Saturday, January 25, 2025

Weekend Open Thread

54 comments:

  1. Another week, another batch of movie goodness! :-D

    INDIA SONG (1975)/BAXTER, VERA BAXTER (1977), CRITERION BLU-RAY: Been meaning to watch these two artsy-as-hell French movies by author-turned-filmmaker Marguerite Duras ("Hiroshima mon amour") since forever, and they didn't disappoint. They're super pretentious, but also timeless and original in trying to evoke mood and its own cinematic language. "India Song" is particularly stunning, an evocation of a distant time/place with specific characters told with no dialogue outside of narration that doesn't necessarily match the visuals. "Baxter..." feels like you're watching empty rooms and furniture gathering dust, but it gradually builds to a surprisingly deep character study. Pricey Criterion set (two BD discs with almost no extras for $60??!!) but worth it to me.

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    1. HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH UNRATED (1992, ARROW 4K UHD): Been waiting to get my hands on the Arrow "Hellraiser" Box Set for years, and when I got it I immediately went for my favorite film of the four included. Surprise, the extra footage in the unrated cut (standard def. inserts on the nice/sharp 4K transferred film) doesn't really add anything interesting and was better left off to improve the pace. Turns out director Anthony Hickox's theatrical version (which I adore) had been the best version all along. The first two "Hellraiser" films are better and deliver more grandiose spectacle, but there's a soft spot for this one because it morphs Pinhead into a Freddy Krueger-type horror monster that still retains the classiness of the earlier films. Did I mention it looks/sounds excellent in 4K? :-P

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    2. BONE TOMAHAWK (2015, ROKU CHANNEL): You'd think the "Terrifier" movies that have come out since would dull the impact of this revisionist western's notorious graphic violence. But the across-the-board great acting, top-tier cast (Russell, Wilson, Jenkins, Fox, etc.), smart writing, good dialogue ("Say goodbye to my wife. I'll say hello to yours." :'( ) and simple scenario (savages kidnap civilized folk that need rescuing) make you care for these characters. And that's why the violence here hits harder than "Terrifier."

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    3. THE ROOM NEXT DOOR (2024, THEATER): Pedro Almadovar's latest melodrama doesn't disappoint despite being lightweight material for acting heavyweights like Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore. Moore is particularly sympathetic and engaging as a writer an old friend (Swinton, looking more normal than her usual chameleon-like role) organize what may or may not be her plans to end her life. Looks terrific and John Turturro shows up to lighten the dreary mood, but it isn't anybody's best work.

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    4. THE PROSECUTOR (CHINA, '24, THEATER): Donnie Yen plays an aging cop fed-up with the Honk Kong justice system releasing the bad guys he and his fellow super cops apprehend (the ones that aren't killed by his barrage of fists/kicks/bullets). So he quits the force, becomes a lawyer and is hired by the Justice Department to try a simple drug case... that mushrooms into a conspiracy that.... etc. For what is mostly a legal thriller there are at least four action set-pieces that remind you Yen, like Jackie Chan, isn't letting old age define his work. Not Donnie's best action film, but worth a look when it comes to streaming.

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    5. FLIGHT RISK ('24, AMC PRIME THEATER): Mel Gibson directs this Lionsgate comedic thriller in which Mark Wahlberg gets top billing despite being sidelined from the main story through most of the movie. Michelle Dockery has great chemistry with Topher Grace and Leah Remini (via radio VO) as an FBI agent trying to put a corrupt NYC crime boss away. For a bottle thriller set inside a small airplane you could do a lot worse.

      Sorry about the individual posts. Blogger started acting out, wouldn't let me post all reviews as one. :-(

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    6. I'm curious about this one. I never 'got' Topher Grace as a movie actor, but i'm always interested in it.

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    7. Also, i have the Hellraiser boxset (not 4k), but only watched the 1st movie yet. I guess that's my queue to watch the rest

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    8. "Hellraiser l-lll" is a solid, consistent trilogy. 🀠 Never seen "Bloodlines," so that'll probably be my next trip to (cinematic) hell. πŸ₯ΆπŸ˜ˆ

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    9. OUTSTANDING review of Bone Tomahawk. Great observation about Terrifier..totally agree. Also, the aforementioned quote about "Say goodbye to my Wife.." is one of my favorite movie quotes in a long long time...incredible word play and reallllllly touching.

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    10. Between Tarantino's "Hateful Eight" (ensemble) and "Bone Tomahawk" (leading man) Kurt Russell had a hell of a 2015, and kept the western alive almost by his lonesome self. 🫠

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    11. Yes! Praise be the actors that grow big beards and/or give us westerns!

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    12. I liked Bloodlines, and was surprised it had an "Alan Smithii" director. Inferno was pretty good too. The following movie was decent and it's a steep drop off after that. Hellraiser: Revelations looks like it was filmed in a kitchen and they had a contest, "5 minutes, who can think of a Hellraiser movie". I watched 5-Revelations (8? 9?) one SMM, all in one downhill afternoon.

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    13. At least Blogger let you post, J.M. So many times the issue is that the software will not allow a post to be made.

      Bone Tomahawk is one that should watch. Maybe sometime this year.

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  2. I mostly watched crappy-procedural-brainless tv this week, but I came back to my senses and eventually watched a couple of actual crappy-brainless movies 😎

    The Negotiator (1998): I like the movie, I watch it every few years. I just bought it again because I somehow lost my other copy (probably a brain fart when I sold it with other crap). It shouldn't be 140 minutes though. But you do have Dean Norris, David Morse, JT Walsh, Paul Giamatti and more showing up, so that's good. It's not a good movie though, at best it's lower mid-tier, but compared to whatever Amazon or Netflix is spewing out nowadays, this should win an Oscar.

    The Sum of All Fears (2002): Another movie I like to revisit from time to time. Not the best Jack Ryan movie, but I've seen the Harrison Ford's movies so many times, I can't watch them anymore (Red October is obviously the best though). The mid-movie twist was surprising, and kinda ballsy to try and pull off, but I think they did. Plus, my cousin has a half-second cameo as the movie was shot around Montreal and he was working on it, and they need some seat filler for a shot.

    The Master (2012): This one is purely for Philip Seymour Hoffman. It's not a movie I love, but the performances are excellent. It's my first time watching since the blu-ray release 10 years ago, it's still good and worth the watch, but not too often.

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    1. "The Brutalist," which just got a Best Picture nom, reminded me of "The Master" as it unfolded in 70mm VistaVision before my eyes. Both seem to be cut from the same cloth despute being about different subject matters. πŸ€“πŸ«€

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    2. Can't wait to see The Brutalist, but i recently realised the theaters around me all suck now, so i'll have to wait for streaming

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    3. How do you mean they "all suck now". I assume you're talking about Cineplex. Is it the crowds (which I can't imagine being a problem for The Butalist) or the quality of the projection/sound?

      I had a problem with the sound while watching Napoleon a couple of year ago, but otherwise have had no qualms with Cineplex.

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    4. Yeah, it's Cineplex. Nosferatu was a disaster. All the blacks were gray and without detail. I was pissed. Big movies like that or The Brutalist only play in Cineplex theaters around here.

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  3. Lately ive been falling into unintentional theme pairings for my movie watching. So much so that now im trying to find pairings where they may not be obvious......

    Pairing: Classic Flicks Ive only Seen Once that also feature a shocking shot of someone falling off a building.

    The Departed (2006 Blu)

    Wow this movie's great. SO many amazing performances...several of which just ham it up over the top in the best way (Nicholson, Wahlberg, Baldwin). Incredibly well written twisty turny. And, of course, directed flawlessly. Fabulous.

    Oldboy (2003 nflix)

    Wow. Wow wow wow. Wow. Naturally i remembered the huge reveal but otherwise this film felt like a first time viewing. It has so much more to offer than just the single craziest revenge story ever. There is so much style, sorrow, change of control, bad bad decisions, creative shots, and dread. Also its got a pretty deep bench of bonkers villains. For example, the head jailer "warden" could feel like a random lacky but each time we come back to him we see him in a very different light..gotta "hand" it to him for a great job (#i-see-what-i-did-there). This movie is just incredible.

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    1. I just received my 4k of The Departed yesterday.

      Oldboy, movie's a masterpiece. But i have to admit, i kinda like the remake (though it shouldn't exist)

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    2. The remake? really. I had zero interest in checking it out, it seems insane that someone remade a perfect movie, but may have to do so. (also its crazy Ironic that you mention a remake of a classic flick...look at todays thumbnail photo!!)

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    3. Haha nice, i saw the picture and just though 'i should rewatch that'

      Oldboy remake, in case you forgot, was directed by Spike Lee 😁

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    4. Speaking of remake, The Departed is also a remake, though Scorcese said he was not aware of the original when he did the movie. Still a great movie. Scorcese should've won Oscars way before this, but i'm glad he got something for this one

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    5. I'm more fond of the Oldboy remake than I should be too. I haven't seen it in years but I remember liking the ending a lot.

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    6. I liked the Oldboy remake as well (although I barely remember it now). Was surprised afterwards that everybody seemed to hate it. I might have seen it before the original? I'm not sure. I saw them both around the same time. I wasn't keeping track of what I was watching back them, so who knows.

      Kunider, I wasn't aware that Scorsese didn't know about Infernal Affairs. I always thought it was an intentional remake. Infernal Affairs was pretty damn good too! I might check out the sequels sometime (it's a trilogy).

      There was a period where my friend group would get together, play video games, and drink way too much beer. My one friend would always throw on The Departed as we were going to sleep. I've woken up to groggily watch the DVD menu of that movie too many times lol.

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    7. The thumbnail is from the Psycho remake

      About The Departed, the writer knew, but not Scorcese at the beginning of the shoot. I think he learned about just before, or sometime during the shoot.

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    8. I like Spike Lee's "Oldboy" remake as its own beast, with an ending that's a major improvement over Park Chan-wook's original (IMO). It helps a ton that Josh Brolin invests himself in the role and makes you care about his plight. '03 "Oldboy" still rules, but '13 "Oldboy" is no typical Hollywood cash grab. πŸ˜ŽπŸ‘

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    9. Thanks Kunider! I was guessing Psycho, but wasn't sure.

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    10. I found a DVD of the original Old Boy at a Salvation Army store a few months ago. I did not hesitate to pick it up for a dollar.

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  4. Trap (2024 Max)

    So, to borrow a Patrickism, M Night Shyamalan isnt really my guy. I dont dislike him and find some of his flicks quite watchable. But overall i dont realllly connect. The reason is i feel like he consistently has a great idea or hook for a movie but doesnt put enough around it. Sometimes thats enough..i think i liked Old alot more than most. Anyhoo i think my theory holds true for Trap as it really is a movie built around one hook. However, in this case, i connected with said hook. This is 100% due to Hartnetts performance. I wont delve deeper as i hope some folks go into this flick without knowing much about it. My only notes are: 1) the flick should be shorter. 2) i would have liked to see a bit more moments of placing the serial killer in inescapable situations and him finding creative ways to evade. Still, a solid entertaining thriller.

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    1. It's a very flawed movie, but i'm also swayed by Hartnett

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  5. Heretic (2024)
    I really liked everything about this movie. Hugh Grant was really terrific. I think it was a wise choice to use an older English gentleman as the antagonist. The ending though left me a little disappointed. I was really hoping for some full blown Lovecraftian deity/cult worship but oh well.

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  6. THE SUBSTANCE (2024). This was even gorier and goopier than I remembered. I had to stop and take a break halfway through. Also, I thought it was funny this came out on Blu-ray the same day as Venom: The Last Dance. What if the Substance is a symbiote?

    THE STENDHAL SYNDROME (1996). Dario Argento goodness!

    BONE TOMAHAWK (2015). Whew, this movie is a lot. While the kills are the centerpiece, on this viewing I really got into the middle part of the story, where the men on the mission deal with the harsh wilderness -- and each other.

    ALIENS (1986) Take a drink every time Newt screams.

    ALIEN: ROMULUS (2024). This movie is so cool with so much to like about it, and yet it would've been so much better if they hadn't tried to bring back a nostalgia character the way that they do.

    THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK (1980). Dang, that Yoda is lifelike.

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    1. I just upgraded my old DVD of "Stendhal Syndrome" to newest Blue Underground BD (w/new bonus feature alongside the old interviews). Can't wait to rewatch it with a high-def bump. 😷πŸ₯Ά

      Waiting for ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE "The Substance" 😁 to hit affordable 4K and skipping the BD for now. πŸ˜ͺ

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  7. LES MISERABLES (2012)
    Huge fan of Les Mis but I just tried to watch this, and I am not a fan of this version. My teaching dept is showing this version to all our classes, but I am showing the 10th anniversary concert. I'm sorry, Russell Crow can't sing. The whole thing is super awkward.

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    1. That's a weird movie to be shown in school. I don't think it deserve studying, other than showing what a bad musical looks like (Cats would be a better choice, but that's another conversation)

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    2. Yes, it's not cool movies - or even good movies - class, it's just history :)

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  8. Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1992): Well, that was kinda bad. There's some life injected into it towards the end, but the whole thing is badly written and the editing sucked. The best part was the Paul Reubens dying scene, go watch it on YouTube, it's hilarious. Ruther Hauer is clearly having fun, and Donald Sutherland doesn't want to be there. Watch the tv series instead.

    Much Ado About Nothing (2012): Speaking of Joss Whedon, we watched this great, low-key adaptation of the Shakespear play, made while they were on break from The Avengers. It's a who's who of lesser known, but frequent Whedon collaborators. Everybody's good and funny. You really should watch it.

    Fire and Ice (1983): A movie developed by Ralph Bakshi (also directed) and Frank Frazetta, written by Gerry Conway and Roy Thomas... I'll take ten of them please. I've seen it before, but it's been a while and really wanted to see it again. It's a ton of fun, a cool fantasy story with Conan-like characters, pretty lady in distress, evil wizard, monsters, everything you like from this kind of thing.

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    1. I've seen Whedon's Much Ado, but weirdly my most enduring memory of that movie is Nathan Fillion on Conan, not knowing how to say the word "meme".

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    2. Haha, thanks for the link, i'll check it out. Fillion is funny as always in the movie

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  9. Never liked "Buffy" as a theatrical feature, but as the launching pad for the IP/TV show it has its moments. "Fire and Ice" kicks ass snd has aged well. Too bad its stuck in 'PG' land, but at least it's early 80's 'PG.' πŸ™ƒπŸ™‚

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  10. Holy shit, Ricochet is amazing. Thank you Patrick and Adam for making my aware of it. Where's the mo*** fu**** blu-ray?

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    1. Saw "Ricochet" in 35mm film print a few years back at a sold-out screening in Brooklyn's Nitehawk Cinema (Prospect Park). Most people had never seen it, but the whole theater went bug-nuts the crazier the plot got. Lithgow's revenge torture on Denzel's family feels like such a mix of 80's excess and early 90's cool. Screw Blu-ray, where's the 4K? 😁😭

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    2. Vinegar Syndrome is releasing Virtuosity in 4k, this would be oerfect for them too 😁

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    3. So glad you liked it! I don't think my DVD is even anamorphic, so it really needs an upgrade.

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  11. With the way the week has gone, I needed some mindless films by the weekend. Still, I did get to a little quality during the week.

    THE SHAPE OF NIGHT (1964, dir. Noboro Nakamura) – Radiance Films has released many obscure Japanese films that I am using a disc rental service to watch. Black Tight Killers was one of my favorite watches from last year. A couple weeks ago I found Tokijiro a little disappointing, but The Shape of Night exceeded my expectations. The story focuses on the complex relationship between Yoshie, a young working-class woman, and a low-level yakuza. What begins as a romantic connection between them becomes a volatile combination of mutual affection and the transactional relationship of a pimp and streetwalker. Going from gentle to sordid and nasty, the story has a lot of human emotion to cut through the sensationalism. The colors in the film are beautiful.

    ASSAULT OF THE PARTY NERDS (1988) on Prime – Calling this a movie is generous, but It can work as mindless entertainment with the right mind-set. It is a genial dose of nonsense. A small fraternity with only graduating students realizes that they have to recruit the next generation of members. What is the best recruitment method? Throw a big party! With Linnea Quigley and Michelle Bauer acting silly and undressing, a plot that is a pitiful attempt to copy Animal house, and a mediocre yet catchy soundtrack courtesy of a band the director apparently was in, Assault of the Party Nerds is certainly not the worst 1980s trash out there.

    GOIN’ ALL THE WAY (1981) – Categorize under Teenagers, School, or Cars for Junesploitation. Though the release date is 1981, it would easily fit in with the teen films made for drive-in screens by Crown International in the late 1970s. Goin’ All The Way is about the sexual hijinks of a group of high school students who are looking like they are much closer to thirty than eighteen. You know a teen sex comedy has class when a random mudwrestling scene is thrown in. In fact, much of the film feels thrown together, more a bunch of skits than a coherent story. A bad film is made worse by the poor quality VHS source used by Tubi.

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    1. You had me at 'undressing' 😜

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    2. Nightmare Sisters is a more extreme case of a film relying on the undressing of those actresses. At least Assault of the Party Nerds has more going on.

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    3. Tubi has a ton of those Full Moon semi-ero*** crappy movies. I watch one from time to time.

      (No, blogger doesn't like the word ero***)

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    4. Or spell it like this: e-r-o-t-i-c. I have also had issues with Blogger over that word.

      Speaking of Full Moon, those Femalien films have recently caught my eye on Tubi. They do not look good but are probably no worse than the terrible skinemax films made by Fred Olen Ray in the 2000s.

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    5. So, you're like a werewolf, you rise when there's a full moon 😜🀣

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