I am watching more “How Did This Get Made?” movies so I can listen to the podcast while I take long walks in the early morning. Yesterday I watched “Birdemic”, which is also in the category of movies made by amateurs. Like many of these movies, it’s a slog at times. I had to take multiple breaks. But I still recommend the experience - at one point of the movie I belly laughed in a way I haven’t done since I watched “Cunk on Earth”.
I am not posting the trailer, and you should not watch. Just jump into the movie.
I just read some reviews, and even the positive ones seem to describe why I hated it (these are from different reviews).
Every frame of every battle scene or courtly interlude is exhaustively and exquisitely detailed.
It’s gorgeous to look at, with its reverse zooms that slowly widen to stunning rural panoramas, its beautiful framing, its delight in decorative detail. You feel you are watching a masterclass in how to recreate the look and feel of the late 18th century.
The great director’s least satisfying, most disconcerting film - and that’s what makes it extraordinary.
Well okay, those reviews would make it sound potentially painful to me too, though that wasn’t my experience. Safe to say I firmly disagree with the reviewer that the guy who directed A Clockwork Orange somehow made “his most disconcerting film” when he made Barry Lyndon.
Still, I can sympathize with your POV when you read purportedly complimentary reviews like that. I’m still recovering from the review I read that essentially praised Richard Linklater for playing 4D chess when he made Boyhood into a super boring movie.
Some more How Did This Get Made movies I’ve seen in the last couple of days:
Season of the Witch with Nic Cage and Ron Perlman: Not bad enough to be good imo.
The Pope’s Exorcist with Russell Crowe: Also nearly not bad enough, but there’s some funny stuff and Russell Crowe is always good, even when playing an Italian priest.
The First Power with Lou Diamond Phillips: Not bonkers enough.
Bats (1999), also with Lou Diamond Phillips (plus Bob Gunton): A+, I give it my strongest endorsement. Very fun watch.
This franchise rules, Russel Crowe riding around Rome on his scooter gets a smile out of me every time. It has just the right amount of sincerity to give it camp appeal., I hope we get a dozenof these silly movies of Crowe riding round on his Vespa doing exorcisms.
I’m watching these movies to listen to their “How Did This Get Made?” podcast episodes. So, no, it is not “good” by any stretch of the imagination. The details you’ve read in the synopsis are only a part of unhinged-ness of the film.
Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down! (1989). movie starts out with a youthful antonio banderas being let out of the insane asylum he grew up in. he makes it his mission in life to marry and have a family with this aspiring b-movie actress former porno actress, so he kidnaps her. he breaks into her apartment, beats her up and knocks her unconscious, knocks her tooth out, threatens her with a knife. and he ties her up and holds her captive so that they can talk and get to know each other, so that they’ll fall in love. this movie is billed as a comedy.
young antonio banderas is constantly thatening this woman with a knife, saying he’ll kill her and himself if she tries to escape or scream for help. it definitely has its funny moments, but it’s not a laugh-a-minute. it’s more i’m laughing at the balls of this lunatic movie director to put these insane scenes into a film.
the female lead is victoria abril and i guess she only does spanish language stuff because i’ve never seen her in anything else but she’s incredible in this. antonio banderas is like this naiive mentally ill young dude, his role is easy. her role is the real movie, and she nails it. great crying acting. some of the best crying i’ve ever seen.
