Scream & Writhe Forum

housepig wrote: ↑Wed Jul 13, 2022 11:06 pm

33033 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 13, 2022 6:39 pm Just got the Criterion Channel as a gift for my wife's birthday and watched Smooth Talk. Wow what an uncomfortable film. Amazingly directed.

High brow cinematic types: give me some recommendations! I'm usually used to schlocky b-movie horror over the past while and maybe need a palate cleanser!

I'd recommend checking out movies by Carol Reed (The Third Man, The Man Between, Odd Man Out), Henri-Georges Clouzot (Diabolique, Wages Of Fear, Le Corbeau, La Assasin Habite au 21) and Akira Kurosawa (Seven Samurai, Hidden Fortress, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, Dersu Uzala, Rashomon.... )

Some things come and go on Criterion (like any streaming service) but if there are still films from the Japanese Noir collection, they're solid - Cruel Gun Story, A Colt Is My Passport, etc.

Those should keep you busy for a couple of days!

Appreciate it! I've never seen any Kurosawa so I need to force myself to start. The other two are new territory so stoked on that.

Finally watched SLACKER, which I should have done way earlier because boy did I enjoy that. Embarrassing that it's taken this long. Interested to rewatch Dazed and Confused now and Suburbia (was this not received well?).

housepig wrote: ↑Mon Jul 11, 2022 4:40 pm Watched "Z" by Costa-Gavras a few nights ago. Had heard of it for years but had never seen it. Excellent blend of political assassination, state repression and police procedural. Soundtrack is excellent as well.

I finally watched this last night. Great!

33033 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 23, 2022 1:24 am Appreciate it! I've never seen any Kurosawa so I need to force myself to start. The other two are new territory so stoked on that.

I envy you the experience of watching Kurosawa's stuff for the first time. I'd recommend Yojimbo as an entry point - it's got a good balance of action, not so grand in scope that it's hard to follow, and you can't beat Toshiro Mifune's performance as the title character.

33033 wrote: ↑Sat Jul 23, 2022 1:24 am Interested to rewatch Dazed and Confused now

Funny story - my brother, who is pretty straight-laced, is 9 years older than me and would have been about the same age as the young kid in Dazed and Confused. When my brother came for a visit on leave from the military, I sat him down and made him watch it with me. As they're driving off at the end to get Aerosmith tickets, he turns to me and says "are they all going to get hit but a truck or something?" He couldn't fathom why his weird younger brother who would normally be watching horror movies would have made him watch this, so he spent the whole movie on edge waiting for the jump scare. I just thought it was a good movie that would resonate even more with him, since it was his era.

Last night was Cronenberg's Scanners. I loved it.

housepig wrote: ↑Sun Jul 24, 2022 10:12 am Funny story - my brother, who is pretty straight-laced, is 9 years older than me and would have been about the same age as the young kid in Dazed and Confused. When my brother came for a visit on leave from the military, I sat him down and made him watch it with me. As they're driving off at the end to get Aerosmith tickets, he turns to me and says "are they all going to get hit but a truck or something?" He couldn't fathom why his weird younger brother who would normally be watching horror movies would have made him watch this, so he spent the whole movie on edge waiting for the jump scare. I just thought it was a good movie that would resonate even more with him, since it was his era.

I legit love this movie and have since I was a kid - I drive a van a lot for work and our new one has an absolutely BUMPIN’ sound system in it (with Sirius XM) and “Right Place Wrong Time” by Dr. John came on last week on the classic rock station and I did a hard revisit of that tune which is so tastefully funky and now nearly as annoying as some of the soundtrack tunes. I definitely want to rewatch at some point.

Today: Dario Argento's The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

been a while since seen good movies, but here's some I have seen during past month(?) or so. Time is our enemy

My Dinner With Andre by Louis Malle
Maniac Cop by William Lustig
Les Carabiniers by Jean-Luc Godard
Monster by Patty Jenkins
Le Vampire de Düsseldorf by Robert Hossein
The Lost Son by Chris Menges

like from netflix and some other shit too. Should watch Dreyers Vampyr and Stalker by Tarkovsky. Like visiting old friends. Life has been much

Was able to see a screening of Jodorowsky's Santa Sangre over the weekend.
A friend also borrowed me a copy of Takashi Miike's Gozu which I finally had the free time to enjoy.

Definitely my preferred type of horror films. Surreal & unexplainable metaphysical occurrences / coincidences.

Looks like a good list (cc @housepig) https://crimereads.com/10-underapprecia ... arly-1970s

Scream & Writhe wrote: ↑Thu Jul 28, 2022 1:17 pm Looks like a good list (cc @housepig) https://crimereads.com/10-underapprecia ... arly-1970s

Oooooo, thanks for the link - I've only seen two of the ten (Laughing Policemen and Harry In Your Pocket - neither spectacular but both worth a watch.)

33033 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 13, 2022 6:39 pm Just got the Criterion Channel as a gift for my wife's birthday and watched Smooth Talk. Wow what an uncomfortable film. Amazingly directed.

High brow cinematic types: give me some recommendations! I'm usually used to schlocky b-movie horror over the past while and maybe need a palate cleanser!

If you're into horror, you should check out Eyes Without a Face and The Face of Another. They're both streaming on CC.

A friend just sent me this link: https://35mm.online/

In the years 2018-2021, the Polish Film Institute, the Documentary and Feature Film Studios and Studio Filmow Rysunkowych implemented a Project [...]:

‘Digital restoration and digitization of Polish feature films, documentaries and animated films in order to ensure access in all fields of distribution (cinema, television, Internet, mobile devices) and to preserve Polish film heritage for future generations’, [...]

160 feature films, 71 documentaries, 474 animated films, including 10 full-length animated films have been restored as part of the project. The restoration has covered:

feature classics by outstanding Polish filmmakers, i.e. Wojciech Jerzy Has, Jerzy Skolimowski, Andrzej Munk, Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Janusz Morgenstern, Stanisław Różewicz, Kazimierz Kutz, Andrzej Kondratiuk, Lech Majewski, Krzysztof Zanussi, Feliks Falk, Filip Bajon, and many others ,
films present in pop culture, including the ones directed by: Stanisław Bareja, Marek Koterski, Juliusz Machulski,
films of the Polish documentary school (including Andrzej Munk, Kazimierz Karabasz, Marcel Łoziński, Andrzej Titkow),
animated films of high artistic value (e.g. by Witold Giersz, Jerzy Kalina, Mirosław Kijowicz, Andrzej Czeczot),
animated series for children (including the multigenerational series ‘Rex’, ‘Kidnapping of Baltazar Gabka’ or a cartoon series for children titled 2 cats + 1 dog).

The project also included the digitization of 3108 unique episodes of the Polish Film Chronicle from 1945-1994.

All the above-mentioned film materials (nearly 4,000 film items) are available on the 35mm.online streaming platform, the final product of the Project. It implements the main goal of the project, which is online sharing and dissemination of restored and digitized film resources as part of the Project.

The 35mm.online platform presents the wealth of Polish cinematography. It offers artistic, educational and historical achievements of Polish cinematography to its users.

All film materials presented on the 35mm.online platform meet the requirements of WCAG 2.0 - they have audio descriptions, transcriptions, subtitles in Polish and English, as well as comprehensive descriptions. For foreigners, the entire film library of the Platform is available in English.

watched "Bone" today for the first time, after hearing about it for years. Unhinged in that way that only Larry Cohen could be, and totally recommended. Streaming right now on Criterion as part of a Yaphet Kotto collection.



Also rewatched "Truck Turner", from the same collection on Criterion... did not hold up as well as I remembered it. But Yaphet is good in it.

Scream & Writhe wrote: ↑Thu Jul 28, 2022 1:17 pm Looks like a good list (cc @housepig) https://crimereads.com/10-underapprecia ... arly-1970s

Thanks again for this - my local microcinema did a mini Yaphet Kotto series this weekend and they had Report To The Commissioner on 35mm. Took a minute to find it's rhythm, but ended up being really gripping and intense.

Went to see the "final cut" version of Apocalypse Now in the theatre last night. Very different movie from the 1979 cut, which I think is my preference. The final version felt meandering and overly long. On Wednesday, I'm going to a different theatre to see a screening of Cassavetes' A Woman Under The Influence. Excited to see Gena Rowlands be her enormously-talented self again.

Day Shift on Netflix. It wasn't amazing, but it wasn't terrible either. A lot of vampire chopping and shooting and stabbing. Snoop Dog as the cowboy was excellent.

July and August highlights:

The Mattei Affair (Francesco Rosi , 1972)
A Bullet for the General (Damiano Damiani, 1967)
The Big Sleep (Howard Hawks, 1946) at the Cinematheque Quebecoise
Hard Boiled (John Woo, 1992) - 35mm at Fantasia with John Woo in attendance
A Better Tomorrow (John Woo, 1986)
Lost in New York (Jean Rollin, 1989)
Bullet in the Head (John Woo, 1990)
The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949) at the Cinematheque Quebecoise
Lost Hearts (Lawrence Gordon Clark, 1973)
Identikit (Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, 1974) - 4K restoration at Fantasia with introduction by Kier-La Janisse
Footprints (Luigi Bazzoni, Mario Fanelli, 1975)
The Maltese Falcon (John Huston, 1941)
The Killer (John Woo, 1989)
Revolver (Sergio Sollima, 1973)
No, the Case Is Happily Resolved (Vittorio Salerno, 1973)
Violent City (Sergio Sollima, 1970)
Fat City (John Huston, 1972)
The Last Wave (Peter Weir, 1977)
The Conformist (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1970)

Had an incredibly busy August and basically didn't watch anything for the first 20 days of the month...

September highlights:

The Damned (Luchino Visconti, 1969)
Diabolique (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1955)
Bob le Flambeur (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1956)
The Wages of Fear (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1953)
Comradeship (G.W. Pabst, 1931)
The Trial (G.W. Pabst, 1948)
Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)
The Spider's Stratagem (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1970)
Cry of a Prostitute (Andrea Bianchi, 1974)
The Tall T (Budd Boetticher, 1957)
The Hitcher (Robert Harmon, 1986)
Stage Fright (Michele Soavi, 1987)
Trompe l’oeil (Claude d'Anna, 1975)
Robin Redbreast (James MacTaggart, 1970)
Clearcut (Ryszard Bugajski, 1991)

Scream & Writhe wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 10:58 am September highlights:

The Damned (Luchino Visconti, 1969)
Diabolique (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1955)
Bob le Flambeur (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1956)
The Wages of Fear (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1953)
Comradeship (G.W. Pabst, 1931)
The Trial (G.W. Pabst, 1948)
Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)
The Spider's Stratagem (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1970)
Cry of a Prostitute (Andrea Bianchi, 1974)
The Tall T (Budd Boetticher, 1957)
The Hitcher (Robert Harmon, 1986)
Stage Fright (Michele Soavi, 1987)
Trompe l’oeil (Claude d'Anna, 1975)
Robin Redbreast (James MacTaggart, 1970)
Clearcut (Ryszard Bugajski, 1991)

How was The Damned? I have been wanting to see it for a while now.

had to slow my roll in September, hope to make it up this month, but the highlights out of what I did manage to watch

Blue Collar - 1978
The Pawnbroker - 1964
Bad Day At Black Rock - 1955
Hour Of The Wolf - 1968
To Kill A Mockingbird - 1962

I'd seen Blue Collar but it had been easily 20 years, so it was almost like new again. Somehow my wife had never seen To Kill A Mockingbird, so that was fun to experience it through her take.

An online friend, in an accidental, roundabout way, introduced me--or perhaps not introduced, but piqued my interest in--pink films, specifically ones targeted towards a gay audience.

I took a vacation with Captain Trips around August of last year and used the time off to check out a particular movie my friend told me about called Muscle.

I haven't watched it since, but for some reason, I've been thinking about it a lot lately and I'd like to watch it again soon. It's really a weird one, and I remember liking it a lot.

SS1535 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 12:55 pm

Scream & Writhe wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 10:58 am September highlights:

The Damned (Luchino Visconti, 1969)
Diabolique (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1955)
Bob le Flambeur (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1956)
The Wages of Fear (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1953)
Comradeship (G.W. Pabst, 1931)
The Trial (G.W. Pabst, 1948)
Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)
The Spider's Stratagem (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1970)
Cry of a Prostitute (Andrea Bianchi, 1974)
The Tall T (Budd Boetticher, 1957)
The Hitcher (Robert Harmon, 1986)
Stage Fright (Michele Soavi, 1987)
Trompe l’oeil (Claude d'Anna, 1975)
Robin Redbreast (James MacTaggart, 1970)
Clearcut (Ryszard Bugajski, 1991)

How was The Damned? I have been wanting to see it for a while now.

It's amazing. One of my favourites for sure.

housepig wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 6:10 pm had to slow my roll in September, hope to make it up this month, but the highlights out of what I did manage to watch

Blue Collar - 1978
The Pawnbroker - 1964
Bad Day At Black Rock - 1955
Hour Of The Wolf - 1968
To Kill A Mockingbird - 1962

I'd seen Blue Collar but it had been easily 20 years, so it was almost like new again. Somehow my wife had never seen To Kill A Mockingbird, so that was fun to experience it through her take.

I need to revisit Blue Collar - what a cast, and of course love the Schrader.

I haven't seen To Kill a Mockingbird since early high school, and to a similar degree just watched Rosemary's Baby for the first time in 12-15 years.

Scream & Writhe wrote: ↑Tue Oct 04, 2022 11:39 am

SS1535 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 12:55 pm

Scream & Writhe wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 10:58 am September highlights:

The Damned (Luchino Visconti, 1969)
Diabolique (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1955)
Bob le Flambeur (Jean-Pierre Melville, 1956)
The Wages of Fear (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1953)
Comradeship (G.W. Pabst, 1931)
The Trial (G.W. Pabst, 1948)
Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954)
The Spider's Stratagem (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1970)
Cry of a Prostitute (Andrea Bianchi, 1974)
The Tall T (Budd Boetticher, 1957)
The Hitcher (Robert Harmon, 1986)
Stage Fright (Michele Soavi, 1987)
Trompe l’oeil (Claude d'Anna, 1975)
Robin Redbreast (James MacTaggart, 1970)
Clearcut (Ryszard Bugajski, 1991)

How was The Damned? I have been wanting to see it for a while now.

It's amazing. One of my favourites for sure.

housepig wrote: ↑Mon Oct 03, 2022 6:10 pm had to slow my roll in September, hope to make it up this month, but the highlights out of what I did manage to watch

Blue Collar - 1978
The Pawnbroker - 1964
Bad Day At Black Rock - 1955
Hour Of The Wolf - 1968
To Kill A Mockingbird - 1962

I'd seen Blue Collar but it had been easily 20 years, so it was almost like new again. Somehow my wife had never seen To Kill A Mockingbird, so that was fun to experience it through her take.

I need to revisit Blue Collar - what a cast, and of course love the Schrader.

I haven't seen To Kill a Mockingbird since early high school, and to a similar degree just watched Rosemary's Baby for the first time in 12-15 years.

That's good the hear. It was mentioned in some of the commentary that I saw after watching Salo, so it sort of moved up on my list of things to try and see sometime soon.

I saw To Kill A Mockingbird for the first time a few weeks ago, actually, and I read the book sometime last year for the first time as well. Both of them are things I would consider justified classics. Regardless of what you think about their message, there is no doubting their quality.

Finally watched Vampire's Kiss (1989) and holy smokes. Surprised that I hadn't made it more of a priority earlier. Cage being in another universe, 80's NYC, bizarro proto-American Psycho?