I dont typically do "top 10" lists of new watches at years end...but if i did, i am 100% sure this would be on it....top5 actually.
A new flick from Jeremy Saulnier whos films i realllly like (Green Room, Blue Ridge). Im not going to delve into it because its so good, and was so off my radar, that im hoping others go in blind and enjoy. Ill provide the setup: it feels very much in the vein of the original Rambo First Blood: an individual deemed an "outsider" by a small town police force is detained and hassled inappropriately/illegally which sets off a set of dominoes. Incredible performances, tension, direction, writing, and story evolution. I loved this movie.
Just watched Rebel Ridge based on your recommendation and I loved it! I probably wouldn't have given this a chance considering I've been done getting burned by Netflix. Thanks!
Blast of Silence (1961): I love old Noir films (not as much as Rosalie though), they're short and they're cool. I blind bought this one a while ago, partly because I thought the guy on the cover was George C. Scott. For one reason or another, the thing ended up at the bottom of the pile, I finally reached the bottom of it and got this gem of a film. This is Allen Baron directing debut and I wish he'd made more. I'd like to see his second feature, but it doesn't seem to exist anywhere.
Nil By Mouth (1997): The cleaning of the pile continues. First and only film directed by Gary Oldman. He did The Fifth Element so Luc Besson would help him produce this. The movie is top shelf, but not always an easy one to watch. Violent father, spousal abuse, drugs... you get the picture. I got the BFI release (region B) and it's filled to the brim with extras. It's going to take a while before I get through it all.
This week also say the release of A League of Their Own on 4k, so I watched it... and all the other baseball movies I own (about 7 movies 😎). That was a fun week.
Blast of Silence is interesting, especially coming so many years after the height of the film noir phenomenon. I remember the ending best. The Projection Booth podcast episode on Blast of Silence is worth a listen. Allen Baron was very testy in his interview.
The Projection Booth episode was made around a decade ago, Kunider. That podcast has been going on for 13 years. I discovered it 11 years ago, and it became my entry point into the big world of podcasting. Though I do not listen to The Projection Booth, or podcasts in general, on a regular basis now, it does bring back a lot of memories when I do hear an episode.
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (2024) The internet has decided that this movie is crap, but… I liked it? I appreciated how much time was spent on all the mother-daughter drama before getting into the nostalgia-fest, and the cast felt truly committed to the whole thing. Not to mention Danny Elfman totally killing it with the remix of the main theme. By enjoying these things, am I everything that’s wrong with society?
GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) “You’re right. No human being would stack books like this.”
ERASERHEAD (1977) Tom Servo: “We’re having Eraserhead chicken!”
THREE O’CLOCK HIGH (1987) The bell rings at three.
IRON MAN (2008) Interesting to go back and revisit how it all began. Keeping the action low-key and making the film more character-focused seemed like a daring choice at the time, but it paid off.
THE SWIMMING POOL (1969, dir. Jacques Deray) – I finally got to my Alain Delon memorial watch. Delon and Romy Schneider are an extremely sexy and seemingly happy couple enjoying a summer stay at a villa near St. Tropez. Everything looks idyllic until an old friend, with his teenage daughter in tow, comes to visit. Soon tensions are rising between all four of them. With Delon, Schneider, and Jane Birkin, the cast is the epitome of beauty in the late 1960s. The leisurely pacing gives the cast got a chance to show their acting skills. Like many of his other films, Alain Delon uses his physical presence to great effect. Romy Schneider had a charm that was unique for the European actresses of the period. Though I cannot deny that The Swimming Pool can feel long, there is much to appreciate about it.
I decided to follow Zillagord this week and do a TUBI Tuesday watch. Unfortunately, neither of my choices for the double feature were entirely satisfying watches. DETENTION (2019) uses horror imagery to evoke government repression in 1960s Taiwan. A tale of forbidden books and forbidden romance, the story unfolds in fragmentary fashion as a secret book club in a high school gets exposed, with terrible consequences for all involved. It is mostly a drama with the horror aspect clashing with it, giving the film a disjointed quality . To be honest, I expected more out of Detention than it delivers, but the production is nice to look at. 1977's SATAN’S CHEERLEADERS has a high school cheerleading squad being pursued by a satanic cult. Something Weird brought this film to my attention many years ago through a trailer compilation, and you are likely better off just watching the trailer than sitting through 90 minutes of this drive-in movie trash. Writer and director Greydon Clark took several exploitation trends and mashed them together for very uneven results. Pacing is probably the biggest issue, with several sections of the film being needlessly drawn out. It is not as exploitative (for the time) as it could be, too. It was, however, interesting to see the names of Dean Cundey and Debra Hill pop up in the credits.
KITTEN WITH A WHIP (1964, dir. Douglas Heyes) – A fun campy B-movie potboiler. Ann-Margret, giving an over-the-top performance, is an escaped juvenile delinquent taking refuge in the house of an aspiring politician (John Forsythe) whom she blackmails to elude the police. At 80 minutes, Kitten With A Whip has a tight narrative with many twists and turns and generates some genuine suspense. The nice black-and-white cinematography adds to the atmosphere of certain scenes.
Glad I inspired you! I wan't able to weigh in on Saturday. For Tubi Tuesday, I watched Maniac Cop (1988) and Street Fighter (1974). Both were fast-paced and fun watches. Street Fighter is one of the best martial arts films I've seen, tons of action and an effective touch of gore. A great double bill!
With a night of perfect weather to look forward to, I went to the Mahoning Drive-In last night for...
Baby, Burn!
It was a night of child horror with POSSESSION (1981), THE BROOD (1979), and IT'S ALIVE (1974). All were re-watches for me. Andrew Zulawski's tale of a broken marriage in a Cold War divided Berlin did not get less weird. Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani torture each other in hysterical scenes while Adjani raises a strange creature she gave birth to. The redness of the print for the The Brood did not diminish my enjoyment of the film. Like the first watch, the sadness of The Brood touches me. It is basically about family trauma being passed on from one generation to another. It is also has some the more disturbing scenes of killer children I have come across. As for It's Alive, this was the one that took me by surprise the most. For such a ridiculous premise, Larry Cohen's script and directing plays everything straight. Besides managing the tone, Cohen found the right pacing for it. The sadness also shines through all of the ridiculousness.
QUIZ SHOW 1994 Yup, Quiz Show is not like Forest Gump, and it's much less dramatic than how I remembered it. I must have seen Quiz Show a lot when I was younger because Rob Morrow's face and voice feel so familiar to me, but I checked and I haven't seen anything else in his filmography.
After a very stressful week, I was kind of hoping for a "hit me over the head", black and white legal thriller to take my mind off things. I personally like those quippy, heavy-handed moral dramas with big scenes. This was just as chilling and profound as those types, definitely, but it took it's time. That trial scene in front of the House Committee was so good. Amazing.
It's so interesting to think about how the idea of lying on television was foreign and scandalous at one point. Especially since fake news has been around since the beginning of mass communication.
Rebel Ridge (2024 Netflix)
ReplyDeleteI dont typically do "top 10" lists of new watches at years end...but if i did, i am 100% sure this would be on it....top5 actually.
A new flick from Jeremy Saulnier whos films i realllly like (Green Room, Blue Ridge). Im not going to delve into it because its so good, and was so off my radar, that im hoping others go in blind and enjoy. Ill provide the setup: it feels very much in the vein of the original Rambo First Blood: an individual deemed an "outsider" by a small town police force is detained and hassled inappropriately/illegally which sets off a set of dominoes. Incredible performances, tension, direction, writing, and story evolution. I loved this movie.
You mean Blue Ruin 😜
DeleteGotta see that one. Saulnier can do no wrong.
ha! doah! thanks for fixing my typo! you're gonna DIG this one.
DeleteDang, it's a netflix movie. That means i won't be able to add it to my Saulnier blu-ray collection 😵💫
DeleteJust watched Rebel Ridge based on your recommendation and I loved it! I probably wouldn't have given this a chance considering I've been done getting burned by Netflix. Thanks!
Deletehazaaa...great to hear it Luke! i think its SO well written and doesnt just default to a basic action flick. super strong performances from all.
DeleteAwesome movie. That end fight was surprising considering the director (not saying more)
DeleteBlast of Silence (1961): I love old Noir films (not as much as Rosalie though), they're short and they're cool. I blind bought this one a while ago, partly because I thought the guy on the cover was George C. Scott. For one reason or another, the thing ended up at the bottom of the pile, I finally reached the bottom of it and got this gem of a film. This is Allen Baron directing debut and I wish he'd made more. I'd like to see his second feature, but it doesn't seem to exist anywhere.
ReplyDeleteNil By Mouth (1997): The cleaning of the pile continues. First and only film directed by Gary Oldman. He did The Fifth Element so Luc Besson would help him produce this. The movie is top shelf, but not always an easy one to watch. Violent father, spousal abuse, drugs... you get the picture. I got the BFI release (region B) and it's filled to the brim with extras. It's going to take a while before I get through it all.
This week also say the release of A League of Their Own on 4k, so I watched it... and all the other baseball movies I own (about 7 movies 😎). That was a fun week.
Blast of Silence is interesting, especially coming so many years after the height of the film noir phenomenon. I remember the ending best. The Projection Booth podcast episode on Blast of Silence is worth a listen. Allen Baron was very testy in his interview.
DeleteWhen did it come out? Was it 2014?
DeleteThe Projection Booth episode was made around a decade ago, Kunider. That podcast has been going on for 13 years. I discovered it 11 years ago, and it became my entry point into the big world of podcasting. Though I do not listen to The Projection Booth, or podcasts in general, on a regular basis now, it does bring back a lot of memories when I do hear an episode.
DeleteOk, that's the episode i found. I'll check it out
DeleteBEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE (2024)
ReplyDeleteThe internet has decided that this movie is crap, but… I liked it? I appreciated how much time was spent on all the mother-daughter drama before getting into the nostalgia-fest, and the cast felt truly committed to the whole thing. Not to mention Danny Elfman totally killing it with the remix of the main theme. By enjoying these things, am I everything that’s wrong with society?
GHOSTBUSTERS (1984)
“You’re right. No human being would stack books like this.”
ERASERHEAD (1977)
Tom Servo: “We’re having Eraserhead chicken!”
THREE O’CLOCK HIGH (1987)
The bell rings at three.
IRON MAN (2008)
Interesting to go back and revisit how it all began. Keeping the action low-key and making the film more character-focused seemed like a daring choice at the time, but it paid off.
Remember: If you like a movie, you win! That’s what matters!
DeleteActually saw Eraserhead in a theater on Saturday night! So wonderfully extra disturbing with the sound CRANKED!!
DeleteGood weekend to everyone.
ReplyDeleteTHE SWIMMING POOL (1969, dir. Jacques Deray) – I finally got to my Alain Delon memorial watch. Delon and Romy Schneider are an extremely sexy and seemingly happy couple enjoying a summer stay at a villa near St. Tropez. Everything looks idyllic until an old friend, with his teenage daughter in tow, comes to visit. Soon tensions are rising between all four of them. With Delon, Schneider, and Jane Birkin, the cast is the epitome of beauty in the late 1960s. The leisurely pacing gives the cast got a chance to show their acting skills. Like many of his other films, Alain Delon uses his physical presence to great effect. Romy Schneider had a charm that was unique for the European actresses of the period. Though I cannot deny that The Swimming Pool can feel long, there is much to appreciate about it.
I decided to follow Zillagord this week and do a TUBI Tuesday watch. Unfortunately, neither of my choices for the double feature were entirely satisfying watches. DETENTION (2019) uses horror imagery to evoke government repression in 1960s Taiwan. A tale of forbidden books and forbidden romance, the story unfolds in fragmentary fashion as a secret book club in a high school gets exposed, with terrible consequences for all involved. It is mostly a drama with the horror aspect clashing with it, giving the film a disjointed quality . To be honest, I expected more out of Detention than it delivers, but the production is nice to look at. 1977's SATAN’S CHEERLEADERS has a high school cheerleading squad being pursued by a satanic cult. Something Weird brought this film to my attention many years ago through a trailer compilation, and you are likely better off just watching the trailer than sitting through 90 minutes of this drive-in movie trash. Writer and director Greydon Clark took several exploitation trends and mashed them together for very uneven results. Pacing is probably the biggest issue, with several sections of the film being needlessly drawn out. It is not as exploitative (for the time) as it could be, too. It was, however, interesting to see the names of Dean Cundey and Debra Hill pop up in the credits.
KITTEN WITH A WHIP (1964, dir. Douglas Heyes) – A fun campy B-movie potboiler. Ann-Margret, giving an over-the-top performance, is an escaped juvenile delinquent taking refuge in the house of an aspiring politician (John Forsythe) whom she blackmails to elude the police. At 80 minutes, Kitten With A Whip has a tight narrative with many twists and turns and generates some genuine suspense. The nice black-and-white cinematography adds to the atmosphere of certain scenes.
Glad I inspired you! I wan't able to weigh in on Saturday. For Tubi Tuesday, I watched Maniac Cop (1988) and Street Fighter (1974). Both were fast-paced and fun watches. Street Fighter is one of the best martial arts films I've seen, tons of action and an effective touch of gore. A great double bill!
DeleteWith a night of perfect weather to look forward to, I went to the Mahoning Drive-In last night for...
ReplyDeleteBaby, Burn!
It was a night of child horror with POSSESSION (1981), THE BROOD (1979), and IT'S ALIVE (1974). All were re-watches for me. Andrew Zulawski's tale of a broken marriage in a Cold War divided Berlin did not get less weird. Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani torture each other in hysterical scenes while Adjani raises a strange creature she gave birth to. The redness of the print for the The Brood did not diminish my enjoyment of the film. Like the first watch, the sadness of The Brood touches me. It is basically about family trauma being passed on from one generation to another. It is also has some the more disturbing scenes of killer children I have come across. As for It's Alive, this was the one that took me by surprise the most. For such a ridiculous premise, Larry Cohen's script and directing plays everything straight. Besides managing the tone, Cohen found the right pacing for it. The sadness also shines through all of the ridiculousness.
What a great triple bill! Possession is one of my absolute favorites.
DeleteQUIZ SHOW 1994
ReplyDeleteYup, Quiz Show is not like Forest Gump, and it's much less dramatic than how I remembered it. I must have seen Quiz Show a lot when I was younger because Rob Morrow's face and voice feel so familiar to me, but I checked and I haven't seen anything else in his filmography.
After a very stressful week, I was kind of hoping for a "hit me over the head", black and white legal thriller to take my mind off things. I personally like those quippy, heavy-handed moral dramas with big scenes. This was just as chilling and profound as those types, definitely, but it took it's time. That trial scene in front of the House Committee was so good. Amazing.
It's so interesting to think about how the idea of lying on television was foreign and scandalous at one point. Especially since fake news has been around since the beginning of mass communication.