A frictionless experience for me. I admire the commitment to its setting and tone, but I found myself unamused by Branagh's latest Poirot entry. Visually interesting, but scattered; the editing kept killing my emersion over and over again. Never found myself caring about the mystery enough for the reveal to be all that fun either. Hercule (and his mustache) were still generally endearing, but I never felt attached to the rest of the characters. Just not for me, I suppose.
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The Swan 2023
Thoroughly gripping and wonderfully constructed. Even more so than The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar, this feels like the experience of reading a book translated into film. Loved the set design and performances. It's very good!
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The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar 2023
I was gonna say that this felt like a bite-sized version of The French Dispatch, but it has its own distinct texture and rhythm that make it feel like more of an evolution of that. Really fun and sweet. Wes is the perfect guy to adapt, like, 80% of Dahl's works.
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Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) 2014
Double-featuring this with The Flash would be crushing.
I still cried, like, five times on this viewing (sorry). It’s very uppity, but the direction, cast, atmosphere, etc. just make it work for me. Some stellar sequences here that I’ll never forget. Remains one of my favorite film scores, too! -
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You Are Mine 2002
Thinking back on any Max Lucado video I watched as a child makes me want to fold into myself until I cease to exist. I appreciate the sentiment, but... no.
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Evil Dead 2013
Watched with my sister who’d never seen it before! I forgot just how suffocating this thing is because I’d had such a good time with it on my first viewing. The tale about addiction and grief at its heart really works for me. It’s just unrelenting. And it looks amazing! Aaron Morton‘s thrilling movement and striking framing paired with some stellar lighting makes every shot pop. On top of that, the exceptional blood and gore hits everything from vomit inducing to awe inspiring. Evil Dead!
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Stop Making Sense 1984
Watching one of my favorite movies ever remastered in 4k and projected into a blasting IMAX auditorium is, uh, amazing. My twelve other viewings had been on a TV or an iPad, so this was almost like seeing it for the first time. A jaw-dropping achievement in not only live music/stage showmanship, but also in capturing it with all of its enchantment intact. It’s a stellar show made more intimate through striking close-ups and electric movement/editing that makes me feel…
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Kill, Baby... Kill! 1966
My third Bava film. Immaculately well lit and deliciously atmospheric. And appropriately scary and spooky! Some great motion and blocking. It’s gothic! The little girl is scary! Fabienne Dali! It’s just a blast.
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Django Unchained 2012
A visual masterpiece. Costuming, production design, effects, lighting, lens choices, and movement are all essentially flawless. Great cast too, this is probably my favorite Christoph Waltz performance and Jamie Foxx nails every line. It feels a bit longwinded; but Tarantino is so cinematically literate that even when I was wishing the plot would move forward faster, I would be enjoying the delightful recital and subversion of the tropes that Westerns are built on. Great stuff. Oh, and the squib budget must have been crazy.
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Wayne's World 2 1993
Started this about half an hour after I finished the first one: an impromptu Wayne’s World double feature.
A bit zanier than its predecessor, which I appreciated. But it also has a lower batting average when it comes to its jokes. Worth watching for Christopher Walken and the T2 bit.