Films Recently Watched

Texas Chainsaw Massacre - 2022

A gory mess. I loved it.

Licorice Pizza

Fucking loved it. Nobody makes movies about nothing like PTA. 

muah!!!

  On 2/20/2022 at 9:21 AM, Squee said:

Licorice Pizza
Fucking loved it. Nobody makes movies about nothing like PTA. 
muah!!!

  On 2/20/2022 at 9:21 AM, Squee said:

Licorice Pizza

Fucking loved it. Nobody makes movies about nothing like PTA. 

muah!!!

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It sure is a whole a lot about nothing
I think it was somewhere in the middle of the movie when I began questioning what am I watching exactly, and the slight disappointment even got me bored for a moment
But in the end it all started to make sense-
It's actually not a movie about nothing
typical PTA

  On 2/19/2022 at 9:34 AM, Squee said:

Texas Chainsaw Massacre - 2022

A gory mess. I loved it.

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I’m surprised this is the first that I’m hearing about a new TCM. I’m a superfan of the original and have been suckered into quite a few terrible reboots. However, I just watched the trailer and I may just risk it. I’m into the idea that Sally is back, even though Marilyn Burns is no longer with us. 

  On 2/20/2022 at 11:50 PM, J3FF3R00 said:

I’m surprised this is the first that I’m hearing about a new TCM. I’m a superfan of the original and have been suckered into quite a few terrible reboots. However, I just watched the trailer and I may just risk it. I’m into the idea that Sally is back, even though Marilyn Burns is no longer with us. 

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Oh, it is by no means a good movie. But it's a gorefest the way you don't see any longer. I'm also a bit of a fan of the Evil Dead remake by Fede Alvarez. I know it's not a good movie and it's far from better than the original movie, but the gore is straight out of the 80s ala if Paul Verhoeven had ever made a horror movie.

  On 2/21/2022 at 8:14 AM, Squee said:

Oh, it is by no means a good movie. But it's a gorefest the way you don't see any longer. I'm also a bit of a fan of the Evil Dead remake by Fede Alvarez. I know it's not a good movie and it's far from better than the original movie, but the gore is straight out of the 80s ala if Paul Verhoeven had ever made a horror movie.

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 I ended up watching the TCM 2022 last night (and convinced the wife to join, which was kind of a big deal). Agreed. Not a good movie, but only because it sets up a good premise without really delivering on it. It also gives you a bait-and-switch of expecting the film to have a deeper allegorical meaning, much like the original had. However, it did have more cultural relevance than any TCM in the past 35 years (I’m also a big fan of part 2 and can’t say anything bad about it, even if it probably had zero meaning). 
Simply acknowledging the themes of social media influencers / school shooting survivors / racial injustice / girl power / Texas being Texas were pretty welcome in a franchise that’s run it’s course many times over. Unfortunately, it introduces those themes without really having any point of view. Additionally, where was the cannibalism???
Still scratches an itch tho. 
5.5 head cheeses / 10

  On 2/21/2022 at 3:14 PM, J3FF3R00 said:

 I ended up watching the TCM 2022 last night (and convinced the wife to join, which was kind of a big deal). Agreed. Not a good movie, but only because it sets up a good premise without really delivering on it. It also gives you a bait-and-switch of expecting the film to have a deeper allegorical meaning, much like the original had. However, it did have more cultural relevance than any TCM in the past 35 years (I’m also a big fan of part 2 and can’t say anything bad about it, even if it probably had zero meaning). 
Simply acknowledging the themes of social media influencers / school shooting survivors / racial injustice / girl power / Texas being Texas were pretty welcome in a franchise that’s run it’s course many times over. Unfortunately, it introduces those themes without really having any point of view. Additionally, where was the cannibalism???
Still scratches an itch tho. 
5.5 head cheeses / 10

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100%
As for the school shooting commentary... the movie tells us that school shooting is bad and at the end two girls are shooting the shit out of Leatherface. Guns are... good? Bad? What are you trying to say, movie?
Anyway, the hammer to the leg was perfection.

  On 10/20/2021 at 7:33 PM, perunamuusi said:

Under the Silver Lake is a very very good film. Possibly the best I've seen in quite a long time. Quite  Lebowski  quite Pinchon, very very good.

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Ending up watching this over the weekend in chunks - remembered that some folks on WATMM really enjoyed (others not so much) which tipped my hand. Glad I did, totally get why this is not going to be for everyone (and also you kinda gotta be in the mood for something like this), but I absolutely loved it. It's been ages since I've watched it, but sort of reminded me a bit of Slacker - the Mulholland Drive comparison's it generates are probably not completely off the mark too. There are probably a host of other film and textual touchstones that this echoes but that doesn't matter so much when the voice still feels wholly unique and realized.    

A lot to unpack in a movie that feels so languid - I think it's a testament to the writing, directing, and excellent sound work (watched with headphone and there are all these moments where the audio is picking up these side conversations that are fascinating and often deadpan hilarious) that you kind of drift through this thing but then start thinking about what it's saying about... a whole host of things (artistry, the industrialization of art, culture, capitalism, toxic masculinity, film) ... and you realize there are a lot of unplumbed depths. 

the first of these was really good, but ever since then i feel like they have become incredibly ridiculous and this one really goes beyond the ridiculous spectrum to a whole new height of unbelievability. but i did enjoy the short haired jewish girl. she has potential. mazal tov

The first Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a genuinely great movie, the second one I love because Dennis Hopper going bananas is the best thing ever, the 6 or 7 sequels and reboots following that are boring trash. This latest Netflix outing was a fun hate watch (with some surprisingly decent kills, they all had it coming imo).

I don't know how this post turned into a rubbish top ten list, but there you have it.

Nice

  On 2/22/2022 at 3:51 PM, T3551ER said:

Ending up watching this over the weekend in chunks - remembered that some folks on WATMM really enjoyed (others not so much) which tipped my hand. Glad I did, totally get why this is not going to be for everyone (and also you kinda gotta be in the mood for something like this), but I absolutely loved it. It's been ages since I've watched it, but sort of reminded me a bit of Slacker - the Mulholland Drive comparison's it generates are probably not completely off the mark too. There are probably a host of other film and textual touchstones that this echoes but that doesn't matter so much when the voice still feels wholly unique and realized.    

A lot to unpack in a movie that feels so languid - I think it's a testament to the writing, directing, and excellent sound work (watched with headphone and there are all these moments where the audio is picking up these side conversations that are fascinating and often deadpan hilarious) that you kind of drift through this thing but then start thinking about what it's saying about... a whole host of things (artistry, the industrialization of art, culture, capitalism, toxic masculinity, film) ... and you realize there are a lot of unplumbed depths. 

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Of course I read a bunch of articles afterwards and one of them kind of nailed that part of the genius of the film is that, even when the paranoias and conspiracy theory nuttery of the main character is proven to be founded, you/he is still left empty. Usually films might toy with whether or not this is all in his head, etc. but somehow this movie shows that it's not in his head, but even though it's true it all means... nothing. It's an odd feeling. Like, the world behind the world exists, yes, but it is as empty and sad as the world in front. That's probably some thinly veiled critique of the arts industry or maybe just a comment on life. 

The scene with the "Songwriter" was also just one of the most amazing things I've seen in some time. I caught maybe a third of the song references being made but beyond that the whole, vicious, unflinching commentary on the idea that "Your art, your writing, your culture is the shell of other men's ambition" is so... gutwrenching I guess. Having spent a little time in the music industry I felt that so strongly. Also, I don't even know how you write a scene like this, much less perform it (I mean in particular the piano performance interspersed with the dialogue and how it all fits together seamlessly). 

I think this is one that people who have an art they are trying to foster (whether that's acting, musicianship, writing, etc.) may respond to more deeply than others - or perhaps just in a different way. The sense of drifting from place to place surrounded by other people who are trying to express their creativity during some weirdly themed party felt so spot on, as did a lot of the side conversations that toed the line between earnestness and absurdity. 

The greatest irony/oddity: the film itself feels unfathomably bleak in its take on modern art and culture, but it is itself a beautiful work of modern art. 

12 year old writer/actor/directors / 1 hilarious SpiderMan nod FTW

 

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really really liked this movie, I actually thought it was based on a Pynchon novel like Inherent Vice, the only other movie that's comparable, except it's even better because... well, come on, it's PTA

the soundtrack by Disasterpiece is cool too, I was kinda surprised as I only knew him from him work on It Follows, which is great, both soundtrack and movie. edit: just realized it's the same director too

  On 2/25/2022 at 10:29 PM, Rubin Farr said:

Nice

 

 

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why does TCM need a 4k restore and not fucking master and commander

Finally got around to watching Room 237, followed by Doctor Sleep.

Enjoyed both, and watching 237 first made me appreciate a lot of the eggs laid in Doc Sleep (room 217, the doctors office at the hospice where Danny works etc)

So, great fan service and not a bad film tbf. 

  On 2/28/2022 at 10:20 AM, Soloman Tump said:

Finally got around to watching Room 237, followed by Doctor Sleep.

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Hahaha, Room 237 is a grand view into the minds of a group of insane people with too much time on their hands and access to bad internet forums.

First time watch of this, I thought it was pretty awesome. Seems like most people didn't like it. It hasn't even gotten a bluray release

  On 2/28/2022 at 1:24 PM, YELLOW said:

First time watch of this, I thought it was pretty awesome. Seems like most people didn't like it. It hasn't even gotten a bluray release

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The soundtrack though. So good.

yeah, you hardly ever hear about it these days but I remember it doing the rounds when it was first released. I know it fucked me up back then, it was quite the experience at around a 10 years old. the shark scene, that shit never left my head

haven't watched this 4 f ages &, um, well - its dated p bad; feels like wild boys film clip for duran duran. supa cheezy desert steampunk. still love the ideas & mythology however, esp. in the 2nd half w. all the tribal kids. 7/11

Red Rocket  (2021) - It was competently executed but baffles me as to why anyone would want to tell this story, or dedicate years of there life to making it?? I believe they call it "Poverty Porn". 3/10

Other Like Me (2020)- A doc about Coum Transmissions, which would evolve into Throbbing Gristle. The doc is not so well done, with awkward decisions made throughout (stating that a person on screen is an actor and does not match the voice of the person talking/ending the doc abruptly with some text on screen about abuse allegations against Genesis P. Orridge right after mentioning his death?). Nevertheless, the subject matter is so fascinating that it elevates it. 6/10

Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (1992) - Sometimes you see a movie that just smashes you in the face and totally vibes with you. Just a beautiful industrial punk psychotic trash heap. 10/10

Tokyo Fist (1995) - Same director as Tetsuo. Takes the body horror of Tetsuo into the boxing ring. Every punch to the face results in geysers of blood and grotesque welts. The lead actress, Kahori Fujii, is maybe the best anyone has ever looked on film, in my silly opinion. 8/10

Licorice Pizza (2021) - One of my favourite directors, so it disappoints me to say that this was just fine. Maybe the hype was too much. Then again, I hated The Master at first, which gets better and better on every viewing. As likeable as the leads were, I was always conscious that they were trying to act and that I was watching a film. The Paul McCartney/Wings needle drop impressed the shit out of me though and gained a new fan. 7/10

(from tetsuo II)

Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2022. Really dumb story with pretty phenomenal gore. Leather face was imposing af in this one. The whole sunflower field scene was dope as fuck in my opinion. High tension and I loved the visuals of that whole scene with the big storm on the horizon. Once it got rolling though it just devolved into something akin to the later F13 sequels in the franchise which is fine in my book honestly. 
 

Also, just learned the team that made Friday the 13th the game, which was a super fun asymmetrical multiplayer game have Texas Chainsaw Massacre in the works. Hopefully it can capture the same magic the F13 game did before it got unfairly derailed by a lawsuit (RIP). I heard they tried it with Predator and sucked though….

Phenomenal gore is the right way of putting it. 
I watched the Evil Dead remake this morning while working and I had forgotten just how gory it is. I love it so much. 

this film was weird. a girl ends up with a tribe in africa. as journalists are arriving to that country- called tigori in this film (because the president is making some announcement) they see her swinging from some vines. one journalist turns to the other: "i just saw a blonde"

the other journalist asks "you mean a gorilla?"

there's a female shaman (played by irl princess of uganda) who can communicate using jedi mind tricks. she's smoking hot. the presidents sister is called tits. or boobs. i forget which one, but the journalists are always photographing her cleavage due to the confusion with her name. she's smoking hot too.

there's also some mercenaries thrown in for even more comedy action. and my boy nick brimble is in this muthafucker. 

this was excellent. any fans of Heat that haven't seen this need to check it out. Michael Mann took a lot of elements from this film and re-used them in Heat. the Deniro character in Heat was heavily influenced by the James Caan character here. incredible performance by Caan, and great cinematography. classic 1980's Tangerine Dream score as well.