All the Money in the World. It’s perfectly fine! I didn’t know until afterward they re-shot so much of the movie. I respect it for that more than I actually enjoyed it. I will probably never see it again, which always feels a little bit bittersweet. Filed under: Ridley Scott.
Alien. Perfection. Still a five-star film. I love those Nostromo jackets!
The Martian. What’s most refreshing here is that it’s a fairly gentle, nice movie. Perfectly pleasant, always positive. I don’t think there’s anythig here for me to come back to, but it was really fun to watch. I didn’t finish the book.
Blade Runner (Final Cut). I like how the more I watch this the less I root for Deckard and the more I pull for Roy, Pris, Leon, and Zhora. Deckards’s kind of a jerk, right? Fits with the film noiriness to have a hero with a dark side. Those elements stood out a lot more this time, too, so much smoke and fog, backlighting, rainfall leaving everyone bundled and drenched. I forget how jarring some of the cuts and transitions are, but I’ll forgive a lot. Such a whole, rich world. You feel like you could go there. Filed under: Blade Runner.
Blade Runner. Had the good fortune to see this on a big screen, in a big park. So rad. Filed under: Blade Runner.
Blade Runner (Final Cut). Dang. Like Alien, this one holds up so, so well. Incredible movie. Cast, sets (!), shots, sound, score. I love the eye imagery and symbolism throughout. Themes of empathy, memory, humanity. Deckard has a sweet bachelor pad. If I were more of a jerk, right around now I’d take a second to mention how bad Prometheus was in comparison. Night and day.
Prometheus. My first draft for this post was longer, but it was turning into a pile-on. Prometheus is not all bad, but, still… it’s kind of a mess. No good when you find yourself laughing at a dark, mysterious, portentous movie. I was sold for the first 70-80 minutes, though. Mostly. A better script is a must, and serious editing would help. Too many cooks in this kitchen? I’m not sure what kind of movie it wanted to be. It’s also handicapped by a cookie-cutter score. Cue the French horn! Shame to see talent like Fassbender, Rapace, Theron, and Elba not put to full use. You’re definitely better off staying home and watching Alien again.
Alien. This one has not aged a bit. Fantasic slow-burning horror. So smart. Also, Sigourney Weaver… dang. Ebert’s appreciation makes a good point about the cast I hadn’t considered: they’re all 30-ish and older. A younger cast would totally change the feel. See also: In praise of the sci-fi corridor. I’ve been keeping track of all the movies I watch for over two years now.
Mark Larson 