Let's All Go to the Movies
- Thread starter LurchingBeast
- Start date
Litheum94
Title Earner
Waiting for the LurchingBeast review for Midsommar. Still need to digest more, but my initial thoughts:
I'm pretty disappointed by this movie. Visually, it's stunning, and the acting is great, but this is pretty much Wicker Man. The plot goes exactly where you thought it would go, and any suspense that is built up has pretty much no pay off.
I definitely need to sit with this, but I walked out not sure that I liked this (and no, I was not expecting a repeat of Hereditary)
I definitely need to sit with this, but I walked out not sure that I liked this (and no, I was not expecting a repeat of Hereditary)
I've read a few people who feel that Hereditary is a modern take on Rosemary's Baby while Misommar does it for The Wicker Man
Ari Aster is now right up there with Yorgos Lanthimos, Denis Villeneuve, and Chan-wook Park - all directors I'll keep an eye on.
LurchingBeast
King of Tool Development
Midsommar - 8.5/10
Ari Aster's follow up to Hereditary is a different approach to similar themes, making it impossible not to compare and contrast (pun intended) the two. Trapped under the grief of an immense tragedy compounded by the anxiety of a stagnant romantic relationship, a young woman tags along with her boyfriend and his friends on a trek to rural Sweden for a pagan summer solstice festival. While comparisons to The Wicker Man are unavoidable due to the premise, Aster takes the general idea in a completely different direction. Midsommar is far from a horror movie though some horrific shit does happen. If Hereditary was a family drama, Midsommar is a take on the relationship drama. A fucked up black comedy that shocks more than it scares. The violence is slow, imminent, and unstoppable. I loved just about everything about it.
I found myself lost in the story a number of times, forgetting I was sitting in a packed theater. An immersive experience. As with Hereditary, Aster implants you into the point of view of his characters as the madness unfolds around them. The bright whites and vivid colors make you almost as delirious as the characters as they navigate the ritualistic psychedelia of the festival. It's one of the better representations of a bad trip in film. Aster never feels the need to stop and explain the why's in any real depth, counting on the audience to pay attention. Some of the deaths are vague, allowing the viewer's imagination to provide the scares. If there are loose ends, they are immaterial to the character study at the core of the movie. He certainly telegraphs things but the foreshadowing never manages to spoil the results. Watching it a second time will surprise a lot of people.
Where Hereditary taught us to fear the deep shadows of our minds, here Aster and his cinematographer opt for the antiseptic of bright sunlight - apt for a story healing and letting go - and a three-strip technicolor look. This is a goddamn feat in filmmaking. With very little use of a sound stage, I can't imagine how much prep work and principle photography went into harnessing the all out assault of sunlight on everything in frame.
Florence Pugh carries the emotional weight much like Toni Collette did. Can Aster direct women to cry or what? It lacks the gut-punch of Hereditary but Pugh portrays devastation better than I've seen this year at least. As someone who deals with bouts of social anxiety, I respected the defusing dialogue from Pugh's character early on. Often allowing her self-awareness to let her get ran over by her boyfriend in an attempt to not be a burden. It sets the stage for an awesome character arc, leading to the massively cathartic third act. Every supporting character feels shallow and weak by comparison though. I still hate the kid from We're the Millers.
Ari Aster is definitely on my shortlist of favorite newer filmmakers. Jordan Peele gets all of the mainstream horror love but his two movies don't measure up to Aster's work. I know he's interested in things other than horror movies so I'm curious to see what he can pull off next.
Ari Aster's follow up to Hereditary is a different approach to similar themes, making it impossible not to compare and contrast (pun intended) the two. Trapped under the grief of an immense tragedy compounded by the anxiety of a stagnant romantic relationship, a young woman tags along with her boyfriend and his friends on a trek to rural Sweden for a pagan summer solstice festival. While comparisons to The Wicker Man are unavoidable due to the premise, Aster takes the general idea in a completely different direction. Midsommar is far from a horror movie though some horrific shit does happen. If Hereditary was a family drama, Midsommar is a take on the relationship drama. A fucked up black comedy that shocks more than it scares. The violence is slow, imminent, and unstoppable. I loved just about everything about it.
I found myself lost in the story a number of times, forgetting I was sitting in a packed theater. An immersive experience. As with Hereditary, Aster implants you into the point of view of his characters as the madness unfolds around them. The bright whites and vivid colors make you almost as delirious as the characters as they navigate the ritualistic psychedelia of the festival. It's one of the better representations of a bad trip in film. Aster never feels the need to stop and explain the why's in any real depth, counting on the audience to pay attention. Some of the deaths are vague, allowing the viewer's imagination to provide the scares. If there are loose ends, they are immaterial to the character study at the core of the movie. He certainly telegraphs things but the foreshadowing never manages to spoil the results. Watching it a second time will surprise a lot of people.
Where Hereditary taught us to fear the deep shadows of our minds, here Aster and his cinematographer opt for the antiseptic of bright sunlight - apt for a story healing and letting go - and a three-strip technicolor look. This is a goddamn feat in filmmaking. With very little use of a sound stage, I can't imagine how much prep work and principle photography went into harnessing the all out assault of sunlight on everything in frame.
Florence Pugh carries the emotional weight much like Toni Collette did. Can Aster direct women to cry or what? It lacks the gut-punch of Hereditary but Pugh portrays devastation better than I've seen this year at least. As someone who deals with bouts of social anxiety, I respected the defusing dialogue from Pugh's character early on. Often allowing her self-awareness to let her get ran over by her boyfriend in an attempt to not be a burden. It sets the stage for an awesome character arc, leading to the massively cathartic third act. Every supporting character feels shallow and weak by comparison though. I still hate the kid from We're the Millers.
Ari Aster is definitely on my shortlist of favorite newer filmmakers. Jordan Peele gets all of the mainstream horror love but his two movies don't measure up to Aster's work. I know he's interested in things other than horror movies so I'm curious to see what he can pull off next.
LurchingBeast
King of Tool Development
The painting of the bear and the lantern above Dani's bed when she's still grieving. Foreshadows Christian's death.
The game they're playing is called 'skin the fool'. Foreshadowing Mark's death.
"My parents died in a fire". Because Pelle's parents sacrificed themselves in the fiery festival climax.
"We need to acclimate to our surroundings", as Dani visualizes herself becoming one with the tree and the grass.
The fucked up love spell picture story.
"Sometimes we need to bring in new people", when explaining how they avoid inbreeding.
The game they're playing is called 'skin the fool'. Foreshadowing Mark's death.
"My parents died in a fire". Because Pelle's parents sacrificed themselves in the fiery festival climax.
"We need to acclimate to our surroundings", as Dani visualizes herself becoming one with the tree and the grass.
The fucked up love spell picture story.
"Sometimes we need to bring in new people", when explaining how they avoid inbreeding.
I know I'm missing a couple more.
LurchingBeast
King of Tool Development
I'm comfortable now putting up my "best of 2019 so far" list:
1. The Beach Bum
2. Her Smell
3. Midsommar
4. Apollo 11
5. High Life
It is a comically bad year for the major studios.
1. The Beach Bum
2. Her Smell
3. Midsommar
4. Apollo 11
5. High Life
It is a comically bad year for the major studios.
Pelle saying to Christian: Think about all the Swedish women you'll impregnate in June
Stinky Pete doing what he does best, a little prospecting.
Huge ass spoilers of course:
Comparing Midsommar to Texas Chainsaw Massacre https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2019/07/05/midsommar-texas-chainsaw-massacre
Comparing Midsommar to Texas Chainsaw Massacre https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2019/07/05/midsommar-texas-chainsaw-massacre
LurchingBeast
King of Tool Development
Peterloo - 4/10
An atrociously dull period drama depicting the massacre of peaceful working class reformists by British forces in early nineteenth century Manchester. This was extra disappointing because Peterloo isn't a well known event to Americans but it has a lot of parallels to the economic woes we face today. The movie showcases the issues of the growing wealth divide and the audacity of the out-of-touch wealthy class and government officials to an extreme degree. It's also a beautifully shot movie with a great many fully developed characters, but to an unnecessary degree. There is so much exposition, by the time we get to the tragic event the movie is based around - a full one hour and 45 minutes in - I just wanted it to be over.
An atrociously dull period drama depicting the massacre of peaceful working class reformists by British forces in early nineteenth century Manchester. This was extra disappointing because Peterloo isn't a well known event to Americans but it has a lot of parallels to the economic woes we face today. The movie showcases the issues of the growing wealth divide and the audacity of the out-of-touch wealthy class and government officials to an extreme degree. It's also a beautifully shot movie with a great many fully developed characters, but to an unnecessary degree. There is so much exposition, by the time we get to the tragic event the movie is based around - a full one hour and 45 minutes in - I just wanted it to be over.
Lutter
strong butthole 💪
I’m prolly the only one on this site that cares but I picked up and watched the new Criterion Collection Blu-ray of ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ tonight and the new 4K scan they used is a revelation compared to the 2002 (?) DVD that was released. First time on Blu. Awesome uncompressed DTS Master Audio and picture.
Highly recommended for the musical lovers out there. Criterion did good. Need to pick up a few more titles from B&N before the end of July (50% off Criterion Collection)
Highly recommended for the musical lovers out there. Criterion did good. Need to pick up a few more titles from B&N before the end of July (50% off Criterion Collection)
Litheum94
Title Earner
You are not. Wife and I just picked this up last night as well.
Also watched Short Bus again.
Reading this I thought "I bet this is a Ken Loach flick'. Looked up IMDB and it's Mike Leigh. Oh well, close but no cigar.
LurchingBeast
King of Tool Development
3 Faces - 6/10
Iranian director and prisoner in his own country Jafar Panahi's latest is yet another reality bending humanist tale of tradition oppressing expression. Filmed almost as if it were a documentary, Panahi (playing himself) and an actress friend venture to a rural Iranian town in search of a young girl who sent them a distressing video. The film gets even more meta as it solves the mystery of the premise fairly early and spends the entire second half showing Iran's patriarchal customs suppressing multiple generations of artists. The Cannes winner for best screenplay plays up tension through the everyday norms of Iranian society with loaded conversations with/about women and even outright disdain for artistic expression. A good but not groundbreaking entry into Panahi's filmography.
Iranian director and prisoner in his own country Jafar Panahi's latest is yet another reality bending humanist tale of tradition oppressing expression. Filmed almost as if it were a documentary, Panahi (playing himself) and an actress friend venture to a rural Iranian town in search of a young girl who sent them a distressing video. The film gets even more meta as it solves the mystery of the premise fairly early and spends the entire second half showing Iran's patriarchal customs suppressing multiple generations of artists. The Cannes winner for best screenplay plays up tension through the everyday norms of Iranian society with loaded conversations with/about women and even outright disdain for artistic expression. A good but not groundbreaking entry into Panahi's filmography.
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LurchingBeast
King of Tool Development
You know how museums (especially science museums) will take full feature documentaries and cut them down to a palatable ~45 minutes or so appropriate for visitors? I'll bet there is a 90 minute 'museum cut' of Peterloo that is great.
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His Turner biopic was boring too. I miss the old Mike Leigh that was like a proto Ricky Gervais/Larry David.
LurchingBeast
King of Tool Development
Can't wait to not be able to see any good movies in theaters locally. Already bad enough movies like Last Black Man in San Francisco only play downtown.
Meanwhile, A24 and Neon are having incredible years but no one goes to see their movies.
I saw Midsommar on Sunday with two friends and there were 7 people in the theater including us and it was in the smallest theater they had in the back corner.
The Disney domination is worrisome.