oops, I mean I tried? I’m starting to be convinced that watching a film every day for a month is an illusive and unobtainable goal that is going to take me prisoner for many months until I just finally give in. If it becomes a challenge I really can’t help myself. So in the 30 days of September I watched a grand total of 5 films, but I did also stream a few things because as the nights get longer the desire to stay inside and binge watch a series gets greater.
As these are not new films I can’t be held responsible for spoilers, but I’ll always do my best to avoid them with newer releases. Below is what I watched, with my thoughts presented very much stream of consciousness and as every if you are looking for stellar film journalism or criticism… this ain’t it.
Cruel Intentions (1999) – Dir. Roger Kumble
Ah can you ever go wrong with something based on Les liaisons dangereuses? no wonder I was so fucking drawn to it. Love the car, it’s always that nostalgic wealth and privilege thing. Also I love the name Sebastian, I just hate that it becomes Seb. “I can’t feel sorry for myself because I’m some poor little rich boy” if that ain’t a mood and some form of self-awareness, even if it’s being used manipulatively to serve a nefarious purpose (shagging the therapists daughter). WAIT THE THERAPIST (Swoosie Kurtz) WAS IN THE ORIGINAL DANGEROUS LIAISONS LOOOL BANTER (as Madame de Volanges). Kinda Chuck Bass esq, “I’m gunna take you to lunch” no one is that fucking smooth, can they just smell the money in him or? I love that woman (Christine Baranski), the good wife, such a good scary New York woman I mean A* casting for her.
Goddammit Cecile why does these names keep being ruined for me. Her coke is in the cross as if. “Everybody loves me an I intend to keep it that way”. Boyfriend named Trevor, I have a cat called Trevor. They’re evil I love it, Oh no a cello I’m having some sort of PTSD.
A YOUNG ERIC MABIUS NO WAY I ADORE HIM (ugly Betty represent). HOW HAS IT TAKEN ME SO LONGN TO WATCH THIS. Sarah Michelle Gellar what a literal queen. My gay ass is having a great time. Ah love letters, before sexting. Nice ass (Seb). Why is she surprised that charming people can be manipulative? Hahha and nice ass (Annette).
Lol this film is so interesting in how it deals with wealth, racism, sexism and double standards, and gay stuff, like I’m kinda impressed? Boys are so disgusting (the tennis racket and Sebastian) I fucked your daughter / would you care for some water. Cecile is that kinda of girl who needs a slap, she’s bizarre. Add some Gatsby in there too (does any kind of New York extravagance imminently evoke Gatsby without even meaning to tho?)
I think they needed more scenes of them together for you to feel their feelings with them too tho so the emotional climaxes feel more natural and then actual get you. Not so sure about the music. Pussy whipped lololol. This kind of story only works when the stakes for reputations are really high.
Haha she’s in white and he in black. Oh Valmont, the duuuuuuuuel and ohh no poor Sebastian. It was great, but I think it did lack some depth and fleshing out. I don’t know if Kathrine deserves her final humiliation in the way that Marquise de Merteuil did, like Sebastian was still worse.
I might now take a moment to suggest to you Dangerous Liaisons, the novel by DeLaclos and of course the masterful 1988 period adaptation starring John Malkovich, Glenn Close and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Dirty Dancing (1987) – Dir. Emile Ardolino
Oh no now I’m watching dirty dancing (yes I watched these two films back to back, it was one of those evenings). I would hate to have to do stuff on holiday. Haha the other thing I watched Patrick Swayze was Donnie Darko loool. This film is just reminding me how shit I am at dancing. Man if I could get my leg that high it would be oVER FOR YOU HOES. Hahahaha the staff dance, yet our generations gets such shit. Oh lol to be 17 again, lol we’ve said real stupid things to there boys we fancy. Nooooo her learning to dance I hate seconds hand embarrassment. “Come on doll let’s take a walk” like girl get away that’s the worst chirpse ever, dude chats so much shit. “Or I’ll have you fired” lololol girl, we live for a haters to lovers arch. Hehehe the bit where she’s dancing on the stairs and the bridge, I love her bits of frustrations. Teenagers talk a lot about the rest of their life and their whole life…. I don’t feel anything from my teen yers lol. I have no idea why it took me so long for me to see this film for the first time but really, don’t be one of those people who doesn’t watch something because everyone talks about it, you miss out on the good stuff.
Barry Lyndon (1975) – Dir. Stanley Kubrick
Manages to be both slow and intense. Them landscape panning shots tho mmmm Ireland u beauty. Kubrick speaks to the kind of filmmaker I try to be: always reinventing, always edging the boundary, and not committing or being pigeonholed into one genre. His films can stand alone, going form sci-fi to costume drama epic. Mmmmm love me some adaptation, based on William Makepeace Thackeray’s The Luck of Barry Lyndon (1844).
Ah yes basing shots off paintings, especially in this case Hogart’s A Rake’s Progress, every frame a painting indeed.
Was he dead tho? Shot on a white shirt and no blood uh? (Looooooooooooooooooool I figured it out…). Yeah I still don’t understand the sevens years war. I haven’t seen this many extras in ages and damn those pony (rat) tails, the British infantry. Hahha those guys in the lake gaaaaaay. Hahaha Barry what a pig, seducing a woman with the baby on her lap, leftenent. Big fan of the eye patch. OH MY GOD I DIDNT EVEN REALISE IT WASNT HIM UNTIL THE VOICE OVER SAID IT WAS BARRY LOOOOL THEYD HAVE FOOLED ME GOOD. HIS ESCAPE AND DISGUISE.
I love the candle light, I loved it in the favourite too, tho I prefer the deeper oranges and blacks. Similar to The Favourite. I’m enjoying all the castles and symmetry, them zooms tho. Strong hat game from the countess, also they’re all wearing chokers and now I want more all of mine broke. Why does it seem to take me two days to watch any Kubrick?I want a top that’s the same style as the tops of their dresses, so the square neckline, the frills, but very importantly the sleeves (and yes obviously a bit of corset action). Who plays the countess she’s beautiful (Marisa Berenson). Her furs in the carriage…and when he blows smoke in her face lol. Her hair at the piano is very Georgiana Cavendish.
The nanny Barry really. That bathtub. Hahaha the hat on that baby is hilarious I love it. I want a carriage pulled by sheep. Ooooo the shot with the boat under the bridge looooove. Ryan O’Neal’s face just doesn’t move when he acts tho…. That fucking fight what, Kubrick does a good fist fight scene that shit is so messy. The zooms are nice but they’re distracting, I’d just cut some of them and there are so many shots I’d have done from a bit lower down.
Oh god that child’s still alive….the coffin on the little sheep carriage are you fucking kidding me, that’s cruel. Is that Castle Howard? (yes it was) The duel…. man I am a whore for symmetry. The countess didn’t say all that much in the film did she, just a lot of very very blank stares. The credits are in time to the music lololol love. It actually said “the end” at the end why was I not expecting that?
American Psycho (2000) – Dir. Mary Harron
I had the absolute joy of being able to watch one of my all time favourite films on the big screen in 35mm for the first time this month. I saw American Psycho by the fantastic Mary Harron at the Prince Charles Cinema. I highly recommend it to any London cinephiles as it screens old movies and if we’re being real, watching films on our phone and laptop screens just doesn’t always do them justice. Almost 20 years on this film endures and justifies its cult following with its deliciously dark humour, cuttingly set against 1980s New York, with all its trappings of pretentiousness, highly strung characters and competitive dinner reservations (and God help you if you the subtle off-white colouring or the tasteful thickness). Watching it on the big screen gave me personally a new viewing experience and made me realise that yes, this film is hilarious and it doesn’t even need to try. On repeated viewing the film is more ambiguous than I used to think it was and my doubts about Patrick Bateman remain. I have more questions that I did before. It’s a particularly funny film to take any friends you might have in finance to. Good luck with your 8:30 res at Dorsia though.
Call Me By Your Name (2017) – Dir. Luca Guadagnino
Unpretentious filmmaking. I love those houses that you can feel the generations who lived there before in. The ones with confusing doors, questionable renovations and loads of random stuff. Ah yes white boy of the month Timothee Chalamet. Doorways, windows, frames. Awww breakfast outside look at the cafeteria. Yes languages. We all have a nostalgic summer like that somewhere in the recesses of our memories. Assistant is hot tho.
The apricot word thing no wonder Em likes this film hahaha I see it was a test. Hehehe shaving the tash. Offff coooooourse he plays the piano lol kill me. To be 17 again. What are you doing? Reading LOL. Oooooo the intellectual conversaaaation. Why is he making those piano faces? Fuck off im actually obsessed with the set design like let me like let me live there. The film is andante. Hahaha the roll into the pool I loved that. Does Louis maybe just dress like he’s from the 80s? He does lolol. Hahaha we love blue and pink lighting bI BOY. Heheh the shaking the hand with the statue. It’s funny that’s so how summers like that feel, disjointed in a bizarrely put together way.
Everything that is not said. Ah yes the why-the-fuck-did-I-say-that-I’m-an-idiot stage of love. I’ve love that he’s wearing the same trunks for the whole movie. THEY’RE KISSING. Man oh man the Italians can talk. The mum is beautiful. He shuts the freezer and then she shuts it properly. It’s very human like it shows are mistakes in ways most films neglect to because they think it’s not important but the little fuck god and thing we do when we’re alone and think no one is watching it far more what’s makes us ourselves than any grand gesture ever will.
Series & Streaming
In terms of TV this month I did enjoy binge watching many episodes of all new Peaky Blinders (BBC) as well as watching Mindhunter (Netflix) and rewatching for maybe a 4th time Avatar: The Last Airbender (Nickelodeon). I recommed them all, especially Avatar, I know it’s a kids cartoon bUT IT’S SO. MUCH. MORE. THAN JUST A KIDS CARTOON. Actually here’s a video essay on it like it’s such a great series and yes I am absolutly in love with Prince Zuko I am a sucker for the misunderstood evil boy with a hell of a redemption arc.
Anyways, that’s it, that’s the post – EA x
EMMA ANGELINE 