to buy tickets for their new "4k" restoration of Inland Empire. I was intrigued but I don't think I could take the 3 hour chunk of time to watch it.

Have you seen the poster that was made for the festival. Looks worthy of Ohrai. Dope AF!

I assume you've seen Mulholland Drive and that is why you're opting out of it in the theater? If not, then, I fear you've made a huge mistake. Lost Highway I need to get back to. A bit sad I'm not in Chicago for this. Although, we have had this discussion before - as awesome as Music Box is, you really need to bring yourself an ass cussion.

I'm also curious about the Inland Empire restoration. Like... how?

[DenimDemon]

I've never seen any of them. This is going to be one movie-packed weekend; I might be lynched out by the time it's all said and done. I didn't have the fortitude to buy tickets for their new "4k" restoration of Inland Empire. I was intrigued but I don't think I could take the 3 hour chunk of time to watch it.

Have you seen the poster that was made for the festival. Looks worthy of Ohrai. Dope AF!

I assume you've seen Mulholland Drive and that is why you're opting out of it in the theater? If not, then, I fear you've made a huge mistake. Lost Highway I need to get back to. A bit sad I'm not in Chicago for this. Although, we have had this discussion before - as awesome as Music Box is, you really need to bring yourself an ass cussion.

I'm also curious about the Inland Empire restoration. Like... how?

Or Why? Really from all his films…specially that one. But the restoration process had some cool steps. Even if the source is pure video.

I work in film restoration myself so I’m a bit curious to watch a screening of this soon.

[Mischief Maker]

This week is a David Lynch film festival at my local theater the Music Box. Everything he ever did, and some stuff his daughter did...

Oh god, tell me they aren't including "Boxing Helena."

Kim Basinger set fire to her hollywood career to not star in that film, and arguably it was the right decision.

[GaijinPunch]

I can't make any of that text out. I agree though. Inland Empire feels a lot like Lynch saying, "movies are dead, fuck it". Enjoyable? Sure but tbh, the SD video aspect of it absolutely kills me on the inside. And, the length.

Nothing is beyond Music Box though. I went to a 70mm screening of The Thing several months before the pandemic. Maybe my last theatrical experience for quite a while, and my first time seeing The Thing on the big screen. Glad I went, but it was far from preserved well. Red tinge through and through.

[drauch]

I work in film restoration myself so I’m a bit curious to watch a screening of this soon.

Rad. Worked on anything cool?

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

I work in film restoration myself so I’m a bit curious to watch a screening of this soon.

Rad. Worked on anything cool?

I'd be curious to hear about your work, too. Love Arrow's releases since they restore plenty of obscure stuff, sometimes they include extras on the restoration process, which is always interesting.

[ChurchOfSolipsism]

Vampires 7/10
Good Carpenter flick. James Woods is pretty badass.

I find it incredible how the movie depicts violence and abuse against men of the cloth and women in general and gets away with it in supernatural fashion. You can play drinking games to it and never get thirsty. Granted the priests are scumbags and the ladies are introduced as whores, which gives all a certain spin of, er, commentary, perhaps? Next to the practical fx, it's these things that stand out to me. With Woods at the center, priest-beating and lady-mistreating.

It's an exploitation film for sure, but as is often the case with Carpenter's films I think there's a layer of irony; James Woods' character, despite featuring hard boiled coolness, seemed pretty damaged to me, which is not so surprising considering his brutal "origin story".

[NYN]

The Straight Story

To tip this the odd Lynch would be very easy, if you think the term "Lynchean" wouldn't apply here. But it's not that it is total unfamiliar territory. Still slightly curious characters in a quiet and paced way I learned to welcome as my entertainment. The gal commented she was moved by Farnsworth's sweet performance and asked if I knew if he was a professional actor. Doesn't get more natural. I thought Spacek set herself apart. In the beginning we laughed out loud when the titles come up: Walt Disney presents followed by A film by David Lynch. At least that seems odd enough.


edit: Walt Disney presents > A Walt Disney Production

[vol.2]

Love straight story. Made ever more poignant by the fact that Farnsworth was dying of cancer during the filming and then proceeded to take his own life when it was done. It was a dying man's swan song, and a beautiful one at that.

[cj iwakura]

I'm not really a Gilliam fan outside of Brazil, but I liked it quite a bit. The Karel Zeman one from the 60's is also awesome and has a lot of cool imagery. All his stuff does, really, but that one really stood out.

The Man Who Killed Don Quixote is super underrated, but almost no one saw it.
Miracle that it finally got made aside, It's basically a love letter to indie film making.

I actually saw it in theaters! In the united states it played for precisely ONE NIGHT, that was the only night across the whole nation it was aired. I guess as an extra fuck you to Gilliam so people could say "look how poorly it did on the box office!" It is indeed great.

Yeah, they really screwed Gilliam over. It's truly a cursed film. I'm hoping for a Criterion that includes both it and the Lost in La Mancha documentary about the lost Depp version where he argues with a fish.

You wanna fuck with me, FUCKER?!

[Vexorg]

Spider Man: No Way Home: ***

There's very little about this one that can be said without spoilers, so the short version is that Mysterio somehow revealed Spider Man's identity at the end of the last movie (which I haven't seen) and somehow turned him into public enemy #1 in the process, so he tries to get Doctor Strange to get people to forget who he is, manages to mess up the spell several times, and creates a huge interdimensional mess. Pretty average for an MCU(ish) movie, but at times felt like a slog to get through. Also suffers from the usual "one Avenger syndrome" typical of these movies where a pretty clear Avengers level threat shows up but the budget only allows for one Avenger. More comments in spoilers:

Spoiler

Bringing back both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's versions of Spider Man as well as all of the villains from the previous non-MCU Spider Man movies does provide a suspiciously convenient way to consolidate everything in a semi-neat fashion, but it also sets a precedent that's going to make a real mess of things when someone finally attempts an MCU version of Fantastic Four and has to try to clean up the trainwreck Fox left in its wake with that particular franchise.