SvdW | Movies I saw for the first time in 2023
- All the movies I've seen for the first time in 2023. So every movie I watch for the first time from Sunday, January. 1, 2023 till Sunday, December. 31, 2023 counts.
- I add some "short thoughts" to every movie I watch. These are mini-reviews that will later be made into more in-depth reviews. Spoilers are tagged with the "spoiler tag".
Update Nº 4 | Sunday, December. 31, 2023:
Thank you for the views!
Update Nº 3 | Monday, December. 4, 2023:
Thank you all for the 3K views!
Update Nº 2 | Sunday, July. 16, 2023:
Thank you all for the 2K views!
Update Nº 1 | Saturday, March. 11, 2023:
Thank you all for the 1K views!
- My ranking system:
- ✮✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
- ✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
- ✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
- ✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
- ✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
- ✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
- ✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
- ✮/✮✮✮✮✮
- ½/✮✮✮✮✮
- My favorite movies I saw for the first time in 2023 are:
1. | De helaasheid der dingen (2009)
2. | The Young and Prodigious T.S. Spivet (2013)
3. | The Wrestler (2008)
4. | The Guns of Navarone (1961)
5. | En kongelig affære (2012)
6. | Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972)
7. | The Human Condition III: A Soldier's Prayer (1961)
8. | The Dark Crystal (1982)
9. | Godzilla Minus One (2023)
10. | El secreto de sus ojos (2009)
- The best surprises / films that suprised me (or films I thought I would hate, but I didn't/films I had low hopes for):
- The Guns of Navarone (1961)
- Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
- En kongelig affære (2012)
- Gandhi (1982)
- De vuurlinie (2023)
- Rabat (2011)
- Black Butterflies (2011)
- Napoleon (2023)
- Films that disappointed me (or films I thought I would like or love, but didn't):
- Largo Winch (2008)
- Shame (2011)
- Schemer (2010)
- Mon oncle (1958)
- Centurion (2010)
- Playtime (1967)
- Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)
- Looper (2012)
- Le mépris (1963)
- Hancock (2008)
- Golda (2023)
- The Killer (2023)
- Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
- Live by Night (2016)
- Thanksgiving (2023)
- Silent Night (2023)
- Passengers (2016)
- Anyone But You (2023)
- Movies I’ve watched, but unavailable on IMDb:
1. | The Power of Suggestion - Making Trance [Trance] (*) | Monday, January. 2, 2023
A documentary about the making-of Trance.
2. | Danny Boyle Retrospective | Monday, January. 2, 2023
A retrospective of Danny Boyle's filmography for Fox Searchlight Pictures.
3. | Genèse de l'histoire [Elle s'appelait Sarah] (*) | Sunday, February. 12, 2023
4. | A Beaune la Rolande... [Elle s'appelait Sarah] (*) | Sunday, February. 12, 2023
5. | Recréer le Vel d'Hiv [Elle s'appelait Sarah] (*) | Sunday, February. 12, 2023
6. | Mélusine [Elle s'appelait Sarah] (*) | Sunday, February. 12, 2023
7. | Madame et Monsieur Starzynski "L'histoire de Natasha et Arben" [Elle s'appelait Sarah] (*) | Sunday, February. 12, 2023
8. | Une nuit en 1942 [Elle s'appelait Sarah] (*) | Sunday, February. 12, 2023
9. | Chez les Dufaure [Elle s'appelait Sarah] (*) | Sunday, February. 12, 2023
10. | Un thé avec Kristin [Elle s'appelait Sarah] (*) | Sunday, February. 12, 2023
11. | Dans l'ombre d'un tournage: "La Régie" [Elle s'appelait Sarah] (*) | Sunday, February. 12, 2023
12. | Dans l'ombre d'un tournage: "La cantine" [Elle s'appelait Sarah] (*) | Sunday, February. 12, 2023
13. | Shut Eye 2 | Tuesday, February. 21, 2023
A short horror film directed by Lauren Cooney and Isaac Tomiczek.
14. | Le passé: Making of [Le passé] (*) | Tuesday, February. 28, 2023
15. | Ana | Thursday, March. 16, 2023
A short film directed by Kibwe Tavares, Jonathan Gales, Factory Fifteen and Paul Nicholls.
Starring Richard Brake and Georgina Sutcliffe.
16. | The Making of Schemer [Schemer] (*) | Thursday, March. 16, 2023
17. | xVoid | Thursday, March. 23, 2023
A short film directed by Meny Hilsenrad.
18. | HIDARI (Pilot Film) | Wednesday, April. 5, 2023
A short film directed by Masashi Kawamura.
19. | Falling Apart | Thursday, April. 6, 2023
A short film directed by Thomas Hefferon and Troels J. Hundtofte.
20. | SUUNS - Arena / 2020 / Bambi (a 'FD' short live film) | Saturday, April. 8, 2023
A short concert film.
21. | Urbance | Thursday, April. 20, 2023
A short film directed by Joel dos Reis Viegas and Sebastien Larroude.
22. | Making Of Komt een vrouw bij de dokter [Komt een vrouw bij de dokter] (*) | Saturday, April. 22, 2023
23. | Beau temps, vent léger [Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot] (*) | Sunday, April. 23, 2023
24. | Tout est beau!": Des signes, des lignes, design [Mon oncle] (*) | Saturday, April. 29, 2023
25. | Je vous en prie! Asseyez vous! [Mon oncle] (*) | Saturday, April. 29, 2023
26. | Making-Of - Introductie [Rendez-vous] (*) | Saturday, May. 20, 2023
27. | Making-Of - Spanning [Rendez-vous] (*) | Saturday, May. 20, 2023
28. | The Chamber | Thursday, May. 25, 2023
A short film directed by GMUNK.
29. | Like Home [Playtime] (*) | Saturday, May. 27, 2023
30. | Trafic International [Trafic] (*) | Monday, June. 5, 2023
31. | Zillion: Behind the Beats [Zillion] (*) | Wednesday, June. 14, 2023
32. | En Piste [Parade] (*) | Wednesday, June. 14, 2023
33. | Devolver Direct: The Return of Volvy | Wednesday, July. 5, 2023
A short film directed by Joseph Pelling.
34. | Spijt! - The Making Of [Spijt!] (*) | Wednesday, July. 5, 2023
35. | The Making of Tomorrow, When the War Began [Tomorrow, When the War Began] (*) | Wednesday, July. 19, 2023
36. | Remembering the Future: A Personal Journey Through Tomorrowland with Brad Bird [Tomorrowland] (*) | Sunday, July. 23, 2023
37. | Casting Tomorrowland [Tomorrowland] (*) | Sunday, July. 23, 2023
38. | A Great Big Beautiful Scoring Session [Tomorrowland] (*) | Sunday, July. 23, 2023
39. | The World of Tomorrow Science Hour - Hosted By Futurologist David Nix | Sunday, July. 23, 2023
40. | The Origins of Plus Ultra | Sunday, July. 23, 2023
41. | Brad Bird Production Diaries [Tomorrowland] (*) | Sunday, July. 23, 2023
42. | Blast From the Past Commercial | Sunday, July. 23, 2023
43. | From the Director’s Chair - On Casting [Gandhi] (*) | Sunday, July. 30, 2023
44. | From the Director’s Chair - On Music [Gandhi] (*) | Sunday, July. 30, 2023
45. | In Search of Gandhi [Gandhi] (*) | Sunday, July. 30, 2023
46. | Looking Back [Gandhi] (*) | Sunday, July. 30, 2023
47. | Madeleine Slade: An Englishwoman Abroad [Gandhi] (*) | Sunday, July. 30, 2023
48. | Reflections on Ben [Gandhi] (*) | Sunday, July. 30, 2023
49. | Shooting an Epic in India [Gandhi] (*) | Sunday, July. 30, 2023
50. | Designing Gandhi - Building The Ashram [Gandhi] (*) | Sunday, July. 30, 2023
51. | Designing Gandhi - The Tent [Gandhi] (*) | Sunday, July. 30, 2023
52. | Finding Trains [Gandhi] (*) | Sunday, July. 30, 2023
53. | The Funeral [Gandhi] (*) | Sunday, July. 30, 2023
54. | Les Leçons du Professeur Goudet | Sunday, July. 30, 2023
55. | Animating Spirit [Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron] (*) | Thursday, August. 3, 2023
56. | The Songs of Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron [Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron] (*) | Thursday, August. 3, 2023
57. | International Star Talent [Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron] (*) | Thursday, August. 3, 2023
58. | Learn to Draw Spirit with James Baxter | Thursday, August. 3, 2023
59. | Het maken van De eetclub [De eetclub] (*) | Sunday, August. 13, 2023
60. | Deleted Song Performance [Straight Outta Compton] | Monday, September. 11, 2023
61. | N.W.A. The Origins [Straight Outta Compton] (*) | Monday, September. 11, 2023
62. | Impact [Straight Outta Compton] (*) | Monday, September. 11, 2023
63. | Director's Journey [Straight Outta Compton] (*) | Monday, September. 11, 2023
64. | The Streets: Filming in Compton [Straight Outta Compton] (*) | Monday, September. 11, 2023
65. | N.W.A Performs in Detroit [Straight Outta Compton] (*) | Monday, September. 11, 2023
66. | Becoming N.W.A. [Straight Outta Compton] (*) | Monday, September. 11, 2023
67. | New Future, Old School [Looper] (*) | Sunday, September. 24, 2023
68. | The Two Joes [Looper] (*) | Sunday, September. 24, 2023
69. | De dingen der helaasheid [De helaasheid der dingen] (*) | Sunday, September. 24, 2023
70. | Patients - Candace Burns [Gothika] | Wednesday, October. 25, 2023
71. | Patients - Wanda Clinton [Gothika] | Wednesday, October. 25, 2023
72. | Patients - Jeanne Howard [Gothika] | Wednesday, October. 25, 2023
73. | The Road to Rabat [Rabat] (*) | Wednesday, October. 25, 2023
74. | James McTeigue & Larry Wachowski in Conversation [V for Vendetta] | Sunday, November. 26, 2023
75. | Natalie Portman's Audition [V for Vendetta] | Sunday, November. 26, 2023
76. | Apartheid [Black Butterflies] (*) | Wednesday, November. 29, 2023
77. | Father and Daughter [Black Butterflies] (*) | Wednesday, November. 29, 2023
78. | How Ingrid met Jack [Black Butterflies] (*) | Wednesday, November. 29, 2023
79. | Ingrid Jonker [Black Butterflies] (*) | Wednesday, November. 29, 2023
80. | Making-of Sint [Sint] (*) | Sunday, December. 10, 2023
81. | The Music of Love Actually [Love Actually] (*) | Wednesday, December. 13, 2023
82. | The Storytellers [Love Actually] (*) | Wednesday, December. 13, 2023
83. | Bringing Life to Animation [The Princess and the Frog] (*) | Wednesday, December. 27, 2023
84. | Magic in the Bayou: The Making of a Princess [The Princess and the Frog] (*) | Wednesday, December. 27, 2023
85. | The Return to Hand Drawn Animation [The Princess and the Frog] (*) | Wednesday, December. 27, 2023
86. | The Disney Legacy [The Princess and the Frog] (*) | Wednesday, December. 27, 2023
87. | Disney's Newest Princess [The Princess and the Frog] (*) | Wednesday, December. 27, 2023
88. | The Princess and the Animator [The Princess and the Frog] (*) | Wednesday, December. 27, 2023
89. | Conjuring the Villain [The Princess and the Frog] (*) | Wednesday, December. 27, 2023
90. | A Return to the Animated Musical [The Princess and the Frog] (*) | Wednesday, December. 27, 2023
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- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsJames McAvoyRosario DawsonVincent CasselAn art auctioneer mixed up with a group of criminals partners with a hypnotherapist in order to recover a lost painting.[Review]
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Date Watched: Sunday, January. 1, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Simon Says Strawberry
Best actor: Rosario Dawson
And we’re off with the first 2023 watch.
Man… this was a weird one!
I had known of this movie for years now, but I have never seen it somehow. I became more curious for it because it does something which almost every movie hasn’t shown [I’ll get to that later on].
Danny Boyle is a good director, but I don’t like some of his directorial flair, especially the movie he made around the late 2000s and early 2010s, and this movie has some of the same issues. It is overly energetic, too chaotic, weird (Dutch) angles, loud and overbearing music, etc.
The directing does work in some moments [nice transitioning shots, action sequences and bloody and gory moments are shot really well. I also appreciate that they used practical blood squibs/effects.
The story is all over the place though. John Hodge and Joe Ahearne’s script does work in place to deliver a mind-bending story.
My issue with the story is that I didn’t care for any of the characters. The acting is really solid from everyone involved. I didn’t care if any of them died.
And once Simon kills Franck, but it revealed he was under hypnosis and didn’t kill him, it felt cheap. And frankly, the film loses a lot of steam due to the movie constantly using this to fool you became tiring. I also didn’t like how this film is structured.
I mentioned before how this movie showed something a lot of movies don’t, and that is showing an shaven labia. Rosario Dawson is completely naked in this twice and it does work in the context of the story of the beauty in classical art Simon is an fan of. I don’t like how it got to that point though [which is an screenplay issue].
I probably need to rewatch this one to fully understand it, but for now it is a low 3 out of 5 stars. - DirectorSpencer SusserStarsMichael GovierKarolina WydraCandace HammerA man checks into a hotel and is mysteriously delivered an intriguing gift.Date Watched: Monday, January. 2, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
I wasn’t planning on watching an short film so soon this year, but this was one included on the blu-ray disc of Trance.
This was very mediocre. Michael Govier is not charismatic enough to lead something like this and while I don’t mind the idea behind the film, I don’t get the end goal here.
I get the idea of social isolation and how Eugene wants to be with an woman. I get his intensions, but Alice was in the right frame of mind too because she didn’t get what was going on.
This didn’t make me laugh much either. The talking fish made me laugh a little bit. - DirectorJérôme SalleStarsTomer SisleyKristin Scott ThomasPredrag 'Miki' ManojlovicAfter a powerful billionaire is murdered, his secret adoptive son must race to prove his legitimacy, find his father's killers, and stop them from taking over his financial empire.[Review]
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Date Watched: Tuesday, January. 3, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Jumping off an Cliff
Best actor: Tomer Sisley, I guess?
Yeah… This didn’t do it for me.
A few weeks ago I read through the first two issues [De Erfgenaam (Largo Winch #1) and Groep W (Largo Winch #2)] which were both the basis for this film adaption.
And I really liked the first one a lot, but the second one lost a bit of steam early on.
I was originally planning to watch this in the weekend, but I felt like watching an film after an annoying day of education.
I often don’t watch any films/series on normal working days because my mind is on work and I feel more tired after working.
And this proofed why I don’t (re)watch films and series on working days, because I just can’t bring myself to bring the energy required for it. And this film was an disappointment too, but enfin.
Jérôme Salle’s directing is really so-so. This was his second theatrical film and his first action film, and it really shows. There’s a lot of shaky cam during action sequences [there are some moments through where it is visible what’s happening] and annoyed me to no end.
I hate watching action films from this time because of every film trying to be what Paul Greengrass brought to the Bourne franchise, which killed action films for a while, but I digress.
The screenplay is a big mess. I haven’t seen a film like this for a long time, trying to move so quickly through its events, but not building characters up well. It also feels like a lot is missing here. And because I’m familiar with the first two issues of Largo Winch, I hate how characters and situations are changed.
Yeah, both issues aren’t the brightest bulb, but still. The two issues built on its characters and made them interesting. The film wants to introduce so many characters without introducing them.
And what’s up with the Hong Kong setting here? Why isn’t it New York? I don’t mind that some characters are left out, or added, but the villains are just weak.
And how does Largo Winch regain his knife? He left it at the Restaurant’s door!
I’m a bit split on Tomer Sisley’s performance. He does looks the part of Largo Winch [he even is more realistic to be in his late 20s, with the first two issues making him look like he’s in his 50s], but his joke-y side isn’t as strong as the comic’s counterpart.
But he is in good condition and does deliver. And he does a great job with making the different languages he speaks look easy. Kristin Scott Thomas is fine, but I cannot look at her with an straight face. The redhead wig looks awful and I don’t get why they went for that.
Predrag 'Miki' Manojlovic was the picture perfect casting for Nerio Winch and I was surprised to see Benedict Wong in an supporting role.
Alexandre Desplat won the "Soundtrack Composer of the Year World" award at the "World Soundtrack Awards", but his musical score is uneven to say the very least. I really like some of it, but there are also moments in it where it feels too much like a superhero score, or something out of a comedy. And Desplat isn’t even a bad composer, but his score underwhelmed me.
And, before I forget, I watched the English dub. There are two dubs (English and French) and the French dubs everything in French, while the English (the original?) dub has everyone speaking different languages (English, French, Serbian and Portuguese). - DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsMickey RourkeMarisa TomeiEvan Rachel WoodA faded professional wrestler must retire, but finds his quest for a new life outside the ring a dispiriting struggle.[Review]
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Date Watched: Sunday, January. 8, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: The Final Match
Best actor: Mickey Rourke
My laptop didn’t save these "short thoughts", so I am writing them again.
I was planning to watch two films on Sunday, this and Shame. But after finishing this film I didn’t want to watch anything else.
This was so effective in making me emotionally invested. I am so glad I finally watched something for the first time again that I truly enjoyed [the 4.5/5 or 5/5 stars enjoyment I mean].
I am familiar with Darren Aronofsky’s filmography, but his films never really grabbed me. This film made me want to check out more of his work [my father watched Darren Aronofsky’s Noah one week ago, which looked terrible, but enfin].
However, I wasn’t an fan of some of the directing. This is filmed almost like an documentary, and I wasn’t an fan of the "European Editing" either. Both feel a bit distracting, but weren’t the worst either.
The screenplay made me care for Randy 'The Ram' Robinson. I even got tear-y eyed at the final few minutes because the character really was fleshed out so well and I just felt his pain.
Mickey Rourke is sublime here as Randy 'The Ram' Robinson. And like his character, he was also a bit washed out as an actor. This performance really proofed he has so much talent. He is nicely supported by others like Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood and Mark Margolis [I didn’t recognize him].
Excellent stuff. - DirectorJerónimo RochaStarsSofia HelenaFrederico AmaralCesário MonteiroTrapped inside the Space Freighter/Refinery DÉDALO, SIENA tries to survive an infestation of diabolic creatures.Date Watched: Tuesday, January. 10, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
My laptop has some problems with saving some "short thoughts" I wrote on Word, so if these are posted a bit later, it is because of this reason.
My first watch of the ALTER shorts in 2023.
This one surprised me a lot.
This is easily inspired by the Alien franchise, but I like this with some of the same things like the female protagonist having to fend for her own life (while the rest of the crew died), etc.
I kinda predicted the final moments where Siena stabs the alien creature with the "coloured healing stuff", I however did not expect more than one creature though. I like that they don’t show what happens to her.
It is really impressive the filmmakers made the entire running time without dialogue and without it being confusing once.
My second favourite of the ALTER short films so far [ABE (or Abe) is still my personal favourite]. - DirectorNiko TaverniseStarsDarren AronofskyScott FranklinClint Mansell[Review]
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Date Watched: Tuesday, January. 10, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
I was highly impressed by The Wrestler, so I decided to watch the making-of documentary on the blu-ray of The Wrestler.
This was a really good documentary!
This was the type of (making of) documentary I missed. Extensive, but also to the point.
I like how they discuss every aspect of the film, like the directing, cinematography, acting, stunts, music, location scouting, etc.
While I like this documentary a lot, there’s some flaws with it too. The footage is spliced together really funky. And I wished they interviewed people like Marisa Tomei. Her performance was great, why can’t we hear her experience [like what she thought when offered the role of an stripper or how demanding the role was?]. - DirectorMike NewellStarsHugh GrantAndie MacDowellJames FleetOver the course of five social occasions, a committed bachelor must consider the notion that he may have discovered love.[Review]
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Date Watched: Thursday, January. 12, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: The Funeral
Best actor: Hugh Grant
I am gonna be frank and say I was planning to watch this as the last first time watch of 2022, but I got the blu-ray from my local library almost one week later than expected.
This is not the type of film I would watch very often, but it still disappointed me regardless. Richard Curtis delivered better work on the screenplay for Love Actually.
Hugh Grant is solid, but I thought Andie MacDowell was terrible here. She comes off as very unlikeable, and her entire performance seconds that. The rest of the cast deliver good performances.
I didn’t care for Charles to get together with Carrie. The scene that really made that clear was when she was recounting every man she slept with [about 30-ish men!]. I would’ve given the film some credit if he left her after that scene! At that point Fiona would’ve been an better love interest.
I really loved the funeral sequence. This is where the film got into gears for me, and lost me right after as well. I love how serious and emotional the film is during the funeral, with that poem from W. H. Auden. That moment really packs that emotional beat that I wanted.
A reason why I hadn’t seen this film was largely because of my parents. They had seen this film in theatres and they walked out after the second wedding sequence. I am an Christian, and so are my parents. They took offence to Rowan Atkinson’s dialogue and the scene in general. But I saw this scene and I didn’t think it was offensive at all. I actually thought Rowan Atkinson was funny and it fits in how nervous his character is to perform his first wedding. And having Atkinson being an part of your cast, his comedy should be an given. - DirectorMasaki KobayashiStarsTatsuya NakadaiMichiyo AratamaChikage AwashimaA Japanese pacifist, unable to face the dire consequences of conscientious objection, is transformed by his attempts to compromise with the demands of war-time Japan.[Review]
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Date Watched: Friday, January. 13, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
[Japanese Version]
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: The Executions
Best actor: Tatsuya Nakadai
For my 23rd birthday I asked for the Arrow Academy blu-ray of The Human Condition trilogy, but I got tickets for "Andrea Morricone conducts Ennio Morricone", which was an amazing experience, but enfin.
So some weeks later I decided to just buy the trilogy myself. And a few days later it arrived all the way from Malmö [from Sweden to The Netherlands]!
I am going to try and watch the trilogy this weekend.
And I was really overwhelmed by this first one. After some things in the morning, I finally sat down and watched the "Japanese Version", which is the film (204 minutes long) split up into two parts [and I believe doesn’t affect the spoken language].
Masaki Kobayashi’s directing is really good. I did have some issues regarding the sound editing. In several scenes the sound of an recording film camera [I believe?] is heard, or some sequences don’t have sound [slaps, the sound of an electric fence, etc.], which is an shame because it held me back from being immersed more.
I also like how ballsy this film can be at points. The Chinese POWs run like zombies towards food, prostitutes being send to the Chinese POWs and the involvement of the Japanese and the main character.
Definitely curious for the rest of the trilogy, although I have to admit I am too overwhelmed to watch anything else after this one. - DirectorMasaki KobayashiStarsTatsuya NakadaiMichiyo AratamaKokinji KatsuraAs a conscript in war-time Japan's military, a pacifist struggles to maintain his determination to keep his ideals.[Review]
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Date Watched: Saturday, January. 14, 2023 | Continued and Finished Sunday, January. 15, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
[Japanese Version]
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: The Japanese Against the Soviet Army
Best actor: Tatsuya Nakadai
Because I was quite busy this Saturday, I decided to only watch the first part, and the second part the day after [The Japanese Version is this film split up in two parts].
I might actually like this a bit more than the first film. It has some of the same issues as the first has [the sound issue (which I mentioned in my "short thoughts" for the first film), among other things], I really found the final 20-ish minutes to be very intense.
The final 20-ish minutes are very tense because we now see the Japanese fighting the Soviet Army. Masaki Kobayashi directs the action and the entire set piece really well.
The plot holes here are a bit crazy. The first film had some plot convenience with the Chinese POWs being able to successfully revolt by shouting, this film had more issues with the plot. Kaji and some other character both pull the pin from their grenade, only to not throw it? The grenades should’ve exploded a few seconds later. And the Soviet Army shoots at the Japanese, but they don’t notice Kaji and shoot at him in the last minute? And Kaji and another character went mad really quickly, don’t they?
Because it took a bit longer to watch this, I won’t be able to the third and final film in this trilogy until the next weekend. I am even thinking of not watching any (short) films before I have watched and finished the third film. - DirectorMasaki KobayashiStarsTatsuya NakadaiMichiyo AratamaTamao NakamuraHis ideals challenged by life as a conscript in war-time Japan's military, a pacifist faces ever greater tests in his fight for survival.[Review]
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Date Watched: Friday, January. 20, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
[Japanese Version]
✮✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: Left Behind
Best actor: Tatsuya Nakadai
Yes, I know that I waited five days to finish this trilogy (and I watched nothing during it), but I finally watched the third and final film of the trilogy, and boy this one is my favourite out of the bunch.
I had some issues with the first two films with some plot holes and sound issues, but this film does fix most of those problems.
This does make me wonder what happened to the Japanese soldiers who were still alive at the end of the second film. I believe the soldiers alongside Kaji aren’t the same ones we saw in the second film.
I do still have some issues with the editing. Some of it is quite janky. I do think this has the best soundtrack out of the trilogy, especially the first act. And like the first two films, the film has some scenes where sounds aren’t added, although here it is less of an issue. And the sound of the recording camera is almost not hearable, so I’m good.
This was easily the most violent out of the trilogy. Things like a stab wound, a man’s intestines, blood, etc.
Man, the final few minutes of this film really broke me. To see Kaji slowly dying was hard to watch. I was really rooting for him to survive, but alas. This is one of the only times killing the main character worked in the films advantage. - DirectorDiane MichelleStarsJoseph KathreinAthena Isabel LebessisPenelope PiccirilliAfter a young couple puts their daughter to sleep, a paranoid mother starts to believe something else is in her daughter's room.Date Watched: Friday, January. 20, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
I wanted to keep up with watching the short films on the ALTER YouTube channel, so before cleaning and hours after watching The Human Condition III: A Soldier’s Prayer I decided to watch this.
I didn’t like this one much, but it has some great elements. The acting is pretty weak, but the performance from Penelope Piccirilli is excellent. One thing that really is solid from most ALTER short films is that the child actors are always really good.
I like that didn’t really go for jump scares, but the scene where Carrie gets dragged under the bed(?) is really predicable and such low hanging fruit [with the sound being way louder than it should be]. And really, of course it is low hanging fruit too that William is the monster and he is obviously the enemy of the piece when we see him slap his wife’s buttocks [I can already sense some misandrist comments]. - DirectorSteve McQueenStarsMichael FassbenderCarey MulliganJames Badge DaleA sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay.[Review]
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Date Watched: Sunday, January. 22, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Following Her through the Crowded Subway
Best actor: Michael Fassbender
I had placed this on my watchlist for December 2022 for an Challenge on Letterboxd, but I replaced this film by Nobody, and then I wanted to both The Wrestler and this film, but I was overwhelmed after watching The Wrestler, so this film wasn’t on my schedule yet.
But enfin. I needed to return the blu-ray back to the library, so I finally watched it.
And I was left severely disappointed by the film.
I do want Steve McQueen’s filmography to watch more of his films. His directing isn’t bad, but it feels a bit too distanced for my liking.
Michael Fassbender does an superb job as the lead. But I do have some issues with the screenplay. Why should I care for his character? I get that his performance is great, but I feel no reason to care when he’s on screen. And because he’s in it a large bunch, why should I care for it again?
At first I was annoyed by the ending, but I do get what they’re going for when showing Brandon looks at the woman on the subway train. She wears an wedding ring. In one of Brandon’s monologues to Sissy he tells her she slept with an married man, and the ending shows the protagonist losing all morals and ideals [of what was left though] to what he said before.
What annoys me about the ending is that nothing seems resolved at the end. Its distanced directing and screenplay really made this an one-time viewing only. - DirectorJason KupferStarsJordan Woods-RobinsonRicky WayneLarry BukoveyA pair of home invaders consider their potential character choices just prior to their planned invasion.Date Watched: Tuesday, January. 24, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
I felt like watching something short during working at home, I put this on and I really liked it!
The twist really surprised me. I was thinking that the two invaders were going to be successful in their mission, but this turns really funny when one of the two invaders gets stabbed with an household item, and he’s bleeding like crazy. I also like how the other invader gets into trouble due to his partner(?) and by his own mistakes.
I hope ALTER brings more of this. - DirectorJi-hoon KimStarsKim Sang-kyungSol Kyung-guSon Ye-jinA Christmas Eve party at a luxury residential building takes a horrific turn when a fire breaks out.[Review]
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Date Watched: Sunday, January. 29, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: The Christmas Party
Best actor: Sol Kyung-gu
I don’t know how I discovered this film, only I know that I saw that I could rent the blu-ray from my local library and I placed it on this year’s ACTIONx52 Challenge (on Letterboxd) to finally watch it.
South Korean cinema haven’t really clicked with me. I really liked Oldboy, but I haven’t seen it since 2017 [and knowing the plot twist I don’t know if I can rewatch it!]. But other films like Parasite, I'm a Cyborg, But That's OK, The Handmaiden and Decision to Leave did (almost) nothing for me. They are well made films, but I don’t love them like others do.
This has the makings to be really bad, but when it got into gear, it became highly engrossing.
With disaster films comes the (high) possibility of CGI, as is the case here. I didn’t mind some of it, but other times it looks a bit off and removed my immersion too.
I can’t talk about the disaster portion without spoilers. I like the scene where people go into an elevator and the effects of them (almost) stuck to the elevator door. It is stupid that characters do this, of course, but I like the visual side of it.
There’s certain leaps in logic when watching an film like this. There’s the issue of both towers collapsing, only to show it happening to one of them. Or when Seo Yoon-hee (and others) are meant to die [powerful scene too!], only for them to be alive minutes later.
What I really like is that I grew to really care for most characters. And the breakneck pace during the action makes it all the more intense.
I mentioned how this could’ve really been an bad film, and that’s because of the few half hour or so. Characters act like they’re in an unfunny comedy, like the crying/bonding scene, or the naked fireman scene. These scenes had me worried. When the fire breaks out it became an much better film, but the scenes where Sergeant Oh Byung-Man is seen by some to be an (divine) saviour were highly cringe and added nothing to the story.
Not bad.Note: Monday, February. 6, 2023: I got something wrong when talking about that elevator sequence. I watched that sequence again, and now I changed some of the text because I wasn’t in the right.
- DirectorSteffen HaarsFlip Van der KuilStarsSylvia HoeksFlip Van der KuilHuub SmitTwo brothers have their friendship put to the test when they both fall in love with the same girl.[Review]
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Date Watched: Sunday, January. 29, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: The Proposal
Best actor: Raymond Thiry
While walking in the woods I got an idea to watch The Tower [hours before watching it] and this film to get catch up with some films(*).
I was in the mood for an stupid comedy. It did deliver in that regard, but my enjoyment level wasn’t there.
Tim Haars was okay here, but he is only okay in small doses. Sylvia Hoeks isn’t bad, but she seems lost. Daniël Arends wasn’t that good and Henry van Loon became real annoying after an short while.
This film makes fun of everyone [race, sex(ism), disabilities, etc.], but it only got a couple of laughs out of me. I didn’t mind the idea behind an rom-com which has one of the main characters dealing with an porn addiction. This was really interesting to me, but the plot line gets ruined when Suzanne asks René to marry her. This wasn’t built up well.
I don’t mind the video store setting either, but I just don’t believe nobody sees an Luger lying on the floor.
This film "tries" to make an case that First Blood is "so bad, it’s good", but I fully disagree with that. There’s an reason why that film is considered an classic, and it ain’t because of "corny dialogue".
Not enough Raymond Thiry.
(*) = I watched this a bit too late in the evening. I couldn’t turn the volume up too much because of my parents. - DirectorStellan KendrickStarsCourtney GainsCaige CoulterZoë Simpson DeanAfter mom gets hacked to pieces by her latest lover, a devout child fights to escape the same fate.Date Watched: Tuesday, January. 31, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
This was another weekly ALTER watch.
This was above average.
The child acting (courtesy of Caige Coulter) is fantastic, but the short films on the ALTER YouTube channel have had great child acting when they are featured.
I was expecting the villain was Satan/the Devil, but alas it ain’t. I don’t really believe the Cross being this loose on one side of the wall and it magically returning to the original place seconds later.
I don’t get the whole story either. Gracie’s mom gets murdered, and Gracie will be too (although it isn’t shown though). It feels like there isn’t much more depth that this simple premise, which could be much more. - DirectorJ. Lee ThompsonStarsDavid NivenGregory PeckAnthony QuinnA team of Allied saboteurs is assigned an impossible mission: infiltrate an impregnable Nazi-held Greek island and destroy the two enormous long-range field guns that prevent the rescue of 2,000 trapped British soldiers.[Review]
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Date Watched: Friday, February. 3, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: Going Up the Mountains
Best actor: Gregory Peck
This was a long time coming. I finally watched this film!
But first some backstory. I loved Where Eagles Dare so much, but The Guns of Navarone is mentioned by many to be an inferior film when talking about Alistair MacLean’s film adaptions.
I bought the DVD back in 2019 or 2020, but I never watched it. But then I placed it upon this year’s ACTIONx52 Challenge to finally sit down and watch it.
But problems arose soon. I tried renting the blu-ray from my local library, but the copy never was found. Some weeks later however the copy was finally available for me to rent.
I really loved this film. Where Eagles Dare is mentioned often as an comparison, but I won’t do that in these "short thoughts", because this stands on its own two feet.
Gregory Peck is such an charismatic leading man for this, and I like the supporting actors as well. People like David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Baker, Anthony Quayle, James Darren, Irene Papas, Gia Scala and Richard Harris.
I got surprisingly really invested into the story. The first few minutes I wasn’t really feeling the film yet.
But after the laundry boy scene the film got really interesting I also like the usage of Maria Pappadimos and Anna. And when it is revealed Anna was an spy and an traitor, the film really builds the suspense well too.
The version I watched was 156 minutes. I don’t know why this version is two minutes shorter [I believe the 4K UHD version has the same running time as the blu-ray I watched], I didn’t really feel the running time too much.
Really surprised by it! - DirectorMichael ArickStarsEve Williams-JonesPeter YatesDate Watched: Friday, February. 3, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
I loved The Guns of Navarone, so I definitely want to view the extra features on the blu-ray disc.
This was solid, but has the same problems as making-of documentaries of that time. They are too short and split up into different parts. Taxi Driver and Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb also suffer from the same issue [although older documentaries (also on the blu-rays) like Making 'Taxi Driver' and Inside: 'Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' are superb].
But all things considered, this was fine. There’s some talk about the switch of directors, casting, etc. Those things really interested me, but I would’ve preferred it to be longer, so we get more of an idea of how this film was made.
I did like when they told that the characters of Maria Pappadimos (Irene Papas) and Anna (Gia Scala) were added to the film and weren’t in the original book. And I love the inclusion of them. Or when they talk about "The Guns of Navarone" were made with fiberglass. It is not noticeable [which is an good thing]. - DirectorCatherine HardwickeStarsKristen StewartRobert PattinsonBilly BurkeWhen Bella Swan moves to a small town in the Pacific Northwest, she falls in love with Edward Cullen, a mysterious classmate who reveals himself to be a 108-year-old vampire.[Review]
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Date Watched: Sunday, February. 5, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: I don't know
Best actor: Robert Pattinson
This was an watch I wasn’t really looking forward to. I was ready to never watch it, but then I joined an Letterboxd Challenge (The {Todd} 10,000 Followers Scavenger Hunt Spectacular) which asked to "Watch a Twilight film you haven't seen or any film that could be considered an paranormal teen romance. Use your imagination but here's a list with some ideas".
I went into this with an open mind. I know Twilight for its reputation(*), memes, etc. Either people love or hate the film and I watched to give it a fair shot.
But enfin, I am not an fan of this film.
Catherine Hardwicke’s directing is a real mixed bag. She brings some style and flair to the directing side of things, but it doesn’t really gel together well. 50% of the film is directing fine enough, but there are also scenes that feel like a low budget student film, or an 2000s Gothic music video. I do appreciate the makers not going for jump scares [especially because this an PG-13 affair], but the directing is just not that good.
I don’t mind Kristen Stewart as an actress, but her performance here is not that good. And the same can be said for Robert Pattinson. And I knew I recognized Anna Kendrick when I saw her on screen [didn’t know her name when watching though]. The acting from everyone is very bad.
And when the end credits appeared, I was shocked to see that Carter Burwell did the musical score. He’s an underrated composer, but his work here is instantly forgettable. This film also boosts some awful pop music, which made me not want to remember my good childhood during the 2000s [man, the music during that time was terrible – still is!].
This film tries to make new rules for Vampire lore, but I am not an fan of this (at all). Instead of being burned by sunlight, their skin radiates. They’re fine with garlic or onions, or their reflection is visible in an mirror. I would be fine with this, but breaking established Vampire lore should be treated more carefully.
Still a better love story than… oh wait.
(*) = When I was in elementary, I know for a fact that one of the teachers had one of the (Dutch translated) books of Twilight in the class room. I did remember this right now, although I’m questioning why she had that book in class? - DirectorSteven McCarthyStarsSteven McCarthyAlyx MeloneSandra ForsellA man races to find shelter in a roadside motel so he can take the necessary steps to feed his companion's addiction.Date Watched: Tuesday, February. 7, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
And here is another weekly ALTER (short film) watch.
This has me confused by its premise and how I would rank this.
I didn’t like this one a lot, but I found it to be above average, but still ranks above some other ALTER short films.
Steven McCarthy, Alyx Melone and Sandra Forsell all did well with their performances. This is a pretty wordless piece and yet it is really well acted by their facial emotions.
I had no idea what this was about, even when I finished the short film. This doesn’t really explain its story to the audience. And what happened the woman’s body? We see her blood sprayed all over the bathroom, but we never get to see her.
There’s some nice practical blood effects too. But I am not an fan of this genre of horror and I think I would’ve liked this more if it was more psychologically driven. - DirectorTyson Wade JohnstonStarsJustin ZacharySusanna EricssonIndie DesRochesSet in Los Angeles City, 2057, an outlaw is captured and sentenced to a penal colony on the moon (à la Australia). To reunite with his family, he must become the first convict to escape the corrupt prison system and return to earth.Date Watched: Thursday, February. 9, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
I found out recently that the DUST YouTube channel is an thing. It is the ALTER YouTube channel but for Science Fiction short films.
This was a weird one. It has a lot of good going for it, but there’s too much going on for a mere seven minutes.
The CGI effects aren’t the best, but I will give it leeway because of its limited budget.
There’s too much going on. It shows the convict with his wife and the baby, him trying to escape(?) and getting caught. But there’s also him escaping the moon prison and crashing back to the city. This needs more time to fully tell its story.
The IMDb description cracked me up. It says and I quote: "Set in Los Angeles City, 2057, an outlaw is captured and sentenced to a penal colony on the moon (à la Australia)". What has this entire short film have to do with Australia? If we were talking about the Covid quarantine compound, then I would get it. - DirectorDavid CageStarsValorie CurryTercelin KirtleyHanako DanjoKara is a visually stunning and emotional PS3 technology which is here "represented" by a female android who becomes self conscious.Date Watched: Friday, February. 10, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
I somehow taught of this short film / tech demo for some reason.
I had seen some parts of it, but was my first time watching [I believe] it completely.
I know this was the basis for Detroit: Become Human, but I’ve only played one part of that video game [at an friend’s house].
I did really think this was effective short film.
I like Science Fiction based on androids becoming self-conscious. Valorie Curry’s voice is just right and you feel her pain.
The CGI rendering isn’t my cup of tea, but I don’t mind it much here, because this is an tech demo after all.
You can watch this short film here! - DirectorRuben SmitMark VerkerkStarsHarry PiekemaAnimal life in the nature reserve Oostvaardersplassen in the Netherlands during four seasons.[Review]
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Date Watched: Friday, February. 10, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
I felt like watching this because I do like nature documentaries.
This was an solid film, although the blu-ray doesn’t have the best quality transfer(*) when moving shots are shown.
I had seen some criticism about Harry Piekema’s voice over work as the narrator, but I thought he was fine. I do also like the line delivery.
There’s some humanizing of the animals that I am not the biggest on. It isn’t the worst, but I would’ve been better off with less of that.
(*) = IMDb mentions this film is 97 minutes, but the blu-ray is 101 minutes [102 minutes if rounded out]. - DirectorGilles Paquet-BrennerStarsKristin Scott ThomasMélusine MayanceNiels ArestrupIn modern-day Paris, a journalist finds her life becoming entwined with a young girl whose family was torn apart during the notorious Vel' d'Hiv Roundup in 1942.[Review]
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Date Watched: Friday, February. 10, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Opening the Closet
Best actor: Mélusine Mayance
I can already tell this is going to be a hard one to write "short thoughts" for. A few weeks ago I finally finished the Dutch translated version of Tatiana De Rosnay’s Elle s'appelait Sarah [after months and months of reading it], but the book disappointed me severely.
It has me questioning if I should even go on with reading or just quit it altogether. My review for the book is up here.
But enfin, this film was a slight improvement over the original source material, but just barely. It has some of the flaws and mistakes.
The directing is really good. Despite some scenes being a bit too up-close and wonky looking [I don’t like the look of modern buildings here], the director did a good job.
Where this really falters is with its screenplay. They [I mean the screenwriters] luckily cut the misandry from the source out of the script, but they still focused a bit too much on Julia Jarmond, when the focus should be on Sarah’s storyline and Julia looking into Sarah. It is also unclear here why Julia visits William Rainsferd. In the book it is explained [although it is still wonky too], it feels rushed.
I do think the film got me more emotionally invested. The entirety of Sarah’s story [safe for her suicide car bit] was really powerful, but when it focuses on Julia Jarmond’s story arc it becomes an bore. The ending is an nothing burger too. I don’t buy that Julia would call her new born Sarah. It comes as bad faith and honestly is a real weird move.
Kristin Scott Thomas is quite good. Her French accent is great, but I don’t buy her American one. She comes off as an Brit trying her hardest not to sound British, but alas. Mélusine Mayance really delivered one of the best child acting performances I’ve seen so far. It is a shame she didn’t go on to bigger things.
There’s a case to be made with her character in this film growing up quite quickly, which the book made clear she did over a short while, this isn’t her fault though. The acting especially when Sarah sees Michel dead in the closet is just heart breaking. Mayance’s performance should be the standard.
A low 3½/5 stars. - DirectorPeter LordDavid SproxtonA door-to-door salesman tries to use the gift of the gab to sell an elderly couple things they don't really need.Date Watched: Saturday, February. 11, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
I am trying to watch some more Aardman (short) films and other stop motion animation this year.
This is another weekly Aardman short film.
I am not feeling the Animated Conversations shorts yet. Down and Out and this one aren’t the most exciting.
The stop motion animation is great. The voice work isn’t bad, but I don’t like how they added background noise. This distracts a lot and I already have trouble with thick accents to begin with!
Hopefully the rest of my Aardman watches will be better… - DirectorLauren CooneyStarsDaniel HolmeDaniel HolmesHaley McGeeLets play a game. Take the most potent sleeping pills on the planet. Just try to stay awake. Last one to fall asleep wins....Date Watched: Tuesday, February. 14, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
Sorry if I am going to sound too harsh for these "short thoughts", but I really didn’t vibe with this short film.
I can’t really talk about this short film without spoilers, so here we go. I will use Perfect Blue('s spoilers) as reference.
This short film uses an storytelling technique that makes my blood boil. That technique is the "dream within an dream, within an dream". Perfect Blue uses this technique too to show the (in)sanity of the main character and her losing her mind. Here it is to show the possibility(?) of murder and death, but it is unclear if the things we see are real. I would be fine with the technique being used, but it is too incomprehensible and too incoherent to follow.
This is my second least favourite ALTER short film (for now), just behind Van. - DirectorKaleb LechowskiStarsDavid MastersonA member of an alien species is being interrogated and tortured by a machine.Date Watched: Thursday, February. 16, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
This is another weekly DUST short film watch.
I did like the idea behind the Alien Invasion story being flipped on its head. Instead of aliens invading our planet, it is an alien and his home planet being invaded by another alien species.
This would almost be a good short film, but there’s some problems with this as well.
There’s too much CGI. Every scene has some sort of special effects and it becomes tiring. I would normally give it leeway, but the over-usage made me reconsider. - DirectorLawrence KasdanStarsKevin KlineScott GlennKevin CostnerA misfit bunch of friends comes together to right the injustices which exist in a small town.Date Watched: Started Sunday, February. 12, 2023. Restarted and Finished Friday, February. 17, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: An Stampede
Best actor: Kevin Kline
I had this film on blu-ray (still sealed) in my collection. Those who know me know I am not an fan of Westerns. The cast for this one did interest me though.
I had seen some scenes back in 2016, when I was in England on vacation. It was on TV but I believe I hadn’t seen the entire thing.
I tried watching this Sunday, February, 12. 2023, but the neighbours were working on their house and the noise of that made it neigh impossible to focus on the film.
So almost one week later (Friday, February. 17, 2023) and I finally watched it.
This wasn’t half bad!
Kevin Kline really surprised me here. He’s known for being an comedic actor (his performance in A Fish Called Wanda is one for the ages) but he is fantastic here.
Some other actors like Scott Glenn, Kevin Costner, Danny Glover, Marvin J. McIntyre, Brad Leland, Sheb Wooley, John Cleese, Todd Allen, Brian Dennehy, Linda Hunt, Jeff Goldblum, Joe Seneca all do well.
Kevin Costner’s performance however is pretty groovy, but that is more of an screenplay issue. I really like Brion James as an actor, but his performance here is terrible. And I don’t know what his accent is supposed to be.
I found the storyline of Mal and Ezra to be the most interesting out of all the characters. Their story is quite interesting to follow. When Ezra gets killed, it gives more reasons to care for Mal. I also like how they wrote around Stella’s height in the saloon.
Good stuff. - DirectorMarc ForsterStarsTom HanksMariana TreviñoRachel KellerOtto is a grump who's given up on life following the loss of his wife and wants to end it all. When a young family moves in nearby, he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol, leading to a friendship that will turn his world around.Date Watched: Friday, February. 17, 2023 | How I Watched: Pathé Zwolle
✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Attempt of Suicide with Rope
Best actor: Tom Hanks
My parents and my sister wanted to go to the cinema to watch a film. The only issue was finding an film. All three don’t like horror, among other things, so when this film came upon my path I decided this was probably the best choice to watch.
And I’m glad I did. This was an solid film.
I didn’t know beforehand this is an adaption/remake of En man som heter Ove, so I can’t say how much it differs from the original novel and film.
Tom Hanks is very fun to watch playing an old grumpy dude. Mariana Treviño however was very grading, and this because of her script. At points I began getting annoyed by her. I know she was playing it up, but I blame the screenplay for making her so irritating.
I am split on how they used the character of Malcolm. The only reason to her character was added was because to fill the diversity quota. The rest of the acting cast deliver okay to fine performances.
The film is pretty slow paced. Furthermore, it is more of an small independent movie. Director Marc Forster is better for films like this then Quantum of Solace.
This film felt a bit too clean. While it has some ballsy stuff with Otto to commit suicide in different ways, the plot around it is more of an social drama/comedy. I didn’t really care when Otto died though.
After watching this, my parents and my sister wanted to watch more in theatres, so job well done, film!?! - DirectorMichael ArickStarsChristopher FraylingDate Watched: Wednesday, February. 22, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
I had almost forgotten to watch these extras on the blu-ray disc of The Guns of Navarone [too many things on my mind, like other hobbies, my social life and my education], but I am getting to these now finally.
Like several documentaries of this time [2007 and such] always explain the characters, their goals and ideals, but I got that out of the film as it was completely fine.
There’s also some talking about "the gay subtext", which I didn’t gather from the film at all. If you look hard enough, you think of things that aren’t there. - DirectorMichael MatessinoStarsGregory PeckAnthony QuinnJ. Lee ThompsonThe cast and crew of The Guns of Navarone (1961) recall the making of the film. Highlights include: the choice of director, the dangerous shipwreck scene, the ongoing chess games during down times, a visit from the King and Queen of Greece to the set, and Anthony Quinn's surprising choice of underwear.Date Watched: Wednesday, February. 22, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
This was an general improvement over The Guns of Navarone: An Ironic Epic of Heroism.
Documentaries of this time [around the late 1990s and early 2000s] were more in-depth about the films they were talking about, and this has the cast and crew that worked on The Guns of Navarone recalling their experiences.
There’s some talk about the red (under)shirt Anthony Quinn’s character wears, and I never noticed it until now. It is a nice idea when the ending has more of an blue and grey tint. - DirectorMichael ArickStarsRobert GittDate Watched: Wednesday, February. 22, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
This was an decent little featurate about the restoration of The Guns of Navarone.
I like how they explain how the first few scenes were lit differently when viewing the original print [difference between daytime and night] or how colours/sounds were restored to their original state [with some examples of different colours shown as an example].
So far the extras on the disc of The Guns of Navarone don’t feel like filler yet. - DirectorLiam MurphyThe world is a desolate, unforgiving place in this action sci-fi with a surprising amount of heart. We follow NO-A (Noah), as he attempts to rescue Aixa, the young woman that created him. In his attempt to save her, he must face an unknown enemy and fight to keep them both alive.Date Watched: Thursday, February. 23, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
And this another weekly DUST (short film) watch.
I am not feeling these short films yet. This was actually the worst of the three I watched so far [those being Lunar and R'ha].
I don’t mind CGI in films, but this just made me loath it. The CGI effects are very distracting, and the added bonus is that everything feels very weightless. When No-A picks up Aixa, it is like he’s picking up an flower, it is that wonky.
The story isn’t even that bad, but it still feels very thin and undercooked. We get the cliché of No-A sacrificing himself(?) to save Aixa (and to buy her some time). I am so done with this cliché! - DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsBérénice BejoTahar RahimAli MosaffaAn Iranian man deserts his French wife and her two children to return to his homeland. Meanwhile, his wife starts up a new relationship, a reality her husband confronts upon his wife's request for a divorce.Date Watched: Saturday, February. 25, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3 [until the 113 minute mark] and blu-ray on blu-ray player [everything after the 113 minute mark]
✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Comatose
Best actor: Bérénice Bejo
I was a bit curious for this one mostly due to the fact that Asghar Farhadi is an director with an decent following, but I hadn’t seen one of his films yet.
This film disappointed me greatly!
The acting is everyone is fine. It is especially impressive for Ali Mosaffa, who learned French two months before filming. And he sounds really good!
I just couldn’t care for the story. Should I care who delivered those e-mails to Samir’s wife? I don’t mind how the film ends with his wife tearing up, yet it is unclear if she will awake from her comatose state.
The film did bore me at points. I cannot forget to mention that the film skipped an few seconds during the 113 minute mark on my PlayStation 3, but the disc played without issue on an blu-ray player, so I watched it via that way where my PlayStation 3 faltered.
I wouldn’t mind watching more of Asghar Farhadi’s filmography, but I might never rewatch this one. - DirectorYeStarsSelita EbanksPavlina CervickovaJade ClaytonA romantic relationship between a man and a half-woman, half-phoenix.Date Watched: Sunday, February. 26, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
Kanye West is an rather divisive figure. Take his musical career, or his rather recent interview on Alex Jones [I believe West has Bipolar disorder].
I had seen one year ago that this short film is an thing [on Letterboxd], but I now finally got around to it.
This wasn’t that good, but it has some good qualities to it as well. Kanye West directed this and he surprised me because his directing is very good + nice framing. There’s a lot of CGI here, and some doesn’t look the greatest though.
I didn’t really care for the story. I couldn’t care if The Phoenix went back to her planet(?) or not. - DirectorMelanie LightStarsPollyanna McIntoshVictoria BroomCharlotte HunterPaula is imprisoned in inhuman squalor with other women; her captors abuse as resources her existence and human function. Escape on any level is hopeless as the women are condemned to lives of enforced servitude at their jailers' whims for one reason only: their milk.Date Watched: Tuesday, February. 28, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
After I watched Shut Eye 2 I had witnessed the worst short film on the ALTER YouTube channel so far.
So, I was hoping this would be a more charitable experience. And after watching, I can say it was, but this is still above average.
I get what they’re going for with the plot. This is an critique on animal cruelty (in this case cows). But the cruelty here is inflicted upon women. Their milk is used for an beauty product.
While I don’t mind the idea/premise, I found the ways it portrays the terror inflicted upon these women a bit too over the top. It doesn’t help either that this was written out of an feminist angle, so it is clear the self-victimizing shown here is in their mind.
And the upload I watched was the "Uncensored Cut", it does still feel cut up. The upload of ALTER is 16min and 24sec, while this site claims the short film is 21min. I will look into this further. - DirectorAndré van DurenStarsMatthias SchoenaertsSylvia HoeksFrank LammersNetherlands, 1938. In a small town in the province of North Brabant called Oss, Johanna wants to change her life and quit the criminal gangs of the town. The harder she tries, the more she is involved.Date Watched: Wednesday, March. 1, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Death by the Lake
Best actor: Matthias Schoenaerts
I have a weird history with this one. A friend got me his DVD of this film and Takashi Miike’s Dead or Alive, but I’ve only watched the latter one.
For some reason I got curious for the film [maybe because it was on TV some weeks ago] and I decided to rent the film on blu-ray from my local library.
And I decided to break my own (unwritten) rule [to watch something on a working day] after I found out about an job interview one day in advance! I wanted something to watch to have my mind of those things.
I didn’t fully hate this one, but it is severely above average.
Sylvia Hoeks is so-so. Her accent frequently flubs back to her real accent, when it is supposed to be sounding more "Brabantish". Matthias Schoenaerts delivered my favourite performance out of the lot. He is very believable in playing an criminal and petty husband. I am not an fan of Frank Lammers, but he isn’t miscasted here, but he doesn’t really need to change his accent much. The rest of the performances ranges from bad to good.
The screenplay is not the film’s strength. There’s too much focus on the character of Johanna van Heesch, when it should be on "de Bende van Oss". It does feel slightly more focused than in how Nova Zembla uses Doutzen Kroes, but this film would’ve been more interesting if it was focused on the beforementioned gang.
And while I believe that Matthias Schoenaerts delivered the best performance out of the bunch, he gets killed off too soon. It also feels historically inaccurate. I will definitely watch De Bende van Oss episode of Andere Tijden soon! - DirectorMichael ArickStarsJon BurlingameDate Watched: Thursday, March. 2, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
I have to return The Guns of Navarone within a few days, so I decided to finish watching the extras on the blu-ray disc.
This was solid. I liked Dimitri Tiomkin’s musical score for the film, but I wouldn’t call it an classic all-timer though.
There’s some nice insights about the music that I didn’t know about. I also like the fact that they mention the more calmer music at the end of the film when the "Guns of Navarone" are blown up. - Promotional featurette for the new feature film "The Guns of Navarone".Date Watched: Thursday, March. 2, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
There isn’t really much to talk about when it comes to this "promotional featurette".
It has some nice behind-the-scenes footage of the cast and crew filming on location (Rhodes). It was just funny to see some of the actors on donkeys, Gregory Peck playing soccer with local boys and Gia Scala and Irene Papas shopping. It is a okay featurette, but it is a good one time watch for fans of the film. - Promotional featurette for the new feature film "The Guns of Navarone".Date Watched: Thursday, March. 2, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
Another short featurette, but this one focuses on the activity on and off the movie set. Locals joined to watch the filming and production, and even the Greek royal family showed up one day.
Fine for one time viewing only. - StarsJames DarrenCarl ForemanDavid NivenPromotional featurette for the new feature film "The Guns of Navarone".Date Watched: Thursday, March. 2, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
This was a really weird one because it is an "promotional featurette" about James Darren’s honeymoon on Rhodes before returning to film The Guns of Navarone.
It was funny to hear James Darren doing the voice over about his own honeymoon and acting. - StarsIrene PapasGia ScalaPromotional featurette for the new feature film "The Guns of Navarone".Date Watched: Thursday, March. 2, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
This was another weird one because it is about Irene Papas’ and Gia Scala’s time-off of the set.
It is just hilarious to see both so out of character and shopping in the marketplace of Rhodes. Irene Papas also narrates the thing. - StarsCarl ForemanCarl Foreman, producer of The Guns of Navarone (1961), sends his greetings and regrets to those attending its Australian national premiere at the new Barclay Theatre in Sydney. He is unable to attend because he is filming his new picture The Victors (1963) at Shepperton Studios in England, where most of The Guns of Navarone was also made.Date Watched: Thursday, March. 2, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
This is a short introduction for the people who attended the showing of The Guns of Navarone for the Australian national premiere at the new Barclay Theatre in Sydney.
The picture quality is superb, and I like that the other featurettes have the same amount of care put into them. - DirectorPeter LordDavid SproxtonA probationer wants to miss a meeting to go and see his brother, but must negotiate with his officerDate Watched: Saturday, March. 4, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
Man, I don’t know if I will continue with these (early) short films of Animated Conversations (which were made by the people of Aardman).
I will give credit were credit is due. These short films deal with more mature themes, but everyone of them is a massive bore. The stop motion is great, but there’s not enough for me to return back to these short films.
In this case it is about an probationer wanting to miss an meeting and instead see his brother, but he must negotiate with his officer.
The sound design is way too chaotic. There’s a lot of background noise. This is quite realistic, but it doesn’t bode well with understanding the characters and their accents. - DirectorDarren AronofskyStarsBrendan FraserSadie SinkTy SimpkinsA reclusive, morbidly obese English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.Date Watched: Monday, March. 6, 2023 | How I Watched: Pathé Zwolle
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: Epilogue
Best actor: Brendan Fraser
I was curious for this one after seeing some information about last year, and after seeing The Wrestler [which is from the same director who directed this - and was my favourite first time watch of this year so far], I knew that I had to see this one in theatres.
On Friday, February. 10, 2023 I bought tickets for the showing of this film on Monday, March. 6, 2023, and because this was only shown in Pathé Zwolle twice, it was only the possibility of the 6th or 13th, so I skipped Judo once more!
To my shock however, the weeks after my reservation more showings were planned, but I wasn’t planning on moving my reservation to another time.
But enfin, I broke an unwritten rule to not watch films on working days, but I broke that another time, but this film was the best out of those.
I haven’t really grown up with Brendan Fraser’s filmography, but he’s fantastic here. Sadie Sink is fine, but her angsty teenage shtick got old after an while. Despite its limited cast, everyone delivered good to great performances.
This is based off an play, and it does feel like it at points. This is based on a central performance and very talkative. What makes this work is the performance and character of Brendan Fraser’s Charlie. Not only is he very believable as the leading man, the protistic effects and weight he put on look very convincing. And I can relate to the character, because I am (slightly) overweight as well. I like how it tackles the problems with (severe) obesity.
It also features an absolute knock-out ending. Charlie was doomed either way, and I like how the open ending subtly tells you that Charlie died.
I have seen some people on Letterboxd give this low review ratings [and I haven’t read the reviews though], but this was an great film to me. I am not even an fan of A24 (who distributed this film, I did like First Cow and Good Time). I would be fine with more films from A24 like this one, instead of another Everything Everywhere All at Once, Hereditary, etc.
I am definitely planning on watching more of Brendan Fraser’s and Darren Aronofsky’s filmography.
Powerful stuff! - DirectorChristopher JoppStarsEleonore DendyShawn DunbarCharles HubbellMEOW is a bloodstained genre mash offering life lessons in demonic cats, dubious landlords and overbearing mothers.Date Watched: Tuesday, March. 7, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
And I am back with another weekly ALTER short film watch!
This was an okay one. It is not very good, but I had a lot of fun with it, which is something I cannot say about some of the other ALTER short films I’ve seen so far.
The acting is terrible. Eleonore Dendy and Charles Hubbell ham it up to eleven. The directing however is very dynamic and actually an great part of bringing this crazy over the top story to life. We get POV shots of the cat, sped-up shots, etc. There’s some nice photography.
The story is utter trash. A cooky landlord frames Samantha’s cat to make it seem it murdered people, when he did it. Even the killing of the landlord (by the paw[?] of the cat) was way over the top, and I don’t like cats to begin with, but I can’t see them slitting throats like this.
And seriously, Samantha’s mom is okay with the landlord brutally being murdered because the cat got the idea from the films Samantha is an fan of? Really?!?
I will give some credits for the film references. Films like the original Cat People, Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht, Der Himmel über Berlin, etc. - DirectorJimmy LowereeStarsRoy ElghanayanGeorgia KingMatthew SimmonsA woman is kept sedated by a cold-blooded kidnapper.Date Watched: Thursday, March. 9, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
I wasn’t a fan of the DUST short films so far, but this one was surprisingly an okay one [and the best one so far].
I did watch this hours before my last week of my education and I feels so weird to be done with it.
This one is more based on action, which is captured and choreographed very well [I thank John Wick and some other good/great actioners for bringing back awesome action sequences!].
The story is where my issue lies. There isn’t that much of an story here. An woman is kidnapped, there is an attempt to rescue her, but she gets the final blow to the kidnapper by some sort of psychic interlinked personal link? I mean that the kidnapper copies the suicide move performed by the kidnapped woman. And even if this is done by her, wouldn’t that mean she’s an goner as well [if that is that link thing-y]?
Maybe if short films like these are more common on the DUST YouTube channel, I would have less of an issue continuing them. - DirectorRidley ScottStarsOrlando BloomEva GreenLiam NeesonBalian of Ibelin travels to Jerusalem during the Crusades of the 12th century, and there he finds himself as the defender of the city and its people.Date Watched: Friday, March. 10, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
[Director's Cut]
✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: The Siege of Jerusalem
Best actor: Edward Norton
This is a film which I have a strange relation with. In High School I watched this in History Class [somewhere around 2014-2015], but I am not sure if I watched it all the way through.
I do remember however that I listened to the soundtrack quite a bit after I watched it in History Class, but the film was never that much on my mind.
I was planning on watching films for the Challenges I joined on Letterboxd, but I felt like watching this instead [this wasn’t on one of my Challenge lists].
This was an fine film. I didn’t love it, but I had an good time with it.
Ridley Scott did an good job as the director. Cinematography wise this film looks fantastic, but there’s some green screen effects that look very distracting. I also wasn’t an fan of the amount of slow-mo. This film overuses it like crazy, and even in some scenes where it isn’t needed.
Orlando Bloom is fine here. I had to get used to him. His acting was a bit iffy at points, but he ultimately does fine. I do remember people saying that Edward Norton was the one playing King Baldwin, and he is really good here. At points it doesn’t even sound like him! Every actor/actress delivered good/great performances.
Even if I watched "The Director’s Cut", which is the 189 minute cut [190 minutes if rounded out] there’s still some issues with it. Events either happen too quickly or too late. There’s also an strange and obvious jump cut later on, which is really peculiar. - DirectorHanro SmitsmanStarsMatthijs van de Sande BakhuyzenGaite JansenRoos NetjesThe haunting search to discover why fifteen-year old Jessie was murdered by her closest friends.Date Watched: Saturday, March. 11, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Jessie's Story
Best actor: Gaite Jansen
Well… I can already sense this is going to be an hard one to write "short thoughts" for.
I like Hanro Smitsman as an director. Dajo and Raak are both excellent short films, Commando’s and Commando’s: The Mission are great too. This one was really disappointing though.
I don’t mind the actors here, but the line delivery and acting feel off. And the reason for these teens to kill Jessie is very weak to say the very least.
I do fancy Gaite Jansen quite a bit, but this uses her in a weird way. It was hard to see her getting killed, and it did feel wrong to see her breasts because she plays an fifteen year old [she was around 18-20 years old when filming, but the idea makes me sick].
The story structure became a bit old after a while. Raak did it in a more clever way and Dogman did the same story better, but in chronological order.
I should’ve just watched something for my Letterboxd Challenges. - DirectorJean-Marc ValléeStarsMatthew McConaugheyJennifer GarnerJared LetoIn 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is diagnosed with the disease.Date Watched: Monday, March. 13, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: A "Little" Trip
Best actor: Matthew McConaughey
I am really good with postponing films. I planned to watch this back in 2021, but I never got around to it.
Matthew McConaughey is an excellent actor, and he’s perfectly casted for the main role of Ron Woodroof. This makes me wants to watch more of McConaughey’s filmography this year!
I wasn’t an fan of Sharp Objects, but Jean-Marc Vallée delivered much better work here.
Good stuff! - DirectorRob BrunnerJustin HardingStarsAlana ElmerBowen HardingPeter HigginsonAn obsessive choreographer on a creative retreat with her toddler awakens a fairy corpse with disturbing intentionsDate Watched: Tuesday, March. 14, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
This was a very weird one.
The creature didn’t creep me out, and I don’t like how he(?) gets killed. It is also quite strange to see the woman breastfeeding the creature. And what is up with the flyer of "Latched" having moving dancers?
Peter Higginson was very fun, and one of his lines is pure gold.
The directing is fine. Luckily there are no jump scares. - DirectorJ.J. AbramsStarsChris PineZachary QuintoSimon PeggThe brash James T. Kirk tries to live up to his father's legacy with Mr. Spock keeping him in check as a vengeful Romulan from the future creates black holes to destroy the Federation one planet at a time.Date Watched: Tuesday, March. 14, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Getting On-Board
Best actor: Karl Urban
Before starting these "short thoughts", I have to admit that Star Trek is a very alien thing to me. I watched the first ten films years ago, and I also tried to watch this years ago, but I turned it off minutes in, because I got annoyed by the lens flares and shaky-cam.
The only reason I watched this was because of an Challenge I joined on Letterboxd. I tried to replace the film with The Wild and Zambezia, but both films didn’t work out [the blu-ray for The Wild is 82 minutes, and the running time is 95 minutes… And as for Zambezia, the blu-ray disc didn’t even work…]. It was either going to be this film [if it didn’t skip], Atlantis: The Lost Empire or DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story.
The blu-ray for this film did work however, so I only need to watch Rise of the Planet of the Apes and War for the Planet of the Apes to finish the Challenge.
This film did not impress me however. A lot of it has to do with J.J. Abrams at the director’s chair. There’s so much lens flair in every frame, and some in places where it shouldn’t even be. And add shaky cam/frantic editing to the mix, and you have me very annoyed.
There’s also some stylish directorial choices I wasn’t fond of, with it having the same colour pallet as Mission: Impossible III, which makes this film very ugly to look at.
I couldn’t care about any of the characters. Kirk is made to be a bit too cocksure, to the point he’s very unlikeable to watch. I don’t believe Spock would be all love-y dove-y with Uhura [from what I remember from my limited knowledge of Star Trek] and I don’t believe the older Spock would meet with his younger self [remember what he said before?].
Maybe I’ll return when I am more informed on Star Trek.Note: Saturday, March. 18, 2023: I got something wrong when talking about that Challenge. I need Rise of the Planet of the Apes and not Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.
- DirectorRupert WyattStarsJames FrancoAndy SerkisFreida PintoA substance designed to help the brain repair itself gives advanced intelligence to a chimpanzee who leads an ape uprising.[Review]
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Date Watched: Wednesday, March. 15, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: Escape from the Ape Shelter
Best actor: Andy Serkis
I have to admit I feel really bad for not watching this sooner. I got the "modern Planet of the Apes trilogy" on blu-ray for my 20th birthday (back in 2019) from an good friend, but I never was interested enough to watch it. I rented this film on DVD (back in 2017) from my local library, but the disc skipped and I wasn’t into the special effects either, so I quit watching it.
I needed this film and War for the Planet of the Apes to finish an Challenge on Letterboxd, so I finally watched it and I really enjoyed this one.
I do still stand by my critique of the special (motion capture) effects, because animatronics in films like Congo and Mighty Joe Young (the 1998 one) show the power of practical effects so well.
What makes the motion capture effects work is the excellent mo-cap and performance by Andy Serkis. Every emotion is delivered so well and the story is a big reason why I loved this film so much.
I grew to be really invested in Caesar’s story. There’s some story beats which are an critique on animal testings, but these plotlines are woven in naturally. And I really liked how they made this film more sympathetic to the apes (as opposed to the human side which was more of an focus in the 1968 original and 2001 remake).
I can’t wait to watch the other two next. - DirectorMatt ReevesStarsGary OldmanKeri RussellAndy SerkisThe fragile peace between apes and humans is threatened as mistrust and betrayal threaten to plunge both tribes into a war for dominance over the Earth.Date Watched: Thursday, March. 16, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: Full Scale Assault
Best actor: Andy Serkis
I was really interested to watch this film after Rise of the Planet of the Apes surprised me.
And this film was even better.
Matt Reeves’ directing is an general improvement over Rupert Wyatt’s directorial effort of Rise of the Planet of the Apes [ Wyatt didn’t do a bad job, but Reeves is an better director]. Reeves is very good at capturing locations and actors/actresses, and there are some drop dead gorgeous shots in this too.
The story is great. It is an slow burn for the first hour or so, but once Koba kills two humans at the armoury, the film becomes this giant action piece.
I can’t wait to watch War for the Planet of the Apes tomorrow! - DirectorMatt ReevesStarsAndy SerkisWoody HarrelsonSteve ZahnAfter the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind.Date Watched: Friday, March. 17, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: The Escape
Best actor: Andy Serkis
How to even write "short thoughts" for this film? I loved Rise of the Planet of the Apes and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, but this one was my least favourite out of the "modern Planet of the Apes trilogy", but I still give it four stars and it was a great way to end the trilogy [I’ll go on a rant later in these "short thoughts"].
Matt Reeves is an excellent director. He really knows how to film a pretty (grim) picture, and he gets the best out of the actors/actresses.
Andy Serkis' performance is great, but I notice now that he is a bit too talkative. It was a very powerful scene when Caesar finally said "No!" in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but here he is talking like a woman on a phone to the other apes.
Bad Ape, like Caesar, also talks like him. The problem with this is that the other apes don’t understand him, while in later scenes they do. It is a bit weird.
The screenplay is a bit too on the nose for my liking. Sure, some of the symbolism and themes of the previous Planet of the Apes are pretty obvious too, but this one is really obnoxious. There’s a scene where Caesar is almost like an Moses figure, the quarantine facilities look like concentration camps, etc. It is just a bit too obvious for my liking.
And yeah, I got a bit tear-y eyed when Caesar died. I was actually curious for more modern Planet of the Apes content until I saw that Caesar’s death. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is supposed to have an release next year, but I have no interest in watching it. This "modern Planet of the Apes trilogy" worked so well around the character of Caesar, and what’s the point of even continuing without his character? And oh yeah, Disney is behind the film, so I have no hope for that film, and Wes Ball is the director? I cannot wait to never watch it! - DirectorNeil JordanStarsStephen ReaJaye DavidsonForest WhitakerA British soldier kidnapped by the IRA soon befriends one of his captors, who then becomes drawn into the soldier's world.Date Watched: Saturday, March. 18, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: The Scorpion and the Frog
Best actor: Stephen Rea
Man, I had high hopes for this one. The IRA is very interesting to me, and this seemed like an very intriguing one to watch.
I however did not enjoy this film.
The first twenty [or so] minutes are fantastic. The relationship [if you can call it that] between Jody and Fergus is what I thought the entirety of the film was going to be. But after Jody got run over by an British armoured personnel carrier and killed, the film takes an nosedive.
I want to refrain from going overtly personal, but I have to do it here. Dil is an man, clear and simple. Fergus can’t seem to make his mind up if he is one or not. And speaking of Dil, he is one of the annoying characters I’ve seen in a while. Jaye Davidson’s performance was really poor too [just as unbelievable to be an woman as Dylan Mulvaney]. Forest Whitaker actually delivers a fine performance, and I didn’t mind his British accent. I’ve seen people bewildered [in an negative way] by his accent, but I didn’t think it was that bad.
Now I can’t get that Boy George cover out of my head. - DirectorDavid CageStarsDavid GantCarl Anthony Payne IIChristian EricksonPlay as the Dark Sorcerer in a world where magic is illegal and goblins and Demons rule the land. From the creator of Indigo Prophecy, Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls.Date Watched: Saturday, March. 18, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
After Kara I was curious to watch more of David Cage’s short films [which are more like tech demos, but enfin].
But this was a really disappointing one! It is too long [even for clocking in at a mere twelve minutes], and the idea gets rather lame even early on.
David Gant doesn’t deliver a bad performance [I mean, getting an actor from that calibre is an plus], but he’s bogged down by the story.
I don’t get the story. David Gant appears to play himself on set of an movie [which is generated on the hardware of PlayStation 4], but what’s up with the things that go wrong on the filming set? And having Satan[?] as this flamboyant gay character? What’s up with that? - DirectorMamoru HosodaStarsAoi MiyazakiTakao OsawaHaru KurokiAfter her werewolf lover unexpectedly dies in an accident while hunting for food for their children, a young woman must find ways to raise the werewolf son and daughter that she had with him while keeping their trait hidden from society.Date Watched: Thursday, March. 23, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Winter
Best actor: Aoi Miyazaki, I guess?
I’ve avoided this film like the plague. Some people I know [in real life and some on the internet too] who watch a lot of anime and have gone insane. I’m not saying anime is the inherent cause of this, but it makes me want to avoid it like crazy.
However, I decided to bite the bullet and watch this one because it had such raving reviews. But after watching it, I can safely call it the "Twilight, but with werewolves".
Twilight romanticized vampires until they were no longer scary, and this film does the same thing for werewolves. Werewolves should always have some sort of body horror involved, but here the film is best suited for furries. The scene before Hana and Ôkami otoko have sex is immensely creepy.
This film is also very emotionally manipulative. There’s the constant crying for one. But also there is the need to make Yuki hide with that one boy, and telling him what work they are going to do. Why talk about work and not going back to home? Why is the water level so high at the school, while in the forest it looks like normal rainfall? And when Hana curses out Ôkami otoko’s picture, I began getting really annoyed by the film. It is not like he kept his werewolf secret an secret and she slept with him, so have some respect [I know that Ôkami otoko died, but the cause is unknown]!
There’s some excellent animation + directing by Mamoru Hosoda, but the story drags too much.
The blu-ray I rented from my local library wasn’t the worst, but some of the Dutch translation was rushed. And apparently, that short shot of the nipple was removed in the English dub, but the version I watched [the Japanese dub] has that shot intact.
I don’t hate anime, but like I mentioned before, I don’t want to go insane. So, I probably won’t watch anymore anime for some time. - DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesLaurence FishburneGeorge GeorgiouJohn Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.[Review]
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Date Watched: Friday, March. 24, 2023 | How I Watched: Pathé Zwolle
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: The Apartment
Best actor: Donnie Yen
I was ready to watch in theatres, but when I saw that the running time was a total of 169 minutes, I got a bit scared. Was this going to be a giant bore?
I decided to go see it anyways, because I have a few days before the end of my vacation(*).
This film made my jaw drop to the floor. Even hours after watching it I was still left overwhelmed by it.
Let’s start with the giant running time. I did not need to be scared after all. The action sequences are very long, choreographed brilliantly, and all shot marvellously. I actually didn’t feel the running time either way. Very impressive.
I knew at the back off my mind they were probably going to kill John Wick, and I was right. I don’t mind how they did it here, I did have some issues with the "video game logic" presented here. John Wick survives hundreds of baddies, jumps out of a window (which is several stories high), and even survives a shotgun shell to his bullet proof jacket. When he died, the examples were at the back of my mind. I know this film isn’t realistic in the slightest, but this is still something that bothered me.
I wasn’t expecting that Charon was going to die. It is quite sad that Lance Reddick passed away one week ago, and it does add some extra sadness to the picture.
Bill Skarsgård is probably one of the weaker villains in the John Wick franchise. His character is fine, but I expected John Wick to shoot him dead with that one bullet before the film showed it. Also having him speak that really funky French accent was hilarious. And the same can be said for Scott Adkins’ German accent.
I did not catch the post credits sequence, and I’m kicking myself for not sitting through the end credits to see it. I’ve read what was done though.
(*) = After the film was over, I found out I have one more week of vacation, but it was because of an dumb reason, so that was annoying. - DirectorMike van DiemStarsWillem NijholtMaeve van der SteenCoen van Vrijberghe de ConinghA slaughterhouse worker appears to be romantically involved with his boss's wife. They plan to leave the country together, but at the airport she waits for him in vain. Slowly but surely the three of them get entangled in a fateful web of betrayal, jealousy, and revenge.Date Watched: Sunday, March. 26, 2023 | How I Watched: Eye Film Player on TV [casted from phone to TV]
I was curious to watch this when I saw an Letterboxd review saying it was on the Eye Film Player. They have some free stuff on there, and I do use it at points. The downside of them though is that most of their stuff is changed to 25FPS, yet J'accuse [the 1919 one] and this one are the right running time.
When I saw that Willem Nijholt and Coen van Vrijberghe de Coningh were in this film, I knew I had to see this one soon. And I'm rewatching the season two of Penoza, so watching more of Willem Nijholt's work isn't an bad thing.
At first I wasn't sure of this film and if I would like it, but I really appreciate how the film uses an non-linear storytelling technique, without explaining the time. It remains me of how Submarino uses that technique, and that's a good thing.
The film got under my skin. Willem Nijholt's Man makes Mario freeze to death. I had my doubts at first of this being a bit too cold-hearted [sorry for the pun], but I get the point of Mario sucking up to his wife, and this was the perfect unpunished crime.
But I have some questions though. Did Man (the character of Willem Nijholt is called "Man") chop up Mario? If so, the scene where Vrouw (Maeve van der Steen) feeds the dogs with meat from the factory is insanely screwed up.
I was suprised to see that Coen van Vrijberghe de Coningh not only starred in this, he also composed the soundtrack. His musical score wasn't the greatest though... When watching I didn't understand why Coen van Vrijberghe de Coningh was speaking in another language, but after an while I understood he's not playing an Dutch character here.
I was so creeped out by this film, only for the doorbell to ring. Little did I know that there are was only one minute left. Thanks sis! - DirectorRoko BelicStarsJoseph Gordon-LevittWilliam C. DementJayne GackenbachCan the dream world be a fully functional parallel reality? Joseph Gordon-Levitt and leading scientists take you to the cutting edge of dream research in this documentary produced for Christopher Nolan's Inception.Date Watched: Sunday, March. 26, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
Due to time limitations last year I wasn't able to watch the extras on the Inception 2-disc blu-ray, but I decided to watch them now while the film is still on my mind.
I almost turned this off, but I felt like finishing it, only to up my watched total of 2023. Silly me.
I expected this to be an documentary on Inception, but it really isn't. This documentary is about scientists talking about their dream research. This honestly bored me to tears.
The visuals do explain a lot, but they look really childish. That woman (in the dream sequences) next to Joseph Gordon-Levitt though, she is really cute.
I should've just watched Inception: Jump Right Into the Action, which is the making-of Inception. - DirectorJames CameronStarsSam WorthingtonZoe SaldanaSigourney WeaverA paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.Date Watched: Monday, March. 27, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: The Siege at Pandora
Best actor: Stephen Lang
I have to admit I had tried to watch this years ago, but I wasn't focusing on it.
There was an (bare bones) re-release of the blu-ray last year and I decided to rent it from my local library, but two things held it back to watch it. First off, the running time seemed off [like Disney (who re-released the film on DVD/blu-ray) removed things] and I was never in the mood to watch it.
I did some research and I found out the re-release blu-ray disc was the normal blu-ray from years ago and I re-rented the re-release blu-ray.
As for the film, it is painfully mid.
James Cameron is an director who's early filmography is fantastic. Take his films like The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Aliens, The Abyss and True Lies are all fantastic, but he lost me with Titanic. I hated that film and I couldn't wait until it was over.
This film is very frustating. James Cameron directs the entire thing very well, but the overusage of CGI is really noticeable. 95% of the film is behind an green screen! The visuals do really pop on my television and the blu-ray transfer [a.k.a. the picture quality] really works wonders [safe for those terrible CGI fire effects], but leave the pretty effects out of the conversation and you're left with an very bland film.
Jake Sully is an very weak leading man, which is not that suprising that Sam Worthington isn't that much of an leading man himself. The themes also are very forced into this. Themes of nature and the destruction that men does to it. The human characters are a bit too much like cartoon characters [too one dimensional] for my liking. Even the mineral the humans are after is called "Unobtanium", which is so on the nose that I groaned at my television.
I have heard Avatar: The Way of Water is an upgrade over this film, so I might watch it??? However, James Cameron should return to his roots. - DirectorJoe RussoStarsJessica MorrisKurt KubicekCaige CoulterAn unstable husband forces his family to celebrate a macabre and deadly Christmas.Date Watched: Tuesday, March. 28, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
And I'm back on my weekly ALTER short film watch.
This had some potential, but it is squandered by the screenplay and the acting.
The film picked up the wrong way. When we first see David it is like I'm watching an bad Christmas rom-com [one of those terrible Hallmark Christmas films], where the only difference is that the adults are on the verge of an mental breakdown. And after watching it downed on me the makers of this short film took the term "Nuclear Family" way too seriously. Speaking of the "Nuclear Family", what's up with the Nuclear stuff that is being dropped?
Jessica Morris and Kurt Kubicek deliver terrible performances, but Caige Coulter and Kue Lawrence are fine, but limited by the screenplay. - StarsLeonardo DiCaprioJoseph Gordon-LevittChristopher NolanJoin filmmaker Christopher Nolan and his cast and crew as they reveal the secrets of Inception, its development, characters, performances, story and jaw-dropping special effects in this solid 14-segments piece.Date Watched: Tuesday, March. 28, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
I mentioned in my "short thoughts" for Dreams: Cinema of the Subconscious that I should've just watched this documentary instead, but I'm glad I finally did watch it now.
After my first time watch of Inception [back in 2014?], I remember watching some of this documentary, but I hadn't seen it completely [I believe?].
This is an excellent documentary. Looking at the World in a New Way: The Making of Tenet still remains a bit better because it goes into every detail of filmmaking, musical score, costuming, etc. in its 75 minute running time, but that's not to discredit this one.
There are two options to watch this documentary. The first being to watch the film and the extras in-between the film [which makes that viewing 3+ hours long!], or watch the different fragments of the documentary. I chose the latter option.
Because of this I do have some issues regarding the way the fragments are stitched together. The best way to describe it is like a faulty disc. Some scenes are used before the different fragments of the documentary appear, so I was constantly checking the running time in case the documentary skipped a few seconds/minutes, which luckily didn't happen.
Lots of stuff is discussed. Things like the practial/visual effects, musical score [if rather brief], location scouting, etc.
Despite my issues with the stitch-y nature of the editing, the documentary is superb. - DirectorWilliam PrinceStarsFrancesca ParkerLucy HirdDaniel LeachAt the end of a long day, five children fill in the remaining hours of sunlight before they return home. Bored, and looking for a new playground, they enter an imposing, decaying building that has been abandoned for years. A warning to visitors the children should have noticed. Using classic horror motifs and contemporary characters, CLICK discovers why we are afraid of the dark. A discovery that the children make in possibly the last building they will ever enter.Date Watched: Thursday, March. 30, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
I haven't really been able to connect with the DUST short films, but this one really clicked with me [sorry for the pun].
One of the reasons I really began to like it is that the cinematography feels a bit more focused than the other DUST short films so far. And the story grabbed me as well.
Out of the things I've seen of DUST so far, this was most akin to a horror film and I would probably not even place under the Science Fiction banner either. An evil lamp would be silly concept, but the directing, editing, etc. really made this work. I've seen some reviewer call the characters not that likeable, but I don't mind this too much. They're not one dimensional either and I did feel tension when they disappear one by one. It is also great to not have any jump scares here.
Hopefully short films like this are more common for future DUST watches, and not short films that are more like tech demos (f.e. Ana, xVoid). - DirectorTodd FieldStarsCate BlanchettNoémie MerlantNina HossSet in the international world of Western classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár, widely considered one of the greatest living composer-conductors and the very first female director of a major German orchestra.Date Watched: Thursday, March. 30, 2023 | How I Watched: Pathé Zwolle
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: Lecture
Best actor: Cate Blanchett
I had plans to see this one months back, but there was one big problem. It was only shown on Mondays, which makes me have to choose for either practicing Judo or going to the cinema, so I chose the first option.
When looking at my schedule, I wanted to watch something at the theatre, and I saw this was making another round at the cinemas in my hometown, so I booked my tickets.
And I'm glad I did.
At first I didn't think I was going to like this one very much. The dialogue kept on going for far too long, but it began to click with me during the Lecture scene. I hate progressive dialogue being used in films, but this uses it wisely. One of the students is crying victim points, but I like how Lydia Tár is the most sane person in the room.
Speaking of Lydia Tár, her character is really interesting. Not only did Cate Blanchett deliver in spades with her performance [finally an good German accent!], I like that her character isn't the most respectable one. She lies and abuses her power/status before it all crashes down.
The film also goes into #MeToo with Lydia Tár's words inside of the Lecture class being montaged to make her seem guilty of being an racist and such. Tár makes an decent point that the footage is shot in different angles [how are some of those angles even possible?] and edited to frame her.
I do have some issues with the film. It is a bit pretentious after all. The opening credits really confused me. It is like an end credits crawl, only this time it is at the start of the film and the end credits are normal though. Why wasn't the opening credits crawl an part of the end credits crawl?
Lydia Tár is an great character and her switch to lose everything is good and all, but the scene where we first see her losing grasp is utterly ridiculous. It has her shouting theatrically and it was no wonder why the other people in the theatre were laughed at her, and not with her. And I don't know what's up with the final scene. She composes music for an audience of cosplayers??? I don't get it?
Some of the scenes could've been cut down a bit or removed in its entirety. There's a scene where Lydia Tár hears screams coming from the woods, and it is never brought up again. The interview sequence could be shorterend up a bit too. Some scenes are just pading a bit too much.
I will probably never rewatch it though, even if I liked it. - DirectorNikolaj ArcelStarsAlicia VikanderMads MikkelsenMikkel Boe FølsgaardA young queen, who is married to an insane king, falls secretly in love with her physician - and together they start a revolution that changes a nation forever.Date Watched: Friday, March. 31, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: The Execution
Best actor: Mads Mikkelsen
I have to be honest and say that this film was only on my watchlist because Mads Mikkelsen plays one of the main characters. I don't really care for period dramas or Danish films [the only ones I've liked so far were from Thomas Vinterberg], but this film floored me. What grabbed me from the beginning was the cinematography and the musical score.
Alicia Vikander also suprised me. She was the wrong gal to play Lara Croft, but she's better in this like this. Mads Mikkelsen shows one again why he's so well regarded as an actor. Mikkel Boe Følsgaard on the other hand is terrible from the first frame he's in. He overacts and he's the weak chain in an great cast. I don't know if Følsgaard was asked to ham it up like this, but it got tiring after an while.
I was so engrossed into the film that it really annoyed me that my sister was making noise downstairs. I had to eat dinner before finishing the film, but I was more tired while watching the last twenty (or so) minutes. It did affect my enjoyment a bit too.
This is now my third favourite first time watch of the year (so far). - DirectorGore VerbinskiStarsJohnny DeppIsla FisherTimothy OlyphantRango is an ordinary chameleon who accidentally winds up in the town of Dirt, a lawless outpost in the Wild West in desperate need of a new sheriff.Date Watched: Saturday, April. 1, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
[Theatrical Cut]
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: Rango vs. Hawk
Best actor: Johnny Depp
And here's annother example of why I am possibly the biggest postponer in the world.
I've seen the trailer and I believe I've seen some scenes, but I don't believe I've seen the film in its entirety [I believe?]
This is great stuff.
Johnny Depp's voice work is perfect for roles like this, but he is also nicely supported by Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Ned Beatty, Alfred Molina, Bill Nighy, Harry Dean Stanton, Timothy Olyphant and Ray Winstone.
There's some weak stuff. It is never made clear how he and Rattlesnake Jake are related. Rattlesnake Jake even mentions it later on, but I don't know if the breeding joke is an reality [I don't want to imagine that]? The themes of nature vs. construction didn't feel too forced luckily enough, but I don't really get the Western setting. The Mayor is building new builidings post-Western era, but the other side is modern Nevada, Los Angeles. Why is the one so advanced, while the town of Dirt seems to stem from ages ago?
This film is also pretty ball-sy at points, especially with Nickelodeon (Movies) being one of the producers. There's a lot of gun battling, mild swearing (f.e. "Sign the damn paper woman!" and "Go to hell!!!"). This makes the film more interesting to people like me.
At first I rated this 4½ out of 5 stars, but I did change it because of the issues I mentioned before.
Oh, and this will probably be the last film I watch before I start with my new job. Wish me luck! - DirectorIzzy LeeStarsBrea GrantSteve JohansonAdam Egypt MortimerChristmas is coming. If that's not stressful enough, Lily (Brea Grant) has to contend with a clueless partner (Adam Egypt Mortimer) and an unexpected, inter-dimensional holiday guest who just wants two things -- blood and cuddles.Date Watched: Tuesday, April. 4, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
I had a long day at work and when I found to watch this short film and finished it, it feels like I lost braincells while watching it.
This was absolute garbage.
Izzy Lee delivered such low effort terms of directing. Every frame looks cheap. The outside view at night looks even worse, like an cheap set with ugly CGI mist. The effects on the monster aren't bad [safe for his CGI breath?], but it is the only good thing out of this entire short film.
The acting is some of the worst I've seen in quite some time. Brea Grant has been in some films, but she's horrible here and the same can be said for Steve Johanson and Adam Egypt Mortimer.
The Monster apparently wants Lily's blood and then he will leave her alone. But cut to the next scene (which is one week later) he's together with her, with the only difference being that she now sees Adam Egypt Mortimer's character outside instead of the Monster. What am I supposed to think about this???
My second least favourite of the ALTER short films. - DirectorMasashi KawamuraDate Watched: Wednesday, April. 5, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
Yesterday, I found out about HIDARI (Pilot Film) on Letterboxd, and I decided to watch this and that one afterwards.
This short film was very charming. I am very fond of stop motion animation and Masashi Kawamura's directing is superb. The animation is very fluid and I like how they show Ochibi and him going through the four seasons.
I am very interested in watching HIDARI (Pilot Film) now. - DirectorKristian LevringStarsMads MikkelsenEva GreenJeffrey Dean MorganIn 1870s America, the fury of a notorious gang leader is unleashed when a peaceful American settler avenges the death of his family. Then as his cowardly fellow townspeople betray him, he is forced to hunt down the outlaws alone.Date Watched: Wednesday, April. 5, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Stagecoach
Best actor: Mads Mikkelsen
After my first two days of work I had a day-off, and I decided to watch this one.
The only things I knew about the film was that Mads Mikkelsen and Eva Green stars in it, and that it is an Western. So, I went into this film blindfolded.
But because I am not a fan of Westerns I postponed watching this, only to see I had to return the blu-ray to the library within a few days, so I watched it and...
This was a real disappointment!
I'm split on the directing. There's some natutal lightning during night time sequences, or the yellow tint of the landscape at day time, but I wasn't an fan of neither. The night time sequences look a bit too dark for my liking, and the yellow tint get a bit old after a while. The action isn't directing badly, but it looks a bit cheap as well. And some of the framing and directorial choices felt a bit too artsy-fartsy for my liking.
One of the things that annoyed me most was the screenplay. It starts off strong though. Jon Jensen losing his wife and son by some recently released crooks made me care for him from the start. But then the film takes a nosedive off a cliff. Apprently Saloon have stores? Why is Eva Green's character an Princess? This isn't an fairy tale! How is a gang of crooks able to kill some off the people of a village when the authority is watching along? And I especially hating seeing Mayor Nathan Keane be working together with Henry Delarue. It just comes out of left field and I would've been fine with him not being that.
This is probably a one-time watch. - DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsVera FarmigaPeter SarsgaardIsabelle FuhrmanA husband and wife who recently lost their baby adopt a 9-year-old girl who is not nearly as innocent as she appears.Date Watched: Sunday, April. 9, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: A Bird and A Stone
Best actor: Isabelle Fuhrman
This was a film I was looking forward to watching, but I never got around to it until now.
It started off a bit weak, but once it gets going, it became one of the most tense films I've seen in a while.
The directing most definitely caught my eye from the start. There's some nice directorial choices here. There are several jump scares in the first act that should've been cut out, but the second and third act luckily don't go into jump scare terrority.
Every actor/actress does well, but Isabelle Fuhrman is the definitive stand-out. She did a superb job.
I didn't know what the plot twist was going to be. I thought it was going to be that Esther has a evil twin, because I thought the poster was implying that. But I like the plot twist they went with. The hypopituitarism/deranged twist was more refreshing than a possession plot. The film also makes more sense for Leena Klammer [her real name] to know about sex, and such.
I am not curious for Orphan: First Kill. - DirectorJosh OreckStarsJaume Collet-SerraPeter SarsgaardVera FarmigaDate Watched: Sunday, April. 9, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
I really enjoyed Orphan, so I was curious to watch more some kind of making-of about this film.
This isn't that good of an documentary, and a large portion of that is due to it not really being about Orphan, but more about the history of the evil children horror genre. While I didn't know every aspect of that genre, this should've been focused more on the beforementioned film, but that's just me. - DirectorVivian LinStarsRobin CarelessJohn CiancioloHannah LeberA horror morality tale about the custodian of an electric chair and its last casualty. Inspired by the recent reinstatement of the electric chair in Tennessee.Date Watched: Tuesday, April. 11, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
Frankly, I was suprised by this short film on the ALTER YouTube Channel. It has all the makings of an disaster, but it worked so well that it became of my favourite ALTER short films.
I know the story is an critique on the electric chair as a form of an death penalty. As an non-American I am not against this type of death penalty. However, I still like the story that is presented here. A "wrongfully accused" man gets the death penalty with the electric chair, and begins haunting (it is not explains how he came back from the dead) the janitor that was there watching the ordeal. And there are no jump scares, so that's a big bonus in my book!
I did have some issues with the cinematography. I've never been big on digital photography and this is one of the prime examples. One of the characters looks like an animated CGI character. Go back to filming on film, guys and gals! - DirectorDavid GrifhorstStarsDragan BakemaAnnette BarloEmma DeckersDate Watched: Wednesday, April. 12, 2023 | How I Watched: recorded off Nederland 1 and watched via TV
I was ready to watch this one, but sleep/work related issues made me postpone this one.
So almost one week later (six days later) I finally decided to watch it.
This was decent. Granted, if you've seen one version of The Passion, you've seen them all.
One of the first things I noticed was the digital photography. I can't stand digital photography for the most part. There are some nice drone shots, but that's it [some motion blur during one scene with an drone shot too].
Sinan Eroglu was terrible. He flubbed his lines quite frequently and the same can be said for Ferdi Stofmeel [although not with his lines]. Buddy Vedder surprised me and Marlijn Weerdenburg is really good. Nhung Dam was only added to show her as Pilatus' wife and she might as well be cut altogether because she didn't add much. Louisa Janssen was an terrible addition as Barnabas. Why is she playing an male character? The crowd is even calling "her" a "him"!
I'm actually laughing out quite hard that this was added to IMDb because I am running behind on watching films [work has taken my time], so this is nice to add. - DirectorKate PhillipsStarsBryan AtkinsSofia Leal De La RosaGare BrundigeThe Man wanders a barren purgatory, seeking those he lost.Date Watched: Thursday, April. 13, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
I almost forgot to watch this, and was almost too tired to even sit down and watch it.
Where to even begin with this short film???
I didn't completely hate it, but it is very flawed too.
All the actors delivered good to great performances, the directing is fine [This also boosts some annoying European Editing], but the problem lies with its screenplay.
What is even the point of this story? Well, I get the main plot, but it is very unclear why The Woman and The Kid left The Man. Why are The Woman and The Kid not the real ones when The Man finds them at the park?
I was left confused as to why this was uploaded on the DUST YouTube channel because this isn't an Science Fiction short film.
Also, my goodness, the rating is quite low! It isn't bad as the rating says it is. - DirectorEric GoldbergWalt Disney's Oswald the Lucky Rabbit returns in his first traditionally animated short in 95 years, created for Disney's 100th anniversary.Date Watched: Saturday, April. 15, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
I found out about this short film hours before I watched it. One of my followers on Letterboxd watched it and I began searching it out. To my surprise it is on YouTube!
This was very solid!
I do miss hand drawn animation and this was a step in the right direction, although this short film isn't that popular and probably won't turn any heads [when seeing the slate Disney is releasing this year/the next few years - their stuff looks like dog crap].
Lol, I have spoilers for a 1-minute short film, but I like the way Oswald gets into the cinema screen to kiss that gal.
It should've been longer, but this was fine enough. I would be more interested in more stuff like this. - DirectorStéphane GoudetStarsJacques TatiSophie TatischeffFrançois EdeDocumentary by Stéphane Goudet in which he analyzes "Jour de Fête" by Jacques Tati.Date Watched: Saturday, April. 15, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
I was curious for this documentary after rewatching Jour de fête.
Because I had to return the blu-ray back to the library within a few weeks, I decided to run through the making-ofs and films a bit faster.
This was solid. While it is a bit too long for my liking [a rare thing I would say for a making-of documentary], I did enjoy it.
What is most impressive is the behind-the-scenes footage. This film is from the 1940s and yet that footage was found.
I must admit that some of the jokes, themes and such went over my head when watching Jour de fête twice. Things like the circle motif in various things, different jokes, etc.
It felt weird weird seeing Jour de fête in colour because I'm so used to the original cut (which is in B&W).
This documentary also talks about the other films directed/starring by Jacques Tati, and Stéphane Goudet did a good job as the director and narrator.
Some of the talking points can become a bit too repetitive and this is probably why it should've been a bit shorter. - DirectorMark MazurStarsReid EmmonsTorsten JohnsonA thief breaks into a house and makes an unexpected discovery.Date Watched: Tuesday, April. 18, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
I had decided to place several ALTER short films on a private playlist. And I'm glad I did because this video was hidden... But because it was on my playlist it was still visible.
But regardless, this has a solid idea but there's not enough to it.
I don't mind the idea behind a home invasion (short) film where the invaded wears an VR headset, so he doesn't notice the invader.
The issue lies is how it ends. It doesn't really resolve anything, and the last thing you hear is the mother or wife[?] of the invaded one. Why couldn't this be longer?
Here's the Link: - DirectorReinout OerlemansStarsCarice van HoutenBarry AtsmaAnna DrijverA serial adulterer faces his demons when his loving wife falls severely ill.Date Watched: Saturday, April. 22, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Hair Loss
Best actor: Carice van Houten
I have to be honest and admit that I only watched this film because Carice van Houten stars in it [I do like the other actors/actresses too, but she was the main draw].
Man, this was an real disappointment!
The first ten [or so] minutes are among the worst I've seen in quite some time. It goes from sequence to sequence, within seconds, without a pause. I began to laugh so loud that I thought I had lost my marbles. Then I went to make a cup of coffee. The thing is that after that the editing is much better.
The acting was terrible at the first few minutes, but became a lot better later on. Carice van Houten is sublime and Barry Atsma is really good too. The acting isn't that much of an issue.
My problem mainly lies with its screenplay. The cancer storyline really worked for me, but they went overboard with the sexual stuff. I can see Carmen and Roos naked [surprisingly explict nudity too, like bare breasts + nipples, twice a brief glimpse of an labia, buttocks and such], but it became old after a while [and I'm not against seeing Carice van Houten and Anna Drijver in the nude]. The film began to drag. I get what this film is about, but cut back on the sexual scenes, for crying out loud!
I might rate it higher on rewatch [if I ever rewatch it]. - DirectorJacques TatiStarsJacques TatiNathalie PascaudMicheline RollaMonsieur Hulot comes to a beachside hotel for a vacation and accidentally, but good-naturedly, causes havoc.Date Watched: Saturday, April. 22, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
[Re-release Cut]
✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Fireworks
Best actor: Jacques Tati
I finally decided to continue with Jacques Tati's filmography.
This was solid. I do prefer Jour de fête, but this was a interesting one.
I was surprised by how little plot there actually was in this film. It is more a collection of slapstick comedy and events then an actual story. For some reason I don't mind it here, although I prefer how Jour de fête told its story.
Man, one of the moments is actually morbid! The scene where one of the guests gets firework into his room and it explodes might be a bit too dark for my liking.
Jacques Tati once again plays the character to great effects.
I am very interested in watching more of Jacques Tati's filmography. - DirectorJacques TatiStarsJacques TatiJean-Pierre ZolaAdrienne ServantieMonsieur Hulot visits the technology-driven world of his sister, brother-in-law, and nephew, but he can't quite fit into the surroundings.Date Watched: Sunday, April. 23, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: The House's Eyes
Best actor: Jacques Tati, I guess?
I know this is going to be an controversial opinion, but I didn't like Mon oncle and I believe it is Jacques Tati's worst film (that I've seen so far).
I admire the idea of the lines of "Old France" and "New Futurist France" clashing with each other and some of the jokes The House's Eyes, plastic weenies, etc., but this is not enough for me.
Here I began to really feel its running time. Its near two hour running time is not earned in the slighest. There were even moments where I started to groan because I wasn't really enjoying the film anymore.
Hopefully Playtime brings me back into Jacques Tati's filmography. - DirectorGuy SoulsbyStarsAnthony FlanaganAmanda FosterRod GlennJack and Ella travel alone, taking the path less trodden. They are on the run, but from what and why?Date Watched: Tuesday, April. 25, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
Well... I admire the idea, but not so much the execution of it.
My interest came from my religion. I am an Christian. What I don't understand is the references to the "Book of Revelation" [Revelation 17] when one of the characters mentions this verse.
And really, using guns instead of mental horror? Really? - DirectorAaron HorvathMichael JelenicPierre LeducStarsChris PrattAnya Taylor-JoyCharlie DayA plumber named Mario travels through an underground labyrinth with his brother Luigi, trying to save a captured princess.Date Watched: Wednesday, April. 26, 2023 | How I Watched: Pathé Zwolle
✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Peaches
Best actor: Jack Black
I barely watch any teasers or trailers, but I had seen the teaser for this film. The animation alone made me want to see this on the big screen.
So I finally watched it, and it is pretty good.
At first I wasn't sure about Chris Pratt voicing Mario, but he grew on me while watching. Jack Black easily delivered the best (voice) performance here. Great stuff. Seth Rogen's work however is terrible and I wished he was replaced by someone else. One scene has him even using his stupid stoner laugh.
The CGI animation looks fantastic. While I do prefer hand drawn animation, it is not hard to see why this sort of animation is so popular.
This is more of an 92-minute dopamine hit then an actual film, but I didn't mind some of the references. Brian Tyler's musical score isn't too memorable, but the original theme(s) by Koji Kondo are the opposite of that. Some references like the GameCube ringtone, the Jumpman arcade game in the pizza restaurant, etc.
I had a good laugh when Jack Black sings "Peaches", which is a cover of Tenacious D's Fuck Her Gently. However thought of this is an genius!
I did have some trouble remembering some of it days after watching it, but I have a good time with it. - DirectorKevin MargoBarrett MeekerStarsDerron RossBrent MeekerOne astronaut's journey through space and life ends on a hostile exosolar planet. Grounded is a metaphorical account of the experience, inviting unique interpretation and reflection by the viewer. Themes of aging, inheritance, paternal approval, cyclic trajectories, and behaviors passed on through generations are explored against an ethereal backdrop.Date Watched: Thursday, April. 27, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
After strolling around Zwolle during "Koningsdag", looking for some bargains at the "Rommelmarkt", I cleaned the bathroom and I had almost no energy left.
I bought Heavenly Sword and Mirror's Edge [and other things] for my PlayStation 3, and I just felt like playing Heavenly Sword [for the first time I might add]. So I almost broke my by-weekly watch rule of an DUST short film.
This has a interesting idea, but it became too confusing to me.
When this goes into "Space Jesus" terrority, I began to lose interest. The CGI animation isn't that good either. - DirectorJérémy MacédoJulien PerronOrnélie PrioulDate Watched: Friday, April. 28, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
After a long day of work [a productive, but still a tiring one], I was playing Heavenly Sword [the first Boss fight was getting at an dead end], and after some hour I decided to browse YouTube on my TV, and I became interested to start watching GOBELINS Paris' YouTube channel(*).
This was solid, but its short running time doesn't give it time to breathe and to stick around. It just ends abruptly.
Maybe I will watch more of GOBELINS Paris' YouTube channel?
(*) = the upload quality was 720p, which almost made me not watch it. - DirectorStéphane GoudetDate Watched: Saturday, April. 29, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
I had to return the Jacques Tati: de complete collectie blu-ray boxset back to the library soon, so I decided to watch the documentaries of Mon oncle before returning it to the library.
I hate to admit this, but I got some enjoyment out of this documentary. I don't like Mon oncle, but this still worked well.
My main issue with Mon oncle is the lack of humour and the film bored me too, but what made this documentary work was the work by Stéphane Goudet as the director/narrator. He explains the film well enough, although I'm sick of the excuses for the lack of dialogue. And having behind the scenes footage works wonders as well.
What's up with the IMDb rating? It has a 4.9 out of 10 (based on ten votes) and it deserves a higher rating. - DirectorNicolas RibowskiStarsJacques TatiAlain FaynerMarc MonjouJacques Tati teaches an acting class about the subtleties of certain types of people to a group of eager (but not very talented) students.Date Watched: Saturday, April. 29, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
This is a really interesting one.
Jacques Tati really looks old here! He already looked quite old in Les vacances de Monsieur Hulot, but it is even more noticeable here. It is quite peculiar to see a younger Jacques Tati performing the sports though.
I don't get the jest of the story. Jacques Tati apparently can teleport to the sport fields [and look younger too], but it isn't clear how he does that. And the purpose of silly things the students learn is never made clear either.
I did enjoy the scene where it redoes an scene of L'école des facteurs. But the rest was not my thing. - DirectorFelix van GroeningenCharlotte VandermeerschStarsLupo BarbieroCristiano SassellaElena LiettiAn epic journey of friendship and self-discovery set in the breathtaking Italian Alps, The Eight Mountains follows over four decades the profound, complex relationship between Pietro and Bruno.Date Watched: Saturday, April. 29, 2023 | How I Watched: Fraterhuis Zwolle
✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: Glacier
Best actor: Lupo Barbiero
I was a bit curious for this one, but I never got around to it. It was that I almost skipped the film if it wasn't for the film still being in theaters after December 2022[!].
So I booked tickets to see it and watching it I now know films like this aren't made for me.
I will say that the first act had me emotionally invested. The scene where Pietro, Bruno and Pietro's father, go hiking up an icy and snowy mountain had some tension and some really emotion to it all. My interest left however after Pietro and Bruno build the house together.
The film becomes a slog to sit through, and I almost fell asleep several times [I had not slept very well - and those lovely Italian mountains are nice dream imagery...] during its near 2½ hour running time. It did get me back into it during the last ten minutes or so, but it was a bit too late.
Now I am concerned that I will not like De helaasheid der dingen, The Broken Circle Breakdown, etc. This was my first Felix van Groeningen film and it just didn't impress me. - DirectorJonathan BlagroveStarsGemma DietrichLisa Dwyer HoggTim PlesterThe peace and quiet of a family home is shattered as a mysterious stranger breaks in during the dead of night. In the aftermath, a young woman is left imprisoned and fighting for her life, her captor's intentions and motives unknown.Date Watched: Tuesday, May. 2, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
After a long day of work I decided to watch an ALTER short film. Some weeks ago I made an playlist, but found out Latency [one of their short films] was made private, but I could still see it due to it being saved on my playlist.
And the same is the case for this short film.
I didn't mind the idea behind this short, but it doesn't have enough time to fully flesh out its ideas.
The short film intrigued me at first. We have a burglary, and after the (short) title credits we see a woman tied up. And here it all goes downwards. It is revealed that the burglar is the woman's ex, but I don't understand the woman's reaction of knowing people to get rid of him. And my critique of the open ending remains. I get what they are doing here, but I was more interested the coppers entering the house and maybe seeing an interrogation? - DirectorJuan José CampanellaStarsRicardo DarínSoledad VillamilPablo RagoA retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love with his superior - both of which still haunt him decades later.Date Watched: Wednesday, May. 3, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on blu-ray player
✮✮✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮ | ♛
Favourite scene: The Football Stadium
Best actor: Ricardo Darín
I am ready to admit this was one of the films I was looking forward to watching the most [this year].
I rented the blu-ray from my local library, but I didn't get around to it, and I wanted to save it up for this month (as part of an Letterboxd Challenge).
I almost didn't get around to it. I went to a nearby city alongside my sister and I was a tired because of it.
But then my PlayStation 3 didn't read the disc, so I tried to play it on my parents' blu-ray player and to my surprise it worked [it skipped the last 1-2 minute(s) of the end credits, but luckily not the film].
But enfin, this became one of the best first time watches of this year.
From the first minute I was impressed by its (directorial) style. Juan José Campanella did an excellent job.
There are so many great scenes, but my favourite one of them all is the "Football Stadium" sequence. There's so much to adore from a filmmaking standpoint alone (an helicopter shot, an long take, etc.).
At first I wasn't sure if I was going to get enjoyment out of this one, but my concerns were soon taken care of. The story, while familiar - did really pull me in. There's some downsides to that as well. The scene where it shows the train with Benjamín Esposito leaving Irene Menéndez Hastings is a bit too sappy for my liking. Also, the resolution of Isidoro Gómez being kept in a cage by Ricardo Morales wasn't the greatest solution to the puzzle. Is it clear if Gómez even did the killing/raping?
After the film was over I was still thiking about it. And because I'm far behind on these "short thoughts" it is now a few weeks later and I feel like rewatching the film. The rating might be higher on second viewing.
Great stuff. - DirectorJoseph WhiteStarsEdward FranklinAlexander OwenA metaphysical thriller for the digital generation.Date Watched: Thursday, May. 4, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
I didn't know what to expect with this short film. I saw the header and thought it was going to revolve around aliens and such, but this one didn't do that.
This had some potentional, but the downsides outweigh the positives.
At first I thought this copied Christopher Nolan's homework, but I actually don't mind the idea behind the short. Two film students want to devolop a "brain hack", which gives the person who watches it the real meaning of seeing God.
My biggest issue is how meta it becomes. The film students orchestrated all the events that we see, and that takes the tension away completely. But my biggest issue is the epilepsy-inducing visuals. Due to my Autism I have issues with light flashes, and I looked away at the final few seconds and still had a headache. [edit: exactly one week later (seven days later) I rewatched the final few seconds and paused every two seconds. Even that gave me an headache.] I know the film has an epilepsy warning, but it shouldn't have been this much still? - DirectorAntoinette BeumerStarsLoes HaverkortMark van EeuwenEvi van der LakenShe had a dream and achieving it didn't seem that difficult. Or so she thought.Date Watched: Saturday, May. 6, 2023 | How I Wathed: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮✮/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: In the Car
Best actor: Loes Haverkort
I found out about this film by accident while browsing the website of my local library.
I was somewhat curious for it.
Then I watched it [knowing I hadn't yet finished my one film per Challenge and per month goal, I still broke my own rules] and this film is actually really bad.
I take issue with the story here. A woman cheats on her husband [they have two children], and she sleeps with an young man. The only reason she does this is because she isn't happy with her current relation and sex life? And because all the bad things that happen are the results of her own choices, she brought most of it upon herself.
Man, it also took way too long to get going. This is an thriller, but it goes into that in the last twenty or so minutes? Not much happens. The woman sleeps with the man, finds out she's been blackmailed by Peter and she kills him. The woman and husband were caught in the act of the killing aftermath, but the one who slept with the woman turns himself in. That's the entire film explained in a few sentences. I expected more thrills and erotically-charged moments [although seeing Loes Haverkort nude in the shower worked well].
I will probably never rewatch this one. - DirectorDon Michael PaulStarsTom SizemoreAlastair MackenzieChad Michael CollinsAmerican soldiers lost behind enemy lines during WWII make a horrific discovery: Hitler has a super bomb in development. Against all odds, they set out to find the scientist in charge of the program who is looking to defect.Date Watched: Sunday, May. 7, 2023 | How I Wathed: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: ?
Best actor: Jürgen Prochnow
Oof......
I wasn't really looking forward to watching this one, only for to be on this year's ACTIONx52 list.
I had plans to watch it in early March 2023, but then Tom Sizemore passed away and I placed it on the backburner. If I hated this film and his performance, I would feel bad for saying that latter thing. So I waited until I had to return the blu-ray to my local library (within a few days), so I watched it and I wasn't impressed. This was a terrible film!
The directing is mildly annoying. Director Don Michael Paul is known for his VOD (sequel) films and this proofed he isn't that good of an director. It looks cheap and I hated how he uses zoom-ins during dialogue.
All the actors are bad(ly cast), but they don't have a lot to work with. It is a real shame because getting Jürgen Prochnow to star in another war film should've been great, but they flunked it.
I began losing hope in this film being good when I saw one of the American soldiers smoking and not being spotted by the Germans. Despite the film going by quickly enough, it still felt like a bit of an slog to sit through. - DirectorTimothy AttewellStarsGarrett M. BrownDavid DastmalchianKatie CostickTwo scientists attempt to create a machine that prevents death, but get more than they bargained for when they turn the device on themselves.Date Watched: Tuesday, May. 9, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
This was a decent, albeit an underwhelming watch.
The way the story builds is up to the viewer. I don't mind this, but I would've still preferred to have a bit more clarity on the story. It is very confusing to see this story jumps around as it does.
I thought I recognized one of the actors here and I was right. I am talking about David Dastmalchian. He did a solid job, as well as Garrett M. Brown [some of his acting felt stiff early on, but I grew on it] and Katie Costick. - Special features, including filming.Date Watched: Tuesday, May. 9, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
Because I had to return the blu-ray of Company of Heroes to my local library, I decided to watch the extras on the disc.
And like the film, this (short) making-of is pretty retarted.
While I don't mind some of it, like how they filmed in a train museum [I believe?] and one of the crew mentioned they had to not show the nearby Burger King.
I just had a good giggle when Don Michael Paul (the director) mentioned he wanted this film to be realistic. Is he retarted?!? - StarsDon Michael PaulPhillip J. RothBonus feature, based off of the action hit film.Date Watched: Tuesday, May. 9, 2023 | How I Watched: blu-ray on PlayStation 3
This was as brain dead as In the Trenches: Filming Company of Heroes.
Don Michael Paul (the director) mentions realism again, and I believe he meant the opposite.
It was interesting to hear how they made the tanks [which are Russian ones instead of German ones, lol] and the filming schedule, but that's it.
I need to play the Company of Heroes video games. - DirectorHasraf DulullStarsNoeleen ComiskeyColin EmersonMelissa GrahamA high concept short film set in the near future, where the latest in nano tech driven Drones are used for reconnaissance missions and social surveillance in order for the government to control society on a global level, feeding daily information into the most sophisticated and advanced decision making server known as I.R.I.S.Date Watched: Thursday, May. 11, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
This is another DUST short film I watched. And like [most] of the others, this is more of an idea/tech demo than a fleshed out short.
This is yet another "Computer VS. Humans" scenario. This computer is some sort of policing HAL 9000, who takes over the world after a squad of soldiers attacks the building of that HAL 9000 type of computer.
I just couldn't really care for any of the characters. The CGI is just really bad too. Some of the machines the computer sends look like a smaller version of the "Sentinels" from The Matrix. The CGI looks like it is from that film [and I have nothing against that film] - DirectorJohn SturgesStarsMichael CaineDonald SutherlandRobert DuvallA German plot to kidnap Sir Winston Churchill unfolds at the height of World War II.Date Watched: Saturday, May. 13, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
✮✮✮½/✮✮✮✮✮
Favourite scene: A Conversation with Himmler
Best actor: Donald Pleasence
I had seen some scenes of this film, but never saw the full thing.
After (re)watching Little Miss Sunshine, a friend and I watched this film.
I like a lot of the actors/actresses here. My main issue though is how some of the actors/actresses play other nationalities. It feels strange to see Anthony Quayle play an German, idem ditto for Michael Caine and Robert Duvall. But Donald Pleasence however is fantastic as Heinrich Himmler. Shame he isn't in this film longer.
I had a good laugh when a body double playing Churchill gets killed and gets Steiner also killed because of that. - DirectorStewart SuggStarsDavid AlexanderJanis AhernTim AhernWhat happens when miniature drones, with AI, facial recognition and 3 g of explosive, programmable to kill a specific individual, become available?Date Watched: Tuesday, May. 16, 2023 | How I Watched: YouTube on TV
I was a bit tired after work, but this was one of the best I've seen so far out of all the ALTER short films.
This actually got under my skin. The idea behind killer drones is frightening enough already, and this does a good job showing the launch and terror of those "Slaughterbots". And it is all the more scary when it is used for nefarious ends, like shown with the college massacre [to kill an "radical idea" by killing the mind]. This short film works well with suggestion and doesn't go overboard with blood/gore.
It is a bit on the nose with the launch being just a bit too obvious that the goal is something negative.
Normally I would have something against an message by something who made an film, but here it works.
I had forgotten De Avondshow met Arjen Lubach used an segment of this short film. I rewatched that part for this review.