Does the dates of the movies on the list imply that it was being used as a makeshift movie house for several years before its conversion in 1939? I know this kind of situation was fairly common, using temporary chairs and screen on the stage.
There are definitely things to like about this movie: its unhinged heightened world is a Los Angeles where anything can happen, its soundtrack is good, the cinematography is done well, it's often funny.
At the same time, it couldn't be more obvious that it was created by a middle-aged white guy. Such lackluster portrayals of women and minorities. Hot exes are dumb, vapid bitches, Russians are scary, the only black women in the film are basically coke whores who sing a song about
sucking dicks
. The only black male speaking role is a bouncer who grants a jovial respect to the white male protagonist. Let's be honest, white guys just want a black dude to tell them they're cool. Total wish fulfillment.
Also as mbkeene noted, the ending is telegraphed from about 1/3 of the way into the movie, in addition to a lot of literal and figurative Chekhov's guns that are a bit convenient.
Is it good? sometimes. Is it skeevy? often. Is it worth watching? Maybe, its frenetic energy has a way of feeling fresh even if a lot of the content is stale. It's....interesting.
An audacious piece of filmmaking, shot all on an iPhone 5S on location in Hollywood along Santa Monica Blvd between Fairfax and Vermont Avenues. Doesn't romanticize the life of two trans prostitutes, but doesn't make it out to be all tears either. Worth watching, although if you're close-minded, you're gonna have a bad time.
Some really impressive camerawork and sound design, in addition to the reliable Preminger touchstones of titles by Saul Bass and a judiciously used jazz score. (Some fun diegetic soundtrack in there too)
It takes a while to find its momentum but what a frenetic, insane finale!
A really interesting take on the western, with a gunslinger
who isn't a gunslinger
, lots of long static shots interspersed with some more spaghetti western-inspired quick zooms to closeup. Julie Christie really shines as a prostitute with a heart of gold nugget.
The audio mixing is a bit unintelligible, partly by Altman's intention to capture both dialogue and background noise and partly because Altman's experimentation with multi-track recording to accomplish this wasn't quite ready for primetime.
Part of a loose trilogy of films directed by Lindsay Anderson, starting with If...., then this film, then Britannia Hospital. They're strange, playful films that bring to mind elements of the French New Wave. This one is 3-hour-long "journey of a man" epic in the vein of Little Big Man, Forrest Gump, or Being There, (Interesting to see how some of these movies feature characters with cognitive disabilities, painting them as a passive participant, a product of their times so that those times can be critiqued) but there's so much variety and unpredictability that it doesn't get dull. Lots of commentary on class and capitalism.
If you like this, try Zazie dans le Metro, a totally bonkers Louis Malle movie about an unsinkable girl loose on the streets of Paris.
Similar to The Knack and How To Get It, but told from a female POV, which is pretty cool, especially for the era. Weird gender politics all around, some progressive, some regressive by today's standards.
The movie leans too much on dinosaurs being cool and Chris Pratt being likable and cool, the writing is really lackluster. The plotting of the two kids is some lazy second-hand Spielbergism.
The GGI looks great when the camera holds still, but the shots are constantly fast-panning during the action, making the screen a blurry mess. Several scenes seem to be there mostly to have stills of Chris Pratt looking good in front of a motorcycle, on a motorcycle, with a gun on a motorcycle with raptors, etc.
It also has a dearth of solid female characters when compared to the original. In the original, Laura Dern played a scientist who was attractive but not sexualized, in this it's Bryce Dallas Howard, a neglectful ice queen administrator who just needs to chill out and let Chris Pratt kiss her already. Judy Greer is mostly wasted as a mom who's sad all the time.
There's some real horror movie cell-phone-itis going on, not sure why they didn't just write them out as not working on the island.
Need two children to
fix up a car that hasn't run in over 20 years as part of the plot? Guess you better have one of them say "good thing we just fixed up that old car, right?" What do you mean that takes days of dedicated labor?
Leave it in, the people need their nostalgia moment!
Jurassic World has its moments to be sure, but it's very pandering to the blend of kids and fans of the original, lacking much substance beyond that. In a way it's just like its dinosaurs: a weird hybrid mutant designed for audience marketability, while other concerns take a back seat.
I liked Colin Trevorrow's Safety Not Guaranteed, hopefully we'll still see some of that kind of work out of him even if this makes $1B
BTW, forgot to mention, my list for TCM's May schedule is up and will be completed soon.
Crunchy, enjoy Night Moves. I hope you like it. I see you also watched A Report on the Party and Guests last night. What did you think? I liked the message but found the editing a little jarring, only showing the person talking in close shots. I like new wave stuff as a whole but some individual films can be a challenging watch.
Also, anyone else feel free to chime in about what you've been watching or looking forward to, don't wanna hog it, just trying to drum up some conversation.
Heh, it's hard to remember to check the group, and sometimes the group pages load pretty slow for me, dunno if anyone else has has the same issue, even when the rest of the site is working fine.
I didn't catch Poseidon on the 31st, but I did see it for the first time last summer at a one-night revival run at a local theater. It's definitely a little campy but that's part of the fun.
Speaking of Hackman, just rewatched one of my favorites tonight: Night Moves. Such a great neo-noir, I highly recommend.
Thanks for the update, guys. Your plans look good, although I'd like to speak up regarding the groups. The current implementation of them leaves a lot to be desired and I think that has a lot to do with their lack of use, for reasons such as:
Sometimes painfully slow to load
Hard to find, easy to forget
There's no way to see if people have posted without going to the page itself, no way to subscribe or be notified.
Almost no functionality once you're there except for a single comment chain
I guess there's the unofficial forums but that ends up being a much smaller subset of users that's even more tucked away at the bottom of the page. I understand if you feel the groups are not worth keeping, but I think the site needs some way to foster a sense of community.
Maybe that's featured recommendations, comments, or reviews on the front page, maybe something to show what movies are trending, I don't know, but I'd like to see something that allows or fosters discussion.
Crunchy, I haven't seen that but I love Only Lovers Left Alive. If you've seen any other Jarmusch stuff you kind of know what to expect: a laid-back, cool atmosphere with wry humor.
Trying too hard to be shocking, but ends up being really trite. Two entirely separate "people in wheelchairs getting attacked by zombies" gags within 5 minutes. Characters' motivations and dialogue make little to no sense, rules of universe constantly shifting to cover for lazy writing.
Pretty but not very likeable, unless the pretty is enough for you.
Plot is secondary to popping in songs wherever possible, even though most of the songs have little purpose narratively. Characters don't really seem to learn anything or change, and are very self-involved, and the movie seems content with this.
A complex analysis of desire, love, and sexuality in a meta New Wave container. Stylistically mild compared to other New Wave stuff but still knows how to throw a punch when it wants to.
Comments 26 - 50 of 134
Toplist comment on Olympic Theatre Films
senorroboto
Cool idea for a list, Bogey!Does the dates of the movies on the list imply that it was being used as a makeshift movie house for several years before its conversion in 1939? I know this kind of situation was fairly common, using temporary chairs and screen on the stage.
Group comment on TCM
senorroboto
TCM's September Schedule is now up.Movie comment on Stretch
senorroboto
There are definitely things to like about this movie: its unhinged heightened world is a Los Angeles where anything can happen, its soundtrack is good, the cinematography is done well, it's often funny.At the same time, it couldn't be more obvious that it was created by a middle-aged white guy. Such lackluster portrayals of women and minorities. Hot exes are dumb, vapid bitches, Russians are scary, the only black women in the film are basically coke whores who sing a song about
Also as mbkeene noted, the ending is telegraphed from about 1/3 of the way into the movie, in addition to a lot of literal and figurative Chekhov's guns that are a bit convenient.
Is it good? sometimes. Is it skeevy? often. Is it worth watching? Maybe, its frenetic energy has a way of feeling fresh even if a lot of the content is stale. It's....interesting.
Movie comment on Tangerine
senorroboto
An audacious piece of filmmaking, shot all on an iPhone 5S on location in Hollywood along Santa Monica Blvd between Fairfax and Vermont Avenues. Doesn't romanticize the life of two trans prostitutes, but doesn't make it out to be all tears either. Worth watching, although if you're close-minded, you're gonna have a bad time.Movie comment on Spione
senorroboto
Watched the 144 min DVD cut on TCM July 2015.Group comment on TCM
senorroboto
August's TCM schedule is here now.Movie comment on Bunny Lake Is Missing
senorroboto
Some really impressive camerawork and sound design, in addition to the reliable Preminger touchstones of titles by Saul Bass and a judiciously used jazz score. (Some fun diegetic soundtrack in there too)It takes a while to find its momentum but what a frenetic, insane finale!
Movie comment on McCabe & Mrs. Miller
senorroboto
A really interesting take on the western, with a gunslingerThe audio mixing is a bit unintelligible, partly by Altman's intention to capture both dialogue and background noise and partly because Altman's experimentation with multi-track recording to accomplish this wasn't quite ready for primetime.
Movie comment on O Lucky Man!
senorroboto
Part of a loose trilogy of films directed by Lindsay Anderson, starting with If...., then this film, then Britannia Hospital. They're strange, playful films that bring to mind elements of the French New Wave. This one is 3-hour-long "journey of a man" epic in the vein of Little Big Man, Forrest Gump, or Being There, (Interesting to see how some of these movies feature characters with cognitive disabilities, painting them as a passive participant, a product of their times so that those times can be critiqued) but there's so much variety and unpredictability that it doesn't get dull. Lots of commentary on class and capitalism.If you like this, try Zazie dans le Metro, a totally bonkers Louis Malle movie about an unsinkable girl loose on the streets of Paris.
Group comment on TCM
senorroboto
Got a little ahead of myself this time, July's TCM schedule is hereMovie comment on Georgy Girl
senorroboto
Similar to The Knack and How To Get It, but told from a female POV, which is pretty cool, especially for the era. Weird gender politics all around, some progressive, some regressive by today's standards.Movie comment on Jurassic World
senorroboto
The movie leans too much on dinosaurs being cool and Chris Pratt being likable and cool, the writing is really lackluster. The plotting of the two kids is some lazy second-hand Spielbergism.The GGI looks great when the camera holds still, but the shots are constantly fast-panning during the action, making the screen a blurry mess. Several scenes seem to be there mostly to have stills of Chris Pratt looking good in front of a motorcycle, on a motorcycle, with a gun on a motorcycle with raptors, etc.
It also has a dearth of solid female characters when compared to the original. In the original, Laura Dern played a scientist who was attractive but not sexualized, in this it's Bryce Dallas Howard, a neglectful ice queen administrator who just needs to chill out and let Chris Pratt kiss her already. Judy Greer is mostly wasted as a mom who's sad all the time.
There's some real horror movie cell-phone-itis going on, not sure why they didn't just write them out as not working on the island.
Need two children to
Jurassic World has its moments to be sure, but it's very pandering to the blend of kids and fans of the original, lacking much substance beyond that. In a way it's just like its dinosaurs: a weird hybrid mutant designed for audience marketability, while other concerns take a back seat.
I liked Colin Trevorrow's Safety Not Guaranteed, hopefully we'll still see some of that kind of work out of him even if this makes $1B
Movie comment on Le joli mai
senorroboto
Well shot, cutting, and frequently hilarious. A great look at life in Paris, May 1962.Group comment on TCM
senorroboto
June's schedule is now up! Let me know if you catch any mistakes.Group comment on TCM
senorroboto
chicachica, that's me! (At least the last couple) Glad to hear they're coming in handy.Group comment on TCM
senorroboto
BTW, forgot to mention, my list for TCM's May schedule is up and will be completed soon.Crunchy, enjoy Night Moves. I hope you like it. I see you also watched A Report on the Party and Guests last night. What did you think? I liked the message but found the editing a little jarring, only showing the person talking in close shots. I like new wave stuff as a whole but some individual films can be a challenging watch.
Also, anyone else feel free to chime in about what you've been watching or looking forward to, don't wanna hog it, just trying to drum up some conversation.
Group comment on TCM
senorroboto
Heh, it's hard to remember to check the group, and sometimes the group pages load pretty slow for me, dunno if anyone else has has the same issue, even when the rest of the site is working fine.I didn't catch Poseidon on the 31st, but I did see it for the first time last summer at a one-night revival run at a local theater. It's definitely a little campy but that's part of the fun.
Speaking of Hackman, just rewatched one of my favorites tonight: Night Moves. Such a great neo-noir, I highly recommend.
Blog comment on Il futuro
senorroboto
Thanks for the update, guys. Your plans look good, although I'd like to speak up regarding the groups. The current implementation of them leaves a lot to be desired and I think that has a lot to do with their lack of use, for reasons such as:I guess there's the unofficial forums but that ends up being a much smaller subset of users that's even more tucked away at the bottom of the page. I understand if you feel the groups are not worth keeping, but I think the site needs some way to foster a sense of community.
Maybe that's featured recommendations, comments, or reviews on the front page, maybe something to show what movies are trending, I don't know, but I'd like to see something that allows or fosters discussion.
Group comment on TCM
senorroboto
Crunchy, I haven't seen that but I love Only Lovers Left Alive. If you've seen any other Jarmusch stuff you kind of know what to expect: a laid-back, cool atmosphere with wry humor.Movie comment on Død snø 2
senorroboto
Trying too hard to be shocking, but ends up being really trite. Two entirely separate "people in wheelchairs getting attacked by zombies" gags within 5 minutes. Characters' motivations and dialogue make little to no sense, rules of universe constantly shifting to cover for lazy writing.Group comment on TCM
senorroboto
CrunchySumbitch, I still haven't gotten to Limelight yet, it's still on my DVR. Maybe I'll watch that soon. Thanks for the recommendation!TCM April 2015 Schedule is a work in progress, I'll be done with it soon.
Movie comment on Kuroi taiyô
senorroboto
AKA Black SunMovie comment on God Help the Girl
senorroboto
Pretty but not very likeable, unless the pretty is enough for you.Plot is secondary to popping in songs wherever possible, even though most of the songs have little purpose narratively. Characters don't really seem to learn anything or change, and are very self-involved, and the movie seems content with this.
Movie comment on Ministry of Fear
senorroboto
Holy fuck that backstory!Movie comment on Le genou de Claire
senorroboto
A complex analysis of desire, love, and sexuality in a meta New Wave container. Stylistically mild compared to other New Wave stuff but still knows how to throw a punch when it wants to.Showing items 26 – 50 of 134