Talk About Movies: Part 4
Somehow threads merged, so here's part 4 of our ongoing movie discussion.
I remember watching The Beach when I was a kid, thinking it was high art. I also watched it recently on The Criterion Channel and was so disappointed! Leading up to the beach is amazing then it falls apart when they arrive. Gets even worse when Leo starts going crazy and it tries to become a mini Apocalypse Now? My brain hurts, but promising start for Boyle and Garland.
The Shrouds
David Cronenberg's new film takes a bit of a different approach to body horror, combining body horror and AI. Vincent Cassell plays an inventor/entrepreneur who has developed a process whereby dead bodies can be wrapped in a shroud (made in China), buried, and then seen by loved ones through a screen in the tombstone as the dead bodies deteriorate. Not your basic cemetery. Oh, and he owns a restaurant that overlooks the cemetery.
Cassell's own wife is buried there. (He takes a woman there on a blind date. I found the scene funny although YMMV.) Soon after, the cemetery is desecrated and part of the rest of the film deals with trying to discover why the cemetery has been destroyed.
Somehow all of this is tied to Cassell wanting to expand his cemetery idea worldwide. The film features an AI assistant, possible conspiracies, paranoia, amputated characters, and grief.
I don't know but perhaps Cronenberg's film is a modern live story.
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The Shrouds was only out for one week here locally in one theater, and I missed it... I am just going to have to buy the disc...
The Shrouds was only out for one week here locally in one theater, and I missed it... I am just going to have to buy the disc...
It's on Criterion now, but I know you love physical media.
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Sinners was a lot of fun. Also great use of music particularly in the second half. 3.5/5
Can't really find anything bad to say about it, actually. Only negative wasn't about the film itself; just didn't get to see it early enough and knew what the whole thing was about. I think had I see it before getting spoiled I'd have given it a 4.
Been a hot minute since I watched Reservoir Dogs so I threw it up (RIP Michael Madsen) and this time around the number of hard Rs was like nails on a chalkboard. It's so unnecessary and I can see why Spike Lee took such a strong stanc against QTs use of racist language. i still think it's a great film of course, just cringe every time the guys are casually racist and laugh about it.
For added context, it helps to have a visible minority in on the joke, not be the butt end of it. Even then, Denzel had issues with QTs rewrites on Crimson Tide and they had a chat about it that basically went nowhere.
Went to the movies this morning for the first since pre-covid. Can't remeber what the movie was last time I went? But today it was Jurasic World Rebirth. I am a sucker for the Jurasic movies and seeing the dinosaurs. The movie can suck (this one was better than the last couple) and I will be still entertained seeing the realistic looking beasts.
This was dinosaurs in water, on land and in the air! The Velocorapiters which are usually the stars only made a very brief appearance. Instead we were brought to the island of "mutant" dinosaurs. Meh. I prefer the real fake dinosaurs although we did have plenty of the real fakes too. The biggest baddest mutant was too stupid looking to really enjoy.
But it was pretty much what you would expect. Lots of action and running and escaping and narrowly missing huge chomps.
Ah, I guess I should have figured that out. Was trying to think of a racist slur that started with R lol.
Is that really a term people use? I've never heard it before.
Just saw Russell Mael of the legendary band Sparks say that after their experience writing the music for Leos Carax's Annette in 2021, they wanted to make another musical....and now they are making one -
with John Woo directing. 😮
John Woo and Sparks? Yes please. And make it as weird as possible.
Just saw Russell Mael of the legendary band Sparks say that after their experience writing the music for Leos Carax's Annette in 2021, they wanted to make another musical....and now they are making one -
with John Woo directing. 😮
John Woo and Sparks? Yes please. And make it as weird as possible.
Such an underrated film.
Carax's short "autobiographical" film, It's Not Me, on Criterion, is a joy. Check it out.
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Ah, I guess I should have figured that out. Was trying to think of a racist slur that started with R lol.
Is that really a term people use? I've never heard it before.
In the late 80s/early 90s Hard R meant Skinemax fare or something like The Hot Spot, pushing as close to NC-17 as they could, usually straight to video/cable but with decent casts/budgets.
Spoiler
IIRC Hustler Erotic Video magazine had a monthly column called Hard R. They said Dennis Hopper “gets away with murder” directing The Hot Spot.
Never heard it in this context before. QT was like an 8yo saying it in Pulp. I used to mockingly say his lines in a Babwa Wawa-Bababooie screech for years. Never fully regained respect for him, as great as Jackie Brown & IB are, and obviously the Sicilian scene in True Romance makes sense.
Someone else can compare QT to Scorsese in this topic. There are “Spot the uncredited QT script edits” threads on Reddit. LMAO Denzel giving Hackman a foot massage in Crimson Tide, and the Silver Surfer stuff.
Watch carefully when Jack Palance walks across the barroom.
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lol I don't think I ever put my review of SHANE on 2+2, but that's in there.
Superman....was different. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.
I was not digging it at first, but it grew on me...but why is Jimmy Olsen a chick magnet?
I was here yesterday
I think that's the exact spot where Dreyfuss and Dillon got their first sight of Devils Tower.
Here today, but neither Cary Grant nor James Mason made an appearance.
Was also in Custer State Park, but didn't see anything obvious from Dances With Wolves.
How about Eva Marie Saint? I think she's still alive.
Good to see you're traveling once again.
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I was here yesterday I think that's the exact spot where Dreyfuss and Dillon got their first sight of Devils Tower.Here today, but neither Cary Grant nor James Mason made an appearance. Was also in Custer State Park, but didn't see anything obvious from Dances With Wolves.
Love that area, so much to see!
Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Didn't realize how they provided the blueprint for all teen comedies in the future. Maybe the tropes were already there but I can see where they lifted Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure from Spicoli, early Jason Segel's entire career was patterned after Judge Reinhold's performance here, the nerdy "aw shucks" nice guys finish last loser to cheer for, and on and on. I miss when movies had text at the end explaining what happened to each character. "so and so went on to manage the 7-11" oh cool!
The Phoenician Scheme was fun...Kate Winslet's daughter is amazing in it, and so his Michael Cera. But ultimately, lightweight Wes Anderson.
Drop was damn fun...nice low budget thriller that looks great...very good performances by a cast of mostly unknowns. A woman goes on a first date and someone in the restaurant airdrops her that her sister and son will be killed at home unless she murders the man she's on a date with.
