Lost City of Z

Glad I was well rested for this slow mover. Attempts to show the Amazon Indians as more advanced, but still goes with the Tarzan tropes of the good vs bad white people and the natives as misunderstood savages.

I think that might depend on how you're approaching the movie. I mean, I agree, but I don't know that I would have agreed when I had first seen it, at age 13 or something. Probably felt like a weird rom-com to me.

In reality I think you're right though. We don't believe in it, but that's because we know enough by now to understand that neither of the big scary unknowns in the film (pointless middle class existence, and the idealized "dreams coming true" bulkshit of youth) really exist in reality as they do in Benjamin's mind.

Show it to a bunch of high school seniors, and I'll bet they will think it's a story of triumph and individuality, and I'd bet an audience like that would very much say that the "film" itself is sympathetic to Benjamin and rooting for him.

Of course, what the film itself believes or doesn't believe is really up to whoever is watching... that's what I'm getting at. But I think one of the reasons the movie is so powerful is that if you did show it to a class of high school seniors, it would probably have a visible emotional impact on both the kids and the teachers lined up in the back of the room, counting the minutes until their cigarette break. It's hard for me to watch it as an adult and not be just a bit crushed by the thought of how vibrant and hopeful it felt to me when I was younger, and how repeated viewings have pulled that final moments into sharper and sharper focus as the years have gone by.

(To be fair, I might be over-dwelling a bit. But the first time I saw it I was with my father, and he let the film play up to the black out, and then said, "Hang on, I want to show you something." Then he paused and rewound -- yes, it was VHS, of course -- to the closing scene on the bus and he played it again and said, "What's happening here?" I don't remember exactly what I said, but his point was, "Don't miss the fucking point." And I had indeed missed the point. Of course, at 13 I didn't really want to get the real point of the scene, and I wanted my easy happy ending, but I'm glad my father did that, though I'm entirely sure why he did.
Anyway, that's just a very clear memory for me, and now I tear up a little at the end of the film every time J watch it because ... well... my fucking dad hit "pause" on life to tell a 13-year-old me that fairy tales weren't real, and happiness was not simple, and might even be kind of a lie.)

ALSO... I don't think the influence of The Graduate on the work of Wes Anderson can really be overstated. There are so many little Mike Nichols odes in his moves, nodding back to scenes in that film. Even the positioning of the camera; and the dynamic angles used.

Especially in Anderson's first few (Bottle Rocket, Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums) and then again, later, on The Darjeeling Ltd.

it was ripped off by Say Anything (ending)

Oh yeah, for sure. On the plane. Yes. I'd forgotten about that m, but you're very right. Of course, that entire film is something of an attempt at Graduate-goes-'80s. And Cameron Crowe is kind of a champion of pop culture, so I don't think I'd call it a "rip off," but definitely an homage. For sure.

I wonder if the final scene in Jackie Brown, with Pam Grier in her car, was some kind of reference to The Graduate. Certainly the opening shot of her going through the airport is. Be interesting if QT decided to book end that film with references to the same movie. Although I'm not convinced it has any relevance beyond just being a neat idea. I certainly don't see much equivalence between Jackie and Benjamin.

Yeah, I don't know about that, but you're totally right about the opening scene of Jackie Brown.

Another homage to the Graduate. For 100% suresies. I've thought that ever since the very first time I saw that movie.

I think the Graduate might be in the undisputed 10 greatest films of all-time list. Like, I don't think that's a stretch at all. In the company of Citizen Kane and The Godfather and so on. I know I push it with my gushing over Dark Knight and There Will be Blood and GoodFellas, but I don't think anyone would disagree that The Graduate is on some pantheon shit.

I found it boring. I think it is overrated melodrama about rich people's problems. Seen it thrice and each time hated it more.

plus, very dated. The book (about 6 or 7 stories, as I recall), didn't really do it for me, either.. I think some of Bruce Jay Freidman is just as representative of the American Jewry of the period, and is a whole lot more humorous. Stern is really sort of the same story and is just magnificent.

American Jewry?

weren't they all Jewish? well, I see not. My bad rememberer.

On a more contemporary theme, Toni Erdmann. Pretty great.

Well, it's taken me four attempts, but I think I might finally understand this movie. And it's good. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's very good, but it's also hideous in a lot of ways.

Hmm.

Weird one, this.

finally finished whit stillman's "love and friendship", which is on amazon (an original movie i think)



what i mean by "finally" is that i tried several times to get through it but got interrupted, mostly by sleep. it's an extremely "talky" movie and it's hard to follow all those accents, and the subtitles weren't properly synced so i'd snooze repeatedly.

but it's a funny film, with funny dialogue and a funny plot and funny characters, so worth the 3rd (or 4th) attempt at getting into it.

it's not a cinematic masterpiece or anything, just good entertainment for less than 2 hours. based on jane austen's "lady susan," which of course i've never read and probably never will but that's okay, the movie is enough.

If anyone wants to talk about Only God Forgives, I'm way up in that headspace right about now. In case you couldn't tell.

I think this is the second time I've watched it and felt a need to post my watching of it, but like I said -- I think I finally "get" that film. To the extent that such a thing is possible.

Shit is literally about god forgiving people. Who knew?

Also, I just remembered that Nicolas Winding Refn directed Bronson. Now I kinda want to watch that one again. Goddammit that was a weird one. So close to being so satisfying at so many points, but ultimately just being a glorious befuddling mess.

Fun fact: Bronson got Tom Hardy the part of Bane in The Dark Knight arises. ;)

I liked Only God Forgives but it didn't blow me away. I'm not a big Ryan Gosling fan which may have something to do with it. But I don't want that to sound like I didn't enjoy it, because I did. I've only seen it once though. I have the DVD so I should probably watch it again.

havent seenit

actually first i even hear of it

I never heard of it either. Which is weird. A good friend of mine has a man crush on Goss.

I kinda wish Ryan Gosling and I were friends because I think we'd get along really well.

Dheepan

Tamil fighter leaves conflict behind in Sri Lanka, maybe at first...

great movie, recco+++

apparently I have two friends with a man crush on Goss.

It's not a crush! I just think we'd get along izall! :eek:

Seen over the last few days or so.....


1. Baby Driver (2017)- Any pleasures to be gained from Wright's finger snap editing of image and musical notes is overwhelmingly drowned out by monotone characters, cheap diversions of the crime genre and a sadistically overwrought final third.


2. The Beguiled (2017)- Sofia Coppola's remake of Don Siegel's 1971 film is more controlled and certainly amplifies its cloistered sexual emotions to dizzying heights.


3. The Hunting Party (1971)- Pretty sadistic and violent western that seems to be shelling off the popularity of "The Wild Bunch". Still, Gene Hackman as an unrepentant rancher picking off the outlaws (including Oliver Reed) who kidnapped his wife doesn't pull any punches. Just see where on the body he shoots someone during the finale for proof.


4. Before I Fall (2017)- Adapted from a YA novel... a teen girl "Groundhog Day" that actually manages to mean something heavy in the end, which surprised and moved me.


5. Funeral Parade of Roses (1969)- Seems like AtSonicPark was a fan of this back in the day. Released in '69 and a busy torrent for many years, Toshio Matsumoto's experimental, avant garde queer effort did recently get a retrospective release. It's not quite the masterpiece I was anticipating, but it's completely unafraid of breaking taboos (both visually and narratively) and playing by its own overheated logic. Definitely worth a download.


6. Chaotic Ana (2007)- As a huge fan of Spanish filmmaker Julio Medem, this was the one film I could never track down until now. White it features many of his perennial themes (cosmic fate, star-crossed encounters and metaphysical beliefs), its also a hectic and ultimately pretentious mess.


7.At the Top of the Stairs (1982) French film about a woman returning to the hometown and seeking revenge on the people who turned in her collaborator husband during WW2. That description makes it sound waaay more interesting than it really is. Dry and stifling... as if Alain Resnais had directed it but without Resnais and his magical way of intersecting memory and place.


8. Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press (2017)- Netflix doc that begins with the HUlk Hogan sextape trial and then opens into a conspiratorial web of cases where billionaires and the Trump administration are willfully constricting and attacking the free press with insidious methods. Crackling from start to finish.


9. The Little Hours (2017)- Reviewed on Dallas Film Now. One of the best comedies of the year, with Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie and Kate Mucicci as foul mouthed, sexually charged nuns.


10. Green Fish (1997) Filmmaker Lee Chang-dong's (Poetry, Secret Sunshine) mid 90's gangster film that pulses with energy and sadness as a rural guy becomes involved with a ravishing gangster's moll.


11. Three (2016)- Love Johnnie To and this one-stage set thriller about the police guarding (and awaiting) the inevitable break-out attempt of a wounded gangster in a hospital is riveting. Much praise has been given to the big shoot-out which is nice, but no match for the melee staged by To in "The Mission" (1999) or "Breaking News" (2004)


12. The Psychic (1977) Not one of Lucio Fulci's best.

thats a lotta movies!

"that's a lot of nuts!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PbE3k9LG9A

I'll have to check this out. Thank you!

Kubo and the Two Strings


beautifully animated. very cool story. The portrayal of Kubo's mom's depressive state was DEAD ON.

A GOOD OLD FASHIONED ORGY



neither good, nor funny, nor sexy-- just... old, and not in a good way

5 out of 5 disappointments

that looks fucking HORRIBLE. Another movie catering to the white affluent idiots.

What the fuck is this shit? I've never even heard of this.

The American Pie generation has grown up and wants more American Pie. They never realized that American Pie was shit, bless their stupid hearts.

literally.

daddy wants to sell the hamptons house (oh no, boo hoo, they're in their 30s)

they throw an orgy (among themselves) as the big sendoff

had the potential to be a funny summer movie, but was just fucking lame

laaaaaaaame

laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame



izzit? i didn't connect it because ive never seen those movies actually. now i wanna, for anthropological research. i might vomit. i do like willow though. she's great. the rest who cares.

oh, did you ever watch buffy OR NO?

wow. like the Hulk Hogan sex tape thing, something on my avoid list.

American Pie itself isn't too bad. The problem is all the copycats that followed.

alright. i've queued it up. for shits and giggles. thanks!

I love the first American Pie.

Having HBO means watching movies that due to not very enthusiastic word of mouth I didn't bother seeing in the theatre, and they never made it to Netflix instant but are currently available to watch on HBO Now so might as well. So this week I've watched Batman V Superman, which had elements I found annoying, mostly Jesse Eisenberg was a shit Lex Luthor, they have Wonder Woman in it and she says nothing, and Doomsday's design was terrible.

Watched Suicide Squad today. Totally serviceable movie. Could've been should've been better and was just okay. I actually didn't mind Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn. I hate that she didn't wear the jester outfit more. Leto as The Joker was meh, but he really is in the shadow of two former damn good performances by way of Nicholson and Ledger. Suicide Squad was a movie you can enjoy while you're watching it, but really doesn't stick with you once its over.

Finally, I watched The Green Inferno. Before watching this movie I had yet to say I liked any Eli Roth movies. Not a fan of Cabin Fever or either of the two Hostels, and I had not heard anything to make me look forward to The Green Inferno, but since it was available to watch I gave it a shot. This was another case of, "that's it?" And I think I feel that way about Roth over all. I honestly don't feel he had anything to add to the "cannibal" film as a sub-genre. It neither challenged its audience, or shocked them. It was gory, but really the horror aspects of it were no more cringe inducing than anything he had already done in Hostel. The cannibalism aspects were not frightening or disturbing, just gory. One might say Roth had a point with the whole social media activism, but he didn't explore that enough to drive any point of view on it. That's my mediocre movie marathon.

I agree, although I did find myself enjoying it. You're right though: nothing new and not enough done with the social activism stuff, which I saw it mostly as a satire of.

In the mood for something fun and cute last night so we watched The Secret Life of Pets.


It was real fun and had NO SONGS!!!!!! No deep Moral dilemmas! No bullshit social activism! No "Hero's Journey!" Just a cool story about pets and what they get up to when owners are gone.

that sounds refreshing!

im sorta rewatching MARS ATTACKS! right now, as a waker upper



still funny after all these years, and reminds me of the old pre-gentrification DC with its ruined buildings

I watched most of the first season, but that's it. The '90sness was dragging me down a bit. I've been meaning to try again, but haven't gotten around to it. :(