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nickjo1998
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My favourite films
My favourite animated films
r/Criterion's Top Horror Films (2019)
Thanks to everyone who participated
You can view the full list, including the number of votes, here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LkF9Mf7_a5gAFG5c3VVNBD0-LoUYkVlKZnaxITKQJ_s/
Letterboxd version: https://letterboxd.com/nickowens/list/r-criterions-top-horror-films-2019
Last year's list: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls040684818
My ranking of the DCEU films so far
My ranking of the 'Star Wars' films.
r/Criterion's Top Horror films (2020)
Thanks to everyone who participated.
You can view the full list, including the number of votes, here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U_96ULxhy4TL4s7dBPWhPGK9HfmEWydC8QzjgsL8OY0/
Letterboxd version: https://boxd.it/98EmY
2019 list: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls097019377 2018 list: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls040684818
r/Criterion's Top Horror Films (2018)
Thanks to everyone who participated.
You can view the full list, including the number of votes, here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U_96ULxhy4TL4s7dBPWhPGK9HfmEWydC8QzjgsL8OY0
Letterboxd version: https://letterboxd.com/nickowens/list/r-criterions-top-horror-films-2018
2019 list: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls097019377
Reviews
El Topo (1970)
Astounding first half!
This was less like one 2-hour movie and more like two 1-hour movies, and I was far more invested in the first than I was the second.
The story of this mythological western figure in black striding the desert dunes in search of great masters to learn from & then defeat was spectacularly surreal & brilliantly expressed through it's creative compositions. And while that creativity & surreality is still present in the second half, it lost considerable steam as Jodorowsky shaves his head, becoming the story of a goofy messiah-esque figure working menial jobs to defeat the illuminati.
Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)
This movie makes no sense and I got exactly what I came for!
Nicolas Cage and Sion Sono are a match made in heaven and it shows in this crazy, surrealist, Neo-Western, Kabuki ghost story.
Cage & Sono's styles mix perfectly, complimenting the bizarre yet seamless amalgamation of traditional Japanese & American culture into one world where somehow nothing feels out of place no matter how much absurd stuff is thrown at the wall.
She Dies Tomorrow (2020)
Hypnotic high-concept low-budget horror.
Didn't get to see this at MIFF 2020 so I blind bought the DVD.
I loved the concept of this film.
Instead of a deadly illness, the contagion is just the fear of death itself. A surreal, non-linear non-narrative & I found it completely hypnotic.
Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020)
Unique new Superman origin!
Watched this for free as part of the DC FanDome event.
A really interesting new take on the Superman origin story, delving more into other alien aspects of the DC Universe than other iterations have. Really interesting dynamics between all the connected characters & various plotlines that they managed to fit into an 80 minute film while still remaining coherent.
I loved this new art style too, the looser, more simplistic style with the thick outlines definitely made the improved animation flow better with the well designed action set-pieces.
It probably didn't NEED to be an origin story, but I think having Clark/Kal trying to find his own place between the aliens and the humans definitely grounded the story amongst all the explosive sci-fi action.
Ju-on: Origins (2020)
Great new Ju-On series
It's been a while since there's been a good "Ju-On" anything, so this chilling miniseries is a very welcome addition to the franchise. It surpasses most of the previous films in terms of atmosphere and genuine scares, becoming visceral and genuinely disturbing. It is also the most visually striking of the whole series, employing some fantastic surreal imagery.
The most important thing of all is that the story remains interesting, it doesn't just recycle earlier plotlines, instead creating it's own new storyline that answers as many questions as it asks. The non-linear structure adds more depth to the anthology formula used throughout the franchise, which is given time to breathe here as a miniseries than as an 80-minute film.
Bones (2001)
Why does nobody talk about this early-2000's horror gem?
Snoop Dogg makes a dope horror villain. You can tell he's having a good time, and the rest of the cast is great too.
It's the right mix of weird surreal visuals, absurd humour, and straight-melodrama, with a sprinkling of classic blaxplotation & late 90's hip-hop vibes. The practical effects are great but some of the visual effects have aged poorly (what can you do? It's 2001)
Chunky Shrapnel (2020)
Chaotic, surreal, music documentary experience!
Even after having experienced the manic performance that was King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard live back in August 2019, watching this concert film still felt like a whole new event.
Of course this is no ordinary concert film, spliced in-between the segments of live music (all of which are shot from different locations throughout Europe) there are bits of road-movie behind-the-scenes moments.
The grainy film stock perfectly fits the distorted sound of the band. Likewise the constant improvised handheld camera movement perfectly matches the chaotic vibe of the concerts. The sound design as a whole brings this to a surreal level, at times live songs will blend into other non-live songs, or the sound from the documentary footage will fade in & out. The colour is also wonderfully garish & in-your-face.
Definitely a high for fans of the band, but even for those who aren't familiar with King Gizz, it's a unique and stylish concert documentary that I wish I could've seen in theatres.
Avatar: The Last Airbender (2005)
Animated masterpiece!
After years of having only seen a handful of episodes, I've finally watched the full series & I can safely say I think it's the best animated series to come from the US.
Telling a story with genuine heart & depth, with characters that learn, develop, and you really connect with. Seriously the best redemption arc in all of television.
The world-building at display here feels to effortless yet so comprehensive.
Gorgeous animation, full of detail & care, with amazing choreography & expression.
I love this show.
Gemini Man (2019)
So that's it huh? I'm some kind of Gemini Man?
I was lucky enough to be invited to a premiere screening of the film, in 60fps and in 3D (been a while since I've seen a film in 3D, and the framerate was distracting in very few scenes).
It's a technical feat. Young Will Smith is probably the best looking CGI de-aging effect I've seen in a film (until the last scene).
The cinematography was also really well-done, there are some interesting shots, especially one panoramic shot of a train whizzing by. And shots hold for much longer than the typical action film, often showing impressive long-take shots.
The action is tense, with hard-hitting fight choregoraphy, as opposed to the "cut away" style many modern action films go with.
Will Smith, both young and old, delivers a very good performance as assassins struggling with their identity & place in the world, albeit in very different circumstances.
The plot takes a bit to kick in to full gear, but once it gets rolling, it's a thrilling ride some minor speed bumps.
All in all, a solid Hollywood action film, it's no masterpiece, but very enjoyable.
Justice League (2017)
What could have been a great film, ruined by a greedy studio
This is one of those films I felt weird about the first time I saw it because of how excited I was before it's release. I don't know if I've ever been this pumped for a movie before. Then the director changed, then the runtime shortened, and I was still excited, albeit cautiously.
Once I saw this film the first time, I liked it, though I may have just been blinded by my excitement for the film, and the IMAX presentation.
But once I saw it twice more, it's flaws began to stare me in the face, the reshoots became considerably more noticable, the effects & the colour grading became worse, and the awful attempts at humour annoyed me.
While still a mildly enjoyable film in it's own right, it is nowhere near the scale and weight that the trailers and the original word of mouth toted about. It was no-longer this huge sci-fi epic with genuine character growth, it was a tone-deaf attempt at making a Marvel movie with these beloved DC characters.
Unlike 'Batman v Superman', a movie I love the more I watch & disect it, this was a movie I disliked the more I watched & dissected it. It leaves a huge dark mark on my memories, and I wish that the full Director's Cut of this film could be released one day so that dark mark can finally be washed away.
Hellboy (2019)
Unfortunately very messy, still enjoyable.
This movie is such an anomaly. I can't think of a single reason why it was made instead of Del Toro's 'Hellboy III'. It has a fun sense of humour at times, but takes itself too seriously at other times, fantastic practical effects but poor visual effects. David Harbour was a good Hellboy, he and Ian McShane were definitely the highlight of the film, along with the incredible demonic monsters in the otherwise messy final act.
High Life (2018)
Review for High Life
Unfortunately very underwhelming. The space scenes were cool and I love watching Robert Pattinson & André 3000 do their thing. The first section of the film was the best part, but the rest of the film meanders & plods along non-linearly with very little sense of direction or destination.
Suburbicon (2017)
Decent movie ruined by disconnected plots & conflicting tone.
This movie felt like two separate good movies that had been chopped up and edited into one movie, but not very well. The two plots don't really have any connection other than the fact that the two families are neighbours. The movie could've been much better if both stories were explored equally, side by side, or if the just picked one story and ran with it. The way it was done just made the B-plot of the black family feel much more shoehorned in, and didn't advance the A- plot in anyway.
The film also seems like it can't decide whether it wants to be a crime comedy or a political drama. There were some very funny bits, and some bits that were really intense, and that can work well for many films, but here all the bits in between were a mismatch of tone.
All in all, a decent film. George Clooney is a talented director, but a bad writer. This film has great performances, production design, camera work, and a very solid feel, the world of Suburbicon felt like a real place. Unfortunately, the movie suffers from not knowing what kind of movie it wants to be and I can't help but wonder what it would've been like if the Coens finished the script and directed it themselves.
Get Krack!n (2017)
Hilarious & absurd satire of Breakfast TV
After their hilarious skewering of the cooking show in 'The Katering Show' the Kates (McLennan & McCartney) have turned their satirical eyes towards Breakfast TV. More specifically, Breakfast TV hosted by plucky women who "speak for all ladies" and cram their near-misandry feminist ideals down the gullet of their audience.
The Kates are the two hosts of a show so bad it's been given a 3 AM time-slot. They are polar opposites of each other. McLennan is full of vim, vigour, and likely an unhealthy dose of caffeine, with a giant smile on her face at (almost) all times. McCartney is tired, bored, and looks like she wants out of this show as soon as possible. Yet they both endure to create a show, probably just so they can get their pay-cheques. In both their characterization and their dialogue, they portray self-aware, satirically over-the-top versions of themselves, lampooning the falsity of the typical hosts of this kind of show, and they consistently bring up "girl power" ideals at inappropriate moments, much like the shows they're parodying.
Not only is this show funny because of the hosts and the satire, but the actual gags are top-notch absurdist humour. Firstly, the ridiculous obstacle course of a set, the amount of segments they seem to try and cram into each episode, the bizarre guests ranging from normal people with strange jobs to just weird people in general, and the people outside the street view window (once again, at 3 AM). Not to mention the constant goofs from the people behind the camera, from the camera mistakes, to the editing/vision mixing mistakes, graphics, timing, and just generally a crew who has no idea what they're doing, especially their unassuming intern.
This is a show where both the subtleties and the not-so-subtleties work to their advantage. The two Kates know what they're doing in terms of absurd satirical humour. I look forward to watching the rest of the series.