Enjoyable but not great. It kinda feels like the original Oceans 11 where you get very charismatic actors together and they are obviously having a great time but it feels a little too forced/cute/muggy towards camera. Theres a few decent set pieces and beautiful landscape but theres no real plot to speak of. But the obvious pairing of Redford and Newman and the nostalgia for the flick make it worth the price of admission.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023 blu)
I wasnt as bummed that the flick starts with Indy being down and out and alone in his retirement as with Logan (an observation i made before realizing they both were directed by the same person!! and while i know Logan is a well done flick, i DESPISE the premise of where Logan and Xavier are in life). I think because its more or less a jumping off point. The opening prologue is a LOT of fun with the only drawback being it does feel too CGIish. I like the addition of Phoebe Waller-Bridge alot but her character motivations are written horribly..its all over the place. And the Archimedes dial is a solid story driver. All in all its a great course correct from Crystal Skull but kinda unnecessary. I would have been happy with the original trilogy and thats it but i had more fun with this than i expected to.
(One clarifier: when i say the prologue of Indy feels too CGIish, i am not referring to the de-aging. I actually think thats amazing. Rather the motorcycle and train stuff looks a bit to CGI and just serves as a reminder why the practical action in the first 3 was far more enjoyable)
I watched The Holdovers this week. Aside from Downsizing being a misfire, I can solidly call myself an Alexander Payne fan because I loved this. I loved the writing, I loved the performances, and I loved the ‘70s aesthetic. This will undoubtedly be high up on my top ten for the year.
Event Horizon (1997): haven't seen that one in a while. CGI has aged a little, but i don't mind that when the movie is that good.
The Last Dragon (1985): what a weird movie. Half of it is basically a collection of videoclips. The rest is some martial art fighting and them trying to tell a coherent story. Fun times
The Last Dragon was shown at a drive-in during the summer. It is one of the most '80s movies ever made, and I enjoyed how it poked fun at the tropes of kung fu movies. Vanity was something special at that time.
THE BOY AND THE HERON (2023). Whew, this is a lot to process. The third act is especially overwhelming, adding in more and more storylines, creatures, and far-out worlds. But it's also beautifully animated and heartfelt. I need to see it a few more times before I "get it," but I did enjoy it.
BIG FISH (2003) Tim Burton attempts a more grown-up movie, only for it to be something of an outlier in his filmography. Lots of people love this one, but to me it's just okay.
ROCKY IV (1985) So many montages!
POLITE SOCIETY (2023). Action-comedy that leans way more on the comedy side. A girl's feelings about her older sister's upcoming wedding are played up as a kung fu/spy movie actioner. It was fun, but might be too silly for some.
NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER (1988). Sings: "And I'm running... running from this nightmare... run-NING!"
SILVER AND THE BOOK OF DREAMS (2023). A girl has the old fantasy trope of being able to see and walk around in other people's dreams. This is very YA novel-ish, which is probably great for that audience, but I was a little bored.
CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET (2023). I doubted a sequel could work, but I should've known to trust Aardman. This is a lot of super-fun chicken slapstick.
I have a DVD of Chicken Run just sitting around. It is a film that I have intended to get to for a couple of years now. I have greatly enjoyed the Wallace and Gromet productions.
Yes, so many montages in Rocky IV! The music video influence is so strong in it. That is a film I grew up on. I still listen to songs from the soundtrack from time to time. (There's no easy way out....) My favorite montage is Stallone running up the mountain in the snow.
I've been crazy busy and no time for watching movies :(
My week consisted of watching the first 10 minutes of The Last Stand (2013) before falling asleep (not boredom, the opposite. I was just tired). And the other evenings watching the first 10 minutes of various ST: The Next Generation episodes before falling asleep. I'm just exhausted and tired and have no time. It's been a gruelling, but productive week. Just not movie wise.
Today was my day off and normally would have caught a few movies, but I had a ball hockey tournament. Which we won! Which is awesome, so I'm thrilled but completely physically exhausted. I'm ready to throw on a Star Trek and hopefully make it to the 10 minute mark.
Love reading everyone's reviews/thoughts on what they're watching. I'm determined to squeeze in a Christmas movie in the next couple of days, even if it means setting my alarm 1.5 hours early one morning.
With work starting up shortly, I am trying to watch as much as I can before the hours and the mental exhaustion limit my viewing. It was another week of exploitation watches, yet I did get away from that a little.
PHOENIX: THE WARRIOR (1988) – In a post-apocalyptic world where men have nearly vanished and “the reverend mother”, a mutated old woman, controls human procreation, a handful of women fight against the system. The acting is terrible, the action scenes are badly staged, and the sets are at a distressingly low level of cheap. Graded on a curve of straight-to-video movies, however, this is not a complete failure. I was not bored, and there are some unexpected twists that demonstrated some creativity. Still, this is a badly executed film on all levels that loses its energy near the conclusion. This was watched on Freevee, which I hope is not an indication of how Prime will be next year. The commercial breaks are longer than the ones encountered on Tubi.
IN THE LAND OF FRANCO (2020, dir. David Gregory) on Tubi – Film historian Stephen Thrower visits places in Portugal and Spain where prolific Spanish director Jess Franco made his films. Helping Thrower in this task is an actor who worked with Franco. As a Franco fan, it is fascinating to see the locations and how they were often used for multiple films. The value of this documentary, which was produced by Severin, rests solely on one’s interest in the director.
CRISTIANA DEVIL NUN (1972, dir. Sergio Bergonzelli) – A wild film, this is the weirdest nunsploitation I have yet encountered. What sets the film apart from others of its ilk is that it has a contemporary setting, allowing the convent shenanigans to coexist with distinctly ‘70s sleaze. Boy, is there a lot of sleaze going on. When a young woman survives a scare in an airplane, she decides to honor her promise to God to pursue a religious vocation. It is clear from the beginning, however, that her passions are going to make that impossible. The way the story unfolds is humorous, blending seriousness with the most ridiculous scenarios. This is part of Severin’s Nasty Habits box set, but I got it as a rental from a company that I am trying out. I watched the Italian cut.
CENTER STAGE (1991, dir. Stanley Kwan) – A biopic about a legendary 1930s Chinese actress, Ruan Lingyu, that tries to do too much. Mixing film segments from Lingyu’s brief career, vintage interviews, and discussions with the cast of the film about how to portray everything, there is an off-putting disjointed quality to it. On the positive side, the film is beautifully shot and Maggie Cheung deservedly won accolades for her portrayal of the doomed Ruan Lingyu, who committed suicide at 24 when she became embroiled in an adultery scandal.
The past few years I have delved into Christmas genre films, re-visiting some (Gremlins) but mainly getting to new watches (Rare Exports, Dial Code Santa Claus). This December, the exploration continues, beginning with the original BLACK CHRISTMAS. This was a re-watch. It is a testament to the quality of the film that I got wrapped up in the suspense of the story even knowing the outcome. The humor of the characters stood out more with this viewing, particularly Margot Kidder’s Barb and the house mother. It is amazing to think about the film dating back half a century now. If you think about that in the context of the early 1970s, the silent horror films would be what Black Christmas is today. The other watch was a mediocre low-budget film called SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT (1972). It is the tale of murders at a stately house with a dark history, all set around the holiday season. The narrative is confusing and the acting is primarily wooden. The one bright spot is the presence of Mary Woronov. I guess it does stand out as being one of the earliest films to use POV shots for the killer, but that is not the best reason to seek it out.
The Warriors release is certainly on my radar. I had the chance to watch the theatrical cut twice at the Mahoning Drive-In. Definitely far superior to the comic book edition that is the director's cut.
I actually got a ton more stuff than this. There's a cool used dvd store downtown. I go there once or twice a week and take almost any 4K blurays that has Dolby Vision 😁
G'day Y'all!
ReplyDeleteButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969 blu)
Enjoyable but not great. It kinda feels like the original Oceans 11 where you get very charismatic actors together and they are obviously having a great time but it feels a little too forced/cute/muggy towards camera. Theres a few decent set pieces and beautiful landscape but theres no real plot to speak of. But the obvious pairing of Redford and Newman and the nostalgia for the flick make it worth the price of admission.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023 blu)
I wasnt as bummed that the flick starts with Indy being down and out and alone in his retirement as with Logan (an observation i made before realizing they both were directed by the same person!! and while i know Logan is a well done flick, i DESPISE the premise of where Logan and Xavier are in life). I think because its more or less a jumping off point. The opening prologue is a LOT of fun with the only drawback being it does feel too CGIish. I like the addition of Phoebe Waller-Bridge alot but her character motivations are written horribly..its all over the place. And the Archimedes dial is a solid story driver. All in all its a great course correct from Crystal Skull but kinda unnecessary. I would have been happy with the original trilogy and thats it but i had more fun with this than i expected to.
(One clarifier: when i say the prologue of Indy feels too CGIish, i am not referring to the de-aging. I actually think thats amazing. Rather the motorcycle and train stuff looks a bit to CGI and just serves as a reminder why the practical action in the first 3 was far more enjoyable)
DeleteI watched The Holdovers this week. Aside from Downsizing being a misfire, I can solidly call myself an Alexander Payne fan because I loved this. I loved the writing, I loved the performances, and I loved the ‘70s aesthetic. This will undoubtedly be high up on my top ten for the year.
ReplyDeleteEvent Horizon (1997): haven't seen that one in a while. CGI has aged a little, but i don't mind that when the movie is that good.
ReplyDeleteThe Last Dragon (1985): what a weird movie. Half of it is basically a collection of videoclips. The rest is some martial art fighting and them trying to tell a coherent story. Fun times
The Last Dragon was shown at a drive-in during the summer. It is one of the most '80s movies ever made, and I enjoyed how it poked fun at the tropes of kung fu movies. Vanity was something special at that time.
DeleteTHE BOY AND THE HERON (2023). Whew, this is a lot to process. The third act is especially overwhelming, adding in more and more storylines, creatures, and far-out worlds. But it's also beautifully animated and heartfelt. I need to see it a few more times before I "get it," but I did enjoy it.
ReplyDeleteBIG FISH (2003) Tim Burton attempts a more grown-up movie, only for it to be something of an outlier in his filmography. Lots of people love this one, but to me it's just okay.
ROCKY IV (1985) So many montages!
POLITE SOCIETY (2023). Action-comedy that leans way more on the comedy side. A girl's feelings about her older sister's upcoming wedding are played up as a kung fu/spy movie actioner. It was fun, but might be too silly for some.
NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 4: THE DREAM MASTER (1988). Sings: "And I'm running... running from this nightmare... run-NING!"
SILVER AND THE BOOK OF DREAMS (2023). A girl has the old fantasy trope of being able to see and walk around in other people's dreams. This is very YA novel-ish, which is probably great for that audience, but I was a little bored.
CHICKEN RUN: DAWN OF THE NUGGET (2023). I doubted a sequel could work, but I should've known to trust Aardman. This is a lot of super-fun chicken slapstick.
woot! new Aardman!? thanks for heads up!!!
DeleteI really loved the first Chicken Run, so I'll be sure to eventually watch this. I've only seen 3 (?) Aardman movies, but liked to loved them all.
DeleteI have a DVD of Chicken Run just sitting around. It is a film that I have intended to get to for a couple of years now. I have greatly enjoyed the Wallace and Gromet productions.
DeleteYes, so many montages in Rocky IV! The music video influence is so strong in it. That is a film I grew up on. I still listen to songs from the soundtrack from time to time. (There's no easy way out....) My favorite montage is Stallone running up the mountain in the snow.
I've been crazy busy and no time for watching movies :(
ReplyDeleteMy week consisted of watching the first 10 minutes of The Last Stand (2013) before falling asleep (not boredom, the opposite. I was just tired). And the other evenings watching the first 10 minutes of various ST: The Next Generation episodes before falling asleep. I'm just exhausted and tired and have no time. It's been a gruelling, but productive week. Just not movie wise.
Today was my day off and normally would have caught a few movies, but I had a ball hockey tournament. Which we won! Which is awesome, so I'm thrilled but completely physically exhausted. I'm ready to throw on a Star Trek and hopefully make it to the 10 minute mark.
Love reading everyone's reviews/thoughts on what they're watching. I'm determined to squeeze in a Christmas movie in the next couple of days, even if it means setting my alarm 1.5 hours early one morning.
With work starting up shortly, I am trying to watch as much as I can before the hours and the mental exhaustion limit my viewing. It was another week of exploitation watches, yet I did get away from that a little.
ReplyDeletePHOENIX: THE WARRIOR (1988) – In a post-apocalyptic world where men have nearly vanished and “the reverend mother”, a mutated old woman, controls human procreation, a handful of women fight against the system. The acting is terrible, the action scenes are badly staged, and the sets are at a distressingly low level of cheap. Graded on a curve of straight-to-video movies, however, this is not a complete failure. I was not bored, and there are some unexpected twists that demonstrated some creativity. Still, this is a badly executed film on all levels that loses its energy near the conclusion. This was watched on Freevee, which I hope is not an indication of how Prime will be next year. The commercial breaks are longer than the ones encountered on Tubi.
IN THE LAND OF FRANCO (2020, dir. David Gregory) on Tubi – Film historian Stephen Thrower visits places in Portugal and Spain where prolific Spanish director Jess Franco made his films. Helping Thrower in this task is an actor who worked with Franco. As a Franco fan, it is fascinating to see the locations and how they were often used for multiple films. The value of this documentary, which was produced by Severin, rests solely on one’s interest in the director.
CRISTIANA DEVIL NUN (1972, dir. Sergio Bergonzelli) – A wild film, this is the weirdest nunsploitation I have yet encountered. What sets the film apart from others of its ilk is that it has a contemporary setting, allowing the convent shenanigans to coexist with distinctly ‘70s sleaze. Boy, is there a lot of sleaze going on. When a young woman survives a scare in an airplane, she decides to honor her promise to God to pursue a religious vocation. It is clear from the beginning, however, that her passions are going to make that impossible. The way the story unfolds is humorous, blending seriousness with the most ridiculous scenarios. This is part of Severin’s Nasty Habits box set, but I got it as a rental from a company that I am trying out. I watched the Italian cut.
CENTER STAGE (1991, dir. Stanley Kwan) – A biopic about a legendary 1930s Chinese actress, Ruan Lingyu, that tries to do too much. Mixing film segments from Lingyu’s brief career, vintage interviews, and discussions with the cast of the film about how to portray everything, there is an off-putting disjointed quality to it. On the positive side, the film is beautifully shot and Maggie Cheung deservedly won accolades for her portrayal of the doomed Ruan Lingyu, who committed suicide at 24 when she became embroiled in an adultery scandal.
The past few years I have delved into Christmas genre films, re-visiting some (Gremlins) but mainly getting to new watches (Rare Exports, Dial Code Santa Claus). This December, the exploration continues, beginning with the original BLACK CHRISTMAS. This was a re-watch. It is a testament to the quality of the film that I got wrapped up in the suspense of the story even knowing the outcome. The humor of the characters stood out more with this viewing, particularly Margot Kidder’s Barb and the house mother. It is amazing to think about the film dating back half a century now. If you think about that in the context of the early 1970s, the silent horror films would be what Black Christmas is today. The other watch was a mediocre low-budget film called SILENT NIGHT, BLOODY NIGHT (1972). It is the tale of murders at a stately house with a dark history, all set around the holiday season. The narrative is confusing and the acting is primarily wooden. The one bright spot is the presence of Mary Woronov. I guess it does stand out as being one of the earliest films to use POV shots for the killer, but that is not the best reason to seek it out.
they finally made a proper release for Clue, in 4K no less, from Shout!. haven't watched it yet, but i will soon
ReplyDeleteArrow did a great release of The Warriors, which include the much better Theatrical Cut
Columbo season 1 to 7 also got a blu-ray release. they look great and i can't wait to jump into it
The Warriors release is certainly on my radar. I had the chance to watch the theatrical cut twice at the Mahoning Drive-In. Definitely far superior to the comic book edition that is the director's cut.
ReplyDeleteI actually got a ton more stuff than this. There's a cool used dvd store downtown. I go there once or twice a week and take almost any 4K blurays that has Dolby Vision 😁
ReplyDelete