Hype Movie Club

[CaptainWagner]

Ladyhawke (1985)

Nothing could have prepared me for the score to this but yeah, it's an 80's movie That aside though, it was really very good adventure. Hauer and Pfeiffer are perfectly cast and, while Broderick is still a little green in his acting chops, he sells Phillipe well most of the time. It's an exciting fantasy romp with refreshing sincerity in what could be presented as a goofy premise, something missing from most modern genre fare. Also weirdly a very religious movie. All in all, a great summer watch, would rock at a drive-in theater.

 

[flickchick85]

Our August picks!


Inside Man (2006)

Directed By: Spike Lee
Written By: Russell Gerwitz
Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster & Christopher Plummer
What's It About? A police detective, a bank robber and a high-power broker enter high-stakes negotiations after the criminal's brilliant heist spirals into a hostage situation.


Malcolm X (1992)

Directed By: Spike Lee
Written By: Arnold Perl, Spike Lee & Alex
Starring: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo & Spike Lee
What's It About? Biographical epic of the controversial and influential Black Nationalist leader, from his early life and career as a small-time gangster, to his ministry as a member of the Nation of Islam and his eventual assassination.


Bamboozled (2000)

Directed By: Spike Lee
Written By: Spike Lee
Starring: Damon Wayans, Savion Glover, Jada Pinkett Smith & Michael Rappaport
What's It About? A frustrated African-American TV writer proposes a blackface minstrel show in protest, but to his chagrin, it becomes a hit.


Mo' Better Blues (1990)

Directed By: Spike Lee
Written By: Spike Lee
Starring: Denzel Washington, Spike Lee & Wesley Snipes
What's It About? Jazz trumpeter Bleek Gilliam makes questionable decisions in his professional and romantic lives.


Summer of Sam (1999)

Directed By: Spike Lee
Written By: Spike Lee, Victor Collichio & Michael Imperioli
Starring: John Leguizamo, Adrien Brody, Mira Sorvino, Jennifer Esposito
What's It About? Spike Lee's take on the "Son of Sam" murders in New York City during the summer of 1977 centering on the residents of an Italian-American Northeast Bronx neighborhood who live in fear and distrust of one another.


I have never seen or heard of Bamboozled, but it sounds amazing. Thanks for voting!​

 

[CaptainWagner]

Wrapping up last month's series! (I actually finished one; giving myself a gold star )

The Omen (1976)

Something that has been imitated and parodied so frequently in the last 50 years (these are some classic Final Destination kills if I've ever seen 'em) but it still feels fresh after all this time. Which I think really sums up Donner's work, at the end of this watchlist. Stylish, thrilling, and pretty daring for the time. I will say, that as great as 'The First Omen' was for a female perspective on this sort of story, I would have loved more of Katherine's POV. Also - Damian not speaking until those final moments in the church as he begs for his life is one of the most brilliant creative choices in horror IMO

Now on to Spike Month!

 

[CaptainWagner]

Starting off Spike Month with.... Bamboozled (2000)

This is a rare film that feels like it could have only been made by one specific artist; a 100% Spike Lee Joint. A uniquely audacious satire that never pulls any punches and culminates in some of the most horrifyingly unnerving moments to be found in a major studio release. In a lot of ways, it IS a horror movie, and one that achieves exactly what it sets out to do.

Having rented the Criterion Collection disc from the library, the low-res footage really threw me off at first until it became apparent what was going on. To be totally honest, the switching between video formats isn't something that fully tracked thematically with me, but it definitely contributes to the chaotic, angry energy infused into the movie and the overall uncomfortable experience.

Definitely not an "easy" watch, but not something that should be, and overall a jump right into the deep end of Lee's style for this month.

 

[CaptainWagner]

Mo' Better Blues (1990)

I really loved this up until the final 5-ish minutes. It's impeccably cool, with Spike and Denzel proving a match made in movie heaven. Visually and sonically, it's enthralling. Performances are great. The break up scene is one of my favorite movie moments I've seen in a while. But then it comes time to end, and nothing in the first 2 hours justifies how it all wraps up. The thematic work and motivational character depth just isn't there to make it work, and it wound up leaving me sour as the credits start to roll. Overall though, very good movie, but I think it also highlights Spike's blindspots as a writer, especially where romance and women in general are concerned.

 

[flickchick85]

Time for September's category already. We'll go with the one I was originally gonna do for August to commemorate the new Naked Gun:


Spoof/Parody

As with all our genre categories, any decade goes. The definition of this one can be pretty broad, so I say anything whose main premise is to satirize, lampoon, or homage something else counts. Everybody gets up to 4 picks, and voting will be open through the weekend!​

 

[flickchick85]

My spoof/parody picks:

The OSS 117 series
Airplane!
High Anxiety
Reefer Madness: The Musical

 

[blueharvest]

My picks are:

Scary Movie
Top Secret!
Shaolin Soccer and
Black Dynamite

 

[Kane52630]

Tropic Thunder
Airplane!
Black Dynamite
Spaceballs

 

[Luigi]

The Blair Thumb
Scary Movie
Spaceballs
Young Frankenstein

 

[CaptainWagner]

Black Dynamite
High Anxiety
Hot Fuzz
Scary Movie

also, forgot to post:

Inside Man (2006)

Back in the day, an auteur could do "One For Them" and have it still feel like THEIR movie. It helps that Spike's style is perfectly suited to the heist genre. Never a dull moment in this one, and Denzel of course commands the screen effortlessly. This was a blast. Also very funny that, of all people, Spike Lee gave Willem Dafoe his most normal role