Sukhov

365 Days (2020) Barbara Bialowas, Tomasz Mandes, Poland - 2/10 - Weak S&M film from Poland. Massimo is a gangster who kidnaps Laura with the intention that she falls in love with him in 365 days. Of course, he rapes her and this is played as if it's supposed to be good. This is the kind of "Fifty Shades of Grey" S&M trash made for bored housewives. The technical aspects of the film are not much better. The Michele Morrone soundtrack is also exceptionally godawful and it never stops. Conversations will stop mid-sentence and the mumbley soundtrack will start up. There are also like fifty costume montages which helps pad the weak story to almost two hours. A terrible film all around.

Are you saying he's not influential? I don't understand the nature of your complaint either.

Thanks for finding that. I knew there was a Tarkovsky movie with that in it.

IMDB says it is a "horror movie" so I was expecting something like Nosferatu. The only thing horror related was a demon possession at the very beginning which is what it must be referring to I guess? Either way, wasn't expecting a long romance tragedy.

An old man dies and a sled is burned in an incinerator.

Two Monks (1934) Juan Bustillo Oro, Mexico - 5/10 - Two monks recount their stories of the time they fell for the same girl. This is only notable for being a rare pre-Rashomon multiple POV film. Some decent cinematography isn't enough to save it for me. Was dull and the image I saw was washed out and completely faded. Almost put me to sleep. Wouldn't recommend.

"I wonder who the real cannibals are?" - this line gets lots of criticism but I thought it was a great way to end the film.

I just noticed most of the YouTube videos of this great Trovajoli score have been taken down! I recommend saving this link just incase.

I saw the version of the film on YouTube and also found this video on it interesting.

He's trying to be funny and liven it up though he is not for everyone. Don't like him then don't watch.

I think it was shot in Esperanto to make it seem eery and give it an added appeal of being one of the few Esperanto movies. Shatner speaks in his usual hammy way and with a strong French accent but I thought he was pretty good in it. I would recommend this definitely. To me, it evoked Vampyr and Bergman's movies like the Seventh Seal and Persona. I don't see why this film has such a negative reputation aside from maybe some of the effects.

Incubus (1966) Leslie Stevens, USA - 7.5/ 10- Starring William Shatner as Marc. This film was like Bergman, Vampyr and Jerzy Kawalerowicz all put together. The demon Kia attempts to lure the devout Christian Marc to Hell by making him impious and lustful. When this doesn't work she gets the help of the Incubus. This movie was really good except for at the end it has an "if you kill him you are just like him" moral tacked on that I hated and thought was cheap (killing your sister's rapist is not murder). The dialogue is pretty stilted and odd even for Esperanto but that just added to the strange atmosphere. Some of the effects weren't all that great, with Kia rolling on the ground and grappling with an animal mask but that was one of the few lower parts. Overall this was a pretty good film and I liked it. I would recommend it.

This is my favorite Arabian Nights (talk about guilty "pleasures") -

Was it Stalker (1979) or the Sacrifice (1986)? Sounds like something from a Tarkovsky film.

RIP

Just make sure no one tells her about GWTW and HBO.

I think for his birthday, I'll get him a thesaurus.

Are you joking? There was a Stan and Ollie bipoic last year.