Updated 2019 top flick list (U.S. theatrical/streaming release):
High Life
Amazing Grace
Under the Silver Lake
Transit
Apollo 11
Dragged Across Concrete
Long Day's Journey into Night
The Beach Bum
Us
Honorable mention: High Flying Bird and Booksmart
Watched Under the Silver Lake last night. When it got going and appeared to be a modern noir with a Sunset Junction backdrop I couldn't have been more in. The further it went down the rabbit hole the less engaged I became with it. _________________ 14-5-3-12
Updated 2019 top flick list (U.S. theatrical/streaming release):
High Life
Amazing Grace
Under the Silver Lake
Transit
Apollo 11
Dragged Across Concrete
Long Day's Journey into Night
The Beach Bum
Us
Honorable mention: High Flying Bird and Booksmart
Watched Under the Silver Lake last night. When it got going and appeared to be a modern noir with a Sunset Junction backdrop I couldn't have been more in. The further it went down the rabbit hole the less engaged I became with it.
I think I wrote on a previous page that it ironizes irony like an ouroboros: the casting off of chains at a moment of emotional epiphany, literally walking on Hitchcock's grave, etc. The movie doesn't care about committing to its genre premise any more than Andrew Garfield's character can pay attention to anything in his life for more than a few hours at a time: the constant pursuit of content and meaning are what's meaningful. The movie wants us to know it knows that we know that it knows that we're in on the joke.
I think it's one of the best recent movies I've seen about the poisoned well at the center of how we process information about the world (or at least how younger, internet generation anglophones do): the incoherent, yet curated pastiche of cultural products in place of a personality; the perpetually frustrated efforts in finding truth in untrue things like conspiracy theories or Goop; layering on self-deprecation and irony to hide from oneself and others; etc.
But all of that is a real turn off - or at least divisive - for some folks. It was a turn on for me, and it's telling that two of my favorite movies so far - UTSL and The Beach Bum - has two privileged characters privileged by their filmmakers who when faced with conflict blithely sidestep it, ignore it, or forget it after awhile in pursuit of the next shiny object. _________________ Under New Management
Go check out Booksmart if you can during the holiday weekend. It's a legit funny, light teen buddy comedy with two chaarming leads in Beanie Feldstein (Lady Bird) and Kaitlyn Dever (Justified, Short Term 12) who quietly steals the movie.
Wilde's directorial debut is impressive - a couple uneven moments, but the film's highs are quite high including a bravura climactic sequence that I think along with the lead performances will keep folks coming back to Booksmart in the future.
Criticisms: it's a total fantasy with no real teeth, but there's nothing wrong with a well-executed light gross-out comedy now and then.
seeing it in an hour per your recommendation
Phil liked it so much he died. RIP you beautiful big butt loving boy. _________________ Under New Management
I wrote earlier that you probably won't see a better collection of films this year than the curated Columbia Noir collection on the Criterion Channel, but I was wrong because their collection of George Cukor films - "George Cukor's Women" - is even better. I didn't grow up a TCM nerd much to my deep regret so outside of some of the tentpole classics from Chaplin, Ford, Hawks, Welles, etc., I missed out on a lot of great "Golden Age" Hollywood films growing up that I've been trying to catch up on in recent years. Outside of TCM (and their now defunct partnership with Criterion through Filmstruck), CC looks like it'll be one of the best places for small, but impactful, thoughtfully curated classic Hollywood collections.
I of course know Cukor through classic films like My Fair Lady, The Philadelphia Story, and David Copperfield, but CC has collected some of his best work helming thrillers, comedies, and melodramas all starring the great actresses of the age. So far I've discovered the origin of the term "gaslighting" through the exceptional mind (bleep) thriller Gaslight and enjoyed one of the best ensemble comedies ever filmed in the even better masterpiece The Women.
Of course, if you can't justify the expense of another streaming service like the Criterion Channel, check out your local library where some or all of the the films in the "George Cukor's Women" collection may be available to borrow.
Here's a history rich survey of the collection from the insanely knowledgeable Farran Nehme for the Criterion Channel (link) and a podcast with the wonderful critics Dana Stevens and Kam Collins on Gaslight (link) to hopefully add to the experience of exploring Cukor's women on film. _________________ Under New Management
Go check out Booksmart if you can during the holiday weekend. It's a legit funny, light teen buddy comedy with two chaarming leads in Beanie Feldstein (Lady Bird) and Kaitlyn Dever (Justified, Short Term 12) who quietly steals the movie.
Wilde's directorial debut is impressive - a couple uneven moments, but the film's highs are quite high including a bravura climactic sequence that I think along with the lead performances will keep folks coming back to Booksmart in the future.
Criticisms: it's a total fantasy with no real teeth, but there's nothing wrong with a well-executed light gross-out comedy now and then.
seeing it in an hour per your recommendation
Phil liked it so much he died. RIP you beautiful big butt loving boy.
pretty much
I totally forgot to reply but I really really liked it. I rarely see anything in theaters tbh but high school stuff is my weakness. I knew it was considered Superbad 2 in a lot of ways and I can see the connections for sure (that Feldstein is Jonah Hill's sister to name but one) – IMO it is nearly as good but I haven't rewatched Superbad recently. _________________ one dog goes that way the other dog goes the other way
Go check out Booksmart if you can during the holiday weekend. It's a legit funny, light teen buddy comedy with two chaarming leads in Beanie Feldstein (Lady Bird) and Kaitlyn Dever (Justified, Short Term 12) who quietly steals the movie.
Wilde's directorial debut is impressive - a couple uneven moments, but the film's highs are quite high including a bravura climactic sequence that I think along with the lead performances will keep folks coming back to Booksmart in the future.
Criticisms: it's a total fantasy with no real teeth, but there's nothing wrong with a well-executed light gross-out comedy now and then.
seeing it in an hour per your recommendation
Phil liked it so much he died. RIP you beautiful big butt loving boy.
pretty much
I totally forgot to reply but I really really liked it. I rarely see anything in theaters tbh but high school stuff is my weakness. I knew it was considered Superbad 2 in a lot of ways and I can see the connections for sure (that Feldstein is Jonah Hill's sister to name but one) – IMO it is nearly as good but I haven't rewatched Superbad recently.
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I thought Booksmart leaned into a lot of the clichés of the "lookin to get laid" high school comedy, but made it feel fresh at multiple points much like Superbad did a decade earlier. _________________ Under New Management
Yes, re-watching Brokeback Mountain is a good start, but go explore from the safety of your own bedroom. Or kitchen; wherever you like to explore from.
Want another love story about dudes on a farm? God's Own Country is waiting for you on Netflix! And while you're there, maybe re-watch a little Moonlight and Carol, discover indie gems like Duck Butter and Other People and past Palme D'Or winner Blue is the Warmest Color.
And if you're a documentary sort of person, you must see the drag queen and trans voguing competitions captured in Paris is Burning, one of the truly essential documentaries. _________________ Under New Management
^ All of that sounds interesting, but a bit too tame, you say?
The maestro of queer shocks and schlock, John Waters, has an uncomfortably funny flick for you on just about every streaming service:
Multiple Maniacs - Criterion Channel
Hairspray - Netflix
Cry Baby - Amazon Prime
Serial Mom - Starz
Cecil B. Demented - Hulu and Amazon Prime
And if you track down Divine classics like Female Trouble, Desperate Living, and Polyester, share it with the community!
What's that you say? Still tame...?
You find John Waters' movies a bit too quaint? You want something a little harder? A little weirder? A little wilder?
Well, here's a quick and dirty lowdown on under-the-radar grindhouse and queer-ploitation movies from the '70s, 80s, and 90s that should get you started on your naughty cinematic journey: link (SFW?).
So what are you waiting for? That gay twink mobster shoot-em-up flick isn't going to watch itself _________________ Under New Management
Joined: 25 Apr 2015 Posts: 31783 Location: Anaheim, CA
Posted: Sun Jun 02, 2019 12:00 pm Post subject:
Baron Von Humongous wrote:
^ All of that sounds interesting, but a bit too tame, you say?
The maestro of queer shocks and schlock, John Waters, has an uncomfortably funny flick for you on just about every streaming service:
Multiple Maniacs - Criterion Channel
Hairspray - Netflix
Cry Baby - Amazon Prime
Serial Mom - Starz
Cecil B. Demented - Hulu and Amazon Prime
And if you track down Divine classics like Female Trouble, Desperate Living, and Polyester, share it with the community!
What's that you say? Still tame...?
You find John Waters' movies a bit too quaint? You want something a little harder? A little weirder? A little wilder?
Well, here's a quick and dirty lowdown on under-the-radar grindhouse and queer-ploitation movies from the '70s, 80s, and 90s that should get you started on your naughty cinematic journey: link (SFW?).
So what are you waiting for? That gay twink mobster shoot-em-up flick isn't going to watch itself
Serial Mom is fantastic. The scene with Kathleen Turner (Beverly) and Mink Stole (Dottie) in the courtroom is among my favorites in any comedy.
^ All of that sounds interesting, but a bit too tame, you say?
The maestro of queer shocks and schlock, John Waters, has an uncomfortably funny flick for you on just about every streaming service:
Multiple Maniacs - Criterion Channel
Hairspray - Netflix
Cry Baby - Amazon Prime
Serial Mom - Starz
Cecil B. Demented - Hulu and Amazon Prime
And if you track down Divine classics like Female Trouble, Desperate Living, and Polyester, share it with the community!
What's that you say? Still tame...?
You find John Waters' movies a bit too quaint? You want something a little harder? A little weirder? A little wilder?
Well, here's a quick and dirty lowdown on under-the-radar grindhouse and queer-ploitation movies from the '70s, 80s, and 90s that should get you started on your naughty cinematic journey: link (SFW?).
So what are you waiting for? That gay twink mobster shoot-em-up flick isn't going to watch itself
Serial Mom is fantastic. The scene with Kathleen Turner (Beverly) and Mink Stole (Dottie) in the courtroom is among my favorites in any comedy.
Gotta post a clip: _________________ Under New Management
Frickin' YouTube! Here's a treasure trove of post-liberation, pre-new wave South Korean films restored and presented by the Korean Film Archive: https://youtube.com/user/KoreanFilm/videos
Apparently YouTube is good now. _________________ Under New Management
Fun fact: Ever see The Aviator? There's a scene where Howard Hughes (Leo) lands his plane on the shore and checks on his movie being made there. There's a brief shot of the supposed Cuckor sitting in his director's chair in the sand and he turns and smiles at Howard. The chair has CUKOR on the back, which Marty probably wanted so that some people might wiki him. _________________ GOAT MAGIC REEL SEDALE TRIBUTE EDDIE DONX!
Fun fact: Ever see The Aviator? There's a scene where Howard Hughes (Leo) lands his plane on the shore and checks on his movie being made there. There's a brief shot of the supposed Cuckor sitting in his director's chair in the sand and he turns and smiles at Howard. The chair has CUKOR on the back, which Marty probably wanted so that some people might wiki him.
Scorcese has been such a mensch in promoting film history. I love the no doubt intentional contrast of Hughes as a manly action movie director with the out Cukor who was relegated to "lady pictures." _________________ Under New Management
what's the best war movie (American exceptionalism of course) since Blackhawk down? haven't seen one that good since
So Dunkirk doesn't count?
The Hurt Locker comes to mind.
they good, i just like BHD, up there w braveheart for me
No, you specified American, but I was torn on Dunkirk because it's a British war movie by an acclaimed American director.
I like Black Hawk Down, which is well-directed, but it feels like it's from a different era. Three Kings came out two years ealier and I think was more prescient about U.S. military excursions abroad. But maybe what BHD gets right is the underlying hubris of American military superiority and fetish for "bloodless" conflict - the life of one American soldier is worth hundreds of theirs. _________________ Under New Management
Mostly yay, though there are diminishing returns after seeing a fight between Keanu and Boban and then an extended antique knives battle, which were the movie's high points for me.
I hope the John Wick movies are kind of a gateway drug for audiences into the artistic touchstones Stahelski likes to reference along with a broader appreciation for weird, idiosyncratic filmmaking by better filmmakers. Probably not, but I can hope. _________________ Under New Management
what's the best war movie (American exceptionalism of course) since Blackhawk down? haven't seen one that good since
So Dunkirk doesn't count?
The Hurt Locker comes to mind.
they good, i just like BHD, up there w braveheart for me
No, you specified American, but I was torn on Dunkirk because it's a British war movie by an acclaimed American director.
I like Black Hawk Down, which is well-directed, but it feels like it's from a different era. Three Kings came out two years ealier and I think was more prescient about U.S. military excursions abroad. But maybe what BHD gets right is the underlying hubris of American military superiority and fetish for "bloodless" conflict - the life of one American soldier is worth hundreds of theirs.
Finally saw Bradley Cooper's A Star is Born and it's sentimentalist claptrap that made me cry like a damn infant. _________________ Under New Management
Had a good time watching the Elton John biopic. Huge Elton fan, so it was definitely a treat to hear his music scored for the big screen. The acting was solid, particularly Taron Egerton, who apparently was handpicked by Elton himself (and sings pretty well too). From a technical filmmaking standpoint, I found it to be tad rushed. Similar to the Mötley Crüe movie. By the third act, most of the actions seemed inconsequential and just kind of played out like a montage of Sir Elton's life. But the movie built enough goodwill through the first act, as his upbringing and childhood experiences are compelling and offer an introspective dissection into the man he would become. Also, some of the narrative choices made it seem a bit hip, as it segues in and out of musical numbers highlighting each stage of his life. They serve as nice little time stamps. Although, it does make one wonder; Bernie Taupin wrote all of those lyrics. So who knew they were so closely intertwined with Elton's life. Or maybe they planned that, I don't know. Either way, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the film. I found it better than Bohemian Rhapsody from a storytelling perspective.
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