Category: 4 Stars
-
Criterion: Vendetta of a Samurai (****) – Correcting a history of violence
Mifune, learning from his mentor (Shimura) a sense of subtlety, is able to further his effectively obvious passion through restraint. Even without words, we understand both perfectly.
-
Netflix’s Extraction (****) Hold my beer
Extraction is a very good film. It will be a big hit on Netflix for a while when the streaming giant needs something to keep everyone happy in quarantine. I know I will be watching it again soon.
-
The Fifth Element (****) is worth Another Look
The name Korben Dallas just begs for a series of sequels. These never happened. Maybe it is for the best, but I could have enjoyed a few more ventures to other planets in the future.
-
Criterion: Drunken Angel (****) is a stunning look at postwar Japan
Drunken Angel is a flawed, but brilliant first film by one of the world’s greatest directors. Knowing he is this good when he started out makes me hopeful for a future I already know.
-
Criterion: Local Hero absorbs its surroundings
If we could keep it all within the confines of Ferness, life would be perfect. Even if the town is open to another deal.
-
Criterion: Metropolis(****) C-3PO and socialism
Even through it’s complicated history of interpretations, Metropolis is very much the definition of essential cinema.
-
Criterion: The Seventh Seal (****) Death went up to Denmark
—
by
There are people out in the world, no matter how much is shut down. They fight a battle just like the one being fought here. Like Block, some of them just need a reason to carry on.
-
Criterion: Hopscotch(****) A nice way to retire
Hopscotch is a slower version of Smokey and the Bandit, where more miles are travelled offscreen.
-
The Invisible Man (****) See right through you
Whether or not they choose to build on this film, there is an opportunity here. This film feels like an Iron Man type achievement. No one was expecting a movie like this would actually be as good as it turned out.
-
Birds of Prey… (****): On their knees for no one
“…Yan and Hodson strike a nice balance between feminine wile and Deadpool comic brutality. The film might seem derivative, were it not for Robbie’s complete absorption into the humor and brutal comic lunacy of Gotham without Batman looming. ”
Ebert Did It Better: Gasbag Reviews 