ysbreker

Movie/TV recommendations

Recommended Posts

Did anyone else think that trailer looked like it was for an under budgeted fan film version of Heroes? The lighting, camerawork and costumes all seem kind of garish.

 

Even getting the token cast member from the original seems like something a fan made web series would do.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Has anyone seen Leviathan?

 

Phenomenal movie! It's a deep-dive into the corruption of Russian politics and culture. 

 

And I've been dying to see this 

 

I fucking love Nuri Bilge Ceylan's previous film, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

There's an art/film festival going on in Lawrence right now, and we watched Bobcat Goldthwait's new documentary Call Me Lucky about his old friend Barry Crimmins, a major figure of the 70s/80s comedy scene around Boston.  I knew absolutely nothing about it before going, some friends invited us, and we just went on the spur of the moment. 
 
Holy shit, I was not ready for how intense or moving this was. It's not actually about comedy, it's about child abuse and rape. Crimmins' brand of comedy was dark, angry and intensely focused on politics and social justice.  This was far outside of the norm in the mid-80s.  He spent basically every night chain smoking and drinking in clubs around Boston for more than a decade.  Until one night when, instead of a comedy routine, he delivered a monologue detailing that as a young child he had been regularly, brutally raped by his babysitter's stepfather.  He then completely shifted gears, became a hermit for awhile before becoming what was probably the first crusader against child porn on the Internet at a time when most people hadn't even heard of the Internet yet.
 
So you know, he pretty graphically recounts the abuse and attacks he suffered.  If you can handle that kind of content, I highly recommend watching it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The Sydney Film Festival was on earlier this month, and having only ever attended once for Upstream Color back in 2013, this time I ended up seeing 8 films (and going more hungry than usual for that week).

 

Especially noteworthy:

 

Mother (dir. Bong Joon-ho 2009). The version screened was a director's "remaster" where the film had been desaturated to black and white in consultation with the cinematographer, Hong Kyung-pyo. This movie became an instant all-time favourite when I first saw it a few months ago, but I was kind of expecting the remaster to be a gimmicky novelty at worst. Wow was I wrong. I think the movie was even more affecting this time around, seeing/hearing it on a big cinema screen and sound system probably helped too, but the monochrome conversion itself was a bit of genius. Speaking of, I don't get why some people are so anti black and white films, or rather I do get it but think their reasons are shit. "I paid $15 to see a band perform, but they don't have a keytar player, gimme refund" is basically what their reasons boil down to. Same deal with aspect ratios "There is an empty area on the stage! Fill it up or this band is a waste of life". I also read that Mad Max: Fury Road would have a black and white version with no dialogue (possibly no sound effects either - just score) for home release, and that really sounds great to me.

 

The Look of Silence (dir. Joshua Oppenheimer 2014). This is a follow up to the documentary "The Act of Killing" about the Indonesian mass killings in the 1960s, but following a few of the survivors and their descendants, instead of following the perpetrators like The Act of Killing did. I went in expecting a more conventional, simpler doco compared to how unconventional the first one was. Again I was wrong. The Look of Silence is even more harrowing, and just fucking soul crushing. There was a bit of catharsis at the end of The Act of Killing, maybe a hint of acknowledgement if not remorse. The Look of Silence does not let the audience have that, the survivors don't get that, 50 years have passed and the wounds are only getting deeper. If there is anything to feel good about, it's that because of these documentaries, more people have at least become aware of this period of history and its ongoing effects, and Indonesians are slowly being able to tell their stories.

 

Song of the Sea (dir. Tomm Moore 2014). I'm so glad I have friends who aren't obsessed like I am with seeing extremely depressing films, otherwise I would have forgotten this was going to be screened. Funny thing is, to them it was a terribly sad movie (and I guess it was to some degree), but compared to the stuff on my schedule (Haemoo, Sworn Virgin, the films mentioned above) it was such a relief. Such a lovely movie, and Bruno Coulais' music is beautiful.

 

More recently I saw Partisan (dir. Ariel Kleiman 2015), which I really really liked. If I hadn't heard that 'Oneohtrix Point Never' scored the film, It probably would have passed me by completely. It's a really great debut for a first time director, and the (award-winning) cinematography is marvellous.

 

I also watched Spy, which I liked too (noticing that all the songs in the film were sung by women was fun and a nice touch), and loved When Marnie Was There, despite its problems. I'll be seeing Inside Out by myself next, after failing to convince the family to come. They would rather wait until it airs with an hour worth of ads on free-to-air tv, or watch a "free" streaming version. My inner Lewis Black getting a nice workout.

 

Also, late to the party and everything, Ex Machina and Fury Road are sooooo good. Hoping to see Furious Furiosa for a third time soon.

Ex Machina Spoilers:

http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2015/05/11/film-crit-hulk-smash-ex-machina-and-the-art-of-character-identification

I've been sharing this article about Ex Machina because it pretty much explains why the outcome of that movie made me so unexpectedly and weirdly happy.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh you lucky fucking bastard! I would LOVE to see that version Mother!

 

and speaking of mothers have you seen Mommy, Bolegium?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The Decline of Western Civilization films are finally coming to dvd in a Shout Factory box set. I saw a screening of the first two last night with director Penelope Spheeris in attendance and it was marvelous. If you have any interest in punk at all Part 1 (about the LA hardcore scene) is absolutely riveting and vital. And even if you have absolutely no interest in hair metal, Part 2 is one of the funniest and best documentaries ever made.

 

CHECK THEM OUT.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Mother (dir. Bong Joon-ho 2009). The version screened was a director's "remaster" where the film had been desaturated to black and white in consultation with the cinematographer, Hong Kyung-pyo. This movie became an instant all-time favourite when I first saw it a few months ago, but I was kind of expecting the remaster to be a gimmicky novelty at worst. Wow was I wrong. I think the movie was even more affecting this time around, seeing/hearing it on a big cinema screen and sound system probably helped too, but the monochrome conversion itself was a bit of genius. Speaking of, I don't get why some people are so anti black and white films, or rather I do get it but think their reasons are shit. "I paid $15 to see a band perform, but they don't have a keytar player, gimme refund" is basically what their reasons boil down to. Same deal with aspect ratios "There is an empty area on the stage! Fill it up or this band is a waste of life". I also read that Mad Max: Fury Road would have a black and white version with no dialogue (possibly no sound effects either - just score) for home release, and that really sounds great to me.

 

I think a keytar player is a bit of an unfair metaphor for colour in film, but I agree with your point! I wonder if this new trend of black and white versions has been influenced by Soderbergh posting a black and white silent copy of Raiders to emphasise editing and other things...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I feel like that's definitely the case for something like Mad Max. I think also a lot of filmmakers want to make black and white films but are unable to because they're so much less marketable. Like how Frank Darabont wanted to do The Mist in black and white, so he included a B&W version of the Mist on one of the DVDs. 

 

On the other hand, the Coen Brothers shot the entirety of The Man Who Wasn't There in color at the insistence of USA Films as a sort of marketing safety valve, but it looked so amazing in B&W that a color version was never released.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Catching up on the thread a bit, I was on the road last week and ended up watching movies on my plane flights.  Finally got to Nightcrawler, Ex Machina and The Raid 2.

 

I can't say enough good things about Ex Machina.  Holy crap. And Nightcrawler is a fascinating watch.  But I really want to say something about The Raid 2.

 

The Raid 2 is an interesting contrast from the first movie.  It's really fascinating at how it gets blown out to 150 minutes while it seems like that ratio of action to not action has drifted away from that whole compact action thing that the first film had going on.  Not to say the action is bad (because it's still really good), and even the plot stuff is better than the first film, but I feel like there was a real sense of momentum that the first film had, something it shares with it's weird doppleganger Dredd or Fury Road, that is lost in the expansion.

 

Anyone here watch WWE NXT?

 

Started watching it last month and liking it so far. I think the last time I actually watched WWE was probably 2003/4 and between listening to the Bombcast, a friend of mine and the woman who started reviewing NXT on the av club NXT is meant to be a lot better than the 3 hour endurance test that is RAW these days (3 hours a week seems like utter madness to me). Kinda weird but also very cool to see two Irish wrestlers as top cards in the NXT. I am going to miss Kevin Owens when he goes to RAW for good though, such a good heel.

 

Also started re-watching community and I had forgotten how heavily the Jeff-Britta romance was featured, I had mostly forgotten about it since originally seeing it.

 

I've not been watching the weekly program, but I did watch the most recent major event, with that incredible Sasha Banks vs Becky Lynch match.  I really do need to get in on watching that more often. 
 

However, I've got my own weird incursion back into wrestling.  I've been watching Lucha Underground, and that show is kinda amazing.  They've gone with the direction of making their backstage segments way more telenovela, and are embracing some pretty ludicrous things, but it's working really well for me.  And it doesn't hurt that their in-ring stuff is also top notch.  They have somehow produced, over the last few months, an excellent Casket Match and an excellent Iron Man match, and those are pretty much always handicapped by their gimmick. 

 

Part of what makes it work is what you mentioned about NXT, the 1 hour length.  They also do smart things about having most matches stay within a segment instead of flowing over commercial breaks, and placing the break smartly when they have to add them.  The short length also makes it impossible to touch on every story every week, but they do a good job spacing things out and avoiding having any one element dominate shows week in and week out.  The only total constant on any show is Dario Cueto, and he does an incredible job as the dangerous slimeball boss.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh you lucky fucking bastard! I would LOVE to see that version Mother!

 

and speaking of mothers have you seen Mommy, Bolegium?

 

Nope, it sounds great, gonna watch!

 

Mad Max tangent: I really liked the undercranking (i.e. sped-up motion) in the film. In a lot of other movies, speed ramping feels like pointless and boring "Zack Snyder presents: Cool slow-mo punching!". In Fury Road it seemed like more time was spent in fast motion rather than slowed down (or even normal speed), and really fine-tuned to have actual rhythm rather than just being an on/off switch between fast/slow. I thought it was really effective at conveying kinetic energy, and looking 'fake' didn't bother me at all. I liked the speed ramping in Green Wing too, so maybe I have a higher tolerance for it than others.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I thought it really marred the escape sequence at the start and the fight between Max and Furiosa. Just made it silly instead of tense. Didn't notice it apart from that, so I suppose it worked well then.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This isn't really pertinent to anything, I just realized that the ACTUAL back to the future 2 future date is coming up and it'll be nonstop groans. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The Raid 2 is an interesting contrast from the first movie.  It's really fascinating at how it gets blown out to 150 minutes while it seems like that ratio of action to not action has drifted away from that whole compact action thing that the first film had going on.  Not to say the action is bad (because it's still really good), and even the plot stuff is better than the first film, but I feel like there was a real sense of momentum that the first film had, something it shares with it's weird doppleganger Dredd or Fury Road, that is lost in the expansion.

 

However, I've got my own weird incursion back into wrestling.  I've been watching Lucha Underground, and that show is kinda amazing.  They've gone with the direction of making their backstage segments way more telenovela, and are embracing some pretty ludicrous things, but it's working really well for me.  And it doesn't hurt that their in-ring stuff is also top notch.  They have somehow produced, over the last few months, an excellent Casket Match and an excellent Iron Man match, and those are pretty much always handicapped by their gimmick. 

 

100% on the raid 2 not having the momentum of the first one. The first is an hour and a half of well shoot Indonesian martial artists beating the shit out of each other while the second is really a undercover cop /crime drama with really good action scenes. I think it was a smart decision cause I am not sure is the raid something you can do a sequel of that will be as good. I think there is a suprise factor that is hard to repeat with the raid and Dredd between one seeming to come out of nowhere and Dredd overcoming low expectations.

 

In the comments of av club reviews of RAW and NXT I see alot of praise for Lucha and I have seen some clips but I am only capable of staying current with one tv show a week which is NXT for now. 

 

Now that gay marriage is legal in both the US and Ireland I have decided it is my quest in life to marry Finn Balor after seeing he builds lego in his spare time while wearing an Finn from Adventure time t-shirt.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

heroes is back i gues??

 

why

 

Because they're hoping it's been long enough that people forgot how bad it got?

I wrote that as snark, but the more I look at it the more it makes sense. Season 1 was good, after that things went downhill with every season, would people think better of Heroes years after the end rather than shortly after? To engage in a bit of pop psychology: The primacy effect (even accounting for the recency effect on the last, awful, season) says yes.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If I were to see Mad Max with my prudish and somewhat conservative parents, how uncomfortable would I be?

 

The politics aren't that overt and there's no sex scenes. The violence isn't that explicit, but it's pretty gross and gruesome throughout.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Been watching Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell lately.....pretty neat so far.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

If I were to see Mad Max with my prudish and somewhat conservative parents, how uncomfortable would I be?

 

I'm with Patrick R, there is some nudity but it's never drawn attention to. There is a pretty gross scene about mid-way through, but they should be good with the rest of it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Been watching Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell lately.....pretty neat so far.

 

Ooo, what? I loved the book! Have to check that out.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Watched a bunch of things recently:

 

Jurrassic World - A bit rubbish, but not JP2 rubbish. It spent a lot of time winking at the audience in terms of what we now know about dinosaurs etc, most of it is terrible though and the ending is pure Godzilla nonsense. There is one great scene in the film but in the context it would have been way more fun if the exchange had happened betwen Chris Pratt's character and Bryce Dallas Howard's character. I was kind of uncomfortable with the death in this film, certainly they avoided it being graphic but I found the way there was an extended scene with a person under emotional stress way more upsetting than some gory horror films.

 

Friday Night Lights: The first series is the best but as it slipped into being a soap opera with some football politics in the background they really attempted to grow the characters. Some of the female roles are meaty and there are frequently great lines. An example of this is the main couple are arguing over football, the wife has just been promoted to principal of the school and is attempting to get more funding for education while the husband is trying to sort out tensions in the team and secure some of that funding to help training. The spat ends with:

 

Husband - Do you know who I miss? The coach's wife who used to support me

Wife (cocks her eyebrow) - Well... Do you know who I am looking forward to meeting?

Husband (hesitates for a second because he knows he has overstepped the mark) - Who?

Wife (grins slyly) - The Principal's husband

Husband (pauses, gives her a wry smile) - Touche

 

There is a good feel for a mutual relationship between the two of them that doesn't make them out to be a perfect couple but one that fights, discusses and then works things out. There is drama but there is never the drama of 'this marriage is OVER' kind that usually ruins these kinds of things.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Does the directorial style of Friday Night Lights ever change? I watched the first two episodes and enjoyed them, but can't stand the way it's shot. It jumps around way too much and the camera's always behind somebody or some piece of scenery. I could barely follow any of the scenes.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now