Not afraid to get silly with it.
Leading up to Prey!
Watched the blu-ray, which is so old there is a disclaimer saying “Blu-ray is a new technology and you may need to consult your manual…”
And it looked the same or better than any 4K HDR streams I could get. I knew that, but what a fun way to be reminded.
First third is more miss than hit, last third is all hit.
I was really loving it until things started getting explained. And the explanations kind of soured things for me.
I’m so proud of myself for getting the Tati references.
“The Concrete Masterpiece” was the best.
Just an easy going charisma machine with a little murder and some heavenly bureaucracy.
Watched it with my partner while sharing a pizza. Pretty good Saturday night.
“Dynamic” is a good word to use if you’re trying to fake being an expert.
“This painting is so dynamic in its presentation.”
“Oh, I find this wine to be very dynamic.”
But…..I was most struck by how dynamic Zola was. Up and down. Slow and fast. Serious, then silly. The writing, performances, cinematography, and score all moved together all over the place to give the film this…dynamism. Now, that’s a cool word.
Kicking off the Criterion box set.
Bruce Lee and James Tien really stand out. I was surprised to learn that Tien goes on to play villains because he had a natural wholesomeness here that complemented his action and makes him a noble figure.
Lee, alternatively, plays his role with more of an edge and seems more dangerous.
I appreciated that Lee’s character falls for the wooing of his boss twice and has to be reminded that something nefarious is going on. I also appreciated that he gets arrested as the credits roll.