Recent Viewings, Part 2

[FatFreddysCat]

"Friday The 13th" (2009)
While searching for his missing sister, a young man (Jared Padalecki of TV's "Supernatural") encounters the legendary boogeyman of Camp Crystal Lake. You can probably figure out the rest.
This "reboot" essentially compresses the events of the first three F13 films into one movie. It's not terrible, but it's really not much better or worse than any of the previous installments, either.

[M.10rda]

FINAL DESTINATIONS: BLOODLINES (2025):
I'll say two good things about this off the bat:

1.) The 20-minute opening sequence is legitimately outstanding and contains some of the best action/horror directing and editing we'll likely see in 2025... not exactly a new thing for the FD franchise, which has often trafficked in ostentatious setpieces, and this one is one of the best. Of course, it's the prologue, and it doesn't get that good again.

2.) Quasi-SPOILER only for those who saw the trailer, which was just one extended set-up to a single grisly death scene....... I was ready to criticize the trailer as a pointless SPOILER all its own which shows us the mid-film fate of a character who spends an hour seeming marginal and annoying in any case. Quite the contrary - the trailer actually sets up a couple of commendable twists. At last, a movie trailer smartly deceives the audience in service to the full-length feature! Nicely done.

Okay, besides those two plaudits, this sixth entry in the series delivers the required dark thrills while also spotlighting an essential - and, I think, regrettable - nihilistic cynicism at the heart of these films. FINAL DESTINATIONs are literally about how "Death" won't let the characters escape, yet characters have occasionally escaped to some unknown point beyond the closing credits. BLOODLINES insists upon the bloody-minded technicality of its concept, driving the point home through a monologue by the late Tony Todd, who receives a graceful final exit from the franchise and fortunately an offscreen demise, though his dialogue and his gaunt physique guarantee that neither Todd nor his recurring character are long for the world.

That's depressing enough, and its more depressing still that the filmmakers, in the midst of their ingenious homicidal showmanship, pick off one member of an extended family after another and never pause to show anyone shedding tears. (There are two dry-eyed funerals.) Any viewer who's actually grieved for a deceased family member will eventually begin rolling eyes on this B.S. Perhaps the directors figured realistic grief would be too grim, but its absence just illuminates that we're watching two-dimensional shadow puppets representing real mortality, and kind of cheapens the whole affair. A Basil Deus Ex Machina character named for series creator "Jeffrey Reddick" even enters the film at the last possible moment to explain why no one can ever escape!!! 

Madame 10rda is usually fine w/ gory violence (as long as it's not inflicted on kids or animals) but there was one brutal kill in this that deeply upset her for several minutes - we had to pause the movie. I was very impressed by that kill - so maybe I'm just a ghoul myself!

3.5/5

[Rev. Powell]

THE PAINTER AND THE THIEF (2020): An artist contacts the drug addict thief who stole her paintings (and claims to have forgotten where he hid them in a meth haze), inviting him to sit for multiple portraits and developing a friendship that lasts for years. An intriguing and touching dual character study, but these kinds of documentaries always raise a question for me: how would the subjects act if they didn't know the camera was trained on them? 3/5.

[FatFreddysCat]

"And Now For Something Completely Different" (1971)
The Monty Python troupe re-creates some of their favorite "Flying Circus" sketches for the big screen, including the Dead Parrot Sketch, the Lumberjack Song, The Upper Class Twit of the Year, and many more. This movie was America's introduction to the Pythons, as "Flying Circus" wouldn't start airing in the U.S. for another three years.
Fun fact: the movie was financed by Playboy. Victor Lownes, an American who ran Playboy's London nightclub operations, fell in love with "Flying Circus" and brought them to the attention of Hugh Hefner, who wanted to get into film production. The rest is history, as they say. Thanks, Hef!

[zombie no.one]

BIG LEBOWSKI (2008)

After not making it through the first 3 or 4 times I tried to watch it (and only persevering after that because I was such a big fan of FARGO) this movie has now entered my 'dutifully watch once per year' pile...

This time it occured to me half way through that it's almost like a PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE for slightly older adults. It's not afraid to be surreal, but never disappears up its own backside with it... I love the fantastical world that's created, and the contrast of these oblivious boneheads being plonked right in the middle of it.

Despite how much the bowling aspect is portrayed, there isn't a single shot by anyone that is actually shown in the context of a match. The bowling is just 'there'.

I think John Goodman played his character to perfection, cannot think of an equivalent character in any other movie?

Despite all this it never quite becomes the absolute classic I kind of want it to be... it hovers around that area though.

Looking at random trivia after viewing, it seems there's an annual Lebowskifest  in Kentucky, a religion called Dudeism, and not one but 2 species of spider named after it (Anelosimus biglebowski and Anelosimus dude)

[zombie no.one]

FINAL DESTINATIONS: BLOODLINES (2025):
I'll say two good things about this off the bat:

1.) The 20-minute opening sequence is legitimately outstanding and contains some of the best action/horror directing and editing we'll likely see in 2025... not exactly a new thing for the FD franchise, which has often trafficked in ostentatious setpieces, and this one is one of the best. Of course, it's the prologue, and it doesn't get that good again.

will be checking this when the dvd comes out (not seen the trailer and skipped past yer quasi-spoiler!)... despite how bratty they are I quite like this franchise

"Friday The 13th" (2009)
While searching for his missing sister, a young man (Jared Padalecki of TV's "Supernatural") encounters the legendary boogeyman of Camp Crystal Lake. You can probably figure out the rest.
This "reboot" essentially compresses the events of the first three F13 films into one movie. It's not terrible, but it's really not much better or worse than any of the previous installments, either.

as a big F13 fan who can forgive various lameness I thought this revamp/boot/quel was just lazy and dull

[Rev. Powell]

BIG LEBOWSKI (2008)

After not making it through the first 3 or 4 times ...
Despite all this it never quite becomes the absolute classic I kind of want it to be... it hovers around that area though.

Looking at random trivia after viewing, it seems there's an annual Lebowskifest  in Kentucky, a religion called Dudeism, and not one but 2 species of spider named after it (Anelosimus biglebowski and Anelosimus dude)

Interesting that it took you so many tries to watch it to the end and you ended up liking it. I liked it immediately.

BTW Lebowski Fest was originally held here but is no longer active (they still run some smaller fest under a different name). I do believe there's one in London, though.

[zombie no.one]

Interesting that it took you so many tries to watch it to the end and you ended up liking it. I liked it immediately.

yeah it's strange... I honestly can't think of any other movie that grew on me like that, going from dislike / chore to sit through, to borderline classic     

[Trevor]

BIG LEBOWSKI (2008)

After not making it through the first 3 or 4 times I tried to watch it (and only persevering after that because I was such a big fan of FARGO) this movie has now entered my 'dutifully watch once per year' pile...

This time it occured to me half way through that it's almost like a PEE WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE for slightly older adults. It's not afraid to be surreal, but never disappears up its own backside with it... I love the fantastical world that's created, and the contrast of these oblivious boneheads being plonked right in the middle of it.

Despite how much the bowling aspect is portrayed, there isn't a single shot by anyone that is actually shown in the context of a match. The bowling is just 'there'.

I think John Goodman played his character to perfection, cannot think of an equivalent character in any other movie?

Despite all this it never quite becomes the absolute classic I kind of want it to be... it hovers around that area though.

Looking at random trivia after viewing, it seems there's an annual Lebowskifest  in Kentucky, a religion called Dudeism, and not one but 2 species of spider named after it (Anelosimus biglebowski and Anelosimus dude)

I'd heard so much good stuff about this movie so I expected something truly great. I think I wished too hard as the result was just OK.

[zombie no.one]

I'd heard so much good stuff about this movie so I expected something truly great. I think I wished too hard as the result was just OK.

I recommend that you watch it 4 more times.
(apparently) 

[Trevor]

I'd heard so much good stuff about this movie so I expected something truly great. I think I wished too hard as the result was just OK.

I recommend that you watch it 4 more times.
(apparently) 

I made the mistake of seeing the censored version of it on TV ["So this is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps"] 😳😳😅

[LordGraal]

Payback (1999)

The theatrical cut.  Not seen the directors cut so would be interested to hear from anyone who has.

I like this film.  Everybody gives a good performance.  It's not as dark as it could be, particularly having read the book it's adapted from, but the humour is still pretty good.  Lucy Liu is hilarious and sexy.  I also like that I can't place which decade it was set in.  I originally saw it the cinema and everybody winced when the nose piercing was pulled out. 

Nothing deep but a good time.

[zombie no.one]

I made the mistake of seeing the censored version of it on TV ["So this is what happens when you find a stranger in the Alps"] 😳😳😅

arf, just seen a clip of that... reminds me of the HOT FUZZ censored version, "You cheeky funster"

[Rev. Powell]

THE LODGE (2019): A soon-to-be stepmom is snowed in with her two reluctant soon-to-be-stepkids at a remote cabin and strange things start to happen. A bit of HEREDITARY, a lot of THE SHINING, and a cupful of Jim Jones are the recipe for this dark and chilly cabin fever nightmare. 3.5/5.

[M.10rda]

I disliked THE LODGE in-tense-ly... just had no patience for its pace and its pastiche of better films. I always think of you as being a much tougher critic than I am, Reverend, but definitely not in all cases!