The Last Movie You Watched? ver.2.0

afbeelding

Not spectacular but nice entertainment.

And those who don’t like Evil Dead II?

Still my favourite of the westerns he directed, along with High Plains Drifter (i slightly prefer Pale Rider). Never cared much for Josey Wales or Unforgiven, both well-meant but rather cumbersome efforts

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Good to see five stars here. I lost touch with this director over the years, but this movie is still one of my all time favourites

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Last 10

  1. Franco: Les Gloutonnes
  2. Lelio: Disobedience (T)
  3. Niskanen: Käpy selän alla
  4. Verhoeven: Show Girls
  5. Nolan: Interstellar
  6. Rippert: Homunculus
  7. Lewis: Which Way to the Front?
  8. Leni: Das Wachsfigurenkabinet/Waxworks
  9. Arsan & Piazzoli: Laure
  10. Kieslowski: Blizna

Over the last week:
The Hitcher (Harmon, 1986) :star::star::star::star:
Ghostbusters (Reitman, 1984) :star::star::star:
The Elephant Man (Lynch, 1980) :star::star::star::star::star:
Weird Science (Hughes, 1985) :star::star::star::star:
Scarface (De Palma, 1983) :star::star::star::star:
RoboCop (Verhoeven, 1987) :star::star::star::star:
Predator (McTiernan, 1987) :star::star::star:
An American Werewolf in London (Landis, 1981) :star::star::star::star:
Aliens (Cameron, 1986) :star::star::star::star:
They Live (Carpenter, 1988) :star::star::star::star:
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (Hughes, 1986) :star::star::star::star:
Style Wars (Silver, 1983) :star::star::star::star::star:
Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo. (Anno, 2012) :star::star::star:
The Terminator (Cameron, 1984) :star::star::star::star:
Fright Night (Holland, 1985) :star::star::star::star:
The Shining (Kubrick, 1980) :star::star::star::star:
Blade Runner (Scott, 1982) :star::star::star::star::star:
Akira (Ôtomo, 1988) :star::star::star::star::star:
Full Metal Jacket (Kubrick, 1987) :star::star::star::star::star:
Near Dark (Bigelow, 1987) :star::star::star::star::star:
The Thing (Carpenter, 1982) :star::star::star::star::star:
Repo Man (Cox, 1984) :star::star::star::star::star:

Finished my 1980’s movie viewing challenge with a flurry of my favourite pictures, both of that decade and of all time. Tomorrow, I kick off my June challenge: 90 From the '90s.

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Does this mean you’ll be watching nought from the noughties next week?

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I love this one so fucking much. Definitely one of my favorites from the 1980s.

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Definitely. There’s a timeless quality to it too. Could’ve been made yesterday, or fifty years ago.

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Prince of Darkness (1987) - 7/10 - A good 'un. Not one of Carpenter’s most memorable works, but it delivers I guess.

Absence of Malice (1981) - 7/10 - Paul Newman is definitely the best thing about the movie, but the direction by Pollack ain’t bad at all. Pretty absorbing most of the time on account of its rather skillful storytelling.

Maniac Cop (1988) - 5/10 - This one verges on being goofy too many times to surmount its overall trashiness. It’s not at all that bad though, plenty of moments that are entertaining enough. I especially liked the flashback sequence which was handled rather well IMHO.

Off Limits (1988) - 6/10 - A decent thriller about a couple of rebellious cops trying to nail a killer butchering Vietnamese prostitutes. The pacing is on the fast side, but it keeps the things interesting and fortunately doesn’t maim the overall structure. The movie isn’t much more than that which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since it at least provides the entertainment it is supposed to and it’s a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kind of flick.

Miami Blues (1990) - 8/10 - A hilarious crime comedy about the wayward conman played by Baldwin. The film is fraught with acerbic humor and excellent performances which additionally buoy up the solid screenplay. Lots of laughs guaranteed.

Hardcore (1979) - 8/10 - The more movies by Schrader I watch, the more interested I become in his oeuvre on the whole. Am I the only one that thinks he’s got a more distinctive visual style than Scorsese (even if the latter is a bit better in the storytelling department)? I also thought that the portrayal of the stern Protestant Christian was very well handled probably by virtue of Schrader knowing about this kind of pious Christian environments a lot.

Hit List (1989) - 5/10 - It’s pretty good most of the time, however, the ending happens to one of the most asinine things I’ve witnessed in a while and effectively undermines most of the upsides the movie yields beforehand.

The Sacrifice (1986) - 10/10 - A re-watch.

The Border (1982) - 6/10 - An interesting look at the lives of border agents who must grapple with the gargantuan scope of illegal immigration on a regular basis and struggle to stay righteous in the averse environment filled with lots and lots of individuals thriving upon human misery and capitalizing upon human trafficking themselves. Not much more than that, pretty straightforward, but entertaining enough.

South of Reno (1988) - 6/10 - This is a very odd movie indeed which is more of a full-length character study disguised as a feature film as one of imdb reviews pointed out. Nothing wrong with that at all and despite the fact that not a whole lot happens throughout its running time, it remains pretty interesting on the whole. The film is so odd and peculiarly amusing in its own distinct way that it makes you wonder whether it was intended as a very oddball comedy or something else indeed.

Shoot to Kill (1988) - 7/10 - A fast-paced actioner which sometimes suffers from its ham-fisted sense of humor, but the chemistry between Berenger and Poitier keeps things afloat. The characters almost function as though it was a full-fledged buddy film which ain’t too bad at all and juices the story up quite considerably.

Andrei Rublev (1966) - 9/10 - A re-watch.

Wedlock (1991) - 6/10 - Probably one of the most entertaining flicks I’ve seen in a while. It’s a little dumb, sure, but it never gets too dumb and keeps a balance between its serious tone and comedic one quite dexterously. The dialogues are witty and piquant and even one-liners sound unusually funny in the context of the movie. The cast is also remarkably good for this kind of flick: Hauer, Rogers, Chen, Remar, Tobolowsky. I liked the score, the pacing an so forth. I’m not sure if it will be as good the second time around, as there is nothing this magnificent about it, but at the same time, it is a fun, fun little flick.

2001: A Space Odyssey - 5/5
The Killing - 4.5/5
Escape From Alcatraz - 4/5
In the Line of Fire - 4/5
Million Dollar Baby - 5/5
Mr Majeystyk - 3.5/5
28 Days Later - 4/5
28 Weeks Later - 3/5
The Conjuring 2 - 3/5

Didn’t particularly take to The Conjuring 2 eh, Dean? I didn’t either, and I find myself in a bit of a minority on that front. I really liked The Conjuring, I thought it was about as good as one could expect a big studio horror to be, really. The sequel though… meh.

IMO, of course.

I do love James Wan, and it was better than I expected. But too many cliche predictable jump scares etc. :neutral_face:

My favorite Romero film

AAhhh, Bruce lee , my man . Nuff said

Pacific rim.

20170303013604

De Premier (The Prime Minister - 2017, Erik van Looy)

A Belgian thriller, by the same man who brought us the successful Memory of a Killer and Loft. This new thriller is - as you might expect from this director - slick and entertaining, but it succumbs under the weight of a far-fetched script. The Belgian prime minister is kidnapped, along with his wife and kids, and is ordered to kill the US president, whom he will meet later the same day. If he refuses, he won’t see his wife and kids again. Van Looy almost pulls it off, thanks to his feeling for style and atmosphere, but a more tongue-in-cheek approach to the story material would’ve helped viewers to look past this rather ludicrous premise. The president of the US in this movie is a woman, played by a British actress (Saskia Reeves)

V1_SX178_AL the classic

To Live and Die in L.A. (1985) - 9/10 - A re-watch. It’s probably the most exciting and stylish thriller I’ve ever seen and by far my most favorite Friedkin movie.

Slam Dance (1987) - 3/10 - A jumbled mess of a movie that has some major problems with the way it recounts its main storyline. You could almost say that the pic oozes with ‘narrative complacency’, the film is supposed to be this witty and titillating exercise in nonlinear storytelling, but its allegedly sophisticated whodunit plot is hardly ever interesting or all that comprehensible for that matter. The turnabouts happen, new characters appear, but there is no prepossessing progression, everything is cobbled together in the most disoriented way possible.

Babette’s Feast (1987) - 8/10 - A very nice period drama that has a very distinct, fable-like atmosphere to it. Filmed with care and taste.

The Park is Mine (1985) - 7/10 - Surprisingly good, the movie revolves around a Vietnam vet who basically decides to draw public attention to the plight of veterans who are frequently treated with negligence or overt hostility with no regard for their status. The plot is pretty interesting and the execution makes for a relatively gripping viewing. Tommy Lee Jones is excellent as well.

Nowhere to Hide (1987) - 7/10 - Another good one. Despite having most of the ingredients that all low-budget actioners of this sort have (i.e. slightly cheesy action scenes and corny presentation of antagonists), the film distinguishes itself by having some really good acting in there and the lead actress does a great job at portraying the wife in distress. Other than that, the basic premise is not utterly preposterous either and the story is relatively well delineated. Taking into the account the budget and the conspicuously paltry production quality, this thing is splendid in its own right.

P.I. Private Investigations (1987) - 6/10 - A decent one, slightly more ludicrous than the above one, but it delivers anyhow I guess. It’s a sit-back-and-enjoy-the-ride kind of flick.

Pin (1988) - 5/10 - It has several mildly creepy moments, but it overall verges on being somewhat unintentionally funny most of the time. Not sure if it is on account of the direction that seems to highlight all the ridiculous things the script has to offer or something else. The story itself isn’t that asinine, it’s merely the way it is presented to the viewer that prostrates the overall atmosphere and engulfs the film in the oppressive ambiance of absurdity and ridiculousness. Technically, it’s a decent movie, just not an eminent one IMHO.

Wraith (1986) - 3/10 - An awful piece of shit. The former half is at least pretty entertaining probably owing to the fact that it refuses to take itself too seriously and focuses on car racing and things of that nature. Nevertheless, it goes downhill in the second half once the pacing decelerates and the narrative gets exasperatingly scattered. I won’t even allude to all the stupid shit that happens throughout the course of the movie, it’s to be taken for granted, but the rest of it regrettably isn’t much better either.

On the Beach (1959) - 6/10 - I expected a brooding and pensive quasi-theatrical piece set in one location or something to that effect, but it unfortunately devolves into this maudlin post-apocalyptic drama that is all over the place in terms of storytelling. It endeavors to develop too many subplots and characters and consequently, it ends up being a movie about this nuclear holocaust rather than about the people facing it. It’s okay I guess, but it could’ve been much better.

And Justice for All (1979) - 7/10 - Let’s face it, it’s all about Al Pacino’s performance. Jewison’s direction in of itself ain’t that bad, but it gravitates towards the old-fashioned mode of making movies, meaning that he occasionally attempts to embellish his work with a comic relief irrespective of the primarily somber tone of the motion picture. There are more things of that kind, but Pacino elevates it to the next level with his poignant performance.

Survival Quest (1988) - 4/10 - It’s a survivalist drama all right, but one that is mostly aimed at minors. It doesn’t venture into any territory that could be construed as something requiring parental advisory and no grittiness is to be found here. Lance Henriksen’s performance is about the only good thing worth mentioning, the rest is meh.

Strange Behavior (1981) - 5/10 - A mixed bag. Some of it is edited and shot in a rather haphazard manner, but despite its fair share of flaws, it boasts a splendid atmosphere and succeeds in conjuring a sense of dread which shouldn’t be a rare thing in horror movies. The tension is well built and even if I don’t care about the final revelation, its sinister tone makes this one worth a look.

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Last ten days:
Casino (Scorsese, 1995) :star::star::star::star:
Apollo 13 (Howard, 1995) :star::star::star:
Dead Man Walking (Robbins, 1995) :star::star::star::star:
Trekkies (Nygard, 1997) :star::star::star:
Misery (Reiner, 1990) :star::star::star:
Audition (Miike, 1999) :star::star::star:
Twelve Monkeys (Gilliam, 1995) :star::star::star:
Run Lola Run (Tykwer, 1998) :star::star::star:
Hardware (Stanley, 1990) :star::star::star:
The Straight Story (Lynch, 1999):star::star::star::star:
The Cable Guy (Stiller, 1996) :star::star::star:
A Quiet Place (Krasinski, 2018) :star::star::star:
Jacob’s Ladder (Lyne, 1990) :star::star::star:
GoldenEye (Campbell, 1995) :star::star::star:
Alien Resurrection (Jeunet, 1997) :star::star::star:
Army of Darkness (Raimi, 1992) :star::star::star:
Death Wish (Roth, 2018) :star::star::star:
Pleasantville (Ross, 1998) :star::star::star:
The Brady Bunch Movie (Thomas, 1995) :star::star::star:
Die Hard With a Vengeance (McTiernan, 1995) :star::star::star:
Wayne’s World (Spheeris, 1992) :star::star::star:
Interview With the Vampire (Jordan, 1994) :star::star::star:
The Exorcist III (Blatty, 1990) :star::star::star::star:
Kids (Clark, 1995) :star::star::star::star:
Tremors (Underwood, 1990) :star::star::star:
Solo: A Star Wars Story (Howard, 2018) :star::star::star:
Event Horizon (Anderson, 1997) :star::star::star:
South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (Parker, 1999) :star::star::star:
The Transformers:The Movie (Shin, 1986) :star::star::star:
As Good as it Gets (Brooks, 1997) :star::star::star::star:
Kalifornia (Sena, 1993) :star::star::star:
El Mariachi (Rodriguez, 1992) :star::star::star:
Trees Lounge (Buscemi, 1996) :star::star::star::star:
Princess Mononoke (Miyazaki, 1997) :star::star::star::star:

Third of the way through my “Ninety From the '90s” June challenge.

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