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Glorious (2022)
A bit of Poe with your cosmic horror...
Well, it's not really original, just clever. Take a mashup of Lovecraft with generous Poe, and a dose of Andres Serrano, and you have this not-as smart-as-it-thinks-it-is yarn. Lots of commentary throughout - from existentialism to the reductionism of male sexuality and violence. The premise is OK, if not thin, and I made it to the end with a couple laughs and some thought. The cthulu myth is fascinating and lends itself to a perfect pairing with an anguished Poe figure. The tormented conscience is porous ground for cthulu to worm its way into, as always to tragic consequence. In the end, the story allows for perfectly natural explanations, which is part of the cosmic horror.
La noche del terror ciego (1972)
A good slow burn w haunting black riders
Peter Jackson obviously drew inspiration from the the black riders depicted here, with some shots tracking almost identically (e.g. Arwen's chase to the river).
Great slow burn through the tombs with Virginia, played by María Elena Arpón. The tension of watching her in isolation, the vulnerability conveying delicious peril.
Dark humor and visual treats tucked throughout. Costume and set design, as well as the landscape scenes are beautifully shot. The zombies amidst mannequins is a good example, and draws upon the long connection of zombies and the current consumeristic human condition. Special effects, all in camera, are excellent.
Apathy and sadism in various interesting characters throughout convey the horror of human nature. The knights ritual was particularly enthralling, the anticipation of the final moment of the rite palpable, even in the midst of the bloodletting. Sound and visuals combining to effect.
This is just a great movie.
The Strings (2020)
I liked it.
I see I'm one of the few people who actually liked this film. It's a nice, slow-paced film, with beautiful music performed by a talented actress. It chronicles the transformation from blocked creativity to true art and the costs associated with that journey. It reminds me of the video game "The Cat Lady", which I also enjoyed as a slow, immersive story. Watch this in the winter, while the sky is pale and grey.
Hannibal (2001)
Book is better...
It should be noted that the book is a powerful work providing the back story of Hannibal Lecture, specifically related to his youth and young adulthood. In addition to being a war story, the text is also a love story, with elements of both creating a fascinating interplay that provides understanding into the mechanisms of how Hannibal Lecture eventually became a "monster".
The screen rendition of the book "Hannibal" was merely OK. The deviation from the author's conceptualization as contained in the book was egregious. However, it was interesting to see a visual representation of many of the themes contained in the book. In that sense, the text is primary and the movie is simply a visual supplement. Alone, I doubt that the movie would be more than 4/10 stars since it only scratched the surface of the book's deep and compelling nature. (02.12.08 nf)
Shichinin no samurai (1954)
Don't let the age of this film fool you...
This movie sat at home for nearly two weeks after I had received it. The age of the film, coupled with the fact that it's a daunting 3 1/2 hours made me hesitant to even watch it. But once I set my mind to it, whoa-ho I was in for a treat. I could not believe how good this movie is! At first I was watching it in the background while I did other work. However, after only 20 minutes, I was struck with the intense character development in the film. All other distractions aside, I focused on the film for the remainder of the time and sat mesmerized at the sheer quality and emotion that was captured by the director. I've watched many, many movies over the years, and I quickly lose interest in a film as I suffer through formula and predictability. Not so here. A rare treat. I'm actually going to keep this a while longer so that I can watch it again with the commentary! There truly is a reason why this is considered a gold standard. Bravo. (03.24.08 nf)
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Pretty bad.
OK, so we have a sympathizer movie.
I can accept this, but the character Balian was so illogical, I couldn't make sense of why actions were taken.
For example, Killed a priest for confusing reasons (priest stole necklace, said wife was in hell because of suicide). Perhaps there was the implicit assumption that Balian's wife was having an affair with the priest and was overcome with guilt and hence committed suicide. But alas, there is nothing to indicate this.
Next, Balian seeks forgiveness in Jerusalem. No mention of Jesus here. Just follow the heart and it will be OK.
Well, on this path to forgiveness, somehow Balian becomes an expert swordsman (when his father had to teach him how to even hold a sword two scenes earlier) - huh? Seeking forgiveness, Balian kills a stranger (expert mounted swordsman) in the desert over a horse. Later gives the horse away. Hmmm.
Seeking forgiveness, Balian commits adultery with another man's wife. Great way to get forgiven there.
Seeking forgiveness, Balian chooses not to sacrifice few lives to save many, but later participates in the death of thousands, in a battle he could have prevented?? If he was such a "saintly" and "moral" "knight", what internal system of governance was he following? In the end, poor movie, irritating ideology, and all covered up with battle scenes that were basically seen in Lord of the Rings.
Pass on this one.