The Movie (and TV show) Watching Thread
John Dule:
I thought this might be an interesting thread, especially given that I've been seeing a lot of good movies lately. Here's my list from the past couple weeks:
One Two Three: A Billy Wilder movie from the early 60s that has held up remarkably well for its age. My girlfriend first introduced me to this because she's a big Wilder fan, and I've honestly come to like this movie more than Some Like it Hot. The dialogue is so densely packed with jokes that it requires repeated viewings to catch some of the best moments, and James Cagney is great as a witty, quick-thinking Coca-Cola executive. Altogether the movie manages to lampoon both sides of the Cold War in a way that would certainly appeal to some people on this site. I'm surprised it hasn't been remade, possibly taking place in Hong Kong.
Key of Life: Another movie my girlfriend introduced me to, and it's almost as good as One Two Three. This is a Japanese film that manages to shift between multiple genres-- romance, comedy, crime thriller-- with speed and fluidity. It would have been very easy for this movie to lose its focus given how many plot twists it packs in, but it moves just slow enough that it's relatively easy to follow. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys Tarantino films or just crime/comedies in general. I'd also recommend going into it with very little prior knowledge, because part of the fun is trying to guess which way the story will turn next.
Blow the Man Down: This is a recent Amazon Studios film that managed a staggering 99% on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite comparisons people have made between it and Fargo, I thought it was somewhat lacking in that style of humor-- it's much drearier than a Coen Brothers movie, though I guess you'll probably like it if you liked Inside Llewyn Davis (I did not). The two main actresses worked well together, but I don't think the movie was nearly as clever as I was led to believe. Many of the plot twists are driven solely by characters acting stupidly, which does not make for a satisfying viewing experience.
The Great Escape: One of my all-time favorite movies and probably Steve McQueen's best role. I have probably watched this half a hundred times in my life, but it never gets old. The use of music especially stood out to me this time around-- the score has a tremendous amount of range and just about every scene has memorable music. This is arguably the best WWII movie made in the decades immediately following the war. I think its melancholy ending is very unique among this category of films, which can sometimes verge too much on yee-ha jingoism for my taste.
Moon: Sadly this is still Duncan Jones' best film over a decade after it was released. But even though he went on to make f**king Warcraft, he still gets credit for Moon, which runs with the 2001: A Space Odyssey playbook without outright ripping it off. Still, the movie would not be half as good without Sam Rockwell-- I can't get into his performance without spoiling the plot, but he's great in this movie. He's the kind of actor who's fun just to watch as he moves through a set, and he is well at home in the schleppy everyman role.
Hell or High Water: I'd only seen this movie once (when it first came out), so I'd mostly forgotten how funny it was. Despite being essentially a crime drama, it manages to incorporate a lot of humor, political references, and racist jokes into its script without ever seeming like it's not taking the story seriously. Jeff Bridges outshines the rest of the cast, of course, but the other three leads are excellent as well. The movie does a great job of portraying both sides of the crime spree and making them all relatively sympathetic, and as someone who enjoys morally ambiguous movies, I found the ending extremely satisfying.
So, what have you guys been watching lately? Anything good?
T'Chenka:
I just finished Border (2018 swedish film) and I'm halfway through The Other Boleyn Girl (2009).
FEMA Camp Administrator:
For schedule reasons, I have actually haven't seen that much of TV or movies. That said, @Dule, Great Escape is amazing and it's nice to run into folks who appreciate it, given that no one in my current friend group seems to be in touch with postwar classics--one of the problems of hegemonic 80s nostalgia (which I do love).
Meclazine for Israel:
Young Frankenstein (1974) is one of the funniest comedies ever made. I cannot believe this was made in 1974. Clearly set the standard for comedy for the next 10-20 years.
The Witch (2015) started, but will wait for my girlfriend to watch the rest.
Buffalo 66 (1998) started, but will wait for my girlfriend to watch the rest.
Apocalypto (2006) is one of the most amazing pieces of cinematography you will ever see in terms of natural history.
Enter The Void (2009) is a great film about a brother and sister living in Japan. Into the Void is the name of my favourite Black Sabbath song.
Color Out of Space (2019) was a great find if you are into H P Lovecraft. Science Fiction remakes are difficult if the story was written 100 years ago, but Nicholas Cage excels.
Progressive Pessimist:
Go see my various posts in the "Film Discussion" thread if you want with my thoughts on 'Doctor Sleep,''Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,' 'Parasite,' 'Samurai Cop,' and 'The Lighthouse.' But other films I've watched for the first time that I didn't comment on in there, during quarantine, include:
-'Fritz the Cat': the infamous and thoroughly unpleasant X-rated animated film from the 1970's about the 1960's.
-Many 'Mystery Science Theater 3000' episodes, which are almost movies in themselves.
-'Midnight Special': Jeff Nichols continues to bore me.
-'Project Metalbeast': a surprisingly boring science fiction werewolf movie.
-'Slithis': a really bad man-in-rubber-suit monster movie from the 1970's.
-The original Swedish version of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo': I have only seen the American version previously (while good, the American version is better), and currently I am in the process of watching the sequel, 'The Girl Who Played with Fire.'
-'The Wicker Man': the original, not the Nicolas Cage schlock classic.
-'Things': Quite possibly the worst film ever, for real.
-'Wolf Cop': Yes, you read that right. Another, more tongue-in-cheek, werewolf movie I found randomly on Hulu.
Quote from: Meclazine on April 26, 2020, 10:06:53 AM
Young Frankenstein (1973) is one of the funniest comedies ever made.
The Witch (2015) started, but will wait for my girlfriend to watch the rest.
Buffalo 66 (1998) started, but will wait for my girlfriend to watch the rest.
Into The Void (2009) is the name of my favourite Black Sabbath song. Also a great film about a brother and sister living in Japan.
You know my thoughts on this one. I'm curious what you think of it.
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