What Was The Last Movie You Watched?

[BFTD]

15 hours ago, sfha said:

I thought about giving this a go... is it worth a couple of hours?

Aye, it was good.

The ending's a bit mediocre and obvious, but it's a decent mashup of a few classic horror films.

[Frankie S]

On 02/12/2022 at 08:16, Detournement said:

The Sight and Sound top 100 is pretty uncontroversial. You can see that most of the voters have tried to do a diverse list but it's still pretty good. I don't see the contemporary films sticking around. No one is going to be saying Get Out or Parasite is a top 100 film in a few years time. 

 

The elevation of Chantal Akerman’s 3 hr 21 min experimental art film ‘23 quai de Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles’ to the top of the list has certainly proved controversial. No-one saw that coming. It’s was 36th in 2012. The pre-poll rumours were all about ‘Vertigo’ being dethroned, with Kubrick’s  ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ the favourite to top the poll, but hardly anyone was seriously discussing the Akerman film. I’ve not seen it yet, so can’t comment on its merits, but it’s by all accounts a divisive, difficult film, an early example of ‘slow cinema’, which makes little concession towards audience expectations or ‘entertainment’.

I’m quite pleased at some of the results, as personal favourites like Agnes Varda’s ‘Cleo from 5 to 7’, Maya Deren’s surrealist short ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’ (which clearly influenced David Lynch), Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Apocalypse Now’, Lynch’s ‘Mulholland Dr.’ and Spike Lee’s ‘Do The Right Thing’ all placed prominently.

There are a few anomalies - ‘The Godfather’ placed at 12, but ‘The Godfather Part II’, which many consider superior, didn’t place in the top 100. There is clearly some recency bias at work too - there seems no good reason for ‘My Neighbour Totoro’ to finish above Japanese classic ‘Ugetsu’ other than familiarity with the former (and presumably unfamiliarity with the latter) among younger critics. Similarly, for all its merits, ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ is by no conceivable metric the 30th best film of all time. I rather enjoyed Claire Denis’ ‘Beau Travail’, but it’s elevation from 78th in 2012 to 7th in 2022 seems like an inexplicably steep elevation. And, laudable though it is in some respects, ‘Get Out’ is clearly not one of the best 100 films of all time (I like Jordan Peele, but he’s yet to make a great film IMO). FWIW, although I love ‘Mulholland Dr.’, its canonisation (it finished 8th) amongst the critical community does seem a little curious as I don’t think it’s Lynch’s best film (‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me’, critically reviled upon its release, takes that mantle IMO). Another example of critical orthodoxy is the continuing delusion that ‘Some Like It Hot’ is Billy Wilder’s best film.

There are some glaring omissions - ‘L’Avventura’ is far too low at 72=, and Antonioni generally seems to have gone out of favour (‘L’Eclisse’ and ‘La Notte’ are notably absent). I’m not a Godard fan, but he’s probably under-represented, and it’s astonishing that Alain Resnais’ ‘Last Year at Marienbad’ didn’t even make the top 100. It’s fair to say there has been a backlash against white European directors this time round, perhaps understandably. And ‘Raging Bull’ was for many years regarded as Scorsese’s masterpiece, but has now dropped out of the list entirely. 

On the upside, it’s great to see the promotion of a whole host of excellent women directors, (I’ve been working my way through Agnes Varda’s filmography recently thanks to the great Criterion box set ‘The Complete Films of Agnes Varda’, and what a pleasure that has been), and while I think, for example, Céline Sciammi has made better films than ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’, it’s great that filmmakers like her, Varda, Maya Deren, Claire Denis, Chantal Akerman et al are finally getting more recognition.

Edited December 4, 2022 by Frankie S

[Detournement]

On 04/12/2022 at 16:56, Frankie S said:

The elevation of Chantal Akerman’s 3 hr 21 min experimental art film ‘23 quai de Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles’ to the top of the list has certainly proved controversial. No-one saw that coming. It’s was 36th in 2012. The pre-poll rumours were all about ‘Vertigo’ being dethroned, with Kubrick’s  ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ the favourite to top the poll, but hardly anyone was seriously discussing the Akerman film. I’ve not seen it yet, so can’t comment on its merits, but it’s by all accounts a divisive, difficult film, an early example of ‘slow cinema’, which makes little concession towards audience expectations or ‘entertainment’.

I’m quite pleased at some of the results, as personal favourites like Agnes Varda’s ‘Cleo from 5 to 7’, Maya Deren’s surrealist short ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’ (which clearly influenced David Lynch), Francis Ford Coppola’s ‘Apocalypse Now’, Lynch’s ‘Mulholland Dr.’ and Spike Lee’s ‘Do The Right Thing’ all placed prominently.

There are a few anomalies - ‘The Godfather’ placed at 12, but ‘The Godfather Part II’, which many consider superior, didn’t place in the top 100. There is clearly some recency bias at work too - there seems no good reason for ‘My Neighbour Totoro’ to finish above Japanese classic ‘Ugetsu’ other than familiarity with the former (and presumably unfamiliarity with the latter) among younger critics. Similarly, for all its merits, ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ is by no conceivable metric the 30th best film of all time. I rather enjoyed Claire Denis’ ‘Beau Travail’, but it’s elevation from 78th in 2012 to 7th in 2022 seems like an inexplicably steep elevation. And, laudable though it is in some respects, ‘Get Out’ is clearly not one of the best 100 films of all time (I like Jordan Peele, but he’s yet to make a great film IMO). FWIW, although I love ‘Mulholland Dr.’, its canonisation (it finished 8th) amongst the critical community does seem a little curious as I don’t think it’s Lynch’s best film (‘Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me’, critically reviled upon its release, takes that mantle IMO). Another example of critical orthodoxy is the continuing delusion that ‘Some Like It Hot’ is Billy Wilder’s best film.

There are some glaring omissions - ‘L’Avventura’ is far too low at 72=, and Antonioni generally seems to have gone out of favour (‘L’Eclisse’ and ‘La Notte’ are notably absent). I’m not a Godard fan, but he’s probably under-represented, and it’s astonishing that Alain Resnais’ ‘Last Year at Marienbad’ didn’t even make the top 100. It’s fair to say there has been a backlash against white European directors this time round, perhaps understandably. And ‘Raging Bull’ was for many years regarded as Scorsese’s masterpiece, but has now dropped out of the list entirely. 

On the upside, it’s great to see the promotion of a whole host of excellent women directors, (I’ve been working my way through Agnes Varda’s filmography recently thanks to the great Criterion box set ‘The Complete Films of Agnes Varda’, and what a pleasure that has been), and while I think, for example, Céline Sciammi has made better films than ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’, it’s great that filmmakers like her, Varda, Maya Deren, Claire Denis, Chantal Akerman et al are finally getting more recognition.

I think the Akerman film is more a case of it being the most famous feminist film so loads of voters will have ticked the box. 'Cleo From 5 to 7'' is definitely more accessible and enjoyable but apart from 'one thing' her life probably seems quite desirable by contemporary standards. Varda uses mirrors to show how Cleo is complicit in her own oppression in the the first half of the film but that's probably not what women want to see in the era of the seflie.

I think Italy got mugged generally. I'd have all 4 Antonioni/Vitti films, Rocco and his Brothers, Rome Open City, Stromboli and Accatone. If people are looking for feminist films then Stromboli should be mandatory viewing.

Aguirre Wrath Of God is a glaring miss for me. It's a film you watch and are blown away by, it's like nothing else. You definitely can't say the same about the 4 2010s efforts but the list would be a bit pointless if no new film makers ever get on it.

 

 

Edited December 5, 2022 by Detournement

[Frankie S]

24 minutes ago, Detournement said:

I think the Akerman film is more a case of it being the most famous feminist film so loads of voters will have ticked the box. 'Cleo From 5 to 7'' is definitely more accessible and enjoyable but apart from 'one thing' her life probably seems quite desirable by contemporary standards. Varda uses mirrors to show how Cleo is complicit in her own oppression in the the first half of the film but that's probably not what women want to see in the era of the seflie.

I think Italy got mugged generally. I'd have all 4 Antonioni/Vitti films, Rocco and his Brothers, Rome Open City, Stromboli and Accatone. If people are looking for feminist films then Stromboli should be mandatory viewing.

Aguirre Wrath Of God is a glaring miss for me. It's a film you watch and are blown away by, it's like nothing else. You definitely can't say the same about the 4 2010s efforts but the list would be a bit pointless if no new film makers ever get on it.

 

 

Yes, I’d have ‘L’Eclisse’, ‘La Notte’ and ‘Red Desert’ all in my top 100 too alongside ‘L’Avventura’. I love ‘Rocco and His Brothers’, a neorealist classic. Other Viscontis I really enjoyed were ‘Ossessione’ and ‘Le Notte Bianchi’. And classic Fellini films like ‘Nights of Cabiria’ and ‘La Strada’ are conspicuous by their absence, as well as my personal favourite, ‘I Vitteloni’. I haven’t seen ‘Stromboli’ or ‘Rome Open City’ yet - IIRC Scorsese raved about the latter in ‘My Voyage to Italy.’ ‘Aguirre, Wrath of God’, and ‘Fitzcarraldo’ are the Herzogs I’d have in my 100 Best Films list, both absolute classics.

Edited December 5, 2022 by Frankie S

[JustOneCornetto]

Agree about Herzog omission, Fitzcarraldo is my favourite of his.  I think the death of Monica Vitti this year raised the profile of L'Avventura but still disappointed it's as low as 72 and, as above, Antonioni should have at least 3 in top 100.

Still good to see Hitchcock, Kubrick and Lynch well represented and we'll all have our own favourites that didn't make the top 100. Mine would be Alien, All Quiet On The Western Front (original) and Roma.

Haven't seen and don't know anything at all about the No. 1 film so will need to check it out as it must have something about it to reach the top spot.

[D Angelo Barksdale]

Someone should do a P&B Top 100 films thread. (Not me obviously)

[scottsdad]

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 

Too long. Boring. Plot all over the place, and predictable. They could have cut out all of Martin Freeman's bits as he added nothing to it. Very disappointing. 

[scottsdad]

12 hours ago, Slim Charles. said:

Someone should do a P&B Top 100 films thread. (Not me obviously)

Wrath of Khan at number 1, obviously. 

Someone else can fill in the remaining 99. 

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 
Too long. Boring. Plot all over the place, and predictable. They could have cut out all of Martin Freeman's bits as he added nothing to it. Very disappointing. 

It was way too sentimental, too long and large chunks bored the pants off me and the grandkids.

Definitely a huge Chadwick Boseman shaped hole in the move that they just didn't really fill.

I thought the opening as a tribute was very good - but then it just seemed to continue on way too long into the movie itself. A movie that didn't move on but dwelt on the past.

[Detournement]

On 07/12/2022 at 21:08, Slim Charles. said:

Someone should do a P&B Top 100 films thread. (Not me obviously)

Only if you want to make Martin Scorsese greet.

I've been loving the World Cup but i'm looking forward to getting back into some serious film watching during the upcoming freezing miserable months.

[D Angelo Barksdale]

22 minutes ago, Detournement said:

Only if you want to make Martin Scorsese greet.

I've been loving the World Cup but i'm looking forward to getting back into some serious film watching during the upcoming freezing miserable months.

It would inevitably be heavily weighted towards films in the last 30 years, but aye, a good laugh when Avengers Infinity Wars finishes in the top 10.

I'm going to make an effort to watch some of the Sight and Sound 100 that I've not seen. Watched Aguirre wrath of god last week on your recommendation, was pretty mental.

[Detournement]

32 minutes ago, Slim Charles. said:

It would inevitably be heavily weighted towards films in the last 30 years, but aye, a good laugh when Avengers Infinity Wars finishes in the top 10.

I'm going to make an effort to watch some of the Sight and Sound 100 that I've not seen. Watched Aguirre wrath of god last week on your recommendation, was pretty mental.

Aye you get the impression watching it that the shoot was so intense that they tapped into some of the insanity of the conquistador era. I like it when historical films and novels try to create a pre modern mentality rather than the characters feeling like they are contemporary people wearing old time clothes. 

The opening scene coming over the mountain is an all time great. Without much dialogue you get so much about the slavery, racism and how alien the Europeans are. 

[MSU]

160 Game Night -- I just enjoy this movie, probably more than it deserves. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams are great as the competitive couple, Jesse Plemons and Sharon Horgan steal scenes in supporting roles, and it's just good fun. Plus, I love the way the long shots were made to look like games pieces. 7/10

161 The Children Act (#74 in the A24 series) Emma Thompson makes this dull, flawed, heavy-going story about a kid who refuses a blood transfusion for religious reasons somewhere near watchable, but it's a one-dimensional, by-the-numbers sort of fayre that just fails to connect. 5/10

162 Violent Night -- Die Hard meets Home Alone isn't quite as fun on the screen as it is on paper and it takes a while to get going but after a fairly dull opening act where a procession of unsympathetic characters are introduced, it finally gets going. David Harbour as the world-weary Santa and Leah Brady as the wee lassie who still believes take us into some cracking set-pieces, particularly involving an attic and a chimney and a lot of hammering. 6/10 

163 mid90s (#75 in the A24 series) Jonah Hill's directorial debut borrows from his own upbringing and there's an air of authenticity in this coming of age tale of young Stevie who finds a place to belong in an LA skate gang. Unfortunately this means a lot of fairly questionable language that I'm sure is accurate of the time but still jars a bit. Hill's directorial touch is surprisingly light and he lets the characters tell the story. Good stuff. 7/10

164 Troll -- Not to be confused with the far superior Trollhunter. There's the incompetent government, the female scientist who no one believes, a hermit father, a timid politician who's scared of helicopters, these are all off-the-rack characters doing a Norwegian version of Godzilla, played by actors whose main skill appears to be the ability to keep a straight face. Great scenery and the troll effects are impressive. 4/10

165 Outlaws (#76 in the A24 series) Australian biker gang shout and swear at each other in an attempt to be the best at shouting and swearing or something. It was called 1% in Oz, which is about how much of my attention it held. 2/10 because some of the bikes are *very* loud.

166 She Said -- There's an All the Presidents Men equivalent out there that will tell the story of the two New York Times journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story and the brave women who agreed to speak out and be named, but this isn't it. Carey Mulligan does her best with a dull script that requires her to answer her mobile phone an awful lot and always hang up without saying cheerio. It really should've been a documentary, as the fictionalized version proves that just because the real story is sad, harrowing, and horrendous, it takes more than worthy intentions to make a movie work. 5/10

[scottsdad]

On 07/12/2022 at 21:08, Slim Charles. said:

Someone should do a P&B Top 100 films thread. (Not me obviously)

Top 100 as decided by 1600 film critics

And a steaming pile of bollocks it is, too.

[D Angelo Barksdale]

24 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

Top 100 as decided by 1600 film critics

And a steaming pile of bollocks it is, too.

No Wrath of Khan, No party.

[scottsdad]

Just now, Slim Charles. said:

No Wrath of Khan, No party.

If I could give you two greenies, I would.

[Detournement]

4 hours ago, scottsdad said:

Top 100 as decided by 1600 film critics

And a steaming pile of bollocks it is, too.

Aye you wouldn't want to watch anything interesting. 

[Detournement]

Half Moon Street (1986)

At the height of her fame after Aliens Sigourney Weaver decided to make a weird film where she plays an International Relations PHD working at a Middle East think tank in London who decides to become a high class escort to rich Arabs and Brits because she's a bit skint. She has multiple scenes where she's naked with the guy who played Porkpie in Desmonds. She bangs a young Vincent Lindon. The main plot line involves her falling for her client Michael Caine, playing the least posh peer in British history until MIchelle Mone appeared on the scene. There is a plot line about negotiating peace between Israel and the Arab nations which doesn't make much sense and must have been butchered in the editing room to avoid offending anyone so most of the film is Sigourney cheerfully brassing it including a scene where she is being photographed riding an exercise bike topless. I watched it because some I follow pointed out that Kubrick references it a couple of times in Eyes Wide Shut presumably because it's very overt about shadowy elites and prostitution.

When I was googling about the movie I discovered that Sigourney met the king of Saudi Arabia at the White House the year before this was made. Because the Saudi delegation are all male Ronald Reagan's staff invited Sigourney, Rita Moreno (Carla from Cheers) and Linda Gray (Sue Ellen from Dallas) to make up the numbers. Trump was obviously there as well.

She looks so comfortable here. 

The Pope Of Greenwich Village (1984)

Mickey Rourke is an aspiring restaurant manager in Little Italy who has pulled 20/10 aerobics teacher Daryl Hannah but gets dragged down by his idiot cousin played by Eric Roberts. There's lots of good gritty 80s NYC stuff and there's a focus on the Italian culture in that part of the city that wouldn't exist for too long after the film was made. Daryl Hannah obviously represents gentrification and is counter balanced by some of the ugliest men to ever appear on film representing the real NYC. There is the guy who played Baron Harroken in Lynch's Dune, the guy who played the racist cop from Blade Runner and Burt Young who played Paulie in the Rocky movies and Bobby's Da in Sopranos. I also spotted Carmine and Phil from Sopranos. It's a good watch where the comedy and drama both hit the mark.

Daryl Hannah or idiot cousin? What would you do?

Decision To Leave (2022)

A Korean cop gets involved with a Chinese woman whose husband's death he is investigating. Amazing acting, design and cinematography but the plot fell a bit short but maybe there might be a few things I didn't pick up properly. It's inspired by Vertigo but the lead actor doesn't have the same creepy vibe as Jimmy Stewart in Vertigo who was a stone cold pervert whereas the main character here probably just needs a holiday. It's strange to say that every scene seemed brilliant but it added up to less than the sum of it's parts.

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by Detournement

[Mark Connolly]

18 hours ago, Detournement said:

Rita Moreno (Carla from Cheers)

Did you mean Rhea Perlman? Rita Moreno was Anita in West Side Story

[Detournement]

30 minutes ago, Mark Connolly said:

Did you mean Rhea Perlman? Rita Moreno was Anita in West Side Story

That makes more sense. 

I was thinking the Saudi who requested her must have been a kinky b*****d.

Edited December 14, 2022 by Detournement