Film Discussion / Now Watching

[MaldororEstMort]

Earlier in the week I watched The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) which I liked a lot and am planning to follow it up with another of his, The Exterminating Angel (1962)

i have yet to see the discreet charm of the bourgeoisie but the exterminating angel was a great watch, to be honest i've loved every buñuel film i've seen.

The Exterminating Angel is the one where guests are unable to leave the dinner room, right? That one is fantastic!

yeah, that's the one. i found it pretty funny but more in a "heh" way not in a 'hahahaha' way if that makes any sense?

[MND]

Currently watching movies from spanish director Alejandro Amenábar, mainly my favs which are Tesis (interesting note Ramirez have one project of the same based on the film), Abre los Ojos and Mientras Dure la Guerra but also watching others that I never cared to check out like Los Otros. Really good director, all their movies are good, highly recommended.

His movies have been in my watchlist for some time. I might try watch Abres los Ojos / Open Your Eyes and Tesis / Thesis this week. I'm fairly certain I saw The Others like 15 years ago.

Nice, are his movies with subtitles? or are they dubbed? I would recommend starting with Tesis, since Abre los Ojos while is good, the whole story is pretty weird and some people find it boring, while Tesis is pretty straightforward and for what people say, it's his best movie.

[Scream & Writhe]

Currently watching movies from spanish director Alejandro Amenábar, mainly my favs which are Tesis (interesting note Ramirez have one project of the same based on the film), Abre los Ojos and Mientras Dure la Guerra but also watching others that I never cared to check out like Los Otros. Really good director, all their movies are good, highly recommended.

His movies have been in my watchlist for some time. I might try watch Abres los Ojos / Open Your Eyes and Tesis / Thesis this week. I'm fairly certain I saw The Others like 15 years ago.

Nice, are his movies with subtitles? or are they dubbed? I would recommend starting with Tesis, since Abre los Ojos while is good, the whole story is pretty weird and some people find it boring, while Tesis is pretty straightforward and for what people say his best movie.

Thanks for the info. I'm sure they're subtitled. I much prefer subtitles over dubs when it comes to films in other languages.

[housepig]

Taylor, I think you mentioned The Taking of Pelham One Two Three in a recent watchlist - if that's right, have you ever seen Charlie Varrick? Underappreciated Don Siegel crime flick with Matthau, totally worth seeing. You might also enjoy The Seven Ups with Roy Scheider if you haven't seen it.

Been digging into more noir movies lately, as that's a genre I haven't watched much for some reason. Blast Of Silence (1960) and The Lineup (1958) are fun recent discoveries for me.

[chryptusrecords]

Bill for noir films you should check out "The Seventh Victim," nice satanism-murder-suicide/coded lesbianism flick with jean brooks!

[Brian O'Blivion]

Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/pancrace/

I rewatched Science Crazed the other day, which is an amazing piece of Canuxploitation. It is the outsider artist's take on the b-movie slasher genre until it starts devolving into hypnotic repetitions of the most peculiar scenes. 10/10, would recommend. I bought the DVD from Videonomicon (https://store.videonomicon.com/) who also restored an equally bizarre Canadian film called Ryan's Babe. Definitely worth checking out and supporting for those who buy from boutique film labels.

[Scream & Writhe]

Taylor, I think you mentioned The Taking of Pelham One Two Three in a recent watchlist - if that's right, have you ever seen Charlie Varrick? Underappreciated Don Siegel crime flick with Matthau, totally worth seeing. You might also enjoy The Seven Ups with Roy Scheider if you haven't seen it.

Been digging into more noir movies lately, as that's a genre I haven't watched much for some reason. Blast Of Silence (1960) and The Lineup (1958) are fun recent discoveries for me.

Charley Varrick was already in my watchlist but The Seven Ups is new to me, will add it to the pile! Always down with Scheider (rewatched Sorceror on more than one occasion last year).

Blast of Silence is also on the list, became aware of that one due to its alleged influence on Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Samourai. Le Samourai is a classic, of course. It's not my personal favourite Melville but you can pretty much pick anything from this 60s output and discover a near-perfect crime film. I highly recommend a dive if anyone is unfamiliar.

Some other French crime films of note that I enjoyed recently are Rififi, Touchez Pas au Grisbi and Any Number Can Win.

I bought the DVD from Videonomicon (https://store.videonomicon.com/)

I see they have Lowlife on VHS. A really excellent low budget horror film from Nova Scotia. We screened it a couple times in Vancouver back in 2012 when it was making the rounds. Director Seth A. Smith and crew went on to do The Crescent, which I've missed but seems to have gotten a lot of positive reviews, and most recently Tin Can, which I was able to catch a stream of during the Fantasia film fest here last summer. For the latter obvious comparisons can be made to both Cronenbergs, but I think comparisons to the younger (Brandon) might be more apt. And it's got Michael Ironside to boot. Darcy Spidle/Chik White stars in Lowlife and has supporting roles in the other two (watch for Chik White / Hermit split tape coming in the next AE batch).

[xIncorruptibleCorpse777x]

Added you!
Been going through the MCU too right now. I saw them all in theaters through the year but showing them to my son. Right now we are on Civil War.
Obscure sci-fi, definitely check out La Jetée. One of my favorites - has so much impact in a small package.

Thanks!! That's cool that you're watching them with your son - must be a great experience.

I'll put La Jetée on my list!!

[housepig]

Charley Varrick was already in my watchlist but The Seven Ups is new to me, will add it to the pile! Always down with Scheider (rewatched Sorceror on more than one occasion last year).
...
A couple other French crime films of note that I enjoyed recently are Rififi, Touchez Pas au Grisbiand Any Number Can Win.

Good deal! I need to rewatch Sorcerer, it's been a while. So tense. I saw Touchez Pas au Grisbi at a "surprise movie marathon" at a local theater (they said how many movies, but not what - you didn't know what you were seeing until it started playing) and Grisbi was one of the films. I knew nothing about it at all, but was captivated - how had I never heard of it before? Such a great one!

[Scream & Writhe]

Charley Varrick was already in my watchlist but The Seven Ups is new to me, will add it to the pile! Always down with Scheider (rewatched Sorceror on more than one occasion last year).
...
A couple other French crime films of note that I enjoyed recently are Rififi, Touchez Pas au Grisbiand Any Number Can Win.

Good deal! I need to rewatch Sorcerer, it's been a while. So tense. I saw Touchez Pas au Grisbi at a "surprise movie marathon" at a local theater (they said how many movies, but not what - you didn't know what you were seeing until it started playing) and Grisbi was one of the films. I knew nothing about it at all, but was captivated - how had I never heard of it before? Such a great one!

Oh man, what a treat that would have been at the theatre - as a surprise no less. Lino Ventura is always the best.

[housepig]

Oh man, what a treat that would have been at the theatre - as a surprise no less. Lino Ventura is always the best.

I was insufferable for weeks afterwards, telling everybody "oh my god, you HAVE TO SEE THIS MOVIE!!"

[alan thickes ghost]

I finished watching Friedkin's Sorcerer for the first time in my rapidly too aged life and i dont think i'll ever see a better movie in my remaining time sucking air

[Scream & Writhe]

I finished watching Friedkin's Sorcerer for the first time in my rapidly too aged life and i dont think i'll ever see a better movie in my remaining time sucking air

It'd be tough, honestly.

It's five minutes before nine, in Paris...

[alan thickes ghost]

I finished watching Friedkin's Sorcerer for the first time in my rapidly too aged life and i dont think i'll ever see a better movie in my remaining time sucking air

It'd be tough, honestly.

It's five minutes before nine, in Paris...

i immediately put in on for a 2nd time when i finished the first viewing. i havent done that since i was a kid

[Scream & Writhe]

I finished watching Friedkin's Sorcerer for the first time in my rapidly too aged life and i dont think i'll ever see a better movie in my remaining time sucking air

It'd be tough, honestly.

It's five minutes before nine, in Paris...

i immediately put in on for a 2nd time when i finished the first viewing. i havent done that since i was a kid

Other than watching something with a commentary track I’m not sure if I’ve done the same movie back to back in one day since I was a kid, either. Closest times have been going back to see No Country for Old Men at the cinema two nights in a row, and most recently watching Caché two nights in a row after it lodged itself in my brain upon first watch (it’s still there).

[puffy]

The best new movie i saw last year was Last Night in Soho, really loved it at the cinema. It has a travel back in time theme and the best one i have seen this year so far at the cinema also have that, but done very differently... Petite maman.

[killhippies]

Just finished Takeshi Kitano’s Boiling Point for the first time and I liked it a lot. It was exactly what I was hoping for

[searchofexit]

The best new movie i saw last year was Last Night in Soho, really loved it at the cinema. It has a travel back in time theme and the best one i have seen this year so far at the cinema also have that, but done very differently... Petite maman.

Last Night In Soho was awesome! I got to see it with the director and Edgar Wright and Thomasin MacKenzie there doing a q&a! They also gave out a 7" of Downtown. Big highlight of last year

[JuntaCadre]

Took Mill of the Stone Woman (1960) for a spin last night. Notable for being the first Italian horror shot in color, had some awesome sets and shot pretty vibrantly. Not the best giallo I've ever seen, but it was definitely fun none the less.

[33033]

Took Mill of the Stone Woman (1960) for a spin last night. Notable for being the first Italian horror shot in color, had some awesome sets and shot pretty vibrantly. Not the best giallo I've ever seen, but it was definitely fun none the less.

This looks/sounds great. Adding this to my list of "to watch". Thank you!

[Scream & Writhe]

Took Mill of the Stone Woman (1960) for a spin last night. Notable for being the first Italian horror shot in color, had some awesome sets and shot pretty vibrantly. Not the best giallo I've ever seen, but it was definitely fun none the less.

The colours immediately bring Bava to mind, but I’ve kept it off the watchlist on account of most reviews from people I know saying it’s nonessential.

[Scream & Writhe]

Past couple nights:

The Return of Martin Guerre (Daniel Vigne, 1982)
Only found out about this because a friend logged it on Letterboxd recently. I highly doubt it would have turned up on my radar otherwise, but damn, it's pretty much perfect. A period piece set in 16th century France about a guy masquerading as a husband/father/heir who has been absent for years. He claims he's the other guy so he can get the real guy's land and money (and wife). The village eventually suspects that the guy isn't who he says he is and the big reveal is that [spoiler alert] the wife knew all along but didn't say anything because the sex was good. Sounds simple but it's legit great. If you like Kubrick's Barry Lyndon you'll probably like this.

Veronika Voss (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, 1982)
Runs with a similar thread to that of The Marriage of Maria Braun and Lili Marleen but has been updated for the post-war era and inverts the strong-willed nature of the other films' titular characters to that of a washed up, morphine-addicted aged former star. I didn't like it as much as either of those films, but the black and white cinematography is stunning.

[JuntaCadre]

Speaking of Bava, sat down and finally watched Black Sunday, aka The Mask of Satan (1960) last night. Trying to round out a few of his classics I haven’t gotten to yet. It was good, but I prefer his later stylistically unhinged stuff shot in color.

[Scream & Writhe]

Speaking of Bava, sat down and finally watched Black Sunday, aka The Mask of Satan (1960) last night. Trying to round out a few of his classics I haven’t gotten to yet. It was good, but I prefer his later stylistically unhinged stuff shot in color.

Same boat. I don't love Black Sunday, either, but I did watch Black Sabbath recently and quite enjoyed it.

Some of the best Bava colours are in some movies that aren't so hot. Hercules in the Haunted World and Planet of the Vampires. The latter an obvious influence on Ridley Scott for his Alien films, and the restoration supervised by Nicolas Winding Refn looks incredible. It's worth it just to bath in the colours alone.

I love late period Bava, too, like Rabid Dogs (his most nihilistic) and Shock.

[JuntaCadre]

Nice recommendations, will check those out. Up next I have The Whip and the Body, any strong feelings about that one?