The Nun.

 

Absolute garbage. Avoid if you can.

 

An experimental art film is not a movie? I love Eraserhead but it's definitely one of Lynch's more hard-going films, along the likes of Inland Empire or Fire Walk With Me. Regarding Millennium Actress I felt back when I watched it that it had the best ending of any of Kon's films... Though for me Kon's films always had trouble with their endings (Tokyo Godfathers and Paprika were especially bad in this front). I can't off the top of my head recall much comedy in it, which maybe means I should have another look at it. Still, I enjoyed the way it told the protagonist's story through the different fictions she as an actress took part in and through them reflected on the changes to the Japanese film industry through a period I'm particularly into. I found it very creative and moving.

I mean...I guess it's possible it wasn't supposed to be funny. But between the constant random sarcastic comments made by the camera man and Genya ridiculously and comedically inserting himself into the films, it seemed like it was supposed to be. Well, I was laughing a lot, anyways, . As for the ending...having her die in such a predictable and silly movie-like manner was just bad, and then to end the movie on THAT line? I guess it was supposed to be a big epiphany or whatever, but talk about undercutting the rest of the movie - between that and her saying earlier in the film that she only acted so that she could have the freedom to continue her search felt like her basically admitting that her entire life was a joke. Talk about depressing dying words...really did not sit well with me. But again, journey vs. destination, and the journey was fine (though it was fitting that the destination of a movie about a woman's life sucked...just like the ultimate destination of all our lives, eh?). As for Paprika...didn't realize it was the same director, and it's probably a good thing I didn't, since I found it to be...not very good at all.

Yeah, my reaction to Paprika was pretty mixed - I enjoyed aspects of its design and all the narrative arc involving the detective and psychologist's relationship. It's with that villainous plot involving mind control through dream invasion or something that I felt the whole affair became extremely silly and banal, and undermined whatever oneiric quality the film was aiming for. Weirdly enough I feel a certain parallel can be drawn with Deadfire, but still, agreed. Not very good.

Edited November 5, 20187 yr by algroth

The Nun.

Absolute garbage. Avoid if you can.

At least it gave us this:

 

[Youtube]

 

Edited November 5, 20187 yr by algroth

Speaking of RLM...

The Witch (2015). It was good, but ironically, I think it would've been better if the actual wacky witch scenes were not in the film, particularly the final one. I'm imagining a slightly more thriller-ish film where you have even less of an idea what the hell is going on, and it ends without ever being exactly clear who the witch was/if there was one at all or if it was all just some form of contagious, hysterical madness, and I think I like the idea of that better, but what do I know. I feel like the crazy tension of the movie would've only been amplified without things having been (I felt) over-explained.

 

Thoroughbreds (2017). I really liked this one. Anton Yelchin's (Star Trek) last performance. A little quirky light thriller starring the same starring actress from the movie above (Anya Taylor-Joy), it apparently didn't do too well at box offices, and that's a shame, since it's pretty good. Thanks to RLM for recommending both of these.

 

@algroth: Yeah, the main plot of Paprika was...um...bad. A much lower key story in the same setting and even with most of the same characters probably would've probably been much more compelling. Sometimes less is more.

Edited November 7, 20187 yr by Bartimaeus

If you liked The VVitch, try Hereditary. Had a very similar feel IMO, though it also gets a bit silly by the end.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrETX2eDhL8

A Long Way Down.

 

An interesting blend of pathos, drama, humour around 4 strangers who meet when they all pick the same rooftop to jump from on new years eve, then forming a pact to not actually suicide before Valentine's Day which leads to them turning into an almost family as they help each other deal with life.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyhfZZupU7c

You are the disease, we are the cure!

 

This looks to be pretty nifty.

 

I want to watch a Pokemon movie...

 

I want to watch a Pokemon movie...

 

Too verité.

I want to watch a Pokemon movie...

First reaction: Ken Watanabe!

Second reaction: Pikachu VA is familiar ... oh, him. I like Reynolds, but doesn't quite work for me here.

Third reaction: But cgi Pikachu sure is cute in a cat crossed with a rat/squirrel kind of way.

 

Final Verdict: I'll wait for the YT video that compiles all the cute scenes together in a 5 minute clip.

To be honest, the whole thing looks horrendous. It's very reminiscent of the latest TMNT movies, taking cartoony creatures and rendering them somewhere between recognizably cartoony and yet with hyper-real and fully detailed textures, components and the likes. It's Uncanny Valley: The Movie. All likewise shot in a very glossy, weirdly dark/noirish/DCesque lighting/colour scheme even though it's supposed to be a light-hearted affair, and filled to the bring with snarky, ironic humour that may have been very in line with the "X-treme" culture of the 90s but feels utterly naff nowadays. It looks utterly preposterous, a proper "so bad it's good" sort of affair. Jeez...

The problem with CGI and "cute animal like things" is all of them look largely the same after a while, if they're based on the same real-life creature. They all have hamster, cat, dog, fox like features with the exact same facial tics/animations.

 

Since it's not an actual real creature tho, I don't tend to get uncanny valley - it's just a generic sense of sameness even if it's cute. Just like a cgi trex or a cgi troll opening its giant mouth to roar is always the same.

 

Edit: although yeah, I do agree the other cgi creatures have that shiny plastic hyper-gloss to them or something.

Edited November 12, 20187 yr by LadyCrimson

They should have cast Danny Devito as Pikachu

They should have cast Danny Devito as Pikachu

 

It was the only choice, yet they opted not to... shame of the decade.

 

I want to watch a Pokemon movie...

Are they selling tickets already?

That looks dumb as hell... but I'd probably watch it.

It look so bad. But I feel I need to have a valid opinion, so I too will probably see it.

That looks awful. Alita is puke enforcing, fake, and uncanny valley.

I want this to work, but I am losing hope. Anime adaptations to the big screen (at least in america) have not gone too well.

Night of the Hunter (1955). Great villain, especially for the time. But the actual movie was rather bewildering and hard to follow in its beats a good portion of the time, often leaving me confused and dissatisfied. I actually watched it with somebody else, and we were both constantly wondering what in the world was happening and why the movie was going down so many bizarre paths. So it ended up being a very bipolar movie in terms of good/bad: half of the time we were utterly hooked, and the other half we were groaning and/or facepalming. Still, it was much more interesting than something that was simply mediocre all the way through. If the movie had been kept just a little more in check in its unevenness and bizareness, I think it could've been great.

 

Invasion of the Bodysnatchers (1956). First time watching, it was a little unspectacular but still pretty good. Probably doesn't need much more saying about it than that.

 

@Alita: I don't like how anything about that looks. Can anyone even think of any big genuinely at least good live-action adaptations of cartoons - anime or western?

Edited November 14, 20187 yr by Bartimaeus

Watched Starship Troopers again after many years. I still love it, good ol' 1997.

 

I also watched IT(no, not the recent reboot or whatever it is...) for the first time and it was very enjoyable. It had a colorful cast of characters that were fun to watch and listen to.

 

I'm gonna watch One Upon Time in the West tonight.

Edited November 14, 20187 yr by Katphood

I LOVE Starship Troopers but for years and years I had no idea it was supposed to be some scathing commentary on Nazis, or something, until you guys mentioned it. To me its just an awesome movie.

 

Safe House

 

I groaned when my wife turned it on but it turned out to be a pretty good action flick.