What did you legend watch this week (09/04-09/10)

Greetings!!!

Shang- Chi 7.5/10

My Week:
The Descent (2005) 9/10
I love this movie. I've seen it quite a few times now, and there are so many different ways to interpret it. I'm not sure where I stand on what I think is real and isn't and I really, really appreciate that in a movie which is well done. Which this is. I love the cast, I love the atmosphere, and the claustrophobia. The only thing I'm not really a fan of is the American ending, which I watched tonight.

Red Water (2003) 5/10
While this wasn't bad for a tv shark movie, there was nothing really good about it either. It's like the movie was trying to tick too many boxes. We have the romantic subplot from every Hallmark movie. We have have the heist/double cross plot. Then we have the shark plot, which was very secondary to everything else. There were some scenes and lines which were almost copied from other movies. The cast was a mixed bag. It was entertaining, and forgettable all at the same time. Pretty middle of the road.

Horizon Line (2020) 6/10
I have no idea how to rate this. It was a pretty bad movie, but I enjoyed it. You have to turn your brain off or it might hurt. I thought the actors did a good enough job with the script. I think the story is where the big issues are. It's just so over the top, out of reality, that it is difficult to take seriously. This is the second action horror movie that I've watched today with a Hallmark type romance. I like some Hallmark romances though. So, was it good? Nah. But I did have fun watching it, and that's really all that counts.

Sucker Punch (2011) 7.5/10
Time for a rewatch. I actually really like this. I think in some places that it certainly is style over substance, but I really appreciate movies that make you think, and consider different interpretations. Sometimes I think it's left too ambiguous for it's own good, but I still really enjoyed watching it.

Persuasion (1995) 8/10
I probably like this adaptation of the book best. I love the story. I don't return to it as much as some of the others, but it still is a beautiful love story. I like how this adaptation is as understated as the romance. It is missing some of Anne's self reflection, but I think 1995 was a really good year for Austen adaptations.

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998) 5/10
I have no idea why I watched this today. It is one of my lesser liked Halloween movies, as it is the one which started the retconning the series. Not a fan of that. While this is an improvement to the previous 2 movies, it's pretty mellow. I thought that the kills were really uninspired, and the CGI mask in a few places was horrible. I think it's biggest sin is that it's boring. Still no where near the worst Halloween movie, so it does have that going for it.

Night of the Twisters (1996) 6/10
I remember being exited to see this when it was made as I was a fan of the book. I read it a few times in the 80s, so I was hoping the movie would be good. It's not a good movie. It wasn't a good movie in 1996, and it's not a good movie now. This rating is high, but happy nostalgia will always bump up a rating for me.

Drunk Bus (2020) 8/10
This kind of reminded me of Clerks, but on a bus. I wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. I'm glad I watched it.

Modern Persuasion (2020) 4/10
I often like modern retellings of Austen novels. I'm not sold on this one. It might be that I am finding Wren too immature. Anne is very sensible, mature, and level headed. Wren did frow on me, but for the first third I was not buying it. I really thought this was a made for tv movie. I guess it wasn't. It was rather bland, cliché, and uninspired. There was no chemistry between Wren and Owen. I didn't hate it, but I didn't like it.

The Wave (2015) 8/10
I like disaster movies of all kinds. I really appreciate disaster movies that have a base in reality. This is one of those movies. Yes, it takes awhile to get to the disaster, but it's worth the wait. I cared about the characters and didn't just want to see annoying people die.

The Last Shark (1981) 5/10
So I had totally forgotten that windsurfing was a thing. I think the only reason I wanted to watch this is that I'm going to rewatch Cruel Jaws, probably tomorrow. There are a few bonkers moments, but other than that it's pretty boring. Vic Morrow's accent is ridiculous. Pretty meh in the world of bad shark movies.

Witch Hunt (2021) 6.75/10
I was a little surprised with the low rating on this one. It is slow moving, and was surprised to see horror listed as a genre, as this is not a horror. It's a psychological drama. I thought it was well acted. I liked the premise of the story. I think the hammering home the message over and over again could turn some viewers off. It's also missing some information, like why all the witches seem to have red hair? There were some moments which I think were supposed to be a commentary on race, I just didn't think that they hit the mark.

Yo!

See no evil, hear no evil: I saw this years ago, but don't remember it well enough.
Shang-Chi and the legend of the ten rings 8/10
I haven't seen DC league of super-pets yet, but I will eventually.

I watched:

Anna and the Wolves 1973 8/10 This is the second film I have seen directed by Carlos Saura. While this one isn't as great as Cría Cuervos, it is still a very good film with strong performances.

Dheepan 2015 7/10 I thought this film was pretty good, but not great. The first half of the film was the strongest part. Some of the story elements in the later part of the film didn't completely work for me.

The Lion in Winter 1968 6/10 As expected with a cast like this, performances are very good. Hepburn and O'Toole are the two standouts for me. Costumes and set design were well done. My main issue with the film is that I didn't find the story very interesting.

The Black Phone 2021 8/10 This was really good. Ethan Hawke is effectively creepy and Mason Thames and Madeleine McGraw are fantastic. The film is entertaining and fast paced.

Raise the Red Lantern 1991 5/10 It didn't do much at all for me. For me, the best thing about the film is the cinematography.

Who Invited Them 2022 5/10 Characters are unlikable and their actions are unrealistic and hard to believe at times. The story was not satisfying and the ending was terrible.

Love in the Villa 2022 6/10 This is pretty generic and predictable, but still watchable.

Once Upon a Time in America 1984 8/10 This is a very well made film. Performances are great from the cast and the film looks really good.

The Funhouse 1981 7/10 The main star, Elizabeth Berridge, is gorgeous (especially in the opening scene 😉). Although this wouldn't be my favourite of director Tobe Hopper's films, it is still a good time and worth checking out for fans of 80s horror.

Cat People 1982 8/10 I enjoyed this. It's entertaining and sexy. Nastassja Kinski is fantastic.

continued...

Of yours, I've seen See No Evil, Hear No Evil. Used to love those Gene Wilder & Richard Pryor comedies when I was a kid. Haven't seen it since I was a kid though. No idea what I'd think of it now. But I still like Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor, so I imagine I'd still like it at least a little bit...

I watched these:

L’enfant (Brothers Dardenne, 2005) [Tubi TV]
The Kid with the Bike (Brothers Dardenne, 2011) [ITV Hub]

Two from the Dardenne Brothers, who do what they do: pointed, efficient, nonjudgmental social dramas. L’enfant introduces us to the world’s stupidest man (Me: ‘But, dude, you sold her fricking baby. What did you expect?’) and Kid with the Bike is about a kid with a bike. If you like one Dardenne Brothers film, you probably like them all. These are two of their best. Both 4/5.

Things To Come (Mia Hansen-Love, 2016)
The Father of My Children (Mia Hansen-Love, 2009) [Both Mubi]

I’m not as familiar with Hansen-Love’s work, but am starting to get the same impression as with the Dardenne Bros: if you like one you probably like most of ‘em. She seems to stick with the same deceptively breezy and low-key style in her unabashedly middle-class dramas centring around intellectuals and globbing on bits of philosophising. On the one hand, her films are probably stereotypically what people who think they don’t like French films imagine when they think of French films (Y’know, Isabelle Huppert is a highly-regarded philosophy teacher coping with her husband’s infidelity? Of course! La France!). On the other hand, she’s really good at them. Both 4/5.

Along the Coast (Agnes Varda, 1958)
Salut les Cubains (Agnes Varda, 1963) [Both Mubi]

Two shorts from Varda. The first is made for the tourist board, advertising the Riviera – and is subtly subversive in that context. The second is a photo montage of her trip to Cuba. They’re both pacy and fun and easy to like. They’re both 4/5

Baby’s Laxative (Jean Renoir, 1931) {YouTube]

Jean Renoir was quite likely the greatest filmmaker of the 1930s. This is an oddity in his catalogue. Based on a one-act play, it’s a throwaway, one-note bit of scatalogical comedy with upperclass people sitting in a drawing room discussing toilets and toilet humour. Maybe it was daring and hilarious in 1931. No idea. Doesn’t work for me in 2022. 2/5

The Lady & the Beard(Yasujiro Ozu, 1931) [Criterion]

Comedy about a man trying to get by in life despite sporting a beard that’s considered to be terribly old-fashioned in polite society. Not sure much of the humour translated across time and culture – although more than did with the Renoir – but it’s fine. 3/5

Bubble Bath (György Kovásznai, 1979) [Mubi]

A unique piece of animation that takes in a number of different styles, most often looking like something Picasso might draw. Well worth seeing. Most people who have seen it seem to love it. Unfortunately, for reasons I can’t really explain, while sort of admiring it, I hated every frame of it. 2/5

Samsara (Ron Fricke, 2011) [Tubi TV]

Outrageously beautiful 70mm globe-trotting documentary – it’s a bit like Koyaanisqatsi – that’s unfortunately lacking in context and pulls a few cheap tricks here and there (Lost count of the number of people staring wisely but gloomily into camera)... but gorgeous and well-edited. 3/5

The Right To Love (Mimi Pollak, 1956) [Netflix]

Should public schools carry sex education or is that the preserve of parents? A live issue in Sweden in 1956, apparently. Fun to see Max von Sydow as a priest called Bergman who is very strongly against. But there’s not enough of him. And it’s a fairly dull bit of didacticism with a wafer-thin drama layered on top. 2/5

Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet, 1975) [Tubi TV]

My god, Al Pacino was a magnetic screen presence when he was young and hungry, wasn’t he? You all know this one. 5/5

Rabid (David Cronenberg, 1977) [Mubi]

Surgical, new human organs, body horror, zombie (sort of) apocalypse (sort of) horror… Y’know, it’s Cronenberg. What do you want? 3/5

Cria cuervos… (Carlos Saura, 1976) [Criterion]

Three little girls have to live with their aunt after their father dies. One of them might just be a psychopath… A flippant description for an extraordinary – if brutally miserable – film. 5/5

Greetings StoneKeeper!!
Haven’t see yours yet but I will be looking up See No Evil, Hear No Evil.


My week:

The Psychic (1977) 7/10
Nightmares Come at Night (1970) 6.5/10
Buffalo 66 (1998) 10/10
The Challenge (1982) 7/10
Female Vampire (1973) 7/10
The Perverse Countess (1974) 7.5/10

Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977) - Diane Keaton's finest performance by far. The most disturbing ending of any movie. 7.5/10

I Came By (2022) - Overall a decent thriller but why would he keep the guy locked up after the cops visited twice. I can't get beyond that. The killer guy was very good. 6/10


Re-Animator (1985) - Finally saw it. I liked it but didn't think it was that funny. Not sure how Dr Hill got those telepathic powers. A fun horror movie. 7/10

Tracks (2014) - Liked it more than I thought I would. Who knew Australia had all those feral camels running around. The ending is very touching, almost made me cry. 7.5/10

I was too busy preparing for my London trip last weekend!

TV Series

-Monk - marathon
Still catching re-runs of Who's the Boss and Golden Girls, because why not?

-The Bold and the Beautiful - marathon of very old episodes

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: 7/10
DC League of Super-Pets: 7/10

My last two weeks.

Millennium Actress (2001) - Good and interesting. There were some things it could have done a little better. It didn’t connect with me emotionally like I was hoping. (8/10)

Secret Window (2004) - It was good. I knew before watching that there was a major twist so I was disappointed that I guessed what it was. (7/10)

Belle de Jour (1967) - A frigid young housewife decides to spend her midweek afternoons as a prostitute. (7/10)

Viridiana (1961) - Viridiana, a young nun about to take her final vows, pays a visit to her widowed uncle at the request of her Mother Superior. Didn’t like it as much as I hoped, but it was good. (7/10)

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022) - Really good. There were certain parts where I wasn’t sure about it, but it was actually really tense, which I didn’t expect. The third best movie of a terrible year. (8/10)

Pandora’s Box (1929) - The rise and inevitable fall of an amoral but naive young woman whose insouciant eroticism inspires lust and violence in those around her. Not as good as I expected. (7/10)

Samaritan (2022) - I figured with the circumstances surrounding its release that it wouldn’t be good. It wasn’t bad either. All these people were saying that the twist was so obvious but I never saw it coming at all. (6/10)

Predestination (2014) - Really good. I still can’t understand it, but it was really cool. It deserves to be more highly regarded. (8/10)

Stir of Echoes (1999) - After being hypnotized by his sister-in-law, a man begins seeing haunting visions of a girl's ghost and a mystery begins to unfold around him. I expected better of this one. I wouldn’t have expected it to be well-received. (6/10)

The Invitation (2022) - I was looking forward to this one, but damn this movie stunk. The story and script were super weak. I found the character to be annoying. (5/10)

Nightbooks 2021 Netflix 8/10 This is a kids movie with some scary scenes, but I really enjoyed it. I love Krysten Ritter, and she's pretty scary in this. Both kids are very good actors.

Alex, a boy obsessed with scary stories, is imprisoned by an evil young witch in her contemporary New York City apartment.