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aunt_zelda So tonight my roommate and I watched three things.
Completely by accident, all three ended up being narratives that took place primarily in a single location, and could easily be rewritten as a play.
First up was Let Us Prey, a film I've been meaning to see for ages and never gotten around to. My roommate hadn't seen it either. All I knew going in was Liam Cunningham played the Devil, basically, and a vague memory of a trailer I saw like, last year, and that it had good reviews. It was an odd little movie, very cheap to make obviously, but they used their money well and managed to make a good solid film. Some very artistic shots. It did not go in the directions I thought it was going at all, right up until the very end even. Some great gore. Some vile characters, but they were assholes in realistic ways, not horror movie assholes who were too over the top. The film built up well too, something happens towards the end that would be ridiculous if they just started with it, but because of the tension and gory moments ratcheting up throughout the story, it worked. At least, it worked for me. Liam Cunningham was a fabulous Devil. Every movement he made was measured and deliberate, and his dialogue was precise. Some good spooks in this one that even freaked out my normally calm roommate.
And, mostly for personal reasons, I've been waiting for YEARS for a movie to end like this one did. I don't dare spoil that though.
I'm not sure this one will stick with me as much as another movie would, there's nothing especially epic or special about it, but it's a solid little film I wouldn't mind rewatching with friends somewhere down the line.
Next up was the Twilight Zone episode "The Obsolete Man," which my roommate suggested. FANTASTIC. My gods. Just ... wow. What can be said about this that hasn't already been said for decades? I could see how famous filmmakers have studied this episode for aesthetics and concepts and homaged it in their works ever since. A truly great little episode. Never seen someone passive-aggressively read the Bible to someone, but that was a great moment. Plus, who doesn't love seeing Burgess Meredith do literally anything? Nice creepy little story, with a very important message that, unfortunately, is very relevant in today's world. Totalitarianism, devaluing and distrust of education and literature, and politicians questioning the need for libraries, these are issues that sadly we haven't moved past now, more than 50 years after this episode aired.
This one is gonna stick with me for a long time, I have no doubt.
Last of the evening was Murder Party. I've been meaning to see this for ages. I know the later work of the writer/director, Jeremy Saulnier, his latest work Green Room remains the best film I've seen all year, and Blue Ruin won a ton of acclaim from people whose opinions I tend to trust (but I haven't seen it yet.) Though this film showed obvious signs of low budget, which my roommate and I were quick to spot being former film students ourselves, it's a really great movie. Horrible, gory, all over the place, twists and turns, commentaries on commentaries on modern art, but what surprised me the most was how FUNNY it was. There's a gag about 20 minutes in that had me laughing so hard I think I woke up the entire apartment complex. I knew Jeremy Saulnier was talented as fuck, but I didn't know he was FUNNY. Green Room had a few jokes but it was not a funny movie at all, and from what I hear Blue Ruin is a brutal movie too. So this took me completely by surprise in all the right ways. Plus, where else can you find a movie with two bisexual characters where that's not a big deal or the point of their characters at all.
This movie was obviously cheap and it isn't the best thing ever, but I enjoyed it a lot. I think it's gonna become one of my Halloween go-to movies, especially when hanging out with fellow former film-students.
Completely by accident, all three ended up being narratives that took place primarily in a single location, and could easily be rewritten as a play.
First up was Let Us Prey, a film I've been meaning to see for ages and never gotten around to. My roommate hadn't seen it either. All I knew going in was Liam Cunningham played the Devil, basically, and a vague memory of a trailer I saw like, last year, and that it had good reviews. It was an odd little movie, very cheap to make obviously, but they used their money well and managed to make a good solid film. Some very artistic shots. It did not go in the directions I thought it was going at all, right up until the very end even. Some great gore. Some vile characters, but they were assholes in realistic ways, not horror movie assholes who were too over the top. The film built up well too, something happens towards the end that would be ridiculous if they just started with it, but because of the tension and gory moments ratcheting up throughout the story, it worked. At least, it worked for me. Liam Cunningham was a fabulous Devil. Every movement he made was measured and deliberate, and his dialogue was precise. Some good spooks in this one that even freaked out my normally calm roommate.
And, mostly for personal reasons, I've been waiting for YEARS for a movie to end like this one did. I don't dare spoil that though.
I'm not sure this one will stick with me as much as another movie would, there's nothing especially epic or special about it, but it's a solid little film I wouldn't mind rewatching with friends somewhere down the line.
Next up was the Twilight Zone episode "The Obsolete Man," which my roommate suggested. FANTASTIC. My gods. Just ... wow. What can be said about this that hasn't already been said for decades? I could see how famous filmmakers have studied this episode for aesthetics and concepts and homaged it in their works ever since. A truly great little episode. Never seen someone passive-aggressively read the Bible to someone, but that was a great moment. Plus, who doesn't love seeing Burgess Meredith do literally anything? Nice creepy little story, with a very important message that, unfortunately, is very relevant in today's world. Totalitarianism, devaluing and distrust of education and literature, and politicians questioning the need for libraries, these are issues that sadly we haven't moved past now, more than 50 years after this episode aired.
This one is gonna stick with me for a long time, I have no doubt.
Last of the evening was Murder Party. I've been meaning to see this for ages. I know the later work of the writer/director, Jeremy Saulnier, his latest work Green Room remains the best film I've seen all year, and Blue Ruin won a ton of acclaim from people whose opinions I tend to trust (but I haven't seen it yet.) Though this film showed obvious signs of low budget, which my roommate and I were quick to spot being former film students ourselves, it's a really great movie. Horrible, gory, all over the place, twists and turns, commentaries on commentaries on modern art, but what surprised me the most was how FUNNY it was. There's a gag about 20 minutes in that had me laughing so hard I think I woke up the entire apartment complex. I knew Jeremy Saulnier was talented as fuck, but I didn't know he was FUNNY. Green Room had a few jokes but it was not a funny movie at all, and from what I hear Blue Ruin is a brutal movie too. So this took me completely by surprise in all the right ways. Plus, where else can you find a movie with two bisexual characters where that's not a big deal or the point of their characters at all.
This movie was obviously cheap and it isn't the best thing ever, but I enjoyed it a lot. I think it's gonna become one of my Halloween go-to movies, especially when hanging out with fellow former film-students.
