The House is Black (1963, Forugh Farrokhzad) A 20 minute documentary about a leper colony in Iran, and of beauty and hope in places you don't necessarily expect to see it. The synopsis makes the film seem like we are readying ourselves to watch something arduous, a tale of suffering and isolation, but in fact the film is not about that at all. Instead it's a tale of empathy and gratitude, the ability to see the best of a bad situation, and have faith and optimism regardless of where we are in life. It does this in part by jolting images of the people residing in the colony, and also the mundanity and normality of people that reside there. Available in great quality on Youtube; Well worth your time.
Et la neige n’était plus (And the Snow Was Gone) (Ababacar Samb-Makharam, 1965) Double posting another 20 minute short from the 60s that I found really interesting. A short story told in narration, a man returning home to Dakar from France, wearing a suit and tie, and finding himself changed and slightly lost from his time away. No longer a local, he's become colonised in his time away. While we see how he is perceived in Senegal, as too French, and no longer in tune with local customs in dress and food, it's easy to imagine the same happening in France, too Senegalese in culture. What then happens is an imitation of European life, in Senegal, but it's clearly artificial. Ultimately he finds himself without a home or culture, the middle ground of two places, and therefore ultimately nothing. If anybody is interested in checking it out, it's either on Youtube without subtitles, or you can find it via this post I made a few days ago (I hope this links correctly); Entertainment Forum General Chat Thread • Page 610 • forum.chorus.fm I thought it was excellent.
Definitely, but not in the way I expected it too before watching it! Hopeful and beautiful instead of tragedy.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die - 3/5 Chain Reaction - 2/5 The Bikeriders - 3.5/5 The Drop - 4/5 War Dogs - 2.5/5 Unfrosted -1/5 more like unwatchable!
Malignant - 7/10 A little less bonkers in the right way and a little more polished hodge-podge of ideas on second watch, but this is still the shake-up needed James Wan needed to keep from going stagnant. I'd love to see him tackle more original stories moving forward. For truly being an "everything and the kitchen sink" movie, Wan's directing (paired with some truly gruesome special effects) are what really make this one special. It's a fun script until you reach one of the most bizarrely corny endings in recent horror history. Try not to think about it too much. Suitable Flesh - 6/10 Another one that seems to offer diminishing returns on rewatch. I really, truly appreciate what Joe Lynch is trying to do here, because a lot of this film does feel like the Stuart Gordon/Brian Yuzna Lovecraft adaptations from the 90s - and honestly, released under Yuzna's care 30 years ago, I think this could be great. But something about that 90s schlock tone just doesn't carry over into 2023 properly, whether that's Lynch's fault or not. Thankfully, an over-melodramatic script (and overacting from young lead Judah Lewis) is made up for by some truly gross-out shots and visual effects, a perfect performance from Barbara Crampton, and yes, the still hotter than hell Heather Graham. Man Bites Dog - 9/10 So glad I finally got around to this one. A serial killer satire, mockumentary, and found footage film that feels truly ahead of its time in both how funny and fucked up it is. You can draw a thick black line between this and films like Behind the Mask or The Dirties. Some moments of racism and homophobia will make you squirm in your seat before remembering this is a narcissistic serial killer, he is not a good guy and the joke is frequently on him. In-film jokes about the film's deceased crew members all having pregnant girlfriends and the filmmakers running into ANOTHER killer with a camera crew feel especially inspired. A great film that, for better or worse, has a lot of fun with its depraved subject matter. Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood - 7.5/10 I like this one a little more each time I watch it. The idea of a Jason vs. Carrie-style mashup is already silly, but also helped usher the franchise into territory where Jason was no longer limited to normal teenage victims or Camp Crustal Lake. From here, he would visit Manhattan (by way of Toronto) and space, become a worm from hell, and face off against Freddy Kreuger. These aren't particularly prestige horror films, but many of them are undeniably creative and fun as hell. The New Blood is a transitional point between the Fridays of old and new, where our anti-hero escapes his chains in Camp Crystal Lake and wreak havoc on a brand new collection of teens while going up against the psychic trauma of a young girl, her mother, and her overbearing doctor. What the film lacks in gore, it makes up for in brightly-colored outfits and memorable moments/reveals (such as a rotten, waterlogged Jason without his mask). You already know if this movie is for you or not; there is no reason for a Friday fan to dislike this, and non-slasher franchise fans need not apply.
I’ve only seen Malignant once but I adored it kinda have hesitation about revisiting it because I don’t want to find it to be a diminishing return
My wife hated Malignant but when it ended I turned to the people in the row behind and said something like “that rocked didn’t it?”
It's still good and if you don't remember anything particularly silly (in a bad way) sticking out to you on first watch, I don't think you will on second watch :)
Seem that the new Beverly Hills Cop film is being released on Netflix next week I thought I do a rewatch of the previous 3 films so I watched the first 2 and I really enjoyed the first one but Beverly Hills Cop 2 is my favourite because of Tony Scott's direction and Eddie Murphy coming into his own as Axel Foley and as a movie star in general.
In a Violent Nature - 9/10 often things are hyped up to death (pun intended?) and even more often these things fail to deliver. I’d argue this delivered and then some. not only is it my favorite horror film of the year but it’s just my favorite film of the year until something (maybe Nosferatu or Longlegs) unseats it. I loved this so fucking much
Nosferatu (1927, F. W. Murnau) I appreciated the look and style. There's some shots. Face/Off (1997, John Woo) Travolta and Cage are killing it, it's unspoken but everytime they’re together the subtext is screaming “give me back my face!”. Cage sets the pace and Travolta matches it, his little cage impression is perfect. Every scene gets you. It hands you a set up we've all seen before, you know this scene, and then it turns and punches you lower and harder than you expect. Everytime! It can't keep getting away with it but it does. Constantly turning the dial past 10. The boss takes him in office to berate him, ok yeah I know drill - no its a karate chop heart attack. Defusing a bomb - theres little reactive fire emojis on the touch screen and topless success animation. Shoot a gun? Strap in and take off.
Dead Alive (Braindead) - 5.5/10 a little too campy for my tastes, though I did appreciate some of the gore.