Dracula
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Post by Dracula on Jan 28, 2021 23:53:42 GMT -5
The Garden of Words (2013)Makoto Shinkai first emerged as a major voice in anime with the release of his 2016 film Your Name and its follow-up Weathering With You, but he had been working at varying scales as far back as the late 90s. I had seen his 2007 effort 5 Centimeters per Second but had otherwise not seen much of his pre-Your Name output before watching this film, which was his most recent effort before making that blockbuster. The film is a bit odd in format as it only runs about 46 minutes, which is just barely over the 40 minute length that the Academy deems necessary to qualify as a feature and despite this it did play in some theaters in Japan. All three of the other Shinkai films were stories about teenagers, and this one is too, albeit one told from a bit more of a mature perspective and lacking the fantasy elements he uses in some of his more commercial works in favor of a more realistic and slightly less PG rated approach. The story concerns an odd not exactly romantic relationship between a fifteen year old boy and a twenty seven year old woman who meet each other in a park on occasion. That’s a concept that could pretty easily go to some skeezy places, but Shinkai deals with it pretty sensitively, and doesn’t “go there.” He instead turns it into something more akin to a meditation on how people perceive themselves at different ages. Shinkai’s animation remains top of the line, I love the way this dude draws and his team draw, people, environments, and weather very realistically and with incredible detail while still on some level making it look like it has a distinct style rather than being a work of pure mimicry. He’s working on a smaller scale and without the fantastical bits that his later features would use to cut against the realism it doesn’t have quite the same level of achievement, but it looks pretty damn good nonetheless. I did feel like the film perhaps used its classical music score as a bit of a crutch here at times and at the end of the day the film’s length does detract from it a bit, making it kind of hard to really feel like you’re getting a complete look at the lives in question, and at the end of the day Shinkai’s style has its limits as it lacks the over the top creativity of a Miyazaki or the narrative boldness of a Satoshi Kon, but it is definitely worth looking at for people who’ve been impressed by Shinkai’s other films. ***1/2 out of Five
And with that, I hereby take back the record for fastest review in Film Club history at about 1 hour 10 minutes. Sorry PG Cooper .
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Jan 29, 2021 0:38:50 GMT -5
You gave Dracula a 46 minute movie?? Ohh Coop is gonna be pissed.
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Jan 29, 2021 0:55:39 GMT -5
Don’t sweat it, Coop. Your time will come.
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Jan 29, 2021 1:02:54 GMT -5
I'm gonna recommend Neverending The Red Balloon from 1956 so he'll claim the record forever.
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Jan 29, 2021 1:17:10 GMT -5
And with that, I hereby take back the record for fastest review in Film Club history at about 1 hour 10 minutes. Sorry PG Cooper . Drac never forgives and never forgets.
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IanTheCool
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Post by IanTheCool on Jan 29, 2021 7:57:07 GMT -5
Wow, I really set him up for that one. Well done drac.
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on Jan 29, 2021 8:39:08 GMT -5
The Garden of Words (2013)Makoto Shinkai first emerged as a major voice in anime with the release of his 2016 film Your Name and its follow-up Weathering With You, but he had been working at varying scales as far back as the late 90s. I had seen his 2007 effort 5 Centimeters per Second but had otherwise not seen much of his pre-Your Name output before watching this film, which was his most recent effort before making that blockbuster. The film is a bit odd in format as it only runs about 46 minutes, which is just barely over the 40 minute length that the Academy deems necessary to qualify as a feature and despite this it did play in some theaters in Japan. All three of the other Shinkai films were stories about teenagers, and this one is too, albeit one told from a bit more of a mature perspective and lacking the fantasy elements he uses in some of his more commercial works in favor of a more realistic and slightly less PG rated approach. The story concerns an odd not exactly romantic relationship between a fifteen year old boy and a twenty seven year old woman who meet each other in a park on occasion. That’s a concept that could pretty easily go to some skeezy places, but Shinkai deals with it pretty sensitively, and doesn’t “go there.” He instead turns it into something more akin to a meditation on how people perceive themselves at different ages. Shinkai’s animation remains top of the line, I love the way this dude draws and his team draw, people, environments, and weather very realistically and with incredible detail while still on some level making it look like it has a distinct style rather than being a work of pure mimicry. He’s working on a smaller scale and without the fantastical bits that his later features would use to cut against the realism it doesn’t have quite the same level of achievement, but it looks pretty damn good nonetheless. I did feel like the film perhaps used its classical music score as a bit of a crutch here at times and at the end of the day the film’s length does detract from it a bit, making it kind of hard to really feel like you’re getting a complete look at the lives in question, and at the end of the day Shinkai’s style has its limits as it lacks the over the top creativity of a Miyazaki or the narrative boldness of a Satoshi Kon, but it is definitely worth looking at for people who’ve been impressed by Shinkai’s other films. ***1/2 out of Five
And with that, I hereby take back the record for fastest review in Film Club history at about 1 hour 10 minutes. Sorry PG Cooper . I had a good run. Nothing lasts forever. I yield my title, good sir.
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1godzillafan
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Post by 1godzillafan on Jan 29, 2021 9:19:23 GMT -5
I'm gonna recommend Neverending The Red Balloon from 1956 so he'll claim the record forever. Neverending can't even watch movies from four rounds ago. He's way past his prime.
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donny
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Post by donny on Feb 1, 2021 20:46:28 GMT -5
Lady Vengeance Tofu never looked more unappealing. It's crazy to think I've been in quarantine for just about a year, but you blink and it's February 2021. I bring this up because last March, I had the pleasure of watching Park Chan-wook's 2016 film, The Handmaiden, which, to put it lightly, is something else. And I mean that in a good way. Outside of Handmaiden and 2003's Oldboy, I hadn't seen anything else from the acclaimed Korean auteur. Enter Lady Vengeance, a revenge thriller starring Lee Young-ae as a wrongly imprisoned woman hellbent on revenge.
Lady Vengeance picks up shortly after the release of Lee Geum-ja's (Young-ae) 13 year prison sentence for the murder of a 6 year old boy, Won-mo. As the story tells us, Lee's case garnered national headlines due to a number of reasons: Her age at the time of the murder, how eager she was to confess to the crime, and lastly here angelic appearance. Despite her confession, the question of her guilt is actually in doubt. Now, after displaying good behavior and showing signs of deep spirituality, Lee is released from prison hellbent on revenge. I don't really want to say more for those who have yet to see, but needless to say there is much more going on, and not everything is what it seems.
One of the things that takes getting used to, for me at least, when experiencing a new film, is adjusting to how the story is told. And by that, I mean, is this going to be more of a traditional, linear experience or will it jump through time? Lady Vengeance falls in the latter category, with it's story jumping through different events in time, as well as hopping around the different perspectives of a few characters. While this isn't uncommon with Wook's films, this felt a little more jarring at first, notably in the beginning sequence, with a montage that sums up Lee's story up until this point. It took me a second to realize what exactly was going on. But after a few rough patches, it settles down and you get a good sense of how the story will be told.
As with his other works, Lady Vengeance is very well framed and staged. There is a good dose of dark humor sprinkled throughout, which if that's your thing (It is), then this is the movie for you. The subject matter here is much more grim than I think I was prepared for. While Handmaiden is equally fucked up and bizarre, you get to a certain point in Vengeance where I think it hits harder. This is after all, a story involving the death of a young child. It's not until later until the film, though, where you get a clearer picture of what exactly happens, and at that point, it's pretty intense.
One of the best things about Lady Vengeance is watching everything unfold the way it does. Once the pieces are established and in place, you have an idea of where things might be going, but you're not entirely sure. While this is in large part a revenge film, Wook does a great job of revealing little by little how much deeper things actually go, and in the case of most of the characters, that's not a great thing. As we progress throughout the film and as the true intentions are revealed, we realize this is a much more complex story than initially thought.
I think in order for this film to have worked, it was important to get a strong sense of world and character building. By going through each prisoners back story, it helps you connect with them later on as you get to see why they each owe Lee a favor out in the real world. I think in ending it the way they did, Chan-wook does a good job of handling any of the questions regarding morality and some of the weightier themes brought up. Two wrongs may not make a right, but that's not Lady Vengeance main concern. It's about justice, and allowing a small community to do what they think is right. It certainly won't change the outcome of the past, but it might help people heal, and in those cases fuck doing what's right.
8/10
In for next round.
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thebtskink
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Post by thebtskink on Feb 1, 2021 21:02:18 GMT -5
Glad you liked it, man
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Feb 2, 2021 14:03:04 GMT -5
Apostle
I was really tempted to leave a review of The Apostle with Robert Duvall but I didn't remember enough about it to have made it sound convincing.
I've said elsewhere that it's not terribly difficult to see that we're in a new cinematic age of great, effective and equally intelligent horror films. I'm not referring to franchises like that Annabelle or Conjuring fluff, I mean movies that are actually trying to captivate you rather than merely make you uncomfortable. Films like The Witch, Hereditary, Get Out, and Midsommar can offer brooding and atmospheric tension while not making any sacrifices to plot or themes. Gareth Evans' Apostle makes a worthy attempt at being that kind of horror film, one that invests in story and characters with the hopes that the fright and intensity will pay off even more. After watching I wouldn't put it at the same tier as those other films but it did have enough going for it to hold my interest despite some flaws.
Dan Stevens stars at Thomas, a former preacher in the early 20th century whose sister is kidnapped by a cult that inhabits a small island. Rather than bring ransom for his sister he infiltrates their ranks and quickly comes face to face with Malcolm (Martin Sheen), their fanatical and violent leader who professes a dedication to the 'goddess' of the island. As Thomas begins his search for his sister though he discovers that there really is a sinister force that controls the island and soon finds himself surrounded by Malcolm's followers and the supernatural forces at work. Martin Sheen, always a good actor to have around, delivers a convincing turn as he gives a rather restrained performance. You might have expected him to really go off the rails as a true believer, shouting and pounding his fists, but while he indeed is beholden to the goddess he also demonstrates that he's a criminal, a kidnapper and murderer who really just needs money to survive. I wish I could say the same for Stevens. While Thomas is the main character and while they attempt to give him something of a backstory he suffers from the trope that the hero is sometimes the least interesting character in the film. But what the movie lacks in terms of some of its characterization it makes up for in atmosphere, creepy and ever building tension and legitimately disturbing scenes. Some of these scenes feel like they might be trying too hard to make you turn in your chair, drilling into a young kid's skull for example, but by and large it works. You really get a sense that Apostle is a film that uses Ari Aster as a big influence and Evans is able to capture that style closely.
Usually I would invest some time to go into what worked or didn't work for a movie but instead of that I'll tell you one thing that did occur to me about 3/4's of the way through; I think this particular movie with this particular story might have been more effective as a miniseries. There's a lot to play with here and any singular plot point really could have been fleshed out much more than a feature length film would allow it. Not to say that it did a poor job at execution, there's just only so much time you can dedicate to certain areas while keeping it between 90 and 120 minutes especially when the movie doesn't really get to the actual horror aspect until about halfway through, the first hour is almost solely dedicated to Thomas finding his sister while pulling the wool over the eyes of everyone in the cult. The kidnapping, the cultish practices, the zealous followers, the goddess and everything surrounding her, the rescue/escape, that all feels like material that could have been fleshed out to great effect. The love story between Jeremy and Ffion was something that should have been much more than just a cause for a murderous rampage and I think expanding on it would have made those characters as well as the village itself feel more human and alive. The movie is filled with good ideas and for the most part they work given the runtime, it just felt like a lot to put into a story while also trying to be a capable horror film.
Admittedly, I'm not much in the way of horror films at all but as we've been getting a steady stream of high quality horror films I've opened myself up to the genre more than I have before. While I wouldn't put Apostle on the same level as those other movies that I listed earlier it does have some interesting ideas and I never found myself bored. I suppose my main issues lie in the execution of the story and how it might have been told in a different and more effective way. Still, that's less of a gripe and more of an idea. While not perfect and while owing a lot to other films of late, Apostle is still a good horror film that manages to rise above the ranks of other mainstream horror films that we're saddled with.
B so says Doomsday
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Feb 2, 2021 16:24:44 GMT -5
Glad you liked it!
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IanTheCool
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Post by IanTheCool on Feb 7, 2021 10:02:17 GMT -5
If Beale Street Could Talk
Beale Street is not set on Beale Street. It is set on Bank Street. Why isn't it called If Bank Street Could Talk? Its a metaphor. So what is this metaphorically titled film about? Its about a young black couple falling in love, whose courtship is interrupted by a false arrest and rape charge. In some ways its a simple story, in others its a story rich with subtext.
What jumps out immediately is the visual style of the film. Its nothing overly flashy, but it is artistic in the way it centers the camera on the characters, yet differently than other directors do so, such as Spike Lee or Wes Anderson. There's something almost dreamlike with the cinematography here, which makes sense considering a lot of the film appears to be memories.
Beale Street is a very strong film. Its not afraid to linger on conversations or to play around with the non-linear narrative and has faith in the audience to follow along. I really liked Kiki Layne in the central role. I don't know if this has the same x-factor for me that it has for Dracula to bump into top tier, but I really liked it. 8/10
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thebtskink
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Post by thebtskink on Feb 7, 2021 10:27:53 GMT -5
I watched mine on Friday. I'll have something up this week.
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Feb 8, 2021 16:12:09 GMT -5
One week left.
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Feb 8, 2021 16:21:54 GMT -5
Will be watching mine in the next few days.
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on Feb 8, 2021 17:33:58 GMT -5
I actually watched my movie already. Just need to start catching up on Letterboxd.
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on Feb 9, 2021 17:27:36 GMT -5
Dragonslayer (1981)
The early 80s brought a slew of fantasy and sci-fi adventures drawing on the hero's journey in the wake of Star Wars and I'd argue Dragonslayer is a modestly more successful attempt. Not that the film is wildly special because it mostly isn't. The fantasy world is pretty undercooked and Peter MacNicol is not especially compelling as a hero. But at the same time, the movie has a mean motherfucking dragon that really shines. This beast is awesome visually and the filmmakers wisely hype up his appearance throughout before we get a full reveal in act three. Pretty strong effects too, especially for 1981. Elements like that and the 2.35:1 widescreen do seem to be striving for a real epic fantasy. On the whole, Dragonslayer doesn't really achieve that but it definitely has its moments.
C+
In for next round.
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Feb 10, 2021 18:17:44 GMT -5
Since most have finished or will finish this week, I'll work on getting another round set up. Who's all in?
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Feb 10, 2021 18:21:59 GMT -5
I'm in again.
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Dracula
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Post by Dracula on Feb 10, 2021 18:28:31 GMT -5
In
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thebtskink
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Post by thebtskink on Feb 10, 2021 18:51:49 GMT -5
In.
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IanTheCool
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Post by IanTheCool on Feb 10, 2021 19:00:18 GMT -5
sure
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1godzillafan
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Post by 1godzillafan on Feb 10, 2021 19:23:44 GMT -5
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Feb 10, 2021 19:26:31 GMT -5
So in other words, never.
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