TV/Movies Megathread

[Razgovory]

I saw Snowpiercer in a cinema close to a subway line. The tremor of a train running every 5 minutes added to the experience.

I think it's awesome; I personally greatly enjoy these Asian directors that take silly storylines SO SERIOUSLY, we just can't do that in the West and get away with it.

Oh yes we can.  Look at the Matrix films.

[LaCroix]

imo, the matrix films suffered more from dullness than it did from taking itself seriously. probably because it went on and on over three films. 

[Ideologue]

Asphalt Jungle (1950).  Sterling Hayden, a really neat heist sequence, and a great gunfight sequence.  Highly enjoyable, though watching Rififi again today probably didn't do it any favors.

B+

In addition to Rififi, I watched Topkapi and The Brain From Planet Arous as well.

I received my Ray Harryhausen collection yesterday (contains It Came From Beneath the Sea, Earth vs. The Flying Saucers, 2,000,000 Miles to Earth, and 7th Voyage of Sinbad).  Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to watch 'em--mostly again, though somehow I've avoided 2mm Miles to Earth.

Also got a DVD deal with Them! and The Creature From 20,000 Fathoms, along with a couple of filler titles, World Without End and Satellite in the Sky, that I'd never heard of, though the Satellite one sounds cool--it's some kind of astronauts-in-trouble thriller, and I tend to enjoy those.  I'll be looking at all of 'em at some point in the future.

You definitely need to review THEM! if you haven't already.

It's on my list.  I like that movie, but haven't seen a decent copy in a while.

[Ideologue]

I am soon to be the proud (?) owner of every Godzilla film made available on blu-ray in these territories.  I'll tell you, though, the Japanese King Kong vs. Godzilla has its issues, but the American version is Ed Wood bad.   The Criterion edition of Godzilla '54 is pretty great though, with commentary for both the original and the King of the Monsters recut by David Kalat, whom you won't remember, but I do, as the guy talking over Things to Come, by far the best scholarly commentary track I've ever listened to.  I also currently have in my possession vs. the Sea Monster, vs. the Smog Monster, and vs. Gigan, the latter two of which are really quite fine.

Destroy All Monsters and Vs. Megalon should be here (along with, randomly, The Manchurian Candidate ['60-whatever]) Tuesday.

***

I also write things still, though it's been an unproductive week:

Only Lovers Left Alive (2013/2014).   The film that teaches that suicide is never an option, at least not if you're married to Tilda Swinton--so, obviously, something we already knew.  Nonetheless, it's rather enjoyable.  B+

The stars are out tonight

Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014).  What a beautiful bore.  C+

Whores, whores, whores, and gambling

Rififi (1955).   It's the gold standard for heist films--but just like there's a reason we aren't on the gold standard, it's a good thing that they don't make 'em quite like Rififi anymore, too.  A

The heists of Jules Dassin, part I: "First as tragedy..."

Topkapi (1964).   A completely necessary frolic, Topkapi is both inferior to its predecessor and a most welcome corrective to it.  B+

The heists of Jules Dassin, part II: "...then as farce"

[citizen k]

Anyone see "The Strain" last night? It had freaking vampire spec ops. /timmymode

[Eddie Teach]

Yep. Fun show.

That pic makes me wonder how the guy in front got his scar.

[Ideologue]

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).  Enormous wacky fun.  B+, really, really close to an A, but it's perhaps a touch too long and Christ on His cross does one pity poor miscast Keanu, barely done with his bogus journey and in no state to play anything straight and seem to ever mean it.  Oldman and Hopkins are fantastic, though.

Fright Night (1985).  When I first heard about Fright Night, the expectation from the premise was that it would be a horror-comedy.  Instead, it's a pretty great horror-horror movie, often legitimately scary.  (Not many vampire movies you can say that about, in my experience.)  A bit of a tongue-in-cheek tone rises up from time to time, but Sarandon is unchained.  Also 10,000% sexier than every Twilight movie put together, if you're into DS stuff, anyway.  A

Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979).  Possibly the most boring Goddamned thing I ever saw.  I for Incomplete, because I decided exercise was a better use of my time, but F for Finished, as in "I'm finished even if the movie ain't."

[Martinus]

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).  Enormous wacky fun.  B+

Is this the one made by Coppola?

[Ideologue]

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).  Enormous wacky fun.  B+

Is this the one made by Coppola?

Yes.  It's better than The Conversation.

[Eddie Teach]

Any decent movie is better than conversation.

[celedhring]

Dracula has some great stuff, but also some bizarre/stupid moments that completely take me out of the pic. Like that small bit that's shot with an early film camera. I mean, WTF?

[Admiral Yi]

The red headed chick had a nice rack.

[celedhring]

The red headed chick had a nice rack.

Sadie Frost, she married Jude Law IIRC.

[The Brain]

Dracula is great.

[Sheilbh]

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992).  Enormous wacky fun.  B+, really, really close to an A, but it's perhaps a touch too long and Christ on His cross does one pity poor miscast Keanu, barely done with his bogus journey and in no state to play anything straight and seem to ever mean it.  Oldman and Hopkins are fantastic, though.

Big, hammy, accented Oldman is the best sort of Oldman.