Movies The Movie Thread! - Continuation - Part 1

[xi0]

Returning back the subject of Dune - someone just did an incredible favor to the world and uploaded huge amount of production art and plans of Jodorowsky's Dune (1975). The greatest film that was never made.

Film - Jodorowsky's Dune

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Years before Star Wars a crazy visionary called Jodorowsky started the production on what was supposed become the biggest film ever made, adaptation of sci-fi classic. Orson Welles, Mick Jagger, David Carradine and Salvador Dali acting. Pink Floyd composing. Moebius and HR Giger art designing. Cast and crew that would make any film geek drool. But couldn't deliver. They were bit too early I think for the world.

Goddamn that stuff looks incredible.

Ah, I missed this...

In a way I'm sort of glad it was never made... I kind of feel like what Jodorowsky could have actually done with the film in the end would have never lived up to what we've got from the stories surrounding it. That and it seemed like his interpretation or implementation of the story would be even less faithful than Lynch's version. Maybe it could have been incredible but I sort of wonder how Dune it would have actually been.

 

[Eigengrau]

Hello everyone! It's been a while, hope everyone is safe and taking care of themselves in these trying times.
Am I the only one that's made use of this turn of events to watch some films?

Today marks the 30th day in a row where I've watched a film per day. Since I won a free monthly subscription for a streaming service, I decided to put it to good use until it expired today. Most of it all is not exactly mainstream, so it really was up my alley, and it allowed me to watch a lot of "older" things as well.



I started off with one that I wanted to get to for ages... Stray Dogs. Unfortunately I would say that I was left massively disappointed.
The film is well shot, really well framed, but I feel like there just wasn't much to it.
To give you an idea, if you were to cut 1/3rd of all the shots, or even half of them in most cases, not only would you not lose anything, you would also effectively cut 1 hour from the film, maybe more.

I mean, there's a scene where the camera doesn't move for literally 15 minutes... Like, of course staring at the same thing for 3mins will never be the same as doing it for 15mins, obviously you take and feel things differently, but this one just didn't do it for me.

Very unfortunate, but later this year I'll still be giving "Days" (Rizi), the director's newest film, a chance. Apparently it doesn't have any dialogues so it should be interesting.



Dheepan and A Prophet, by Jacques Audiard.
They were both just ok. Each had its own good things, but I feel like by the end of it, there just wasn't much going on, and the endings weren't exactly earned, especially in Dheepan's case. Overall, I liked A Prophet more, even though it's a bit of a cheat since it's over 2h30mins so you get to spend a lot more time with the titular character.



Mekong Hotel. I've seen a few of his films, but the only reason I decided to check this one was because it's only an hour long or so (it was late and I didn't want to start a long film).
Basically, from what I understood, it's half "documentary", and half stuff that was shot for a film that was never finished.
Nothing really special, more like a glimpse into what could've been.



Acid (Kislota). Very strong beginning, had high expectations for it, but it's not consistent, and it doesn't keep a hold of you. Even though the film has its heavy and tense moments, utimately I feel like it progressively let go of its strong grip. It was worth checking it out though.



A Touch of Sin and Mountains May Depart by Zhangke Jia.
I liked the first one more. Overall they're both good and engaging, but the 3rd act of Mountains May Depart kinda ruined the whole thing for me. It was really strange and off-putting (basically, the entire film you have the characters speaking in Mandarin, but in the 3rd act, you have Chinese actors speaking in English, and the English is NOT good at all... I don't know if it was the actor's faults, or if the director put the script in google translate... none of it sounded "real" so it really took me out of the film, which is a real shame because up until the end it was very good).



Child's Pose.
There's really not much to say about this Romanian film. It's the typical "slice of life" film, where you get to see the aftermath of a certain event. It feels very "documentary"-like, in that you're watching things unfold and then it's just over,a abruptly.

Generally speaking, I usually am not fond of these types of films, where the only purpose is to show you how life/corruption works in X country or city. More on that in a bit...



The Assassin.
Nothing to complain about in terms of the cinematography. As for the rest? It just wasn't for me, and when I went to go and look at some reviews and saw people saying how you had to watch the film like 3 times to get everything that was going on and the implications... yeah, that's not for me, sorry...



Magical Girl. (by Carlos Vermut)
Well this was pretty much a very fucked up film, but otherwise it was very much unexpected how much I enjoyed it. It gave me a Lanthimos vibe but I don't know if others would agree with me.



I also watched 4 films by Brillante Mendonza: Kinatay, Lola, Captive and Ma Rosa.
I'll start off by saying this his types of films tie into what I said earlier about the "slice of life" kind of thing in other countries.
The way the film is shot, the camera behaves almost as if it's a documentary, the way you follow these people along.

There just isn't a lot happening in the films, they all have this "ok that's it, bye" feel by the end, like they just want to give you a little peek of life in the Philippines, and then it's just done.

They're engaging because of its real life feel, but it would a lot better if, well, the story was better or more engaging.

With that said, I'll say that the first one I saw, Kinatay, is definitely the one I enjoyed the most. However, this is absolutely a film that I could never, ever, recommend to anyone, due to how fucked up it is. It is stomach churning...

Don't get me wrong, the film surprised me in a very good way, I really wasn't expecting it, and this is an example of a certain premise done well, something I didn't think his other films did. However, I really don't understand what would make someone want to do this film, and how it could ever get approved to be made as well...

I don't want to say too much, but yeah, really fucked up.



Ida and Cold War.
I liked Ida the most. Cold War jumped around a little too much for my liking, even though it was probably intentional.

Nonetheless, both films are extremely well-made, shot, directed, etc. I'm glad I finally gave them a chance. Each lead actress is stunning in their own film.



Paradise by Andrey Konchalovskiy.
It was an alright watch. I was expecting something a little heavier (I mean, it's still a WWII film with fucked up scenes) but I'm still fine with what I got.
Good acting, and good moments. Good, but not great.



Animal Kingdom.
Decided to watch the director's first film, since I enjoyed The Rover a lot (The King, not so much).
The film has its share of very good, tense and unexpected moments, but overall the story is absolutely nothing new. Also, I really didn't get some actions undertaken by the characters, didn't really make sense, but oh well.



Miss Violence and Love me Not, by Alexandros Avranas.
If you're into Yorgos Lanthimos, these ones MIGHT be worth checking out for you, but I would say that they lack more subtlety, and can be way, way more graphic and fucked, especially Miss Violence, so be warned.

I only decided to watch the 2nd one because it featured one actress I liked from "Miss Violence", sadly the 2nd film just wasn't worth it, especially with the way it abruptly ends whereas with the first one, there was more to digest, so to say.

But yeah, some really fucked up scenes really surprised me, wasn't expecting it.



The Club, by Pablo Larraín.
An ok watch, yet another film where I didn't get some character actions. The ending felt abrupt, almost as if an entire sequences had been cut.
Nothing special.



Victoria, by Sebastian Schipper.
Can't believe it took me all these years to watch this one... This is the film that was REALLY shot as a single take, live, with no trickery involved.
I really liked it, and I think the OST really played a big part.
Also, I found this film to be much more intense and anxiety-inducing that Uncut Gems.

To give you an idea, after the film was over (around 2h15mins or something), I remained on the pc doing other things for around an hour, and when I finally went to bed, I couldn't fall asleep because my heart was still beating extremely fast.

So if you haven't checked this one out already, I really recommend it. I really liked the main actress as well.



Pietà, by Kim Ki-Duk.
First film I saw by this director. An ok watch, nothing more, but it had a couple of surprising scenes/moments.



The Ascent (1977).
Old WWII soviet film. Lost a bit of steam in my opinion after a certain development, but it was worth it nonetheless.



In The Fog.
Yet another WWII film. Once again, a film that has its moments, but overall, just meh.



Suburra.
Decided to watch a Mafia-like film to spice things up a bit, but it was rather underwhelming. Also the usage of M83's songs, which is most of the OST, made it seem like they were trying to wrap the film in this "nice", appealing package... I don't think it was fitting at all.



Michael (2011).
Yet another fucked up film I've had on my watchlist for ages. It's about a period in a man's life where he keeps a kid in his basement (the man is a pedophile)... so... yeah... Don't want to say too much about it. Hated (in a good way, kinda?) how the film ended, but yeah. It's not for everyone but I think it was done tastefully enough. Still left room for some tension here and there.



Post Tenebras Lux.
I was a little anxious in checking this one out (never seen anything by this director) but I was really plesantly surprised, and I definitely want to check out his other films as well. His first one, "Japón", is one that's been on my watchlist for ages as well.

I just wish the film ended on the shot before the last one... it would've been absolutely fucking perfect... the final shot/scene was just... "Why, bro... the previous shot is nothing but perfection, why u do dis... :|"

But yeah, extremely plesantly surprised by this one. Lots of people hate it, but as of now, I definitely feel like seeing more of his stuff.
To give you an idea, I think I've seen comments comparing his films to a mix of Lynch and Mallick? Something like that.



When Evening Falls on Bucharest or Metabolism.
Only checked this one because it was short, have already seen some of the director's works, and I like the main actor (same one from Child's Pose, and Pororoca which I saw/recomended a few years ago).

I didn't mind the film. Essentially, all it is is people talking about a movie script and re-hearsing some scenes. Again, just some slice of life type of stuff... it's over before you know it.

I liked some of the dialogues and such, but really, this is all there is to it, just people talking essentially, a bit meta-like, "art imitates life", etc.



And finally, the last one I saw was Ivan's Childhood, by Tarkovsky.
Felt kinda weird because overall the film had a lot of "american-ish" vibes to me... maybe it's the B/W, the soundtrack, or the fact that it's from 1966...

I don't know, a lot of his trademarks are there, scenes, as well as inconic shots, but it didn't feel Tarkovsky enough. Then again, this is like his first film, so it's to be expected. I think all I have left to watch now is his last one, The Sacrifice, so it's kinda fitting.

I liked it overall, the main kid as well, but I don't think the film delivered enough on its premise? Something like that.



Now, in case you couldn't tell, most of what I watched was either fucked up, or very heavy-drama like, and I definitely felt the toll watching these one per day, I mean 6 out of 30 had to do with wars...

So starting tonight, I think I'll be seeing some mainstream-ish, sillier movies to digest, because I really need something else right now :0... it was really exhausting mentally to watch all these in quick succession.

I'm still gonna try and keep seeing one per day at the very least, hopefully it'll give me a good "late" start on the amount of films I end up seeing this year (up to 34 by now).

 

[FetherMan]

Artemis Fowl - 7 / 10

I've never read the books, but enjoyed the film. It was entertaining and fun.


Da 5 Bloods - 9 / 10

Very interesting take on the Vietnam War involving specific soldiers who bonded with one another through a tragic period of time.


Capone - 7 / 10

Hardy portrayed Al Capone during his final years with dementia and it was very interesting to see with awkward humor added.

 

[Eigengrau]

Hello once again, it's been a while
After my last post, I did in fact keep on watching films, at least one per day, but decided to stop when I got to the 2 month mark on June 9th.
That's 71 films in 2 months, 41 new ones since I last posted I think.

Will try to keep these as much brief as I can so as to not litter the thread :x...



- Time to Hunt: a Korean action/crime/thriller. The story wasn’t exactly anything original, but the main gang had enough chemistry, and some of the (inconsistent) cinematography was nice. However, the 3rd act absolutely destroys the film, I have no idea what the writers/director were thinking. Basically (plot spoilers, kinda), they decide to set up a sequel and not resolve any conflict… which doesn’t make sense at all, because this is NOT the kind of film that would ever need a sequel. An absolute senseless decision that ruined an otherwise movie that was just going to be ok, I guess.

- The Platform: finally got to watch this. It’s unfortunate that the last 20-30mins of the film are extremely rushed. The ending felt abrupt and not really satisfying. I don’t know if this would’ve worked as a series, but I really wish this had gotten an extended format. It was still a good watch.

- Butt Boy: yes, you read that right… Butt Boy. I’ll leave the trailer below, which is pretty much self-explanatory.

​

It’s a stupid, silly, indie/low-budget film. I knew what I was getting into, but sadly, it simply doesn’t deliver, at all. I’m guessing this is the kind of film best watched while high/drunk with a bunch of friends, otherwise it’s just not worth the time. When it comes to “weird humor”, although in a somewhat different vein, “Greener Grass” is a million times more interesting.

- VFW: by the same director who made “Bliss”, which I saw and greatly enjoyed last year, and, in my opinion, is immensely better than this one. The OST was nice, especially the track at the very beginning (called "Montage"), but the film just didn’t do much for me. Like, I get it, it’s supposed to be grindhouse-ish and emulate old action films, I guess that explains certain character reactions and non-reactions… like, watching a close friend die, but not really being affected by it, almost as if it was no big deal. It was just meh, you watch it for the look and stupid violence, old guys sticking together against crazed punks, but like I said, I found “Bliss” to be a much better film. You might as well just watch/re-watch “Green Room” instead of this.

- Calm With Horses (RECOMMEND): apparently the title was just changed to something else? That’s weird, but anyway. This is one of those films where the story/plot/conflict isn’t exactly new, I’m sure everyone must’ve seen a variation of this story to some degree. However, what made the film extremely worth it for me, was the directing, acting (Cosmo Jarvis is great, I’ve never seen Peaky Blinders, but if you have, you might recognize him from there) and the incredible OST by Blanck Mass. All those details made it so it was worth it. It’s a simple film, but all those elements really gave it a particular shine.

- Underwater: it’s just ok. Certainly not great, but not bad either. An ok watch to pass the time, a few good tense moments here and there. The world definitely could use some more underwater horror.

- Corpus Christi (RECOMMEND): this one was also nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars, but because of Parasite’s momentum, it might’ve gone under the radar for a lot of people. While there’s no doubt that Parasite deserved the win, and that it’s a great film, “Corpus Christi” is definitely something that is more “me”, if you get what I’m saying. Incredible acting. I wish the story itself had developed in another way, but I understand why the film had to be structured like this. I think it’s a really great foreign film.

- Gretel & Hansel: it’s a short horror film which makes it ok for a one time watch, but that’s about it. The film is really nice to look at, but there’s hardly any substance to it, and the voice-over even feels like an afterthought to try and give the film a little more content, but I don’t think it was successful at all. You can appreciate “parts” of it, I think, but as a whole it just doesn’t work. I really want/have to check “The Blackcoat’s Daughter” though, made by the same guy.

- 37 Seconds: a good Japanese drama, about a young woman who suffers from cerebral palsy and wants to become a manga artist/author. Here’s the thing though, from what I can gather, the IRL actress DOES suffer from cerebral palsy, and it’s her first role ever. You’d think that because of this, you’re more likely to feel sorry for her in a “forced” kind of way because it’s real to a certain extent, but I’ll tell you right now that this wasn’t my experience all, quite the contrary: I feel like she did absolutely great in her role, and whenever I felt emotional, it was because of the whole weight of the film, the events happening around her, and how she was treated. Yes, her condition is real, but her acting is even more so. The film almost feels like 2 or 3 different films smashed into one, but then again, it’s a story mostly about someone trying to find out who she really is, and what her place is in this world, so it makes sense that the film ends up covering a few different things, and it’s not something I can really fault. So yeah, it was a good drama overall, worth seeing just for the main actress, I think.

- The Other Lamb: not satisfying in the least, an absolute waste of time. Ugh.

- Dogs Don’t Wear Pants (RECOMMEND): I wanted to see this film as soon as I discovered the poster, which was enough for me to want to see it.

Spoiler

I can’t say I LOVED the film as much as I wanted/was hoping to, but it was still a great film nonetheless. It’s not so much about what it apparently is about, but about what’s bubbling under the surface… I think that could be a good way of putting it. A few scenes were really hard to watch, but overall, yet another great and interesting foreign film that will certainly make it into my best of this year.

- Castle In The Ground: just ok. Once again, this is the type of film you’d want to watch if you’re ok watching something “not new” just for the directing/acting talent involved, because otherwise it just doesn’t bring anything new to the table, can’t say there was anything memorable to it. “Well, I watched a film” is probably what crossed my mnd when it was over.

- Possum: so here’s the thing about this one; heard a lot about it when it came out, but ultimately decided not to check it out because of the rating (I think?). However, recently I’ve seen a ton of people mentioning this film in conversations related to “scariest thing I saw recently”, and how they couldn’t sleep and had terrible nightmares and such. And considering that it’s a very short film at around 80mins (without credits), I decided what the hell, might as well watch a quick film for the day for a change. In the end, I can say that I enjoyed it, the mood and atmosphere of the film is great at making you feel weird and unnerved, BUT I also 100% understand the current rating it has. It’s like a small indie gem, you could say. This is not a film you want to watch if you’re looking for a story above all else. What makes this slightly non-linear film worth it, the way I see it, is how it builds its unnerving atmosphere and world. It’s definitely more about these sensations, and not story, so be warned.

- First Love: this isn’t the worst film I’ve seen so far this year, but it was, by far, the blandest, most uninteresting one. I couldn’t wait for it to be over. So, so bland and pointless, not entertaining in the least. Was really expecting something much more substantial coming from this director. Nothing about it was good or fun. Simply pointless.

- Never Rarely Sometimes Always: it was ok, it had its heavy moments for sure, but ultimately it will speak a lot more to others than it did to me, for obvious reasons.

- Khrustalyov, My Car! (RECOMMEND): this film was made by the same director of “Hard To Be a God”, and it’s his penultimate film. I wish I had a little more historical context going into the film, but regardless of that, it’s yet another mindblowingly chaotic but expertly crafted film, and I’m really glad I saw it. For those who have seen “Hard To Be a God” and liked the directing, then this one is a must see for sure.

- 1917: I enjoyed the film, however, I feel like the media/publicity overhyped/lied about it… I mean, so much stuff about the “one take” aspect, but in the film there’s literally a scene where it cuts to black and then there’s a timeskip of a few hours… I was like wuh? It’s still a well-made film for sure, but if I’m being honest, what made me “feel” it a lot more in my gut, was the OST 1st, and then the directing/one-take aspect. Would’ve for sure had more impact had I seen it in theaters, but oh well. I also feel like there’s just not much happening in the film at all, I mean it was all pretty much spoiled in the trailer, which is a shame, didn’t really leave much room for new and surprising scenes.

- Kin-dza-dza!: another weird, old soviet sci-fi film I finally checked off my list. It’s… peculiar and interesting, and weirdly funny at times I guess. Some really great visuals and designs though.

- Jojo Rabbit: unfortunately I had already been spoiled in regards to a certain scene, but nonetheless, it was an enjoyable watch. I think the comedy/drama are greatly balanced, but I don’t feel like there was enough imaginary Hitler in the film as I thought there would be. Not that it was necessary, but I was under the impression that he’d be more of a presence throughout. But yeah, I think it was good with some unexpected, gut-punching moments, but I didn’t find it spectacular.

- Portrait of a Lady on Fire: I think this was really well-made and well-acted. I’m kinda at a loss for words when it comes to this, I mean I think the film speaks for itself, especially when certain scenes were made to be almost like paintings. Like the whole pace and everything… yeah, it was good, and the actresses had great chemistry.

- Marketa Lazarová: finally got the courage to watch this one (part of my “old soviet films I must watch” which were recommended to me because of “Hard To be a God”), decided to leave this one for last because I assumed it would be the best one/one I would greatly enjoy. Sadly, I didn’t end up loving this epic film as I thought I would. I can definitely see how this was an influence on “Hard…”, and the film certainly has gorgeous imagery, but I found it hard to follow at times. It was for sure worth finally checking it out, but I wanted something else out of it. I can see the appeal, and perhaps I could’ve enjoyed it a lot more if I didn’t find it so hard to follow, but it just didn’t do much for me, sadly.

- Paris, Texas: for some reason I always thought that this film had a Twin Peaks/Lynch vibe, so I really wasn’t expecting such a linear, “simple” story. It’s still a good film, but not at all what I had in mind.

- Sweet Bean: yet another good/ok Japanese drama. Don’t really have much to say about it though.

- Possessor: I don’t think the film reached its true potential, wanted to see a lot more from this world/future where people “hijack” other people’s brains, and control their bodies to commit crimes in exchange for money. It’s a film made by the son of Cronenberg, so of course there’s a good amont of violence and body horror. It was good, I guess, but not great. Wanted to check this film immediately after this first pic was released, absolutely loved the look of it:

Spoiler

- Winter Sleep: remember last year when I started watching Ceylan’s films in order of release? Well, I finally mustered up the courage to get back into it once again since I only had 2 films left (now just 1, his latest). When this film was over, I couldn’t believe that 3h16mins had already gone by. I really didn’t feel the runtime on this one AT ALL. And here’s the thing, the film is mostly comprised of scenes of characters arguing or just talking to each other, so you’d expect it to get boring extremely quickly. A lot of scenes are done in one take, which I’m guessing helps a lot with the immersion and time passing without you taking notice. But yeah, I was so worried about his last 2 films because they’re 3h+ long, but now I’m really not worried at all to check out his last one. As I mentioned before though, his films are definitely an “acquired” taste, but after his 2nd one, they get increasingly good and easier to watch/digest.


The following 6 films were seen online at the Brooklyn Film Festival:

Spoiler: BROOKLYN FILM FESTIVAL

- The Journey of Murder: overall this just wasn't good, too many wrong things with it, but it's not even on IMDb so it's kinda pointless to even talk about it, I guess.

- Asfixia: this wasn't bad, but I feel like the ending was rushed, the main character got what she wanted without much of a fight/conflict, and other characters' arcs weren't exactly resolved. Also felt like an abrupt ending out of nowhere.

- Rotten Ears: for a film that's just 60mins long, it was ok and interesting even if not terribly original, felt like there was room for much more. Curious to see what the director does next.

- Antes del Olvido: the build-up was interesting, but I didn't really get the social struggle aspect... I mean, I could feel for the characters to some degree, but some things also didn't make sense to me. Yet another case where the movie just ends without warning, REALLY jarring with this film, definitely not a good thing. I guess this is something native audiences can identify with, wasn't the case with me.

- Effetto Domino: was expecting something else, was left slightly confused. I understand that there were backstabbings and such, but I didn't get the point of it at all by the end.

- Les Nôtres: probably the best/most interesting one out of the bunch. Once again, a typical story, but the approach to the storytelling was different enough to make it worthwhile. Nothing too spectacular, just ok.

- The Vast of Night: a lot of people are giving praise to this one. Yes, considering how it's a "small" film, it's really incredible how much they achieved with so little, and the director is definitely someone to be on the lookout for, hopefully they get bigger budgets down the line. However, I lost interest around the middle of the film, and didn't find the ending satisfying at all. The 1st part was great at building the tension and atmosphere, but then they just threw it all away.

- Ema (RECOMMEND): I really didn't know what this film had in store for me. Great OST, essential for a film such as this. If you liked "Climax" (I didn't) there's a chance you might like this one as well, there's lots of dance scenes, and like I said, the music is a big part of the film. The story is kinda fucked up, but what hits the hardest are the cold-hearted dialogues, I think. There's some things I didn't like, but they're spoilery/not worth bringing up. I would also say that this is a big example of it not being about the story, but rather, how the director decides to tell/show the story, that's what really made it special and stand out for me.



The following 6 films were seen online at the We Are One Global Film Festival:

Spoiler: WE ARE ONE FILM FESTIVAL

- 45 Days in Havar: documentary. Nothing too spectacular, has its moments, but I wish it focused a bit more on the inmates and their works. Felt a little bit "on the surface".

- Beyond The Mountain: an ok watch, even if not particularly satisfying by the end, but I can give props for the way they decided to tell this story without embelishing certain scenes here and there.

- Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy (RECOMMEND): I was a little worried going into this one because it's an adaptation of like 400 tweets by the titular character, but I was absolutely blown away (after the fact, I realized I already had other films by the same director on my watchlist, which I definitely want to see sooner rather than later). I really recommend this one, it's essentially a wholesome film sprinkled with some drama and magical realism here and there (comedy/drama, basically). I loved the snappy, quirky dialogue. Seriously, I found myself grinning throughout nearly the entire film. A very nice surprise.

- Beautiful Things (RECOMMEND): documentary. What made me really like this documentary isn't so much the subject matter, but rather HOW this documentary was made. The OST, sound editing/mixing is absolutely everything in this one, and the last 20mins completely blew me away. If you don't mind trying to watch such a thing because of these elements, and not just because of what it's about, it might be worth it to give it a shot.

- Ice Cream and the Sound of Raindrops: here's a japanese film that was REALLY done in just one take (74mins). I can say I also enjoyed this one. It's about a group of actors and the cancellation of their theatre play. Throughout the one-take film, we see their real selves and their character selves mixing together. It's really interesting.

- Air Conditioner: it's a film where air-conditioners start to mysteriously drop and kill people all around the city. I thought that there would be more of this "mystery", but I guess in the end it was more of a social critique(?) of a country that I'm not really familiar with.

- Hammer: short film, barely 80mins long. Small in scope, but it was an alright watch. The short runtime helps to "tighten" the film and make it feel relentless and intense. Worth it for Will Patton's performance but I feel like he could've done a lot more.

- Shirley: so this was a weird one. There just isn't a typical story/plot development. It was... weird. Not bad, just weird. I mean I really can't say that there's an actual story. Ending is kinda weird. If I'd seen the director's previous film, "Madeline's Madeline", which a lot of people also say that it's crazy, inventive, etc., I might've be able to appreciate Shirley a lot more. You can tell that there's a particular way the director decides to tell the story, but it just didn't do it for me. The story itself just wasn't that satisfying. Like I said, it was weird.



So here we are.
After 2 months of watching films nonstop, I felt like I needed a little break, and haven't watched anything new in almost 3 weeks, although I already know what I'll probably be seeing next/sometime soon: Babyteeth, which is already online.

 

[Sanity Check]

Superman Red Son (2020)

If Superman (Clark Kent) was born and raised in the communist soviet union under Stalin, what type of person might he have grown up to be. .

Justice League Dark Apokolips War (2020)

The darkest, most sinister and violent offering from either DC or marvel universes. .


I give both 10/10.

 

[Riku]

- Dogs Don’t Wear Pants (RECOMMEND): I wanted to see this film as soon as I discovered the poster, which was enough for me to want to see it.

Spoiler

I can’t say I LOVED the film as much as I wanted/was hoping to, but it was still a great film nonetheless. It’s not so much about what it apparently is about, but about what’s bubbling under the surface… I think that could be a good way of putting it. A few scenes were really hard to watch, but overall, yet another great and interesting foreign film that will certainly make it into my best of this year.

Oo, first time here I think someone other than me has voluntarily watched a Finnish film. Yet to see this one myself, but looking forward to it. Pekka Strang (the lead make role) is pretty damn a good, and a nice guy as well.

--- Double Post Merged, Jul 6, 2020, Original Post Date: Jul 6, 2020 ---

RIP Ennio Morricone. You we're among the greatest things to happen to cinema.

 

[Brandish μ]

The only movie I've seen from this year is Extraction. I was very happy with it, although it went a bit long for an action flick. Watched some stuff of Netflix, and a few sci-fi movies for the top 10 game, but nothing new really.

RIP Ennio Morricone.

wut... damn.

 

[M3J]

Artemis Fowl - 7 / 10

I've never read the books, but enjoyed the film. It was entertaining and fun.


Da 5 Bloods - 9 / 10

Very interesting take on the Vietnam War involving specific soldiers who bonded with one another through a tragic period of time.


Capone - 7 / 10

Hardy portrayed Al Capone during his final years with dementia and it was very interesting to see with awkward humor added.

I'd recommend the books, it's a great series. I keep forgetting to watch Artemis Fowl -_-

 

[Eigengrau]

Oo, first time here I think someone other than me has voluntarily watched a Finnish film. Yet to see this one myself, but looking forward to it. Pekka Strang (the lead make role) is pretty damn a good, and a nice guy as well.

Let me know what you end up thinking about it :0
Like I said I liked it overall, wish it was slightly longer and all but I feel like it was fulfilling enough as it is.



As for me, I haven't gotten around to see anything new yet, but soon... soon...

Instead, I came here to ask you guys and gals something because I'm experiencing somewhat of a dilemma at the moment:

How are you guys doing with movie-going, or not movie-going? How do you feel about it?

The reason I ask is quite simple. At the moment, I don't have much interest in going to the theater, not only because I watched over 70 films at home during the quarantine, but also because nothing significant(?) will premiere anytime soon, because of the several delays that have occured.

My problem, as you might've guessed, has to do with film festivals... where they premiere/showcase mostly foreign films that more than likely won't be premiering in my country at all afterwards.

As of now, my mind is pretty much set on "I'm not going", but it really really sucks.
Like for instance, just today my father went to the cinema. From what I've heard from others, theaters have been pretty much empty with a lot less people than usual.

But of course, with film festivals it's a whole different thing. Even if they try to enforce "measures", like removing every other seat, I already know what it's going to look like going in and out of a screening, with hundreds of people all huddled together, and just thinking about it makes me cringe.

It doesn't matter how good-willing the people working there will be, there's no avoiding the big crowds, the delays, etc. I've lived that shit for the past few years, which is why I always did my best to be the first one in line.

They simply can't do anything about it, it's straight up impossible.
So I keep thinking about me being in that environment, for almost 20 straight days (2 festivals back to back pretty much), and I feel like putting myself through all that is pretty much literally asking for it.

To make matters worse, every single day where I'd have to go out implies going and coming back by public transportation as well, which naturally increases the risks even more.

In regards to the 1st festival, which starts on August 25th, I'm not exactly DYING to see any of the films except maybe a couple, I think, (the full programming isn't out yet), and I'm certain sooner or later I'll be able to see some/most of them (all foreign/art-house like).

As for the 2nd one, a horror film festival that takes place in September,, I'm not too concerned because all the big/interesting films were delayed, and chances are they'll be screening stuff that's already online at this point in time (don't know anything yet about the programming though).

I'm more concerned about the November one, you know, the one that tends to screen big and important films (where last year I saw The Lighthouse, A Hidden Life, etc.), but that's still a few months away so hopefully the situation is different by then.

As I said, my mind is kinda made up at this point, but I'm always torn when thinking about it.
I mean, those festivals are still going to happen, the films will be screened, and people will be going, and it bothers me knowing that I won't be part of it this year when every single year prior I'd be there and watching dozens of them :/.

Again, I physically don't feel ok going through all that just thinking about it, I don't think it's a sensible thing to do as of this moment, but also to take into account is that my parents are 60+ years old so I'm trying to take them insto consideration as well.

And we all take good care of our hygiene, and sure, they still leave the house regularly but they take proper care of themselves with everything... but being among an international film festival crowd of hundreds of people for nearly 3 weeks straight...

I don't think I'm overthinking it, but then again I don't know, I really don't.



What's your personal views on all of this?

 

[Faust]

 

[xi0]

Hans Zimmer covering Pink Floyd...... Hans Zimmer covering Pink Floyd.

A Hans Zimmer arrangement of Eclipse, holy SHIT

--- Double Post Merged, Sep 10, 2020, Original Post Date: Sep 10, 2020 ---

Plus, I can't help but laugh at all of these people complaining about another "white savior" trope, who obviously haven't the faintest idea what the story is actually about.

 

[Sanity Check]

Plus, I can't help but laugh at all of these people complaining about another "white savior" trope, who obviously haven't the faintest idea what the story is actually about.

Mighty Whitey - TV Tropes

A common trope in 18th and 19th century adventure fiction, when Europeans were visiting and documenting vast swathes of the world for the first time, Mighty Whitey is usually a displaced white European, who ends up living with native tribespeople …

tvtropes.org

I don't agree with the above but it is what meme in question.

And it does make me laugh.

--- Double Post Merged, Sep 10, 2020, Original Post Date: Sep 10, 2020 ---

I like David Lynch's 1980s rendition of Dune and doubt any live action adaptation will ever match it.


The intro alone is amazing.

 

[xi0]

I like Lynch's version, but it's not really a faithful adaptation of the source material. The Villeneuve version's trailer alone looks more faithful. And he has an amazing track record as a director.

 

[Riku]

I like Dune and Lynch and Villeneuve (and his casting choices here in particular). That Pink Floyd cover is amazing.

I don't think the white saviour thing is completly without basis though. The original is a work of the 60s after all. While the book is not really about that, it is imho an aspect of it.

 

[xi0]

I like Dune and Lynch and Villeneuve (and his casting choices here in particular). That Pink Floyd cover is amazing.

I don't think the white saviour thing is completly without basis though. The original is a work of the 60s after all. While the book is not really about that, it is imho an aspect of it.

It's basis is only with people who don't know the books IMO. The white savior aspect is itself an intentional misdirection.

Paul isn't the messiah he seems to be, and his actions result in the loss of billions of lives. Not to mention the Fremen not even being indigenous people in the first place, but I digress.

This is the sort of thing that Lynch's version completely avoids. Herbert's books are a commentary about the danger of heroes and charismatic leaders. Paul is the series' first protagonist, but he's not a hero.

 

[Sanity Check]

I don't think the white saviour thing is completly without basis though.

The mighty whitey trope is arguably an integral aspect of every culture and ethnicity.

The part that's without basis is the idea that its limited to whites.

--- Double Post Merged, Sep 11, 2020, Original Post Date: Sep 11, 2020 ---

It's basis is only with people who don't know the books IMO. The white savior aspect is itself an intentional misdirection.

Paul isn't the messiah he seems to be, and his actions result in the loss of billions of lives. Not to mention the Fremen not even being indigenous people in the first place, but I digress.

This is the sort of thing that Lynch's version completely avoids. Herbert's books are a commentary about the danger of heroes and charismatic leaders. Paul is the series' first protagonist, but he's not a hero.

I would be interested to know the origins story of Frank Herbert's Kwisatz Haderach. What message he intended to convey with it. Part of me wonders if it was inspired by Nietzsche's ubermensch. There are so many superman type historical figures littered throughout history and myth an author could draw upon.

 

[Riku]

It's basis is only with people who don't know the books IMO. The white savior aspect is itself an intentional misdirection.

Paul isn't the messiah he seems to be, and his actions result in the loss of billions of lives. Not to mention the Fremen not even being indigenous people in the first place, but I digress.

This is the sort of thing that Lynch's version completely avoids. Herbert's books are a commentary about the danger of heroes and charismatic leaders. Paul is the series' first protagonist, but he's not a hero.

What you say is very true, themathically it isnt as people make it be. But the aspect is there - a white boy becomes a leader of mysterious natives. That itself I think is a notable thing. We can't expect that all people have read it. For his time though, Herbert handles the trope brilliantly.

--- Double Post Merged, Sep 11, 2020, Original Post Date: Sep 11, 2020 ---

The mighty whitey trope is arguably an integral aspect of every culture and ethnicity.

The part that's without basis is the idea that its limited to whites.

To support your argument would you like to provide examples of fiction or art where black/asian/latin/Polynesian people come over to European/American tribes, and become leaders of these primitive and savage natives, that can become proper people with just a little guidance from a black/asian/latin/Polynesian man?

Saviour complex does apply to all people in theory. However in practice, it is particularly prevalent in history with white people. Thus a trope such as White Saviour or "Mighty Whitey" is totally legit.

You are simply wrong - it isn't as integral part of all cultures as you claim. Some Asian countries slip there now and and then, but no other part of the world has a history of culture where such complex has almost reached a point you could say it is a genre.

 

[xi0]

What you say is very true, themathically it isnt as people make it be. But the aspect is there - a white boy becomes a leader of mysterious natives. That itself I think is a notable thing. We can't expect that all people have read it. For his time though, Herbert handles the trope brilliantly.

Well, I mean, I expect people who take a critical stance on something in earnest to be familiar with the thing they're critiquing. That's mostly what I was reacting to. People who criticize it as a work of art for this particular trope, and then give it absolutely zero credit when it's essentially exists as a deconstruction of the trope in the first place. Like this alphabet vomit of an article, for example.

I don't know, maybe I expect too much

 

[Riku]

Well, I mean, I expect people who take a critical stance on something in earnest to be familiar with the thing they're critiquing. That's mostly what I was reacting to. People who criticize it as a work of art for this particular trope, and then give it absolutely zero credit when it's essentially exists as a deconstruction of the trope in the first place. Like this alphabet vomit of an article, for example.

I don't know, maybe I expect too much

Sure exaggerated, but I think some early points the text are good and the style is funny. The latter part though seems like a commercial for their favorite book, leaving out any analysis of ending of Dune.

Dune simplifies the natives from the start - they are so ready to follow the promised one pretty fast. To deconstruct the trope, Herbert does use the trope itself, which is kinda problematic. Its clever in a way, but in a way it is like fighting guns with guns. You could deconstruct it in other ways as well.

I think its bit too much to expect people to read with focus a book that screams "Mighty Whitey" to make it to the last 50 pages or something to notice that the Mighty Whitey starts to realize he himself is kinda fucked. Ideally yes, but I do understand the people who see the surface and are appalled by it. It is a big jump to go reading a book that screams Mighty Whitey 80% of the lenght, to realize it isn't about it.

I might need to leave this here, because exact details of the book ain't too fresh in my memory. But I'll re-read it before seeing the film, so maybe then we can discuss in more detail.

I still think Dune is a great book, but not totally without problems.

 

[Sanity Check]

To support your argument would you like to provide examples of fiction or art where black/asian/latin/Polynesian people come over to European/American tribes, and become leaders of these primitive and savage natives, that can become proper people with just a little guidance from a black/asian/latin/Polynesian man?

Barack Obama.
Ilhan Omar.
Sadiq Khan.
AOC.
Muhammad Ali.
Einstein.

Avatar The Last Airbender(Asian chosen one must save the world)
Cool Runnings(Blacks have to instruct whites on how to chill out etc because of course black culture is superior to white culture and blacks must teach whites how to whatever)
Et al.

Its so prevalent everywhere its hard for someone to miss it.

Every culture, nation and race has its own conquerors, kings, leaders and heroes who have been sources of pride in different eras of history. And yeah there are demographics of every ethnicity who believe they're superior and should be running everything. Its not a trend reserved for whites despite what the pro #BLM narrative says.