2024 MOVIES DISCUSSION THREAD

[Andrew POE!]

2 minutes ago, HarryArchieGus said:

Couldn't disagree more on Niagara. Just watched it a second time and found it captivating. Monroe is wonderful, and Cotten reminds what a pro he is, but maybe the real standout is Jean Peters. Who is this Jean Peters!? I've fallen in love. I love Hitchcock, but he didn't create all these nuances. You could just as easily suggest Henry Hathaway is ripping Lang. Well, at least we agree on the gorgeous Technicolor photography. OH, we also agree on Blue Collar. A real gem in the Schrader catalog. 

p.s. I just saw a screening of Ferris Beuller's Day Off, hadn't seen it in many years, and first time in the cinema. I thought every bit of it was sensational. Not a goddamn moment wasted. And Ferris' behaviour is absolutely questionable. Not a barrier for me. Tremendous casting top to bottom. 

Yeah, that's understandable - I perhaps need to expand my knowledge of more older films and seek out work from Griffith/DeMille/Pabst/Murnau/Lang. Hitchcock didn't just come up with what he did by himself.

I think my problem is a lot of the Hollywood movies from the 1950s I find to be really limited and creatively handcuffed (although In A Lonely Place and Sunset Boulevard are perfect movies to me). 1940s movies didn't have that problem for me with the various film noirs I saw. Maybe I'm just talking out of my ass.

It's crazy how influential Ferris Bueller's Day Off is. A lot of '90s/2000s/2010s/2020s teen comedies owe a debt to that movie. Even Domino's Pizza did an ad years ago that was straight Ferris Bueller.

[Elsalvajeloco]

On 8/6/2024 at 10:37 PM, Andrew POE! said:

Movies today....

State And Main (Criterion Channel, leaving at the end of the month) - 5/5 stars

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Basically, an American version of Day For Night except with a load of Woody Allen energy.

Whip-smart dialogue and characters, as David Mamet is able to do. I'm surprised that everyone wasn't cussing a blue streak even Julia Stiles (since it is a Mamet written screenplay).

I got a chuckle of "I remember the lines, just not the order they're in" line being used earlier in the movie than by Alec Baldwin later in the movie.

The movie is about the things the "movie within the movie" were striving to be about - although it is also about the cynicism of Hollywood to tap into those feelings.

I loved Jesse Plemons - I mean Phillip Seymour Hoffman's role as the screenwriter and his loyalty to the truth and to himself. His character's relationship with Rebecca Pidgeon's character is probably one of the more realistic romances.

And it's almost spooky how Alec Baldwin's character gets in trouble with the law except it's with a relationship with Julia Stiles and not misfiring a gun.

So State and Main is definitely worth a watch.

Blue Collar (Criterion Channel, leaving at the end of the month) - 5/5 stars

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If you told me a movie with Harvey Keitel, Richard Pryor and Yaphet Kotto would still hold up today, I wouldn't believe you. I don't say this that often about movies I watch, but everything about this was perfect. Cinematography, acting performances, shot selections, staging/blocking, and characterization just is amazing.

So many classic lines from this:
"I take home two-ten a week. I gotta pay for the lights, gas, clothes, food, every fuckin' thing, man. I'm left with about thirty bucks after all the fuckin' bills are paid. Gimme a break, will ya mister?"
"Credit's the only thing you can get free from the company. ... 'Buy this shit, buy that shit.' All you got's a buncha shit."
"They pit the lifers against the new boy and the young against the old. The black against the white. Everything they do is to keep us in our place."

So many standout scenes - Zeke (Pryor) standing up against the union steward (Lane Smith) at the start of the movie. The party scene where Pryor may have snorted actual cocaine. Yaphet Kotto in the paint room is just nervous to watch. Harvey Keitel's character being followed and the resulting accident. That final freeze frame at the end.

I love the subtle character change with Pryor at the end - he's no longer wearing a tanktop but wearing a long sleeve shirt. The joking nature of his voice is gone. Pryor's scene with Keitel towards the end where his character explains things have changed is just magical.

Even the credits are great - it's the same color and font color as Longlegs. You could probably have it play T. Rex's "Bang A Gong" and it would work.

If I could give this 6 stars out of 5 stars, I would. Essential cinema.

Niagara (Criterion Channel, leaving at the end of the month) - 2/5 stars

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Watch kids - this is why copying Hitchcock for a movie doesn't mean your movie will be good.

Gorgeously shot and wonderful in Technicolor, but just a bad movie. It's like a B-Movie in terms of acting, scripting, and overall execution.

The highlights were of course Marilyn Monroe with the long close-up of her face while she quietly sings along with the record. Or laying on the bed and listening to the bells chiming.

Her death scene was quite good and seemed like something Alfred Hitchcock would do with the window bars and the various shots of the bells, now slient. And the imposing shot of the tower.

But the rest of the movie was really lacking. Jean Peters was great as a Kim Novak like actress and Casey Adams does okay as a William Holden like actor. Don Wilson and Lurene Tuttle as Mr. & Mrs. Kettering made me wish they would go swimming without life jackets. Joseph Cotten was the other lone highlight but his characterization was either he’s an innocent man or he’s a killer and the movie tried to do both. The dialogue in the non-dramatic scenes was clunky and just terrible.

The climax being bereft of music is certainly a choice - although a genius like Bernard Hermann would have added dramatic tension with his score to make it better. But then you would be watching Vertigo.

So Niagara is an interesting noir that uses Technicolor well for its scenes.

Miami Vice (2006) (Netflix, leaving at the end of the month) - 4/5 stars

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First off, this is not a character driven movie. One simply doesn't watch Miami Vice (2006) for deep, engrossing characters. You will not find them.
It may not even be an acting driven movie. Everyone in the movie acts really uncomfortable, almost robotic. Which is fine.

Crockett (Colin Farrell) and Tubbs (Jamie Foxx) have as much characterization as a cocktail napkin Crockett drinks mojitos on.

The story isn't that deep either, but it's compelling enough to warrant continued watching.

What I loved about Miami Vice wasn't wall-to-wall action, but rather a sense of tension leading up to action. Standout scenes to me were the rescue of Trudy (Naomie Harris) and the remote explosion in the trailer park. The shootout near the end where it literally looked like Yero (John Ortiz) got shot and killed. The opening scenes set to "Numb/Encore" is just incredible to watch.

What carried me through this movie is the documentary style and the camerawork. It's a counterpoint to Collateral, which did a similar documentary style too. Whereas Collateral is an all time classic and Miami Vice is just nice.

Re: Blue Collar

It wouldn't hold up? I'm surprised they haven't remade it yet because it was so good and flew under the radar. That and most of the themes in the film still hold up today. The scene where the IRS folks come by to verify all the kids Pryor and Chip Fields are reporting on their tax return so they have to run and find the kids they claimed around the neighborhood? Man, unfortunately, that's very relatable in African-American households from my own personal standpoint even though the procedures have changed. You could make that film now and only have to change around a few things.

[odessasteps]

It’s arguable quality of 1950s films dropped as the studios started trying to do more gimmicks to bring back all the audiences lost to TV. (The more things change…) 

id encourage people to watch pre Hayes Code films, especially crime films, if they want to see some creativity before things were stifled. 

[Andrew POE!]

10 minutes ago, Elsalvajeloco said:

Re: Blue Collar

It wouldn't hold up? I'm surprised they haven't remade it yet because it was so good and flew under the radar. That and most of the themes in the film still hold up today. The scene where the IRS folks come by to verify all the kids Pryor and Chip Fields are reporting on their tax return so they have to run and find the kids they claimed around the neighborhood? Man, unfortunately, that's very relatable in African-American households from my own personal standpoint even though the procedures have changed. You could make that film now and only have to change around a few things.

Actually, I was saying it would hold up but I was utterly surprised that it did. Those scenes you mentioned with Pryor and the kids were especially relatable and just speaks today for people having to find money to pay for things while wages go down.

I'm trying to think of good actors that would work for a Blue Collar remake while keeping the same dynamic.

 

[HarryArchieGus]

9 hours ago, Andrew POE! said:

Yeah, that's understandable - I perhaps need to expand my knowledge of more older films and seek out work from Griffith/DeMille/Pabst/Murnau/Lang. Hitchcock didn't just come up with what he did by himself.

I think my problem is a lot of the Hollywood movies from the 1950s I find to be really limited and creatively handcuffed (although In A Lonely Place and Sunset Boulevard are perfect movies to me). 1940s movies didn't have that problem for me with the various film noirs I saw. Maybe I'm just talking out of my ass.

I was referencing all the great writers/directors of the Film Noir era. To which I'd assume you're pretty familiar with. I also didn't mean to diminish Hitchcock-ian as a reference point. My first view of Niagara featured some minor crowd disruptions. It was also a print, which I was thankful to see, but nowhere near as thrilling as the vivid technicolor of the digital remaster. 

Edited August 10 by HarryArchieGus

[Andrew POE!]

3 hours ago, odessasteps said:

It’s arguable quality of 1950s films dropped as the studios started trying to do more gimmicks to bring back all the audiences lost to TV. (The more things change…) 

id encourage people to watch pre Hayes Code films, especially crime films, if they want to see some creativity before things were stifled. 

Local arthouse theater near me is running pre-Hayes Code films but I think they're ending the series soon. I may look at the list and try to watch them online. Baby Face is one of them for sure.

[tbarrie]

11 hours ago, HarryArchieGus said:

p.s. I just saw a screening of Ferris Beuller's Day Off, hadn't seen it in many years, and first time in the cinema. I thought every bit of it was sensational. Not a goddamn moment wasted. And Ferris' behaviour is absolutely questionable. Not a barrier for me. Tremendous casting top to bottom. 

I haven't seen Ferris Bueller in thirty or forty years, but the problem I remember having is that the whole film seemed designed to build anticipation to seeing that obnoxious jerk Bueller get his teeth kicked in (literally or metaphorically) - but it never happens. The moment at the end where his sister declines to turn him in is one of the great feel-bad moments in cinema. Which maybe was the point? I don't know.

[Death From Above]

is it possible the Borderlands movie was even worse than I feared? I hope Cate Blanchett cleared 8 figures for this shit show, queen.

[Andrew POE!]

Movies today....

The Woman King (Netflix, leaving next week) - 4/5 stars

Spoiler

Gina Prince-Bythewood, who did the classic Love & Basketball, treads the historical war epic path for this movie. You can see the influences - Ridley Scott in the scale matching Gladiator & Troy, Tony Scott in the violence and Kurosawa in the personal and humanistic aspects from The Seven Samurai, Ran & The Hidden Fortress. The rescue from the slave traders was especially Kurosawa-esque. The movie even cribs a bit from George Lucas with the opening crawl and the scene where General Nanisca (Viola Davis) ascends to the Woman King status.

Even though this is a 2+ hour movie, it didn't feel like a 2+ hour movie. The story beats were energetic, sharp, and kinetic throughout the movie. Most of the story is the relationship between Nawi (Thuso Mbedu) and Nanisca.

A lot of the movie is relationships and Nawi's journey. She is trying to prove herself, which is easy to get behind. Nanisca recounting the story of her escape was especially gut-wrenching as Nawi finds the shark tooth hidden in her skin.

Shot compositions and staging/blocking was especially great in the movie. I will complain that some of the night time scenes were a bit hard to see the bodies of people involved, although the camera focused on the faces/eyes (like John Ford would say to do).

The relationship between Nawi and Malik (Jordan Bolger) was a bit lackluster and not as well developed. He obviously cares for Nawi and her people, but it felt rushed. The movie lead me to believe it would develop into a more romantic relationship, but that wasn't the case. As proven with Love & Basketball, Gina Prince Bythewood is up to the task of depicting black romance, so that was a lost thread.

I will remark that I am not sure about the historical accuracy of the movie. Sadly, this is the case with all historical epics and The Woman King is equally guilty of depicting historical events through the lens of Hollywood blockbusters.

I hope to see what Prince-Bythewood does next.

Last Summer (saw in the theater) - 4.5/5 stars

Spoiler

Lea Drucker is absolutely evil as Anne. The start of the movie is on Anne's face as she tells a rape victim what she needs to say on the stand. Drucker as Anne is forceful, direct, and commanding.

What I like about this movie is how relaxed it felt at the start after that intro. Anne goes about her life, visits her sister, picks up after her stepson, who clearly doesn't give a shit. Her stepson Theo (Samuel Kircher) reminded me a bit of the famous Tadzio (even down to his hair) from Death In Venice. The difference being is Theo has a voice and is drawn to having the affair with Anne as Anne is.

I especially loved the first shot where this happens. Theo & Anne are watching a French anime as the camera zooms in tight during their kiss. This is while a get-together is occurring.

Theo soon realizes that he is outmatched by his stepmother. She's playing chess, while he's playing checkers. He attempts to reveal the truth and does off-screen to his father Pierre (Olivier Rabourdin) at the chalet. Pierre's body language is easy to determine that he's been told; he is a bit withdrawn as he comes back with his adopted daughters and confronts Anne. The lighting and shot composition for the confrontation is great as Anne isn't directly facing Pierre as they talk.

One scene I liked was Anne reading the story of the Little Mermaid to the daughters while Pierre & Theo are away. The shot lingers after Anne's line about 'a prince looking no older than 20 years old," noting the symbolism between Theo and the prince.

The settlement scene was absolutely devastating. Anne agrees and the charges are dropped. Theo is shaking as Anne leaves.

The ending made me gasp as Theo and Anne have their last tryst.

The thing about this movie is it would be expected that Anne would get her comeuppance, but she doesn't. She uses her power and wealth to avoid accountability, honed by a career of making others face accountability. Catherine Breillat's point is the rich and powerful in this situation don't get what they deserve for their actions and evil isn't outwardly shown but rather hidden in normal, everyday appearances. Another review compared this to Summer Hours, which an apt comparison but I also compare it to elements of Godard's Weekend.

Still, a great movie to watch even with the controversial subject matter.

Please Baby Please (Mubi, leaving towards the end of the month) - 3.5/5 stars

Spoiler

I have no idea what I just watched, but it's like a really horny mixture of Rainer Warner Fassbinder's Querelle with West Side Story, A Streetcar Named Desire and Blue Velvet. Most of the movie feels like a trip through a subconscious mind as Arthur (Harry Melling) and Suze (Andrea Riseborough) come to grips with their gender identities and who they really love. The Young Gents are violent and dangerous but yet Arthur and Suze can't stay away. Arthur and Teddy (Karl Glusman) have crazy amount of passion and lust every time they are on screen.

It's best not to think of this movie in terms of plot rather than fantasy. Demi Moore's scene with Riseborough was a standout. Also, the telephone booth with "Since I Don't Have You" is another standout.

The Ladykillers (1955) (Criterion Channel, leaving at the end of the month) - 3.5/5 stars

Spoiler

Delightfully dark comedy...I can see where Wicked Little Letters was influenced by this in it's usage of British humour. Not to mention that the opening scene for Wicked Little Letters was set up almost the same way as the opening scene to The Ladykillers.

Alec Guinness looks absolutely malovelent when he first appears on the screen - as if he came from a Hammer horror film with his slicked back hair. Peter Sellers wasn't as wacky as usual and was rather subdued, but still funny.

The highlight was the robbery scene as the crew - Herbert Lom, Cecil Parker, Danny Green, Sellers and Guinness - involved carry it out with the lorry stopped in the middle of the road and opening up the other lorry.

I loved the madcap scene involving the taxi, the cart vendor and the horse; this was something out of a Marx Brothers film with it's insanity.

As Louisa Wilberforce (Katie Johnson) begins to figure things out, the crew plots ways to murder her but can't seem to pull it off. I loved the scenes toward the end with Lom and Guinness trying to get rid of each other. I busted out laughing as Guinness' character is hit on the head and falls into the train.

The movie is superbly shot and cinematography has a soft focus throughout the movie. As far as I'm aware, a lot of British movies at the time were shot in similar fashion.

I have the later remake, so I guess I'll watch that at some point.

Still Alice (Max, leaving at the end of the month) - 5/5 stars

Spoiler

"If I had a boat/I'd go out on the ocean/and if I had a pony/I'd ride him on my boat" -Lyle Lovett, "If I Had A Boat"

This movie had me in a perpetual state of being on the verge of crying. For me, most melodramatic/character focused movies leave me a bit cold. The humanity and realness isn't apparent nor easily reachable. There's a reason why most dramas are downplayed and words like "saccharine," "melodrama" and "manipulative" are used. The emotions the filmmakers want people to have are in easy reach and they succeed.

With Still Alice, this is a bit different.

Julianne Moore exhibits a realness to her character. The movie starts with it focusing on her face as she talks to her family at a birthday dinner. The handheld camera makes it feel intimate. I never felt like she was acting; I felt like her character was her and she was her character.

As the movie progresses, Moore's character progresses in her experience with early onset Alzheimer's.

I loved the frequent use of out of focus shots in the movie - this is first encountered when Alice goes on a run to Columbia University and becomes almost dizzy, as the world around her is out of focus. The camera is focusing solely on her face. Another time this is done is when Alice's husband (Alec Baldwin), Anna (Kate Bosworth) and Tom (Hunter Parrish) are talking about moving to Minnesota for John's job. The camera focuses on Alice as the three are out of focus and in the frame.

Another technical aspect I loved is the initial doctor visits near the start of the movie. The camera once again focuses on Moore's reactions and expressions as her character is asked questions related to diagnosis for her disease.

A standout scene to me is Alice's speech before the Alzheimer's Association. I had to pause the movie and compose myself before continuing. Moore was incredible during that scene and captured the fight and desire to fight despite knowing she would not win.

I found I especially loved the scenes with Kristen Stewart, who played Alice's youngest daughter Lydia. Lydia would answer the same questions that her mother asked her before, patiently. Lydia and Alice would have flare up of emotions as Lydia wants to be an actor while Alice would caution her and advise her to have a backup plan. For whatever reason, I love it when movies acknowledge how prickly and how impossible doing acting work is in real life. Most movies seem to present false assumptions about having a job as an actor.

The ending with Lydia and Alice is especially heart-breaking.

What I can complain a bit is the life in this movie would be a bit different if Alice wasn't a professor at Columbia University or her husband didn't have a job with the Mayo Clinic or one of her children didn't become a lawyer and another one didn't become a doctor (it touched on that a bit with Lydia and Alice's relationship being a bit rocky). Suffering from Alzheimer's looks different if you're lower or middle class. Getting an EKG sets people that are uninsured back for quite a bit. Obviously, this doesn't lessen the message of the movie, but it is a bit wearing to see.

Still Alice in a small way accomplished what directors like Ingmar Bergman would seek to do with cinema. Obviously, this movie isn't even in the same league as Bergman. But it's worth remembering.

 

[(BP)]

I just didn’t see Bueller at the right time. By the time I got to it I’d seen Broderick as a sardonic weiner in so many things that I couldn’t imagine him being that slick or charismatic. Also, I’m usually fine with separating art from artist, but this a film where Jeffrey Jones stalks teenagers and Broderick is featured prominently behind the wheel of a car. 

[HarryArchieGus]

13 hours ago, tbarrie said:

I haven't seen Ferris Bueller in thirty or forty years, but the problem I remember having is that the whole film seemed designed to build anticipation to seeing that obnoxious jerk Bueller get his teeth kicked in (literally or metaphorically) - but it never happens. The moment at the end where his sister declines to turn him in is one of the great feel-bad moments in cinema. Which maybe was the point? I don't know.

Might be worth another look. The movie is 100% not designed for a payoff it doesn't deliver. The journey, and each moment upon it, is the design. 

2 hours ago, (BP) said:

I just didn’t see Bueller at the right time. By the time I got to it I’d seen Broderick as a sardonic weiner in so many things that I couldn’t imagine him being that slick or charismatic. Also, I’m usually fine with separating art from artist, but this a film where Jeffrey Jones stalks teenagers and Broderick is featured prominently behind the wheel of a car. 

I suppose I get that. Do you research all the movies you watch to make sure none of the participants were later discovered for any sort of foul play? How do you feel about the rest of the cast/crew taking a hit for a couple rotten apples?

[Andrew POE!]

Movies today....

Armageddon Time (Peacock, leaving this week) - 3/5 stars

Spoiler

Probably one of James Gray's weaker efforts despite the promise of the premise and poignancy of the coming of age narrative. Some of the same problems with Little Odessa (Gray's first feature film) plague Armageddon Time. While the family drama and narrative was good, the film's pace was a bit disinteresting.

The highlights were the scenes with Banks Repeata (Paul) and Anthony Hopkins (Aaron Rabinowitz). I especially loved the scene where they fire a rocket in a park and Paul mentions hearing his classmates at the prep school say things about black and brown people. "Be a mensch to those people" as Aaron tells Paul. This scene is followed by Paul going to the hospital where his grandfather is.

Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway deliver decent performances although it's hard to reconcile their liberal leanings with child abuse toward Paul, especially after Paul is caught smoking weed in a bathroom with his friend Johnny (Jaylin Webb).

Throughout the movie, it does make mention the presidential candidacy of Ronald Reagan and attempts to draw parallels to Fred Trump and Mary Ann Trump involved with the prep school Paul is attending. While normally I am fine with pointing conservatives out being evil, this actually lessen the movie a bit. Paul's home life and his artistic endeavors should have been more of the focus of the movie. The family dinner scene where Esther (Hathaway) is making fish while Paul orders Chinese takeout was where the family dynamics worked despite the chaotic nature.

The movie spends a lot of the time detailing Paul changing schools and the students at both schools. Regardless of which school Paul is at, it's an overall miserable experience and it took me out of the movie a bit. Having to deal with issues at home then at school without having a release value is wearing to watch. The movie attempts this with Paul and Johnny stealing a computer. I liked how the scene where Johnny goes to the pawn shop was shot; it's far enough away where the shop owner is in view while maintaining a medium length.

For the most part, Armageddon Time is a decent if uneven movie.

Marcel The Shell With Shoes On (Netflix, leaving towards the end of the month) - 5/5 stars

Spoiler

"The trees are coming into leaf/Like something almost being said;/The recent buds relax and spread,/Their greenness is a kind of grief" -Philip Larking, The Trees

As life affirming as Wim Wenders' Perfect Days while capturing the magic and mystery of childhood in Spike Jonze's Where The Wild Thing Are, Marcel The Shell With Shoes On is a movie about finding a community out of loneliness and isolation.

Marcel (Jenny Slate) acts the way any isolated but caring precocious child would when discovering the wider world. First, through the internet then through television with 60 Minutes' Lesly Stahl.

What I love about this movie is it's ability to express larger ideas about togetherness and finding and loving other people through a community. I found it touching that the community of shells would hide - the way children would hide - when an argument would ensue between the former occupants of the house.

Isabel Rossellini is the highlight as Connie; she brings a weariness to an older shell that sees her life coming to an end. But yet she's happy that Marcel gets to share his story and to reunite with his other family.

The movie is a brilliant blend of stop motion animation, documentary filmmaking and narrative drama and comedy. I wish it won the Oscar over Guillermo Del Toro's Pinocchio (even though I like Del Toro's movies a lot).

Lawrence of Arabia (saw at the theater) - 5/5 stars

Spoiler

I caught this at a Fathom screening at AMC. No, sadly it's not the 70mm cut. But it is one of the best damn movies I've ever seen.

Modern blockbuster cinema can point to Lawrence of Arabia as the starting point. Star Wars, Planet of the Apes, Star Trek, Indiana Jones series, Jurassic Park series, even Dune Part One & Part Two (which is basically Lawrence of Arabia in space) owe a debt to this movie. The scope, scale, length and width of shots and of cinematography that make those movies to see in a theater came from this.

The two halves of the movie are almost like they are separate movies. The first two hours tell a story of T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) ascending to the equivalent of Lisan al Gaib but in real life World War II era Middle East. He earns the trust of the various divergent tribes involved, who essentially make him a leader. Another aspect of Lawrence's character I liked was his daredevil spirit. The motorcycle wreck at the start and the usage of fire - either putting out a fire with his fingers or lighting cigarettes for people with the match close to his fingers. This is important at the start to demonstrate that the first half of the movie is about Lawrence earning the respect of the Arab people. The scenes where he's given new clothes after his old clothes are burned and he stares into the knife's reflection at his face show this change.

The second half is "Lawrence is the chosen one, now what?" as he engages in a rebel uprising to destroy trains and his men steal from the trains. At one point, he personally shoots unarmed people as they are escaping. His clothes, facial expressions, and even the soundtrack demonstrate this change as he wonders what this is all for.

What struck me is how almost homoerotic the scene where Lawrence is captured and question by the Bey (Jamie Ferrer) is. The way Lawrence looks at the Bey and looks at the men who captured him is in a sick sort of way homoerotic. Not to mention Ali (Omar Sharif) saying he 'loves Lawrence' (although to be fair, that may be reading too much into it).

Another aspect I loved was the usage of shadows. Lawrence looks at his own shadow after receiving his new garbs. The camel's shadows are shown against the desert as Lawrence rides along. The famous scene in the second half where Lawrence walks across the top of the train.

Violence in the movie is handled very differently than most movies even for that time period that I have seen. Rather than showing the other person being killed, you see the character committing the violence's reaction. This is true during one of the scenes where one of the people in Lawrence's group kills people with a sword and after Lawrence had to enact judgment with a pistol. Violence is affecting those enacting it as much as those receiving it.

There's also many wide angle shots of the desert that gave George Lucas the idea for the first Star Wars. Near the start as Lawrence and his guide see a figure approaching them at a well. The famous scene cut as Lawrence blows out a match and it cuts to a red sunset.

The other supporting characters - including Sir Alec Guinness as Prince Faisal - really add to the movie as well. I loved the scene before the intermission as General Edmund Allenby (Jack Hawkins) and Dryden (Claude Rains). "I've got orders to obey, Thank God. Not like that poor devil. He's riding the whirlwind." "Let's hope we're not." The scene even showed in one of the Star Wars prequel movies.

If there's anything that's a bit of a disappointment - it would be that the movie doesn't end the way it starts. The movie has the crash and funeral at the start and had me thinking it would serving as a framing device; the movie would return to the funeral and people getting in their cars and driving off. Instead, Lawrence is promoted to Colonel and passes a group of people on camel, looking longingly at them and then a motorcycle speeds past him.

It felt like there was 'more' after that, but that wasn't the case.

Also, the “white savior” story motif has aged poorly in 2024. It’s hard to really root for Lawrence since he is also being used by the British empire despite his best efforts to have the people of the region have a say in their own future. The scene where Lawrence grabs at his own skin and says "this imprisons me" shows that he realizes the war he's in he can't truly win. He's an outsider to the culture and they need their own voice. Sadly, the scenes where he is having to run a meeting and use a gun as a gavel is heartbreaking. This group of people is arguing over which group disabled the power transformers, not what they want the British Empire to do. The final scenes playing out the way they did show that the British Empire will do what pleases them regardless of what an officer in their army wants.

Even then, I can't say I regret giving Lawrence of Arabia the rating I've given it.

Le Doulos (Criterion Channel, leaving at the end of the month) - 3.5/5 stars

Spoiler

Tremendously stylish and influential French New Wave/film noir but a bit flat acting wise and story wise. The opening 15 minutes is great however.

Some of the acting was a bit too withdrawn for me and it wasn't due to Serge Reggiani as Maurice. Reggiani somewhat looked like Rowan Atkinson in the face. Fabienne Dali as Fabienne was a bit monotone in her part and that took me out of it a bit.

Jean Paul Belmondo was the highlight in the scenes he was in as a character caught up with the police and committing heinous acts against Therese (Monique Hennessey).

To be honest, having a lot of the actors looking similar to each other made it a bit harder for me to follow the story. It's possible if I watch it again, it'll become a bit more clear to me. For now, I'll rate it 3.5 out of 5 as a result.

 

[Mister TV]

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Nixon's resignation I rented Dick the 1999 comedy directed by Andrew Fleming. Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams were hysterical in this, really wish this was some kind of hit so they'd get paired up again. I said this previously, Dan Hedaya's Nixon is one of the best ever put on film, there's a scene where Nixon realizes the girls know too much and he turns against them, Hedaya is able to go from silly satirical Nixon to evil Nixon seamlessly. It's weird to see Will Ferrell be constrained in his scenes as Bob Woodward since he's teamed with with Bruce McCulloch who's doing his Dustin Hoffman as Carl Bernstein impression.

[Technico Support]

On the Rewatchables pod, they did a two-episode discussion of Pulp Fiction.  At one point, they mentioned that it was Butch who keyed Vincent’s car (ostensibly after the “I ain’t your friend, palooka” confrontation at the bar).  Is that an accepted fact or just speculation?  In 30 years, it’s the first I’ve heard of it.  

[Brian Fowler]

2 hours ago, Technico Support said:

On the Rewatchables pod, they did a two-episode discussion of Pulp Fiction.  At one point, they mentioned that it was Butch who keyed Vincent’s car (ostensibly after the “I ain’t your friend, palooka” confrontation at the bar).  Is that an accepted fact or just speculation?  In 30 years, it’s the first I’ve heard of it.  

It's mentioned on the on-screen trivia track that was included on the DVD. So I've at least considered it factual for the last 20+ years.

[Curt McGirt]

I've never heard that either. Damn, keyed his car AND laid him down with his own Uzi. I wonder if he knew, even guessed?

EDIT: And now I'm wondering if Marcellus went back on his promise and hunted down Butch after finding out Butch murdered Vincent.

Edited August 13 by Curt McGirt

[odessasteps]

Hopefully, he knows that it’s Vincent’s own fault for going there without Jules. 

[J.H.]

 

5 minutes ago, odessasteps said:

Hopefully, he knows that it’s Vincent’s own fault for going there without Jules. 

But Jules quit by that point no?

James

[Andrew POE!]

Movies today....

The Edge of Seventeen (Netflix, leaving at the end of the month) - 4/5 stars

Spoiler

Great coming-of age high school movie that attempts something a bit different. It's not quite to the emotional heights of The Perks Of Being A Wallflower or classics like Fast Times At Ridgemont High, but it's great.

Hailee Stenfeld was great as Nadine, who is awkward and funny and takes everything personally (like an actual teenager).

The supporting cast (Woody Harrelson, Kyra Sedgwick, Blake Jenner, Haley Lu Richardson) are great as well.

The only drawback is I wish that Nadine had experienced more consequences for taking her mom's car and leaving her stranded at work rather than a scene of Mona (Sedgwick) going into her room and throwing her clothes into garbage bags.

Erwin Kim (Hayden Szeto)'s short film is very much like a '90s Nickelodeon cartoon episode.

Cat People (1982) (Criterion Channel, leaving at the end of the month) - 4/5 stars

Spoiler

This is the most A24 movie I've ever seen. If it came out today, it would be shown at a film festival between I Saw The TV Glow and Love Lies Bleeding. The movie is absolutely bonkers, sexy, and just dripping in atmosphere.

The story doesn't make any sense and is just gross, but somehow works too. Malcolm McDowell and Nastassja Kinski play brother and sister and after the weird intro involving a woman tied to a tree and black leopards, Kinski's character arrives in New Orleans.

I dug the camaraderie between the zookeeper characters and they're joking with each other. Kinski's scenes at the bar with Annette O'Toole were great too.

I love several of the shots in the movie - the shot in the zoo as it pans down to the office area is a great shot. Not to mention some of the shots in John Heard character's apartment. I also loved one shot where McDowell is using a Nikon camera and taking a picture of a woman at a cemetery and it cuts to Heard's character using a camera.

The special effects weren't that good but whatever you just roll with it. One of the characters getting his arm ripped off was actually pretty decent and had me wondering if it really happened, just based on how it looked. And Malcolm McDowell being naked and Nastassja Kinski naked is great scenes too. Almost Ken Russell-like with some of the scenes for that.

Not the best of Paul Schrader, but what can be done?

Patty Hearst (Criterion Channel, leaving at the end of the month) - 3/5 stars

Spoiler

An art film disguised as a biopic. First half of the movie had great, experimental filmmaking with usages of light and shadow, distorted past memory and nightmarish present. Second half of the movie loses it's way a bit but does decent by the end.

Natasha Richardson is great in her role - she plays Hearst through the various stages as she eventually sympathizes with her kidnappers. Ving Rhames was a bit overwhelming as Cinque but a lot of the film's dangerousness and center was when the character was alive. After Cinque dies, the group (and the film) falls apart.

The ending is an incredible bit of acting shot from a close-up of Hearst. "When I finally surfaced: real person, real story. I was inconvenient. But I'm here - and I'll let 'em know it, too."

Some of the other scenes I loved were the psychologists' interviews with Hearst and the US attorneys talking about the case with an open ceiling as the camera pans down to their table.

Great and innovative technical aspects, but bit of a weak movie.

Skincare (saw at the theater) - 3/5 stars

Spoiler

Trashy yet hypnotic thriller with Elizabeth Banks channeling Nicole Kidman in To Die For. The plot was rather easy to guess, but every scene was just fun to watch.

The movie reminded me a bit of Hal Ashby's Shampoo as well - which is about someone running into obstacles trying to launch a small business too.

Lots of wide angle shots of Los Angeles and Hollywood, which can't be screwed up at all.

Some of the story aspects toward the end seem a bit far-fetched, like Hope Goldman (Banks) going to Angel (Luis Gerardo Mendez)'s house to follow the mechanic who was going to beat him up.

Still, not a bad effort.

 

[odessasteps]

8 minutes ago, J.H. said:

 

But Jules quit by that point no?

James

Yeah. Vincent makes the mistake of going on a job without his partner, because it’s after the diner showdown. 

[odessasteps]

Is it fair to say the longest lasting legacy of Cat People is the Bowie song?

[Andrew POE!]

7 minutes ago, odessasteps said:

Is it fair to say the longest lasting legacy of Cat People is the Bowie song?

That probably and nearly every actor/actress in the remake gets naked.

[Brian Fowler]

4 hours ago, J.H. said:

 

But Jules quit by that point no?

James

Okay second bit of Pulp Fiction trivia. 

It wasn't Vincent's Uzi and Vince didn't go alone. Because Jules quit and Marcellus was so angry, he went with Vincent. But he went out to get coffee and left his gun on the counter.

[Technico Support]

God damn I love Pulp Fiction.  Time for a rewatch.

[The Natural]

2 minutes ago, Technico Support said:

God damn I love Pulp Fiction.  Time for a rewatch.

I've been debating whether to go for the 30th Anniversary of Pulp Fiction screening as it's in my top five Greatest Movies of All Time. However y'all know how much I love Batman. 

Next month some different cinemas in the UK and Ireland are having a Batman 85 Years celebration showing:

• Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993).
• Batman Forever (1995).
• Batman and Robin (1997).
• Batman Begins (2005).
• The Dark Knight (2008).
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
• The LEGO Batman Movie (2017).
• The Batman (2022).

Of those:

• Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993). Bought tickets. It's been my #1 re-release bucket list film ever. I was hoping it would be shown as a tribute to the late great Kevin Conroy in November 2002 or the 30th Anniversary in December 2023 but didn't happen.
• Batman Forever (1995). Sentimental as it was my first Batman Movie in cinemas. No need to see it again.
• Batman and Robin (1997). Watched this on original release. No way will I see it again.
• Batman Begins (2005). Watched this on original release. Tempted to see this again with Alyson. I love this film.
• The Dark Knight (2008). Watched this on original release twice in proper IMAX which is why I'll stick to those screenings.
• The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Watched this on original release in proper IMAX. By far the worst film in The Dark Knight Trilogy so won't see it again.
• The LEGO Batman Movie (2017). Watched this in cinemas when originally released. Won't see it again.
• The Batman (2022). I'll stick to my memory of seeing this with my Dad and Aje on my birthday when originally released.
• Surprised there's no Batman (1989) or Batman Returns (1992) especially the former turned 35 this year. I experienced both in the cinema for the 30th Anniversary.

Once I tick Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) off, I'm only missing Batman (1966).