Four Nights of a Dreamer

off topic but these two look like tim c and heath

Pulse

I think this had a really intense sense of unwavering foreboding atmosphere, for unfortunately less than more parts, but when it did occur it was some of the most uncomfortable I’ve been watching a film, and that leads me to believe that Kurosawa is likely very introspective with his films, like in Cure (1997) as well. He’s able to make the audience feel exactly how he wants them to. This was off to a really excellent start. I think that some of the themes are a bit mediocre, and some scenes become so repetitive that it’s less haunting, but the scene in my backdrop genuinely put some nasty chills down my body.

On the Silver Globe

On the fourth rewatch and to this day I still feel like this is how you make a true sci fi, colonizing a new planet, implanting social norms and technology from your planet, making a batch of new civilization everyday, this is like a metaphor to the beginning of time in a religious mythos, playing as gods while making the audience feel that alienation that an alien would, no sense of understanding by language, no sense of place, just pure disbelonging and inferiority by enlightenment, with visuals and camera movement so uneasy. Marek and Marta are the Neil and Adjani of this film. I really wish Zulawski was able to finish this but I still think it is fun to imagine the placeholders, I love Poland but fuck you.

Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted

The aching surrealism in heartbreak, not sure if it can get anymore lynch than this, Julee Cruise is an Angel.

Human Traffic

this is the only film i’ll ever need also I was high with my girl on this rewatch, couldn’t ask for more.

The Sacrifice

I think the best thing I could’ve done today was starting Tarkovsky’s last film as my first. I think truly the pinnacle of being able to express a figment of your own personal dilemma in the midst of a sickness and expand on that idea in a film through a multitude of expressions in symbolism, philosophy, and stigmatizing visual prowess. It’s so ironic because I had no idea about him fighting cancer in the midst of this, and in the first 40 mins I immediately said to myself this feels so personal. It’s so refreshing to see someone be able to emit such an unwavering essence in a single landscape with minimal effects, a vision that was so obviously clear. This to me flipped between an unsettling eerieness while also showcasing a poetic purity proving the polarity of existence, and i think that’s all shown in symbols with the way of lighting, cleansing of hands, portraits, especially the ying yang worn on his back i think is masked by his pursuit of restoration. were all anticipating a purpose in our lives and i think tarkovsky found his purpose with this farewell letter to his son and id like to say to us aswell. Really some of the best work i’ve seen thus far.

Don't Look Now

somerton picked a movie so trash even the voters didn’t show up

Speaking Parts

Egoyan stetic farming, Mychael Danna’s composing, chronically online pre-internet, elusive atmosphere, physical media, casting couch, fantasy projection, world’s first esex on film, obsessional unordinarily distant romance and some moggy people in here just lock me in. Egoyan should’ve made sex, lies, and videotape. S,L,V, Mulholland Drive and Videodrome mashup ‘Love is about feeling someone else feeling you, right? Do you feel him feeling you the way you feel yourself?‘

The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant

I think a film achieves a level of hierarchy for me when I feel like it shouldn’t even be rated, and I feel like that because this breaks a barrier between audience and camera to an extent where it feels like you’re no longer watching a film, it’s more so you’re watching a play from beginning to end. I’m not a fan of single location films, but this one had the essence of an auditorium viewing. The blocking in here is some of the best I’ve ever seen, the dialogue is so easy to pull in, its poetic intensity and intimacy give you that sense of human connectivity, similar to A Woman Under the Influence, a woman flying through a range of emotions for the sake of finding belonging. Camera movement so fluent, drawing the eye with it, every scene feeling like a huge one take despite the cuts. Overall a really skilled piece of work. I’ve really been wanting to see more Fassbinder, I’m glad this was my first; got to see what type of director he is. Very experimental but also text book simultaneously?

Midnight Cowboy

Really exceptional for its time. This is a surreal, timeless classic and nothing really like what I was expecting. Infectious, creeping trauma, masked identity, performative masculinity, emotional burn. This was like a bromance of shared struggle and hardships, probably amongst the first and definitely Oscar worthy. Visuals are way above par, reminded me bits of Wim Wenders films. NYC transplants were cool back then. They were making crazy good shit from the late 60s to 70s, some of the most impressive surrealism segments in this. And stop coming to NY thinking it’s shits and giggles we genuinely hate yall.

Inland Empire

Criterion Spine #1175 I think David Lynch is the only person that can throw out a bunch of ideas while acknowledging his uncertainty about the direction of the film and still be able to make it seem somewhat cohesive, while still upholding its stature as being one of the weirdest films to interpret. My favorite to watch by him now and I fairly gave up trying to put the pieces together word for word but I’ve interpreted the themes of infidelity and what I think is a metaphor to method acting and the consequences on the actor, and the Lost Girl representing the affect on audience and viewer to actor connectivity + the introduction of the folktale theory which loses tf outta me every time, while all the other red herrings try to throw you off. Aside from theory, one thing that kinda flew over my head the first watch was how intense the dialogue is and I think everyone in here, especially Laura Dern, has a way with their eyes that make the dialogue even more intense. The up close shots made it all the more frightening and the handheld camera was like if David Lynch attempted a Dogme 95 film. Replay value is really there too because the atmosphere was twice as intense, unmatched filmmaking. ‘There are consequences to one's actions. And there certainly would be consequences to wrong actions. Dark they would be, and inescapable.’

Martyrs

had me until the tedious torture, but this had way more depth potential if they tapped more into psychological horror after the first 2 acts but they just left us with uncertainty which is ok, keep doubting tho

Naked

BFI#B1432 I love when I’m able to see the cruelty of humanity on film. A lot of ambiguity is produced by a great performance, which is really hard to separate from the film itself, which is not to say anything condescending about the film itself because it’s skillfully shot and visually charming with a perfect lingering score, but that performance is overpowering. Seen someone compare Johnny’s character literally to Satan and that actually might not be too far off. The most degeneracy in a human fueled by intelligence that he weaponizes to belittle others while deflecting empathy and self sabotaging. Really just walking evil with the dirtiest fingernails ever and so many impressive qualities that he uses to be a dick. Guilty to say that this is probably one of my favorite characters I’ve seen. The dialogue is so witty as well, I really enjoyed that, but that other dude needs to die, he’s insane.

Repo Man

almost - .5 stars cuz the 4k disc was not working last night

Point Break

queer heat

Vanilla Sky

lmao this is so mediocre if it doesn’t hit you like a truck emotionally, had at times really good aspects but it’s too spoon fed and repetitive, i was prolly better off watching open your eyes. Really loved the ending and soundtrack fye.

if....

this would’ve been better if i didn’t watch scum, my niggas overly tuff tho. this is like where they learned all their shenanigans in a clockwork orange

Signs

House Party

Criterion Spine #1287 The eraser head shit genuinely killed me, good vibes shoutout kid n play

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

I thought that jake shane nigga was exaggerating