What Non-New Films Have You Seen? (2018 Edition)

[Large Noise]

Was a double feature for me tonight, neither of which I'd seen before:

Blade Runner (1982)
This really wasn't how I expected it to be. It's very grimy and gloomy and almost post-apocalyptic in the way the set's designed. The establishing shot of flying cars over LA kind of belies the way the rest of the film looks, the world they create is quite interesting in that sense.

But I was a bit underwhelmed to be honest. They fail to develop practically every character, with the possible exception of J F Sebastian. Harrison Ford's character is a blank slate. The replicants are fairly uninteresting too. That would be forgivable if the plot itself was made to be significant to the world at large, but even that feels fairly inconsequential. Why does it matter if Deckard completes his mission?

Yes it throws up some interesting themes about the nature of morality and humanity, etc. But I felt like that all could've been done just as effectively with more interesting characters and a more exciting plot.

The Seventh Seal 1957

First off, the women are far too well dressed for the 14th Century. Also, the actor who plays Jof could've learned to juggle for the role.

Those major problems aside, it was pretty great. Setting it during the middle ages give you the terrible sense that the "those poor bastards" reflex you initially experience applies to yourself today as much as it did those saps way back when. It seems to close with the message that the only way to avoid playing and losing the game-of-chess-of-life is to reproduce, and go live in a mobile home with a Swedish woman who's incredibly far out of your league. As true in 1957 as it was in 1357.

[itsfredtitmus]

the little chat Death and Sydow have in the confessional booth: the greatest bit in film ever?

[Large Noise]

Yeah it's brilliant, the writing and acting is magic.

[itsfredtitmus]

O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization

Replace the Zone with the Ark

Think I liked it more than Golem

[itsfredtitmus]

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da: The End of Civilization

[Famous Mortimer]

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da: The End of Civilization

Whoah-ho-ho-ho life doesn't go on

[itsfredtitmus]

Mondays in the Sun

really fucking resembles those 90s and early 2000s humour-tingled masterclasses that ken loach made (Riff-Raff, Raining Stones, Navigators, or idk, Blackstuff) there's a tiny bit of Kaurismaki about it all but it isn't quite the exercise in ennui as Kaurismaki

[Sin Agog]

O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization

Replace the Zone with the Ark

Think I liked it more than Golem

Why were there so many Polish dystopias?*  Poland can't have been that bad.   Think Zulawski's incomplete (but still three hours long) masterpiece On the Silver Globe is my favourite.  Completely lost my bearings last time I watched that.  Literally had no idea where I was for a couple of minutes.


*Screeching Halt & Tidbit here to answer your question.  It's because sci-fi was the only medium by which they could pass comment on their Soviet overlords, and even then, as in the aforementioned On the Silver Globe, they didn't always get away unscathed.  Thanks for listening.  We'll be back again soon when you least expect- or want- us.

[Sin Agog]

In a similar vein, caught Kin-dza-dza! for the first time in years.  May be the most fun Russian movie I know of.  Wonder if it influenced the new Mad Max at all, at least in terms of set design.

[itsfredtitmus]

*Screeching Halt & Tidbit here to answer your question.  It's because sci-fi was the only medium by which they could pass comment on their Soviet overlords, and even then, as in the aforementioned On the Silver Globe, they didn't always get away unscathed.  Thanks for listening.  We'll be back again soon when you least expect- or want- us.

^{smart ass!}

In a similar vein, caught Kin-dza-dza! for the first time in years.  May be the most fun Russian movie I know of.  Wonder if it influenced the new Mad Max at all, at least in terms of set design.

Jesus I was just thinking about that film. was actually trying to find it before by googling "polish dystopia comedy" (turned out to be Russian)
From the caps of it on google it looks a lot like Richard Lester's Bed Sitting Room, or, more probably, Lester-via-Gilliam

[Sebastian Cobb]

'polish dystopia comedy' is sexmission

[itsfredtitmus]

'polish dystopia comedy' is sexmission

Check your postbox

[itsfredtitmus]

I have sexmission bookmarked in chrome but I don't think I've ever came across it before

[itsfredtitmus]

Fe 1994
You know how some people prefer watching De Palma and Clouzot to the Big H? I kinda feel the same about post-Tarkovsky filmmakers
Stunning, surpasses The Clone Returns Home

[itsfredtitmus]

Seriously stunned by that film. Every so often this happens, a Local Hero, a Housekeeping, a Goodbye Dragon Inn

[zomgmouse]

Why were there so many Polish dystopias?*  Poland can't have been that bad.   Think Zulawski's incomplete (but still three hours long) masterpiece On the Silver Globe is my favourite.  Completely lost my bearings last time I watched that.  Literally had no idea where I was for a couple of minutes.


*Screeching Halt & Tidbit here to answer your question.  It's because sci-fi was the only medium by which they could pass comment on their Soviet overlords, and even then, as in the aforementioned On the Silver Globe, they didn't always get away unscathed.  Thanks for listening.  We'll be back again soon when you least expect- or want- us.

Similarly, Soviet dystopias. Visitor to a Museum is really startling, check it out if you haven't already.

[itsfredtitmus]

WATCHED PHASE IV FINALLY

maybe it's just because i've been awake all night and then some but i started bawling a bit at the original / alt ending

[greenman]

Blade Runner (1982)
This really wasn't how I expected it to be. It's very grimy and gloomy and almost post-apocalyptic in the way the set's designed. The establishing shot of flying cars over LA kind of belies the way the rest of the film looks, the world they create is quite interesting in that sense.

But I was a bit underwhelmed to be honest. They fail to develop practically every character, with the possible exception of J F Sebastian. Harrison Ford's character is a blank slate. The replicants are fairly uninteresting too. That would be forgivable if the plot itself was made to be significant to the world at large, but even that feels fairly inconsequential. Why does it matter if Deckard completes his mission?

Yes it throws up some interesting themes about the nature of morality and humanity, etc. But I felt like that all could've been done just as effectively with more interesting characters and a more exciting plot.

The normal pattern of respose for reviews like this is a back and forth of "you need to watch it again" and "no I don't" isnt it?

Finally got around to watching Jonathan Glaziers Birth, strikes me as a film released rather before its time, very Lanthimosish(albeit not quite so heavy on the black humour) in style. The "pedo" fuss seemed pretty wide of the mark to me, I mean the film plays with the uncomfortableness of the situation but never really suggests it as a possibility. Overall actually much further down the road to Under the Skin than I expected it to me and the better for it.

[Z]

Finally got around to watching Jonathan Glaziers Birth, strikes me as a film released rather before its time, very Lanthimosish(albeit not quite so heavy on the black humour) in style. The "pedo" fuss seemed pretty wide of the mark to me, I mean the film plays with the uncomfortableness of the situation but never really suggests it as a possibility. Overall actually much further down the road to Under the Skin than I expected it to me and the better for it.

Features the best single shot close up I can think of too, the one shot alone justifies the whole film for me.



RE: Blade Runner,
First time i saw it I thought it was a load of balls.
Second time, I thought it was a load of balls.
Third time I thought it was a load of balls but I was in a cinema (as opposed to a 14" vhs/tv combo or a Dell Laptop) so I got to really appreciate just how good looking and sounding it all is.
I probably won't watch it again in this life, but it is a really well made film all the same.

[Z]

Finally got around to watching Jonathan Glaziers Birth, strikes me as a film released rather before its time, very Lanthimosish(albeit not quite so heavy on the black humour) in style. The "pedo" fuss seemed pretty wide of the mark to me, I mean the film plays with the uncomfortableness of the situation but never really suggests it as a possibility. Overall actually much further down the road to Under the Skin than I expected it to me and the better for it.

Features the best single shot close up I can think of too, the one shot alone justifies the whole film for me.



RE: Blade Runner,
First time i saw it I thought it was a load of balls.
Second time, I thought it was a load of balls.
Third time I thought it was a load of balls but I was in a cinema (as opposed to a 14" vhs/tv combo or a Dell Laptop) so I got to really appreciate just how good looking and sounding it all is.
I probably won't watch it again in this life, but it is a really well made film all the same.



Tom Petty -- Runnin' on a Dream
I like Tom Petty but he didn't need a 4+ hour documentary. I suppose one upside is that it made me a bit more aware of the kinda weird position he occupied in the 80s pre-Traveling Wilburys. never thought of him as someone all over 80s MTV.

[Famous Mortimer]

Every movie between the mid 80s and about 2000 that starts with the word "Future". So far:

Future Hunters (1986)
Future-Kill (1985)
Future Kick (1991)
Futuresport (1998)
Future Shock (1994)
Future Fear (1997)
Future War (1994)

For sheer puzzlement, "Future Fear" is in the lead so far.

[greenman]

Features the best single shot close up I can think of too, the one shot alone justifies the whole film for me.

RE: Blade Runner,
First time i saw it I thought it was a load of balls.
Second time, I thought it was a load of balls.
Third time I thought it was a load of balls but I was in a cinema (as opposed to a 14" vhs/tv combo or a Dell Laptop) so I got to really appreciate just how good looking and sounding it all is.
I probably won't watch it again in this life, but it is a really well made film all the same.

I take it you mean the shot at the Wagner concert? that aspect does also seem rather ahead of its time for a US produced film but has become a stable of this kind of film now.

Honestly Blade Runner kind of gradually worked its way into my heart over a lot of earlier viewings mostly for the "coolness" although actually I tend to think a lot of the depth it has really comes down to its atmosphere, characters might not seem that deep on the page but are a lot moreso on the screen for me. I view it less as an anti slavery story and more as an existential one personally.

[Z]

I take it you mean the shot at the Wagner concert? that aspect does also seem rather ahead of its time for a US produced film but has become a stable of this kind of film now.

Yep, entirely possible it doesn''t hold up as well as I remember, but at the same time it's a pretty perfect scene for a perfect character for Nicole Kidman. She's really good in the film.

[greenman]

Yep, entirely possible it doesn''t hold up as well as I remember, but at the same time it's a pretty perfect scene for a perfect character for Nicole Kidman. She's really good in the film.

Its perhaps a little less unique now than it was then but it certainly holds up, the closeups of the "other" woman as well are very effective indeed as well.

[itsfredtitmus]

The Hellstrom Chronicle
thought I'd watch another ant film. things like the early greenaway luper films and f is for fake come to mind

loved it a lot
dated and shit (not very funny either)

[Z]

The Post
Somehow that shot of her exiting the court was far worse than I could've possibly imagined. It's only like 5 seconds but what on earth was he thinking.

Andre the Giant Documentary
Jesus, this thing absolutely races through his life, doesn't it?

[Custard]

Big Bad Wolves (2013)

An Israeli film about a bloke who kidnaps a school teacher he believes kidnapped and killed his young daughter. Precedes to torture him, as a cop also gets tangled up in the whole thing

Thought this was pretty good. You're left guessing whether blokey actually did it right to the end, and it's comedic enough in places (no, really!) to not be a total grimfest

Tarantino's favourite film of 2013, apparently

[Z]

Angels With Dirty Faces
First time that I could really see at all why James Cagney was a star tough guy type character.
Mostly pretty good, I feel like it got a few real obvious notes wrong though, which is a trend with Curtiz for me.

[zomgmouse]

Angels With Dirty Faces
First time that I could really see at all why James Cagney was a star tough guy type character.
Mostly pretty good, I feel like it got a few real obvious notes wrong though, which is a trend with Curtiz for me.

Have you done White Heat? Cagney ripping it up there. Tremendous film. The Roaring Twenties is another great Walsh-directed Cagney-starring belter (with added Bogart).

[Z]

Have you done White Heat? Cagney ripping it up there. Tremendous film.

I have, but it was the first Cagney film I saw and I mostly found it kinda weird watching it considering it so obviously was playing hugely upon his earlier character.

Roaring Twenties is a due a rewatch, half watched it years ago and cant remember a thing.