Rate The Last Movie You Saw

[mark f]

I can't do it either.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjAzMjUwOTY5Nl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNDUzNzA5._V1_.jpg



3

[Wooley]

https://uauposters.com.br/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/7/0/704220150509-uau-posters-filmes-alternativos-filme-drive-3.jpg

Rewatch. Still as good and stylish as I remembered.

Don't worry. That's it, it's done. There's no pain, it's over, it's over.

[Wooley]

gosh i need to watch that aswell i havent seen the original yet D= its rare to find it

Try to find the long version if you can, the US theatrical version had some violence cut out of it and it was very effective violence that made the movie better, actually.

[Wooley]

Yeah, I agree. I mean, I'm not saying it to make martyrofevil feel singled out, and I said as much to him/her a couple of pages ago. I just find it curious and interesting how different people can perceive the same films in such different ways. It's pretty cool actually.

FWIW, Goldfinger would probably be my #2 as well, while GoldenEye would probably be either #4 or #5.

Yeah, I only have Goldfinger behind From Russia With Love and I could definitely see Goldeneye going that high (I just have to think about where some of my other favorites like Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, Casino Royale, etc. would then go).

[Nephilim]

thats weird cause i did the settings and added u and other people to my contacts so u guys can send me messages

This is the message I get:

xSookieStackhouse has chosen not to receive private messages or may not be allowed to receive private messages. Therefore you may not send your message to him/her.

[Wooley]

Oh yeah, I can absolutely see that. I think a film can only be as drawn out as this one is if it's engaging enough, and I certainly think this one was. Although I've seen similar complaints about the first, what would you say works for you about the first that makes it more engaging than this one? (Besides the fact that it isn't nearly 3 hours long)

It was the plot elements you touched on, I had a lot bigger problem with them than you it would seem. It really felt to me like either they were not totally sure of the story they were trying to tell, they were not totally sure how to tell the story within the framework of the grandeur they were trying to capture, or some things had to be cut loose that would have made the story seem to matter more. Some things also just felt too obvious.
Believe me neither the length nor the pace were the problem for me as I love "slow", deliberate pacing and I'd gladly watch TEN hours of Blade Runner. But when the story just kept seeming to come up short for me, that was the bore. The original film feels like it has left a thematic impact on my life since I first saw it in like '82 or '83 and definitely since The Director's Cut in theaters when I was in college. 2049 felt like a gorgeous, would-be-deep not-a-lot. To me.

[Hey Fredrick]

https://i.imgur.com/CjzvgVu.jpg?2

Sheesh! I didn't know anything about this but after I watched it I looked it up and to my shock it's getting good reviews (80% + on RT). Apparently, torture porn (tp) is elevated if you mix in some $10 words, throw in some literary references with a quick tutorial in parts of speech along the way. I thought it was awful. Two idiot high schoolers are abducted by one of their teachers who teaches them something about respect and being a good person by... torturing them. Will these methods be effective? A couple problems: 1. the kids are d bags but not so bad that they deserve to be tortured, like the kids from Eden Lake. Them kids (and their parents) STILL haven't got what's coming to them and 2. if you're going to make a torture film be creative. A hammer and nails ain't gonna cut it. Tied up, razor blades, rotten meat and a sewer full of rats is where the bar is currently set, imo. The thing is, the movie paints itself into a corner so they can't get really brutal because of where they want to take it. It really tries to walk the line between tp and a serious film and doesn't do either very well. I guess I can see why people would like it but I didn't 1.5

[Movie Max]

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer(1986)rating_4+

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=73217


Otis head prop and make-up resemble T1 special effects. Movie subject matter left me feeling uneasy, disturbed, and overall creeped out. Still, I don't regret watching it.

[WHITBISSELL!]

They Made Me a Criminal - 1939 melodrama directed by Busby Berkeley and starring a young John Garfield as boxer Johnnie Bradfield. After winning the lightweight championship Johnnie is celebrating with his girlfriend Goldie (Ann Sheridan) and his manager Doc Ward (Robert Gleckler) when Ward accidentally kills a reporter. He leaves a drunk and unconscious Johnnie in a rented cabin to take the blame while he and Goldie run off to Mexico. They're promptly killed in a fiery crash where Ward's charred body is mistaken for the boxers. Johnnie is then double crossed by his sleazeball attorney who takes all his remaining money as a "fee", forcing him to go on the run by hopping freight trains. The half starved Johnnie eventually ends up at a date farm in Arizona where he ingratiates himself with Grandma Rafferty (May Robson), who owns the farm and uses it as a reform school of sorts for troubled boys. Peggy (Gloria Dickson) helps out around the farm but is mostly there to keep an eye on her brother Tommy (Billy Halop). He and the rest of the Dead End kids end up idolizing Johnnie while he tries to wear down Peggy's defenses. This being an archaic, boilerplate Hollywood production it's a done deal that the two will end up together. Meanwhile NYC Detective Monty Phelan (Claude Rains), who had previously met Johnnie, is convinced that the burned up body wasn't Johnnie's and is hot on his trail.

This isn't a perfect movie by an means and there are plenty of plot holes and dated and corny situations. Rains, who never wanted to take the part and was essentially forced to by studio bosses, is miscast and unconvincing as a tough cop. He looks so uncomfortable throughout that something as basic as smoking a cigarette ends up coming off as awkward in his characters hands. But the rest of the cast does fine though. It might be a melodrama but it's a reasonably compelling and entertaining melodrama. 80/100

[Stirchley]

73223

Third in the Dirty Harry series & the weakest so far. Not bad though. Very old-fashioned with regard to women’s lib, etc. Too bad Tyne Daly had to die.

Harry gets to say “f***ing for the first time.

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYTZhNzM4MDktYWUwMC00NTE1LTlkN2UtM2Y5ODIwYjZmNTA2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_UY1200_CR90,0,6 30,1200_AL_.jpg



4

[WHITBISSELL!]

I'd really like to see Palmer. The trailer looked really good.

[Gideon58]

It was very good

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefocuspull.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F09%2F4-months-3-weeks-2-days.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days, 2007

Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) assists her friend, Gabita (Laura Vasiliu) in obtaining an illegal abortion in 1980s Romania, where both birth control and abortion are considered crimes. As the weight falls on Otilia to deal with Gabita, the sketchy abortion doctor who meets them in their hotel room (Vlad Ivanov), and her boyfriend who is peeved that she might miss his mother's birthday party, the strain begins to become too much.

It is interesting, and downright masterful, the way that this film manages to be about abortion and yet center its emotional weight not on the act itself (and/or the morality of that act), but rather on the circumstances that lead to such an act in the first place. If you asked me whether the film was for or against abortion, I honestly could not say, but the film is very clear in condemning the behavior of several of the characters.

Making Otilia the focus of the narrative is an interesting move. She is not the person getting the abortion, and yet she suffers because of it both due to the behavior of the abortion doctor---who extorts sex from both women--and the way that it reframes her relationship with her boyfriend.

Probably my favorite sequence in the film was a conversation between Otilia and her boyfriend. When she admits to having helped someone get an abortion, he is shocked and chastises her. But when she asks what he would do if she became pregnant, he eventually just declares "I would take care of it" (an ambiguity if ever there was one!). When she brings up the fact that recently she asked him to pull out during sex and in the moment he refused, he tries to shut her down. "So you are embarrassed to talk about it but not to do it?". she asks. There is an interesting parallel in this moment between the boyfriend and the skeevy abortion doctor. The doctor refuses to say out loud what he wants from the two young women. He will not articulate that he is demanding sex from them. When Otilia is unclear what he is asking for, he grows angry and says that he doesn't want to have to repeat himself. It is interesting how these men are willing to do harmful, abusive things to the women, and yet seem repulsed by having those things named.

I really enjoyed Anamaria Marinca's performance as Otilia. She tries to do right by her friend (and by her boyfriend), but repeatedly has to put up with lies and evasions, including from Gabita. Once the momentum of the day seizes her, all she can do is try and course-correct as best she can. In a society where even birth control is regulated and unavailable, it will always be women without financial means who are hit the hardest when it comes to unplanned pregnancies. In Otilia you see a woman who is aware of this, but at the same time must deal with it being pushed in her face so that she cannot tune out this depressing reality. Part of what separates Otilia and Gabita is luck--especially with an uncooperative boyfriend who won't do basic things to prevent a pregnancy--and you get the sense that this is partly what drives Otilia to work so hard on her friend's behalf.

Whatever your stance on abortion, this is a perceptive, honest look at a dire situation.

4.5

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthepieperreviewblog.files.wordpress.com%2F2018%2F11%2Flargent-1.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

L'Argent, 1983

When a young man's father won't give him an advance on his allowance, the boy ends up getting a forged note from a friend of his. Eventually the note is used (knowing that it is fake) by the owners of a store to pay a truck driver named Yvon (Christian Patey). When Patey is accused of trying to use forged bills at a restaurant, it sets him on a path of trouble with the law. The film also follows a young, sociopathic man named Lucien (Vincent Risterucci) who works at the aforementioned store, who lies in court to help convict Yvon and later ends up at odds with the store owners.

I appreciate the message of this film, which for the most part makes observations about the way that those with money can get away with crimes while other less financially wealthy people cannot. Many characters are able to simply bribe their way out of trouble and come to an "understanding" about their crimes. Watching several wealthy characters knowingly pass on the fake bills to innocents is hard, because we know exactly where the blame will fall.

The film is well-made, but it exists largely in an objective, "spectator" mode. We often watch events in a neutral way, with occasional close-ups calling our attention to certain props or actions. There is a quality of disembodiment throughout the whole film. Ultimately, this style kept me a bit at arm's length. While we follow the characters, we do not really get to know them deeply. At a certain point, Yvon's actions began to make less and less sense to me. I was aware that he was in pain, but his response to those emotions came across as strange.

This is a good movie, but my inability to connect emotionally with the characters kept me from loving it. This distancing is clearly intentional from the way that the movie is shot and edited, but it made it hard for me to really get a good grip on the narrative.

4

[Torgo]

I really like L'Argent too in spite of it being a bit cold and alienating. That may just be a side effect of Bresson preferring to work with non-professional actors, though.

What did you think about the "massacre" ending? My guess is that Yvon's experiences led him to believe that all of those people at the halfway house were essentially worthless and thus killing them would be doing them a favor.

[Takoma11]

I really like L'Argent too in spite of it being a bit cold and alienating. That may just be a side effect of Bresson preferring to work with non-professional actors, though.

What did you think about the "massacre" ending? My guess is that Yvon's experiences led him to believe that all of those people at the halfway house were essentially worthless and thus killing them would be doing them a favor.

To me it didn't quite feel like it flowed, to be honest, from what came before.

I thought that the sequence in the house with the woman and her drunk father-in-law was strong. And the shot of the glass of wine teetering on the edge of the piano was actually my favorite thing in the film.

In terms of the actors, I liked them, but I never felt like I got close to them.

I also quite liked the movie (I mean, it's a solid 4/5 for me), but I was never fully drawn into it.

[Fabulous]

The Rider (2017)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/rhUXXPcVAG4hBNS7aNVCEZrx0Yy.jpg

[Marco]

Ex Machina (2014)

Had a few good ideas. Ultimately, for me, just a nice looking film. Didn't 't care about any character...maybe that was the point. No heart is my main criticism.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/ba/Ex-machina-uk-poster.jpg/330px-Ex-machina-uk-poster.jpg
2

[pahaK]

Vittra (2012)
aka Wither
2
A Swedish Evil Dead ripoff with a hint of Cabin Fever. It's practically a Raimi tribute and nothing more. The effects are fine and every now and then they get some of the dutch angles right. No characters, barely passable acting, and weak soundtrack. I don't even know why I didn't hate this, but it's barely OK.

[skizzerflake]

C.H.U.D. - Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers, filmed in 1984 (among the best years for cheesy horror movies. This one's about as cheesy as they get. The title says most of what you need to know. The CHUDs (a movie title that became a name for certain people) eat people, live in storm drains and New York is full of them. It has burnt-out 1980's detectives, a fashion photog, a cute model, cynical beat cops, exploitive politicians and, of course, CHUDs and the late John Hurt.:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

[StuSmallz]

It was the plot elements you touched on, I had a lot bigger problem with them than you it would seem. It really felt to me like either they were not totally sure of the story they were trying to tell, they were not totally sure how to tell the story within the framework of the grandeur they were trying to capture, or some things had to be cut loose that would have made the story seem to matter more. Some things also just felt too obvious.I don't know about that, as I feel 2049 was pretty sure-footed in its general storytelling, save for the soft retcon of the replicants all of sudden being established as being unable to reproduce in general, so that it's a conveniently a big deal when one of them does. Besides that, I feel that it did a good job of expanding the world of the original, as well as following up on the fallout of both its story & themes, whether it be the new generation of replicants being engineered to obey partly in response to the messy situation that Roy & his fellow reps created, or continuing to ponder what it means to be human when man is creating artificial beings that are ever "more human than human", which is reflected in the way that K taking after his human makers by owning a creation perceived as "lesser" than him in turn with Joi, a detail that wouldn't have made it in the film if it didn't really know what it was trying to say.

[xSookieStackhouse]

Try to find the long version if you can, the US theatrical version had some violence cut out of it and it was very effective violence that made the movie better, actually.

i will definitely will. oh my u serious

[xSookieStackhouse]

This is the message I get:

xSookieStackhouse has chosen not to receive private messages or may not be allowed to receive private messages. Therefore you may not send your message to him/her.

oh thought i fixed it. i will message the admin how to fix it again

[martyrofevil]

Back at it with the last of Brosnan Bonds

The World Is Not Enough (Michael Apted, 1999)
In terms of concepts at least this is has big classic Bond vibes and there's a lot to like here. The setup and premise are very strong and me thinking this was gonna be a top tier film in the franchise but unfortunately there's a just a few too many missed opportunities. The villains and how they develop over time is great but the final showdown doesn't live up to the hype it suggests it should have. The main storyline is one of the more engaging the series has ever had but it is bogged down a good bit with side characters that don't add a ton and the action is a bit lacking in the second half. In the end I'm quite torn on this one. Honestly, if this had a not terrible climax I'd be able to look past my other complaints and consider this one of the best but it just gets a bit frustrating watching it throw away a lot of its great ideas.
rating_3

Die Another Day (Lee Tamahori, 2002)
Ok yes this film is atrocious to look at pretty much all the time with the abhorrent CGI and overuse of fake slow-mo and it doesn't even look all that good when its being normal either but, it still manages to at least be passably entertaining throughout the fairly long runtime. We've seen the rival spies angle a few times now but I always enjoy it and Halle Berry playing a mirror image of Bond is pretty cool (even if she does end up a damsel in distress still). I also liked the villains quite a bit too. One has diamonds embedded in his face and looks dope and the other you hate immediately because he looks like Will Ospreay. It's just a dumb but fun enough ride that somehow never felt like it was wasting my time whilst being 2h15. Also, it does the space laser gimmick better than GoldenEye.
rating_3

and now onto the Daniel Craig era. I know these are generally well-regarded but I'm not looking forward to them tbh.

Current Bond rankings:
01. From Russia with Love
02. Thunderball
03. The Spy Who Loved Me
04. Diamonds are Forever
05. Moonraker
06. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
07. Licence to Kill
08. Tomorrow Never Dies
09. The World Is Not Enough
10. Dr. No
11. The Man with the Golden Gun
12. Octopussy
13. A View to a Kill
14. For Your Eyes Only
15. Die Another Day
16. Live and Let Die
17. You Only Live Twice
18. The Living Daylights
19. Goldfinger
20. GoldenEye

[mojofilter]

http://scriptshadow.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Malcolm-and-Marie-Poster-1500x2121-724x1024.png
MALCOLM & MARIE
(2021)

First viewing. A Netflix movie filmed during lockdown that only features our 2 lead actors, Zendaya and John David Washington, who both deliver very good performances (Zendaya steals the show in the final act). The movie is heavy on dialogue, written entirely by its director Sam Levinson, whom I learned is the son of Barry Levinson. There were parts of the dialogue that were profound and intriguing, especially the part where Washington's Malcolm character goes on a rant lambasting film critics for criticizing the artform of filmmaking, while other parts of dialogue seemed to be dragging on without a clear objective.

I expect Oscar nods for Zendaya, Washington, and Levinson (as director and screenwriter).

3

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F03%2Fb6%2F22%2F03b622a539fae8e241e69baf8c049df3.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Luz, 2018

Bloodied and agitated, a young woman named Luz (Luana Velis) arrives at a police station. Somewhere else in the city, a doctor named Rossini (Jan Bluthardt) is approached at a bar by a mysterious woman named Nora (Julia Riedler). Nora describes her experiences in a Catholic girls' school where Luz, her friend at the time, tried to summon a demon. The next day, Rossini assists two police detectives in interviewing Luz--hypnotizing her so that she can recount the previous evening. But as Luz reveals the events, it becomes more and more clear that someone (or maybe all of them) is in the path of a dark supernatural force.

This film has an opening two minutes that really grab you. I will admit that I struggled a bit with the scene at the bar--a solid 10-15 minutes of exposition--and with the beginning of the scene with Luz's interrogation. The presentation of the hypnosis and how she is reenacting her night just comes across as way too cheesy. But once the film begins to pick up some momentum, and once there starts to be more direct interaction between Luz and the other people in the room, the film finally picks up steam and carries it through to the end.

The second half of the film is a lot stronger than the first half, and there is a great balance of suspense and actual action. The imagery--switching between the interrogation room and Luz's actual memories of the night before--is strong. As the memories and reality begin to bleed into each other, it offers the chance for some neat edits and staging. A particularly nice element is that one of the detectives is in a sound booth, translating (Luz speaks Spanish, the setting is Germany), and he becomes a sort of vicarious audience, mirroring our own reaction to what is happening.

There are many times that the film teeters on looking cheap. I think that overall the sense of style really saves it, as well as the fact that it is intentionally evoking a sort of 80s horror vibe. The camera angles and the editing really help to elevate the look and feel of the film, but it is rough going for about the first 25 minutes.

The performances are pretty good. I do have to say that, despite being the center of the narrative, Luz never felt like much more than a blank slate to me. And her circumstances are horrifying! She is being pursued by a demon she accidentally/on-purpose summoned as a teenager. But because her character is perpetually stunned/hypnotized, we really miss out on much emotion from her. Even her relationship with her friend--the one she accidentally possessed--is not given much development. The actors are all good in their roles and bring a strong physicality to their performances, but the characters themselves don't go much beyond the superficial. Weirdly, the detective stuck in the translating booth was the most "real" feeling character to me.

Worth watching for the imagery and the well-realized throwback quality of the soundtrack and overall vibe. But didn't quite cross the line into great for me. I also did not totally understand the very ending.

3.5

[CharlesAoup]

Vast Of Night, 2019 (D)

Tagline of the movie should be ¨Oops! All setup!¨

It starts well enough and with a good bit of energy, but, as the guy from Family Guy said, it insists upon itself. There's 4 super long scenes of just people telling a story about what might be happening. It's neat at first because hey, love these. Just uninterrupted talking scenes, Kubrick-style. It gets stale after the second one. The movie feels in love with what it's doing, and what it's doing is the classic writer trap of setting up a mystery so thick and intriguing, and making it so great and important that the payoff can never be satisfying. Surprise, it isn't.

[pahaK]

Virus (1980)
aka Hell of the Living Dead, Night of the Zombies
1
I think I've seen three movies by Bruno Mattei, and they all suck balls. One of the worst zombie films I know. At times it's hilariously bad (like the weapon handling and tactics of the special ops guys), but it drags on and on (an effect that's massively amplified by the padding of 30 minutes of stock material of natives and nature). How the hell did this guy direct over 50 movies?

[Wyldesyde19]

Virus (1980)
aka Hell of the Living Dead, Night of the Zombies
1
I think I've seen three movies by Bruno Mattei, and they all suck balls. One of the worst zombie films I know. At times it's hilariously bad (like the weapon handling and tactics of the special ops guys), but it drags on and on (an effect that's massively amplified by the padding of 30 minutes of stock material of natives and nature). How the hell did this guy direct over 50 movies?

I had to look this up. At first, I thought you were referring to Virus from Kinji Fukasaku, which was a sci fi film made that same year.
Spoilers: it isn’t.

[WHITBISSELL!]

He Ran All the Way - 1951 noir or "film gris" which is the term sometimes used for movies released between 1947 and 1951 when the HUAC investigations into communist sympathizers in the Hollywood community were getting underway. The wide ranging investigations ensnared a bunch of people including this film's director John Berry, its screenwriter Dalton Trumbo and the star of the film John Garfield. He refused the committees demands to "name names" and was promptly blacklisted which basically ended his career. The weight of all this combined with an ongoing heart condition led to his death from a heart attack in 1952 at the age of 39.

This did turn out to be Garfield's final film and he definitely goes out on a triumphant note. He plays Nick Robey, a brutish thug living with his mother who happens to hate his guts. His only friend is Al Molin (Norman Lloyd) who, when the film opens, has planned a payroll robbery. The pair's luck turns bad and Al is shot by a policeman whom Nick, in turn, shoots and kills. On the run and desperate he takes refuge in a public swimming pool where he meets Peggy Dobbs (Shelley Winters) a lonely young woman that he immediately latches on to as cover from the army of cops hunting for him. He manipulates the naive Peggy into inviting him inside the apartment she shares with her parents and little brother. It isn't long before he takes the family hostage. The rest of the film belongs to Garfield and his portrayal of the desperate and volatile Robey. Winters does a commendable job as well in a role with which she was well acquainted. That of a mousy sort of woman being taken advantage of by an unfeeling lout. The B&W cinematography is crisp and the action clearly delineated with Berry making full use of the claustrophobic surroundings amidst a sweltering Los Angeles heat wave. This is a must see not only for noir fans but also for any admirers of John Garfield's body of work. 90/100

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffanwithamovieyammer.files.wordpress.com%2F2015%2F02%2Flate-spring.jpg%3Fw%3D450%26h%3D340&f=1&nofb=1

Late Spring, 1949

A woman in her late 20s, Noriko (Setsuko Hara) lives with her widowed father, Shukichi (Chishu Ryu). Having recently recovered from an illness, Noriko and her father begin to get pressure from friends and family members to marry her off. But Noriko wishes to remain with her father, and the question of her marriage (and his possible remarriage) begins to come between them.

There is something so . . . easy about Ozu's films. The way that they capture the rhythms and sensations of the lives of real people. This might be a weird connection to make, but it almost makes me think of Jane Austen or George Eliot and the skill of portraying moments of transition in the way that they are both big and small at once. There are no big, grand gestures here. Just conversations over tea, a trip to the theater, and a walk along the water. But it is in these small moments that big decisions are made.

The way that the film is shot is absolutely gorgeous. Every frame is bursting with life and the vibrancy of the characters. Noriko and Shukichi are incredibly likable characters and the film doesn't rush any of their encounters with each other or the other characters.

Something that I struggled with during the film relates simply to a cultural difference across both time and society. The conflict that Noriko is presented with is never seen as anything other than a binary choice: stay with her father or get married. That's it. Noriko is a bright, charismatic woman, and yet the only future the film or the people around her can imagine is that of a dutiful wife. Nowhere was this more depressing than in the "pep talk" Shukichi gives her to convince her to get married. Sure, she might be miserable for a few years. Yes, he used to find his own wife crying alone in the kitchen, but if you really work at it, you can forge a strong relationship. The emotional core of the film is about Shukichi unselfishly pushing Noriko out of the nest, even if it means his own loneliness. And I never doubted that he cared for her and wanted what was best for her. But yeesh!! To me it all falls a little flat when what Noriko is being pushed into doesn't sound at all appealing. Especially in the final act, I just kept thinking that Noriko deserved a lot more.

I can definitely see why this film is so beloved, and Ozu's skill as a director is on full display. But some of the dated, sexist aspects of the story kept me from fully engaging with the narrative arc.

4.5

[Thief]

I think that those dated aspects where part of what made the film so interesting to me. Yes, it's a snapshot of life at this moment in time, but it's also a snapshot of traditional gender roles in many patriarchal societies, even to this day. Noriko is being married off because at her age, it's expected of her to do so... and her father goes through all of this for the same reason. Not necessarily because he wants her to leave, but because it's what's expected. The final scene shows us that despite his "scheming", there might be some regret in his decision because ultimately, it wasn't *his* decision, maybe. It was society's.

Same can be said about Noriko, whose struggle through the film is highlighted by two opposing points of view: her traditional aunt and her more progressive best friend. I saw both as representations of changes (or the lack of) in the culture of a post-war Japan. Through the film, we see her change from a vivacious, happy, and confident woman to a more somber and unsure one because of the pressures put unto her by "society". In the end, she succumbs" to tradition and "vanishes" in the last scenes; perhaps a metaphor of how women lose their identity after marriage.

[Rockatansky]

Virus (1980)
aka Hell of the Living Dead, Night of the Zombies
1
I think I've seen three movies by Bruno Mattei, and they all suck balls. One of the worst zombie films I know. At times it's hilariously bad (like the weapon handling and tactics of the special ops guys), but it drags on and on (an effect that's massively amplified by the padding of 30 minutes of stock material of natives and nature). How the hell did this guy direct over 50 movies?
Yeah, this one is quite bad. I'd bailed on it halfway years ago and decided to finish the job last year, only to realize I'd made the right call initially. The pizza-faced zombie still makes me laugh, though.



I can't speak to anywhere close to his entire filmography, but I did get some enjoyment out of Shocking Dark (a Terminator ripoff that ends up being an Aliens ripoff) and The Other Hell (a nunsploitation flick with a Goblin soundtrack).

[Takoma11]

I think that those dated aspects where part of what made the film so interesting to me. Yes, it's a snapshot of life at this moment in time, but it's also a snapshot of traditional gender roles in many patriarchal societies, even to this day. Noriko is being married off because at her age, it's expected of her to do so... and her father goes through all of this for the same reason. Not necessarily because he wants her to leave, but because it's what's expected. The final scene shows us that despite his "scheming", there might be some regret in his decision because ultimately, it wasn't *his* decision, maybe. It was society's.

Same can be said about Noriko, whose struggle through the film is highlighted by two opposing points of view: her traditional aunt and her more progressive best friend. I saw both as representations of changes (or the lack of) in the culture of a post-war Japan. Through the film, we see her change from a vivacious, happy, and confident woman to a more somber and unsure one because of the pressures put unto her by "society". In the end, she succumbs" to tradition and "vanishes" in the last scenes; perhaps a metaphor of how women lose their identity after marriage.

I agree. But the final scene with the conversation in the bar/restaurant puts the emphasis on how unselfish it was of her father to convince her to leave, even though it means he will be alone. It was just all kind of . . . bleak. Especially after the whole sequence where she is about to get married and looks absolutely miserable.

I think it gets a little muddled because of the way that the film gives time to the question of widowers remarrying and whether that's okay or not. A huge part of the film is about Noriko coming to terms with the idea that her father might remarry and essentially replace her, but then it turns out that he was just manipulating her to drive her out of the house. So the perceived shift in their relationship wasn't even a real thing. I had very mixed feelings about that reveal.

I just don't know enough about post-war Japan to say if it's reasonable that she could have been thinking about college or a career.

Like you say, as a study in the way that society forces peoples' hands, I think that the film is really successful. But something in the way that intrudes and plays against the relationship between Noriko and her father just felt a little off to me.

[mark f]

Falling (Viggo Mortensen, 2020) 2.5 6/10
All My Friends Are Dead (Jan Belcl, 2020) 2 5/10
Little Big Women (Joseph Chen-Chieh Hsu, 2020) 2.5 6/10
Dear Comrades (Andrey Konchalovskiy, 2020) 3.5 7/10
https://film-book.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/julia-vysotskaya-dear-comrades-01-700x400-1.jpg
In 1962, Communist Party activist Yuliya Vysotskaya becomes horrified when her daughter goes missing after a state-sponsered massacre.
Palmer (Fisher Stevens, 2021) 2.5 6/10
PVT CHAT (Ben Hozie, 2020) 2 5/10
Lapsis (Noah Hutton, 2021) 2.5 6/10
Judas and the Black Messiah (Shaka King, 2021) 3- 6.5/10
https://121-jgweb.newscyclecloud.com/storyimage/JG/20210212/WEB/302129999/EP/1/7/EP-302129999.jpg&MaxH=400
Illinois Black Panther Chairman Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya) has a fateful run-in with FBI informant Bill O'Neal (LaKeith Stanfield).
I'll Meet You There (Iram Parveen Bilal, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
Angels in the Dust (Louise Hogarth, 2007) 3 6.5/10
Red Dot (Alain Darborg, 2021) 2.5 5.5/10
Pressure Cooker (Mark Becker & Jennifer Grausman, 2008) 3 6.5/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHTBMEK1q-A
Philadelphia high school students who study Culinary Arts have a good chance of obtaining huge scholarships.
The Map of Tiny Perfect Things (Ian Samuels, 2021) 2.5+ 6/10
The Assignment (Walter Hill, 2016) 2 5/10
Dead Pigs (Cathy Yan, 2018) 2.5 6/10
Dark Star: H.R. Giger's World (Belinda Sallin, 2014) 3 6.5/10
https://www.denofgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/giger_and_alien.jpg?fit=620%2C368
Giger talks about his art and participates in some activities before his death.
Music (Sia, 2021) 2 5/10
Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar (Josh Greenbaum, 2021) 2.5+ 6/10
Cowboys (Anna Kerrigan, 2020) 2 5/10
Willy's Wonderland (Kevin Lewis, 2021) 2.5 5.5/10
https://images.justwatch.com/backdrop/240667062/s480/willys-wonderland
Young badass Emily Tosta and silent Nic Cage are too cool for school and some audio animatronic killers at a faux Chuck E. Cheese.

[Insane]

Ex Machina


Honestly, this one is particularly hard to rate. I watched it for the first time last night, and all I can say is that as far as movies go, I'll give it a 5 out of 10. Kyoko gets a resounding 10 fingers out of 10 for being an exquisitely beautiful Japanese girl.



The soundtrack blends perfectly with the scenes, the sets are believable for some multi-billionaire recluse, and Eva did an admirable job. If I could just leave it there, it would be a 7. The problem comes with the two male actors. They are horrendous! GTA V strippers have more personality and better dialogue than they do.



One last problem is that it simply tries so hard that it's pretentious, and pretentious is something that no movie can afford to be.

[John W Constantine]

The Set-Up - 1949

4.5

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dmovies.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F09%2Fpixote5.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Pixote, 1981

A boy named Pixote (Fernando Ramas da Silva) is arrested in a general round up of children living in the streets. Taken to an institution that is somewhere between a jail and a childrens' home, Pixote immediately encounters the brutal realities of abuse, assault, and neglect--things perpetrated by both his fellow inmates and the adults running the place. When Pixote and some other boys make a run for it, their lives only become more complicated.

Brutal, brutal, brutal. There is just no other way to describe this film. The real miracle of it is that despite basically consisting of two full hours of horrifying images and sequences, the film never films exploitative--always staying rooted in a degree of sympathy for its characters.

The film has an incredible knack for communicating with terrifying efficiency just how hellish the situation is for the boys in the institution. On Pixote's first night, he witnesses the horrific rape of one of the boys by some older teenagers. When the main supervisor finds the boy dead(?) the next morning, he admonishes the boys that their actions make him look bad. The boys are never treated as human. They are regarded by their caretakers as inconveniences, and their brutalized, unconscious bodies are frequently lugged around by staff as if they were bags of trash.

Another aspect of the film that is very moving and well-realized is the nature of the relationships between the different boys. These relationships are both tenuous and essential for survival. Pixote eventually mainly falls in with an inmate named Lilica (Jorge Juliao) who seems to be a transwoman; a teenage boy named Dito (Gilberto Moura), and a boy named Chico (Edilson Lino). While the boys band together out of necessity, they are just as capable of doing harm to each other, and their desperation often puts them in precarious positions. I found Lilica's character especially interesting---her femininity at once an advantage and a vulnerability.

This is the kind of film that really forces me to wrestle with my sense of morality/ethics when it comes to what is put on screen using actual child actors. There is a lot of nudity in this film that involves children who look to be as young as 11-13 years old, some of it including sexual situations or sexual violence. The choice to put the bodies of these boys on display is clearly a choice intended to drive home the dehumanizing conditions in which they live. A sequence where a frustrated caretaker throws the nude body of a boy over his shoulder hits much harder than if the boy were clothed. At the same time, the use of children in such scenes always gives me pause. Does a 13 or 14 year old child really have the emotional and mental development to make the choice to put their body on display in such a way? To grant the permission for the perpetual existence of images of their childhood bodies? Again, I never felt that the use of the children was meant to be exploitative, but several scenes gave me pause.

I would also be remiss in not mentioning the fate of the actor who played Pixote. Six years after playing this lead role, he was shot dead by the police. The writer/director of the film, Hector Babenco, deliberately cast many boys who had been in similar situations as their characters. The death of da Silva (who, from what I read, was possibly shot in the back while laying on the ground, unarmed) is a bleak, heart-breaking "post-film" coda to the whole affair. Within the film you see the systemic failure of a society to protect and nurture its vulnerable children. Da Silva's death eerily echoes this failure in real life.

This movie made me think a lot of Come and See. Tragedy upon tragedy, and yet you can't look away.

4.5

[ThatDarnMKS]

I agree. But the final scene with the conversation in the bar/restaurant puts the emphasis on how unselfish it was of her father to convince her to leave, even though it means he will be alone. It was just all kind of . . . bleak. Especially after the whole sequence where she is about to get married and looks absolutely miserable.

I think it gets a little muddled because of the way that the film gives time to the question of widowers remarrying and whether that's okay or not. A huge part of the film is about Noriko coming to terms with the idea that her father might remarry and essentially replace her, but then it turns out that he was just manipulating her to drive her out of the house. So the perceived shift in their relationship wasn't even a real thing. I had very mixed feelings about that reveal.

I just don't know enough about post-war Japan to say if it's reasonable that she could have been thinking about college or a career.

Like you say, as a study in the way that society forces peoples' hands, I think that the film is really successful. But something in the way that intrudes and plays against the relationship between Noriko and her father just felt a little off to me.
An interesting element to look at is that Ozu was an eternal bachelor that remained the caretaker of his mother until his dying day. This story being told from that lens carries an interesting degree of resonance. Perhaps this is a wish fulfillment and recognition of the only means he could've willingly left such an entanglement?

Just a bit of trivia that makes all of his films make a bit more sense and significantly sadder.

[Takoma11]

An interesting element to look at is that Ozu was an eternal bachelor that remained the caretaker of his mother until his dying day. This story being told from that lens carries an interesting degree of resonance. Perhaps this is a wish fulfillment and recognition of the only means he could've willingly left such an entanglement?

Just a bit of trivia that makes all of his films make a bit more sense and significantly sadder.

Part of what I found confusing, actually, is that across many cultures there are children who never marry and end up living with and/or caring for their parents. And not in some weird "I never grew up and I'm still mommy/daddy's kid", but like, as a companionable relationship.

I guess it just seemed to me that both Noriko and her father came across as more independent thinkers, so it was strange to see them bow to that external pressure.

[Insane]

I just don't know enough about post-war Japan to say if it's reasonable that she could have been thinking about college or a career.


Women weren't allowed to get a university degree until about 1945. This is also when women got the right to vote.



Still, this doesn't change the situation for Noriko. She's 27 years old and unmarried, which is the meaning behind the title of the film. She's no longer a spring chicken, and even considered to be a bit of an old maid. The love she has for her father is appreciated, but her father loves her as well, and he knows that she will be far happier with a family of her own.



In other words, both are willing to sacrifice their future happiness for the other.



Furthermore, even if she had wanted to go to college, it would have meant not getting married because Japanese men at the time would never marry a woman with a university education. As the daughter of a university professor, she could possibly, if the guy was willing to overlook her old age, marry an educator or politician. To marry beneath her family's class simply would not do!

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cinemaclock.com%2Fimages%2F580x326%2F70%2Fking_and_the_mockingbird__1980_4473.j pg&f=1&nofb=1

The King and the Mockingbird, 1980

In a strange fantasy/futuristic/medieval kingdom, a cruel king, Charles, rules over his subjects in a way mostly intended to bolster his own ego. The king is constantly pestered by the Mockingbird, a bird whose wife was killed by the king. One strange night, a portrait of the king comes to life and displaces the real king, setting out to capture a painting of a shepherdess he wishes to marry. The Mockingbird swoops in to help the shepherdess and the chimney sweep who loves her.

Despite the 1980 date, this film was actually originally created in the 1950s. The animation style is very distinct and it is very interesting. The mash-up of eras creates a very engaging visual world. Dressed in old fashioned clothing, the king rides in a futuristic elevator. Later in the movie, a large robot appears. And yet there are also many fantasy elements. A squad of police officers who fly using bat-like wings. An underground society of people who have never seen the sun.

After Pixote I needed something light, and this definitely fit the bill! The visuals are a lot of fun, and the story is whimsical and enjoyable. While there are some slightly dated elements in the film (the shepherdess has . . . no personality), none of it is prominent enough to be a problem. The film really does feel like 85% is just delightful world-building, with a narrative mostly serving to create an excuse for a tour through the world that the animators have created.

This film has been on my radar for a long while and has been frustratingly unavailable. I was really happy to see it pop up on the Criterion Channel.

4

[Takoma11]

The love she has for her father is appreciated, but her father loves her as well, and he knows that she will be far happier with a family of her own.

He thinks she will be happier with a family of her own.

And, hey, he might be right that staying single will not serve her well in the long term.

Again, I acknowledge that this is a gap in time and culture between me and the world of the film. For me, personally, the bleakness of the outcome puts a bit of a ding on what it seems you are supposed to feel about the father's behavior.

[martyrofevil]

Ok look I really didn't want it to be this way but...

Casino Royale (Martin Campbell, 2006)
So the previous film in the franchise Die Another Day was objectively bad but didn't waste my time. This film is objectively good but is 100% wasting my time and I was pretty checked out by the time we were out of the titular casino. Still there's stuff to like here for sure. The action scenes are solid for the most part (excluding the last one) even though I'm not in love with how they're cut and it looks fine for the most parts minus a few scenes where the frame rate is out of whack. I think the strongest aspect of the film is just the simplified approach to Bond's spy work and the scenes where he's just following someone are probably the best in the whole film. There's some fairly hefty downsides though; as I alluded to earlier, the runtime is very bloated and I had a hard time giving a **** about anything in the last like 40 minutes and definitely didn't appreciate the numerous fake-out endings. The other big issue is just how consistently cringe all the dialog is, be it Bond and his girl obnoxiously psychoanalyzing each other the whole film or characters just bluntly telling you, the audience, what's happening. It's still not bad I guess just really, really overstays its welcome.
rating_2_5

and for a more agreeable take:

Quantum of Solace (Marc Forster, 2008)
Boy this is a great looking action film. Tons of interesting, dynamic shots and then they went and cut the thing with a paper shredder it seems. This is nauseating to watch most of the time and its such a shame because again, so many cool individual shots in the action scenes that are just cut into utter nonsense. It does calm down a bit by the end thankfully and I actually kind of like the last action set piece but even in the tame scenes there isn't a natural feeling edit to be found. Like, its almost avant-garde at points. With a proper edit there would be some real winners in the action scenes but it wouldn't save the film from still managing to drag pretty severely at points despite being the shortest Bond film in like three decades. Also don't really like the on-going narrative connecting (I'm guessing) all these films together as its just bloating the films pointlessly as you could cut all that stuff and I bet the films would stand fine on their own. Despite all that there's still some action bits that work and I wasn't ever mad at it. Confused and a bit sick perhaps, but not mad.
rating_2_5


Current Bond rankings:
01. From Russia with Love
02. Thunderball
03. The Spy Who Loved Me
04. Diamonds are Forever
05. Moonraker
06. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
07. Licence to Kill
08. Tomorrow Never Dies
09. The World Is Not Enough
10. Dr. No
11. The Man with the Golden Gun
12. Octopussy
13. A View to a Kill
14. For Your Eyes Only
15. Die Another Day
16. Live and Let Die
17. You Only Live Twice
18. Casino Royale
19. The Living Daylights
20. Quantum of Solace
21. Goldfinger
22. GoldenEye

[Ang]

9/10 Quiet Night (on youtube)

[Thief]

Re: Late Spring, there are many moments I really enjoy from the film, one of them being the Noh performance where Noriko realizes the "other woman" is there. The performance from Setsuko Hara is soooo good as we see her face, body language, and demeanor go from carefree happiness to deep-rooted sadness, all in a couple of shots, as she realizes her whole life is set to change, that nothing will probably be the same.

But I found one of the final conversations between Noriko and Shukichi, the one when they are folding their clothes, to be the most impactful because both of them make compelling cases for their reasoning to leave things as they are or to continue with this marriage. From her plea to "stay as [they] are" because she is "content with this life" to his assertion that his "life is nearing its end" and that at the end of the day, he "plays no part" in her future.

Her acknowledgment that she doesn't need to be married, that it's not something she looks forward is quite empowering for a woman in this time and era, but on the other hand, he thinks he's preparing her for a better future by "letting her go", rather than staying together. "That's the order of human life and history".

[Takoma11]

Re: Late Spring, there are many moments I really enjoy from the film, one of them being the Noh performance where Noriko realizes the "other woman" is there. The performance from Setsuko Hara is soooo good as we see her face, body language, and demeanor go from carefree happiness to deep-rooted sadness, all in a couple of shots, as she realizes her whole life is set to change, that nothing will probably be the same.

Yes, it is a great sequence. And I love how long Ozu allows it to unfold.

But I found one of the final conversations between Noriko and Shukichi, the one when they are folding their clothes, to be the most impactful because both of them make compelling cases for their reasoning to leave things as they are or to continue with this marriage. From her plea to "stay as [they] are" because she is "content with this life" to his assertion that his "life is nearing its end" and that at the end of the day, he "plays no part" in her future.

Her acknowledgment that she doesn't need to be married, that it's not something she looks forward is quite empowering for a woman in this time and era, but on the other hand, he thinks he's preparing her for a better future by "letting her go", rather than staying together. "That's the order of human life and history".

Part of what I'm pondering about the film is whether the intent is for us as the audience to believe that the father has done the right thing or not. There are hints both ways (such as how utterly miserable Noriko looks on the morning of the wedding), and I simply wasn't sure how I felt about it.

Maybe I'm looking for commentary where there was only meant to be observation. But Shikichi lying to Noriko and manipulating her feels so out of line with the rest of their relationship, which we see to be open and honest.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.small-screen.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F10%2Fscream-queen-my-nightmare-on-elm-street_kqcv7n-scaled-e1603197228414.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street, 2019

In 1985, Mark Patton was an actor whose career was really taking off following successes on Broadway and in both stage and film collaborations with Robert Altman. Landing in Hollywood, Patton was cast in the lead role of Freddy's Revenge: Nightmare on Elm Street 2. A horrible, perfect storm landed on Patton, a closeted gay man, as the film began to get negative attention for its less-than-subtle gay subtext, Hollywood began moving into an era of gay/AIDS panic, and Patton's romantic partner died of AIDS. Patton abandoned his Hollywood career, but was pulled back into the controversy when a documentary about the Elm Street series made him aware of a revival of attention to the movie, and also of the way that both the writer and director of the film denied any intention in the film's queer content.

It seems obvious to say it, but this film is really best if you have already seen Nightmare on Elm Street 2 and are aware that the gay aspect of the movie is deeply ingrained in the whole film--this is not just a case of clever YouTube editors cherry-picking moments and stringing them together to give a false reading.

There are several compelling elements of this documentary, which genuinely moved me. The first is simply Patton's personal experience. Growing up gay in a small southern town, he takes the advice of his high school drama teacher to get out as fast as he can, and leaves for New York. As his star rises, he and his boyfriend, actor Timothy Patrick Murphy, live in a nice house near Madonna. It's all a dream until Murphy becomes seriously ill with complications from HIV. Patton, due to gay panic, is told by his agents that he must become a character actor because he can't "play straight" and that he must put on as stronger front of being straight in his personal life to avoid negative press attention. Patton leaves Hollywood, discovers that he also has HIV and tuberculosis, and after his recovery moves to Mexico, completely leaving fame behind. And when he does get pulled back into the Hollywood world by the documentary crew making Never Sleep Again, he ventures online to discover hundreds of people calling him a "fagg*t". Patton's decision to engage with the world of the horror fandom clearly causes him conflict, but he is also unwilling to be stonewalled anymore when it comes to just how the film came to be made the way that it was.

The part of the film that made me the most angry was the way that Patton is treated by David Chaskin (the writer) and Jack Sholder (the director). As Patton points out, Chasin repeatedly asserted that there was only meant to be a little gay subtext in the film and that Patton's performance is what made it "gay". But when fans begin to celebrate the queer elements of the film, Chaskin is more than willing to take credit for that "transgressive" element. When Patton confronts Chaskin with interviews he did ("Oh boy!" Chaskin says, "This is where I get haunted!" Yes, imagine. Being haunted by THINGS YOU SAID), he claims that he was "joking" when he asserted that the film was so gay because of "casting". He gives what must be one of the worst non-apologies I have ever seen. He claims that he doesn't want to promote homophobia (what a stand up guy!), but so many of his statements come across as homophobic, especially when he repeatedly talks about Patton "screaming like a girl". Chaskin seems unwilling to admit that a lot of what is in the script comes from his own homophobia--after saying that he'd never met an "out gay"--and he seems entirely unwilling to engage with the emotional damage that Patton has suffered as a result of his words.

The director, Sholder, is even worse. He repeatedly claims that he didn't realize that the film had gay content. "We shot in a famous gay bar!" Robert Rusler, another of the film's stars, exclaims. Sholder then "remembers" that he scouted the bar when it was closed so there were no gay men in there at the time, and then further clarifies that actually in the script it wasn't mean to be a "gay bar" but rather a "transvestite bar", which is why they included "some weird looking women" in the scene. It is so painful. Rusler, clearly an ally of Patton's and an audience surrogate, just shakes his head in disbelief. When Patton asks, very reasonably, why no one ever said anything if he was playing the character as too feminine or too gay, Sholder has no answer for him. It's additionally damning that many of the cast, including Robert Englund, talk about how obvious it was. Englund even talks about asking Patton's permission to make one of their scenes more homoerotic in the way that Freddy caresses Jesse's face.

Maybe one of the most interesting things about the film is thinking about how it is perceived among gay horror fans. There is no doubt in my mind that the blatant gay/queer elements in the film came from Chaskin's own homophobia. And yet, a film in which the intent seems to have been to make homosexuality the monster seems to have been read by many gay fans as the horror actually being the fear of coming out and the fear of one's true identity. Many of the gay fans can identify with the idea that their sexuality, especially in the 80s, was something monstrous inside of them that they could not control and which could ruin their lives. Patton and the film take time to remind the viewer of the tremendous amount of violence and hatred that was directed at the gay community at the time. Despite the film's intentions not being in the right place, you can really see how a young gay person would identify with Jesse.

While I found Nightmare on Elm Street 2 pretty underwhelming, the character of Jesse was actually my favorite thing about it. Starting with the inclusion of a "final boy" instead of a "final girl", but even more in the portrayal of a lead male character who is emotionally vulnerable and sensitive. I totally agree with the commentator who remarks that an audience likes a final girl because of the transformation from victim to hero, and that audiences are less comfortable seeing a male character in a prolonged "victim" role. Jesse's fear feels very real, as does his sense of being out of control. It makes me sad to think that a performance that I admire was the source of years of pain for the actor who gave it.

I really admire Patton for telling his story. I like that he is both willing to speak up and confront others, and at the same time is quick to forgive. I think that the way that his co-stars talk about him speaks to the fact that he's not being over dramatic about things.

This documentary is a really amazing look at one man's life and experience in Hollywood, but it also raises some interesting discussions about horror movie culture and its complicated relationship with minority characters, especially because those characters are often filtered through the lens of straight/white/male writers and directors. Highly recommended, especially for horror fans.

4.5

[Whammy]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=73250

rating_2

A woman gets raped and left for dead. Turns out to still be alive and starts stalking and killing the men responsible. The plot has been done but who doesn't enjoy a good revenge flick, right? There were a lot of things wrong with this movie but most can't be discussed without spoilers so I'll discuss just a few.

An experienced hunter calls his shotgun a rifle and actually has a scope on it. Said shotgun is used as a rifle, firing a single projectile per shot, except once when the shot actually does what it should do. The shotgun is a pump action but is fired as a semi-auto.

Another issue is the cauterizing of a wound with a beer can. The print on the can is seared into the flesh as raised welts, like a brand. Not really possible.

The woman is impaled on a tree and is stuck there. She sets it on fire so it will break and she can escape but, because of her proximity to the flames, she would have been burned very seriously long before the tree would have broken.

The human body does not hold nearly so much blood as this movie would have you believe.

[Thief]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.small-screen.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F10%2Fscream-queen-my-nightmare-on-elm-street_kqcv7n-scaled-e1603197228414.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street, 2019

In 1985, Mark Patton was an actor whose career was really taking off following successes on Broadway and in both stage and film collaborations with Robert Altman. Landing in Hollywood, Patton was cast in the lead role of Freddy's Revenge: Nightmare on Elm Street 2. A horrible, perfect storm landed on Patton, a closeted gay man, as the film began to get negative attention for its less-than-subtle gay subtext, Hollywood began moving into an era of gay/AIDS panic, and Patton's romantic partner died of AIDS. Patton abandoned his Hollywood career, but was pulled back into the controversy when a documentary about the Elm Street series made him aware of a revival of attention to the movie, and also of the way that both the writer and director of the film denied any intention in the film's queer content.

It seems obvious to say it, but this film is really best if you have already seen Nightmare on Elm Street 2 and are aware that the gay aspect of the movie is deeply ingrained in the whole film--this is not just a case of clever YouTube editors cherry-picking moments and stringing them together to give a false reading.

There are several compelling elements of this documentary, which genuinely moved me. The first is simply Patton's personal experience. Growing up gay in a small southern town, he takes the advice of his high school drama teacher to get out as fast as he can, and leaves for New York. As his star rises, he and his boyfriend, actor Timothy Patrick Murphy, live in a nice house near Madonna. It's all a dream until Murphy becomes seriously ill with complications from HIV. Patton, due to gay panic, is told by his agents that he must become a character actor because he can't "play straight" and that he must put on as stronger front of being straight in his personal life to avoid negative press attention. Patton leaves Hollywood, discovers that he also has HIV and tuberculosis, and after his recovery moves to Mexico, completely leaving fame behind. And when he does get pulled back into the Hollywood world by the documentary crew making Never Sleep Again, he ventures online to discover hundreds of people calling him a "fagg*t". Patton's decision to engage with the world of the horror fandom clearly causes him conflict, but he is also unwilling to be stonewalled anymore when it comes to just how the film came to be made the way that it was.

The part of the film that made me the most angry was the way that Patton is treated by David Chaskin (the writer) and Jack Sholder (the director). As Patton points out, Chasin repeatedly asserted that there was only meant to be a little gay subtext in the film and that Patton's performance is what made it "gay". But when fans begin to celebrate the queer elements of the film, Chaskin is more than willing to take credit for that "transgressive" element. When Patton confronts Chaskin with interviews he did ("Oh boy!" Chaskin says, "This is where I get haunted!" Yes, imagine. Being haunted by THINGS YOU SAID), he claims that he was "joking" when he asserted that the film was so gay because of "casting". He gives what must be one of the worst non-apologies I have ever seen. He claims that he doesn't want to promote homophobia (what a stand up guy!), but so many of his statements come across as homophobic, especially when he repeatedly talks about Patton "screaming like a girl". Chaskin seems unwilling to admit that a lot of what is in the script comes from his own homophobia--after saying that he'd never met an "out gay"--and he seems entirely unwilling to engage with the emotional damage that Patton has suffered as a result of his words.

The director, Sholder, is even worse. He repeatedly claims that he didn't realize that the film had gay content. "We shot in a famous gay bar!" Robert Rusler, another of the film's stars, exclaims. Sholder then "remembers" that he scouted the bar when it was closed so there were no gay men in there at the time, and then further clarifies that actually in the script it wasn't mean to be a "gay bar" but rather a "transvestite bar", which is why they included "some weird looking women" in the scene. It is so painful. Rusler, clearly an ally of Patton's and an audience surrogate, just shakes his head in disbelief. When Patton asks, very reasonably, why no one ever said anything if he was playing the character as too feminine or too gay, Sholder has no answer for him. It's additionally damning that many of the cast, including Robert Englund, talk about how obvious it was. Englund even talks about asking Patton's permission to make one of their scenes more homoerotic in the way that Freddy caresses Jesse's face.

Maybe one of the most interesting things about the film is thinking about how it is perceived among gay horror fans. There is no doubt in my mind that the blatant gay/queer elements in the film came from Chaskin's own homophobia. And yet, a film in which the intent seems to have been to make homosexuality the monster seems to have been read by many gay fans as the horror actually being the fear of coming out and the fear of one's true identity. Many of the gay fans can identify with the idea that their sexuality, especially in the 80s, was something monstrous inside of them that they could not control and which could ruin their lives. Patton and the film take time to remind the viewer of the tremendous amount of violence and hatred that was directed at the gay community at the time. Despite the film's intentions not being in the right place, you can really see how a young gay person would identify with Jesse.

While I found Nightmare on Elm Street 2 pretty underwhelming, the character of Jesse was actually my favorite thing about it. Starting with the inclusion of a "final boy" instead of a "final girl", but even more in the portrayal of a lead male character who is a bit feminine and sensitive. I totally agree with the commentator who remarks that an audience likes a final girl because of the transformation from victim to hero, and that audiences are less comfortable seeing a male character in a prolonged "victim" role. Jesse's fear feels very real, as does his sense of being out of control. It makes me sad to think that a performance that I admire was the source of years of pain for the actor who gave it.

I really admire Patton for telling his story. I like that he is both willing to speak up and confront others, and at the same time is quick to forgive. I think that the way that his co-stars talk about him speaks to the fact that he's not being over dramatic about things.

This documentary is a really amazing look at one man's life and experience in Hollywood, but it also raises some interesting discussions about horror movie culture and its complicated relationship with minority characters, especially because those characters are often filtered through the lens of straight/white/male writers and directors. Highly recommended, especially for horror fans.

4.5

Need to check this out. I've said it before but seeing Nightmare 2 back in the 80s, when I was 9? 10? That subtext really went waaaaay over my head. Revisited the film a couple of years ago and it hit me like a truck. I'll be curious to check out what Patton and others have to say about it. Will add this to my watchlist.

[Takoma11]

An experienced hunter calls his shotgun a rifle and actually has a scope on it. Said shotgun is used as a rifle, firing a single projectile per shot, except once when the shot actually does what it should do. The shotgun is a pump action but is fired as a semi-auto.

Another issue is the cauterizing of a wound with a beer can. The print on the can is seared into the flesh as raised welts, like a brand. Not really possible.

The woman is impaled on a tree and is stuck there. She sets it on fire so it will break and she can escape but, because of her proximity to the flames, she would have been burned very seriously long before the tree would have broken.

The human body does not hold nearly so much blood as this movie would have you believe.

Taking the physical elements of this film literally--especially things like the beer can scene and the amount of blood on display--is probably going to give you the least possible bang for your buck in terms of what the film is after.

[Thief]

ANTWONE FISHER
(2002, Washington)
A film with an African-American cast

https://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/uploads/film_reviews/images//antwone-fisher-hero.jpg

"Who will cry for the little boy, Antwone?"
"I will. I always do."


This film follows the events that surround Fisher (Derek Luke), a Navy sailor that is sent for a psychiatric evaluation with Dr. Jerome Davenport (Denzel Washington) after yet another violent outburst against another sailor. But Fisher says there's nothing wrong with him, or at least that's the front he tries to put up with Davenport when we all know he's just a boy trapped inside a man. The film follows the typical motions of other similar films, with Davenport standing strong beside Fisher, as he eventually opens up to reveal his troubled past; a past that involves abuse of all kinds.

Grade: 4


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2178212#post2178212)

[Torgo]

On Dangerous Ground - 4

This is a lean yet affecting film noir from Nicholas Ray. After 11 years on the police force in a crime-ridden metropolis while mourning the loss of the football career that never happened, Jim Wilson (Robert Ryan) is at his wit's end. After brutalizing one too many suspects, Captain Brawley (Ed Begley in a small and functional role that he still makes memorable) assigns him to a small town in the mountains to join the hunt for a murderer on the run. There, he meets Mary (Ida Lupino), a lonely blind woman with whom he bonds and sees a little bit of himself in (no pun intended). Jim's pursuit of the killer and his time spent with Mary amount to an affecting story about the importance of not letting your work rob you of your humanity. His assignment ends up being just what he needs to realize this because aside from meeting Mary, he sees how he would have ended up if he had stayed on his previous path in Walter (J.K. Simmons ringer Ward Bond), the father of the murder victim who only has vengeance on his mind. Luckily, the movie is not all human drama: those who love film noir for its tension and action will find it here, the highlight being when Jim and Walter pursue a suspect through the Colorado wilderness. Again, the movie is lean - perhaps too lean - and while the ending is sweet, it seems a little tacked on and studio-mandated. The movie is still guaranteed to satisfy even die hard film noir fans, especially ones who aren't particularly satisfied with their jobs. Oh, and Bernard Herrmann's bombastic score is one of his best.

[ThatDarnMKS]

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH

4.5

Malcolm X meets the Departed. Stylishly shot, sleekly edited and superbly acted.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.mubi.com%2Fimages%2Ffilm%2F3837%2Fimage-w448.jpg%3F1481128372&f=1&nofb=1

Bright Leaves, 2003

This documentary was created by Ross McElwee, a man whose family has always believed that the Gary Cooper film Bright Leaf was based on the story of their great-grandfather, a man whose formula for tobacco was stolen by the men who eventually created the brand of Bull Durham. McElwee looks into the family's history but also investigates the role of tobacco in the North Carolina economy and society.

The portion of this film that deals with the family history is medium interesting. But what I most enjoyed were the interviews with the different residents of North Carolina and their complicated relationships with tobacco. Many of the people who grow and sell it also have multiple family members who have died or who are dying of lung cancer.

Maybe the most interesting interview is with a woman who grows and sells tobacco, and whose mother has just died of lung cancer. When McElwee asks her how she squares selling tobacco with her mother dying of lung cancer, the woman responds that her growing and selling tobacco has "nothing to do with my mother dying. It has nothing to do with anyone dying." It if fascinating the way that their economic dependence means that they will live in denial about the impact of their actions. Later, another woman says, "Everyone dies of something. You might as well die of something that helps our, what do you call it, economy."

This was an interesting watch. Maybe a bit underwhelming, and I wish that despite the personal connection, the film had really just been about the people and their relationship with the tobacco economy.

3.5

[Wyldesyde19]

Taking the physical elements of this film literally--especially things like the beer can scene and the amount of blood on display--is probably going to give you the least possible bang for your buck in terms of what the film is after.

I don’t know what this film could have been after. It’s a straightforward revenge thriller. It wasn’t even an entertaining one at that.

[Takoma11]

I don’t know what this film could have been after. It’s a straightforward revenge thriller. It wasn’t even an entertaining one at that.

The whole film exists in a heightened state where everything is kind of extra, from the bright colors to the amount of blood splatter. It trades in extremes. Each of the three men embodies a different facet of sexual abuse (the rapist/the bystander-observer/the cover-up). I loved that the main character is a big middle finger to the idea of "asking for it". The care that went into the distinction between sexuality and sexual violence was some of the best I've ever seen. I thought it was fabulous, and especially as a Friday/Saturday night midnight movie, which is how I watched it. I genuinely am sad that I didn't see this in the theater.

[LChimp]

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/98/af/9e/98af9ec44051f28824cbe52e6467fce5.jpg

My kid asked to watch this, so we did. It has its moments, but it's not as good as the first one.

[Wyldesyde19]

The whole film exists in a heightened state where everything is kind of extra, from the bright colors to the amount of blood splatter. It trades in extremes. Each of the three men embodies a different facet of sexual abuse (the rapist/the bystander-observer/the cover-up). I loved that the main character is a big middle finger to the idea of "asking for it". The care that went into the distinction between sexuality and sexual violence was some of the best I've ever seen. I thought it was fabulous, and especially as a Friday/Saturday night midnight movie, which is how I watched it. I genuinely am sad that I didn't see this in the theater.

Eh. Idk. I didn’t get that feeling from the movie myself. It felt like, hey, let’s have this woman dress sexy, have her assaulted, plant it as her fault for her poor decisions, especially from the male point of view in the film, then empower her after the fact when she gets her revenge.
I think I just object to the idea of how every rape/revenge movie like this frames it around how she is dressed and/or acts towards men, as if it’s her fault.
I’m rambling here. But obviously, I have strong (!) objections

[Takoma11]

Eh. Idk. I didn’t get that feeling from the movie myself. It felt like, hey, let’s have this woman dress sexy, have her assaulted, plant it as her fault for her poor decisions, especially from the male point of view in the film, then empower her after the fact when she gets her revenge.
I think I just object to the idea of how every rape/revenge movie like this frames it around how she is dressed and/or acts towards men, as if it’s her fault.
I’m rambling here. But obviously, I have strong (!) objections

I thought that was actually the point!

As I wrote in my review, she makes literally EVERY wrong decision: she is with a married man, she goes alone with him to an isolated location, she dresses sexy (even after two other men show up), she flirts with them, she does a sexy dance for them. It's intentional and over-the-top and it's excellent, because the point is that she absolutely does not deserve what happens to her. And you also get the sense that this probably isn't the first time any of these three men have been party to an assault of this kind.

Unlike almost every other rape/revenge film, this one doesn't linger on her attack. Most movies of this type love to linger on the assault itself, including a lot of nudity from the victim. This film places the emphasis on the dynamics between the men during the assault---Dimi closing the door, eating a snack, and drowning out her screams with the TV. Richard offering her money to stay quiet.

I see this film as breaking the mold of rape/revenge in many ways. It's as much about the way that the male characters react to what has happened as it is about the revenge of the main character.

Here is just a thought: from the male point of view in the film, there would have always been something she did to "deserve" or "ask for it". Richard tells her "You know how hard it is to resist you."

[Wyldesyde19]

I thought that was actually the point!

As I wrote in my review, she makes literally EVERY wrong decision: she is with a married man, she goes alone with him to an isolated location, she dresses sexy (even after two other men show up), she flirts with them, she does a sexy dance for them. It's intentional and over-the-top and it's excellent, because the point is that she absolutely does not deserve what happens to her. And you also get the sense that this probably isn't the first time any of these three men have been party to an assault of this kind.

Unlike almost every other rape/revenge film, this one doesn't linger on her attack. Most movies of this type love to linger on the assault itself, including a lot of nudity from the victim. This film places the emphasis on the dynamics between the men during the assault---Dimi closing the door, eating a snack, and drowning out her screams with the TV. Richard offering her money to stay quiet.

I see this film as breaking the mold of rape/revenge in many ways. It's as much about the way that the male characters react to what has happened as it is about the revenge of the main character.

Here is just a thought: from the male point of view in the film, there would have always been something she did to "deserve" or "ask for it". Richard tells her "You know how hard it is to resist you."
Hmm. Maybe I should give it another try, from that viewpoint, sometime. I didn’t get the feeling it “broke” the mold so to speak, but maybe I missed something in it. Who knows?

[Takoma11]

Hmm. Maybe I should give it another try, from that viewpoint, sometime. I didn’t get the feeling it “broke” the mold so to speak, but maybe I missed something in it. Who knows?

By virtue of watching a lot of horror and thriller movies, I have seen many, many variations on a rape/revenge dynamic. This one felt different to me in a positive way.

Here is a really spoiler-y thought: I almost felt like the film was more about the men. The main character literally doesn't speak after she falls off of the cliff. Not a word. But there are numerous conversations between the men, including Richard calling his wife. It's almost as if the main character transforms into a borderline supernatural "Ghost of Rapes Past" to punish the men for their crimes. There's no "training montage" of her learning to fight or whatever. She burns an eagle into her stomach, does some peyote, and destroys them. I also really appreciated that Richard's body was on display as much as, if not more than, the protagonist's. The angles of the film just felt really fresh and different to me.

I feel as if our reactions are pretty typical. I have read several reviews of people who love it and think it is innovative (like me) and also several reviews of people who think it is more of the same (like you). I'm not sure if a second viewing would change your mind, but from the minute the film starts with a sex scene that shows his body and not hers, I felt like I was in a different kind of rape/revenge flick, and it continued to impress me for the rest of the runtime.

[Wyldesyde19]

By virtue of watching a lot of horror and thriller movies, I have seen many, many variations on a rape/revenge dynamic. This one felt different to me in a positive way.

Here is a really spoiler-y thought: I almost felt like the film was more about the men. The main character literally doesn't speak after she falls off of the cliff. Not a word. But there are numerous conversations between the men, including Richard calling his wife. It's almost as if the main character transforms into a borderline supernatural "Ghost of Rapes Past" to punish the men for their crimes. There's no "training montage" of her learning to fight or whatever. She burns an eagle into her stomach, does some peyote, and destroys them. I also really appreciated that Richard's body was on display as much as, if not more than, the protagonist's. The angles of the film just felt really fresh and different to me.

I feel as if our reactions are pretty typical. I have read several reviews of people who love it and think it is innovative (like me) and also several reviews of people who think it is more of the same (like you). I'm not sure if a second viewing would change your mind, but from the minute the film starts with a sex scene that shows his body and not hers, I felt like I was in a different kind of rape/revenge flick, and it continued to impress me for the rest of the runtime.
As have I, which is why I didn’t feel it was different enough to set it apart from the others. You’re really talking about a scene or two, maybe more, and it wasn’t enough to convince me that it didn’t have a “been there, down that” feel to it.
Again, though, a second watch might change that thought. Couldn’t hurt, anyways.

[Movie Max]

Q & A (1990) rating_4_5+

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=73254

I see Brennan as the hero in the movie. The only guy who actually does some good. He is stuck in his ways and a racist, but, he is a brute and a warrior for the good guys. Maybe it's because Nolte plays him, but I doubt it. The reality is, you can't win a war on crime if you don't have animals and gladiators on your team. The other side will have worse creatures.

Just like you can't go around pretending you will stop crimes by having informants with no criminal records. I don't know what the world is changing into, but, it isn't strength and a decent way of life. It's weakness and appeasing wrongdoers at almost every step.

In my opinion, the desirable parts of the world to live in, are desirable because animals have had people like Brennan to deal with. That's why many parts of the world flock to these places. Their home countries are worse, with no one to balance the evil out.

What we, as a society, do to our front line workers and our thin blue line workers, is investigate, undermine and scrutinize them at every turn.

In the end, I think Brennan was proven to be right and correct on all counts. His only fault is that he was transparent in his actions and not a coward. Self preservation was also at stake. Those around him and above him, can't say the same.

[Takoma11]

Need to check this out. I've said it before but seeing Nightmare 2 back in the 80s, when I was 9? 10? That subtext really went waaaaay over my head. Revisited the film a couple of years ago and it hit me like a truck. I'll be curious to check out what Patton and others have to say about it. Will add this to my watchlist.

For me, it really got me thinking about the degree to which the inclusion of minority characters in horror (whether that was race/sexuality/gender) was often dependent upon how straight white male creators chose to include them. And it's not to say that it's always a negative thing (for example, Candyman is an inclusive film in many ways and it was written and directed by a white male creator), but it can be very easy to demonize the "other", which is what I ultimately think happened in this case.

As have I, which is why I didn’t feel it was different enough to set it apart from the others. You’re really talking about a scene or two, maybe more, and it wasn’t enough to convince me that it didn’t have a “been there, down that” feel to it.
Again, though, a second watch might change that thought. Couldn’t hurt, anyways.

There were whole scenes that I felt were different, but also just little moments.

For example, I liked how after Richard has pushed her off of the cliff, the actual rapist is really shocked. He talks about finding her and getting her to a hospital and is clearly uncomfortable with the idea of killing her. But then they actually go out on the "hunt" and he ends up in the truck with the heat on. And when he hears via the radio that she is being taken out, he is visibly relieved. Despite believing that it is wrong to kill her, he falls in line with Richard's point of view that her being dead is better for all of them.

I also just generally thought that the film did a good job of showing the dehumanizing way that people can be treated by those who think they are better than them. The way that the men create a narrative among themselves that she is the enemy and that killing her is how they must protect themselves because she has refused to be logical and accept a bribe.

I'm not saying that parts of the film aren't a bit rote (like some of the parts of her stalking them in the middle third). But I thought that the first third and the final act were so strong that it more than made up for it.

[mojofilter]

https://d2g43ubxtnccwi.cloudfront.net/48904_1_medium.jpg
AN AMERICAN PICKLE
(2020)

First viewing. Seth Rogen plays two roles in this silly but dramatic comedy that pokes fun at today's cancel culture. Rogen has potential to turn in some good dramatic performances, but this didn't really do it for him. Still has its moments.

3

[edarsenal]

.https://i.pinimg.com/originals/96/0f/b1/960fb1a9ff956a250d2340ad054c0b91.gif

La Vérité aka The Truth(1960) 5 Ahhh, sweet, beautiful, intoxicating, free spirited, Brigitte Bardot. . .

It is Paris. She is young and firmly believes that:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/78b46e3aed20b5d7d8e0c5866da3a08e/tumblr_of9qznnRdh1v4a8wfo2_500.png

And, rightfully so.
So she does.
And yet, there are some who think terrible, terrible things.
That she is:
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/B50RybO636o/hqdefault.jpg

They declare them, in-depth, in a Courtroom.
At her trial.
For the murder of her lover: Gilbert Tellier (Sami Frey).
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m18Z-mR_nQ0/T38dGGATOsI/AAAAAAAAAmY/EHgGqwIdNtw/s1600/verite05.jpg

This exceptional Courtroom drama is my second Henri-Georges Clouzot film. The first being Le corbeau (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0035753/?ref_=tt_sims_tt) (1943). And, as was my experience with Le Corbeau, I am extraordinarily struck by Clouzot's brilliance delving into the "hearsay" of the crowd. Speculation and insinuation dissect young Dominique Marceau (Brigitte Bardot) with relentless precision via the Prosecution's Maître Éparvier (Paul Meurisse)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fSs1vPQ0Sls/T2J_S0iUREI/AAAAAAAAAso/0xgs_HtdKMU/s1600/verite11.jpeg

Her defense supplied by an empathic Maître Guérin (Charles Vanel)
https://i0.wp.com/alarencontreduseptiemeart.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/La-V%C3%A9rit%C3%A9-2.jpg?resize=640%2C280
An equal in litigious combat.
Both men are clever, unyielding, and at times, sardonic, in their judicial "dance" with one another. Ranking them, for me, in the echelon of Courtroom adversaries.

Dominique and the deceased Gilbert's turbulently torrent love affair play out in flashback format. The segues executed with mercurial efficiency.
Each storyline captivates and never, ever, disappoints as the court proceedings reach "The Truth".
Its unveiling, for me, was a unique surprise that I did not fathom; giving an exceptional ending to, what I found to be, an entertaining, intriguingly captivating, movie experience.
One I shall be returning to, quite often.

I did have one minor obstacle with the, otherwise excellent version, I found on youtube. The English subtitles missed the occasional sentence or two of dialogue. Nothing that caused missing vital information, mind you. Nor will it be a deterrent should I be incapable of locating another, more complete version during future, multiple revisits.

DAMN, I loved this film!

[BooBooKittyFock]

The Tree of Life

5

[Wooley]

Ex Machina (2014)

Had a few good ideas. Ultimately, for me, just a nice looking film. Didn't 't care about any character...maybe that was the point. No heart is my main criticism.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/ba/Ex-machina-uk-poster.jpg/330px-Ex-machina-uk-poster.jpg
2

Ouch.
My favorite film from that year, one of my favorite recent films, period.

[Wooley]

C.H.U.D. - Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers, filmed in 1984 (among the best years for cheesy horror movies. This one's about as cheesy as they get. The title says most of what you need to know. The CHUDs (a movie title that became a name for certain people) eat people, live in storm drains and New York is full of them. It has burnt-out 1980's detectives, a fashion photog, a cute model, cynical beat cops, exploitive politicians and, of course, CHUDs and the late John Hurt.:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

A personal favorite.

[Wooley]

I don't know about that, as I feel 2049 was pretty sure-footed in its general storytelling, save for the soft retcon of the replicants all of sudden being established as being unable to reproduce in general, so that it's a conveniently a big deal when one of them does. Besides that, I feel that it did a good job of expanding the world of the original, as well as following up on the fallout of both its story & themes, whether it be the new generation of replicants being engineered to obey partly in response to the messy situation that Roy & his fellow reps created, or continuing to ponder what it means to be human when man is creating artificial beings that are ever "more human than human", which is reflected in the way that K taking after his human makers by owning a creation perceived as "lesser" than him in turn with Joi, a detail that wouldn't have made it in the film if it didn't really know what it was trying to say.

I'm certainly not saying nothing works. I agree the parts with K and Joi are a nice callback to the original film, one degree further along in each case, but most of the stuff Leto's character and the scary/deadly replicant that works for him was just a complete misfire for me and my friends, the Sean Young thing seemed like a super-obvious kinda cheat to give fan-service, even Robin Wright's character and whatever the thing between her and K was seemed like a mis-step. The movie ends pretty messily and I felt like that last conflict kinda didn't deserve to be in a Blade Runner movie.

[xSookieStackhouse]

Clueless (1995) 10/10 one of my favorite 90s movie, been 3 times now that i watched it lol i miss my 90s movies!
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91GN36kx7sL._AC_SL1500_.jpg

[Wooley]

https://i.imgur.com/AIOHR16.jpg

Well, that was a helluva thing.
Really, just a pretty intense jolt to the system for a straight white dude. This film, while seeming to champion the culture it presents, is at its most powerful when it makes you consider how hard it must be to be born "different". And it does that a lot.

[this_is_the_ girl]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nme.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F02%2Ftenet6.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
Tenet (2020, Christopher Nolan)
3.5
Don't know what it was but it was very smart. And incredibly well made. And visually stunning. And fabulously scored. Did I already say smart?

Seriously though, I didn't love this film but I was still in awe of the sheer ambition and cerebral intensity of it. It asserted itself with so much confidence it simply could not be denied. It was difficult to follow at times but it still held a grip on me till the very end. It was rapid paced, clinical, dry and utterly devoid of sentimentality - ripping along like a speed train, not caring about or minding the viewer.

Very good and technically impressive, but there's just something about Nolan films - I like many of them, I admire and respect them but I don't quite love them. Well, for the most part, because I am a big fan of Memento (still my favorite of his oeuvre that I've seen).

[xSookieStackhouse]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nme.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F02%2Ftenet6.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
Tenet (2020, Christopher Nolan)
3.5
Don't know what it was but it was very smart. And incredibly well made. And visually stunning. And fabulously scored. Did I already say smart?

Seriously though, I didn't love this film but I was still in awe of the sheer ambition and cerebral intensity of it. It asserted itself with so much confidence it simply could not be denied. It was difficult to follow at times but it still held a grip on me till the very end. It was rapid paced, clinical, dry and utterly devoid of sentimentality - ripping along like a speed train, not caring about or minding the viewer.

Very good and technically impressive, but there's just something about Nolan films - I like many of them, I admire and respect them but I don't quite love them. Well, for the most part, because I am a big fan of Memento (still my favorite of his oeuvre that I've seen).

liked his work on the dark knight

[ScarletLion]

'Better Days'

High school bullying drama. Suffers from a few cliches, and outlandish scenes but is very powerful at times. Great central performance from Zhou Dongyu. Very moving towards the end and beautifully shot and scored.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CbHwPfW4PQ

3.5

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F5%2F5b%2FNothing_Bad_Can_Happen_poster.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Easier said than done. There is a line early on in the film where the main character, Tore, explains to his soon to be tormentor that someday Jesus will test his faith. He doesn't know how or when but he'll know it when it happens. It's about to start happening very soon. Not an easy movie to sit through, for sure, but it's not bad. Style wise it's almost Dogme 95 and reminded me a little of The Snowtown Murders and although it's about faith it's never preachy. 3.5

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fs3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com%2Fabandomedia%2Fdb%2Ffoto%2Fdb_35952_61.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

The first scene of this movie will turn most people away. I know nothing about Chilean history but apparently that scene based off of events that happened during the Pinochet regime of the 70's and it's pretty nasty. After that the movie is pretty much a rape and revenge flick with political undertones. Undertones may be understating it. There are flashbacks which lay the groundwork for why the antagonist is such a sick **** (years of military training). This is like a Chilean version of A Serbian Film and while it gets pretty close to Serbian levels of depravity it's not every scene trying to top the previous scene like that film but there are about three or four truly awful scenes. As an exploitation flick it's not bad but be warned - this is a sick puppy.

[ScarletLion]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F5%2F5b%2FNothing_Bad_Can_Happen_poster.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Easier said than done. There is a line early on in the film where the main character, Tore, explains to his soon to be tormentor that someday Jesus will test his faith. He doesn't know how or when but he'll know it when it happens. It's about to start happening very soon. Not an easy movie to sit through, for sure, but it's not bad. Style wise it's almost Dogme 95 and reminded me a little of The Snowtown Murders and although it's about faith it's never preachy. 3.5

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fs3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com%2Fabandomedia%2Fdb%2Ffoto%2Fdb_35952_61.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

The first scene of this movie will turn most people away. I know nothing about Chilean history but apparently that scene based off of events that happened during the Pinochet regime of the 70's and it's pretty nasty. After that the movie is pretty much a rape and revenge flick with political undertones. Undertones may be understating it. There are flashbacks which lay the groundwork for why the antagonist is such a sick **** (years of military training). This is like a Chilean version of A Serbian Film and while it gets pretty close to Serbian levels of depravity it's not every scene trying to top the previous scene like that film but there are about three or four truly awful scenes. As an exploitation flick it's not bad but be warned - this is a sick puppy.

Fun weekend then?

[chawhee]

Bad Santa 2 (2016)
https://media2.fdncms.com/chicago/imager/u/original/24457653/bad_santa-2-1.jpg
3
Not nearly as clever as the first, but a lot of the humor still gets me in the sequel. Thurman Murman as an adult?! Christina Hendricks is pleasant to watch as well ;)

[the samoan lawyer]

That's a shame, I thought it was great. Ear shattering sound design. Lots of symbols in it too (Halo's over her head at times etc)


Yeah, you never know. Might work on a rewatch. Ive got it on DVD so will leave a little longer then get back to it.

[ScarletLion]

'Sator' (2020)

Ultra low budget horror film. A man losing his mind in a cabin in the woods. Very creepy, barely any use of jump scares or cheap audio bursts - the film's atmosphere alone is enough to totally creep out the viewer. Very well done. 7.7/10

3.5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e_Ij0S-sBw

[the samoan lawyer]

[/URL][URL="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnowtoronto.com%2Fmovies%2Freviews%2Freview-ordinary-love-lesley-manville-liam-neeson&psig=AOvVaw0SP4WbKm-2YHMRo8Wen_K_&ust=1613483047734000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCOjbqfWC7O4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAJ"]https://nowtoronto.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Ordinary-Love.jpg (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Ffilm%2F2019%2Fsep%2F13%2Fordinary-love-review-tiff-liam-neeson-lesley-manville&psig=AOvVaw0SP4WbKm-2YHMRo8Wen_K_&ust=1613483047734000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCOjbqfWC7O4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD)
Ordinary Love (2019)


rating_2_5+

[Torgo]

Ordinary Love (2019)


rating_2_5+That's too bad. I was looking forward to seeing this one. I like Neeson and Manville and believe that they would have good chemistry. Plus, it's nice to see Neeson doing something other than a movie that comes out in January for a change. What are some of your issues with it?

[this_is_the_ girl]

liked his work on the dark knight
Been meaning forever to give that one a rewatch. I do remember liking it quite a bit, although I never was into the Batman thing tbh.

[Thief]

CRAWL
(2019, Aja)
A film with a title that starts with the letters C or D:

https://i1.wp.com/scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Crawl-Gator-Bait.jpg


"Is there a plan B?"
"That *was* our plan B. In less than an hour, this crawl space will be under water."



Director Aja has always had a talent for handling both dread and scares in an effective way. From Haute Tension to The Hills Have Eyes, he has often succeeded in making us wince and cringe and fidget as terror floods the screen. Crawl is no exception. For a film with such a simple premise set in such a limited space, Aja manages to deliver with the jumpscares and the tension, while building a solid empathy for the lead characters.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2178343#post2178343)

[Sedai]

This thread seems to be getting more traffic than the Movie Tab lately, so I will migrate my most recent posts in that thread over here, I guess!

The Town
Affleck, 2010

4

Excellent crime thriller set in my neck of the woods. Perfectly paced with some excellent performances. Be careful down Charlestown, alright kid?

https://www.tasteofcinema.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Blake-Lively-in-The-Town-2010.jpg

Stalker
Tarkovsky, 1979

4

Hypnotic and thought provoking, I don't think I quite understood some of it, but I was certainly pulled into the proceedings. Watched this in an effort to 100% the recent best-of list. Probably deserves a higher mark, but some sections were a struggle to get through. I am sure that is all on me.

https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/original/xhet9FxP6VoRdlBSsfc9FhCsKSW.jpg

OK, now that we have the actual films out of the way... ;)


Xanadu
Greenwald, 1980

3

Awful stuff. Love every second of it. Watched it with my two year-old daughter and she was dancing along with the musical number. Will watch again, probably soon.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5f/82/2a/5f822a9d156caa9d68a952254e954118.jpg


The Warriors
Hill, 1979

3_5

Not so awful stuff. Love every second of it. My wife hates this movie, so there is a constant barrage of derision funneled my way whenever I watch this, to which I respond by proceeding to quote the film for a week straight after I watch it.

https://www.moviehousememories.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/the-warriors-1979-movie-still.jpg

Goodfellas
Scorsese, 1990

5

https://media.phillyvoice.com/media/images/GoodfellasScreengrab.2e16d0ba.fill-1200x630-c0.png

Cheery, light-hearted family film about a sweet old lady who makes great marinara sauce, and her kind-hearted son and his two neighborly friends. OK, only the sauce statement is true, but that doesn't stop Goodfellas from being one of the best films ever made.


The Quick and the Dead
Raimi, 1995

3

https://resizing.flixster.com/5_P1KyGx7VawKjLJskuArNhuI08=/740x380/v1.bjsxNTI4MjA7ajsxODY3NjsxMjAwOzk3Mjs2NDg

This one was a mixed bag for me. Some stuff to like here, but it also felt like Raimi took Hackman's character from Unforgiven and plopped him down in a decidedly worse film with a boilerplate script and Sharon Stone doing a Clint Eastwood impersonation. There were some cool shots and Hackman killed it as usual, but overall, not a great flick.


Amelie
Juenet, 2001

5

https://ourculturemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Ame%CC%81lie-glass-1536x650.jpg

It had been a while, but it was finally time to revisit Ms. Poulain. I went ahead and watched it twice this week. Close to a perfect film.


Dazed and Confused
Linklater, 1993

3_5

https://pics.filmaffinity.com/Dazed_and_Confused-817091700-large.jpg

This is a bit better than I recall it being, or perhaps my tired ass is just longing for more carefree days. Anyway, gets the period right for the most part, and captures the vibe of the era fairly well.


Parasite
Ho, 2019

4_5

https://img.cinemablend.com/filter:scale/quill/4/4/e/2/f/d/44e2fdcaf4242950dc0d85a959b1b5cda75ad9cb.jpg?fw=1200

My wife still hadn't seen this, so we fit it in over the weekend. She loved it, and I thought it was just as good the second time around.

[the samoan lawyer]

That's too bad. I was looking forward to seeing this one. I like Neeson and Manville and believe that they would have good chemistry. Plus, it's nice to see Neeson doing something other than a movie that comes out in January for a change. What are some of your issues with it?


Its still ok Torgo so dont be put off by my rating. It just really didnt do much for me. Both actors put in a good shift for what was required of them but it just felt very thin. It was a sad story, obviously but it lacked emotion. Interested to hear your thoughts on it.

[cricket]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F5%2F5b%2FNothing_Bad_Can_Happen_poster.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you." Easier said than done. There is a line early on in the film where the main character, Tore, explains to his soon to be tormentor that someday Jesus will test his faith. He doesn't know how or when but he'll know it when it happens. It's about to start happening very soon. Not an easy movie to sit through, for sure, but it's not bad. Style wise it's almost Dogme 95 and reminded me a little of The Snowtown Murders and although it's about faith it's never preachy. 3.5

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fs3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com%2Fabandomedia%2Fdb%2Ffoto%2Fdb_35952_61.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

The first scene of this movie will turn most people away. I know nothing about Chilean history but apparently that scene based off of events that happened during the Pinochet regime of the 70's and it's pretty nasty. After that the movie is pretty much a rape and revenge flick with political undertones. Undertones may be understating it. There are flashbacks which lay the groundwork for why the antagonist is such a sick **** (years of military training). This is like a Chilean version of A Serbian Film and while it gets pretty close to Serbian levels of depravity it's not every scene trying to top the previous scene like that film but there are about three or four truly awful scenes. As an exploitation flick it's not bad but be warned - this is a sick puppy.

I nominated the first movie for the female directors HoF. The 2nd movie I've never heard of, so thank you:)

[Takoma11]

https://i.imgur.com/AIOHR16.jpg

Well, that was a helluva thing.
Really, just a pretty intense jolt to the system for a straight white dude. This film, while seeming to champion the culture it presents, is at its most powerful when it makes you consider how hard it must be to be born "different". And it does that a lot.

If you were interested in this film, you may enjoy the TV series Pose, which takes place in the ball culture in New York in the 80s. Billy Porter deserves all the praise he gets for his role as the host, Pray Tell. And MJ Rodriguez is also amazing as Blanca.

I think that Paris is Burning has one of the all-time shocking documentary moments when you learn that Venus Xtravaganza was killed in a hotel room.

[Wooley]

CRAWL
(2019, Aja)
A film with a title that starts with the letters C or D:

https://i1.wp.com/scariesthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Crawl-Gator-Bait.jpg




Director Aja has always had a talent for handling both dread and scares in an effective way. From Haute Tension to The Hills Have Eyes, he has often succeeded in making us wince and cringe and fidget as terror floods the screen. Crawl is no exception. For a film with such a simple premise set in such a limited space, Aja manages to deliver with the jumpscares and the tension, while building a solid empathy for the lead characters.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2178343#post2178343)

I'm such a weirdo I'm like the only person on Earth who thought this movie sucked. And I really, really did.

[Wooley]

If you were interested in this film, you may enjoy the TV series Pose, which takes place in the ball culture in New York in the 80s. Billy Porter deserves all the praise he gets for his role as the host, Pray Tell. And MJ Rodriguez is also amazing as Blanca.

I think that Paris is Burning has one of the all-time shocking documentary moments when you learn that Venus Xtravaganza was killed in a hotel room.

It's funny you say that cause for like half the movie I was saying to myself that girl is gonna get killed as sure as she's born.

[Takoma11]

It's funny you say that cause for like half the movie I was saying to myself that girl is gonna get killed as sure as she's born.

I think that Pose does a good job of exploring why people in vulnerable groups (gay, trans) would behave in ways that could be considered "reckless".

Have you seen Stranger by the Lake? I think it also hits on some themes of an almost fatalistic/self-destructive behavior.

You might also find this coda interesting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGCCecb3x9s

[Thief]

I'm such a weirdo I'm like the only person on Earth who thought this movie sucked. And I really, really did.

https://media.giphy.com/media/f9qasGzPGkSFTJR5zS/giphy.gif

:shifty: :D

[TheUsualSuspect]

https://i.imgur.com/AIOHR16.jpg

Well, that was a helluva thing.
Really, just a pretty intense jolt to the system for a straight white dude. This film, while seeming to champion the culture it presents, is at its most powerful when it makes you consider how hard it must be to be born "different". And it does that a lot.

I just watched this the other night. Kind of depressing to learn that a good portion of those people are dead now.

[Stirchley]

73269

4th in the Dirty Harry series & the only one Clint directed.

Overly long, for sure. Sondra Locke got punched in the face numerous times, which was disturbing.

[cricket]

Amateur Porn Star Killer 3 (2009)

1+

More like a mean spirited smut film than a horror movie. The black and white is a good choice, and that combined with the killer being the cameraman sometimes gives it a real feel. This is supposed to be the best of the series so I'll end it here.

https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/572822354.webp?mw=1400&mh=1050&q=70

[pahaK]

I'm such a weirdo I'm like the only person on Earth who thought this movie sucked. And I really, really did.

I rated it 2, so I wasn't much of a fan either. I could have sworn I wrote something in here too, but the search disagrees.

[WHITBISSELL!]

Slow West - This was a rewatch. I'm always curious to see the "American" experience filtered through the lens of people from other countries. There's been pretty good ones (Leon: The Professional from Luc Besson) and just plain odd ones (Rumble in the Bronx from Stanley Tong). This is Scottish born director John Maclean's take on the Old West and his first (and only) film and it's a good one. It wasn't actually filmed here in the states but the New Zealand scenery is so gorgeous that it's a non issue. Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Jay Cavendish, a young Scottish man who has traveled all the way to the American West in search of the woman he loves. He falls in with outlaw Silas Selleck (Michael Fassbender), who offers to escort Jay the rest of the way for a fee. It's an oftentimes lyrical journey the two embark on, filled with constant dangers and colorful characters. It put me in mind of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs with it's varying tones of the dreamlike with the hyper realistic. It's short too, clocking in at around 84 minutes or so. Smit-McPhee and Fassbender make for an engaging duo and Caren Pistorius also shines as Rose Ross, the object of Jay's affections. And it always good to see the brilliant Ben Mendelsohn in anything. 90/100

[LChimp]

https://starzplay-img-prod-ssl.akamaized.net/474w/Sony/THEKARATEKIDPARTIIIY1989M/THEKARATEKIDPARTIIIY1989M-474x677-PST.jpg

Ya'll knew this was coming, right? Very slow paced, fights are kept to an absolute minimum and the story is kinda meh. I'm actually amazed they made a 4th film.... which I never saw and probably never will.

[xSookieStackhouse]

Been meaning forever to give that one a rewatch. I do remember liking it quite a bit, although I never was into the Batman thing tbh.

same here i prefer classic batman movies from the 90s then when i watched dark knight i fell in loved , loved heath ledger as joker, rip heath

[pahaK]

Humanoids from the Deep (1980)
2.5
A cheesy creature feature that has some camp value, some gore, and some monsters mating with human females to boost their evolution. It's a silly but quite entertaining film with plenty of gratuitous nudity,

[Takoma11]

I just watched this the other night. Kind of depressing to learn that a good portion of those people are dead now.

One of the boys from the very beginning was adopted and went to college.

It's a hard life to live on the fringe with so much emotional pressure and violence from the society around you.

[cricket]

Trauma (2017)

4

https://horrorhothousereview.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/tra03-1030x773.jpg?w=736

I mentioned in my response to Hey Fredrick's post that I had never heard of this before, but I actually did just yesterday. I didn't give it a second thought because I figured that I had probably at least heard of any good sick films out there. This was pretty awesome if you like depraved films. A lot of it reminded me of movies I've seen prior. It's good quality which is hard to come by for a movie this disturbing.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.radiofrance.fr%2Fs3%2Fcruiser-production%2F2016%2F12%2F2b668e4e-2d77-4a6c-babb-b337cffaaf88%2F640_dv_intake_crying_color.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Domestic Violence, 2001

This documentary follows several weeks in the life of The Spring, a Florida shelter for women and children victims of domestic abuse. Beginning with footage of police officers responding to various domestic abuse calls, we then see the intake process, interviews with women and children, therapy sessions, group classes for adult women, and conversations between the social workers at the shelter.

Oof. I would imagine that most people know someone (or several someones) who have been in relationships that became physically abusive. It can be an incredibly complex situation, and doubly so when there are children in the mix. This film illuminates the struggles and the unhealthy patterns that many of the victims must cope with as they attempt to break free from their situations.

Something that I appreciated early on in the film is one of the social workers who talks about the fact that 15% of the people they help are men, and that 15% of the abusers of their population are women. The ages of those impacted range from children to the very elderly. The abusers range from spouses to children to siblings to uncles. As one social worker says, this is a problem that touches every demographic. It's important information to get out there, because the nature of the shelter means that the victims on screen are exclusively women and their abusers are exclusively men.

I know that laws and police practices have evolved a bit since this film was made, but some of what appears as protocol is startling. In the midst of talking to the police, a woman remarks that the week before her boyfriend(?) fired a gun at her. Were the police called? Yes. What did they do? They took away the gun. When a woman begs the police to help her teenage son--who has threatened her and trashed her house--her only choices are to have him arrested or have him committed to a mental hospital against his will. You can sense frustration from the police and from the social workers at these limitations. One officer--the one talking to the distraught mother--even explicitly says, "I wish there were more programs out there".

The scenes in which the women speak to each other are the ones that reveal the deepest hurt. Many of the women came from homes in which they were physically and sexually abused. They not only blame themselves for the abuse that they receive--for not cleaning the house well enough, for not paying enough attention--they also blame themselves for picking their abusive partners in the first place. One woman talks about finding her husband going into their daughter's room and reveals that she attacked him to keep him from raping their daughter. Another woman with a similar story talks about what must be wrong with her to have partnered up with a man who she found out had been a convicted pedophile. And the startling visual element underscoring everything is the visible damage that has been done to many of the women: bruises, black eyes, braces on wrists. One woman describes running away from her husband after he had pulled all of her clothing off and trying in vain to flag down cars that just drove right past her. There are so many ways that their self-esteem takes hits, and those who look the other way when they do ask for help seems to be one of the worst snubs.

The scenes with the kids are also really hard to watch. In one scene, kids have drawn pictures of what happened. "That's when daddy got the scissors to cut mommy's hair while she was sleeping." And there's something really depressing when one girl talks about her parents fighting about bills and the other kids nod knowingly. In a different scene, a social worker does an intake interview with a little girl. She asks the girl, "What do you think is the saddest thing?" and the girl answers "When my daddy dies, I won't cry." When the social worker asks the girl what makes her father angry, the little girl can only come up with, "Sometimes we walk on the grass." I appreciated a scene where a social worker speaks to children, one of whom talks about spanking (legal in Florida) as abuse. And the social worker affirms this feeling, telling the child, "There are some kinds of abuse that are legal, and other types that yes are still abuse." The definition that the children are given is "hurting someone on purpose" and I SO appreciated that this was validated. There are many legal ways that adults hurt children on purpose, and I thought that this was a great, empathetic way to talk about this.

It is also interesting to see the conversations among the social workers and between the social workers and their clients. In one case, a man attempts to counsel a woman who is being stalked by her ex-husband, who is calling her at work, and paging her with the number of a funeral home. The social worker himself cannot seem to decide on the best advice. His initial reaction is that she should ignore the calls/pages. But then he seems to double back, noting that if she cuts off the attention she is giving him, he might do something more "extreme". Finally, he ends up suggesting that what she should really do is move to a different city (with her two children) and find a new job. She can only look at him incredulously. She has spent two years getting her life in order and now she is being told to change it all again.

In another heartbreaking series of conversations, the staff of the Spring must decide what to do about a mother and her two children. They have very strong reason to believe that the son (who is 12) has raped the daughter (who is 9). They want to get the children into the shelter because their father has been convicted of sexually assaulting them both, but they are also concerned for the safety of the other children if the 12 year old were to attack someone. In a nutshell it is an example of the complexity of helping victims who have also at times been perpetrators. Many of the victims of domestic violence also struggle to find ways to express their emotions and anger in a healthy way.

I think that it is easy to look at those who have been in abusive relationships and judge them for their behavior. I think that this film goes a good way toward understanding how complicated it can all be, especially to those who are living it. They develop their own frame of logic. For example, if you testify against your husband, he will be angry. And he will do a year in jail at the most. So if you recant, then you keep the peace. For other women, they are financially dependent on their partners, which adds another level of complication.

I thought that this was a solid documentary that mostly was content to sit and observe and not try to deliver any kind of message (aside from the implicit criticism of the lack of options in helping victims of domestic abuse and especially helping borderline cases where mental illness is clearly a factor). I would have liked to know more about what happened to some of the women after what we see.

4

[SpelingError]

La Dolce Vita (1960) - 4

I've talked about my relationship with Fellini in the past, but everything I've seen from him so far has left me cold. In addition to this film, I've also seen 8 1/2 and La Strada. While I don't have any issues with those films per se, I felt like they flew over my head. Given that, I wasn't so hot on rewatching this film concerning its 3 hour runtime, but to my surprise, I ended up liking it quite a lot. Though I'm not sure I loved it per se, it's definitely made me more eager to revisit 8 1/2 and La Strada.

On the surface, this film is lovely to look at. It largely consists of various parties Marcello goes to, where he's surrounded by his friends and various women he intends to start a successful relationship with. The deeper one delves into these scenes, however, Marcello's lifestyle feels less like a utopia and more like a prolonged mid-life crisis. The great tragedy of Marcello is that he desperately craves a change in scenery, yet every event he attends results in the same scenery and a similar outcome of winding up back at square one. Instead of abandoning this unfulfilling lifestyle though, he keeps on attending these parties, experiencing more and more failed relationships along the way. Though it's unclear what he wants, there seems to be something he intends to obtain from this lifestyle before he fades away from it altogether, except, one party after another, his attempts keep falling flat. On the surface, it could be said that his intention is to start a successful relationship, but I think his motives are more complex than this. He's already engaged to Emma, yet cheats on her and shows little interest in their relationship. However, if their relationship seems as if it's about to be destroyed, he attempts to prevent that from happening. This raises questions on whether he even knows what he wants. Whatever his intentions are, it's clear his desires won't be fulfilled in his current state.

The most commonly criticized aspect of this film is its length. While I'm not going to pretend the movie kept me fully engaged all throughout (I felt its length in a couple party scenes in the latter half), I think its length was part of the point. I love how Rotten Tomatoes has "...La Dolce Vita remains riveting in spite of -- or perhaps because of -- its sprawling length." in the film's Critical Consensus. Marcello seems trapped in a never ending cycle of attending parties and forming relationships, yet always ends up unfulfilled. His response to these failed attempts are to try again and again until something finally works out. In that sense, the repetition adds more layers to Marcello's characterization. I suspect that another rewatch will make this aspect more profound. As it currently stands, I struggled with the film somewhat (albeit, far less than I did when I first watched it), but the odds of me revisiting it are definitely much higher than they previously were.

Overall, I really liked this film. Brimming with bloat and repetition, it's not for everyone, but there's definitely a lot going on in the film beyond presenting a gorgeous portrait of nightlife in Rome interspersed with some drama. It's not quite a great film for me (again though, I suspect I'll like it more with another viewing), but it's grown on me to the point it's now my favorite of Fellini's films.

[BooBooKittyFock]

This is the first time I’m really trying to write a review.... a good one, but it’s taking awhile to find the right words, I’m not the best writer, but I got the introduction done so far:

The Tree of Life is an experimental, impressionistic drama that targets and compares deep philosophical ideals of creation, evolution and nature to a 1950’s suburban family in Waco, Texas, through stunning visuals and a transcendent score. Directed and written by Terrence Malick, alongside legendary cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki and elegant Composer Alexandre Desplat, the film is brought to life, to take you on a cinematic experience to enlightenment, so few films before, have been able to accomplish. Furthering the films credentials, it also boasts a stellar cast, featuring, Brad Pitt (Mr. O’Brien), Sean Penn (Jack O’Brien) and Jessica Chastain (Mrs. O’Brien), whose knowledge and experience, not only helped in the creation of this masterpiece but also mentored and introduced, child actors Hunter McCracken (Young Jack), Laramie Eppler (R.L. O’Brien) and Tye Sheridan (Steve O’Brien).

The film follows Jack, a depressed, confused, lost man, trying to find his way in the world by trying to cope with his past. Jack frequently thinks about his brother, R.L., who died years ago, leading him to reflect on his past. As Jack dives down into the rabbit hole, he finds himself on an emotional roller coaster, dwelling on his relationship with his father and mother, experiencing and learning about life with his peers and brothers and past traumas that have haunted him and he has carried with him into adulthood. As we navigate through his childhood, he encounters interpersonal, emotional and moral struggles leading him to experience and question the meaning and truth of life, loss of innocence, free will, consequences, responsibility and adaptation to life and environment. To better understand all the trivial questions of life, relative to the films ideals, we are taken on a spiritual journey through a stunning cinematic experience that explores nature, universal and cosmic creation, evolution of life on earth, birth and death.

Lead by cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, The Tree of Life is one of the most stunningly gorgeous films of all time, using wide frame shots alongside natural lighting. Using a form of cinematography Terrence and Chivo invented called DOGMA, which uses aspects of Naturalism and Cubism, they were able to get beautiful shots that you only see in museums. With this method, they used natural lighting, handheld/steadicams and little to no script, using spontaneity to capture moments that feel authentic and speak truth. The film also depicts its story through memories, introspective thought, prayers, dreams and visions, which not only make it feel like a Malick original but also gives off Fellini vibes.

The film also uses special effects that relate to 2001: A Space Odyssey, to make for an angelic creation sequence. Using little to no digital effects, besides a dinosaur cut scene and a microbial universe, the special effects team is able to create stunning pictures with almost all tangible material, thanks to the special effects team and leaders, Dan Glass and legend Douglass Trumbull. Using a special effects workshop, they were able to compile hours of and hours for their creation sequence but ended up only using 20 minutes.

Next, I’m not sure how y’all outline your reviews, but I think I was gonna give a short plot summary and then analyze the film and conclude. Any criticism to my introduction would be helpful, thank you 🙏

[xSookieStackhouse]

https://starzplay-img-prod-ssl.akamaized.net/474w/Sony/THEKARATEKIDPARTIIIY1989M/THEKARATEKIDPARTIIIY1989M-474x677-PST.jpg

Ya'll knew this was coming, right? Very slow paced, fights are kept to an absolute minimum and the story is kinda meh. I'm actually amazed they made a 4th film.... which I never saw and probably never will.

the first one is always a good movie

[xSookieStackhouse]

Varsity Blues (1999) 10/10 ahh i miss paul walker :(
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51CXJwBlhyL._AC_.jpg

[the samoan lawyer]

https://media1.fdncms.com/eastbayexpress/imager/u/original/31206791/ebx2049-film.jpg (https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eastbayexpress.com%2Foakland%2Fmank-tanks-kane-remains%2FContent%3Foid%3D31206792&psig=AOvVaw3aMLHfzKAuw8JZZthaw2Ma&ust=1613567001076000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCMjiwuC77u4CFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD)
Mank (2020)


3

[matt72582]

La Dolce Vita (1960) - rating_4

I've talked about my relationship with Fellini in the past, but everything I've seen from him so far has left me cold. In addition to this film, I've also seen 8 1/2 and La Strada. While I don't have any issues with those films per se, I felt like they flew over my head. Given that, I wasn't so hot on rewatching this film concerning its 3 hour runtime, but to my surprise, I ended up liking it quite a lot. Though I'm not sure I loved it per se, it's definitely made me more eager to revisit 8 1/2 and La Strada.

On the surface, this film is lovely to look at. It largely consists of various parties Marcello goes to, where he's surrounded by his friends and various women he intends to start a successful relationship with. The deeper one delves into these scenes, however, Marcello's lifestyle feels less like a utopia and more like a prolonged mid-life crisis. The great tragedy of Marcello is that he desperately craves a change in scenery, yet every event he attends results in the same scenery and a similar outcome of winding up back at square one. Instead of abandoning this unfulfilling lifestyle though, he keeps on attending these parties, experiencing more and more failed relationships along the way. Though it's unclear what he wants, there seems to be something he intends to obtain from this lifestyle before he fades away from it altogether, except, one party after another, his attempts keep falling flat. On the surface, it could be said that his intention is to start a successful relationship, but I think his motives are more complex than this. He's already engaged to Emma, yet cheats on her and shows little interest in their relationship. However, if their relationship seems as if it's about to be destroyed, he attempts to prevent that from happening. This raises questions on whether he even knows what he wants. Whatever his intentions are, it's clear his desires won't be fulfilled in his current state.

The most commonly criticized aspect of this film is its length. While I'm not going to pretend the movie kept me fully engaged all throughout (I felt its length in a couple party scenes in the latter half), I think its length was part of the point. I love how Rotten Tomatoes has "...La Dolce Vita remains riveting in spite of -- or perhaps because of -- its sprawling length." in the film's Critical Consensus. Marcello seems trapped in a never ending cycle of attending parties and forming relationships, yet always ends up unfulfilled. His response to these failed attempts are to try again and again until something finally works out. In that sense, the repetition adds more layers to Marcello's characterization. I suspect that another rewatch will make this aspect more profound. As it currently stands, I struggled with the film somewhat (albeit, far less than I did when I first watched it), but the odds of me revisiting it are definitely much higher than they previously were.

Overall, I really liked this film. Brimming with bloat and repetition, it's not for everyone, but there's definitely a lot going on in the film beyond presenting a gorgeous portrait of nightlife in Rome interspersed with some drama. It's not quite a great film for me (again though, I suspect I'll like it more with another viewing), but it's grown on me to the point it's now my favorite of Fellini's films.


This is a movie that I rated 7.5/10, watched 3-4 times, but felt cold.. As you mentioned, repetitive and bloated. I'm convinced the movie would be much better if you removed Anita Ekberg (and ever character in Fellini's movies who are English who speak with a lousy Italian accent)...
I'm not sure why I rated it that high, but cold is the last feeling I got with "La Strada". It's my #2 ever, thought it was funny at times, tragic, fine script, and I felt for Gelsomina, and even Zampana ("Zampano is here" - cracked me up).. Did you see "i vitelloni"? It's a good one.... The one movie of his I couldn't stand is 8 1/2, which I did see twice... Have you seen "Nights of Cabiria"? It's probably my 2nd favorite movie of his, but he's more miss than hit for me..

[chawhee]

Concussion (2015)
https://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/movie/movie_poster/concussion-2015/large_vdK1f9kpY5QEwrAiXs9R7PlerNC.jpg
3.5
I probably won't ever watch this again, but it was very compelling to see. It's a mixed bag in terms of writing, editing, etc, and I'm not sure if I ever completely bought in to Will Smith's accent.

[LChimp]

https://rockthebestmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/bajocero-2021.jpg

Below Zero. Nice action movie from Spain, a bit gory too.

[mark f]

100 Days to Live (Ravin Gandhi, 2019) 2 5/10
The Yin-Yang Master: Dream of Eternity (Jingming Guo, 2020) 2 5/10
Breaking News in Yuba County (Tate Taylor, 2021) 2 5/10
A Crooked Somebody (Trevor White, 2017) 2.5+ 6/10
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMzA2MmQ3MDAtODc0ZC00MDRmLTg1MjEtY2Y0Mjg1YTdiMWZlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTc5MDI5NjE@._V1_.jpg
Two crooked somebodies (Clifton Collins Jr and Rich Sommer) get together at a night of psychic entertainment and mess up things.
Paradise Cove (Martin Guigui, 2021) 2 5/10
Smart Woman (Gregory La Cava, 1931) 2.5 5.5/10
Expiry (Tom Gatley, 2021) 2 5/10
15 Killings (I. Drakos, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
https://etube.site/upload/photos/2021/02/87HrIjJCONzPiRfDAwx7_12_b152c193dce674eedfeefea24eb15f9e_image.jpg
Of all the sick and twisted serial killer movies, this one is more interesting than most (here with neurologist Maria Olsen and psychopath Steve Bongeorno) and a somwhat poetic ending.
Walker (Tsai Ming-Liang, 2012) 2 5/10
The Shining Hour (Frank Borzage, 1938) 2 5/10
Fear of Rain (Castille Landon, 2021) 2+ 5/10
The Story of Luke (Alonso Mayo, 2012) 3 6.5/10
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nugNAe2sTGE/XCyJK0N8uZI/AAAAAAAAAWI/VtlrzKMm66g5CThfYsXWFxhxqKQlbsK6ACEwYBhgL/s1600/The%2BStory%2Bof%2BLuke%2BEmpleo%2Bcon%2Bapoyo%2Bautismo.jpg
Funny, relatable film about two autistic individuals (Seth Green and Lou Taylor Pucci) helping each other at work and finding a girlfriend.
Sator (Jordan Graham, 2019) 2+ 5/10
What a Blonde (Leslie Goodwins, 1945 2.5 5.5/10
Sacrifice (Andy Collierc & Toor Mian, 2020) 2 5/10
Silk Road (Tiller Russell, 2021) 2.5 6/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8zlJcKygbU
On the dark web, Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht (Nick Robinson) and demoted DEA agent Rick Bowden (Jason Clarke) cross paths and it doesn't turn out too well.
Payback (Joseph Mensch, 2021) 2 5/10
Son of the South (Barry Alexander Brown, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
Trauma (Lucio A. Rojas, 2017) 2 5/10
I Blame Society (Gillian Wallace Horvat, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5bsNdbHMfU
Definitely has its laughs and shocks, mostly provided by lead/writer/directot Gillian Wallace Horvat, but too in love with itself, which is actually the point of the movie.

[SpelingError]

This is a movie that I rated 7.5/10, watched 3-4 times, but felt cold.. As you mentioned, repetitive and bloated. I'm convinced the movie would be much better if you removed Anita Ekberg (and ever character in Fellini's movies who are English who speak with a lousy Italian accent)...
I'm not sure why I rated it that high, but cold is the last feeling I got with "La Strada". It's my #2 ever, thought it was funny at times, tragic, fine script, and I felt for Gelsomina, and even Zampana ("Zampano is here" - cracked me up).. Did you see "i vitelloni"? It's a good one.... The one movie of his I couldn't stand is 8 1/2, which I did see twice... Have you seen "Nights of Cabiria"? It's probably my 2nd favorite movie of his, but he's more miss than hit for me..

It is certainly repetitive, but I also think the repetition was the point. Of course, even with that knowledge, I still struggled with the film somewhat, but I feel like I might like it more with another rewatch. Who knows.

I liked La Strada quite a lot. I remember thinking the final act somewhat flew over my head, but I'll have to rewatch it someday as I feel I may like it more. The same goes for 8 1/2.

I haven't seen I Vitelloni and Nights of Cabiria yet, but I plan to watch them soon as I heard they're among his best films.

[Allaby]

The Horse's Mouth (1958) Directed by Ronald Neame and starring Alec Guinness, Kay Walsh, Renee Houston, and Mike Morgan. This Oscar nominated comedy is about a somewhat boorish painter just released from prison in search of his next project. Guinness is good in the lead role, but I found the film somewhat underwhelming. It wasn't very funny or entertaining to me. It dragged on, even though it is only 95 minutes, it felt longer. It's not a bad film, but I don't consider it very interesting or enjoyable. My rating is a 6/10.

[pahaK]

Monster Hunter (2020)
2.5
Surprisingly entertaining action sequences, and Milla is still hot. There's no real story or characters, but the effects are good. Definitely more fun than the previous Godzilla.

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/Bill_%26_Ted_Face_the_Music_poster.jpg

3.5

Snooze factor = Z



[Snooze Factor Ratings]:
Z = didn't nod off at all
Zz = nearly nodded off but managed to stay alert
Zzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed
Zzzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed but nodded off again at the same point and therefore needed to go back a number of times before I got through it...
Zzzzz = nodded off and missed some or the rest of the film but was not interested enough to go back over it

[rambond]

https://i.ibb.co/FB98qfF/MV5-BMjkz-ODE4-Mj-Mz-M15-BMl5-Ban-Bn-Xk-Ft-ZTgw-MDQ1-Mz-Q1-Mz-E-V1-UY1200-CR90-0-630-1200-AL.jpg (https://ibb.co/Q6ZYjq4)
this movie is probably the weirdest film i ever saw , 7/10

[pahaK]

News of the World (2020)
2.5
A cliched and predictable western that doesn't seem to trust its slow pace and bare-bones structure. Instead, it puts a regular stream of obstacles and dangers on its protagonists' way (some just for cheap thrills, some to relay a message). I'm not a fan of Kelly Reichardt, but Paul Greengrass could have taken some hints from her style on this one. Still, the relationship between Hanks and Zengel has enough warmth and chemistry to make the film alright.

[xSookieStackhouse]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/Bill_%26_Ted_Face_the_Music_poster.jpg

3.5

Snooze factor = Z



[Snooze Factor Ratings]:
Z = didn't nod off at all
Zz = nearly nodded off but managed to stay alert
Zzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed
Zzzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed but nodded off again at the same point and therefore needed to go back a number of times before I got through it...
Zzzzz = nodded off and missed some or the rest of the film but was not interested enough to go back over it

is it good? i saw the other 2 but not this

[xSookieStackhouse]

Legally Blonde
10/10 one of my favorite chick flicks , wanted to rewatched it again so i watched it :)
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Go-PYw71L._AC_SY450_.jpg

[Nausicaä]

is it good? i saw the other 2 but not this

I can't really remember the other two. A bit too silly in parts for me but had a smile on my face through most of it. Enjoyed it. Adored the daughters, hope they get their own movie. :)

[Stirchley]

73338

So long ago since I’ve seen this movie. So good. The chemistry between Nouri & Beals was so delightful. Music & songs so good too. Entertaining movie during a pandemic. :)

[Fabulous]

Monster's Ball (2001)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/2lZYvShWuVThLM6Oo8zfakdBMqw.jpg

[martyrofevil]

Alright its finally over (for now), wrapping up Bond Watch 2021.

Skyfall (Sam Mendes, 2012)
This is that specific brand of trite, scientific crowd-pleaser the Marvel films are. The melodrama, the fanservice, all that ****. And its so tragic that it would go this way as the Craig era films never really got to carve out their own identity. I guess now that this story arc has wrapped I'll mention how none of the M stuff has ever worked. She's been written to be a complete buffoon for 7 films straight at this point and I can't really feel for her when she gets her comeuppance. I know the Brosnan films and the Craig films aren't in the same timeline but I'm already just too annoyed with her character by the time Casino Royale rolls around to possibly get invested in her and Bond's relationship which is the emotional crux of the film, but I digress. Back to stuff that's relevant to Skyfall specifically. Like most aspects of the film, the action is fine in the moment most times but immediately forgettable and the finale is especially weak. The same can be said for the film visually pretty much. It looks good for sure but there's literally only one scene that looked good in a way that made me feel any sort of way. Groan-worthy dialogue (but that comes with the Marvel formula they nicked) and Javier Bardem is just a complete charisma void as the villain. The full positive things I have to say about it are that despite the runtime it doesn't feel THAT long and (again, Marvel) it skates by on being blandly agreeable in a way that doesn't make me think its out right bad but it does mean that there's no way I could ever respect it.
rating_2

Spectre (Sam Mendes, 2015)
Finally wrapping up the Bond films (for the time being, of course) with a high point for the Craig era. While I don't think the current style of mainstream filmmaking is suited well to the James Bond tone, this is probably as close as its gonna get and I think this is first script from this iteration of Bond that really "gets it". It's still got its problems of course. Once again, there's too much focus on side characters (though to a far lesser degree this time) and although the pacing is spot on for the most part, it really starts barrelling towards the finish line in the last hour or so and loses a good bit of tension in the process and the finale isn't anything special either. It doesn't really have any big moments but it just skates by on capturing enough of that classic Bond vibe without without relying on fanservice or feeling derivative. Good cast for this one too as Waltz, Bautista and Seydoux fit quite well here. Hope Bautista gets the Jaws treatment and come back for the next one. Happy to have had an overall pleasant experience with the franchise again.
rating_3

Currently final Bond rankings:
01. From Russia with Love
02. Thunderball
03. The Spy Who Loved Me
04. Diamonds are Forever
05. Moonraker
06. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
07. Licence to Kill
08. Tomorrow Never Dies
09. The World Is Not Enough
10. Dr. No
11. The Man With the Golden Gun
12. Octopussy
13. A View to a Kill
14. For Your Eyes Only
15. Die Another Day
16. Spectre
17. Live and Let Die
18. You Only Live Twice
19. The Living Daylights
20. Quantum of Solace
21. Goldfinger
22. Casino Royale
23. Skyfall
24. GoldenEye


and now I can finally go back to watching dumbass art films :)

[pahaK]

Run Hide Fight (2020)
3.5
Surprisingly decent Die Hard lite that replaces the terrorists with school shooters. It has a smaller scale and slower pace, but the structure is very close to McTiernan's classic. Not the greatest film out there, but I enjoyed it.

[GulfportDoc]

Alright its finally over (for now), wrapping up Bond Watch 2021.

Skyfall (Sam Mendes, 2012)
This is that specific brand of trite, scientific crowd-pleaser the Marvel films are. The melodrama, the fanservice, all that ****. And its so tragic that it would go this way as the Craig era films never really got to carve out their own identity. I guess now that this story arc has wrapped I'll mention how none of the M stuff has ever worked. She's been written to be a complete buffoon for 7 films straight at this point and I can't really feel for her when she gets her comeuppance. I know the Brosnan films and the Craig films aren't in the same timeline but I'm already just too annoyed with her character by the time Casino Royale rolls around to possibly get invested in her and Bond's relationship which is the emotional crux of the film, but I digress. Back to stuff that's relevant to Skyfall specifically. Like most aspects of the film, the action is fine in the moment most times but immediately forgettable and the finale is especially weak. The same can be said for the film visually pretty much. It looks good for sure but there's literally only one scene that looked good in a way that made me feel any sort of way. Groan-worthy dialogue (but that comes with the Marvel formula they nicked) and Javier Bardem is just a complete charisma void as the villain. The full positive things I have to say about it are that despite the runtime it doesn't feel THAT long and (again, Marvel) it skates by on being blandly agreeable in a way that doesn't make me think its out right bad but it does mean that there's no way I could ever respect it.
rating_2
I liked it more than did you. In fact I re-watched it the other night just to get a respite from some of the crappola being put out today.

I thought the story was interesting enough in comparison to some of the other Bond movies. Of course it was unbelievable, but then the entire series is fantasy.

Mendes did nice work, and I loved the photography of Roger Deakins. Thomas Newman wrote a nice score, keeping to the spirit of Bond films. I liked Bardem as the villian. Although goofy, he had a certain threatening quality. He sure got to act all the emotions!

[WHITBISSELL!]

Lord Jim - This is a 1965 adaptation of a Joseph Conrad novel and directed by Richard Brooks. He's a competent enough director I suppose (in the Ron Howard vein) and was responsible for some films I really enjoyed like The Professionals (immediately following this in 1966) and In Cold Blood. But like I said, those were competent movies, owing most of their appeal to the writing and the stars. Brooks was more of a "first do no harm" kind of director and even though he wrote the screenplays for all three of the films mentioned, Joseph Conrad is such a problematic author to transfer to the big screen that Brooks is ultimately unable to do his novel justice. It feels overlong and Brooks by the numbers approach is not a good fit. Peter O'Toole plays the young seaman who devotes the remainder of his life to rectifying a failure of cowardice in the first act and does a commendable job as Jim. He's three years removed from Lawrence of Arabia so comparisons are unavoidable given the "white savior" aspect of both roles. And speaking of echoes, the choice of Eli Wallach to play the head bad guy naturally calls to mind the character of Calvera in The Magnificent Seven. Anyway, the cast is dependable and this is with James Mason not actually showing up until the last act. I thought there was entirely too much pontificating at the end there but again this was mostly due to Brooks trying to jam Conrad's dense metaphysical, romantic adventure into a two and half hour film. 75/100

[Gideon58]

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNDhkZGI2NTQtYWQ2OC00MTY3LWFlMGQtNDM0NzdmNDdhMzQ3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODI1OTk4MTQ@._V1_.jpg



3

[cricket]

Rabies (2010)

3.5

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/resizer/lGKFF7Na5m8cElsxaGQUKO5nf5g=/1200x0/filters:quality(80)/arc-anglerfish-tgam-prod-tgam.s3.amazonaws.com/public/XJD23WBEM5DV3KBHT2DRGLQQHA

Supposedly this is the first ever Israeli horror film and I just heard of it a couple of days ago. It starts out like countless other horror movies with twenty somethings lost, ending up in the woods, with a maniac on the prowl and other assorted characters. Then surprisingly everything that comes next is different. Violent, but not gratuitously so, I still found it somewhat disturbing. I could have used a little something extra at the end but otherwise I highly recommend this for horror fans.

[sawduck]

Mank 1/10
Incredibly boring and basically had no plot, just seemed to be going nowhere

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 4/10
Great acting in a somewhat boring movie

Soul 7/10
A sweet movie with interesting and likeable characters

Nomadland 1/10
Nothing happens for the whole movie, incredibly boring, lifeless movie with absolutely no plot, can't believe this is going to win best picture at this years oscars

[Wooley]

Alright its finally over (for now), wrapping up Bond Watch 2021.


Currently final Bond rankings:
01. From Russia with Love
02. Thunderball
03. The Spy Who Loved Me
04. Diamonds are Forever
05. Moonraker
06. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
07. Licence to Kill
08. Tomorrow Never Dies
09. The World Is Not Enough
10. Dr. No
11. The Man With the Golden Gun
12. Octopussy
13. A View to a Kill
14. For Your Eyes Only
15. Die Another Day
16. Spectre
17. Live and Let Die
18. You Only Live Twice
19. The Living Daylights
20. Quantum of Solace
21. Goldfinger
22. Casino Royale
23. Skyfall
24. GoldenEye


and now I can finally go back to watching dumbass art films :)

I find your list truly fascinating in that you have 3 films almost any Bond fan could at least go along with at the very top and then 4 Bond films that almost any Bond fan would also put at the very top at the very bottom. So there's a sort of symmetry.

[WHITBISSELL!]

I find your list truly fascinating in that you have 3 films almost any Bond fan could at least go along with at the very top and then 4 Bond films that almost any Bond fan would also put at the very top at the very bottom. So there's a sort of symmetry.The Skyfall he (or she) watched was not the Skyfall I watched. Maybe he (or she) got ahold of some bootleg Turkish version.

[Wooley]

I liked it more than did you. In fact I re-watched it the other night just to get a respite from some of the crappola being put out today.

I thought the story was interesting enough in comparison to some of the other Bond movies. Of course it was unbelievable, but then the entire series is fantasy.

Mendes did nice work, and I loved the photography of Roger Deakins. Thomas Newman wrote a nice score, keeping to the spirit of Bond films. I liked Bardem as the villian. Although goofy, he had a certain threatening quality. He sure got to act all the emotions!

I also saw this again the other day, with one person who liked it and one person who'd never seen it.
We all agreed that Mendes and Deakins did wonderful work on the film and that the acting was excellent across the board.
When we got to the third act, the newcomer started saying things like, "Wait, his plan to save her is to take her out to the middle of nowhere with no backup and no support but this old ass caretaker, where they have three guns between them, and try to defend an utterly indefensible position by having a montage of guerrilla trap-building? This is the plan? Tell me this isn't how it ends?" And I just smiled because that was my reaction in the theater, that the entire third act was just well-shot garbage. To my surprise, even the person who really liked the movie started making fun of this aspect of it, sheepishly at first but then we, all three, got into like a full-on riff-trax over it.
It was a good time.

[martyrofevil]

The Skyfall he (or she) watched was not the Skyfall I watched. Maybe he (or she) got ahold of some bootleg Turkish version.


There's a particular line in the film that encapsulates pretty much every issue I have with the film and that's Q saying "What did you expect, an exploding pen? We don't go in for that kind of thing anymore."

[Fabulous]

Bright Star (2009)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/kGQ2vogRwdjsIBL5cFdt4RuPS1B.jpg

[xSookieStackhouse]

The Misadventures of Hedi and Cokeman (2021) 8/10 its an funny french movie im glad it had subtitles!
https://i2.wp.com/media.criticalhit.net//2021/02/Hedi-and-Cokeman-1.jpg?resize=850%2C478&ssl=1

[ScarletLion]

'I'm No Longer Here' (2020)

https://variety.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/im-no-longer-here.jpg?w=681&h=383&crop=1

Very decent film from Mexico about displacement, loneliness, organised crime and also features some great cumbia music. Told in non-linear structure and featuring a cast of first time actors.

A young man must flee his home town after a fatal incident and depart his tight knit gang of youths. Don't miss the post credits scene.

Something like 7.4/10

3.5

[rbrayer]

Enter the Dragon - 5.5/10 - ludicrous plot, silly acting, 19th Century gender attitudes, no coherent moral message, and good if not amazing fight scenes. Pluses: a few (intentionally) funny lines and some truly great shots.

[Allaby]

Shook (2021) Directed by Jennifer Harrington and starring Daisye Tutor, Emily Goss, Nicola Posener, and Stephanie Simbari. A Shudder original. A social media influencer receives threatening phone calls and is forced to answer questions or her friends will be killed. Is the threat real or an elaborate hoax? And who is really behind it and why? This isn't a bad film, but it is a little messy and uneven. There are some really good moments, but overall it only sort of works. The characters are all unlikeable and underdeveloped. The story has potential, but could have been better executed. Shook delivers mixed results, but is brisk enough and just interesting enough to offer mild thrills and entertainment. It is like a hybrid of Saw and Unfriended, but not as good as either. My rating is 3

[Thief]

Alright its finally over (for now), wrapping up Bond Watch 2021.

Skyfall (Sam Mendes, 2012)
This is that specific brand of trite, scientific crowd-pleaser the Marvel films are. The melodrama, the fanservice, all that ****. And its so tragic that it would go this way as the Craig era films never really got to carve out their own identity. I guess now that this story arc has wrapped I'll mention how none of the M stuff has ever worked. She's been written to be a complete buffoon for 7 films straight at this point and I can't really feel for her when she gets her comeuppance. I know the Brosnan films and the Craig films aren't in the same timeline but I'm already just too annoyed with her character by the time Casino Royale rolls around to possibly get invested in her and Bond's relationship which is the emotional crux of the film, but I digress. Back to stuff that's relevant to Skyfall specifically. Like most aspects of the film, the action is fine in the moment most times but immediately forgettable and the finale is especially weak. The same can be said for the film visually pretty much. It looks good for sure but there's literally only one scene that looked good in a way that made me feel any sort of way. Groan-worthy dialogue (but that comes with the Marvel formula they nicked) and Javier Bardem is just a complete charisma void as the villain. The full positive things I have to say about it are that despite the runtime it doesn't feel THAT long and (again, Marvel) it skates by on being blandly agreeable in a way that doesn't make me think its out right bad but it does mean that there's no way I could ever respect it.
rating_2

Spectre (Sam Mendes, 2015)
Finally wrapping up the Bond films (for the time being, of course) with a high point for the Craig era. While I don't think the current style of mainstream filmmaking is suited well to the James Bond tone, this is probably as close as its gonna get and I think this is first script from this iteration of Bond that really "gets it". It's still got its problems of course. Once again, there's too much focus on side characters (though to a far lesser degree this time) and although the pacing is spot on for the most part, it really starts barrelling towards the finish line in the last hour or so and loses a good bit of tension in the process and the finale isn't anything special either. It doesn't really have any big moments but it just skates by on capturing enough of that classic Bond vibe without without relying on fanservice or feeling derivative. Good cast for this one too as Waltz, Bautista and Seydoux fit quite well here. Hope Bautista gets the Jaws treatment and come back for the next one. Happy to have had an overall pleasant experience with the franchise again.
rating_3

Currently final Bond rankings:
01. From Russia with Love
02. Thunderball
03. The Spy Who Loved Me
04. Diamonds are Forever
05. Moonraker
06. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
07. Licence to Kill
08. Tomorrow Never Dies
09. The World Is Not Enough
10. Dr. No
11. The Man With the Golden Gun
12. Octopussy
13. A View to a Kill
14. For Your Eyes Only
15. Die Another Day
16. Spectre
17. Live and Let Die
18. You Only Live Twice
19. The Living Daylights
20. Quantum of Solace
21. Goldfinger
22. Casino Royale
23. Skyfall
24. GoldenEye


and now I can finally go back to watching dumbass art films :)

Mad props for the Skyfall diss. I borderline dislike that film *high five*

[Thief]

FWIW, here's my Bond ranking...


From Russia with Love
Goldfinger
Casino Royale
GoldenEye
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Tomorrow Never Dies
Spectre
Quantum of Solace
Dr. No
Skyfall
The World Is Not Enough
Thunderball
You Only Live Twice
Die Another Day


Top 5 and Bottom 3 are pretty much set. 6 to 11, I'm a bit iffy on the ranking.

Like I told you before, I still haven't seen/revisited most of the Moore/Dalton ones.

[WHITBISSELL!]

There's a particular line in the film that encapsulates pretty much every issue I have with the film and that's Q saying "What did you expect, an exploding pen? We don't go in for that kind of thing anymore."So, it took itself too seriously and sort of turned it's back on what had once made the franchise fun? I liked it. Didn't even take note of what Wooley mentioned about the third act problems. I especially liked how they provided a glimpse into Bond's backstory. His ancestral home and all that. And, even though the films were meant to be escapist fantasy, it was nice to see Bond as more than a faceless assassin. I see nothing wrong with adding a little gravitas to lighter fare like the Batman and Star Trek franchises. Anyway, the part I had trouble wrapping my brain around was you saying Judi Dench had set her character up as "buffoonish". But hey, in the end, to each their own. :)

[Gideon58]

https://wfuogb.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/borat1.png



1

[martyrofevil]

So, it took itself too seriously and sort of turned it's back on what had once made the franchise fun? :)


Like, yeah its taking itself too seriously but they still made a film that's pure schlock. An exploding pen isn't unwelcome in a movie where a guy has magic dentures that undeform his face or a movie that has dialogue as cornball as that line from start to finish.

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F2%2F2e%2FWe_Are_the_Flesh.png&f=1&nofb=1

3

[Thursday Next]

Malcolm & Marie (2021)

2

[mark f]

Friends and Lovers (Victor Schertzinger, 1931) 2 5/10
Wrong Turn (Mike P. Nelson, 2021) 2.5 6/10
Faceless (Marcel Sarmiento, 2021) 2 5/10
Hal King (Myron Davis, 2021) 2.5 6/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SonQV1sZ0lI
Every word is sung and it's well worth a look.
Reunion (Jake Mahaffy, 2020) 2 5/10
The Mimic (Thomas F. Mazziotti, 2020) 2.5 6/10
2 Hearts (Lance Hool, 2020) 2 5/10
Holiday (Edward H. Griffith, 1930) 3 6.5/10
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uYBOhtrts3A/hqdefault.jpg
The original film version of the Philip Barry play, this time with Ann Harding and Mary Astor vying for the attention of Robert Ames.
The Right One (Ken Mok, 2021) 2 5/10
A Brutal Game (Jean-Claude Brisseau, 1983) 3- 6.5/10
Monster Hunter (Paul W.S. Anderson, 2020) 2 5/10
Supernova (Harry Macqueen, 2020) 3 6.5/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/c179c23f8595421f61a8cffc13ccc405/287f3e3292ff3a5b-4f/s540x810/f5b39f5ea9bbad0001725c4bdd3e3fd9e5943992.gifv
Longtime lovers Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci take a road trip through the English countryside when the latter is diagnosed with dementia.
Me You Madness (Louise Linton, 2021) 2 5/10
Art and Craft (3 Directors, 2014) 3 6.5/10
Monsoon (Hong Khaou, 2018) 2 5/10
The Legend of Rita (Volker Schlöndorff, 2000) 3 6.5/10
https://entertainment.time.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2011/08/top_10_berlin_wall_movies_the_legend_of_rita.jpg?w=600
The story of terrorist Rita Vogt (Bibiana Beglau) is shown as a thriller and as a commentary on the differences of East and West Germany.
All the Dead Ones (Caetano Gotardo & Marco Dutra, 2020) 2.5 6/10
No No Sleep (Tsai Ming-Liang, 2015) 1 3/10
My All-American (Angelo Pizzo, 2015) 2.5 6/10
Love, Antosha (Garret Price, 2019) 3.5 7/10
https://nerdist.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/TenseLargeGannet-size_restricted.gif
The busy and much-too-short life of Anton Yelich.

[Mr Minio]

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart 2 (2014)

https://i.imgur.com/N6djS9I.png

Disgusting, dark, toxic, full of hate and madness. Perhaps the most nihilistic of To films. A modern world devoid of love, where human relationships are merely an exchange. A person for another person, an expensive gift for a promise. People are unable to love, thrashing about and using others, to manipulate and hurt. An act of madness is enough to make a decision on impulse - just as the characters make a decision in the stock market. Up or Down? Will he or won't he? Will she choose this or that? Once it's up, and once it's down. As in the stock market, so in life. The octopus always chooses wrong, but at least it always chooses the same. And while the first film ended in a more genre-standard way, here the ending is bitter, without trying to beautify, embellish or sweeten it (which of course is deliberate). Whereas in most romantic comedies the ending is triumphant, here it's toned down to the extreme. By reverse thinking, an octopus always chooses wrong, so clearly reversed is also the choice in relation to the first Don't Go Breaking My Heart.

The penultimate scene in the elevator definitively shows if the choice was right (no, it's not a fairy tale) and the last scene shows the final, devastating defeat. This is not just the defeat of one character. It is a failure of modern man, who has lost a part of himself, a part of love. Especially in this culture, this country, these times, this environment. There's a reason the finale takes place in Suzhou. For most of the duration time, To conducts a narrative typical of the genre, occasionally sprinkling it with interesting ideas, but in the finale, Johnnie goes down such a mocking path that I'm not surprised the point flew right over so many people's head. Incidentally, Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2 is probably the most Douglas Sirk film of Johnnie To in that it uses an unbearable genre (saccharine harlequin vs. standard romantic comedy for normies) but adds dark, hidden content that elevates the whole thing into the echelons of excellence.

Louis Koo singing a song while climbing a skyscraper, pausing every two words to catch his breath is, upon further reflection, probably the most brilliant scene in the film. Hell, earlier in the film Louis Koo communicated with others through office building's windows, but there was a considerable space separating the characters. In the finale, Louis Koo reduces the space and lets the characters observe him up from close, but there's still glass separating them. Invisible space separating characters is a common theme in many Johnnie To films. It's not just about the relation of one character to another. It's also about their relation to space.

Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2 is a masterpiece. Naturally, working in the system he works in, To has no choice but to rigidly adhere to the framework of the genre when reconstructing it. This makes the film a romantic comedy with all the flaws of that fact. I hate Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2, but I have to give it to To: you did it again. Johnnie To, I bow to you low!

[Thief]

BONNIE AND CLYDE
(1967, Penn)
A film with a couple's name in the title

https://www.mondaviarts.org/sites/default/files/styles/panopoly_image_full/public/featured_images/bonnieclyde-film.jpg?itok=zOF91oKL


"One time I told you I was gonna make you somebody. That's what you done for me. You made me somebody they gonna remember."



Arthur Penn's 1967 film follows the couple (Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway) from their initial meeting to their ultimate demise at the hands of the police. In between, we get to see their love and struggles, the gang they assemble, and how they "perfected their craft" (for lack of a better phrase) from stealing gas stations and convenience stores to robbing banks and murdering cops.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2179881#post2179881)

[Stirchley]

BONNIE AND CLYDE
(1967, Penn)
A film with a couple's name in the title

In other words, “eponymous”. :)

Love this movie to pieces. Seen it a million times.

[Thief]

In other words, “eponymous”. :)

Love this movie to pieces. Seen it a million times.

Yeah, just highlighting what category from my "challenge" (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2167665#post2167665) I'm covering with it.

On that thread I talk a bit more about the issues I had with the film and I think it falls a bit on "heresy" :eek:

[Stirchley]

⬆️ Heresy?

[WHITBISSELL!]

Superfly - This 1972 blaxploitation classic is in no way a polished film. It was a lowbudget affair with a $500,000 budget and financed by two dentists and director Gordon Parks Jr.'s father, iconic director Gordon Parks. The script was allegedly only 45 pages long so there's a noticeable amount of extended scenes of people driving or walking which turns out not to matter or meaningfully detract from the movie. There are several reasons this belongs in the pantheon of blaxploitation flicks. It earned it's gritty realism the legitimate way with all of it's NYC and Harlem based scenes filmed guerilla style without official permits, union labor or even the tacit approval of background extras. The film crews were all non-white as well. And it has one of the most seminal soundtracks in movie history composed and performed by Curtis Mayfield, who appears on camera in a nightclub scene (the title song however doesn't actually show up until around the 74 minute mark of this hour and a half long movie). It also features a righteously charismatic lead performance by Ron O'Neal as Youngblood Priest, a cocaine dealer looking to exit the game gracefully. I've only seen a couple of the directors five total films but with this and Three the Hard Way he managed to helm two of my childhood favorites. 80/100

[Sprague Dawley]

Victoria And Abdul (Stephen Frears, 2017)
Judi Dench made a good, older Queen Victoria, she was quite cranky which I could image the real Queen was like in her later years. This is based on a true story and one that was not well known until a journalist visited the Queen's summer home in 2003 and uncovered some writings by the Queen that told of this unique relationship that proved to be very scandalous in it's time.

This 2017 British movie is done as a biographical comedy-drama, so the general feeling is light, which I found enjoyable as it fit the film's motif. It was certainly beautiful filmed with gorgeous sets and costumes, just a joy to look at. The actor who played Abdul (Ali Fazal) did a fine job of not over playing it which easily could have been a problem. I liked him, and Judi Dench too.

Truth it seems is indeed stranger than fiction.

rating_3_5+

Just watched this, great review.



ps stoopid nOOb take here but damn it is hard to follow film discussion around here. Between this thread and everyone's little bespoke ghettoised "take" threads, the films all fly by and the whole lot is just blunderbussed into the sun by daybreak when the process starts anew.

What would be so wrong with 1 film/1 thread?

[Citizen Rules]

Victoria And Abdul (Stephen Frears, 2017)Just watched this, great review.

ps stoopid nOOb take here but damn it is hard to follow film discussion around here. Between this thread and everyone's little bespoke ghettoised "take" threads, the films all fly by and the whole lot is just blunderbussed into the sun by daybreak when the process starts anew.

What would be so wrong with 1 film/1 thread?Wow I forgot all about that movie, but yeah I like Victoria And Abdul even though my mini-review was like 3 years ago, I could still recommend that film.

[GulfportDoc]

...
ps stoopid nOOb take here but damn it is hard to follow film discussion around here. Between this thread and everyone's little bespoke ghettoised "take" threads, the films all fly by and the whole lot is just blunderbussed into the sun by daybreak when the process starts anew.

What would be so wrong with 1 film/1 thread?
Quite a few folks (including myself) have posted single film reviews on the "Movie Review" forum. Some attract discussion, some don't.

This particular forum mostly just lists movies with the poster's rating-- oftentimes without any discussion at all. I personally like to read what a poster thinks of the movie that supported their rating.

[GulfportDoc]

BONNIE AND CLYDE
(1967, Penn)
Arthur Penn's 1967 film follows the couple (Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway) from their initial meeting to their ultimate demise at the hands of the police. In between, we get to see their love and struggles, the gang they assemble, and how they "perfected their craft" (for lack of a better phrase) from stealing gas stations and convenience stores to robbing banks and murdering cops.

Grade: rating_3_5
When we were living in New York, a friend who had just seen the premiere took us to see it-- he for a second time. I loved the movie. It was really the first of it's kind in the modern era, and the treatment was fresh with excellent contributors all around.

The movie did rather treat them like heroes, and pretty much was sympathetic to them. In actual fact however, they were cold blooded killers, and the depression era common man did not look up to them as little folks stealing from the rich. IOW the facts were reasonably close, but the portrayal of the characters' philosophy was way off.

[Nausicaä]

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/86/I_Care_A_Lot_poster.jpg

3.5

Snooze factor = Z

I was worried it was heading to an ending I would hate but for me it had a satisfying end :yup:

^ That doesn't give away how it ends, I just put spoilers on in case the wording gave it away...

¯\_(ツ)_/¯



[Snooze Factor Ratings]:
Z = didn't nod off at all
Zz = nearly nodded off but managed to stay alert
Zzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed
Zzzz = nodded off and missed some of the film but went back to watch what I missed but nodded off again at the same point and therefore needed to go back a number of times before I got through it...
Zzzzz = nodded off and missed some or the rest of the film but was not interested enough to go back over it

[Allaby]

Flora & Ulysses (2021) on Disney+. A family comedy/adventure about an adorable 10 year old girl and an adorable squirrel. The squirrel has superpowers. This movie was adorable. My rating is 3.5.

[ScarletLion]

'Dear Comrades' (2020)

https://i.imgur.com/mOSUZNW.gif

Fantastic film focusing on the uprising in Novocherkassk, Russia in 1962. Black and white, lovely cinematography and a fabulous performance by Yuliya Vysotskaya. As with recent films like Loveless and Beanpole, there is a large focus on Russia as the motherland, and how the healing process or changing process is more or less a constant. Great film.

4

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fhorrorcultfilms.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F08%2Fshe-who-must-burn.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Well, this was pretty stupid. A bunch of small town religious wackos go after a woman who works as a psychologist at an abortion clinic and lives with her Sherriff Deputy boyfriend because she's, ya know, sinning all over the place. I got the impression that this wants to be taken seriously but every character in it, both sides, at some point, become complete morons. The religious nuts are so over the top goofy/evil that it's distracting. As for the other side, for the most part they acted pretty reasonable until all the **** hits the fan where they inexplicably turn into idiots. It does have a couple "money shots" which also take away from the credibility because they simply feel tacked on for shock value (and they aren't even money, them shots). 1.5

[pahaK]

Demon Hunter (2005)
2
A fanboyish mixture of Buffy, World of Darkness, Constantine, and a plethora of other things a modern goth could admire. Fortunately, I'm somewhat receptive to these things myself. The immature script is the worst issue here. I didn't hate it, but I'm also thankful it was only 78 minutes.

[GulfportDoc]

73467
I See You (2019)

This clever film starts out with all the makings of a horror or supernatural film, replete with kidnappings, unexplained phenomena, and creepy tension, but switches mid stream to an impressive mystery whodunit.

I'm not a horror fan, so after about 30 minutes I was just about to turn it off due to the feel, along with the over laden music score, when a sudden interesting plot twist galvanized my interest.

First time screenwriter Devon Graye has fashioned an inventive story that grabs the viewer's attention and glues them to their seats wondering what's coming next in the complex plot.

Apart from Helen Hunt and John Tenney, there are no veterans in this production. Yet the direction, cinematography and acting all present themselves in what feels like a more glossy Hollywood presentation.

I rather backed into this film while scrolling through available movies on Amazon Prime. I'm glad I did.

Doc's rating: 7/10

[Fabulous]

The Class (2008)

4

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/1lx6TewxaaghQqWflW7pNDztiHs.jpg

[ScarletLion]

The Class (2008)

4

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/1lx6TewxaaghQqWflW7pNDztiHs.jpg

I've been meaning to watch that. It was received well at the time. What was good about it?

[Takoma11]

I've been meaning to watch that. It was received well at the time. What was good about it?

It is a film about life in a classroom by someone who has actually been in a classroom. I thought it did a great job of showing the way that, as a teacher, you have to walk this line between the personal and the professional. You have to be a human being to connect with your students, but it can be a delicate balance.

The film does a nice job of showing how teachers within the same building can have different philosophies. And it shows that, no matter how good your intentions, sometimes you can't make that connection.

I appreciated that the film allowed the students to articulate their frustrations. The movie doesn't feel like it's on anyone's side--it is sympathetic to all of them.

I thought that some parts were a little staged/cutesy feeling. I gave it a 7/10 on IMDb.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi1.wp.com%2Faftercredits.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F06%2FRejoiceAndShoutFeat.jpg%3Ffit%3D700%252C320&f=1&nofb=1

Rejoice and Shout, 2010

This documentary follows the history of gospel music and its roots in the African-American community.

I have very little to say about this film. I feel as though it was too much content being covered in a short time frame, and as a result a lot of the information feels too superficial. I kept thinking they were going to do more of a deep dive on a subtopic---force conversion of African slaves; gospel performers who also wrote naughty lyrics/songs; the intersection with the Civil Rights Movement--they would just move on.

What I will say is that the footage of old performances is fantastic. The footage of the songs has an energy and an immediacy that the film overall lacks.

Recommended if the topic interests you.

3

[ScarletLion]

It is a film about life in a classroom by someone who has actually been in a classroom. I thought it did a great job of showing the way that, as a teacher, you have to walk this line between the personal and the professional. You have to be a human being to connect with your students, but it can be a delicate balance.

The film does a nice job of showing how teachers within the same building can have different philosophies. And it shows that, no matter how good your intentions, sometimes you can't make that connection.

I appreciated that the film allowed the students to articulate their frustrations. The movie doesn't feel like it's on anyone's side--it is sympathetic to all of them.

I thought that some parts were a little staged/cutesy feeling. I gave it a 7/10 on IMDb.

Thanks, I'll give it a shot.

[Takoma11]

Thanks, I'll give it a shot.

While I didn't think it was amazing, I would recommend it.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fthetheatretimes.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2018%2F03%2Forg_img_1463005512_L-IMG_0073.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

In and Of Itself, 2020

This film is mainly a recording of Derek DelGaudio's stage show, in which he mixed conceptual/allegorical magic with storytelling. The main theme of the film is perception/self-perception and the nuances of identity.

Much like a good concert film, this movie has the effect of making you wish that you were there in person. It is pretty clear that the audience is strongly connecting with the material, and DelGaudio does a great job of pacing the show so that the light and heavy stuff is mixed well. The show uses simple but effective props and staging to transition from story to story. It is a relatively small stage, but DelGaudio is able to use depth and changes in height to make the most of the space.

While I think that the film does a really good job of showing the emotional response of the audience (especially to a certain set-piece that takes place later in the film), I don't feel as though I was ever totally "submerged" in what was happening. I definitely had a strong appreciation for DelGaudio's technical prowess in terms of the magic on display and his control of the audience and their reactions. Some of the musings on identity were interesting, especially the question of how much we allow the perception of others to color our own self-perception, but they also felt a bit . . . broad? This may be because this is a show that needs to click with all of the audience members, who might be in very different places in their lives. I appreciate the way that DelGaudio tried to strike a balance between telling his own story and giving the audience an opportunity to explore their own.

I'm certainly glad I watched it, but something was slightly missing for me in terms of it being an immersive experience.

3.5

[Gideon58]

https://www.classicmoviefavorites.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Me-and-my-gal-feat.jpg


3.5

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F149357165.v2.pressablecdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2F36thchamber_000024.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, 1978

A young man named San Te (Chia-Hui Liu) sees many of his classmates taken out by the Manchu government. Injured, but able to escape, San Te manages to make it to a Shaolin temple where he begs the monks to train him in kung fu. While he is at first rejected and scorned by the men in the temple, San Te earns their respect as he shows proficiency in the various training exercises.

This film felt like it was about 85% San Te training at the temple and I was all about it. The series of different chambers (ie levels) are full of exercises that could have easily skewed campy (like when two knives are strapped to his arms and he must carry heavy buckets of water lest he stab himself in the abdomen), but the sequences look so good and Liu's physicality is so on point that is ends up being incredibly engaging instead.

The plot itself is incredibly minimal. I can't honestly say that there is a lot of character development. But also . . . who cares? The flow of the film is so solid and the progression through the different chambers is so much fun that you just go with it. You get to the end and you're like, "Oh yeah! There was a bad guy!".

This was a fun, light kung fu film with a great central performance and a dynamic structure. My only complaint is that I could only get hold of an English dub, and while most of the voices were fine, the one female character was SO BAD. I can only imagine the voice coach was like "Can you gasp between each word? Great. Also, more shrill. More. More. Perfect."

Highly recommended.

4.5

[xSookieStackhouse]

Friends and Lovers (Victor Schertzinger, 1931) 2 5/10
Wrong Turn (Mike P. Nelson, 2021) 2.5 6/10
Faceless (Marcel Sarmiento, 2021) 2 5/10
Hal King (Myron Davis, 2021) 2.5 6/10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SonQV1sZ0lI
Every word is sung and it's well worth a look.
Reunion (Jake Mahaffy, 2020) 2 5/10
The Mimic (Thomas F. Mazziotti, 2020) 2.5 6/10
2 Hearts (Lance Hool, 2020) 2 5/10
Holiday (Edward H. Griffith, 1930) 3 6.5/10
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uYBOhtrts3A/hqdefault.jpg
The original film version of the Philip Barry play, this time with Ann Harding and Mary Astor vying for the attention of Robert Ames.
The Right One (Ken Mok, 2021) 2 5/10
A Brutal Game (Jean-Claude Brisseau, 1983) 3- 6.5/10
Monster Hunter (Paul W.S. Anderson, 2020) 2 5/10
Supernova (Harry Macqueen, 2020) 3 6.5/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/c179c23f8595421f61a8cffc13ccc405/287f3e3292ff3a5b-4f/s540x810/f5b39f5ea9bbad0001725c4bdd3e3fd9e5943992.gifv
Longtime lovers Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci take a road trip through the English countryside when the latter is diagnosed with dementia.
Me You Madness (Louise Linton, 2021) 2 5/10
Art and Craft (3 Directors, 2014) 3 6.5/10
Monsoon (Hong Khaou, 2018) 2 5/10
The Legend of Rita (Volker Schlöndorff, 2000) 3 6.5/10
https://entertainment.time.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2011/08/top_10_berlin_wall_movies_the_legend_of_rita.jpg?w=600
The story of terrorist Rita Vogt (Bibiana Beglau) is shown as a thriller and as a commentary on the differences of East and West Germany.
All the Dead Ones (Caetano Gotardo & Marco Dutra, 2020) 2.5 6/10
No No Sleep (Tsai Ming-Liang, 2015) 1 3/10
My All-American (Angelo Pizzo, 2015) 2.5 6/10
Love, Antosha (Garret Price, 2019) 3.5 7/10
https://nerdist.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/TenseLargeGannet-size_restricted.gif
The busy and much-too-short life of Anton Yelich.


i was gonna watch monster hunter cause milla jovovich is in it shes one of my favorite actress but i knew it wont be that good!! but loved her on resident evil as alice tho

[Rockatansky]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F149357165.v2.pressablecdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2F36thchamber_000024.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, 1978

The plot itself is incredibly minimal. I can't honestly say that there is a lot of character development. But also . . . who cares? The flow of the film is so solid and the progression through the different chambers is so much fun that you just go with it. You get to the end and you're like, "Oh yeah! There was a bad guy!".

Lau's work didn't really go for depth of character development so much as marry the martial arts to the characters' arcs and film's ideologies. 36th Chamber is probably the clearest example in that the bulk of the film is an extended training sequence where you see the hero grow across each exercise, but I think The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (his best film) in particular shows how he used it to externalize and reflect on internal character conflicts. And Heroes of the East uses it to bridge cultural conflicts as rebuke to the anti-Japanese sentiment common in other Shaw Brothers films. More than any director of martial arts pictures (whose work I've seen), he really believed in kung fu as an actual philosophy.

[xSookieStackhouse]

Blue Crush 10/10 one of my favorite surfing movies back in the day <3
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYzYwZDQwNmEtMDIyNy00NjkzLWJjYTctNTYwNjI2MTBhMzEzXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.artswisconsin.org%2Fwp-content%2Fplugins%2Ffiles%2Fcivicrm%2Fpersist%2Fcontribute%2Fimages%2Fgrowingupmilwaukee.JPG&f=1&nofb=1

Documentary about three kids with some issues growing up in Milwaukee. You get the usual bad stats about the city, incarceration rates, segregation etc. usually from the very people hired to fix the problem who just deliver the same soundbites we've all heard a million times. Fortunately, that is over early in the film and we get to the kids story. Some of the film felt pretty staged. Of the three kids they follow only one seemed like really he wanted to turn things around and it's not surprising he's the only one who had any friends trying to look out for him. The film doesn't dig too deep into their lives we just kind of follow them around as they visit local community outreach programs. 3

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimg.24reel.com%2Fcdn%2Fbig%2Fmovie%2F40cb88e0-09a2-49df-a773-bad33b14d697.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

This was a little after my fascination with boxing had waned so it was all pretty new to me. Having seen this seen it I'd love to see the entire Ward-Gatti 1 fight. The doc spends the majority of the time covering the 3 fights between the two then goes into the friendship the two developed with other which lasted until Gatti's unusual death. I thought this was very good. Did a great job explaining why the fights are considered classics but it's the story about their friendship that hits the hardest. [rating]4[//rating]

[mark f]

3000 Miles to Graceland (Demian Lichtenstein, 2001) 2.5 5.5/10
Zebraman (Takashi Miike, 2004) 2.5 6/10
Monster Run (Henri Wong, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
I Care a Lot (J Blakeson, 2020) 3- 6.5/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/27d2223fe293bbea415c3d9ca4e36017/40c4fc13295f46cb-d9/s500x750/2f7255833d72c87845afeabfd57f8bda5a651f41.gifv
Scam artists/lovers Rosamund Pike and Eiza González decide to raise their game when they get involved with the Russian Mafia.
The Lost City (Andy Garcia, 2005) 2.5 6/10
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case (Harold S. Bucquet, 1940) 2 5/10
Six L.A. Love Stories (Michael Dunawayh, 2016) 2.5 6/10
Delusions of Grandeur (Gérard Oury, 1971) 3 6.5/10
https://thumbs.gfycat.com/OffensiveFancyGalah-max-1mb.gif
Disgraced foreign minister Louis de Funès and his valet (Yves Montand) get involved in a wacko plot to embarass the Queen of France.
To All the Boys: Always and Forever (Michael Fimognari, 2021) 2.5+ 6/10
Young Hearts (Zachary Ray & Sarah Sherman, 2020) 2+ 5/10
Bad Cupid (Diane Cossa & Neal Howard, 2021) 2.5 6/10
The Ogre (Volker Schlöndorff, 1996) 3 6.5/10
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR6QMO4eYSoo_oyKt97dk-Y7ugw322qErYEew&usqp=CAU
Frenchman John Malkovich loves to protect children but when he later becomes a prisoner of the Nazis and recruits kids for them, he comes to have second thoughts.
Flora & Ulysses (Lena Khan, 2021) 2.5+ 6/10
Alice Fades Away (Ryan Bliss, 2021) 2 5/10
Honeymoon (Leigh Janiak, 2014) 2.5- 6/10
My Dad Is 100 Years Old (Guy Maddin, 2005) 3.5 7/10
https://offscreen.com/images/maddin_100yrs3.jpg
Isabella Rossellini offers a tribute to her father as well as comments about him from others while "resting" on her dad's chest.
Quick Money (Edward Killy, 1937) 2.5 6/10
Being Dead (John Meyers, 2020) 2+ 5/10
That's Right - You're Wrong (David Butler, 1939) 2.5 6/10
Let Sleeping Corpses Lie (Jorge Grau, 1974) 3 6.5/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/cd8a6023f8d39606504a7113ed8cee04/1c98feb82987d3d9-1d/s400x600/eab3a85e13e6b5480344527afea7b832856451da.gifv
Yeah, if you don't you might end up like this.

[Chypmunk]

Always nice to see love for The Living Dead at the Manchester Morgue mark :up:

[Takoma11]

Lau's work didn't really go for depth of character development so much as marry the martial arts to the characters' arcs and film's ideologies. 36th Chamber is probably the clearest example in that the bulk of the film is an extended training sequence where you see the hero grow across each exercise, but I think The Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (his best film) in particular shows how he used it to externalize and reflect on internal character conflicts. And Heroes of the East uses it to bridge cultural conflicts as rebuke to the anti-Japanese sentiment common in other Shaw Brothers films. More than any director of martial arts pictures (whose work I've seen), he really believed in kung fu as an actual philosophy.

I've got 8th Diagram Pole Fighter on my watchlist. I'll add Heroes of the East.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia4.s-nbcnews.com%2Fj%2Fnewscms%2F2016_22%2F1565251%2Fcheck_it_group_photo_by_toby_oppenheimer_4ab70e24b4d d50f7982e9b115bc630a0.fit-760w.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Check It, 2016

This documentary follows several members of a Washington DC gang called Check It--a gang made up of gay, lesbian, and trangender young people who have banded together. The film explores the origins of the gang and follows the attempts of a gang intervention specialist, Mo, as he tries to show the gang members a way out of their lifestyle.

This documentary was incredibly involving, and provided a very nuanced take on the elements that have led to these young people being in the situation they are in.

The part that will probably not surprise anyone is that these children have had absolutely horrible upbringings--in and out of foster care, absentee parents or parents with serious drug problems. And this is only made worse by the lack of acceptance of their sexuality/gender presentation. Many of the young people sell their bodies on streets (just two miles from the White House) as a source of income, starting as young as 12 or 13 years old. One teen talks about working the streets but tells the interviewer, "By the time I'm in 11th or 12th grade, I think I will have my life together and I can stop." Heartbreaking.

The gang originally formed because of the high rate of violence in DC against LGBTQ+ people. Working as a gang--and they frequently compare themselves to a herd of animals--the teens can walk through the city with a sense of safety. They are ruthless and they are quick to fight, but the fear they instill in others keeps them safe, to a degree.

Mo, the gang interventionist, is determined to give the teens a path out of their lifestyle. He points out that it is a slippery slope between being bullied and becoming a bully, between being the prey and becoming the predator. Because they have had to fight so often and so hard, they are quick to anger and prone to explosive violence. Mo sees that they have strength in fashion and manages to get several of them enrolled in a fashion camp taking place over the summer.

One of the most interesting stories is that of a young man named Skittles, who Mo directs to a boxing gym. Skittles is very effeminate, but also in incredible physical shape and very strong and fast. His coach, Duke, notes that he could be very successful--at one point shrewdly observing that none of the other fighters want to get in the ring with Skittles because they don't want to be knocked out by someone who is openly gay.

It is hard to watch the teens navigate their conflicting feelings as they go through the fashion camp or work in the boxing gym. Their lives have been so on the edge, and their experiences so negative, that they tend to resent authority figures and, as the saying goes, they do not "play well with others." One young man, Day Day, explicitly talks about how fast and overwhelming his anger is. As the boxing coach notes, real change doesn't happen in a day--it happens over time, maybe even years. And these children are running out of time.

The most centered, down-to-earth of the teens is Tray, who may be transgender and talks about his female self as an escape. Tray knows that the life he is leading is not sustainable. During filming (though not on camera, obviously), Tray is raped by one of his prostitution clients. In a maddening sequence, Tray tries to report this sexual assault. He calls one number, and is told to call somewhere else. The second number directs him back to the first. He is given another number, which rings through as disconnected. When he finally speaks to a person who seems able to take a report, he is asked for the first and last name of his rapist. Unable to provide a last name, he is told bluntly that he cannot file a report. It is clear that these children have been failed by systems over and over, and this is a prime, infuriating example.

I think that the film walked a very delicate, careful line in terms of its portrayal of these young people. On the one hand, it is careful not to idolize or celebrate the violence that they perpetrate. On the other hand, it makes it very clear the obstacles that they are facing and the difficulty of finding a way out. They have anger issues. They are crude. They distrust authority. They all need intervention and therapy, both of which are absent or in short supply. They make poor choices and are disrespectful to people who are trying to help them (like the long suffering director of the fashion camp). There were elements of this film that overlapped with The Interrupters, a documentary about gang interventionists in Chicago.

I would highly recommend this film. It is a deeply empathetic look at a fascinating group of people and a compelling call to action for real change to be made in how at-risk youth are treated.

4.5

[Fabulous]

Far from Men (2014)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/boHbhtXnKprUrJBnZyy1eTXQBCh.jpg

[WrinkledMind]

I just finished watching Let Him Go, and this is how you make a movie. A simple story turned into a wonderful movie, because the characters were adequately fleshed out, which made me care about the good ones and hate the bad ones.


The movie unfolds in a nice, slow pace putting in the small subplots at the right time and in the right manner. Despite being somewhat predictable at times, I was still left on the edge of my seat at certain points.


It even makes social commentary in the right manner.


This was stark opposite to the other Western (News of the World) which I watched recently. At core, both had simple plots, but the execution of the two films is so different.

[skizzerflake]

Tonight's voyage into Film Noir, my latest "thing" - Whirlpool, Directed by Otto Preminger - A woman, wife of a well off psychoanalyst, is caught shoplifting and is saved from charges by a hypnotist. Later, however, she falls into a trance. Murder happens. Can a woman be turned into a murderer by a hypnotist, or is she the victim of a difficult childhood, or, is she a kleptomaniac? We will see. Among the stars are Jose Ferrer and Gene Tierney. It's fairly cheesy, plot wise, but looks good (very noir) and has star quality. Nobody can talk as fast as Jose Ferrer.

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGiSdMOhb_Y

[Torgo]

City of Industry - 3

Like a roadtrip on a scenic highway with stop-and-go traffic, City of Industry is a mix of good and not so good. One of the many pulpy neo-noirs produced in the late '90s in the wake of Pulp Fiction, it stars Harvey Keitel in the grizzled and world-weary mode that he does so well as career criminal Roy Egan. He's on the trail of teammate Skip, who...let's just say does something after a big heist that makes you wonder if there is honor among thieves. Roy scouring the less reputable parts of L.A. for Skip is compelling thanks to Keitel's charisma and his knack for playing such roles. Director John Irvin also films this sequence with style and in a way that makes the seediness palpable. I also very much enjoyed the heist scene, which has decent tension and uncertainty in spite of making Skip an obvious liability and, well, the fact that Stephen Dorff plays him. The movie's brightest spot, however, is Famke Janssen, who makes the most of her role as Rachel, the wife of Roy's teammate Jorge, and in doing so gives the movie much-needed heart and someone to root for. Again, the heist is exciting, as is an explosive showdown at a motel, but too many of the movie's other attempts at thrilling are ordinary and limp. Nearly all of Roy's efforts to glean Skip's location from his associates, for instance, feature tension-free beatdowns or gun pointing. Also, there should be a screenwriting exercise for one scene where Skip attempts to one-up Roy that lets students dissect everything that's wrong with it. City of Industry, like so many other neo-noirs that came out around the same time, seems like an attempt to replicate what makes Tarantino's work special. It doesn't come close, but despite its flaws, it has enough going for it to make it worth watching.

[Rockatansky]

I've got 8th Diagram Pole Fighter on my watchlist. I'll add Heroes of the East.
I don't think I've seen an out and out bad movie from Lau yet (Martial Arts of Shaolin is the closest, but it's got good enough action to not be a write-off), but those are definitely the priorities. Maybe Legendary Weapons of China as well, which I think is a great demonstration of everything he did well, even if I'd disagree with those who call it his best.

[pahaK]

Are We There Yet? (2005)
2
I decided to go out of my comfort zone and watch a romantic family comedy. The biggest issue with this genre is that you always know how the film is going to end, and they always grow worse toward the end. There are some funny jokes in the first half (sort of ruined by the PG rating, though), but the mandatory turn of events doesn't work because the kids are way too malicious to gather any sympathy points. I didn't really hate it though, so I guess it's something considering the type of film it is.

[WHITBISSELL!]

The Guns of Navarone - Entertaining WWII film about a small group of Allied commandos sent to blow up a large artillery installation secreted in a cave overlooking the Aegean Sea. They're on a deadline because thousands of troops are trapped on a neighboring island and are only days away from being overrun and slaughtered by Nazi forces. Since the twin guns make any sort of naval evacuation a suicide mission the squad must figure out the best way to sneak in and plant explosives. Gregory Peck stars as Capt. Keith Mallory who takes over the operation when Maj. Roy Franklin (Anthony Quayle) is injured. David Niven also stars as Cpl. John Anthony Miller, the squad's demolitions expert. Anthony Quinn is the wildcard of sorts as Greek espionage operative Col. Andrea Stavros. Stanley Baker, James Darren, Irene Pappas and Gia Scala round out the cast.

There a lot of the usual derring do as the squad laboriously makes their way to their intended target, all while being hounded by Nazi troops who seem to guess their every move. This is a cracking good adventure of the old school variety although my favorite of these is still Where Eagles Dare. 90/100

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcommonreader.wustl.edu%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F11%2Fthe-killing-of-a-chinese-bookie.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, 1978 (Director's Cut)

Cosmo (Ben Gazzara) runs a burlesque club in Los Angeles. Cosmo has just made the last payment on a debt he owes to a loan shark. And to celebrate, Cosmo takes a few of his dancers out for a night on the town . . . where he racks up $23,000 in gambling debts. Unwilling to take spaced out payments, the casino owners tell Cosmo he can wipe out his debt . . . if he will murder a local Chinese bookie. Cosmo wrestles with this decision as the people who own his debt grow more and more impatient.

For me, this film teetered on the line between really good and merely good. Gazzara's performance as Cosmo is good--a strong portrayal of someone who makes poor decisions, but who clearly wants to live a decent life. At the same time, Cosmo will do what he needs to do in order to hold on to the club, which clearly is where his heart lies. The other performances are also very strong, with naturalistic style dominating every scene.

The direction if also very solid. The scenes inside Cosmo's club are a mix of slightly claustrophobic, fun, workmanlike, and just a bit seedy/gritty. You can understand why Cosmo loves it, and you can understand why the dancers and the (only?) male actor enjoy working there. Cosmo treats his employees with an easy respect that helps you to like his character more.

For me, the film stumbles a bit as it moves into its final third. What had been mainly a drama kicks into more of a thriller mode, and certain sequences just didn't feel as realistic as what had come before. And by bringing more of the focus to the thriller/logistical part of the story, the moral struggle that Cosmo experienced gets slightly displaced, which is a shame. It sort of takes away from the impact of the decisions he made and how that changes our relationship to him.

I haven't seen the original cut of the film, but I don't think that another 25 minutes of content would have been a good thing. Maybe someone who has seen both versions can comment here.

A good film, but it loses a little oomph in the final act.

4

[GulfportDoc]

Tonight's voyage into Film Noir, my latest "thing" - Whirlpool, Directed by Otto Preminger - A woman, wife of a well off psychoanalyst, is caught shoplifting and is saved from charges by a hypnotist. Later, however, she falls into a trance. Murder happens. Can a woman be turned into a murderer by a hypnotist, or is she the victim of a difficult childhood, or, is she a kleptomaniac? We will see. Among the stars are Jose Ferrer and Gene Tierney. It's fairly cheesy, plot wise, but looks good (very noir) and has star quality. Nobody can talk as fast as Jose Ferrer.

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:
Great film, and very good noir! Jose Ferrer --with his trademark self assurance and poise-- really stole the picture, while Gene Tierney was her gorgeous self-- despite being made up rather plainly.

Preminger directed Tierney in the classic Laura, but I think that Whirlpool is almost as good. It seems schmaltzy today, but I'm sure it had a real impact in 1949.

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fscreenrant.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2FBelladonna-of-Sadness-poster.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

Belladonna of Sadness, 1978

A young woman named Jeanne is raped on her wedding day by the local ruler and other members of the court. In her agony, she unintentionally attracts the attention of a demonic creature who tries to tempt Jeanne into giving up her soul in exchange for revenge. Jeanne's relationship with the evil spirit only makes her life--and the life of her husband, Jean--more complicated, pushing Jeanne more and more to a breaking point.

The positive and the negative of this film comes down to the animation style, which is very experimental/unconventional.

There are uses of still images, and at times different styles within the same sequence. There is an impressionist quality to certain sequences that I really liked and the use of color is bold an unapologetic.

However. There is an exploitative, slightly porny quality to a lot of the way that Jeanne is portrayed. Just the angles use to show her body and the postures they put her in. It makes me think of that comic book artist who was accused of over-sexualizing female characters and he was like, yeah, I trace them from porn. And this is especially bothersome because it is true even in sequences that involve sexual assault. She spends most of the film partly or fully nude, and it is very noticeable that this isn't true for any of the male characters. She is, unsurprisingly, given Barbie proportions, and the pervy element detracts from the story. Rather than feeling as if the film sympathizes with her, it's more as if it delights in finding excuses to rip her clothes off.

The story itself is not bad. There is something interesting about the application of such a bold animation style to a story that feels like a fairy tale/folktale. Unfortunately, there isn't a whole lot of character development. In addition to Jeanne, Jean is really underdeveloped (aside from looking like a total creep when his assaulted wife stumbles home and he's like "So anyway, let's just forget all about what just happened!" before she can even clean the blood off of her body), and it would have been interesting to see more about how he feels about his wife's transformation. There's a superficiality to it.

I get why this pops up as a film to see, but I found it a little underbaked.

3

[StuSmallz]

I haven't seen the original cut of the film, but I don't think that another 25 minutes of content would have been a good thing. Maybe someone who has seen both versions can comment here.I've only seen one version of it, but I think it was the original 1976 cut (though I can't be 100% sure), and I didn't like it at all, as I found it to be an extremely unfocused, empty experience, one that I would genuinely struggle to give even a 5 out of 10 to, so ever watching either version again really isn't a priority for me. Then again, I wasn't crazy about Woman Under The Influence either, so maybe I'm just not big on Cassavetes in general.

[Takoma11]

I've only seen one version of it, but I think it was the original 1976 cut (though I can't be 100% sure), and I didn't like it at all, as I found it to be an extremely unfocused, empty experience, one that I would genuinely struggle to give even a 5 out of 10 to, so ever watching either version again really isn't a priority for me. Then again, I wasn't crazy about Woman Under The Influence either, so maybe I'm just not big on Cassavetes in general.

I thought certain sequences of Faces were really strong. I've not seen a ton of his work yet.

[SpelingError]

I love Cassavetes, personally, but I haven't gotten to Chinese Bookie yet. Of what I've seen so far, Husbands is my favorite of his films.

[ThatDarnMKS]

I CARE A LOT

2.5

It was hard to care much.

[SpelingError]

I CARE A LOT

2.5

It was hard to care much.

But you just said you do care. Liar.

[Captain Terror]

I CARE A LOT

2.5

It was hard to care much.
Please tell me you have electricity and running water. I don't remember what part of TX you're in

[SpelingError]

Yeah, hopefully you're staying safe, MKS.

[StuSmallz]

I thought certain sequences of Faces were really strong. I've not seen a ton of his work yet.I love Cassavetes, personally, but I haven't gotten to Chinese Bookie yet. Of what I've seen so far, Husbands is my favorite of his films.I haven't seen either, as the only Cassavetes films I've seen are the two I mentioned, but I know one of them (Influence) is generally considered to be his best, which is why I'm not eager to prioritize the rest of his work over whatever else I'm interested in, considering my slightly underwhelmed reaction to it and (especially) Bookie. But hey, at least I thought he was good in Rosemary's Baby, huh? Heh.

[SpelingError]

I haven't seen either, as the only Cassavetes films I've seen are the two I mentioned, but I know one of them (Influence) is generally considered to be his best, which is why I'm not eager to prioritize the rest of his work over whatever else I'm interested in, considering my slightly underwhelmed reaction to it and (especially) Bookie. But hey, at least I thought he was good in Rosemary's Baby, huh? Heh.

I'll recommend trying out Shadows next. Though I think it's a lesser Cassavetes film, it might give you a good sense of his style without becoming tired of it.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Please tell me you have electricity and running water. I don't remember what part of TX you're in
My home is half destroyed from burst pipes. My sister has taken my wife and I in. Damage in our area is so bad I'm not sure when I'll get to actually go home because materials to replace the plumbing are scarce and waiting on insurance adjustors have grossly inflated the wait time.

But I saved my TV and the majority of my film collections and her house has heat and water so we're about as comfortable as can be.

Thank y'all for your concern. It's been a week of great unpleasantness but none of the falling drywall hit us and we had somewhere to go so I feel bad for complaining.

[StuSmallz]

I'll recommend trying out Shadows next. Though I think it's a lesser Cassavetes film, it might give you a good sense of his style without becoming tired of it.Eh, I dunno how much I want to check it out if you feel that it's "lesser" Cassavetes, since even Influence, while pretty good, still didn't live up to the expectations people had set for it (and that breakfast scene went on forever for no good reason). I'll see.

[SpelingError]

Eh, I dunno how much I want to check it out if you feel that it's "lesser" Cassavetes, since even Influence, while pretty good, still didn't live up to the expectations people had set for it (and that breakfast scene went on forever for no good reason). I'll see.

Ok, fair. Maybe don't make it a priority, but if you're able to find some free time and you feel in the mood, I recommend popping it in to see what you think of it.

[Wyldesyde19]

Regarding Cassavetes, I’ve seen Killing of a Chinese Bookie, and A Woman Under the Influence. Both were let downs. Influence especially.
I have Husbands saved on Amazon to give it a go soon, so maybe that will resonate better.

[StuSmallz]

Regarding Cassavetes, I’ve seen Killing of a Chinese Bookie, and A Woman Under the Influence. Both were let downs. Influence especially.
I have Husbands saved on Amazon to give it a go soon, so maybe that will resonate better.It was the opposite way for me, as, while Influence had been built up more, at least I still liked it pretty well in the end; Bookie, on the other hand, I didn't like at all, which is why it took me as long as it did (over half a decade) before I checked out another one of his films.

[Takoma11]

I CARE A LOT

2.5

It was hard to care much.

Sometimes the reviews just write themselves!

My home is half destroyed from burst pipes. My sister has taken my wife and I in. Damage in our area is so bad I'm not sure when I'll get to actually go home because materials to replace the plumbing are scarce and waiting on insurance adjustors have grossly inflated the wait time.

But I saved my TV and the majority of my film collections and her house has heat and water so we're about as comfortable as can be.

Thank y'all for your concern. It's been a week of great unpleasantness but none of the falling drywall hit us and we had somewhere to go so I feel bad for complaining.

:facepalm: When I was thinking about people I know in Texas, you did not come immediately to mind. Yeesh!

I'm glad you are somewhere safe (and I hope that any other family you have in the state are also doing okay). If there's anything I/we can do, just say the word.

[Wyldesyde19]

It was the opposite way for me, as, while Influence had been built up more, at least I still liked it pretty well in the end; Bookie, on the other hand, I didn't like at all, which is why it took me as long as it did (over half a decade) before I checked out another one of his films.

Influence, which I just reviewed recently in the Personal Recommendations HOF, was a miss largely due to Rowland’s over acting, always flailing about and making faces. I found Falk’s character far more interesting.
He has a relatively small filmography, as far as those he directed anyways, so I aim to finish it up over time.

[StuSmallz]

Influence, which I just reviewed recently in the Personal Recommendations HOF, was a miss largely due to Rowland’s over acting, always flailing about and making faces. I found Falk’s character far more interesting.
He has a relatively small filmography, as far as those he directed anyways, so I aim to finish it up over time.Could you link me to that review, then? I couldn't locate it when I tried just now.

[Wyldesyde19]

Could you link me to that review, then? I couldn't locate it when I tried just now.

https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2173708#post2173708

[ThatDarnMKS]

Sometimes the reviews just write themselves!



:facepalm: When I was thinking about people I know in Texas, you did not come immediately to mind. Yeesh!

I'm glad you are somewhere safe (and I hope that any other family you have in the state are also doing okay). If there's anything I/we can do, just say the word.

I should be THE Texan on everyone's minds! This hurts worse than the property damage!

Seriously though, I appreciate it. I wish there was something I could ask for but everything is in such a stand still due to a lack of resources that there's nothing that can be done currently. Just waiting for the headache of dealing with insurance claims and truly realizing the scope of the damage (need to repipe the entire attic, replace the ceiling in at least 3 rooms, and floors will need to be replaced). None of it feels quite "real" yet.

But while I'm not the only one with property damage (I know WAY more people affected than even when Harvey hit), I'm very grateful no one has had anything truly tragic happen. A close friend in Austin had a neighbor die from falling on ice and hitting his head.

I think the scope of damage will only become more clear and shocking as the days pass.

[StuSmallz]

https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=2173708#post2173708
Eh, I thought Rowland's performance in it was very good; it was the unnecessary fat, like that breakfast scene that felt like it lasted half an hour, or the problematic implications of the ending, where Falk essentially "slaps the crazy" out of his wife, which feels like it was intended to be a sort of "happy" ending, that are the problems for me.

Still a pretty good movie despite those flaws, though.

[StuSmallz]

I should be THE Texan on everyone's minds! This hurts worse than the property damage!

Seriously though, I appreciate it. I wish there was something I could ask for but everything is in such a stand still due to a lack of resources that there's nothing that can be done currently. Just waiting for the headache of dealing with insurance claims and truly realizing the scope of the damage (need to repipe the entire attic, replace the ceiling in at least 3 rooms, and floors will need to be replaced). None of it feels quite "real" yet.

But while I'm not the only one with property damage (I know WAY more people affected than even when Harvey hit), I'm very grateful no one has had anything truly tragic happen. A close friend in Austin had a neighbor die from falling on ice and hitting his head.

I think the scope of damage will only become more clear and shocking as the days pass.Glad to hear that you're unhurt at least, MKS, as well as everyone else I know in the state, since my late Grandma had a friend who still lives in Fort Worth, one who should be almost 90 years old by this point (I haven't heard anything about her, so as far as I know she's okay), while Firebender from the Corrie works somewhere near the Plano area, and she mentioned that it got so cold that she saw an outdoor swimming pool froze solid down there (in addition to her losing power), so I'll try to keep you and my other Texas friends in my thoughts while this whole cluster **** works itself out.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Glad to hear that you're unhurt at least, MKS, as well as everyone else I know in the state, since my late Grandma had a friend who still lives in Fort Worth, one who should be almost 90 years old by this point (I haven't heard anything about her, so as far as I know she's okay), while Firebender from the Corrie works somewhere near the Plano area, and she mentioned that it got so cold that she saw an outdoor swimming pool froze solid down there, so I'll try to keep you and my other Texas friends in my thoughts while this whole cluster **** works itself out.

While the pools in my area didn't seem to freeze (most did have their pool plumbing explode though), I do have a small fountain at my yard that froze completely solid and snowed over. SOMEHOW, of all things water related, that thing reanimated itself the moment it thawed enough. The sound of it randomly starting up kicked in some PTSD though. Everyone in my family currently goes on red alert the moment we hear running water.

My house went from zero to the climax of Titanic in less than 15 mins. I didn't know that could even happen in a house without a hurricane.

Appreciate it and glad others are safe!

[Wyldesyde19]

Eh, I thought Rowland's performance in it was very good; it was the unnecessary fat, like that breakfast scene that felt like it lasted half an hour, or the problematic implications of the ending, where Falk essentially "slaps the crazy" out of his wife, which feels like it was intended to be a sort of "happy" ending, that are the problems for me.

Still a pretty good movie despite those flaws, though.
Yeah, I get a lot of people really enjoy the film, so I won’t unnecessarily attack it, but coming from a family riddled with mental disabilities (paranoid schizophrenia, bi polar disorder, alcoholism all spread out amongst my parents and siblings) I take a hard view of it’s portrayal.
That ending was a bad spot as well, glad you mentioned it.
Our personal recommendations in that challenge is picked out for us anonymously, and I always feel bad when a movie misses its mark with me, because it’s usually someone’s favorite that gets chosen by them.

[Takoma11]

My house went from zero to the climax of Titanic in less than 15 mins. I didn't know that could even happen in a house without a hurricane.

Appreciate it and glad others are safe!

My house had a pipe burst several years ago (in the cellar, thank goodness), and when I went down to check there were already like 4 inches of water.

For the next week or so (during the cold snap), I was advised to keep the hot water running at a trickle because the moving water in the pipes helps? Or something?

I think you're right that once the "emergency" passes there are going to be a ton of long-term effects.

[Hey Fredrick]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F57%2F75%2F38%2F5775385a839773548d30c6eb8d2e3bd0.gif&f=1&nofb=1

Yojimbo

Killing is my business....and business is good. Wanted to see this forever and figured it would best get it in before the next countdown. Also, I have not seen the Sergio/Clint version so this was all new to me. A samurai (Toshiro Mifune) starts a bidding war between two warring clans who would like his services. He's not terribly interested in helping either clan, he just wants to up his price, so he plays them against each other. He has a few other things up his sleeve, as well, and that's the fun of Yojimbo. How is it all going to unfold? Nothing wrong with this movie. Like the other Kurosawa films I've seen this movie feels ahead of its time. When it comes to filling up a frame there's Kurosawa and Kubrick, then everybody else. Every shot looks fantastic. I know b&w foreign films can be a tough sell but if I'm going to introduce somebody to them, somebody who has very little interest in them, Kurosawa is the guy I'm going with first. Mifune is again outstanding. 4.5

and what would a weekend be without at least one classic:

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.tvtropes.org%2Fpmwiki%2Fpub%2Fimages%2Fhowlingii.png&f=1&nofb=1

aka Howling II: Stirba: Werewolf Bitch. Not quite on par with Yojimbo but it was a lot of fun in a so bad it's good horror flick. Christopher Lee, playing it totally straight, is a werewolf hunter who travels to Transylvania (why not) to hunt down an old adversary: Stirba: Werewolf Bitch (Sybil Danning). That's pretty much all you need to know. The story is ridiculous, but fun and they throw enough silly stuff out there to keep it from ever getting boring. The gore fx are all pretty cheesy but get an A for effort. They're fun. The music is pretty good but that's to be expected from any band featuring a keytar. I've never been a big fan of Sybil but she does pretty good here even though she isn't asked to do much (basically, look outstanding). That striped outfit is the cat's meow even if it does make her look like a backup singer for a bad 80's Christian rock band. Have to mention that all the werewolves (over)acting like dogs when they are in their human form is pretty funny and was a nice touch. Only thing missing was some butt sniffing, which would have bumped this into 5 star territory, but you have to draw a line somewhere, I guess. Maybe that's in one of the 6 Howling movies I haven't yet seen. Normally a film like Yojimbo would throw the curve but not today - on a curve it's a solid 3.5

[ThatDarnMKS]

My house had a pipe burst several years ago (in the cellar, thank goodness), and when I went down to check there were already like 4 inches of water.

For the next week or so (during the cold snap), I was advised to keep the hot water running at a trickle because the moving water in the pipes helps? Or something?

I think you're right that once the "emergency" passes there are going to be a ton of long-term effects.
The pipes that burst were in my attic. I have no idea how many inches of water it would've been somewhere that collected water but most of it drained through the floors and into the lower rooms/garage.

Basically, every light fixture or AC vent had water pouring out of it like a fire hose. Even after I shut the water off, water poured out for like 20 more mins. I had to grab every tub, bucket, and towel to keep it from destroying everything.

This is after keeping my faucets dripping to try and prevent the freeze. My plumber basically told me that the only chance I'd have had would have been to shut my water off at the main and drain the entire system. Even so, they apparently used cheap, thin copper pipes in my house and people that did exactly that turned their water back on to busted pipes regardless.

It simply got too cold with no electricity for heat for too long and compromised all except the handful of households I know that had the attic insulated and/or changed to PEX pipes.

Yet school districts are acting like this is business as usual and are asking people to come back tomorrow. It's a joke and a bad one.

[Thief]

MKS, I echo what everyone has said. Sorry for your losses, but I'm glad you're safe and with family.

[ThatDarnMKS]

MKS, I echo what everyone has said. Sorry for your losses, but I'm glad you're safe and with family.
Thanks, man. Sucks a lot but could've been so much worse.

[Captain Terror]

Thanks, man. Sucks a lot but could've been so much worse.

Yeah, if I can offer some positives, you're not in line for food or water (that isn't available anyway), and from what I gather we're done with freezing weather for the foreseeable future, so let's hope the restoration process can get started soon. Ugh!

[Thief]

DON'T TORTURE A DUCKLING
(1972, Fulci)
A film that starts with the letters C or D

https://jordanandeddie.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/dont-torture-a-duckling-movie.png

"No one can be killed with black magic, no one! It's nonsense."


During the first half of the film, the plot feels very scattered, and I don't think the characters were integrated effectively into the story. The pace is a bit clumsy, and there is a character that is somewhat problematic, especially by today's standards. For better or worse, the second half was more focused and the overall execution felt more assured. At first glance, the resolution might feel too "twisty" for "twist" purposes, but upon closer examination, I think it makes more sense than one might think.

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2180612#post2180612)

[Torgo]

Like everyone else said, hang in there, MKS. Glad to hear that you and your family are safe.

[Rockatansky]

I should be THE Texan on everyone's minds! This hurts worse than the property damage!

Seriously though, I appreciate it. I wish there was something I could ask for but everything is in such a stand still due to a lack of resources that there's nothing that can be done currently. Just waiting for the headache of dealing with insurance claims and truly realizing the scope of the damage (need to repipe the entire attic, replace the ceiling in at least 3 rooms, and floors will need to be replaced). None of it feels quite "real" yet.

But while I'm not the only one with property damage (I know WAY more people affected than even when Harvey hit), I'm very grateful no one has had anything truly tragic happen. A close friend in Austin had a neighbor die from falling on ice and hitting his head.

I think the scope of damage will only become more clear and shocking as the days pass.
I think a certain other Texan took all the attention with the timing of his vacation...


Glad you are safe.

[SpelingError]

Yeah, hang in there MKS. I'm sorry to hear about your home, but it's good that you found somewhere else to live for the time being. Stay safe and stay strong.

[ThatDarnMKS]

Yeah, if I can offer some positives, you're not in line for food or water (that isn't available anyway), and from what I gather we're done with freezing weather for the foreseeable future, so let's hope the restoration process can get started soon. Ugh!
Indeed. Some of the stuff I've seen is just heartbreaking. It's especially frustrating as all this feels thoroughly avoidable if our infrastructure was been at all safeguarded for this but so many chose to do nothing.*

Here's to hoping we learn from this. I certainly did.

Thanks too, Torgo. It really does help to see how many people are glad that the ceiling missed me and my wife.

[Rockatansky]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.tvtropes.org%2Fpmwiki%2Fpub%2Fimages%2Fhowlingii.png&f=1&nofb=1

aka Howling II: Stirba: Werewolf Bitch. Not quite on par with Yojimbo but it was a lot of fun in a so bad it's good horror flick. Christopher Lee, playing it totally straight, is a werewolf hunter who travels to Transylvania (why not) to hunt down an old adversary: Stirba: Werewolf Bitch (Sybil Danning). That's pretty much all you need to know. The story is ridiculous, but fun and they throw enough silly stuff out there to keep it from ever getting boring. The gore fx are all pretty cheesy but get an A for effort. They're fun. The music is pretty good but that's to be expected from any band featuring a keytar. I've never been a big fan of Sybil but she does pretty good here even though she isn't asked to do much (basically, look outstanding). That striped outfit is the cat's meow even if it does make her look like a backup singer for a bad 80's Christian rock band. Have to mention that all the werewolves (over)acting like dogs when they are in their human form is pretty funny and was a nice touch. Only thing missing was some butt sniffing, which would have bumped this into 5 star territory, but you have to draw a line somewhere, I guess. Maybe that's in one of the 6 Howling movies I haven't yet seen. Normally a film like Yojimbo would throw the curve but not today - on a curve it's a solid rating_3_5
My favourite bit of trivia about this movie: (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089308/trivia)
When the werewolf suits finally arrived for the shoot, they were contained in a crate marked: "20th Century Fox: Planet of the Apes". Director Philippe Mora (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0602333) was horrified to find he had been sent monkey suits. He quickly contacted a producer, who replied: "You're talented, you'll make it work." Mora tried to get his point across that the monkey suits were impossible to pass off as werewolves, only to have the producer hang up on him. Stuck with monkey suits, Sir Christopher Lee (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000489) overheard the dilemma and came up with an idea to help make the ape looking werewolves work with the improvised line: "The process of evolution is reversed." Director Philippe Mora (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0602333) loved the idea and said this movie became noted by one critic for being the only werewolf movie to have the phase: man, monkey, wolf.

[StuSmallz]

My favourite bit of trivia about this movie: (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089308/trivia)When life gives you lemons, eh? :D BTW, speaking of The Howling 2, have you ever seen this, Rock-O?:



https://youtu.be/l2zAR8vbfIw


It's legitimately one of my favorite videos I've come across on the Tube.

[ThatDarnMKS]

I think a certain other Texan took all the attention with the timing of his vacation...


Glad you are safe.
Who among us doesn't root for Burke in Aliens?

[Rockatansky]

Who among us doesn't root for Burke in Aliens?
I only have room for one '80s action movie scumbag in my heart.


https://i.ytimg.com/vi/r-5mMUwahJY/maxresdefault.jpg


Stu, I have not watched your video. It is late where I am. Perhaps another day.

[StuSmallz]

I think a certain other Texan took all the attention with the timing of his vacation...Yup, Ted fled that state just like Billy Zane:

https://i.ibb.co/3vyRLPV/28to1g.gif (https://imgbb.com/)

[xSookieStackhouse]

Yup, Ted fled that state just like Billy Zane:

https://i.ibb.co/3vyRLPV/28to1g.gif (https://imgbb.com/)

love titanic movie!!:D

[this_is_the_ girl]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-5TmED436n1M%2FXinh9Wzfe3I%2FAAAAAAAAK34%2FcOmlCc8M2coC_fGfJO6P4NpR9Pb6Po_QACLcBGAsYHQ%2Fs1600%2FThe% 252BLightouse%252B3.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
The Lighthouse (2019, Robert Eggers)
4.5
Finally got around to seeing this, and damn, what a gloriously deranged powerhouse of a film. Masterful execution by Eggers, the two leads (Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe) are absolutely on point, the mystery is compelling, the pacing and editing are perfect, and of course the black-and-white cinematography... definitely some Tarkovsky vibes there, and a bit of Bela Tarr as well, albeit without the long takes.
One of the best movies I've seen recently.

[ScarletLion]

'Song without a Name' (2020)

https://i.imgur.com/KEBqEZN.gif

Harrowing film about a Peruvian woman searching for her baby that was snatched at birth. Presented in black and white 4:3, some shots are reminiscent of Cuaron's 'Roma', and other linger like Bela Tarr. It's a beautifully shot film, and although the ending feels slightly rushed, it's a must see for fans of World Cinema. Director Melina León's own father was part of the investigative journalism team that try and report the story. It's her first ever feature, and quite a debut.

4

[Marco]

The Dig (2021)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/97/The_Dig_poster.jpg/220px-The_Dig_poster.jpg
Interesting film with solid and believable performances. Liked it. Fiennes seems to get better with age.

3.5

[Wooley]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F149357165.v2.pressablecdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F09%2F36thchamber_000024.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, 1978

4.5

Added this to my queue last night on your recommendation.
I have not watched one of these films in over 30 years. So you better be right. :p

[Wooley]

Sometimes the reviews just write themselves!



One of my all-time favorites was for Snow Falling On Cedars:
"Paint Drying On Walls."

[Wooley]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2Foriginals%2F57%2F75%2F38%2F5775385a839773548d30c6eb8d2e3bd0.gif&f=1&nofb=1

Yojimbo

Killing is my business....and business is good. Wanted to see this forever and figured it would best get it in before the next countdown. Also, I have not seen the Sergio/Clint version so this was all new to me. A samurai (Toshiro Mifune) starts a bidding war between two warring clans who would like his services. He's not terribly interested in helping either clan, he just wants to up his price, so he plays them against each other. He has a few other things up his sleeve, as well, and that's the fun of Yojimbo. How is it all going to unfold? Nothing wrong with this movie. Like the other Kurosawa films I've seen this movie feels ahead of its time. When it comes to filling up a frame there's Kurosawa and Kubrick, then everybody else. Every shot looks fantastic. I know b&w foreign films can be a tough sell but if I'm going to introduce somebody to them, somebody who has very little interest in them, Kurosawa is the guy I'm going with first. Mifune is again outstanding. 4.5

and what would a weekend be without at least one classic:

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstatic.tvtropes.org%2Fpmwiki%2Fpub%2Fimages%2Fhowlingii.png&f=1&nofb=1

aka Howling II: Stirba: Werewolf Bitch. Not quite on par with Yojimbo but it was a lot of fun in a so bad it's good horror flick. Christopher Lee, playing it totally straight, is a werewolf hunter who travels to Transylvania (why not) to hunt down an old adversary: Stirba: Werewolf Bitch (Sybil Danning). That's pretty much all you need to know. The story is ridiculous, but fun and they throw enough silly stuff out there to keep it from ever getting boring. The gore fx are all pretty cheesy but get an A for effort. They're fun. The music is pretty good but that's to be expected from any band featuring a keytar. I've never been a big fan of Sybil but she does pretty good here even though she isn't asked to do much (basically, look outstanding). That striped outfit is the cat's meow even if it does make her look like a backup singer for a bad 80's Christian rock band. Have to mention that all the werewolves (over)acting like dogs when they are in their human form is pretty funny and was a nice touch. Only thing missing was some butt sniffing, which would have bumped this into 5 star territory, but you have to draw a line somewhere, I guess. Maybe that's in one of the 6 Howling movies I haven't yet seen. Normally a film like Yojimbo would throw the curve but not today - on a curve it's a solid 3.5

I have never seen Howling II because I'm a fairly big fan of The Howling (which, by the way, both Siskel and Ebert gave thumbs up to) and I just didn't wanna see it dropped down a whole level.
But if you say it was fun, I may give this a spin.

Yojimbo is next on my Kurosawa watch-list so I look forward to that. Agree about both Kurosawa and Mifune, who I think has to be one of the great all-time movie-stars the way he commands the screen.

[Wooley]

Thanks, man. Sucks a lot but could've been so much worse.

I appreciate your good attitude about this, but like everyone else, I feel really bad for you, those are actually pretty intense stressors people do not need in this life. I wish for a quick and satisfactory resolution for you and a return to normalcy.

[Wooley]

When life gives you lemons, eh? :D BTW, speaking of The Howling 2, have you ever seen this, Rock-O?:



https://youtu.be/l2zAR8vbfIw


It's legitimately one of my favorite videos I've come across on the Tube.
Ok, never mind, there's no ****ing way I'm watching this movie.

[Wooley]

Yup, Ted fled that state just like Billy Zane:

https://i.ibb.co/3vyRLPV/28to1g.gif (https://imgbb.com/)

https://i.imgur.com/mizGmZW.jpg

[matt72582]

Patrice O'Neal: Killing Is Easy - 8/10
Well done, I had a feeling with Bill Burr producing it wouldn't be watered down.. I'm more a fan of him than his comedy, because he told his truth, and wasn't worried about playing the game too much. Watch the unedited version if you can..



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIr8CDVyejA

[Takoma11]

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-5TmED436n1M%2FXinh9Wzfe3I%2FAAAAAAAAK34%2FcOmlCc8M2coC_fGfJO6P4NpR9Pb6Po_QACLcBGAsYHQ%2Fs1600%2FThe% 252BLightouse%252B3.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
The Lighthouse (2019, Robert Eggers)
4.5
Finally got around to seeing this, and damn, what a gloriously deranged powerhouse of a film. Masterful execution by Eggers, the two leads (Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe) are absolutely on point, the mystery is compelling, the pacing and editing are perfect, and of course the black-and-white cinematography... definitely some Tarkovsky vibes there, and a bit of Bela Tarr as well, albeit without the long takes.
One of the best movies I've seen recently.

Yes, a great mix of dark comedy, straight up comedy, intentional weirdness, and a bonkers-but-coherent internal mythology.

Added this to my queue last night on your recommendation.
I have not watched one of these films in over 30 years. So you better be right. :p

When am I ever not absolutely 100% correct in everything I say and/or do? Huh? HUH?!:D

[Stirchley]

'Song without a Name' (2020)

https://i.imgur.com/KEBqEZN.gif

Harrowing film about a Peruvian woman searching for her baby that was snatched at birth. Presented in black and white 4:3, some shots are reminiscent of Cuaron's 'Roma', and other linger like Bela Tarr. It's a beautifully shot film, and although the ending feels slightly rushed, it's a must see for fans of World Cinema. Director Melina León's own father was part of the investigative journalism team that try and report the story. It's her first ever feature, and quite a debut.

4

Will have to look for this. Never heard of it.

[Stirchley]

73531

Good movie. My Red Box dvd had no special features, which I would have liked to see.

Has any actor put on weight or dropped weight as much as Bale? The character he portrayed, Ken Miles, was from my hometown so that was fun. Overly long movie IMO that didn’t seem to know when or where to end.

73532

Final movie in the series. Harry says the word “frigging” for the 1st time & manages not to get his sidekick killed. For the first time. Good movie.

73533

I enjoy Iranian cinema. Director’s first movie & it shows, but interesting.

[JosephGarden]

To be honest, I have watched almost all Pacino movies (at least 20th century), also Pesci is a good guy for sure (Goodfellas is my favorite one with Pesci featured) and De Niro is also a well-fit person for `tough-guy` movie characters , but I had the feeling that it is sooo scripted. Yes I know this is an autobiography, but when you have Pacino,De Niro and Pesci in your squad - you should make movie way more emotional. 5/10. By the way, I like to read good reviews, recently found this one review https://removier.com/the-irishman-review and whats interesting - it was made by two people (as I understood)

[Thief]

CREED II
(2018, Caple Jr.)
A film that starts with the letters C or D • A sequel • A film with an African-American cast

https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ll8G1cT5xy69VxW4mJo135J--UM=/0x0:1800x1200/1200x675/filters:focal(635x413:923x701)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/62342895/creed_ii_2_stalone_jordan_in_ring_2018.0.jpg


"I was afraid of this... expectations. Being the champ. I was scared I couldn't do what he couldn't."



Creed II is both plagued and helped by expectations on all sides. From its inception to its story beats to the inner struggles of most of its characters. When Creed was conceived in 2015, expectations were a mixture of what new could this "universe" bring to the table with the tediousness of yet another entry in the Rocky Balboa catalog. Fortunately, director and co-writer Ryan Coogler and star Michael B. Jordan, along with Sylvester Stallone, they all managed to defy those expectations with a film that knew how to build on top of them, evolving the old characters while also giving us new ones with depth, wrapping everything in a way that felt genuine and fresh.

Creed II follows Adonis Johnson (Jordan) as his rise to success is challenged by Viktor Drago (Florian Munteanu), the son of none other than Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) who was responsible of his father's death 30+ years ago. Expectations rise cause he's the defending champion, everybody wants him to fight to "avenge" his father; everybody except Rocky and those close to him. So what to do when those expectations become a burden? when they make you afraid for not being able to fulfill them?

Grade: 3.5


Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2180767#post2180767)

[Hey Fredrick]

When life gives you lemons, eh? :D BTW, speaking of The Howling 2, have you ever seen this, Rock-O?:



https://youtu.be/l2zAR8vbfIw


It's legitimately one of my favorite videos I've come across on the Tube.

That's pretty good. He nails most of what makes the movie so good.

[ThatDarnMKS]

I appreciate your good attitude about this, but like everyone else, I feel really bad for you, those are actually pretty intense stressors people do not need in this life. I wish for a quick and satisfactory resolution for you and a return to normalcy.
Thanks, mate. Just trying to focus on the positive things I've got going on. Keeps me from feeling too overwhelmed.