Solo: A Star Wars Story

Solo: A Star Wars Story might be the best Star Wars film yet, in my opinion.  The dark but alluring photography, the fantastic, monomythic storyline, the character development, and the romantic subplot add up to one epic tale indeed.  This Han Solo could almost be Luke, so epic and heroic he is.  Ron Howard really gives these characters a lot of humanity, which is rare for a Star Wars film.  Note the Willow reference!  Check it out!

The Bronx Bull

The Bronx Bull is a sequel/remake to Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull that basically attempts to externalize, psychoanalyze, while at the same time romanticizing the original's main character.  The film is, as I recently stated on Netflix and on Facebook, extremely racy and unpleasant, so much so that the apparent benefits of really "knowing" Jake LaMotta are outweighed by his unpleasant milieu.  The film is a Scarfacean wallow in excess, one that ultimately isn't worth viewing.  I would pass.

A Quiet Place

Today, as the second part of a double feature, I saw the horror film A Quiet Place.  A great film, and a great film to unwind with.  Well shot, and a lot of fun.  Beautifully shot interiors, and extremely scary  monsters.  Also includes some great scenes, including a very well-realized bathtub scene and colossal ending.  Recommended!

Nightcrawler

Just watched 2014’s Nightcrawler with Jake Gyllenhal, and I was impressed!  A very dark, moody production that links video production to news media and crime fighting, and which one article compared to the filmmaking style of Martin Scorsese.  I liked the use of ethnic actors and the gripping plot and photography very much.  Recommended!

The Philosophy of Martin Scorsese

I read about the first 100 pages of this book.  Not exactly my cup of tea, but still very interesting.  I think tackling both great philosophers and Scorsese at the same time is a bit much, but some of the themes concerning absurdity and nihilism are still very interesting.  You definitely don't hear things like that everyday!  Might have been more successful as a philosophy primer, though.

Red Dragon

Today I watched Red Dragon.  What an EXTREMELY well-executed, yet haunting, movie.  Cinematography-wise, it's one of the best shot movies ever.  It really FEELS like one of Thomas Harris' novels, very autumnal.  It's also one of the best cast movies ever, with even minor roles going to great actors like Harvey Keitel.  Great scenes and plots twists throughout.  Not always plausible, but still a great movie.  Check it out!