movies What's the last film you watched? And rate it!

[sfoster]

Well like I said I've already seen a far superior telling of the story. Actually I think the old short one seemed to drag more than the 3 hour story!

Also I don't like nonsense in my films. The youtube example above. Here's another one - they have this elaborate setup for the bride of kong. Tie her up, ring this gong, etc… and then how does kong approach ? He knocks down a bunch of old mature trees.. lol. Do they only give him a sacrifice every 100 years ?? How are all these trees so old and grown up that they are blocking him from his own platter. Oooh right . because it 'looks cooler' :roll eyes:

 

[MiniJamesW]

Well like I said I've already seen a far superior telling of the story. Actually I think the old short one seemed to drag more than the 3 hour story!

Also I don't like nonsense in my films. The youtube example above. Here's another one - they have this elaborate setup for the bride of kong. Tie her up, ring this gong, etc… and then how does kong approach ? He knocks down a bunch of old mature trees.. lol. Do they only give him a sacrifice every 100 years ?? How are all these trees so old and grown up that they are blocking him from his own platter. Oooh right . because it 'looks cooler' :roll eyes:

Haha ah well, I'll watch the 3 hour one when I have the chance, but there's a reason why this film was re-made, and that's because it is a great classic!

And well lol, I guess I like nonsense in my films!

Grand Illusion directed by Jean Renoir - no rating
I don't even know what happened, I know that great images came and passed through my eyes and there were interesting characters but none of it affected me. I feel like this is a film that I didn't really watch but just sat through, and not because it was bad, more because I was just a bit tired and I didn't sit in the front row like I usually do. I'll try to watch some more Renoir then come back to it before forming a strong opinion on the film.

 

[sfoster]

Haha ah well, I'll watch the 3 hour one when I have the chance, but there's a reason why this film was re-made, and that's because it is a great classic

I was surprised how similar the 2005 version was. I think that's testament to a really strong story.. but the original is surpassed in every way. Special effects, obviously. Acting, definitely. But even story.

My favorite moment of the film isn't in the original. It's a romantic scene between the woman and kong that jackson expertly weaves right into the middle of the final action scene. Really beautiful.

I still gave the 2005 a 3/5 though Majority of films get that rating from me.

 

[MiniJamesW]

I was surprised how similar the 2005 version was. I think that's testament to a really strong story.. but the original is surpassed in every way. Special effects, obviously. Acting, definitely. But even story.

My favorite moment of the film isn't in the original. It's a romantic scene between the woman and kong that jackson expertly weaves right into the middle of the final action scene. Really beautiful.

I still gave the 2005 a 3/5 though Majority of films get that rating from me.

Haha I noticed that you give such low ratings!

My problem with today's genre films are that they take themselves too damn seriously! What I love about the original King Kong and all of these old kinds of films is that they were fun and they just let themselves be just a lot of well-made fun experiences! But now they have to start adding pretentious characterization and dialogue and make the movies super long, and I guess that's why I haven't seen the new King Kong, cause I expect it to be that kind of movie, I hope it's not, in any case though it's likely that I won't enjoy it as much as the original, but I hope I do like it!

A Time To Live And A Time To Die directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien - 10/10
OK this film definitely dethrones Boyhood as my favorite coming of age film. This is Hou perfecting the kind of film he was making starting with The Boys From Fengkuei, here he moves even further away from the use of a plot and he has a more Ozu-esque visual/editing style. Hou claims that he never saw an Ozu film till around 1989 but this film suggests that that is bullshit, unless Hou decided to use 'pillow' shots and low camera height thanks to his cinematographer Mark Lee Pin-bing (their collaboration starts with this film) who might have seen Ozu films. This film just spoke to me a lot because it draws out the rural setting in Taiwan so well, in a way that can speak to people who have lived in rural areas (like myself) and people that know a bit about Taiwanese culture at the time. There is simply so much attention to detail in the setting which added to the realism of the film. Furthermore, the film's plot just kind of creeps up on the viewer just like life, like with Flowers of Shanghai, Hou doesn't have a story to tell us, he has characters he wants to show us that have stories just happen to them, some very important and some minor. Many people, including some of my friends would describe these early Hou films as sentimental, but I wouldn't, I find these films to be just as observational, grounded in realism, and objective as Hou's later films like Flowers of Shanghai even though these are more personal stories.

 

[sfoster]

Haha I noticed that you give such low ratings!

The way I look at it, 3/5 is average and should therefore by definition be the majority of movies.

 

[MiniJamesW]

The way I look at it, 3/5 is average and should therefore by definition be the majority of movies.

Well yeah I understand that, but the way I look at it, there is no way that King Kong is an average movie and the majority of movies can't be compared to it favorably. But that's the thing, we have very different opinions on films! It's all good lol.

Daughter Of The Nile directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien - 7/10
Definitely not a bad film but at the same time it is a huge disappointment considering the fact that it came after a string of masterpieces by Hou. Surprisingly the film doesn't feel nearly as compromised as Hou or critics suggest, I feel like the style is still there and even some of the narrative technique only its trying to work within the genre film framework. And in a way I feel like this is very reminiscent of Patrick Tam's experimentation with Hong Kong film genres, only in this case I think it's much less successful than in Tam's best films. The film is just very immersive, it's nice to see Hou actually capture urban environments well (I think that Millennium Mambo didn't do a very good job at all). There are just many fun memorable scenes, and there are even glimpses of brilliance (including the great casting!) but overall this is what I would say an inferior 'genre' version of Millennium Mambo (which I already think is an inferior Hou film) that is more enjoyable for me even though I think it's not as good just because it's more accessible.

 

[sfoster]

It was most certainly not average in it's day, but I'm not living in the 1930s

Ugh I just want edge of tomorrow to come out already! Haven't looked forward to a movie like this in a long time.

Living in Oblivion 4/5
Watched this a second time and it was still awesome and hilarious. This is perhaps the greatest film about film making I've seen. Easily the best film with steve buscemi… and also the first feature film with peter dinklage

The Collector (1965) 3/5 with a fantastic ending.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil 3/5
Very interesting touches on this film, it was a complete story without all the voodoo but handles the mystical elements very well with a light touch

Bull Durham 2/5 I grew bored watching this one.. too bad.

 

[MiniJamesW]

It was most certainly not average in it's day, but I'm not living in the 1930s

Well I saw the film before I was even a cinephile that was into classic films and I loved it. I don't love King Kong because it's classic cinema, I fell in love with classic cinema thanks to King Kong and a handful of films I started watching when I was 16 years old. In your opinion it is an average film, in my opinion it's a masterpiece.

 

[sfoster]

Well I saw the film before I was even a cinephile that was into classic films and I loved it. I don't love King Kong because it's classic cinema, I fell in love with classic cinema thanks to King Kong and a handful of films I started watching when I was 16 years old. In your opinion it is an average film, in my opinion it's a masterpiece.

Do you track your ratings through any software, etc ?
If so how many masterpieces of cinema have you seen?

 

[MiniJamesW]

Do you track your ratings through any software, etc ?
If so how many masterpieces of cinema have you seen?

Yeah I mostly use Letterboxd but also MUBI. I rarely update my IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes.

I think I've seen many masterpieces (on my favorite feature films list I have about 123 of them, about 45% of my favorite feature films list, so this isn't including anything else I've seen, if I include everything else I think it would be less than 20% of films I see, but this is a less accurate figure), I'm very picky on what I choose to watch in the first place. For the most part, the films that I consider to be masterpieces are widely agreed upon in critical circles and among cinephiles (and yes King Kong is one of them especially when placed only among genre films, and Ozu's films which you hate are among them as well). Sometimes I consider films to be masterpieces that aren't usually looked at as masterpieces, or that are are only seen as good genre films. And sometimes there are films that are considered to be masterpieces or that are widely loved by critics and cinephiles that I don't really like, find average, or in some cases even hate.

 

[sfoster]

Well I definitely didn't mean to imply you're a sheep or anything along the lines of you liking films simply to be in agreement with critics. I just know that you tend to give films a higher rating so I was curious how it worked out for you. My favorite films list has about 50 on it but it would be great if I had 100.

Maybe I'll just have to make the next 50 myself

 

[MiniJamesW]

Well I definitely didn't mean to imply you're a sheep or anything along the lines of you liking films simply to be in agreement with critics. I just know that you tend to give films a higher rating so I was curious how it worked out for you. My favorite films list has about 50 on it but it would be great if I had 100.

Maybe I'll just have to make the next 50 myself

Ah for me, my favorite films list is mostly made up of films that I give 8/10's or higher that spoke to me. There are some films that I have rated 8/10's that don't make it, and there are even two or three 7/10's on there. I think one reason I rate higher than you is because I give 7/10's which are what a 3.5/5 look like for you, I also give 9/10's. I probably have also seen a lot more bad films than you lol, my 6/10's are way worse than King Kong I think! But yeah I suppose that I just love movies and am not to critical about them because I have a broad taste (equally accept art films and genre films unlike most of my friends that tend to fall in one camp or the other), if the film does what it's trying to do well then I think it is a great work, and most times these films speak to me (even though sometimes they don't). But I have noticed that I am giving a lot less 10/10's and 9/10's than I used to for whatever reason, although I do think I have been intentionally digging up obscure films to find something golden that no one else has seen, and unfortunately I usually fall flat lol, but every now and then I do find a masterpiece!

LOL do it, I'd actually love to see some genre films from you (you are mostly into action genre films right?). I think the best genre filmmakers are people that love genre films, not a bunch of overly serious bastards that are starting to make them!

 

[DeadChannel]

lone survivor - 5/10, refreshing for an action movie. By no means perfect, but good.

 

[MiniJamesW]

Hanaori: Breaking of Branches Is Forbidden directed by Kihachiro Kawamoto - 8/10
A nice short puppet animation film with a simple story. I love the way the story is told though, it's just very charming and funny at times. Although I do think it is a bit longer than it needs to be at 14 minutes, I think it could have been shortened by 2-4 minutes and the film would have been tighter without losing any of its quality.

 

[sfoster]

LOL do it, I'd actually love to see some genre films from you (you are mostly into action genre films right?). I think the best genre filmmakers are people that love genre films, not a bunch of overly serious bastards that are starting to make them!

I do like action films, but also sci-fi, thrillers, fantasy, adventure, comedy and drama.

I know that I don't really like westerns or musicals, of course a couple exception exist to most rules.

Nonstop Hmmm.. one of those movies I would give a 3.5/5 but netflix doesn't have that option. I guess I will be optimistic today and give it a 4/5

 

[MiniJamesW]

I do like action films, but also sci-fi, thrillers, fantasy, adventure, comedy and drama.

I know that I don't really like westerns or musicals, of course a couple exception exist to most rules.

Cool, I love all of those, but also westerns and musicals, oh and horror too. I will admit though that I tend to watch a lot less fantasy and sci-fi films, and I don't know why even though I love some of them a lot.

 

[sfoster]

Cool, I love all of those, but also westerns and musicals, oh and horror too. I will admit though that I tend to watch a lot less fantasy and sci-fi films, and I don't know why even though I love some of them a lot.

Sci-fi and fantasy

The Fifth Element
LOTR
The Matrix
Blade Runner
Chronicle
Dark City
Demolition Man
Donnie Darko
I am legend
Independence Day
Men in Black
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Season of the Witch
Source code
Stardust
Starship Troopers
Tron
V for Vendetta
and maybe Daybreakers

 

[MiniJamesW]

Sci-fi and fantasy

The Fifth Element
LOTR
The Matrix
Blade Runner
Chronicle
Dark City
Demolition Man
Donnie Darko
I am legend
Independence Day
Men in Black
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Season of the Witch
Source code
Stardust
Starship Troopers
Tron
V for Vendetta
and maybe Daybreakers

Thanks for the list, also seems like a nice variety. I've heard of most of these films but haven't gotten around to them (in fact I've only seen one of the films listed here lol, and besides the Star Wars original trilogy and 2001: A Space Odyssey I haven't watched much sci-fi/fantasy that's not on this list either!). I'll make it a priority to start watching these films!

Growing Up directed by Kun Hao Chen; co-written and produced by Hou Hsiao-hsien - 9/10
Wow! I love it when I discover really obscure hidden gems like this one. This is one of the best coming of age films I've seen, heck I'd even place it near to Hou's own The Boys From Fengkuei. Unfortunately the film suffers from overuse of sentimental music (and I even like some of it, it's just used way too much when there should be some moments of silence) and from an abrupt ending. However, this is one of the best looking of the early Taiwanese New Wave films, with very beautiful colors that stand out and great use of deep focus and deep space. The staging in this film is impeccable, it's like a mix between Hou's staging and more commercial filmmaking staging like that found in Tsui Hark's films. Oh my and the setting is just drawn out perfectly, every object is placed in the right spot. There are so many details to the settings that add another dimension to the film. And then there's obviously the story and characters, there's just a lot of nuance to this story and these characters and many emotional scenes that made me cry. I cared about these characters from beginning to end. Something else I love about this film is that it is almost an anti-Hou film in its sentimentality, I mean we can compare this film with A Time To Live And A Time To Die in the way that it deals with similar situations, but Hou's film is very Ozu-esque in its objectivity and distance, and also the parents are notably not very involved in their son's life while in this film the parents are constantly participants in the son's life and of course there is sentimentality in the film from beginning to end (which in some ways is great because it contrasts some of the more tragic moments). There are some mysterious aspects of the film too, both stuff that's in the film (such as the voiceover narration) and stuff that happened after the film such as the fact that Kun Hao Chen never really caught on like Hou or Yang even though his debut is pretty much just as good as theirs (and it was the first Taiwanese New Wave film to catch critical and commercial attention). Kun Hao Chen only got to direct two other films, and I hope I can watch them some day as all of his films (even this one) are incredibly rare, I mean they can't even be found on the internet as far as I'm aware so I'm glad that I had the opportunity to watch this one on the big screen!

 

[sfoster]

in fact I've only seen one of the films listed here lol

What one did you see?

okay I'll revise this a little bit and narrow my recommendations:

Must see films:
The Matrix
Lord of the Rings (don't bother with the extend editions) I've literally seen the two towers more than a dozen times.

Cult classic:
Blade Runner

Popcorn entertainment:
The Fifth Element
Source code
Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Low Budget Independent Film:
Donnie Darko

 

[MiniJamesW]

What one did you see?

okay I'll revise this a little bit and narrow my recommendations:

Must see films:
The Matrix
Lord of the Rings (don't bother with the extend editions) I've literally seen the two towers more than a dozen times.

Cult classic:
Blade Runner

Popcorn entertainment:
The Fifth Element
Source code
Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Low Budget Independent Film:
Donnie Darko

Haha I know, I'm not well versed on sci-fi at all (aside from some of the major classics from the old days of Hollywood).

I've only seen I Am Legend and even that film I saw when I was really young, I liked it back then but idk how it would suit my tastes today.

Thanks for categorizing these films for me. I really want to watch some of them like Blade Runner and The Matrix (I'm thinking the action style might be somewhat like John Woo, my favorite action director). And almost all of them are on my long watchlist of "I'll watch them eventually" films.