2025 Cinema: Moving Pictures and Flickering Frames

Last night we watched Yorgos Lanthimos' "Kinds of Kindness".

Great cinema, another brilliant offering from one of my five favorite living directors.

Three different narratives, the same cast members playing multiple roles, impressive throughout.

Stories about various versions of control and manipulation, told with originality and wit.

Highly recommended.

How Netflix and other streaming services have changed the way movies are being made:

https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-49/essays/casual-viewing/

"About Dry Grasses", a film by Nuri Bilge Ceylan.

Three hours long but not overlong.

A narcissistic school teacher has been struggling to find cause for hope while employed at a remote village in eastern Turkey. He is accused of inappropriate contact with students and selfishly vies for the affections of a woman his best friend is seeing.

Utterly convincing, a film rich with dialogue, long conversations, speculations.

Well worth the investment of time.

Jean Cocteau's "Beauty and the Beast".

Delightful film, visually arresting and genuinely scary at times. The set design and photography are stunning and the acting impressive.

Sherron and I loved it.

>4 CliffBurns: I agree that it is a beautiful film made with true artistry. The Disney versions make me shudder when I think of them.

Saw Leigh Whannell's adaptation of "The Wolf Man" tonight--on the big screen (Sherron received a gift certificate for some good deed).

We we both impressed: small scale, intimate horror, built around a family riven with tension.

Most of the effects handled with prosthetics and cleverness, the CGI kept to a minimum.

Genuinely scary and the creepy sound design only enhanced the atmosphere.

Recommended.

"Time Thieves", a Spanish/French co-production about how capitalism is robbing us of our most precious resource.

Definitely worth a look and it certainly provoked some discussion last night.

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is a movie that moves me profoundly, even if I can't make heads or tails of the last section. When it won the Cannes Festival, Tim Burton described it as a "a strange, beautiful dream." That's about right.

Syndromes and a Century, also by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, reenacts his parents' courtship in two different locations and times. Very interesting conceptually but a bit harder to watch. I felt like I was watching one of those experimental films they show at museums and galleries, but longer. Turns out the director's background is in that type of work. It does include one of the best endings ever.

Both on youtube until they take them down.

Charlie Kaufman's "Synedoche, New York": sad, bizarre, baffling and original.

Brilliant performances by the entire cast--Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Catherine Keener et al--and the film itself is a puzzle box, anomalous and fascinating.

How it ever got funding, I'll never know. Hand a weirdo like Charlie Kaufman a big budget and wait for the weirdness to manifest itself.

Recommended.

"Winter Sleep", another magnificent, intelligent effort by Nuri Bilge Ceylan. Winner of 2014 Palm D'Or.

One of the stars of this great film is the stunning Turkish location, which adds another layer to a complex, powerful movie.

Highly recommended.

Sherron was away so I picked a film she'd NEVER want to watch, "Longlegs", directed by Osgood Perkins.

Supposedly a serial killer film on par with "Silence of the Lambs".

Nope.

First of all, I've always felt "Silence" was over-rated and unbelievable.

"Longlegs" also has plausibility issues--never believed anything happening in the film. If the FBI are really this slapdash and incompetent, America is in big trouble.

Not recommended.

Saw "Eraserhead" on the big screen for the first time.

What an experience.

For many years it's been one of the most original and mind-blowing movies I've ever seen...now I have even a greater appreciation of David Lynch's first film.

Just about perfect, from the framing of the images to the strange, industrial soundtrack.

Awe-inspiring and inspirational.

Steve McQueen's "Hunger" last night.

Michael Fassbender gives a stunning performance as IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands. A grim, visceral, unrelenting film documenting a brutal time, when no party gave any quarter, creating an atmosphere of inhumanity and violence.

Not for the weak of heart but highly recommended.

Saw Bong Joon-ho's "Mickey 17" last night.

I waited two years to see the film and it was worth it.

Crazy visuals, wacky, over-the-top performances, all in the service of depicting a gritty, all-too-possible future where "expendables' are cloned for the worst duties in space or subjected to cruel tests and if they're killed, another copy is printed to replace them. Capitalism goes to the stars.

Recommended.

Good article on the domination of Cineplex on the Canadian movie theatre scene and the dire effects that's having on small, community theaters and art houses:

https://this.org/2024/12/21/movie-monopoly/?lid=7zrsxyp3c0qo

Luchino Visconti's "The Leopard".

I think there's a new adaptation of Lampedusa's classic on Netflix but I've wanted to see Visconti's take for years.

A bit disappointing--quite ponderous, despite great performances by Burt Lancaster (dubbed), Alain Delon and the magnificent Claudia Cardinale (my all-time biggest film crush). The photography is sumptuous, costumes stunning but the story itself isn't very engrossing.

An epic where not a lot really happens.

If you like that sort of thing...

"The Innocents", Jack Clayton's moody, atmospheric adaptation of Henry James' TURN OF THE SCREW.

I'm one of the few lovers of English literature who despises the work of both Henry James and Joseph Conrad.

"The Innocents" features the best aspects of James' novella and there are some genuinely chilling moments without a single drop of blood being spilled. Yes, contemporary film-makers, such things are possible.

Stunning cinematography and lighting by Freddie Francis.

Worthy of a look.

"Two in the Wave", directed by Emmanuel Laurent.

Documentary about the relationship between film-makers Jean-Luc Godard and Francois Truffaut. They started out colleagues and good friends and after the street protests in May, 1968, became fierce enemies.

Never cared for Godard or his films, regardeding him as a poser and his filmography self-conscious and pretentious.

Quite a good documentary, but definitely one for cineastes and film enthusiasts.

The "new literalism" of today's films.

Not sure I agree with the entire article but he makes some good points:

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/critics-notebook/the-new-literalism-plaguing-t...

"The Joke", directed by Jaromil Jires.

Czech "New Wave", love it.

An adaptation of a Milan Kundera novel and a very good one. A man makes a joke in a postcard to his girlfriend and authorities are not amused. He undergoes a brutal "re-education" regimen and, years later, vows his revenge.

But, as the old saying goes, "revenge has two victims" and the plot does not go according to plan.

Fascinating cinema.

Morę Czech New Wave.

"Pearls of the Deep", adaptations of short stories by Bohumil Hrabal, helmed by various good directors.

An oddball offering, to be sure, some stories more compelling than others, but the human touch apparent throughout.

Recommended.

"Birth", directed by Brian Glazer.

Not entirely effective, but an interesting study of the effects of grief. A woman loses her husband and ten years after his death, on the eve of remarrying another man, a young boy confronts her and tells her he's her dead husband.

Excellent performances, especially by Nicole Kidman, but the movie seemed implausible to us and, therefore, lost some of its impact.

Richard Linklater's nostalgia-dipped look at 1980s America, "Everybody Wants Some".

The young cast are excellent and the movie, despite its coming-of-age trappings, has higher aspirations.

Fun and entertaining.

Saw Ryan Coogler's "Sinners" at the theater tonight.

Loved the slow, lazy pacing for the first half...and then the reaaaally bad guys show up.

Not perfect and gorier than we expected (especially last 15 minutes) but entertaining as hell...and where can I get hold of that soundtrack?

Recommended (but not for the squeamish).

David Thomson on the films of Terence Malick:

https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v47/n09/david-thomson/cool-tricking?utm_campaign...

Hello, I'm a new member. I also like talking about cinema as well.

A little bit about me: For years, I traditionally read a lot of fantasy, but I'm always in the business of expanding my mind and I'm trying to discover new authors, challenge myself, open my horizons, etc. I have a couple ongoing projects. I am currently reading the works of Cormac McCarthy. I am also trying to read more non-fiction, particularly history.

One of my ongoing "film projects" is that I am currently working on watching the works of Takeshi Kitano, in chronological order. I am nine films deep, with Dolls being my next film on my list. I am enjoying myself thus far, and of course reading about the film maker and his body of work to supplement my appreciation of his work.

Currently reading, among other things, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. It's a reread, haven't read it in maybe 15 years. It's much sadder than I remembered, but that might be because I know/can see the ending coming right at the start.

>24 CliffBurns: Really liked Sinners. The music is absolutely phenomenal, couldn't agree more. Startled in the theatre to find the juke joint genuinely moving, in a way that I didn't foresee.

Loved Delroy Lindo, Jack O'Connell, and of course Michael B. Jordan. He's come a long way since playing Wallace in The Wire.

>20 CliffBurns: I watched this one last night—fantastic, indeed. It also reminded me I need to rewatch "Closely Watched Trains."

Robert Eggers' "Nosferatu" tonight.

Atmospheric and macabre, beautifully photographed and well-acted.

Ending too telegraphed, but that's what happens when you're remaking a classic. In lieu of surprise, artistry.

Recommended.

"What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael", a documentary directed by Rob Garver.

Opinionated, prickly, divisive and, not occasionally, cruel and sharp-tongued. That was Pauline.

We don't have authoritative, interesting film reviewers these days, it's a culture of amateurs. Everyone's opinion carries equal weight.

Yikes.

Didn't always agree with Kael but constantly fascinated by her reasoning.

"I knew It Was You", a documentary about the great character actor John Cazale. Directed by Richard Shepard.

Not a lot of depth in the film, Shepard relying on film clips and interviews with famous friends. Almost nothing on Cazale's upbringing or background or anything that might give us an idea as to why and how he was able to inhabit his roles so completely.

Three stars out of five.

Rewatched John Sayles' "Matewan" for the first time in twenty years.

Still powerful, still timely, still great.

Has anyone else seen it recently?

"Rumours", co-directed by Guy Maddin and two brothers.

Strange events overtake a G7 summit--the leaders of the free world are isolated and menaced by...well, I don't want to spoil the fun.

Anyone watching a Guy Maddin film knows the surreal and bizarre are always looming, just out of frame.

An oddball effort and not entirely effective but certainly, er, unique.

Morę Czech "New Wave", Juraj Herz's "The Cremator".

Combination of black comedy and gripping drama as a Czech man in charge of crematorium is co-opted by a Nazi-loving friend (the film is set just before the partition of Czechoslovakia in 1938). Gradually the central character is drawn more and more into the Nazi orbit until he commits unspeakable acts of betrayal against friends and then his own family.

Bizarre and harrowing.

Tonight, "The Ascent", directed by Larissa Shepitko.

Amazing, Soviet-era film (1977) involving partisans in World War II Belorussia.

Authentic and utterly convincing.

Great cinema.

Victor Erice's "El Sur".

The lighting in this film is out of this world, perfectly complimenting the slow-developing narrative, as told from a child's point of view.

The accompanying featurette on the making of the film provides intriguing details, well worth a look.

Recommended.

"Godland", a film directed by Hlymar Palmason.

A young Danish priest is dispatched to a remote district of Iceland to build a new church.

The journey to his new home is a difficult one and once he gets there he runs afoul of locals and has difficulty establishing himself.

A long film, a study in faith and isolation.

Recommended.

"The Sound of Fury", a 1950 film noir directed by Cy Endfield.

Good fun, with Lloyd Bridges playing a brutal heavy. The rest of the cast a bunch of undistinguished "B" and "C" actors.

Likable and pretty nasty in places (for 1950).

>37 CliffBurns: Watched that a couple of months ago. Good film.

"Close Your Eyes", Victor Erice's return to cinema after a long absence.

Great film-making, the old master hasn't lost a step.

A film director tries to discover what happened to his leading man after he disappeared off a set twenty-two years previously--a sad, wise movie about memory, loss and the power of cinema.

Definitely going to make my year end "Best of..." roster.

"2073", directed by Asif Kapadia.

Kind of a mish-mash of contemporary documentary footage and a look at the Earth 50 years from now, authoritarianism the norm, the climate in full revolt, the situation hopeless unless you are of the affluent class.

Despite the presence of the great Samantha Morton this effort is only of mild interest, its approach heavy-handed, literal, unimaginative, obvious.

Mediocre, at best.

"The Ipcress File", a 1965 adaptation of Len Deighton's novel.

Michael Caine and the supporting cast are very good but a rather slow-moving picture, quite dated as well.

A trip down memory lane.

>42 CliffBurns: I increasingly find with films of that era that part of their interest is the contemporary setting, which now almost elevates them to the status of historical dramas.

"Civil War" by Alex Garland.

Another movie (like "2073") that is too heavy-handed, obvious and literal. The film-makers should have watched "Dr. Strangelove", seen how serious subject matter can be handled in a satirical fashion that makes the point better than straight drama.

Except for a few scenes in the American hinterland, I didn't find much of interest.

Average, at best.

"Upgrade", directed by Leigh Whannell.

Fair to middling thriller--a quadriplegic man is restored to mobility by cutting edge technology...except the computer responsible for the medical miracle decides it wants complete autonomy over the man's body, with ugly consequences.

Not great, but some good bits and a downbeat ending (which I always appreciate).

"Soundtrack of a Coup D'etat", directed by Johan Grimonprez.

The troubling history of post-colonial Congo, with music provided by jazz giants. Music is an emancipatory force in the world, a platform for expressing dissent and protest. The fate of Patrice Lumumba and those who wished to preserve the Congo's vast wealth from the predatory Belgians is a cautionary tale to any who attempt to stand up to capitalism and its moneyed minions.

Highly recommended.

"Far From Vietnam", a documentary made in 1967 featuring some of the creme de la creme of French cinema.

Disjointed, as you'd expect, but some powerful images and testimonies, an excellent time capsule of a troubled and divisive era, America even more splintered and ugly than it is today (hard as that may be to believe).

Recommended.

"Kneecap", directed by Rich Peppiatt.

Normally I avoid biopics, but this semi-true story about the origins of the Irish rap band Kneecap is fun and electric from the first frame.

Don't miss this one, it's a great film.

Tonight "The Shrouds", the latest film by David Cronenberg.

Vincent Cassel is miscast, methinks; the film itself is a strange one, even for a director noted for weirdness. Definitely not for those of weak constitution, especially if decaying human remains give you the jim-jams.

The ending is deeply unsatisfying and confusing and I don't think it one of Davey-boy's best.

For fans only.

Paul Schrader's adaptation of "The Cat People" tonight.

First saw it at a drive-in with a high school girlfriend in 1982, on a double bill with Carpenter's "The Thing".

The aforementioned gal was most put out with me for completely ignoring her, enraptured by the movies.

"Cat People" is still fun, more sexy than bloody, which was the director's intention.

>51 CliffBurns: coincidentally, I watched The Thing last night. Saw it years ago, of course, but decided to rewatch it. Better than I remembered, although the effects are not up to present-day standards (fortunately, as I'm a bit squeamish).

A date night to our local movie theater--saw Darren Aronofsky's latest, "Caught Stealing".

Good cast, breakneck plot--a clueless guy gets involved in a conspiracy, fighting the bad guys plus his own ignorance of what is actually going on.

Set in grungy, 1990s New York, with no arty flourishes, Aronofsky putting petal to the metal and telling a great yarn.

Based on a novel by Charlie Huston--have read two of his books (but not this one), loved them both.

>53 CliffBurns: Aronofsky must have been a Guns N' Roses fan.

>54 supercell: I read a review of RESUSCITATION OF A HANGED MAN that basically accused Denis Johnson of "slumming it", wasting his considerable talents on a genre effort.

I wonder if the same charge will be leveled at Aronofsky for what (for him) is a conventional film, with a plot, likable (and unlikable) characters, etc.

To me, it's just a well-conceived, well-executed effort, regardless of conventions, and so on.

Watched the new The Naked Gun. Surprisingly amusing - got me chuckling after 1.5 minutes. Stay for the credit sequence, there's some good jokes in it.

"Labyrinth"--bombed on its release, then gained a cult following:

https://lithub.com/the-literary-afterlives-of-labyrinth/?utm_source=Klaviyo&...

Two movies in the past while:

"Sunday Best", a Netflix documentary about the man who used to own Sunday night TV (50 million viewers each week, imagine that), Ed Sullivan.

When I was a kid, I watched "The Ed Sullivan Show" with my family, but had no clue that he had regular fights with his network and sponsors, insisting that black performers be featured on his show. Very good doc.

Last night we watched "The Brutalist" and besides Adrien Brody's stellar performance, found the film unmoving and overlong. Certainly not Oscar caliber. Strange scenes that went on and on, advancing the plot of the movie not one millimeter. Baffled why this one seemed to blow other people away.

Last night, Lindsay Anderson's "This Sporting Life" (1963).

Raw, gritty film, with great performances by Richard Harris and Rachel Roberts.

The brutality of the rugby pitch and the hard men who play the game. Harris has never been better.

I had the Criterion edition, so there were lots of juicy extras, including a couple of docs on Lindsay Anderson (fascinating man).

Highly recommended.

Sherron's away, so I decided to watch something edgier last night, "The Substance", written and directed by Coralie Fargeat.

Not without its positive qualities, a couple of good performances (not Dennis Quaid, he's wayyyy over the top), but damned if I can figure out why it was awarded a "Best Screenplay" prize at Cannes.

The final twenty minutes of the picture depicts, literally, a blood bath--Ari Aster levels of unnecessary gruesomeness.

Not my cup of tea--all I can say is if you like "body horror", go for it.

Otherwise...

"Death in Venice", directed by Luchino Visconti.

Dirk Bogarde's best performance, a film about yearning and desire, an artist struggling with the concept of beauty in a crass, superficial world.

Slow-moving, but not ponderous. Not as captivating as "The Damned", but quietly effective.

>61 CliffBurns: Ken Russell took a sly dig at Visconti and Death in Venice in his biopic, Mahler.

>62 RobertDay: Did not know that.

Of course, Ken was completely mad...

Mahler provides most of the soundtrack for "Venice", which is all right with me, I love his music.

There's an amazing opening scene as the boat carrying Bogarde moves through the water toward Venice, a wash of colors in the sky that had to be a photographic effect, some trick employed while the film was being processed. It's gorgeous and otherworldly, really sets the stage for what's to come.

"Presence", a moderately spooky ghost story involving two guys I admire, director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter David Koepp.

Good use of atmosphere and moving camera to give the impression of an unseen watcher, a house that is conscious and wary of visitors.

Not as good as I expected and not as scary, but fans of "The Haunting Hill House" and "Turn of the Screw" might appreciate how the house assumes a personality of its own, independent of its human occupants.

Spooky film double feature:

Robert Wise's "The Haunting", an excellent adaptation of Shirley Jackson's THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE. Julie Harris is particularly good as Eleanor.

Vincent Price in Andre de Toth's "House of Wax"--silly good fun. The film was originally shot in 3-D, the punchline being its director had only one eye.

"B'Twixt Now and Sunrise", written, produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

I approached the film with low expectations and candidly admit to be surprised.

It was originally released in 2012, but this is a re-edited, updated cut.

It's not perfect, but Val Kilmer is solid in the lead and the plot is intriguing. Washed up writer comes to strange town for book-signing and discovers it is the site of an infamous mass murder. The ghost of Edgar Allan Poe makes its presence known, as well as that of a young girl, who somehow escaped the killings.

Give it a chance, it's better than most horror films out there (a low bar, I admit).

One last horror flick before Sherron returns, David Cronenberg's "The Brood".

Haven't seen it in at least 25 years and it still retains its edgy creepiness.

I think this was the first film where Cronenberg had quality actors--Samantha Eggar and Oliver Reed--and that definitely helps.

With this effort, the director began to move toward respectability--""Videodrome" and "Scanners" were to follow.

"The Conformist", written and directed by Bernardo Bertolucci.

Cinematography by the great Vittorio Storaro.

Jean-Louis Trintignant exemplary in the title role, a "grey man" (as Bertolucci describes him in the featurette accompanying the film), removed from society and desperately seeking normality. Set in Fascist Italy, where everyone strove to appear "normal", conforming to the expectations of the alternate reality Mussolini took such great pains to construct.

A deep, thoughtful film--one of those cinematic efforts you'd love to talk about over coffee afterward.

Recommended.

"The Ruling Class", Peter Medak's 1972 classic, is available on YouTube for free viewing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijd8bregkt4&t=100s

A one-off, there hasn't been a film like it before or since.

Peter O'Toole is staggering as a paranoid schizophrenic who inherits the family title (he is the 14th Earl of Gurney). His first appearance has him wearing a sackcloth robe, sporting a beard and shoulder length hair. He is convinced he is God incarnate and, when feeling anxious, perches on a massive cross installed in the castle's living room.

First saw it about thirty years ago and rewatching it last night, I was only more impressed. I think it's O'Toole's finest performance, his emotional range in this movie nothing short of remarkable.

Highly recommended.

Whoo hoo, "Shallow Grave" tonight.

Again, been a couple decades since I last checked in on the room-mates from Hell and I found the film just as compelling as the first time I saw it.

Kudos to Danny Boyle and his production crew--bless Criterion for giving it their stamp of approval.

"The Seed of the Sacred Fig", written and directed by Mohammad Rasoulof.

An incredible movie, filmed in secret at various locations around Iran. Iman has been promoted to an important position with the Revolutionary Court during a time of upheaval. He oversees many cases where he must rubberstamp severe penalties, including (on too many occasions) the death penalty. His daughters have friends protesting against the regime and begin to rebel against their parents.

This movie won a "Special Jury Prize" at Cannes and no wonder. The performances and photography are exquisite, making it one of the best films I've seen this year.

Highly recommended.

* Here's an interview with the director, discussing the making of the film and its aftermath:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL12750upgw

"The Awful Truth", a screwball comedy starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne, directed by Leo McCarey.

Very cute but quite slight and insubstantial. The two leads are charming, but the film is predictable, the ending obvious right from the start.

Just okay.

"Born to Kill", a Robert Wise movie with Claire Trevor, Lawrence Tierney and Walter Slezak.

Considered by some a noir classic, I thought Tierney's one-dimensional performance really dragged on the film. It had no subtlety, no layers, he just came across as a complete psycho you could't believe anyone would like, let alone love. Someone like Burt Lancaster would've mixed charm with that menace.

Not recommended...though it's always nice to see Elisha Cook Jr., a regular in crime capers.

"Odd Man Out" (1947), a Carol Reed crime film set in northern Ireland.

James Mason is a chief in the "Organization" but a botched robbery leaves him wounded and on the run.

Great supporting cast, with Cyril Cusack, Robert Newton and various other well-known character actors, and the cinematography (by Robert Krasker, who also worked on Reed's "The Third Man") is outstanding.

Recommended.

Tonight, Pedro Almodovar's "Pain and Glory".

Wonderful film, tracing the life of a film-maker from his early days in a Spanish village to his lonely isolation in Madrid decades later.

Heartfelt, but not sentimental, an exploration of the development of an artist, his personal and aesthetic inspirations.

Partially inspired by the work of writers Paul Auster and Roberto Bolano (Auster's love of strange coincidences present at various points in the narrative).

Highly recommended.

Paul Thomas Anderson's "One Battle After Another".

Big buzz around this one but we found it just okay.

Some strange plot inconsistencies, especially at the end, and I don't think they really grasped Pynchon's humor. Sean Penn is really over the top but everyone else manages very well, especially newcomer Chase Infiniti (is that a Pynchonian monicker or what?).

Really long and a bit flaccid in parts. And the incidental music was constant and constantly annoying.

Not the director's best effort.

"Ghost in the Shell" a "legendary" animated movie from 1997 (seems like an eternity ago).

Directed by Mamoru Oshii.

Anime is not my thing and though the storyline had some intriguing elements and the images were occasionally striking, the whole thing seemed slight and unsatisfying to me. The script was talky, the voice performers (dubbed) uniformly bland and toneless.

Might have been okay when it first came out, like the "Heavy Metal" movie, but time has passed it by.

"The Parallax View", a 1974 political thriller directed by Alan Pakula.

Warren Beatty is excellent as a down-on-his-luck reporter trying to unravel a conspiracy that led to the killing of a U.S. senator.

A lovely sense of paranoia throughout and much of the same production team went on to make "All the President's Men".

Personally, I think "Parallax View" is a better film.

Recommended.

"Elevator to the Gallows", a crime thriller which marked the debut of director Louis Malle.

Some cool little twists and turns to this one, satisfying performances and a nice wrap-up. Jeanne Moreau as lovely and remote as ever.

Recommended.

>79 CliffBurns: amusing play on titles. Over here in the UK this excellent thriller is known as 'Lift to the Scaffold.' I suppose this shows up some linguistic differences between differing versions of English. to talk of a 'Lift' would not be understood outside the UK.

"The Color of Pomegranates", directed by Sergei Parajanov.

Impossible to summarize and extremely difficult to grasp unless you are immersed in Armenian culture and the peculiar form of Catholicism practiced in that region.

Still, visually arresting and absolutely unique.

A cinematic experience.

"The Kingdom of Heaven", a 2006 historical drama set during the Crusades, directed by Ridley Scott.

Will Ridley Scott ever make a good film again?

And don't count me among Orlando Bloom's fans--the man is a single note played over and over again.

There's more spectacle than intelligence to this film...and yet another white man messiah saving the oppressed of the world (or, in this case, the Holy Land). Nauseating.

NOT recommended.

Watched del Toro's adaptation of "Frankenstein" last night.

Some impressive visuals...but the visuals are often so over the top they detract from the story. The actors have a difficult time making themselves noticeable amid the grand tableaux. Not a single frame of the film hasn't been digitally retouched and the end result is rather soulless (sort of like Mia Goth's performance).

But it is fairly faithful to the original Shelley novel--I just wished it evoked more of the Romantic era and wasn't so goddamned crammed with spectacle and gore.

I'm curious what other folks here might think of it.

Saw "Die, My Love", with Sherron, a date night at the theatre.

This film has been a commercial bust, audiences not accepting Jennifer Lawrence in a slow-moving character study of a woman coming apart at the seams.

I love director Lynn Ramsey's films, she never makes it easy on her audiences and "Die, My Love" is certainly no exception.

We found it powerful and convincing and absolutely recommend it (though perhaps not for date nights).

"Licorice Pizza", the most likable Paul Thomas Anderson movie I've seen yet (he's hit and miss as far as I'm concerned).

Good young cast and a funny cameo by Bradley Cooper as Jon Peters, a guy who started out as Barbara Streisand's hairdresser and lover and parlayed that into a lucrative career as film producer.

Didn't like the ending but everything that precedes it is great fun.

Recommended.

Drove in to Saskatoon expressly to see Yorgos Lanthimos' latest, "Bugonia".

My God. Another mind-ripper from the master.

Two fringe-dwellers, immersed in conspiracy theories, kidnap the chief executive of a health company and hold her captive in a basement room. They believe she's an alien from Andromeda, bent on world domination, and they intend to make her reveal her species' secret plan...

The plot zigs and zags and there are more than a few surprises along the way.

The cast are excellent and the film never relents.

Don't miss this one.

"Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man", directed by Rian Johnson.

These "Knives Out/Benoit Blanc" mysteries have gotten worse with each film. This one is at least 1/2 hour overlong and lacking any human feeling. Should have been a smaller, more intimate effort and instead cost tens of millions.

The ending drags like a wounded snake and other than Josh O'Connor's performance as the young priest, nothing really impresses.

Avoid.