Amazon Prime Instant Video Rec

[Flyoverland Captive]

Strong reviews, Dookey. Much appreciated.

Do a bit of googling on “Mother”; the metaphors are obvious in retrospect. Confounding, disorienting film for sure; definitely worth a watch.

[dookeyXXX]

Strong reviews, Dookey. Much appreciated.

Do a bit of googling on “Mother”; the metaphors are obvious in retrospect. Confounding, disorienting film for sure; definitely worth a watch.

Yeah, I read several reviews after I'd watched it and was like "Doh! How did I miss that?"

Lottsa buried metaphors in Killing of a Sacred Deer, too, albeit a bit more "pagan" in nature...

[SkiBall]

Just watched Bomb City. Highly recommend, and hopefully will piss you off as it is based on a true story.

[dookeyXXX]

A FIELD IN ENGLAND
4/5

This period piece from Ben Wheatley (director) and Amy Jump (writer) follows on the heels of their wigged out road trip yarn Sightseers and the bonkers hitmen-cum-folk horror mind melder Kill List.
This one is a period piece, but it's a psychedelic one for sure.
Set in 17th Century England, during the English Civil War, the film's underlying story is about a few deserters, an alchemist, a supposed buried treasure, and mushrooms (and, of course, the continued threat of battle, which includes death). The film is alternately surreal, intense, and absurd.
I would classify it as easily accessibly experimental film (i.e. there is kind of a story to accompany the weird and mesmerizing visuals).

RIYL
Kill List; 2001: A Space Odyssey; Berberian Sound Studio;





EXTRA CREDIT READING
This reviewer watched the film high on 'shrooms...
https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2014/02...d-on-mushrooms

[AK47bp]

Oats Studios: Volume 1

Blomkamp experimental content.

Good shit.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[dookeyXXX]

RENEGADE (aka Blueberry)
3.5/5

This French made western (don't worry, it's largely delivered in English with only a few subtitles) is a metaphysical, existential, psychedelic romp. It gets a wee bit hokey at times, but it is always visually arresting and the cast is nuts: Michael Madsen; Eddie Izzard; Vincent Cassel; Jeffery Lewis; Juliette Lewis; Djimon Hounsou; Tcheky Karyo...
It's a strange beast, to be sure, not quite a traditional western, but also not as gonzo bonkers as say El Topo; it definitely stradles the lines between straight forward and just plain weird. Lots of focus on spiritual introspection and good vs. evil, focusing on the deadly sins, specifically greed. While it can get a bit confusing, the cinematraphy is amazing (lots of incredible aerial shots and expansive wide-angle set-ups) and even though there is not a ton of gunfighting or even much ruckus, it's well-paced and never dull.

[dookeyXXX]

THE NIGHT BEFORE (1988)
4/5



Not sure how I missed this one back in the day other than I was already in college when it was released and perhaps tired of the whole teen comedy genre.
That said, The Night Before definitely qualifies as a "lost cult classic."
While blending elements of Risky Business, After Hours, Better Off Dead, Can't Buy Me Love, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (just to name a few), it may very well be the most subversive of all the ‘80s teen comedies.
Written and directed by Thom Eberhardt (writer/director of such great cult classics as Night of the Comet and Captain Ron), the film employs an intriguing flashback motif that easily could have influenced Memento. I will say no more than that as it would spoil the twisted fun and off-kilter mayhem of the film.
Suffice it to say, we go on a journey with the hapless Winston (Keanu Reeves) in the wake of his high school prom. Insanity, violent hi-jinx, confusion, hilarity, political uncorrectness ensue.
Again, while it shares a lot of commonalities with the films I listed above, it is way darker, creepier, and just plain weird in terms of the overall vibe. It's not your typical teen flick, that's for sure.
I can see why it "disappeared" upon release as its tone is so drastically nastier than any of its like-minded predecessors.
Oh yeah, it features a raucous performance from George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic.

Not including the trailer as it gives away too much of the plot twists and turns...

RIYL
After Hours; Dude, Where's My Car; Captain Ron; Risky Business; Memento

[dookeyXXX]

Lottsa great B-movies have just popped up on Amazon Prime.

THE ARRIVAL (1996)
Written/Directed by David Twohy
Starring: Charlie Sheen



This overlooked low-budget gem from the mid-90s is easily a genre classic. The story is teeming with conspiracy theory paranoia that harkens back to the early glory days of sci-fi (think the original Invasion of the Body Snatchers).
The film's script/story is pretty damn cool and the direction is crisp thanks to solid pacing.
It's a bit cheesy by today's standards, but it is a '90s flashback, so keep that in mind.
For those unfamiliar with the writer/director, David Twohy is responsible for a wealth of underrated genre gems ranging from Warlock to Pitch Black and Terminal Velocity (he also wrote Waterworld; say what you will, I loved that film for its campy oceanic-based take on The Road Warrior).
Here he deftly draws upon 1950s-styled invasion horror, but with a "modern" twist. He has created a sense of not only mystery, but cloying paranoid terror. Okay, that may be stretching it a bit, but the film totally grabs you by the balls and takes you along for a hokey ride.
Sheen does a great job as an astronomer hellbent on trying to uncover the secrets that nobody believes.
Great supporting cast with Ron Silver and a number of other "hey, I know that guy" actors.
It's a great thriller that chooses substance (i.e. a clever story) over style (well, mostly because of budget) and wins because of it.

RIYL
The Terminator; Dreamscape; Robocop; They Live


Not including the trailer as it gives away one of the bigger twists...

[PB]

Loved the Arrival, and pretty much anything involving Twohy.

[dookeyXXX]

LONG WEEKEND (1978)
4/5



This is a great, slow-burn psychological horror film from the glory days of the Ozploitation era. The film is very much in the same vein as Wake In Fright (another great Aussie psychological horror gem) in that the tension and horror build up slowly and in a manner that is damn near suffocating.
Long Weekend begins somewhat idyllically and then just disintegrates into a feverish hell with unnerving aplomb.
The film is weird and, above all, mesmerizing in its depiction of a couple whose weekend getaway literally gets away from them.
If you dig atmospheric horror films that create a thick ambiance of dread and hypnotic menace, then few films can match this one.

RIYL
Wake In Fright; Don't Look Now; The Birds



PS
Avoid the crappy 2008 remake.

[Game Over]

I could not find Long Weekend. Of course it also took me several tries over a month to find Karate Kill....,

[dookeyXXX]

I could not find Long Weekend. Of course it also took me several tries over a month to find Karate Kill....,

LOL.

It was there on Tuesday of this week. Actually showed up in one of my feeds, either "Popular on Amazon" or "Recently Added", fwiw.

[dookeyXXX]

The Dennis Quaid starring classic b-movie sci-fi/horror gem DREAMSCAPE just showed up on Amazon Prime.

If you dug The Arrival (the Charlie Sheen one I yammered about a few posts above) and The Terminator and Robocop, then you should totally dig this little cult classic. The director would go on to helm a few more low-grade classics such as The Stepfather and Money Train.

The film features that creepy dude (David Patrick Kelly) from The Warriors...you know, the one who clicks the bottles together on his fingers whilst whining "Warriors, come out and play...") and the super freaky Snake-Man (that thing gave me nightmares for years).

Worth a watch if you dig low creative genre films that feature a really cool story, a well-crafted script, and a stellar cast doing wonders with a low budget. It's too bad that when it comes to genre horror and sci-fi films Hollywood rarely makes movies of this caliber anymore.

[dookeyXXX]

This just popped up:


YOU WERE NEVER REALLY HERE
3.5/5

Interesting film in that the story (based on a short novel by Jonathan Ames of Bored To Death fame) is pretty cliche: down-on-his-luck/sad sack/mentally debateable hit man hired for a job only to have said job go sideways forcing him to get hellbet for revenge (for some reason it reminded me a lot of several of Burt Reynolds’ late ‘80s flix).
A lot of critics have been tossing around comparisons to Taxi Driver, which I don't really get other than for the slow pacing and somewhat delirious/hallucinatory/frenetic nature of the film, but other than that I think the critics who keep comparing the two are off-the-mark.
I have to admit that I was alternately frustrated and enthralled by the film; the cliched story was annoying, but then something cool would happen out of the blue or something visually stunning would grace the screen and make you forget that it is more or less an artsy B-movie. Also, it never really struck the right balance between seriousness and satire; it kind of drifted along with this detached sense of deadpan sarcasm buried underneath a sense of overwhelming pretense (to this end, I read a great review that characterizes the film as “artsploitation” and I would agree).
I will say that Joaquin Phoenix is a powerhouse and the violence is artfully filmed. Some great cinematography, lots of uncomfortable close-ups, and some interesting sound-design (lots of background talking, whispers, etc). Great score from Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead), too.
I really dug the ending, though. It was both absurd and poignant
Again, I was kind of on the fence as the film unraveled, but then I ruminated on it for the entire 1.5 hour drive home from the theater, so it definitely resonates post-viewing.
I would say that it owes more to Leon: The Professional and Drive than anything else, honestly. And of course a spate of low-budget ‘80s flicks. Also reminded me a lot of the French neo-noir films of Melville.
In many ways it might be worth a second viewing, too.

[oftpiste]

I've been enjoying ​The Romanovs.

[dookeyXXX]

TRIANGLE

This 2009 release starring Melissa George is a psychological horror mindf$%k par excellance.
I will say no more than that as posting the trailer or going into any kind of depth will give away a large chunk of the mindf$%kery.
Suffice it to say, if you like your horror films and thrillers to run you through the wringer, to the point where you don't know what the hell is going on, then this could be your jam.
One of the best films of the sub-genre it belongs to, imho.

[Flyoverland Captive]

^^^ Agreed. Great film; not at all what it starts out to be.

[PB]

Just started Homecoming; wobbling between charming, creepy, and hmmmmmm. If they pull that unacceptable Mr. Robot twist shit again I'll be pissed. Took a bit to settle in with the 30 minute format, but I kind of like it - worked well in Mr. In Between.

[capulin overdrive]

Not sure what to make of Homecoming? Suspect i'm supposed to be paying attention while watching, but so far it hasn't draw me in enough and it's just been background noise while doing other stuff.

[PB]

Yeah; so far the highlight has been the adolescent pranking, but I'm starting to flinch with each new one, anticipating this is where it all goes horribly wrong.

[dookeyXXX]

I binged all of Homecoming on Monday.
Really enjoyed the cinematography and look of it (I had not seen Mr. Robot at this point, so was unfamiliar with the look/style).
Found it unsettling, but also figured out the twist pretty early on.
Felt that it kind of fell apart around episode 7.
Thought the "romantic" conclusion was a bit trite.
One thing that I found interesting is that each episode felt like it was way longer than 30 minutes, so the writers and directors did a good job creating engaging moments.
Not bad, but also fell short of great.
Am interested to hunt down the podcast now, though.

FWIW, it sucked me into Mr. Robot. I am now on Season 3. Again, figured out the twist pretty early on, but am loving the cinematography, music, and just the overall look and feel of Mr. Robot. A cliched mish-mash, but a beautifully executed one (which is how I would sum up Homecoming, as well).

PS
Via both of these series, I have discovered that Bobby Cannavale is one of American's unsung thespian geniuses...

[AK47bp]

Just randomly clicked on Catastrophe.

On 4th episode already and it's a good show, funny too.

[dookeyXXX]

Some uber classic late '60s and early '70s action films have popped up.
If you have never seen any of these, get to it!


1967



1972






1973

[JongDoe]

Without going back through the thread, has anyone seen Jack Ryan. I loved the Clancy movies and any kind of spy stuff, so i have a bit of leeway as far as what is over the top in that genre. A gal at work told me this was great and I watched the 1st episode and couldn't believe the absurdity. Hoping it is just that episode, but doubting it.

[Supermoon]

Without going back through the thread, has anyone seen Jack Ryan. I loved the Clancy movies and any kind of spy stuff, so i have a bit of leeway as far as what is over the top in that genre. A gal at work told me this was great and I watched the 1st episode and couldn't believe the absurdity. Hoping it is just that episode, but doubting it.

I thought it was pretty good. No more over the top and unbelievable than any of the other Clancy movies.

If you are ok with Ryan jumping into stormy sees next to a submarine to contact a Russian defector via Morse code, then I think you’ll be ok.