Thanks for this list of stuff to check out. I saw shockingly few new 2024 releases (considering I've watched almost 150 movies so far this year and it's not even officially "the holiday break" yet - I work in academia), so I will be happy to reference this in the coming weeks. I love your pithy and straightforward reviews.
TBH it was a pretty bad year for horror so I get it. Gonna have to wait for some intl releases to become more widely available here so that I can hopefully have a better list of genre stuff bc.... I'm disappointed with the offerings.
First getting this off my chest: Trap>>>>>>>>>>>Dune part two.
I appreciate your shout out to Kneecap. I had heard about the film (and Kneecap as well) earlier this year, and your take on it has made me really want to see it. I also definitely want to check out The Beast as well (I'm quite fond of Lea Seydoux!). Also Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, partially out of obligation of being Canadian (but not French Canadian, for the record).
Your point about "reject(ing) conventional ideas about social structure while embracing the humane" is beautifully put. By coincidence, the day before I read this piece I had finish watching Michelangelo Antonioni's 1970 film Zabriskie Point. I quite liked it and one of the reasons why is because I feel it embodies this idea perfectly. There's this real sense of tenderness in the film that makes its themes and ideas resonate.
I really want to hear your in depth thoughts on Nosferatu! (I assume your astute comment on Hoult "playing cucks and losers" is at least partly referring to his role in the film. Wonder if he'll bring that energy to his portrayal of Lex Luthor). Rewatching both the 1922 original and Herzog's remake, plus finally seeing Shadow of the Vampire for the first time, have made me incredibly excited to see Eggers incarnation.
What did you think of Lily-Rose Depp's performance? Crucially, how do you rate it on a scale from 1 to 10? 10 being "best nepo baby in the bizz", 1 being "Eggers should've waited until Anya Taylor-Joy was available/cast Olivia Cooke instead" (or Mia Goth, but at least she's in Guillermo Del Toro's upcoming Frankenstein film).
Kneecap is a lot of fun. I wish it had 2-3 more music performances, that would have really put it over the top for me, but it's a raucous good time w/ some strong acting from non-actors.
I think I actually wrote that line about Hoult before seeing Nosferatu but it holds. The more he snivels the better. I will write more about Nosferatu in the New Year (the '79 Nosferatu is one of my favorite vampire movies/horror movies/etc. etc. etc. it's just so great)...
BUT I will jump in on L-R D and just say I was generally unimpressed. She clearly wants to be Mia Goth but just does not have any flair for expressionism. She can hit her marks and she satisfies the steps of the physical performance but there's not a lot of depth to her alleged torment. Olivia Cooke would have been great. Elle Fanning if you wanted to go all in on ingenue. Probably anyone who has ever been in The Crown, etc.
I have quibbles about Juror #2 tho; I felt like the film was very clear that Hoult's character is repellant, and I found his line to Toni Collette when they're sat on the bench - something about how this is a victimless outcome - to be truly chilling, following on the sentencing of an innocent man.
Do I buy that a prosecutor will have a sudden change of heart, as Collette's did? Not really! But I was still very unsettled by the final moment, when Hoult holds his infant son.
honestly I mostly found the end confusing because I do not understand Eastwood's conception of the american legal system. what does she intend to do by showing up at his house? I obviously watched far too much CSI as a kid but I'm kind of like can you REALLY not tell if someone was hit by a car... and how can you even prosecute someone (if thats what the end means) for a crime that there's no proof of outside of Some Guy having a bunch of DUI charges from 3 years ago
Thanks for this list of stuff to check out. I saw shockingly few new 2024 releases (considering I've watched almost 150 movies so far this year and it's not even officially "the holiday break" yet - I work in academia), so I will be happy to reference this in the coming weeks. I love your pithy and straightforward reviews.
TBH it was a pretty bad year for horror so I get it. Gonna have to wait for some intl releases to become more widely available here so that I can hopefully have a better list of genre stuff bc.... I'm disappointed with the offerings.
First getting this off my chest: Trap>>>>>>>>>>>Dune part two.
I appreciate your shout out to Kneecap. I had heard about the film (and Kneecap as well) earlier this year, and your take on it has made me really want to see it. I also definitely want to check out The Beast as well (I'm quite fond of Lea Seydoux!). Also Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person, partially out of obligation of being Canadian (but not French Canadian, for the record).
Your point about "reject(ing) conventional ideas about social structure while embracing the humane" is beautifully put. By coincidence, the day before I read this piece I had finish watching Michelangelo Antonioni's 1970 film Zabriskie Point. I quite liked it and one of the reasons why is because I feel it embodies this idea perfectly. There's this real sense of tenderness in the film that makes its themes and ideas resonate.
I really want to hear your in depth thoughts on Nosferatu! (I assume your astute comment on Hoult "playing cucks and losers" is at least partly referring to his role in the film. Wonder if he'll bring that energy to his portrayal of Lex Luthor). Rewatching both the 1922 original and Herzog's remake, plus finally seeing Shadow of the Vampire for the first time, have made me incredibly excited to see Eggers incarnation.
What did you think of Lily-Rose Depp's performance? Crucially, how do you rate it on a scale from 1 to 10? 10 being "best nepo baby in the bizz", 1 being "Eggers should've waited until Anya Taylor-Joy was available/cast Olivia Cooke instead" (or Mia Goth, but at least she's in Guillermo Del Toro's upcoming Frankenstein film).
Thank you for this thoughtful comment!!
Kneecap is a lot of fun. I wish it had 2-3 more music performances, that would have really put it over the top for me, but it's a raucous good time w/ some strong acting from non-actors.
I think I actually wrote that line about Hoult before seeing Nosferatu but it holds. The more he snivels the better. I will write more about Nosferatu in the New Year (the '79 Nosferatu is one of my favorite vampire movies/horror movies/etc. etc. etc. it's just so great)...
BUT I will jump in on L-R D and just say I was generally unimpressed. She clearly wants to be Mia Goth but just does not have any flair for expressionism. She can hit her marks and she satisfies the steps of the physical performance but there's not a lot of depth to her alleged torment. Olivia Cooke would have been great. Elle Fanning if you wanted to go all in on ingenue. Probably anyone who has ever been in The Crown, etc.
Genuinely excellent list!
I have quibbles about Juror #2 tho; I felt like the film was very clear that Hoult's character is repellant, and I found his line to Toni Collette when they're sat on the bench - something about how this is a victimless outcome - to be truly chilling, following on the sentencing of an innocent man.
Do I buy that a prosecutor will have a sudden change of heart, as Collette's did? Not really! But I was still very unsettled by the final moment, when Hoult holds his infant son.
honestly I mostly found the end confusing because I do not understand Eastwood's conception of the american legal system. what does she intend to do by showing up at his house? I obviously watched far too much CSI as a kid but I'm kind of like can you REALLY not tell if someone was hit by a car... and how can you even prosecute someone (if thats what the end means) for a crime that there's no proof of outside of Some Guy having a bunch of DUI charges from 3 years ago