Previously, on Semiurge Reviews Movies:
I have attained the fourfold vision written of by William Blake. My enemies, what few remain, are miserable and self-defeating. I pray for them, and for all the living and the dead. Onto the cinema:
Screamers
A fun sci-fi flick - nothing crazy, nothing super special, mediocre even, but mediocre like light beer is, when you're hanging out with friends: doesn't matter if it isn't the greatest, it's still enjoyable. Nice big industrial sets, cool environments and background paintings or whatever it is they used.
The K. in Philip K. Dick stands for Kindred... isn't that neat. He doesn't look like you'd expect him to. Physiognomy fail.
Timecop
Someday I will release the rules for TIMECOP: ALL BASTARD, ALL THE TIME, and the post containing it will receive ~180 views.
Flash Gordon (1980)
Kung Pow: Enter the Fist
Perhaps the movie I have seen the most in this life, beside Rat Race. A very funny movie, except for the Matrix reference. Said it before & will again: critics try to be seen as serious people, and this makes them un-serious. They make themselves incapable of actually evaluating humour. I remember watching the "making of" feature of this movie on VHS, and thinking that it was another joke. It was not. Have I recommended the movie Detention (2011 (Horror/Comedy)) here before? I will do so now.
Repo: The Genetic Opera
Fun sci-fi movie, like Screamers in that respect. Probably a better reflection of the future than more "serious" sci-fi. Look forward to coercive euthanasia for the old, poor, sick, etc., becoming more of a thing as mass immigration fails to save the welfare state.
"For every market a sub-market grows"
Rebel Moon
A not very fun sci-fi movie, relative to the time spent watching it. It is Star Wars, except in the cantina scene there is a gay attempted rapist alien. Some neat designs/concepts & action scenes, but otherwise skippable. Hear those are expanded in the new version that came out.
The Mask of Zorro
Godzilla Minus One
"Kamikaze plane attacks are bad... heh, unless..?" <= Japan
We Go On
Not really a horror movie... falsely advertized... one'a them Freudian tales with some lame jump scares... it's pretty good as a drama though... stars Clark Freeman as a doe-eyed man-child, and Annette O'Toole!! Haven't seen her since Smallville.
The Vourdalak
I don't know what's going on in this movie (it's in french), but this one's actually a horror movie, and a good one at that. There's people that say you should keep a movie monster offscreen as much as possible - these people are idiots. The Vourdalak has a vampire that's actually scary. That's damn-near impossible these days. And he's onscreen all the time.
Psycho Goreman
Fun movie, excellent costuming especially considering the budget. Reminds me of Power Rangers, Big Bad Beetleborgs, and suchlike. Canadian excellence.
And I Saw The TV Glow
Conner O'Malley's in this one! Too mumblecore for me. Think it's for trans people.
Scanners
These were the notes I made watching Scanners:
Michael Ironside's acting debut - therapy - yoga - pharmaceuticals - psychic powers - mental illness - grooming - mass surveillance - mass psychology - mass science - democracy & the body politic - military-industrial complex - malls and subways and roads the liminal in between minds - the budget margins - art & bleed for art and its expression, man-shapes - kill becoming art - worldbuilding - into the heel of the hand - ID:Invaded - spiritualism/theosophy - "so frightening to lose yourself" - conspiracy - brands the memes - Cain & Abel, the reconciliation of the oldest divide - man-machine interface Mcluhan extended nerves narcissism - witness to martyrdom - Canadian excellence.
Conan the Barbarian
This is the note I made watching Conan the Barbarian:
was it the aku guy
Great flick. Oriented Appendix N-wards, dungeons, cults, monsters, treasure, picaresque. Arnold - movies don't have a man like Arnold anymore. He transcends acting. He physically manifests charisma.
Society
Watched this with my marvelous girlfriend. Thought she was being unusually respectful of the silence necessary to appreciate true kino, then turned to her & saw she was asleep.
They are very careful in this movie to make the cannibalistic human sub-species that composes the elites WASP-coded. Poor WASPs. A lot has changed since 1989. They don't even get the presidency anymore. Famously good practical effects.
Yes, it is the Aku guy - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mako_(actor)
ReplyDeleteScanners really is Canadian excellence. I like most of Cronenberg's stuff.
And Kung-Pow is really funny. I'll check Detention!
Speaking of Cronenberg I just watched Rabid last night, would also recommend.
DeleteHaving watched A History of Violence last night for the very first time, I concur!
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