May 2, 2017

Panic in Year Zero! 1962
★★ Watched 24 Apr, 2017

How Milland didn't title this "Nuclear Family" is beyond me.

It's a silly, cheap little flick about society crumbling in the wake of a nuclear attack and the lengths to which one family will go to survive it. The father struggles with trying to retain his civility while protecting his family at all costs. The fragility of social convention isn't a new concept, but the story is interesting in the way that it incidentally examines era specific topics such as the mythos of the patriarchy and man's (often racially charged) burden to restore order amidst chaos. As much as the movie purposefully draws attention to the cognitive dissonance of the father in regards to his actions, it is completely oblivious to how ridiculous the male fantasy being portrayed is.

I hope that doesn't make it sound too worthwhile. You're probably better off watching The Twilight Zone.


Crack in the World 1965
★★★ Watched 25 Apr, 2017

The disaster doesn't really serve a purpose except to underline Dr. Sarason's hubris which pushes his fiance into the arms of another man. It's small potatoes for such a big spectacle. You could point to nuclear anxieties as the driving force behind the film, but it doesn't really engage with those fears in any meaningful way. Albeit shallow, it's an entertaining precursor to the disaster films of my lifetime. The pace is brisk, and the set pieces are charming.


The Lodger 1944
★★ Watched 25 Apr, 2017

A thriller which heavily telegraphs every move that it makes. Laird Cregar isn't given the most subtle role to work with, but unraveling the inner psyche of his character is what kept my attention. Most of the picture, including the entire opening half hour, consists of dreamlike night scenes which provide a rich atmosphere of dread. It's rather by the numbers, but I am interested in seeing some of the other adaptations of the source material, Alfred Hitchcock's in particular.


The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog 1927
★★★★ Watched 26 Apr, 2017

They say this is the one where Hitchcock found his vision. It's certainly a treat to see him work in the silent medium which so often pushed directors to pursue creative visuals to convey information. Hitchcock manages to throw you for a narrative loop while distilling some emotive fervor that I hadn't witnessed from him before. It's actually reignited my interest in him as a director.

I watched the 2012 restoration featuring Nitin Sawhney's score performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. While it was a bit overpowering at times, and the lyrical segments were jarring, I can't say I've ever been so affected by a score to a silent film. Of course, I'm still rather underexposed to the era, but I'm interested to compare this interpretation to newly scored 2k restoration that Criterion will be releasing in June.


Paterson 2016
★★ Watched 27 Apr, 2017

Maybe this resonates with happy people, but to me it's a liberal arts delusion with Jarmusch's quirky fingerprints all over it. Paterson is ripped straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting and transplanted into present day New Jersey where his sunny disposition and poetic heart can illuminate the world around him. It's sickeningly sincere and pathetically optimistic. If this was a black and white Japanese movie, maybe I'd buy it, but this is a setting and a reality that I can relate to. You can't sell me blue collar drudgery as a fairy tale. You can't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining. Life sucks. Grow up.

It's probably really good if you can get over that. Definitely has shades of Charlie Kaufman. This review from Kamran showed me how much of it went over my head. I'd need to put way more time into this to appreciate it. I found it dry, dragging, and thus don't intend to refine my opinion further. I'll get over it.


The Keep 1983
★★★★★ Watched 27 Apr, 2017

I demand a proper restoration of this movie before I die. Michael Mann is simply one of the most visually brilliant directors of his lifetime. Departing briefly from the crime thriller genre he would so effortlessly master, this fantasy horror showcases his vision unburdened by realist constraints. The score from Tangerine Dream is transcendent. Somebody give this the polish and distribution that it deserves. It must be freed.


Marathon Man 1976
★★ Watched 01 May, 2017

New Hollywood Timeline: 46 out of 160

Dustin Hoffman's 70s work has yet to thoroughly impress me. His character in Midnight Cowboy comes the closest I suppose, but neither Marathon Man nor Straw Dogs were the home runs I was anticipating. On this occasion, I believe the shortcomings can be chalked up to William Goldman's adaptation of his own novel. I say that despite The Princess Bride being a glaring counter example.

This on-the-run thriller keeps getting bogged down in subplots that aren't essential to the (lack of) character development and work against the kind of momentum you want out of a movie like this. There's supposed to be this wound that won't heal regarding the father's death, but the flashbacks and essays don't go anywhere despite the final shot of the film melodramatically circling back to the issue. They almost do during the showdown when Szell accuses Babe of lacking the nerve to s---t him down, with his father's gun mind you, but by that point in the movie Babe has already dispatched of at least one other person. The trepidation is an artificial way to prompt tension and portray growth.

Only slightly less contrived is the sequence of Szell trying to figure out the worth of his goods when he stumbles upon not one, but two people in the hustle and bustle of New York City who recognize him as a war criminal. The lady who spots him at random is killed by a car shortly before Szell murders the other in broad day by slitting hit throat on the sidewalk. It's far too happenstance to be taken seriously though I suppose the movie establishes that precedent when the prime mover of the film's conflict is two old men going at each other in a Death Race when they both drive headfirst into an oil tanker.

Maybe this stuff reads differently in the novelization, but to me it falls short of entertaining shlock and sits more along the lines of clumsy, inept drama.

 

May 3, 2017

I actually prefer Force Awakens overall. Though it's an unapologetic fan boy film with obvious intentions, the actors/characters breathe more life into its generic storyline than those of Rogue One, in spite of the latter's exceedingly more original script. You should really just watch Rogue One, first! :P

 

May 3, 2017

Bleh, I still haven't seen Suicide Squad. Batman vs Superman and Civil War made me want to swear off these too big to fail franchises for a long time. Just seems like a waste of time. Especially considering the middling response that Rogue One has received. Not in a hurry to see another Gareth Edwards blockbuster either.

 

May 3, 2017

rogue one >> force awakens cux

Matt Stone: I came in completely worked up about two film reviews, one was the Star Wars: The Force Awakens review in The New York Times, which was [a] good, positive review, and the Ghostbusters reboot review in The New York Times.

So this is like the dumbest, smallest thing to get mad about in the whole world, but it really fueled the entire season more than anything. … I’m talking about the elite, I’m talking about the tastemakers, I’m talking about the people who should know better, I’m being a snob here when I say: The new Star Wars movie does not get a good review in The New York Times in my world. That just does not happen. That’s not a grown-up movie that gets grown-up reviews in a grown-up thing, right? And I like the movie, I thought it had amazing acting and I don’t wanna sit here and bad-mouth that, but this is like lab-grown meat. This is a secondary derivative of something that was from 40 years ago. In fact, in a lot of ways, it’s like the same movie [from] 40 years ago.

Parker: What was so funny was all the Trump s--- that was going on and we’re actually having this whole election year and everything, but really weekly what we’re talking about is going, “Yeah dude, f--- Star Wars, man.” To me, I kept equating it to the Happy Days reunion special where they would do that reunion thing where they get all the people back and they kinda do a half-a--- story, but it’s all just about having people walk onto camera and having everyone clap for them and everything, and that’s exactly how the new Star Wars felt to me. It was just a reunion special. It was just a big, “Remember this? Remember that? Remember this? Remember that?”

 

May 3, 2017

The fan service that annoyed me didn't really start up until the second half when it really started to rehash stuff and plug in callbacks. First half was fun. Rey and Kylo are dope. Then again, I never thought too much of Star Wars so I might be grading it on a curve.

Also, those guys made BASEketball.

 

May 3, 2017

Rogue One is awful

 

May 3, 2017

I finally got around to watching Children of Men couple of weeks ago. s--- was awesome incurably slept on

 

May 3, 2017

It was nominated for 3 Academy Awards.

 

May 3, 2017

They didn't though - just starred in it.

????? It's not a great film - where would you place it, below the prequels, tfa, rotj..?

 

May 3, 2017

@Ben

 

May 3, 2017

My mistake. Orgazmo works for Trey and Matt is just riding his coattails anyway.

 

May 4, 2017

I'm not really sure what you're on about

memberberries?

 

May 4, 2017

yeah orgazmo was good, and i even dug cannibal the musical. i'd say matt is just more on the business side, but either way.

What do you mean? I pasted Trey Parker's critique of TFA since it's pretty close to my own feelings.

 

May 4, 2017

i had more fun with the prequels regardless of how crap they are.

 

May 4, 2017

Orgazmo is dumb. Cannibal is kind of ambitious for a s-----y Troma movie.

 

May 4, 2017

I totally didn't even see those were quotes lol

 

May 5, 2017

This year kinda got boring with the releases TBH, so I've had to make more classics for myself

 

May 5, 2017

Every year always dead until September need to get outta here

 

May 5, 2017

Me and Kam wanna do a new film club, you in?

 

May 5, 2017

Spring Breakers influence