Film – Page 2 – The Reel World

Ranking the Avatar Films

I am fascinated by James Cameron in many ways even if I do not care for his films all that much. Because he does not release films constantly, it is easy enough to drop in on what he is up to. His Avatar films are fascinating if nothing else even if they are distinctly Not For Me ultimately. Or as I have previously written, “I find Cameron a fascinating part of film history, and I am glad he exists. But he continuously makes impressive spectacles that I simply do not give a fuck about.” Here is what I think of them.

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Ranking the James Cameron Films

Films Still Need to Watch (But will I bother? Unlikely): Piranha II: The Spawning

James Cameron mostly makes big spectacle films that I find compelling if not wholly satisfying. Here is how I rank them. Continue reading Ranking the James Cameron Films

Ranking the Spike Lee Films

Films Still to Rewatch: Jungle Fever

With Spike Lee, there is the style and there is the politics. That is not to say these things should (or even can) be not discussed together because they are interwoven. You need to discuss the what of Lee films along with the how. The what of Spike’s films are often what draw me to him. The politics cannot be separated, ignored, or coddled because in many ways Spike Lee films feel like essay films. They have a very specific point they are making – regardless of whether or not that this is the point Lee is trying to make.

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Ranking the Coen Bros. Films

Films to Rewatch: Intolerable Cruelty

I have gone on a journey with the Coen Brothers throughout almost my entire life. I was introduced to (some of) their films at a very early (probably too early) age, and I have been watching them ever since. At one point though, I grew rather cold on them. I am not sure exactly, but I consistently found myself feeling “over” them when I attempted to watch anything by them. Then Adam Nayman’s book rekindled my interest in them, and I realized what elements of them I adore and which don’t hit.

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There Will Be Movies – Ep. 113: I Saw the TV Glow

No need for an episode guide, because we’ve got you covered on how to understand a metaphor, what happened in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and how deeply broken our brains are when it comes to thinking about the logistics of television production.

There Will Be Movies – Ep. 112: Godzilla Minus One

A lizard this big demands special treatment so Matt hopped in a train to admire Ben’s premium Godzilla box-set in person. We’re talking kaijus. We’re talking Academy Awards. We’re talking Gokaiger. And we’re of course talking Science, B!tch.

Ranking the Noah Baumbach Films

Noah Baumbach has evolved over the last three decades into one of the best modern writer/directors in the United States. He knows his voice. He knows his lane. He knows what he knows. And he does it all very well.

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There Will Be Movies – Ep. 111: Strange Darling

Matt once again tries a movie Ben has never seen before and it can’t really go much worse than ‘The Harder They Fall‘… right??? Tune your radios to Big Foot FM, cook the most unholy meal imaginable and let’s negotiate the terms of this encounter, shall we?

Ranking the Pedro Almodóvar Films

In my head, I had seen a lot of Pedro Almodóvar films. When I actually went and tried to figure out which ones I had seen, I realized I had only watched 1-2 in college and then went to the theater a few years back to watch the very good Pain & Glory. The lasting impressions of my apparently brief dive into his work over the years were mostly that Carmen Maura was very good, Antonio Banderas was very good, and lots and lots of colors. Little did I know what I was getting myself into by diving deep into his work with the knowledge that HBOMax was removing all of his stuff after October 31, 2021. [This list will be updated as more films get watched over the years.]

Films to Watch Still: Labyrinth of Passion, What Have I Done to Deserve This?, Law of Desire, High Heels, Kika, The Flower of My Secret, Live Flesh, Talk to Her, Julieta

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There Will Be Movies – Ep. 110: The Taste of Things

Demonstrating why they don’t generally record at night, Ben & Matt have gone pretty insane in this episode as they give the world’s worst descriptions of Cannes and how to eat Ortolans. Whatever, man, I got hungry just writing the caption.