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Post by guttersnipe on Jun 27, 2021 10:26:49 GMT -8
It's not the maddest place I've ever been to for traffic compared to say, Jakarta, Lima, Manila, Cairo especially and maybe Nairobi, but even as motorcyclist who greatly appreciates the ability to weave around congestion and tailbacks, it still strikes me as a city I'd do anything to avoid traversing, especially as it has an efficient (if dirty) subway system.
Or at least it was when I went twelve years ago.
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Post by Jay on Jul 1, 2021 9:56:25 GMT -8
Heathers (1989)
I have seen the other more famous pairing of Winona Ryder and Glenn Shadix (RIP), so it behooved me to check out this one. It's a strange artifact, simultaneously looking backwards towards recent John Hughes movies and a nostalgia for high school "coming into one's own" dramas and forwards to things like Mean Girls and, disturbingly, the Columbine shootings a decade later. The angle is supposedly more cynical parody, but it rings a bit true when you consider how toxic school environments can be as you have cliques, homophobia, fatphobia, administrative handling of mental health issues, all sorts of topics, to the extent that the broad characters, zingy one-liners from the alpha Heather, and conscious lampoons of stuff like the writing in a diary trope can almost fade into the background in favor of the larger criticism. The relationships of the adults to the kids could be singled out as especially cynical because Veronica's interactions are entirely perfunctory if not insulting towards her father and the JD's relationship with his dad is the sociopathic mirror image of early family sitcoms (targeting the father particularly for the special kind of callousness unique to the real estate and development industry). It remains topical both because the world has gotten worse and closer to it and few have dared to risk more in a mainstream movie.
Also Christian Slater spent the whole movie doing a Jack Nicholson impersonation is that just his deal
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Post by Jay on Jul 1, 2021 14:49:11 GMT -8
I post about Christian Slater and then Chris Evans tweets about him and he goes viral, so Occam's Razor dictates that Chris Evans lurks here look I don't make the rules
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Post by Jeremy on Jul 1, 2021 19:32:10 GMT -8
And Evans specifically tweeted about 1989 Christian Slater! He's most definitely a lurker.
The phrase is pretty cliched at this point, but Heathers is one of those films that probably could not be made today. At the time it premiered, school violence was common but not nationalized, and the strain of dark, cynical humor could be interpreted as metaphorical commentary on more adult aspects of society. Nowadays, it'd just be uncomfortable interpreting the story as it is. (The critically-panned TV version was originally set to premiere in early 2018, but had to be postponed several months following Parkland.)
All in all, it's a very good movie, even if the R-rating means it will probably never have the adolescent following gained by spiritual successors like Clueless and Mean Girls.
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Post by Jay on Jul 1, 2021 22:00:08 GMT -8
I was actually tiptoeing around the "couldn't be made today" phrasing because I think it's often used too casually, but in this case it 100% applies, not because it's obscure, but because it goes too far.
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Post by Jeremy on Jul 14, 2021 18:55:34 GMT -8
Been trying to carve out some time for writing this summer, but have had limited success this far. Still, I've watched a few new releases lately.
F9 and The Tomorrow War pair well in that they're both very good at being very dumb turn-your-brain-off blockbusters (or would-be blockbuster, in Tomorrow War's case) bolstered by charismatic casts. F9 isn't one of the better Fast & Furious movies - John Cena can hardly fill the gap left by The Rock and Jason Statham - but it successfully carries the torch of cinema's smartest dumb franchise. There are a number of moments that verge on self-parody (I half-expected a scene where Vin Diesel revs up his engines and guns it over a pool with a shark), but it's all in good fun, with Justin Lin making a welcome return to the director's chair.
The Tomorrow War is overlong and overly convoluted, which is bizarre for a film that's apparently aiming to be a brainless alien shoot-em-up in the vein of Independence Day. (It was even released in time for July 4th weekend.) The time-travel conceit wears thin after a spell, but the film shines whenever it focuses on the family dynamic at its core. Sadly, the story doesn't allow for much of the touchy-feely stuff, and the action runs low by the time we hit the climax. Still, I got a kick out of watching this cast - notably Sam Richardson (Splett from Veep) as a steady supplier of comic relief - and was never really bored.
I also watched Luca, the latest Pixar film and the shortest since the original Toy Story. (It clocks in at under 80 minutes, sans credits.) The film is a gentle fable, clearly striving for the feel of a placid Miyazaki film like Kiki's Delivery Service or My Neighbor Totoro. (The Italian town in which the film takes place is called Portorosso.) But beyond the lush animation, there isn't much going on in this film, at least not to the extent I usually expect from Pixar. That's not to say that every film from the studio needs to be a complicated psychodrama, but Luca mostly feels like it's aimed at kids. Still, it's pretty adult for a kids-only movie, if that makes sense.
The best film I watched this week was Shiva Baby, a droll discomfort comedy set at a Jewish funeral wake. I was afraid the film was going to portray the one-sided view of religious services that Hollywood is typically known for, but the film was refreshingly nuanced, an impressive feat considering its 75-minute runtime. The film takes place almost entirely at one location, and it uses the small space to its advantage, working as a good character piece for its out-of-place protagonist, and earning its well-placed moments of uncomfortable tension. Some laugh-out-loud moments too, especially if you understand Yiddish. (Though I should stress, that is not a requirement for enjoying the film.)
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Post by Jeremy on Jul 20, 2021 20:41:59 GMT -8
I may write something longer about the Space Jam sequel when I have the time, and particularly about how Hollywood's exploitation of nostalgic IP is reaching toxic levels. All in all, it is not a good film, both tonally confused and nonsensically plotted (not that I expected much more from the director of Night School and the fifth Scary Movie), and less interested in telling a coherent story than in cramming as many commercials for other Warner Bros. films and TV franchises as possible. (The villain is a sentient WB algorithm, which is more irony than the movie can handle.)
I never loved the original Space Jam (which, alas, seems to make me an outlier in my generation), but there's a kitschy charm to the film's exploitation of all things '90s, as well as a story that zips along in just 88 minutes. Meanwhile, A New Legacy runs for nearly two hours, huffing and puffing from one disaffected plot point to the next, misunderstanding the appeal of both the Looney Tunes and a high-stakes basketball game all the while. But obviously I'm writing this as an adult; this movie is clearly aimed at kids, who will doubtlessly love the references to Austin Powers and The Matrix and cameo appearances by the droogs from A Clockwork Orange.
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Post by Jay on Jul 25, 2021 14:03:15 GMT -8
Brain Candy (1996)
With the Kids in the Hall wrapping production on a series reboot, I figured I should at least watch their earlier film entry as I enjoy their work by sketch standards. A friend had already sent me some of the most beloved gags from it ("it was only a couple of flipper babies!"), but a lot of the humor managed to stick the landing 25 years later. A qualm, and one within that qualm: The aesthetic overall is very, very mid-90s, with a stand-in grunge band and a marketing guy who looks like he belongs in Matchbox 20 and Cancer Boy who just looks like Billy Corgan. Within that we also have a very 90s attitude towards antidepressants, that everyone would become smiling catatonics, and while I am not sure that pharmaceuticals are the only solution (I'm reading The Body Keeps Score now and fluoxetine has been great for me, but I also don't think it's meant to pave over structural changes in one's life), that was a prevalent attitude at the time that kept me from getting help until I was quite dysfunctional, so I am not really into the basic concept of a bunch of guys saying "maybe we shouldn't be happy all the time and the variability is what makes us enjoy the good times." Pleasant platitudes, if it works for you.
Kingdom: Ashin of the North (2021)
Another quasi- TV movie via Netflix, Ashin arrives to bridge a gap between the end of S2's big reveal and an S3 being worked out. It's fairly predictable revenge fare on it's surface, but has some enchantment in the scenery and the fact that centuries old Korean politics is not a familiar touchstone for most. It also fits with the broader series thematics in that the ruling class is self-indulgent and power hungry, bureaucrats and soldiers are largely unexceptional, and anyone blindly following orders deserves what's coming to them no matter what their intentions. It's a functional set piece. I'd compared it to the Negan backstory in TWD, but I jumped ship long before we got there. One bit of restraint on their part is being the franchise it is, you anticipate human zombies, but indeed there are none until the last twenty minutes or so, which allows some of the character drama to emerge more naturally, but like my experience with A Quiet Place, Pt. II there was some close calls and anticipation built into that, I'm just not convinced they didn't flub or retcon something in the process. Watch it if you're into the series but there's not a whole lot to recommend it on its own beyond the novelty of setting.
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Post by Jeremy on Aug 20, 2021 15:20:23 GMT -8
All in all, I was not impressed by the summer crop of movies this year. A few standouts, but (for a variety of reasons) most of the season was in the "eh" to "bleh" range. Quick rundown of some recent views:
Free Guy - Despite borrowing ideas and concepts from about a dozen other famous movies of the past thirty years (The Truman Show, The Lego Movie, Wreck-It Ralph, et al.), this film is in fact a clever and often very funny critique of Hollywood's dearth of originality. It's somewhere between an action blockbuster, a rom-com, and one of those quirky viral commercials starring Ryan Reynolds (you know the ones, even if you don't remember the products), with tongue-in-cheek references and clever background jokes throughout. Reynolds continues to be good at translating his Deadpool persona to other stories, and Jodie Comer is great as the lead lady. A little self-indulgent in spots, but a smart and enjoyable ride.
Jungle Cruise - A largely underwhelming attempt by Disney to transplant the Pirates of the Caribbean sensibilities to a jungle setting (complete with swashbuckling slapstick action and complex mythology) that is just about redeemed by the chemistry between The Rock and Emily Blunt. The rapport between the two stars keeps the action fun and the story engaging, particularly in the first half, though the second half buckles under the weight of overcomplicated plotting and mediocre special effects. Too scary for little kids, too juvenile for adults... but those two stars keep it watchable.
Jolt - There's a scene in this movie where Kate Beckinsale is being chased through a maternity ward and starts throwing babies in the air to distract her pursuers. This scene is amazing and horrifying all at once. The rest of the film is a bland, cookie-cutter action film in the Crank vein. Beckinsale is fine (and distinctly British), but nothing her character goes through is handled with any pizzazz. The ending of this film sets up a sequel in about the most contrived and generic way you can imagine; clearly the producers did not watch Free Guy.
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Post by ThirdMan on Aug 20, 2021 15:22:38 GMT -8
LOL, I guess I spoke too soon on the other thread.
And though those movie references are certainly accurate, the movie is also HEAVILY influenced by the Grand Theft Auto video game series (minus the swearing and bloodshed). The ridiculous vehicles in the characters' garages were pretty damn funny (one even had a HORSE!).
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Post by Incandescence 112 on Aug 22, 2021 16:40:24 GMT -8
All in all, I was not impressed by the summer crop of movies this year. A few standouts, but (for a variety of reasons) most of the season was in the "eh" to "bleh" range. Quick rundown of some recent views: Free Guy - Despite borrowing ideas and concepts from about a dozen other famous movies of the past thirty years ( The Truman Show, The Lego Movie, Wreck-It Ralph, et al.), this film is in fact a clever and often very funny critique of Hollywood's dearth of originality. It's somewhere between an action blockbuster, a rom-com, and one of those quirky viral commercials starring Ryan Reynolds (you know the ones, even if you don't remember the products), with tongue-in-cheek references and clever background jokes throughout. Reynolds continues to be good at translating his Deadpool persona to other stories, and Jodie Comer is great as the lead lady. A little self-indulgent in spots, but a smart and enjoyable ride. Jungle Cruise - A largely underwhelming attempt by Disney to transplant the Pirates of the Caribbean sensibilities to a jungle setting (complete with swashbuckling slapstick action and complex mythology) that is just about redeemed by the chemistry between The Rock and Emily Blunt. The rapport between the two stars keeps the action fun and the story engaging, particularly in the first half, though the second half buckles under the weight of overcomplicated plotting and mediocre special effects. Too scary for little kids, too juvenile for adults... but those two stars keep it watchable. Jolt - There's a scene in this movie where Kate Beckinsale is being chased through a maternity ward and starts throwing babies in the air to distract her pursuers. This scene is amazing and horrifying all at once. The rest of the film is a bland, cookie-cutter action film in the Crank vein. Beckinsale is fine (and distinctly British), but nothing her character goes through is handled with any pizzazz. The ending of this film sets up a sequel in about the most contrived and generic way you can imagine; clearly the producers did not watch Free Guy. What'd you think of Green Knight?
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Post by Jeremy on Aug 22, 2021 20:03:16 GMT -8
I've heard good things, but there's too much sex/nudity for me to see it in theaters. Will watch it once it's easily rentable and I can hit the fast-forward button.
Incidentally, I was reminded today that Taika Waititi previously appeared in the noxious Green Lantern movie, ten years before Free Guy. Much like Ryan Reynolds, he has come a long way. Now I hold out hope for Korg to appear in the next Deadpool movie.
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Post by Jay on Aug 30, 2021 7:22:01 GMT -8
Starting Spooky Month early...
Pumpkinhead (1988) If I told you I just saw the movie where Lance Henriksen tries and fails to kill a slimy, long-headed monster with a flamethrower, you'd think I was talking about Aliens, but nay. The premise seems pretty straightforward as a revenge slasher, but there are a few things I think that make it stand out in the crowd, perhaps contributing to its cult following. One is that the monster and the lead are connected, the latter having summoned the former to take vengeance for him, and there's an underutilized psychological depth there where once the creature starts killing, he wants to call it off as he's beset by horrifying visions, he just is unable to do so by the bounds of the contract. "So revenge makes you the monster?" Yeah, basically. Secondly, while there are a lot of teens getting murdered, the order they get offed defies your normal horror movie conventions. It doesn't quite hit Evil Dead territory with the subversion, but the surprise is pleasant and I think consonant with the themes. A third bit... they show the monster? And not even for like half-frame flashes, you'll see him up close early on and sauntering around the cabin outside. It's a bold move. I don't know if it pays off, but it's different. As I'm looking at IMDB now, it seems that the film was directed by special effects wizard Stan Winston, also known for his work in the Terminator, Alien, and Predator franchises, so I guess that explains what he went on to do, though the X-Ray stuff on Amazon informed me that he did NOT supervise the creation of the monster in this film.
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Post by Jay on Sept 19, 2021 8:29:06 GMT -8
A shorter dump of the last few Fridays....
Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) I'd already seen this years ago, but felt the urge once more for a variety of reasons. In no particular order, 1) Keanu Reeves and Anthony Hopkins are both terrible with accents and both require them for the roles, 2) Winona Ryder and Keanu technically legally got married, and 3) Gary Oldman eating every scene he's in as old Drac. Between the weird costume designs (Drac's armor always looks like a flayed man to me) and abundance of practical effects, it's still watchable as Hollywood piece that put considerable effort into set design. I was also surprised in rewatching how much effort they put into recreating the epistolary format of the novel by having all manner of voice-over correspondence read by the characters.
They Live (1988) I wound up stumbling into a Peacock Premium subscription and this was a worthy kick-off. Politically, it seems no less topical now than it was in the final days of the Reagan era with the rise of the yuppies and various bad actors engaging in globocide for no clear reason other than to line their pockets. At least in this one, they're aliens. But by now, it's become more strange to look at, thinking of how things were then and how they are now, it's like being the frog in the slowly boiling water. I suppose I find the film more interesting politically than I did in execution because the last third or so feels rather rushed and very differently paced than the first hour, especially when that included roughly ten minutes of Piper / David beating the snot out of each other because one of them doesn't want to wear sunglasses, I guess? To speak to the film, iconic images, weird to see the buff hero as a sort of regular dude now, Keith David needs to be in more things although I would settle for his voice coming back. This is also the one movie I'll be reporting back on that DOESN'T have Tom Waits in a bit part.
Mystery Men (1999) Oh you poor naive fools of the late 90s. You thought you knew what the superhero movie was becoming? You thought it was going to be played out? You had no idea. Understandably, this one views a lot better now and anticipates a lot of later movie / TV developments such as two horrific body horror deaths and the superhero being a self-important cad (Greg Kinnear, obviously). The cast is still excellent as are their dopey hero names which try too hard (although Casanova Frankenstein remains an all-time villain name). Even the lesser roles are filled out by interesting bit players like Waits, Ricky Jay, and Eddy Izzard. They have a very stylized city they run through which is part Metropolis, part Gotham, and part Blade Runner Los Angeles. They even have Moloko on the soundtrack even if the actual song, "Indigo," only plays for maybe twenty seconds. The script is also fun between Furious' incessant malapropisms, The Sphinx's elliptical (and likely meaningless) philosophy, low-key political commentary through hero names ("there's White Flight and The Black Menace, they work together), and there were jokes that definitely went over my head as a teen like Frankenstein drinking and praising a Harvey Wallbanger, of all things. I hoped to see more movies by the same guy on IMDB but his main credits appear to be, in addition to this, Hocus Pocus and Pluto Nash. Odd.
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Post by Jeremy on Sept 24, 2021 14:26:27 GMT -8
Seen this week:
Malignant - Following the massive hits of Furious 7 and Aquaman (two of the more enjoyably stupid blockbusters of recent years), James Wan returns to the horror genre that first put him on the map. This is a fairly generic and routine psychological horror film for the first two-thirds of its run... Then the final 30 minutes just go bonkers, with wanton violence and gore predicated around a disturbing twist that's straight out of an old EC horror comic (the same books that inspired Tales from the Crypt, for context). It's not exactly good, and could have used some plot trimming and better actors, but I respect Wan for his continued commitment to craziness.
Cry Macho - A well-shot, leisurely-paced film - one of the most benign Westerns in recent memory. Unfortunately, it comes with a clunky script that's in desperate need of polishing, with heavy-handed dialogue (notably when it comes to commenting on modern masculinity) and waaayyyy too many uses of the word "gringo." And as impressive a career as Clint Eastwood has had, the guy is 91 years old, so saddling him with a gun and a romantic subplot really strains credibility. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work.
The Vigil - A low-budget indie horror flick, recently acquired and released by Blumhouse. Most of the film is set in one location, and the story is told at a brisk pace - 80 minutes or so, sans credits. Relies a bit too much on loud music and jump scares in the early going, but by the end it does manage to create an atmosphere of dread and suspense. Don't know how well this will connect with people who aren't familiar with the Jewish lore it's based on; despite good reviews, it seems to be generating a mixed response overall.
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