Movie What's the last movie you saw? (7)

[Carbine Chaos]

Smile 2

Thought the first one was fine, but wasn't that interested in a sequel - this one crept me the **** out.

Saw it tonight. A very effective horror movie, with some genuinely creepy set pieces. To be ultra critical, if you've seen the first, you've seen this one - so nothing comes as a shock. The predictability was the main downfall - as the performances, a vast majority of the effects - were very well done.

Rippy the bush kangaroo.

Absolute garbage.

I mean, what were you expecting? Haha.

 

[PieBeast]

his 2007 debut Murder Party is great low budget horror fun.

Awesome B-Grade, ta for the recommendation.

 

[spinynorman]

Continuing with the John Ford Discography and 21st Century LOTE films watch -

The Grapes of Wrath (1940) -

Knocked out the one John Ford film I had on the watchlist prior to the fantastic suggestions by spinynorman . The reason for hesitancy being an aversion to seeing adaptations of books I love. Whilst this won't be remembered as fondly as the book it more than stands up on own two feet. Oh yeah, the plot. A highly charismatic Henry Fonda and his extended family are driven out of Dust Bowl era Oklahoma and seek a new life in California aboard their jalopy. It's a miracle this was made in the early days of the American Red Scare considering it sympathetically delves into the struggles of the poor and their fight for better pay/conditions. I guess the more optimistic ending was a minimum requirement. This was a great insight for the time that doesn't deify the family who are regular Joe's/Jane's trying to make the best of it (in fact the biggest swing and miss is a scene where they secretly drug the Grandfather to come along when he refuses, not sure that passes the modern morality lens especially when he dies in the next scene after a travel montage!)

8/10 (but read the book if debating between the two).

With the Cold War, John Ford became increasingly conservative but his films before then were those of a New Deal Democrat - How Green was My Valley the following year is a very union-sympathetic story of a Welsh coal mining town. But then I don't think it's that uncommon for films at the time, with both the effects of the Depression and the incoming World War where the US aligned with the USSR. Ninotchka in 1939 is broadly sympathetic towards its Soviet lead character (or, at least, not critical of her in the way that you would expect it to be).

And yeah, the Steinbeck book is pretty obviously an all time classic but it's a beautiful film.