PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on Feb 18, 2021 17:59:23 GMT -5
I think Showgirls won in the end. That movie is still remembered as a crap classic. Nobody even mentions Striptease anymore. The Zoomers don’t know who Demi Moore is. They never watched Striptease nor G.I. Jane. They don’t know what Indecent Proposal is — or Disclosure, the movie where she rapes Michael Douglas. But someday... Demi Moore will randomly show up in a Marvel movie or one of the Star Wars shows... and Striptease will reclaim its title as the better stripper movie. Well I know who she is thanks to a little gem called Beavis and Butt-Head Do America.
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on Feb 21, 2021 13:57:21 GMT -5
Ain't Them Bodies SaintsAin't Them Bodies Saints is the debut feature for David Lowery, a director whose had a pretty odd career, jumping between existential meditations on mortality, live-action Disney remakes, and light-hearted throwback movie for seniors. He's a director who I've been meaning to dive into and Ain't Them Bodies Saints is a promising sign even if I get why it earned more distant admiration rather than loving passion. Lowery has a great handle on tone, with the wistful cinematography and precise score creating a mood of melancholic memory. The actors all do well too and I especially liked Ben Foster, a generally underappreciated character actor who embodies such a quiet sadness here. That all said, the story itself is only interesting and it's hard to get too behind a film that so brazenly cribs on a masterpiece like Badlands without really elevating or bringing it's own spin. Still, this is a quality piece of filmmaking well worth the time. B
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Feb 21, 2021 15:43:46 GMT -5
Samurai Rebellion
I was actually about to go with Coop's recommendation of The Ladykillers before I saw that Samurai Rebellion was directed by Masaki Kobayashi, the filmmaker also behind the excellent Kwaidan and one of my favs Harakiri. No way I'm going to turn that one down. Toshiro Mifune being the lead also lends a certain 'this is absolutely going to be my pick' to the selection process. While I'm constantly trying to expand my cinematic horizons, be it independent or international cinema, I've always found myself drawn to Japanese cinema and welcome anything that I could add as a feather in my movie-going cap. After watching Samurai Rebellion I would call that a hefty feather indeed.
In a story that almost sounds like a soap opera on paper, Samurai Rebellion tells of Isaburo Sasahara (Mifune), a master swordsman who works for Lord Masakata Matsudaira. Sasahara has two sons, Yogoro and Bunzo, and a ball-busting wife who lives with Isaburo in a loveless marriage. Isaburo is ordered by his Lord to marry Yogoro off to one of the Lord's mistresses, Ichi, after she falls out of favor and Isaburo reluctantly accepts. It's clear however that Ichi and Yogoro fall deeply in love, something that stirs Isaburo as it's a love he's always cherished, and it turns to devastation after the Lord summons Ichi back to be his mistress once again when her son becomes heir. Isaburo and Yogoro won't stand for the insult and disobey orders to send her back which leads to increasing tensions, questioned loyalty and as you may have guessed from a movie called Samurai Rebellion, lots of people killed by katanas. While that might sound like an overly dramatic plot it actually works very well. It carries many of the same themes as Harakiri; loyalty to your clan, dual loyalties to your family, double crosses and retribution. Combine that with some simple but effective cuts, cuts that are done mid-conversation, almost mid-sentence, which makes the time between sequences feel much faster and more abrupt, adding this feeling of urgency and foreboding while messages, insults and threats are passed back and forth between parties. It's a movie that feels very finely tuned not only from a story standpoint but also from a structural and technical standpoint as well with every introduction and transition carefully planned and executed.
Needless to say I loved Samurai Rebellion. My only nitpick would probably be with the title in that at first glance it might imply a massive uprising and pitched battles rather than a swordsman who stands against his lord to preserve the honor of his son and daughter-in-law. It's not a movie I would call a 'slow burn' because although the action and swordplay is saved for the last 30 minutes or so, the rest of the film moves with persistent yet brisk drama and exposition. It's not often where you watch a dialogue-driven film and are never bored by it but with it's fast editing, great camera work and direct dialogue the movie is brought to a boil over two hours. This is a great film with some rich characters and a moving plot and looking at the website it looks as though Criterion has yet to give it a blu-ray release. Hopefully they fix that and soon.
A so says Doomsday
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on Feb 21, 2021 16:51:04 GMT -5
Hell yeah. Glad you liked it dude. I agree the title implies more of a blood-soaked action movie than we really get. That said the action heavy third act is so satisfying.
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Dracula
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Post by Dracula on Feb 21, 2021 17:00:16 GMT -5
Its real title is "Rebellion: Receive the Wife," though the director has said he really just wanted to call it "Rebellion." The "Samurai Rebellion" title came from the American distributors.
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Feb 21, 2021 18:57:28 GMT -5
I prefer the title I came up with, 'Women, Huh?'
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Feb 21, 2021 19:08:49 GMT -5
Ain't Them Bodies SaintsAin't Them Bodies Saints is the debut feature for David Lowery, a director whose had a pretty odd career, jumping between existential meditations on mortality, live-action Disney remakes, and light-hearted throwback movie for seniors. He's a director who I've been meaning to dive into and Ain't Them Bodies Saints is a promising sign even if I get why it earned more distant admiration rather than loving passion. Lowery has a great handle on tone, with the wistful cinematography and precise score creating a mood of melancholic memory. The actors all do well too and I especially liked Ben Foster, a generally underappreciated character actor who embodies such a quiet sadness here. That all said, the story itself is only interesting and it's hard to get too behind a film that so brazenly cribs on a masterpiece like Badlands without really elevating or bringing it's own spin. Still, this is a quality piece of filmmaking well worth the time. B Cool, glad you (mostly) dug it. I watched it a few days ago and enjoyed it quite a bit then coincidentally saw your Badlands review so I thought I'd stick with the theme.
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thebtskink
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Post by thebtskink on Feb 24, 2021 20:28:27 GMT -5
You Can Count on Me (2000)
The first film I watched from Kenneth Lonergan, I watched as I'd picked up the awards season buzz for it and it had local connections in the setting and lead actor. I really knew nothing else about him going into this film other than he had two prior directing efforts, both well received.
Lonergan's debut feature, You Can Count on Me, stars Laura Linney and Mark Ruffalo as Sammy and Terry, two siblings who've lost their parent young in a car accident and grown up to different lives. Sammy has stayed in their childhood home in the Catskills to raise a son (Rory Culkin's Rudy) as a single mother working as a lending officer at a bank, and Terry is living in a crappy apartment in Worcester MA scraping by with his girlfriend. Terry has subsisted criss-cross the country on little money, and he reluctantly travels back to his hometown to beg Sammy for a handout low on cash. Linney's Sammy hasn't heard from Terry in months due to a recent prison stint in Florida for assault; expecting Terry has come to stay a few days in his childhood home with his nephew, she is put off when she discovers Terry has only come back for what she views as a handout. When Terry calls his girlfriend that night to tell her the money is on its way, he is told by her family that she has attempted suicide after his perceived callous sendoff. Adrift, Terry decides to stay -- and our movie gets its motion.
One of the things Lonergan is very skilled at as a writer is subtext. You see it a lot before the big reveal in Manchester-by-the-Sea, and it's palpable here. Yes, you get confrontations between Linney and Ruffalo throughout the movie, but so much of the movie is anchored in things unsaid. Is the buttoned-up Linney initiating an affair because of the presence of Ruffalo? No, but you believe she thinks so. Is Ruffalo able at making any meaningful human connection to anyone? Sure, but his touching bond with his nephew is significantly adolescent in nature. The script here is understated, and like many great movies this has the effect on the viewer where you're creating half of the gravitas yourself. All of this while focusing on relatively down-to-earth characters and concerns.
The acting surprised me. I've long been a fan of Mark Ruffalo in his independent and/or serious acting roles, and I was charmed by him in the first minute I saw him on screen. His mannerisms are spot on to the fuck-up man-child that the script calls for. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Linney--it'd been ages since I've watched anything she was in, and seeing her high-strung neuroses crumble her image of her life is a joy to watch.
The truth of each lead lies somewhere between their self image and what their sibling perceives; still, that subtext led my mind to a much more heartbreaking conclusion from the finale that what is explicitly stated. I've led on before that I really don't like spoiling the movies I'm reviewing here, but I'd be interested to trade discussion with others if they're willing.
I would have put this on my top 100 for Phantomknight's 2000-onward thread if I'd seen it before.
9/10.
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Feb 24, 2021 21:08:54 GMT -5
I would have put this on my top 100 for Phantomknight's 2000-onward thread if I'd seen it before. Goddammit, skink.
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Mar 2, 2021 2:22:36 GMT -5
One week left.
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Mar 5, 2021 13:59:25 GMT -5
While we anxiously await everyone else's reviews, who's all in for next round? I'll start getting that set up.
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on Mar 5, 2021 14:06:09 GMT -5
While we anxiously await everyone else's reviews, who's all in for next round? I'll start getting that set up. Me.
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thebtskink
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Post by thebtskink on Mar 5, 2021 14:09:26 GMT -5
Sure
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Dracula
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Post by Dracula on Mar 5, 2021 14:29:39 GMT -5
While we anxiously await everyone else's reviews, who's all in for next round? I'll start getting that set up. I've watched Martin Eden, should have a review ready... eventually. Should be good for the next round.
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Mar 5, 2021 14:48:30 GMT -5
I'm in again.
I'll be watching Popstar this weekend. Would've already this past week, but got caught up in other things.
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donny
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Post by donny on Mar 5, 2021 15:44:01 GMT -5
While we anxiously await everyone else's reviews, who's all in for next round? I'll start getting that set up. In.
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1godzillafan
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Post by 1godzillafan on Mar 6, 2021 9:12:54 GMT -5
I'll jump back in.
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donny
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Post by donny on Mar 7, 2021 14:01:20 GMT -5
The Fisher King
It became quickly apparent to me while watching The Fisher King that I was feeling quite nostalgic. In a way, that might seem a bit odd due to the film's plot and certain themes, but nonetheless, the 1991 Terry Gilliam Comedy-Fantasy-Drama had me feeling all sorts of nostalgic for, in no particular order: Robin Williams, the '90s and more in particular, '90s movies. I'm generalizing a bit here, but movies of this period seem to have a feel good quality to them. Not only this, but they also seem to bring with them a certain sense of closure to their particular story, one that will leave it's viewers satisfied. The Fisher King fits this mold, aiming to take it's audience on a journey of personal catharsis, with a mix of humor, adventure and sadness. Gilliam's touches are all over this film, making it unmistakably his.
The Fisher King stars Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges, two men whose lives are unintentionally linked through personal tragedy. Bridges plays Jack Lucas, a self-absorbed shock jock in the vein of Howard Stern. Throughout the film, Jack is in this constant existential crisis, on the verge of a breakdown at any minute, and Bridges helps brings a lot of range and nuance to the performance, certainly one of his better roles. The driving force of the Fisher King happens relatively early, when Jack, during one of his radio shows, takes a call from what sounds to be an unstable caller. Unable to really help this caller, we find out later in the night that the same caller committed a mass murder-suicide in a Manhattan restaurant. Flash forward 3 years later, we now find Jack far removed from his playboy lifestyle, working in a local video store as a suicidal alcoholic, wracked with guilt for his role in the mass shooting. Despite the love and support from his new girlfriend Anne (wonderfully played by Mercedes Ruehl, one of the films standouts), Jack tries to kill himself. His plans are quickly thwarted thanks to a gang of thugs looking to fuck up some poor folk. Enter Robin Williams and his army of hobos to save the day. And that's just the first 25 minutes.
There's a lot more in terms of story with The Fisher King, some of it involving quests for a Holy Grail, some of it to do with the relationships established throughout the film, not only between Williams and Bridges, who have great chemistry together, but the supporting cast of Ruehl and Amanda Plummer, Robin Williams love interest. As the story progresses, you come to find why Bridges feels so compelled to help Williams character, though it is fairly obvious pretty early on why they are linked together. Williams is a one of a kind performer, one that is able to bring an equal mix of whack job and sweetness. He deftly managed that line between comedy and drama in so many of his roles, and this one is no different. This is certainly of Williams more celebrated roles, as he would go one to be nominated for Best Actor at the Academy Awards. As I alluded to at the top, because of this natural ability he seemed to exude, Williams is someone who I always love to watch when I get the chance, and watching him here, especially with the depth of the role, I felt really sad, but it was great to spend more time with Robin again.
There are some real laugh out loud moments sprinkled throughout, and some great sequences that bend the lines between fantasy and reality we are accustomed too with some of Gilliams films. The writing is sharp, and the production and set design is top notch. I loved the early chase sequence early on in Central Park involving one of Robin's breakdowns, involving him, Bridges and the Knight. It was great. Equally, the scene when the Williams, Plummer, Bridges and Ruehl all go to dinner is gold. The Grand Central Terminal Waltz is another highlight that feels very Gilliam.
This is obviously the second film Gilliam has worked on to involve the Holy Grail, and along with his storied history with Don Quixote (which finally resulted in a 2018 release), Gilliam is again drawn to a story involving a mythic quest. This film certainly has it's weird Gilliam elements, but it's often grounded in the reality of the story between the characters and their lives. It also has some nice little callbacks to Gilliams works at this point in his career, and some of the sets and themes seem to foreshadow what's to come. I couldn't help but think of 12 Monkeys when watching some of the scenes take place in the mental hospital. All in all, some of that was really neat to see.
I think certain aspect of The Fisher King feel a bit dated, namely the attacks from the faceless thugs in the scenes with Bridges in the beginning and Williams towards the end. Granted the one with Williams felt more real and raw, it also felt like it was there to serve the beats of the story. In that way it felt a bit predictable of a story. But again, movies from this period have that feel good quality to it, and the ending is certainly going for that approach. You're lead to a place where you are expecting Bridges character to get to that level of self fulfillment, where he can achieve his destiny and pay it forward for his past actions. There's a certain level of sweetness to it all that's elevated by the performances of the main leads.
7.5/10
In for next round.
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Mar 7, 2021 16:36:11 GMT -5
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IanTheCool
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Post by IanTheCool on Mar 7, 2021 17:11:19 GMT -5
Getting there, hopefully by the end of the week
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Neverending
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Post by Neverending on Mar 7, 2021 18:33:38 GMT -5
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Mar 7, 2021 19:05:23 GMT -5
Getting there, hopefully by the end of the week I meant if you’re in for next round. Take your time with your movie, I probably won’t get the next one up for a few more days.
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IanTheCool
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Post by IanTheCool on Mar 7, 2021 19:33:05 GMT -5
oh. Sure
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Mar 10, 2021 14:59:02 GMT -5
PG Cooper - DoomsdayIanTheCool - Neverendingthebtskink - DraculaPhantomKnight - donnyWe also have an even number of people in for next round. That's great but that means old Doomsday ain't partnering up this round. If one more joins we'll have a solid 10.
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1godzillafan
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Post by 1godzillafan on Mar 10, 2021 15:14:26 GMT -5
I'll do double duty if Doomsday wants in. But that means another Fast & Furious movie for you.
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