Last Movie You Watched.

Something of a themed double-bill last night (especially considering the first was an influence on the writer of the second).

Runaway Train - had never seen this before. Convicts Jon Voight and Eric Roberts break out of a maximum security prison in Alaska and 'hitch a ride' on a train, only for its engineer to jam the throttle open whilst in the throes of a fatal heart attack. Some of the dialogue clunks more loudly than the train and having a caption quoting Shakespeare's Richard III at the end is pretentious as hell in my book, but the well-staged stuntwork/destruction more or less see it to its destination. Also starring Rebecca DeMornay.

Speed - poor old Jan De Bont ... peaked with his directorial debut, then pretty much downhill ever since. Thrilling entertainment that cemented Keanu Reeves' action chops with Jeff Daniels as his LAPD colleague/buddy, Sandra Bullock as the member of the public who ends up having to keep a bus over 50 mph to stop the bomb on it detonating and Dennis Hopper as the embittered ex-cop 'mad bomber'.

THE FAVOURITE

Another great and quirky film by Lanthimos. Excellent performances by the cast. I think I really need to see THE LOBSTER as well.

The Mothman Prophecies - early Noughties supernatural thriller in which Richard Gere's Washington Post journo unexplainedly ends up in the town of Point Pleasant (after setting out to drive to somewhere completely different) in West Virginia, the townsfolk of which having been experiencing weird phenomena (the strangest of which is the titular being, an eight-foot-tall humanoid that seems to predict upcoming disasters and which Gere's character's wife seemingly saw and made sketches of before she died).

Chilly and unsettling, which is what you want from this sort of thing. Also starring Debra Messing, Laura Linney, Will Patton and Alan Bates.

Yep, Blunts, TMP is a great one, and is supposedly based, in part, on actual events that happened in and around Point Pleasant in 1966.

As far as supernatural horror films go, this one hits the sweet spot. That is to say, it is chilling, creepy and unsettling, but is not so horrifying as to leave the viewer miserable and depressed for the next few days, viz. The Witch.

THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER

Another interesting film by one of my new favourite directors. This one is pretty disturbing, though.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Yep, Blunts, TMP is a great one, and is supposedly based, in part, on actual events that happened in and around Point Pleasant in 1966.

As far as supernatural horror films go, this one hits the sweet spot. That is to say, it is chilling, creepy and unsettling, but is not so horrifying as to leave the viewer miserable and depressed for the next few days, viz. The Witch.

Atmospherically, I'd say it bears comparison to The X-Files when it was in its pomp.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Yep, Blunts, TMP is a great one, and is supposedly based, in part, on actual events that happened in and around Point Pleasant in 1966.

As far as supernatural horror films go, this one hits the sweet spot. That is to say, it is chilling, creepy and unsettling, but is not so horrifying as to leave the viewer miserable and depressed for the next few days, viz. The Witch.

Atmospherically, I'd say it bears comparison to The X-Files when it was in its pomp.

The X-Files also did feature the mothman in one episode.
Incidentally, I know a guy whose name is M. Othman.

Twins Of Evil - these 70s Hammer vampire flicks become difficult to tell apart after a while. With Peter Cushing (not as Van Helsing, but it might as well be) and some pretty ladies, some of whom sportingly disrobe.

THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR


Wes Anderson takes on Roald Dahl, which is surprisingly wonderful.

BLINKENDE LYKTER (Flickering Lights)

Very good Danish comedy drama, with a stellar cast that includes Mads Mikkelsen. From a criminal environment. The character gallery is great.

KYRODONTAS (Dogtooth)


Really bizarre film about a dysfunctional family where the adult kids are not allowed to go out. May be good as a metaphor, but I was frankly bored.

No Mercy - Tough Chicago cop Eddie Jillette (Richard Gere) goes down New Orleans way after the crime lord (Jeroen Krabbe) who killed his partner, with his 'moll' (Kim Basinger) in tow. Decent enough mid-80s thriller, with a quite exciting stalk-and-shootout climax in a burning hotel.

Funny how often Krabbe plays a heavy. Frankly, it seems out of character for him.

With the possible exception of Bond. Koskov is a schemer and manipulator, but ultimately a bit of a buffoon.

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER


Never understood why people complain about these movies, to me they are masterpieces. The only gripe I have is with the scores. Never been a big James Horner fan.

BENEDETTA

French historical drama that takes place in a nunnery in the middle ages. Probably my favourite Verhoeven movie yet. Fine performances, great script that encapsulates eroticism, religion, power struggles and deceit. The climax is really something and Anne Dudley delivers a powerful score.

Backdraft - squabbling brothers, a serial arsonist and political skullduggery are all in the mix in this Ron Howard number set in the Chicago Fire Department. Kurt Russell, William Baldwin, Scott Glenn, Robert De Niro and Donald Sutherland all do fine but the real stars of the show are the pre-CGI pyrotechnic effects which are spectacular, terrifying and utterly convincing.

BEN-HUR

Epic film with a majestic score. This 1959 version by Wyler is the only one I have seen, so don´t know how it compares with any of the other versions, but I did read the book as a kid.

BIRDMAN
OR (THE UNEXPECTED VIRTUE OF IGNORANCE)

This must be my favourite Inarritu of them all. It is a masterpiece, really something special.

Dune Part 1 - Going to see part 2 today (day off) so I thought I'd better see part 1 first. Like Blade Runner 2049, this is a lengthy, mostly stately-paced and visually stunning sci-fi flick directed by Denis Villeneuve. Unlike that movie, I wasn't bored ... again, the visuals are stunning but the narrative kept me interested as well (and I was able to follow it OK, which is always a bonus. lol).

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Dune Part 1 - Going to see part 2 today (day off) so I thought I'd better see part 1 first. Like Blade Runner 2049, this is a lengthy, mostly stately-paced and visually stunning sci-fi flick directed by Denis Villeneuve. Unlike that movie, I wasn't bored ... again, the visuals are stunning but the narrative kept me interested as well (and I was able to follow it OK, which is always a bonus. lol).

I got my tickets for Part Two tomorrow. Loved the first one. Not so happy with the Lynch version.

THE REVENANT

Next to BIRDMAN, this is my second favourite Inarritu. They are both great acchievements and works of art, each in their own way. I did not know that this was based on a true story.

Dune Part 2 - the conflict between the various factions for control of Arrakis' 'spice' production begins in earnest, and in its depiction Villeneuve turns in an absolutely spectacular sci-fi epic that thrills the eye and stirs the blood. Brilliant.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Dune Part 2 - the conflict between the various factions for control of Arrakis' 'spice' production begins in earnest, and in its depiction Villeneuve turns in an absolutely spectacular sci-fi epic that thrills the eye and stirs the blood. Brilliant.  

Just got back from this. Villeneuve always delivers. I hope he gets to finish the trilogy.

LA GUERRE DU FEU (Quest For Fire)
Apparently, this is based on a book, which I didn´t know.

I remember being mesmerized by this the first time I saw it, back in the 80s on a b/w tv. Very silly, but highly entertaining and well made. Only now did I notice that Everett McGill is in one of the lead roles.