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cressida-jayoungr · 10 months

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One Dress a Day Challenge

June: Weddings

Jodhaa Akbar / Aishwarya Rai as Princess Jodhaa and Hrithik Roshan as Emperor Jalaluddin Mohammad Akbar

Time for some gorgeous costumes from two of my "comfort characters"!

As far as I can tell, they go through both a Hindu wedding ceremony and a Muslim one. I assume the mask of flowers and beads that the emperor wears is a traditional thing, although I wasn't able to find much information about it--partly because I don't know what it's called. Can anyone tell me more? (ETA: Thank you, @celestesinsight, for letting me know that it's called a shehra!)

It's hard to say which outfit is more lavish, although Jodhaa clearly wins in the jewelry department. She even has ankle bracelets and toe rings! Her fingers and feet are dyed with a red substance called alta.

P.S. The movie is back on Netflix, yay!

#jodhaa akbar #wedding costumes #hrithik roshan #aishwarya rai #one dress a day challenge #one dress a week challenge #movie costumes #aishwarya rai bachchan #period film #indian film #indian movies #indian cinema #2008 films #2008 movies #more is more dresses

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rookie-critic · 6 months

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Rookie-Critic's Halloween Horror-thon: Part 2 - #6-10

#6: Doctor Sleep: The Director's Cut (2019, dir. Mike Flanagan)

I have, of course, seen Doctor Sleep before, but I am not labeling this as a re-watch because the Director's Cut of this film, while not really that different from a plotting/through line perspective, is a wholly unique experience to the theatrical version of the film from a character perspective. This version of the movie gives you much more context around the its antagonists, The True Knot, and it's secondary protagonist, Abra Stone, that those major story beats existing in both versions hit with much more impact in the director's cut. It bumped this particular work of Flanagan's up in my ranking of his stuff all the way to third behind Hill House and, now, Usher.

Score: 9/10

Not currently available on streaming.

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#7: Gemini (1999, dir. Shinya Tsukamoto)

This one surprised me by not being the kind of film I was anticipating it to be (this happened a handful of times this month). Gemini is the story of three characters plagued by their circumstances/upbringings, and a look at classism and people's desire to give and receive love, shot and told in a frenetic, gonzo style that only Japanese cult-director Shinya Tsukamoto can make work. Tear down the walls of your expectations for this one, it's a great watch.

Score: 8/10

Not currently available on streaming.

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#8: Nightmare Detective 2 (2008, dir. Shinya Tsukamoto)

The sequel to Tsukamoto's lukewarmly received 2006 film Nightmare Detective (which you will see further down on this list), this one makes the original look like a litmus test for the concept. A much more restrained and patient film compared to just about all of Tsukamoto's prior efforts, Nightmare Detective 2 sits in the corner, quietly analyzing its core cast in a story about misfits and generational trauma. Really, a lot of the themes and ideas presented here would be honed in on and presented again, albeit from a different viewpoint, in Kotoko. This one really feels like a turning point for Tsukamoto in terms of tone and approach. Not to say that his earlier, more frantic films aren't sometimes just as good, it's just the mark of a talent that's willing to evolve.

Score: 8/10

Not currently available on streaming (this film has actually never seen any kind of official release in the States at all, so unless you're willing to do a little swashbuckling, this one's out of your reach).

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#9: The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (1970, dir. Dario Argento)

Horror icon Dario Argento's (Suspiria, Deep Red) debut feature is an unrivaled "whodunit" mystery thriller with that hallmark giallo flair that Argento would become known for. There isn't a whole lot to say about this one other than this was one of the most singularly entertaining of my October viewings, and that I highly recommend it for just about anyone.

Score: 8/10

Currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

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#10: Noroi: The Curse (2005, dir. Koji Shiraishi)

This is the best Japanese found footage horror has to offer. Noroi is told in a documentary style, acting as the discovered footage of the final film made by a supernatural investigator that has disappeared without a trace. This was my final watch of the Horror-thon and I couldn't think of a better way to send off the spooky month, because this was one of, if not the scariest watch of the entire month. It had me wanting to turn the lights on and sleep with one eye open, and certain images from the film's final moments will be burned into my retinas until I die. If I had any complaints, it's that I honestly could have used even more, although I guess an argument could be made that that's actually one of the film's good qualities.

Score: 8/10

Currently streaming on AMC+/Shudder.

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adamwatchesmovies · 5 months

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Chocolate (2008)

Chocolate would be a better film if it was more comedic, if its prelude was shorter, and if Taphon Phopwandee played a bigger role during the conclusion. Will that matter to you so much as you watch Yanin Vismitananda demolishing opponents with her hands and feet? Not if you came to this martial arts film for the action.

A forbidden romance between Thai gangster Zin (Ammara Siripong) and Yakuza boss Masashi (Hiroshi Abe) puts both their lives at risk. He leaves for Japan while she gives birth to their daughter, Zen (Vismitananda). Raised by her single mother, Zen proves herself a gifted martial artist - easily replicating the moves she sees performed at the Muay Thai Kickboxing school next door or in Bruce Lee and Tony Jaa’s films despite her autism. When Zin develops cancer and cannot afford the chemotherapy, Zen’s friend Moom (Taphon Phopwandee) discovers an old book of unsettled debts owed to the former gangster. If that money were collected, Zin could afford the treatment she needs, which prompts her daughter to start checking the names on the pages.

There’s a lot about this film that’s goofy. Zen’s autism essentially gives her a superpower and she manages to learn moves that easily best opponents twice her size. Whether that’s more or less believable than the Romeo and Juliet romance between two gangsters who we see casually shooting people, I’ll leave it up to you. The thing is, it kind of works as a story happening in its own universe with its own rules. You buy it because you believe Yanin Vismitananda. As a martial artist, she’s incredible. So is the stunt choreography by Panna Rittikrai. There’s great escalation as the debtors Zen collects from become increasingly determined not to give her the money that’s owed. Think it doesn’t get any scarier than a meat manufacturing plant where everyone has cleavers and knives? That’s the third fight (second if you don’t count the scene where she beats up a bunch of teenage punks). You wonder how director Prachy Pinkaew could top themselves when we just saw a battle that had katanas and guns but you haven’t seen anything yet. Even without the end-credit bloopers showing the on-set injuries, you can tell life in Thailand must be really cheap for the stunt men and women to get themselves tossed around like this and fall from that high up. Over and over you’ll threaten to wake up the neighbors as you yell “DAMN!” and “That HAD to hurt!”.

Action-wise, Chocolate is a delight. If at first you’re looking at Vismitananda and wondering “Would she really be able to take down that guy with a single kick to the face?”, you’ll believe it completely by the end. The choreography is excellent but this movie gives you a little something more. Zen’s fighting style has a different flavour, a different personality than other people’s. You often see her feigning blows and then striking in a different way than expected to take down her opponents. It smoothly blends into several comedic take-downs that would make Jackie Chan proud. That said, the film gets awfully grim at points. It is towards the end when the tension is due to ramp up but it feels a bit like the movie didn’t quite know if it wanted to be serious or not. The bad guys leave a trail of slime. The parents are very serious in their roles. Zen is portraying a movie version of a mental disorder. Moom - as the one person who doesn’t know anything about fighting - makes you laugh, which makes you appreciate him that much more than you normally would. His friendship with Zen is sweet, particularly when he comes to her rescue in a way only he could. Stunt-wise, Vismistananda is the stand-out. Seeing her convincingly plays a teen despite being 24 at the time and performing all those stunts you'd think she'd be the one giving the best performance, but I say that award belongs to Phopwandee.

You have to forgive some story-related flaws to appreciate Chocolate but it shouldn’t be too hard, not when the movie delivers the “whacks!” and “pows!” the way it does. You’ll want to see it again so you can test whether watching a martial arts film like this one can make you learn the on-screen moves through osmosis. (International version with English subtitles, July 30, 2021)

#Chocolate #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews #Prachya Pinkaew #Chookiat Sakveerakul #Yanin Vismitananda #Hiroshi Abe #Pongpat Wachirabunjong #2008 movies #2008 films

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zanephillips · 7 months

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Hayden Christensen as David Jumper (2008)

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zegalba · 7 months

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Ponyo 崖の上のポニョ (2008) dir. Hayao Miyazaki

#ponyo #ponyo (2008)#崖の上のポニョ #hayao miyazaki #studio ghibli #film #anime #movie #2008

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horrorwomensource · 2 months

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Liv Tyler as Kristen McKey The Strangers (2008)

#liv tyler #the strangers #the strangers (2008)#ltyleredit #livtyleredit #horroredit #filmedit #dailyflicks #kristen mckey #userladiesofcinema #femalecharacters #femalegifsource #brunettessource #ours*#by jamie #gif #films #blood tw

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bloodaria · 11 months

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MARTYRS (2008)

dir. Pascal Laugier

#martyrs #martyrs 2008 #pascal laugier #filmedit #horroredit #filmgifs #horrorgifs #userlucien #userbrittany #userscary #usergilli #m*#MOST HARROWING FILM I'VE EVER SEEN #blood

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hydravns · 27 days

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TIGRESS

KUNG FU PANDA (2008)

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pfpanimes · 1 month

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⌕ ponyo - studio ghibli.

like or reblog if you save/use.

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acapelladitty · 9 months

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the trinity

#possession 1981 #possum 2018 #martyrs 2008 #horror #horror films #love this meme #lmaoooo

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cressida-jayoungr · 9 months

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One Dress a Day Challenge

July: Blue Redux (+ Green Redux)

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day / Amy Adams as Delysia Lafosse

I haven't had a chance to watch this movie (yet), but I stumbled across this costume and loved it! It's elegant and yet quirky, especially the heart-shaped hat. I like the little touches of red as well, at the belt and on the hat ribbon.

#miss pettigrew lives for a day #blue dresses #amy adams #one dress a day challenge #one dress a week challenge #movie costumes #period film #2008 movies #2008 films #1940s style #1940s fashion #40s fashion #40s style #blue dress #blue redux

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rookie-critic · 1 year

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Wendy and Lucy (2008, dir. Kelly Reichardt) - review by Rookie-Critic

I continue with my foray into the film's of director Kelly Reichardt with her 2008 film Wendy and Lucy, starring Michelle Williams as the titular Wendy, a woman who's trekking her way across the US in hopes of reaching a more stable and peaceful life in Alaska with nothing but a 1988 Honda Accord and her dog, Lucy, as a companion. Keeping in the same thematic vein as the other 2 Recihardt films I've watched so far, Wendy finds herself stuck in an Oregon town when not only her car breaks down, but through a series of unfortunate circumstances, she also loses Lucy. Reichardt manages yet again to build a tremendous sense of melancholy by the film's end, possibly the most heartbreaking I've seen from her yet, while also injecting just a tiny bit of hope in the form of a kind stranger who helps Wendy through what might be her most vulnerable moments. A tragic character study on poverty and the toll it takes on people who are just trying to get by, trying not to get stuck in a world/country that seems to want to do nothing but stomp them into ground. I am absolutely enamored by Reichardt and her films and I cannot wait to dive into more of them.

Score: 9/10

Available on DVD & Blu-ray through Oscilloscope Laboratories.

#Wendy and Lucy #Wendy & Lucy #Kelly Reichardt #Michelle Williams #Will Patton #Larry Fessenden #film review #movie review #2008 films

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adamwatchesmovies · 9 months

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The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice (2008)

It isn’t often that the third film in a series is the best one but when you’re dealing with the mediocre yet likeable Librarian franchise, it isn’t unfathomable. This film is for those who enjoyed the first two in the series. Under those terms, it could be called "good" because it's a major improvement over both of its predecessors.

While enjoying a well-earned vacation in New Orleans, Librarian Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) stumbles upon a sinister plot by former KGB agent Sergei Kubichek (Dikran Tulaine) to resurrect Prince Vlad Dracula using the “Judas Chalice”. With his help, he can create an army of vampires, take over Russia and restore the U.S.S.R. With the help of sultry nightclub singer Simone Renoir (Stana Katic), Flynn must keep the biblical goblet out of evil’s hands.

Less a ripoff of Indiana Jones than its predecessors, the film this one borrows most liberally from is… Dracula 2000. I never thought I’d see the day. Judas being the first vampire, the monsters’ weakness stemming from the 30 pieces he received for selling out Jesus, not every detail is there (this movie can’t afford Gerard Butler) but most of it, yeah. That’s fairly entertaining, as is the villain. With Flynn still being slightly unbearable, Kubichek often says exactly what the audience is thinking, which is funny. Writer Marco Schnabel has jettisoned the annoying love interest introduced in the previous movie and for the first time, Flynn’s catastrophic love-life is addressed. Continuity between films? An unexpected but pleasant surprise.

The film is funnier, the special effects more convincing and overall, Curse of the Judas Chalice is more entertaining than the other two Librarian films combined. It’s a good movie for the people who are seeking it out, particularly if you’re paying exactly $0 (it’s a made-for-TV movie after all) to see it.

That said, the film would be laughed off the big screen. For starters, the plot is full of holes. Stuck in a rotting ship no one’s found for hundreds of years (despite being out in the open), Simone and Flynn struggle to escape until they find an old cannon they can use to blast a door open. I would’ve gone through the window instead. Several aspects of the film (like Simone’s real deal) are as easy to decipher as 1+X=1. There are numerous ideas or objects introduced that’ll make you go “wait a minute!” if you pause to give them even a tiny bit of thought. For example, the philosopher’s stone Flynn has to recover at the beginning of this adventure. If the Librarian’s objective is to keep it out of evil’s hands no matter what, why does his boss, Charlene (Jane Curtin), care how much he spends? He can pay back whatever amount by turning anything into gold. Anyone who says otherwise is feebly attempting to fill a plot hole. The film’s conclusion, in particular, is unintentionally hilarious. It’s supposed to be tragic but when you think about what just happened, damn! What a low blow to Flynn! Don’t be so mean to him Jonathan Frakes; I was just (finally) starting to like the guy!

If you saw the first two Librarian movies and you thought they were alright, check out this third one. Those who thought they were bad might also be invested enough to enjoy this movie. If you haven't seen the others, however, don’t start with this one. The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice is a good movie if you grade on a curve. That’s still a sign of improvement and I applaud it. (July 10, 2020)