What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in Time

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Chienfantome
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by Chienfantome »

I much prefer Funny Face to An American in Paris, which I've had a hard time watching.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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Nowadays, I find most films about English history as nothing more than cheap fanservice toward Anglophiles about rich people and bewigged douchebags being assholes. But this one hits the spot for me. Stanley Kubrick didn't make that kind of film. Here, he shows a dirty film, though one of great beauty and detail, about an Irish cad who schemes his way through life into great wealth and the aristocracy only to see it all come crashing down. The classic rise and fall story, like The Wolf of Wall Street without the drugs or Caligula with less sex and more horses. The film was criticized during its original release for having a slow pace but the film engaged me throughout. Ryan O'Neal was an odd casting (apparently, Kubrick initially was going to cast Robert Redford as Warner Bros. wanted a bankable star) but he's serviceable surrounded by a very talented supporting cast though I'd say the artistry and craft are the real stars. And the climax might be one of the most intense in a film.

But one question: was the relationship between Lord Bullington and Lady Lyndon an incestuous one?

Up next: Ringu.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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Before Gore Verbinski Americanized the story and launched a brief boom of Westernized J-horror in the process, Hideo Nakata made this Lynchian horror film about a mysterious video that kills those who watch it in a week's time. It's interesting that while J-horror seems to be known for its jump scares and shock value, this film is more of a slow burn with its main scares not occurring until the last third. Before then, it's more of an investigation thriller focusing on the two exes fighting against time to find the origins of the tape. I guess it could be considered a mix of Twin Peaks and The Blair Witch Project rather than the kinds of movies that would later define the sub-genre of J-horror. It might seen quaint for the average horror viewer now, especially due to the lack of blood, but it's an interesting thriller than would spawn an enjoyable remake that I'm going to have to watch again.

Up next: Troop Beverly Hills.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by Screen203 »

I haven't seen the original, but the American version of The Ring arguably has a lot of mystery/investigative elements as well.

Thoughts on Knives Out rewatch (Grandmother is visiting and wanted to see it)

Didn't feel the length at all, was expecting to. Ana De Armos absolutely deserved an Oscar nod for this. I think it's a much more entertaining film when you know how it ends and it's the kind of movie (rare for these days) where rewatches reveal foreshadowing for the twists.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by numbersix »

Not sure I'd consider it Lynchian, but the original Ring still has one of the most terrifying scenes of all time - a million times scarier than the US remake.

I think what's essential to J-horror isn't the jump scares but the sense of unease. The Grudge is the only exception. But Dark Water, Audition, Kairo, etc, all rely on that slow build-up using great sound design and atmopshere, before getting to the overtly freaky moments.

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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by Buscemi2 »

It does seem like that after The Grudge though, it did all become shocks and trying to outdo Western counterparts when in the past, filmmakers were trying to go beyond that. I mean, we did get that Ring vs. Grudge thing that was supposed to relaunch both franchises.

Also, I mention Lynchian as the influence from Twin Peaks, which was a big success in Japan, is obvious in places of Ringu. You have elements such as a mysterious inn, the death of a teenage girl setting off the story, and strange events happening in a coastal town. And there is that investigation angle. There might be more horror but they feel kind of similar.

Back to the movies.

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One of the most 80's movies possibly ever made. It's no artistic masterpiece but it's an appealing movie (apparently based on a real Troop Beverly Hills) with an infectious charm to it. A lot of the fun is spotting all the different references and parallels to real life Southern California culture at the time. And the cameos are amusing as well. Sure, it's a tacky movie but there's nothing wrong with that.

Also, this was one of the best audience participation screenings I've ever been to. The host was full of energy and dancing to every song while a kid in the audience had the script memorized. There's nothing like hearing a five year-old calling the villain a bitch in a full house.

Up next: Wild at Heart.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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Back to Japanese cinema, I got to see this with a crowd of other Super Bowl refugees. Though Ghost in the Shell is often known for its influence on The Matrix, I'd personally noticed a lot of similarities with Blade Runner, but mixed in with 1970's paranoia thrillers. The beautiful animation is often mixed in with its stark violence and fearlessness, showing that it's definitely not a film for children (thankfully, there were no children at my showing, unlike with Perfect Blue). At 82 minutes, it's a fast-paced film, even though the conspiracy plot could use a bit more explaining. But as a science fiction film, it's one of the more intelligent and progressive movies of its genre in the depiction of cyborgs. It's also very entertaining and deserving of its reputation as one of the best anime ever made.

And after the movie, I got to listen to the Chiefs come from behind to win the Super Bowl as I came home. ESPN must be shocked.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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A little break from the movies to reveal some news...I'm going to the 2020 TCM Classic Film Festival. Now, I won't be going to the big opening night showing of Back to the Future (besides, I already saw a 35mm print of that one last year) but I have four days of film ahead of me. The schedule has not been fully revealed yet (they only announced the third wave of movies today) but I eagerly look forward to planning my visit when that time comes.

During my time, I'll also try to squeeze in visits to the New Beverly and El Capitan in addition to the TCM venues. If I have time, maybe the Alamo Drafthouse in Downtown. This is going to be exciting.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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Nice, Boosch !
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by Ron Burgundy »

awesomeness, im jealous.
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Buscemi2
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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David Lynch does The Wizard of Oz. From the opening scene where Nicolas Cage beats a man to death in a hotel lobby, this movie has you hooked into its psychotic, dreamlike fury. Nestled somewhere between Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks (this one shares a lot of the same actors with the the whole universe of the latter), this one has a lot of the same craziness that those two have but there's a surprising amount of lightness here. In a way, it might be something close to his most accessible film while also retaining those famous Lynchisms. Sure, there are a lot of moments that may turn off people but I love every minute of this movie.

Up next: My Bloody Valentine (1981).
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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One of the better Canuxploitation films, though that really doesn't say much. An interesting aspect about this film is that it shows off the Nova Scotia locations really well. Unlike a lot of these films where they try to hide their Canadian origins, My Bloody Valentine is proud of its nationality. The characters in this film are salt-of-the-earth roughnecks who work hard by day and chug beer at night and the protagonist has the most Canadian accent I've probably ever heard in a film. It almost borders on parody at times. As for the plot, it's a simple holiday horror but it stands out as more than a Halloween/Friday the 13th imitator. It might be dated but it's decent enough.

The version shown in theatres is the edited R-rated version and it seems to lose a bit without its gore that's only on the out-of-print Lionsgate disc (apparently, my Blu-ray copy that I paid $10 for goes for quite a bit online). The lingering stench of the remake seems to stick on this one as well. As a result, it's a bit harder to enjoy without being reminded of that version and how it changed the ending and nothing else, rendering the reveal completely nonsensical.

Up next: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

Post by Ron Burgundy »

Ive gotta watch the original The Ring, sounds like a good one.

Ghost in the Shell, honestly don't think it hold up as well as it did back then.

Ryan O'Neal was an odd choice, wasn't he?! Ive always thought that. But on re-watches he does a fine job. Robert Redford? Can he even do an english/irish accent? Can't see it.

Must re-visit Wild at Heart, saw it over 15 years ago.

Weird, i never heard of Troop Beverly Hills.

And ohh, my favourite film of all time....drumroll please....
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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I remember when I first heard of this movie, I was reminded too much of that terrible Fast & the Furious ripoff from two years earlier (four if you go by US release). Then I was told that I had to see it. Before seeing it again, I remembered very little about it.

But with the film fresh in my mind, I must say: this is the film Speed Racer 2008 should have been. A whacked out racing epic with intergalactic politics, war, fight scenes, and a bioweapon named Funky Boy, this film does not fuck around. Though there is a love story and a redemption plot, you know you are watching it for the racing, something that those Fast & Furious movies skimped out on, and whatever craziness is going on. Though a lot of the film's world-building isn't that original, the concept of Roboworld is an impressively designed one and the people who made the film show their influences well without it feeling cliche. It's also atypical of the concept of anime. Though playing with the usual themes, Redline goes against normalcy and feels more like a 90's sci-fi film. Considering the 90's boom currently, I'm surprised someone in Hollywood hasn't tried to remake this in that tone.
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Re: What Are You Watching Right Now? Episode 3 - Turtles in

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The first and still the best of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Though cases are usually made for the last film, I personally give the first one the edge as the sense of wonderment over the fact that there was a good movie based on the Tolkien books and how all this was new from a technological and story standpoint (2001 might have been the year where the fantasy genre truly hit the mainstream, with this and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone opening so close together). And it still feels fresh as fantasy has gone into a much different direction and actively avoids the big, historical-like scale seen in past fantasy films now. The Lord of the Rings is supposed to be how we see fantasy, not the angsty adventures of bored teenagers balancing puberty with saving the world. When did fantasy become Spider-Man with magic?

Rants aside, the first-third of the story gives us the characters we love, the beginnings of the adventure, and why the trek to Mordor came to be. Even in its greatly expanded version, it's still as exciting as can be, even though a few effects don't hold up. Watching it made me feel like I was twelve again and that's what the genre should do: send you into that sense of awe like you had when you were young.

Up next: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
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