What I Watched, What You Watched: Installment #6
The Russians have invaded and a revenge double feature...
| The Tenant (1976) |
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| QUICK THOUGHTS: It was interesting to watch Roman Polanski's 1976 paranoid thriller and then go online to read some reviews finding a lot of people praising it and then stumbling onto Ebert's review, which was filled with an immense amount of disdain. As for me, I fall somewhere in the middle. The Tenant is filled with Polanski's immense talent for creating a certain level of suspense, but the ending tries to make this film feel as if it is trying harder than it really should to be clever. I also think Polanski's decision to cast himself in the lead role was a bit of a mistake. While he is able to carry off the role of the shy lead character perfectly fine, he is unable to really sell the performance as it reaches its climax. Of course, as a Polanski film, he is able to bring something more to the genre than most can, but it isn't altogether fantastic. | |
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| Red Dawn (1984) |
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| QUICK THOUGHTS: With filming on the remake due out next year getting underway I wanted to revisit the 1984 World War III-in-a-small-town feature, and outside of the deer blood scene I really didn't remember any of this film. Then again, this film isn't exactly all that memorable. It has some good ideas, but this one is dripping with '80s cheese and after watching it, I am looking forward to the remake far more than I originally was. For more information on the remake click here. | |
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| The Blob (1958) |
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| QUICK THOUGHTS: With the recent news Rob Zombie was going to set out to remake this 1958 horror classic I knew Netflix was just about to send me two new titles so I quickly rushed this one in there and a day later I was watching it for the first time. In discussing his plans to remake the film Zombie was quoted saying, "My intention is not to have a big red blobby thing, that’s the first thing I want to change… That gigantic Jell-O-looking thing might have been scary to audiences in the 1950s, but people would laugh now. I have a totally different take, one that's pretty dark." In my experience the previous quotes lead to a film that may not be as laughable, but ultimately ends up being boring as a result. On top of that, how do you make a film about a gigantic blob and not have a gigantic blob? As for this film, it's decent, and a fantastic look back at some early use of miniatures and stop-motion animation. The scene featured below is probably the most iconic moment from the film, and probably a scene many of you have seen regardless of whether or not you've seen the film or not. I will have to now check out the 1988 remake as well as the 1972 sequel, which just happens to be on Netflix Instant Play. I am curious to see what the '88 remake did and am still trying to figure out just what exactly Zombie thinks he can do that will be so much more different. | |
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| Slackers (2002) |
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| QUICK THOUGHTS: I watched this one because a friend of mine told me it was one of her favorite films. Suffice to say, it did not become one of mine. This one stars Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Devon Sawa (Final Destination), Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore) and Jamie King (Sin City) and is just another generic college comedy about miscommunications and cheating on your tests. There aren't many funny moments, but perhaps some of you may find the below clip humorous. Oh, and Laura Prepon from "That '70s Show" is in this one too, and that is Gina Gershon in the clip below. Even Cameron Diaz has a throwaway moment as herself in this one. | |
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There you have it. Now share your weekly recaps and weigh in with any thoughts you may have on the films I saw. And remember to connect with my Netflix queue by clicking here, I have already added several titles from those that have already linked up.
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What I saw this week
Unbreakable-8.5
Battle Royale- 7
Last Chance Harvey- 8 (very underrated)
Ed Wood- 9(Burton is too good for the acadademy)
Lars and the Real Girl- 9.5 (most original film, should have beaten Juno)
The Wrestler- 10 (so real it was boring, fun, exciting, and sad)
@kerrysjoos:
Agree on most your ratings! Haven't watched "Last Chance Harvey" yet but will sure catch it soon.
Brad – Quite a coincidence, but I saw "Lady Vengeance" again this week. First time I was dazzled enough to think it was great but it's obvious flaws became apparent on the second view. I feel now that it is hollow, contrived, hypocritical and even offensive. I have heard that the "Fade to Black Version" adds something extra to the viewing but honestly, I can't quiet see how much it will improve the total experience. With me not being a big fan of the "Sympathy for Mr." and now "Thirst" carrying not very encouraging reviews (Brad confirms it above), "Oldboy" remains Chan-Wook's best work. I just fear not forever. He IS an intriguing director.
I also watched the superb Indian thriller, "Kaminey". It's gritty, entertaining and suspenseful and adds admirably to director Vishal Bhardwaj's already impressive resume (catch, if you can, his Shakespeare adaptations, "Maqbool" and "Omkara", based on Macbeth and Othello, respectively)
"Disgrace" – John Malkovich is great (once again) as a well…disgraced teacher. This is weighty, effective drama almost a compliment to Coetzee's book.
Oh yes, "Angels and Demons" – Watched despite everything. It's as if Da Vinci Code didn't happen. There are the same thick slabs of expositions as if time is running out (actually, it is), halfway through I was exhausted and turned it off. As good or bad as Da Vinci Code, I suppose.
I watch the Italian political thriller/drama "Il Divo" tonight.
8/23-8/29
The Wages of Fear – B-
Charlie Wilson's War (rewatch) – A
Pulp Fiction (rewatch) – A+
Oldboy (rewatch) – A
Death Proof (rewatch) – A-
Not a lot of time to watch stuff this week but this next week should be pretty good for watching 3 or 4 movies a day if I choose.
Inglourious Basterds (2009): A
Freaks (1932): B
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931): A+
The Lives of Others (2006): A
Tombstone (1993): C
Triumph of the Will (1935): C+
Legend (1985): B-
Taking Woodstock (2009): B-
Phonebooth – 8 – such a unique concept and very well done.
Fargo – 8.5 – Coen brothers at their best.
You've Got Mail – 7.5 – i miss Meg Ryan..i hope she can reignite her career somehow.
Frankie And Johnny – 9 – i cant believe this movie hasnt recieved more acclaim..a great romance film . Al Pacino and Michelle Pffiefer have great chemistry.
Snatch – 10 – better than Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels for me..i hope Guy Ritchie is in this sort of form for Sherlock Holmes.
Here's what I watched
RFK Must Die A-
Interview with the Assassin A- : if you haven't seen this you should. Brad, if you've seen it I would love to hear your thoughts on it
The International C+
The Soloist B-
Training Day B+
Animal House – 10 – I swear, I've never laughed that hard in my life.
movies ive watched over the last week
Green mile
red dragon
hannibal
goodfellas
evil dead
the big one
roger and me
the departed
fargo
memento
unforgiven
Fast Times at Ridgemont High – 2.5/4
Inglourious Basterds (2nd viewing of course) – 4/4
Brokeback Mountain – 4/4
Lost in Translation – 3/4
Gee, I wish people would be a little more expansive as to why they liked or disliked a film.
I watched:
Infamous- B
Watched at the behest of other op's here. What in God's green earth the industry is thinking pouring so much time, talent and investment money into two films with the same characters and the same story, we will never know. Whether this one would have done better if not compared to the award winning "Capote" we will also never know. I found the acting superb and the production excellent but the script tarried off too much into high society. Absolutely loved Toby Jones and Sandra Bullock. Terrible miscasting of Daniel Craig.
Franklyn – B+
Watched this from a British release as the American DVD will not be out until November. Tremendous first effort from writer/director Gerald McMorrow. Visually, this movie is just stunning…costumes, lighting, cinematography, sets, CG…all done on a small budget. It explores our modern take on the dilemma of loss, love, and faith. All big subjects to take a bite of. Four (eventually) intertwining stories, 3 in modern London, 1 in a fantasy landscape. In addition to the excellence in production, the acting is first rate. As much as I am loathe to say it, this is not for everyone as it takes patience to follow along but I found it intelligent and engaging.
Harry Potter: The Order of the Phoenix – B+ (Yes, I'm one picture behind.)
Much better than I expected it to be. I still find Daniel Radcliffe's performance to be disappointing. He's doing better but still has not learned to show genuine emotion without almost pantomime like exaggeration. However, the story was well presented and the mix of new characters with the old was well done. I would have given this an "A" except we are left with the feeling that this one is only leading to the next. No matter how much a film is part of a sequel, one should always be able to see each one separately.
Elegy: 8.3
Hot Fuzz (twice): 9.0
As Good as it Gets: 8.9
Death Proof: 8.4
Death of a Salesman: 8.6
Haven't watched to many films as of late but here is my last week or so:
Green Lantern: First Flight – D
I am huge green lantern fan and the reason I dislike the film so much is not because it isn't true to the comic story but more that is assumes everyone watching it will be a fan of the comic already and know the basic story. The film uses no time to tell the past or motivations of any character and only makes one of the many characters have any personality at all. I recommend you skip it.
Inglorious Basterds – A-
Another great film from Tarantino. Not your typical WWII film, and while I like those love those some different is often nice to enjoy.
Taking Woodstock – B
I wasn't sure going into it how I would feel about the film but I ended up really liking it. Demetri Martin was a good lead (I enjoy his comedy but I wasn't sure he would be able to hold the film). The film has a lot of good scenes but the one that really stood out to me was that of the drug trip in the Van.
Equilibrium – B+ (Re-watch)
A great film that holds up on repeat viewings.
The Auteur – C-
A decent film that I watched on Netflix instant when I was bored one day. Had some laughs but not great or anything.
Almost forgot finally watched the original The Texas Chain Saw Massacre – B
A great horror film. I can see why people have tried to duplicate it over the years.
@Patricia
You're right. People should elaborate a little more on what they liked or disliked in the films that they selected, so I'll do my list over again.
RFK Must Die: A- A fascinating and intrguing look into the murder of a senator who promised change in a difficult time. Shane O'sullivan's controversial documentary explores the assassination further and tries to answer questions that most have ignored. It chillingly brings up simillar conspiracy theories with the help of eye witness acounts of that fateful evening, and at the same time the feature also goes on to cast doubts about some theories. Yet the film reminds us about the importance of history and to ask questions no matter what
Interview With the Assassin: A- With the recent death of Edward Kennedy my interest in the theories that abounded to his siblings deaths progressed slightly in the last week. After the above mentioned feature, I decided to watch the mockumentary Interveiw With the Assassin. The film suggests the what if concept as a young man interviews an aging marine who claims to have been the second shooter at the grassy knowl in Dallas. While it is clear from the beginning that this is ultimatley a work of fiction, mainly because of character actor Raymond J. Barry's presence, there are times where you find yourself second guessing what you are seeing. You also begin to wonder whether or not the central character was actaully the murderer he claimed to be or if he is just trying to make a name for himself before his death. What makes the film work in the end though is the frightening performance by Barry whose work was greatly overlooked.
The International: C+ As much promise as this one started with, it was the biggest dissapointment of what I saw this week. About the only redeeming thing I could find in this film was the exceptional villian that Brian F. O'byrne made. Unlike the one note performances that were given by Watts and Owen. It just felt like a number of other rehashed spy thrillers that have been done over the years.
The Soloist: B- a film that I enjoyed more than others apparently. Most of this I will give credit to the work of Downey. An actor who makes excellent choices with every character that he plays. Other than that though, the film does feel like territory that has been charted many times before. About a hopeful comeback and men in search of redemption.
Training Day: B+ While this was not one that cared for after seeing it alomost ten years ago, I have re-evaluated my review since. The intense and bravura performance from Washington may not have been Oscar worthy but it none the less effective and perfectly counters the straight laced, and rigidly ordered detective inhabited by Ethan Hawke. It to me continues to play on the conflict or chaos and control as a number of other great films have. At the same time, it is a good old fashioned piece of melodrama with a good guy and bad guy both driven to succeed.
Within the last week I saw:
Inglourious Basterds: A (One of my favorites of the year from one of my favorite director's of all time)
Tron: B+ (Great for it's day, and still pretty entertaining today)
Taking Woodstock: B- (A little too directionless for my tastes, but still breezily entertaining, esp. Emile Hirsch and Liev Schreiber)
(500) Days of Summer: A- (Also one of my favorites of the year. A very charming film)
Blindness: B (Though it is grim, depressing, and a bit difficult to watch at times, it is still engaging and has a great ending. Julianne Moore does a great job)
The Taste of Tea: B+ (It was pretty entertaining but occasionally lost me. Despite the narrative being a little unfocused at times, I have to give it high marks for sheer creativity)
Last Boy Scout — B
Running Scared (rewatch) — A-
Quarantine — B
Pontypool — C
Traitor — B+
Inglourious Basterds — A+
The Hunted — C+
Unbreakable (rewatch) — B
Hallloween (Original) (Rewatch) — A-
Antrichrist — C
@Abrahim: Now, Abrahim, you are surely not going to neglect to tell us what you liked and disliked about Antichrist.
@kerrysjoos: Most original film? The category isn't for originality, it's for writing – do you really think that Lars deserved a win in writing over Juno? Why, if so?
Saw Taking Woodstock, and didn't dislike it. I of course, found Liev Schreiber to be wonderfully mesmerizing, but I thought that Demetri didn't hold up his end of the acting, that Emile Hirsch's wonderful talents were entirely wasted, and that the dialogue was atrocious. But it was an attractive little film, for its quirky bravado and successful cinematography.
Rewatched District 9, which wasn't particularly on my to-do list, but a friend from Utah was visiting, and I was more than happy to see it with him. The only new thing I noticed was how deft Blonkampf seemed to be at narrowly avoiding cliche moments, which is of course heartening to see.
Saw Resorvoir Dogs for the first time. I liked it quite a bit, for its unwavering, high-stakes dialogue, and Mr. Quentin's eye for filming locations, but I'm glad that Tarantino matured a bit for his later films. Also saw Blood Simple, which had several parallels with Resorvoir Dogs as the Coen Bro's debut. Liked that, as well.
Finally… Mulholland Drive. Words cannot describe exactly how perplexed I was throughout the bulk of the movie – not perplexed concerning the plot, but perplexed concerning the tone. I like to think that when I begin a movie, it is like a close-up of a work of art, and only over time do you see the limits of the director's style and tone, until by 20 minutes in or so, the frame becomes clear. Mulholland Drive took me an hour and a half to understand where the movie was headed. It wasn't like the work of a bad director, who might often step outside the bounds that he has established for himself, ruining the consistency of his tone – it was as if the entire time, new clues as to what David Lynch was doing revealed themselves – never inconsistent, because he didn't box himself in. It was an incredible experience for me, and I rarely have such visceral reactions to film, even I only moderately enjoyed the film as a whole. Coincidentally, however (as a side note to anyone who has seen it), I really do love Ebert and co's explanation for the film, as I think it fits quite nicely. All in all, an incredible experience, climaxing in the final 10 seconds of the film with a single word, followed by silence.
I saw this and was intrigued as hell to check out The Machine Girl, so I fired it up on Instant, and unfortunetaly I did not enjoy it as much as I had hoped. It felt like a movie trying to succeed by being bad, and that is just not for me.
Gattaca A
The Last King of Scotland B+
Sita Sings the Blues B+
A hilarious version of the Indian epic Ramayana. Ebert was right.
Franklyn C+
Angel Heart B
The Damned United B+
Safety Last! A-
Inglourious Basterds A-
The Illusionist (Rewatch) A
Harvey A
Management D
A complete waste of time. I should never have bothered.
Che: Part One B
World's Greatest Dad A-
This movie was a delightful suprise, Robin Williams is excellent.
December Boys B-
A decent coming of age tale.
Kingdom of Heaven (Director's Cut) (Rewatch) A+
I'm among the minority who loved the movie when it first came out and I must say the Director's Cut is even better.
I Sell The Dead B+
Quirky little indie british horror comedy that entertains.
The Brothers Bloom B
Little Children B+
@AbdulMoeed:
You're totally right about Frankie and Johnny. I remember watching it as a kid and loving it. Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer give a fantastic under-stated performance. That was the beginning of my love affair with Michelle Pfeiffer.
Last week i saw..
Rob Downey Jr.'s CHAPLIN
Buster Keaton's GENERAL
a Fish called Wanda
ED WOOD
and The Last Temptation of Christ(it was a shiverring experience)
Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist: 9/10
(I Don't Know What It Is About It But I Fell In Love With It)
The Last House On The Left(2009): 6/10
Adventureland: 9/10
The International: 8/10
Wicker Park: 8/10
Punch-Drunk Love (rewatch): 9/10 – Fantastic film, great performances. I can really understand why Tarantino regards Paul Thomas Anderson as his main contemporary. He seems like a director's director.
Bull Durham (rewatch): 7/10 – Entertaining film, reminds you of how much of a real movie star Kevin Costner once was and makes you wonder where it all went wrong.
A Perfect Getaway: 7/10 – Fairly standard thriller, elevated by good performances from the two male leads.
The Final Destination: 6/10 – Scores 2 extra for the 3D, wouldn't be worth watching without it. Worst of the series by far.
Funny People: 8/10 – I liked the film overall but as most critics have commented, its definitely let down by the last act. I don't think I'll be watching it again soon and when I do the rating may well go down.
The Hurt Locker: (rewatch) 9/10 – Holds up on the 2nd viewing. Easily one of my top 3 films of the year.
Rashomon(9/10)-Great film. I really loved how Kurosawa toyed with truth up until the very end, presenting these conflicting stories. Even after it was over, I was unsure if anything that I saw was truthful.
Milk(8/10)-Another great film. Fantastic performances, especially from Josh Brolin. However, it's one of those movies that I'm not sure I'll ever rewatch, as I'm not too sure how it would hold up.
Memento(10/10)-Rewatch. What more needs to be said about this that hasn't already been said? Downright fantastic film, and in my opinion, Christopher Nolan's masterpiece. Here's hoping that it won't last…Inception anyone?
Overall, it's been a slow movie week for me. This week will hopefully be better.
I was going to take some time off watching movie, but I caved.
What I Watched This Week:
"The Illusionist" – I liked this movie better than "The Prestige". It didn't have sucky ending like Prestige did. 7/10
"The Spirit" – I wanted to see the trainwreck. WOW! It's awful beyond imagination. 1/10
"The Bank Job" – A solid thriller about a real life bank heist in 1971. 8.5/10
"Eragon" – Watched this movie's climax a couple of times. Seeing the whole shebang, it doesn't hold up well. 6/10
@kerrysjoos: I agree with you, I think "Lars and the Real Girl" should've won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar. As for the person who asked why: (in my opinion) Juno is dialogue – great dialogue, I agree. But the story itself is pretty common. A great screenplay is not only dialogue; it's brilliant ideas also. And the "Lars…" idea – a guy in love with a doll, and a whole town embracing it – is one of the most original ideas I've ever seen in my movie life.
What I've seen this past week:
- The Hangover: everyone in the theater was laughing harder than me. So I guess the problem's on me. Anyway, I thought it was just average. It tried too hard to be funny, and several situations didn't work for me (the oriental guy saying "Ooh, he's fat and he fell down, so funny"? No, thanks). I loved the photos during the end credits, though. 6/10
- Doomsday: a pleasant surprise. It started serious, became awkward, then became awkwardly funny. Loved the "gladiator" sequence. Rhona Mitra is a badass heroine. As a homage to loads of 80s movies, it's great. 7/10
- Last Chance Harvey: I was loving it – oh, to see London again (I was there a couple of months ago) moved me. Dustin Hoffman was great. Emma Thompson, brilliant as always – I'll watch anything with her. The wedding toast moment ("I believed he said 'the father of the bride'") gave me chills. But then, OH WHY, there comes the last 15 minutes of pure bullshit/romantic-comedies-clichés-one-after-another. It nearly ruined a great movie. Should've ended when it faded to black the first time. Too bad the writer-director chickened out. 7.5/10
- Two Lovers: amazing. This movie really touched me. "We Own The Night" was already a standout movie, but with this one, James Gray truly became a brilliant director. He's so confident in the way he shoots his sequences, it was a pleasure to watch. He really catches the intimacy of the characters. Joaquin Phoenix: mesmerizing. Probably the best male performance of the year. I believed him 200%, all his actions, everything. Gwyneth Paltrow was also excellent (I never got why so many people hate her, she did some great acting after her Oscar) and gorgeous. The ending is painful because it's damn real. 10/10
@Adriano: It's an interesting subject, this Lars vs Juno. Sure, 'Lars' had a less commonplace story – but don't you think that that is much easier than creating excellent dialogue? If you sat down for 3 hours to think of good movie concepts, something in the realm of 'Lars' wouldn't be that hard to come by, methinks. I always felt that Lars' oscar nomination was for the dialogue, that somehow, against all odds, never looked condescendingly on the titular character. And I actually have trouble calling the story common – sure, teens in trouble is common. But a teen pregnancy, looking for perfect parents, and becoming involved with those parents – not so common. I guess my main point, though, is that good dialogue is much more difficult to come by than good story concepts, and therefore dialogue should be weighted more heavily when it comes to giving out rewards. Anyone have input?
@Dan Tralder: I suppose we'll find people who think that good dialogue is much more difficult to create, and people who think that good story concepts are harder. I tend to like (more) movies that let the actions/environment (in lack of a better term) speak for the characters. Take Lost in Translation, for example (one of my favourite movies of the decade and a Best Original Screenplay Oscar winner also): to me, the best thing about the film is not its dialogue. It's the way it deals with being a foreign in a foreign land, and this concept is perfectly shown when Charlotte wanders in game houses, on the subway, in Kyoto. Not that Lost in Translation doesn't have brilliant dialogue, cause it does.
I guess in the end it's just a matter of opinion? And both things (good dialogue and good story concepts) are hard to create and should be equally praised?
@Adriano: I also love Lost in Translation very much. And I absolutely agree with you about 'actions speak for characters', and would add 'subtle poetic justice' as a favorite of my own. But I always felt that these were things that Juno had over Lars, not the other way around, with her becoming strangely involved with the family that would adopt her baby, and the way that all that turned out. I can't help but think these things as different than 'story concept': pregnant teen vs community-who-embraces-a-man-with-an-inanimate-girlfriend. Don't get me wrong – I absolutely believe Lars deserved its nomination. I just can't push it over Juno.
But, of course, you are right that it's a matter of opinion. I just do enjoy conversations like these