Movies, Flicks, Films, Videos, cinematography

[GekkoP]

Pale Rider
I've always considered this a lesser Eastwood's, but yeah, it's one of his bests.

[GekkoP]

Little Children
The end of suburbia with a superb Kate Winslet. She will do even better in Mildred Pierce but I am sure she learned something useful with this film.

[GekkoP]

Witness for the Prosecution
A Wilder's I used to underestimate, probably because I've always thought Dietrich cannot surpass her work with von Sternberg, and even though I still prefer her earlier works, this is masterfully crafted as one would expect from Wilder.

The Collector
I couldn't stick to my Halloween tradition because the better half isn't really keen on horror films, but I picked up the day after anyway. A slasher that tries so many things (home invasion, thriller, drama, you name it) and, surprisingly, it keeps all quite tight for all its 90 minutes. It sure convinced me to check out the sequel.

[GekkoP]

The Collection
The sequel I was mentioning just above. I say it's as effective as the first one, albeit this time without trying to stick together too many themes and solutions. It's as B-movie as it gets just like the first, but honestly so, conscious of its limits without playing the self-awareness card but going straight to the guts.

[GekkoP]

Bodies Bodies Bodies
Gen-Z horror? Despite its problems, this gets many things right and, to be honest, reminds me of why I like this genre in the first place. I know, I know, horror is not the platform for expirements it used to be, and we all know the likes of Carpenter, Hooper, and Romero are hard to top. However, just like Sick (which was a better film, though), this proves to me that horror has still something to say.

[GekkoP]

Oppenheimer
Probably the only Nolan I can take, but please read American Prometheus to get a fuller picture.

The Killer
Fincher doing Fincher, but also Fincher doing a Fincher side of him I am not particularly interested in. I mean, the first 10 minutes didn't really drag me in as enthusiastically as the first 10 minutes of, say, Gone Girl.

[GekkoP]

Anatomy of a Fall
Excellent stuff, I can see why it convinced so many. It wasn't easy taking the courtroom drama route and end up as fine as this.

[GekkoP]

L'Avventura
Due to COVID being back to hunt me I'll be watching my Antonioni's in the coming days, starting here with this intense masterpiece.

Comes a Horseman
Fantastic cast, but I got tired half-way through.

[GekkoP]

Bottoms
It doesn't always work for me, but when it does it's brilliant. Its best moments reminded me of Detention, a film so dear to me.

Full River Red
Zhang Yimou made a film as intricate as ever, like a full-blown chess game where everything is about anticipation and reaction at the right time. I still have to figure out some music choices, though, I mean what does the Chinese version of The Pogues have to do with the Song dynasty? Crazy.

[GekkoP]

Killers of the Flower Moon
Scorsese doing what he is great at and making it look like everyone can do the same which of course is far from the truth.

[vic]

Watched "Ehrengard: The Art Of Seduction" this weekend. It is the latest film from Billie August. It is a made from a book of Karen Blixen. Actually the Queen of Denmark have designed the clothes that the actors use!

Ok it is a comedy, drama, romance period piece of film, absolute lightweight nonsense. It fit me perfectly this weekend. Great Danish quality of the film.

Just can not take anything serious heavy shit at the moment.

[GekkoP]

Ferrari
Welcome back, Michael Mann.

[GekkoP]

May December
Todd Haynes, once again, reminds me why I love him so much.

Priscilla
I had low expectations, but I am so happy I was entirely wrong about this.

[GekkoP]

Silent Night
This must be a joke. There is so little of John Woo in this I think they just put his name there to attract any attention at all. I know the great old times of The Killer, Bullet in the Head, and Hard Boiled are gone, but still, it's been 20 years now without something I can truly love from him, and this is pretty much some of his worst.

[GekkoP]

Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire
I love how complicated my opinion of Zack Snyder is. Either I love his output (his affair with DC comics and, more importantly, Sucker Punch) or I hate it fiercely (everything he wanted to say with zombies makes no sense to me). What should I make of this, then? An extended cut is already on its way, so I'll judge later, because by now I know that only when the whole thing is here I can truly understand what he has in mind.

[GekkoP]

The Childe
I haven't watched many films from the Eastern side of our planet this year, but that's because I have not really been looking hard enough for them. I have yet to catch the latest Godzilla, but I went with this South Korean neo-noir last night which left me pretty much cold. I mean, by now I know that entering this kind of films means violence and death around the corner, so the surprise effect does not hit hard on me any more. Much like New World from the same director, the formal greatness is not delivering a content I will remember, say, a month or two from now.

[GekkoP]

Intouchables
I wanted to start 2024 with something easy to straighten up my mood, and this worked quite well. Sure, trivial and predictable in all its laughs and tearjerking moments, but still, it's crafted just for that and it's what it gets well.

[wuxmedia]

Oh yeah we watched that - I don't recall much of it at all I suppose :D
speaking of French films we watched Mandibles - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10375106/
Was pretty good but like the big lebowski meets david lynch

an then his other film "Fumer fait tousser" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15471560
Which was just mental like fucking power rangers meets ... i don't know what the fuck.
All worth a watch and not really very predictable for sure.

[GekkoP]

The International
This fell off my radar back in its time, but overall it's a good political thriller. I would not go nuts about it like some critics, but still, they kill Luca Barbareschi at a certain point, something I have always wanted to do.

[gutterslob]

Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire
I love how complicated my opinion of Zack Snyder is. Either I love his output (his affair with DC comics and, more importantly, Sucker Punch) or I hate it fiercely (everything he wanted to say with zombies makes no sense to me). What should I make of this, then? An extended cut is already on its way, so I'll judge later, because by now I know that only when the whole thing is here I can truly understand what he has in mind.

Was roped into watching this with my sister who came back from overseas over at mom’s house. I’m nowhere near as seasoned as you when it comes to film or this director’s output (he basically peaked at 300 for me), but I felt Rebel Moon an utter waste of time. Like the worst possible reimagining of Seven Samurai ever. Such a bloated flick, filled with useless scenes totally irrelevant to the outcome.

Thankfully, I watched The Killer after that, which properly cleansed my pallet. Good dialogue (or monologue, to be precise), great lead, and zero bloat. Enjoyed it.

Finished off the night with Jimmi Carr’s yearly Big Fat Quiz show, which isn’t a film so will not talk about that, although I must say Richard Ayoade needs to be put in more films (as himself, not a voice actor).