Scars of Dracula: This was actually quite fun, Lee is still the best thing about these films.
Little Women (1994): A lovely but at the same time stiff adaptation. The production design, score, cinematography and costumes are beautiful for sure but it doesn't feel fully vibrant. So the drama gets a bit too dry. I mean, Bale is top notch and his scene with Ryder is really good but overall this doesn't feel like the definitive Little Women film.
Marriage Story: Wonderful, everything is so on point in this. Baumbach is so in control and perfectly balances both the leads' point of views not to alienate the audience or root for one or the other. Driver and Johansson are terrific and it all feels very real and honest. One of the best films of 2019.
Dracula A.D. 1972: I mean, it's fun to see Cushing again and that they finally decided to change the setting... But other than that lol
The Satanic Rites of Dracula: Omfg it's a good thing this was Lee's last one because lol
Nosferatu Phantom der Nacht: I had seen the 1922 Nosferatu years ago and this was the perfect time to give Herzog's film a go. It's very close to the original Nosferatu of course and I mean, you can only move so far away from Stoker's source material (then again, the Hammer films did exactly that lol) but still. This film is so eerie, so weirdly atmospheric and ominous with beautiful locations and music.
Adjani is so incredibly beautiful and Kinski is pretty terrifying as Dracula. I loved that they shot in the Netherlands as well. And I really liked the ending.
Murder Mystery: lol I have to admit it was fun
Novecento: Well this was one way to start off the 2020 movie watching year lol. I watched the 5 hour 15 minute cut and it sure is a juggernaut.
De Niro and Depardieu carry this film most of all, they are great on their own but they also have wonderful chemistry. However, I think Bertolucci got a bit too caught up in wanting too much instead of having a real tight narrative, which should still be possible with such a long runtime. I mean sure, when it works like when De Niro and Depardieu are reminiscent of the past, the long runtime really works. But it often starts again and feels like a completely different film and story overall. So starting in 1945 was a good idea but that brings me to the worst aspect of the film: Sutherland and Betti's characters. I mean sure, they do unspeakable things but they end up being portrayed as caricatures instead of merely de-humanized people.
Not to forget, the amount of animal brutality in this film is staggering. I think in the end, Bertolucci could've made something powerful of this but the poor acting of many of the peasants undermine the story he wants to tell. I don't know if I'll ever watch the shorter cuts but I do think that there's a better film in here if they had cut it down a bit and rearranged the narrative.
Bram Stoker's Dracula: This still is the definitive adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. It's such a beautiful film, from both a technical point of view as on a narrative point of view. There's not a single moment where the story drags, the opening prologue is a fantastic introduction and Coppola is in full control. The costumes are incredible, the sets haunting and the cinematography is stunning. I love that they used many miniatures and projections to tie travel scenes together. I also really love that they speak Romanian too and Oldman just aces the accent. Oldman's performance belongs to his finest work and the make-up is still incredibly convincing.
This film is so many things, it's haunting as it is sensual, erotic, romantic, adventurous, funny and touching. It's such a stunning achievement, one of my favourite films of all time.