I’m really enjoying this… it’s very direct and it’s got a mood going on. My only criticism so far is that the rave music they’re allegedly dancing to sounds like somebody’s idea of rave music who’s only heard it from three blocks away?

And it doesn’t really seem like they’re actually dancing to actual music, but are just moving around in silence so that they can drop this face rave music in afterwards while still getting crowd noises?

Heh. Most British Translation Ever.

(He asked for dessert.)

The word “Western Sahara” is never mentioned, but “Morocco” and “South” and “Mauretania” is, so I think their journey is through a Western Sahara under martial law…

I really liked this… but I thought that after the midway point it kinda lost focus? Which is probably the point — it’s a common trope with road movies that things take a radical turn at some point and the original… thing… gets forgotten.

But it really kinda felt like the filmmakers didn’t quite know where they were going and were winging it.

On the other hand, the final (long) scene is perhaps the most tense and nerve-wracking thing I’ve seen in years — I had to cover my face with my hands — and that’s certainly something.

On the third hand, it does feel kinda… colonial in an undigested way?

Eh, I dunno, I liked it.

Sirāt. Oliver Laxe. 2025. ⚄

This is another one of those 70s movies that I’ve always heard mention, and have probably read a Mad Magazine version of, but never actually seen. I think it’s part of the Hazel Flagg collection, but I’m not sure? Perhaps I just bought it because it came up on Criteron’s new releases page?

Because it’s in 4K now.

Probably the former.

The director hasn’t done a lot of movies… I’ve seen that Postman version back in the 80s, and I saw Stay Hungry recently. And I saw that Monkees movie a long long time ago.

I wonder what the story behind this movie is. It seems like it’s so tailored to Nicholson’s strengths…

Eh… the dialogues here are getting to be pretty risible.

I dunno… I did like this movie, but it seems pretty undercooked — Nicholson escaping from his upper class but phony family, and the girlfriend being that embarassing — it just seems very… easy. Or lazy, rather.

But it looks good, and the performances are solid.

I guess this was a big 70s trend setter? It was nominated for All The Oscars, and after having seen this, I can better understand how so many 70s movies got that aesthetic. But I didn’t really find it compelling.

Five Easy Pieces. Bob Rafelson. 1970. ⚃

Oh! I thought this was another one of those John M. Stahl movies that had later been remade by Douglas Sirk, but I got it confused with… probably… All That Heaven Allows? So I haven’t seen this one before.

Huh… This looks very… restored.

OH MY GOD! His face is made out of rubber! This has been totally over-restored — it’s just 2K, but it seems like they’ve totally degrained it and… smoothed it? Criterion, c’mon. You gotta know when to stop.

But other than that, it looks great.

Heh.

I love the idea of setting these scenes outdoors. There’s gotta be like five people just out of screen with reflectors to get the light everywhere… Looks really good, even if over-restored.

EEEEK

Is it possible that they were just really really heavy handed with the make up?

Nah, it has to be the restoration. I don’t think it’s meant to look like this.

I mean, this is very pretty, too, but I betcha it would have been stunning in a new 4K scan without all the smoothification. It’s just disturbing how plastick-ey this looks. Not a grain in sight.

I mean, look at these shots…

Stahl and his cinematographer were just insane. It’s just one gorgeous shot after another.

I mean, look at this! This could be the prettiest movie ever (except Zuckerbaby, of course).

Every shot is on point.

Vincent Price!?

Heh, twin beds because of the Hays Code, but then she gets into bed with him! *gasp*

Oh, I think I may have misunderstood this movie… I thought it was a romance or a weepie… but is it a noir!? Is she a psycho who’s planning to kill the brother!?

Wow, what a matte painting.

OK, this movie isn’t perfect. The third quarter of this movie drags — once it’s been revealed what this movie is about, we have to follow the characters around for a bit too long. But then there’s the ending, which is the most over-the-top melodramatic thing ever! Fantastic.

But more than anything, I just loved the cinematography on this. Every single shot had something interesting going on — something beyond the call of duty. Something that could have been a perfectly fine static shot is a dolly shot, and a talk that really didn’t need to happen in front of the most magnificent mountains… does. The melodrama is over the top, and so is the cinematography.

Heh — it won the Oscar for Best Cinematography, and was nominated for All The Technical Awards, like Set Decoration. Understandable. And! It was also Fox’s highest grossing movie of the decade, according to the documentary on this disc.

Leave Her to Heaven. John M. Stahl. 1945. ⚅