I was way too friendly to Paul Schrader‘s 2017 picture, First Reformed, in my review of it. After seeing it a second time, I was bothered by how truly derivative and implausible it is. To me, it is a bad film. I began watching his 1979 Hardcore—about a Christian man searching for his porn-involved daughter—hoping it would be better. Maybe it is, but I got bored with the film and called it quits. I’d like to think it is more commendable than Schrader’s crummy Light of Day (1987). The Michigan-born moviemaker is far from untalented, but is a frequently dissatisfying writer.
First Reformed
| May 18, 2018 (United States)
Director: Paul SchraderWriter: Paul SchraderStars: Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried, Cedric the Entertainer
Summary:
Countries: United States, United Kingdom, AustraliaLanguages: English
Hardcore
| February 9, 1979 (United States)
Summary:
Countries: United StatesLanguages: English, Spanish
Dave Douthitt
I haven’t seen First Reformed, but I have seen Hardcore. I stumbled across it one night and it got me. It’s quite an intense movie and subject matter for 1979. I always remember a line that George says in there: “I don’t care what’s on Johnny Carson”
To him as a Calvinist, whatever Johnny Carson is showing is irrelevant lol