Henri Block
@henriblock.bsky.social
Digital service designer | Scifi, movie and comics geek | Photographer | Art enthusiast
Despite everything, I managed to watch 21 films in January. #filmsky
Bound was the only one I had seen before. Somehow none of the films had the same director, or even any overlap on the cast (according to #Letterboxd stats.)
Well, tomorrow brings more Chabrol/Huppert collaborations.
Bound was the only one I had seen before. Somehow none of the films had the same director, or even any overlap on the cast (according to #Letterboxd stats.)
Well, tomorrow brings more Chabrol/Huppert collaborations.
January 31, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Despite everything, I managed to watch 21 films in January. #filmsky
Bound was the only one I had seen before. Somehow none of the films had the same director, or even any overlap on the cast (according to #Letterboxd stats.)
Well, tomorrow brings more Chabrol/Huppert collaborations.
Bound was the only one I had seen before. Somehow none of the films had the same director, or even any overlap on the cast (according to #Letterboxd stats.)
Well, tomorrow brings more Chabrol/Huppert collaborations.
Olisipa kyllä hienoa, jos Joku Taho (tm) ottaisi asiakseen julkaista vaikkapa yhteispohjoismaista kuratoitua leffajulkaisusarjaa ottaen kaikki Criterionin, Eurekan, Radiancen ja vastaavien parhaat opit käyttöön.
December 5, 2024 at 7:42 PM
Olisipa kyllä hienoa, jos Joku Taho (tm) ottaisi asiakseen julkaista vaikkapa yhteispohjoismaista kuratoitua leffajulkaisusarjaa ottaen kaikki Criterionin, Eurekan, Radiancen ja vastaavien parhaat opit käyttöön.
And that's it. 26 movies in December, which brings the total for 2023 to 224 films, including 26 short films of varying length. 187 of those I had not seen before. A good month and a good year for a movie lover.
Don't know if I'll continue translating my short reviews in 2024.
Don't know if I'll continue translating my short reviews in 2024.
December 31, 2023 at 11:25 PM
And that's it. 26 movies in December, which brings the total for 2023 to 224 films, including 26 short films of varying length. 187 of those I had not seen before. A good month and a good year for a movie lover.
Don't know if I'll continue translating my short reviews in 2024.
Don't know if I'll continue translating my short reviews in 2024.
Still an entertaining and cheesy '80s action film that simultaneously exoticizes, parodies, and pays homage to Chinese action movies. Kurt Russell delivers a great performance as the pseudo-cool truck driver hero who is, however, completely clueless about what is happening most of the time. 7/10
Big Trouble in Little China (1986) - IMDb
Big Trouble in Little China (1986) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 31, 2023 at 11:20 PM
Still an entertaining and cheesy '80s action film that simultaneously exoticizes, parodies, and pays homage to Chinese action movies. Kurt Russell delivers a great performance as the pseudo-cool truck driver hero who is, however, completely clueless about what is happening most of the time. 7/10
I don't know enough about Bowie, and considering the material span across decades, I'd need a preparative ten-hour documentary about Bowie's music and life. Visually, it's impressive, the music works. An "atmosphere piece". However, it didn't hold my attention and felt somewhat hollow to me. 6/10
Moonage Daydream (2022) - IMDb
Moonage Daydream (2022) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 31, 2023 at 11:17 PM
I don't know enough about Bowie, and considering the material span across decades, I'd need a preparative ten-hour documentary about Bowie's music and life. Visually, it's impressive, the music works. An "atmosphere piece". However, it didn't hold my attention and felt somewhat hollow to me. 6/10
Cocteau's 1950s set Orpheus tragedy is uneven. The story is cleverly adapted, and the best moments visually stunning.
The acting is intentionally theatrical, the plot unnecessarily slow, and Orpheus is quite an asshat. Nevertheless, the film holds its place as a landmark in cinematic history. 7/10
The acting is intentionally theatrical, the plot unnecessarily slow, and Orpheus is quite an asshat. Nevertheless, the film holds its place as a landmark in cinematic history. 7/10
Orpheus (1950) - IMDb
Orpheus (1950) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 31, 2023 at 11:12 PM
Cocteau's 1950s set Orpheus tragedy is uneven. The story is cleverly adapted, and the best moments visually stunning.
The acting is intentionally theatrical, the plot unnecessarily slow, and Orpheus is quite an asshat. Nevertheless, the film holds its place as a landmark in cinematic history. 7/10
The acting is intentionally theatrical, the plot unnecessarily slow, and Orpheus is quite an asshat. Nevertheless, the film holds its place as a landmark in cinematic history. 7/10
A film where they drink like in a Finnish artist biopic. Some things go horribly wrong, but for some alcohol saves the day. There's delightful humor and quite touching drama, but ultimately, the boozing doesn't appeal to me. The plot does hold together, and the actors are great, though. 7/10
Another Round (2020) - IMDb
Another Round (2020) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 28, 2023 at 8:52 AM
A film where they drink like in a Finnish artist biopic. Some things go horribly wrong, but for some alcohol saves the day. There's delightful humor and quite touching drama, but ultimately, the boozing doesn't appeal to me. The plot does hold together, and the actors are great, though. 7/10
Yet another superb film from Eggers, who states that the goal was to create the most historically accurate Viking film ever. Skarsgård, Taylor-Joy, Hawke, Kidman, Bang, Dafoe - the cast is fantastic. The cinematography is stunning, and the love poured into the production is evident. 9/10
The Northman (2022) - IMDb
The Northman (2022) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 28, 2023 at 8:49 AM
Yet another superb film from Eggers, who states that the goal was to create the most historically accurate Viking film ever. Skarsgård, Taylor-Joy, Hawke, Kidman, Bang, Dafoe - the cast is fantastic. The cinematography is stunning, and the love poured into the production is evident. 9/10
Nicolas Winding Refn's Viking film is quite a trip in every sense of the word. The quiet and sparingly spoken movie is beautifully shot and edited. Mads Mikkelsen in the lead role is truly raw. The plot was quite scarce, with minimal exposition. I liked it, but it requires some digestion. 7/10
Valhalla Rising (2009) - IMDb
Valhalla Rising (2009) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 28, 2023 at 8:45 AM
Nicolas Winding Refn's Viking film is quite a trip in every sense of the word. The quiet and sparingly spoken movie is beautifully shot and edited. Mads Mikkelsen in the lead role is truly raw. The plot was quite scarce, with minimal exposition. I liked it, but it requires some digestion. 7/10
Mizoguchi's adaptation of the thousand-year-old folk tale is beautifully shot and superbly acted tragedy. There are a few quirks in the plot that may work in the folklore but come off a bit shallow in the film. Nonetheless, it's an excellent movie overall. 8/10
Sansho the Bailiff (1954) - IMDb
Sansho the Bailiff (1954) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 28, 2023 at 8:43 AM
Mizoguchi's adaptation of the thousand-year-old folk tale is beautifully shot and superbly acted tragedy. There are a few quirks in the plot that may work in the folklore but come off a bit shallow in the film. Nonetheless, it's an excellent movie overall. 8/10
Still a solid comedy at its core. The charisma of the actors and the comedic timing carry it a long way. Aykroyd might be the best Santa ever, and Jamie Lee Curtis is super charming. A bit too much racial and homophobic humor for today's tastes, but overall, the tone is innocent fun. 8/10
Trading Places (1983) - IMDb
Trading Places (1983) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 28, 2023 at 8:41 AM
Still a solid comedy at its core. The charisma of the actors and the comedic timing carry it a long way. Aykroyd might be the best Santa ever, and Jamie Lee Curtis is super charming. A bit too much racial and homophobic humor for today's tastes, but overall, the tone is innocent fun. 8/10
Fritz Lang's nearly a century-old spy thriller is dynamic, suspenseful, and even surprising. It's also haunted by the expressive overacting and an instance of yellowface.
Master spy-villain. War in the East. Brave agent 326. Fatal Russian beauty. It's essentially a precursor to James Bond. 6/10
Master spy-villain. War in the East. Brave agent 326. Fatal Russian beauty. It's essentially a precursor to James Bond. 6/10
Spies (1928) - IMDb
Spies (1928) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 23, 2023 at 10:49 PM
Fritz Lang's nearly a century-old spy thriller is dynamic, suspenseful, and even surprising. It's also haunted by the expressive overacting and an instance of yellowface.
Master spy-villain. War in the East. Brave agent 326. Fatal Russian beauty. It's essentially a precursor to James Bond. 6/10
Master spy-villain. War in the East. Brave agent 326. Fatal Russian beauty. It's essentially a precursor to James Bond. 6/10
Promising Young Woman was quite fantastic, and this one didn't disappoint. It's mostly excellent, if a bit too long and also has some excessive exposition. The plot os solid, Barry Keoghan is brilliant in the lead, but Rosamund Pike steals practically every scene. The finale is pure gold. 8/10
Saltburn (2023) - IMDb
Saltburn (2023) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 22, 2023 at 10:59 PM
Promising Young Woman was quite fantastic, and this one didn't disappoint. It's mostly excellent, if a bit too long and also has some excessive exposition. The plot os solid, Barry Keoghan is brilliant in the lead, but Rosamund Pike steals practically every scene. The finale is pure gold. 8/10
Didn’t expect this kind of Euro-sleaze on Netflix. It's a blend of 70s aesthetics and the repulsive side of sexploitation. The nonlinear plot kind of works, and occasionally the cinematography succeeds. But the actors are stiff and the dialogue awful. Ultimately, it's just terribly dull. 4/10
The Punishment (1973) - IMDb
The Punishment (1973) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 19, 2023 at 10:09 PM
Didn’t expect this kind of Euro-sleaze on Netflix. It's a blend of 70s aesthetics and the repulsive side of sexploitation. The nonlinear plot kind of works, and occasionally the cinematography succeeds. But the actors are stiff and the dialogue awful. Ultimately, it's just terribly dull. 4/10
Another fun time-travel film from the writer of "Beyond The Infinite two Minutes." A charming story about hot summer days and the school sci-fi club's broken air conditioner remote. The pace is so fast that you really need to keep track of where and when the characters are at any given time. 7/10
Summer Time Machine Blues (2005) - IMDb
Summer Time Machine Blues (2005) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 19, 2023 at 10:02 PM
Another fun time-travel film from the writer of "Beyond The Infinite two Minutes." A charming story about hot summer days and the school sci-fi club's broken air conditioner remote. The pace is so fast that you really need to keep track of where and when the characters are at any given time. 7/10
Nostalgia is big on this, actors do decent work, but the plot is the weak link as the story doesn't carry the entire duration. Stunts and CGI were used a lot, but if you don't dwell on it, it works. I enjoyed it once, but I understand why it didn't resonate with today's youth. 5/10
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) - IMDb
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 19, 2023 at 9:58 PM
Nostalgia is big on this, actors do decent work, but the plot is the weak link as the story doesn't carry the entire duration. Stunts and CGI were used a lot, but if you don't dwell on it, it works. I enjoyed it once, but I understand why it didn't resonate with today's youth. 5/10
No wonder this grossed billions; delightful, empowering, significant, and even touching. The self-irony in the film's message might be hard to swallow fo some. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling (in his second doll film) are fantastic. And is Will Ferrell making this a Lego Movie crossover? 9/10
Barbie (2023) - IMDb
Barbie (2023) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 15, 2023 at 10:49 PM
No wonder this grossed billions; delightful, empowering, significant, and even touching. The self-irony in the film's message might be hard to swallow fo some. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling (in his second doll film) are fantastic. And is Will Ferrell making this a Lego Movie crossover? 9/10
An exhilarating mystery about a man who inexplicably starts appearing in strangers' dreams. Nicolas Cage is absolutely fantastic, on par with his performance in "Pig", but I think the plot takes a wrong turn in the end. The sex scene makes me want to revisit Todd Solondz's "Happiness." 8/10
Dream Scenario (2023) - IMDb
Dream Scenario (2023) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 15, 2023 at 5:57 PM
An exhilarating mystery about a man who inexplicably starts appearing in strangers' dreams. Nicolas Cage is absolutely fantastic, on par with his performance in "Pig", but I think the plot takes a wrong turn in the end. The sex scene makes me want to revisit Todd Solondz's "Happiness." 8/10
A decent Poirot, even if acted routinely. Has some unnecessary flirting with supernatural, which, feels out of place in this character's stories (though I haven't read the original work). Plus points for tremendous cinematography. 7/10
A Haunting in Venice (2023) - IMDb
A Haunting in Venice (2023) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 15, 2023 at 5:52 PM
A decent Poirot, even if acted routinely. Has some unnecessary flirting with supernatural, which, feels out of place in this character's stories (though I haven't read the original work). Plus points for tremendous cinematography. 7/10
There's a charm to this film, not just because of Julie Ege, while the promotion was largely promoted on her name and figure. The dialogue is nothing but grunts and groans. A beautiful woman sparks conflict in a cave clan. Featuring a burning bush, terrifying mud men, and whipping of maidens. 5/10.
Creatures the World Forgot (1971) - IMDb
Creatures the World Forgot (1971) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 14, 2023 at 4:46 PM
There's a charm to this film, not just because of Julie Ege, while the promotion was largely promoted on her name and figure. The dialogue is nothing but grunts and groans. A beautiful woman sparks conflict in a cave clan. Featuring a burning bush, terrifying mud men, and whipping of maidens. 5/10.
This Scorsese gem ranks easily in his top ten. It's an incredible tale of friendship, the glamour of Las Vegas, greed, ego, deceit, and inevitable ruin. The plot holds up well its nearly three-hour duration. The leads - De Niro, Pesci (very typecast), and Stone- are all absolutely brilliant. 10/10
Casino (1995) - IMDb
Casino (1995) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 14, 2023 at 4:38 PM
This Scorsese gem ranks easily in his top ten. It's an incredible tale of friendship, the glamour of Las Vegas, greed, ego, deceit, and inevitable ruin. The plot holds up well its nearly three-hour duration. The leads - De Niro, Pesci (very typecast), and Stone- are all absolutely brilliant. 10/10
Still a fantastic, over-the-top youth portrayal, depicting the encounter between a Rococo Lolita and a biker girl in rural Japan. There's some hilarious fourth-wall breaking and genre play. The plot gets a bit on the way of the craziness, but with likable characters, it's not a real problem. 8/10
Kamikaze Girls (2004) - IMDb
Kamikaze Girls (2004) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 14, 2023 at 4:21 PM
Still a fantastic, over-the-top youth portrayal, depicting the encounter between a Rococo Lolita and a biker girl in rural Japan. There's some hilarious fourth-wall breaking and genre play. The plot gets a bit on the way of the craziness, but with likable characters, it's not a real problem. 8/10
On Cahiers du Cinéma's top 100 list. Fascinating when depicting the techniques of the thieves but downright poor as a character drama. The motivations are completely lost, the dialogue is awkward, and the actors seem absent.
Fortunately, the film was at least short, only 70 minutes. 5/10
Pickpocket (1959) - IMDb
Pickpocket (1959) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 14, 2023 at 4:15 PM
On Cahiers du Cinéma's top 100 list. Fascinating when depicting the techniques of the thieves but downright poor as a character drama. The motivations are completely lost, the dialogue is awkward, and the actors seem absent.
Fortunately, the film was at least short, only 70 minutes. 5/10
A passion drama afflicted by silent film mannerisms and the recently enforced Hays Code. (Storywise, this could've been a very hot and dark film.)
Dietrich's charisma is undeniable, the costumes are exquisite, and some of the the cinematography (the duel in the rain) is truly spectacular. 7/10
Dietrich's charisma is undeniable, the costumes are exquisite, and some of the the cinematography (the duel in the rain) is truly spectacular. 7/10
The Devil Is a Woman (1935) - IMDb
The Devil Is a Woman (1935) Reference View
www.imdb.com
December 14, 2023 at 4:08 PM
A passion drama afflicted by silent film mannerisms and the recently enforced Hays Code. (Storywise, this could've been a very hot and dark film.)
Dietrich's charisma is undeniable, the costumes are exquisite, and some of the the cinematography (the duel in the rain) is truly spectacular. 7/10
Dietrich's charisma is undeniable, the costumes are exquisite, and some of the the cinematography (the duel in the rain) is truly spectacular. 7/10