June was a month I thought at first would give me no time to watch any films for just fun, but in the latter part of the month I was pleasantly surprised that I could do just that. Going to the movie theater twice this month felt like a revelation, and I am looking forward to many more trips to come this year. Well, enough rambling, what the heck did I watch in June?
A Quiet Place Pt. II
A great way to kick off the month. Not only did I get to take a visit to the theater again, but I went with an old friend which was really nice. I was honestly going into the film expecting maybe some bigger budget retread of the same formula or a less story driven more spectacle heavy film. While yes the larger budget does show at times, it is not to the detriment of the film at all. A great sequel which expands on the lore and carves its own identity.
Mandao of the Dead
A solid little sci-fi horror comedy film that was released for free on YouTube. I had a lot of fun with this one and you can check out my full thoughts here.
Mandao Returns
Not as good as the original film, this is still a solid sequel that builds off the first. It feels like a little too much of a bridge to a third entry, but it is not a waste of time by any means. Again I did a full review on this one here.
Deerskin
Any time I get a chance to sit down to a film from Quentin Dupieux I am happy. This is one that again did not disappoint by any means. While it doesn’t hit the same highs as Rubber or Wrong in my opinion, this is still a darkly comedic film that is worth taking a look at.
200 Cigarettes
A seemingly forgotten film from 1999 that I only stumbled upon after reading a list of obscure 90s era movies. 200 Cigarettes is an uneven but interesting film to see. Especially when the likes of Dave Chappelle and Paul Rudd are in it before either blew up in stardom. An MTV Films produced movie that if you enjoy a bit of cheesy fun is pretty good. Especially good to watch around New Year’s Eve as it revolves around the holiday.
Marie Antoinette
A film that I almost sat down to way back in my high school days but at the time it didn’t really catch my interest. I circled back to it to see how the more modern rock soundtrack would work with the period piece aesthetics. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how understated this movie was. I thought there would be more focus on the soundtrack, but what we get is a really detail focused account of Antoinette’s life, with some embellishment of course.
The Great Gatsby
I must admit I almost turned this one off in the first half hour. Maybe it was realizing I was in for over 2 hours of film watching, or the over-stylized aesthetic that Baz Luhrmann was bringing to the table (should have expected that going in though). However, I stayed invested to see Leo, and it wasn’t too bad. There is no subtlety at play but if you go in expecting that you’ll have a bad time. Another one to see how the modern soundtrack worked with the film and it was pretty interesting. Wouldn’t recommend this one too highly but it is at least flashy and fun.
