What I watched this week (3/20-3/26)
Oops, It's late! Anyways hope y'all enjoy.
The Wicker Man (1973, dir. Robin Hardy)
So apart from my obvious bias of being a Neofolk fan watching the Neofolk movie, the Wicker Man fucking rocks. Everything about it is masterfully crafted, from the story to the subtext to the imagery and ESPECIALLY the soundtrack.
I greatly enjoyed the commentary on religion and conservatism, which despite this movies age still manages to hold up some. Christopher Lee is amazing and really carries this movie with his convincing performance.
I don't have a lot to say about the Wicker Man that isn't insane raving about how pretty it is, but I will say that it is not like Midsommar at all outside of aesthetics :-)
5/5
Eyes Wide Shut (1999, dir. Stanley Kubrick)
I loved this one, kinda unsurprisingly. Tom Cruise knocks it out of the park, which is surpring - as I normally hate Tom Cruise. But that aside, this movie is fascinating. It does a really good job at putting you in the shoes of someone truly in over there head - wandering around lost, looking for answers, afraid but yearning for more. It captures all of these emotions well.
I liked what it had to say about the intersection of sex and class, and even more what it had to say about desire - and how desire can both bring people together and apart.
Go watch it, it's so much more than just the haha funny cult movie. In fact, the cult is a relatively small part of the plot for how much people talk about it!
4.5/5
Moonrise Kingdom (2012, dir. Wes Anderson)
As dark, foreboding, and weird my usual aesthetic (and taste) in movies is. I am not immune to a feel-good Wes Anderson movie. Maybe it's the style, maybe it's the melancholy, maybe it's the soundtrack. I'm not really sure, but I love Anderson. Especially when I'm stuck in bed with the flu and can't think, which is when i watched this one!
And surprise surprise. I loved it, as it has all the trappings of every other Anderson film. Solid, unique characters, a fun aesthetic and a story with just the right amount of stakes that despite it's simplicity wraps you up and keeps you enthralled. Is it his best work? no, I don't think so. But it's a ~* Good Fun Movie *~ nonetheless :-)
4/5
Halloween II (1981, dir. Rick Rosenthal)
Meh. Is what i have to say about Halloween II. It was FINE. I feel the same way about it that I do Scream 1. It's decent, it's well made, It has it's fun moments, but it's just nothing more than that. It doesn't have an amazing aesthetic, or extremely well done kills, or out of this world pacing and suspense. It does have the same high quality cinematography and lighting of the original, but that's about it. For movies that take place on the same night, they could not feel more different.
3/5 - put it on in the background while you get high or bang your gf or at a party or whatever.
Gone Girl (2014, dir. David Fincher)
YOU ALL LIED TO ME ABOUT GONE GIRL. ALL OF YOU. AND IM SO HAPPY YOU DID.
Because I hate the essence of Amy's character, and I hate the people who idolize it. This movie. THIS MOVIE IS SO GOOD AT MAKING ME HATE AMY and I love it. Sure, Nick is not a good guy either. I don't like him at all, but dear GOD was I rooting for him more than I've rooted for any other movie main in a while.
If this ever escapes, I will get crucified for this and I do. Not. Care I hated that bitch and watching her downfall over the runtime was amazing and enthralling.
What's even more commendable is that the ending twist manages to still be satisfying despite not ending the way I (or Nick, most likely) would have wanted it to end!
Also shoutout to the score I love you Trent Reznor.
Go watch it it if you haven't, and go watch it again if your a weirdo who thinks its some feminist masterpiece
4.5/5