Last Movie You Saw, Name & Review Movie • Page 235

I loved this. I had no clue it was the director of Away which has been on my list to watch for awhile.

 

Cuckoo - 7.5/10

really enjoyed this. what a wild ride

 

Trying to get in some less-obvious Christmas stuff. First watches so far:

Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020)
Carpenters at Christmas (1977)
The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood (1965)
The Night Before (2015)
Christmas at Pee-Wee's Playhouse (1988)
Mary Berry's Highland Christmas (2023)
Tenth Avenue Angel (1948)
John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together (1979)
Scrooge (1951)

 

Anora - 9.5/10

easily the best film I’ve seen this year

 

I have a huge post incoming, so let me get these ones out of the way that I'm not re-reviewing:

Maximum Overdrive - 7.5/10

Rare Exports - 8/10

Scream (2022) - 8/10

Scream VI - 7.5/10

 

ok ill save my likes for when it drops

 

Sorry, this is the last two-three weeks:

Black Christmas (1974) - 10/10

Silent Night, Deadly Night 3: Better Watch Out! - 5.5/10

Christmas Evil - 8/10
An unflinching portrait of the psychosexual ramifications of Jackson 5's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause." Supremely cozy.

Adult Swim's Yule Log 2: Branchin' Out - 8/10
Casper Kelly once again succeeds at applying his absurdist sensibilities to a niche (in this case, Hallmark films), twisting it into yet another hilarious, certifiably insane, and Lynchian vision of supernatural body horror. I hope he makes a hundred more.

Curtains - 8/10
I often think about the description I've read of Phantasm, one of my favorite horror films, being "Z-grade horror" due to the unhinged nature of its fever dream logic, and I think this is a description Curtains would share, even inadvertently. Threads in the film seem to disappear at the drop of a hat and entire scenes feel missing, but in a way that seem to contribute to this oddball, surreal winter slasher featuring a terrifying hag mask and a sickle. Points for attempting a reveal I've often considered for a slasher, this time attempted in what feels like another proto-Scream flick. It helps (or doesn't) that even the proper stream on Amazon looks like a VHS rip.

Red Rooms - 9/10
Yeah, I really loved this. Found it to be shocking and provocative in a way a I haven't seen a lot of films be, especially limiting what's shown on-screen to essentially zero violence. A disturbing, fascinating, dialogue-driven film about obsession and voyeurism with an ending that...well, I honestly don't know how to feel about it, but I've been chewing on it for weeks now, and that says something. Really incredible performances and clean directing here, beautiful and ugly all at once.

They Look Like People -8.5/10
A tense and occasionally devastating low-budget opus that delivers horror in a nontraditional sense. Mostly small cast and production, naturalistic performances, and a mumblecore-esque script that somehow maximize the terror of violent, apocalyptic visions and the fallout mental health struggles can cause the people around you. I haven't seen anything quite like this one. It's highly effective and I would likely recommend it to certain non-horror fans as well.

Murderlust - 6.5/10
Sleazy, C-grade schlock than many have compared to Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, which I suppose it kind of resembles if you squint hard enough. Sleazy, C-grade, and schlock are all compliments in my world, though. Shoutout to the Severin guy who sold this to me at this year's Horror Fest - it scratched a very specific itch for me.

Creep - 6.5/10
Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass's found footage serial killer flick remains fun, silly, and creepy (duh) in mostly the right places, even if it feels a bit derivative 10 years later. I think the runtime and performances mostly save this one from being forgotten - something that could be for better or worse considering the inconsistent quality of their recent Shudder spinoff series.

Zero Day - 8/10
For one reason or another, I felt the need to revisit this found-footage analog for Columbine released on 2003 (currently uploaded to YouTube), and it's pretty harrowing stuff. More questionable in it's decision to show moments of the shooting itself via security camera, but not entirely unlike Van Sant's Elephant in the way it primarily focuses on the shooters' ordinary lives and mindsets leading up to the attack. This definitely isn't for everyone, but the biggest takeaway is the chillingly natural performances from both leads here.

Anthony Jeselnick: Bones and All - 8.5/10
I believe I saw Jeselnick quote Andy Warhol in a recent interview with Theo Von (lol) when he said "art is getting away with it," before explaining why he's so tired of comedians like Dave Chapelle acting like comedy is some last bastion of free speech. He seems like a good egg, and this latest special full of expertly crafted and performed psychopathic bits, is proof that he's the best at getting away with it. Who knew someone could be so good at writing pedophile jokes while also lashing ot at Joe Rogan for cultivating the dumbest audience alive. King shit.

Skincare - 6.5/10
A fun and stylish, albeit slight, take on a true crime case that feels almost like Fargo-lite in a complimentary way. I'm not confident that it will have any lasting impact with me or anyone else, but that's okay. Elizabeth Banks is a delight to watch (as always), the casting and performances are very solid, and overall, it does a decent job of stringing you along. Fun!

Heretic - 8.5/10
One of the first times in a while where I'm not quite sure what to make of a movie, and that kind of makes me love it. Between the setting and the monologuing, it almost feels like a stage play, and while I somewhat understand the complaints about it being "r/atheism: the movie," I also think the direction and all three leads here are just way to engaging to boil it down to that. Really effectively bizarre, constantly zigging when you think it will zag, and full of effectively creepy imagery. Grant was born for a role like this. I kind of can't wait to watch it again.

Azrael - 8/10
I am so pleased to report that this dialogue-less Shudder Original starring Samara Weaving is quietly one of the best dozen or so horror films of the year. It's a bit like a B-movie version of Mandy, but in a complimentary way. A straightforward and violent blend of action, fantasy, and horror with some effectively disturbing creatures and imagery. Well-paced exploitation that would make Roger Corman proud.

Daddy's Head - 5/10
A hodgepodge of effectively creepy ideas and images that unfortunately feel too few and far between, bogged down by murky writing and unlikable performances. One part Babadook, one part Gretel & Hansel, one part Possum, add water. The title doesn't exactly invite you to discuss it with other people, either.

Saturday Night - 8.5/10
It's got a little bit of that typical biopic vibe that makes it feel like a bunch of kids playing dress-up in retrospect, but maybe that's fitting given the subject. It's also incredibly funny, tense, and engrossing - and that's coming from someone who was very concerned about the Reitman of it all. I don't worship at the altar of SNL anymore, but this movie successfully captures the magic many of us felt when we first discovered it and went back in time, only to discover certain legendary performers and moments. I only wish Nicholas Braun didn't stain the film, even if his performance as Jim Henson is a highlight.

Reno 911: Miami - 8/10
Obviously dated at times -- I can't believe this one is approaching 20 years old -- but goddamn if it doesn't get some big laughs out of me. The masturbation sequence is an all-timer. Even Nick Swardson can't bring this one down.

Monkeybone - 6.5/10
Another favorite rental of mine growing up. For the first half of this rewatch, I was very confident it was not holding up, but I'm shocked to report it mostly won me over by its finale, no doubt indebted to a soft spot for the cast and some absolutely unbelievable production design and creature effects. The actual writing, unfortunately, leaves a bit to be desired, but go in knowing what to look for (like an incredible physical performance from Chris Kattan) and you'll likely leave happy.

Clue - 8/10
Wife had never seen this (and I hadn't since junior high), so we gave it a watch after a few games and had a fun, cozy night with it. It's a little dryer than you might expect, but effortlessly charming and perfectly cast (Martin Mull!). I don't know if I've ever seen an ending quite like that, what a fun choice that is worth. the price of admission alone.

Phantom of the Paradise - 9/10
A proto-Rocky Horror-style horror-comedy musical that actually incorporates De Palma's stylistic split screens and distinct sense of tension alongside characters with names like Beef!? I legitimately can't believe it's taken me so long to watch this. A darkly funny and twisted fever dream that I can't imagine coming from anyone else. It needs (and deserves) to be seen to be believed. I can't wait to rewatch this one with friends.

Twilight Zone: The Movie - 6/10
As I'm sure many do, I have a complicated relationship with this movie. I grew up loving reruns of the original series, renting this film on VHS, and getting my shit rocked by the Joe Dante segment. So there's definitely a warmth there. At the same time, even as someone who's enjoyed a few of his films, I think John Landis is one of the worst men to ever work in the industry. When I revisit this film, his segment is clearly the worst, not just for the homicidal cloud that hangs over it, but also the story's abrupt ending. While it's rumored Spielberg did everything to separate himself from the film after the accident (which occurred before any of the other segments were filmed), I tend to feel like a little magic tends to shine through his portion, even if it feels tonally uneven. As a whole, this anthology is mostly backloaded with the film's more memorable scares - Dante's nightmarish cartoon creatures coming to life, the "gremlin" on the wing of the plane (not to mention Lithgow's performance in that final segment), and for a lot of kids, that Dan Akroyd reveal in the film's prologue. In short, it's still plenty fun to revisit, but nowhere near as good as a Twilight Zone film with these names attached to it should be, and obviously not worth the horrific deaths of three actors, two of them children.

 

Damn Aaron

 

I warned y'all lol. Probably good that I'm having a kid in a month and a half so I can drop the obsessive need to write Letterboxd reviews.

 

Ha! Don’t count on that going away, I’m afraid!

Congrats on the soon to be new arrival!

 

Thanks, friend :) at least I can probably handle writing the reviews if I'm averaging less than a movie a day, lol

 

Paw Patrol The movie 4/10
47 times in a row

 

sigh

 

I quite enjoyed Saturday Night, too. It knew exactly what it was and the pacing kept it crackling with energy. I don't understand why people had their knives out for it other than that they've already decided they hate Jason Reitman.

Clue is in my all-time top 10. Tim Curry gives one of the single best comedic performances I've ever seen. His delivery of "oh VERY good" when he gets shot lives in my head rent-free.

 

Clue is so so good

 

Krampus - 7/10, it's not Trick r Treat but it's cute

Kinds of Kindness - 9/10, now that's the Lanthimos I fell in love with

 

Wallace & Gromit : Vengeance Most Fowl

I watched earlier on BBC iPlayer and man it's so much damn fun and Feathers McGraw is such an iconic villain!!

 

Better Man

Robbie Williams as a CGI monkey.. actually works!! The song and dance sequences were absolutely stunning but didn't hold back how much of an asshole he was as well but yeah it's a better movie than it had any right to be

 

oh but you're from the UK? none of us in the States have any idea who he is

 

Oh he's fucking massive over here, sells out stadiums all the time in the UK and the rest of the world but yeah he toured the states a couple of times in the late 90's but stopped because in his own words.. America is too damn big and he's too lazy to tour there all the time which is a shame because if he really put in the work over there I think he would be a household name in America by now.. although he did do a Vegas residency in 2019 though.

I am not a fan but that trailer for Better Man I was intrigued by and seem I am on Odeon Limitless which is our equivalent of an AMC A List.. I thought I watch it in the cinema! I don't know how American audiences react to this film

 

Snack Shack - It’s a perfectly fine paint by numbers coming of age movie. Not gonna stick with me too much, but it’s an enjoyable watch. The core cast all have great chemistry, particularly the dynamic between the leads is fun.

I have no idea why they didn’t just change the script to say they were 16 though. Just those two years would have made it more believable. Every so often someone in would mention the main characters are 14 and I’d immediately be taken out of it again.

 

Silent Night, Deadly Night 4: Initiation - 7.5/10
A proto-Suspiria remake with lots of giant bugs and goo and body horror. How could it not be a banger?

Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker - 7/10

Silent Night, Deadly Night - 9/10
THE premiere sleazy 80s Christmas slasher that just keeps playing the hits. All killer, no filler in this one.

Nosferatu (2024) - 10/10
It takes some time to find its footing, but once this settles into a groove, it's a masterclass in atmosphere, visual style, and ratcheting tension. It's Eggers' most accessible film yet (The Northman aside), balancing beauty and bloodshed, filled with moonlit shots that border and black-and-white. It's also an exercise in restraint, a faithful adaptation that doesn't stretch its legs much thematically but creates an iteration that is completely unique to its director in 2024 without attempting to supercede the original story. It helps that everyone here shows up to work, minus perhaps a moment or two of delvery from Aaron Taylor-Johnson. A clear passion project that shows that "remake" does not always have to be a four-letter-word, especially if it shows the same amount of love and dedication put into something like Coppola's Megalopolis. (Ironically, this will make you want to revisit his version of Bram Stoker's Dracula as well.) One of the year's best and I hope to see it again on the big screen.

 

Josh is so mad at that nosferatu review

 

idk, seems like he's more miserable about having dinner with his wife than my movie review