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The Phantom Menace (5th May): went to see it in the cinema yesterday because it was Revenge of the Fifth. It’s many faults have been picked over endlessly (the repeated racism, the clunky dialogue, the flat acting, the endless politics, the weird grooming subplot, etc) but there’s plenty to like: Liam Neeson is rock solid throughout carries the film (even if QGJ makes some questionable calls), the widespread use of physical effects (I believe it’s the Star Wars movie with the largest amount of it) backed by CGI makes it look great, Brian Blessed is clearly having a blast (which is never not entertaining), the pod-racing segment is real edge-of-your-seat 'cinema (although I wss in a reclining chair, so not literally) and the Duel of the Fates is top notch. So, despite it’s faults, I was entertained (as I was when I first saw it, just this time without thr rollercoaster of high expectations before and the taste of disappointment after) and I always forget how the Star Wars theme hits me when blasted out of cinema speakers (I started welling up).
‘Sugar’ is okay. It has a particular editing style that takes a while to get used to. Each episode is only about 30 minutes, so that makes a nice change. He’s just told someone that he has a secret, and if it’s not “We’re all aliens”, I’m going to be disappointed.
I think I’m going to give up on ‘The Sympathizer’. I’ve realised I’ve little tolerance for an actor playing more than one part. Robert Downey Jr. has just shown up as his third character, and it’s not he’s particularly known for being a chameleon. I find it gimmicky and distracting.
‘Taskmaster (UK)’ is on tonight. Yay!
I just watched Arcadian.
It’s a weird movie, but not really in the normal way.
It’s a good movie script with good to decent acting. And the dialogue works well enough.
But it is edited poorly. Things are unnecessarily confusing and the creatures powers seem to change depending on the plot.
The creature design was excellent in my opinion. They didn’t just look like a guy in a suit or your standard CGI monster.
They felt ‘real’ for the most part.
As a cageaholic, I want to see this but there’s no hint of a theatrical release here in the UK.
I just saw Godzilla minus one, link metacritic and I was left with awe about the script and the music. It’s situated in post WW2 Japan, and since we have national Memorial Day for the fallen this week in my country, it felt appropriate.
The monster in itself is not a high end design, but the movie feels like a colorized old authentic movie. It has a special atmosphere . I appreciated the metaphor for godzilla as a mix of ancient folklore and the spirit of defeat and reconstruction after WW II. I highly recommend this movie if you’re into this (specific) genre.
On a personal note, watching the movie is also transcending our (family) history, as many people were taken prisoners by the Japanese. But the enemy, (were and) became victims too. So , Memorial is about your own losses, but maybe also about how your then- enemy, can become a " now"- friend.
What’s interesting is the divergent takes on Godzilla between the US and Japanese versions. I do like the Godzilla as force of nature which also feels appropriate to the country of origin.
I was a little surprised by the ultranationalist undercurrent to the plot but, overall, I enjoyed it a lot. That period isn’t so popular a setting but it worked effectively here.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire — Here’s my Letterboxd review. I enjoyed it, not quite as much as the original, but it is really a set-up for the next film.
Love Lies Bleeding (9th May): Not quite the lesbian road trip movie the trailers suggested but it is better for it. It gets nasty and no-one can claim the moral high ground - so it’s one of those films where you are unsure who is going to make it out alive. There is also a pretty weird scene that is going to spark some debate (what you might expect from.thr director of Saint Maud). Overall, the cinematography is lush, the acting is rock solid (Katy O’Brian caught my attention in The Mandalorian and I expect big things for her if she keeps making smart choices in selecting her roles) and the soundtrack perfectly fitted the period and mood.
I could just cheat and say, check out my blog. 😁
I watched more films, but I don’t review every one I watch. So far in May, I have reviewed:
Titan A.E. — A Don Bluth (Space Ace, Dragon’s Lair, The Secret of Nimh) animated space adventure. Unfortunately, it’s just meh.
Rebel Moon: The Scargiver — I know these films get a lot of bashing and hate, but I’ve really enjoyed them. Looking forward to the R rated extended cuts too.
Beowulf & Grendel — Gerard Butler in an adaptation of the classic poem. Not a bad film, but the ‘making of’ documentary was more interesting than the film itself.
Terminator Salvation - I love the Terminator franchise but after Judgement Day, the quality starts to fluctuate. I decided to give this another watch and see how I felt about it. Probably haven’t seen it since I bought it on Blu-ray over a deade ago.
Updating to month as it seems this thread is getting quieter
