Topic: What Non-New Films Have You Seen? (2021 Edition)

[zomgmouse]

NEW YEAR NEW THREAD BUCKLE IN EVERYFOLK

First film of the year was Suspect Zero which wasn't terrific but decent enough, with Eckhart, Moss and Kingsley. Main thing is I guess I have now seen all (three) of Merhige's films. When's he gonna do his next one already. Thanks E. Elias, cheers for reading this.

Then I signed up to MUBI's little cheap dealio, and they've got a whole series of "first films". Delved into a few of those: one by Angela Schanelec (My Sister's Good Fortune) and another by Lina Wertmüller (The Basilisks). Both very solid debuts, both affecting in their own way.

And, though I didn't realise it was a "first", watched Butter on the Latch by Josephine Decker as I absolutely loved Madeline's Madeline; this had the same mystical energy but maybe not quite the same degree of psychological tension. Still enjoyed it quite a lot though.

Another "first" (though I don't think it actually is), Xiao Wu/Pickpocket by Jia Zhangke. Again you can see his style already pretty fully-fledged but not entirely formed. A sort of nostalgic, wistful but not uncritical sheen to it all. No one is happy really.

And for something completely different I watched Alien Nation with James Caan and Mandy Patinkin (and Terence Stamp). Bonkers and equal parts great and shit. Entertaining nonsense.

[EOLAN]

Mr Smith Goes to Washington

Probably preferred the supporting cast and Jean Arthur to James Stewart. Stewart knocked it out of the park in the finale but also contributed greatly to a massive lull in the opening half as Capra seemed to produce a tourist promotion piece for Washington DC and 'American' ideals. More understandable in the 30s than nowadays when we saturated with online media.

Jean Arthur really gets the ball rolling and works superbly off Thomas Mitchell; who must have one of the most impressive catalogue of films in a single year having also played prominent roles in Gone With The Wind, Stagecoach, The Hunchback of Norte Dame and Only Angels Have Wings in 1939.
Edward Arnold was great as the evil Murdoch like tycoon; Claude Raines looking older than he ever did was sublime as the crisis of conscience old time senator and finally Harry Carey was delightful and helped steer the latter half of the film.

One thing that stuck out most to me though was how much cheap/free child labour the political institutions seemed to be exploiting. That's before Mr Smith himself looks to utilise them as the driver of his own political machine.

Took a while to get going but overall 4 thumbs up out of 5.

[SteveDave]

Mona Lisa

I loved seeing grimy mid-80s Soho in this but thought the ending could be a bit clearer. I didn't realise that Simone and Cathy were lovers until I read the wiki entry as the credits were rolling. Them being on separate beds with Simone lightly brushing her fingers on Cathy's face wasn't enough of a clue for me. I did think Bobo was going to take the gun off her and say he killed Michael Caine and Clarke Peters though, so his happy ending was different. I suppose it was a bit noir-ish in terms of the subject matter.

I don't know why I'm spoilering a 35 year old film but here were are.

[shagatha crustie]

Pi (1998) - this was alright. Extremely 90s in a good way, nice to hear 'Petrol' by Orbital on the soundtrack. Lots of techniques (and actors) recycled for Requiem for a Dream. The theological number theory stuff was cool but it became a bit too much of a contrived conspiracy caper at the end for my liking. 7/10

High Life (2018) - eh. Cum in space does not 2001: A Space Odyssey make. Just an endless orange and teal sea of moody nothingness. 4/10

The Long Goodbye (1973) - I think you probably have to know the book to fully appreciate what this is doing, but I really liked it nonetheless. Love a New Hollywood 'everything has gone to the dogs' narrative. Of the Altmans I've seen, better than Images, and a notch under Nashville, McCabe & Mrs Miller and 3 Women. 8/10

[Jerzy Bondov]

I watched The Fly (1986) for the first time the other day. It's amazing. I don't know why I hadn't seen it before. I'd seen gifs of Jeffy having a little puke on his foods and scuttling around, but none of that took away from the impact of the film. Incredible how it's both a heartbreaking tragedy and a proper yucky slimy monster movie. Loved it.

[phantom_power]

Simple Men & Amateur - I have been wary of revisiting Hal Hartley because I am not sure if they will hold up no I am not a pseudy teen but they do. I am a sucker for that studied, quirky style and he fills his films with interesting minor characters and great actors. Amateur has early roles for Tim Black Nelson, Michael Imperioli, Parker Posey and Paul Schulze. A lot of the logic of the plot doesn't hold up but that is beside the point a bit. And obviously the music is great throughout with some fantastic original music as well as some great 90s indie needle drops

[Artie Fufkin]

Wild Target - 2009

Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt & Ron Weasley in this 'crime caper'. Yeah, I liked it. Emily is very easy on the eye as always. It was fun.
Bill is reunited with his soulmate Gregor Fisher from Love Actually. They don't like each other in this film.
Rupert Everett as a slightly camp bad guy, Martin Freeman plays Martin Freeman with a gun, along with quite a few little cameo performances.
Better than expected.

[Shit Good Nose]

Wild Target - 2009

Bill Nighy, Emily Blunt & Ron Weasley in this 'crime caper'. Yeah, I liked it. Emily is very easy on the eye as always. It was fun.
Bill is reunited with his soulmate Gregor Fisher from Love Actually. They don't like each other in this film.
Rupert Everett as a slightly camp bad guy, Martin Freeman plays Martin Freeman with a gun, along with quite a few little cameo performances.
Better than expected.

The original is worth a watch as well, however it's not a case of "urgh you cunt, the original is MUUUUUUUUCH better" - the remake is very very good (to the point of being hugely underrated actually) and they are about on a par.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Simple Men & Amateur - I have been wary of revisiting Hal Hartley because I am not sure if they will hold up no I am not a pseudy teen but they do. I am a sucker for that studied, quirky style and he fills his films with interesting minor characters and great actors. Amateur has early roles for Tim Black Nelson, Michael Imperioli, Parker Posey and Paul Schulze. A lot of the logic of the plot doesn't hold up but that is beside the point a bit. And obviously the music is great throughout with some fantastic original music as well as some great 90s indie needle drops

I've been doing that! I got the Long Island and Henry Fool boxsets plus one of shorts. I've enjoyed them.

It's worth checking out Karen Silas' other 90's classic What Happened Was, I couldn't find physical copies but it's really cheap for a really long rental on Vimeo (which I then grabbed with youtube-dl)
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/whathappenedwas

[phantom_power]

I've been doing that! I got the Long Island and Henry Fool boxsets plus one of shorts. I've enjoyed them.

It's worth checking out Karen Silas' other 90's classic What Happened Was, I couldn't find physical copies but it's really cheap for a really long rental on Vimeo (which I then grabbed with youtube-dl)
https://vimeo.com/ondemand/whathappenedwas

I will see if i can get hold of it. Directed by Tom Noonan I see. She is very attractive and charismatic in Simple Men. I wonder if she was due for the Isobel part in Amateur until Isabelle Hupert contacted Hartley to be in it. It seems like a role made for her

I watched Trust, Unbelievable Truth and Surviving Desire last year and they still held up. They are more "arty" (read low budget and amateurish) but no less endearing. I am working my way through chronologically so it is Flirt next, which I think is the last one that will be a repeat viewing before I get into new territory with Henry Fool. I lost touch with Hartley for some reason in the mid 90s and never got round to watching anything after that. I seem to remember Henry Fool getting quite bad reviews at the time, but IMDB suggests I am mistaken

[SteveDave]

Night Of The Hunter

I thought I'd seen this because I remember being really disappointed with the ending. Turns out the DVD I watched (in 2008?) was shit and must've skipped the last chapter because that version ended with him on the horse in silhouette and the kid saying "Doesn't he ever sleep?" Weird.

Anyway, on second viewing (with the ending) I loved it all over again. Robert Mitchum was a scary MF.

[Dave The Triffids]

Cop Land

Absolutely no idea why I'd never seen this before, given that I'm a big fan of all the lead actors in it.  Superb film.  It's also interesting to play "spot the Soprano's star" - there are many..!

[Dex Sawash]

Snowpiercer the film. After watching the series I wanted to see the film to answer the question "why tf they made this series?"
Almost shut it off after 30 minutes but it gains momentum as they progress up the train. The visuals of the various cars was fun. There's a schoolroom scene that really felt Fifth Element-y in visuals and ott characterization. Glad I stuck it out to the end but would not watch again.

Edit-- will seek out more Boon Jong HO

[Sebastian Cobb]

Snowpiercer the film. After watching the series I wanted to see the film to answer the question "why tf they made this series?"
Almost shut it off after 30 minutes but it gains momentum as they progress up the train. The visuals of the various cars was fun. There's a schoolroom scene that really felt Fifth Element-y in visuals and ott characterization. Glad I stuck it out to the end but would not watch again.

Edit-- will seek out more Boon Jong HO

I think I prefer the series as it's a bit more exploration. New series returns Monday I think.

Neither answer the question 'why didn't they put all that self-sustaining tech in a big building, underground bunker or dome?'.

[chveik]

Neither answer the question 'why didn't they put all that self-sustaining tech in a big building, underground bunker or dome?'.

the megalomania of the designer? that's what I gathered from the comics but I might be wrong, maybe there's a 'in world' scientific explanation.

[Shit Good Nose]

Cop Land

Absolutely no idea why I'd never seen this before, given that I'm a big fan of all the lead actors in it.  Superb film.  It's also interesting to play "spot the Soprano's star" - there are many..!

A minor masterpiece.  Stallone absolutely genuinely brilliant in it and the sequence near the end when he goes to Cathy Moriarty's house is stunning (literally for Stallone's character, b'boom).  Still incredibly underrated to this day.

[Dex Sawash]

the megalomania of the designer? that's what I gathered from the comics but I might be wrong, maybe there's a 'in world' scientific explanation.

Film nor series seem to explain enough for me. I'll be fucked if I'm falling into a snowpiercer.fandom.wankoff.hole to see a train circuit map.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Snowpiercer the film.
Almost shut it off after 30 minutes 

I almost did too, but I enjoyed the last 30 mins enough for it to be worth it.

[Dusty Substance]

Death Wish III on Netflix.

The first was a solid 70s rape revenge drama which followed in the New Hollywood trend of being gritty and violent but also held a mirror up to society and had something to say. The third instalment is a a mid-80s action film, which has more in common with Commando than with the original Death Wish film, although it still has a late 70s vibe, reminiscent of The Warriors. Gloriously over-the-top action with memorable bad guy gang members (The Giggler).

As much as I liked the knowing 80s pastiche Hobo With A Shotgun, Death Wish III is the real deal.

[rjd2]

Night Of The Hunter

I thought I'd seen this because I remember being really disappointed with the ending. Turns out the DVD I watched (in 2008?) was shit and must've skipped the last chapter because that version ended with him on the horse in silhouette and the kid saying "Doesn't he ever sleep?" Weird.

Anyway, on second viewing (with the ending) I loved it all over again. Robert Mitchum was a scary MF.

I watched it not so long ago myself.

Its a masterpiece isn't it?

So sad however that the chap who directed this and lets not forget it was his debut never directed again as it bombed financially.


Guillermo del Toro chatted about it a few years and pointed out how stunning visually it is also.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ4xpKwvI60


Mitchum is also very scary in Cape Fear.  He's got a hell of CV .

[bgmnts]

Dredd (2012)

Never thought I'd be saying a modern reboot of an old film is great but it is so wahey.

Mercifully free of Rob Schneider.

Karl Urban is good as well, makes Dredd seem like an actual real person as well as a remorseless agent of order and death.

Also this:

THE CHIEF: Throw her in at the deep end.
DREDD: It's all deep end.

Is a line.

[Famous Mortimer]

The newest Dredd is great, I thought.

Terror On Tour

A band who look like Kiss and sound like a shitty Cheap Trick have someone who dresses like them murdering women. They don't go on tour. It is terrible though.

[EOLAN]

Office Romance (1977)

A Soviet Union comedy, over two and a half hours. Directed by Eldar Ryazanov. Absolutely magnificent. A lovely document at times of the 70s Moscow landscape and people getting on with their lives.

But at the heart is an absolutely hilarious wonderful romantic comedy, with plenty of office satire and a catchy score that carries it along.

Central performance by Alise Freindlich is stunning. Suppose to be uglied up but oozes so much sex appeal for me at least.

Mixes poignant character moments with screwball comedies. Like a mix of early Woody Allen and some classic Hollywood gems like the Apartment and Bringing Up Baby.
Also perfect encapsulation of one type of office character, who is constantly organising gathering money to celebrate people's birthdays, leaving dos etc....


5 out of 5

[Sebastian Cobb]

Office Romance (1977)

A Soviet Union comedy, over two and a half hours. Directed by Eldar Ryazanov. Absolutely magnificent. A lovely document at times of the 70s Moscow landscape and people getting on with their lives.

But at the heart is an absolutely hilarious wonderful romantic comedy, with plenty of office satire and a catchy score that carries it along.

Central performance by Alise Freindlich is stunning. Suppose to be uglied up but oozes so much sex appeal for me at least.

Mixes poignant character moments with screwball comedies. Like a mix of early Woody Allen and some classic Hollywood gems like the Apartment and Bringing Up Baby.
Also perfect encapsulation of one type of office character, who is constantly organising gathering money to celebrate people's birthdays, leaving dos etc....


5 out of 5

This sounds great! Looks like Mosfilm themselves have put a hd copy on youtube too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR-1QGMK75c&list=PL4dWJMOQ_a1TgayrpaB-SEVJhHC58U1wU&index=38

[EOLAN]

This sounds great! Looks like Mosfilm themselves have put a hd copy on youtube too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hR-1QGMK75c&list=PL4dWJMOQ_a1TgayrpaB-SEVJhHC58U1wU&index=38

Yep. Watched on YouTube. Subtitles were getting out of synch and not sure if how it was filmed but a lot of the dialogue while in Russian appears to be dubbed.

[greenman]

Most Russian films from that era were dubbed rather than recording dialog on set.

Alise Freindlich played the wife in Stalker, have been meaning to try and see other stuff from that era with her in so gave this and watch and I'd agree it does work really well, manages to mix 70's euro farce from very heartfelt romance. First half hour or so is a bit more straight forward but stick with it and takes off after that, even the cliched "woman suddenly becomes attractive" plot does actually work well here.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Bumblebee (2018)

Prequel to the Transformers movies. I'd heard this was actually pretty good, but maybe that was just in comparison to the Michael Bay efforts. Despite the encouraging presence of Laika Studios veteran Travis Knight behind the camera, it was merely okay. The action was coherent at least and John Cena, muscling in on Dwayne Johnson territory, was entertainingly hammy (he seemed to think he was in some sort of parody).

Watch The Iron Giant instead.

[wasp_f15ting]

Nightingale - I came across this on Netflix and just popped it on last night.

This is one of the most horrendous films I have ever seen.. but it was so well shot, and the story was good if a bit long.
Would recommend this but if you are squeamish and dislike violence and or sexual violence do not watch.

[amputeeporn]

Black Swan - Bit silly, I'm afraid. It so badly wants to break through into being art but it's just silly. It probably suffered from my watching Inland Empire last week, a film which so effortlessly PUMPS cosmic dread into your brain, even if it can confound and test the patience.

[dissolute ocelot]

Nightingale - I came across this on Netflix and just popped it on last night.

This is one of the most horrendous films I have ever seen.. but it was so well shot, and the story was good if a bit long.
Would recommend this but if you are squeamish and dislike violence and or sexual violence do not watch.

I thought this was really brilliant, beautifully photographed, wonderfully acted, a really good portrayal of toxic masculinity and colonialist entitlement. But I definitely agree, one of the most harrowing films I've seen.

Wings of Desire (1987) - Was the old Berlin the most cinematic city ever? Between this, Christiane F (Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo), Possession, and a ton more (even fake post-1989 movies like Atomic Blonde), nothing is more symbolic than that wall, the bombed-out Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the whole city. I'd seen it before and it's often discussed here, but the other thing I noted was the Peter Handke influence on the screenplay. He's now (rightly) cancelled as a Yugoslav genocide denialist, but the film leans heavily on the slightly maudlin depressingness of Wunschloses Unglück (a good writer but fucking hell, lighten up). Thank fuck for Nick Cave and Crime and the City Solution and Peter Falk. It should be a mess, but for me there's enough wonder that it works; set anywhere else it would have no chance.

Dune (1984) - neither terrible nor exactly good, I'm sure the upcoming "reinvisionment" by Denis Villeneuve will have many of the same virtues and flaws: it looks amazing and the cast is great and the plot does eventually pick up, but compare it to Star Wars or Flash Gordon - I don't think Dune adds anything by its lack of humour (were the ginger villains meant to be funny?), perfunctory action scenes, and shortage of interesting, memorable characters (the villains are better than the heroes but even then they're hardly rounded characters; when Sting is the best thing in your movie, you've probably done something wrong).

Monos (2019) - kids are assholes. It's no Come and See but still very good.