What Films Have You Seen Recently?

[Dave Boy]

vacanze_per_un_massacro_19801.jpg
VACANZE PER UN MASSACRO (MADNESS) (1980)

An escaped convict returns to the cottage where he hid his stash of money.
He runs into the cottage owners, a husband and wife and the wife's sister.
He holds the family hostage and plays them against each other as the sister is having an affair with the husband. He then sets about to rape and humiliate the family..

Sleezy low budget flick with the same ideas as LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and HOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE PARK.
Lorraine De Selle (CANNIBAL FEROX, HOUSE AT THE EDGE OF THE PARK) spends a lot of the running time walking around in the nude which is a good bonus. Quick but effective ending.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Bande ?* part (1964)

Jean Luc Godard's playful tribute to old Hollywood done in his own style of Gallic cool is a fairly whimsical affair. It's the story of a couple of chancers (Sami Frey and Claude Brasseur) who meet up with the lovely Anna Karina and plan a robbery. Referencing several films from Hollywood, the trio roam Paris plotting the heist via acting out shoot outs in the streets and such like.

In all honesty it does drag a tad until we reach two pivotal scenes. One is fairly straightforward of the three running through the Louvre but it's so richly constructed it seems more than just that. The second is the films most cherished scene, a four minute dance sequence in a cafe - The Madison Dance - according to Karina. It's the best scene in the movie by far and might be the best scene i've seen in a movie this year as the three protagonists dance together yet Godard also appears to show them dancing alone which is surely a metaphor for the whole film. The sequence is done to music that often stops and is punctuated by a Godard voice over. If i'm not mistaken it was also shown from one single static camera as well. It shouldn't work but it does - brilliantly. So much so that i rewound the scene immediately and watched it again... twice.

In the best film Noir tradition Godard's voice over is a constant in the film but it's simple flourishes that shall remain memorable such as the three discussing observing a minutes silence, so Godard cuts the soundtrack for a minute. It's small points like this that make this film what it is rather than it's rather banal plot.

However with that dance, Godard certainly leaves you breathless.

[Susan Foreman]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Bande Ã* part (1964)

As a piece of trivia, Quentin Tarantino and Lawrence Bender named their production company 'A Band Apart' after this film

[keirarts]

Ready player one.

If you can, see this theatrically.

The plot of Ready player one is thin, wafer thin. Like a mint. It has more holes in it than a tramps vest and characters who are so underwritten as to feel like video game avatars...

Ahem.

But its a damn pretty film. Visually stunning. It may even be another Avatar in that its a terrific audio-visual experience but once the initial experience has worn thin there's not a great deal underneath.

I enjoyed it however. It threw in enough nods to stuff I like to appeal to me including Gundam, mecha godzilla, chucky, king Kong, Krull.... well I'm not going to name them all. It also has a lengthy scene in the Overlook hotel. Yes. THAT Overlook hotel with the score from the original The Shining used to great effect. What really made it great was the family's in the audience where the kids hadn't seen the shining but the parents had. The reaction to it, including the creepy kids, room 237 and the flood of blood from the elevator.

Overall its a fun 2 hours. It feels shorter. Its got a feel to it like the classic eighties kids films like Goonies. back to the future and the last starfighter.

Not Amazing but worth seeing.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Susan Foreman

As a piece of trivia, Quentin Tarantino and Lawrence Bender named their production company 'A Band Apart' after this film

Yeah, he's interviewed briefly on the disc. He also probably took his 'Let's go to work' Reservoir Dogs line from the film too.

[ArgentoFan1987]

Originally Posted by Susan Foreman

When it was being made, it had the working title of 'Creeps' or 'Creepers', but other than that, it was released as 'Bloody Birthday'

I know Phenomena was also known as Creepers.

[Nostalgic]

Punch Drunk Love

Wanted to see what the big deal is as criterion bought it so it must be better than it looks!

Paul Thomas Anderson really divides me. I love Boogie Nights, hate Magnolia, love There Will Be Blood, and just wasnt interested in anything else.

Punch Drunk Love is unfortunately underwhelming, another neurotic American drama, part Woody Allen, part Darren Aronofski, with a dash of Coen Brothers "scam gone awry" plot thrown in.

I think if I was film student or screenwriter or art house critic I would love it, but it's really bad. Couldnt see the big deal, sorry!

[bizarre_eye@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nostalgic

Punch Drunk Love

Wanted to see what the big deal is as criterion bought it so it must be better than it looks!

Paul Thomas Anderson really divides me. I love Boogie Nights, hate Magnolia, love There Will Be Blood, and just wasnt interested in anything else.

Punch Drunk Love is unfortunately underwhelming, another neurotic American drama, part Woody Allen, part Darren Aronofski, with a dash of Coen Brothers "scam gone awry" plot thrown in.

I think if I was film student or screenwriter or art house critic I would love it, but it's really bad. Couldnt see the big deal, sorry!

PTA really divides me too. I love Boogie Nights and Magnolia, thought The Master was pretty bollocks and can take or leave Inherent Vice. There Will Be Blood is well-acted and well-made but I just can't see myself ever wanting to watch it again.

I've never seen Punch Drunk Love myself mainly as I can't abide Adam Sandler, despite every dog and its grandma saying how good he is in it.

[Nostalgic]

Well, I barely made it to the end of punch drunk love, it's going straight to charity shop or bin, depending how busy I am.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

I think Punch-Drunk Love is the only film starring Adam Sandler I like and consider it a great film.

I might not enjoy every Paul Thomas Anderson film – Phantom Thread was something I admired rather than enjoyed – but I consider him a masterful filmmaker and Punch-Drunk Love will be amongst the next Criterion Collection BDs I buy from the HMV 2 for £25 offer.