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Y2K (2024)

Director/Writer Kyle Mooney's film is the most fun when it plays like Evolver (1995) with a much higher budget.

None of the characters are interesting enough to carry the entire film and there's oddly quite a bit of downtime.

The film should have also tapped the brakes on the 90s references & needle drops. Early on, it's so aggressive to the point of being obnoxious.

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Rare Exports - I'm pretty sure I liked it. At the very least it was certainly a unique Christmas movie.

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Sicario: Day of the Soldado Starz 4K
Benecio del Toro, Josh Brolin. Directed by Stefano Sollima. 2018
The drug war on the U.S.-Mexico border has escalated. Federal agent Matt Graver calls on the mysterious Alejandro to escalate the war in nefarious ways.

I hadn't intended to see the sequel to Denis Villenueve's "Sicario" in the theater, but on the hottest day of the Summer in 2018 my power went out and that seemed like the best way to beat the heat. I ended up coming out of the theater in a mood for some reason, and I was in no rush to re-visit "Soldado", even though I have a "Sicario" steelbook. That being said, I really enjoyed the film much more this time around on home video. It has a terrific pace and a bone-rattling score that knocked off the papers that were stacked on my speakers. Josh Brolin and Jeffrey Donovan are quite good, but Benecio del Toro, -whose performances can be rather eccentric at times, -is believable and terrific this time around. "Sicario: Day of the Soldado" really has the flavor of the hundred or so Taylor Sheridan series currently running on Paramount+.

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Amazon digital credits

Just when you though there was a shortage of weird characters for Nic Cage to play :lol:

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2022

Netflix

A Hallmark movie masquerading on Netflix with the guy from the Will Smith Aladdin movie.

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Daughters Of Darkness (1971)

"Deep in my bones I feel it. The night is dying ..."

The 1970s were a great decade for erotic horror films from the likes of Hammer Studios, Jess Franco and Jean Rollin, to name but a few. Belgian director Harry Kümel decided to dip his toe into the water and co-wrote a screenplay for what would become his sixth film ... 1971's Daughters Of Darkness. Part arthouse and part vampire film, and starring the mesmerizing Delphine Seyrig, the story centers around a newlywed couple staying at a nearly abandoned seaside hotel in Belgium for their honeymoon, where they meet another guest and her younger female companion. The older woman takes an interest in the recently-married couple and soon becomes an almost hypnotic influence in their lives. Revealing herself to be a descendant of the Countess Elizabeth Báthory, the woman begins to place herself between the couple ... with her eyes on the young wife. Ethereal and dreamlike, with a touch of sophistication, this is a beautifully shot film. Ms. Seyrig is wonderful here. Recommended as one of my favorites of the genre (and I have a number of them ... ;)).

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Below (2002, Dir. David Twohy) – I don’t have much to add about this one, as I feel I’ve written reviews of it several times over the years. It simply remains a fantastic movie that still to this day remains somewhat underrated, although I will admit it gets a lot more attention than it once did. I remember picking this up the first day the original DVD came out, simply based on the Twohy direction and the Aronofsky (co)writing credit. It’s simply a great movie. A superb, actually really incredible casting (it has three casting directors, and they clearly knew what they were doing), featuring a lot of actors that went on to become much bigger names. Standouts include Bruce Greenwood (obviously), Olivia Williams, Nick Chinlund, Dexter Fletcher, Jason Flemyng, Holt McCallany, Matt Davis, Scott Foley, and Zach Galifianakis. Just an incredible cast. And the direction is superb. The editing is superb. The sound effects, the score, the cinematography (the final shot with Greenwood is a thing of pure beauty)? All first-rate. Just a great haunted submarine movie. And a great horror/drama hybrid. It would’ve sounded like a movie that would’ve been really hard to pull off without becoming silly but it works on practically every level. Super happy to finally have it on a decent Blu-Ray/4K release. Shouldn’t have taken so long but it’s great to finally have a decent high-def release. It also includes the very solid commentary from the original release, and some other solid interviews/featurettes.

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Police Academy (1984, Dir. Hugh Wilson) – A perennial childhood favorite. I can’t even count the dozens and dozens of times myself and my siblings rented the movies in this series as kids (even though, I have to point out, the first in the series is R-Rated, unlike the rest of the series. So there’s the requisite ‘80s nudity and maybe the language is a bit more colorful than the other entries, but when compared to today’s comedies, this is enormously tame; aside form one shower scene it hardly warrants an R-Rating; heck, even with the shower scene it doesn’t really warrant that rating). Like, we would rent whichever one(s) they had in stock. Constantly. Watching it now? It doesn’t really hold up, but it has its charms. The humor is obviously juvenile but it’s okay. Guttenberg is…Guttenberg. Not a terrible movie by any means but on the lower spectrum of the comedic mix. I will say this about the Shout Factory Blu-Ray: the commentary is excellent. Excellent. A joy to listen to. I don’t know, I still like this one as I like all the films in the series (YES, even “Mission to Moscow”). It’s a nice diversion (but little more). Kim Cattrall was a smokeshow, even then. Leslie Easterbrook? Likewise. Wow. And David Graf (as “Tackleberry”) almost always makes me laugh, even when he had small appearances on television shows like Home Improvement.

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The Hitcher (1986, Dir. Robert Harmon) – I’ve always enjoyed this suspense thriller (you could also easily refer to it as a neo-noir, depending on your definition). Just a great, kind of straight-forward thriller which, as many have pointed out over the years, the killer’s motivations are never really clearly identified or defined. There are all sorts of interpretations I’ve heard, but I’ve always liked what the writer Eric Red has always said over the years; how, he didn’t WANT to go into the motivations of Rutger Hauer’s character, John Ryder. It’s more effective that way. It’s more terrifying NOT knowing what makes the dude tick. And Rutger Hauer was the perfect actor for the role (although I do want to listen to the commentary, because I believe initially they were interested in other actors, primarily Terence Stamp). C. Thomas Howell is fine. I’ve never, ever been a big fan of the actor. I just feel his acting style has always felt of it’s time; every ‘80s-ish. And I don’t necessarily think he has much range, but he’s adequate in the role. And Jennifer Jason Leigh was her usual reliable self, although it’s not like her role is prominent. If there’s any drawback, there’s one point towards the end of the film where I felt it made sense as the ideal ending, but then they kind of add an additional ten minutes or so that feels somewhat excessive. It doesn’t really ruin the movie or anything and depending on what mood I’m in, I either appreciate it or I kind of just roll with it. It was a decision on the filmmaker’s part, and I’ll respect that in this case. And I’d be out of line if I didn’t mention the generally wonderful camerawork and vistas/scenery. They do a great job capturing that portion of the Midwest, and America’s highways, and they enhance it greatly with the frequent blowing sand and dust. Helps to give it a grindy and atmospheric feel. And the music is subtle but very effective. A great movie. Most here will probably already have seen it, but if you haven’t it’s worth checking out.

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Nowhere (1997)

Director/Writer Gregg Araki took all of the elements I loved in Totally F***ed Up (1993) & The Doom Generation (1995) and crammed them into a single film.

Absolutely wild re-watch.

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Secret Sunshine (2007)

I appreciate Director/Writer Lee Chang-Dong's film heavily focusing on the on-going effects of grief, rather than exploiting its cause.

Jeon Do-Yeon & Song Kang-Ho were absolutely fantastic.

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Babygirl (2024)

Wonderful performances from Nicole Kidman & Harris Dickinson but Director/Writer Halina Reijn's film needed to be twice as horny https://forum.dvdtalk.com/images/smilies/lol.gif

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Nightbitch (2024)

Fantastic performance from Amy Adams, anchoring Director/Writer Marielle Heller's adaptation of Rachel Yoder's 2021 novel.

The film is tonally inconsistent, rarely committing fully to its Body Horror ideas and overly preaching when it doesn't ever need to.

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Smooth Talk (1985)

Loved the themes of Director Joyce Copra's debut feature as well as James Glennon's Cinematography.

Even though it was adapted from Joyce Carol Oates' short story Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?, Tom Cole's screenplay lacks the teeth to genuinely push this film over the top.

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Borderlands Starz
Cate Blanchett. Directed by Eli Roth, Tim Miller. 2024
Lilith, an infamous outlaw with a mysterious past, reluctantly returns to her home planet of Pandora to find the missing daughter of the universe’s most powerful S.O.B., Atlas. Lilith forms an alliance with an unexpected team who must battle alien monsters and dangerous bandits to find and protect the missing girl who may hold the key to unimaginable power.

"Borderlands" was an infamous disaster at the box office, but on home video it might not seem nearly as bad as its reputation. Some of it does work. I was prepared to defend Cate Blanchett's honor, but though she's game, she really is thoroughly miscast in the film. In fact, most of the characters are either miscast or annoying, -or miscast and annoying. Eli Roth left the project due to studio interference, -apparently, he wanted an "R" and Lionsgate wanted a PG-13, -and Tim Miller of "Terminator: Dark Fate" did the re-shoots.

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Nosferatu Focus Features
Bill Skarsgard, Lily-Rose Depp. Directed by Robert Eggers. 2024
A gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman in 19th century Germany and the ancient Transylvanian vampire who stalks her, bringing untold horror with him.

I saw “Nosferatu” last night with some friends, and unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling 100%, so it might take another viewing to fully appreciate the film. The biggest problem I had with the film was not the film’s fault. I saw it on a less than premium screen, which renders all the darkness and shadows of the film in milky gray The first half of the film follows the plot of the Murnau original, which means it also follows the plot of Bram Stoker’s novel "Dracula" (and every film adaptation); I found myself counting off the familiar story beats as if watching a familiar old play. About midway through Robert Eggers goes off in his own direction and the film becomes much more visceral and horrific than I expected. The body count was surprising, as well as the abundance of rats. At times "Nosferatu" evokes the intensity of "The Exorcist", with Lily-Rose Depp writhing about and Willem Dafoe valiantly trying to pull her back from the brink. I also expected "Count Orlok" to be the gaunt, bat-like creature offered by FW Murnau, Werner Herzog or Tobe Hooper's "Salem's Lot". Eggers' "Orlok" is quite different, -a larger, more bestial being with a prominent moustache, and it was hard to find Bill Skarsgard in him. Knowing that this was a passion project for Eggers, I expected to see more of an homage to the original, repeating favorite images like Brian DePalma riffing on Alfred Hitchcock. Honestly, "Bram Stoker's Dracula" borrows more from Murnau than this film. Eggers has made a film that stands on its own ...in a pool of blood.

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Paramount +

It was boring except for the last 10 minutes though I liked how Megatron looked closer to the 1984 version along with Shockwave and Soundwave.

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The Coffee Table

JFC

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La ceremonie (1995, Dir. Claude Chabrol) – Two sociopaths meet by happenstance. Chaos and calamity ensue. What an absolute wonderful thriller from Claude Chabrol, featuring a terrific, all-star female-centric cast including Isabelle Huppert, Sandrine Bonnaire, and Jacqueline Bisset (trying to pick which one delivered the best performance is pointless; they’re all phenomenal). This isn’t your typical thriller; this is mostly all dialogue driven and it generates a lot of its tension through subtle hints and camera movements (such as certain characters observing others without them knowing it or listening in on private conversations). And the movie wouldn’t work without the sublime acting, as oftentimes it’s a simple facial expression made by a character that conveys the envy and jealously (or superiority and condescension) that they feel for each other. Because the film is largely one about tension between different societal classes. And it works. The way that the filmmaker builds tension throughout the movie leaves the viewer with a constant sense of unease. And it’s not as though you can’t see the ending coming. You know it’s building up to something bad, but you’re just not (quite) sure exactly how it’s all going to play out. There’s all sorts of hints and the whole thing makes sense, but the way he arrives at the conclusion…you just can’t stop watching. Very Hitchcockian, who was obviously a large influence on Chabrol. It even feels somewhat Polanski-like, albeit maybe a bit less sadistic or savage. But also, at times (and not just because of the casting), it feels almost like a Haneke movie. Maybe a less rigid Haneke movie, but a Haneke movie, nonetheless (and it’s not just because of the subject matter either). I was just blown away by this and can’t wait to watch other works from Chabrol (I have one of the boxsets that Arrow Video released, The Twisting of the Knife, and that will be one of my next viewings). I pick up a lot of Criterions, but this has to be one of the best ones I’ve picked up in some time. Incredible.


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The Swindle (1997, Dir. Claude Chabrol) – A pleasant enough mildly-entertaining thriller from Chabrol. Perhaps a bit over-thought at times, and maybe needlessly over-complicated in certain ways, it weaves a decent enough tale. Isabelle Huppert once again stars alongside Michele Serrault as a pair of clever con artists who are constantly on the lookout for new scams. However, their M.O. is to keep their scams modest in scale, so that those that are victimized don’t even realize they’ve been victimized (or at the very least, would be ill-advised to report it or too unaware to report anything to the authorities). It’s an okay movie, but I don’t think it’s as suspenseful as Chabrol intended. I managed to follow it along to a certain extent, but I think anyone that is honest with themselves will admit that for a large chunk of the movie, you’re mostly completely in the dark as to who is doing what to whom. Character motivations are constantly called into question to the point where it almost becomes humorous. And then it feels like there’s a tonal shift towards the end, as a movie that’s relatively light-hearted and could be classified as “lighter fare” takes a sudden and deadly turn. I think the sudden turn was intentional so as to provide contrast to the lives the pair led before a certain job, and the lives they would lead after said job. And the climatic scene is extremely talkative. Extremely talkative. Again, perhaps it’s just that after seeing something like his previous, La ceremonie, you expect more, but oh well. Huppert is the standout, delivering an excellent two-faced or triple-faced performance. And the film has some absolutely beautiful shots of the French countryside. And one sequence takes place in the Swiss Alps and the scenery is just stunning (there’s even several beautiful shots taken on a chairlift as they venture to a chalet for lunch). So yeah, all in all, worth watching. Just not nearly as good as his last effort.


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The Color of Lies (1999, Dir. Claude Chabrol) – An utterly fantastic whodunit/domestic drama/thriller about a child murder in a relatively small Parisian town, and how it affects a local art teacher who falls under immediate suspicion and his wife. Featuring Sandrine Bonnaire (from Le ceremonie) and Jacques Gamblin, who I was unfamiliar with. Gamblin delivers an excellent, subdued, depressed performance as the struggling artist/teacher who is physically handicapped from a terrorist bombing in Paris over a decade before the events featured in the film. Also features a fine performance by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi (who I was also unfamiliar with but bears a striking resemblance to a young Gillian Anderson) as the police inspector investigating the murder. When a local celebrity is also mysteriously (maybe that’s too strong a word) murdered, the cases kind of converge into this very compelling third act. Featuring excellent dialogue, magnificent locations, and flat-out great performances, the film twists and turns its way to an extremely satisfying conclusion. The dynamic between the artist and his dishonest wife is a sight to behold (at one point he suspects her of infidelity and the way he confronts her about it is like the ultimate f**k you, and it’s actually kind of humorous at how crazy it is). This was a great return to form after the average The Swindle.

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A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

Director Sergio Leone's film runs (almost) parallel with my enjoyment of Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo (1961).

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For A Few Dollars More (1965)

Absolutely amazing film.

Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef & Klaus Kinski? :banana:

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Strange Darling (2023)

It was absolute treat re-visiting Director/Writer JT Mollner's film.

I initially saw it during its theatrical release and I enjoyed it even more the second time around.

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You Were Never Really Here (2017)

Director Lynne Ramsay offers up a formally strong film, anchored by a solid performance from Joaquin Phoenix.

It's pacing feels effectively lean but the script is severely lacking as a whole.

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Kalifornia (1993)

I initially saw this film when I was younger and remember it being a better film.

Probably the most excruciating 116-minutes I've experienced watching a single film this year.

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