I haven't written a post like this before, but I realized that there were a few extra points that I wanted to make about the following entries that I posted recently. I'll be brief:
I really didn't spend enough time discussing the score for It Follows. I didn't even realize this until I watched Red Letter Media's review for It Follows (they also covered Furious 7). The RLM review included several clips from the movie - and I noticed that I was suddenly looking around corners as well as into dark rooms hesitantly, as if I were actually nervous and I was doing this in my own home.
Honestly, I am very aware of when a soundtrack/score doesn't quite work, or tells you what to feel too often, or becomes intrusive. It was a major mark of quality to have the IF score impact me so strongly. I was aware of its power at the time, but I don't think I expressed that appropriately in my review, so I wanted to point it out now: the music is not just a callback to 80's horror, it's insanely creepy and pulse-driving. Cheers to the filmmakers!
Meanwhile, I realize that I was being a bit harsh on Arrow. The problem is that, while it does have all of the strengths that I pointed out, the flaws are so intense and consistent now that I feel like the show is actively discouraging me from watching it. And I can't imagine why they'd start to run their show in that fashion; it makes no damn sense - just like all of their scenes involving the law...
A Most Violent Year is really a B+-level movie. The problem is that the flaws that it displays are so profound that I can't imagine giving it more than a B (that is, if I did use a letter rating system, or any rating system at all). I would've given the film more leeway if it had more foibles in the acting or cinematography, or if it looked like it had been made on a low budget. To that end, its quality kind of ensured that I would be almost scandalized by what the director doesn't get right. It's actually kind of a compliment...
Finally, I realize now that I will never get to do a proper obit post for Leonard Nimoy. We all know that he was great, and plenty of other people have paid proper tribute to him by now. I really would likely add nothing more to the commentary on this front, although I will add the video that I always wanted to include here - a video that describes how the Vulcan hand greeting came to be:
And somehow, both Leonard Nimoy and Mr. Spock just got cooler. How the hell is that possible?
In any case, I wanted to take the time to address these now, as I have lots to do and may likely forget to ever return to any of them. Not only am I not giving Leonard a second entry, I may not write a follow-up entry for Selma whenever DJ's done with his review.
The score for It Follows really is incredible, it's my second favorite score of the year so right after Lost River
ReplyDeleteI don't know Lost River, but I promise to check it out asap. Funny enough, I realized just after posting this that NYC's subway system uses a "warning noise" that really really sounds has the same distressing alarm clock sound that underlies the score!
DeleteAnd, as a native, I have to admit that our subway is exactly the right place to feel under imminent threat...