Seen and not seen's, recommendations and queries on top films in general.

[david lloyd jones]

 

Paradise Lost documentary trilogy (1996, 2000, 2011)
          I have more to rant about regarding this case and the subsequent films than could reasonably be included here, so I'll just note that: 1) despite leaning toward the feeling that the "West Memphis Three" are innocent, I'm not entirely convinced. Damian Echols, even if innocent, seems to have obvious, far-reaching psychological and emotional issues making him pretty unlikeable. 2) All three films leave out any discussion of evidence which slightly implicates The Three, which seems suspicious/dishonest. There were issues involving a whiskey bottle and candle wax which put The Three a lot closer to the crime than most people perceive. 3) Either Terry Hobbs or John Mark Byers seems like the most culpable/capable suspect, but may also just be unlikeable antisocial losers that have violent pasts but didn't kill those kids. Nevertheless, there's a lot to suggest they were abusive in multiple ways to their respective step-kids/kids even if they didn't kill them. I guess that's the way these murder documentaries tend to go. Here's an interesting take on things from some Reddit commentor:

those 4 kids biked over to the known gay cruising area of west memphis called robin hills, that one kid saw his stepfather giving oral to his friend in the wood like guys do in those areas, his friend and him retardedly decided to kill them instead of letting Pam's dad and bro know because he was scared of them. end of story

[/quote]

will have to dig this out again-buried with thousand other discs.

[absurdexposition]

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
         I realize folks here have reviewed this before, but I'd only seen it recently and it has to be one of my all-time favorites at this point. Desperate, claustrophobic atmosphere brings to mind Twelve Angry Men, and the cast's performances enhance what is some of the best dialogue ever written.

Easily one of my all-time favourites.

I clocked in at over 150 watched this year. Here's the top 26 in chronological order including rewatches. * = theatre viewing:

Videodrome (Cronenberg, 1983)
Coherence (Byrkit, 2013)
True Romance (Scott, 1993)
U.S. Go Home (Denis, 1994)
It Comes at Night (Shults, 2017)*
Only God Forgives (Refn, 2013)
Cannibal Holocaust (Deodato, 1980)
Paris, Texas (Wenders, 1984)
Body Double (De Palma, 1984)
What Have They Done to Your Daughters? (Dallamano, 1974)
Blade Runner (Scott, 1982)
Eraserhead (Lynch, 1977)
Cut-Throats Nine (Marchent, 1972)
Unforgiven (Eastwood, 1992)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (Hooper, 1974)
Bronson (Refn, 2008)
Suspiria (Argento, 1977)*
Iconoclast (Wessel, 2010)
La Haine (Kassovitz, 1995)
The Shining (Kubrick, 1980)
Come and See (Klimov, 1985)
Enter the Void (Noe, 2009)
Buffalo '66 (Gallo, 1998)
Snowtown (Kurzel, 2011)
The Turin Horse (Tarr/Hranitzky, 2011)
Antiporno (Sono, 2016)

[Yrjö-Koskinen]

I saw Spookies (1986) in the hopes of finding another Gremlins/Critters/Ghoulies-clone, but as you may be aware, there are actually comparatively few of those. This one has remarkably able special effects and an absurd amount of random, crazy creatures (very few of which are small and fun, but I almost knew that in advance). It also has a remarkably retarded plot and sort of collapses into nonsense even before all the main characters have been killed off. Farting basement sewage monsters constituted the pinnacle of the movie, but this one should have been watched while drunk(er) and preferably with a couple of loudmouthed friends.

[bitewerksMTB]

A couple days ago, I watched Suspiria again with the volume cranked up a bit more. Pretty awesome & highly recommended.

Blue Underground's release of Bob Clark's Deathdream aka Dead of Night is excellent. The film is very effective & the presentation is about as good as it can get.

S.F. Brownrigg's Don't Open the Door is pretty much a bore but occasionally gets broken up by some rather effective scenes involving pervy phone calls and creepy dolls (in one scene, the prank caller feels up a doll while telling the woman on the other end to feel herself up). Like a lot of early '70s exploitation films, it's hard to sit through without forwarding long sections.

[aububs]

watched spasmo on nye

love spasmo

rip lenzi

[david lloyd jones]

watched spasmo on nye

love spasmo

rip lenzi

spasmo is great lenzi-often underated as director due to cannibal films-though can't see ferox worse than holocaust .
felt thrillers were where he flourished in 70's

[bitewerksMTB]

Christopher Nolan's MEMENTO- I'm not sure I've seen it since it was released in theaters. Most of it still holds up & after reading this article in Salon, I wish I had not erased the movie:

https://www.salon.com/2001/06/28/memento_analysis/

Funny thing occurred to me, if that had been an article published recently, the author would be bitching  that there were no black actors in the movie.

Late last night, I caught most of DEATH WISH II. I started it right after the brutal rape of the maid, which, I do not believe I have ever seen fully uncut.

[aububs]

i've still never seen memento, keep meaning to watch it

watched Blade of the Immortal last night, takashi miike's new samurai movie based on the manga. pretty good but too long. it starts and ends with great 1 man against 1000's samurai battles.

[ConcreteMascara]

Christopher Nolan's MEMENTO- I'm not sure I've seen it since it was released in theaters. Most of it still holds up & after reading this article in Salon, I wish I had not erased the movie:

https://www.salon.com/2001/06/28/memento_analysis/

Funny thing occurred to me, if that had been an article published recently, the author would be bitching  that there were no black actors in the movie.

Late last night, I caught most of DEATH WISH II. I started it right after the brutal rape of the maid, which, I do not believe I have ever seen fully uncut.

Thanks for posting the article. I haven't seen Memento in ages, might be time to give it another viewing.

[Peterson]

RE: Christopher Nolan; watched Dunkirk a few nights ago and wasn't blown away but I did really like the practical effects, sound design, and weather (apparently worse than the actual battle according to veterans).

Memento is easily one of my all-time-faves, never gets old, Joe Pantoliano in particular is great. Anyone who's a big fan should check out Nolan's college budget noir piece, Following. Black and white with mostly no-name actors and a tight, claustrophobic vibe, nice intrigue, plot twists etc. Tried to re-watch Insomnia recently but found it too oddly-paced with unnecessary action/gunfight/chase scenes that add nothing to the plot. It's got Al Pacino and Robin Williams in some of their better/more desperate and sad roles, but the original European version is probably a lot better.

[ConcreteMascara]

RE: Christopher Nolan; watched Dunkirk a few nights ago and wasn't blown away but I did really like the practical effects, sound design, and weather (apparently worse than the actual battle according to veterans).

Memento is easily one of my all-time-faves, never gets old, Joe Pantoliano in particular is great. Anyone who's a big fan should check out Nolan's college budget noir piece, Following. Black and white with mostly no-name actors and a tight, claustrophobic vibe, nice intrigue, plot twists etc. Tried to re-watch Insomnia recently but found it too oddly-paced with unnecessary action/gunfight/chase scenes that add nothing to the plot. It's got Al Pacino and Robin Williams in some of their better/more desperate and sad roles, but the original European version is probably a lot better.

The original Insomnia is one my all-time favorites. It literally has everything one could want from an artsy thriller. And such a weird vibe to it.

[online prowler]

RE: Christopher Nolan; watched Dunkirk a few nights ago and wasn't blown away but I did really like the practical effects, sound design, and weather (apparently worse than the actual battle according to veterans).

Memento is easily one of my all-time-faves, never gets old, Joe Pantoliano in particular is great. Anyone who's a big fan should check out Nolan's college budget noir piece, Following. Black and white with mostly no-name actors and a tight, claustrophobic vibe, nice intrigue, plot twists etc. Tried to re-watch Insomnia recently but found it too oddly-paced with unnecessary action/gunfight/chase scenes that add nothing to the plot. It's got Al Pacino and Robin Williams in some of their better/more desperate and sad roles, but the original European version is probably a lot better.

The original Insomnia is one my all-time favorites. It literally has everything one could want from an artsy thriller. And such a weird vibe to it.

The American remake of Insomnia is a waste of time as expected. The Norwegian original however directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg and starring Stellan Skarsgård is stellar. As we are talking of the director I would also recommend his 20-10 film NOKAS - a stripped dwn heist film based on an actual event that took place on April 2004. I should maybe mention that this was all over the headlines at this burg as it was - and still is the biggest robbery that have taken place in Norway. Robbers got away w approx $10 million and that the film HEAT served as an inspiration.

HEIST:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOKAS_robbery

TRAILER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toWARMFeMn0

[SiClark]

Anyone who's a big fan should check out Nolan's college budget noir piece, Following. Black and white with mostly no-name actors and a tight, claustrophobic vibe, nice intrigue, plot twists etc.

I haven't watched this in a long time, will have to see it soon, really great and insanely good for a no budget first film.

[ConcreteMascara]

RE: Christopher Nolan; watched Dunkirk a few nights ago and wasn't blown away but I did really like the practical effects, sound design, and weather (apparently worse than the actual battle according to veterans).

Memento is easily one of my all-time-faves, never gets old, Joe Pantoliano in particular is great. Anyone who's a big fan should check out Nolan's college budget noir piece, Following. Black and white with mostly no-name actors and a tight, claustrophobic vibe, nice intrigue, plot twists etc. Tried to re-watch Insomnia recently but found it too oddly-paced with unnecessary action/gunfight/chase scenes that add nothing to the plot. It's got Al Pacino and Robin Williams in some of their better/more desperate and sad roles, but the original European version is probably a lot better.

The original Insomnia is one my all-time favorites. It literally has everything one could want from an artsy thriller. And such a weird vibe to it.

The American remake of Insomnia is a waste of time as expected. The Norwegian original however directed by Erik Skjoldbjærg and starring Stellan Skarsgård is stellar. As we are talking of the director I would also recommend his 20-10 film NOKAS - a stripped dwn heist film based on an actual event that took place on April 2004. I should maybe mention that this was all over the headlines at this burg as it was - and still is the biggest robbery that have taken place in Norway. Robbers got away w approx $10 million and that the film HEAT served as an inspiration.

HEIST:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOKAS_robbery

TRAILER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toWARMFeMn0

Sounds great, I'll have to check that one out!

[david lloyd jones]

just bought 'dogs' , tagline, 'don't pet them, fear them'.
staring david mc callum of most recent csi fame and, originally, the man from uncle.
features, apparently, 'canine carnage in a small california town'.