Let's Talk About What I've Been Watching

[00:00:00]Guys, today we're going to be discussing and talking about some of the films that I've been checking out.

[00:00:10]>> [music] >> So, we've got about five films that I want to talk about today. Technically six, but uh we'll we'll cross that bridge when we get there. And uh the first one here, guys, is this is actually a new release that is the newest release from Second Sight. And this one actually shocked me by how much I really did enjoy it. Uh we've got the Cold Prey trilogy. Now, the Cold Prey trilogy are obviously three movies.

[00:00:41]They're three Norwegian films that came out There was like 2006, 8, and 2010.

[00:00:47]The first two films continue on into each other, go back-to-back. And then the third film is going to be a prequel.

[00:00:53]Now, when I said I've got five films, but technically six, it's because of this right here. I've seen one and two.

[00:00:59]I haven't checked out three yet, and I plan on doing a full review of this release, so I'll just give you a little taste of it today. But, what do I love about this? Well, one, it's a kind of it feels like a nod to the '80s slashers back in the day. And as the cover kind of suggests, it takes place in the the mountains in Norway. In the first one, it's about this group that they go up snowboarding. One of them ends up breaking their leg, and they have to find refuge in this abandoned ski lodge.

[00:01:26]When they get in there, they find this ledger of, you know, people who have come in, checked in. Well, it No one's been there since the '70s.

[00:01:34]But, they notice, as they are kind of exploring in the ski lodge, that they are finding more modern stuff that should not have been there since the place was abandoned in the '70s. So, they know something is up. While they are there, they end up running into I really don't think he has a name. He probably does. It's just if if he does, it's escaping me. But, he is this mountainous monstrous of a man that carries around a pickaxe and actually lives in the basement of this ski lodge.

[00:02:04]Now, he may or may not have some connection to some stuff they learn about some missing people that happened in the area. Now, this film is on the lower budget side of things, but I still really enjoyed the film. It's got all of your classic slasher tropes, and even there's an interview in here with the director, and he talks about how to him this is like Texas Chainsaw Massacre taking place in Norway in the snow, and I totally see it. But when you go into the sequel, it's one of those films that picks up right where it leaves you, and it really gives you the I called it the Halloween effect. What I mean by that is like Halloween to Halloween 2, it was a continuation, right? It was still the same exact sound like you can probably stitch like you could stitch Halloween 1 and 2 together and make one like super got people have done that.

[00:02:51]You could do the same thing with this movie with Cold Prey 2.

[00:02:55]Even so, it really leans into Halloween 2 so much that it's about your main character recovering in a hotel, and this guy is chasing her around in a hotel with very very limited staff, and there's even a quick little maybe it's a cameo, he's barely in the movie, but a Dr. Loomis-esque figure in the movie.

[00:03:20]So, I mean, it feels like the screenwriters, directors got some heavy inspiration from Halloween 2 and took Halloween like they did with Texas Chainsaw Massacre and put Leatherface in a snow suit in the Norway mountains.

[00:03:35]Same thing, Halloween 2 took Michael Myers, put him in a snow suit, put him in a hospital, but this time in Norway chasing the one survivor. But I got to say, this one was a very very fun one, and to be honest, I actually kind of preferred the second to the first. But uh be on the lookout for a more in-depth review of all three of these movies and this release when that review comes out. But, this is just one of the few that we're going to be talking about today that I'm excited to talk about with you guys today, and that is Cold Prey and Cold Prey 2. Now, this next one is an Abel Ferrara film. I actually bought this release a long time ago and it just sat on my shelf and I I hadn't watched it.

[00:04:13]I had wanted to go and watch it, but other things have come up. I just kind of forgot about it, to be honest with you. But, I decided a couple weeks ago, I'm going to sit down actually watch this.

[00:04:23]And it's an incredible film. It's a very bleak film. Uh but, that is Bad Lieutenant with Harvey Keitel. Now, I have never seen this movie. This is one that's kind of passed me by. You have Harvey Keitel as a bad lieutenant, and the movie kicks off right away with some terrible decisions. But, the kind of the catalyst of the story is you do have this nun who was uh taken advantage of, let's just say, in her church, and now he is tasked with finding these men who attacked this nun.

[00:04:57]And this movie does a really good job with heart at least Harvey Keitel's character really dealing kind of the uh the devil and the angel on a shoulder.

[00:05:06]He definitely listens to the devil more than the angel on his shoulder. It's like he knows what is right, what he's supposed to do, but he just cannot do it. He cannot let go. He gives in every time. Now, I don't really want to completely give it away, but he has a a very interesting character arc in this movie. But, that's all I want to say about that because that will give away the ending. But, there's a few scenes in here, man, where you were just you're gripping the edge of your seat. You feel very uncomfortable.

[00:05:33]Uh for me, it was like I was half tempted, like, I don't want to see this, but also, I can't look away. It was one of those things. It was a situation where he pulled over two young girls and he harassed them and >> [clears throat] >> got what he wanted. Even though this is a movie that's tough to watch, it's it's such a good one, guys. And Harvey Keitel, an incredible actor. I can't believe I let this one pass me up for so long, but this definitely made it to one of my favorite films out there. And that's got to go to Bad Lieutenant. Now, as you guys know, we are in July, Criterion month, and I always like to focus, especially in July, I like to watch my Criterion movies, ones that I haven't checked out, revisiting some.

[00:06:14]And two out of the three of these I'm going to be talking about were brand new pickups. One of them I had, I just hadn't checked out, but this one right here, I kind of talked about this in another video before when I picked it up. This is a Coen brothers movie starring Oscar Isaac inside Llewyn Davis. Now, this is about Oscar Isaac's character, Llewyn Davis, and he's trying to make it into the folk music scene in the '60s, and he just can't cut it. Uh one thing after another, he has these setbacks, but he's very cutthroat, and he is out there only for himself, and he'll cut off anybody he has to. He's not a great person. And Llewyn Davis in this movie, you know, there are times where you almost feel sorry for the guy because of just his drive to succeed, but then he just makes a decision, and you're like, "Well, dude, you you kind of deserve what's coming to you." What's interesting about this is this story is a a revolving story. There's a term for it, I can't think of it right now, but it's a revolving story where the beginning meets the end, and it can be just a continuous loop. And it kind of means that he was trying to make it in this folk music business so long that eventually just passes him up. This is shot incredibly well, it's a Coen brothers movie, of course, directed so well. The music in here, though, I think is what stands out the most. They actually do a song in here with Mumford & Sons, and it's it's an old old Irish song called The Dink Song or Fare Thee Well, but Oscar Isaac and Mumford & Sons do a cover of it.

[00:07:41]Great movie, guys. Love this Inside Llewyn Davis. All right, this next one right here, this is an early one. This is uh from 1961.

[00:07:48]Now, this one is a title that I had already owned, but I just never watched it until very recently. Another one that I thought was incredible. Directed by Jack Clayton, we have got The Innocents. Now, this is take on the classic story, The Turn of the Screw. You have this woman who is hired to be a governess to this man's niece and nephew that he wants nothing to do with. So, he hires her and she moves into the countryside mansion where they live while he stays in the city because, like I said, he wants nothing to do with these kids. And while she is with these kids, she's starting to learn kind of the history of what happened to the old governess who had died, and she begins to believe that possibly this governess and one of the other hired help at this mansion are possessing these kids. But, what's great about this is it kind of leaves it up to the viewer's interpretation. Is this woman really crazy or is all of this true? This reminds me a lot of The Others. The Others basically took this movie, kind of made it their own thing, but it's very in the same vein. Like I've said this before, if you took The Others and Carnival of Souls and put it together, you would you would get The Innocents. Highly recommend, guys. If you haven't seen this one, it's a must own, a must watch. We've got The Innocents. This next one, guys, I talked about this in my very recently mid-month movie haul, but uh that is going to be Menace to Society. Now, this was a very early 4K for Criterion. Directed by the Hughes brothers, telling a story about these two friends, mainly Caine right here, but you have O-Dog right there.

[00:09:21]But anyways, mainly Caine, as he is dealing with life in the '90s in LA, dealing with gangs and everything that comes with it. Now, this is kind of a harsh reality, and it gives you a real good sense of what it was like if you lived in that area or a part of that crowd, whether you chose to or not. You know, a lot of these kids it's what they grew up around and it was kind of forced upon them. So, there was nothing they could really do. And in the case of Kayne here, he's torn between does he leave this life? But he really loves this group of guys because they are his family. He has his grandma and grandpa, but he doesn't have a >> [snorts] >> like his mother and father aren't around anymore. He doesn't have brothers. So, this is all he has and leads to a life of crime. The film opens up with a murder at a convenience store by O-Dog. And that story is kind of a backdrop throughout the whole movie of these police just trying to figure out, you know, who did the crime. O-Dog stole the tape and now he has the tape and he's showing it off to all his friends. This is sort of a really great character study for Kayne.

[00:10:29]I thought it was a very well-done movie.

[00:10:31]And this is another one that I can't believe it has taken me this long to pick it up. It looks incredible and I think this one honestly is a must own and that is going to be Menace II Society. Guys, those are the five releases that I've been checking out over the past few weeks that I've really enjoyed that kind of just wanted to talk about with you all. Links will be down below for these, of course, if you want to grab them. And especially with these Criterion titles, this is the month to get them with them being 50% off. Uh you guys, let me know down below in the comments what you think of these titles.

[00:11:02]What are some titles you've been watching you've been really enjoying?

[00:11:05]They can be new, they can be old, whatever. Whatever you guys have been enjoying, I want to hear about it. Let me know your thoughts down below. But guys, that is going to be it for today's video.

[00:11:13]Hope you guys enjoy it and of course, you all take care.