Friday, January 19, 2018

Top 20 of 2017

You can also find this review on Letterboxd

Since I already had a Top List of 2017 I decided to keep it going as a Top 20 of 2017, adding all new movies I've watched as well. That's this list. You can see the original list I cloned this from if you want to know my thoughts at the end of 2017.

  1. Baby Driver
  2. mother!
  3. Get Out
  4. It
  5. John Wick: Chapter 2
  6. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
  7. Blade Runner 2049
  8. Dunkirk
  9. The Killing of a Sacred Deer
  10. The Babysitter

...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Top 20 Watched in 2018

You can also find this review on Letterboxd

Last year I had a Top movies of the year. I'll probably do the same things this year. But also I want to see what movies really stand out to me, so I'm trying to do a Top 20 movies I've watched for the first time in 2018.

It'll start out with a very wide spectrum because I've only seen around 20 movies so far, but it'll really become the best movies once the year is a bit advanced.

This is not an objective list but really the movies I enjoyed the most, so there might be 4 star movies over 4 1/2 star movies, 3 1/2 star movies over 4 star movies and so on.

  1. Get Out
  2. Mallrats
  3. Like Father, Like Son
  4. Three… Extremes
  5. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure
  6. The Great Dictator
  7. Loving Vincent
  8. Gozu
  9. Yakuza Apocalypse
  10. Cold Fish

...plus 10 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

Gozu, 2003 - ★★★★

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I guess after watching 4 of his movies in a short time I should be expecting to see weird stuff by Miike, but still that man manages to surprise me again and again.

This time the whole movie felt like a dream. Weird nonsensical things happen constantly. It's one of those movies that don't just try to look like a dream, but make you actually think you are dreaming.

That being said it still manages to be an interesting story and while nothing made sense I could always follow the plot and at least knew what was happening.

As usually, the movie is looking good, with some great scenes every now and then.

I could go on about this movie but all I'd do is list things that are weird in a good way so I'll just leave it at that.

The movie is weird yet great, fun yet disgusting. It's not for anyone, but if you like unique movies, this is the right thing for you. 4 out of 5 stars and a like.

Saturday, January 13, 2018

The Polka King, 2018 - ★★★½

You can also find this review on Letterboxd

Watched on Saturday January 13, 2018.

Monday, January 8, 2018

Loving Vincent, 2017 - ★★★★

You can also find this review on Letterboxd

This is probably one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen. And I still can't fully grasp that this was made by hand, painted by more than 100 artists. And to be honest, in parts it looked like it was just one of those filters you put over your pictures to make them look like a cartoon.

My biggest fear was that the story would be boring, that it would all be about the art. But I actually got a well acted, interesting crime drama, told in the style of Citizen Kane.

It was structured in a way that made me want to know more, and in parts even want me check it out again. I love that, as we hear different stories from different people, what we see changes. For example, when the daughter of the owner of the inn he stays at tells the story, the police officer is annoying and thrown out, while from the police officers perspective, people are glad he's there.

These are little things that aren't even talked about all that much in the movie, but they make for such a more compelling story.

I watched it in dub, so I can't fully say the acting was great, but what I saw was enjoyable.

Once again though, the art was fascinating. It looked beautiful, looked like an oil painting, but still real, especially some of the black and white scenes looked just real.

I enjoyed this movie a lot, and it's one I want more people to see. I'm rating it 4 out of 5 stars and a like, go check it out.

Cat People, 1942 - ★★★★

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Watched on Sunday January 7, 2018.

Your Studio and You, 1995 - ★★★½

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Watched on Sunday January 7, 2018.

Hot Tub Time Machine, 2010 - ★★★½

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After watching Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure I had to go on with the time-travel-comedy theme. So I decided to finally check out Hot Tub Time Machine.

Again, another stupid comedy, but in the best way. In quite a few scenes I had to actually laugh out loud because I guess I'm easily pleased.

As with all time travel movies, not everything makes total sense if you think about it, also I'm pretty sure Second Life was already outdated a while in 2010, but in a movie where one character stares into the camera saying the title of the movie, you just shouldn't think too hard about it.

The comedic performances were on point, all of the main cast and even most of the rest of the team were funny as hell.

It's a stupid party comedy with a weird premise, but it works and if you like that, you'll have a great time with the Hot Tub Time Machine. 3.5 out of 5 stars and a like.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, 1989 - ★★★★

You can also find this review on Letterboxd

I didn't know what to expect from this movie, but when I saw it was out on Netflix I had to check it out. And damn was I pleasently surprised.

Bill and Ted are just fun. This movie is no high art. It almost has something of an educational film. But in the end it's just stupid and damn enjoyable.

The Great Dictator, 1940 - ★★★★

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Watched on Saturday January 6, 2018.

Friday, January 5, 2018

Get Out, 2017 - ★★★★★

You can also find this review on Letterboxd

Watched on Friday January 5, 2018.

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Canada's Best Kept Secret - ★★★½

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Watched on Wednesday January 3, 2018.

Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Mallrats, 1995 - ★★★★

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Kevin Smith, fresh off Clerks. had to somehow produce a follow-up, which turned out to be easy since his new-found fame also got him a bit of money to actually make a movie.

And I'd say he did a worthy job. Of course nothing beats the originality, heart and shock-value of Clerks., but still.

Mallrats is a fun movie that ups the setting, playing in a mall, ups the characters and ups the actual story.

All throughout there are jokes and funny lines, it's just an enjoyable time. The script is again perfect and just what you'd expect from Smith.

This is to date probably the best Stan Lee cameo, if you can even call it a cameo, and Lee was actually so much younger that I didn't even recognise him at first.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and just can tell anyone to watch it, especially with a runtime of 95 minutes, that actually feels more like 80. I'm rating Mall Rats 4 out of 5 stars and a like.

Cold Fish, 2010 - ★★★★

You can also find this review on Letterboxd

The first movie in the What to Watch Challenge 2018.

I watched this on Shudder and lucky enough this is probably the only movie on Shudder not to be dubbed.

I've seen two of Sono's movies so far. Both were weird and crazy yet really good. Now after watching Cold Fish, I can say it is ... weird and crazy yet really good.

I would even say this is so far the most grounded of his movies, with a plot that, at least partly, could happen, and it's actually based on a true story so there's that.

I gotta say I love the use of Gustav Mahlers Symphony No. 1 in D Major. It's the only piece of music we have in this, but it's used well and fits the tone of the movie.

The acting was great by all involved parties.

There is some pretty horrific imagery in this, a few rape scenes and a good bit of gore, so it's not a movie for everyone.

Also it could have been maybe half an hour shorter.

But I still got the message and liked the movie enough. As all his other movies so far it still has some dark humour and is never fully serious. I'm rating Cold Fish 4 out of 5 stars and a like.

What to Watch Challenge 2018

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New Year, New Me. Maybe this year will be the year I manage to follow through and actually complete one of these challenges for once.

So here's my entree into Captain Sumi's What to Watch Challenge 2018.

...plus 31 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.