Lyndon in 2022

Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

I saw some new films and had a couple of rewatches.

1. Heroic Purgatory (1970; Yoshishige Yoshida)
This is a rewatch. It is an experimental Japanese New Wave film. It was good.

2. The Boys from Fengkuei (1983; Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
Another film about Taiwanese youth. It didn't do much for me.

3. The River (1997; Tsai Ming-liang)
A young man develops severe neck pain after swimming in a polluted river; his dysfunctional parents are unable to provide any relief for him or themselves. This was good.

4. A Summer at Grandpa's (1984; Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
A coming-of-age story about a young brother and sister who spend a pivotal summer in the country with their grandparents. This is a poetic and beautifully shot film from Hou. Excellent shot selection. Great film.

5. Marketa Lazarová (1967; Frantisek Vlácil)
A grim portrayal of the shift from Paganism to Christianity in medieval central Europe. This is such a visually stunning black and white film. Really remarkable stuff. I found out later that it was voted as the greatest Czech film ever made. I am not surprised. It makes a good companion piece to Tarkovsky's masterpiece Andrei Rublev.

6. Daughter of the Nile (1987; Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
The eldest daughter of a broken and troubled family works to keep the family together and look after her younger siblings, who are slipping into a life of crime. Solid film from Hou.

7. The Chess Players (1977; Satyajit Ray)
This films shows how the apathy and disunity of India's ruling classes allowed a comparatively small number of British officials and soldiers to conquer regions without opposition. Very interesting film.

8. Salaam Bombay! (1988; Mira Nair)
Young Krishna struggles to survive among the drug dealers, pimps, and prostitutes in the back alleys and gutters of India. This was good. More realistic than Slumdog Millionaire.

9. Jolt (2021; Tanya Wexler)
This film tries to be Crank, Atomic Blonde and John Wick at once. It was watchable and Kate Beckinsale was good.

10. xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017; D.J. Caruso)
Another dumb action film. I was interested in this one just because Indian actress Deepika Padukone is in it. It was watchable.

11. Werckmeister Harmonies (2000; Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky)
This is a rewatch. Beautiful film from Tarr which is 2 and a half hours long and composed of only 39 shots. It is definitely one of those slow and contemplative films. Beautifully shot in black and white.

12. The Last Legion (2007; Doug Lefler)
I found this one on Aishwarya Rai's filmography. It proved to be a rather excellent sword and sandal adventure film. Quite underrated.

13. Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975; Pier Paolo Pasolini)
In World War II Italy, four fascist libertines round up nine adolescent boys and girls and subject them to 120 days of physical, mental, and sexual torture. This is probably the most notorious art film ever made. It didn't evoke any kind of emotion in me. It was fine.
User avatar
Gendo
Site Admin
Posts: 2882
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:38 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Gendo »

I like the original xXx, never saw either of the sequels.
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

I'm back after a long time. I managed to see 18 additional films.

14. Porcile (1969; Pier Paolo Pasolini)
It was visually more interesting than Salo.

15. Black Widow (2021; Cate Shortland)
This is actually a pretty solid action film.

16. Baywatch (2017; Seth Gordon)
Main cast: Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Alexandra Daddario, Priyanka Chopra Jonas. This was just silly fun. I really liked it.

17. Spectre (2015; Sam Mendes)
Underrated Bond. There is a lot to like here: the opening sequence, the last 30 minutes, every scene with Christoph Waltz. Sam Mendes' direction remains classy throughout.

18. Underground (1995; Emir Kusturica)
This is Kusturica's most famous film. It didn't do much for me.

19. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011; Nuri Bilge Ceylan)
A Turkish police procedural which tries to avoid genre conventions/cliches. Its style was somewhat influenced by Tarkovsky. It was fine.

Then I saw a bunch of Yasujiro Ozu films in a row. Seven of them:
20. Good Morning (1959)
21. Early Spring (1956)
22. Tokyo Twilight (1957)
23. The Munekata Sisters (1950)
24. Late Autumn (1960)
25. The End of Summer (1961)
26. An Autumn Afternoon (1962)
They were all very good. They just didn't impress me as much as ones from Noriko trilogy. Now I've seen a total of 12 Ozu films.

27. A Haunted House 2 (2014; Michael Tiddes)
It is a spoof of some horror films, especially Paranormal Activity. It was fine.

28. Not Another Teen Movie (2001; Joel Gallen)
This is a rewatch. It is a spoof of various teen films, especially She's All That. It was good.

29. Joe Dirt (2001; Dennie Gordon)
This is also a rewatch. It was very good. David Spade just kills it as this unlucky guy who remains optimistic no matter what. It was funny.

30. Poison Ivy: The New Seduction (1997; Kurt Voss)
This was much better than expected. An entertaining erotic thriller/drama.

31. Poor White Trash (2000; Michael Addis)
This film tries to combine crime and comedy. It has Sean Young from Blade Runner and Lynch's Dune in a leading role of all people. It was decent and watchable.
User avatar
Gendo
Site Admin
Posts: 2882
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:38 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Gendo »

I don't remember too much about Not Another Teen Movie, but I remember it being after the high point of that era's parodies such as Scary Movie, but before the really low point of things like Date Movie and Epic Movie.

Some day I need to watch Joe Dirt.
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

32. The Hateful Eight (2015; Quentin Tarantino)
I saw the theatrical version when it came out. I checked out the extended version of the film this time. It was fantastic. It offered some really great verbal sparring and some really great spatial camerawork in Minnie's Haberdashery. Makes a good companion piece to Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, another film where a lot of the action takes place in one room (warehouse in that case).

33. Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood (2019; Quentin Tarantino)
I promised Rax I would give this one another chance. I did and I loved it this time. I loved Tarantino's idea to make this film about friendship between a faded television actor and his stunt double in the final years of Hollywood's Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles. It worked beautifully and both DiCaprio and Pitt were great. I really don't know why I didn't like this film when I saw it the first time. It's really great.

34. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957; David Lean)
This is a rewatch. A very good film with some magnificent cinematography. Unlike 'Lawrence', which had some really fantastic desert photography, in this one we have some beautifully filmed jungles.

35. The Lives of Others (2006; Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck)
Another rewatch. This is probably the greatest German film of all time. It's a masterpiece. Superficially, it is about surveillance conducted in East Germany, but it reveals to be about so much more. Highly recommended.

36. Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021; Sion Sono)
I decided to check this one out mostly because Nick Cage is in it. It is a surreal film combining three different genres: Western, samurai film and post-apocalyptic film. It wasn't that bad I guess, and it had a couple of classic Nick Cage moments.

37. Willy's Wonderland (2021; Kevin Lewis)
Another film with Nick Cage. This it that film where he fights giant robotic animal toys. It wasn't nearly as fun as I expected it to be. Unfortunately.

38. Mandy (2018; Panos Cosmatos)
Nick Cage in revenge mode. This was actually good. It offered some really cool, surreal, nightmarish and psychedelic visuals and it features a hippie cult and demonic bikers. Interesting film.

39. Hellboy (2019; Neil Marshall)
This film is a mess, but I liked it somewhat. It looked good and David Harbour was good as Hellboy. I'm glad I checked it out despite the bad reviews.

40. Nightmare Alley (2021; Guillermo del Toro)
Visually good film which offers a familiar tale about money, greed and hustling people. The acting was solid. I have to admit I'm not a big fan of Bradley Cooper, though.

41. The Best Offer (2013; Giuseppe Tornatore)
A lonely art expert working for a mysterious and reclusive heiress finds not only her art worth examining. This was very good with an absolutely brilliant performance from Geoffrey Rush.

42. Shanghai Noon (2000; Tom Dey)
Rewatch. This is a decent homoerotic action comedy with Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson set in the Wild West. Didn't really enjoy this one.
User avatar
Gendo
Site Admin
Posts: 2882
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:38 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Gendo »

Looking forward to Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood. But every time I think about watching it; I get this idea that I should do a full marathon of all Tarantino’s films. Most of them I’ve only seen once; and I liked them all. But then I’m watching a whole lot of movies just to cross 1 off my need-to-watch list. Dunno what to do.
User avatar
Raxivace
Ultimate Poster
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:35 am

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Raxivace »

Glad to hear you turned around on Hollywood, Lyndon.

I liked Cooper fine in Nightmare Alley, but I felt like Cate Blanchett leaned way too hard into being an obvious femme fatale.
"[Cinema] is a labyrinth with a treacherous resemblance to reality." - Andrew Sarris
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

I just wanted to say that I really appreciate all of your responses in my thread. You guys here on Pitters' Place are the only friends I have left.
Now I want to respond to Gendo and Rax.

Gendo: I think you should definitely rewatch Tarantino's films. He became one of my favourite filmmakers in the last couple of years. I think he almost rivals Kubrick and Malick in the list of my favourite American filmmakers of all time. Kubrick and Malick are at the top.

Rax: I remembered I liked Bradley Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook, but outside of that film he has done very little for me performance-wise. As for Cate Blanchett, I know what you mean about her performance, but I'm embarrassed to admit that, despite her obviousness as femme fatale, I failed to predict she would take Bradley Cooper's money in the end. In a way, she out-hustles the hustler, which proves to be a real moral victory for her in the end. The more and more I think about Nightmare Alley, the more and more I like it as a film. It is not quite on the masterpiece level as Pan's Labyrinth, but it's very good and probably my second favourite del Toro film at this point.
User avatar
Raxivace
Ultimate Poster
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:35 am

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Raxivace »

Yeah I do like Cooper in Silver Linings Playbook too. I should mention that I did watch the 1947 Nightmare Alley right before the Del Toro version, so I knew where Blanchett's character was going to go already- but even with that in mind, I just think she needed to restrain her performance somewhat. Its a good film though, I definitely enjoyed it overall.

Believe it or not, I haven't seen Pan's Labyrinth yet. I have a nice blu-ray of it though, definitely need to give it a watch at some point.

BTW, I only just realized it had been a long time since I had last posted here. Just know that if anything ever comes up, anything really, and I'm not here again for some reason and you need to contact me you can always email me at raxivace@gmail.com.
"[Cinema] is a labyrinth with a treacherous resemblance to reality." - Andrew Sarris
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

Raxivace wrote: Fri Apr 08, 2022 4:43 pm BTW, I only just realized it had been a long time since I had last posted here. Just know that if anything ever comes up, anything really, and I'm not here again for some reason and you need to contact me you can always email me at raxivace@gmail.com.
Thanks a lot, Rax. I'll remember your email address.
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

I rewatched some great films. I also managed to see two new films, both animated.

43. Full Metal Jacket (1987; Stanley Kubrick)
I revisited this film after nearly six years. Popular opinion about this film is that the first act in the boot camp is vastly superior to second act which takes place in Vietnam. I disagree. I thought the first act was very good, but I absolutely loved the second act. It is very funny, satirical and visually stunning. The second act is a masterpiece in itself. Anyway, this is my favourite Kubrick film with Barry Lyndon, and one of my three favourite war films of all time, the other two being Apocalypse Now and The Thin Red Line.

44. Sin City (2005; Frank Miller, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez)
I rewatched the theatrical version of the film. Very entertaining and stylish. I loved the whole cast, but Mickey Rourke really stood out.

45. Lucky Number Slevin (2006; Paul McGuigan)
Rewatch. Very entertaining neo-noir/mystery crime film with two people from Sin City: Josh Hartnett and Bruce Willis. Loved this one.

46. Batman Begins (2005; Christopher Nolan)
This rewatch proved to be my most enjoyable film experience this year. This is Nolan's best directing job ever in my opinion. It was just so visually impressive. I loved the story too. Now I understand why Derived Absurdity, Eva Yojimbo and tieman all said this is Nolan's best Batman film. It is just magnificent in every way, and it is my new favourite Nolan film.

47. Corpse Bride (2005; Tim Burton, Mike Johnson)
This was fantastic. It was charming, witty and emotionally affecting. It also featured a rather neat reversal: land of the dead seemed more alive and lively than land of the living. Cool.

48. Angel's Egg (1985 Video; Mamoru Oshii)
A beautiful and mesmerizing work of art that prioritizes symbolism and mood over plot. From director of Ghost in the Shell films and the underrated Sky Crawlers.

49. The Grapes of Wrath (1940; John Ford)
Rewatch. This film features one of the most iconic collaborations of all time: between director John Ford and legendary director of photography Gregg Toland. They pushed this film into the realm of visual poetry. Visually it is magnificent, and I liked the story too.

50. The Green Mile (1999; Frank Darabont)
I decided to rewatch this too, event though I remembered most of it. I'm glad I did, because this is one of the best dramas I've ever seen. I am not at all surprised it is 26th highest rated film on imdb. It is very popular, indeed.
User avatar
Gendo
Site Admin
Posts: 2882
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:38 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Gendo »

I’ve seen 7 out of 8 of those!

Agree with most of your opinions; I really like Lucky Number Slevin and The Green Mile in particular.

Corpse Bride actually didn’t interest me all that much; I prefer the new Frankenweenie as a similar style Burton animation; and 9, Coraline, and Nightmare Before Christmas for a similar style from others.
User avatar
Raxivace
Ultimate Poster
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:35 am

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Raxivace »

I like FMJ well enough, though I think as far as Kubrick goes I prefer 2001, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, and Eyes Wide Shut.

Sin City I like well enough, though I think I prefer the sequel tbh.

I need to rewatch Batman Begins. I remember liking it well enough, but not enough to say how it compares to the other two anymore.

I haven't seen Angels' Egg, but Oshii is one of those guys I need to try more of one of these days.

Grapes of Wrath is excellent IMHO.
"[Cinema] is a labyrinth with a treacherous resemblance to reality." - Andrew Sarris
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

51. The Shawshank Redemption (1994; Frank Darabont)
Rewatch. The highest rated film on imdb is a wonderful story about hope and friendship. It was terrific.

52. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013; Martin Scorsese)
Rewatch. This was great. Marty's direction was very energetic which made this film very entertaining. DiCaprio went all in for this role and he was fantastic.

53. The Irishman (2019; Martin Scorsese)
Rewatch. Marty adopted a more solemn tone for this film which was very appropriate given the subject. Pacino was great. The film itself was terrific.

54. Platoon (1986; Oliver Stone)
Rewatch. Very good war film which is more about inner conflict than conflict between nations. Charlie Sheen was very good. Willem Dafoe always shines.

55. From Up on Poppy Hill (2011; Gorô Miyazaki)
Japanese animated film. It is a low-key romance film beautifully directed by Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro Miyazaki. I liked it.

56. Wings of Honneamise (1987; Hiroyuki Yamaga)
Wonderful Japanese animated film with fantastic final act. It was mostly about humanity's progress, while also acknowledging humanity's sinful past. I remember Rax saw this one.
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

57. Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (1999; Hiroyuki Okiura)
Another very good Japanese animated film which was written by Mamoru Oshii. It involves a certain Special Police Unit, but I can't say much more than that because I don't want to spoil anything.

58. Flags of Our Fathers (2006; Clint Eastwood)
A very good war film which tries to analyze the concept of 'heroism'. It wasn't quite as good as Letters from Iwo Jima, but it certainly is an interesting film.

59. American Sniper (2014; Clint Eastwood)
Another very good war film, certainly competently directed by Eastwood. It didn't bother me at all that it wasn't historically accurate.

60. The Evil Dead (1981; Sam Raimi)
Rewatch. A very good horror film, brilliantly directed by Raimi. I just loved his gorgeous, fluid camerawork.

61. Evil Dead II (1987; Sam Raimi)
This was amazing. It is an incredibly imaginative horror comedy, again brilliantly directed by Raimi. It is probably his best film, and one of the best films of the 80's.

62. Redline (2009; Takeshi Koike)
This was fantastic. It is a Japanese animated film about some intergalactic racing. It is directed with incredible energy. And, in my opinion, it is probably the most visually stunning animated film I've ever seen. I just loved the 2-D animation they used for this one.

63. Promare (2019; Hiroyuki Imaishi)
Rax recommended me this one because of its energetic style. I loved it; it was fantastic and an incredible experience. I also saw two shorts: Galo-hen and Lio-hen. They were a nice addition.

64. The Taming of The Shrew (1967; Franco Zeffirelli)
I wanted to see something with Elizabeth Taylor in it. I decided to see this Shakespeare adaptation. It turned out to be a rather charming, funny, amusing film. Liz Taylor and Richard Burton were very good in their roles.

65. Jonah Hex (2010; Jimmy Hayward)
I wanted to see something with Megan Fox in it. I decided to see this comic-book western. That was a good decision, because it was very entertaining. Josh Brolin was great as Jonah Hex, and Megan Fox is always a treat to watch (you know why). Malkovich and Fassbender play the villains.

66. Twin Peaks: The Return (2017)
Decided to see this because David Lynch directed all 18 episodes. I'm a huge fan of his; I think all three films he directed before this (Lost Highway, Mulholland Drive, Inland Empire) are masterpieces. I generally liked this. I though it was very good overall, and I particularly liked first three episodes, episode 8 and episode 17. I also loved the haunting ending scene. The rest was pretty solid; Kyle MacLachlan did well in all his roles.
Faustus5
Super Poster
Posts: 246
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2015 3:08 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Faustus5 »

Lord_Lyndon wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 7:49 am
65. Jonah Hex (2010; Jimmy Hayward)
I wanted to see something with Megan Fox in it. I decided to see this comic-book western. That was a good decision, because it was very entertaining. Josh Brolin was great as Jonah Hex, and Megan Fox is always a treat to watch (you know why).
Ever see her in "Jennifer's Body"? It was a flop and panned when it was first released but has since been reappraised by a lot of folks as a cult classic. She's really good in it and has said on many occasions that it remains her favorite of all the films she's been in.
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

Faustus5 wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 10:39 am
Lord_Lyndon wrote: Mon Jun 13, 2022 7:49 am
65. Jonah Hex (2010; Jimmy Hayward)
I wanted to see something with Megan Fox in it. I decided to see this comic-book western. That was a good decision, because it was very entertaining. Josh Brolin was great as Jonah Hex, and Megan Fox is always a treat to watch (you know why).
Ever see her in "Jennifer's Body"? It was a flop and panned when it was first released but has since been reappraised by a lot of folks as a cult classic. She's really good in it and has said on many occasions that it remains her favorite of all the films she's been in.
Thanks for the response, Faustus. 'Jennifer's Body' was actually the last film I saw last year. I generally liked it and I agree with you that she did well in that film. I didn't know that was her favourite film she's been in, so thanks for the info.
User avatar
Raxivace
Ultimate Poster
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:35 am

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Raxivace »

I'm gonna try and rewatch Evil Dead 1 and 2 (And Army of Darkness) this year. I love all three of course but its been so many years since I've seen them (And watching the TV show genuinely scratched that itch for me for the several years it was on).

I've also been going through the Raimi features I haven't seen this Summer and while some have been rough (Crimewave etc.), I've also been really pleasantly surprised by the quality of others like Quick and the Dead.
"[Cinema] is a labyrinth with a treacherous resemblance to reality." - Andrew Sarris
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

67. Gertrud (1964; Carl Theodor Dreyer)
Great film. It seemed to me, at first, that it is not particularly cinematic, but then I realized Dreyer does some really special things with his camera.

68. Journey to Italy (1954; Roberto Rossellini)
I think the idea here was to juxtapose transitory nature of human lives and relationships with these ancient ruins, monuments and artifacts in Italy. It was very well done.

69. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974; Rainer Werner Fassbinder)
i quite liked Fassbinder's formalism in this one, but story-wise it did very little for me.

70. Journey of the Hyena (1973; Djibril Diop Mambéty)
Also known as Touki Bouki. It is a beautifully shot Senegalese film about a boy and a girl trying to escape from poverty and reach Paris. It was good.

71. Intolerance (1916; D.W. Griffith)
A visually impressive silent film which features some really terrific cross-cutting/editing.

72. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975; Chantal Akerman)
We basically observe as this housewife tends to her chores for more than three hours. I think I understood what Akerman wanted to convey with this film, so I actually liked it.

73. The Mother and the Whore (1973; Jean Eustache)
A very talkative French film about relationships and sex. I think the dialogues were very well-written.

74. Listen to Britain (1942; Humphrey Jennings, Stewart McAllister)
An acclaimed British short about life in wartime England during the Second World War. It certainly had some poetic images.

75. In Absentia (2000; Stephen Quay, Timothy Quay)
I decided to see this short film because it is one of Eva Yojimbo's favourite films. It turned to be a rather creepy and effective short.

76. Europa Europa (1990; Agnieszka Holland)
One of the better Holocaust films I've seen so far. It is about a German boy constantly trying to hide the fact that he is Jewish.

77. Woman in the Dunes (1964; Hiroshi Teshigahara)
An incredibly acclaimed Japanese film, one of these acknowledged masterpieces. It is very highly rated in imdb as well. I thought it was very good.
User avatar
Gendo
Site Admin
Posts: 2882
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:38 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Gendo »

I vaguely remember watching Europa Europa in school. Don't know any of the others.
User avatar
Raxivace
Ultimate Poster
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:35 am

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Raxivace »

Ah I liked Ali. Made for really interesting contrast with All That Heaven Allows and Far From Heaven.
"[Cinema] is a labyrinth with a treacherous resemblance to reality." - Andrew Sarris
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

I rewatched seven films from the legendary Greek filmmaker Theodoros Angelopoulos:

78. The Suspended Step of the Stork (1991)
Great film about a reporter trying to verify if one man he saw is a long lost politician. There are two standout sequences: wedding scene and ending scene.

79. Days of '36 (1972)
Good political film with some very good sequences. It is definitely one of his weaker films.

80. Alexander the Great (1980)
Brilliant masterpiece which is rich in meaning and epic in its imagery and runtime. This is his second greatest film IMO.

81. The Travelling Players (1975)
A timeless masterpiece, his greatest film and one of all-time great films IMO. It shows Greek history from 1939 to 1952 as seen through the lens of traveling acting troupe. It is an epic film which is best understood if you have knowledge of Greek history and culture. I don't, but I could still admire his great formalism.

82. Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow (2004)
A beautiful and poetic love story and a powerful anti-war statement. Great film.

83. Landscape in the Mist (1988)
One of the best road films of all time about two kids searching for their father.

84. Ulysses' Gaze (1995)
Brilliant film about a filmmaker (played by Harvey Keitel) searching for something he calls 'the first gaze', which is a long lost silent film from Manakis brothers from the beginning of the 20th century. I loved how Theo incorporated those beautiful landscapes into this film's slow narrative, which is basically what I said when I saw the film for the first time. It certainly gave this film a poetic feel.
User avatar
Raxivace
Ultimate Poster
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:35 am

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Raxivace »

I gotta watch Angelopoulos movies sometimes, they always sound fascinating.
"[Cinema] is a labyrinth with a treacherous resemblance to reality." - Andrew Sarris
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

Hi everyone. I'm back after a long time. I saw only 9 films since I was here last time.

85. Earth (1930; Aleksandr Dovzhenko)
Visually impressive Soviet silent with some great editing. It is considered as one of the best films of all time by some critics.

86. Zvenigora (1927; Aleksandr Dovzhenko)
Experts called this an avant-garde cinematic poem. I really liked it.

87. Amarcord (1973; Federico Fellini)
I didn't like this when I saw it 10 years ago. I rewatched it and I really liked it this time. It is a pretty great nostalgic and episodic film with some memorable images.

88. Nostalghia (1983; Andrei Tarkovsky)
In my opinion, Tarkovsky is one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. I rewatched this and I still think this is one of his 4 best films. One of his masterpieces.

89. Sunset Blvd. (1950; Billy Wilder)
I saw this 10 years ago and I thought it was great. I rewatched it and I still think it is great. I loved William Holden in it. I thought he was terrific. As a matter of fact, I also loved Holden in David Lean's The Bridge on River Kwai, another terrific film I rewatched earlier this year.

90. On the Waterfront (1954; Elia Kazan)
Another rewatch. This is a very compelling drama, beautifully shot and wonderfully acted. Definitely one of Brando's finest moments as an actor.

91. Gerry (2002; Gus Van Sant)
A pretty solid art film with Matt Damon and Casey Affleck. They get lost in the wilderness and that allowed director to come up with some really nice cinematography: some really stunning long takes and beautiful shots of mountains and deserts.

92. The Wages of Fear (1953; Henri-Georges Clouzot)
Another rewatch. This is possibly the greatest French film ever made. It is about some guys transporting nitroglycerine in trucks across some demanding terrain. They call this director the French Hitchcock, and boy does he come up with some magnificent moments in terms of direction. Really magnificent stuff. And on top of that, the characters were pretty iconic. I can't praise this enough.

93. Sansho the Bailiff (1954; Kenji Mizoguchi)
Another rewatch. Another tale of human suffering from Mizoguchi. Cinematography was really beautiful, painterly with many poetic images. The story was very compelling. All in all, this is one of the greatest films of all time.
User avatar
Gendo
Site Admin
Posts: 2882
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:38 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Gendo »

Welcome back! Not too long an absence considering the ridiculously low posting rate around here in general. I’m not familiar with any of those films.
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

I have some good and some bad news, Gendo. Good news is that I saw 7 films in quick succession, so I'm back on Pitters Place very quickly. Bad news: I don't think you saw any of these films.

94. The Grand Illusion (1937; Jean Renoir)
This is Renoir's most popular film; I decided to rewatch it. It is a story about French prisoners of war in a German camp in WW1, and I have to say it is still a great film.

95. The Man from London (2007; Béla Tarr, Ágnes Hranitzky)
Tarr portrays a very dour, dull, bleak existence in this film. His style of slowish long takes is perfect for this. I thought it was a very good film.

96. Alexander Nevsky (1938; Sergei Eisenstein, Dmitriy Vasilev)
A great war film, excellent direction from legendary Eisenstein. It contains one epic battle scene.

97. M (1931; Fritz Lang)
This is a rewatch. It is one of the best serial killer/police procedural films.

98. Touch of Evil (1958; Orson Welles)
This is Welles' most famous film after Citizen Kane. It is a great cop film, brilliantly directed by Welles.

99. The Seventh Seal (1957; Ingmar Bergman)
Another rewatch. I'm very impressed how Bergman combined serious philosophical/existential stuff with more humorous moments. This film is still a timeless masterpiece.

100. La dolce vita (1960; Federico Fellini)
This film has been one of my favourites ever since I saw it 12 years ago for the first time. I rewatched it after a long time and it remains a remarkable celebration and condemnation of modern life/existence. Truly extraordinary film.
User avatar
Gendo
Site Admin
Posts: 2882
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:38 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Gendo »

I've seen M! Loved it.
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

Gendo wrote: Wed Aug 24, 2022 6:28 pm I've seen M! Loved it.
That's great, Gendo! I'm glad you loved it!

Anyway, Gendo... I made a very important decision. You mentioned low posting rate here, so I decided I will post here on Pitters' daily. I hope you are looking forward to some of my random thoughts on films in general.
User avatar
Gendo
Site Admin
Posts: 2882
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:38 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Gendo »

Always enjoy random thoughts on random films!
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

I saw 5 new films. I think Gendo saw 4 of them.

101. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021; Jon Watts)
I liked the ideas. I liked the action scenes. I liked the emotional moments. I liked the performances. I liked Zendaya's beauty. Overall... It was very good.

102. The Batman (2022; Matt Reeves)
Gendo said a lot of great things about this one. All I can say is that I loved it and I thought it was a dark, brooding masterpiece.

103. Eternals (2021; Chloé Zhao)
I liked some of the ideas in this one, but it was mostly boring unfortunately. It's not a bad film, but it's fairly mediocre.

104. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021; Destin Daniel Cretton)
It was very good. I loved the action scenes. I liked the story. Tony Leung Chiu-wai (who plays the father, of course) is one of my 5 favourite actors of all time. I saw a lot of his films and most of them are great and he is great in them.

105. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022; Sam Raimi)
Gendo already said a lot of terrific things about this one. It certainly didn't disappoint and it got more entertaining as it progressed. Not one of the best MCU films, but definitely not one of the worse ones as some make it out to be.
User avatar
Gendo
Site Admin
Posts: 2882
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:38 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Gendo »

Yeah I still haven’t seen Eternals after all this time…. Normally I don’t like watching MCU out of order. I’ll get to it soon; but pretty much everyone seems to agree with your opinion on it.
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

Sorry. I'm not well anymore, but I'm back to post here. I saw 3 films by one of my favourite directors: Jean-Luc Godard.

106. Our Music (2004; Jean-Luc Godard)
This was fantastic. Godard muses about text and image, life and afterlife, war and conflict. Very impressive film.

107. In Praise of Love (2001; Jean-Luc Godard)
History. Memory. Film. Capitalism. Those are the key words in relation to this film. It was very good.

108. Film socialisme (2010; Jean-Luc Godard)
This film is very political, experimental and fragmented. I thought it was an underrated masterpiece, even if I didn't understand it very well.

These films are of no interest to Gendo, but maybe Rax is still here somewhere. I will be back tomorrow with more posts. I promise.
User avatar
Raxivace
Ultimate Poster
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:35 am

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Raxivace »

Those are three of the last Godards I have yet to see, funnily enough. I always meant to finish his massive filmography before he died but it seems I've missed my chance. RIP to a legend.
"[Cinema] is a labyrinth with a treacherous resemblance to reality." - Andrew Sarris
User avatar
Gendo
Site Admin
Posts: 2882
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:38 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Gendo »

I haven't actually seen anything by him. Really only seen 3-4 French films total...
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

Also saw three films from Japanese filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi:

109. Happy Hour (2015; Ryûsuke Hamaguchi)
Summary: A slow-burning epic chronicling the emotional journey of four thirty something women in the misty seaside city of Kobe. It's a brilliant masterpiece that is 5 hours 17 minutes long. It's the third longest film I've ever seen. It's magnificent, but not many have seen it unfortunately (mostly because of its running time I presume).

110. Drive My Car (2021; Ryûsuke Hamaguchi)
Loved this one. Direction was great, especially during driving scenes. Some really nice cinematography. Overall a great 3-hour long drama.

111. Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy (2021; Ryûsuke Hamaguchi)
Fantastic film that is comprised of 3 short stories about love and coincidence. This one is only 2 hours long.
User avatar
Raxivace
Ultimate Poster
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:35 am

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Raxivace »

I didn't really like Drive My Car, though I may have gone into it with the wrong expectations. I saw people talk it up as this super hard to understand art film, but frankly it just seemed like another Oscar-bait film to me. Like whole time I was watching it I couldn't help but compare to stuff like The Descendants with George Clooney.
"[Cinema] is a labyrinth with a treacherous resemblance to reality." - Andrew Sarris
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

Raxivace wrote: Wed Sep 14, 2022 2:10 pm I didn't really like Drive My Car, though I may have gone into it with the wrong expectations. I saw people talk it up as this super hard to understand art film, but frankly it just seemed like another Oscar-bait film to me. Like whole time I was watching it I couldn't help but compare to stuff like The Descendants with George Clooney.
Yeah. Drive My Car is pretty much a straight-forward drama. Nothing really hard to understand about it at all. Interestingly though, you mention the film The Descendants. That is another film I personally really liked. I thought Clooney was great in it.
User avatar
Raxivace
Ultimate Poster
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:35 am

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Raxivace »

I mean I liked The Descendants, Clooney was good in it and it was a moving story etc., but if you went into it expecting the kind of movie Kubrick or someone like that would make then The Descendants would seem worse than it really was.
"[Cinema] is a labyrinth with a treacherous resemblance to reality." - Andrew Sarris
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

I saw 4 new Korean films.

112. Decision to Leave (2022; Park Chan-wook)
Park's latest is an excellent love story disguised as a murder mystery. He always comes up with interesting films.

113. Burning (2018; Lee Chang-dong)
My 5th film from this guy. I generally liked it. It is a type of film that leaves a lot of things ambiguous.

114. The Wailing (2016; Na Hong-jin)
From the guy who directed The Chaser (2008). It is an excellent ambiguous horror drama, albeit a bit long and slow.

115. Castaway on the Moon (2009; Lee Hae-jun)
This film is part Zemeckis' Cast Away (2000) and part quirky love story. It is very charming and poignant.
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

I made a list of all Martin Scorsese films I've seen so far. I rated them all and I ranked them from my favourite to my least favourite. I just wanted to share the list with you guys.

Goodfellas (1990) 10/10
Casino (1995) 10/10
Taxi Driver (1976) 10/10
Mean Streets (1973) 9.5/10
Kundun (1997) 9.5/10
The Age of Innocence (1993) 9/10
Hugo (2011) 9/10
The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) 9/10
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) 9/10
The Irishman (2019) 9/10
Silence (2016) 9/10
Shutter Island (2010) 8.5/10
Raging Bull (1980) 8.5/10
The Departed (2006) 8.5/10
Cape Fear (1991) 8.5/10
The Aviator (2004) 8/10
Gangs of New York (2002) 8/10
The King of Comedy (1982) 8/10
New York, New York (1977) 8/10
After Hours (1985) 8/10
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974) 7.5/10
The Color of Money (1986) 7/10
Bringing Out the Dead (1999) 7/10

That's it. Anyway, he is in my top 5 favourite American directors of all time. He is fantastic. I love his films.
User avatar
Raxivace
Ultimate Poster
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:35 am

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Raxivace »

I'm generally in the ballpark with those ratings. I remember really hating Gangs of New York though, but I haven't seen that in like 10 years. I think you're being awfully generous with Kundun too- I don't think the performances in that really work IMO.
"[Cinema] is a labyrinth with a treacherous resemblance to reality." - Andrew Sarris
User avatar
Gendo
Site Admin
Posts: 2882
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:38 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Gendo »

Lord_Lyndon wrote: Mon Sep 19, 2022 6:07 am
Goodfellas (1990) 10/10
Casino (1995) 10/10
Taxi Driver (1976) 10/10
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) 9/10
Silence (2016) 9/10
Shutter Island (2010) 8.5/10
Raging Bull (1980) 8.5/10
The Departed (2006) 8.5/10
Cape Fear (1991) 8.5/10
The Aviator (2004) 8/10
Gangs of New York (2002) 8/10
The King of Comedy (1982) 8/10
These are the ones I've seen. I didn't even realize he did Cape Fear or The Aviator.
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

Raxivace wrote: Tue Sep 20, 2022 1:45 am I'm generally in the ballpark with those ratings. I remember really hating Gangs of New York though, but I haven't seen that in like 10 years. I think you're being awfully generous with Kundun too- I don't think the performances in that really work IMO.
Kundun is generally considered as one of his lesser films, but I absolutely loved it. I thought it was visually stunning and very emotionally affecting.
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

I did the same for Akira Kurosawa. Here are my rankings/ratings:

Ran (1985) 10/10
Kagemusha (1980) 10/10
High and Low (1963) 10/10
Seven Samurai (1954) 10/10
Rashomon (1950) 9.5/10
Sanjuro (1962) 9.5/10
Ikiru (1952) 9.5/10
Yojimbo (1961) 9/10
Stray Dog (1949) 8/10
Throne of Blood (1957) 8/10
The Bad Sleep Well (1960) 8/10
Dersu Uzala (1975) 8/10
Dreams (1990) 7.5/10
The Hidden Fortress (1958) 7.5/10
The Quiet Duel (1949) 7.5/10
Madadayo (1993) 7.5/10
Drunken Angel (1948) 7/10
Sanshiro Sugata (1943) 7/10
The Men Who Tread on the Tiger's Tail (1945) 7/10
No Regrets for Our Youth (1946) 7/10
The Most Beautiful (1944) 6/10

Any thoughts guys?
User avatar
Gendo
Site Admin
Posts: 2882
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 7:38 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Gendo »

One of my great shames when it comes to movies is that I haven’t seen almost any Kurosawa. Only Yojimbo, which I remember liking. Seven Samurai has been on my wish list forever.
User avatar
Raxivace
Ultimate Poster
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:35 am

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Raxivace »

I think Dersu Uzala should be higher but generally I agree with those. That movie really needs a good restoration...

I would have High & Low slightly lower than you I guess. I don't think the second half of the movie is really as good as the first half.
"[Cinema] is a labyrinth with a treacherous resemblance to reality." - Andrew Sarris
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

Gendo wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 3:25 pm One of my great shames when it comes to movies is that I haven’t seen almost any Kurosawa. Only Yojimbo, which I remember liking. Seven Samurai has been on my wish list forever.
I hope that your wish comes true and that you see Seven Samurai one day. It is a fantastic film and I'm sure you would enjoy it.
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

Raxivace wrote: Fri Sep 23, 2022 4:46 pm I think Dersu Uzala should be higher but generally I agree with those. That movie really needs a good restoration...

I would have High & Low slightly lower than you I guess. I don't think the second half of the movie is really as good as the first half.
Thanks for your thoughts, Rax. I appreciate it. I wanted to ask you what is your favourite Kurosawa film, but I remembered you posted list of your favourite films in another thread. I checked it out and it looks like it is Seven Samurai.
User avatar
Raxivace
Ultimate Poster
Posts: 2829
Joined: Wed Feb 08, 2017 6:35 am

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Raxivace »

I don't remember what this list was, but yeah Seven Samurai is my favorite Kurosawa and one of the best films ever made IMO.
"[Cinema] is a labyrinth with a treacherous resemblance to reality." - Andrew Sarris
Lord_Lyndon
Super Poster
Posts: 318
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2017 2:48 pm

Re: Lyndon in 2022

Post by Lord_Lyndon »

Raxivace wrote: Sun Sep 25, 2022 9:46 pm I don't remember what this list was, but yeah Seven Samurai is my favorite Kurosawa and one of the best films ever made IMO.
Here is the full list, Rax:

The General (1925, Dir. Buster Keaton)
Frankenstein (1931, Dir. James Whale)
I Was Born, But... (1932, Dir. Yasujiro Ozu)
Citizen Kane (1941, Dir. Orson Welles)
The Curse of the Cat People (1944, Dir. Robert Wise & Gunther von Fritsch)
It's a Wonderful Life (1945, Dir. Frank Capra)
The Third Man (1949, Dir. Carol Reed)
In a Lonely Place (1950, Dir. Nicholas Ray)
Seven Samurai (1954, Dir. Akira Kurosawa)
Journey to Italy (1954, Dir. Roberto Rossellini)
Sansho the Bailiff (1954, Dir. Kenji Mizoguchi)
The Searchers (1956, Dir. John Ford)
Vertigo (1958, Dir. Alfred Hitchcock)
Contempt (1963, Dir. Jean-Luc Godard)
Night of the Living Dead (1968, Dir. George Romero)
2001: A Space Oddysey (1968, Dir. Stanley Kubrick)
Apocalypse Now (1979, Dir. Francis Ford Coppola)
Blade Runner (1982, Dir. Ridley Scott)
Once Upon a Time in America (1984, Dir. Sergio Leone)
Back to the Future (1985, Dir. Robert Zemeckis)
Do the Right Thing (1989, Dir. Spike Lee)
GoodFellas (1990, Dir. Martin Scorsese)
A Brighter Summer Day (1991, Dir. Edward Yang)
Unforgiven (1992, Dir. Clint Eastwood)
Jurassic Park (1993, Dir. Steven Speilberg)
The End of Evangelion (1997, Dir. Hideaki Anno)
Mulholland Dr. (2001, Dir. David Lynch)
Post Reply