Last film you saw, vol. 6

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Ralph Breaks The Internet (2018)

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MST3K: Samson vs. the Vampire Women (1963/1995)

"I dedicate this song to Thorazine."

Watching the movie unriffed made me want to re-watch it riffed even though I've seen this episode several times.

Casino Royale (1967)

"Don't worry it's a one-way mirror.
-Which way?"

After watch the making-of bonus feature, it's amazing this movie was even finished. I like bits of it, but not the whole.

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Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018)

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The Headhunter - Wildly atmospheric and grim, great bloody practical FX, a slow burn with a nice twist ending; but the budget shows when it comes to the actual monster battles. I loved it, but not for the impatient or hyper critical.

Despite the horrible reviews I am still venturing forth to see Hellboy tonight...I do like some horrible B-movies from the 80's; as long as it tickles that fancy it stands a chance with me. I have no problem with piling on the blood and gore.

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G.I. Joe the Movie (1987)

"My job is to whip you into shape and I mean WHIP! There's only two ways out of my command, on your feet like a man, or in a ditty bag, an itty-bitty ditty bag."

Harold and Lillian: A Hollwood Love Story (2015)

"It starts with Harold and Lillian being a loving couple. They truly were people that, together, created art."

An excellent documentary about a married couple that contributed a lot to a lot of cinema, but with the one (as a storyboard artist than art director) rarely recognized and the other never (as a studio archivist/research librarian).

The Headhunter - Wildly atmospheric and grim, great bloody practical FX, a slow burn with a nice twist ending; but the budget shows when it comes to the actual monster battles. I loved it, but not for the impatient or hyper critical. . .

Doesn't seem to be at my cinema. How'd you see it?

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I bought it off of Amazon Prime.

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Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983)

"Us loners got to stick together."

Maybe I wasn't in the right mood, considering low-budget sci-fi is often cool with me, but this didn't do much for me.

Killer Legends (2014)

"Be afraid. Not of the story. Of the storyteller."

A not-very-good documentary that looks at real crimes that could expire certain urban legends.

I bought it off of Amazon Prime.

Got you. I'll probably wait until it hits Netflix; especially if it's not some don't-miss-new-classic.

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I would say it's more atmospheric and tonally correct than a lot of big budget movies. The only real thing it was lacking in for me was the full creature reveal. They tease all these cool looking monsters but the actual killing of them is 99% off camera. I really enjoyed everything else and the minimalist approach fit it perfectly. Not an instant classic but definitely worth a gander.

Also I bought Prospect with Pedro Pascal; another low budget indie movie that probably flew past most people's radar, but I thought it was very well executed. I liked the gritty and realistic approach to it; the space travel scenes seemed real, the danger palpable. It kind of plays like a Western in some ways; with miners with questionable morals seeking alien treasure like and intergalactic gold rush, letting greed overshadow thoughts about survival. I definitely dug it.

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Criminal Woman: Killing Melody (1973)

"Just killing them isn't going to satisfy me anymore."

The Rain People (1969)

"You on some kind of trip?"

Very early Coppola drama. Not bad, but not yet in his masterpiece realm.

...Also I bought Prospect with Pedro Pascal; another low budget indie movie that probably flew past most people's radar, but I thought it was very well executed. I liked the gritty and realistic approach to it; the space travel scenes seemed real, the danger palpable. It kind of plays like a Western in some ways; with miners with questionable morals seeking alien treasure like and intergalactic gold rush, letting greed overshadow thoughts about survival. I definitely dug it.

Have you seen Bone Tomahawk or Brawl in Cell Block 99 by S. Craig Zahler? He does some brutal independent modern grindhouse. I haven't seen his most recent (last year's Dragged Across Concrete) but want to.

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Crooked House (2017)

So big that they didn't even release it on Blu-Ray here in Germany, only on DVD. But it's an Agatha Christie adaptation, so I had to see it. I can't really recommend it though. The bigger the name of the actor (or actress, in the case of Glenn Close, Christina Hendricks or Gillian Anderson), the less screentime they seem to have. Which means we're mostly stuck with Jeremy Irons' son Max, who does an okay job, but who is also very boring to look at. I mean, when you waste Terence Stamp to the very minor supporting role of Max Irons' former boss at Scotland Yard, it's basically inexcusable.
Also, this movie begins as an attempt at film noir that never truly hits home.
The whodunnit portion of the movie is solid, but the ending is extremely unsatisfying. And I don't just mean the identity of the killer, but also what happens to them.

Which means that all this movie really has to offer is amazing locations, underutilized actors and newcomer Stefanie Martini, who is super-charismatic and very pretty, but also doesn't have a lot to do.

Skip it.

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Bedroom Eyes (1984)

"I think I'm turning into a pervert."

A man becomes an obsessive voyeur at one woman's apartment only to witness her death. Actually, I only wanted to watch #2 because Linda Blair is in that, but I hate watching sequels without the original.

Bedroom Eyes 2 (1989)

"Vinnie, if you f**k me on this, I'll have your balls for earrings."

Meh. About the same quality as the first. Blair was a fun addition.

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Dunkirk (2017)


This and Lawrence will be reviewed...tomorrow. Because I had a long week and I've had a headache half of today.

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ClerksII (2006)

"As you know, my online handle is Optimus Prime.
-I know that, I wish I didn't."

Virgins from Hell (1987)

"So that's why they wanted all those coconuts."

Bad and trashy, but fun. Probably not as explicit as the title suggests, but not a family movie either. This Filipino exploitation flick follows a mostly chaste (hence the title) girl biker gang seeking revenge on a drug kingpin, but who get imprisoned. In the first ten minutes alone they lift music from Dune and Rambo II (and I don't mean legally sampling).

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Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

"They will be good for you! God smiles upon the generous!"

I have to say this was worth the wait. Probably the longest I've watched, and if not, right up there (I saw the theatrical LOTR flicks, but I dunno those run times off my head and don't feel like looking them up at the moment). I really love the cinematography in here, the epic landscape shots that make me want to watch 2001 all over again. I liked David Lean's opening choice, just having the music roll over you, really sets the mood, and the simple intro of O'Toole working on the motorcycle is tasteful.

I have to say that the way the character is portrayed (and hell if I know what he was really like) was odd, engaging, and masterfully acted. O'Toole was a great choice for the role, and I loved the way he and Sharif played against/with each other as foils-turned-friends. (I have to admit I kind of admired Sharif's decision to turn to politics, rising to the challenge for the future of his land, so to speak). The other tribal lord, Alda, was also a fascinating man, very world-weary in his way, but also kind of set in those ways.

God, seeing Alec Guinness again was something, he played the role of Prince Faisal so well. My dad also immediately caught Jose Ferrer as the Turkish officer, and it reminded me of him playing in To Be or Not To Be. Both of us were shaking our heads during the battle madness scene, when Lawrence and the army just straight massacre the Turks.

For me, the two most hurtful scenes were when Lawrence had to execute his friend; and when their attempt at setting up a new ruling council in Damascus collapsed. I had a huge laugh when those two boys were walking behind the camel and got caught, and so was very dismayed when things turned sour after Lawrence rescued that poor bastard from a miserable fate and earned a shitload of respect from the tribe. Later, seeing all they worked for fizzle out, that it was in very real danger of becoming an all-for-nothing situation, that really stung. On a side note, I wonder how Lawrence is viewed in modern-day Saudi Arabia.

I don't know if this is in "My Top X" for me of all time, maybe for its genre, but I definitely have to give it major credit for being a film of truly unique quality.


Dunkirk (2017)

"The sweetest sound you'll hear in these parts."

My mother told me she thought this was boring when I said dad and I would be watching it. I'm not sure what exactly I expected, but "boring" it was not. If anything, I would have to say it had a very measured and deliberate pacing, neither slow nor fast, moving at the kind of speed a metronome was invented for.

The cinematography was excellent, great visuals all around and plenty of meaning conveyed therein. I didn't really understand the whole "one week/day/hour" text, that didn't immediately (or eventually, either) make sense for me, but I don't think its inclusion was bad.

The dog fighting of the pilots and the old father on the boat were what I liked most, the father's resolve to help evacuate men and the pilots pulling airborne miracles (especially that last move at the end). It's a depressing film to be sure, but hopeful and very well made at the same time. Kind of reminds me of The Guns of Navarone a bit.

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A Candle in the Dark: The Story of William Carey (1998)

"God preserve us from traditions and vanity."

Say Anything (1989)

"Brains stay with brains! The bomb could go off and their mutant genes would form the same cliques."

Turned 30 today.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) ... I really love the cinematography in here, the epic landscape shots that make me want to watch 2001 all over again...

David Lean is particularly known for having a keen eye and really getting the best from his DP, but the Lean/Freddie Young collaboration is at its best here.

...I have to say that the way the character is portrayed (and hell if I know what he was really like) was odd, engaging, and masterfully acted...

Yeah, I haven't read as much as I'd like to on that, but apparently Lawrence's love of the desert and his show-boaty awareness of press are accurate. They also hint at his sadomasochistic tendencies. Supposedly, when he returned to England he would hire this guy to just beat him up. I think the complexity and (he's downright contradictory at points) ambiguity of the real man and the performance are part of why the movie is still so highly regarded. At the end of it (and the funeral comments just reinforce this with multiple viewings) you don't feel like you've totally grasped this man.

...O'Toole was a great choice for the role, and I loved the way he and Sharif played against/with each other as foils-turned-friends...

I was shocked to later learn that Sharif's character is fictional, but his character is basically a conflation of a few leaders that worked with Lawrence throughout the war. But he's so great here anyway.

I don't know if this is in "My Top X" for me of all time, maybe for its genre, but I definitely have to give it major credit for being a film of truly unique quality.

That's cool. There are legitimate reasons why it might not shoot to anyone's top. For me, it's just one of those classics that I heard about and didn't have to be sold on. The very first time I watched The Godfather, Casablanca, or LoA I was enamored with them and it seems like every time I re-watch those (or a few others) I immediately remember how much I love them.