Search
Search results
Bird (1700 KP) rated Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) in Movies
May 4, 2017
You can watch it 20 times (I have) and still find new gems of comedy genius (5 more)
The writing, quite unsurprisingly, is brutally intelligent
It manages to tickle your ribs at every opportunity
If you don't normally like Python, you can just remember bits of dialogue and sound like the master of wit in front of your friends.
Roger the shrubber, the Black Knight, coconuts, French insults and African Swallows. It's all in there!
Will distort your view of Arthurian legend forever
Makes Ben Hur Look Like An Epic!
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Get Out (2017) in Movies
Feb 3, 2020
Psychologcally Disburing
Jordan Peele goes from comedy to horror, as his directorial debut, he does a excellent/fantasic/phenomenal job. Going from one genre to anethor is hard, but Jordan Peele did the impossible, and he successed, all expectations. This film is psycologically twisted, horrorfyng, suspenseful and thrilling till the very end.
So this movie does have a theme, This disturbing film ... is really about how white America has mastered its relationship with black America. Within all of the interracial tension is the white American’s strange envy of the grim determination, melancholy humor, and creative strength of the black race. ... But Peele’s irony is that white America will continue to do what it does despite these truths, and, sadly, so must black America remain hypnotized.
The film also depicts the lack of attention on missing black Americans compared to missing white females. Slate's Damon Young stated the film's premise was "depressingly plausible ... Although black people only comprise 13 percent of America's population, they are 34 percent of America's missing, a reality that exists as the result of a mélange of racial and socioeconomic factors rendering black lives demonstratively less valuable than the lives [of] our white counterparts.
Peele does a excellent of this theme, of the world that we live in today and his views on it.
The Plot: Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy and Dean. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined.
This film is a must watch, if you havent seen it, than go and see it. Its psycologically twisted, horrorfying, thrilling, suspenseful and overall excellent.
So this movie does have a theme, This disturbing film ... is really about how white America has mastered its relationship with black America. Within all of the interracial tension is the white American’s strange envy of the grim determination, melancholy humor, and creative strength of the black race. ... But Peele’s irony is that white America will continue to do what it does despite these truths, and, sadly, so must black America remain hypnotized.
The film also depicts the lack of attention on missing black Americans compared to missing white females. Slate's Damon Young stated the film's premise was "depressingly plausible ... Although black people only comprise 13 percent of America's population, they are 34 percent of America's missing, a reality that exists as the result of a mélange of racial and socioeconomic factors rendering black lives demonstratively less valuable than the lives [of] our white counterparts.
Peele does a excellent of this theme, of the world that we live in today and his views on it.
The Plot: Now that Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and his girlfriend, Rose (Allison Williams), have reached the meet-the-parents milestone of dating, she invites him for a weekend getaway upstate with Missy and Dean. At first, Chris reads the family's overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter's interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he never could have imagined.
This film is a must watch, if you havent seen it, than go and see it. Its psycologically twisted, horrorfying, thrilling, suspenseful and overall excellent.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) in Movies
Mar 4, 2018 (Updated Mar 4, 2018)
Justly acclaimed black comedy is a somewhat atypical film from Ealing Studios, better known for their affectionate depictions of post-war British life. Calculating man-on-the-make Dennis Price sets out to get on in the world by murdering the eight members of the D'Ascoyne family who stand between him and inheriting the dukedom of Chalfont.
Best known for the fact that Alec Guinness plays all the D'Ascoynes, but Dennis Price is just as good as the homicidal would-be aristocrat. The broad comedy of some of Guinness' performances, plus the staging of several of the murders, is underpinned by some much subtler and more understated humour about class and morality. One of those films you can watch several times and still find new layers to enjoy; very funny, too, though that should go without saying.
Best known for the fact that Alec Guinness plays all the D'Ascoynes, but Dennis Price is just as good as the homicidal would-be aristocrat. The broad comedy of some of Guinness' performances, plus the staging of several of the murders, is underpinned by some much subtler and more understated humour about class and morality. One of those films you can watch several times and still find new layers to enjoy; very funny, too, though that should go without saying.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Mars Attacks! (1996) in Movies
Jun 14, 2020
Lavishly camp black-comedy sci-fi extravaganza. Motivated largely by their innate gittishness, Martians attack the Earth (the clue is in the title), and various people naturally respond in their own personal ways. Much property damage and rather dated mid-90s CGI result.
One of those bizarre mutants that should never really have got past the script stage, let alone received a $70m budget: the release schedule inevitably resulted in it being hailed as a spoof of Independence Day (hard to spoof something that wasn't meant to be taken seriously in the first place), but this is much more a send-up of classic 50s sci-fi B-movies (various spot-on parodies), as well as being a startlingly subversive black comedy. You can also sense Burton trying to do his version of Dr Strangelove, with Nicholson in a multiple role, but it doesn't have anything like the same sharpness or impact. A bit patchy overall - some laugh-out-loud moments and game performances, but also a lot of dead wood and characters and jokes that just don't work. On the whole, though, the fact that films like this still get made suggests hope is not yet lost for the world.
One of those bizarre mutants that should never really have got past the script stage, let alone received a $70m budget: the release schedule inevitably resulted in it being hailed as a spoof of Independence Day (hard to spoof something that wasn't meant to be taken seriously in the first place), but this is much more a send-up of classic 50s sci-fi B-movies (various spot-on parodies), as well as being a startlingly subversive black comedy. You can also sense Burton trying to do his version of Dr Strangelove, with Nicholson in a multiple role, but it doesn't have anything like the same sharpness or impact. A bit patchy overall - some laugh-out-loud moments and game performances, but also a lot of dead wood and characters and jokes that just don't work. On the whole, though, the fact that films like this still get made suggests hope is not yet lost for the world.
Awix (3310 KP) rated A Simple Favor (2018) in Movies
Oct 11, 2018
Competently made and very well-cast suspense drama (kind of). 'Ordinary person' single mother and vlogger Stephanie (Kendrick) ends up becoming besties with dangerously glamorous and enigmatic fellow parent (Lively); when her new pal vanishes, Stephanie decides that something suspicious may have taken place...
Very very much in the same vein as Gone Girl, to the extent that people would probably have been screaming knock-off had this film not also functioned as a rather effective black comedy - you may be wondering what a light comedian like Kendrick is doing fronting a thriller directed by a comedy specialist like Paul Feig; well, this is the reason why. This may also be the reason why the film is cheerily up-front about how far-fetched its own plot is. Not the kind of movie that really lingers in the memory, but nicely put-together and fun while you're watching it.
Very very much in the same vein as Gone Girl, to the extent that people would probably have been screaming knock-off had this film not also functioned as a rather effective black comedy - you may be wondering what a light comedian like Kendrick is doing fronting a thriller directed by a comedy specialist like Paul Feig; well, this is the reason why. This may also be the reason why the film is cheerily up-front about how far-fetched its own plot is. Not the kind of movie that really lingers in the memory, but nicely put-together and fun while you're watching it.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Dr. Strangelove (1964) in Movies
Jun 12, 2018
Love the Bomb
Inspired, justly-celebrated black comedy satirising the absurdity of the nuclear arms race. American general is unhinged by a sudden attack of impotence, 'does a silly thing' and launches an atomic attack on the USSR. The President tries his best to restore order and sanity but finds the deck is stacked against him - suddenly it feels like too much trouble not to have a war...
The brilliant triple-performance by Peter Sellers is what you remember of this film, but it is powered along by the tension between the black absurdity of its characters and situations and the naturalistic realism with which they are depicted. Some terrific dialogue and brilliant visual gags, and a lacerating subtext about masculinity running out of control. Current concerns about crazed egomaniacs with their fingers on nuclear buttons mean that Dr Strangelove shows every sign of becoming worryingly topical again, but you can hardly blame Stanley Kubrick for that.
The brilliant triple-performance by Peter Sellers is what you remember of this film, but it is powered along by the tension between the black absurdity of its characters and situations and the naturalistic realism with which they are depicted. Some terrific dialogue and brilliant visual gags, and a lacerating subtext about masculinity running out of control. Current concerns about crazed egomaniacs with their fingers on nuclear buttons mean that Dr Strangelove shows every sign of becoming worryingly topical again, but you can hardly blame Stanley Kubrick for that.
Adam Ant recommended Best of Sellers by Peter Sellers in Music (curated)
David McK (3369 KP) rated School of Rock (2003) in Movies
May 21, 2021
Early noughties (2003) Jack Black musical comedy, in which he plays a slacker guitarist who is kicked out of his band and then gets a job impersonating a substitute teacher at a local high class school in order to pay his rent.
Initially reluctant to do any work at all or to engage with his class, that changes when he hears them during a music class and then decides to form a band so that he can enter the local 'battle of the bands', with himself as the lead singer (which later changes). Cue life lessons in confidence, sticking up for yourself, etc etc...
Initially reluctant to do any work at all or to engage with his class, that changes when he hears them during a music class and then decides to form a band so that he can enter the local 'battle of the bands', with himself as the lead singer (which later changes). Cue life lessons in confidence, sticking up for yourself, etc etc...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Black Mirror - Season 5 in TV
Jun 21, 2019
Black Mirror has been going downhill since Netflix acquired it from Channel 4.
The first season was fantastic, and the second season wasn’t too bad. It’s like the Black Mirror writers are in a competition to make each season worst than the last.
It used to be speculative fiction, but even that is no more in season 5. I wish there were more than just 3 measly episodes especially with how long it took them to release season 5.
Striking Vipers was the worst episode in my opinion. To me, it focused too much on sex instead of the actual story which had the potential to be good.
Smithereens was the best episode in season 5 although it was just alright. At least there was a heartfelt story behind it all. Plus, the acting was fantastic for the most part. Yes, there were a few shoddy acting bits, but most of it was good.
Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too started off being a good episode, but it just turned ridiculous towards the end. It did start with a good message, but the ridiculousness of it turned this episode into more of a comedy. I guess they were just too focused on Miley Cyrus bringing in the viewers instead of the actual story.
I’m really losing hope for Black Mirror. They need to just stop making episodes or hire better writers.
The first season was fantastic, and the second season wasn’t too bad. It’s like the Black Mirror writers are in a competition to make each season worst than the last.
It used to be speculative fiction, but even that is no more in season 5. I wish there were more than just 3 measly episodes especially with how long it took them to release season 5.
Striking Vipers was the worst episode in my opinion. To me, it focused too much on sex instead of the actual story which had the potential to be good.
Smithereens was the best episode in season 5 although it was just alright. At least there was a heartfelt story behind it all. Plus, the acting was fantastic for the most part. Yes, there were a few shoddy acting bits, but most of it was good.
Rachel, Jack and Ashley Too started off being a good episode, but it just turned ridiculous towards the end. It did start with a good message, but the ridiculousness of it turned this episode into more of a comedy. I guess they were just too focused on Miley Cyrus bringing in the viewers instead of the actual story.
I’m really losing hope for Black Mirror. They need to just stop making episodes or hire better writers.
Awix (3310 KP) rated King of Thieves (2018) in Movies
Oct 10, 2018
Michael Caine leads a crack team of crock crooks in robbing a safe deposit vault in London in this loosely-based-on-reality black comedy thriller. Quite apart from Caine, the film has an excellent cast (Jim Broadbent, Tom Courtenay, Ray Winstone, Paul Whitehouse, and Michael Gambon, plus Charlie Cox for the streaming generation), which will probably be what draws most people to it.
Initially this looks like it's going to be a slightly cosy comedy thriller about blokes who are too old be robbers any more, but - very pleasantly - it quite soon acquires some real heft and gravity to it, with the various members of the gang falling out and attempting to double-cross each other - most of these actors are well-known as comedians, but there is some proper meaty drama here and scenes with a definite tension to them.
Not quite as much Caine as you might hope for, but he is still the guv'nor as far as British film acting is concerned, and this is his best role for a while. Everyone else is good too. The film never quite gets the shifts between comedy and gangster thriller right, and the low budget keeps it from being very cinematic, but it's an engaging movie driven by great performances.
Initially this looks like it's going to be a slightly cosy comedy thriller about blokes who are too old be robbers any more, but - very pleasantly - it quite soon acquires some real heft and gravity to it, with the various members of the gang falling out and attempting to double-cross each other - most of these actors are well-known as comedians, but there is some proper meaty drama here and scenes with a definite tension to them.
Not quite as much Caine as you might hope for, but he is still the guv'nor as far as British film acting is concerned, and this is his best role for a while. Everyone else is good too. The film never quite gets the shifts between comedy and gangster thriller right, and the low budget keeps it from being very cinematic, but it's an engaging movie driven by great performances.