I was barely a teen when I read the book (and thought it was probably the greatest book ever besides the Star Wars novelizations), but even forty odd years later, I knew this was nothing like the novel and way worse. Mostly its an underwater and FX model-shoot movie with a little bit of Cold War intrigue on the side. Production design is okay, but everything else belongs WITH the real Titanic. (You know where that is, right?) They spend way too much screen time underwater hunting for the ship so the middle just drags and ddrraaggss. Really a stinker, but an okay watch if it's the only thing around and you're sick in bed or something.
While all the pieces were fine, there was just something in the way everything came together that made this more of chore to watch. I can't point to any one thing that broke it for me, but can't imagine I'd every watch it again.
The 'experimental cinematography' is disorienting and annoying. The upskirt shots are bad enough, but they can be interpreted as showing the audience exactly what young women in Japan have to contend with. However, I don't see any value in "mug's bottom's eye views" or "ring's eye view". Okay, maybe once, if one is trying to catalogue what can be done with a camera, but this is simply overkill and reminds me of the person who uses ten different fonts on a poster: it's just plain messy.
I share some concerns about this film's quality even though clearly this is an important story still worth telling well. I am not knowledgeable enough about generally accepted historical accounts of this lynching and cannot comment on the film's accuracy in that regard. However, this film felt much less historically authentic because it was so damn pretty from start to finish. It has much more in common with so many costume dramas, with lords and ladies, drawing rooms and salons, than the vile, despicable, inexcusable crime that was perpetuated against Till, his mother, and their family (and the human family -- we have all suffered because of this hate). But rather than making the true-life story real and relatable, if feels more like myth-making. I have no doubt that many involved thought they were performing their work with love and respect for the memories of those involved, but alas, it bothered me throughout and left me feeling rather ambivalent at this telling. Better to look towards documentarians in this instance.
While no animals were harmed in the making of this picture, can't say the same for the people watching it. Some of the acting's okay and production quality is higher than should be expected (though there are issues with continuity), but the writing's, well, bad. Worse than bad, actually. Forcing children to watch this is skating awfully close to child abuse -- it's that bad.
seems they wanted to simultaneously parody and pay homage to a whole subgenre of film-making - at least that's the nicest thing I can think to say about this one. If one likes slapstick, or should I say over-the-top slapstick, and those caper flicks from the late 60s to early 70s, then this will likely resonate. Can't say I was terribly impressed though.
Clearly fails the Bechdel Test famously. While yes, living in extreme poverty or suffering from any form of enslavement would be worse, the fact that Vera Baxter is so unwilling to do anything with her life reveals an intense poverty of spirit. Such a poverty that it's almost impossible to believe. Even the poor imagine rich women bossing around the servants or stuffing their faces.
And then there is the endless Andean folk music in constant loop. Ugh.
Comments 26 - 50 of 468
Movie comment on Anders als die Andern
xianjiro
see here on 20230620 without hardcoded Cyrillic subsMovie comment on Head Over Heels
xianjiro
Hmmm, erstwhile love story or stalker tale? You decide.Movie comment on Killing Eve: Just Dunk Me
xianjiro
Movie comment on Jeepers Creepers 2
xianjiro
Finally, the truth comes out about the batman.Movie comment on Behind the Scenes: Beyond the Poseidon Adventure
xianjiro
the actual movie is so terrible, by comparison, one is tempted to call this 'good'Movie comment on Beyond the Poseidon Adventure
xianjiro
So terrible, the making of almost seemed good.Movie comment on Raise the Titanic
xianjiro
I was barely a teen when I read the book (and thought it was probably the greatest book ever besides the Star Wars novelizations), but even forty odd years later, I knew this was nothing like the novel and way worse. Mostly its an underwater and FX model-shoot movie with a little bit of Cold War intrigue on the side. Production design is okay, but everything else belongs WITH the real Titanic. (You know where that is, right?) They spend way too much screen time underwater hunting for the ship so the middle just drags and ddrraaggss. Really a stinker, but an okay watch if it's the only thing around and you're sick in bed or something.Movie comment on Strange World
xianjiro
While all the pieces were fine, there was just something in the way everything came together that made this more of chore to watch. I can't point to any one thing that broke it for me, but can't imagine I'd every watch it again.Movie comment on Love & Pop
xianjiro
The 'experimental cinematography' is disorienting and annoying. The upskirt shots are bad enough, but they can be interpreted as showing the audience exactly what young women in Japan have to contend with. However, I don't see any value in "mug's bottom's eye views" or "ring's eye view". Okay, maybe once, if one is trying to catalogue what can be done with a camera, but this is simply overkill and reminds me of the person who uses ten different fonts on a poster: it's just plain messy.Movie comment on Ain't It Aggravatin'
xianjiro
re the parking segment: some things, clearly, never changeMovie comment on Nayakan
xianjiro
found here 20230511 with EN subsMovie comment on Faust aux enfers
xianjiro
ballerinas in hellMovie comment on Till
xianjiro
I share some concerns about this film's quality even though clearly this is an important story still worth telling well. I am not knowledgeable enough about generally accepted historical accounts of this lynching and cannot comment on the film's accuracy in that regard. However, this film felt much less historically authentic because it was so damn pretty from start to finish. It has much more in common with so many costume dramas, with lords and ladies, drawing rooms and salons, than the vile, despicable, inexcusable crime that was perpetuated against Till, his mother, and their family (and the human family -- we have all suffered because of this hate). But rather than making the true-life story real and relatable, if feels more like myth-making. I have no doubt that many involved thought they were performing their work with love and respect for the memories of those involved, but alas, it bothered me throughout and left me feeling rather ambivalent at this telling. Better to look towards documentarians in this instance.Movie comment on The Dog Who Saved Easter
xianjiro
While no animals were harmed in the making of this picture, can't say the same for the people watching it. Some of the acting's okay and production quality is higher than should be expected (though there are issues with continuity), but the writing's, well, bad. Worse than bad, actually. Forcing children to watch this is skating awfully close to child abuse -- it's that bad.Movie comment on Young Hyacinth
xianjiro
decidedly mehMovie comment on You Can't Shoe a Horsefly
xianjiro
"Hunky and Spunky"?!? Jeeeshh! Sounds like character names from a really bad gay cartoon.Movie comment on Mr. Bug Goes to Town
xianjiro
Movie comment on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
xianjiro
Barely made it through the first half - hated it! Second half was better, but overall, was not that impressed (with either film)Movie comment on The Loveless
xianjiro
Scorpio Settingwould anger Kenneth?
Movie comment on Bless Their Little Hearts
xianjiro
some of the acting is subpar but the two leads can sure carry on most believably, especially when it's drama for the cameraclearly provides a picture of one African American family
Movie comment on Crimewave
xianjiro
seems they wanted to simultaneously parody and pay homage to a whole subgenre of film-making - at least that's the nicest thing I can think to say about this one. If one likes slapstick, or should I say over-the-top slapstick, and those caper flicks from the late 60s to early 70s, then this will likely resonate. Can't say I was terribly impressed though.Movie comment on Baxter, Vera Baxter
xianjiro
Boring,Very Boring
Clearly fails the Bechdel Test famously. While yes, living in extreme poverty or suffering from any form of enslavement would be worse, the fact that Vera Baxter is so unwilling to do anything with her life reveals an intense poverty of spirit. Such a poverty that it's almost impossible to believe. Even the poor imagine rich women bossing around the servants or stuffing their faces.
And then there is the endless Andean folk music in constant loop. Ugh.
Toplist comment on Time Out's 1000 Films to Change Your Life
xianjiro
So, does one have to see all the films for one's life to change or does one's life change a thousand times?Movie comment on Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
xianjiro
awesome production and costume design (world building)the rest was pretty run of the mill predictable superhero sh-stuff
Movie comment on Three Wise Men: Parallel Lives
xianjiro
seen here 20230307Showing items 26 – 50 of 468