re-watched The Little Foxes (William Wyler, 1941): 3/5
Agree with Justin that it's a bit stagey and the weaker one of all the Wyler/Davis collaborations. Nevertheless, worth re-watching a frothy family melodrama that takes place in the deep South with Bette Davis as a straight up bitch.
Una (Benedict Andrews, 2017): 2/5
Had an attention-grabbing plot to work with but was ruined by poor execution. Its premise just feels like a story that attempts to humanize a pedophile disguised as an empowering rape survivor tale with muted visuals. An extra star for Rooney Mara because in my house, we support her even in shitty films.
Incredibles 2 (Brad Bird, 2018): 3.5/5
Fun and stylish. Basically just meets my expectations for a Pixar cash grab. Extra half star for Edna Mode, my favorite character. #moviepass
American Animals (Bart Layton, 2018): 1.5/5
A true story about morons wanting to steal rare books for...? Morality? Masculinity? Needing to feel special? Who the hell cares. 5 minutes in and I already hated every directorial choice, and the whole thing's just riddled with stupid moments. The best part of this movie is when I got to watch part of Kubrick's The Killing within it. #moviepass
The Fallen Idol (Carol Reed, 1948): 2.5/5
Or, How Little Children Can Royally Fuck Things Up Without Really Meaning To.
The Ornithologist (Joao Pedro Rodrigues, 2016): 2.5/5
JP is a very talented guy and most of this is seductive, but I can't shake the feeling it is all rather academic as well.
Thoroughbreds (Corey Finley, 2017): 3/5
Heavenly Creatures but with a different brand of folie a deux. A promising debut by NY-based playwright Corey Finley.
Hereditary (Ari Aster, 2018): 4/5
This is my kind of Horror. Beautiful stylistic control, sublime film score, outstanding psychological performances - gripping, powerful, and deeply unnerving all around. Loved the seething undercurrent of dread/evil that kept building after the first act's unexpected plot point. Could've done without that expository bit at the very end though. (I posit: it was haphazardly thrown in post-production after test-screen audiences' furrowed their brows, unable to accept any kind of ambiguity.) #moviepass
Ocean's 8 (Gary Ross, 2018): 3/5
Light and breezy. 5/5 for Cate Blanchett's face; 5/5 for her outfits. Also, I'm starting to think we never gave Hathaway the respect she deserves. #moviepass
Born Yesterday (George Cukor, 1950): 1.5/5
There's only so much enjoyment that can be had watching William Holden condescend a woman for protracted periods of time. AND ANOTHER THING: I found out Judy Holliday won the Oscar over Gloria Swanson for Sunset Blvd and Bette Davis for All About Eve which is literal insanity. Judy playing a "dumb blonde" over the others tells you everything you need to know about Academy voters, past and present.
Death Becomes Her (Robert Zemekis, 1992): 3/5
The most dated thing about this isn't the CGI, it's the fact that Meryl Streep is billed third. (Perhaps Bobby Z's most underrated movie???)
Re-Animator (Stuart Gordon, 1985): 2.5/5
Gotta love a horror-comedy where horror IS the comedy. There's hardly a joke in the entire movie; you just laugh at the gleeful abandonment of good taste.
Daddy's Little Girls (Tyler Perry, 2007): 2/5
Caught this Sunday Movie Matinee on TV while flipping through channels and ended up watching the entire thing because who doesn't love Idris Elba from The Wire.
Monday, June 18, 2018
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
The Monster (Bryan Bertino, 2016): 1/5
Bryan Bertino's cinematic adaptation of the phrase: "D'you get it?" (SPOILER ALERT:........................................................................................................The monster is alcoholism. Or hardships. Or cruelty in life. Something to that effect, told to us incessantly. Should NOT have been marketed as horror.)
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (Constance Marks, 2011): 2.5/5
Cute and cuddly! *cut to me later reading Kevin Clash's Wiki page and learning of the sexual allegations with a young boy* WHY MUST EVERY MAN I LOVE DISAPPOINT ME.
White Bird in a Blizzard (Gregg Araki, 2014): 3/5
Strives to maintain a sufficient amount of suspense while presenting a touching tale about youth. Surprisingly engaging and unpredictable.
re-watched Training Day (Antoine Fuqua, 2001): 5/5
Tightly paced and always entertaining with its two acts of pure excellence and corking dialogue. Not to mention one firecracker of a performance by Denzel.
re-watched Ariel (Aki Kaurismaki, 1988): 4/5
"What's this button for?"
Let the Sunshine In (Claire Denis, 2018): 2/5
Claire Denis's first sci-fi film: a world where no one wants to commit to being with Juliette Binoche. #moviepass
Paddington 2 (Paul King, 2017): 2/5
Sorry I'm a heartless asshole.
First Reformed (Paul Schrader, 2018): 4.5/5
Or, The Radicalization of a Country Priest. Pitch black arthouse film with intoxicating visuals, razor sharp storytelling, and nuanced craft. Enthralling. Paul Schrader is BACK, BABY!!!!! #moviepass
Manifesto (Julian Rosefeldt, 2015): 2/5
Cate Blanchett plays 13 characters reciting dozens of artistic and political manifestos, from Marx to Dogma '95. It isn't literally watching a favorite actor read the phone book, but the spliced-together manifestos are too many, too jumbled, and too context-less to pull any kind of coherent meaning. Was likely more successful in its initial form as as multi-screen art installation.
The Other Side of Hope (Aki Kaurismaki, 2017): 3.5/5
Funny and sad in equal measures.
Deadpool 2 (David Leitch, 2018): 2/5
I have little memory of having watched this. #moviepass
1922 (Zak Hilditch, 2017): 1.5/5
The only element that's lacking is the most important one - a sense of ratcheting tension and suspense to justify a 1h45m broody, atmospheric horror tale. See: The Witch for a movie akin to this, done right.
Wonderstruck (Todd Haynes, 2017): 1/5
I'll just stick to re-watching Safe and Carol, thanks.
Night and Day (Hong sang-soo, 2008): 2/5
I find Hong's structure too meandering, and his flat visual style only adds to the lack of engagement. Ugh and those obnoxious zooms.
re-watched Darwin's Nightmare (Hubert Sauper, 2004): 4/5
Fucked up and horrifying.
Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig, 2017): 3.5/5
Pleasant. Formulaic territory but makes up for it with charming leads.
re-watched L.A. Confidential (Curtis Hanson, 1997): 5/5
When you think about it, it's The Wizard of Oz - Bud gets a brain, Jack gets a heart, Ed gets the courage.
Bryan Bertino's cinematic adaptation of the phrase: "D'you get it?" (SPOILER ALERT:........................................................................................................The monster is alcoholism. Or hardships. Or cruelty in life. Something to that effect, told to us incessantly. Should NOT have been marketed as horror.)
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (Constance Marks, 2011): 2.5/5
Cute and cuddly! *cut to me later reading Kevin Clash's Wiki page and learning of the sexual allegations with a young boy* WHY MUST EVERY MAN I LOVE DISAPPOINT ME.
White Bird in a Blizzard (Gregg Araki, 2014): 3/5
Strives to maintain a sufficient amount of suspense while presenting a touching tale about youth. Surprisingly engaging and unpredictable.
re-watched Training Day (Antoine Fuqua, 2001): 5/5
Tightly paced and always entertaining with its two acts of pure excellence and corking dialogue. Not to mention one firecracker of a performance by Denzel.
re-watched Ariel (Aki Kaurismaki, 1988): 4/5
"What's this button for?"
Let the Sunshine In (Claire Denis, 2018): 2/5
Claire Denis's first sci-fi film: a world where no one wants to commit to being with Juliette Binoche. #moviepass
Paddington 2 (Paul King, 2017): 2/5
Sorry I'm a heartless asshole.
First Reformed (Paul Schrader, 2018): 4.5/5
Or, The Radicalization of a Country Priest. Pitch black arthouse film with intoxicating visuals, razor sharp storytelling, and nuanced craft. Enthralling. Paul Schrader is BACK, BABY!!!!! #moviepass
Manifesto (Julian Rosefeldt, 2015): 2/5
Cate Blanchett plays 13 characters reciting dozens of artistic and political manifestos, from Marx to Dogma '95. It isn't literally watching a favorite actor read the phone book, but the spliced-together manifestos are too many, too jumbled, and too context-less to pull any kind of coherent meaning. Was likely more successful in its initial form as as multi-screen art installation.
The Other Side of Hope (Aki Kaurismaki, 2017): 3.5/5
Funny and sad in equal measures.
Deadpool 2 (David Leitch, 2018): 2/5
I have little memory of having watched this. #moviepass
1922 (Zak Hilditch, 2017): 1.5/5
The only element that's lacking is the most important one - a sense of ratcheting tension and suspense to justify a 1h45m broody, atmospheric horror tale. See: The Witch for a movie akin to this, done right.
Wonderstruck (Todd Haynes, 2017): 1/5
I'll just stick to re-watching Safe and Carol, thanks.
Night and Day (Hong sang-soo, 2008): 2/5
I find Hong's structure too meandering, and his flat visual style only adds to the lack of engagement. Ugh and those obnoxious zooms.
re-watched Darwin's Nightmare (Hubert Sauper, 2004): 4/5
Fucked up and horrifying.
Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig, 2017): 3.5/5
Pleasant. Formulaic territory but makes up for it with charming leads.
re-watched L.A. Confidential (Curtis Hanson, 1997): 5/5
When you think about it, it's The Wizard of Oz - Bud gets a brain, Jack gets a heart, Ed gets the courage.
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
You
Were Never Really Here (Lynne Ramsay, 2018): 2/5
We
Need to Talk about Kevin (Lynne Ramsay, 2011): 2/5
Violent, poetic, depressing,
pointless.
The
Girl with All the Gifts (Com McCarthy, 2016): 2.5/5
Delivers genre thrills
but is only pretending temporarily to have more on its mind.
*
A Quiet Place (John Krasinski, 2018): 3/5
Super-tense but subtext
free.
Opening
Night (John Cassavetes, 1977): 2.5/5
Two
Weeks in Another Town, rw (Vincente Minnelli, 1962): 3/5
Self-dramatizing and self-congratulating.
Actors: what would we do without them? Two
Weeks gets an extra half point for having
one of greatest car scenes in the history of cinema.
Michael
Clayton, rw (Tony Gilroy, 2007): 3/5
Peak Clooney.
*
Ready Player One (Steven Spielberg, 2018): 1/5
Not my Iron Giant. Not
my Shining. “Only a great filmmaker could piss me off so much”—that’s bullshit,
right?
The
Little Foxes (William Wyler, 1941): 3/5
My least favorite of
the Wyler/Davis collabs. Nasty but a bit stage-bound.
Ponyo,
rw (Hayao Miyazaki, 2008): 5/5
Maybe the best ever
movie made for kindergartners (or younger).
Suspiria,
rw (Dario Argento, 1977): 3/5
Extreme style as substance.
The
Ornithologist (João Pedro Rodrigues, 2016): 5/5
Just keeps getting
weirder, more mysterious and more powerful as it goes.
Atlanta,
Season 2/“This is America” (Donald Glover/Hiro Murai, 2018): 5/5
Messy, complicated and strange.
New.
Barry,
Season 1 (Alec Berg/Bill Hader): 3/5
Some clichés and some
good stuff. Hader is charismatic.
Silicon
Valley, Season 5 (Mike Judge, et. al, 2018): 3.5/5
Continues to amuse.
The
Fallen Idol, rw (Carol Reed, 1948): 4/5
Maybe the best ever
movie about the tragic cluelessness of childhood. Richardson is great.
Creep
2 (Patrick Brice, 2017): 3/5
Almost spoiled by
self-consciousness, but the last third delivers.
*
Solo: A Star Wars Story (Ron Howard, 2018): 2/5
A boring adventure from an utterly skill-less director. Certainly the worst of new Star Wars movies.
A boring adventure from an utterly skill-less director. Certainly the worst of new Star Wars movies.
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