Recent Viewings, Part 2

[Rev. Powell]

HAMNET (2025): Young William Shakespeare courts and marries a witch, who bears his children while foreseeing a death of a child. The film effectively rebuts the theory, espoused by almost no one, that the death of his son Hamnet from the plague inspired Shakespeare to write "Hamlet." As Agnes Shakespeare, Jessie Buckley is great; the movie, however, is mediocre. 2.5/5.

[M.10rda]

The film effectively rebuts the theory, espoused by almost no one, that the death of his son Hamnet from the plague inspired Shakespeare to write "Hamlet."

I've paid no attention to this film, but according to both my wife and my mother, the promotions for HAMNET focus on the theory that his son's death inspired the play. You mean to say it then goes ahead and rebuts the premise that is the foundation of the film's publicity?  That's wild. You're right, though. No one who is seriously into the Shakespearean canon is too interested in his dead son.

[Rev. Powell]

The film effectively rebuts the theory, espoused by almost no one, that the death of his son Hamnet from the plague inspired Shakespeare to write "Hamlet."

I've paid no attention to this film, but according to both my wife and my mother, the promotions for HAMNET focus on the theory that his son's death inspired the play. You mean to say it then goes ahead and rebuts the premise that is the foundation of the film's publicity?  That's wild. You're right, though. No one who is seriously into the Shakespearean canon is too interested in his dead son.

yes, I mean to say it's so badly done that it disproves its own thesis.

[Dr. Whom]

The Tenth Victim (1965)

In the future, which looks a lot like 1960s Italy, the main entertainment programme is 'The Big Hunt', in which licensed assassins try to kill eachother. Whoever survives ten rounds wins One! Million! Dollars! (actually said that way). The finalists are Ursula Andress and a disconcertingly blonde Marcello Mastroianni. Will one of them win the prize or will love triumph?

This is one of those so cool it hurts movies of the sixties, and an obvious inspiration of Austin Powers. However, you can't spoof a spoof. This movie wears its fumetti inspiration proudly on its sleeve and doesn't even try to be plausible if it can be cool instead. For all its campiness, it does make some points about popular culture and society, which puts it several cuts above, say, Reflet dans un diamant mort or the near contemporary Modesty Blaise. Another thing that sets it apart from you typical dystopian death match movies, is that the participants are completely voluntary. They are not forced by some oppressive or exploitative regime, but are in it for their fifteen minutes of fame and the sponsoring deals.

[M.10rda]

I really like that one and I LOVE the original score!

[Rev. Powell]

IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT (2025): In modern Iran, former political prisoner Vahid kidnaps a man he thinks was his primary torturer, but he can't be 100% sure of his target's identity. Jafar Panahi's latest is about the central dilemma of resisting tyranny: how can we fight monsters without becoming monsters ourselves? 4/5.

As an aside, it was an interesting look at the casual culture of bribery/tipping in modern Iran: it seems like every interaction with a stranger results in a request for money (or more money). One security guard carries a credit card reader along on his rounds so he can accept bribes by debit card.

[Rev. Powell]

On the other end of the spectrum:

RIFFTRAX: THE GUY FROM HARLEM: The movie is about a guy from Harlem who lives and works as a detective in Miami and never once mentions Harlem, who fights the confusing schemes of local whitey bodybuilder/gangster Big Daddy. The underlying movie is one of the worst Rifftrax has ever done, a nothing of a film that's basically a backyards version of SHAFT with no budget, limited action, and no actors of note or talent; for some reason, this is one of the team' most popular efforts, probably because of the novelty of it being the only true blaxploitation movie in the riffing catalog. 3/5.