Refn is trying to be too artistic i feel, which then ruins the film. His series Too Ole to Die Young was far too long, the length of the episodes that is.
If one is into art films like Antonioni, you would like him.
Film The Redcafe Movie review thread
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Refn is trying to be too artistic i feel, which then ruins the film. His series Too Ole to Die Young was far too long, the length of the episodes that is.
If one is into art films like Antonioni, you would like him.
I still can't decide if Only Got Forgives is a masterpiece or a piece of egotistical wank.
I had to watch one half one day and the second half another day, as it was too slow. Good film but i would not be rushing to see his next film.
Refn is a pretentious cretin with some truly moronic films under his belt.
Rip in peace RiP.
I think he thinks he is much better than he is actually is. Art wise his films are good. Too slow to watch though.
Neon Demon was on a lot of film critics best film of the year lists.
I also saw it on the worst of lists as well.
I loved Drive but everything after that has been hot trash.
Yea i agree.
Did you see the amazon series? Painfully long. One epsiode was 100 minutes i think. I had my phone out half the time.
When your name is Refn you are pretty much obligated to make artsy as feck movies I feel.
A Lonely Place to Die
Bah, Too Old to Die Young was amazing and Neon Demon was a great original horror.
Nah, haven't got the patience for shit like that.
I remember seeing that. Enjoyed it!
Happy as Lazzaro. Meanders for a while before turning into something quite strange and good. A holy fool wanders out of rural servitude into the wider world. A wistful fairytale vision.
A little bit The Tree of Wooden Clogs meets Manderlay. Maybe some Angelopolous in there too.
A little bit The Tree of Wooden Clogs meets Manderlay. Maybe some Angelopolous in there too.
Lost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's The Island of Dr. Moreau
A documentary about top class Hollywood feckupery (is that a word?). I guess many of you have heard some of the most famous stories from that set but they really don't compare to the first hand account of that movie. You get detailed accounts from Richard Stanley, the director that got fired, most of the actors (Brando, Kilmer, Thwistle and Mini Me are absent) the stuido execs, extras, the lot.
I can't recount some crazy productions like Herzog's Fitzcarraldo but at least that's a well received movie. Moreau is nothing like that. Started as a dream project for a young director that had storyboarded the movie to the smallest detail to it getting out of hand for him only for his cast to drop out for various reasons and then him getting fired and then a new director taking over who didn't care about the money and let Brando basically change it to his liking at will (piano scene, bucket scene, white face scene). Hell for the production crew but makes for a very entertaining documentary.
As for the movie itself, don't bother. I remembered seeing it as a kid and hating it. Girlfriend wanted to see it first before seeing the doc and it's just pure bad and not in any way comedically bad except for the few moments you actually see Brando on scene.
A documentary about top class Hollywood feckupery (is that a word?). I guess many of you have heard some of the most famous stories from that set but they really don't compare to the first hand account of that movie. You get detailed accounts from Richard Stanley, the director that got fired, most of the actors (Brando, Kilmer, Thwistle and Mini Me are absent) the stuido execs, extras, the lot.
I can't recount some crazy productions like Herzog's Fitzcarraldo but at least that's a well received movie. Moreau is nothing like that. Started as a dream project for a young director that had storyboarded the movie to the smallest detail to it getting out of hand for him only for his cast to drop out for various reasons and then him getting fired and then a new director taking over who didn't care about the money and let Brando basically change it to his liking at will (piano scene, bucket scene, white face scene). Hell for the production crew but makes for a very entertaining documentary.
As for the movie itself, don't bother. I remembered seeing it as a kid and hating it. Girlfriend wanted to see it first before seeing the doc and it's just pure bad and not in any way comedically bad except for the few moments you actually see Brando on scene.
BlacKkKlansman
Good film overall. Didn't buy Topher Grace as Duke though, and the Felix guy seemed a bit over the top and cliche. After a quick Google, it seems Grace looks a lot like a young Duke, which must be why he was chosen. It just felt like Topher Grace to me though, yet I'm seeing people on Reddit say he nailed it. In fact the whole thing was a bit over the top and cliche, to the point where it felt like it was a little too light hearted a take on an obviously serious subject to me, or at least not quite gritty enough maybe? I didn't really see the benefit of making it almost feel like a comedy to be honest, but it did make it an easy watch.
Ending, when he was asked to destroy the evidence was gutting. The very end with the modern day clips was quite powerful, and a pretty stark contrast from the rest, in my opinion.
Washington was great, as was Eggold. Soundtrack was enjoyable too.
I feel like they could've made an excellent series out of this. And that would have perhaps suited the whole light hearted, over the top 70s feel a fair bit more, as well as let them really flesh out digging in to the undercover side of it.
Edit: Just seen someone say this on Reddit: 'Someone give Topher grace a hug or something this sort of role must be taxing'
I really didn't get that at all. He just spoke calmly like Topher Grace on the phone for most of it?
Good film overall. Didn't buy Topher Grace as Duke though, and the Felix guy seemed a bit over the top and cliche. After a quick Google, it seems Grace looks a lot like a young Duke, which must be why he was chosen. It just felt like Topher Grace to me though, yet I'm seeing people on Reddit say he nailed it. In fact the whole thing was a bit over the top and cliche, to the point where it felt like it was a little too light hearted a take on an obviously serious subject to me, or at least not quite gritty enough maybe? I didn't really see the benefit of making it almost feel like a comedy to be honest, but it did make it an easy watch.
Ending, when he was asked to destroy the evidence was gutting. The very end with the modern day clips was quite powerful, and a pretty stark contrast from the rest, in my opinion.
Washington was great, as was Eggold. Soundtrack was enjoyable too.
I feel like they could've made an excellent series out of this. And that would have perhaps suited the whole light hearted, over the top 70s feel a fair bit more, as well as let them really flesh out digging in to the undercover side of it.
Edit: Just seen someone say this on Reddit: 'Someone give Topher grace a hug or something this sort of role must be taxing'
I really didn't get that at all. He just spoke calmly like Topher Grace on the phone for most of it?
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Love and Monsters (2020) - 7/10
Good light-hearted escapist fun. You might be rolling your eyes a bit, but you wouldn't be left grumbling and wanting your money back.
The Verdict (1982) - 7.5/10
Hadn't seen this since 1995. Dated for sure, and millennials are going to see 'courtroom drama cliches' everywhere, but it's still good.
Good light-hearted escapist fun. You might be rolling your eyes a bit, but you wouldn't be left grumbling and wanting your money back.
The Verdict (1982) - 7.5/10
Hadn't seen this since 1995. Dated for sure, and millennials are going to see 'courtroom drama cliches' everywhere, but it's still good.
Reddit is the worst for this, it has a habit of overhyping everything.
Americans greatest living director
Watched The Trial of the Chicago 7 yesterday (Netflix). If you want to get angry at the US and the world in general, and how it's changed way too little since 1968/69, look no further. There is a little humor to relieve the tension though. It's also just a very good film, with good acting, great pace, and a very satisfying ending (under the circumstances). Really worth your time.
Watched this earlier today, well worth a watch. The cast is fantastic.
Oh, and great dialogues, too!
I didn't know this trial at all and looked up some stuff afterwards. There is some artistic licensed, of course, but it seems the film is generally quite accurate. In fact, the real judge was even crazier!
Cut Throat City Could have been great but clumsy directing and scripting added to lazy plotlines and caricature instead of character development makes this a frustrating watch. And the contrived ending isn't great. 4/10
The Courier: a reasonably entertaining Cold War drama set in the lead up to the Cuban missile crisis with a strong performance by Cumberbatch. The framing is more theatrical than cinematic (the director comes from theatre) and, after reading up on the real case, it seems the film should have presented more ambiguity but, nonetheless, 7/10.
Concur, really enjoyed it.
That seems impossible to me. Frank Langella did a great job of making that character look intolerable.
No, for real! I did not read on it in detail, but this is what I got from Wikipedia:
The judge actually ordered Seale's treatment and let it last for days:
Crazy contempt convictions:Wikipedia on Seale's treatment said:
Of course, that was all overturned:Wikipedia on contempt citations said:
Hoffman wasn't actually removed from the bench for any of this:Wikipedia on the appeals trials said:
Wikipedia on Hoffman's career said:
Insane.
2 Graves in the Desert
A man and woman wake to find themselves tied and gagged in the trunk of a pick-up truck and it soon becomes clear that they have been kidnapped and taken as hostages. Their two kidnappers have their own agenda, and it's not a pleasant one.
Michael Marsden and Alex Baldwin.
It was shite, utter shite.
2/10
A man and woman wake to find themselves tied and gagged in the trunk of a pick-up truck and it soon becomes clear that they have been kidnapped and taken as hostages. Their two kidnappers have their own agenda, and it's not a pleasant one.
Michael Marsden and Alex Baldwin.
It was shite, utter shite.
2/10
Shocked by this. Expected it to be great given the acting pedigree involved.
The reason I watched it to be honest, they were not in it that much.
Evil Takes Root
Paranormal investigator Felix Fojas arrives in a sleepy Midwest town to investigate the mysterious loss of his old lover, Amanda, and reconcile sins of the past. He discovers she fell victim to the Batibat, an ancient evil that followed her home from the Philippines. Now Felix must battle the forces of evil and unravel the mystery of the Batibat in order to save Amanda's daughter, Sarah, from its hellish grip.
It was OK , seen worse , seen a lot better.
The story was decent, I could have been a whole lot more scary and the ending is very predictable.
5/10
Paranormal investigator Felix Fojas arrives in a sleepy Midwest town to investigate the mysterious loss of his old lover, Amanda, and reconcile sins of the past. He discovers she fell victim to the Batibat, an ancient evil that followed her home from the Philippines. Now Felix must battle the forces of evil and unravel the mystery of the Batibat in order to save Amanda's daughter, Sarah, from its hellish grip.
It was OK , seen worse , seen a lot better.
The story was decent, I could have been a whole lot more scary and the ending is very predictable.
5/10
Watched The Old Guard yesterday. Decent popcorn film, not nearly as bad as I had seen written. The ending is a bit lame though; you'd expect something a bit more historically grounded or bigger/more involved (à la Indiana Jones) given the premise of the group. But anyway, entertaining enough, and I always enjoy Matthias Schoenaerts's performances.
Watched The Hunt last night, starring Mads Mikkelsen. Knew nothing about it and it was one of those "check wiki to see what the general reviews were like" and it turned out to be quite decently received. I thought it was fantastic. Well acted, a plot that made a lot of sense and quite painful to watch at times due to the plight of the main character. Would definitely recommend. Thought the ending was paced just about right, in that it had a quick resolution but still remained very bitter-sweet.
The general plot is that a man in a small town has an accusation made against him. It's a Danish first, so subtitled, but it does contain the odd bit of English here and there. Thought the setting really added a lot to the film and it often appears quite bleak, but totally in fitting with the tone that the film is going for. Really enjoyed it.
The general plot is that a man in a small town has an accusation made against him. It's a Danish first, so subtitled, but it does contain the odd bit of English here and there. Thought the setting really added a lot to the film and it often appears quite bleak, but totally in fitting with the tone that the film is going for. Really enjoyed it.
I actively despise that garbage film.
The Devil All the Time - I enjoyed it. Bleak depiction of post-war American bible belt. It didn't stay with me, although the soundtrack was pretty great.
Would love to see some buster keaton stunts in 4k
Kill me 3 times - quirky, enjoyable Aussie crime comedy with Simon Pegg as a hit man and a nice cameo by Bryan Brown.
Winter's Bone, a film where Jennifer Lawrence has to basically do fecking everything herself to keep her family from losing their home. Great film, I thought. It's grim and you can't help but simultaneously feel sorry and proud of Jennifer Lawrence's character, since she endures so much and displays tons of strength. It doesn't paint a pleasant picture of certain/many areas of America, where people are stuck on a certain rung of the ladder without any hope of working their way out of that situation. Worth seeing, for sure.