recommending it on Prime.Quote:
Originally Posted by bagtagley
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recommending it on Prime.Quote:
Originally Posted by bagtagley
ANNIHILATION
While nowhere near as brilliant as Ex Machina and even though I totally shake my head at the plot changes and liberties with the source material that Alex Garland made, I still would recommend this film.
It's a dark, twisted, and disorienting sci-fi horror film that, in many ways, reminded me a lot of Prometheus (a film I kind of hated on first watch, but ended up realizing that I actually liked it upon post-screening reflection and discussion).
I will say this: the film looks great (it is visually stunning) and the cast is solid.
The score, by Geoff Barrow (Portishead) and Ben Salisbury, is completely immersive and adds a lot of tension and drama and heightened mystery to the proceedings, too.
I saw it in the theaters when it was first released and even all these months later I'm still not quite sure where I stand overall with the film as it had some plot/story problems and some annoying ambiguity that never got resolved.
The one thing I am certain of: I felt the ending was a bit crap/cliched.
I was intrigued enough to track down the novel and read it and I will say that it deals with some of the ambiguity that's in the film much better and the overal tone of the book is really soaked in confusing dread. I'd recommend watching the film first then reading the book if you are a gung-ho, hardcore sci-fi nerd.
:)
Absolutely agree - this its a film that will get under your skin, burrowing inevitably towards your brain. The trailer however .... embarrassing ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by dookey67
Interesting recommendation on movie over book - Vandermeer aka The Mycologist, needs a well fleshed out story to make up for his obsession with all things fungal, so I would argue that the book would actually be good prep for the movie. Annihilation as a movie seemed tentative at times, and often purposefully confused. I noticed that you did not give the movie a rating (on purpose? TBD?) I would only give it 3, maybe 3.5, out of 5.Quote:
Originally Posted by dookey67
I looked back through my movie log and I initially gave it a 3 out of 5 when I saw it back in March of 2018...Quote:
Originally Posted by PB
:)
I found the book much more immersive. The film, well as you stated it was confusing, but part of that is why I liked it in hindsight. I think the ending of the book is much stronger, though.
Still worth a watch for the visuals and strange detached nature of it all. For some reason it also reminded me of Altered States...
Watched it tonight.Quote:
Originally Posted by PB
The first half definitely feels like a Mamet play; staging, dialog, etc. The cheesy 80’s vibe and wooden acting doesn’t help. But it gets going about midway through...
My wife, who worked in the Juliard costume shop in the late 80’s, laughed at the period costumes. “I made that padded shoulder POS, for many actors” she’d laugh.
Worth a watch. A slow burner, by today’s standards; the resolution is incomplete. Which in certain circumstances, like here, works.
2 From Argento
Two of Dario Argento's seminal 1970's giallos (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giallo) are on Prime right now.
Totally worth watching if you dig wigged-out, super stylish films that unquestionably influenced the American slasher films of the '80s.
Argento is a master of color and style, although sometimes his scripts suffer in favor of visual nuance.
Still, if you dig Hitchcock and crazy thrillers, these two are among his best efforts.
You'll see how he influenced generations of horror and thriller films, too (such as the very similar trajectory of Brian DePalma, for example).
CAT O' NINE TAILS (1971)
I've read that this is one of Argento's lessor admired efforts, but it's one of my favorites. The story is pretty linear (something that is often a rarity in Argento films) and the acting is pretty decent (quite a number of his films featured waning American or British actors along with Italian actors, so there was often dubbing). It's one of his more straight forward giallos. But the production design and camera work is amazing.
This trailer is super cheesy, but gets mad points for not even remotely spoiling any of the plot!
DEEP RED (1975)
The opening sequence alone is worth the price of admission.
Uber stylish and unquestionably a precursor to the whole slasher genre that would saturate American cinema in the '80s.
The Goblin score is seminal and escalates the proceedings to another level.
It's a bit hokey in the long run, but the visual intensity should win you over.
The Spanish Prisoner, also fun and also Mamet, is on the pay channels this month as well. Lighter and also terrific.Quote:
Originally Posted by dookey67
If you dig Mamet and want more...
Things Change is currently on Prime.
Way more light-hearted than House of Games, but the same Mamet dialogue and a great cast.
Loved it, will watch again.
Assume you’ve seen Spartan too,
think Redbelt his only misfire.
2 From De Palma:
Dressed To Kill (1980)
While I see this as De Palma's homage to Argento's giallo films (see the two I recommended on Page 10), it's also widely recognized as being an homage to Psycho. Whatever the case may be, it's stylish and violent and just over-the-top enough to be kind of campy, too.
I would recommend watching Argento's Deep Red and then watching Dressed to Kill.
Blow Out (1981)
A direct nod to the 1966 Michelangelo Antonioni film Blow-Up, this John Travolta starring thriller is much more direct and to the point that it's predecessor, imho. Again, super stylish and ultra-violent, but incredibly engaging if you like twisting and harrowing mystery/thrillers.
check it dudes
https://www.imdb.com/freedive/
So you dig the Japanese beatnik yakuza films of Seijun Suzuki, eh?
Well, then check out GOZU, the gonzo PoMo, weird-as-fuck yakuza film from Takiahi Miike (director of Ichi The Killer, Audition, 13 Samurai, and countless other warped Japanese genre films).
The plot?
A young yakuza member is charged with disposing of his increasingly off-kilter, possibly demented mentor. On the way to taking said mentor to his demise, the young yakuza-in-training loses said mentor. Strangeness and insanity ensues in the Japanese suburbs.
Surreal.
Fucked-up.
Super-gonzo greatness from Miike (stop here if you have not seen either Ichi The Killer or Audition and go rent/stream those first; you may also wish to search out Suzuki's off-kilter yakuza films, too, so you have a frame of reference).
Boo.
Yaa.
Possibly won’t appeal to many in this crowd, but Amazon currently has two versions of “Vanity Fair” available. Thackeray called it “a novel without a hero”.
The newer version is snappier, but I suspect doesn’t follow the original as closely (although I haven’t read the original).
Some good scenes of the battle of Waterloo.
If you like the Dickins stories, you might like this.
Thackeray is raunchier than I remember.Quote:
Originally Posted by billyk
^^
I never claimed to be able to spel.
Finished the last episode of the new 2018 version. Frankly, I’m disappointed. Lot better eye candy and special effects, but key parts of the plot were glossed over and minimized.Quote:
Originally Posted by PNWbrit
They really butchered the ending in an attempt to have a happy resolution - exactly NOT what Thackeray intended. I can say that without having read the book (I will have to read it now). The 1987 version is MUCH better as far as the plot goes. Camera work and technical aspects, not so much, but a lot more “raunchy” and the irony is much better developed.
I’ll hold off on giving specifics to avoid spoilers. But if you liked the 2018 version, be sure to check out the 1987 version. Just discovered there is also a 1935 version (and a 2004, and 2014 versions). Shit, maybe I’ll have to watch them all.
Been meaning to watch Barry Lyndon, again too,
Malcolm McDowell Double-Feature:
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
What needs be said about this savvy droog-fest from Stanley Kubrick? Grab a milky drink from your own private Korova Milk Bar, sit back, and watch the insanity.
IF
This film won the Palm d'Or at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival and is considered the "12th Greatest British Film of the 20th Century" by the BFI.
'Nuff said.
Not sure how I missed/slept on the news of this:
The comic book series upon which it is based is bonkers violent and just plain crazy. Hope they keep those elements intact.
Cool - never seen this.Quote:
Originally Posted by dookey67
MUD
4/5
Basically Stand By Me, but with less kids and a real live body. Made me want to rewatch Undertow and Winter’s Bone again.
Great cast, fronted by Matthew McConaughey and including Sam Shepard, Michael Shannon, and a great supporting cast.
Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, who wrote/directed the super cool Take Shelter.
COLORS just popped up.
Great late '80s Los Angeles cop drama starring Sean Penn and Robert Duvall and directed by Dennis Hopper. Look for the early career turns from Don Cheadle, Damon Wayans, and others, too.
:)
The soundtrack alone (7A3, Ice-T, and more) is worth the price of admission.
The theme song by Ice T is one of the classic rap songs of that era. Still bangs.Quote:
Originally Posted by dookey67
This was always my favorite jam from Colors:
(early DJ Muggs (pre-Cypress Hill) production, too)
Both THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR films are on AP right now.
Both are equally solid and very different.
I suggest watching the Steve McQueen "original" first followed by the Pierce Brosnan "re-imagining".
Or you could watch the Pierce Brosnan version first and then go retro afterwards with the Steve McQueen version (which is what I did back in the day after seeing the former in the theaters and then learning about the latter).
any one into the Expanse yet? Looks right in my wheelhouse
https://www.amazon.com/The-Expanse-S.../dp/B018BZ3SCM
Good storyline, but the first 3 seasons were done by theSyFy channel and the sets/CGI reflect their cheap approach to such things. AmPri picked it up for season 4 and I was hoping for significant upgrades, but so far they've failed to materialize.Quote:
Originally Posted by Woodsy
I’ve been telling this joke e for yearsQuote:
Originally Posted by dookey67
Never knew where that was from till now. Thanks for the rec.Quote:
Two bulls on top of a hill looking into a valley filled with cows.
The young bull says to the older-> let’s run down there and fuck us one of those cows.
The old bull says shit son-> let’s walk down and fuck them all.
THE MAN FROM RENO
4/5
Nice, intricate, slow-burn modern noir teeming with low-key and extremely subtle red herrings and plot twists.
Reminded me a bit of a quieter, more serious Big Lebowski in that an innocent individual is sucked into a web of deceit and mystery slightly against their will.
Great 3rd act twist and nihilistic ending.
Filmed in the Bay Area, so if you live there or are familiar with the area it will be even cooler.
The expanse season 3 is probably some of the best Sci fi I've ever seen.
Season 1 and 2 on Amazon are amazing as well.
Season 3 has been on prime (in Europe) for 2 days and I've only got 2 episodes left. Despite having kids and a job.
It's kind of weird that their seasons end in the middle of the books(big battles and conclusions always mid season) , but it makes for great cliffhangers.
Gesendet von meinem BLA-L29 mit Tapatalk
Too bad they cast Holden so poorly. Almost everything you late about the show is great.Quote:
Originally Posted by subtle plague
Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk
I fell into vortex of the Russian shows. Started with Ekaterina - a stunning show about Catherine the Great, told from the Russian perspective (of course), endlessly fascinating. It's a beautiful and rich production, and supremely well-told. Then there's, Method, a sort-of Russian version of Dexter. Here's an article on more Russia produced excellent shows.
There are so many Dickens adaptations available on Prime, watching them is the perfect way to spend a rainy night. The best of them is probably the more recently produced Bleak House, with Gillian Anderson. Once you watch one, the "recommendations for you" show all the old Masterpiece and BBC productions for you to watch next, and all are excellent.
Agree about latest Vanity Fair, while it's swift and pretty to look at, without that whole storyline of Becky Sharp's 2nd marriage, it takes out the sting and just isn't the same story.
Bosch is probably the best of the Amazon Studios produced shows here, or anywhere, really.
An Inspector Calls is elevated by the cast and adaptation. Must watch, will not spoil - but it's a 1912 play (still in production, I just saw it recently), a sort of mystery story.
I do not recommend ABC Murders, which foists upon us a John Malkovich Poirot. It has little to do with a whodunit, and is instead a bizarre character study of Poitot, complete with an off-script back story not provided by Agatha Christie, but invented for this 3 episode adaptation.
Agree strongly on Bosch, An Inspector Calls (a delightfully pleasant surprise - went in cold with no fore-knowledge), and the ABC Murders (20 minutes in my wife and I looked at each other, shook our heads and switched to Bletchley Circle:SF - meh).
Bone Tomahawk was really good. The slow dialogue-heavy lead up was almost better than the gory finale. I think it got a little sloppy at the end, figuratively, but not enough to make me dislike it.
^The dialogue was the only thing that saved that film for me. The monologues by Richard Jenkins' character were priceless.
Other than that, I found the film to look really cheap and cheesy (the town looked like it was built out of clapboard in a weekend).
The writer/director's next film, Brawl in Cell Block 99 is gonzo off-the-nuts, fwiw.
Watched this last night:
One of the many post-Star Wars, post-Road Warrior mash-ups that came out in the '80s.
And it wasn't half bad.
Campy.
Solid practical effects.
A great (and creepy) villain (the great Michael Ironside barely recognizable underneath all the make-up, prosthetics, and glimmering teeth).
Plus it was produced by Ivan Reitman.
If you listen closely you can even hear Harold Ramis in a vocal cameo.
Oh, and Molly Ringwald as an annoying teen spewing verbal slang that may have influenced the warped speak of the feral children in Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.
FOUR of the APOCALYPSE just popped back up.
If you dig really f$%ed-up Spaghetti Westerns, then this will be your jam.
It's got more messed-up violence than you can shake a stick at (rape, necropheliac cannibalism, etc), all of it accompanied by a sun-shiny pop score which creates this strange balance of emotions. Yet despite the warped violence, it's a strangely poetic endeavor that rises above the director's usual schlock horror fare.
It was directed by Lucio Fulci, best known for Zombi (the film where a zombie fights a shark!) and The Beyond (the film which features the "classic" eye stabbing scene) as well as Don't Torture A Duckling; in short, Fulci is mostly revered for his horror films, so this is something of a departure.
Not for the squeamish, but if you dig ultra-violence, spaghetti westerns, and just warped/weirdness, this is a gem.
Made at the time when Spaghetti Westerns were fading in popularity (1975) it is one of my favorites of the genre as it really tweaks the conventions and pushes the boundaries of the genre's storytelling.
Watched 1-3 by myself; rewatching with the wife. She is not normally an SF fan, but she’s hooked. Very well written; huge thumbs up.Quote:
Originally Posted by subtle plague
Has a good send of humor, too.
The Adam Savage cameo had us laughing.
The 1974 cult classic COCKFIGHTER has popped up on AP.
Based on the cult novel by Charles Willeford (who also wrote the screenplay) and directed by Monte Hellman (Two Lane Blacktop) the film stars the esteemable Warren Oates, plus legendary Harry Dean Stanton (and Ed Begley, Jr!).
If you are a hardcore '70s American film cinephile, then I humbly suggest double-featuring this bad boy with another of Oates' films currently streaming on AP: DILLINGER, directed by John Milius (Big Wednesday; Conan; Red Dawn, among others ) and also starring Ben Johnson.
COCKFIGHTER is awesome.