I've been trying to reconnect with my inner cinephile this year, been watching a buttload of movies after watching relatively few through the pandemic and not being subscribed to any streaming service. Yesterday I watched a movie that truly surprised me. I'm the kind of person who delights in bad movies, and that's what I thought this was going to be - corny b movie schlock with embarrassing effects. The film was Richard Fleischer's 1966 adventure flick Fantastic Voyage. I was blown away - the sets and miniatures are absolutely incredible. Riveting from the very start. The characters are one dimensional, the story is predictable - but the overall experience more than makes up for it. I feel like this is a forgotten gem of the sci-fi genre, definitely deserves more attention. Absolutely recommend it.
The Oscars nominees have just been announced, and because I reside where I do, I’ve only seen Barbie and Oppenheimer among the 10 Best Picture nominees. Sadly, I missed Past Lives when it locally screened last August. I already have Maestro in my Netflix watchlist and I will definitely watch it before this month ends. Hopefully the other films will be screened soon and I’m looking forward to seeing Anatomy of a Fall.
Stole this image from someone who stole this image, and I'm stealing the question, too:
WHAT FILM MADE YOU GO 'WTF DID I JUST WATCH'?
Off the top of my head:
Mother! definitely. Also Society, The Outwaters, Final Prayer (aka The Borderlands), Dead Alive (aka Brain Dead), Skinamarink, The Human Centipede, Infinity Pool, Antichrist, Hausu, Secretary. And I love them all.
📽️ Got my order of Shudder movies! 😍 I also got the Severin ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS box set because it was on sale and THE GUEST on Blu-ray since I adore it & upgraded my DVD. Final horror movie tally:
-ALL THE HAUNTS BE OURS Box Set
-SKINAMARINK
-IMPETIGORE
-THE GUEST
-TIGERS ARE NOT AFRAID
-MANDY
Newspaper stories. Michael Keaton's editor realises the wrong people have been arrested for a murder and won't let the story go. Great characters, terrific dialogue, so many memorable scenes. Must have watched it at least 10 times.
A favourite film a day for 365 days: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
3 spy movies. I have friends who are dedicated le Carre fans and they can't stand this. Perhaps because it isn't as long-winded and labyrinthine as the book or THAT television version. I love it for its economy - the credit sequence introduces every character - and for making that labyrinthine plot something I can finally understand.
'20 Essential Classic International Films You Can Watch for Free on YouTube'
This free article offers up a curated collection of twenty international titles I believe are essential experiences for anyone who claims to love film — including French, German, Italian, Japanese, Soviet, and Spanish titles. All are available for free to watch, study, and enjoy.
A favourite film a day for 365 days.
Parachuteless WW2 pilot jumps to what he expects will be his death, only to find he's survived the fall - due to an administrative cock-up in Heaven. Which now wants him back. Everything on Earth plays out in eyeball-popping Technicolor; everything in Heaven in vivid Black&White. The whole film is an endlessly entertaining box of delights and wonders.
Hola! This is an #introduction for my #fandom account. One of those old millennials who wears their hair in a side part, and despite literally being from the region and in the culture, and raised on TVB serials, is aggressively uninterested in mainland dramas. (NiF was fine) currently getting back into Indian cinema, specifically the South, so any #Tollywood and #Kollywood recommendations are welcome!
Other than that, I'm a #cinephile with little time and money and if anyone can point me to a copy of Jiang Wen's last most recent movie I would be deeply grateful. These days more of a casual MCU fan, and I can't keep up with #StarWars lore so... Let's say just the movies and that Kenobi series. Used to write for those. Used to write for Stargate too. AO3 is logged-in only, but here: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horusporus/works
Am here because I had wanted to wait till Tumblr joined the Fediverse, but then the app permanently enabled auto-refresh and I kept losing my place in the TL, so f that.
Also, in the last seven months I've been revisiting Tom Cruise lore (what). As a result I've now watched The Mummy (what).
3(ish) films I recommend:
Tampopo, Itami 1985
Sorry to Bother You, Riley 2018
Badlands, Malik 1972
The Last Picture Show, 1971
3 directors to meet:
Greta Gerwig
Wes Anderson
Spike Lee
3 shows:
The Good Place, 2016
Ted Lasso, 2020
Mushi-Shi, 2005
5 formative films:
Malcolm X, Lee 1992
Spirited Away, Miyazaki 2001
The Grand Budapest Hotel, Anderson 2014
Pather Panchali, Ray 1955
Seven Samurai, Kurosawa 1954
Watched Seijun Suzuki’s Zigeunerweisen (dir. Seijun Suzuki, 1980), a gorgeously-shot, rather deranged historical drama with lots of enigmatic tropes: a kinship of opposites, romantic obsessions and doppelgängers, and small inexplicable twists in fate and character relationships.
I’ve included a few stills, plus a sketch I did from one of them.
✍️✌️
Currently watching Zigeunerweisen (1980), dir. Seijun Suzuki. Gorgeous shooting. I s was not prepared for how simultaneously picturesque and deranged it is.
A favourite film a day for 365 days.
Here's one nobody ever saw, because Hammer Films didn't know what to do with it. They thought they were getting a quickie horror film about mutant kids and biker gangs. Instead they ended up with this haunting, downbeat look at abuse of power and lost innocence. A real shame it's not better known.