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Post by unkinhead on Mar 10, 2020 17:50:32 GMT -8
Tenebrae (1982)
More Argento fun. Little more mixed on this outing. In some ways this outdoes the style he employed in Deep Red...and by that I mean there's that one fantastic scene with the double murder, featuring that incredible tracking shot and wonderful editing.
Lacks both the embedded story interest and consitent mood of Suspiria and Deep Red though. The first murder for instance is rather boring and cheap looking (woman gets poked by knife and gets pages of a book shoved in her mouth while homeless man cheesily looks in on her).
The ending too (though the stylistic flourishes were far more interesting). Overall, i enjoyed it plenty but i enjoy the plot structure and consistent moodiness of the other two.
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Post by Jeremy on Mar 10, 2020 20:31:03 GMT -8
Been over a month since I got to the theater, but I finally found some time and saw Emma. The film is a fervently faithful adaptation of Jane Austen's novel, and benefits from bright visuals and a strong cast, with Anya Taylor-Joy hitting every right note as the lead.
The film can't avoid comparisons with Gerwig's Little Women, but the two differ in one key category - Little Women is subtly re-engineered for 21st audiences, with small adjustments made to characterizations and dialect. Emma, on the other hand, is very firmly (at times comically) situated in the 19th century. The characters all talk as they do in Austen's novel, and there's no real attempt made to update the story or message (which isn't necessarily a bad thing, since the message works in any time period - see Clueless).
Because of its very prim and proper tone, it will probably be an off-putting film for those unfamiliar with Austen's work (whereas Little Women was more accessible to general audiences), but it's a charming and humorous film nonetheless. And boy, do I love that thoroughly pointless period at the end of its title.
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Post by unkinhead on Mar 13, 2020 2:31:39 GMT -8
West Side Story
It's been so long since I've actually seen this film, so I wanted to revisit it to see how I felt, having mostly fond memories.
I'd be very comfortable calling it a masterpiece until the last act (might include some of the 2nd). As soon as things take a turn for the 'dark' is the moment the film takes a slow descent into tired mediocrity. What really struck me this time around was just how striking and beautiful the sets are, and how masterful it is on a technical level, resembling an actual stage but full of convincing artifice and ravishing color (the scenes with the street lights in the back wow). The transporting fantasyesque mood is so consistent and powerful that the opening sequence shot of New York City (real actual shots) was so jarring to me, having not remembered the details of the film. I leaned over to my girlfriend and said something to the effect of "this is weird, i remember feeling like this movie didn't take place in the real world". That perception made a lot more sense as the film moved onward.
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Post by Jeremy on Mar 13, 2020 12:50:57 GMT -8
I agree that the third act of West Side Story doesn't measure up to the first two, but I'm glad the film doesn't shy away from the dark subtext of its premise. It lures you in with frivolous numbers, a sweet R&J love story, and comically bad accents, and then gut-punches the audience when they're most complacent.
I love most of the musical numbers in the film, but special mention should go to Jerome Robbins' choreography, which is spectacular and imbues the film with constant dynamic energy. (Best example is the dancing during "America" - still one of the most extraordinarily-staged musical sequences ever put to film.)
I'm... kind of looking forward to the remake? Not expecting Spielberg to top the original at any stretch, but I think he'll pay it due respect.
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Post by unkinhead on Mar 13, 2020 14:50:15 GMT -8
I agree that the third act of West Side Story doesn't measure up to the first two, but I'm glad the film doesn't shy away from the dark subtext of its premise. It lures you in with frivolous numbers, a sweet R&J love story, and comically bad accents, and then gut-punches the audience when they're most complacent. I love most of the musical numbers in the film, but special mention should go to Jerome Robbins' choreography, which is spectacular and imbues the film with constant dynamic energy. (Best example is the dancing during "America" - still one of the most extraordinarily-staged musical sequences ever put to film.) I'm... kind of looking forward to the remake? Not expecting Spielberg to top the original at any stretch, but I think he'll pay it due respect. Yes, "America" is fantastic top to bottom. Honestly if WSS ended before the dark subtext i would probably still decree it a cinematic masterpiece (don't need plot tension when your films this engaging). I'm glad they don't 'shy away' but somehow all the drama and pacing gets sucked out in its last act. I have already heard bad things from the Spielberg remake (early reviews and such) but I'd certainly give it a shot.
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Mar 13, 2020 17:18:52 GMT -8
Spielberg remaking West Side Story feels like a massive mistake, because I cannot imagine him righting the "wrongs" of the original - but I also can't imagine him sticking with the dreaminess of the original. I just get Psycho '98 vibes from the whole affair.
It also has the misfortune of coming out within months of In the Heights (which looks fantastic imo - I didn't love Crazy Rich Asians but Jon Chu definitely has a knack for visual flair, especially with the Busby Berkeley pastiche promised by the trailer).
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Post by Jeremy on Mar 14, 2020 20:22:19 GMT -8
Yeah, I caught a trailer for In the Heights at my screening of Emma earlier this week, and was immediately struck by the West Side Story parallels. No real familiarity with the Broadway show (and I dislike most of Chu's pre-CRA work), but it looks plenty energetic.
Unkin, have there been early reviews for Spielberg's film? It seems too early for those; maybe you're thinking of the recent Broadway revival?
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Quiara
Grade School
Posts: 775
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Post by Quiara on Mar 14, 2020 20:28:35 GMT -8
That'd be funny. Are there two directors more polar in their opposition than Spielberg and Ivo van Hove?
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Post by unkinhead on Mar 15, 2020 14:56:14 GMT -8
Yeah, I caught a trailer for In the Heights at my screening of Emma earlier this week, and was immediately struck by the West Side Story parallels. No real familiarity with the Broadway show (and I dislike most of Chu's pre- CRA work), but it looks plenty energetic. Unkin, have there been early reviews for Spielberg's film? It seems too early for those; maybe you're thinking of the recent Broadway revival? Yeah not sure what I was confusing it for. There are definitely no reviews for it as of yet.
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Post by unkinhead on Mar 16, 2020 22:54:40 GMT -8
Rope
Saw Hitchcock's Rope today and thought it was interesting, but not much more.
Interesting use of color, a few well-executed thrills, and a beautiful choreographed dance under the illusion of a single take.
I know it's the 40's, but the philosophical plot points were so ridiculously sophmoric and cringey I just couldn't help but be taken out of the film (Stewarts grand epiphany that ALL people deserve human dignity), yes Jimmy, I also read and admire the wisdom within the declaration of independence!
While i generally admire technical expertise, it only really feels warranted and is truly appreciated when it properly acts in service of a greater mood or feeling, and Rope falls short in comparison to Hitchcocks other works in this regard. A snappy, intriguing watch, but nothing inherently special as a piece of film, less its affect on later better films that incorporate its technical mastery into more compelling works.
Film snobs will perpetually throw praise at films like this and others (Breathless, et. al) that redefine film structure, but i think it's okay to acknowledge that a film can break new ground without being all that inherently spectacular. Rope's a great example of this. Good little film though.
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Post by Jeremy on Apr 3, 2020 12:48:19 GMT -8
Saw Onward today. Not hard to recognize that it's from the same director as Monsters University - lots of brightly-colored creatures inhabiting a world that's a slight aesthetic tilt on our own - and visually, it engages pretty well. Story is nothing special by Pixar standards, and the film tries to simultaneously emphasize and underplay its status as a "quest" movie, to mixed effect. Still, it has some fun characters and peppy dialogue, and the last 20 or so minutes are quite strong. Plus, with all the sequels Disney and Pixar have released lately (good as some have been), it's refreshing to have an original film again.
Oh, I saw this on Disney Plus, obviously. Doesn't look like we'll be getting too many theatrical releases for a while.
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Post by guttersnipe on Apr 4, 2020 5:06:41 GMT -8
Did you see it with the Simpsons short attached? I recall reading somewhere that it was theatres only, but circumstances have changed somewhat...
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Post by Jeremy on Apr 4, 2020 18:33:02 GMT -8
Nope, not included on the Plus. I hope they make it available eventually; I'd like to see how it stacks up to "The Longest Daycare" (which played with Ice Age 4 eight years ago. How time flies...)
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Post by guttersnipe on Apr 5, 2020 4:52:08 GMT -8
Ah, that's a shame. I'd considered signing up for a free week's trial just for the film anyway, until it turned out you guys were just keeping that arrangement to yourselves (presumably a digital wall can be set up in no time at all). So one way or another, I now probably won't get to see it for a few months, with or without Silverman's short. I had briefly considered using this time to tackle TSPDT's Noir list until I realised that left me with a whopping 412 titles to see - and I thought I'd really done my homework on noir (it is the richest vein of American filmmaking after all, if not all cinema), but in any case it's refreshing to see William Castle championed on anybody's list.
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Post by Jeremy on Apr 5, 2020 9:46:12 GMT -8
I've seen about 15 films on that list, so... only 985 to go!
And hey, Coup de Torchon - I watched that film in class a few years ago. (I believe it's the only non-animated French film I've seen start to finish.) Interesting antihero drama, albeit kind of slow-paced.
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