Films Recently Watched

[J3FF3R00]

14 hours ago, Nebraska said:

have you ever known a person who takes forever to get to a point, so you avoid asking them a question, or regret doing so, because you know it will take them forever to give you an answer? that's this film. it's 2 and half hours long because the first hour and a half is spent meandering, drinking, reciting lyrics, yapping, preaching and occasionally showing you stock footage that by the time it gets "going" it's so distracted it's another film entirely. 

and if you do actually (somehow) make it past that first 1.5 hrs, you will then begin questioning what exactly the point of the film is. 

I really wanted to like this film. I was VERY excited for it to drop.

It started off really strong and just skipped any valuable character development until the end, so through the whole thing I was just asking myself what the point was. Also, the plot got a bit convoluted with wondering what they were actually there for: to find gold or to find the remains of their old friend.

I guess that's spike for ya. Some hits / some misses.

Spoiler

***ACTUAL SPOILERS***

It would have been WAY better if...

1) they made more use of character development in the flashbacks and dialogue ... we needed to learn more about who these guys were to get invested.

2) they would have cast young versions of them to play them in the flashbacks. This would have really helped the action sequences from the war.

3) they would have just made it about them trying to find their friend's remains and then not finding the gold until the end of the 2nd act. 

4) if they would have let the cat out of the bag sooner that the MAGA dude killed chadwick boseman... that way it would make his character make WAY more sense when he acted like a complete idiot.

 

 

 

Just saw this last night...

Definitely worth checking out.  

It kinda felt like a 2 hour Aphex Twin video with no music.

 

[Limo]

Gränz / Border was wicked. One of the best movies of the last couple of years, I think.

[cruising for burgers]

Fantasy Island - what a mess, still entertaining if you have popcorn...

Aniara - (2nd viewing) psychedelics, AI, cults, space travel, colonization, aliens, you name it, how come you mix all of this and still make a pretty bland movie i don't even...

Martha Marcy May Marlene - didn't give 2 cents about it on a first viewing but actually it's a pretty good movie... love the photography, looks like old polaroids with blacks full of brightness, gama, whatever...

The Nightingale - thought this was gonna be way more straightforward vengeance movie but ended up dragging and dragging with no purpose whatsoever... still pretty good cinematography...

Upgrade - was too stoned the first time i watched... mega movie, is this low-budget? looks awesome...

Tau - been re-watching sci-fi movies which i don't remember watching, and makes sense i didn't remember shit about this one cause it's terrible, the vfx looked like i was watching robocop 2... everything made of cardboard mixed with sfx to make it look real...

Pandorum - another one to add to the pile of shit list, predators vs humans in a space-ship...

The Signal - critics say it's shit cause it steals a lot but i didn't hate it, it's cheesy and childish but kept me entertained... still don't understand one thing about movie making, everybody praise this guy for his special-fx but there's an entire team beyond it that make it possible... it's not just this movie, i don't get it...

Mute - another mess, neo-noir they call it... neither paul rudd and justin theroux cool acting could save this shitstorm...

 

 

THIS IS THE MOVIE !!!

 

[J3FF3R00]

On 6/9/2020 at 1:02 PM, zero said:

Keanu looks like he's struggling a little bit there to get back into character...hope there's enough Ted-ness left in him to pull it off.

I bet it was a real challenge for him. Basically, his whole pst-bill-and-ted career was a conscious effort to redefine himself as very specifically "not ted".

He had to kill ted and bury him so deep in his mind that he probably had quite a hard time bringing him back. 

I'm very curious how this will go tho. I saw Bogus Journey for the first time in 25 years or so and felt it definitely did not hold up.

Part of me wishes the new plot would be that Bill and Ted of the present were conservative businessmen that lost their way needed to somehow get back to heavy metal altruism.

Edited June 14, 2020 by J3FF3R00

[markedone]

On 6/4/2020 at 4:47 PM, brian trageskin said:

i tried to watch parasite but had to stop 2/3 into it, got bored. for some reason i thought it was gonna be a horror movie so i was disappointed. and didn't care how things would unfold + i'm not 15 anymore, if i wanna see an anime i just, you know, watch an actual anime

the film is very explicitly designed to play with your expectations so without spoiling too much ill just say you need to finish it before passing judgement.

[brian trageskin]

6 hours ago, markedone said:

the film is very explicitly designed to play with your expectations so without spoiling too much ill just say you need to finish it before passing judgement.

i just read the rest of the script on wikipedia. yeah i stand by my opinion, it just doesn't do it for me. the film is very well crafted but the plot is so far-fetched i can't take it seriously. great for an anime but borderline cringe for a film, to me 

and the oh-so-clever social metaphor, i'm sorry but no. this isn't deep. zoolander makes a deeper statement than this and it wasn't even trying to be clever or subtle. imo

 

 

 

[Nebraska]

brilliant.

Spoiler

watched this ages ago and it left a very unnerving feeling again. revisited again last night and i can say: the story is now clear to me. 

10/10

Edited June 14, 2020 by Nebraska

[Danny O Flannagin]

17 hours ago, Tim_J said:

Upgrade - was too stoned the first time i watched... mega movie, is this low-budget? looks awesome...

This movie rules

[Limo]

23 hours ago, brian trageskin said:

this isn't deep. 

 

Nope, but it's a lot of fun. Fun beats deep every time.

[Taupe Beats]

22 hours ago, Nebraska said:

brilliant.

  Reveal hidden contents

watched this ages ago and it left a very unnerving feeling again. revisited again last night and i can say: the story is now clear to me. 

10/10

Love love love this movie. Also the only film where Pasolini didn’t use Tonino Delli Colli as his DoP. Interesting contrast.

[brian trageskin]

1 hour ago, rhmilo said:

Nope, but it's a lot of fun. Fun beats deep every time.

fun is great but this just wasn't my cup of tea. i'm more of a zoolander/the other guys guy

[Limo]

52 minutes ago, brian trageskin said:

fun is great but this just wasn't my cup of tea. i'm more of a zoolander/the other guys guy

Yeah, that’s fair.

It has a bit of an over the top quality to it that I personally happen to like, but I can see why it would put people off. And then you’re just left with something that’s not particularly deep or interesting, agreed.

[Nebraska]

life-shatteringly awesome.

Spoiler

stalker is about a guy who takes people into the zone- an area that has been affected by "something like a meteorite". the zone changes, paths alter. once inside the zone, one cannot go back the way one came. beyond this area is the room where any request will be granted. at the crux of this reward is the question of how well humanity knows itself. a previous stalker was granted millions when his request for his brother's life to saved was deemed to not be his true self-fish intention. as a result, he killed himself. a writer, a professor and a stalker go into the zone to seek their own fortune.

this is a film that needs to be experienced to be understood, and felt. heady stuff

[joshuatxuk]

I saw last night that BlacKkKlansman but saw it was about to be dropped from HBO so I finally watched it. Goddamn that was powerful. I had heard about the ending but it still left me stunned.

[Taupe Beats]

10 minutes ago, Nebraska said:

life-shatteringly awesome.

  Reveal hidden contents

stalker is about a guy who takes people into the zone- an area that has been affected by "something like a meteorite". the zone changes, paths alter. once inside the zone, one cannot go back the way one came. beyond this area is the room where any request will be granted. at the crux of this reward is the question of how well humanity knows itself. a previous stalker was granted millions when his request for his brother's life to saved was deemed to not be his true self-fish intention. as a result, he killed himself. a writer, a professor and a stalker go into the zone to seek their own fortune.

this is a film that needs to be experienced to be understood, and felt. heady stuff

My current job has taken any free time away, except for getting to smoke and read a bit before falling asleep. I am currently reading Voices from Chernobyl. Everyone refers to the "Zone" around Chernobyl. At the same time, the word choice obviously came from Stalker. Then to go deeper, and realize that when these people use the term "Zone" to describe the Chernobyl fallout, they're not just referring to the exclusion aspect, but several attributed the same magical qualities as found in the book/film.

Curious for your thoughts on the ending.

[Silent Member]

39 minutes ago, rhmilo said:

Yeah, that’s fair.

It has a bit of an over the top quality to it that I personally happen to like, but I can see why it would put people off. And then you’re just left with something that’s not particularly deep or interesting, agreed.

What movie are you guys talking about?

[markedone]

28 minutes ago, joshuatxuk said:

I saw last night that BlacKkKlansman but saw it was about to be dropped from HBO so I finally watched it. Goddamn that was powerful. I had heard about the ending but it still left me stunned.

man, same.  the story carried me along nicely but then wasnt expecting that gut punch putting everything into context.. really powerful

@Gocab Parasite

Edited June 15, 2020 by markedone

[Nebraska]

13 minutes ago, Taupe Beats said:

Curious for your thoughts on the ending.

Spoiler

i believe the ending is a warning about our rapid advancement in industry and technology. the stalker's sojourns into the zone have left his daughter a mutant. his wife tells him her marriage has been joyless and had she known this was her future, she would have chosen a different husband. the stalker too is left unfulfilled- like an automation in bed. 

the impending sound of the train that shakes the entire house is the rapid movement into a more technologically advanced, yet soulless future. the fallout from all this advancement doesn't give us exactly what we want and even that comes with a caveat.

 

[Taupe Beats]

16 minutes ago, Nebraska said:

  Hide contents

i believe the ending is a warning about our rapid advancement in industry and technology. the stalker's sojourns into the zone have left his daughter a mutant. his wife tells him her marriage has been joyless and had she known this was her future, she would have chosen a different husband. the stalker too is left unfulfilled- like an automation in bed. 

the impending sound of the train that shakes the entire house is the rapid movement into a more technologically advanced, yet soulless future. the fallout from all this advancement doesn't give us exactly what we want and even that comes with a caveat.

 

Spoiler

I agree with much of this reading. It's obvious there is no joy within that family upon the Stalker's return (or before his departure, for that matter). The daughter's condition being a byproduct of her father (not to mention she's called "Monkey", implying a potential lab experiment). 

I've had similar thoughts regarding the train in the final shot. With that said, I'd argue that reading implies a certain impulsiveness on Tarkovsky's part. To include Ode to Joy in the dissonance of the moment is very much in line with Tarkovsky's insistence on mystical elements that tie nature to the human spirit and its output. Ode to Joy acts as a rebuttal to a separate/conflicting striving from humanity (progress/technology). Admittedly, this thread in all of Tarkovsky's films (save for Andrei Rublev and Mirror) has always left me a bit cold. It does here, too. 

I guess it could be expanded to the moving glasses on the table. The glasses are a reflection of this chaos and conflict surrounding this girl and the world she lives in. But she seems to learn control after a glass breaks...

 

[Nebraska]

13 minutes ago, Taupe Beats said:

  Reveal hidden contents

I agree with much of this reading. It's obvious there is no joy within that family upon the Stalker's return (or before his departure, for that matter). The daughter's condition being a byproduct of her father (not to mention she's called "Monkey", implying a potential lab experiment). 

I've had similar thoughts regarding the train in the final shot. With that said, I'd argue that reading implies a certain impulsiveness on Tarkovsky's part. To include Ode to Joy in the dissonance of the moment is very much in line with Tarkovsky's insistence on mystical elements that tie nature to the human spirit and its output. Ode to Joy acts as a rebuttal to a separate/conflicting striving from humanity (progress/technology). Admittedly, this thread in all of Tarkovsky's films (save for Andrei Rublev and Mirror) has always left me a bit cold. It does here, too. 

I guess it could be expanded to the moving glasses on the table. The glasses are a reflection of this chaos and conflict surrounding this girl and the world she lives in. But she seems to learn control after a glass breaks...

 

Spoiler

i'm actually still thinking about the film and i believe i will be thinking about it for a while. 

one thing i forgot to mention is that i liked all the 3 characters. i felt pity for the stalker who seems to be doing this to provide for his family. before he leaves the bar he tells the bartender "if i don't return, tell my family..." and his voice trails off. the writer and professor at first i felt in different towards them, but the more they talked, the more i enjoyed their contribution. 

the presentation and performances by the actors felt real- and the zone felt real- so the dangers they faced felt immediate. as a film, i can describe my experience as gripping because i was completely captivated by that word. this is an experience i rarely have when watching most films and the quality seems as elusive and complicated as methodology in the filmmaking.

i agree with your assessment that there is a spiritual quality to the work. for me this is mainly echoed in the nature- the flowing water (similarly in the beginning when the stalker and his family are sleeping) and the rain. in the zone, the air is described as silent. to traverse through the zone, the stalker must throw a metal rock. it's unnatural.

i do not fully remember the moments when either music or poetry was referenced but it might come back to me later. 

 

[IDEM]

2 hours ago, Taupe Beats said:

My current job has taken any free time away, except for getting to smoke and read a bit before falling asleep. I am currently reading Voices from Chernobyl. Everyone refers to the "Zone" around Chernobyl. At the same time, the word choice obviously came from Stalker. Then to go deeper, and realize that when these people use the term "Zone" to describe the Chernobyl fallout, they're not just referring to the exclusion aspect, but several attributed the same magical qualities as found in the book/film.

Curious for your thoughts on the ending.

That's interesting; are you sure they use the term in the Tarkowskyan sense and not just as a more general term for "exclusion zone" or "fallout zone"?

In any case, it really is one of the best movies ever made. If you haven't already, please also read the aptly titled Zona by the ever brilliant Geoff Dyer for an in-depth, almost frame-by-frame analysis.

[Taupe Beats]

18 minutes ago, IDEM said:

That's interesting; are you sure they use the term in the Tarkowskyan sense and not just as a more general term for "exclusion zone" or "fallout zone"?

There are definitely times where the term "zone" is used w/o any reference to Tarkovsky. But there are other times when it's obvious that it's used with double-meaning (either by the word "Zone" being capitalized, contextual usage, and once even the Strugatsky brothers being directly referenced).

I still need to read that book by Geoff Dyer. Been meaning to, thanks for the reminder!

[marf]

Killing of America. 1981

 

 

Not much has changed. Less crazy serial killers I guess. 

 

[Candiru]

16 hours ago, joshuatxuk said:

I saw last night that BlacKkKlansman but saw it was about to be dropped from HBO so I finally watched it. Goddamn that was powerful. I had heard about the ending but it still left me stunned.

I was getting a bit tired of movies like this, but ended up thinking it was Spike Lee’s best movie in a long time. Topher Grace as David Duke was so dank. 

[cwmbrancity]

On 6/15/2020 at 2:23 PM, Taupe Beats said:

Love love love this movie. Also the only film where Pasolini didn’t use Tonino Delli Colli as his DoP. Interesting contrast.

 

On 6/15/2020 at 4:37 PM, Nebraska said:

life-shatteringly awesome.

  Reveal hidden contents

stalker is about a guy who takes people into the zone- an area that has been affected by "something like a meteorite". the zone changes, paths alter. once inside the zone, one cannot go back the way one came. beyond this area is the room where any request will be granted. at the crux of this reward is the question of how well humanity knows itself. a previous stalker was granted millions when his request for his brother's life to saved was deemed to not be his true self-fish intention. as a result, he killed himself. a writer, a professor and a stalker go into the zone to seek their own fortune.

this is a film that needs to be experienced to be understood, and felt. heady stuff

Edited June 16, 2020 by cwmbrancity