mother!

(spoilers!!!)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi

(spoilers!!!)

Rian Johnson has really accomplished something incredible in the newest Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi. Something different. Something unique. In that he made Star Wars movie that is so boring even if you paid me money I'd not sit through it again. I'm not sure what is more baffling - that a film from the director of Looper is so poorly made or that a Star Wars film is such a poor spectacle.

The Ten: Best Christmas Movies of All Time

Nostra is getting everyone in Christmas mood with this lovely relay race.

10 more great uses of songs in movie/TV series trailers

Last week we looked at 10 trailers which used songs to great effect. Since I don't wanna trash The Snowman joylessly in a review of it and would rather just whine about it in RF BUT I also want to have at least some content around here, let's look at 10 more:

10 great uses of songs in movie/TV series trailers

This is just off the top of my head and by no meants "Greatest of all Time" kind of list because there are just way too many examples like that to choose from. One of the things I love about trailers is when they use the music to great effect (such as the recent Rampage trailer with awesome use of Smashing Pumpkins' song). We're not talking about the epic trailer music or a well known theme from another film used to great effect (Requiem for a Dream music used in The Two Towers trailer), but just a skillful use of song. Here are some of the examples that came to mind:

Justice League

So here we go, my review of Justice League, list-style.

Hugh Jackman Appreciation

Hugh Michael Jackman

October 12, 1968 (Sydney, New South Wales, Australia)

I know every day on my twitter and practically every post here is Hugh Jackman appreciation but today it's even more appreciation because it is the most important day of the year.

It's boo kangaroo's birthday! IT'S HIS BIRTHDAY, YOU GUYS!

The Beguiled is a dull, pointless remake and a sad sign of the times

2017

The Beguiled has been one of my most anticipated movies of the year. The story of young girls and their teachers finding a wounded soldier and taking care of him in isolated school seemed like such a great idea with wonderful potential. My expectations for the movie were even greater since Sofia Coppola won best director award for this film in Cannes. Unfortunately, the film has turned out to be one of the biggest disappointments of the year, Coppola's worst movie and one of the worst remakes I've ever seen.

Soundtrack Wednesday - Twin Peaks: The Return

An announcement

Just a day after what I imagine was my last happy birthday it became clear that the meds are not working on Gustav. He began suffocating again, had hiccups the entire day. The vet told us it will be only more painful for him so couple of hours ago we made the decision and now my beloved friend is sleeping and he is never going to wake up. It's so unfair. He wasn't even 6 years old. He was so smart and sweet and happy. He was always kind to everyone, he never hurt anyone. He was always so happy when I came home from work, he couldn't wait for me to wake up in the mornings and play with him. Every day I gave him a kiss, I held him. This is my life, losing my friend whom I couldn't do more to save a day after my birthday. I keep telling myself that his 5 years and 8 months were happier than longer years of most of dogs out there but it doesn't make what happened less unfair. I feel so angry and alone and most of all heartbroken. I can't write anymore so I'm not sure when there is going to be anything new here. I just can't do this.

Top 10 performances in Christopher Nolan's movies

Christopher Nolan's movies have given us a lot of wonderful things - exceptional sequences, wonderful cinematography, fantastic music. But most of all they have given us wonderful performances, often times the very best from the talented actors who appeared in Nolan's film's. Here's my list of the 10 best of them.

Against the Crowd Blogathon 2017

The last time I participated in Dell's  and KG's Against the Crowd blogathon was 2015 and what do you know, another Edgar Wright movie was my choice back then. The next time he makes a movie I am not seeing it. And if any of you tells me to, I'll punch you in the face.

WARNING: if you like Baby Driver, Arrival, Amy Adams, Michelle Williams and quality film criticism and are offended by violent sexual imagery, inappropriate jokes and insane ramblings - don't proceed further.

(Probably endless) list of things I love about Logan, part 3

(part 1) (part 2)

136. Logan growling in his sleep, waking up and seeing Laura there, watching him. It's a blessing she wasn't anywhere near him since we all know what happens to women when Logan wakes up near them.

Dunkirk

(spoilers!)

Every Christopher Nolan's movie is an event. In the world were practically every big, spectacular movie out there is a part of a franchise, Nolan is one of the few who still manages to do something unique. And while Dunkirk is yet another huge movie event that surprises, it surprises in more than one way. Nolan often works with complex stories and world building- the magnificent magic tricks he pulls on the audience throughout The Prestige with the film's multiple twists and misdirections, the complex way to unlock the film's mystery rooted in the infliction of protagonist of Memento, the layered world of dreams in Inception - here the story is simple. Soldiers are in need of rescue. Other soldiers and ordinary people are trying to help them. Meanwhile the enemy is trying to kill them all.

(Probably endless) list of things I love about Logan, part 2

(Part 1 - here)

74. Logan noticing one of the bad guys and doing this. Oh, good. You're invisible now.

75..The desperation on Logan's face. He left. Charles and Laura are in danger. He needs to save them.

(Probably endless) list of things I love about Logan, part 1

6 days ago it has been exactly 4 months since I saw Logan for the very first time. Since that moment I saw the movie 4 more times including once with director's commentary (I have never ever watched anything with commentary before but for this movie I made an exception and it's really a great one - James Mangold shares so much in it and I will cite some of the things I learned from there here). It's July and Logan remains my favorite movie of the year and seeing how it's already in my top 10 of all time - yes, all time - I cannot imagine anything dethroning it.

So once more, inspired by Alex's brilliant series, - here are the things I loved about James Mangold's masterpiece.

"Prisoners" is still so very stupid

(yes, the website is still on hiatus, but my upcoming RF bulletpoint for Prisoners turned into 20-paragraph long rant so yes, we're doing this today)

There is one thing that fascinates me more than what seems like almost universal love for Denis Villeneuve's 2013's assault on brain cells entitled Prisoners and that is the amount of holes in the story of this film. I can only think of two truly atrocious scripts in the recent memory that dragged otherwise promising and well executed films to the bottom of 'what the fuck?' stupidity - this and Interstellar. And this one may actually be dumber than Matthew McConaughey floating around book shelves in space and coding a watch so that Jessica Eureka Chastain solves physics stuff in the future or past or whenever.

No, wait. Nope. Nothing is dumber that that.

I have recently sat through this awfully paced but beautifully shot movie for the third time just to hear Hugh Jackman yell the word "fuck" and look handsome. Don't judge me. At least it allows me to give movies second chances. Or in this film's case second (in March) and third (last Saturday) chance. And in this case proving to me that my initial reaction to it was right on the money.

Alien: Covenant

(spoilers!)

We need to stop giving the benefit of a doubt to Ridley Scott.

While the man deserves respect for his two masterpieces - Alien and Blade Runner Scott has now taken the turn that makes it very clear his Alien prequels aren't a thing of passion and certainly not necessity. Why is Scott at 79 years of age set on damaging his masterpiece? (Alien is forever tainted by the existence of the Covenant now). I'm saying this because there is no way anyone can tell me this rehashed, mangled product is the intended movie. This is reactionary.

Wonder Woman

75 years. That's how long Wonder Woman had to wait for her own movie. 14 years. That's how long the director Patty Jenkins had to wait to do her next film. But now it's finally their time. And with that all the women should cheer - we finally have a CBM movie where it's a woman who is leading, not following.

And it's wonderful. They should be very proud. We all should be considering the opening weekend box office.

My Movie Alphabet Vol. 2

The lovely MettelRay is hosting her second My Movie Alphabet to celebrate 7th birthday of her blog. Here are the rules:

Medicine in the Movies: The Fountain

Charlene's (mostly) Classic Movie Reviews is hosting a Medicine in the Movies blogathon. The task was to write about a movie where there is some relation to medicine. I decided to focus on Darren Aronosfky'sThe Fountain which is such a beautiful and very underrated movie. The film takes place in the 16th century, in 2005, and in 2500. In the past a conquistador fights in a religious war for his Queen. In the future a man and a tree travel up the sky to reach a dying star. And in the present day storyline a doctor is searching for a cure to save his wife who is dying of brain cancer.

Ed Harris' performances: 1992 - 2001

It's finally time for the second out of four of my posts about all the performances of the great Ed Harris. Last month I wrote, among others, about his big screen debut, first leading role, first performance in major Oscar race contender and his great work in Glengarry Glen Ross (which was last movie featured in last post) (years: 1978 - 1992)

Now it's an even more exciting - and most successful - time in his career to focus on - his first, second and third Oscar nomination, his most well known role to date and a whole variety of characters he portrayed - from politicians and cops through psychopaths and generals to priests and alcoholic painters. There is nothing this man can't do.

Visual Parallels: Logan + Mad Max: Fury Road

It's almost too perfect. Mad Max: Fury Road is my favorite movie from 2015 while Logan is my favorite in 2017. I do realize it's May but in my experience we only get one masterpiece per year. And Logan is that masterpiece. It's not just well done and beautifully acted film with wonderfully crafted story at the center of it, but it also truly stays with you. Just like Fury Road did.

Logan. Our Wolverine.

The strong, silent type. He wasn’t in touch with his feelings. He just did what he had to do.

I always loved Tony Soparno's rants about the archetype of a true man. Someone who simply does the things an honorable man should do, no matter what. Someone who has his own, unspoken code and follows it.

And I can't help but think that Tony Soprano would have loved Logan.

We spent so many years with Logan but not until James Mangold's magnificent film which I have not been able to stop thinking for almost two months now, did we really get to see him in all of his glory. In all of his strong, silent type glory. The ultimate hero, but the hero who feels so very human. In Logan you could take his claws away and it wouldn't change much. In Logan we get to see a hero which is not made extraordinary because of his powers, his claws, or the adamantium covering his bones. We get to see that it is something else that made him so very special.

Colossal

Gloria (Anne Hathaway) is an out-of-work blogger and an alcoholic mess, who, after getting kicked out of her apartment by her boyfriend Tim (Dan Stevens), is forced to leave her life in New York and move back to her hometown.When she arrives she reconnects with her childhood friend, Oscar (Jason Sudeikis) who is an owner of a bar. Oscar hires Gloria as  a waitress and helps her get back on her feet.

When news reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, South Korea, Gloria gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to his far-off phenomenon. As events begin to spin out of control, Gloria must determine why her seemingly insignificant existence has such a colossal effect on the fate of the world.

Soundtrack Wednesday - Logan

Dolores Claiborne

The story goes that when Stephen King came to visit the set of Misery he was so impressed with Kathy Bates that he wrote the character of Dolores just for her. The book was quickly adapted into a wonderful film, with Bates in a lead role, the film that is sadly very underrated and didn't get the acclaim it deserves. Unlike most of King's work, Dolores Claiborne is not a horror film dealing with supernatural. However, the themes featured in the film - of domestic violence, abuse, growing old and dying are universally horrific.

Ed Harris' performances: 1978 - 1992

Ed Harris has been giving us wonderful performances in films and television for more than 40 years. It kills me that most of them go unnoticed, in spite of him being a familiar face to so many movie fans because of his appearances in films like The Hours, Truman Show, A Beautiful Mind or Apollo 13. That's why, as I am getting close to having seen all of his movies, I decided to write about each and every single one of his performances he gave since his movie debut (excluding his voice performances). It was not always easy to find those films, sometimes I only had youtube or video ripped from VHS to go by, but somehow I managed to find them all.

I will focus on his roles since his feature film debut but also include the ones in TV movies and TV series. That's altogether - in 39 years - 76 performances and that's not including his stage work.

In this first (out of 4) post I will look at the years 1978 - 1992 and 20 performances Ed Harris gave during that time from his very first role on the big screen that was just one minute long through him playing medieval performers, astronauts, abusive husbands, ordinary guys meeting underwater aliens and frustrated working men.

The Best (and Worst) of 2016

Best movie: The Handmaiden

(2. Hell or High Water 3. The Nice Guys 4. The Conjuring 2 5. The Witch 6. The Neon Demon 7. Manchester by the Sea 8. Hidden Figures 9. Eddie the Eagle 10. Jackie)

There was only one movie that got 10/10 from me last year and that was the magical Handmaiden. Filled with twists and turns, it's a movie that has everything - great, gripping story, wonderful performances, beautiful visual side, terrific score and characters you care about. If you haven't seen it yet, do. It will enchant you. 

Ghost in the Shell

 (spoilers !!!)

The studio executives these days are becoming progressively dumber. I think we can all agree that the lead role in this movie went to Scarlett Johansson because the studio thought it needed star power to make the movie successful. Unless international box office saves it, Ghost in the Shell is a bomb. Scarlett, who is largely the most profitable actress on the planet due to her involvement in Marvel cinematic universe (where she really doesn't do much) is not the person who people go to see in the movies. I really, really love it that's it's Melissa McCarthy who is probably the biggest draw out of female actresses right now.

Logan

(spoilers!!!)

When few seconds into Logan I saw the character I've only seen in toned down, PG-13 scenes tear people apart in violent and bloody fashion, I knew I was in for something refreshing. When I was reminded of Fury Road during the sequence where Logan is trying to drive through the fence, I knew I was in for something great. But when during one sequence while I still haven't composed myself after I cried I suddenly started laughing, I knew I was witnessing something really special.

The Unsung Hero Blogathon: Ed Harris in Sweet Dreams

...because when I suddenly find a blogathon that I can still participate in and it gives me an opportunity to write an unscheduled post about Ed Harris (you know, other than usual Friday praying to him while perving verbally posts) I'll do it.

Mt. Rushmore of Movies - 4 favorite characters played by Ed Harris

Three years ago my favorite blogger m.brown hosted this blogathon for the very first time and my entry for it was quite coherent and not completely inappropriate.

But that was then.

And this is now.

The Handmaiden

The Handmaiden is based on the novel "Fingersmith" by Sarah Waters The novel is set in London during the 19th century, but the film is set in Korea in the 1930s, under Japanese colonial rule. The pickpocket Sook-Hee (Tae-ri Kim) is hired by the Japanese heiress Lady Hideko to be her personal servant. Hideko is supported by her Uncle Kouzuki and the gold-digger "Count Fujiwara", who is indeed son of peasants, wants to marry her to steal her inheritance. Sook-Hee is a small-time thief of the ring of the conman "Count Fujiwara" and is sent to help him in the confidence game. But soon Hideko and Sook-Hee get close to each other and become lovers.

 I saw this movie while knowing very little about it, all I knew is that there is a conspiracy against the heiress and the girl who is pretending to be her maid falls in love with her. The twist before part 2 (the film is divided into 3 parts) really took me off guard which is very rare, but I knew the movie was fantastic long before then.

The Academy actually did something right this year! Twice!

The Oscars have done a number of terrible things today - including awarding two nominations to Passengers -  but it doesn't matter.

I had only two Oscar dreams today. And they both came true.

Bravo, Academy. Bravo for not awarding Amy Adams for doing practically nothing. Still, it would have been better if her movie didn't score 8 (undeserved) nominations nor that the nomination for Best Actress went to Meryl Streep for her Globes tirade (no one actually thinks it's just because of the performance, right?) but her missing out is glorious. Of course I cannot truly enjoy it because I keep seeing people whining about this 'snub'.