#unserious film review

[greentintsmyworld]

Loving Annabelle (2006)- Directed by Katherine Brooks

Okay, so... this movie is obviously problematic due to the student teacher relationship, with Simone (the teacher) being in her early 30's and Annabelle (the student) being around 16-17 years old. However, nothing explicit happens between the two until the last 10 minutes of the movie, and Simone is promptly arrested (even though we do not get to see what happens after that). That being said, I actually did enjoy the movie quite a bit. It was pretty difficult to actually conceptualize the age gap between the two main characters, since the actress who played Annabelle was around 25 years old, and the rest of the actresses for the teenage characters were clearly not teenagers themselves.

Most of my enjoyment while watching the film didn't even come from the plot of the movie itself but instead a bunch of interesting little things I noticed/discovered while watching:

This was the second lesbian film I've seen that has directly quoted Song of Myself from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass. The first was The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995), which is one of my favorite queer films.

Kevin McCarthy, from Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956), played Father Harris.

Donald Trump's second wife, Marla Maples, was in this.

There is a scene where the characters are playing badminton. I really like badminton.

One of the girls has a pet porcupine for some reason.

Annabelle was smoking for like 90% of the movie.

Cat's brother (the guy playing guitar at the dance) has a haircut that I really like. I want that haircut.

(Watched 04/08/2023)

[ginkovskij]

making a ppt presentation about akira kurosawa but i never bothered to learn much about him so it's going to be a case of joining the battle to misinformation on the side of misinformation

[dreamaze]

.⟡. 2023 Year in Review .⟡.

cc year in review — every month in 2023 : link your favorite and/or most popular post from each month this year

tagged by: @shorelinnes, @xiaojuun, & @gnanii, thank you lovelies! ♡ tagging (no pressure, & the gifs were extra!): @ye-xiu, @eggheons, @nervousnotion, @honeyimissjoo (if you’ve already done this, feel free to drop the link! ♡)

Hello!! A brief(ish) recap before the actual list. It’s been a pretty wild year in wingsland, mostly thanks to finishing up my second master’s degree in December (finally, BYE!). Looking back, I’m surprised at how much content I actually created, but this has been a refuge and source of comfort for me while running on fumes between work and school and general adulting. 2023 also marked some changes in my listening and sources of inspiration. I fell more out of interest with txt (apologies to all followers who were here for them… this is the second time this has happened, oops?) but fell even more in love with Monsta X while discovering some other new or new-to-me artists (more on that in another post). Reason was my first official comeback with them, and it really lit a fire in my brain. I have a few ongoing series that I intend to continue, whether they’re gifs or audio compilations. I giffed a LOT of besties (minhyuk + hyungwon, the soulmates of soulmate besties). It brings me so so much joy to work on those sets and the various audio edits or just being excited about musical details in my music box tag. I also managed to squeeze in a few angsty mv sets along the way, because tbh I feel like I am thriving most as a creator when something is pulling at the heartstrings. I know mbbblr has been quiet lately (and must seem exceedingly so to those who were around years ago), but I will keep being noisy about them until mx6 is reunited and beyond. Thank you for sticking around with me ♡

(P.S. I am calling these my favorites and audience favorites because what even is popularity on tumblr, and also I am horribly indecisive and can rarely stick to one. Please enjoy the occasionally unserious post descriptions!)

January ⟡ My favorite(s out of an unusually prolific month): ‘Beautiful Liar’ lyrics + reflected shots, control imagery, & Minhyuk/Changkyun choreo; besties livestreams ft. minhyuk about to get his ass kicked by an indignant noodle & besties again not fighting ⟡ Audience favorite: Reason concept ver.3 (where did all those notes come from) followed by Hyungwon in Love Killa/Gambler/Beautiful Liar

February ⟡ My favorite: Besties Lone Ranger recording, Honey PD ’괜찮아’ Recording (ft. bonus honey threatening offering to kiss minhyuk on the lips), Hyungwon ‘Beautiful Liar’ mv + photoshoot behinds, & the following ⟡ Audience favorite: Unofficial art director Lee Minhyuk

March ⟡ The (only) favorite: Hyungwon FRED x Marie Claire (my favorite photoshoot coloring of the year)

April ⟡ My favorite: Minhyuk in Reason era & besties ft. not-very-tsundere hyungwon ⟡ Audience favorite: Hyungwon John Varvatos x GQ

May ⟡ My favorite: Besties All In mv + filming (for the 7th anniversary of All In) & the following ⟡ Audience favorite: Lights album preview

June ⟡ My favorite: Overdrive & “always you and me” besties ⟡ Audience favorite: Minhyuk x Singles

July ⟡ My favorite: Hyungwon x MV water imagery ⟡ Audience favorite: 1/2 of besties enlists (sobwail)

August ⟡ My favorite: Fighter performance video (…ft. besties), besties massage (fail), & the following ⟡ Audience favorite: Changkyun x Marie Claire

September ⟡ My favorite: Jaechan ‘Time’ ⟡ Audience favorite: Minhyuk vs the prop pear

October ⟡ My favorite: Besties with or without mx ⟡ Audience favorite: A pretty Joohoney

November ⟡ The (only) favorite: Minhyuk x Floun

December ⟡ My favorite: Giuk 'My Blue' & the consequences of putting besties next to each other in dance relays ⟡ Audience favorite: Hyungwon Givenchy Beauty x Singles

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Some big changes are underway at Pixar, after an unfortunate series of layoffs...

Per the snippets I've seen of a Bloomberg article that's behind a paywall:

In addition to juicing up the sequel count once again (with hints of the worlds of FINDING NEMO and THE INCREDIBLES being revisited), and an INSIDE OUT series coming to Disney+ next year... It's being reported that Pixar is going to abandon the more "autobiographical" approach to their newest films... Ya know, actually director-driven films that connected with people? And supposedly, they will look to make more movies with "general appeal" - whatever the hell that means, at the behest of Disney execs.

It had been talked about for a little while, but it appears that Disney executives are mandating that Pixar not let filmmakers make films... Apparently forgetting that Pixar got to where they are in the first place because of the directors that were allowed to tell the stories that were personal to them (such as FINDING NEMO, THE INCREDIBLES, and INSIDE OUT) and meant a lot to them.

Apparently, that's box office poison now. Apparently that's why they've had losses lately. Recipes for failure. Never mind that LUCA and TURNING RED barely got theatrical releases, yet they did monster numbers on streaming, got solid-to-great critical reception, and Oscar nominations. ELEMENTAL may have cost a fortune, but it's the biggest original animated movie released post-COVID outbreak- OH YEAH, THAT. A whole worldwide pandemic! Which resulted in TURNING RED and LUCA skipping theaters in the first place.

Whereas the spin-off, LIGHTYEAR, was the only true flop of this period.

You can't make this crap up.

Bob Iger's gotta go, as do these other silly executives, if they're *really* telling Pete Docter and Pixar brass to stop making movies like that. Movies that reflect their respective filmmakers' personal experiences and vision... I thought Iger was happy with ELEMENTAL's leggy run last summer? I guess he actually wasn't, nor the shareholders - the same deeply unserious people who found Disney's 2019 earnings of $24 BILLION *disappointing* because it wasn't... GASP... $25 BILLION.

I guess TURNING RED and LUCA's reviews, nominations, and success on streaming don't matter. Like... What kind of movies, outside of the sequels, is this studio gonna put out now? Noted-to-death movies that audiences end up not really connecting with? And what if those lose money?

You can't engineer hits. Hollywood bean counters don't seem to get that. You could make a movie that gets amazing reviews, and it could still flop. Or it could break out. Circumstances beyond the control of the filmmakers. If COVID-19 never happened, and SOUL, LUCA, TURNING RED, and ELEMENTAL all enjoyed unbothered theatrical releases and people could actually afford a movie trip? They all would've been blockbusters.

That's not to say that I think it's over for Pixar. I'm still looking forward to what the filmmakers can cook up under such restrictions, if they can somehow eke out a little personality. They could go the way of Disney Animation right now in my eyes, but we'll see... But I feel these mandates do not bode well for the studio's future. I remember so many talented people leaving when John Lasseter tightened his grip, circa 2010... The same could happen if the filmmakers can't really make anything other than "pre-made crowd pleaser", and flee to a studio that's a little looser than that.

But this is Disney at the end of the day. Everything's a brand, everything's Glup Shitto now. "Pixar movie" is basically a genre, when it shouldn't be. WDAS apparently means "FROZEN-Lite Movie #6", "Disney movie" is basically just remake of a classic or theme park adaptation, Marvel is now cameo-fest homework movies, Star Wars don't get me started...

We'll see how that model works out for Disney over the next few years or so...

(Maybe after I cool down, I'll be more reasonable here... But it ain't lookin' too hot.)

[soursfilms]

@ portwells, if you for a second even think that mack and gina could be serious you’re just plain dumb, i’m sorry. this is the only way i can articulate it at this point. this is the last season. i’m gonna need you to be so serious right now and use the brain that the lord gave you for once. both mack and dani are clear plot devices to add drama for rina, that’s it. they’re guest stars! and if you actually read interviews and articles, and reviews from screeners who watched the episodes early, you’d know that plot ends mid season. (woops spoiler but idgaf!) most of the stills of them are from the literal hsm4 movie they’re filming and he’s her childhood crush. i can promise you, gina, nor no one in real life is gonna end up with their childhood crush. (sorry to crush your dreams, but you will in fact not marry any one direction member that you had hanging up on a poster on your wall, and funny enough, gina has literal ¡placemats! with mack’s face on it if you look at the dinner table still because gina and her mom were fans of his show. a show in which ricky took the theme song of to write a song for gina and was released as a sneak peak already. extremely unserious all around)

portwells want to cling unto them because they’re bitter, as if we can’t see right through you. i wonder if y’all have ever watched an actual teen drama show in your life. clearly y’all haven’t and apparently haven’t seen interviews with the actual creator of the show speaking about the plot lines about HIS story, because if you did you would not be hitting post on your absurd takes. (not to mention, gina and ricky are clearly in love with each other. that’s something you all need to make peace with. especially if you claim to like gina, just accept it and be happy for her that she’s happy even if you don’t necessarily are a fan. he’s the guy she wants and you cannot change that.)

also, saw someone say ej and ricky being older means they’re both in different life stages than her so they wouldn’t work out?? (first, you don’t even know how old mack is. so i know you feel very stupid right now) and that’s not the same and you know it. gina still had TWO years to go in high school compared to ej, and she tried to make a future with him (those are her words) but it didn’t work out because it was not meant to be. mentally they were in different places. ricky and gina are only a year apart and closer in mindsets, and there’s actual love between them, that they will fight for (in the words of can i have this dance which they sang as a #real ship does “what we have is worth fighting for”) you cannot compare the writing of rina to portwell. one is clearly developed and well written and favored by the writer of the show, while the other was a plot device….let’s stop being bitter and just be at peace with the story the creator wanted to create. if you don’t like it just do not watch.

[deviiancetv]

Cinema Starview Presents: Where In the World is Agent Argylle??

When I first heard about this movie, I had no expectations that it would be good, but surprisingly… I kinda liked it!!!

Argylle is about a writer, Elly Conway, played by Bryce Dallas Howard. Elly is a recluse author who is the creator of a 4 part spy action comedy novel, starring the titular character, Agent Argylle (played by my hubby #21 Henry Cavill). While working on her 5th book, she gets plunged into this real world of spies, espionage, and conspiracy that mirrors the imaginative world she’s writing.

The action scenes were comical, like the train scene where the spy, Aidan is fighting everybody and Elly keeps envisioning him as her character Argylle. Aidan and Elly go on hijinx-filled adventures tracking down a file, she overhears a phone call between him and someone else where he threatens to k!|| her. She runs away and the big twist is Elly’s “dad” is Director Ritter, and her “mother” isn’t real. Aidan comes to rescue her, and they go to a wine farm where they meet a friend of his who reveals to Elly that she is the REAL agent Argylle, named Rachel Kylle.

This movie has A LOT of stars in it, including Dua Lipa, Samuel L. Jackson, John Cena, Ariana DeBose, Catherine O’Hara, and Bryan Cranston.

Usually, when you have a movie with so many big names, they never go well, but this one was a pretty good watch. Despite reviews, I liked this film because of its unseriousness, twists, and mass appeal for PG-13 audiences. My only wish is they actually had Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose and John Cena in it a bit more. They’re all over promotional material, however aside from brief scenes or the first 5mins of the film, they no longer appear… which is a bummer because I was intrigued by them and the roles they played. I hope they continue this franchise, but fine tune a few things.

SCORE: 6.5/10 ⭐️

[prettyboykatsuki]

fang i made a letterboxed account today bc i have horrible memory of what ive watched but its so scary over there. like i just wanna log my films and go the dudebros are fighting! come pick me up

no no dont be scared!! it is an oppurunity to be as unserious as humanly possible in ur own reviews to make a point!! do not be too afraid... am holding your hand

[greentintsmyworld]

Creep 2 (2017)- Directed by Patrick Brice

Okay, so a lot of the things I enjoyed about this film I already touched on in my review of the first one (silliness, pacing, budget), so for this one I am mostly going to be going over plot/characters.

This film is very interesting because it's somehow both a lot more silly and A LOT (and I mean A LOT) less silly than the first film. I feel like this change makes a lot of sense considering the switch to a female protagonist and especially one that seems to be very comfortable putting herself in uncomfortable situations. The work she is passionate about doing is meeting strange and unique people (mainly men) off the internet and having non-judgmental and down to earth conversations with them. Unlike Aaron (the protagonist of the first film), Sara does not scare easily, which makes her dynamic with Josef all the more interesting, since he seems to get off on his ability to scare and unsettle people. We can see throughout the film that Sara does not react to any of Josef's trademark jumpscares, and she even (in a way of connecting with him) turns the act around on him and ends up scaring him a couple times. She also seems to truly want to understand and connect with him, and there are a few times where he seems to want to do the same with her, although it's hard to tell how much of what he tells her is the truth since he is known for lying a lot.

I think a really good example of this connection is the hot tub scene. In this scene, Josef is really stressed because the shooting of his documentary didn't go as planned (so real), so he's avoiding Sara, blasting his favorite song, and sitting alone in his hot tub in the dark (ALSO SO REAL). She refuses to give up on learning about him though, so she goes down and turns off his music and demands that he talk to her, which prompts him to go into a very dark retelling of the biggest trauma of his life (the one that got him into killing). He then ends his story by telling her that tonight is going to be a very bad night, but instead of becoming frightened by his honesty and seriousness and all the darkness he's showing and running away, she climbs into the hot tub with him and begins to comfort him, wrapping her arms around him and massaging him. This moment is so perplexing because it seems so strange that someone would want to get closer to a person after hearing them talking about almost being buried alive and their first murder and how that has affected them, but somehow it feels right for these characters. The moment is so raw and tangible and intimate, it's insane.

The relationship between Josef and Sara is so unique and so interesting and so oddly charming that the movie almost feels like a romance... until the very end. This is where things get to the very not silly part, when Josef tells Sara that he wants them to both kill themselves so they can die together in the grave he dug. This is when the rose colored glasses finally come off and she realizes that he really is a killer and isn't going to change, and there will not be a good ending for them. It really is such a chilling and horrifying moment to see the fear fall onto her face in that moment, and her realization that she is actually not safe with him. Nothing in the first movie was as scary as that moment.

There is a lot more I could talk about here, like the cinematography, Josef's (canon?) bisexuality, and how relatable I found some parts of this movie as a loser film major who is easily overstimulated, but I think I'll end it here.

GO WATCH THESE MOVIES NOW!!!

(Rewatched 9/28/23)

[heavenbarnes]

I randomly feel really bad and also stupid for not liking “critically acclaimed films” I’ve tried to go through them, and I have finished them but I just find it a chore to finish, some of the ones I’ve watched are

Pulp Fiction (what the fuck was that even about?!), The Godfather (I found it so boring), The Banshees of Inisherin (I’m sorry I found that boring and weird), Midsommar (I found that boring and confusing), The Lighthouse (I found it so boring and it confused the fuck out of me), Parasite (I’m sorry I really tried to enjoy it but I also didn’t understand it)

And so, so many more. And some of them are so loved, and I can see the movies are well written, acted, directed etc. I can tell they’re technically “good movies”, but I really don’t like them, and I just feel so stupid when I don’t understand them?!

And it’s weird I find those movies boring but I love Pride and Prejudice, 1917, Lady Chatterly’s Lover etc. and many more movies I should technically find boring but I don’t. I feel it’s so bad bc I want to be in the film industry and these are all movies I should love and recommend as masterpieces but I feel like I’d be laughed out of town.

I’m sorry for the random rant, you’re one of the people I look at for good recommendations! And you’re also the reason I watched Nope, I didn’t enjoy “Us” so I wasn’t sure about Nope but you said how good it was so I watched it and loved it, it’s my favourite Jordan Peele movie! Anyway, I hope you have a great rest of your night! ❤️

one of the greatest things about film is we all interpret it really differently - we see the story differently, the themes differently, the message differs depending on who watches it. with this in mind, what some people will find to be outstanding, others will find average or frankly boring.

a secret about me is i have seen very few “critically acclaimed” films (for instance, ive never seen pulp fiction or the godfather, ive also never seen avatar or any of the lord of the rings films) because a lot of them just don’t appeal to me. i have film bros tell me all the time “cosmos you’re not living, you have to see them!” but truth is, i don’t.

when i watch a film, i watch it to enjoy myself and to learn about a story that interests me. if i read a premise and none of that sparks any interest or harbours any joy for me, i’m just not watching it- no matter how many awards it’s won.

same reason i very seldom read film reviews, usually because the author and i have vastly different tastes. i saw a million and one reviews of folks saying the harley quinn movie sucked and it was awful. i watched it (cause it sounded good to me) and thoroughly enjoyed it- that’s because i like margot robbie and a bit of unserious action. the people writing those reviews did not share my sentiments.

i’m glad you listen to my recommendations, obviously we have common interests and as someone that’s pretty passionate about film- it means a lot that i can recommend films to others. i’m glad you liked Nope but don’t worry, i wasn’t too keen on Us either. i did like Get Out though!

i think what i’m trying to say is, i understand your worries and i think you are worried because you’re obviously quite invested in enjoying film- however, focus on that and don’t worry about other people’s perceptions of your movie taste.

my favourite film of all time is Juno, my second favourite film of all time is Halloween (1978), my third favourite is Nope, and my fourth is SuperBad- what i mean by that is i have a very eclectic bunch of films there. some of those are critically acclaimed and some are not. what matters is i think they’re good, which is why they’re my favourites 🤍

i genuinely hope this helps and i’m lucky to have you here on this blog x

[enragedfroglet]

very corny, very unserious, and very insignificant film reviews (if u even care lol)

[aeoki]

Dance Floor - Slow Step: Chapter 2

Location: Dance Room Characters: Touri, Yuzuru, Eichi & Wataru

Eichi: “Coming up with your own dance”?

Touri: Yeah. It’s what we had to do for our class today.

We’ll come up with our own dances then present them to our class a week later and review them together.

Yuzuru: Hmm, so that’s what the first-years are doing. It’s rather adorable…

Young Master, may I observe the dance recital?

I shall film it and send the video to your father who’s overseas ♪

Touri: You may not! Don’t come, Yuzuru! The dance recital is just gonna be in the classroom – it’s not a big event!

Eichi: Oh, Yuzuru, you transferred into the second year so you don’t know, huh. We had the same class when we were first-year students too – how nostalgic.

Well, my health ended up failing and I had to be hospitalised, so I didn’t take part in the dance recital, though.

Wataru: Hmm? No wonder I have no memory of it. I had a performance lined up back then and was absent for many of my classes.

It seems I’ve missed out. It sounded like something fun.

Yuzuru: Hehe. Surprisingly, I see you two upperclassmen didn’t take attendance very seriously.

Wataru: Hearing you refer to us as “upperclassmen” feels rather refreshing…

Well, Eichi’s health was far worse than it is now and as you know, I was an unserious problem child.

Eichi: Hehe. A lesson on the basics for first-year students would have bored you to death, no?

But seeing as they’re still using the same curriculum as two years ago means that there hasn’t been any progress.

I’m sure they must have made detailed improvements but maybe they should re-examine things overall.

I’d like for the children who will be holding up the future idol industry to have the highest-degree of education.

Yuzuru: I have a feeling we’ve gone off on a tangent… Um, is there an issue with this dance class of yours, Young Master?

Touri: Yeah. Uhh, it’s a bit embarrassing to say but… I’ve always been boasting about how I’m part of the strongest unit.

Yuzuru: If you’re aware, then there is nothing I need to say.

Touri: Yeah… so now that I have to come up with my own dance…

I went and said to everyone that I’ll show them the best dance ever because I’m a member of “fine”.

Yuzuru: Why did you wish to show off?

Touri: Uuu~ well, Tsukasa provoked me so I got back at him too… But I’m not really confident in my dancing abilities yet.

So I’m worried I might not be able to do well.

Tsukasa’s definitely gonna make fun of me~ And the others might laugh at me too.

Yuzuru: You are a little on the slow side, Young Master. Your body is maturing slowly and both your stamina and physical abilities are a bit lacking.

Well, this would be the perfect opportunity for you to face the truth. I think it would be best for you to lose face and reflect on your failure.

Eichi: You’re quite strict, Yuzuru. But it’s not as if you’re awful at dancing, right, Touri?

You’re able to pull off “fine’s” performances properly every time, after all.

Yuzuru: President-sama, that is the result of the Young Master’s blood, sweat and tears.

Eichi: I said those things because I’m aware of that. I may be seeing Touri in a favourable light, but I simply think he’s an excellent first-year student who’s top of his grade.

You see, Touri… I didn’t ask you to join “fine” because I think you’re adorable.

You’re ambitious, loyal, have the talent, skills and the brilliance – I value all those aspects very highly.

Touri: I’m happy to hear you say that but… hmm~ maybe I shouldn’t have gone to you for help about this.

Even if I fail, it’s still my responsibility because I talked big and said all those things.

In reality, I might actually be the best dancer out of everyone and maybe it’s all just needless worry.

But I guess I just wanted some confidence.

Wataru: Hehehe. Himegimi, you’re able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with us, who’re first-class, so a low self-esteem is understandable, though.

Stand proud and keep your head held high.

You’ve been practising alongside us and have overcome the hellish training. You certainly won’t lose to the average idol.

I mentioned this before, didn’t I? Hard work will not betray you.

Eichi: Hehe. But in reality, we’d be in quite a pickle even if you came to us for help.

You have to come up with our own dance, right…? Just being skilled in dancing is not enough.

You must be creative.

I’m good at copying the techniques of others but… I’m awful when it comes to creating something from scratch.

Wataru: I’m the same. Mr. Butler, you specialise in behaviour that’s dependent on your master too.

Perhaps we’ve found our weak point.

Eichi: It surprises me to hear you say that, Wataru. You’re always adding ad libs on stage, aren’t you?

Wataru: Ad libs come with technique as well. I’m certainly not pulling them out of thin air.

Touri: (Ahaha, they’re talking about something sophisticated again… Sometimes, they tend to leave me out of the conversation.)

(I’m a part of “fine” too but it feels like I’ve been given the lowest seat out of pity.)

(At this rate, I won’t be able to catch up with them at all.)

(Oh, geez, I shouldn’t be wasting my time to come up with my own dance.)

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[capsarcastica]

Unfrosted Review

Jerry Seinfeld makes his film directing debut with a hilarious movie in the vein of Airplane! and Monty Python.

The plot is nonsensical, more a series of gags that all work. The group of scientists who have nothing to do with breakfast food, the Scarface-inspired sugar dealers, the Milk Man Mafia, the Cold War, the sentient pasta, the January 6th-inspired attack on Kellogg's. It shouldn't work but somehow it all comes together. Seinfeld is able to combine the off-the-wall humor of his sitcom and the zany antics of a classic Mel Brooks movie, almost like a better episode of Family Guy.

The entire cast is great. Everyone's trying to steal the spotlight so the energy is always there. The standouts are Jerry Seinfeld and Hugh Grant. Seinfeld has done so few fictional characters it's almost a surprise he does so well against more seasoned actors like Bill Burr's JFK. Grant channels Alan Rickman's Galaxy Quest character in a Death to Smoochy style subplot. There's a ton of fun cameos. The best is in the style of John Hurt's Spaceballs cameo.

The set design is also a lot of fun. Not quite as extreme as Barbie but definitely cartoonish.

It's nice to see an unserious comedy just have fun in the weirdest way possible. It's the kind of film to just sit back and enjoy.

[orlaite]

letterboxd pet peeves

Short, unserious one-liners by big accounts (repeat-offenders) that aren't even funny being the top 20 results when you look at the reviews of a movie (but if I find it funny or my mutuals write them I love unserious one-liners); sorting between films, lists, cast members, and users on the "search" function; the recency bias in the Top 250 that means shit like Spiderverse is on there over movies like Lawrence of Arabia and The Red Shoes; how many dumb, unserious, and tasteless people are on a site that I use as my own personal film diary and friend hang-out spot. How dare!

[imcaso]

Review: Bodies, Bodies, Bodies (2022)

I have to admit, first and foremost, that this movie humbled the pretentious film snob in me. I am far too often going into films assuming the worst in them, and this one in particular swept the rug from under my legs because WOW was I entertained. 

I’m not sure what it was…The promotion of the movie appeared like any other teen slasher - and not the classic type with the first kill, masked killer, and a shower scene, but the much-more-modern, Gen Z, meme-infused slasher flick that will probably leave you confused if you don’t know what Tik Tok or body dysmorphia are - it was on par with every other film for young adults with a Twitter account. And while I always support the points at heart, these new tropes can easily seem obnoxious, belabored, and a bit too intentional. This is what I was expecting in Bodies, Bodies, Bodies.

Alas, such as I said, I have once again been proven wrong. Even more to the fact that this movie did employ the same tropes I was just criticizing. But hey, good writing is good writing. 

The film follows a group of college students sheltering from a storm in their friend’s unsupervised mansion. We’re introduced to the black sheep of the group, accompanied by her stranger girlfriend, as she reconnects with her old friends following her latest stint in rehab. We quickly learn about the toxic dynamic between them all, who truly have a deep-seeded hatred towards each other fueled by insecurity and addiction. Their plan for the night is to drink, smoke, and sniff until the storm passes, until one of them suggests they play a murder mystery game, “Bodies, Bodies, Bodies” (ooo they said it!). 

So the story goes, the storm gets worse, the lights go out, and one of the friends ends up dead. The rest is a string of gruesomely unserious events as the group tries to stay alive long enough to find out who’s killing them.

The action is bloody, jokes are pulpy, and we are given all around great performances from the entire cast. My personal vote for MVP goes to Rachel Sennott, who I had not yet seen in a movie, and whew! that girl is going places. In between the lines of her performance you can see her natural whit and perfect comedic timing. I'm calling it now she'll be in a movie with Timothée Chalamet by 2025.

<spoilers>

Ultimately, there was one moment that tied the entire movie together for me, the moment that made realize what a great film it was, which was the final scene that revealed the killer, or "killer." What I did not expect from this seemingly simple whodunnit was to discover that nobodyreallydidditt. The first victim accidentally killed himself making a Tik Tok, three of them were subsequently killed in very arguable forms of self defense, and then there was that one girl who literally just tripped and died - the dumbest most genius plot twist that I can't personally say has been done yet (fact check this).

</spoilers>

Well, the credit is due and the flowers are owed. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and would recommend it to my younger, more online friends, which is why, in my complete and subjective opinion, I rate this film a 3.5/5.

[ogradyfilm]

Recently Viewed: Violence Voyager

[The following review contains SPOILERS; YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!]

After finally seeing Violence Voyager for myself (having learned of its existence via clips posted to Twitter), I can confidently promise you this: you have never seen anything like it.

The basic premise is familiar enough: on the last day of their summer vacation, two adolescent boys—an American exchange student name Bobby and his friend and fellow social outcast, Akkun—venture out into the wilderness surrounding their quaint, quiet rural community in search of excitement and adventure. As they navigate the perilous mountain trails, they eventually stumble upon a dilapidated—but still fully operational—amusement park. When they discover that the seemingly unassuming proprietor actually harbors sinister intentions, however, the youths find themselves wishing that they hadn’t strayed so far from the safety of their own homes…

Divorced from further narrative context, this synopsis makes the film sound like a traditional fairytale, complete with a rather straightforward moral (“Remember, boys and girls: always listen to your parents and elders…”); the visual style—which features deliberately simplistic “paper cutout” animation reminiscent of a pop-up storybook—merely reinforces this impression. Once the plot begins to unfold in earnest, though, this colorful, whimsical, “all-ages” façade is quickly and brutally subverted by the movie’s darkly comic tone—emphasis on dark. When confronted with genuinely malicious forces, the characters are about as helpless and vulnerable as you’d expect a bunch of prepubescents to be. Children are graphically maimed, bludgeoned, dismembered, flayed, impaled, and otherwise mutilated by the dozen—and the really unfortunate ones are mutated into grotesque, malformed monstrosities with misshapen skulls, bulging eyes, and exposed nerves. So, y’know, if you’re fond of kids (and animals, for that matter), you might want to steer clear…

While director Ujicha owes an obvious debt to the pioneers of the body horror genre—including David Cronenberg, Brian Yuzna, Clive Barker, and Shinya Tsukamoto—his irreverent rejection of formula, cliché, and convention sets Violence Voyager apart from its predecessors. Unpredictable, unnerving, and extremely unserious, it won’t appeal to every viewer’s sensibilities (it isn’t “enjoyed” so much as “endured”), but it is—for better or worse—an unforgettable cinematic experience.

[paraphrasedkulchar]

Tonight, About My Father comes to theatres to show how unserious (compliment) Robert de Niro is. More at @intheseats.