Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

Lord_Lyndon
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Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

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The Story of the Last Chrysanthemum (1939; Kenji Mizoguchi)
This was my sixth Mizoguchi. Aesthetically, this film is gorgeous, but the story never really caught my attention. I preferred the one I saw last year: The Life of Oharu (1952).

I Am Cuba (1964; Mikhail Kalatozov)
Excellent film by Kalatozov that is famous for its technical wizardry. I only found out after seeing the film that Kalatozov custom made his own rigs, dollies and camera mounts. Result is a film filled with remarkably complex long takes and some pretty daring camera-work. Impressive.

The Color of Pomegranates (1969; Sergei Parajanov)
Finally saw this iconic and legendary art film. Here is a short spoiler-free review for those who never heard about it:
''One of the great films in all cinema, virtually incomprehensible to anyone not familiar with Armenian or Georgian history and culture. Whatever the dubious politics in enjoying a subversive political work as an aesthetic spectacle, there is much to astonish. The nominal story concerns an 18th century Armenian poet/national hero/martyr, but Paradjanov rejects biographical narrative in favour of a montage stream of religious, political, cultural, sexual imagery, composition and allegory unparalelled in the history of the medium, although fans of Von Sternberg will not be bemused.''

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964; Sergei Parajanov)
Another brilliant film by Parajanov. Maybe even better in some ways than 'Pomegranates'. Just like in 'Cuba', the camera is the real star of the film: 'The movie, a sort of folk- Ukrainian "Romeo and Juliet," bursts with passion and physicality, chasing its protagonists through some of the most wild and beautiful landscapes ever caught on film. Yet the real romance here is between director Parajanov and the camera, which swoons and runs and bounds as ardently as any young lover, whether falling like a tree to the ground or spinning through a field or moping grief-stricken in a corner.'

The Bad Sleep Well (1960; Akira Kurosawa)
While this is not one of Kurosawa's best films, aesthetically or thematically, it is still a very good film. It was refreshing to see him tackle something that is not samurai-themed.

Vive L'Amour (1994; Tsai Ming-liang)
Another excellent film by Tsai. I really like his 'post-modern look on alienation' thing. I think this is maybe his purest film in that regard. I am saying that because he usually adds another layer of meaning to his films. But this one really seems like a film about lonely souls trying to connect.

The Hole (1998; Tsai Ming-liang)
Maybe even better than L'Amour. It is aesthetically brilliant. It is also a musical of sorts, where the musical numbers are in contrast to everything else in the film. He adds another layer of meaning with constant mention of strange disease affecting the population of Taiwan, which adds an almost apocalyptic feel to the film. And, of course, the hole itself, that connects two isolated people living in their apartments. Brilliant.

The Terrorizers (1986; Edward Yang)
My third Yang. And probably my favourite film in this post. This film, that was deemed a 'metaphysical mystery', really reveals itself by the end to be another ingenious film by Edward Yang. As more knowledgeable people than me have noted, Yang seems to be influenced by Antonioni. And in that respect, this is definitely his 'Blow-Up'. To say anything more would be to spoil it.
Last edited by Lord_Lyndon on Fri Jan 10, 2020 2:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
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I liked Bad Sleep Well quite a bit. If you liked that, Stray Dog and High & Low are also worth taking a look at if you want to see Kurosawa doing more noir.

Haven't seen any of these others, though Terrorizers is the next Yang I plan on watching. I Am Cuba is another I've been meaning to get to for a while now.
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Raxivace wrote:If you liked that, Stray Dog and High & Low are also worth taking a look at if you want to see Kurosawa doing more noir.
I saw them. I loved them both. High & Low is one of my favourite films.
The only major Kurosawa film I haven't seen is actually Red Beard (1965).
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Ah, okay.

Red Beard seems really hit or miss with people. I know Jimbo and I weren't big fans, though I've known a lot of people that liked it.
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Late Chrysanthemums vies with Sansho Dayu, and Chikamatsu... as my second favorite Mizoguchi after Ugetsu. I think Sansho is the most moving, Chrysanthemums the most beautiful, and Chikamatsu is like a mix of the two (with Ugetsu arguably being his most beautiful AND most moving film). I Am Cuba is, IMO, a true cinematic masterpiece. I reviewed it on EvaGeeks years ago: https://forum.evageeks.org/post/374150/ ... -2/#374150 Both those Parajanov's are excellent. IIRC I gave both 9/10s. I thought I reviewed them on EvaGeeks too but I can't find them--possibly one of those I put under spoiler tags that don't show up on Google searches. The Bad Sleep Well is pretty minor Kurosawa. Bizarrely visually bland compared to his other Shakespeare adaptations. Neither Vive L'Amour or The Hole are among my favorite Tsai's, though the former's pretty good. Of his earlier films I think The River is his best, but I also think he didn't get really good until What Time Is It There? (which is one of my favorites of the 21st Century). I really liked The Terrorirzers, but it definitely needs a rewatch. I didn't think it the masterpiece that ABSD or Yi Yi were, though.
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Inventing the Abbotts (1997; Pat O'Connor)
Pretty solid romantic drama with Joaquin Phoenix in a leading role. Film examines class relations and relationship between two brothers (brother is played by Billy Crudup) in a small American town. This film was a nice surprise.

Pollock (2000; Ed Harris)
A very good film about the life and career of the American painter, Jackson Pollock. The subject matter is not something that would interest me, but I still thought it was good. Good acting.

The Giver (2014; Phillip Noyce)
Basically a less action-oriented version of Christian Bale film Equilibrium (2002). I really enjoyed this one. Taylor Swift is in it. In one short scene.

Army of Darkness (1992; Sam Raimi)
This is one of those special films that is purposefully ludicrous and cheesy. I really don't know why I didn't enjoy this one as much as other people did.

Star Trek Beyond (2016; Justin Lin)
A very action-packed film that was simply not as good as first two films with this cast.

Gattaca (1997; Andrew Niccol)
Excellent sci-fi drama/thriller by Niccol. Discrimination is the main theme here. I'm sure I'm not spoiling much by saying that. But this film is so popular that probably everyone has seen it by now.

The Crucible (1996; Nicholas Hytner)
An entertaining and over-the-top film about witch hunt in Salem. It was my 35th Winona Ryder film. She holds the record in that regard.
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Loved Army of Darkness. I liked Beyond about as much as Star Trek 1, though both are better than Into Darkness IMO. I'm pretty sure I've seen Gattaca but I don't remember too well. I did like The Crucible.
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I also saw a bunch of Saoirse Ronan films.

Hanna (2011; Joe Wright)
A beautifully directed film in which she plays a super-assassin (kind of funny since she was so young and small). It needed a better screenplay, though.

Brooklyn (2015; John Crowley)
A romantic drama in which she plays an Irish immigrant trying to find a better life in 1950s Brooklyn. This is not my type of film, but I still sort of liked it.

On Chesil Beach (2017; Dominic Cooke)
Another romantic drama set in 1962 England. It was okay. I'm sure no one here will ever see it.

The Host (2013; Andrew Niccol)
Another interesting sci-fi drama by Niccol. It was based on a book by a girl who wrote Twilight. So you know what to expect. It was cheesy, boring and moving at the same time.

Lady Bird (2017; Greta Gerwig)
Critics loved this one. I thought it was only okay. It was mildly amusing.

The Lovely Bones (2009; Peter Jackson)
Now this one I liked. Even though I wasn't particularly impressed by Jackson's vision of afterlife. But everything else was pretty good. It was certainly moving. This is definitely one of Saoirse's best films.

I saw her other films in 2015. I think Byzantium (2012) is my favourite film of hers.
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Of those I liked Brooklyn quite a bit for a what it was- not often that we get sincere romance films like that anymore out of Hollywood. I didn't get the praise for Lady Bird at all.
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I didn't think there was anything to either like or dislike about Lady Bird very much. It was okay. It's one of those movies where I sort of suspect the critics either had some previous affinity for the director or they strongly saw themselves in the main character or something. I'm kind of mystified otherwise.
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I've seen one of those. From over 4 years ago:
Gendo wrote:Hanna - Great stuff. Visually awesome. Story was very basic, but had good emotion and action.
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Shotgun Stories (2007; Jeff Nichols)
This little independent film is mostly famous because it channels early Malick. It is worth watching.
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I saw 10 Jessica Chastain movies in a row.

The Debt (2010; John Madden)
Excellent espionage thriller that is sort of similar to Spielberg's Munich. It is probably the film I enjoyed the most this year. Jessica is excellent in it.

Texas Killing Fields (2011; Ami Canaan Mann)
A nice surprise since this one was rated rather lowly. It is a serial killer film that has a pretty good atmosphere. I really liked it.

Take Shelter (2011; Jeff Nichols)
Interesting film by Nichols which addresses the issue of mental illness. I thought it was better than 'Shotgun Stories'. Michael Shannon is excellent in a leading role.

The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them (2014; Ned Benson)
Solid romantic drama about dealing with loss. Jessica and James McAvoy gave very good performances.

Crimson Peak (2015; Guillermo del Toro)
Great visuals. Solid acting. But a very uninspired story. It is a horror/mystery that is not particularly scary. Definitely not one of del Toro's better films.

The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016; Cedric Nicolas-Troyan)
A mediocre fantasy movie, but this definitely IS my kind of movie. So I sort of enjoyed it.

The Zookeeper's Wife (2017; Niki Caro)
Those who have seen 'The Pianist' and 'Schindler's List' won't find anything revolutionary in this one. But it is a good movie. Worth watching.

Miss Sloane (2016; John Madden)
Very good political drama in which Jessica play a lobbyist. She is absolutely brilliant in this movie. There is no doubt in my mind that this is her best leading performance. And also her second best performance overall after her fantastic supporting turn in The Help (2011).

Molly's Game (2017; Aaron Sorkin)
In this film she plays a woman who organized poker games for some big shots. I enjoyed this a little bit more than Sorkin's previous film I saw, 'The Social Network'. I'm not saying it is necessarily a better film than 'Network', though.

Woman Walks Ahead (2017; Susanna White)
A hauntingly beautiful Western drama in which Jessica plays a woman who heads West to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull. The film is beautifully shot and wonderfully acted, especially by actor who played Sitting Bull (his name is Michael Greyeyes). I loved this movie so much that I would say it was the only film I've seen this year that actually meant something to me.
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Lord_Lyndon wrote:Inventing the Abbotts (1997; Pat O'Connor)
Pretty solid romantic drama with Joaquin Phoenix in a leading role. Film examines class relations and relationship between two brothers (brother is played by Billy Crudup) in a small American town. This film was a nice surprise.

Pollock (2000; Ed Harris)
A very good film about the life and career of the American painter, Jackson Pollock. The subject matter is not something that would interest me, but I still thought it was good. Good acting.

Army of Darkness (1992; Sam Raimi)
This is one of those special films that is purposefully ludicrous and cheesy. I really don't know why I didn't enjoy this one as much as other people did.

Gattaca (1997; Andrew Niccol)
Excellent sci-fi drama/thriller by Niccol. Discrimination is the main theme here. I'm sure I'm not spoiling much by saying that. But this film is so popular that probably everyone has seen it by now.

The Crucible (1996; Nicholas Hytner)
An entertaining and over-the-top film about witch hunt in Salem. It was my 35th Winona Ryder film. She holds the record in that regard.
I've seen these. Don't remember a ton about Inventing the Abbotts and Pollock. I remember thinking The Crucible was pretty silly back when I saw it. Gattaca is a good, solid sci-fi film. I thoguht I'd reviewed it, but I can't find it. Army of Darkness I liked the least out of the Evil Dead trilogy. Evil Dead II is still Raimi's masterpiece.
Lord_Lyndon wrote:I also saw a bunch of Saoirse Ronan films.

Hanna (2011; Joe Wright)
A beautifully directed film in which she plays a super-assassin (kind of funny since she was so young and small). It needed a better screenplay, though.

Brooklyn (2015; John Crowley)
A romantic drama in which she plays an Irish immigrant trying to find a better life in 1950s Brooklyn. This is not my type of film, but I still sort of liked it.

The Lovely Bones (2009; Peter Jackson)
Now this one I liked. Even though I wasn't particularly impressed by Jackson's vision of afterlife. But everything else was pretty good. It was certainly moving. This is definitely one of Saoirse's best films.
I liked (didn't love) The Lovely Bones too. It's also kinda silly, but saved by the visual imagination and interesting sustained tone. We both certainly liked it more than DA (check his thread). I reviewed both Hanna and Brooklyn:
Hanna (Joe Wright) - 7.5/10

Hanna is a fascinating hodgepodge of a film that presents a real challenge in trying to catalogue the kaleidoscope of genres it runs through. It opens as a survival film, with 15-year-old Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) living in isolation with father, Erik (Eric Bana), who's trained her from birth to survive on her own; develops into a CIA action/thriller when Hanna is ready to go out into the world, but finds herself hunted by Marissa (Cate Blanchett), A CIA officer with a sordid history with Erik; and becomes a strange coming-of-age buddy film when Hanna meets a family on vacation and befriends Sophie, a girl her own age. Throughout it develops the air of a fairy tale courtesy of the Brothers Grimm book motif, all set to a distinctively futuristic, pulsing (and room-rattling) electronica score by The Chemical Brothers

I'd be lying if I said all of it works and gels into a coherent whole, but I'd be lying even more if I said it wasn't thoroughly intriguing, if only because of its utter lack of predictability.

Director Joe Wright has quietly become one of the more accomplished cinematic stylists alive today, and his beautifully elegant but versatile craftsmanship is all over Hanna. When Hanna finally enters into the chaos and newness (to her) of the real world, Wright's impressionistic images and montage achieves the kind of subjective narrative effect that Lenny Abramson fell short of in Room.

The cast is equally accomplished, with Saoirse Ronan giving more evidence that she's one of the most gifted young actresses out there, while Bana and Blanchett provide a solid yin and yang to her story.

Perhaps Hanna is one of those films that's more interesting than great—there's just too many weird tonal leaps that the ending can't resolve—but in an age of ever-blander, formulaic blockbusters, it's a nice antidote.
Brooklyn (John Crowley) - 7/10
Brooklyn is an old-school romantic period drama-comedy about a young woman named Eilis (Saoirse Ronan)
who immigrants to Amerca from Ireland in hopes of finding a better life. She does, primarily in the form of a
young Italian named Tony (Emory Cohen), but when tragedy strikes she's torn between staying or returning
home.

Remarkably, the film is played straight without a hint of the quirks and ironies that pervades most hipster-ish
indie romance films these days. As such, it's the kind of film that can't help but remind you of the genre's
classics like Casablanca and Roman Holiday. Brooklyn even shares the latter's visual lushness, courtesy of
cinematographer Yves Belanger, previously best known for lensing Dallas Byer's Club. The film is consistently
gorgeously lit, typically with soft, diffused light, but with enough shading to add mood.

Director John Crowley has a classical sense of economic pacing as well. In the first 20 minutes the film
sprightly moves from Eilis's dead-end life in Ireland, to her unpleasant boat ride to America, to her first days
in Brooklyn at her new job and new home. Finally, the film settles down as the romance is introduced and
Crowley is free to linger over the burgeoning love between the couple.

Really, though, this is Saoirse Rona's film, and she carries it, seemingly effortlessly, from beginning to end.
Her character is not overwritten, so much of her performance is in reacting to what happens around her, such
as her giddy, gossiping roommates in the Brooklyn boarding house.

Perhaps the film's only flaw is that there's nothing new or original here, and the film feels a bit too predictable
at times. Still, it's refreshing to see a modern romantic film with such a classical sensibility, well-crafted and
played by everyone involved.
Lord_Lyndon wrote: Take Shelter (2011; Jeff Nichols)
Interesting film by Nichols which addresses the issue of mental illness. I thought it was better than 'Shotgun Stories'. Michael Shannon is excellent in a leading role.

Crimson Peak (2015; Guillermo del Toro)
Great visuals. Solid acting. But a very uninspired story. It is a horror/mystery that is not particularly scary. Definitely not one of del Toro's better films.
Didn't care much for Take Shelter. I think DeRider and I had a pretty long discussion about on IMDb. Crimson Peak I loved. Here's my reviews for both:
Crimson Peak (Guillermo Del Toro) - 8.5/10

Del Toro's best film since Pan's Labyrinth is also one of the most visually sumptuous, if not downright decadent, films of this century. The plot involves the romance between a young, wannabe author, Edith (Mia Wasikowska) who falls in love with a down-on-his-luck inventor and baronet, Thomas (Tom Hiddleston). They marry, and after the death of Edith's father, she moves into Thomas's decaying estate with his sister, Lucille (Jessica Chastain), while frequently being visited and warned by gruesome ghosts.

Del Toro has clearly absorbed into his soul the look and feel of Victorian Gothic Romances and Horrors—think Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre, and Edgar Allan Poe—as it drips from every frame of the film, from the ridiculously lavish production design to the lighting that's so richly luminous it looks like technicolor. Rather than resorting to the contemporary and cloying teal/blue color-scheme trend, this film makes refreshing use of a complete tonal palette, with greens and reds being especially vivid during the chiaroscuro scenes.

Though the characters aren't complex or original, the actors bring enough charisma to sell it. Wasikowska had previously played Jane Eyre and she has the perfect look for the naïve and nubile love-struck victim, while Hiddleston and Chastain continue to impress in far darker, more ambiguous, and interesting roles.

If forced to pick flaws I'd focus on the jerky narrative, which shifts focus too many times and probably would've been better if tied to Edith's perspective; and Del Toro's “concession" to certain contemporary style trends of keeping the camera moving with frequent cuts: though nowhere near as egregious as most, this is a film that screams for a more classical approach.

That said, I do think the flaws pale in comparison to the visionary splendor of the imagery and atmosphere. This is one of those films that will divide viewers who demand rich or original characters and plot-driven films from viewers capable of luxuriating in filmic aesthetics; those capable of the latter are in for one of the most glorious films of this century: essentially a film by a cinema aesthete for cinema aesthetes.
Take Shelter - Jeff Nichols - 6.0/10

Like with Mud, Nichols's follow-up to this film, Take Shelter isn't so much bad as it is utterly formulaic, lacking
in any real "wow" moments. However, this one feels more solidly sculpted from numerous angles: the premise
more interesting (schizophrenia dealing with delusions of an apocalyptic storm), the acting more compelling,
the pacing more measured, the shots better composed. The problem is that once we understand the tell-tale
signs of the schizophrenia, it becomes rather easy to separate reality from the illness. I do give the film
credit for dealing with the illness with serious, subtlety, and realism without overplaying it for melodrama (A
Beautiful Mind) or underplaying it for comedy (Benny & Joon). The final scene also ends things with a nice
touch of ambiguity, suggesting that there is no way to overcome such an illness by sheer will, and I can
appreciate that Nichols finally decides to leave the audience as unsure as his protagonist.
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Wow. You've seen a lot of films, Eva. Thanks for posting your reviews. I really enjoyed reading them.
I understand why you liked 'Crimson Peak' so much more than me. You've always cared more about aesthetics rather than plot. I really don't know why I sometimes enjoy some film and sometimes not. The truth about me is that I've been suffering from mental illness for more than 10 years. And, with each passing year, it has been increasingly difficult for me to truly enjoy watching films. I am currently in a pretty bad state, but I guess I'll keep on trying until I find something that will hopefully be enjoyable for me.
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Lyndon, I don't know the specifics in your struggles but I wish you the best with them. We'll always be here no matter what happens.
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Raxivace wrote:Lyndon, I don't know the specifics in your struggles but I wish you the best with them. We'll always be here no matter what happens.
Thanks a lot, Rax. I really appreciate it.
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BTW Lyndon did you hear that Hollywood is doing live-action Steins;Gate?

I'm still trying to figure out how this is even supposed to work.
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Raxivace wrote:BTW Lyndon did you hear that Hollywood is doing live-action Steins;Gate?
I can see that this is going to be a live action TV series. Live action TV series are not really my thing.
And it is not going to be better than anime series anyways.
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I saw a bunch of films.

The Island (2005; Michael Bay)
Colossal (2016; Nacho Vigalondo)
Wildlife (2018; Paul Dano)
The Punisher (2004; Jonathan Hensleigh)
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013; Ethan Coen, Joel Coen)
Night of the Living Dead (1968; George A. Romero)
Dawn of the Dead (1978; George A. Romero)
Rosetta (1999; Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne)
A Story from Chikamatsu (1954; Kenji Mizoguchi)
Matewan (1987; John Sayles)
Doctor Sleep (2019; Mike Flanagan)
Zombieland: Double Tap (2019; Ruben Fleischer)
Allied (2016; Robert Zemeckis)
Ad Astra (2019; James Gray)

I honestly think all of these are worth checking out.
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Lord_Lyndon wrote:I saw a bunch of films.

Colossal (2016; Nacho Vigalondo)
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013; Ethan Coen, Joel Coen)
Night of the Living Dead (1968; George A. Romero)
Dawn of the Dead (1978; George A. Romero)
A Story from Chikamatsu (1954; Kenji Mizoguchi))
Zombieland: Double Tap (2019; Ruben Fleischer)
I've seen these. I liked all of these, except Colossal which I didn't like at all (Which surprised me because I loved Timecrimes by the same director). Here's my (Somewhat uncharacteristically acerbic for me) post about it from when I watched the movie a few years ago.
Raxivace wrote:155. Colossal (2016) - You would think the Timecrimes director doing something similar to Evangelion might make for an interesting film. Unfortunately you end up with something that isn't that interesting as a movie about domestic abuse, or as a kaiju vs. robot movie, or a kaiju vs. robot as a visualization of the struggles of domestic abuse movie. It just doesn't have anything interesting to say about why asshole dudes that put on “nice guy" façades exist- apparently they've always just been assholes, which in an era of President Trump is far too simplistic of an explanation.

The story follows Anne Hathaway returning to her hometown after things go sour with her boyfriend. She meets an old friend in town, Oscar, who offers her a job at his bar. Oscar turns out to be jealous of her success (That she doesn't have?) or something. Also Anne Hathaway finds out that when she and/or Oscar steps into a certain public park at 8:05 AM it causes a giant monster form of herself and a giant robot version of Oscar to be projected in Seoul. Oscar becomes an abusive shithead, except he was always an abusive shithead because ????? And apparently Anne Hathaway always knew but just forgot that this dude was a shithead because ????

Instead of enhancing the drama the way the Angel battles of Evangelion enhance the drama of that show do, we end up with a bunch of nameless people half a world away from the neighborhood Hathaway lives in being terrorized and getting killed- it even is featured in the opening scene of the movie but none of our main characters seem to really care that much about Seoul specifically so why have this plot point at all? Apparently nobody in the whole damn world noticed that these projected forms of theirs' are literally just copies of mass produced children's toys as well too, which makes everyone just seem kind of dumb when a halfassed plot point is the monster and the robot becoming these cult like figures.

It's been kind of funny to see how many critics online are tripping over themselves to say how “original" or “unique" it is to use giant monsters fighting robots to visualize domestic disputes is. The truth is that it's anything but original; it makes up a lot of works in this genre (To varying degrees of success). Forget being as good as Evangelion, this isn't as good as fuckin' Brain Powerd. Yoshiyuki Tomino's bad show was at least coherent in its awful ideology, something Nacho Vigalondo seems to have failed at despite once making a film as wonderful as Timecrimes.
I'm not sure I'd be quite so negative on this if I were to watch it today (Comparing it to Brain Powerd was a low but not entirely undeserved blow), but I still just really didn't like the movie.
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You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)
Adam Sandler plays a Mossad agent who comes to New York to become a hairdresser. I thought it was funny.

Pixels (2015)
Another Adam Sandler film. Listen to this plot summary: 'When aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the form of the video games.' I thought it was visually imaginative.

Splendor in the Grass (1961)(rewatch)
Great romantic drama by Kazan. Natalie Wood was great. I adore her.

The Wedding Singer (1998)
A sweet romantic comedy starring Sandler and Drew Barrymore. The plot is nothing special, but Sandler and Barrymore are cute together. This is one of Sandler's more 'normal' films, as it lacks the usual Sandler shenanigans.

50 First Dates (2004)
Great romantic comedy starring Sandler and Barrymore. Again. The plot is a mix of Memento and Groundhog Day. It is very, very romantic.

Blended (2014)
Solid comedy starring Sandler and Barrymore. I know. Again. They have kids in this one. Because they are 'older'. Or something.

Disturbia (2007)
Essentially a remake of 'Rear Window' starring Shia LaBeouf. I really enjoyed this one. I thought the director did a good job.

Dostana (2008)
Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham pretend to be gay so they could share an apartment with Priyanka Chopra. They both eventually fall in love with her. This wasn't bad for an Indian flick.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

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I also had six rewatches.

Big Fish (2003)
Heartwarming film that mixes fantasy, reality and fiction. Definitely one of Burton's 5 best films.

Se7en (1995)
Brilliant serial killer film. Screenplay is one of the best ever. I love dark and disturbing world Fincher creates with his camera. Pitt and Freeman were fine, but Spacey does a lot with limited screen time. A timeless classic.

Fight Club (1999)
One of the most iconic films ever made. Filmmakers referred to this one as 'satirical dark comedy'. And it is very effective, especially when it satirizes consumer society. But everything about it is legendary. Plot, Fincher's direction, actors, characters, themes, violence, humor, ending... I could go on and on. It is, quite simply put, one of the most entertaining films ever made. I just blew me away. Again.

Alien (1979)
It just blew me away. I mean... The incredible sets, alien design, atmosphere... It is just amazing. It is by far the best sci-fi horror ever made. I think it just became one of my top 5 films.

Streets of Fire (1984)
Decent, but ultimately forgettable film by Hill. Great opening and closing sequences. Great songs. But not much else.

Stoker (2013)
Essentially a remake of Hitchcock's 'Shadow of a Doubt'. It is mostly elevated by Park's sublime direction. There are some superbly photographed and edited sequences. Also, I really liked Mia Wasikowska in a leading role. Worth watching.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

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Lord_Lyndon wrote: The Wedding Singer (1998)
A sweet romantic comedy starring Sandler and Drew Barrymore. The plot is nothing special, but Sandler and Barrymore are cute together. This is one of Sandler's more 'normal' films, as it lacks the usual Sandler shenanigans.
I saw this one as a kid but I don't remember it very well.
Lord_Lyndon wrote:IBig Fish (2003)
Heartwarming film that mixes fantasy, reality and fiction. Definitely one of Burton's 5 best films.
Another one I remember seeing when I was young and thinking the subjective nature of its story was interesting (I'm not sure I would have worded it that way when I was 11 but still). In my memory its probably my favorite Burton but I'd have to rewatch it.
Se7en (1995)
Brilliant serial killer film. Screenplay is one of the best ever. I love dark and disturbing world Fincher creates with his camera. Pitt and Freeman were fine, but Spacey does a lot with limited screen time. A timeless classic.

Fight Club (1999)
One of the most iconic films ever made. Filmmakers referred to this one as 'satirical dark comedy'. And it is very effective, especially when it satirizes consumer society. But everything about it is legendary. Plot, Fincher's direction, actors, characters, themes, violence, humor, ending... I could go on and on. It is, quite simply put, one of the most entertaining films ever made. I just blew me away. Again.
Both of these are great of course. Between the two I prefer Se7en but Fight Club is quite good in its own right.
Alien (1979)
It just blew me away. I mean... The incredible sets, alien design, atmosphere... It is just amazing. It is by far the best sci-fi horror ever made. I think it just became one of my top 5 films.
A movie I respect more than I enjoy. I think I would love it today had I grown up with it as a child but seeing it as an adult it unfortunately just doesn't quite get the intended effect out of me. I don't think that's a problem with the movie but more one with me.
Stoker (2013)
Essentially a remake of Hitchcock's 'Shadow of a Doubt'. It is mostly elevated by Park's sublime direction. There are some superbly photographed and edited sequences. Also, I really liked Mia Wasikowska in a leading role. Worth watching.
Haven't seen this yet but the Shadow of a Doubt connections intrigue me.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

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Lord_Lyndon wrote:Wow. You've seen a lot of films, Eva. Thanks for posting your reviews. I really enjoyed reading them.
I understand why you liked 'Crimson Peak' so much more than me. You've always cared more about aesthetics rather than plot. I really don't know why I sometimes enjoy some film and sometimes not. The truth about me is that I've been suffering from mental illness for more than 10 years. And, with each passing year, it has been increasingly difficult for me to truly enjoy watching films. I am currently in a pretty bad state, but I guess I'll keep on trying until I find something that will hopefully be enjoyable for me.
Haha, yeah, I grew up regularly watching films and when I hit about 10-or-so I got even more seriously into film, and then again even more so when I discovered foreign films at about 13. I spent much of my late-teens/early-20s watching multiple films every day. It adds up!

Sorry to hear about your struggles with mental illness. I had my bouts with serious depression too in my early 20s. It was a combination of different things that got me out of that, but what worked for me is no guarantee to work for anyone else because people are so different. For some it's a mental thing that they can fix just by adjusting their thinking or daily habits, while for others it's about brain chemistry and they need medication, while yet others just need a good psychiatrist to talk with. I'd definitely advise, though, not to force yourself to watch/enjoy films. I've accumulated so many interests over the years--movies, music, literature, philosophy, science, writing, etc.--that if I'm not in the mood for one I just avoid it for a while until I'm in the mood again. In fact, I haven't seen any movies for over a year and have been focused on music and other things (like last year I spent a lot of time getting into D&D). So I'd advise to find other interests if you can to keep things fresh, because if you aren't enjoying watching movies, forcing yourself will probably just make it worse.

I really hope you get better, man. All I'd advise is to pursue as many avenues as you can for your mental health. You never know what might work.
Lord_Lyndon wrote:I saw a bunch of films.

The Island (2005; Michael Bay)
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013; Ethan Coen, Joel Coen)
Night of the Living Dead (1968; George A. Romero)
Dawn of the Dead (1978; George A. Romero)
Rosetta (1999; Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne)
A Story from Chikamatsu (1954; Kenji Mizoguchi)

I honestly think all of these are worth checking out.
I've seen these. Didn't care much for The Island or Inside Llewyn Davis. The latter, especially, was a disappointment; it just seemed so tame by Coen standards. There just didn't seem to be much there there, as the saying goes. Romero's "Dead" series is awesome of course, the films that started the zombie craze and still have more relevance and substance than most of its followers. I've yet to see a Dardenne film I loved. They all seem rather dull, both in content and style. I think they're also going for a kind of understated realism, but it's never really worked for me. Chikamatsu is a masterpiece, IMO, easily my favorite of this group. In fact it's close with Sansho and ...Late Chrysanthemums as my second favorite Mizoguchi.
Lord_Lyndon wrote:You Don't Mess with the Zohan (2008)
Adam Sandler plays a Mossad agent who comes to New York to become a hairdresser. I thought it was funny.

Pixels (2015)
Another Adam Sandler film. Listen to this plot summary: 'When aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the form of the video games.' I thought it was visually imaginative.

Splendor in the Grass (1961)(rewatch)
Great romantic drama by Kazan. Natalie Wood was great. I adore her.

The Wedding Singer (1998)
A sweet romantic comedy starring Sandler and Drew Barrymore. The plot is nothing special, but Sandler and Barrymore are cute together. This is one of Sandler's more 'normal' films, as it lacks the usual Sandler shenanigans.

Disturbia (2007)
Essentially a remake of 'Rear Window' starring Shia LaBeouf. I really enjoyed this one. I thought the director did a good job..
I remember seeing Zohan with friends ages ago. I thought it was silly, but it made for a good time with friends. Pixels was god-awful I thought. I think I reviewed it for IMDb:
Pixels (Chris Columbus) - 3/10
Pixels was marketed as a comedy. It's actually a horror. For those doubting this classification, I defy them to
think of a premise more harrowing than a world where Kevin James is president and only Adam Sandler can
save the planet.

What he's saving the world from are aliens that decided to attack Earth after intercepting a space capsule full
of 80s American culture, including an arcade competition they took as a threat. Only Sandler, being a washedup gaming wizard, has the skills to stop them.

The artistic rot starts with the putrid script. The film is painfully unfunny. Every joke is a cliché, every cliché
falls flat, every character is written as if they were the most annoying idiot imaginable.

The director, Chris Columbus, is the ultimate anti-auteur whose films are precisely as good as his scripts are.
He's the equivalent of clear water poured into a glass: if the glass is full of crap, so will the water be; and
poor Columbus got poured into a steaming pile of it here.

Nobody in the cast helps him out either, delivering the awful dialogue without an ounce of personality or
characterization.

The film's only redeeming feature are the action/battle scenes, where everyone shuts up long enough to have
some mindless, visually inventive fun.

I guess it was too much to ask going into this film that it be a harmless piece of entertaining nostalgia, that it
give vivid life to all the gaming memories of kids who grew up on Atari, Nintendo, and spent a good chunk of
their lives in arcades; but the ineptness of everyone involved prevented it from achieving even those modest
goals.
I mentioned in Raxi's thread that Splendour in the Grass is one of my mom's favorites, but I haven't seen it (all of it, anyway) yet. I pretty much agree with you about The Wedding Singer. Nothing special or interesting, but good harmless fun. I also liked Disturbia even though it wore its influences on its sleeve. Kinda reminded me of Don't Breathe, which was another recent film trying to revive the classic suspense thriller genre (though I thought Don't Breathe was even better).
Lord_Lyndon wrote:I also had six rewatches.

Big Fish (2003)
Heartwarming film that mixes fantasy, reality and fiction. Definitely one of Burton's 5 best films.

Se7en (1995)
Brilliant serial killer film. Screenplay is one of the best ever. I love dark and disturbing world Fincher creates with his camera. Pitt and Freeman were fine, but Spacey does a lot with limited screen time. A timeless classic.

Fight Club (1999)
One of the most iconic films ever made. Filmmakers referred to this one as 'satirical dark comedy'. And it is very effective, especially when it satirizes consumer society. But everything about it is legendary. Plot, Fincher's direction, actors, characters, themes, violence, humor, ending... I could go on and on. It is, quite simply put, one of the most entertaining films ever made. I just blew me away. Again.

Alien (1979)
It just blew me away. I mean... The incredible sets, alien design, atmosphere... It is just amazing. It is by far the best sci-fi horror ever made. I think it just became one of my top 5 films.
I remember enjoying Big Fish but not much else about it. For some reason I associate that film with Finding Neverland, though I have no idea why. The others are all awesome, of course. I still think Se7en is Fincher's best, and probably THE best modern suspense thrillers, and one of the few that doesn't pale next to Hitch's best.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

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Eva Yojimbo wrote:Sorry to hear about your struggles with mental illness. I had my bouts with serious depression too in my early 20s. It was a combination of different things that got me out of that, but what worked for me is no guarantee to work for anyone else because people are so different. For some it's a mental thing that they can fix just by adjusting their thinking or daily habits, while for others it's about brain chemistry and they need medication, while yet others just need a good psychiatrist to talk with. I'd definitely advise, though, not to force yourself to watch/enjoy films. I've accumulated so many interests over the years--movies, music, literature, philosophy, science, writing, etc.--that if I'm not in the mood for one I just avoid it for a while until I'm in the mood again. In fact, I haven't seen any movies for over a year and have been focused on music and other things (like last year I spent a lot of time getting into D&D). So I'd advise to find other interests if you can to keep things fresh, because if you aren't enjoying watching movies, forcing yourself will probably just make it worse.

I really hope you get better, man. All I'd advise is to pursue as many avenues as you can for your mental health. You never know what might work.
Thanks for the advice. And for sharing your story. I appreciate it.
I mentioned in Raxi's thread that Splendour in the Grass is one of my mom's favorites, but I haven't seen it (all of it, anyway) yet.


I seem to remember your mother was also quite fond of Benny & Joon (1993). I liked that one too.
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Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour (2018 TV Special)
Taylor Swift: Miss Americana (2020)
I love Taylor so I decided to check those two out. I'm glad I did. It was a good experience watching a concert and a documentary after a long time.

Your Highness (2011)
Solid comedy set in medieval times. Lots of sex jokes. Not really recommended.

Blindness (2008)
Interesting film by Meirelles about epidemic which causes white blindness. It is a pretty divisive film, but I really liked it.

Remember Me (I) (2010)
Very good romantic drama with Pattinson in a leading role. Really enjoyed this one.

Good Time (2017)
This is considered to be Pattinson's greatest performance. It is a crime thriller, really frantic and fast paced, with interesting color palette and a good musical score. I certainly recommend it.

The Devil's Backbone (2001)
I think this is del Toro's second best film after Pan's Labyrinth. It is a supernatural drama/political allegory. Highly recommended.

The Skin I Live In (2011)
Good film by Almodovar, but I expected something different and something better, to be frank. I don't think Almodovar is a director for me after seeing 4 of his films.

Phantom Thread (2017)
I loved all of PTA's films except his first one and this one is no exception. Not sure how I would describe it. I think it was a rather bizarre love story. Definitely one of my favourite films of last decade.

La Vie En Rose (2007)
Not sure how many times an actress won Best Actress Oscar for a non-English film. I know Loren did and Cotillard did. But this is not only good because of her performance (her performance is considered one of the best ever), but it is a beautifully shot and really moving biopic. I certainly recommend it.

The Love Winner (2004)
An incredibly obscure Chinese film. I'm only mentioning it because Liu Yifei is in it, and she has a film coming up. It is Disney's Mulan (2020). I hope it will be well received by critics and audiences. I really love this girl.
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I kind of liked Your Highness but I can't exactly call it good by any reasonable metric, other than that I got a few laughs out of it.

The only other of these I've seen is Phantom Thread, and I just didn't find it very weird or bizarre at all. Like the big twist just seems to be "zomg, the asshole genius has a femdom fetish!" Big whoop, so do half of the people I know on the internet. The rest of the film is great on technical level of course, good acting etc., but that script just does nothing me for me at all like most of PTA. Like I can't help but negatively compare it to something like Godard's Every Man for Himself, or even Vertigo which Phantom Thread references a lot.
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American Beauty (1999)
I rewatched this after 20 years. I liked it. It was funny.

City of God (2002)
Another rewatch. I think there are three reasons why I and everyone else liked it:
1) It is a very entertaining gangster film.
2) Its unique setting; favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
3) The film is made with some really audacious style; it features some really inspired camerawork and editing.
Highly recommended.

Stardust (2007)
Another rewatch. I think this film is one of the greatest fantasy films of all time. Also highly recommended.

Hard Eight (1996)
I rewatched PTA's debut film. I liked it much more this time. It features some really nice ambiance; it is a very good character study. Philip Baker Hall is excellent in it. It is a minor film, but it is worth watching.

1917 (2019)
I didn't like it overall. I only enjoyed last 20 minutes or so. I only finished it because it is so highly rated on imdb.

Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Really enjoyed this one. It was fast paced and entertaining from start to finish. It is one of those rare films that made me really happy.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)
I'm a big fan of Angelina Jolie so I was really looking forward to this one. It did not disappoint. It is almost as good as the first one. I'm biased, though, because I really love fantasy films in general.

The Accountant (2016)
Great action flick that tries to be many things at the same time. Let me just give you a small preview: Ben Affleck plays an autistic accountant who is also a trained killer of sorts. Want to know more? Check the film out.

Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Great animated film that has something for everyone: an emotional story, great action sequences, lovable characters. Recommended.

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
I don't think this one is as bad as it's made out to be. It is certainly watchable. I think the biggest problem people had with this one is that it takes to much time until something interesting starts to happen.
Anyway, it was my first movie with Chinese superstar Angelababy. She has a small role in it.

Stir of Echoes (1999)
Film with Kevin Bacon that is somewhat similar to Sixth Sense. It came out the same year as Shyamalan's classic and it was rightfully overshadowed. It is a solid film that is worth watching.

Frailty (2001)
Interesting serial killer film directed by legendary Bill Paxton. Most of the plot is told in flashbacks narrated by McConaughey's character. It is not quite as good as something like Se7en, but I have to say that I loved it overall. I would certainly like to hear your opinion guys (if you decide to check it out) as it seems the film is quite divisive.

Annihilation (2018)
Found this one on Natalie Portman's page on imdb. I am a big fan of hers. I just counted and this was my 30th film of hers. Wow.
Anyway, it is from Garland who did Ex Machina (2014). This one is not quite as good as Machina, but it is good nonetheless. And unlike Machina, it takes place mostly outside. And that is where my biggest praise for Garland comes. He proved with Machina that he is quite good at filming indoor spaces. But with this one, he did a great job at filming outdoor spaces. So I certainly recommend it for that reason. I do suspect that many will have some problems with writing/screenplay department, though.

Cloverfield (2008)
Another film like Mendes' 1917 which has characters traveling from point A to point B. I liked this one much more. It was just so much more thrilling.

From Beijing with Love (1994)
It is a Hong Kong spoof of James Bond films. The problem is that it just isn't very funny. That being said, it has a high imdb score (7.2/10), so others liked it. I did enjoy watching Anita Yuen, though. I am looking forward to seeing some more films of hers.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

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Lord_Lyndon wrote:American Beauty (1999)
I rewatched this after 20 years. I liked it. It was funny.
Rewatched last year; still good.
Lord_Lyndon wrote: City of God (2002)
Another rewatch. I think there are three reasons why I and everyone else liked it:
1) It is a very entertaining gangster film.
2) Its unique setting; favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
3) The film is made with some really audacious style; it features some really inspired camerawork and editing.
Highly recommended.
Only saw it once, but remember really liking it a lot.
Lord_Lyndon wrote: Stardust (2007)
Another rewatch. I think this film is one of the greatest fantasy films of all time. Also highly recommended.
Yes, excellent movie. Love De Niro's role.
Lord_Lyndon wrote: Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Really enjoyed this one. It was fast paced and entertaining from start to finish. It is one of those rare films that made me really happy.
Our first disagreement. I enjoyed it well enough while watching it; but disliked it more and more the longer it sat.
Lord_Lyndon wrote: The Accountant (2016)
Great action flick that tries to be many things at the same time. Let me just give you a small preview: Ben Affleck plays an autistic accountant who is also a trained killer of sorts. Want to know more? Check the film out.
Yes, I really enjoyed this one.
Lord_Lyndon wrote: Kubo and the Two Strings (2016)
Great animated film that has something for everyone: an emotional story, great action sequences, lovable characters. Recommended.
Excellent film.
Lord_Lyndon wrote: Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)
I don't think this one is as bad as it's made out to be. It is certainly watchable. I think the biggest problem people had with this one is that it takes to much time until something interesting starts to happen.
Anyway, it was my first movie with Chinese superstar Angelababy. She has a small role in it.
I don't remember it all that well, but I didn't hate it.
Lord_Lyndon wrote: Stir of Echoes (1999)
Film with Kevin Bacon that is somewhat similar to Sixth Sense. It came out the same year as Shyamalan's classic and it was rightfully overshadowed. It is a solid film that is worth watching.
A movie I've seen many times; mostly a long time ago.
Lord_Lyndon wrote: Frailty (2001)
Interesting serial killer film directed by legendary Bill Paxton. Most of the plot is told in flashbacks narrated by McConaughey's character. It is not quite as good as something like Se7en, but I have to say that I loved it overall. I would certainly like to hear your opinion guys (if you decide to check it out) as it seems the film is quite divisive.
Big fan of the twist in this one. I've seen it a couple times; might re-watch it soon.
Lord_Lyndon wrote: Annihilation (2018)
Found this one on Natalie Portman's page on imdb. I am a big fan of hers. I just counted and this was my 30th film of hers. Wow.
Anyway, it is from Garland who did Ex Machina (2014). This one is not quite as good as Machina, but it is good nonetheless. And unlike Machina, it takes place mostly outside. And that is where my biggest praise for Garland comes. He proved with Machina that he is quite good at filming indoor spaces. But with this one, he did a great job at filming outdoor spaces. So I certainly recommend it for that reason. I do suspect that many will have some problems with writing/screenplay department, though.
I remember liking a lot about this; but also feeling like it was lacking in some ways.
Lord_Lyndon wrote: Cloverfield (2008)
Another film like Mendes' 1917 which has characters traveling from point A to point B. I liked this one much more. It was just so much more thrilling.
I dislike this style of filmmaking, but enjoyed the movie well enough. 10 Cloverfield Lane is better; and I haven't yet seen Paradox.
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I probably need to rewatch American Beauty, but I remember thinking it was alright.

Hard Eight is probably my favorite PTA tbh.

I liked 1917 well enough, though sometimes I think the faux single-take aesthetic worked against the story than aided it like it does in something like Birdman.

Rise of Skywalker I'm with Gendo on, though as I was watching it I thought it was kind of bad. Like bringing back Palpatine was just pointless when Last Jedi ended on a much more interesting setup for Ep. IX.

Annihilation is another I thought was basically just a much, much lesser version of Tarkovsky's Stalker. Even without that comparison though that movie just makes some really bad storytelling decisions, like even having a flashback structure which just completely robs the movie of any sense of isolation the characters are supposed to feel in the Shimmer.

I liked the OG Cloverfield, though I do think 10 Cloverfield Lane is better. Cloverfield Paradox is legit awful though.
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Thor (2011)
I missed first 30 minutes of this. The rest is a decent and watchable movie, but nothing special. This one is only notable because it is my 31st Natalie Portman movie and my 10th MCU movie. I think it will be my last MCU movie.

8MM (1999)
Certainly a darker portrayal of pornographic world than something like Boogie Nights, which came out a couple of years before. I really wanted to like this film. It was written by the same guy who wrote Se7en, and Se7en is probably my favourite screenplay ever. But I didn't like it. I'm not 100% sure why. Schumacher's direction was actually pretty good, and the film is really well shot. I think it was writing that was a bit of a letdown.
At least I finished this film. There are more and more films I give up on after 30 minutes.
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Raxivace wrote:Hard Eight is probably my favorite PTA tbh.
Well that is certainly an inspired choice.
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Yeah few probably agree with me on that one lol.
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I'm heard of Hard Eight, but haven't seen it and didn't realize it was a PTA. I'll definitely need to check it out.
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I rewatched two John Woo films.

Face/Off (1997)
Ridiculous plot. Over-the-top action scenes. Two hilarious performances by Travolta and Cage. Those are three reasons why this film is an action classic from the 90's. Definitely one of the greatest action films of all time.

The Killer (1989)
A Hong Kong action film about friendship, betrayal, redemption and honor. It is mostly elevated by Woo's direction of action scenes, but it is pretty good in its quieter moments too. I do think it is a slightly overpraised film, though.

I also saw 4 new Jennifer Lawrence films.

The Hunger Games (2012)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)
I really liked this series of films. It all starts as an American version of Japanese classic Battle Royale (2000). The second film is similar to the first, but somewhat gloomier. The third is surprisingly good, especially considering its reputation. It was probably viewed as sort of a preparation for the grand finale, so it was sort of actionless. I personally like it though. Final film is not-so-great, but still somewhat satisfying conclusion to the series. I really liked Jenny's performance in the films.
However, this series of films made me realize just how great something like 'Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion' really is. It covers similar ground, but it is so much more narratively and thematically complex. It is probably the best anime series I've seen last year.
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Post by Raxivace »

I don't have much experience with John Woo, but I liked Face/Off a lot. I think it helps that it just fully embraced how ridiculous the premise is. Travolta and Cage are probably the only two American actors that could really make that specific tone its going for work too.

I enjoyed the Hunger Games movies well enough and I do agree about Mockingjay Part 1 being the best of that bunch (Not many other franchises where movie 3 is the best either!). I had never thought of Hunger Games and Code Geass being similar before, but I can see what you mean now that you mention it.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

I'm glad we are in agreement on couple of points, Rax. By the way, I remembered that many people loved the 3rd Harry Potter film. Including maz. After all, it was directed by Cuaron, who is a great director.
As for John Woo, definitely check out Hard Boiled (1992). It is a great movie.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

Post by Gendo »

I like Paycheck and Face/Off.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

I saw 4 new Jenny Lawrence films.

X-Men: First Class (2011)
X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014)
X-Men: Apocalypse (2016)
X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019)

This is how I would rank them:
First Class=Days of Future Past>Dark Phoenix>Apocalypse

They were all fun. I liked them. Now I've seen 15 Jenny Lawrence films.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

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I haven't seen Dark Phoenix but I generally have liked these X-Men prequels. I think Days of Future Past was probably my favorite of the bunch.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

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Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981; Steven Spielberg)(rewatch)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989; Steven Spielberg)(rewatch)
Probably two best adventure films of all time.

There's Something About Mary (1998; Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly)
Finally saw this classic comedy in its entirety. I liked it. It was funny.

Sexy Beast (2000; Jonathan Glazer)(rewatch)
'A beguiling conglomerate of romanticism, perversity absurdity and bloody gallows humor.' Indeed. This crime film also must be watched because of Ben Kingsley's utterly bizarre and hilarious performance. That he was nominated for Oscar was an inspired choice by the Academy.

Wings of Desire (1987; Wim Wenders)
A story about an angel who yearns to be human. Didn't particularly like this one.

L'Argent (1983; Robert Bresson)
Brilliant film which examines corruptible nature of capitalism, all that done in Bresson's signature austere/minimalist style. Really loved this one.

Diary of a Country Priest (1951; Robert Bresson)
Film about a priest trying to uphold his morals/worldview while dealing with various people in his parish. This is essential Bresson.

Au Hasard Balthazar (1966; Robert Bresson)
Film about society's moral decay told from perspective of a donkey. It is a good film but I didn't love it like everybody else.

Satantango (1994; Béla Tarr)
An excellent film by Tarr which is basically a 7 hour long mood piece. Needless to say... this film is not for everyone. Also... this is not the longest film I've seen. I saw Rivette's legendary Out 1, noli me tangere (1971) which is 12 hours long.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

Post by Derived Absurdity »

Lord_Lyndon wrote:Film about society's moral decay told from perspective of a donkey.
also a pretty good summation of Animal Farm
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

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Lord_Lyndon wrote:Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981; Steven Spielberg)(rewatch)
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989; Steven Spielberg)(rewatch)
Probably two best adventure films of all time.
I haven't seen Last Cruscade in a long time, but Raiders is pretty awesome. I had to chance to see it in Imax a few years ago, it was a ton of fun.
L'Argent (1983; Robert Bresson)
Brilliant film which examines corruptible nature of capitalism, all that done in Bresson's signature austere/minimalist style. Really loved this one.

Diary of a Country Priest (1951; Robert Bresson)
Film about a priest trying to uphold his morals/worldview while dealing with various people in his parish. This is essential Bresson.

Au Hasard Balthazar (1966; Robert Bresson)
Film about society's moral decay told from perspective of a donkey. It is a good film but I didn't love it like everybody else.
I haven't seen L'Argent or Diary of a Country Priest yet, but I liked Au Hazard Balthazar quite a bit.

I probably should just marathon the Bressons I haven't seen yet at some point, since I liked A Man Escaped and Pickpockt a lot too. His Lancelot movie was kind of a dud though.
Satantango (1994; Béla Tarr)
An excellent film by Tarr which is basically a 7 hour long mood piece. Needless to say... this film is not for everyone. Also... this is not the longest film I've seen. I saw Rivette's legendary Out 1, noli me tangere (1971) which is 12 hours long.
I should probably try both of these at some point myself too but the length has always put me off them.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

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The Turin Horse (2011; Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky)
Another film from Tarr in which nothing much happens; as we observe daily life of two people in long takes. He creates ominous mood using mostly wind. That was cool.

Why Has Bodhi-Dharma Left for the East? (1989; Bae Yong-Kyun)
It's a Korean Buddhist art film. It is one of the most beautifully shot films of all time. Those who are looking for a conventional narrative will be disappointed, though.

Memories of Matsuko (2006; Tetsuya Nakashima)
Kamikaze Girls (2004; Tetsuya Nakashima)
These two films from the same guy are highly stylized and quirky. That is why they are often compared to French mega-popular film 'Amelie'. Certainly worth watching.

Dust in the Wind (1986; Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
Goodbye, South, Goodbye (1996; Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
Not sure what to say about these two, except that the first one was very good and second one was only good.

Distance (2001; Hirokazu Koreeda)
Underrated film which tells a story of people brought together by a traumatic event in the past. In that respect, it is sort of similar to another good Japanese movie that came a year earlier. It is called Eureka (2000). Both are recommended.

Chunhyang (2000; Im Kwon-taek)
Solid film which combines traditional Korean storytelling called 'Pansori' (singing narrator accompanied by drums) with cinematic storytelling. Certainly an interesting experiment.

Not One Less (1999; Zhang Yimou)
Very good film about a 13-year old substitute teacher in a poor Chinese village. This is not one of Zhang's best films, however... It is a nice little film. I really enjoyed this one.

Xiu Xiu: The Sent-Down Girl (1998; Joan Chen)
One of the best Chinese films I've ever seen. It is a story about a young Chinese girl sent to countryside for manual labor as a part of Cultural Revolution in China. What follows is a profoundly sad and poetic story. Highly recommended.

The Double Life of Véronique (1991; Krzysztof Kieslowski)
Excellent film from Kieslowski that is mysterious, haunting and sumptuous. I loved it so much that it probably rivals 'Red' as my favourite Kieslowski film.
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I haven't seen any of those. :( I've been meaning to try Hou's stuff for a while now though.

I had no idea Joan Chen directed too. I didn't think much of her as an actress in Twin Peaks or The Last Emperor, though that's some high praise for Xiu Xiu. I'll have to make a note to see that one.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

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The Gentlemen (2019; Guy Ritchie)
Fantastic gangster film by Ritchie.

Knives Out (2019; Rian Johnson)
Fantastic murder mystery. But also a story about a dysfunctional family. It is by far my favourite film of last year.

Ready Player One (2018; Steven Spielberg)
Fabulous adventure film by Spielberg which mostly takes place in a virtual reality called OASIS. So, it wouldn't be wrong to call it an animated film of sorts. Even though there are live action scenes as well.

Spotlight (2015; Tom McCarthy)
I know you didn't like this one, Rax, but I thought it was fabulous. Sort of reminded me of a classic film All the President's Men (1976).

Moonlight (2016; Barry Jenkins)
Excellent drama. I loved the third and final segment of the film.

Kung Fu Hustle (2004; Stephen Chow)
One of the best kung fu films of all time. Some really awesome sequences. It didn't become so popular for no reason.

You Are the Apple of My Eye (2011; Giddens Ko)
Excellent Taiwanese coming-of-age film. I think it is the most popular Taiwanese film of last 10 years. It was such a big box office hit in the region.

Peaky Blinders Season 1
I wanted to check this out since it became so popular. I did and it was good. But was it good enough to make me check out other seasons? For me personally, no.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

Post by Gendo »

Lord_Lyndon wrote: Kung Fu Hustle (2004; Stephen Chow)
One of the best kung fu films of all time. Some really awesome sequences. It didn't become so popular for no reason.
Great stuff; be sure to check out Shaolin Soccer if you haven't.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

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Lord_Lyndon wrote:Knives Out (2019; Rian Johnson)
Fantastic murder mystery. But also a story about a dysfunctional family. It is by far my favourite film of last year.
I really liked this one.
Ready Player One (2018; Steven Spielberg)
Fabulous adventure film by Spielberg which mostly takes place in a virtual reality called OASIS. So, it wouldn't be wrong to call it an animated film of sorts. Even though there are live action scenes as well.
I liked this one. The Gundam scenes are really kind of funny to me since Yoshiyuki Tomino once said in an interview he considered Spielberg of all people to be his major competition, and here Spielberg uses Tomino's most iconic creation fairly casually lol. It also kind of makes me wish Spielberg was directing the upcoming live-action Gundam movie, he was really good at directing how that thing moved here.
Spotlight (2015; Tom McCarthy)
I know you didn't like this one, Rax, but I thought it was fabulous. Sort of reminded me of a classic film All the President's Men (1976).
Well if it helps I don't like All the President's Men either. [laugh]
Moonlight (2016; Barry Jenkins)
Excellent drama. I loved the third and final segment of the film.
Another one I really liked. The segmented storytelling was really effective IMO.
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Re: Lord_Lyndon's movie thread

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Gendo wrote:Great stuff; be sure to check out Shaolin Soccer if you haven't.
I saw Shaolin Soccer 4 years ago. I liked it a lot.
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