Movies you've just watched

[xxx1993]

The Bricklayer, my first real movie of 2024. Pretty solid. It's got Aaron Eckhart, and it's from the same director as Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger, and The Long Kiss Goodnight.

[Lord British]

Aparajito - 1956 - Satyajit Ray (India)



The second in Ray's "Apu" trilogy, this one is just as beautifully shot and also as terribly heartbreaking as the first installment, Pather Panchali. The story here, again, involves more terrible poverty and family illness as Apu finds opportunity for his studies in Calcutta. I won't go more into it than that, but I highly recommend it, and Ray proves to be a masterclass filmmaker. Watched on Max

[Lord British]

Mommie Dearest - 1981 - Frank Perry



Ha. Finally subjected myself to this. I'm a big fan of Frank Perry but damn, this one was a doozy. I mean, it's a bio on a famous actress who's just non-stop physically and mentally abusing her daughter, yet it's hilariously funny. Funny as is in, your natural reaction is to laugh. It has to be seen to be believed. This film ruined the career of everyone involved, especially Faye Dunaway (it's too bad because it wasn't her fault IMO).

This gif is pretty much the entire movie. The repetition of it becomes comical really quickly.



Even if Crawford deserves to have her reputation desecrated, its still a bizarre idea to make this film so one-note. The story is based off of Christina Crawford's book released just after Joan's death, but Christina was disgusted by the film and basically exaggerated what she might have already exaggerated. This hit piece makes for a great piece of cult cinema though; it's the Mount Everest of camp. Definitely so bad its almost good. Watched on Max

[Lord British]

Gate Of Flesh - 1964 - Seijun Suzuki (Japan)



Now we're talkin'. I've been keeping up with the Criterion Closet vids, and this reco came courtesy of Willem Dafoe. Geesh where do I start? I guess I gotta start w/ Mr. Bunnyface (Joe Shishido). Over twenty years ago I saw the 1967 cult-classic Branded To Kill, also directed by Suzuki and also starring Joe Shishido. I've seen it referred to as "Japanese James Bond on acid", or something like that. So about our star....

In the early 60's Shishido got CHEEK IMPLANTS for some reason. Why???? And he wound up making like 300 movies afterwards, plus he's one of the most badass "Badass" actors I've ever seen. But why the cheek implants? That's why I call him Mr. Bunnyface.



So anyways, back to Gate Of Flesh. I really loved this film. I haven't seen anything close to this as far as how early this came out. On paper it looks like a B-Movie exploitation flick, but it really isn't. Set in post-WWII Japan, you have a gaggle of prostitutes who share their own pad, and pledge to not have a pimp or have a romantic partner ever. A new girl enters the fold and learns the ropes, and also a mysterious fugitive (played by Mr. Bunnyface) enters the den to hide. These women don't mess around. If you don't play by their rules they will f-- you up. All I'll say about the plot is that the harboring of Mr. Bunnyface causes the balance of these working girls to tilt. Along with the awesome 'tude of the girls (and MBF) is the awesome cinematography and directing of this film. It's really one of my favorite looking films. The girls are all represented by a color. The shots are very cleverly framed, and Suzuki uses superimposing images in a really effective way and it all flows together really nicely. Thanks for the reco DaFoe, you beautiful freak. Watched on Criterion Channel

[RGC]

Thanks for all the stellar reviews, LB! I'm king of the dilettantes when it comes to serious film, but always (when I'm not being a lazy ass), looking to broaden my horizons and challenge myself a bit. On your recommendation, me and my missus watched The Swimmer last week and we were still discussing it the next day. I'd post some thoughts here but there's a distinct possibility I'd come off as pretentious (:lol: but seriously, ffs!).

Recent watches:
Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?
Friday 13th Part V: A New Beginning (probably the weakest in the series at the point it was released).

I've also purchased Sorcerer on bluray as it's one I've heard good things about (am a big Scheider/Exorcist/French Connection fan), and couldn't find on any streaming service.

[Lord British]

Thanks for all the stellar reviews, LB! I'm king of the dilettantes when it comes to serious film, but always (when I'm not being a lazy ass), looking to broaden my horizons and challenge myself a bit. On your recommendation, me and my missus watched The Swimmer last week and we were still discussing it the next day. I'd post some thoughts here but there's a distinct possibility I'd come off as pretentious (:lol: but seriously, ffs!).

Recent watches:
Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?
Friday 13th Part V: A New Beginning (probably the weakest in the series at the point it was released).

I've also purchased Sorcerer on bluray as it's one I've heard good things about (am a big Scheider/Exorcist/French Connection fan), and couldn't find on any streaming service.

Thanks, and I really want to hear your thoughts on The Swimmer!

Sorcerer is great, but I prefer the 1953 French version Wages Of Fear slightly more. Both are must-sees though, and WOF is probably still on Max.

[vol.2]

Aparajito - 1956 - Satyajit Ray (India)

Fantastic stuff. Ray is incomparable. I worked for one of his relatives in NY for years. I think he was a nephew on the wife's side or something like that but I can't remember exactly and their family history is super confusing. He came from a rather famous socially forward family that produced newspapers and such. It's pretty fascinating looking back at all they did, and how important they were to social change in India.

[Vexorg]

Asteroid City: **1/2

A Wes Anderson film with his usual cast, chock full of the peculiar brand of pretentious wankery only a select few in Hollywood have an uncanny ability to get away with (see also: The Coen Brothers, Guy Ritchie, Quentin Tarantino, probably Stanley Kubrick back in his day.) It's the kind of thing that would get most mere mortals flunked out of film school if they ever tried to emulate it, but somehow he has the ability to fill an entire 108 minutes with the stuff and get away with it. The plot is too complicated to really explain here, but the film seems to be too busy with Wes Anderson's usual shenanigans to bother with it anyway.

Perhaps the most notable bit of this one is what seems to be an experiment to find the exact amount (probably down to the frame, calibrated with extensive input from the studio censor) of blurry full frontal Scarlett Johansson nudity it can get away with while still maintaining a PG-13 rating. The answer is somewhere around 1/3 of a second, probably just enough to disappoint everyone equally (but I suppose that's what the pause button is for if you're desperate enough) and I'm guessing they had to give up their free PG-13 F-bomb to do it too.

[AGermanArtist]

Napoleon - one note throughout with sex scenes that serve to cheapen the experience - 4 stupid looking hats out of 10
I preferred All Quiet On The Western Front, which I rewatched after Napoleon - 8 flamethrowers out of 10
I can't help but think that inspired Ridley Scott to produce Napoleon.

[Lord British]

Poor Things - 2023 - Yorgos Lanthimos



I loved Poor Things, almost everything about it. I haven't seen many YL movies, just Dogtooth (which I love) and a half-watch each of The Lobster and The Alps. Had the latter two sucked me in I probably would have finished them (I should re-watch The Lobster at least). But YG kills it here. I think I see some Guy Maddin influence here, the Canadian director who did Careful (1992) and Twilight Of The Ice Nymphs (1997). The cast is great: Emma Stone deserves an Oscar, Dafoe is in top form, Ruffalo was great and I'm normally underwhelmed by him. My favorite surprise was Hanna Schygulla, who's most known for her Rainer Werner Fassbinder movies from the 70's. She still has that devilish smile!

The movie is a bit long but at least it chews what it bites off. I found it to be a light-handed feminist tale; Emma Stone's character at first being oblivious to societal norms and sexual mores and highlighting the absurdity of them, but furthermore, I just found the movie to be about what it's like to be a human. It's very entertaining but not for everyone. There's plenty of sexual content here, and though I found it to be tastefully done (considering the outrageousness of it), PLEASE don't watch this with your parents or your kids no matter how old they are. Anyways, an instant classic IMO. Watched in theater

[Lord British]

Onibaba (Demon Hag) - 1964 - Kaneto Shindō (Japan)



Wow, this is a dark one. An elderly lady (of 40, lol) and her daughter-in-law murder every lost soldier that roams through their neck of the weeds, taking their weapons and clothes to sell, then dumping their bodies down a deep hole in the ground. Things get weird when one of their horny acquaintances shows up (a soldier who had fought along side the older woman's reportedly deceased son), and even weirder when a strange man in a mask appears to the older woman. There's graphic sex in this, pretty crazy for its time, but it's Japan. The violence isn't graphic, it's just disturbing; you can feel the desperation of these people. The soundtrack, the awesome b&w cinematography, the atmosphere of the swamp they inhabit, and the excellent performances make this a gem. Watched on Criterion.

[xxx1993]

The Beekeeper was a fun John Wick clone and a great movie to start off 2024!

[GaijinPunch]

Onibaba (Demon Hag) - 1964 - Kaneto Shindō (Japan)



Wow, this is a dark one. An elderly lady (of 40, lol) and her daughter-in-law murder every lost soldier that roams through their neck of the weeds, taking their weapons and clothes to sell, then dumping their bodies down a deep hole in the ground. Things get weird when one of their horny acquaintances shows up (a soldier who had fought along side the older woman's reportedly deceased son), and even weirder when a strange man in a mask appears to the older woman. There's graphic sex in this, pretty crazy for its time, but it's Japan. The violence isn't graphic, it's just disturbing; you can feel the desperation of these people. The soundtrack, the awesome b&w cinematography, the atmosphere of the swamp they inhabit, and the excellent performances make this a gem. Watched on Criterion.

Onibaba is DOPE. For shits and giggles, here is my write up of it from not too long ago, complete w/ some screen grabs.

I posted something about it on FB once and a Japanese friend of mine said it is one of only two films that is actually set at the time Japan had two emperors (or that it mentioned it maybe?), due to the taboo. Take that with a grain of salt.

[xxx1993]

Lift was a pretty fun Netflix movie about Kevin Hart stealing gold from a terrorist.

[Lord British]

Onibaba is DOPE. For shits and giggles, here is my write up of it from not too long ago, complete w/ some screen grabs.

I posted something about it on FB once and a Japanese friend of mine said it is one of only two films that is actually set at the time Japan had two emperors (or that it mentioned it maybe?), due to the taboo. Take that with a grain of salt.

Good Jaerb!

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Onibaba (Demon Hag) - 1964 - Kaneto Shindō (Japan)



Wow, this is a dark one. An elderly lady (of 40, lol) and her daughter-in-law murder every lost soldier that roams through their neck of the weeds, taking their weapons and clothes to sell, then dumping their bodies down a deep hole in the ground. Things get weird when one of their horny acquaintances shows up (a soldier who had fought along side the older woman's reportedly deceased son), and even weirder when a strange man in a mask appears to the older woman. There's graphic sex in this, pretty crazy for its time, but it's Japan. The violence isn't graphic, it's just disturbing; you can feel the desperation of these people. The soundtrack, the awesome b&w cinematography, the atmosphere of the swamp they inhabit, and the excellent performances make this a gem. Watched on Criterion.

Onibaba is DOPE. For shits and giggles, here is my write up of it from not too long ago, complete w/ some screen grabs.

I posted something about it on FB once and a Japanese friend of mine said it is one of only two films that is actually set at the time Japan had two emperors (or that it mentioned it maybe?), due to the taboo. Take that with a grain of salt.

Onibaba was recently shown on the TCM channel last month in December of 2023 -- it was shown only once and managed to DVR it to see what it was about. Like with most films, documentaries and shorts, they're shown just once in their entirety (snooze and you lose on checking it out) -- that's just how the TCM channel is nowadays.

I remember the IFC channel prior to January of 2011, they'd show movies uncut & commercial-free (sometimes even showing rare director's cuts of said films that were quite different from the original "silver screen" release like with "The Doom Generation" and "The Winter Guest" flicks). When January of 2011 rolled around, IFC was forced to air commercials to help pay the bills/make ends meet. It's never been the same since then. Even the Sundance Channel, eventually, followed the same path as IFC with having to show commercials as well to survive.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[RGC]

Sorcerer (1977)
Dir. William Friedkin

The lives of four wanted men from different backgrounds converge in Colombia where they are sent on a mission to transport extremely volatile explosives across 200 miles of jungle. At its destination, the nitroglycerin will be used to extinguish a huge fire at an oil well. Four men, two trucks. Redemption or death. One false move along the way and it’s kaboom! (Note: one of the trucks is called “Sorcerer”, a much cooler handle than my i30, which goes by “sh*tmobile”.)

This film has to be seen if only for some of the sequences in the second act, where every muscle becomes clenched. It’s a small miracle of filmmaking that the bridge scene depicted on the movie poster was ever made. I have to admit, without knowing anything about the story, the introduction is pretty convoluted and difficult to keep up with. We’re in Vera Cruz (Mexico), then Jerusalem, then France, and so on, meeting various unrelated characters seemingly with no rhyme or reason. It does all become clear, but it takes a while to reach that point. I would advise just going with it and you’ll soon appreciate the ride. (Minor spoiler relating to this point:) The men charged with delivering the nitro all have in common the need for spiritual purification based on previous wrongdoings, and this mission can be seen as their journey into hell. There are no weak performances in the film’s ensemble cast, and it was shot with a similar warts-and-all grim realism as can be seen in Friedkin’s French Connection. Lots of sweaty close-ups of some very intense expressions, not least from Roy Scheider).

Unfortunately, some of the dialogue is very mumbly, so perma subs were needed to cover both English and foreign languages. Overall, it didn’t spoil the experience, but I would have preferred to hear and comprehend the English sections. I recall having a similar issue years ago with King of New York (1990).

I bought the Blu-ray, since this wasn’t available on any streaming service. Now, I need to go and watch the earlier adaptation, The Wages of Fear (1953).

[Lord British]

Woman In The Dunes - 1964 - Hiroshi Teshigahara (Japan)



My 3rd Japanese movie from 1964 so far this month LOL. What a great era this is! This is another nightmare of a movie, and once again one that's beautiful to look at. This one is about a schoolteacher in his late 30's who's out in the dunes searching for certain kinds of beetles; for his hobby or work, i forget. Being out a bit late, he finds that he's missed the last bus back into the city. The kind, scruffy locals suggest he stay in their small village, and bring him to shack below the dunes that you need a rope ladder to access. The locals say that the woman down there will take care of him for the night, so down the rope ladder he goes. He finds that the shack is adequate enough for spending the night, and the woman down there with him ain't too old or bad looking. It's an odd situation, but it's not the worst night of his life or anything. Or is it? The next day he learns that the locals aren't so nice after all, and that woman down there is now his fellow slave. He tries to climb up the dune without a ladder and that doesn't work out. Now he's stuck with this woman. Of course, things get weird. The locals gleefully overlook their slavery, and at one point....

Spoiler

demand the two perform sex in front of all of them.

This one wasn't a direct hit with me exactly, but I have to admit it's an excellent movie. The Japanese don't mess around with their cinematography from this era; it's a gorgeous movie throughout. The acting is very good, I recognized the lead actor Eiji Okada from Alain Resnais' 1959 film Hiroshima Mon Amour. The movie is a bit long at just under 2.5 hours, especially since it's a guy stuck in a shack. Not sure if I'm in a hurry to see it again, but if someone wanted to watch it for movie night I'd be down. Watched on a very good youtube rip w/ English CC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXPDlRLTSpg&t=4600s

[Lord British]

Sorcerer (1977)

Awesome, it looks like several of us just saw this for the first time. Though I give the edge to Wages of Fear, it's basically a tie TBH. There's definitely some aspects of Sorcerer I prefer over WOF. Tarantino didn't like the cast of Scheider, but I disagree, he's just fine, but I like Yves Montand better as the lead in WOF, he's just more of a badass.



You can't take anything away from that bridge scene in Sorcerer though, it's one of the best scenes in the history of cinema.

[xxx1993]

Role Play. It felt like a gender-swapped version of that Apple TV+ movie The Family Plan.

[DMC]

On a Giallo-run. Watched a handful of Sergio Martino films. Torso, the usual suspect, the best one. I liked that the female protagonist had some clever moves--some smart scenes for being slasher really.
The only downside was that virtually all males were just 100% jerks throughout the movie--give me some variety, Martino!

(Just some large images and posters in the spoiler tag)

Spoiler

The second favourite is The Case of the Scorpion's Tail.
George Hilton (who featured in many Martino giallo films and cowboy films) is so enjoyable as a stereotypical man's man. Martino really went all in on the gender stereotypes.

Spoiler

The third favourite is not one of Martino's best regarded, The Suspicious Death of a Minor.
It's a giallo meets comedy (with some weird slapstick moments).
I enjoyed the bromance between two (somewhat likeable!) guys--an undercover cop and a small time criminal. The film also featured a cool villain with sunglasses, as it should.

Spoiler

[GaijinPunch]

Like with most films, documentaries and shorts, they're shown just once in their entirety (snooze and you lose on checking it out) -- that's just how the TCM channel is nowadays.

Them's the old days, ma dude. There's a TCM hub on Max that has all sorts of old ass flicks, including Onibaba at times. There's where I watched it myself! Get invovled!

Sorcerer (1977)
Dir. William Friedkin

Great write up, except for one exemption - for which we will have to remove your tattoo. Soundtrack by Tangerine Dream. I've got the vinyl on my bookshelf and it's criminally underplayed. Maybe I'll do that this weekend?

Woman In The Dunes - 1964 - Hiroshi Teshigahara (Japan)

My 3rd Japanese movie from 1964 so far this month LOL.

Another one that watched on a rec from a long time member here whom I've not heard from in ages. Apparently this is an extremely highly rated fiction novel as well. You know a movie is scary if it creeps you out and most of the shots are in daylight.

[RGC]

Sorcerer (1977)
Dir. William Friedkin

Great write up, except for one exemption - for which we will have to remove your tattoo. Soundtrack by Tangerine Dream. I've got the vinyl on my bookshelf and it's criminally underplayed. Maybe I'll do that this weekend?

Gah!...cannot believe I forgot to mention that! The TD score is ace -- I immediately bookmarked it on Spotify after the film.

[GaijinPunch]

Sorcerer (1977)
Dir. William Friedkin

Great write up, except for one exemption - for which we will have to remove your tattoo. Soundtrack by Tangerine Dream. I've got the vinyl on my bookshelf and it's criminally underplayed. Maybe I'll do that this weekend?

Gah!...cannot believe I forgot to mention that! The TD score is ace -- I immediately bookmarked it on Spotify after the film.

Fair - you keep the tattoo [puts cheese grater back on the shelf].

[RGC]

Haha, thanks GP, too kind.

Watching Sorcerer has now got me interested in checking out Friedkin's To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). It's been on the list for years. Worth a look?

[NYN]

The Castle of Cagliostro

First time. Wolf dub. Getting to the beginning of Miyazaki. Fluid, slick fun. Already with themes that will be established later: blue sky, aviation, castles, romantic heroism. Stunned at what quality the mood (humour) and animation is, given the year of release. Further films will add somber drama, yet this one is a pleasure all on its own. Had to sought it out, seems to me it's not as promoted as the following works, for it's adapted from other work. Highly gratifying adventure.

[Lord British]

Haha, thanks GP, too kind.

Watching Sorcerer has now got me interested in checking out Friedkin's To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). It's been on the list for years. Worth a look?

Definitely. Don't sleep on Cruising either.

[xxx1993]

One More Shot, Scott Adkins reprising his role as Navy SEAL Jake Harris to stop a terrorist attack on American soil. It's just as fun as the first one, but this one will definitely want you feeling thirsty for more by the time it's over.

[GaijinPunch]

Haha, thanks GP, too kind.

Watching Sorcerer has now got me interested in checking out Friedkin's To Live and Die in L.A. (1985). It's been on the list for years. Worth a look?

It is, but you're either going to have to buy a hard copy or torrent it. It's oddly not available on any streaming platforms (or wasn't less than a year ago when I watched it).

Definitely. Don't sleep on Cruising either.

Just brace yourself for this one. Whew....

[xxx1993]

Wanted Man. A rather average movie with Dolph Lundgren.