First two picks locked in But for real, get me in there before I start school next month and I don't watch another movie until 2027
We are back for round 3 of the Chorus FM weekly movie club Same rules as last time, everyone one is welcome! Post in the thread if you want to join in. It's a new list, previous participants won't be included unless they post to join round 3 Rules for picking your movie: 1.It must be easily available. That means a popular streaming service and/or digital rental. No one is buying some import DVD to watch it. 2. The film should be older than two years old. We don't need to repeat recent conversations. 3. The film should not be extremely well-known. There is no need to discuss a blockbuster like Avatar or a renowned canon masterpiece like Citizen Kane. Each Monday will be a new recommendation from the chosen member. The next member will choose the movienext Monday.We will go in the order of the posted list and new members will be added to the bottom until we finish the list
We watched Uncle Buck recently. I probably haven't watched it since the 90's and I'm really surprised this was a PG film. Dildo jokes, oral sex jokes, more than a little profanity. Probably the biggest surprised was Gaby Hoffman as the little girl.
Click - 4/10 I have a soft spot for this one because I distinctly remember seeing it in theaters with my parents (I was 11) and crying when Sandler dies while talking to his family in the rain. Well, I regret to inform you I teared up twice this time. (My dad is still alive, but I'm not handling dead dad stuff well at the moment). Otherwise, this aged worse than I ever anticipated. Rob Schneider as Prince Habeeboo in the thickest brownface I've ever seen, a trans gag (as expected), and Sandler talks about his daughter's boobs way more than any father ever should. Still, it's generally watchable and occasionally charming, with a handful of genuine laughs coming from Walken having fun and not totally phoning in his Angel of Death character. Carnival of Souls - 8.5/10 It's a man's world, and even in death, Candace Hilligoss' Mary Henry is haunted by that. No matter where she turns, there's a man trying to tell (or convince) her that the reality she's experiencing isn't valid; they all have a fix for her despite her desire to be alone, and then like clockwork, they turn away when she's actually in need of company. (Unfortunately, Hilligoss was physically forced into freezing October water for the film's final shot, so I'm not quite confident Herk Harvey knew what kind of film he was making as he was making it.) A unique, Twilight Zone-esque ghost story with an early feminist slant that predates Romero's ghouls by a few years. It's well-paced and filled with suitably spooky moments, particularly one where the film speeds up as the ghouls slow-dance on an abandoned pavilion. Atmospheric with some really haunting shots and strong performances from Hilligoss and Sidney Berger. A must-watch when it comes to classic American horror cinema. Deadly Love - 7.5/10 The final film in Vinegar Syndrome's Homegrown Horrors Vol. 3 boxset. Despite its occasionally slow pacing and lack of body count, this one gets by on atmosphere, strong visual ideas, and a reveal I genuinely did not anticipate. It's still cheap schlock, but it's got heart and a unique enough vision that it's hard to dismiss. You likely already know if this is for you or not, but if you think it might be, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Frogman - 8/10 Saw someone refer to this as "an extended VHS segment" as if that was a bad thing. Frogman is briskly paced and tiptoes the line between satire and homage, nodding not only to the genre of found footage as a whole but also classics like The Blair Witch Project. Except instead of a witch you never see, there is a giant frog(man) that gets a nice bit of screen time during the film's finale, along with giant frog eggs and goopy tadpoles ("Frogman fucks"), frogman transformation, a cult of frogman worshippers, and a hokey love story to boot. It would make you roll your eyes if it wasn't so damn fun. The kind of film that was made to be shown on Joe Bob Briggs' The Last Drive-In. Arcadian - 7/10 Released just a week before Longlegs, Arcadian is technically Nic Cage's first horror film of July 2024, and the spicy part of me wants to say it's better than Longlegs only because that film falls apart the longer I think about it. Nevertheless, Arcadian is a solid (and occasionally, shockingly good) creature feature that has welcomed comparisons to A Quiet Place, but honestly felt more like It Comes at Night to me. A generic post-apocalyptic setting (and ending) holds it back from being something greater, but the familial relationships feel real, the cast shows up to work, and as many have already said, the creature design is shockingly unnerving. It's good enough that I didn't mind the shaky cam or visual darkness, which is usually my biggest pet peeve! A good streamer. Monsters, Inc. - 8/10 Another one I remember seeing in theaters with my mom. On rewatch, it may feel more slight than some of Pixar's larger than life stories, or the ones designed to emotionally wreck adults, but until its wonderfully satisfactory ending, Boo opening her closet door at the end of the film will give your tear ducts a run for their money. Goodman and Crystal are just so well-cast here, and the supporting cast (including Jennifer Tilly!) are just as much of a delight. I love that this takes place over the span of like 24 hours, largely in a factory setting of sorts, I love that it hones in on parental anxiety when raising a toddler, and I love how fun that chase scene through the doors is. This one has aged very well.
I just watched Spy Kids for the first time last night with my kids - what a truly bizarre movie. I think they want to watch the sequels now
Yet another I remember seeing in theaters with my parents. The thumb people are still so insane. A good amount of body horror for a kids movie. Robert Rodriguez and Danny Trejo rule.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever - Probably the most middle of the road movie I’ve seen in a while. It’s a fun and potentially great premise, but unfortunately it was directed by Peter Farrelly. Like Green Book, it tries to be critical of America without offending anyone. It criticizes America’s actions in Vietnam while also striking a patriotic tone. Zac Efron’s natural charisma makes it at least watchable though. It also features some horrendous attempts at New York accents.
Going through some popular films I've never seen, But I'm a Cheerleader was an interesting slice of Nineties non-conformity. It looked and felt a lot like Solondz's film Palindromes, but good.
I love both of those films haha. I'd like a new Todd Solondz film. Just seen he's got one coming with Elizabeth Olsen!? hell yeah.