What ELSE (other than KUNG FU) has everyone been watching?

[AlbertV]

Machete Maidens Unleashed! - A riveting documentary on Filipino exploitation films from the 60's to the early 80's. Interviews with Roger Corman, Eddie Romero, the late Cirio Santiago, actors like Pam Grier, Sid Haig, Chris (I look like my dad Robert) Mitchum, and more..it's on Netflix:)

[Takuma]

Bullet to the Head (USA, 2013) [bD] – 3/5

Walter Hill’s throwback to the 80’s is much more of a real action movie than some of the recent post modern teen movies à la Expendables 2. The film is basically a poor man's 48 Hours with zero originality and somewhat insufficient chemistry between the leads. Even then, in the year 2013 it’s a small treat with its serious approach to violent buddy action. CGI blood is used, but quick cuts make it less obvious than usual.

The Counselor (USA, 2013) [Cinema] – 4/5

Ridley Scott’s excellent, bleak crime drama turned out far too dark and fragmented to please mainstream audiences and even some critics (though many have already ranked it as one of the year’s best films). The Cormac McCarthy adaptation is admittedly a notch too poetic in its dialogue, but the slow and careful build-up and Scott’s mature direction are an increasingly rare feast these days. Though the film only features a handful of graphic violence, the tone is extremely pessimistic – enough to make it an unusual project for such a star studded cast (except for Brad Pitt who frequently takes risky roles). The year's most under-rated film.

Spring Breakers (USA, 2013) [DVD] – 4/5

Harmony Korine’s incredible, absurd satire on Western pop idol and teen party culture fests in excessiveness. Much like some of the best exploitation movies the film blurs the line between satire and exploitation. Exactly how did Korine manage to attract popular teen idols (Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson) whose culture he’s mocking into the lead roles and then release the film to their fans, remains the greatest cinematic trick of 2013. An instant cult film.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

some comments; not quite organized enough to be a proper review/essay but I need to put this down for awhile and revisit the movie when it comes out on BD/DVD.

12 Years a Slave (2013: Steve McQueen) ***½/****

The main theme among the characters is the idea of maintaining the status quo. The “kindly” genteel slaveowner Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch) is friendly, kind and helpful but only up to a point that will not dispossess his southern stature. The main overseer of his plantation will also keep “Platt” alive after a confrontation when he attacked Tibeats (Paul Dano), but kept him strung up (Ford was the one who took him down) most likely as a lesson to everyone else to not attack the owners (though one can see the reasons for this when you are outnumbered and you want to keep your position and stay alive.) You can see this even in secondary characters from his first acquaintance after being caught, who ultimately taught him how to survive, to the plantation mistress who had not worked the cotton fields as long as she can remember, to the white worker who was once an overseer who is trying to get back his former position (Garret Dillahunt who I always think of Raising Hope when I see him.)

The cinematography is done quite well by Sean Bobbitt with some beautiful holding shots often with some metaphorical content like the undulation of the waves and the close up of the cotton worm (making me think of something similar in Blue Velvet without the zoom). The most famous scene from the film is the static shot which holds the barely breathing Platt after he was strung up and saved by the overseer but left as an example. The tension is initially palpable and rises noticeably through the audience as it is held. Quite effective. I thought the Hans Zimmer soundtrack was a little much on the brash side (though it might sound better away from this film) and could have used more silence and more subtlety.

This is a good film, maybe not necessarily a great film. It is not particularly sociopolitical, introspective or existential (these are not needed for a great film) but as with Gravity I expected more. The plot structure is basic and rather straightforward. The characters sometimes feel more like thematic archetypes than actual humans (I am still pondering Michael Fassbender’s performance), but sometimes I was impressed by certain depth of secondary characters like Garret Dillahunt and Benedict Cumberbatch. Ultimately this film relies on Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup/Platt who is trying to survive. He earlier states he wants to live not just survive, but pragmatically he finds this in his precarious situation if he wants to keep on living, he has to find a compromise within himself. His characterization is quite effective in those regards.

Those who follow the Academy Awards will not be surprised when this is nominated for several including Best Picture and Best Actor. I am curious though if McQueen will get nominated for Best Director.

I am now quite interested on the book that this is based on. I should also reread the autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.

The film seems to have conjured up diametrically opposed hyperbolic reviews including on the positive side with Matt Zoller Seitz and the negative side with Armond White (links below.) Both of those essays are misleading in the same simplistic way of flattening out the content and ignoring the ambivalence (interestingly enough from two completely different political standpoints). I wish I did not read either before I saw the film though I would have had no issue with reading them after the movie – I still would disagree with many particulars. Both White and Rosenbaum have similar statements on their feelings toward this film and both mention Nightjohn as a better film – which I have not seen.

Don't Look Away: On the Artistry and Urgency of "12 Years a Slave" by Matt Zoller Seitz

Can’t Trust It By Armond White

Some negative comments from: En movimiento: The Season of Critical Inflation by Jonathan Rosenbaum

Story about the theater visit:

Once in a while you get that individual who seems to have some modified version of Tourette’s Syndrome. I usually see this in a more popular film, but it was a weird to experience this in a more artistic film. I knew something was wrong when the trailer for Nebraska came out and the individual spouted “Bruce Dern.” I was thinking, yes that is Dern though I am not sure why we all need to know that. After a few more spotting on individuals in trailers, I thought he would be all done now and would pay attention. Nope. It was not a busy crowd since it was early in the day and there were more lone individuals then I have ever seen in a movie theater, but I was still not expecting the likes of the annoying individual. But what made it interesting was that this was an older man who sounded quite like William S. Burroughs which gave the movie a surreal ongoing commentary. It was not like he was non-stop, but something every five to ten minutes or so an “aside” would be said. One movie patron moved across the theater to get away from him, but since this is the smallest theater in the complex it really would not help much. Thinking it over I’m not sure why anyone did not say anything to him (or if they did I missed it) other than him appearing to be a slightly crazy older man. But to give some examples of what you missed: “that was beautifully disturbing like Stanley Kubrick”, “is that Joaquin Phoenix” (dealing with Michael Fassbender), “that’s Brad Pitt” (yes it is), “your worse off being married” (at this point my arms were flailing in anger) and then his clapping during the film seemed inappropriate.

[Drunken Monk]

Story about the theater visit:

Once in a while you get that individual who seems to have some modified version of Tourette’s Syndrome. I usually see this in a more popular film, but it was a weird to experience this in a more artistic film. I knew something was wrong when the trailer for Nebraska came out and the individual spouted “Bruce Dern.” I was thinking, yes that is Dern though I am not sure why we all need to know that. After a few more spotting on individuals in trailers, I thought he would be all done now and would pay attention. Nope. It was not a busy crowd since it was early in the day and there were more lone individuals then I have ever seen in a movie theater, but I was still not expecting the likes of the annoying individual. But what made it interesting was that this was an older man who sounded quite like William S. Burroughs which gave the movie a surreal ongoing commentary. It was not like he was non-stop, but something every five to ten minutes or so an “aside” would be said. One movie patron moved across the theater to get away from him, but since this is the smallest theater in the complex it really would not help much. Thinking it over I’m not sure why anyone did not say anything to him (or if they did I missed it) other than him appearing to be a slightly crazy older man. But to give some examples of what you missed: “that was beautifully disturbing like Stanley Kubrick”, “is that Joaquin Phoenix” (dealing with Michael Fassbender), “that’s Brad Pitt” (yes it is), “your worse off being married” (at this point my arms were flailing in anger) and then his clapping during the film seemed inappropriate.

My viewing wasn't exactly the same but I had two women who sat two rows behind me and basically ran a running commentary throughout the film. It's as though they believed they had to be the voice of the obvious.

As well as the hundreds (and I mean that) of "Nuh uhs" muttered, they vocally chided every scene of torture and inexplicably laughed at moments without any humour whatsoever.

There was another women who left the cinema but I understood why. She was obviously distraught by the content of the film.

I'll proudly say that "12 Years a Slave" is up there with "The Green Mile" and "Blue Valentine" as a film that had me uncontrollably blubbering at the end.

[massa_yoda]

Don't Look Away: On the Artistry and Urgency of "12 Years a Slave" by Matt Zoller Seitz

Can’t Trust It By Armond White

Some negative comments from: En movimiento: The Season of Critical Inflation by Jonathan Rosenbaum

Can't trust...Armond White. Ever.

But to give some examples of what you missed: “that was beautifully disturbing like Stanley Kubrick”, “is that Joaquin Phoenix” (dealing with Michael Fassbender), “that’s Brad Pitt” (yes it is), “your worse off being married” (at this point my arms were flailing in anger) and then his clapping during the film seemed inappropriate.

Oh my. That's terrible. You deserve an award for making it through all that. People are ridiculous. See my signature.

Btw, you should save your theater stories and make a top ten or top twenty most interesting theater visits...

[masterofoneinchpunch]

My viewing wasn't exactly the same but I had two women who sat two rows behind me and basically ran a running commentary throughout the film. It's as though they believed they had to be the voice of the obvious.

As well as the hundreds (and I mean that) of "Nuh uhs" muttered, they vocally chided every scene of torture and inexplicably laughed at moments without any humour whatsoever.

There was another women who left the cinema but I understood why. She was obviously distraught by the content of the film.

I'll proudly say that "12 Years a Slave" is up there with "The Green Mile" and "Blue Valentine" as a film that had me uncontrollably blubbering at the end.

I think the best rule is try to say as little as possible during the film for everyone's sake. The "Nuh Uh"s would have probably drove me nuts. 12 Years a Slave was a little more quiet of a film so that individual's mutterings were much easier to hear (though he was not speaking in a conversational tone.)

I did not find it as emotional as The Green Mile or say Ocean's Heaven, but effective for what it was trying to accomplish.

I need to see some of McQueen's other films like Hunger and Shame.

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Can't trust...Armond White. Ever.

Oh my. That's terrible. You deserve an award for making it through all that. People are ridiculous. See my signature.

Btw, you should save your theater stories and make a top ten or top twenty most interesting theater visits...

Since he sounded just like William S. Burroughs, it made it a little easier (and weird.)

Strangely both him and Rosenbaum had similar statements. Rosenbaum is the more accomplished critic and a complete polar opposite to White political wise (White being more conservative and Rosenbaum being more liberal.) White is actually a good writer, but I personally think he flips a coin after watching a film and decides upon that whether he will write a good or bad review about it. Where I find him useful is that he has some good points here and there about a film (bad or good) and you can use them yourself to attack or defend a particular position with other reviews. He is useful in the particular not in the aggregate so to say. Anyways critics (though they have to have different styles of criticism; just reading disciples of Pauline Kael won't help) become more useful when you find them agreeing on something than disagreeing.

I have had some interesting theater experiences. What was weird though for several months before 12 Years a Slave I was having rather mundane and rather uninteresting audiences (polite too) which made the films seen easier, but nothing to write about. There was a few exceptions like when I saw Percy Jackson 2 and several teenagers decided to befriend me.

That's a good idea massa_yoda. I think watching Magic Mike in the theater was definitely a top 10 experience (I believe I posted my review here), but yeah I would have to think back and maybe include such experiences as the most gang members I have ever seen in a theater (American Me opening; actually nothing really happened so it was more wondering if something was going to happen), most insane applause and laughing for a so-so movie (Beverley Hills Cop 2) and several themed openings like some of the Star Trek films. I don't think Rocky Horror Picture Show counts because it is an experience not people going for the movie .

[Drunken Monk]

I need to see some of McQueen's other films like Hunger and Shame.

"Shame" is fantastic.

[Secret Executioner]

Been watching some New Adventures Of Batman and World's Greatest Super Friends episodes recently. Good ol' campy material.

[Secret Executioner]

Finished the Wolrd's Greatest Super Friends DVD.

For Christmas, watched Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas. Really enjoyable movie.

[Secret Executioner]

A little Godzilla double-feature:

Destroy All Monsters

Monster Zero

Really good stuff here.

[AlbertV]

Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo - had to start my Saturday with something 80's Always have a soft spot for this sequel...the dance battle sequence between TKO and Electro Rock was nice as was Michael Chambers' breakin' on the ceiling. Will always love this film

Dinosaurs - spent three weeks watching the entire series and finally finished last night...I love this 1991-1994 series with the Sinclair family.

[AlbertV]

I spent the last day of 2013 going old school and watching three 80's teen comedies

Spring Break (1983) - From the director of the original "Friday the 13th" comes this very funny film about two guys who come to Fort Lauderdale for the annual Spring Break. Due to a mix up, they end up becoming roommates with two guys from Brooklyn. The four guys soon become best buds and end up having to help the hotel they are staying at when it is under attack by a mayoral candidate, who just happens to be one of the guys' stepfather.

Hamburger: The Motion Picture (1985) - To control his constant sexual urges after bring expelled from too many schools, a college hopeful finds the last place to get any action...Busterburger University. There, he falls for the daughter of the franchise owner and must contend with the drill sargeant instructor played by NFL great Dick Butkus. Kind of like a fast food version of "Police Academy".

Jocks (1987) - The LA College tennis team is at risk of losing their scholarships when they had to Vegas for an upcoming tournament. The team is comprised of an eclectic cast, from the standout known simply as "The Kid" to the maniacal Ripper, they spent their nights partying, which pisses off their coach, played by Richard "Shaft" Roundtree. The film has early appearances from "Law and Order SVU"'s Mariska Hargitay as the Kid's potential love interest and future comedy director Tom Shadyac as one of the team's top rivals.

[blue_skies]

Fringe - up to the end of season two - very good so far

Community – the first series– it took a while to get into and it's not jampacked full of jokes but it's good and very funny in places.

[DrNgor]

My last movie of 2013 was...

Dragonwasps - A female entomologist goes into the jungles of Belize looking for her missing father. Accompanying her are her best friend and a platoon of American soldiers led by Parker Lewis (i.e. Corrin Nemec). Their main obstacles are a cannibalistic, voodoo-practicing cocaine trafficker and a swarm of giant wasps which have bombardier beetle and Megaguirus genes spliced into them. Amusing and fast-paced for most of its running time, but unfortunately the filmmakers forgot to put anything resembling suspense into the climax.

And my first movies of 2014 are...

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea - You know, these guys' voyage would've been a little bit easier had they just left Alvarez in New York when they stopped there to talk to the UN. The movie moves at a nice clip and you have to give it points for including two giant cephalopods in it. A fun diversion.

Aztec Rex - A gory, but low-budget effort in which Hernan Cortes and his men (numbering about five) come across a remote Aztec village (almost completely bereft of people) who routinely sacrifice people to the tyrannosauruses that inhabit the jungle. The CGI dinosaurs are more convincing than the one that inhabited the theatrically-released Sound of Thunder. The dearth of extras in the village scenes makes the film feel as cheap as it probably was.

I also watched:

Zombi 2 - This was my first Lucio Fulci, so I'm glad I started with the best. Definitely a better film than Hell of the Living Dead and Zombi 3, the gore in this film made me cringe several times and the zombie make-up was great for the most part. Fabio Frizzi's score feels like a prep run for his even more ominous score in Gates of Hell. The only scenes that really ring false is the fate of the character who meets up with "Ol' Worm Eye" and face-your-loved-one-who-becomes-a-zombie scene.

The Evil Dead (original version) - That was pretty nightmarish...and gory (but I didn't have to tell you that). The part where reality starts coming apart for Ash and Cheryl's initial transformation sequence are two of the creepiest horror film moments I've seen in a long time...at least since the tricycle-in-the-hallway sequences in The Shining.

OBS: The part where the newly-possessed Cheryl says, "You will all die! One by one we will take you," was sampled in the song "Die!" by Sacramento-based rapper Brotha Lynch Hung.

Sharknado - Gleefully entertaining in fits and spurts. People getting killed by random flying sharks, not to mention the heroes killing said sharks, was a lot of fun, but you have to wade through some awful acting (mainly by Ian Zeiring's ex wife) and crappy CGI tornadoes to get to those scenes.

[Takuma]

Escape Plan (USA, 2013) [Cinema] – 3/5

Unremarkable but solid prison escape thriller whose charm relies almost entirely on leading stars Stallone and Schwarzenegger. Neither are what they used to be, but since the younger generations have failed to produce any new action star of the same calibre it’s good to see them still on screen. Here the two play their roles straight – no retarded Rambo references or “I’ll be back” jokes – although with a sense of humour. Quite passable entertainment.

You’re Next (USA, 2011) [Cinema] – 3/5

Entertaining, bloody thriller with understated humour, strong female lead, and some great music. Some scenes are, unfortunately, too artificial in their attempt to manipulate the setting, characters, and camera angles to provide surprises. While the outcomes indeed manage surprise, it is too often obvious when a surprise is on its way.

Frankenstein’s Army (Netherlands, 2013) [Cinema] – 4/5

My God! The most awe inspiring monster design ever – be it live action or anime! And it’s all done in practical effects with no CGI! The war/horror film follows Russian soldiers uncovering a mad Nazi doctor creating mechanical human-weapon creatures in his underground lab. While there’s plenty of room for improvement from acting to characters and editing, the film is nevertheless the most memorable piece of horror in ages. Viewers be warned; the final 25 min in extremely brutal.

Gotta love Japanese horror movie audiences. In You’re Next the audience consisted of me, a cute girl in her 20’s, and a sweet looking granny. For a moment I thought I had come to the wrong screening. In Frankenstein’s Army there were the usual pretty high school girls who were taking photos of the film’s character posters after the film. Still can’t believe Frankenstein’s Army was rated only 15 in Japan…

[AlbertV]

The Numbers Station - John Cusack plays a disgraced ex-Black Ops agent who is assigned to protect a code operator, played by Malin Akerman. They soon find themselves caught in a conspiracy and have to help each other before it's too late. I liked it until the very end of the film...I felt disappointed at how the film ended (which I will not spoil).

Jack Reacher - I finally decided to see Tom Cruise's adaptation of Lee Child's novel "One Shot". While Cruise doesn't fit how Reacher is depicted in the book stature wise, he still brought it on in terms of Reacher's way of thinking and methods. Cruise handled himself well in the action scenes, employing the Keysi Fighting Method style (the same style Christian Bale learned for Nolan's Batman trilogy). There were some nice twists...overall, not the best action film made, but a pleasant time-waster.

[kevenz]

I collect old school kung fu movies but I also collect spaghetti western from 1965-1972.

I'm buying these when they come out next month: (Italian/French Dub only)

[masterofoneinchpunch]

The Old Fashioned Way (1934: William Beaudine): A semi-autobiographical W.C. Fields film that I had a blast watching for the second time. It is an early film in the traveling performance genre (like Variety Lights or Sawdust and Tinsel) where Fields plays a field manager who does not make enough to pay his performers or the rooms they stay in. It also has a play-within-the-play (like Hamlet) where they performed a parody of the long running temperance five-act stage production The Drunkard with local cast members and Fields playing a major role where he looks like Penn Jillette mated with Snidely Whiplash. But the strength of the film is the star himself who’s curmudgeon, surly and skinflint behavior marked with a sagacious diction make him one of the most unique characters in cinematic history. He is one of my favorite comedic actors.

One of the most satisfying of scenes is in which W.C. Fields performs a shortened but complete juggling and dexterity routine that is outstanding in its adroitness. Not just because of the bulbous figure and nose, if you did not know his past or his movies Fields would seem like he would have trouble juggling two objects (many, many of his films have him doing small little tricks with a plethora of objects), but it is a reenactment of his famous routines he did for the Ziegfield Follies and it is quite good. It has everything from three, four ball juggling to an outstanding cigar box routine. Those who have seen his famous short The Fatal Glass of Beer, expect to see a reference to this. When you see Baby LeRoy you know what will eventually happen.

I would not put this up with either of It’s a Gift or The Bank Dick, but it is close. Ultimately the story is a little too basic and the play takes up too much time in the film. But for fans of Fields this is a must watch. This is an underrated comedic gem that fans of 1930s comedy should definitely see.

[yojimbo]

Attack on Titan - Seems like a lot of people like it, it is very popular in Japan. So I decided to watch it. Up to episode 14. Interesting premise. Some story elements remind me Starship Troopers.

Blade of the Immortal anime - Up to episode 6. Rather disappointed by the production value. The manga is much more intense and beautifully drawn. At least for the first several volumes until the artist doesn't seem interested in doing double page spreads or cool character designs. It is a different medium but it seems like they didn't have the money to capture what made the manga so good.

Smallville - Had it all sitting there for the longest time. Up to season 6.

[ShaOW!linDude]

Attack on Titan - Seems like a lot of people like it, it is very popular in Japan. So I decided to watch it. Up to episode 14. Interesting premise. Some story elements remind me Starship Troopers.

Me and the Mrs. have been watching this, too, and we're about the same ep in the series as you are.

I find that it's lagging a bit in the middle. Hoping it picks up soon. I'm liking it, but I wish it had a bit more comedy in it for the sake of levity. The constant angst and furious diatribes of the characters get to be a bit old after a while. The action is pretty solid, and there's something about the Titans that are just creepy.

[yojimbo]

Watched up to episode 16 on Attack on Titan. Looks like it is going to pick up. However, with 25 episodes and the manga currently still going. I hope it doesn't end abruptly.

[Secret Executioner]

12 Years A Slave

[masterofoneinchpunch]

Airport (1970: George Seaton)

There were a couple of reasons for me watching this. I have been catching up on the main disaster films of the 70s the past few months including viewings of The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno. I have also been trying to increase my percentage of Oscar Best Picture nominations watched as well as Burt Lancaster movies. But there is also the side benefit of watching an influence to one of my favorite spoof films of all-time Airplane!. Unbeknownst to me when I saw Fantastic Voyage (1966: Richard Fleischer) the previous day it has several influences to Airplane! as well. Weird the connections you find when watching random films.

Airport was such a huge hit (it is still in the top 100 box office hits of all-time adjusted for inflation) that it helped spawn the disaster subgenre of the 70s as well as several later sequels that I have not watched nor will I in the near future. But is it any good as a film? Well yes and no. It kept my interest regardless of the dialogue (Dean Martin’s amount of aeronautical terms in everything got annoying), hammy humor (the priest backslapping the hysterical man was funny though completely out-of-place, there are several scenes like this) and parallel plotlines that vary in quality and tone like Burt Lancaster and his preference for being with flying phallic symbols rather than his wife.

I will not be clamoring to rewatch this and I think I am done on disaster films for a while. I suppose this is an important piece of Americana for the 1970s, but I cannot help feeling I could/should have spent my time watching a different film.

I have still never flown on a plane with nuns. I must be missing out. Of course American flying has changed dramatically since September 11 and one who flies regularly can easily spot the changes. No more rushing to board the plane and no more trusting old ladies either (why did Helen Hayes win Best Supporting Actress). Now try to run in the lobby like OJ Simpson in the http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uqd_XZYkZ70.

And never sit next to the sweaty guy having a death grip on his briefcase. There are not many more annoying scenes in cinema then when the Van Heflin character gets his suitcase back.

[Drunken Monk]

Short Term 12 - A fantastic film and one of the best of 2013 in my opinion. A wonderful story about life and coping with the pains of emotional (and physical) scarring.