Toby White added 1 item to Watched in 2019 list
05.03
Another excellent film from Ben Wheatley. At times it feels like a theatre production with its minimal cast and its limited setting - all of it takes place in a field. It moves from the theatrical to the cinematically spectacular. The black and white chiaroscuro cinematography is a visual treat. The hallucinogenic visuals and sounds are wonderful.
There are some very funny scenes too and the dialogue is witty and unexpected, particularly when a dying man requests as his final message to his wife that he hates her and that he f***ed her sister up the ass. Very unorthodox final words.
A very atmospheric and visually brilliant film.
6 years, 1 month ago
Toby White added 1 item to Watched in 2019 list
26.02.2019
Visually excellent. Cool jazz score. The lighting and stage design were also stand-out elements of this early slasher.
6 years, 1 month ago
Toby White added 1 item to Watched in 2019 list
18.02.2019
Amazingly powerful film. Intense and gripping from the get-go and doesn't let up til the final credits roll. Brilliantly acted and superbly shot. The narrative structure and editing give it a real intensity. You are immediately pulled in to the story and you are hooked until the final moments.
Dennis Villeneuve is quickly becoming one of my current favourite directors. Incendies, Sicario and Blade Runner 2049 are stand-out films that easily rank amongst the best films of their respective years of release.
6 years, 1 month ago
Toby White added 1 item to Watched in 2019 list
6 years, 1 month ago
Toby White commented on a list

"1. Down By Law 2. Beetlejuice 3. Blade Runner 4. Raging Bull 5. Fireworks (Hana-Bi) 6. Inherent Vice 7. Paris, Texas 8. Blue Velvet 9. Mulholland Drive 10. Eyes Wide Shut"
6 years, 1 month ago
Toby White voted for list

6 years, 1 month ago
Toby White added 1 item to Watched in 2019 list
13.02
80's cheesefest with so-bad-its-good acting performances and ludicrous script and dialogue. Some highlights include: "bodacious boobs sis", "My daddy told me how to pray real good" and "festering fuckwads". Abrasive 80s horror synth soundtrack adds to the vibe.
Apart from the usual stupid dialogue and acting common to 80s comedy-horror, the ending of this film is peculiarly dark and sinister. An elderly woman serves up a slice of pie to her husband at breakfast. Trouble is, the pie is filled with sharp blades and so he, eh......gets his throat slit and dies in a bloody gruesome manner. Pretty dark really.
6 years, 1 month ago
Toby White added 1 item to Watched in 2019 list
12.02
Another beautifully shot film from director Hou Hsiao Hsien. A lot more character driven than Three Times. The story of a young man who gets drafted to the military is subtle and heartfelt. The influence of Ozu is seen throughtout, with the minimal framing and repeated camera set-ups. Much like in Ozu, shots of nature and mountains punctuate the narrative's structure.
6 years, 1 month ago
Toby White added 1 item to Watched in 2019 list
11.02
Hou Hsiao Hsien's signature style is minimal, meditative and slow-paced, choosing to focus on 'dead-time' rather than plot-driven stories. Three Times is beautifully shot. Broken into three parts, the second part recreates an old silent film, with musical accompaniment and onscreen captions. The film as a whole is so quiet and has so little dialogue that it is practically a silent film.
I loved the first part of the film and as a whole it was nice.
6 years, 1 month ago
Toby White commented on a list

"You are funny! Some great films on this list. I look forward to seeing the others I haven't seen."
6 years, 1 month ago
Toby White added 1 item to Watched in 2019 list
07.02
Not much atmosphere in this one. Didn't pull me in at all. Visually it is somewhat interesting. Story-wise it is run-of-the mill 'built on an old burial ground' affair.
6 years, 2 months ago
Toby White voted for list

6 years, 2 months ago