Digital service designer | Scifi, movie and comics geek | Photographer | Art enthusiasthttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3mk6uny67gs2mQuite possibly two greatest action movies ever made. At least in the top10 both. I bought the #criterioncollection dvds in the late 90s, never upgraded to blu-ray. Thus the #arrowfilms 4k Limited Editions were both Day One Pre-Orders for me. #johnwoo #thekiller #hardboiled23 Apr 2026 20:40 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk6uny67gs2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3lhu2khlygk2sThree times 1984. This should make an interesting watch on some future weekend. #filmsky10 Feb 2025 21:09 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lhu2khlygk2shttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3lh332dbk2c2fDespite everything, I managed to watch 21 films in January. #filmsky Bound was the only one I had seen before. Somehow none of the films had the same director, or even any overlap on the cast (according to #Letterboxd stats.) Well, tomorrow brings more Chabrol/Huppert collaborations.31 Jan 2025 22:42 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lh332dbk2c2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3lclgglzcwc2sOlisipa kyllä hienoa, jos Joku Taho (tm) ottaisi asiakseen julkaista vaikkapa yhteispohjoismaista kuratoitua leffajulkaisusarjaa ottaen kaikki Criterionin, Eurekan, Radiancen ja vastaavien parhaat opit käyttöön.05 Dec 2024 19:42 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3lclgglzcwc2shttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3khuuf6za4h2hAnd that's it. 26 movies in December, which brings the total for 2023 to 224 films, including 26 short films of varying length. 187 of those I had not seen before. A good month and a good year for a movie lover. Don't know if I'll continue translating my short reviews in 2024.31 Dec 2023 23:25 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3khuuf6za4h2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3khuu366nv32qStill an entertaining and cheesy '80s action film that simultaneously exoticizes, parodies, and pays homage to Chinese action movies. Kurt Russell delivers a great performance as the pseudo-cool truck driver hero who is, however, completely clueless about what is happening most of the time. 7/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090728/reference/31 Dec 2023 23:20 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3khuu366nv32qhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3khutwwndxa2fI don't know enough about Bowie, and considering the material span across decades, I'd need a preparative ten-hour documentary about Bowie's music and life. Visually, it's impressive, the music works. An "atmosphere piece". However, it didn't hold my attention and felt somewhat hollow to me. 6/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9883832/reference/31 Dec 2023 23:17 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3khutwwndxa2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3khutmfckdg2cCocteau's 1950s set Orpheus tragedy is uneven. The story is cleverly adapted, and the best moments visually stunning. The acting is intentionally theatrical, the plot unnecessarily slow, and Orpheus is quite an asshat. Nevertheless, the film holds its place as a landmark in cinematic history. 7/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041719/reference/31 Dec 2023 23:12 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3khutmfckdg2chttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3khls6klwdp2oA film where they drink like in a Finnish artist biopic. Some things go horribly wrong, but for some alcohol saves the day. There's delightful humor and quite touching drama, but ultimately, the boozing doesn't appeal to me. The plot does hold together, and the actors are great, though. 7/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10288566/reference/28 Dec 2023 08:52 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3khls6klwdp2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3khlryeza5l2jYet another superb film from Eggers, who states that the goal was to create the most historically accurate Viking film ever. Skarsgård, Taylor-Joy, Hawke, Kidman, Bang, Dafoe - the cast is fantastic. The cinematography is stunning, and the love poured into the production is evident. 9/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11138512/reference/28 Dec 2023 08:49 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3khlryeza5l2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3khlrrs2wg62kNicolas Winding Refn's Viking film is quite a trip in every sense of the word. The quiet and sparingly spoken movie is beautifully shot and edited. Mads Mikkelsen in the lead role is truly raw. The plot was quite scarce, with minimal exposition. I liked it, but it requires some digestion. 7/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862467/reference/28 Dec 2023 08:45 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3khlrrs2wg62khttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3khlro4hgrp2qMizoguchi's adaptation of the thousand-year-old folk tale is beautifully shot and superbly acted tragedy. There are a few quirks in the plot that may work in the folklore but come off a bit shallow in the film. Nonetheless, it's an excellent movie overall. 8/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047445/reference/28 Dec 2023 08:43 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3khlro4hgrp2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3khlrlajh6n2yStill a solid comedy at its core. The charisma of the actors and the comedic timing carry it a long way. Aykroyd might be the best Santa ever, and Jamie Lee Curtis is super charming. A bit too much racial and homophobic humor for today's tastes, but overall, the tone is innocent fun. 8/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086465/reference/28 Dec 2023 08:41 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3khlrlajh6n2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3khaonjn2uo2vFritz Lang's nearly a century-old spy thriller is dynamic, suspenseful, and even surprising. It's also haunted by the expressive overacting and an instance of yellowface. Master spy-villain. War in the East. Brave agent 326. Fatal Russian beauty. It's essentially a precursor to James Bond. 6/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019415/reference/23 Dec 2023 22:49 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3khaonjn2uo2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kh66p6zthe2qPromising Young Woman was quite fantastic, and this one didn't disappoint. It's mostly excellent, if a bit too long and also has some excessive exposition. The plot os solid, Barry Keoghan is brilliant in the lead, but Rosamund Pike steals practically every scene. The finale is pure gold. 8/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt17351924/reference/22 Dec 2023 22:59 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kh66p6zthe2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgwkkcxdfu2eDidn’t expect this kind of Euro-sleaze on Netflix. It's a blend of 70s aesthetics and the repulsive side of sexploitation. The nonlinear plot kind of works, and occasionally the cinematography succeeds. But the actors are stiff and the dialogue awful. Ultimately, it's just terribly dull. 4/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0069135/reference/19 Dec 2023 22:09 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgwkkcxdfu2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgwk47uywm25Another fun time-travel film from the writer of "Beyond The Infinite two Minutes." A charming story about hot summer days and the school sci-fi club's broken air conditioner remote. The pace is so fast that you really need to keep track of where and when the characters are at any given time. 7/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0498567/reference/19 Dec 2023 22:02 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgwk47uywm25https://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgwjvgmy532yNostalgia is big on this, actors do decent work, but the plot is the weak link as the story doesn't carry the entire duration. Stunts and CGI were used a lot, but if you don't dwell on it, it works. I enjoyed it once, but I understand why it didn't resonate with today's youth. 5/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1462764/reference/19 Dec 2023 21:58 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgwjvgmy532yhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgmkvar76j2eNo wonder this grossed billions; delightful, empowering, significant, and even touching. The self-irony in the film's message might be hard to swallow fo some. Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling (in his second doll film) are fantastic. And is Will Ferrell making this a Lego Movie crossover? 9/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517268/reference/15 Dec 2023 22:49 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgmkvar76j2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgm2lugcj22bAn exhilarating mystery about a man who inexplicably starts appearing in strangers' dreams. Nicolas Cage is absolutely fantastic, on par with his performance in "Pig", but I think the plot takes a wrong turn in the end. The sex scene makes me want to revisit Todd Solondz's "Happiness." 8/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21942866/reference/15 Dec 2023 17:57 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgm2lugcj22bhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgm2cn6als2wA decent Poirot, even if acted routinely. Has some unnecessary flirting with supernatural, which, feels out of place in this character's stories (though I haven't read the original work). Plus points for tremendous cinematography. 7/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22687790/reference/15 Dec 2023 17:52 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgm2cn6als2whttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgjg4iw3xg2jThere's a charm to this film, not just because of Julie Ege, while the promotion was largely promoted on her name and figure. The dialogue is nothing but grunts and groans. A beautiful woman sparks conflict in a cave clan. Featuring a burning bush, terrifying mud men, and whipping of maidens. 5/10. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066955/reference/14 Dec 2023 16:46 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgjg4iw3xg2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgjfpf5o3s2bThis Scorsese gem ranks easily in his top ten. It's an incredible tale of friendship, the glamour of Las Vegas, greed, ego, deceit, and inevitable ruin. The plot holds up well its nearly three-hour duration. The leads - De Niro, Pesci (very typecast), and Stone- are all absolutely brilliant. 10/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112641/reference/14 Dec 2023 16:38 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgjfpf5o3s2bhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgjeqirjil2wStill a fantastic, over-the-top youth portrayal, depicting the encounter between a Rococo Lolita and a biker girl in rural Japan. There's some hilarious fourth-wall breaking and genre play. The plot gets a bit on the way of the craziness, but with likable characters, it's not a real problem. 8/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0416220/reference/14 Dec 2023 16:21 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgjeqirjil2whttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgjefhajus24 On Cahiers du Cinéma's top 100 list. Fascinating when depicting the techniques of the thieves but downright poor as a character drama. The motivations are completely lost, the dialogue is awkward, and the actors seem absent. Fortunately, the film was at least short, only 70 minutes. 5/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053168/reference/14 Dec 2023 16:15 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgjefhajus24https://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgjdzbrqbh2qA passion drama afflicted by silent film mannerisms and the recently enforced Hays Code. (Storywise, this could've been a very hot and dark film.) Dietrich's charisma is undeniable, the costumes are exquisite, and some of the the cinematography (the duel in the rain) is truly spectacular. 7/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026276/reference/14 Dec 2023 16:08 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgjdzbrqbh2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgja2rezou2d(And no, the 300 characters limit is not enough. My earlier take on The Towering Inferno was almost double that. On the other hand, shortening might do good for these.)14 Dec 2023 14:57 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgja2rezou2dhttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgj7yrhgop2gFantastic cast, intense suspense. Drama in the midst of a sea of flames and high places. A bit silly that the heroes of the film, an architect and a fire chief have to go climbing, jumping, hanging, and every high-risk operation in between. It's still quite epic and beautifully shot. 7/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072308/reference/14 Dec 2023 14:56 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgj7yrhgop2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgj7hstuwl2wThe 200th film of this year turned out to be a bullseye. It has been on my radar for a long time and has been waiting on my table for over a year. Joan Crawford is fantastic, everyone else is excellent, the plot is well-constructed and paced. The dialogue is truly enjoyable. 10/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037913/reference/14 Dec 2023 14:47 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgj7hstuwl2whttps://bsky.app/profile/henriblock.bsky.social/post/3kgj7ajxoa32wFor some reason, Indicator has included The Three Stooges shorts as a bonus with their film noir releases. Again, this humor doesn't appeal to me. Well, university criminologist Alma Matter and Police Chief F.B. Eye manage to elicit a chuckle once. 3/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047890/reference/14 Dec 2023 14:43 +0000at://did:plc:jrfzmzncrrvzte2brpx45xcd/app.bsky.feed.post/3kgj7ajxoa32w