Start the countdown to scary movie month! #spooksville
I saw Baby Driver on Wednesday which I was absolutely floored by. Edgar Wright is one of my all time favs and this one did not dissapoint. I've been blasting the soundtrack at work ever since. I definitely saw Ansel Elgort doing his best Burt impression every time he was trying to be cool for Lily James (and pulling it off sans stache I might add). Anyone else have the chance to check it out yet?
I've seen it twice now, and I'm devastated that I'm not really feeling it. This is absolutely my least favorite out of the Wright filmography. I don't feel like my hopes were unreasonably high, and what the movie is attempting to be is very appealing to me, but there isn't a performance I liked in the movie, and the songs all sounded kind of samey (though I was already a fan of most of them; I mean, the fucking Harlem Shuffle, come on, it's an all-timer.) Did anyone catch any James Bond references? Jamie Foxx had his gold finger, and the Marine at the Perimeter Bank had a golden gun, but I didn't notice anything else, so I'm wondering if I'm misreading what Wright meant there; the only thing close to an Octopussy reference I noticed was the phone booth with the tentacles painted on it Baby and Debora call Doc from, and I'm not sure which of them would be the pussy in that situation.
June was a one of the most physically and emotionally exhausting months I've had lately for both good and bad reasons. I've had a great Junesploitation though and I guess what one might call the extended family of movie-loving folks on Twitter have been a lot of fun to read also (even if I don't chime in much myself).
My only regret is that if I'd had more time I would have made an effort to comment a lot more on everyone's Junesploitation posts in the comments sections. Each and every person who participated did a fantastic job.
If anyone hasn't gotten around to Okja on Netflix, it's worth a look. It's a bigger win for the future of Netflix than it is a shining example of Bong Joon-Ho's filmography, but still deserving to be seen. Also, read Adam's great piece on it!
Otherwise, I'm still on a Baby Driver high and want to see it again asap.
I've seen this comment about Bong's films a few times in this site, and I was wondering what other films people are referencing that Okja is not matching. Are people referencing Memories of Murder and The Host and Mother, or are they just meaning Snowpiercer? Or a mix of all of his films? I watched all of his Korean films, and they are good, but on pretty much on par with other Korean movies. I would say at this point, Snowpiercer is the exception (and perhaps the dragon a lot of moviegoers are chasing in terms of Bong's work).
Before I say this, let me clarify that I did really like Okja. However, I feel like Snowpiercer, The Host, and Mother are all superior efforts that succeed in being more emotionally resonant, more skillfully crafted, and better conveying in their messages. Again, I don't mean to come across like I hated this one, but I just feel like his previous efforts are stronger in what they're trying to achieve.
I completely agree. I watched Okja just after watching Host. And yes, I think the Host is a better movie in all around. Okja felt more chaotic and bitsy, this could be the competing large personalities of Dano, Swindon, Gyllenhall (who takes it to 12, and I enjoyed it) and of course Okja herself, the movie feels too big at times. In saying that it had a much larger emotional impact on me. But this may have to do with my reaction to animal cruelty, even a CGI imaginery one.
An anime franchise that I've really enjoyed is Ghost in the Shell. From the original film to the animated series, and then the "Arise" reboot, this is a universe that really appeals to me. I finally got around to seeing Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence from 2004, a direct sequel to the original movie. The animation here (a canny combination of 2D and 3D techniques) is a real work of art, fantastically detailed and with great art design. The story is typical for this world, convoluted and laden with philosophical musings. Overall, I loved it.
I have not yet seen the live-action film. At this point I'm just hoping not to be horribly disappointed.
Innocence is great, and beautiful. It got a lot of crap when it came out, but i always loved it
The live-action, well, it's problematic. I liked it, a lot even, but don't go in expecting something even remotely close to the original anime. It recreate a few of the cooler scenes from the original, the story is from one of the storyline in the tv series i believe. the worst mistake you can do i comparing it with the anime
Your epic reviews were a highlight and I admit to being a little jealous. I ended up watching 19 movies. Not bad considering a vacation, stomach flu, and my bands booking too many damn shows. Highlights: rewatched R&R High School, Freeway and Phantom Of The Paradise (felt like the very first time). First time: Lifeforce, How To Make A Monster, Murder Party, Windrider, Operation Pink Squad II. Fun month and I missed out on enough that I'm still feeling fresh and ready for more. Gonna watch I Come In Peace and Breakin' blue rays this weekend and check out special features on Phantom...Paradise and Lifeforce. Thanks to everyone for their awesome reviews. I was a little too bleary eyed to comment as much as I wanted to.
I just found out that Barry Norman has died. That name probably won't mean much to anyone who doesn't have British roots, but he was a big deal to movie lovers in the UK for many years. Barry presented the Film programme from 1972 to 1998, and even got his own puppet on Spitting Image, a popular satirical show on British telly back in the day. He wrote books and hundreds of newspaper articles about films. US cinephiles had Roger Ebert; the Brits had Barry Norman.
Really sad news to hear. His weekly review show was all that we had (until that other film show with Johnny Vaughn which I can't remember name of but which was decent). Barry Norman was a really solid critic whose opinions I always sought out. Very sad loss.
I went and saw 2001: A Space Odyssey last night at the Music Box Theater. They had a brand new 70mm print with remastered DTS sound mix. Needless to say, that film just gets better and better every time I see it.
I watched 4 movies this weekend, none of which are worth discussion nor that I would recommend but here you go: 2:22 (Teresa Palmer all day, though), Prisoner X, Wonder Women, Darkness Rising. I know, I know, WW. Geeesh. Maybe more boring than Logan. I did think Gadot was putting her all into it but she's not my Wonder Woman and it's not my Wonder Woman movie. When "Ares" gets all pissed at the end during the battle and says "Is that all you have to offer?!" and "Then I must desssstroy you!" I haven't laughed that hard in a while. I felt like I was watching a scene from some video game.
Oh, and serious question: When WW leaves the Amazons her Mom says "you know once you leave you can never return". Why?! They never explain this and it felt like some lazy, typical super hero blabber. Is there something in the comic where she literally can't go back to her home?
I don't think they say anything in that stupid movie to explain that statement, but here's what moviepilot.com says as part of an article giving general background on Themyscira: "In ancient Greece, women were the rulers of Amazonia until Diana's mother, Queen Hippolyta (then spelled "Hippolyte"), challenged Hercules to combat. Thanks to her strength and magic girdle from Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, she was able to defeat him. Hercules later seduced and tricked Hippolyta, allowing him to steal the girdle from her and enslaved the Amazons. Aphrodite, angered by the act, refused to help them. Eventually, the Goddess granted them forgiveness and helped them retrieve of the girdle, but with a decree: The Amazons must vacate Man's World and live on an isolated island to create a world of their own. Additionally, they were ordered to wear bracelets as a reminder to keep their distance from men."
I know it sounds terribly cliche and predictable but I feel like there's a connection between being a girl and liking WW. Not a rule, it's not for every girl. For me I really liked it bc I liked the awarenesses she had about love (at the ending...to be honest none of the beginning was particularly interesting to me). Love can be dignified and mean something strong, and mean doing hard things and letting people go do what's right even if it means losing them. If a guy left me to go do something that was more in line with his better values, I would respect that. That would be a respectable and inspiring guy. If a guy left me because I was treating him badly, I would respect that. A love like that from someone who knows himself and doesn't compromise would be a love worth having. And (running out of time to figure this out and write this), but anyway, it frees up WW to do what she needs to do, too. That's an empowering relationship that's worthy of her.
I wasn't focused on any of the other stuff, gotta be honest. If the fight scenes sucked, well, I have almost nothing to compare them to.
Completely valid points, Meredith and I am happy that it resonated with you in that way. My wife really liked it as well, even said it didn't feel like 2 hours and 20 minutes, so maybe you're on to something there. This particular film didn't speak to me on that level regarding love. I mean, I get it, but that theme was so cookie cutter to me that I just wasn't feeling the way it played out, especially with all of the other stuff going on that was distracting me such as the needless slow motion or the constant stammering of Chris Pine. There are certainly a ton of films that speak to me about love, this just wasn't one of them.
In the very beginning I was thinking about how much makeup contouring they were using on her (and promoting for girls and women). Don't they know makeup damages your gut bacteria and can lead to brain damage, autism, and mental and emotional disorders? I bet that wasn't going through your mind when you saw it either, Chaybee ;)
I was on this historical-sites walking tour recently and there was this girl wearing a WW shirt and I was like "I like your shirt!" and then we bonded. I've never been into movie or band merchandise before but now I really want a WW shirt! What is happening to me! :)
Not at all! I also have to add that I rarely enjoy any of these Marvel or DC movies anyway (with exceptions, of course) so I chalk it up to them just not being my thing.
Had a great weekend going up to The Roxie in SF to see Joe Dante screening some of his movies. Fun side note: The Roxie's website actually had a link to Patrick's review of The Movie Orgy which is the movie they kicked things off with. Patrick has done as a good a job as anyone can in describing an experience that defies description. Without going in-depth here I'll simply say that I barely felt the 4.5 hour runtime. Also it felt almost like a good stand-up routine in the way it has running jokes and callbacks that it keeps coming back to.
I wasn't able to stick around for Twilight Zone: The Movie last night, or Amazon Women on the Moon tonight, but when Joe Dante comes to your area and plays Matinee on 35mm you'd have to be a bigger monster than MANT! not to go. It was a great experience that still has me smiling right now at work, and Joe Dante was absolutely great, and humble, and seemed like a decent fellow in general.
I am unreasonably, morbidly jealous that you got to see a Movie Orgy screening. I think that except for maybe getting to see Timothy Carey's "Tweets", that would be my holy grail of movie-watching experiences.
I was just expecting an interesting little curiousity but it ended up being a lot of fun. The Roxie is going to be one of the theaters showing the print of Suspiria also so I'm excited to see that next month also.
Quiet weekend for me as I'm recuperating from Junesploitation! and preparing for the 4th of July holiday (because 'MERICA-SPLOITATION!). Just watched two things: 1989's Millennium (decent sci-fi movie that mixes time travel, disaster and romance to uneven results; Kris Kristofferson looks kind of lost, but Cheryl Ladd is surprisingly solid in a role that puts her sexy persona to good use), which came very close to making it into my Junesploitation! list, and the 2012 Rifftrax Live! Birdemic show. Nice palette cleansers.
Start the countdown to scary movie month! #spooksville
ReplyDeleteI saw Baby Driver on Wednesday which I was absolutely floored by. Edgar Wright is one of my all time favs and this one did not dissapoint. I've been blasting the soundtrack at work ever since. I definitely saw Ansel Elgort doing his best Burt impression every time he was trying to be cool for Lily James (and pulling it off sans stache I might add). Anyone else have the chance to check it out yet?
I got to see an early screening last month and thought it was fantastic. It's virtually a musical, which shouldn't work but does.
DeleteI've seen it twice now, and I'm devastated that I'm not really feeling it. This is absolutely my least favorite out of the Wright filmography. I don't feel like my hopes were unreasonably high, and what the movie is attempting to be is very appealing to me, but there isn't a performance I liked in the movie, and the songs all sounded kind of samey (though I was already a fan of most of them; I mean, the fucking Harlem Shuffle, come on, it's an all-timer.) Did anyone catch any James Bond references? Jamie Foxx had his gold finger, and the Marine at the Perimeter Bank had a golden gun, but I didn't notice anything else, so I'm wondering if I'm misreading what Wright meant there; the only thing close to an Octopussy reference I noticed was the phone booth with the tentacles painted on it Baby and Debora call Doc from, and I'm not sure which of them would be the pussy in that situation.
DeleteJune was a one of the most physically and emotionally exhausting months I've had lately for both good and bad reasons. I've had a great Junesploitation though and I guess what one might call the extended family of movie-loving folks on Twitter have been a lot of fun to read also (even if I don't chime in much myself).
ReplyDeleteMy only regret is that if I'd had more time I would have made an effort to comment a lot more on everyone's Junesploitation posts in the comments sections. Each and every person who participated did a fantastic job.
If anyone hasn't gotten around to Okja on Netflix, it's worth a look. It's a bigger win for the future of Netflix than it is a shining example of Bong Joon-Ho's filmography, but still deserving to be seen. Also, read Adam's great piece on it!
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, I'm still on a Baby Driver high and want to see it again asap.
I've seen this comment about Bong's films a few times in this site, and I was wondering what other films people are referencing that Okja is not matching. Are people referencing Memories of Murder and The Host and Mother, or are they just meaning Snowpiercer? Or a mix of all of his films? I watched all of his Korean films, and they are good, but on pretty much on par with other Korean movies. I would say at this point, Snowpiercer is the exception (and perhaps the dragon a lot of moviegoers are chasing in terms of Bong's work).
DeleteBefore I say this, let me clarify that I did really like Okja. However, I feel like Snowpiercer, The Host, and Mother are all superior efforts that succeed in being more emotionally resonant, more skillfully crafted, and better conveying in their messages. Again, I don't mean to come across like I hated this one, but I just feel like his previous efforts are stronger in what they're trying to achieve.
DeleteI completely agree. I watched Okja just after watching Host. And yes, I think the Host is a better movie in all around. Okja felt more chaotic and bitsy, this could be the competing large personalities of Dano, Swindon, Gyllenhall (who takes it to 12, and I enjoyed it) and of course Okja herself, the movie feels too big at times. In saying that it had a much larger emotional impact on me. But this may have to do with my reaction to animal cruelty, even a CGI imaginery one.
DeleteAn anime franchise that I've really enjoyed is Ghost in the Shell. From the original film to the animated series, and then the "Arise" reboot, this is a universe that really appeals to me. I finally got around to seeing Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence from 2004, a direct sequel to the original movie. The animation here (a canny combination of 2D and 3D techniques) is a real work of art, fantastically detailed and with great art design. The story is typical for this world, convoluted and laden with philosophical musings. Overall, I loved it.
ReplyDeleteI have not yet seen the live-action film. At this point I'm just hoping not to be horribly disappointed.
Innocence is great, and beautiful. It got a lot of crap when it came out, but i always loved it
DeleteThe live-action, well, it's problematic. I liked it, a lot even, but don't go in expecting something even remotely close to the original anime. It recreate a few of the cooler scenes from the original, the story is from one of the storyline in the tv series i believe. the worst mistake you can do i comparing it with the anime
Still reeling from Junesploitation. My total came to 50 movies, six short films and 14 TV episodes. Here's the full list (I like making lists).
ReplyDeleteDid anyone else make a list of everything they watched?
Hell yeah, I did!! And, great list, Mikko!
DeleteYour epic reviews were a highlight and I admit to being a little jealous. I ended up watching 19 movies. Not bad considering a vacation, stomach flu, and my bands booking too many damn shows. Highlights: rewatched R&R High School, Freeway and Phantom Of The Paradise (felt like the very first time). First time: Lifeforce, How To Make A Monster, Murder Party, Windrider, Operation Pink Squad II. Fun month and I missed out on enough that I'm still feeling fresh and ready for more. Gonna watch I Come In Peace and Breakin' blue rays this weekend and check out special features on Phantom...Paradise and Lifeforce. Thanks to everyone for their awesome reviews. I was a little too bleary eyed to comment as much as I wanted to.
DeleteI just found out that Barry Norman has died. That name probably won't mean much to anyone who doesn't have British roots, but he was a big deal to movie lovers in the UK for many years. Barry presented the Film programme from 1972 to 1998, and even got his own puppet on Spitting Image, a popular satirical show on British telly back in the day. He wrote books and hundreds of newspaper articles about films. US cinephiles had Roger Ebert; the Brits had Barry Norman.
ReplyDeleteReally sad news to hear. His weekly review show was all that we had (until that other film show with Johnny Vaughn which I can't remember name of but which was decent). Barry Norman was a really solid critic whose opinions I always sought out. Very sad loss.
ReplyDeleteI went and saw 2001: A Space Odyssey last night at the Music Box Theater. They had a brand new 70mm print with remastered DTS sound mix. Needless to say, that film just gets better and better every time I see it.
ReplyDeleteI watched 4 movies this weekend, none of which are worth discussion nor that I would recommend but here you go: 2:22 (Teresa Palmer all day, though), Prisoner X, Wonder Women, Darkness Rising. I know, I know, WW. Geeesh. Maybe more boring than Logan. I did think Gadot was putting her all into it but she's not my Wonder Woman and it's not my Wonder Woman movie. When "Ares" gets all pissed at the end during the battle and says "Is that all you have to offer?!" and "Then I must desssstroy you!" I haven't laughed that hard in a while. I felt like I was watching a scene from some video game.
ReplyDeleteOh, and serious question: When WW leaves the Amazons her Mom says "you know once you leave you can never return". Why?! They never explain this and it felt like some lazy, typical super hero blabber. Is there something in the comic where she literally can't go back to her home?
DeleteI don't think they say anything in that stupid movie to explain that statement, but here's what moviepilot.com says as part of an article giving general background on Themyscira:
Delete"In ancient Greece, women were the rulers of Amazonia until Diana's mother, Queen Hippolyta (then spelled "Hippolyte"), challenged Hercules to combat. Thanks to her strength and magic girdle from Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, she was able to defeat him. Hercules later seduced and tricked Hippolyta, allowing him to steal the girdle from her and enslaved the Amazons. Aphrodite, angered by the act, refused to help them.
Eventually, the Goddess granted them forgiveness and helped them retrieve of the girdle, but with a decree: The Amazons must vacate Man's World and live on an isolated island to create a world of their own. Additionally, they were ordered to wear bracelets as a reminder to keep their distance from men."
Hahaha! Oh man. Maybe if they needed Garmambozia I'd be into it.
DeleteI know it sounds terribly cliche and predictable but I feel like there's a connection between being a girl and liking WW. Not a rule, it's not for every girl. For me I really liked it bc I liked the awarenesses she had about love (at the ending...to be honest none of the beginning was particularly interesting to me). Love can be dignified and mean something strong, and mean doing hard things and letting people go do what's right even if it means losing them. If a guy left me to go do something that was more in line with his better values, I would respect that. That would be a respectable and inspiring guy. If a guy left me because I was treating him badly, I would respect that. A love like that from someone who knows himself and doesn't compromise would be a love worth having. And (running out of time to figure this out and write this), but anyway, it frees up WW to do what she needs to do, too. That's an empowering relationship that's worthy of her.
DeleteI wasn't focused on any of the other stuff, gotta be honest. If the fight scenes sucked, well, I have almost nothing to compare them to.
Completely valid points, Meredith and I am happy that it resonated with you in that way. My wife really liked it as well, even said it didn't feel like 2 hours and 20 minutes, so maybe you're on to something there. This particular film didn't speak to me on that level regarding love. I mean, I get it, but that theme was so cookie cutter to me that I just wasn't feeling the way it played out, especially with all of the other stuff going on that was distracting me such as the needless slow motion or the constant stammering of Chris Pine. There are certainly a ton of films that speak to me about love, this just wasn't one of them.
DeleteIn the very beginning I was thinking about how much makeup contouring they were using on her (and promoting for girls and women). Don't they know makeup damages your gut bacteria and can lead to brain damage, autism, and mental and emotional disorders? I bet that wasn't going through your mind when you saw it either, Chaybee ;)
DeleteI was on this historical-sites walking tour recently and there was this girl wearing a WW shirt and I was like "I like your shirt!" and then we bonded. I've never been into movie or band merchandise before but now I really want a WW shirt! What is happening to me! :)
Haha, no I was definitely not thinking about makeup :) I was mainly thinking "uh oh, there's 2 more hours left".
Delete*sigh*. Chaybee. It's ok, no love lost. :D
DeleteNot at all! I also have to add that I rarely enjoy any of these Marvel or DC movies anyway (with exceptions, of course) so I chalk it up to them just not being my thing.
DeleteI think we're all on the same page here... Wonder Woman causes brain damage.
DeleteHad a great weekend going up to The Roxie in SF to see Joe Dante screening some of his movies. Fun side note: The Roxie's website actually had a link to Patrick's review of The Movie Orgy which is the movie they kicked things off with. Patrick has done as a good a job as anyone can in describing an experience that defies description. Without going in-depth here I'll simply say that I barely felt the 4.5 hour runtime. Also it felt almost like a good stand-up routine in the way it has running jokes and callbacks that it keeps coming back to.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't able to stick around for Twilight Zone: The Movie last night, or Amazon Women on the Moon tonight, but when Joe Dante comes to your area and plays Matinee on 35mm you'd have to be a bigger monster than MANT! not to go. It was a great experience that still has me smiling right now at work, and Joe Dante was absolutely great, and humble, and seemed like a decent fellow in general.
I am unreasonably, morbidly jealous that you got to see a Movie Orgy screening. I think that except for maybe getting to see Timothy Carey's "Tweets", that would be my holy grail of movie-watching experiences.
DeleteI was just expecting an interesting little curiousity but it ended up being a lot of fun. The Roxie is going to be one of the theaters showing the print of Suspiria also so I'm excited to see that next month also.
DeleteQuiet weekend for me as I'm recuperating from Junesploitation! and preparing for the 4th of July holiday (because 'MERICA-SPLOITATION!). Just watched two things: 1989's Millennium (decent sci-fi movie that mixes time travel, disaster and romance to uneven results; Kris Kristofferson looks kind of lost, but Cheryl Ladd is surprisingly solid in a role that puts her sexy persona to good use), which came very close to making it into my Junesploitation! list, and the 2012 Rifftrax Live! Birdemic show. Nice palette cleansers.
ReplyDeleteJust because June is over doesn't mean exploitation has to stop, at least here in NYC. Film Forum is having a 'New York in the 70's' retrospective, and a lot of them in 35mm. Check out the two-for-one double bills for July 14, July 20 and July 26.Talk about your BIG APPLE JULYSPLOITATION! :-)
Death Wish and Dressed to Kill should be a great double feature.
Delete