I enjoy experimentation in film; for instance I thought Breathless was pretty fascinating. But here I found myself yearning for a more traditional narrative. It's a gorgeously shot movie, for sure, which makes the fact that I didn't love it all the more frustrating. Godard seems more interested in talking about movies than actually making one. It's like he has all these theories and ideas and opinions about literature and art and cinema, but he doesn't know how to adequately channel them. Here he outputs his ideas through two characters who seem disinterested in the movie they're in. The plot comes as an after thought, which is fine by me in theory, but here there's nothing much left but vacuous lamentations, quotes from books, and some pretty cinematography. Stuff happens, but there's no cohesion throughout any of it, either narratively or thematically. This is a film that's way less than the sum of its parts.
Not a bad Dracula movie considering Dracula isn't even in it. Cushing is good as always and Hammer's trademark style is satisfyingly present; bright lighting, colorful turn of the century costumes, and paint-red blood. Terence Fisher and Hammer go together like white and rice. True, I could have used some Christopher Lee Dracula action, but this is about as good as a Hammer Dracula movie without him could possibly be.
Hammer's take on the pre-Romero zombie picture is fun and classy. As I've come to expect from Hammer, the film is masterfully shot. The sets are simple but well done, and the zombie makeup is decent (aside from the shots where the actors are clearly wearing masks). The acting is impressive all around. Carson is great in his villainous role and Morell plays a sympathetic protagonist. It could have used a little more pre-climax zombie action, but that's a minor quibble.
This one surprised me. I found myself giving a shit about the story, something I can't say for 90% of slashers. It also contained a handful of interesting characters, another slasher rarity. The kills were on the bland side, but the direction was solid. The last scene in particular was well done, even tense. Though the blue balls ending was kind of disappointing. I guess the filmmakers were hoping for a sequel that never happened.
I liked the sticky money bit, but I loved the haunted house bit. Even the predictable jokes (e.g. the staircase) were made funny by Keaton's hilarious physical brilliance. The slide to hell at the end was a nice little touch.
I'm glad I saw Mr. Hulot's Holiday before this, as Tati's style takes some serious getting used to. But once I got what he was doing (about halfway through Holiday), it became a joy. Here we get the same plot-less, character-less stroll through everyday life, with mild sight gags everywhere, and every frame stuffed full of details. It's got almost a silent comedy vibe, only the focus isn't on blunt slapstick, but friendly observations. I think this one is better constructed than Holiday. The glass-walled, technology-driven aesthetic was great. The first act in the building was an absolute blast. The scene with the glass-walled apartment buildings and the televisions was cool too. And the dinner scene, while the most complex and detail-rich, went on a few minutes too long. Loved the carnival finale. I've really never seen anything else like Tati's films, but I'm anxious to see more.
Yes, the movie is racist. But it's a LOT of other things too. It's exciting, romantic, and epic. But most importantly, it's stuffed full of more technical innovations than any other movie in history. Today we take for granted most of the filming techniques introduced by Griffith here. This film laid the groundwork for the motion picture as we know it. The racism is indefensible, but as a lover of film I can't in good conscience let that single aspect overshadow all the great things about this.
A demonstration of the bare essence of filmmaking, or a simple 6 minute sensory onslaught? Well, I think it's both. Whether or not you enjoy watching it, Kubelka is making a point. I guess you've gotta at least give him some credit for that.
Walks a fine line between genuine and pretentious, and ultimately tips too far on the side of the latter. Some scenes, especially early on, feel inspired (and inspiring). But as the movie progresses, the dramatic cues really kick into high gear and things get corny. The third act especially gets excessively heavy-handed. Williams and all the boys give fine performances, but the movie can't sustain the weight of its turgid script.
A beautiful story of self-sacrifice; sometimes the best way to help those you love is to get the fuck away from them. Wender's direction is confidently paced, always allowing a scene to go on as long as it needs to. The cinematography is gorgeous without drawing too much attention to itself. I was drawn in to the simple story and fascinated by Stanton's character; his performance is really something special. He has a wise but sad presence that's perfect for this role. What a great movie.
Simple, straightforward 50s creature horror. The acting is fine, and Julie Adams is easy on the eyes (her only tasks here are to scream and look hot, and she does both admirably). The underwater scenes are well shot. As for the creature, I like him. Sure, he's clearly a guy in a rubber suit, but the design is fun and his underwater movement has a nice fish-like quality. I began watching this movie in 3D, but, as is typical with 3D for me, I began to get a headache, so I switched to 2D.
A boring, CGI-loaded, formula-following, cliche-riddled explosion show whose primary purpose was to attempt to sell me another crappy looking upcoming superhero movie.
Comments 1 - 18 of 18
Movie comment on Pierrot le fou
caiman
I enjoy experimentation in film; for instance I thought Breathless was pretty fascinating. But here I found myself yearning for a more traditional narrative. It's a gorgeously shot movie, for sure, which makes the fact that I didn't love it all the more frustrating. Godard seems more interested in talking about movies than actually making one. It's like he has all these theories and ideas and opinions about literature and art and cinema, but he doesn't know how to adequately channel them. Here he outputs his ideas through two characters who seem disinterested in the movie they're in. The plot comes as an after thought, which is fine by me in theory, but here there's nothing much left but vacuous lamentations, quotes from books, and some pretty cinematography. Stuff happens, but there's no cohesion throughout any of it, either narratively or thematically. This is a film that's way less than the sum of its parts.Movie comment on The Brides of Dracula
caiman
Not a bad Dracula movie considering Dracula isn't even in it. Cushing is good as always and Hammer's trademark style is satisfyingly present; bright lighting, colorful turn of the century costumes, and paint-red blood. Terence Fisher and Hammer go together like white and rice. True, I could have used some Christopher Lee Dracula action, but this is about as good as a Hammer Dracula movie without him could possibly be.Movie comment on The Plague of the Zombies
caiman
Hammer's take on the pre-Romero zombie picture is fun and classy. As I've come to expect from Hammer, the film is masterfully shot. The sets are simple but well done, and the zombie makeup is decent (aside from the shots where the actors are clearly wearing masks). The acting is impressive all around. Carson is great in his villainous role and Morell plays a sympathetic protagonist. It could have used a little more pre-climax zombie action, but that's a minor quibble.Movie comment on The House on Sorority Row
caiman
This one surprised me. I found myself giving a shit about the story, something I can't say for 90% of slashers. It also contained a handful of interesting characters, another slasher rarity. The kills were on the bland side, but the direction was solid. The last scene in particular was well done, even tense. Though the blue balls ending was kind of disappointing. I guess the filmmakers were hoping for a sequel that never happened.Movie comment on The Haunted House
caiman
I liked the sticky money bit, but I loved the haunted house bit. Even the predictable jokes (e.g. the staircase) were made funny by Keaton's hilarious physical brilliance. The slide to hell at the end was a nice little touch.Toplist comment on TSZDT's The 1,000 Greatest Horror Films
caiman
Great freaking list. As far as I'm concerned this is the de facto horror list on this site. Thanks for the hard work!Movie comment on Playtime
caiman
I'm glad I saw Mr. Hulot's Holiday before this, as Tati's style takes some serious getting used to. But once I got what he was doing (about halfway through Holiday), it became a joy. Here we get the same plot-less, character-less stroll through everyday life, with mild sight gags everywhere, and every frame stuffed full of details. It's got almost a silent comedy vibe, only the focus isn't on blunt slapstick, but friendly observations. I think this one is better constructed than Holiday. The glass-walled, technology-driven aesthetic was great. The first act in the building was an absolute blast. The scene with the glass-walled apartment buildings and the televisions was cool too. And the dinner scene, while the most complex and detail-rich, went on a few minutes too long. Loved the carnival finale. I've really never seen anything else like Tati's films, but I'm anxious to see more.Movie comment on The Birth of a Nation
caiman
Yes, the movie is racist. But it's a LOT of other things too. It's exciting, romantic, and epic. But most importantly, it's stuffed full of more technical innovations than any other movie in history. Today we take for granted most of the filming techniques introduced by Griffith here. This film laid the groundwork for the motion picture as we know it. The racism is indefensible, but as a lover of film I can't in good conscience let that single aspect overshadow all the great things about this.Movie comment on Arnulf Rainer
caiman
A demonstration of the bare essence of filmmaking, or a simple 6 minute sensory onslaught? Well, I think it's both. Whether or not you enjoy watching it, Kubelka is making a point. I guess you've gotta at least give him some credit for that.Movie comment on Dead Poets Society
caiman
Walks a fine line between genuine and pretentious, and ultimately tips too far on the side of the latter. Some scenes, especially early on, feel inspired (and inspiring). But as the movie progresses, the dramatic cues really kick into high gear and things get corny. The third act especially gets excessively heavy-handed. Williams and all the boys give fine performances, but the movie can't sustain the weight of its turgid script.Movie comment on Paris, Texas
caiman
A beautiful story of self-sacrifice; sometimes the best way to help those you love is to get the fuck away from them. Wender's direction is confidently paced, always allowing a scene to go on as long as it needs to. The cinematography is gorgeous without drawing too much attention to itself. I was drawn in to the simple story and fascinated by Stanton's character; his performance is really something special. He has a wise but sad presence that's perfect for this role. What a great movie.Movie comment on Creature from the Black Lagoon
caiman
Simple, straightforward 50s creature horror. The acting is fine, and Julie Adams is easy on the eyes (her only tasks here are to scream and look hot, and she does both admirably). The underwater scenes are well shot. As for the creature, I like him. Sure, he's clearly a guy in a rubber suit, but the design is fun and his underwater movement has a nice fish-like quality. I began watching this movie in 3D, but, as is typical with 3D for me, I began to get a headache, so I switched to 2D.Toplist comment on Werner Herzog Filmography
caiman
I just watched The White Diamond, which marks my completion of this list. It's been a great ride.Toplist comment on Werner Herzog Filmography
caiman
I removed Game in the Sand since it doesn't seem logical to include movies that were never released and are literally impossible to find.Toplist comment on Michael Haneke's Filmography
caiman
Where is The Castle?Movie comment on On Death Row
caiman
Added 5 more titles: Game in the Sand, Höllenfahrten, Christ and Demons in New Spain, Ode to the Dawn of Man, and Death Row.Toplist comment on Stanley Kubrick's Feature Filmography
caiman
What about Fear and Desire? He also made some short documentaries.Movie comment on Captain America: The First Avenger
caiman
A boring, CGI-loaded, formula-following, cliche-riddled explosion show whose primary purpose was to attempt to sell me another crappy looking upcoming superhero movie.