list/discuss/rate - your recently watched movies

Cheap Thrills - haha 6.5/10
Willow Creek - eh, I think Exists was a lot better 5/10
Only God Forgives - one of those love it or hate it things, I liked, the first few minutes I thought it was going to be a bunch of bs, but I ended up getting invested in the film as well as immersing myself in the little Bangkok world they created with the low camera shots, weird lighting, the background interior designs and architecture, kind of reminded me of Blade Runner in a way, ...and that Thai police chief was bad ass! 7.5/10

Edited by mithrandir - April 05 2015 at 12:58

Interstellar

An elegant take on a classic science fiction theme ~ the future of humanity in space ~ from the Nolan brothers, once again proving their understanding of the realities of the physical world but with a keen eye toward the fantastic, Interstellar washes away tired habits of trad sci-fi and replaces it with actual drama that we can believe in.   McConaughey does a fine job as the pilot of a crew tasked to manipulate time and recolonize a dustbowled Earth and though at times things do get sentimental, it's not enough to derail an admirable effort.

This Island Earth

Among the more overrated of the 1950s science fiction thrillers, this one evidently had "Special effects of the most realistic type"; Maybe for '55, but this vacuum-tubed, big-foreheaded and poorly cast teenage drive-in excuse for a makeout session is talkie, cheesy, garishly colored, and is best for a good laugh at vintage cinema.  

The Driver (1978) - a big influence on Drive, different kind of story but you can definitely see it, big city noir setting, gritty atmosphere, minimalistic plot, an amoral cast of characters, a good balance between dialog and action, and the car chase scenes were loud and wild! I really like these kind of lesser known B-grade crime thrillers... 7.5/10

In the Soup (1992) & Living in Oblivion (1995). Two different views on a filmmaker's life, both starring the magnificent Steve Buscemi.

Both are stunningly excellent. Living in Oblivion is more straightforward comedic, In the Soup is a bit oddball and tragi-comedic, but also soulful, both films are funny, light-hearted and wise at the same time. Jim Jarmusch did a cameo appearance in the latter.

If you're a fan of Steve Buscemi, you must see these films. Even if you're not, they still can offer you at least a great entertainment.

Jim Jarmusch's take on the prison break movie. It's probably the best way to introduce people to his early independent movies, since I quite appreciate how he kind of takes apart that entire outlaw bohemian outsider modern mythology apart at the seams with still confirming why we find that entire mystique interesting, and ends up reconstructing it in the end. Then there's an eye for sociological detail and interesting use of the geographical setting (contrasting the urban decay of New Orleans with the swamp landscapes surrounding it) I didn't really pick up on first time I watched. Plus it's pretty damn funny.


I don't watch this kind of film very often, but I found this entertaining and interesting. It takes the kind of eccentric optimistic quirky woman who's usually the brooding male outsider's love interest and not only tells a story from her point of view, but also tackles that character type from an in the end more realistic angle than I've seen elsewhere. Then there's the plotline of her taking driving lessons from a misanthropic instructor, I get the impression that's meant as a commentary on two different and opposed sides of the British national character. (the "keep calm and carry on" side vs. a certain kind of world-weary cynical pessimism I find very specific to the UK)


I'm a huge fan of the manga this is based upon, so it's kind of a mystery I haven't gotten around to watching the film until now. Just like the source material, it happens to take some extremely well-thought out and genuinely provoking meditations of technology's role in not just the development of social structure but the very definition of the human condition itself, then extrapolating into an vision of the posthuman future... and places it in the context of a tightly plotted exciting crime/espionage thriller with a very interesting main character. The visuals are also gorgeous, managing to preserve the atmosphere of the comics despite being much more realistic in style.

Seven Psychopaths, also with Tom Waits in a small role. Quirky fun movie with lots of big star power. I like that Colin Farrel played a character that had little control over what was really going on. A bit of a movie within a movie.
My Rating...6-7 by IMDB standards (actual rating by IMDB 7.2)

I enjoyed the same director's In Bruges, even if it was very different from what I had expected as the advertising had promoted something much less serious in substance.

The Killer Shrews

       Ha! A shlocky old 1959 Horror "It's so bad it's great" film. A lot of fun, really.

The Strangers (2008) - eh, this was kind of like that movie Them "Ils" I watched from last week, I kind of don't like these type of Home Invasionsploitation movies, where all the "Invaders" do for the most of the movie is make scary noises in the background and play with their victims by moving things around the house 6/10

Kidnapped (2010) "Secuestrados" (original title) - ah, now we're talking! this is what I was hoping to discover during my recent Home Invasionsploitation kick; realistic, unforgiving, visceral and nihilistic! they do some split screen action that really amps up the intensity, wish they did that more! 8/10