#excellent cinematography & lighting

[thelighthouseandthekraken]

Everyone is firing on all cylinders on this one

[tgirlsaintlawrence]

Fuck just started watching Severance this shit is so well made what the fuck

[troglobite]

me, sobbing loudly, vision completely obscured by tears, watching the credits on the final ep of fellow travelers: oh my god look the intimacy coordinators and dialect coaches! you guys did incredible work! [more active sobbing, voice completely wobbling and weak]

[xoxochb]

— lost kitchen privileges ꣑ৎ‧₊˚.

warnings: none! pairing: husband! percy jackson x wife! reader a/n: okay here’s the very long awaited part two 🙏🏼🙏🏼

part one

“absolutely not.”

percy frowns. “that’s not fair.”

“not fair? well, I’m sorry, but you almost just burnt down my kitchen so I don’t exactly trust you.”

“your kitchen? this is our house, it’s our kitchen.”

“It was our kitchen until you lost your privileges about five minutes ago.” you point to the living room. “please exit the kitchen.”

“but what about— I’m hungry!” percy begins whining like a small child. you sigh and rub your face before ultimately crossing your arms.

“okay, find something to eat and then leave.”

his face lights up at this. swiftly, he takes your face between his hand and pecks your lips. “you’re my favorite wife ever, don’t forget that!”

and he runs off to the pantry. you shake your head and fix yourself a cup of coffee before going to find him. when you do— he’s sitting on the couch with a bowl of cereal and the television on.

“why are you watching children’s shows?” you inquire, placing your mug atop the coffee table and situating yourself on his lap, careful of the fruit loops he’s very ravenously eating (though the second you sit he puts them on the coffee table and wraps his arms around your hips).

“this is peak cinematography. it’s about this family of australian dogs and they’re blue and orange! but I hate that fuck ass poodle.” he ushers your gaze to the screen where there is indeed— a plethora of dogs talking with each other.

“okay…” you reach over and grab your cup, taking a long sip of it and placing it on your own lap.

“so, when am I allowed back in the kitchen?”

you think for a moment. “not until we get a new toaster. I’ll teach you how to properly use it and how to remove foil all the way.”

he averts his eyesight from the screen to you. “that’s not fair.”

“oh, the pain of it all! what ever shall you do?” you dramatize. he doesn’t find your show as excellent as you did, his attention returns to the television.

“you’re a mean wife.”

“you’re an idiot husband.”

you assume percy is aware he’s lost the argument. instead of fighting back, he very roughly presses his lips against yours. you make no objection to this.

[thealogie]

ok spoiler free wicked movie review for the three of you who said you want me to go see it early and tell you about it:

-Let's get the bad out of the way first because (surprisingly) I mostly have positive thoughts. Do you know when a movie is so dark you cannot see? This was the opposite. Multiple scenes/shots in this movie were so bright I could not see. One shot would be beautifully lit/colored and then the next would be completely washed out with bright overpowering lighting reminiscent of an influencer ring light. I am not even a cinematography snob but some of this was distractingly bad. There's so much money on screen. Let me see it?

-Similarly, Jon M Chu cutting frantically between different coverages/close-ups/wide shots was just not for me but tastes can vary on this. Someone would be doing beautiful choreo and suddenly we'd cut to a reaction shot or close-up in the middle of a mesmerizing choreo move. Bro, I was looking at that why did you cut away? "Singing in the Rain" was not shot like this, bro.

-Ok on to the positive, which was most things. Most important thing: the movie understood the story and the characters. I truly don't see anyone walking out of there being like "the movie didn't understand the characters or their relationship." In the same vein, I think the performances were out of this world, which was to be expected. But like, stunning. Chemistry, singing...all on point. And I say this as someone who is not an Ariana enjoyer at all.

-As you might expect, they added some dialogue/backstory to fill it out and make it feel like a movie. These additions were small and excellent and improved on the story every time, which is often not the case with an adaptation.

-The crowd i saw it with was NOT a "clap after every song" crowd AT ALL but we were all moved to applause after cynthia erivo's wizard and I. Truly, otherworldly.

-There was not enough lesbian subtext in the broadway show and there is not enough lesbian subtext in the movie but there was more lesbian subtext in the movie. Lots of tossing and turning on beds during "what is this feeling" and otherwise. A win.

-Really really minor spoiler: rip to glinda's yellow emerald city dress. You will be missed.

-Amazing use of special effects (which were used judiciously and well and not distracting) vs. practical effects (which were stunning and looked good).

-Dancing through life was so beautifully choreographed and performed. I'm gagged. I just wish I could have seen it better what with the bright lighting and the constant cutting to people's faces while my man J Bailey was doing stunning footwork. Again, Singing in the Rain would never do this.

[fierceyetflawed]

finished broadchurch season 1!!!

oh my god what a show right?!! I knew how beloved it was before getting into it and yet I'm only surprised at the sheer brilliance.

kept me on edge, kept me guessing but it was so much more than your basic cop drama. when the layers started coming off and we started seeing more and more about the townsfolk. it's fascinating how human minds work. the grey morals, the manipulation, the self justification and just how quickly one can cross that threshold and fall. it's all so complex and intriguing. the cinematography, the lighting and the camera work was so beautiful done. I'm just in awe. really beautifully made show.

david and olivia were excellent as always. loved the bickering and the bond hardy and miller shared. hadn't seen jodie in anything before this and oh my god I'm so impressed and in love with her performance! (makes me extremely excited to see her doctor when I come around to that)

can't wait to start s2 now <3

edit: finished S2!!!!!

[wiltedprayers]

i know Bastogne is universally recognized as the Best band of brothers episode and listen, I get it and also agree in the sense that the story portrayed is the most interesting and overall it's incredibly well written. but I'd just like to point out the excellence that's episode 5, "Crossroads."

(Crossroads is the episode that focuses the most on Dick Winters — ep 1, 2, and later 10 also do but it's not as centralized as it is here — We follow Dick through an anachronistic series of events, and the episode ends with E company moving towards Bastogne. It's directed by Tom Hanks.)

I love this episode because of all the different creative choices it has and how it stands out visually and sonically in comparison to all the other eps. so in technical aspects, it's my favorite of the bunch. this distinction is exemplary in the sequences that go from Dick writing his report quietly in his office to him leading the attack on the SS companies. It's very interesting to me how loud and obnoxious the typing gets for both Dick and the audience after a while; in the battlefield, there's nothing to pull Dick out of his concentration, always the focused leader. he has a mission to do, and he intends to carry it out as smoothly as possible (as seen in this episode). in the office, though, he's distracted, losing track of time, almost physically feeling the noises of the typewriter as if it was the sound of a gun going off inside his ears.

the back and forth between time periods is amazing. the sound design in this episode is my personal favorite (in a show with explosions and rifles, you wouldn't think a clacking typewriter and a man out of breath would be the reason for this). the combined sounds of Dick writing with the gunshots going off, the change in paragraphs with the tearing of the tape? Dick and the company running towards the enemy (clearly screaming) with nothing but the sounds of their breaths and footsteps making noise? just excellent sound design.

also, the cinematography. I could talk for hours about how good this episode's photography and lighting are. there's this particular moment I love after Alley is shown to be hit and bleeding on the barn table, where we immediately cut to Dick writing about this in his report. it's all about the stark contrast between the lived experience of seeing one of your men badly wounded and then simply writing and reading about it.

the night shots as well. it's very easy to fail in making a night scene both properly lit but also indicative of the time (some shows make it look dark as shit basically), but band of brothers does it well: in the first pic, you only have the moonlight as illumination, which is not much, but it helps to get you into Dick's perspective of having to go through this mission in the depths of night with such a limited field of vision.

there's several night scenes in this episode, most notably the battle on the Crossroads, but also Operation Pegasus, the night Moose is shot, Dick in Paris, and then Easy company going into Bastogne.

finally, the color grading. band of brothers is a strange show that's always changing in its color grading — maybe the different directors had no prior discussion before filming the episodes, as it happened with the writers' room, but I doubt this — nevertheless, Crossroads' color grading stands out, specially in the long-awaited scene of E company charging against the SS companies.

the high contrast of the dark shadows with the desaturated greens (and later reds) make for quite a sight, especially if you compare it to the warmer tones of the present scenes of Dick writing. the show wants you to know how different these moments are for Dick, who under fire is collected and focused but is ultimately crumbling under the bureaucratic pressure.

also I freaking love all the shots and framing of the typewriter. nothing to say other than they're cool as hell.

and this isn't even covering the emotional and character-driven aspects of the story! (that's a post for another day, maybe). for me Crossroads is a masterpiece of an episode in what it means to use camera, lighting, and sound to make your story as immersing as possible; it connects beautifully all technical aspects of filmmaking and, in my opinion, delivers one of the show's best episodes (that's accompanied with a great script.)

[thenotoriousscuttlecliff]

When I say this era is the best the show has ever looked, I don't just mean because of the direction and cinematography, both of which are excellent. It's also also because of the amazing production design, the great costuming, the excellent lighting, all of which comes together with the direction and cinematography to create some absolutely cracking visuals.

[toastofthetrashfire]

My Top Shows 2023

Doing this at the last minute but here goes--the top 10 shows I watched in 2023!

*Note: I rate my shows on a letter scale cause I don't like narrowing it down to a specific number. (S-standout As-Strong Bs-Fine Cs-There's some problems Ds-ooof)

1. Oh No! Here Comes Trouble

This one instantly became an all time favorite. It covers themes about grief and loss in a deeply empathetic and humanizing way along side the supernatural elements. I don't know if it's because I've experienced loss myself or because it's a universal experience, but I love shows like this that help you understand what it means to grieve and heal in a familiar yet new light. It reminded me a lot of Natsume Yuujinchou (another favorite) in that respect.

Aside from the larger themes, you have a distinct directing style, quirky sense of humor, well-rounded cast of characters, and excellent acting (the lead actor was also in Your Name Engraved Herein and he's just as standout here). In addition to all that, the show gives us a main trio of characters whose strengths are deliberately not their wits. This is used for humor but also to make more meaningful points about connection, empathy, and different ways of thinking (yes, I headcanon the main trio as neurodivergent).

Rating: S+

2. The Eighth Sense

This show! Another piece that is deeply rooted in exploring trauma and loss. This time within the framework of a romance. I'm usually pretty hesitant with stories that bring disability into romance, especially mental illness. There's a tendency to lean into the idea that love cures all and other not so great tropes. The Eighth Sense does a great job balancing that line, giving us romantic beats without wading into them uncritically. In the end, healing and love are things we choose not something guaranteed, but there's still an immense hope in that. I'm an giant sucker for shows that tackle both queer and crip experiences with nuance and grace, and the Eighth Sense hit that mark for me (so much so it even had me writing a little meta). On top of that it has beautiful cinematography and visual choices.

Rating: S

3. Moonlight Chicken

A beautiful show all around! P'Aof constantly knocks it out of the park with every show he directs, but I felt particularly strong about Moonlight Chicken. I adore the way it centers on themes of home and community. It even inspired some meta and a bit of personal reflection for me on what it means to choose home as someone who is queer and disabled. The show gives us the messiness that comes with navigating new and old relationships and somehow also the simplicity of it all. And of course, the show includes a Deaf character and handles his story with nuance and clear care.

Rating: S

4. Shadow

Singto, Fluke, and Fiat in a queer horror show--sign me up! It wasn't as scary as I expected, more psychological (which is good because I am so picky about what types of horror are too much for me vs what I enjoy). I loved the way the show played with time and reality and drew upon various religious practices to create a unique atmosphere. I also adored the attention to small details that make the piece ripe for analysis. I will probably be eyeing clocks and tech in many shows to come. It's also a show that is bringing up themes about queerness, mental illness, domestic violence, and historical trauma. I'm continually drawn to pieces that are queer and crip, so I suppose it's no surprise that this one drew me in too.

I know this show was divisive, about as many people thought it stuck the landing as didn't. I happen to land in the former category. I adore media that makes me stop and think, and given the amount of meta the show had/has me writing, I'd say it well and truly tickled my brain. The show didn't always go where I most wanted or expected but I think that challenged me even more to really think about what the show might be trying to do (my thoughts on that here, spoilers though).

Rating: S

5. Our Dining Table

Japan does a lot of things well, but I'm particularly fond of their slice-of-life. Our Dining Table fits right in there with food and found family at the center. It's warm and cute, but has a depth beyond it's soft exterior, delving into loss, loneliness, and what it means to be fully seen by those around us. All of this tied up in a queer bow. It was easily the show I was most excited to watch each week when it was airing.

Rating: S

6. Mysterious Lotus Casebook

Another one I fell in love with this year! While it has plenty of tropes, cutting through the core of all of this is the growing friendship between the main trio, especially between Li Lian Hua and Fang Duo Bing. Their relationship and personal growth as characters was really beautiful to watch, on top of it just being a fun show with a great balance of humor and drama. Plus Fang Duo Bing's mom 😍

Rating: S

7. One Room Angel

Another solid entry out of Japan. As much as I love Japan's bright slice-of-life offerings like Our Dining Table, they also excel at stories that don't shy away from heavy or complex emotional themes. And I'm noticing as I tackle this post that I really resonate with heavy themes. One Room Angel has it's lighter moments and own quirky humor. But it also tackles depression and suicide as it explores the journey of finding enough connection and meaning in life to keep moving forward.

Rating: S

8. I Feel You Linger in the Air

I Feel You Linger in the Air was such a beautiful show! I'm so happy we got a historical thai bl this year and that it was so so lovely. I really liked last year's To Sir With Love but it does have it's Lakorn/soap style that is a bit more of an obstacle for me. IFYLITA certainly has it's drama, but it feels more tightly drawn. Throw in a little time travel and beautiful love scenes and it was a delight to watch.

Rating: S

9. My Beautiful Man S2, Eternal

When I watched the first season of My Beautiful Man I liked it but wasn't exactly sold. I read a bit of meta from the community which changed my tune a bit. But it wasn't until watching season 2 and Eternal that something really clicked. I immediately went back and watched season 1 after finishing the film and oh boy did I fall in love. Not only do S2 and Eternal give us great character growth and forward motion to Hira and Kiyoi's relationship, and they feel like a natural expansion of the first season in the best way possible. What can I say, I love the whole series!

Rating: A+

10. Kiseki: Dear to Me

Kiseki: Dear to Me feels like an outlier to me. It's hard for me to put my finger on just what made it click for me, but I was so into it when it was airing. I recognize that plot wise this show is a bit of a mess, but at the same time it hit something just right in my brain. Perhaps it was the emotional intimacy the actors portrayed? They did a fantastic job drawing me in. Apart from that I couldn't take my eyes off of Ai Di's impeccable fashion choices, and the many many cameos were quite fun.

Rating: A+ YMMV

A few close contenders:

My School President (S) *split airing 22' and 23'

Tokyo in April Is... (A+)

Laws of Attraction (A)

Bed Friend (A)

The End of the World with You (A)

Me, My Husband, and My Husband's Boyfriend (A)

If it's with You (A)

Our Dating Sim (A)

Love Tractor (A)

The Warp Effect (A) *split airing 22' and 23'

The New Employee (A) *split airing 22' and 23'

La Pluie (A-)

Midnight Museum (A-)

[klanced]

i just finally watched the batman (2022) and need a repository for my thoughts

anyway yes i know i am the voltron blog but you all must understand. and this is key to my lore. that i am an insane batman fan. i haven't kept up with comics in recent years but i am a total sleeper agent when it comes to batman and i've been waiting literal months to watch The Batman (2022) and i finally watched it last night and have been marinating in my thoughts since. and also my parents are tired of hearing my ranting and watching me walk around in circles.

ANYWAY.

-

cinematography

this is literally the best looking batman film in years, if not the best looking one ever. the color grading was like a balm to my eyes, especially after the slog fest that is some of the other superhero movies... even with the constant rain the city never looked washed out, reeves and his set designers made such awesome choices when it came to fluorescent and neon lighting... the DINER SCENE!!!!!!!!!!! also omfg the way they made battinson the Red and Black Batman like what an excellent color combination. i loved it. i need to buy some of the theatrical release posters post HASTE.

more than anything this movie was SHOT like a comic book and so many scenes looked like they were ripped straight from a comic book, like i could visualize the paneling and everything... so freaking baller.

my family wasn't super impressed but i think it's because they expected an action movie but No You Don't Get It. batman sees the world as a gritty detective noir movie but to everyone else in gotham they're living in a horror movie and that is BATMAN CINEMA!!!!

when the riddler was arrested i was like 'wait there's still 40 minutes?' and then i preceded to have my mind completely blown. i kept questioning what reeves was doing only for him to IMMEDIATELY correct me minutes later. literally, let this man cook he knows what he's doing. when bruce lit the flare i didn't immediately get it -- and then the little mayor's boy reached for batman without any hesitation. and then the crowd began to follow him, closing the distance. and then he began to lead them to higher crowd. And Then I Got It.

-

2. gotham

yes i'm devoting an entire section just to the city.

gotham city is one of the hardest things to get right in any kind of batman media. like gotham is Not Normal and that should always be something hovering in the background. but many directors just don't bother because gotham architecture is so fundamentally different from normal sensibilities that building lore accurate sets would be both incredibly costly and almost impossible to do. but matt reeves tried and the movie was so unbelievably better for it.

bvs gotham was basically just new york city and don't even get me STARTED on how futuristic minimalistic modern the nolan movies were. ugh.

but when bruce and alfred were in their penthouse suite surrounded by fifty layers of gothic style trim my dad verbally said 'are they in a fucking church or something' and like YES DAD! that's the POINT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! gotham is supposed to be borderline CAMPY GOTHIC like the city itself is not just a setting, it's a full blown supporting character. the city looking batshit is essential lore and PIVITOL to the world building that has produced a man dressed up as a bat to fight crime like you DON'T GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! batman is divorced from our reality but he is GROUNDED IN GOTHAM!!!!

actually side note i've been playing gotham knights on the PC and 1) the game is way better than critics gave it credit for and 2) GOTHAM LOOKS SO GOOD IN THIS GAME. THE LIGHTING IS CRAZYYYY. best adaptation of gotham city fr, i loved the arkham video game series but the panache. the style. it became so diluted after arkham asylum fr.

my one criticism is that reeves needed to make one more rooftop set it was so silly that all the characters kept returning to the same gcpd roof with the bat signal on it.

-

3. plot

FINALLY A MOVIE WHERE BRUCE IS A DETECTIVE. i've waited literal years for this. i do wish batman had been a little bit more active/proactive in the plot, i.e. not strictly following with riddler's games, but this is also early batman so i'm more forgiving of his rookie mistakes... however in the second movie i expect him to be on his BALL GAME!!!! give me plot-armor-borderline-prescient batman PLEASE MR. REEVES I BEG OF THEE.

LOVED this adaptation of the riddler. using the zodiac killer as an inspiration for the riddler was amazing, brilliant, showstopping, spectacular. and they kept a little bit of camp in paul dano's performance which i appreciate. i don't think we'll ever go back to batman forever levels of camp, but that's okay </3

there was a nod to the character of hush in the movie (at least that's how i'm choosing to interpret it) but i don't think they could ever use hush in the future because they already adapted so much of his gimmick for the riddler... but that's okay tbh i don't think hush is that interesting anyway.

at its core the batman was a buddy cop movie and i LOVED that. jeffrey wright KILLED it as lieutenant gordon and the dynamic between batman and gordon was amazing. excellent usage of our favorite future-commissioner, you could really see they already had an established rapport but their bond was becoming even stronger... their conversation in the interrogation room was so amazing, as well as their scene with the penguin.

my one criticism is that alfred became non-existent after a certain point. also lowkey the lego batman movie did a better job at the 'bruce realizes that his trauma has made him reluctant to form bonds or deepen them because of his fear of losing anyone else' subplot. lego batman movie on top!

-

4. characterizations

everyone and their mom has already talked about how this version of bruce wayne is more focused on developing his identity as the batman versus his identity as brucie wayne so i won't repeat those essays. but i will say that i have such high hopes for bruce's development in the sequel. like the way the movie ended with him emphasizing how he needs to become a 'symbol of hope for the city' reads to me as him preparing to finally re-enter gotham society as Billionaire Bruce Wayne and i am SO READY FOR IT.

but what i actually want to talk about is how amazing catwoman's development is. i love how much backstory they gave her in this movie. i will always love the nolanverse version of catwoman but you really learn almost nothing about selina in TDKR. but in the batman selina's is this fully fleshed out character. you can immediately guess what her life has been like. and her motivations in the story... the way she was prepared to run until she found annika... and then she immediately changed gears and focused on vengeance for annika and her mother... god, i love it.

cobblepot's character was also so, so good. you can intimately tell that he's a two-faced bastard who's spent years being a yes-man purely so he can climb the social ladder. i know colin farrell is going to rock the HELL out of that monocle in the sequel.

-

5. hopes for the future

i know it's too late but i reallyyy don't want joker to be in the sequel. i unfortunately think that's more or less guaranteed though since they've already casted barry keoghan. and his performance was really good. i'm just tired of seeing the joker in batman media. (inb4 keoghan absolutely kills it in the sequel and makes me eat my hat). i don't really consider batman to have one arch nemesis, only that the joker has consistently ruined batman's life more often than all the other villains.

literally the one hill i will die on is that reeves NEEDS to include robin at some point. PLEASE. you can't have batman without a robin, he gets so lonely. literally that's all i want. i want battinson to become a dad so, so bad. you have no idea.

and (and this is key) robin must be a kid. a pre-teen aged 14 or younger. "oh but that's so unrealistic, child superheroes totally break the immersion" well I DON'T CARE. FULL THROTTLE ON THE CHILD ENDANGERMENT. let children fight crime, for the culture.

[okay, okay. make it a robin origin story where dick grayson is introduced and is plot-relevant but he doesn't actively patrol and fight crime and only becomes robin at the very end.]

introduce robin in batman 2, and then have robin be a participating older teen/adult in batman 3.

my incredibly indulgent ideal batman 2:

at least two years have passed (bruce is more or less settled and has finally hit his stride). he has mastered air gliding and now attacks villains from the rafters instead of just constantly walking out of the shadows. i want to see arkham-level combat So Bad.

selina is mentioned, but doesn't really appear (and there are no other love interests.

actually wait i change my mind about joker. joker can be included in the movie IF the red herring "main plot" is that he's using a circus as a base of operations (because clowns and circuses).

i say red herring "main plot" because the movie starts with a joker crime spree, so you think the movie is going to be all about the joker, but then he leads batman to his circus base and it turns out that PSYCH! THIS IS ACTUALLY A DICK GRAYSON ORIGIN STORY. because joker's base of operations is haly's circus.

batman is snooping around looking for evidence and that's when he comes across dick grayson, age 10.

kid dick grayson. PLEASE. PLEASE.

batman decides to visit the circus as bruce wayne. You Know What happens.

plot plot plot

COURT OF OWLS SUBPLOT.

bruce has to balance hunting down the joker while also protecting this little kid he pretends he isn't totally attached to.

this is incredibly indulgent because i have no idea how you would balance joker screentime with that of the court of owls. idk. that's what's fanfiction is for i guess c:

i have decided that over winter break i am going to rewatch all the batman movies from 1980s onwards so i can revise my Batman Cinema power rankings. i will create some kind of metric or spreadsheet so i can grade and quantify each movie.

hell i should also replay all my favorite batman video games. because those are basically just movies anyway. and i miss kevin conroy :(

thanks for reading. god i love batman.

[callmearcturus]

do you know how frustrating it is to have your threshold for action movies get set by Mission Impossible and John Wick, any almost every time you see a movie that bills itself as "ACTION MOVIE WITH STRONG CHARACTERS" you go "oh boy, i love that!" and then you watch and its like "wtf is this"

i just want movies with

jaw-droppingly beautiful cinematography

good lighting of course obvsly

practical stunts and lusciously choerographed fights that reflect the individual fighting style of each character and their specific body shape and physicality

strong thematic arcs

beautiful locations and set design

motorcycles (pls)

above-average to excellent character writing (plot is less important)

Lorne Balfe banging out the tunes (this bitch loves drums and by god so do i)

THAT'S IT IS THAT SO MUCH TO ASK?????

[thewarmestplacetohide]

Dread by the Decade: The Uninvited

👻 You can support me on Ko-fi! ❤️

★★★★

Plot: After buying an abandoned manor, a brother and sister find themselves embroiled in another family's tragedy.

Review: A strong entry into the genre, this haunted house horror boasts genuine chills, charming characters, and an intriguing mystery.

Source Material: Uneasy Freehold by Dorothy Macardle Year: 1944 Genre: Ghosts Country: United States Language: English Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes

Director: Lewis Allen Writers: Dodie Smith, Frank Partos Cinematographer: Charles Lang, Jr. Editor: Doane Harrison Composer: Victor Young Cast: Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Gail Russell, Alan Napier, Donald Crisp, Cornelia Otis Skinner, Barbara Everest

-----

Story: 4/5 - With fleshed-out characters and an evocative twist, it opts for subtle horror to great success. Only its end struggles slightly with pacing.

Performances: 4.5/5 - Excellent. Milland and Hussey are notably funny and chemistry abounds.

Cinematography: 4.5/5 - Beautiful framing, lighting, and camera movement.

Editing: 4/5 - Fluid and purposeful.

Music: 4/5

Effects & Props: 4/5 - The ghosts and time lapse footage look very good.

Sets: 4.5/5 - Lovely. Windward House and its spiral staircase are especially gorgeous.

Costumes, Hair, & Make-Up: 4/5

Trigger Warnings:

Anti-Roma racism (criticized by film)

Forced institutionalization and medical abuse

Stereotypical discussion of mentally ill people

Use of a anti-indigenous slur

[ichooseviolence]

If they make a Dunk & Egg show, I think it would be neat if it had a 1980's or 1990's flare and style to it. Everything from cinematography, costumes, settings, lighting, and decor. Practical effects??? I miss those, too. (And also, I want to bring the grainy aesthetic back..) D&E is such a unique story within ASoIaF, I think it would be neat if we got something different than HotD and GoT. I'm tired of the dim lighting and lack of flare, and imo, it wouldn't fit the story of D&E, which is an adventure and mostly optimistic.

The 80s: gives off a magical vibe, natural color palletes, beautifully flashy costumes. Editing was much better than it is today. There's too much overediting in films today (American films at least), and the end result is a choppy story. Jacki Chan once touched on this himself. The use of practical effects. Sometimes, practical effects are more magical than CGI.

Excalibur (1981)

Dragonslayer (1981)

The NeverEnding Story (1984)

The 90s: *STUNNINGLY SOFT VISUALS*, the lighting is a little brighter, slightly less grainy than the 80s, excellent cinematography (wide shots are *chefs kiss*), there was a healthy mix of CGI and practical effects, the optimism in story-telling, has a romantic style to it.

Jurassic Park (1993)

The Mummy (1999)

I think I'd opt for a 90s film style for D&E. Soft, romantic, and adventurous with a certain irony in the humor.

[romanceyourdemons]

midsommar (2019) is an excellent and beautifully done film about isolation—both the state and the action—and its equally terrible opposite. the film opens with a magnificent sequence in which dani, the protagonist, is completely physically isolated within her apartment even as she communicates with others through phone calls; her isolation is juxtaposed sharply against the physical closeness of her boyfriend christian to his friends. it becomes clear that dani is not only isolated, but is isolated by christian and his friends in informal punishment for a wrong they feel she has committed against christian (being too needy). this process of being isolated is reversed when the group arrives at the harga. one by one, christian and his friends are isolated in a comparable, if more rapid and brutal, way to how they isolated dani: each commits what the harga considers a wrong against it, be it being unsupportive of the ättestupa or urinating on their ancestors’ graves, and in response and punishment they are utterly isolated and utterly undone. meanwhile, dani experiences the exact opposite of isolation. the harga experience everything communally, not just physically but emotionally; there is no privacy in sex or death or grief or guilt, and the isolated dani enters unresistingly into this beautiful, claustrophobic, brutal community that provides her the very support she was denied before. the incredible cinematography tracks these separate journeys of isolation and incorporation with incredible clarity. the filming emphasizes lineal framing and geometric shapes, which lend themselves extremely well to showing when a character is incorporated into the symmetry of those around them and when they are not. the use of colors, both in sets and costumes, likewise very clearly sets characters apart from one another or blends them in seamlessly; by and large, the colors of isolation are dark and cool and the colors of incorporation are light and bright, leaving the isolated characters with nowhere to hide and the incorporated characters with no way to differentiate themselves. beyond merely providing these visual markers, the cinematography was absolutely gorgeous overall, and beyond the visual beauty of the film the psychological horror element was well-developed and highly effective. acting, scripting, pacing, soundtracking, visual effects, and set and costume design were all highly effectively done, and i have very little to criticize about this film. midsommar (2019) is an incredibly crafted film that succeeds at everything it sets out to do, and for that reason i highly recommend it

[tearsofthefilmreviews]

I AM A FAN OF MADAME WEB AND HERE’S WHY - REVIEW

Madame Web is perhaps the most controversial and hated of Sony’s attempts into this universe. I went into this hoping to like it, but having in the back of my head that I might not. My friend predicted a 2/10 or 8/10 from me…and let’s just say it definitely came out in the higher end of things for me. I’ll start this review off with the main negative that loses the film points, and then get into the great stuff it has to offer, and why I think it is an overhated film.

Without further ado…

-The Main Negative-

Our villain, Ezekiel, is the main cost of points. This is mainly due to writing issues with him and the performance being the most lacking of the film, and his vocals feeling too overdramatized. It feels off at times and serviceable otherwise. This is my main criticism of the film, and caused a decent chunk of point loss due to it. There isn’t much else to say in this respect besides the villain overall is messily handled compared to the rest of the film. It’s unfortunate, but it didn’t ruin the film for me whatsoever; it just made it not a 9/10.

-The Technicals-

Before getting into the narrative and acting, I want to touch on the filmmaking aspects of Madame Web. There are a lot of interesting shots and visual effects employed through the film; particularly, whenever we see Cassie’s visions of the future playing out, as well as moments replaying themselves around her, I thought it was very visually interesting and engaging, and really sold the chaos that she must be feeling as this all goes on, and the deja vu that is remarked on. It was honestly one of my favourite aspects of the film, and I am happy it was used to its potential and not just discarded after one use; we see many moments like this through the film. I’ll go into detail on two scenes in particular and why I thought they were executed fantastically.

(Diner Scene)

This scene is one of the highlights of the film, as is the other scene I’ll get into below. The diner scene has both its moments that felt great, and also some quite funny moments. A chunk of it is to the tube of Britney Spears, and there’s what feels like a clearly intentional hilarity to this big, dramatic fight sequence happening with a pop song in the background. I also thought the cinematography during this scene was great, and the transition when Cassie gets stabbed is honestly super satisfying visually. It is another great example of the future sight and rewind powers being used to great effect, and it also uses the setting in a good way. It’s also the prime example of Cassie starting to really come into her powers, as she changes the future that she herself witnessed and participated in; changing the timeline of the web that she and the girls are in. I also really like the lighting in this sequence, between the dark forest roads and the diner itself, the atmosphere of each location is sold clearly. This goes for the whole film as well.

(Metro Scene)

This scene is also excellent, and is a fantastic showcase of the editing prowess in the film. Its mind-bendy in such a fun way. In particular I am talking about when Cassie and the girls are all on the train, and Cassie is seeing the girls dying over and over, as they get on and the conflict begins to kick into gear. It really does a wonderful job of showing how chaotic it is at first for her, having these visions of the future, as things are much more fragmented here than say, in the climax. The train passes by multiple times, people repeating lines and sitting, visions of the deaths…it all blends into a great, chaotic inciting incident as Cassie’s responsibility becomes the girls’ safety. The scene is one of the better ones from Ezekiel too, as is the above diner scene.

(More technical details)

I think there are a lot of interesting - and sometimes funny - shots and editing moments in the film. In particular, the funniest moment has to be the dramatic setup to Cassie trying to climb on walls like a Spidey, only to slump down along the wall to the floor, the dramatic music cutting out as she does so. The film has a very solid script in my opinion; a couple of moments that falter, but they are very few and far between. I really like a lot of the cinematography of scenes in general; it looks very nice, and is visually engaging. There’s many great stills from this film that I can pick out easily, and will definitely apply as wallpaper and profile pictures sometime in the future, when more become easily available online. I really like the visual style the film is able to keep throughout, particularly aided by the cinematography and editing, as well as very solid colour grading.

i think that Sony finally got super-suits down well in this film; they all look very good and fit the characters well…Julia’s in particular, and Ezekiel’s is honestly quite good-looking as well.

Overall the film is fantastic in the technical department, and is directed quite well save for a couple of oddities with the lesser performances, described below.

-Narrative and Performances-

First off, let us get the obvious out of the way. Dakota Johnson absolutely kills this role throughout, and I also especially enjoyed the performances of Sydney Sweeney, Isabela Merced, and Celeste O’Connor, though out of the three the show-stealer is definitely Sydney, who nails the awkward, geeky personality. Costuming was also on point all around; I really liked Cassie’s outfits for the whole film, and Julia’s sweater getup is gorgeous. But yes, they carry the film to upper heights with their portrayals of these characters, and Dakota Johnson continues to cement herself as a great actor. She brings a great energy to the film. Also, I do need to mention that again, Ezekiel’s performance is the weakest, followed by Ben Parker, who doesn’t do much and is more just fine than negative-leaning.

As for the narrative itself, I honestly do quite like the direction they took it. It is interesting and fun, and also really develops Cassie’s character very well, as well as those of the girls. It is to the film’s benefit that they didn’t give the girls their powers yet, because it allowed us to explore their characters before they even have that concept in their heads, as well as truly leaving more room for Cassie’s character development and coming filly into her powers by the climax. Not having the same physical strength sort of powers, Cassie has to be quite clever about solving the conflict since she cannot do a physical fight, and I thought that the filmmakers pulled that off super well; she absolutely outsmarts the villain, and I liked the fact that her powers, while incredibly powerful, aren’t all she needs to win the day. She has to think on the dot as well, and really shows how far she comes from the beginning to the end. She becomes more open as a person as well, less awkward in the ending than she is in the beginning, something that Julia comments on after their initial escape. I also found the moment where Cassie sees her mother’s past very touching, especially when she gets to hug her mother. I do also want to touch on the resolution of the film, and in particular, the moment where the girls revive Cassie after she falls into the water and is blinded. It’s a very well-formed moment, and also a strong foreshadowing example; earlier in the film, Cassie taught them CPR, and it comes into play in a strong way by the end. Thematically the film’s mainly about controlling your fate, and having agency in your life. It also makes a clear connection between its main characters besides simply being acquainted; they have all gone through some form of familial hardship, and are able to further their bond because of that. The girls, while maintaining their agency, also learn to think before they act, particularly forwarded by the diner scene.

I really liked the tone that the film had throughout. It’s very engaging, while having fun and funny moments in there as well. The film, to me, really all comes together through the different aspects of it, and makes for a great experience with a compelling lead and interesting narrative that uses the Marvel universe well. I also consider this film overhated, a term I don’t use very lightly. It has so much going for it that films like Venom and Morbius never had, so that fact it is being compared to those (in a way that’s despite them being made by the same company) is kind of crazy to me, let alone being called worse than Morbius. Dakota Johnson’s performance alone makes this film better than the rest by a lot, in my opinion. I know I will be in the minority to be so positive towards Madame Web, and I am fully fine with it, because I do genuinely like so damn much about this film.

-Cassie-

I do wish to get into Cassie’s character before closing off this review. Cassie is a very interesting character, and the way she discovers her powers is intricately linked to it all. She discovers them when she quite literally dies, and begins to see everything in the future, including much foreshadowing for the film itself. She’s both selfless and reserved; her occupation involves saving and helping lives, yet she is quite awkward when appreciation is shown for it. She also has her priorities straight in her head though; she saves the girls and helps protect them despite being initially frustrated with the turn of events. She scolds them after the diner scene for getting themselves into danger, but its at that point that we see how much she clearly has come to care for them, despite her frustrations. She defeats the villain not just with her powers, but with her own cleverness that she demonstrates throughout the film.

-Conclusion-

Overall, Madame Web is a film I am very happy with, and it held up wonderfully on the rewatch. There’s a lot that I like about it in the technical side as well as the narrative side, and though it isn’t perfect, the lead performances along with the other strong aspects - particularly cinematography, narrative and editing - make this the best Sony Universe film, and a great film in its own right. Interesting ideas and characters as well. I’m a fan!

8.2/10 —> 4.1/5

[technicolorfamiliar]

Contraband (Blackout) Dir. Michael Powell 1940

This one has been on my rewatch list since I first saw it last year. It was one of the few films in the epic Connie watch-a-thon that felt like it had some kind of curative powers, in the surprising way some movies do. I never expected it to lift my spirits and lighten my heart the way it did.

10/10 no notes. I absolutely love everything about this movie. Except the randomly shoehorned "White Negro" scene. It's so out of place in an otherwise pretty progressive film. That cabaret act literally could have been anything, why choose that?? (I couldn't find a lot of info about the choreographer, but it sounds like he was into romanticizing and exoticizing African and Caribbean people in his work… which is not great, but pretty typical of that time I guess. Ugh.)

But otherwise delightful, a romp from start to finish. Apparently someone on IMDB slammed Contraband for being "camp expressionism", but honestly? Hell yeah. I'm 100% here for it. In fact, "camp expressionism" my new favorite genre if it means cute, quirky, risqué, well-directed, well-shot, romantic spy comedy with a tight script and excellent performances.

I've also seen people comparing it to American screwball comedies of the era, but that doesn't seem quite right or even fair. Contraband, thanks to Powell, Pressburger, the editor, and the cast, has a very light touch compared to the comedies coming out of Hollywood in the '30s and '40s. It's not as heavy-handed, it doesn't beat its message to death with over-done gags or affected performances. Michael Powell even said the movie was "all pure corn, but corn served up by professionals." And that's the Powell and Pressburger difference, baby.

The comedy in the script is executed with relative subtlety. The movie isn't telling you HERE’S THE FUNNY BIT, LAUGH NOW the way screwball, slapstick Hollywood would. You almost have to be looking for the humor here to catch it, and it pays off. It's a cheekier type of comedy, not really driven by jokes and punchlines. And as someone who never really liked American comedies of that era, I really appreciate this kind of film. It's silly, even outright stupid in some scenes, but it's not playing down to it's audience. I mean, the whole brawl in the night club is almost like the big fight at the end of Blazing Saddles where more and more people keep joining in, but the action stops for half a second while someone delivers a line. It's stupid. And I love it.

The espionage stuff in is a little convoluted and kind of treated as a throw-away. But really, if you're not paying super close attention to that part of the story, you're not missing much. The spy plot between the British and the Nazis is really just there to give the lead characters something fun to do, and you know what… that's ok with me.

The cinematography also helps elevate Contraband above just being a regular old comedy. Featuring the London blackout is actually really clever. It forces a number of scenes into almost total darkness, which was a risky move and could have been a huge mistake, but it adds yet another interesting layer to the film, visually and in terms of story. There's an unusual POV (possibly handheld?) tracking shot, when Andersen and Mrs. Sorensen are walking up to her house in town, that's just lit by their flashlight. We don't see either of them, except for her hand briefly putting the key in the lock, until after they enter and the camera pans around the hall. And there's a moment a while later when they're in the basement after being tied up where Connie's face is entirely in shadow -- we know he's looking at her, but his expression is completely hidden in darkness. On paper, it sounds like a bad shot, a mistake, but this "expressionistic" lighting and camera work adds a little extra special sauce that I for one greatly appreciate.

The supporting cast is all generally pretty good. Hay Petrie is fun in a double roll. There's the scene in the rowboat where he looks like he's going to get sea sick… despite being the first mate who practically lives on a ship. Little character touches like that throughout the movie make it delightful: The girl in short shorts doing exercises in her room when Connie bursts in on her, the line delivery of the woman who works in the kitchen with Uncle Erik, the guy outside lighting his pipe during the blackout letting those two cops HAVE it. I love a character actor driven movie, all these people in bit parts adding so much color to the story. Brilliant.

Valerie Hobson is so good in this. First of all, she's a boss bitch with an incredible wardrobe. Every look she's serving is iconic. The tweed jacket and headscarf that matches her blouse? The dress with the crazy angular shoulder pads? The big, wide-brimmed hat? Slay. She's authoritative without being shrill, she's got a confident swagger you don't see a lot of actresses getting to showcase at that time. Still, she's not really a femme fatale either. Mrs. Sorensen is independent, intelligent, stunning, and into dangerous spy shit because she enjoys it. She's someone I'd want to hang out with, but would be too scared to talk to because she's so cool. I mean, she almost missed the train at the end because she went back to get Andersen's watch! I have two words for you: Wife Goals.

Sadly, it sounds like Val didn't really get to do a lot of other fun roles outside of the two films she made with Connie. Which is a real shame. Someone on Letterboxd said they're better together than Tracy and Hepburn, and I fully agree. Val and Connie have a natural chemistry that neither feels feel too personal or too studied. Their on screen work together feels easy, without all the baggage and volatility of IRL romance.

The first time I saw Contraband, I think I was simply charmed by Connie as Andersen. Getting to see him as a fun, heroic, romantic lead is incredibly satisfying. But this time around I realized how funny he actually is. He's is so cranky, he starts the movie already at like an 8.5, he's so fucking over it. It's one thing after another -- Mrs. Sorensen won't wear her life jacket, British contraband control wants to hold up them up, someone stole the landing papers, and of course it was Mrs. Sorensen AND Mr. Pigeon. He's so grumpy from the get. (My theory is that he's hangry. He's temperamental and irritable up until he gets a decent meal at The Three Vikings. So relatable.)

It was fun to rewatch this one to catch all the comedic beats Connie is doing with his gestures and facial expressions. They're choreographed, but not affected or over done. His timing and delivery is subtle and finely tuned, which is always funnier than an actor who deliberately plays up the laughs. For example, the long pause after Mrs. Sorensen corrects his pronunciation of the name of the restaurant, he furrows his brow and looks around and finally mutters, "…VI-kings." His comedy is so understated, which keeps the rapid-fire pacing of the bits from being obnoxious.

Andersen is an interesting guy, too. I feel like his macho vibe is just a mask he wears as captain of his ship. He's so used to being That Guy, but, based on Connie's performance, I get the impression that deep down Andersen doesn’t really subscribe to all that traditional masculinity. Later in the film it's easy-ish for him to eventually drop the façade, adjust his expectations, becoming more flexible, malleable in his ideas about sex and gender. This of course is because Conrad Veidt was in reality a proto-feminist wife guy. Andersen isn't played like your standard manly man movie heroes of the time, because that's not who Connie was, that's not an image he wanted to project or support (and I feel one reason why Hollywood couldn't figure out what to do with him in the '40s, but that rant is for another post).

Andersen and Mrs. Sorensen are pretty evenly matched. In fact she has the upper hand and more progressive, dominant role especially once they arrive in London. On his ship, he's the boss, but on shore he's met with one disadvantage after another. Mrs. Sorensen has to be the one to pay for his bus and cab fare, confidently navigating her way through the blackout like a pro. Meanwhile, Andersen is pretty much a bumbling fool, a sidekick to Sorensen's spy adventure. But he's not totally incompetent either (I MEAN IT LOOKS LIKE HE KNOWS WHAT HE'S DOING WITH THOSE ROPES, HE IS A SAILOR AFTER ALL *eyes emoji* *sweating emoji*), he's the one who comes up with the plan to rescue Sorensen from her Nazi captors (although I get the impression she probably would have found her own way out without his help). But what's great is that he doesn't do it alone, he goes back to The Three Vikings to round up a small army of Danish essential workers to back him up. And I love how Connie plays the whole last act of the film like he's actually on an adventure; you can see Connie the actor having the most fun ever getting to be the big movie star hero, tussling with cops and Nazis, solving puzzles with glee, getting the girl -- who is just as much of a badass as he is -- in the end. It's so good. And it's so much fun to watch.

There are so, so many wonderful little touches in this movie, many of which I only caught during this second watch. I have a page of scribbled notes I wrote while I was watching that ends with, "The cutest shit I have ever seen!" From the performances to the writing to the technical details, it's hard not to fall in love with this one. Contraband is easily one of those films I could rewatch over and over again and never get sick of it.

OH I can't believe forgot about The Boys:

The goodest boys.