Amph What was the last movie you saw? (Ver. 2)

What was that like? Worth seeing? Does it feel like a total cash grab or what? It's a really weird thing to do with that movie and I'm kind of interested in it just as a cinematic experiment. But it also just feels kind of stupid to me. I probably won't end up seeing it, but I'm curious about it.



Blindspotting (2018) – Carlos Lopez Estrada

I’ve been really disappointed with how quickly Blindspotting has disappeared. It vanished from theaters in a heartbeat, though I’m not entirely shocked that it didn’t connect with mainstream audiences, but it also received a lukewarm reaction from critics, which surprises me. I found it to be a really incisive, thought-provoking exploration of racial issues. It’s a real calling card for Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal who co-wrote the film and also play the two leads. Diggs plays Colin, a young black man with three days left on his probation; Casal is his best friend, Miles, a young white man that is exactly the kind of reckless person someone with three days left on their probation should be avoiding. Things are complicated when Colin witnesses a white police officer shoot an unarmed black man. This isn’t a movie heavily driven by plot, not even after the shooting; it’s more of an atmosphere and character driven movie. The script is smart, witty and abrasive in all the right ways. It digs in deep to things like posing, cultural appropriation, police violence, reckless behavior, etc. And the atmosphere is one of real dread as Colin moves toward the end of his probation; both he and the audience know that at any moment something could destroy everything he’s worked for and send him back to prison, something as simple as a police stop or an argument with a neighborhood punk. The only one who seems not to realize it is Miles. Estrada’s vivid direction is a big part of that atmosphere; it’s a film shot right on the mean streets and it feels like it. The performances are really excellent. Diggs and Casal have apparently been real-life friends for years and that gives their relationship in the film a real sense of history and real chemistry. Janina Gavanker is very good as Colin’s ex-girlfriend and Jasmine Jones is really scene stealing as Miles’ long-suffering wife. But Casal really gives the performance of the film; he makes Miles a figure both charismatic and dangerous, dangerous because of his recklessness, because he doesn’t consider consequences. Over his probation time, Colin has honed the skill of thinking things through, often too deeply for his own good, but Miles is a man driven by knee-jerk emotion and that makes him a dangerous man on the streets of Oakland. But, as we begin to see, even though Colin has honed a skill of thinking before acting, well, no one’s perfect and the cracks in that façade start to show.

I did have a few problems with the film. There are a couple of moments that are a bit too on the nose and I really disliked the final scene, which tries to be overly bouncy and hopeful. I wouldn’t have minded a kind of “well, those of us left standing will still persevere” type scene, but the scene as it is goes so far as to kind of try to end on a joke and that’s really out of step with the rest of the film. I think the climax, by which I mean the scene right before the last scene, will be very divisive. The film seems to be moving toward a pretty standard, typical moment of confrontation, probably capped with a dramatic monologue, but the movie goes a different direction, a pretty audacious one if you ask me. I went there with the movie and was deeply moved; others, I think, will find the moment contrived and maybe roll their eyes a bit. But regardless of those last two scenes, the bulk of the movie is really masterful, smartly written, atmospheric, brilliantly acted and seriously thought-provoking. It’s sadly, and somewhat ironically given its title, gotten lost in the discussion about the year’s best films and it deserves to be in that conversation. Do a little blindspotting yourself; see this movie. 4 stars.

tl;dr – thought-provoking and boasting brilliant performances, this sadly overlooked film is one of the year’s best; a raw exploration of racial issues and a great character study at the same time. 4 stars.

 

Gotti - The film opens with John Gotti's ghost turning to stare directly into the camera and saying "Lemme tell you something. New York is da greatest ****ing city in da world." And it only gets stupider from there. Like if Goodfellas had been written and directed by Mark Wahlberg's character from Pain and Gain.

 

Ready Player One (2018)

 

Paraphrasing some dialogue from Flying Deuces:

Ollie: What a fix we're in...Shot at sunrise! Mmm!

Stanley: I sure hope it's cloudy tomorrow.

 

Martin (1976)

This is my favorite George Romero movie for many reasons, but it’s the very convincing and unnerving performance by John Amplas as the title character who makes this messed up, modern take on vampires so good.

So eighteen year old Martin Mathias has been raised to believe he’s an 84 year old vampire. But without supernatural trappings, he appeases his bloodlust and sexual appetite in the most messed up way imaginable.

Martin often drugs his victims and then uses a razor blade in lieu of fangs. After killing his target (whom he often sees welcoming him in 19th century black & white hallucinations), he has sex with the woman’s corpse. Ewww. You know it took several decades for this element to register in my cinematic brain. I think I was purporsely blocking it because I sympathize with and like Martin.

Part of that conflict is due to Amplas making Martin so vulnerable and eager for love: it’s kind of hard to be completely repulsed by this obviously delusional teenager (John was 27 when they filmed this. That he is so utterly convincing, and looked rather young is the icing on the cake).

Martin isn’t the only family member who acts out in the vampire business. Tati Cuda (an equally brilliant but awful Lincoln Manzel) is among the elders of the family: Old World, Old School and old mind who taught Martin to believe the younger man is Nosferatu.

Cuda will use every opportunity to torment the boy employing all kinds of traditional vampire thwarting techniques (garlic, crosses, exorcism etc.) to stop the monster who was forced to live under his roof. Cuda warnsMartin if he hears of one instance of Martin’s bloodlust, that’s it. Martin will be executed with a stake through the heart.

Romero not only screws with traditional vampire lore (Martin does not believe the magic and reads up about magic tricks and things), but he elicits another weird take on love and acceptance here that ripples across several characters.

Technically, some shots make the claustrophobia and dread of Martin’s attacks seem really scary: the angles we see from the opening sequence of the small train sleeper compartment attack, to a chaotic house assault where a bedroom and bathroom connected by a dressing room (really a tiny closet) aren’t fun. These shots provide a very real, harrowing voyeurism as we witness what this shy, quiet young man is truly capable of doing. It also turns the romantic sexually of vampire lore on its head (which Romero cleverly subverts as we see Martin’s lustful, sexy traditional fantasy point of view in black & white before the actual ugly slaying and sexual assault rears it’s head in color).

Romero amps up Martin’s loneliness when he gets a telephone. Calling into the local radio talk show host, Martin actually talks about being a vampire.

That’s his first mistake.

His second faux pas is becoming sexually involved with a lonely housewife who later commits suicide. This seems to cure Martin of his bloodlust, but not old man Cuda’s superstition.

Something else, I I like about the movie, the rampant use of earth tones in the settings and clothes. It kind of makes me think “ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”

I am pretty sure my fondness for Martin is partly why my obsession with a couple of metal musicians named Martin was heightened even further. No surprise, Martin remains a favorite character name (I am sure I will nick Martin Mathias for some character).

And Martin remains a favorite movie of mine in revealing just how influential sick thinking can be from one generation to the next.

I hope this gets a super duper special edition soon. It is great that George Romero’s non-zombie movies are getting some love too. His wry, intellectual take on monsters, love, family, and society is really quite unique and still powerful decades later.

 

This.

 

One Magic Christmas: (1985) A young family struggles financially at Christmas Time. The young daughter and mother both meet a Christmas angel who reminds them of the meaning behind the holidays. It stars Mary Steenburgen and Harry Dean Stanton.

 

Never-ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki (2016 Japan, 2018 USA release)
This is kind of a follow-up to a previous behind the scenes feature involving world renowned animated Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli called "The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness". In this new feature, you follow Hayao Miyazaki as he emerges from retirement and dips his feet into directing a fully CGI short film for the first time (to be shown exclusively at the Ghibli Museum in Japan). It was pretty good, though I did like the previous "Kingdom" movie better. It's obviously not for everyone. I'm a huge fan of Studio Ghibli, and as I've mentioned here before am the admin of a private Hayao Miyazaki Facebook group with over 15K members. One takeaway the layman might get from this movie is trying to imagine how Walt Disney himself would've reacted to the advent of CGI for the first time in his films. Miyazaki, for obvious reasons, has reservations but gradually accepts the benefits of the technology. It also makes you wonder if John Lasserter of Pixar fame, who's on friendly speaking terms with Miyazaki, ever tried convincing him to direct a CGI film.

 

Escape from New York (1981) Do I need to say anything else beyond how much my all time favorite movie still Rules? I thought not.

 

I watched this for the second time last night and really enjoyed it again. I had added the DVD to my John Carpenter collection several years ago and I was way overdue for a rewatch. It's such a fun movie. I love the music. And the action and suspense.

And the scream sound effect when that henchman tackles Plissken by the train startled me all over again. And the whole notion of an isolated, dystopian Manhattan prison is a fascinating concept. Kudos to JC and Nick Castle for writing such a great story.

One tidbit I noticed: I feel like the scene when the gangs are breaking through the floors and smashing the windows might have inspired Michael Jackson and John Landis when they created the "Thriller" video. Not only the concept, but the shots and editing seemed rather similar. I wonder if MJ was a fan of Escape from New York?

 

Once Upon a Deadpool

And Deadpool does make a Thanos reference: just as they're about ready for the final confrontation, Deadpool turns to Cable and says, "Zip it, Thanos."

 

Ah that scream by the train car. You nailed the reasons why I still love this movie 35 years after I saw a slightly edited version on tv: an immensely fun movie with a great story, action, suspense, music and I’ll add, characters. Every character is interesting and adds something to the story. My eye has drifted to the prisoners these past few years (the costume design was fantastic too), and I know I’ll probably try drawing some of them and the leads eventually.

The only thing I’d add to the movie is showing more of how dangerous the prison could be. I keep thinking I want to see Snake use more of his special forces training (the head butt and disarming moves were amazing), but perhaps budget and making sure the pacing was on point may had something to do with that. But hey this is what fan fiction is for (I write a much more authentic MacReady than Snake though. )

That’s a great point about Michael Jackson’s Thriller and the gangs coming up out of the floor. I wouldn’t put it past MJ (Heck he toured Shaw Brothers Studios in Hong Kong in 82, to show the breath of movies he enjoyed), but that could have been John Landis’ idea too. Good catch.

Glad you enjoyed it.

For me, I want more genre movies that are fun. This and Raiders of the Lost Ark are very dear to me because they are so entertaining beyond being perfect movies, imo. And I apparently answered my own snark above with this post.

 

Currently watching Raise the Titanic on one of the movie channels.

 

Get Him to the Greek (2010) - It had more laughs than I recalled.

 

I remember Lord Lew Grade's quote regarding the movie's budget: "It would've been cheaper to lower the Atlantic."

 

I remember that as well. The book was very good - I think it was the first Dirk Pitt novel I read.

 

that's one of those films thats not as bad as I expected . also it wasn't until recently that I realised that it was a Dirk Pitt story . They've never managed to get a good movie series going with him tho .

 

Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse (2018)

This is, quite possibly, the best film I've seen all year. It's gorgeously animated and lovingly made, and I'm sure, pretty faithful to the source material. It's tremendously fun. I'm also incredibly tired because I didn't get back until 1 in the morning, so no long review today.

 

The actor that played Pitt in the film passed away in 1993 due to brain cancer.

 

no I meant they've never managed to get a movie series going with Dirk Pitt , they've had several goes I think - like McConaghey in Sahara , I think they hoped that would take off as a franchise .

 

I think it probably isn't feasible financially given that the stories are fairly high tech. Animated series of films might make it though if they got the right people.

 

IIRC, Deadpool says that to Cable in the original theatrical version of the film too. Whenever I see the film again I'll look out for that line.