films you've seen recently and would NOT recommend

IdleRich

IdleRich
The other russians I mean Luposhansky, Aleksei German. I can stomach them as they're atmospheric and slow. Seen others I'm less keen on, festival type films, so not a great criticism of Sokurov. It says on wiki he was deeply influenced by Zerkalo. The other guy that worked with Tarkovsky, Konchalovsky, he took some of that atmosphere with him even when he went to Hollywood. Something in the Soviet water.
When I saw Hard To Be A God I thought it was mind blowing, like nothing else... then I saw German's previous film which is very similar in terms of technique and style. It's weird but that sort of diminished both slightly in my mind, perhaps unfairly, made them less unique anyway.
Mirror is one of my all time favourites.
Lopushansky is great yeah, he kinda hammers away at his post-apocalyptic theme but with enough to keep it interesting each time.
I'm also thinking Paradjanov and Ilyenko, not really Russian but surely related.
 

DLaurent

Well-known member
I should see Hard to be a God. Trial on the Road and My Friend Ivan Lapshin are the German's I've seen and remember more than anything the sublime (Marketa Lazorova like) black and white photography.

Artawazd Pelashian, apparently a friend of Parajanov is another one of those Armenian poets of cinema.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
I should see Hard to be a God. Trial on the Road and My Friend Ivan Lapshin are the German's I've seen and remember more than anything the sublime (Marketa Lazorova like) black and white photography.

Artawazd Pelashian, apparently a friend of Parajanov is another one of those Armenian poets of cinema.
You HAVE to see HTBAG - it's an incredible cinematic experience. Really visceral and involving. You can virtually feel all the filth and blood. The camera flies around like crazy, very few cuts... it's intense for want of a better word.
Never seen the first adaptation of the book starring W Herzog though...
 

DLaurent

Well-known member
Peleshian doesn't really have any epics, mostly short silent essay type films, but there's something that keeps me going back to himo. Or at least open my eyes a bit when I do watch stuff from him. Only really similar to Parajanov from country and being poetic.

Now this is really crap. Hideaway 1995 a techno thriller with Jeff Goldblum based on a Koontz story I haven't read but at least it had loon bird samples over the titles and a Godflesh cameo.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Peleshian doesn't really have any epics, mostly short silent essay type films, but there's something that keeps me going back to himo. Or at least open my eyes a bit when I do watch stuff from him. Only really similar to Parajanov from country and being poetic.

Now this is really crap. Hideaway 1995 a techno thriller with Jeff Goldblum based on a Koontz story I haven't read but at least it had loon bird samples over the titles and a Godflesh cameo.
Thank fuck for that!
Yeah I read about Peleshian now, would love to know of anyone else who actually does magical feature length film poems like those of Paradjanov, the only one I can think of is Ilyenko who was his cinematographer. Allegedly Ilyenko was part of some kind of Ukrainian movement of like-minded souls but buggered if I know anything about the other guys who were part of it or what films they did.

 

DLaurent

Well-known member
Never really seen any Ukranian stuff let alone Ilyenko. Can't think of anything like Parajanov though. He's kind of singular.
 

entertainment

Well-known member
Thought it was pretty good as well. The acting was great. That one pretty ordinary phone call between the main couple in the beginning and by the slight nuances and hardly noticeable details in the conversation you instantly understand this strikingly verisimilar relationship.

The anthropology theme of judging cultures different from one's own was a nice touch as well.

Not as scary as Hereditary though.
 

Corpsey

bandz ahoy
Yeah it wasn't scary and it had all those hokey horrorfilm moments in it.

I just thought it was so beautifully and immersively shot. The main thing I liked was how it evoked tripping.
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Glad you said that about Midsommar, Rich. I never went to see it at the cinema, went off it badly after reading a few articles about it. Glad it was shit after all.
 

entertainment

Well-known member
Call Me by Your Name. Polished up postcard romance. Main characters, make that all characters, were boring and their intimacy hollow, for show.
 

luka

Well-known member
The only thing I liked about it was the opening shot of the crucifix in the snow. Such a boring film.

I don't know if I found it boring do much as hateful. Willfully nasty, mean spirited, unpleasant. I felt soiled by it. Contaminated by bad energy and idiocy.
 

Xianders

New member
The Irishman 4/10. I didn't like the movie. Why, I can't say, as it will be spoilers. If you like long movies, then maybe this is for you. The film is very long. If it were not for my new chair , I would have to take breaks, as sitting for 4 hours is very difficult.
 
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