Punishment Park (Peter Watkins, 1971): 3.5/5
Punishment Park is not a film to sit and watch in 2020 to unwind.
Final minutes are haunting. Still prefer DR. STRANGELOVE though.
Color Out of Space (Richard Stanley, 2019): 3/5
As horror phantasmagorias with Nic Cage go, I vastly prefer this Lovecraft freakout to MANDY. (I mean, Cage milks alpacas here.) The film also compares to Annihilation in detailing a supernatural event that impacts the characters and the world on a molecular level.
Color Out of Space (Richard Stanley, 2019): 3/5
As horror phantasmagorias with Nic Cage go, I vastly prefer this Lovecraft freakout to MANDY. (I mean, Cage milks alpacas here.) The film also compares to Annihilation in detailing a supernatural event that impacts the characters and the world on a molecular level.
The Other Lamb (Malgorzata Szumoska, 2019): 1/5
pointless cult drama with an empty, Instagram aesthetic
Two cinematic delights: philosophy and Isabelle Huppert. Sure, not terribly "exciting", but there are no false notes here. Extra half star for the scene where Huppert watches Juliette Binoche in CERTIFIED COPY at the movies, and if this isn't Magic then I don't know what is.
Emma. (Autumn de Wilde, 2020): 2.5/5
Fine enough. This one's not one of my favorite of Austen's books anyway, and beyond some formal innovation or fresh take on the material, I'm not really sure what the point of re-adapting this stuff over and over is. This is just standard period stuff, not even really distinguishable from something you'd catch on PBS.
Vita & Virginia (Chanya Button, 2018): 2/5
vita sackville-west be like: i’m not gonna beg for pussy, imma ask 11 times and THATS IT
Another thing: Elizabeth Debicki, and I can’t emphasize this enough, is 6’3
Loveless (Andrey Zvyaginstev, 2017): 3.5/5
Loveless (Andrey Zvyaginstev, 2017): 3.5/5
Fantastic direction. Loved the subtle jabs at Russian workplace despotism and the use of state radio to ground the story in recent history.
rewatched I Heart Huckabees (David O. Russel, 2004): 3/5
rewatched I Heart Huckabees (David O. Russel, 2004): 3/5
"Why do we only ask ourselves the big questions when something bad happens?"
Haven't seen this since I was 15 and could only recall the leaked footage of David O. Russell and Lily Tomlin's meltdowns on set.
She said fuckabee’s!
The Alchemist Cookbook (Joel Potrykus, 2016): 0.5/5
There is no point to this.
The movie dabbles with magic, but shows none of it, which sounds like a smart, minimalist movie. But, The Alchemist Cookbook is dreadful, because it is neither cinematic or engaging.
I swear, everybody's in such a hurry to make a movie they forget to write a story first.
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (Nicolas Gessner, 1976): 3/5
Another ridiculously assured performance from a baby Jodie Foster as a 13 year old girl attempting to hide the fact that she is living alone by pretending to all the locals that her deceased father is permanently indisposed. Only in the 70's would you be presented with a film which presents us with murder, underage sex and nudity and pedophilia, even if none of it is entirely overt.
The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (Nicolas Gessner, 1976): 3/5
Another ridiculously assured performance from a baby Jodie Foster as a 13 year old girl attempting to hide the fact that she is living alone by pretending to all the locals that her deceased father is permanently indisposed. Only in the 70's would you be presented with a film which presents us with murder, underage sex and nudity and pedophilia, even if none of it is entirely overt.
Also, the way every single thing about Mario’s character was completely unnecessary to the story but they just made him an amateur magician with a limp from too many polio vaccines for no reason THAT is storytelling.
LA 92 (TJ Martin & Daniel Lindsay, 2017): 4/5
Or, "Nothing and I mean really literally nothing has changed" The Movie.
A lot of the same talking points from the police leadership: a few bad apples, if you take away our support we'll stop protecting you, etc. Laughable responses from George HW and Bill Clinton.
rewatched The Terminator (James Cameron, 1984): 4.5/5
Cameron's CITIZEN KANE.
Cameron's CITIZEN KANE.
Cheesier and chintzier than I remembered, but still kills as an exercise in sheer relentlessness.
The Birdcage (Mike Nichols, 1996): 2.5/5
Not entirely unfunny, once or twice even poignant, but mostly toothless. Extra half star for Gene Hackman in drag.
Not entirely unfunny, once or twice even poignant, but mostly toothless. Extra half star for Gene Hackman in drag.
Well-worn scrappy lawyer legal trope fest by an auteur.
Sex and the City (Michael Patrick King, 2008): 2.5/5
Indeed grotesquely out of touch with reality but who wouldn't give to be a rich white woman jetting between LA and NY whose biggest problem is that her boyfriend bought her a $60,000 diamond ring?
Indeed grotesquely out of touch with reality but who wouldn't give to be a rich white woman jetting between LA and NY whose biggest problem is that her boyfriend bought her a $60,000 diamond ring?
Also I had fun drinking and yelling about how ugly 75% of their outfits were.
Underwater (William Eubank, 2020): 2/5
You’ve seen this movie before, but the key difference is that now it’s much harder to tell what’s going on.
You’ve seen this movie before, but the key difference is that now it’s much harder to tell what’s going on.
The Hunt (Craig Zobel, 2020): 2.5/5
AKA Battle Roy’allCentrist dad satire + cheap thrills. Extra half star for the line “Don’t you first amendment me!”
The Act ( Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, 2019): 3.5/5
A grotty, nasty, poisonous tale whose punch comes from the fact that some version of this really happened. It's the sad and horrendous true story of one of the worst cases of medical child abuse, worst scamming of stuff, worst plan for killing your mom, worst everything.
Chloe Sevigny and Juliette Lewis together, oh I love it. Joey King is disturbingly good in the Gypsy role and Arquette continues to dominate these true life female wacko roles.
Hamilton (Thomas Kail, 2020): 2.5/5
I did the cultural equivalent of renewing my driver's license. Whatever.
I did the cultural equivalent of renewing my driver's license. Whatever.
We’re truly living in very weird times when the new Charlie Kaufman existential drama has more musical numbers than Disney’s Mulan. #dishonor
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (Charlie Kaufman, 2020): 2.5/5
Nobody does cerebral existentialism like Kaufman, and it's foolish to even try to summarize the complexities of his work after just one viewing. The writer/director himself once said that his movies are supposed to be felt rather than understood. Will rewatch before the year’s over.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (Charlie Kaufman, 2020): 2.5/5
Nobody does cerebral existentialism like Kaufman, and it's foolish to even try to summarize the complexities of his work after just one viewing. The writer/director himself once said that his movies are supposed to be felt rather than understood. Will rewatch before the year’s over.
SPOILER ALERT no she doesnt
The gnarliest film for the rest of this decade???
Agree with Justin that it's William Gibson meets Cronenberg Sr.
Simultaneously a visual treat with its lighting, dreamlike atmosphere and monochromatic scenes; and a visual nightmare with its gratuitous, unfathomable brutality. Honestly, not sure if all of the violence is justified. It carries no narrative weight—I guess on a technical level (practical effects), it’s impressive. The shock-factor detracted from the film’s strength: its intriguing but glossed over sci-fi elements. There will be people who enjoy those fruits of ambiguity; personally, it sometimes rang empty. I felt whenever Possessor was on the brink of brilliance, it resorted to bludgeoning bloodshed.
It's not perfect, but it's been a long-time fave of mine. First saw this as a kid. AS A KID. Where were my parents???
rewatched Wavelength (Michael Snow, 1967): No Rating
rewatched Wavelength (Michael Snow, 1967): No Rating
The greatest endurance test structuralist avant-garde cinema has to offer. Last seen circa 2008.
Little Fires Everywhere (Liz Tigelaar, 2020): 3/5
Little Fires Everywhere (Liz Tigelaar, 2020): 3/5
NOBODY plays a privileged tone deaf white woman better than reese witherspoon, and that’s a genuine compliment. she just GETS it, you know?
Wildlife (Paul Dano, 2018): 2/5
How many men invite the Other Woman over to his house WITH HER SON (14)?
How many men invite the Other Woman over to his house WITH HER SON (14)?
How did you watch Wavelength?
ReplyDeleteIt's on YouTube!
ReplyDeleteHaving watched it last night, I have a follow-up question: Why did you watch Wavelength? Haha
ReplyDeleteLol I know right? I think what prompted me was seeing a a GoFundMe page to buy Ernie Gehr a new computer, (which don't even bother with SERENE VELOCITY) and that just led me down this rabbit hole of reviewing landmark avant-garde cinema. As a film major, I never got into it and now I remember why.
ReplyDeleteI love so much avant guard cinema. But this movie should come with instructions to hit yourself in the hand with a hammer continuously throughout the final 5 minutes. Pure sadism.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWhat do you know about Peter Tscherkassky? Any recommendations?
DeleteOuter Space is one of my favorite 10 minutes of cinema.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxQ3PucXg8k