Recent Viewings, Part 2

[Jim H]

I just watched Breaking Away again.  It remains a nicely written,  great paced, funny and well acted coming of age film.  Good, sharply drawn characters.  Won Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars too, beating out stuff like Woody Allen's Manhattan.  I think it deserved it. 

RAGING FIRE (2021): Donnie Yen is an honorable detective dealing with a pregnant wife, personal nemesis who's a criminal mastermind, corrupt police administration, and a battalion of other cop movie cliches. Totally by-the-numbers procedural enlivened by frequent and well-choreographed fistfights, firefights and car chases. Director Benny Chan died of cancer before post-production was completed. Hong Kong cinema will likely not be taking any major chances now that it's under China's heel. 3/5.

Have you seen Drug War?  You might check that out if you haven't.  It's just interesting seeing one of Hong Kong's best directors labor under mainland rules to make a crime picture, and what he could do with it (for better and for worse - To said he did not face censorship issues on it but that he wrote it with the mainland censors in mind).  You can feel the box it's in at times, but it's fascinating seeing the art of it happen anyways.  Good movie too, and it's free on Prime if you have it.

[FatFreddysCat]

"The Death and Resurrection Show" (2013)
Insanely in-depth (two and a half hours!) documentary about the long, strange career of British rockers Killing Joke, who've been making loud, obnoxious, socially aware post-punk/darkwave/industrial/metal music (depending on the album and era) on and off since 1980. This flick is loaded with vintage film clips and interviews with band members, friends, and associates past and present but unfortunately it gets bogged down too often by letting vocalist/main man Jaz Coleman (who is, to put it mildly, nuttier than squirrel s**t) ramble on about kabbalic/occultic practices and his beliefs in UFO's, Aleister Crowley, the coming apocalypse, karmic "energy sites" around the planet, alternate dimensions, etc., etc.- the movie could have been at least half an hour shorter if someone would've told him to shut up and just talk about the music. If you can put up with Coleman's near-constant stream of metaphysical gibberish, this is a decent crash course in all things Killing Joke for newcomers (like me) and a treasure trove of info for longtime fans.

[Alex]

"The Death and Resurrection Show" (2013)
Insanely in-depth (two and a half hours!) documentary about the long, strange career of British rockers Killing Joke, who've been making loud, obnoxious, socially aware post-punk/darkwave/industrial/metal music (depending on the album and era) on and off since 1980. This flick is loaded with vintage film clips and interviews with band members, friends, and associates past and present but unfortunately it gets bogged down too often by letting vocalist/main man Jaz Coleman (who is, to put it mildly, nuttier than squirrel s**t) ramble on about kabbalic/occultic practices and his beliefs in UFO's, Aleister Crowley, the coming apocalypse, karmic "energy sites" around the planet, alternate dimensions, etc., etc.- the movie could have been at least half an hour shorter if someone would've told him to shut up and just talk about the music. If you can put up with Coleman's near-constant stream of metaphysical gibberish, this is a decent crash course in all things Killing Joke for newcomers (like me) and a treasure trove of info for longtime fans.

I've been asked if I want to go see them. Think they are playing Glasgow in April. Only really know them for one song though.

[Rev. Powell]

SYMBIOPSYCOTAXIPLASM: TAKE ONE (1968): Director William Greaves hires two actors to perform a short melodramatic dialogue in Central Park, then has another camera crew film his process of directing them, while yet another crew films the second crew. If you ever wished a movie consisted of all behind-the-scenes footage and no "real" content, here you go; it's unexpectedly fascinating, especially when the crew takes the initiative to film their own debates on what the hell Greaves is up to. 4/5.

[FatFreddysCat]

"The Death and Resurrection Show" (2013)
Insanely in-depth (two and a half hours!) documentary about the long, strange career of British rockers Killing Joke, who've been making loud, obnoxious, socially aware post-punk/darkwave/industrial/metal music (depending on the album and era) on and off since 1980. This flick is loaded with vintage film clips and interviews with band members, friends, and associates past and present but unfortunately it gets bogged down too often by letting vocalist/main man Jaz Coleman (who is, to put it mildly, nuttier than squirrel s**t) ramble on about kabbalic/occultic practices and his beliefs in UFO's, Aleister Crowley, the coming apocalypse, karmic "energy sites" around the planet, alternate dimensions, etc., etc.- the movie could have been at least half an hour shorter if someone would've told him to shut up and just talk about the music. If you can put up with Coleman's near-constant stream of metaphysical gibberish, this is a decent crash course in all things Killing Joke for newcomers (like me) and a treasure trove of info for longtime fans.

I've been asked if I want to go see them. Think they are playing Glasgow in April. Only really know them for one song though.

I only own one album ("Pylon" from 2015, which I like a lot) and I know a handful of other songs, from the live clips seen in this film they look like a pretty intense show, I'd go check'em out.

[Rev. Powell]

I just watched Breaking Away again.  It remains a nicely written,  great paced, funny and well acted coming of age film.  Good, sharply drawn characters.  Won Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars too, beating out stuff like Woody Allen's Manhattan.  I think it deserved it. 

RAGING FIRE (2021): Donnie Yen is an honorable detective dealing with a pregnant wife, personal nemesis who's a criminal mastermind, corrupt police administration, and a battalion of other cop movie cliches. Totally by-the-numbers procedural enlivened by frequent and well-choreographed fistfights, firefights and car chases. Director Benny Chan died of cancer before post-production was completed. Hong Kong cinema will likely not be taking any major chances now that it's under China's heel. 3/5.

Have you seen Drug War?  You might check that out if you haven't.  It's just interesting seeing one of Hong Kong's best directors labor under mainland rules to make a crime picture, and what he could do with it (for better and for worse - To said he did not face censorship issues on it but that he wrote it with the mainland censors in mind).  You can feel the box it's in at times, but it's fascinating seeing the art of it happen anyways.  Good movie too, and it's free on Prime if you have it.

Yes, I saw DRUG WAR and remember liking it quite a bit more than RAGING FIRE.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Jasper Mall" (2020)
Bittersweet documentary detailing a year in the life of the once-bustling Jasper Mall, a dying small town shopping center in Alabama. The Mall used to be the place to be for the local population, but now in the age of Amazon it's barely hanging on, with a dwindling number of tenants and even fewer customers. An intriguing, but also depressing, study of a retail trend that's being repeated in malls all across the United States.

[Alex]

"Jasper Mall" (2020)
Bittersweet documentary detailing a year in the life of the once-bustling Jasper Mall, a dying small town shopping center in Alabama. The Mall used to be the place to be for the local population, but now in the age of Amazon it's barely hanging on, with a dwindling number of tenants and even fewer customers. An intriguing, but also depressing, study of a retail trend that's being repeated in malls all across the United States.

Remember when society was all worried about the amount of time people spent in malls?

[FatFreddysCat]

"Psycho II" (1983)
After 22 years in an institution, Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins, creepy as ever) is declared "sane." He returns home, resumes running the old family motel, and befriends a local diner waitress (Meg Tilly). Everything seems cool, till bodies suddenly start to pile up again. Is Norman back to his old tricks, or is someone else trying to pin their crimes on him so he'll get sent back to the nut house?
In spite of being released at the height of the '80s slasher craze, "Psycho II" resists the urge to turn into a full on bloodbath, staying at a suspenseful slow boil the way Hitchcock's original did. Needless to say, it doesn't come close to equaling Hitch's O.G., but this extremely belated sequel is tongue in cheek fun in its own right. Followed by a third installment, which was directed by Perkins himself.

[lester1/2jr]

Romper Stomper (1992) - I saw this when it came out at Brookline MA 's celebrated Coolidge Corner theater. It was pretty awesome then and has held up, though it's a little over the top. Then again, dozens of people are getting killed in cities like Chicago every week maybe it was just a little early on all it's chaos.

Russell Crowe is a skinhead with Clockwork Orange sort of swagger, trying to rid the country of foreigners or at least rid the places he and his friends hang out of in of them. He meets a troubled but relatively normal runaway and she becomes part of the gang. Bad timing for her, as all sorts of s**t is about to hit the fan, but that's what happens when your whole life is being a nazi and smashing stuff.

Somewhere between exploitation and film noir, the director was clearly trying to get noticed and I guess he did, as I don't recall seeing any other Australian movies during this era. very cool beans, I will probably watch it yet again sometime.

5/5

The same director recently made a tv series with the same name set in modern times. It features Antifa vs Proud Boys type stuff. I watched some of the first episode which was okay, but I just don't give a crap about those sort of people honestly.

[FatFreddysCat]

"Psycho III" (1986)
A diverse group of guests including a suicidal ex-nun, a half-crazed drifter, and a gang of partying football fans all intersect on a rainy night at the Bates Motel, where poor Norman still doesn't quite have his head together. You can probably figure out the rest.
This third installment was directed by Anthony "Norman Bates" Perkins and it's sleazier, bloodier, and more fun than "II."

"Weird Science" (1985)
Two high school dorks (Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith) become suddenly significant when they use a computer to create a gorgeous girl (Kelly LeBrock) who does their bidding. John "Breakfast Club" Hughes' cult classic sci-fi teen comedy makes the most of its absolutely ridiculous premise, piling on one absurd situation after another. It's been years since I last saw this, but when I was in high school I could quote this entire movie chapter and verse. Tons of goofy fun!

[lester1/2jr]

started watching V the tv series from the 1980's, which I saw as an 8 year old. the first episode was incredible

[Rev. Powell]

RIFFTRAX: DEATH PROMISE: A slumlord and his investors---a corrupt judge, a gangster, a pusher and a businessman---kill an old boxer when he won't give up his crappy rent-controlled apartment, and his son---an Italian Bruce Lee type---promises they will all get some steamy death for their trouble. I always thought Rifftrax/MST3K should do some more kung fu movies; I think they may avoid them because the long fight scenes present a challenge to riff. Still this is very entertaining: the fighting is actually good and can be enjoyed on it's own, while the layer of comedy makes the rest of this very badly made movie watchable. You could go 3.5/5 for this.

[indianasmith]

MIDSOMAR (2019)  I watched this film when it came out in the theaters and had not seen it since, so I DVR'd it and watched it this week while my wife was out of town.  From the director of HEREDITARY, this is a slow-burn to a dark and terrifying ending.  A young couple whose relationship is foundering join a college friend on a trip to his parents' commune in Sweden, where they discover the rituals this cult engages in are deadly and dark indeed . . . HIGHLY recommended for horror fans!! 5/5

[Jim H]

Nobody's Fool - How had I never heard of this one before?  Stars Paul Newman, with supporting roles for Melanie Griffith, Bruce Willis, Margo Martindale, Jessica Tandy (her final role) and even a very young Phillip Seymour Hoffman.  Oh, and it's written and directed by the man who wrote/directed Kramer VS Kramer, Robert Benton.  It's a very enjoyable dramedy, about a mostly absentee father rekindling some of his relationships as he approaches his elder years over a few weeks.  One of Paul Newman's best performances.  A very satisfying conclusion to it all too, with one of my favorite final shots in any film I think I've seen.  Whole movie is like a warm blanket.  Check it out if you haven't seen it.