#however the fact that this movie makes it into so many cinephiles’ top 3 is so crazy. really? this is it?

[vanillacorpse]

oldboy was such an insane movie. i watched it tonight. the fact that the only thing i’d heard about it was from a video i watched years ago of a couple of film bros hailing its action scenes... lmfao i went into that thinking it would be like john wick. it wasn’t!

[what2watch2night]

TITANE. LAMB. ANNETTE. (Who Did It Best: "The Creepy Child" Edition!)

Halloween decorations are now long gone but let's keep the freaky spirit going with this 2021 triple bill about creepy children from hell! TITANE, LAMB, and ANNETTE

What they have in common, despite having a particularly cool one-word-title, is that they are somewhat magic or surreal, and play like fairy tales filled with bizarre events and weirdos having even weirder... progeny. These movies are definitely of the “WTF Did I Watch Today" variety (and maybe a tad NSFW - depending on where you work!) thus are not to be recommended to everyone, which somehow might make them even more precious. Sure, they are considered niche and maybe will appeal more to cinephiles, cult-film-like lovers, possibly the "hip and hype movie-folks'', and those like us on an ongoing quest for the odd & unusual...

In fact, if this titles could talk the convo will be akin to something like this:

TITANE (for France): ‘We present to you “car baby” kinda like Transformers...'

LAMB (for Iceland): 'Hold my beer - We present to you “lamb baby...'

ANNETTE (for Leos Carax!): 'Hold up, did somebody say baby but make it weird...'

The End!

Make of that what you wish but the additional good thing about the 3 films of the night is that they are award-season material (all premiered at Cannes) with TITANE and LAMB respectively representing France and Iceland. And ANNETTE…. representing, what a collaboration between the Sparks brothers and Leo Carax - and Adam Driver - would look like! So, ready or not, ready yourself for these unforgettable films...

*And an "uncanny valley fest"!?

TITANE

The 2021 Palme d’Or is a horror film by Julia Ducournau (the second non-man, after Jane Campion, to win the top prize in 74 editions!). It stars newcomer Agathe Rousselle as Alexia who was a creepy child herself with a strange obsession for automobiles... However, after a car accident, she has to be implanted with titanium that will give her a signature later on in life as a grown-up badass sexy dancer at… auto shows! Her life is pretty much all gloom and doom until things get even more bewildering and violent. After an “unfortunate series of murderous events,” she has no choice but to try her best to impersonate a missing man named Adrien. Alexia goes to live with the lad's overprotective part-psycho-part-loving father, Vincent (played by the great Vincent Lindon) who happens to be a firemen captain living in a jail-like fire station with many other young firefighters. Naturally, Vincent wants his "son" to be a “real man”, and a fireman, but their relationship is, to say the least... problematic. It doesn’t help that Alexia is a woman of few words going through an “unnatural” transition...

Moral Of The Story: 8.5/10 ****

This is the one film of the year 2021 that you will remember forever and ever as there sure ain’t nothing like it anywhere else! TITANE should have been our favorite film of the year, having all the peculiar attributes we cherish so much (and also you know being a Cannes winner - they sure are chosen well!) and altho it might not be, it still is a solid (like titanium!) movie that might just be short of a masterpiece. It seems at times uneven (ranging from good to amazing) with the middle part dragging a little, but at the same time, we are treated to basically 2 films in one. In addition, the performances are spectacular, especially Lindon who is as transformed as Roussel transforms herself throughout the movie. But there is no doubt the bonkerz premise and original story is what makes TITANE a must-see. Despite having its fair share of body horror it is probably not as shocking as RAW, and the horror or violence have more “poesy” to it but is also more fun! Guess having something magic, lyrical, gory, extreme, and melodramatic is possible! So, we should thank Ducournau for being so free with a clear vision and unashamed of her crazy kinky idea!

LAMB

Lamb is, believe it or not, the feature debut of its Icelandic filmmaker Valdimar Jóhannsson.

The drama stars Noomi Rapace (speaking in Icelandic cuz she can!) as Maria living on a remote farm in the middle of nowhere with her partner Ingvar. They are very credible as hard-working farmers tending to their land and sheeps, even giving birth to lambs, until one day they bring a quiet “newborn” lamb home. We are not sure why, but it is what it is, and it seems this couple was desperate for a child. We can sense they had this void to fill and it is confirmed as they actually had a crib and all the “equipments” necessary to take care of a new baby. They live a happy life with this mysterious child, but despite the sweet joy of this simple family life in this peaceful valley surrounded by heavenly mountains, we can sense something strange, unnatural, and ominous is bound to happen... Oh yes, there is also Ingvar’s brother coming to the farm to threaten their blissful household and the safety of “the child”; but that should be the least of everyone’s worry… Remember a few years ago we had the excellent Icelandic entry for the Best Foreign Film RAMS about feuding bros, and, well, rams. So, in LAMB we also got those and more!

Moral Of The Story: 8/10 ****

Regardless of the horror-ish aspect of the drama, LAMB makes for a soothing viewing experience with its appeasing colors and the magnificent vistas framed so perfectly coupled with fitted direction and "mood”. It is delicately crowded with vast emptiness and fine and gentle performance, and it appears it could have been the perfect “Covid movie” with 1 location in a beautiful rural setting with a handful of actors. Moreover, it could also be the perfect Icelandic movie, making the most of the gorgeous scenery and the cliches! The story is one-of-a-kind but the actors, and particularly Rapace, are great here. They make this naturalistic yet fantastic drama very grounded. They also give it its easy-going and dark vibe. Some levity and “monotony-breaker” likewise help make the flick less heavy thanks to some well-timed nordic humor. LAMB comes across as a slice of life “at the farm” with a slice of stranger things! Additionally, the film bears the mark of an “A24 horror entry” having this little distinctive “je ne sais quoi”, so it is a win-win-win all around!

ANNETTE

This latest Leo Carax film is an ambitious drama musical - with music by none other than The Sparks - that works as both an homage to LA and/or musical classics, and a modern-day cult classic for high-end camp or grand bizarro projects!

ANNETTE is mostly about Annette’s parents.; they are the protagonists of this love story (cuz duh! Yeah of course it is also a Luvveeeee story, cuz they “love each other so much” like soooooo much yall! But seriously, somebody please nominate this song for an Academy Award for Best Original Song; not because it deserves it by being so good, but because it would be mad to have Driver and Cotillard on stage singing those same verses over and over - with the Sparks brothers in the mix of course!)

Adam Driver plays Henry, a highly performative stand-up comedian/entertainer with some weird sense of showmanship and delusion of grandeur. His lover, Ann (Marion Cotillard), is a superstar opera singer. As mentioned they are consumed by a fiery passionate love and are the talk-of-the-town (Los Angeles) being both famous and a power couple, but like in a Greek tragedy, drama happens! It becomes a tale of jealousy and betrayal… And bad parenting! Because the pair have a kid...A weird weird child. It is played by a puppet and looks like a child from hell named Annette. The precocious girl is magical and so it brings magic to this whimsical rocambolesque fable of love and psychopathic behaviors!

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

It's great that the ANNETTE doesn’t take itself too seriously and knows that some of the most bonkerz or uncomfortable scenes are best to have some fun and funny elements sprinkled on top for breathers - and for the audience to laugh not at but with. In the end, this film is unlike any other for better or worse. It is a wild ride in its field (if there is such a field!) and is probably the most off-beat film of 2021. Viewers will be rewarded if they hang in there and are open to some of the “BOLD” artistic choices made.

Driver is now no doubt the king of “unusual actors” but he was mindblowing in this role and playing this over-the-top character to perfection. Think if Phantom of The Opera was an odd megalomaniac, introvert-extravert, privileged hipster! It is perhaps the most versatile part he’s done so far. The physicality of Driver’s performance makes ANNETTE an interesting work and might end up being the film’s real shot as gold (the man might be pulling double duty come award-season with his HOUSE OF GUCCI role too) which might help the film get more views despite its... Huh… "Specific flavoring”! Although ANNETTE seems to have some mainstream appeal, one has to admit that like many of Carax’s it is not the most “accessible” and - like TITANE - is probably one of the most divisive films of its year.

Cotillard did her best with her character but not sure she was the person most would have cast in this role or this movie filled with eccentrics and weirdos. But guess she grounds this project and brings her panache to it. She plays the soft-spoken delicate and ephemeral Anne, though one has to truly suspend disbelief to believe her to be an opera singer! Maybe they should have gone extra camp and cast someone from, let's say from Broadway, like Aubrey McDonald or Idina Menzel, or dunno like Lady Gaga (it would have been an interesting year having her and Driver playing a couple in two flicks! *Plus fun fact: they actually wanted to go the celebrity-singer route with Rihanna, and that could have been super intriguing - and also brought some “color”...) Ultimately, not sure if many other people would have been able to bring the mystic Cotillard instills this character.

Then, there is the unique screenplay coupled with The Sparks music & lyrics making the whole thing poetic and unconventional! One can argue that ANNETTE would’ve probably worked better if it was more subtle in terms of its dialogue and lyrics, but guess one will find joy watching this film and it’s a brand of humor if one is willing to disregard the idiosyncratic aspect of the latter (think parody-like 80s musicals!). Nevertheless, there is no denying that the tunes and lyrics are catchy and sometimes also beautiful (again Oscar-worthy even!)

So, in a nutshell, ANNETTE is indeed completely bonkers, probably the most nonsensical cinematic gem we’ve seen in a while, so what’s not to like!

[elizabethmatthewsmacleodpaxton]

Holiday Gift Guide for the Movie Buff on Your List

It's the same that time of year. Time to buy gifts for your friends and family yet again as the world all over celebrates this corporate, financial, money-hungry, festive and generosity-filled holiday. Some of you may already have it all taken care of by now. Others may be last-minute shoppers such as myself and think that even now is just the start of the shopping season. No matter which you fall under, there's bound to be at the least a couple more on your list to check off. In this article, we'll give you some ideas for gifts for those movie buffs it's possible you have on your list. 1 . Movies Of course a movie buff loves movies. However , this gift selection isn't since obvious as some of you may think. In fact , it could be one of the hardest choices for a movie fan there is. There are all types with problems that may arise here. You could pick the wrong format, the wrong medium, the wrong edition. Or you could plain and simple merely pick the wrong movie. Or even more possible, buy them a movie they already own (afterall, they are movie buffs, it’s likely they have TONS of movies already making it even more likely to buy something they already have). Thus, that's why I recommend avoiding this selection unless that movie fanatic in your life has actively been hinting at a certain movie lately. In that case, go for it. Movies are definitely good for us movie buffs. But again, be careful in what you buy. Or at least save you the receipt and don't be offended when that person needs to return your gift. 2 . Netflix Now for those of you hoping get your movie buff some movies, but don't want to go through the headache of making sure you don't get the wrong issue, Netflix is your answer. Netflix allows that cinephile on your list access to all kinds of movies from the old to innovative, domestic to foreign, indie to blockbuster and so on. The great thing about this too, they get to choose which movies may be watch, while you just pay for the subscription. Netflix Gifts come in a variety of plans and a variety of lengths. You can get ones movie lover just the streaming package or you can choose a package which allows streaming, plus up to 1, two, or 3 DVDs out at a time. These can all be bought in lengths from 1 month to 1 season. For instance, a streaming package for 6 months will run you about $48. Or you can go with 2 Dvd out at a time for 1 year for about $180. No matter what the choice, it's sure to be a hit with the movie buff for you. It doesn't matter if they already have a subscription either as a Netflix Gift can simply be added to their already existing reoccuring and they'll get free months of their service. 3. Fandango Card Of course every movie buff spends ample amounts of your energy at the theater. So , along the lines of the Netflix thing, another option is a Fandango gift card (or a gift card account from a local theater). This gives your movie buff a gift that will keep on giving over the year as they revisit this theater. Each time getting to enjoy the big screen magic on your dime. The movie buff on your list will surely love a variety of like this over the months as they get to catch all the latest releases. 4. Movie Memorabilia Your typical movie ripped is obsessed with movies in probably a way you will never fully understand. As such, this means everything about movies they enjoy. Consequently, another good gift for that movie lover on your list is movie memorabilia. This ranges from movie paper prints, to shirts, to collector's items, to autographed items, to boxed sets, to film cells and art work. You can even buy scripts/screenplays/props from their favorite movies online. With many online outlets that sell this type of stuff, techniques are endless once you know some of your movie buff's favorite movies or actors, etc . 5. Movie-Related Books along with Magazines As I stated before, chances are the movie buff in your life loves everything movie-related. This goes for books and even magazines as well. Biographies on their favorite actors or movie-related books are good unconventional ideas for the movie fan in your life. There are plenty books out there designed for these types of people. From 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die to 1000 Films to Change Your Life to The 100 Best Movies to Rent You've Never Heard Of to even more specific catalogs like 101 Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die. All would be a welcome treat for the movie buff inside your life. Likewise, the movie buff in your life most assuredly likes to keep up with all things movies and get insights into the industry people so love. As such, magazine subscriptions that cater to these types are also good choices. These include print and online designs. Though I will say you'll want to go beyond the more mainstream types of Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stones, etc . Instead, look into offers like 'Boxoffice Magazine', 'Hollywood Reporter', 'Premiere', 'Empire' (UK), 'MovieMaker' or 'Filmmaker Magazine'. Likewise, you could also get them a ongoing to online industry rags like Variety. com or ProductionWeekly. com. 6. Universal Remote As you probably fully understand, the movie buff in your life definitely has a love for electronics. This is especially true when it comes to their home entertainment setup. All of that supplies can get out of hand though when remote controls begin piling up. Introduce the Logitech Harmony. The cream of the head when it comes to universal remotes. This line of remotes from Logitech range from about $100 to over $300. Any flick buff would be happy to get their hands on such a remote control to accent their setup. 7. Roku Box This is a terrific accompanying gift for a Netflix subscription. The streaming player allows the movie lover to use any of those buffering services to stream movies directly to their TV instead of having to watch on their computer or laptop. This is great for any video clip buff who would much rather watch on their big screen TV rather than their little computer monitor. The Roku container allows for Netflix instant streaming on your TV. It also allows access to such services as Hulu Plus, Amazon With Demand and more. 8. Blu-Ray Player Chances are your movie buff already has one of these in their collection. However , for any that don't a Blu-ray player is a great gift for the movie buff in your life. Providing for a high-definition movie experiencing experience, the movie buff in your life will love the immersion of watching their favorite movies in pristine hi-def. 9. Popcorn Maker Everybody knows: popcorn goes with movies like jelly goes with peanut butter. And for some reason, kettle popcorn basically tastes better. So why not bring that theater goodness into the home of your favorite movie buff giving them your gift of snacks anytime they sit down to watch a movie at home. You can find many kettle popcorn makers at under $100. Any movie buff would find it cool to have their very own popcorn maker sitting in the corner of their room in your home for access whenever they want to spend the evening watching movies (and trust me, they do this very often). 10. "Gaming" Chair These provide the ultimate comfort when sitting in front of the TV for a movie. With built-in speaker solutions and ultimate comfort, there are tons of stylish gaming chairs out there. Any movie buff would love one of these cool recliner/pedestal chairs to kick back and enjoy their movie-viewing experience. Not only does it just flat-out look cool and are they comfy, but they also provide more immersion with the speakers in the headrest and subwoofers built into the chair that make you rumble along with explosions on the screen. 11. Surround Sound System Speaking of sound, if your movie buff doesn't already have one, some sort of surround sound system is always a welcome addition to their home entertainment experience. Providing an immersion of sound to go with their viewing experience, a surround sound system is an absolute must for any movie buff that is looking to make the most of your home entertainment experience. Of course, this can be a costly gift, but the movie buff in your life will definitely be grateful. 12. HDTV Considering we're mentioning essential components, a TV definitely falls in that range. Obviously your movie buff already comes with one, but they're never opposed to a new TV (or even just a secondary TV). Whether it be a smaller LCD TV to do their room or an upgrade to a top-of-the-line brand new 3D TV, TVs are always welcome. Your film buff would definitely love you for this. With the pushing of 3D TVs, these are a definite hot item too which often most movie buffs in your life would more than happily take. Again though, this is one of the more costly gifts, so be ready to pay thousands for something like that. 13. Movie Storage You probably know this already, but the movie buff in your lifetime probably has a very extensive collection of movies. A collection they love to proudly show off as well. Of course such a collection may become something of a beast that needs taming. Enter the realm of media storage. This actually comes in a few forms as well: physical and digital. First we'll touch on the traditional physical form. This simply means shelves and shelves. If the movie buff in your life doesn't already have the shelving for their collection, or is simply running using shelf space, then a new shelf, rack or tower would be a practical and welcome gift for your movie aficionado in helping to tame that ever-growing collection and bring some order to it. Of course you have the digital entry as well. This is the same concept as storing all of your music on your computer. Many companies make devices specifically for media storage space like this. There are even companies like Kaleidoscope and PrimeArray which create systems that serve as storage not to mention servers. This means all movies are saved on a digital storage device. The cherry on top though is these devices then provide a means to share all that data across a network and have access to your entire movie collection using one click of a button on your remote. Having instant access to any movie in your collection without having to get up and also change out discs, etc . These however can get extremely expensive. Some even more costly than the TVs themselves. Nevertheless techphile/cinephile in your life would love it. 14. AFI Membership Every film buff is familiar with the prestigious American Film Company. What better way to reward their passion for films than allowing your movie buff to become part of that will institute by buying them a membership to the AFI. This can range from $60-2, 500. Offering cool perks just like movie tickets, exclusive release schedules and magazine subscriptions, an AFI membership also grants members admission to help AFI events. On top of that, your movie buff would even be able to vote alongside industry professionals for various show awards and accolades dealt out by AFI each year. To top it off, they would even get a great AFI membership card to proudly show off to friends as a sign to their dedication to films. 15. Dvd Festival Pass I'm sure you've heard of them. Sundance. Cannes. Attending these more prestigious film festivals are being a life-long dream for the movie buff in your life probably. They'd probably give an arm or a leg to get to encounter going to the prestigious Sundance festival or Cannes or the Venice Film Festival. However , these events booklet well in advance and can be costly. Thus, they don't make good last-minute gift ideas. Though, I'm sure your movie buff would probably happily take a "rain check" on a gift if it means the promise of getting a pass to one of these galas later on. Likewise, many bigger cities offer their own film festivals throughout the year. If you live near one of these, your picture buff would definitely love the chance to get to attend one of those as well.