Random Movie Thoughts Thread

[Totenkindly]

• Decision to Leave -- (Park Chan-wook, director of Oldboy, The Handmaiden, etc.). It took me a little time to warm up to this, in part because I'm a Western viewer and it takes me about a quarter of a Korean film to fully register who the characters are, recognize them on-screen, and recall the names, but once that was established, it made more sense and I could become more emotionally engaged. [I guess at least I'm able to recognize the difference between Chinese and Korean when spoken, even when I don't understand it, and also recognize someone as Chinese versus Korean visually, which is more important in this film.]
  
  It reminded me in some ways of Basic Instinct without the raw sex element (at least in the broad plot topics), but also reminiscent of Park's other works that are like a spiral or onion, each layer peeled back to reflect on earlier layers. I was fully emotionally engaged by the end, but I don't know if this was good or bad as I will be feeling this one for a long time. That part couldn't help but remind me of another film ending that I can't mention here lest I give it away.
  
  I think the genre of mystery-romance is apt. There's actually a lot of humor as well embedded throughout the film, sometimes laugh-out-loud quality. The film sticks its landing beautifully, with a lot of ends tying up and reflecting on each other; it's just that the spaghetti nature of the early section can make it hard to find an entry point.
  
  
• Braveheart -- I hadn't watched this film for years. Basically, the pro's -- it's cinematic, it's gorgeously shot, it's inspirational and even funny at times, it tells a epic story about a hero, and the soundtrack is really evocative. The negative is what really makes it hard sometimes to enjoy this film now: It is one of the most inaccurate "historical" films ever made (almost nothing is accurate, the characters and their relationships to each other, the politics and social strata, the history. and the clothing, and the armor/weapons, and so on) -- it's not only like they didn't give a shit, but actively tried to just mix elements that span a thousand years -- yet it's tied to a historical figure which then gives viewers an entirely fictional representation of the history. It is also unnuanced in that the evil characters are evil, the good characters are unblemished, etc. I try to watch it now not as a historical film but just as an enjoyable fantasy that espouses modernized western ideals.

 

[Totenkindly]

Everything, Everywhere, All at Once -- I saw this in the theater last March or so and was very moved by it. Watched it again finally last night and it's still just as good and/or better. There are so many places where this film could have fallen flat on its face and somehow manages to weave through absurdity and nihilism to somehow grapple with the human condition of existence via a very small and personal story. And Evelyn's journey is not one-dimensional, she continues to deepen and become more nuanced throughout the film when many others might have stopped; every time another film would have copped out with an easier answer, EEAAO just turns around and faces it. The answers aren't easy, but they are life-changing and restorative. There is so much value here in just getting some perspective on one's own life, what the options are for you, and making the most of them and learning to value what you have that is actually meaningful and clinging tightly to it. It's such a perspective changer: If nothing matters, is it worth investing in anything? But if nothing matters, then you are free to choose what you will make matter. Some people might wonder about Ke Huy Quan's nominations for Supporting Actor; the deal is he finally reentered acting after 20 years out to take on a role involving physical skill, a lot of flipping between personalities that aren't at all the same, and manages to provide very touching performances, as in a way he is the heart/anchor of the film as much as Evelyn's character is who is changing the most.

There's so many unexpected touching moments that bring tears in this film, so many opportunities for people to rise to the occasion and surpass it... all among a bunch of craziness and unexpected laughter.

Now having time to watch Yeoh in this film, there are just certain moments and facial expressions where she transcends the material and takes it to another level as awareness crashes over her. It's incredible acting once the film gets moving. And the three main supporting cast as also really great. Good for Jamie Lee Curtis, she's an audience darling but I felt like she never really got as much attention at the top critical end as sometimes deserved.

 

[Totenkindly]

Not at all a fan of MCU Phase 4. It was complete chaos, without any coherence or continuity, and mostly done by people who were new to Marvel and/or with little experience necessary to expand these properties.

The trailer for Quantumania (which I think falls into / helps open Phase 5) actually looks pretty decent, though. I am trying to not get too focused on it after the crappy Phase 4 which you can pretty much entirely ignore (that's how awful it is) without fear of missing anything.

‘Quantumania’ writer teases, ‘What if Ant-Man is accidentally in an Avengers movie by himself?’

Ever since the Season 1 finale of Loki, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have been well aware of the fact that Kang the Conqueror (played by Jonathan Majors) is not a villain to be trifled with. Case in point: the next Avengers movie, which debuts in 2025, bears the rather foreboding title...

www.yahoo.com

It was just a really disorganized phase. Kang shows up literally in the second Phase 4 offering (and technically I think it was supposed to release first?) -- at the end of Loki. And that's where the multiverse thing kicks off. And then literally we didn't hear crap about Kang or the multiverse through the rest of Phase 4, aside from the disastrous Dr Strange 2 (where almost everything is irrelevant), where the title character is second fiddle in his own film and the first fiddle is just a limp mean-spirited rehash of character that was already resolved with far more nuance in a prior show. Like, who was bothering to make this coherent or contributing to a coherent end result? Kang should have been a shadow hovering over all these items, rather than just farming them out without rhyme or reason to people untested with this genre of filmmaking.

Quantumania feels like the first offering underneath Kang's shadow.

There were some stirrings of other improvements too. Like, the thought of Thunderbolts so far is meh with some of the potential players (like USAgent) pretty poorly done in Phase 4, leading to indifference/uncertainty about the film. Valentina Allegra de Fontaine who would run it was kind of comic relief in her first few appearances (Falcon & Winter Soldier? End of Black Widow?) -- but in Wakanda Forever, she gets a little more screen time and actually comes off kind of edgy and dangerous.... like, don't mess with her. Maybe they are finally getting their ducks in a row? Unclear.

 

[Tomb1]

I watched First Blood Part 2 and later the Original Predator. No competition....First Blood part 2 is good but Predator is a cult classic of action. In contrast to First Blood Part 2 which works off the realities of bureaucratic corruption in the Vietnam Era, the premise of Predator makes absolutely no sense....this machine-built Alien drops off into the jungle of South America for the purpose of hunting human game....nobody knows whether the Predator is vacationing on its own accord or was sent there....but who cares whether the Predator carries free will and gets its kicks traveling to a distant planet and collecting human skulls or whether the Predator is an unconscious animal with no grasp of its actions. the point is to just kill the thing. the stalking between the Predator and Schwarzenegger is top notch....holds its own against the best of the best even Hell in the Pacific.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

My wife had a theory that the montage at the end of Blue Velvet might just be a vision Jeffrey imagined after shooting Frank; Jeffrey may have had enough and checked out once he saw Frank laying on the floor amongst his own brain matter and the montage was his imaginary cope.

Don’t agree but a fun idea

 

[Totenkindly]

Watched the new anniversary 4K release of Cloverfield on large screen. It's a nice release, still with the handheld artifacts but as cleaned up as it could ever be (so clarity despite all the fuzz/grain), and a boss sound profile. You can actually interpret the monster's appearance a little better, even if it still feels terrifyingly disjointed and fluid in how it moves. The film is still as moving as it was when i first saw it (maybe in the theater?), because while it's kind of horrifying as a ground-up exploration of essentially a godzilla film, it's from the human's perspective with no prior knowledge + it actually has an emotional core and human-driven plot basically coming down to Rob and Beth. it's also more clear now how Rob's brother Jason's advice to him early coupled with the early events of the film help motivate Rob to go after Beth.

It's just kind of a heart-breaking film in how it bookends, with the reference back to happier times, and also horrifying in spots -- there's nothing quite like seeing the infamous Statue of Liberty moment with all the gouges.

I also finished Ruthless People, which I saw back in the late 80's I guess on VHS originally? Maybe not as funny as I can recall, but still amusing -- and I realized now it is a ZAZ film (before they split up and Naked Gun came out). It is decently cast, esp Danny DeVito who is pitch-perfect in his role of the greedy asshat husband who is thrilled his wife has been kidnapped because now he doesn't have to run any risk from killing her. Bette Midler of course is perfect as the kind of spouse you might wish was kidnapped and who makes life for her "kidnappers with a heart" (Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater) hellish.

There's nothing really like the money-exchange scene at the payphones near the end, when everything intersects, and poor Reinhold shrill with indignity over how nothing seems to go his way.

This film really does scream 80's comedy though in approach and appearance.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Last night I watched Remember (2016). Really solid performances from Plummer, Prochnow, and Landau (and Hank!!).

suspense films like this are a dying breed. Great, efficient pacing, but it also takes its time and breathes. It’s an actor’s movie. A couple points throughout made me question Plummer’s real identity. I think it deserves a rewatch because all of the clues are laid out for the audience, although easy enough to overlook.


Edit: next post sort of gets at why I think films like this are a dying breed.

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Also watched the new Weird Al biopic. I like that it lampoons the recent trend of rock biopics, but it felt a little too much like a bunch of shorter YouTube skits strung together. I guess that makes sense because it’s a Funny or Die production, and Weird Al has really embraced the whole viral internet culture in the last decade, so that aesthetic seemed intentional.

Many recent and current films regardless of the genre feel like they are made to appeal to the generation that enjoys watching short movie clips online, as if every scene and set piece exist as independent parts to be easily enjoyed and digested independent from the whole. I can watch clips from most MCU films and probably tell you the basic plot or synopsis without even seeing the entire things

 

[The Cat]

Also watched the new Weird Al biopic. I like that it lampoons the recent trend of rock biopics, but it felt a little too much like a bunch of shorter YouTube skits strung together. I guess that makes sense because it’s a Funny or Die production, and Weird Al has really embraced the whole viral internet culture in the last decade, so that aesthetic seemed intentional.

Many recent and current films regardless of the genre feel like they are made to appeal to the generation that enjoys watching short movie clips online, as if every scene and set piece exist as independent parts to be easily enjoyed and digested independent from the whole. I can watch clips from most MCU films and probably tell you the basic plot or synopsis without even seeing the entire things

Sometimes I wonder if people want it, or if its just more addictive. Freemium entertainment so to speak, who cares that it exploits brain chemistry and is just more and more what is availible because it makes money...

 

[Totenkindly]

Watched Aftersun. Took half the film for me to sync up with it. It's more an experiential film, where the pacing, visual, and sound palette in conjunction with the tightly personal and subjective viewpoint finally builds to bypassing conscious/logic understanding and I emotionally understood what was going on. (Subtitles helped me a bit too, I know I don't do great with accents even if the dialogue's in English.) It is exploring the summary of our memories esp as children and subjecting them to rescrutiny in adulthood when we might be able to finally understand the things about our parents that we didn't quite lock into as children.

Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio are really great and had a real father/daughter rapport. They had a decent relationship, but the dad is struggling with meaninglessness and lost expectations for his own life, along with the responsibility of being a good dad, and sometimes this leaves him distant, inscrutable, or inconsolable, and hiding parts of himself from his daughter (not necessarily for bad reasons -- sometimes to protect her, sometimes out of embarrassment or shame, sometimes out of depression).

 

[Totenkindly]

Sometimes I wonder if people want it, or if its just more addictive. Freemium entertainment so to speak, who cares that it exploits brain chemistry and is just more and more what is availible because it makes money...

Many recent and current films regardless of the genre feel like they are made to appeal to the generation that enjoys watching short movie clips online, as if every scene and set piece exist as independent parts to be easily enjoyed and digested independent from the whole. I can watch clips from most MCU films and probably tell you the basic plot or synopsis without even seeing the entire things

Well, there is definitely a "shorter time span" focus -- we see this with the shift from e-mail and longer youtube to TikTok and Twitter, as an example.

I find it annoying on my letterboxd account that I can invest an hour writing a thoughtful review of a film and get no likes, but some dipshit just posts a cheesy 5 word thing that says nothing and took him 5 seconds to post and gets thousands and tens of thousands of likes and has thousands of followers. It's pretty terrible.

There will always be a percentage of folks interested in "long-form" storytelling, but people like things broken down. It's why they will binge a 10 episode season of TV in 1-2 sittings but won't want a three hour film. They feel like it gives them more control of their time, plus the storytelling itself might be broken into smaller chunks (for example, even inside a TV show, the plotting is more digestible overall for the popular things). Some of it might not be a change, I'm not sure all of the regular audience for today's media were actually watching prior media that ran longer, this shift made it more marketable and now they're willing to invest.

Sure, money will drive it because money drives everything. Esp in today's streaming world, we are now passing the "golden age" just like the 90's for the internet where streamers have been following a "dump a shitload of money and throw everything at the wall" strategy into their programming, and now they are looking for ways to cut costs and deliver more profit. Hence, so many shows getting canceled regardless of quality, if they cannot generate enough revenue or interest.

 

[The Cat]

Well, there is definitely a "shorter time span" focus -- we see this with the shift from e-mail and longer youtube to TikTok and Twitter, as an example.

I find it annoying on my letterboxd account that I can invest an hour writing a thoughtful review of a film and get no likes, but some dipshit just posts a cheesy 5 word thing that says nothing and took him 5 seconds to post and gets thousands and tens of thousands of likes and has thousands of followers. It's pretty terrible.

There will always be a percentage of folks interested in "long-form" storytelling, but people like things broken down. It's why they will binge a 10 episode season of TV in 1-2 sittings but won't want a three hour film. They feel like it gives them more control of their time, plus the storytelling itself might be broken into smaller chunks (for example, even inside a TV show, the plotting is more digestible overall for the popular things). Some of it might not be a change, I'm not sure all of the regular audience for today's media were actually watching prior media that ran longer, this shift made it more marketable and now they're willing to invest.

Sure, money will drive it because money drives everything. Esp in today's streaming world, we are now passing the "golden age" just like the 90's for the internet where streamers have been following a "dump a shitload of money and throw everything at the wall" strategy into their programming, and now they are looking for ways to cut costs and deliver more profit. Hence, so many shows getting canceled regardless of quality, if they cannot generate enough revenue or interest.

I remember reading a short story back in college, a hazey time still dealing with military programming while being deeply closeted, so I don't remember the title...but it was a nighmare scinario about a future authoritarian dystopia where people predisposed to problematic long term thought had to wear this device that would sonically disrupt their thought patterns essentially programming down their attention span to the point they were just...I hesitate to say "this" but...my attention span has defintely been shortened and my anxiety around not getting content has been exacerbated. Life feels more like a pavlovian nightmare than it used to.

 

[Julius_Van_Der_Beak]

I remember reading a short story back in college, a hazey time still dealing with military programming while being deeply closeted, so I don't remember the title...but it was a nighmare scinario about a future authoritarian dystopia where people predisposed to problematic long term thought had to wear this device that would sonically disrupt their thought patterns essentially programming down their attention span to the point they were just...I hesitate to say "this" but...my attention span has defintely been shortened and my anxiety around not getting content has been exacerbated. Life feels more like a pavlovian nightmare than it used to.

It doesn't feel like a Pavalovian nightmare to me but I don't at all care for apps that prevent the sharing of more long-form, in depth content. I think I've already gone on about this a lot, lately.

I have always been a wordy person with the written word, so I don't care for this mandatory brevity and am bothered that everyone has been so quick to embrace it.

People could just as easily use platforms that don't regulate the length of your posts. Wouldn't it be better to just let people do whatever the hell they liked? But no, I guess not.

 

[Totenkindly]

I ended up just rewatching Captain America & The Winter Soldier last night just to watch something I knew I already enjoyed.

Still my favorite Marvel film. It's paced well, it has shocking / awesome moments [my two favorite set pieces are the elevator/bridge sequence and then the overpass/unmasking sequence later in the film, although the bit with Nick Fury is pretty crazy too], and it's all "regular" with being crazy superhero-y, basically a thriller format film under the MCU banner. Which is funny because I like fantasy more than thriller as a genre, but... it's just so tight. Everything interlocks, and it deals with meaningful themes of groups trading freedom for safety, plus a lot of hearkening back to character beats that end up playing out much later in the MCU (including Endgame). The song playing in Cap's apartment when Fury is hiding out there is the same song that ends Endgame, btw. It establishes Steve's friendship with Sam, which of course becomes more important as the MCU progresses, and it's a formative bit in the friendship of Steve and Natasha as well -- see how it deepens here (starting from a place of semi-mistrust) to what it became in Endgame. You also see a bit of the cockiness of Natasha at the commission hearing at the end, that contributes to what happens in Civil War and the breakdown of the Avengers team. It is its own story, yet sets up so much organically that pays off later -- one of those films that establishes continuity that worked so well for Marvel in Phases 1-3, and with such a great balance to everything. There's real emotional resonance to the scenes with Steve and Sharon, and Steve remembering Bucky. It's hard not to feel bad for him as a man lost outside of time, fighting to preserve a world that he doesn't really fit into any more and also that might not even exist compared to what he was fighting for previously. It makes for his ultimate fate seeming even more "right" in some ways.

(My other favorites are still Infinity War, then Guardians 1&2, then Endgame. The Spiderman films are pretty great too, I just tend to not factor them in as they almost feel separate. And oh, toss Iron Man in there. I think my least favorite is still Captain Marvel, although much of the Phase 4 stuff also falls into that category.)

 

[Doctor Cringelord]

Top Gun may have been the more polished film, but Iron Eagle had more heart.

 

[Totenkindly]

pretty sure I saw that a LOOOOOONG time ago, like late 80's? Was that Louis Gossert Jr in that film? But I literally remember nothing about it.

I'm not really on-board with TGM getting Best Picture, it had some weaknesses, and I don't think Cruise gave a Best Actor performance either (residual CODA mentality is muddying the waters), but the cinematography / editing was pretty impressive in terms of actually getting those shots and making it all (1) coherent and (2) contributing to the dramatic tension. the original film at times felt kinda dead in the air despite their efforts.

 

[Totenkindly]

2023 Oscar Nominations: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Top Gun: Maverick, The Fabelmans, and More Receive Recognition

These are the nominees for the 2023 Academy Awards, set to be handed out on Sunday, March 12th. Check out the full list of Oscars contenders.

consequence.net

I only did a quick skim, nothing really looked super surprising, although maybe something when I have more time to think.

Nice that Paul Mescal got a nod for Aftersun.

EDIT:

Best Director -- Missing - Joseph Kosinski (that was never ensured) + Baz Luhrmann + female directors
Best Actress -- Interesting that Angela Bassett got this. I love Bassett, but... it felt pretty typical, she's done better roles?

Didn't see much for RRR. Nor Decision to Leave.

 

[ceecee]

2023 Oscar Nominations: Everything Everywhere All at Once, Top Gun: Maverick, The Fabelmans, and More Receive Recognition

These are the nominees for the 2023 Academy Awards, set to be handed out on Sunday, March 12th. Check out the full list of Oscars contenders.

consequence.net

I only did a quick skim, nothing really looked super surprising, although maybe something when I have more time to think.

Nice that Paul Mescal got a nod for Aftersun.

EDIT:

Best Director -- Missing - Joseph Kosinski (that was never ensured) + Baz Luhrmann + female directors
Best Actress -- Interesting that Angela Bassett got this. I love Bassett, but... it felt pretty typical, she's done better roles?

Didn't see much for RRR. Nor Decision to Leave.

She should have won for What's Love Got To Do With It? But it feels like Angela Bassett is suppose to make up for NOPE, The Woman King and probably Gabriel LaBelle getting snubbed.

 

[Red Herring]

Looks like German movies get most international recognition when they deal with our, ehm, colorful history (Das Boot, The Tin Drum, Nowhere in Africa, Goodbye Lenin!, The Lives of Others, Downfall, ...). I see All Quiet On The Western Front in that tradition.

 

[Totenkindly]

She should have won for What's Love Got To Do With It? But it feels like Angela Bassett is suppose to make up for NOPE, The Woman King and probably Gabriel LaBelle getting snubbed.

Definitely -- I feel like the two films you list had stronger black female roles, so as much as I love Bassett... sigh. Also had heard some buzz over Danielle Deadwyler for Till, but I did not see that film. It feels like throwing a bone to a popularized role that was less substantial/thoughtful, as a compensation. Again, not busting on BP2 at all, it just was what it was. I still haven't seen the Fabelmans as I don't think it hit streaming for reduced rental yet.

Looks like German movies get most international recognition when they deal with our, ehm, colorful history (Das Boot, The Tin Drum, Nowhere in Africa, Goodbye Lenin!, The Lives of Others, Downfall, ...). I see All Quiet On The Western Front in that tradition.

I noticed that too. I have heard the film mentioned a lot in the last few months (even though I don't even know who saw it, among my circle of acquaintances), whereas other international films have not been mentioned here as much... It feels like a movie that is not based on that kind of event is not nearly as well publicized here.

I mean, Malick's A Hidden Life is topically related a bit (since it's about a conscientious objector), and I saw/loved that film, but over here despite some good critical comments, it really only placed in the NPR's "Top Ten Independent films" for that year. I barely ever hear other German independent films talked about over here, I usually have to go find a critical/film lover site (like Taste of Cinema) to hear about them.