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Memoir of a Snail (2024) I did not enjoy this. I didn't like the animation and found parts of the story and some of the characters way too over the top. It got heavy handed, manipulative, and lacked any subtlety. There were a couple good moments, but for the most part this did not work for me.
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Black Christmas (1974)
Very effective. Would maybe have preferred hanging out with the different characters even more.
Very effective. Would maybe have preferred hanging out with the different characters even more.
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A Different Man -
One of my favorite quotes from Cinema Paradiso is "progress always comes too late." What happens if it comes too early? This is a hilariously odd comedy in the same vein as Charlie Kaufman's best that examines our relationship with our looks. Would-be actor and neurofibromatosis sufferer Edward is so ready to not feel shy or insecure about his appearance anymore that he volunteers for an experimental procedure. For better or worse, it ends up working too well: I mean, he turns into Sebastian Stan! While Edward's life gets easier in some ways, his insecurities do not exactly disappear. Not only does his comely playwright neighbor, Ingrid (Reinsve), start casting calls for her play, which as luck would have it happens to be about his former life, someone comes along who...I'll just say would not undergo that procedure.
In case you didn't know Sebastian Stan is not just the Winter Soldier, this movie proves it. He's been cocksure (Motley Crue's Tommy Lee), devious (Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev), and with this role, he can add shy, insecure as well as petty to his resume. None of these words describe his "friend" and rival for the play's lead, Oswald (Adam Pearson, who really has neurofibromatosis), with some of the best laughs coming from the endless ways he is who Edward wishes he could be. Tying everything together is Ingrid, who is also very funny for how she makes you wonder if her intentions in writing a play about neurofibromatosis are noble or if she's just a fetishist. On top of all this great acting, there's Umberto Smerilli's mournful jazz score and New York vibes so strong, you can smell the taxi exhaust. It ends up being the kind of indie oddity I love, not just for how it proves that a beautiful face, whether it's old or new, is still attached to the rest of you, but also because I still laugh when I think about it days later. Now, you may be wondering how this compares to that other 2024 movie about body transformation, The Substance. Unfortunately, as of writing this, I haven't seen it. However, that won't stop me from also referring to this movie as "The Seb-stance."
One of my favorite quotes from Cinema Paradiso is "progress always comes too late." What happens if it comes too early? This is a hilariously odd comedy in the same vein as Charlie Kaufman's best that examines our relationship with our looks. Would-be actor and neurofibromatosis sufferer Edward is so ready to not feel shy or insecure about his appearance anymore that he volunteers for an experimental procedure. For better or worse, it ends up working too well: I mean, he turns into Sebastian Stan! While Edward's life gets easier in some ways, his insecurities do not exactly disappear. Not only does his comely playwright neighbor, Ingrid (Reinsve), start casting calls for her play, which as luck would have it happens to be about his former life, someone comes along who...I'll just say would not undergo that procedure.
In case you didn't know Sebastian Stan is not just the Winter Soldier, this movie proves it. He's been cocksure (Motley Crue's Tommy Lee), devious (Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev), and with this role, he can add shy, insecure as well as petty to his resume. None of these words describe his "friend" and rival for the play's lead, Oswald (Adam Pearson, who really has neurofibromatosis), with some of the best laughs coming from the endless ways he is who Edward wishes he could be. Tying everything together is Ingrid, who is also very funny for how she makes you wonder if her intentions in writing a play about neurofibromatosis are noble or if she's just a fetishist. On top of all this great acting, there's Umberto Smerilli's mournful jazz score and New York vibes so strong, you can smell the taxi exhaust. It ends up being the kind of indie oddity I love, not just for how it proves that a beautiful face, whether it's old or new, is still attached to the rest of you, but also because I still laugh when I think about it days later. Now, you may be wondering how this compares to that other 2024 movie about body transformation, The Substance. Unfortunately, as of writing this, I haven't seen it. However, that won't stop me from also referring to this movie as "The Seb-stance."
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I really liked Within Our Gates. And after you watch it, the racist, stereotype portrayals of Black characters in older films just seem all the more unacceptable.
The only other Michaeux I've seen is Lying Lips which I didn't like as much at all.
The only other Michaeux I've seen is Lying Lips which I didn't like as much at all.
This is a sharp, frank and erudite film that seems to pull no punches, a far cry from forced contemporary attempts at 'post-racial' discourse and yet depicting manifestations of racism that persist today.
I also found the actors' performances very interesting to watch and despite the obvious melodrama of the style of the time, as far as silent films go, I found their portrayals to be more human, natural and familiar than what I'm used to from the era. They felt real. Yes I was quite impressed. This is the first Micheaux film I've seen and I would definitely like to see more.
Howard The Duck - That's just painful really. I admit, I only watched it while I was on the computer (which I think helped as I watched a reaction to it yesterday and I was bored/disheartened when I realised how much more of the film they had to watch. What I can't decide is whether watching it like that earned it the .5 or the 1 
) but just how wrong did this go? Or is it exactly what he wanted? Given his output since and what he's done to and with those films/franchises, I could believe that this is very much what he wanted and any changes he'd make to it now could make it even worse. I don't know the original source, so my main theory is that something 'gritty' was given the Lucas treatment and all that was good/worthwhile was washed out of it in a barrage of kid friendly, 80's nonsense and one eye on the merch/sequel train? For all its very many faults, it did feel very familiar and not just because I'd seen it once before when it came out in the 80's (when I simply wrote it off as a bad kids film) but because it feels like the grandfather to many of todays Hollywood films, kids films for adults. This feels very much a prototype born too early, a first attempt out of time and served to an audience who expect or, even, demand more. You could argue that Star Wars was really the first attempt, but it's structure and narrartive are far more conventional and hit so many classic storytelling devices that you can't help be carried along with it. But had it been this cartoony, surely even Star Wars would've fallen foul?
As a curio, I think it has worth. As an artefact, I think it has worth. As a film to actually watch for fun? Rather you than me.
) but just how wrong did this go? Or is it exactly what he wanted? Given his output since and what he's done to and with those films/franchises, I could believe that this is very much what he wanted and any changes he'd make to it now could make it even worse. I don't know the original source, so my main theory is that something 'gritty' was given the Lucas treatment and all that was good/worthwhile was washed out of it in a barrage of kid friendly, 80's nonsense and one eye on the merch/sequel train? For all its very many faults, it did feel very familiar and not just because I'd seen it once before when it came out in the 80's (when I simply wrote it off as a bad kids film) but because it feels like the grandfather to many of todays Hollywood films, kids films for adults. This feels very much a prototype born too early, a first attempt out of time and served to an audience who expect or, even, demand more. You could argue that Star Wars was really the first attempt, but it's structure and narrartive are far more conventional and hit so many classic storytelling devices that you can't help be carried along with it. But had it been this cartoony, surely even Star Wars would've fallen foul?As a curio, I think it has worth. As an artefact, I think it has worth. As a film to actually watch for fun? Rather you than me.
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THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY
(1968, Bass & Rankin, Jr.)
(1968, Bass & Rankin, Jr.)
"Aaron's heart was filled with joy and love, and he knew at last that the hate he had carried there was wrong, as all hatred will ever be wrong."
The Little Drummer Boy follows young Aaron (Teddy Eccles), an orphan who spends his days playing his drum and dancing with his farm animals. That is until Ben Haramed (José Ferrer), a ruthless scammer, kidnaps him to force him to be a part of his traveling troupe of performers. All this puts Aaron in the path to meet the Three Wise Men and eventually Baby Jesus.
Like The Small One, this short gives us another fictional perspective of the birth of Jesus, as we follow Aaron and Ben, until the climatic visit to the manger. The bleak story made it interesting for me, and my kids took it as well as they could. Also, the voice work is solid, especially from Ferrer.
Grade:
Full review on my Movie Loot
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Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl (Nick Park, 2024)
Very good, lots of funny moments, decent plot, good callbacks and so on. Doesn't reach the heights of The Wrong Trousers which I would consider one of the greatest animated films ever made, but it was a great Christmas treat.
Very good, lots of funny moments, decent plot, good callbacks and so on. Doesn't reach the heights of The Wrong Trousers which I would consider one of the greatest animated films ever made, but it was a great Christmas treat.
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I guess not every movie needs to be subtle (that final line really hammered a point home.) I actually really enjoyed seeing more of Adam Pearson after his short role in Under the Skin too.
And yeah, I was really inspired by Pearson and how he made Oswald so confident and comfortable in his own skin. We should all be so confident! Probably a long shot for an Oscar nom, but let's hope he gets some kind of recognition.
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The Card Counter (2021)
Paul Schrader's study of a man who learns the skill of counting cards after spending 8 years in military prison after torture activities at Abu Ghraib "detention" centre. Oscar Isaac plays the part of William Tell with a quiet dignity of a man with an upsetting past. His day-to-day simplistic life is thrown into confusion by the arrival of a younger man (Tye Sheridan) who is out for revenge on the man who introduced the torture methods (Willem Dafoe), ruined his father and was responsible for Will's incarceration. He also joins a a gambling stable for a more dependable income and a pop at the major tourneys.
This is a slow meditative film that works through Oscar Isaac. The performances of Sheridan and Tiffany Haddish are both pretty awful though. The conclusion is a bit ham-fisted but this is an interesting film.
Paul Schrader's study of a man who learns the skill of counting cards after spending 8 years in military prison after torture activities at Abu Ghraib "detention" centre. Oscar Isaac plays the part of William Tell with a quiet dignity of a man with an upsetting past. His day-to-day simplistic life is thrown into confusion by the arrival of a younger man (Tye Sheridan) who is out for revenge on the man who introduced the torture methods (Willem Dafoe), ruined his father and was responsible for Will's incarceration. He also joins a a gambling stable for a more dependable income and a pop at the major tourneys.
This is a slow meditative film that works through Oscar Isaac. The performances of Sheridan and Tiffany Haddish are both pretty awful though. The conclusion is a bit ham-fisted but this is an interesting film.
has a permanent home in my top 10 by virtue of being the only piece of art that i could describe as "life-changing" without being hyperbolic and thus also feels like a good new years time movie. every time you rewatch a Trecartin film your brain will latch on to new ridiculous lines that breezed past you previously. this time they were: "don't bite the hand that f*cked you in college!" and "i will no longer look for meaning in things, that is not my responsibility".
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Joker: Folie à Deux (2024) I finally watched this today. I liked it. Phoenix and Gaga are good and I liked the musical numbers. This is nowhere near one of the worst films of the year and not even the worst musical of the year. The film subverts audience expectations and doesn't give the audience what they want, but sometimes that works. For me, this really worked.
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Gave Rear Window (1952) another try. My results were similar. It just doesn't work for me as well as it does for most people.
It's very well made, and the choice to never have the camera leave the apartment was the right one. So no flaws there.
Honestly, I just don't like the cast. Aside from the visiting nurse, no one's performance really impressed me. It's still a
, which translates to a B or B+, but it's not a classic to me.
It's very well made, and the choice to never have the camera leave the apartment was the right one. So no flaws there.
Honestly, I just don't like the cast. Aside from the visiting nurse, no one's performance really impressed me. It's still a
, which translates to a B or B+, but it's not a classic to me.
Last edited by stillmellow; 14 minutes ago at 06:17 AM.
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Gave Rear Window (1952) another try. My results were similar. It just doesn't work for me as well as it does for most people.
It's very well made, and the choice to never leave the camera leave the apartment was the right one. So no flaws there.
Honestly, I just don't like the cast. Aside from the visiting nurse, no one's performance really impressed me. It's still a, which translates to a B or B+, but it's not a classic to me.
It's very well made, and the choice to never leave the camera leave the apartment was the right one. So no flaws there.
Honestly, I just don't like the cast. Aside from the visiting nurse, no one's performance really impressed me. It's still a
, which translates to a B or B+, but it's not a classic to me.Hm. I ended up putting it in my top 100 after the second watch. I think it's really the collective of neighborly behavior, as well as the fact that we can't expect any of them to compare to the match of Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly.
My most recent one was King of Comedy, the Stephen Chow movie from 1999. Great one. Gleeful slapstick merges with moviemaking commentary and small doses of good old-fashioned Chinese action very well.
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By https://theater.toho.co.jp/toho_thea...tsu-movie.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73589236
Monster - (2023)
Hirokazu Kore-eda or Kore-eda Hirokazu - whichever way you want to say his name, everyone was right. His films are remarkable. I'd seen After Life, I Wish, Nobody Knows, Shoplifters and Broker, which was enough to make me a fan many times over. This time it was his latest, 2023 Queer Palm winner Monster, which is really fantastic and unusual enough to really fulfill someone with a hunger for a unique cinematic voice. It's a film which unfolds from a certain character's point of view, before continuing from another's by which we learn important details which weren't available to any other character. Via that process we slowly fill in a picture which gives a true impression of the complexity of truth, reality, experience and knowledge. Central are two young boys, Minato Mugino (Sōya Kurokawa) and Yori Hoshikawa (Hinata Hiiragi), whose strange behaviour results in the persecution of teacher Michitoshi Hori (Eita Nagayama). We see events unfold from his point of view, as well as Minato's mother, Saori (Sakura Andō). In the meantime principal Makiko Fushimi (Yūko Tanaka) is hiding a terrible secret which relates to the death of her grandchild. What can I say? A really beautiful film, with a soaring score from Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died shortly before the film was released. There's no denying - every filmmaking aspect to this is first-rate, and I simply lost myself in the unpredictable storytelling which continually rolls over the film like waves - every time you think you know what's really happening, another perspective will change everything. Very much recommended this - top drawer stuff.
9/10
By The poster art can or could be obtained from the distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=62606169
Night of the Living Dead - (1968)
"They're coming to get you Barbara!" Can a group of disparate people overcome their prejudices and egos to work together and survive a night while under siege from the living dead? Of course not! The result is absolute chaos in this groundbreaking 60s horror film that changed everything - and it's still wonderful to sit back and watch Romero demonstrate to the audience how us people are the real monsters. Half of the characters aren't killed by zombies but each other! I look forward to doing a deep dive into the Criterion edition extras of the film I recently purchased - but it was enough last night to reexperience the movie and appreciate the revolutionary boldness of everything we see - a precursor and inspiration to generations of filmmakers. There are a lot of contemporary filmmakers who could learn a thing or two from this when it comes to the genre as a whole.
9/10
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