#filmlover

[lforlimbo]

From a notebook that burned 12. I’ve learned to stop looking for closure— some doors are meant to stay burned shut.

[afterallthecredits]

Casablanca (1943)

Don’t you just hate a romance? I do.

Modern romances feel so boring and unrealistic. They usually make me want to hurl. But chuck me right into the middle of this whirlwind noir-romance drama and suddenly I’m hooked.

The over-the-top dramatics, the longing looks, the kind of emotional intensity that would be wildly concerning in real life… it all tickles me in exactly the right way.

Lesser actors might have played Rick as openly heartbroken from the start, but Bogart wisely keeps him guarded. Like a teenager insisting they’re not bothered while very clearly being bothered, he spends most of the runtime pretending he couldn’t care less.

This restraint is exactly what makes this romance work. Rick and Ilsa simply can't choose each other. Their love story isn’t built around misunderstandings or conveniently bad timing. It’s built around sacrifice. Every scene between them carries weight because you know someone is going to lose, no matter what choice is made. Deliciously painful. Horrible for them, excellent for me.

What really surprised me is how timeless Casablanca feels. Rick’s dilemma may be rooted in wartime politics, but the question itself never ages: do you look after yourself, or do you sacrifice something for a greater cause?

And then... the glorious tension of it all. The waiting, hoping, wondering who will do the right thing. Or will Captain Renault simply throw a spanner in the works at the very last minute? Absolutely agonising, edge-of-your-seat tension. My favourite kind of drama.

Lest we forget the soundtrack - chef’s kiss, gorgeous! Maybe it’s my millennial longing for a simpler time, but the music is woven through the film perfectly. Never distracting, never overdone, it just pulls you deeper into the romance, those dreamy Paris flashbacks with enough wistful gazing to make a modern rom-com blush. You don’t just watch Rick and Ilsa remember their love story; you’re dragged unwillingly back to your own first heartbreak.

So I’ll eat my hat and put my hands up: it’s not the romance genre that I dislike. Maybe it’s the way modern romances drag you through predictable plots, manufactured misunderstandings, and couples who fall in love after approximately three conversations and a mildly flirtatious coffee.

Casablanca reminded me what a great romance can be. It understands that the best love stories aren’t really about getting the girl. They’re about what you’re willing to give up for love.

Here’s looking at you, Casablanca!

[stillsinfilms]

The Machinist (2004) dir. Brad Anderson

[khairnoir]

movies i'm going to watch this summer

le mépris (1963) jean-luc godard

8 1/2 (1963) federico fellini

conte d'été (1996) eric rohmer ✅

cinema paradiso (1988) giuseppe tornatore

every possible movie from krzysztof kieślowski, but mainly three colors trilogy ✅

the hand of god (2021) paolo sorrentino

hiroshima, mon amour (1959) alain resnais

in the mood for love (2000) kar-wai wong

chunking express (1994) kar-wai wong

2046 (2004) kar-wai wong

happy together (1997) kar-wai wong

the long goodbye (1973) robert altman

the watermelon woman (1996) cheryl dunye

stalker (1979) andriej tarkowski

sophie's choice (1982) alan j. pakula

plein soleil (1960) rene clement

etz limon (2008) eran riklis

buffalo '66 (1998) vincent gallo

woman under the influence (1974) john cassavetes

on the beach at night alone (2017) sang-soo hong

et dieu... créa la femme (1956) roger vadim

oh and if you have any similar suggestions - they are welcome :)

[fallenangellostinthedark]

Diamanti, Ferzan Özpetek, 2024.

Özpetek ha sfornato un altro gioiellino, un elogio alle donne, protagoniste indisscusse di tutto il film, gli uomini sono per lo più piccole comparse. Sinceramente non ho potuto fare a meno di innamorarmi un po' di ognuna di loro. La storia si svolge principalmente nella sartoria dove lavorano, ma poco a poco di ognuna ci viene un piccolo assaggio delle loro vite, che ci permettere di comprenderne le sfaccettature e sfumature complesse che le caratterizza.

Bellissimo, profondo e delicato. Cast incredibile. Estremamente apprezzato questo colore caldo che mi ha portata indietro nel tempo...

Musiche 10/10

[michaeldagaymerx]

I just saw BeetleJuice BeetleJuice at the movies and it was so good. I got the Haunted Apple Icee again. Then I went to Red Robin for some dinner. I got a hamburger with fries. It was a very nice day 🪲🧃🎬📽️🍿🌭🍔🍟

[artfilmaesthetics]

‘Decision to Leave’ (2022) dir. Park Chan-wook

[invisiblekatanaartwork]

Artist's Blog #130 - Escape from New York (1981)

A Classic Worth Watching: Escape from New York

Nothing new under the sun folks – I saw the name John Carpenter, and even though I’d heard of Escape from New York, I knew I needed to watch it. One evening, I put Tubi to work and added this classic to my IMDB watched list. No surprise, John Carpenter doesn’t disappoint. I felt pleased with how I had spent this watch opportunity – 1.5 hours of my life put to good use! I learned a lot, thought a lot, and had a great time watching a movie that wasn’t a remake, was creative, and had one of the best premises out there. Escape from New York is unique, fun, and certainly worth watching.

Directorial Choices: Familiar Faces in John Carpenter Films

I’ve noticed something and perhaps there’s nothing to it, but I feel like there is. There are 3 directors that I like: Quinton Tarantino, Tim Burton, and John Carpenter. All three of these fellows have something in common that I’ve noticed. They tend to use a lot of the same actors in their movies. Tarantino has Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson among others. For Tim Burton, it’s Winona Ryder and Johnny Depp among others. With John Carpenter, we see a lot of Donald Pleasence, Tom Atkins, and Kurt Russell. Escape from New York features all three of these and some others too.

I suppose that directors get along well with certain actors and not so well with others. I can imagine that the styles of actors and directors mesh well too. For instance, I can see Johnny Depp and Tim Burton getting along great because they are both odd. I say “odd” as a term of endearment and as a compliment. I don’t know what it is about Russell and Pleasence with Carpenter but, there is clearly a link – there must be. From personal experience in the professional world, I know that I work better with some people than others. Artistically speaking, I never collab but, I can see where creative styles could clash. Whatever the reason, John Carpenter used routine actors in Escape from New York, and, as usual, it worked well.

The Unique Premise of Escape from New York

The premise behind Escape from New York is exactly this: escaping from New York City. It’s the why you’re “escaping” that makes the story unique. In this movie, New York City is a walled island and serves as a prison. Donald Pleasence plays the president of the US, who gets captured and held hostage by the inmates inside the walled city prison. An extraction team of one man, played by Kurt Russell, gets sent in to rescue him. Thus, you have the “Escape from New York” idea and the story unfolds from there. I must admit, this premise is out of this world and the movie is excellent on top of it.

Prison Dynamics Explored in Escape from New York

I can imagine, based on what little I know about the prison system, that there’s a lot of truth in the dynamics used in Escape from New York. Prison is a place I’ve never been and don’t plan on going but, everybody knows that inmates, not guards, run prisons. It’s a political matter of keeping the imprisoned happy enough to not riot. After all, inside a prison riot, there is little that can be done, there are no rules, and the people involved are often violent in nature. As one could imagine, the strong would survive and the weak would quickly become prey.

Escape from New York shows this idea, but the colorful setting allows it to be more theatrical and embellished. Just like in prisons, there are “shot callers” or inmates who are in charge. There is a warlord who runs the city (prison) of NY. This character, The Duke of NY as he is called, is played by Isaac Hayes. The Duke is a flashy character who rides around in limousines that are donned with chandeliers on the front fenders for lights. I love over-the-top creative and wild ideas like this that show a loud style to a character’s persona. He makes people scream “You’re the Duke of New York, You are A-Number-One” as his signature move. I loved this because of my ATHF fandom. I didn’t realize that Boxy Brown got this line from Escape from New York.

Fight Scenes in Escape from New York

So, John Carpenter is not the Shaw Brothers thus, we shouldn’t expect epic bamboo-bending kung fu action. While we don’t see this, we do see fight scenes, and well-done ones at that. When I jump into Kung Fu theatre stuff, I expect to see people being beaten for hours and kicked in ways that would kill normal people 10 times over. Further, these people live and learn a rare style to come back and take revenge. Anyway, fighting in Escape from New York is short, to the point, and somewhat accurate to fighting. Take the game Bushido Blade for instance, if you hit a character’s arm with a sword, their arm won’t work any longer. I like this element of Escape from New York.

Creative Elements and Memorable Moments

I only have a few more notions on Escape from New York before closing this collection of thoughts out. This movie was weird to me in scenes where you expected to be on edge due to things being drawn out, didn’t have this effect. Instead, you knew things would pan out and the hero would press forward. The costumes, color choice, and scenery were great. The dilapidated city and rundown abodes looked great. There’s no telling what it cost to create these backdrops. It’s random but at one point, someone used a Coke button as a shield – I found this creative and fun. As much as I love Donald Pleasence, he did not play a good US President. A psychiatrist, yes but, a President no.

Final Thoughts on Escape from New York

Do you hear the echo? Listen closely – I love everything John Carpenter. Escape from New York is not my favorite of Carpenter’s work though. I would watch this again if a friend wanted to watch it, but I would not choose this one as a rewatch. I’d gladly throw in Halloween or They Live (read my blog on this one here) but, not Escape from New York. I’m honestly not sure why but, this just wasn’t my cup of tea. For the super fans out there – what is the hype to you? Let me know in the comments. I love watching movies with different spectacles on – someone else’s hype may allow me to see it differently, I mean. I’d love for you to follow me on social media and buy my art. You can find all those links in one link here. Peace.