Rate The Last Movie You Saw [Archive] - Page 257

Streamcrazy

05-25-21, 03:47 AM

Recently saw few movies.....

Godzilla vs. Kong
Rating 8/10

Raya and the Last Dragon
Photo : Disney
(March 5)

Featuring the voices of Kelly Marie Tran and Awkwafina, Walt Disney Animation’s upcoming animated feature is its first to center on a Southeast Asian heroine and will premiere both on Disney Plus and in theaters. It will follow the journey of Raya, a passionate warrior on a quest to find the last dragon to restore peace in a mythical world. Watch the trailer here.

Coming 2 America
Coming 2 America Eddie Murphy
Photo : Courtesy of Amazon Studios
(March 5)

Eddie Murphy is back as Prince Akeem in this long-awaited sequel to the 1988 film. Directed by Craig Brewer from a screenplay written by Kenya Barris, Barry W. Blaustein and David Sheffield, Prince Akeem is set to become King of Zamuda when he discovers he has a son in America (Jermaine Fowler). Of course, hilarious antics ensue. Watch the trailer here.

Godzilla vs. Kong
Godzilla King Kong
Photo : Warner Bros.
(March 31)

Set to debut on both HBO Max and in theaters, the crossover sequel to “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “Kong: Skull Island” will see the iconic monsters square off in an epic battle for the ages, while humanity hopes to wipe out both of them in order to take back the planet.

Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat
Photo : Warner Bros.
(April 23)

Adapted from the popular video game, MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) seeks out the Earthrealm’s greatest champions to stand against the forces of Outworld in a high-stakes battle to save the universe.

The Water Man
The Water Man
Photo : KAREN
(May 7)

David Oyelowo’s feature directorial debut follows Gunner (Lonnie Chavis), a boy who sets out on a quest to save his ill mother (Rosario Dawson) by searching for the Water Man, a mythic figure who holds the secret to immortality. Gunner and Jo (Amiah Miller), a mysterious local girl, journey into the remote Wild Horse forest and discover that the deeper they venture, the more dangerous the forest becomes. Their only hope for rescue is Gunner’s father (Oyelowo), who will stop at nothing to save them.

Above Suspicion
Emilia Clarke- Above Suspicion
(May 7)

Based on one of the most notorious crimes in FBI history, Emilia Clark stars as Susan Smith, a young woman desperate to escape a seedy life in a Kentucky coal mining town. Enter Mark Putnam (Jack Huston): a new FBI agent who may be the answer to changing her bad luck. He recruits Susan as his informant for a high-profile case, but as their relationship deepens, so does the danger. The cast includes Sophie Lowe, Austin Hébert, Karl Glusman, Chris Mulkey, Omar Miller, Kevin Dunn, Thora Birch and Johnny Knoxville. Watch the trailer here.

Spiral
Spiral Movie Chris Rock
Photo : Courtesy of Lionsgate
(May 14)

Do you wanna play a game? Tobin Kramer might not be back to play the primary villain of the “Saw” franchise, but the ninth installment of the series is back this spring and finds a stacked cast in Chris Rock, Max Minghella, Marisol Nichols, Samuel L. Jackson and Zoie Palmer. This next chapter of “Saw” is rocked by a new criminal mastermind who unleashes a twisted form of justice. Detective Ezekiel “Zeke” Banks (Rock) works under the shadow of his father, an esteemed police veteran (Jackson), with his rookie partner (Minghella). Ensuring his own legacy, Zeke and his partner take charge of a grisly set of murders that are eerily reminiscent of the city’s gruesome past. However, it’s only a matter of time before he is trapped in the middle of the killer’s morbid game.

Woman in the Window
Rating 8.5/10

Army of the Dead
Rating 9/10

PHOENIX74

05-25-21, 05:57 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2d/HiddenLifePoster.jpeg
By Fox Searchlight - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5827916/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60845818

A Hidden Life - (2019)

I got my first taste of Terrence Malick with The Thin Red Line in the late 1990s. He seemed far more accomplished for it to be only his 3rd directorial full-feature effort, and then there's the question of the lengthy period between Badlands, Days of Heaven and Thin Red Line. It's something of a mystery why his hiatus lasted so long - I haven't come across any explanation. The films were released in 1973, 1978 then 1998 respectively. I was struck by the poetic nature of having characters just wax lyrical or philosophize while they're onscreen doing something else or even talking to other characters. I was also struck by the beautiful cinematography by John Toll - but it seems constant across Malick's work whomever his cinematographer is. As I waded through The New World and Tree of Life I saw that his style was consistent. I can only think of Wes Anderson as another filmmaker who would be easily recognized by many people just from watching a few scenes.

So, on to A Hidden Life, a stab at Nazi Germany and the question "If you were to make a choice between good and bad, where you'd be punished for the good and rewarded for the bad - and nobody would ever know which decision you'd made - would you choose what you think is right, or do what is bad and just go through it?" Here we have the dilemma of farmer Franz Jägerstätter (August Diehl) - A man who simply cannot do what he feels is the wrong thing - no matter what. No matter if he's to be executed. No matter how badly his family is treated. No matter how little the rest of the world will care. The movie itself is something I could pretty much expect from a Terrence Malick film, and I have to decide if that's a bad thing or a good thing at this late stage. On the one hand it's appreciated having a beautiful, poetic movie. On the other it felt like watching The New World With Nazis. You have to add in the typically bone-crushing running time of 174 minutes, another Malick staple.

I'm going with 'it's a good thing'. It's appreciated - having a good movie - no matter how much it resembles something else. It's a striking film, with something to truly ponder for days after having seen it. We get to see Bruno Ganz for one last time. We get a whole slew of recognizable German talent - all in aid of an English language film (Karl Markovics getting older, Ulrich Matthes also from Downfall.) I'm sure I'll want to see something of Malick that's a little bit different with The Last Planet (now The Way of the Wind) - although, at 77, I'd understand if it turns out to be The New World With Jesus and I'll definitely see it as a glass half full instead of a glass half empty.

8/10

xSookieStackhouse

05-25-21, 06:25 AM

4.5
https://flxt.tmsimg.com/assets/p177367_p_v10_ae.jpg
5 rewatched
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WdTz0QK1miQ/TN6lLnHqUII/AAAAAAAAAUk/LqkB7AqymxM/s1600/rapunzelposter_img.jpg

John-Connor

05-25-21, 06:35 AM

A Hidden Life - (2019)
Does this qualify as a 'Foreign Language' film? If so I need to watch asap.

PHOENIX74

05-25-21, 07:29 AM

Does this qualify as a 'Foreign Language' film? If so I need to watch asap.

Although some background characters speak German, this is definitely an English language film - surprising considering the overwhelmingly German cast.

LChimp

05-25-21, 08:35 AM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWQ3N2EzNjYtMzgwYS00YjdmLThmOTUtMzc4NDUxZjZkY2RhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_.jpg

Pretty good.

the samoan lawyer

05-25-21, 09:08 AM

https://th.bing.com/th/id/Rde50afae632c18d09f4eb3c0a5c2ccd4?rik=QM8m4uA%2fK4LYjw&pid=ImgRaw
The Colour Purple (1985)

rating_3_5

https://th.bing.com/th/id/R3ef68054c7b8dc53b239c3eb6e5a1686?rik=OyK8YZUBD9btHg&riu=http%3a%2f%2fi.imgur.com%2f7xCUtYG.jpg&ehk=RqTzE1tmU3DPJckwGJ3lovk7fwWkrocMmuqi52KndOU%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw
Affliction (1997)

rating_2_5

Torgo

05-25-21, 11:02 AM

Army of the Dead - 2

I made a vow to swear off Zack Snyder movies after being let down with Batman v Superman, but this movie's cool trailer and premise swayed me. I really should have kept that vow. Where to begin? Firstly, it's too much like Aliens. Besides essentially having the same plot, there's a Burke-like company man (Martin), a strong, silent Hispanic woman (Maria), an audience surrogate (Dieter), etc. Individually, the performers do the best with what they must work with, but even if you find diamonds in a cowpat, at the end of the day, it's still a cowpat. Also, I'm not sure if these similarities making the movie too predictable or the direction are to blame, but it's largely a tension-free affair. Watching zombies get blown away or cut to pieces usually fills me with adrenaline, but I disappointingly reacted with passive disinterest. There are other faults from bad science to plot holes to needlessly excessive length I could pick apart, but I won't. I'd rather call out its biggest offense - to me anyway, because Las Vegas is one of my favorite places to visit - is that it wastes the potential of its setting. The heist might as well have occurred at a bank in Wichita, Kansas, in other words. Since I have nothing good to say about it, why didn’t I give it one star? I feel that rating belongs to movies that fail spectacularly. This movie, on the other hand, merely fails mediocrely. If credit goes to anybody, it's to Netflix's marketing team for producing a trailer so good that it made give Zack Snyder a second chance. My advice to you is to watch it, especially since it's free to do so, and dream about what a better director could have done with this material.

Captain Terror

05-25-21, 11:18 AM

Torgo

05-25-21, 11:31 AM

I'm neither a Snyder fan nor hater, but I do appreciate his flair for eye candy. Is Army enjoyable on that level at least? Haven't heard a lot of people mention that aspect.

I don't remember a lot about my one viewing of Aliens, so any similarities aren't going to bother me.Despite some obvious and not so great CGI, it doesn't look too bad, so if you don't think the Aliens similarities will bother you, you may enjoy it more than I did. Again, though, besides the opening montage, it's not very Vegas-y despite being set there.

Rockatansky

05-25-21, 12:21 PM

I'm neither a Snyder fan nor hater, but I do appreciate his flair for eye candy. Is Army enjoyable on that level at least? Haven't heard a lot of people mention that aspect.

I don't remember a lot about my one viewing of Aliens, so any similarities aren't going to bother me.
There are some nice looking wide shots, but a lot of the movie is shot in shallow focus closeups and his usual drab colours. I think the choice works for the movie, but it doesn't exactly make for pretty images.

Gideon58

05-25-21, 04:06 PM

https://scopophiliamovieblog.files.wordpress.com/2020/02/hardcore.jpg

4

matt72582

05-25-21, 05:10 PM

Gegen die Wand - 7.5/10
Definitely a unique movie. Pretty dark but has a modern comedic feel. I would have liked more exchanges with the "couple".... I viewed this for free (trial) through Prime.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/Gegen_die_Wand_%282004%29.jpg

Wooley

05-25-21, 05:51 PM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimage.tmdb.org%2Ft%2Fp%2Foriginal%2FllK8sxp9RNLshUdyAvdk19CT6WG.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
The Verdict (1982, Sidney Lumet)
4
Excellent courtroom drama beautifully written by David Mamet and featuring an impressive cast including James Mason, Charlotte Rampling, and of course, Paul Newman in one of his best roles.

I love this movie.

Thief

05-25-21, 06:12 PM

"The Sound of Metal" - 8/10

Love the lead actor. Riz with "Four Lions" , "Nightcrawler" and now this. He's got a nice run going.

Rogue One...

WHITBISSELL!

05-25-21, 06:21 PM

Army of the Dead - This is a zombie heist thriller set in the ruins of an abandoned, walled in Las Vegas so what first struck me was the dearth of tension or suspense or even foreboding. There's the usual introductions/assembling the crew but they're such sketched in characters that it's difficult to muster any interest. Most of the cast is wasted with star (and my main reason for wanting to watch this) Dave Bautista, written in a nebulous and bland way and Ana de la Reguera not even achieving one note status. She's solely there to setup a love interest for Bautista's character but they just kind of spring that on you at the last moment almost as an aside. The rest don't fare much better with Garrett Dillahunt as a generic, predictable bad guy. Omari Hardwick and Matthias Schweighöfer come the closest to reaching fleshed out characters with their odd couple pairing. If you don't let the listless vibe lull you and are able to pay enough attention you'll be able to guess a lot of the plot points. There's a "super" zombie in a cape *nudge nudge wink wink* leading a flash mob of the undead that somehow or another fail to generate sufficient and genuine scares. Zack Snyder has more than his share of detractors and, even though I don't count myself as one, it's stuff like this that makes the hate understandable. He came up with the concept then directed it, coproduced it, cowrote it and was in charge of principal photography so there's not many places to hide. This one's on him.

rating_2

WHITBISSELL!

05-25-21, 06:34 PM

Army of the Dead - rating_2

I made a vow to swear off Zack Snyder movies after being let down with Batman v Superman, but this movie's cool trailer and premise swayed me. I really should have kept that vow. Where to begin? Firstly, it's too much like Aliens. Besides essentially having the same plot, there's a Burke-like company man (Martin), a strong, silent Hispanic woman (Maria), an audience surrogate (Dieter), etc. Individually, the performers do the best with what they must work with, but even if you find diamonds in a cowpat, at the end of the day, it's still a cowpat. Also, I'm not sure if these similarities making the movie too predictable or the direction are to blame, but it's largely a tension-free affair. Watching zombies get blown away or cut to pieces usually fills me with adrenaline, but I disappointingly reacted with passive disinterest. There are other faults from bad science to plot holes to needlessly excessive length I could pick apart, but I won't. I'd rather call out its biggest offense - to me anyway, because Las Vegas is one of my favorite places to visit - is that it wastes the potential of its setting. The heist might as well have occurred at a bank in Wichita, Kansas, in other words. Since I have nothing good to say about it, why didn’t I give it one star? I feel that rating belongs to movies that fail spectacularly. This movie, on the other hand, merely fails mediocrely. If credit goes to anybody, it's to Netflix's marketing team for producing a trailer so good that it made give Zack Snyder a second chance. My advice to you is to watch it, especially since it's free to do so, and dream about what a better director could have done with this material.I didn't find this till after I posted my take but we seem to be in agreement on a lot of points.

Why two and a half hours? Anyone can literally pick out exactly where he could and should have made his cuts. Geeta and her kids, the stuff with Scott's daughter. Hell, the daughters character altogether. The obnoxious security guard. He could easily have kept it under two hours but Netflix let him have free rein. So much so that this is considered Snyder's directors cut. I've been wanting to yet haven't seen his Justice League cut yet but this didn't exactly make me want to rush right out and watch it.

Torgo

05-25-21, 07:18 PM

Why two and a half hours? Anyone can literally pick out exactly where he could and should have made his cuts. Geeta and her kids, the stuff with Scott's daughter. Hell, the daughters character altogether. The obnoxious security guard. He could easily have kept it under two hours but Netflix let him have free rein. So much so that this is considered Snyder's directors cut. I've been wanting to yet haven't seen his Justice League cut yet but this didn't exactly make me want to rush right out and watch it.This was the biggest offender to me. They slow the movie to a crawl. I realize the scenes are there to add emotional weight and add depth to Scott's character, but their purpose is too obvious; besides, the "distant parent and child reconciling" trope is so tired that it hurts. Plus, Zack Snyder adding emotional weight is like Terence Malick adding brevity.

The food truck ideas can stay, though. A much better ending would have been Kate surviving and an epilogue with her operating a food truck and serving customers. They could have called it "Wardaburger" or something like that.

pahaK

05-25-21, 07:19 PM

Tenebre (1982)
3
A pretty decent giallo by Argento. Plotwise it's more coherent than most of its ilk, and even the twist makes more or less sense. It's not visually flamboyant for an Argento film but still OK-looking. It's an interesting choice to mostly intensify violence instead of suspense towards the end.

Rockatansky

05-25-21, 07:21 PM

This was the biggest offender to me. They slowed the movie to a crawl. I realize the scenes are there to add emotional weight and add depth to Scott's character, but their purpose is too obvious; besides, the "distant parent and child reconciling" trope is so tired that it hurts. Plus, Zack Snyder adding emotional weight is like Terence Malick adding brevity.

The food truck ideas can stay, though. A much better ending would have been Kate surviving and an epilogue with her operating a food truck and serving customers. They could have called it "Wardaburger" or something like that.
Zomburgers was right there. SMH

Torgo

05-25-21, 07:26 PM

Zomburgers was right there. SMHHa! That reminds me: apparently, undead creatures can procreate and birth, as I dubbed, "zombabies."

Nausicaä

05-26-21, 12:07 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b6/Tig_%28film%29.jpg/220px-Tig_%28film%29.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

StuSmallz

05-26-21, 04:20 AM

Zomburgers was right there. SMHOr Zurgie?:

https://youtu.be/9FRdhwMJGDw

:D

John-Connor

05-26-21, 04:52 AM

The Legend of 1900 1998 ‘La leggenda del pianista sull'oceano’ Giuseppe Tornatore
77998
3.5+
(Score: 10/10)

xSookieStackhouse

05-26-21, 05:29 AM

4.5
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/o_26SGY83-I/movieposter_en.jpg
4.5
https://static.rogerebert.com/uploads/movie/movie_poster/fantastic-mr-fox-2009/large_3HNnM4tzQWuFFI5NinXLM2ow1sA.jpg

FromBeyond

05-26-21, 06:06 AM

Fabulous

05-26-21, 06:45 AM

Begin Again (2013)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/Z3ocAumcK9Iooc9BMlu7wE7XX9.jpg

Stirchley

05-26-21, 01:43 PM

78009

Strange movie, but I did finish. The 4 leads, including Jagger, were excellent.

78010

Zero interest in boxing, but I did finish. Thought the production values were very high. Jake G. gave 500% as he always does & Forest W. was excellent as he always is.

mark f

05-26-21, 04:20 PM

Init!ation (John Berardo, 2020) 2 5/10
Traveling Saleslady (Ray Enright, 1935) 2.5 6/10
Legendary Champions (Harry Chapin, 1968) 3 6.5/10
Four Good Days (Rodrigo García, 2020) 2.5 6/10
https://keithandthemovies.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/four.jpg?w=584
Dysfunctional mother Glenn Close and daughter Mila Kunis temporarily work together to get the latter some rehab help [again] for her addictions.
The Trial (Sergey Loznitsa, 2018) 2.5 6/10
Executive Suite (Robert Wise, 1954) 3+ 6.5/10
Salesman (Maysles Bros. & Charlotte Zwerin, 1969) 2.5 6/10
One Potato, Two Potato (Larry Peerce, 1964) 3 6.5/10
http://fgmxi4acxur9qbg31y9s3a15-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2016/12/onepotatoetwopotatoe1964_85738_678x380_11212014041259.png
Powerful, innovative drama about how the romance and marriage of Barbara Barrie and Bernie Hamilton cause all kinds of problems.
Draegerman Courage (Louis King, 1937) 2.5 6/10
Harry Chapin: When in Doubt, Do Something (Rick Korn, 2020) 3+ 6.5/10
Karate, the Hand of Death (Joel Holt, 1961) 2 5/10
In the Heat of the Night (Norman Jewison, 1967) 3.5 7+/10
https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a27d24_09b0efc676f645a2a0c62e53823a80dc~mv2.gif
Complex, entertaining murder mystery/police procedural/social drama with an iconic performance from Sidney Poitier and an Oscar-winning one from Rod Steiger.
10 Items or Less (Brad Silberling, 2006) 2.5 6/10
My Way Home (Miklós Jancsó, 1965) 3 6.5/10
L.A. Takedown (Michael Mann, 1989) 2.5 6/10
Kid Blue (James Frawley, 1973) 3 6.5/10
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjk1ZGJlMzItMTg0ZC00Zjk4LWE4MTEtYjk1YzU3OTUzYTk0XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjA5Nzc2Mzc@._V1_.jpg
Social satire about how outlaw Dennis Hopper tries to go straight in turn-of-the-century Texas, befriended by a Greek-obsessed factory worker (Warren Oates) and his sexy wife (Lee Purcell), but he finds "modern life" too restrictive.
Everything Goes Wrong (Seijun Suzuki, 1960) 2.5 6/10
Tender (Isabel Pagliai, 2020) 2 5/10
Stop Train 349 (Rolf Hädrich, 1963) 2.5 6/10
A Kid for Two Farthings (Carol Reed, 1955) 3 6.5/10
https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/mast_image_landscape/public/mastimages/2Joe%20%28Jonathan%20Ashmore%29%20in%20A%20Kid%20For%20Two%20Farthings%20%281955%29%2002%20COURTESY% 20BFI.jpg?itok=s24n7BsV
Young boy Jonathan Ashmore believes his new goat is a unicorn who will make him and his friends lucky.

Gideon58

05-26-21, 04:35 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNjAyMTY0NmMtZDU0Zi00NzhlLWJmM2ItZGVhYjA5MDE3MzI5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyOTgxNDIzMTY@._V1_.jpg

3

Thief

05-26-21, 05:15 PM

LE JOUR SE LÈVE
(1939, Carné)
Freebie

https://images.static-bluray.com/reviews/10765_5_large.jpg

"They say lovers are more alive than other people. You think that’s true?"

That is unless their hearts are broken in the process. Because then, the opposite applies. That is more or less what happens in this 1939 French film. Directed by Marcel Carné, Le jour se lève follows François (Jean Gabin), a factory worker that falls in love with *wait for it* Françoise (Jacqueline Laurent), a florist, only to find out she's more interested in a sleazy and narcissistic entertainer (Jules Berry).

The thing is that the film follows a non-linear narrative, starting with François murdering a man in his apartment, and then goes back to show how he ended up in that position. That is when we see how François and Françoise meet by chance, bond over their similarities, their names, and their orphan upbringing, only to see her gush over Valentin later on. The film frequently returns to "present time", as we see François barricade himself in his apartment as the police outside figure out how to apprehend him.

This film was a magnificent surprise, and the kind of film that makes you wonder why the heck isn't it mentioned more often. I had literally never heard of this film before this, and yet I was completely captivated by pretty much every aspect of it. From its structure, its striking cinematography and direction, the great performances, and the edgy script. Every single thing was top of the line.

Grade: 5

Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2207457#post2207457) and the PR HOF3 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2207293#post2207293).

GulfportDoc

05-26-21, 08:13 PM

Mary Magdalene

Man I wish they hadn't gone with Joaquin phoenix, when he was talking all I could think was Joker, that same tone only this time he's talking about the eternal spirit and not the system that knows so much, man that Joker was corny lol but I guess I might not have got it lmao
I haven't seen the picture, but they should have made a PG movie about biblical times-- not R. I imagine some parents would like to have taken their kids to it.

IMO Phoenix is only good in weird character roles. He's too much of a natural stoner to play straight roles.

GulfportDoc

05-26-21, 08:44 PM

https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=78009

Doc's commentary:

The Burnt Orange Heresy(2019)

Although the trailer was interesting, I was a little skeptical of the film due to its mediocre ratings. But surprisingly it was a bit of a diamond in the rough, likely foiled in its release plans due to the covid mess.

Featuring a well put together cast of Claes Bang, Elizabeth Debicki, Donald Sutherland, and Mick Jagger (who was actually very good), the story presented an art critic of questionable morals (and a lover/girlfriend of questionable background), who is summoned by a famous art collector with questionable scruples, who wants to acquire a painting by a famous artist whose recent work is of questionable existence.

The story holds one’s interest, but there were several demerits from me. First, much of the dialogue between the artist and anyone else, and likewise some of Jagger’s dialogue was pretentious. No one speaks conversationally in perfectly formed sentences full of formalized or “delicatessen” vocabulary. Second, the story jumped ahead a little quickly, e.g. the critic evidently had a speed pill habit which eventually caused him to commit some fairly horrific crimes. One had to understand that in order to accept the action.

But the acting was first rate, and the chemistry between Debicki and Bang (who is Danish) was palpably authentic, especially on her part. Debicki is a giraffe-like statuesque beauty, who at 6’ 2” probably has trouble getting romantic parts. Happily Bang is 6’ 4”, so it never became a noticeable issue. Jagger astonished me by seeming to be a pro actor, and it was good casting for his part as well. Sutherland mailed in his eccentric artist role, replete with the silly scarves he likes to wear. He did manage to rise above his dialogue, and bring off the part.

The movie transforms into a crime thriller in it’s last third, and finishes up with a nice little twist ala Hitchcock: a surprisingly watchable film.

Doc’s rating: 6.5/10

wositelec

05-27-21, 02:13 AM

Voyage of the Unicorn (2001) - 8 / 10

https://a.allegroimg.com/s1024/0cea41/a66aafcb4d64bd513456d8f8a507

Mr Minio

05-27-21, 03:13 AM

Lake of Fire (2006) - 2

https://i.imgur.com/4PBf9mx.png

Some loose thoughts from watching the film:

- they should not be called pro-life but pre-pregnancy; the moment the baby is born, they stop giving a flying damn about the baby's well-being, the baby can just as well die right afterward because it's "God's will"
- some of the so-called pro-lifers are also anti-contraceptives and anti-sex education because their religion says so
- the film talks about a bill passed in a US state that's very similar to the one that has been passed in Poland recently - abortion was made illegal even in cases of irreversible impairment of the fetus or an incurable life-threatening disease, which is a disgusting barbarity; forcing the mother to incredible suffering but let's not delve into that
- the meetup at the 'fetus cemetery' at the beginning of the movie is laughable and the dramatic music makes it even crazier; I dunno what's the director's opinion on abortion but I doubt he actually put that dramatic music without any slight irony
- I find it amazing how Americans are one of the most intelligent nations but also one of the most f*cked up nations, or alternatively, the crazies are most vocal and visible in America, or most often shown
- that close-up on the fetus - it looks like a frog WTF
- the guy who compares abortion to Holocaust XDDD
- the zealots who want to execute abortionists xDDD

Hey, too much about zealot pro-lifers who shoot people and too little about pro-lifers in general - most pro-lifers do not go around shooting people so there's that visible disparity, although I'd warrant a guess that most pro-lifers are religious, so there's that. I would say it's not really a film about the issue of abortion or any attempts at debating the issue but mainly about some religious people who are vehemently against it (and also against homosexuality while they're at it). This is a weird, skewed direction, but then again it's OK to just treat it as a film about the pathological anti-abortion crazies.

The Seventh Cross (1944) - 2

https://i.imgur.com/llRw0E6.jpg

Very good if overly melodramatic. Could have used more tension in the latter parts. Great acting but there is no real sense of dread or fear to scenes that required it. It's a simple war-time Hollywood stylization that is what it is but you really gotta appreciate the sheer realism of European films afterward. Since it was made during the war, I guess the main idea was to give people some optimism, and that's naive but acceptable.

Now, from a cinematic standpoint, the film's amazing, boasting fancy black and white cinematography and some interesting blocking choices like the screenshot above, with a visible black line separating the screen. Gotta love this composition! The ending was kinda unfinished just like the war was not finished back then, but it isn't gruesome, which allows us to think the war is nearing its end (Germany was defeated by the Soviet Union and it was pretty much obvious they're gonna lose).

1917 (2019) - 1

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

Quite a spectacle! Obviously, the plot is just an excuse to show some good camerawork and very long takes (edited to look like it's one long take). In the end, I wasn't amazed, and the more the film tried to amaze me, the more I was disillusioned. Think the long run at the end. Maybe if I watched it at the cinema and my ears were raped by the 30 times too loud sound, I'd be more into it. I was still into it, just don't think it's great.

Shortbus (2006) - 0.5

https://i.imgur.com/ny68AUs.png

The only problems people have in life are related to sex, and only sex is the cure for these problems. Adventurous group sex. Pathetic.

pahaK

05-27-21, 04:13 AM

The Unholy (2021)
1
Oh, why did I watch this? Cliched and boring horror that feels like a Christian TV production (imagine my surprise when the end credits said it was produced by Raimi and Tapert). Total carbage.

xSookieStackhouse

05-27-21, 05:13 AM

5
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51q5d2XI1kL._AC_.jpg
5 rewatched one of my fav childhood 90s movies <3
http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/43100000/The-Parent-Trap-1998-Poster-disney-43144064-2000-3000.jpg
4.5 loved johnny depp <3 :love:
https://www.gbposters.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/f/p/fp4816-fear-and-loathing-in-las-vegas-key-art.jpg

PHOENIX74

05-27-21, 06:28 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/67/Shadow_%282018_film%29.png
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=58265565

Shadow - (2018) - China

Here I go again venturing into genres that aren't really my favourite, but I have to say that once, many many years ago, House of Flying Daggers was recommended to me and I liked it so much I bought the DVD. So what has Yimou Zhang been doing since? A few things, but the promotional material for Shadow harks back to Flying Daggers (2004) to sell this one (hey - it worked!) and not one of his more recent works. I was hoping for flying daggers, but instead got umbrellas.

No, I'm not going to ridicule this film for using umbrellas like they're really the ultimate weapon and warriors wouldn't fight with anything less than an umbrella. To match this, the film takes place during a foretold 7 days of rain. So who's laughing now? To start with they're just ordinary umbrellas, but when the big epic battle starts during the last quarter of the film these umbrellas' spokes are razor sharp swords and we see many cool uses for them. Warriors slide down the street like ninja turtles on umbrellas while using a second umbrella as a shield. Bows and arrows suddenly become useless. If someone had of wanted to murder Gene Kelly during his most famous scene the tables would have turned.

Aside from umbrellas, there's a story here to be told, and I'm happy to say it's comprehensible. That's all I ask for in an Asian action film like this. It might be a little derivative, but if you're going in that direction Kagemusha is a great place to start. That or else these shadow warriors (doubles who work out complicated yet epic pranks on an enemy) are a large part of Japanese and Chinese folk tales. One other thing is the set design - set to "dull on purpose" - but I don't really love dull, even if it is on purpose. This film could have been called '50 Shades of Grey' as a literal take on the kingdom of Pei where not one single colour is allowed.

C'mon though. Colourful sets isn't what we came for here. This is a epic battle movie with incredible duels and outrageous skills. This is a movie where people get stabbed and sliced and chopped but still find the will to keep fighting. If you came here for the action I'd say you'd be very well pleased.

6/10

LChimp

05-27-21, 09:02 AM

https://cinepop.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/stoway-netflix-poster.jpg

Kinda slow paced, but the exterior shots were incredible. I would recommend it.

Tugg

05-27-21, 11:48 AM

The Woman in the Window (2021) 3
https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/i/151c14f3-8e84-4341-87ca-aa77d57f3a0d/degozws-2dc3432b-ffed-4727-9eb1-8c1dcc6ab25e.png
Four Good Days (2020-2021) 2
https://tellusepisode.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Four-Good-Days-2020-02-700x461.jpg
The Nest (2020-2021) 2
https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/i/d8c5e4fb-4b81-416f-8a4b-a48189893053/de965zf-cf4086f7-c7a2-4059-bc1f-7e0d0f061368.png
Army of the Dead (2021) 2
https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/c7268c79-9436-4230-b75e-2814495b25f4/defaw2u-42d3f218-06f0-46a9-8a47-46abb869d1a5.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQz NzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6 W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2M3MjY4Yzc5LTk0MzYtNDIzMC1iNzVlLTI4MTQ0OTViMjVmNFwvZGVmYXcydS00MmQzZjIxOC0wNmYw LTQ2YTktOGE0Ny00NmFiYjg2OWQxYTUucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.i9Qkh7Wl kDxx-zzi0QGtfdkF9n8M8TJ6Y9g2sn8BFcg
Wrath of Man (2021) 3
https://cdn.kincir.com/2/MaoR_EpSRvYebZfsPjeOlpZ0CjVjPo0gPnuY-HzN31o/transform/rs:fill:764:400/src/production/2021-05/16by9/review-sinopsis-wrath-of-man-jason-statham-0~5bf5aee7-a2fa-4fe3-8c67-b8fcf8e726e9.jpg
The King of Staten Island (2020) 2.5
https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/c7268c79-9436-4230-b75e-2814495b25f4/ddw0nfm-b10c09c6-e65d-470f-bef1-f4afbfc9eac3.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQz NzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6 W1t7InBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcL2M3MjY4Yzc5LTk0MzYtNDIzMC1iNzVlLTI4MTQ0OTViMjVmNFwvZGR3MG5mbS1iMTBjMDljNi1lNjVk LTQ3MGYtYmVmMS1mNGFmYmZjOWVhYzMucG5nIn1dXSwiYXVkIjpbInVybjpzZXJ2aWNlOmZpbGUuZG93bmxvYWQiXX0.QA_AOcoc SlDuZsY2g08RpeKRzB6zdyKSY3xtg-GEQ6A

Rockatansky

05-27-21, 01:06 PM

Gideon58

05-27-21, 04:41 PM

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61Pd-r7AbTL._SX342_.jpg

4

Wooley

05-27-21, 04:50 PM

LE JOUR SE LÈVE
(1939, Carné)
Freebie

https://images.static-bluray.com/reviews/10765_5_large.jpg

That is unless their hearts are broken in the process. Because then, the opposite applies. That is more or less what happens in this 1939 French film. Directed by Marcel Carné, Le jour se lève follows François (Jean Gabin), a factory worker that falls in love with *wait for it* Françoise (Jacqueline Laurent), a florist, only to find out she's more interested in a sleazy and narcissistic entertainer (Jules Berry).

The thing is that the film follows a non-linear narrative, starting with François murdering a man in his apartment, and then goes back to show how he ended up in that position. That is when we see how François and Françoise meet by chance, bond over their similarities, their names, and their orphan upbringing, only to see her gush over Valentin later on. The film frequently returns to "present time", as we see François barricade himself in his apartment as the police outside figure out how to apprehend him.

This film was a magnificent surprise, and the kind of film that makes you wonder why the heck isn't it mentioned more often. I had literally never heard of this film before this, and yet I was completely captivated by pretty much every aspect of it. From its structure, its striking cinematography and direction, the great performances, and the edgy script. Every single thing was top of the line.

Grade: 5

Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2207457#post2207457) and the PR HOF3 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2207293#post2207293).

Color me interested.

SpelingError

05-27-21, 06:29 PM

25th Hall of Fame

The Green Years (1963) - 3

I believe this is the first film from Portugal I've seen, but it's a pretty decent introduction. As others have pointed out though, it feels like some scenes are missing. I don't know if I just watched a bad transfer of the film or if some scenes were removed when the film was made, but I couldn't help but suspect this. I could definitely feel this in the second half of the film with the various awkward cuts, continuity errors, and Júlio's rushed character arc. If I ever come across a longer version of the film in the future, I'll have to rewatch it to see if my opinion of the film grows. As it stood though, I still found it to be an effective and tragic portrait of a confident young man eagerly moving to Lisbon, only to grow increasingly disillusioned with the city as he experiences misfortune after misfortune. I'm not a history buff and I don't know much about what the social climate of Portugal was like when this film was made, but I didn't feel like the film required for me to be knowledgeable in the country's politics to get the gist of the struggles Júlio faced. I imagine it must have been hard for lower class workers like Júlio to live and work there. My favorite scene in the film was the sweater sequence with Júlio and Isla. Though there wasn't much dialogue in it, it communicated a lot about how their relationship was falling apart and how much Júlio had changed since the start of the film. Other sequences such as the night club scene and the final few minutes were well-shot, stylistically impressive, and were packed with a decent amount of suspense (looking back, I wished that more of the film was shot like those few scenes, but whatever; I liked what I got). This film can't help but pale in comparison to other movies I've seen about confident protagonists moving/arriving to new cities or locations only to grow disillusioned with their surroundings over time (Lawrence of Arabia, Rocco and His Brothers, Greed), but it's still good. While it left a lot to be desired, I did enjoy my time with this film and I'd be happy to give it another shot in the future if I come across a longer version of it.

Gideon58

05-27-21, 09:13 PM

https://www.heavenofhorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/BLISS_2021-movie-review-1280x640.jpg

2

ThatDarnMKS

05-28-21, 01:30 AM

A Quiet Place 2

If the implausible plotting and creature mechanics outraged you the first time, avoid this as they haven't gotten any better. If the emotional beats, performances, craft and adept sequence construction worked for you last time, this is more of the good stuff. I fall into the latter camp and had a good time.

4

StuSmallz

05-28-21, 04:00 AM

Fabulous

05-28-21, 04:11 AM

Lantana (2001)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/s9ivjpkMFQNRNXbfGBGgFGcthCS.jpg

ScarletLion

05-28-21, 06:52 AM

'Stowaway' (2021)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWYwMWQxMmUtNjU3MS00NjIwLTllYWMtNzcxYzRkMWYyYTkwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_UX182_CR0,0,182 ,268_AL_.jpg

Not for me. Seems to be a film built around a flimsy metaphor for socio-political america. Based in space. With a score so overbearing that it felt more of a character than the characters.

2

.

'Oxygen' (2021)
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMWQ3N2EzNjYtMzgwYS00YjdmLThmOTUtMzc4NDUxZjZkY2RhXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_UX182_CR0,0,182 ,268_AL_.jpg

Very well crafted sci-fi film that makes the most out of a low cast and almost single location.

3.5

.

'Riders of Justice' (2020)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZWVkNTFmNTQtMGRiZC00NjAwLThjYTgtYmI3ZjA2Zjc1MTM1XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODk4OTc3MTY@._V1_UX182_CR0,0,182 ,268_AL_.jpg

Rather disappointed after reading such good reviews. Mads Mikkelsen is great but there are some silly plot points in the 2nd half. It's just full of Hollywood type tropes. Unimaginitive.

3

.

'The Uninvited' (1944)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNGVhNzg0OWUtZmZkMy00NTZlLTg0ZTMtNTQ5Zjg0NWFmNzkwXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjUwMzI2NzU@._V1_UY268_CR3,0,182 ,268_AL_.jpg

A classic ghost story set on the Cornish coast. Ray Milland is great, the rest of the cast are a little average.

3.5

PHOENIX74

05-28-21, 07:53 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6c/Jungle2017poster.jpg
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=55188103

Jungle - (2017)

Have you ever had a hankering for a certain type of film, like a food, and searched far and wide until satisfied? That's how I happened on Jungle. I wanted something like the incredible documentary Wings of Hope (1999) by Werner Herzog (originally Julianes Sturz in den Dschungel but Herzog voiced the English version himself.) So imagine my joy upon finding Jungle, a generously rated movie starring Daniel Radcliffe about an Israeli guy (Yossi - played by Radcliffe) who goes and gets himself lost in the Jungle.

Three adventure seekers meet the 'I know everything' explorer Karl (Thomas Kretschmann - a favourite of mine.) He leads them deep into the jungle in search of a mysterious tribe, and before you know it groups are separated, then individuals are separated. We follow Radcliffe as he hallucinates (constantly - too many hallucinations) gets stung by fire ants, eats gross stuff and falls over. There's nothing original here, and the pacing makes it feel like Yossi's lost for 8 hours instead of three weeks. To make matters worse, the true story this is based on includes things that would have been amazing to see on film. But none of it is seen in Jungle.

I've lost my appetite for 'lost in the jungle' movies now. Too much time was wasted with Karl and Yossi's two friends (just over half the film) and when we get to Yossi's struggle for survival it's derivative and underwhelming. Also, no tarantulas. The film is technically competent and has some excellently gross makeup and effects, but you'd be much better off watching the episode of I Shouldn't Be Alive that deals with Yossi and his Jungle antics.

4/10

Wooley

05-28-21, 08:04 AM

xSookieStackhouse

05-28-21, 08:23 AM

4.5
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTAwNDEyODU1MjheQTJeQWpwZ15BbWU2MDc3NDQwNw@@._V1_.jpg

ThatDarnMKS

05-28-21, 08:54 AM

The original (https://letterboxd.com/stusmallz/film/a-quiet-place-2018/) wasn't that implausible, though.

/beatingadeadhorse
The movie starts to unravel the moment you say "wait, if these creatures hunt by sound, then why does ______ happen" and then it can happen repeatedly until the end of the movie when your head cracks open from a piercing shrieking sound.

xSookieStackhouse

05-28-21, 09:42 AM

5
https://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2021/02/Disney-Cruella-Poster.jpg

Wooley

05-28-21, 10:43 AM

5
https://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2021/02/Disney-Cruella-Poster.jpg

I'm very optimistic about this.

xSookieStackhouse

05-28-21, 11:40 AM

I'm very optimistic about this.

whats optimistic? to me i loved the movie . emma stone did an amazing job as cruella,

Stirchley

05-28-21, 01:59 PM

78077

Excruciatingly slow, but I did finish. Interesting storyline.

John-Connor

05-28-21, 02:38 PM

One Deadly Summer 1983 ‘L'été meurtrier’ Jean Becker
78081
4

this_is_the_ girl

05-28-21, 03:57 PM

Fabulous

05-28-21, 05:40 PM

Transsiberian (2008)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/zAA4ySCXAddsKqOKNDvZTjRB3TP.jpg

Raven73

05-28-21, 07:17 PM

Treasure Island (1990)
7.5/10.
First viewing. A thrilling epic and much bloodier than I thought it was going to be, considering it's a children's classic and was a Disney movie in 1950. Charlton Heston leads an impressive cast, including Oliver Reed, Christopher Lee, Julian Glover, Pete Postlethwaite and a 16-year old Christian Bale. Likely this was the inspiration for the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, and Long John Silver an inspiration for Jack Sparrow (Silver even sails away alone on a similar boat to the one we first see Jack Sparrow coming to shore alone on).
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e9/Treasureposter.jpg/250px-Treasureposter.jpg

GulfportDoc

05-28-21, 08:07 PM

...
Jungle - (2017)
...
I've lost my appetite for 'lost in the jungle' movies now. Too much time was wasted with Karl and Yossi's two friends (just over half the film) and when we get to Yossi's struggle for survival it's derivative and underwhelming. Also, no tarantulas. The film is technically competent and has some excellently gross makeup and effects, but you'd be much better off watching the episode of I Shouldn't Be Alive that deals with Yossi and his Jungle antics. 4/10
If you haven't seen it, you might like Herzog's Wings of Hope (1999). The documentary presents an absolutely astonishing story about a woman who is sucked out of an airplane and falls 10,000 feet to the jungle below-- and survives!! It shows how she was able to eventually trek to civilization to be rescued.

StuSmallz

05-28-21, 09:56 PM

Rats.
https://i.ibb.co/wzc6VJr/Extreme-eye-roll-gif1.gif (https://imgbb.com/)

ScannerDarkly

05-28-21, 11:58 PM

https://directorsnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/black_bear_11.jpg
Black Bear (2020, Lawrence Michael Levine)
rating_4
A very good example of non-linear, meta filmmaking, beautifully written and directed by Levine. Aubrey Plaza is absolutely the star of the show here, delivering a powerhouse of a performance, covering a whole gamut of emotional states from sexy and magnetic to drunkenly distraught and downright harrowing. The intriguing two-part plot structure allows for multiple interpretations (Mulholland Drive popped up in my head several times while watching this) - I won't go into it here, watch and make your own conclusions.

Aubrey Plaza is My favorite actress she is just too weird i dig it, i will give this one a try i havnt seen her in a really good role on film yet.

WHITBISSELL!

05-29-21, 02:47 AM

1917 (2019) - rating_1

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

Quite a spectacle! Obviously, the plot is just an excuse to show some good camerawork and very long takes (edited to look like it's one long take). In the end, I wasn't amazed, and the more the film tried to amaze me, the more I was disillusioned. Think the long run at the end. Maybe if I watched it at the cinema and my ears were raped by the 30 times too loud sound, I'd be more into it. I was still into it, just don't think it's great.Same here. Watched it with a group of people who really got into it. Meanwhile I was wondering how long it took them to dig all those trenches and exactly how many extras were used. Appreciated the technical prowess but that was about it.

Fabulous

05-29-21, 02:58 AM

Short Term 12 (2013)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/gTDSid6kZT7vNp1vSNB0nLAnSeG.jpg

Wooley

05-29-21, 02:59 AM

whats optimistic? to me i loved the movie . emma stone did an amazing job as cruella,

Well, I haven't seen it but I think Cruella is a character I would like to see more of, I think Emma Stone is a real actor with something to give this role, and now you've rated it highly, so my optimism grows.

StuSmallz

05-29-21, 04:29 AM

The movie starts to unravel the moment you say "wait, if these creatures hunt by sound, then why does ______ happen" and then it can happen repeatedly until the end of the movie when your head cracks open from a piercing shrieking sound.You mean like, "if the monsters hunt by sound, why aren't they constantly just attacking the waterfall all the time" (which is something I have seen people wonder about online)? I think the answer to that (and a lot of other nit-picks about the movie) is pretty self-evident; the monsters must've tried attacking the waterfall when they first encountered it, then realized that the sound didn't represent a sentinent creature, and then were intelligent to learn to ignore that particular sound from them on (and thank God that they did, because that would be a much lamer movie if they were that dumb, haha).

mark f

05-29-21, 04:44 AM

The Last Hard Men (Andrew V. McLaglen, 1976) 2.5 6/10
Suffer Little Children (Alan Briggs, 1983) 1.5 4/10
The One Man Jury (Charles Martin, 1978) 2 5/10
Son of the White Mare (Marcell Jankovics, 1981) 3.5- 7/10 R.I.P. the Director
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/75/f7/bd/75f7bd8853d16c5324135a493446705d.gif
Psychedelic Hungarian fairy tale with all kinds of spectacular visuals and weird storytelling.
Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen (Clive Donner, 1981) 2 5/10
The People Against O'Hara (John Sturges, 1951) 2.5 5.5/10
Pardon My Rhythm (Felix Feist, 1944) 2.5 6/10
High Hopes (Mike Leigh, 1988) 3 6.5/10
https://resizing.flixster.com/VlGFwsCf_WXNzFUsl50nsdfY65E=/740x380/v1.bjs0ODgwNzE7ajsxODgxNTsxMjAwOzE1MDg7MTEzMQ
Matriarch Edna Doré is surrounded by her family (Ruth Sheen, Philip Jackson, Lesley Manville & Phil Davis) in a quirky social comedy.
Life Is Sweet (Mike Leigh, 1990) 3 6.5/10
I Am All Girls (Donovan Marsh, 2021) 2.5 5.5/10
My Brother's Keeper (Kevan Otto, 2020) 1.5 4/10
Blue Miracle (Julio Quintana, 2021) 2.5+ 6/10
https://media.flickeringmyth.com/q:intelligent/retina:false/webp:false/w:1/url:https://cdn.flickeringmyth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Blue-Miracle-4-600x374.jpg
Fisherman Dennis Quaid, a man of questionable honesty and life skills, learns a few things from a good-hearted-but-struggling ophanage owner (Jimmy Gonzales) and his kids during a fishing tournament.
Dance of the 41 (David Pablos, 2020) 2.5 6/10
An Angel from Texas (Ray Enright, 1940) 2+ 5/10
New Jerusalem (Rick Alverson, 2011) 2.5 6/10
The Trap (Sidney Hayers, 1966) 3+ 6.5/10
https://images.mubicdn.net/images/film/103559/cache-74402-1445935696/image-w1280.jpg?size=740x
Fur trapper Oliver Reed buys mute Rita Tushingham to be his wife and live in his wilderness cabin. Surprising and exciting adventure of survival.
The Man in the Hat (John-Paul Davidson & Stephen Warbeck, 2020) 2.5+ 6/10
Cat in the Cage (Tony Zarin Dast, 1978) 1.5 4/10
The Scary House AKA The Strange House (Daniel Prochaska, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
Wings of Hope (Werner Herzog, 1999) 3.5- 7/10
https://i2.wp.com/revusetcorriges.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Wings_of_Hope-4.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1Almost 30 years after the fact, Herzog poetically relates the story of Juliane Koepcke who fell 10,000 feet into the Peruvian jungle after her airplane "distintegrated" from a lightning strike.

this_is_the_ girl

05-29-21, 06:58 AM

Aubrey Plaza is My favorite female actress she is just too weird i dig it, i will give this one a try i havnt seen her in a really good role on film yet.
Your favorite actress? Absolutely give it a watch then - very good film, and she's great in it.

chawhee

05-29-21, 10:09 AM

Plan B (2021)
https://i1.wp.com/pitakwa360.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Plan-B-2021-movie-poster.jpg?resize=620%2C930&is-pending-load=1#038;ssl=1
3
The trailer intrigued me enough to warrant a watch, though it fell into the same path I thought it would. If you have seen Booksmart and thought it was fine, ignore this one. If you haven't seen it or thought it was splendid and want more of the same, try this one out. It's not as good, but there are some funny moments.

This kind of movie has been done many times before, but the similarities to Booksmart are too many to count.

ThatDarnMKS

05-29-21, 12:35 PM

You mean like, "if the monsters hunt by sound, why aren't they constantly just attacking the waterfall all the time" (which is something I have seen people wonder about online)? I think the answer to that (and a lot of other nit-picks about the movie) is pretty self-evident; the monsters must've tried attacking the waterfall when they first encountered it, then realized that the sound didn't represent a sentinent creature, and then were intelligent to learn to ignore that particular sound from them on (and thank God that they did, because that would be a much lamer movie if they were that dumb, haha).
More like “if these monsters hunt by sound, why are they so conveniently terrible at hearing?” or “why do they have to expose their weakness every time they need to hear? Can they not hear at all when their armored up?”Compare their abilities to ANY creature that has this ability and the issues become numerous. Then there’s the human element...

If these creatures hunt by sound...

... why not live near the waterfall, which they conveniently ignore?

... why bring a baby into this world when you will clearly have a finite oxygen tank level and they WILL cry?

... why did people never try to hurt the creatures with sounds before?

... Does no one in the house snore, fart, burp, sneeze, back crack, defecate or any of the multitude of involuntary noises our body makes which are louder than the noises that seemingly draw the creatures?

Etc forever. Because the premise doesn’t make logical sense at all. The film works because it makes dramatic and emotional sense and because it is extremely well made. Like Hereditary.

SpelingError

05-29-21, 01:58 PM

... why bring a baby into this world when you will clearly have a finite oxygen tank level and they WILL cry?

I see this criticism come up a lot, but I don't agree with it. Bringing a baby into the world isn't wise, but there's an emotional reason for doing this, out of respect for the kid they lost at the beginning. That was how I read the sub-plot. It could be read as a tragic mistake the family made, but I don't think it's a problem with the film. I was also under the impression they planned to deliver the baby in a noisy area (the waterfall, I assume), except it happened a few weeks (I forget the exact time limit as it's been a while since I've seen it) before they expected the baby.

Granted, I do think this sub-plot would've been better had the family brought up the absurdity of bringing a baby into the world, but also give a reason as to why they felt it was worth the risk, but I think it's a pretty compelling sub-plot as it stands, even if it may be a bit underdeveloped.

I do agree with your other points though. Just wanted to bring this up.

ThatDarnMKS

05-29-21, 02:29 PM

I see this criticism come up a lot, but I don't agree with it. Bringing a baby into the world isn't wise, but there's an emotional reason for doing this, out of respect for the kid they lost at the beginning. That was how I read the sub-plot. It could be read as a tragic mistake the family made, but I don't think it's a problem with the film. I was also under the impression they planned to deliver the baby in a noisy area (the waterfall, I assume), except it happened a few weeks (I forget the exact time limit as it's been a while since I've seen it) before they expected the baby.

Granted, I do think this sub-plot would've been better had the family brought up the absurdity of bringing a baby into the world, but also give a reason as to why they felt it was worth the risk, but I think it's a pretty compelling sub-plot as it stands, even if it may be a bit underdeveloped.

I do agree with your other points though. Just wanted to bring this up.
Like I said, it makes emotional and dramatic sense but it’s still a dreadfully stupid thing to do and the gravity of it gets handwaved away because it doesn’t want to be a movie that brings abortion into the text and all the baggage that brings.

But it’s essentially the characters saying that they will bring a dinner bell into the home in which their two surviving children, one of which is deaf and could not hear the baby beginning to cry in an emergency situation. It’s fairly asinine, logically speaking, even ignoring the complications child birth without doctors/hospitals.

But as I said, it works dramatically (pregnant woman in danger, making noise during pregnancy) and emotional sense (lost child replacement, hope for a new world) so I still really like it.

But I will die on the hill that this movie survives by “don’t think about it too much.”

SpelingError

05-29-21, 02:40 PM

Like I said, it makes emotional and dramatic sense but it’s still a dreadfully stupid thing to do and the gravity of it gets handwaved away because it doesn’t want to be a movie that brings abortion into the text and all the baggage that brings.

But it’s essentially the characters saying that they will bring a dinner bell into the home in which their two surviving children, one of which is deaf and could not hear the baby beginning to cry in an emergency situation. It’s fairly asinine, logically speaking, even ignoring the complications child birth without doctors/hospitals.

But as I said, it works dramatically (pregnant woman in danger, making noise during pregnancy) and emotional sense (lost child replacement, hope for a new world) so I still really like it.

But I will die on the hill that this movie survives by “don’t think about it too much.”

I can agree with all that.

And yeah, I think the film works in spite of these issues. It's sort of like TDKR to me in the sense that both films work dramatically and emotionally, but once you start questioning the logic behind both films, they begin to fall apart more and more. As much of a fight that both films sometimes have to show to get past those issues though, I still think they're good.

Guaporense

05-29-21, 03:17 PM

The Danish Girl (2015)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f2/The_Danish_Girl_%28film%29_poster.jpg

Very well made with strong performances. Still, a movie that is more about its theme than a piece of cinematic art on its own. 7/10

John-Connor

05-29-21, 04:05 PM

The Professor 1986 ‘Il camorrista’ Giuseppe Tornatore
78121
3.5+

Takoma11

05-29-21, 04:08 PM

https://directorsnotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/black_bear_11.jpg
Black Bear (2020, Lawrence Michael Levine)
4
A very good example of non-linear, meta filmmaking, beautifully written and directed by Levine. Aubrey Plaza is absolutely the star of the show here, delivering a powerhouse of a performance, covering a whole gamut of emotional states from sexy and magnetic to drunkenly distraught and downright harrowing. The intriguing two-part plot structure allows for multiple interpretations (Mulholland Drive popped up in my head several times while watching this) - I won't go into it here, watch and make your own conclusions.

This is an intriguing review. This movie had fallen off of my radar--thanks for bringing it back to my attention.

A Quiet Place 2

If the implausible plotting and creature mechanics outraged you the first time, avoid this as they haven't gotten any better. If the emotional beats, performances, craft and adept sequence construction worked for you last time, this is more of the good stuff. I fall into the latter camp and had a good time.

4

Ironically, the number of things I have read defending the first one forced me into actually thinking through the first one, and at this point the mechanics are what I most see with it. The defense of the film should just be, "Don't think to much about it!". Because I have yet to have anyone convince me why these people didn't create a noise machine to desensitize the creatures or just live at the dang waterfall. Or why the film itself couldn't be bothered to handwave away those things.

ScannerDarkly

05-29-21, 04:19 PM

Your favorite actress? Absolutely give it a watch then - very good film, and she's great in it.

Oh yes caught me, hmm lol how very dumb of me

SpelingError

05-29-21, 05:07 PM

someone to explain to me how to post in this forum thaks:)

Do what you did when writing that post and you should be good :)

Mr Minio

05-29-21, 05:18 PM

Do what you did when writing that post and you should be good :)

What if they murdered somebody while writing this post? :O

Rockatansky

05-29-21, 05:30 PM

What if they murdered somebody while writing this post? :O

Clearly it worked.

SpelingError

05-29-21, 05:50 PM

What if they murdered somebody while writing this post? :O

That means the posting function on this forum is very problematic and Yoda should fix it ASAP.

ThatDarnMKS

05-29-21, 05:54 PM

Ironically, the number of things I have read defending the first one forced me into actually thinking through the first one, and at this point the mechanics are what I most see with it. The defense of the film should just be, "Don't think to much about it!". Because I have yet to have anyone convince me why these people didn't create a noise machine to desensitize the creatures or just live at the dang waterfall. Or why the film itself couldn't be bothered to handwave away those things.

It’s the type of film that makes you recognize the value of the old exposition man. “These things hunt by hearing but they don’t seem to hear no better than you or me less them meaty parts are showing. I’ve seen folks shoot at em but they slam shut faster gator closes it’s mouth.” It’s that kind of stuff that is irksome when present but when no attempt at all, you realize how contrived and flimsy the house of cards is. A “you don’t wanna live anywhere that’s loud. It may hide you for a while but they’ll get curious. Then they swarm.” here or there would help a lot. This is why fish out of water stories usually help (or telling it from the beginning.)

Otherwise, you have to think of classy ways to hint why these things are happening and they don’t really provide enough, even by the sequel which adds another element of “but why” to protect themselves.

But, I’m far from a plausible. Emotional and dramatic integrity matters more than logic, as does craft, and these films have that in spades.

But boy would a stranger they stumble across that tells them what not to do have alleviated some frustration.

Mr Minio

05-29-21, 05:59 PM

That means the posting function on this forum is very problematic and Yoda should fix it ASAP. Wait, am I the only one for whom, after clicking the Post Reply button, a video appears with Yoda saying:

"Fresh blood need I. A baby killed must be. Then you can post, young murderer."

I murdered some babies already. I thought it is this way for everybody! :O

SpelingError

05-29-21, 06:05 PM

Wait, am I the only one for whom, after clicking the Post Reply button, a video appears with Yoda saying:

"Fresh blood need I. A baby killed must be. Then you can post, young murderer."

I murdered some babies already. I thought it is this way for everybody! :O

I get that as well. This forum survives on sacrifices.

ThatDarnMKS

05-29-21, 06:17 PM

I get that as well. This forum survives on sacrifices.
I don’t get that message at all but I guess I just stay up to date in the soul toll so it lets me slip right in.

SpelingError

05-29-21, 06:21 PM

I don’t get that message at all but I guess I just stay up to date in the soul toll so it lets me slip right in.
With you, the monster from your short film Wake Up tells you to commit murders when you post here.

Mr Minio

05-29-21, 06:21 PM

I don’t get that message at all but I guess I just stay up to date in the soul toll so it lets me slip right in. What if you're not getting the message because... you're meant to be the next sacrifice? :eek:

ThatDarnMKS

05-29-21, 06:47 PM

With you, the monster from your short film Wake Up tells you to commit murders when you post here.
Think on this, SE... who do you think tells him who to tell to commit those murders?

ThatDarnMKS

05-29-21, 06:48 PM

What if you're not getting the message because... you're meant to be the next sacrifice? :eek:
Call me Umberto Lenzi because I’d make a terrible Sacrifice.

cricket

05-29-21, 06:49 PM

Three Colors: Red (1994)

4.5

https://areviewtoakill.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/valentine-and-kern.jpg

This ended up being my favorite of the trilogy narrowly ahead of white, and I think that's the way it should be. Also the way this last movie ends, well damn that's close to perfect in my book. There's a lot I could say about this movie but I don't feel like it. Love this director.

SpelingError

05-29-21, 07:24 PM

Think on this, SE... who do you think tells him who to tell to commit those murders?
My best guess is Captain Terror since he's a huge fan of horror.

ThatDarnMKS

05-29-21, 07:26 PM

My best guess is Captain Terror since he's a huge fan of horror.
And who do you think tells Captain Terror to tell the ghoul from Wake Up to tell to kill? Exactly. For what is a Captain... to a King.

SpelingError

05-29-21, 07:28 PM

And who do you think tells Captain Terror to tell the ghoul from Wake Up to tell to kill? Exactly. For what is a Captain... to a King.
I'm not sure. My mind is blown right now.

John-Connor

05-29-21, 09:22 PM

Goyokin 1969 ‘御用金’ Hideo Gosha
78132
4

SpelingError

05-29-21, 09:23 PM

Russian Language Hall of Fame

Stalker (1979) - 5

Always happy to rewatch my number 1 favorite film (I'm sure you all can tell which film will top my ballot for this HoF). When I first watched Stalker, this was before I was fully accustomed to slow pacing, so I struggled somewhat with it, but I still appreciated it quite a lot. I couldn't explain why, but something about the film felt so alluring and kept inviting me back for more, whether it was the ethereal beauty found in the deserted environments or some various sequences which seemed to have otherworldly qualities. Everything about the pacing should've made me grow bored back then, but while this somewhat happened, I also felt strangely drawn to it for a reason I couldn't put my finger on. I didn't love the film after my first viewing, but what I knew was that Tarkovsky was a director who I should keep an eye out for in the future. Though I struggled with a few of his other films after that, like The Mirror and Solaris, both of which I need to revisit soon, I eventually got around to rewatching this film, which was when I fell in love with Tarkovsky.

In many ways, this is more of a feel than a film. Initially, the transition from sepia to color when they enter the Zone makes the area seem like a haven as opposed to the drab outside world they're stuck in. However, the more we learn about the Zone and the various people who had ventured there prior to the film (like a previous guide named Porcupine who killed himself after becoming rich in the Zone), the more dangers the area is revealed to have, and the more omens they witness as they make their way through it (a group of abandoned army tanks, a black dog which recurs throughout their time in the Zone, or a human skeleton they pass by), the more apparent it is that the room isn't as fulfilling as it appears, thus making the initial jump from sepia to color a façade which conceals many darker undertones. This film has its fair share of ambiguity and every time I watch it, it always leaves me with some unanswered questions, but I never feel unsatisfied by what I don't know about the Zone or the characters. Contrariwise, part of me feels changed every time I finish watching it as the mysterious beauty the film gives off throughout their time in the Zone and, specifically, the tragically beautiful final shot (which would make a short list of my favorite film endings), is more than enough to move and devastate me. I also find many sequences in the film quite moving, like the initial railway car ride into the Zone which has some great, minimalist sound design, the dream sequence which doesn't actually show their dreams, but still feels surreal, and the inexplicably excellent tunnel sequence. Topped with an undercurrent of nuclear disasters and fallouts bubbling underneath the surface of various scenes (this undercurrent is heightened by how the toxic chemicals in the area this film was shot in arguably lead to the deaths of Tarkovsky and two of the three main actors in the film), this film makes for a profound experience every time I rewatch it.

Allaby

05-29-21, 09:43 PM

On this, my last day of being 40, I watched 5 movies. They were:

My Birthday Romance (2020) 3.5
Rhapsody (1954) 2.5
Hunt For the Wilderpeople (2016) 3.5
Mirror Mirror (2012) 3
The Night Holds Terror (1955) 3.5

Thief

05-29-21, 10:15 PM

DUCK SOUP
(1933, McCarey)
A film with a bird's name in its title

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

"You're a brave man. Go and break through the lines. And remember, while you're out there risking your life and limb through shot and shell, we'll be in be in here thinking what a sucker you are."

The term "duck soup" refers to an easily accomplished task or assignment; something that should be easy to succeed at. In the film, it is a kind of ironic jab at Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx), who has just been appointed as leader of the troubled country of Freedonia, but we can also use it to ironically refer to the Marx brothers task of making a comedy that succeeds at parodying government and war. The thing is that the brothers make it seem easy indeed; duck soup.

Groucho is joined by his three brothers in various roles. Harpo and Chico play a couple of bumbling spies for the rival country of Sylvania, while Zeppo plays Firefly's assistant. Firefly's task of governing is complicated when he starts a grudge with Ambassador Trentino of Sylvania, something that threatens to lead them to war. But the truth is that the plot, even though it's there, matters little as it serves primarily as a vehicle for the brothers barrage of jokes, gags, slapstick, and musical montages.

Grade: 4

Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208383#post2208383)

Gideon58

05-29-21, 10:19 PM

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/8103m5nOYqL._SL1500_.jpg

3.5

CringeFest

05-29-21, 11:00 PM

I just saw part of two movies that i thought were ****ty in the same way: little women and curtains. They were both hard to pay attention to.

Little women is about boring upper class women, curtains starts out neat but they don't make it clear what's going on it all. How rude.

James D. Gardiner

05-29-21, 11:31 PM

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

A porte chiuse (1961)
aka 'Behind Closed Doors'

Directed by Dino Risi
Starring: Anita Ekberg, Claudio Gora, Fred Clark, Gianni Bonagura

Surprisingly good Italian comedy film about an attractive widow on trial for the death of her wealthy husband. When her defence counsel looks to be losing the case and the prosecution start making demands for a firing squad, she quickly takes matters into her own hands and makes a startling new claim. The new evidence prompts further investigation at the scene of the alleged crime, where the main protagonist has all sorts of fun in confusing the case and the various men involved.

It features a quality script with plenty of fast paced Italian humour. Ekberg actually has a decent part to play here, and although clearly dubbed, gets plenty to do and gives a good performance in the leading role. Also very funny seeing Fred Clark playing an Italian lawyer, when I'm so accustomed to seeing him as the next door neighbour in The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show.

7/10

Takoma11

05-30-21, 12:05 AM

PHOENIX74

05-30-21, 01:29 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fe/Withnail_and_i_poster.jpghttps://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51RASMDC4JL._AC_SY445_.jpg
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15999449

Withnail and I - (1987) - DVD

We've gone on holiday by mistake!

I remember hearing the buzz about Withnail and I* when it was released and hired it on VHS when it appeared on video shelves. I was in my mid-teens and in the absolutely wrong frame of mind and age group to really appreciate it. Also, the film is deliberately under-lit, making it one of the worst films to watch on VHS tape with a small analogue television. How things have changed. This film joins Jules and Jim as one of the greatest ever about friendship. The dialogue is so good (it moves at a machine-gun pace, except for when Ralph Brown's Danny spouts some drug dealer wisdom) that repeated viewings are always rewarded with something new and delightful.

It's 1969 - a decade of hope and renewal is ending. Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and the eponymous "I" (this is an autobiographical tale by writer and director Bruce Robinson) are out of work actors living in a filthy dilapidated apartment in London. Coming down, their sad and pathetic existence staring them in the face, they decide to persuade Withnail's uncle Monty (one of Richard Griffiths' best roles) to lend them his cottage in the country. Instead of a pleasant diversion, the trip turns into a desperate fight for comfort and safety from the locals. When they eventually return home they face the fact that, even though they love each other as friends, their time together is ending.

This was produced by George Harrison's Handmade Films and Denis O'Brien oversaw filming. As far as comedy was concerned he was very well versed in the Monty Python films and nearly brought the entire production to a halt as he thought it was a sure bomb and the comedy didn't work. Despite his constant gripes the film was extremely well received and has become a cult classic. People involved with the film are bombarded to this day with the many quotes and situations people remember - for many this was the first feature film they'd been involved with and brought a promise that was hard to replicate and live up to. While this was Robinson's directorial debut, he'd already been nominated for an Oscar for the script of The Killing Fields - he considers himself more a writer than anything else.

Special Features - I intend to get the Criterion edition of this film eventually, but was pleasantly surprised that this British DVD edition included a booklet about it's production and popularity. The DVD includes a retrospective documentary "Withnail & Us" which was made in 1999 (Richard E. Grant looks no different than he did in his Oscar nominated role in Can You Ever Forgive Me (2018) - he's obviously made a pact with the devil) and it's quite good. The commentary track includes Paul McGann and Ralph Brown - it's also good, but they both seem a bit miffed that Richard E. Grant didn't make himself available. The picture gallery is full of pictures taken before production commenced, and not just stills of the film, so that's a positive. There's the original trailer, and the picture and sound is now clear enough to enjoy. Throw that VHS cassette out.

10/10

* I'm using 'and' instead of '&' as that's how the title appears on posters and all promotional material.

xSookieStackhouse

05-30-21, 01:47 AM

Well, I haven't seen it but I think Cruella is a character I would like to see more of, I think Emma Stone is a real actor with something to give this role, and now you've rated it highly, so my optimism grows.

i know they would make more cruella cause it has end post credit after the ending like marvel did to their movies. well like i said emma stone did an amazing job as cruella

matt72582

05-30-21, 09:58 AM

Golden Glove

I didn't know it was the same director, but I did think about it... I actually liked "The Golden Glove"... A bit gory, but I seem to like kidnapping movies like those. "The Collector" (1965) is a great one I'm betting you have seen.

LChimp

05-30-21, 10:12 AM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzcwYTUxYzctYTQ5My00YzY5LTk3YzItOTliMzRiOTZlMGI3XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTEyMjM2NDc2._V1_.jpg

Pretty generic, with some good action sequences. Forgettable.

Marco

05-30-21, 10:12 AM

Greyhound (2020)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Greyhound_poster.jpeg
Tom Hanks vehicle with an interesting take on seafaring events in WW2. It's pretty gritty and down to earth and he's ably supported by a good cast including Stephen Graham. I enjoyed this, but I quite enjoy claustrophobic movies, probably not for everyone but it does keep track with the original material very well.

3.5

Marco

05-30-21, 10:19 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fe/Withnail_and_i_poster.jpghttps://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51RASMDC4JL._AC_SY445_.jpg
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15999449

Withnail and I - (1987) - DVD

I remember hearing the buzz about Withnail and I* when it was released and hired it on VHS when it appeared on video shelves. I was in my mid-teens and in the absolutely wrong frame of mind and age group to really appreciate it. Also, the film is deliberately under-lit, making it one of the worst films to watch on VHS tape with a small analogue television. How things have changed. This film joins Jules and Jim as one of the greatest ever about friendship. The dialogue is so good (it moves at a machine-gun pace, except for when Ralph Brown's Danny spouts some drug dealer wisdom) that repeated viewings are always rewarded with something new and delightful.

It's 1969 - a decade of hope and renewal is ending. Withnail (Richard E. Grant) and the eponymous "I" (this is an autobiographical tale by writer and director Bruce Robinson) are out of work actors living in a filthy dilapidated apartment in London. Coming down, their sad and pathetic existence staring them in the face, they decide to persuade Withnail's uncle Monty (one of Richard Griffiths' best roles) to lend them his cottage in the country. Instead of a pleasant diversion, the trip turns into a desperate fight for comfort and safety from the locals. When they eventually return home they face the fact that, even though they love each other as friends, their time together is ending.

This was produced by George Harrison's Handmade Films and Denis O'Brien oversaw filming. As far as comedy was concerned he was very well versed in the Monty Python films and nearly brought the entire production to a halt as he thought it was a sure bomb and the comedy didn't work. Despite his constant gripes the film was extremely well received and has become a cult classic. People involved with the film are bombarded to this day with the many quotes and situations people remember - for many this was the first feature film they'd been involved with and brought a promise that was hard to replicate and live up to. While this was Robinson's directorial debut, he'd already been nominated for an Oscar for the script of The Killing Fields - he considers himself more a writer than anything else.

Special Features - I intend to get the Criterion edition of this film eventually, but was pleasantly surprised that this British DVD edition included a booklet about it's production and popularity. The DVD includes a retrospective documentary "Withnail & Us" which was made in 1999 (Richard E. Grant looks no different than he did in his Oscar nominated role in Can You Ever Forgive Me (2018) - he's obviously made a pact with the devil) and it's quite good. The commentary track includes Paul McGann and Ralph Brown - it's also good, but they both seem a bit miffed that Richard E. Grant didn't make himself available. The picture gallery is full of pictures taken before production commenced, and not just stills of the film, so that's a positive. There's the original trailer, and the picture and sound is now clear enough to enjoy. Throw that VHS cassette out.

10/10

* I'm using 'and' instead of '&' as that's how the title appears on posters and all promotional material.
When young, I thought this film was for arty-farty students. When I saw it the dark undertones became clear and both McGann and Grant's performances are rich and wonderful.

Marco

05-30-21, 11:44 AM

Fabulous

05-30-21, 01:08 PM

The Last of Sheila (1973)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/crlcda0f7SU3jyjpLMkE0FrkQe7.jpg

GulfportDoc

05-30-21, 01:33 PM

78143
Transsiberian (2008)

This is a surprisingly engaging thriller which we watched not realizing that we had seen it years back. Still, remembering little of it, it almost seemed like a fresh watch.

Returning from a Christian mission in China, a couple (Emily Mortimer & Woody Harrelson) decide to take the lengthy Transsiberian Railroad to Moscow, rather than to fly. They eventually meet a couple (Kate Mara & Eduardo Noriega) who are assigned to share their sleeping room on the train. Later Ginko (Ben Kingsley) enters the drama as a Russian drug detective.

Drug smuggling instantly becomes the focus of suspense, and a cadre of classic Russian dolls that fit inside each other (matryoshka) soon become the MacGuffin.

Deception, intrigue, and thrills gradually steer the film, and the viewer is intrigued by wondering which are the bad guys, and whom do they represent?

The entire cast is at the top of their forms. Even Harrelson, who plays an aw shucks type of genuine guy with high morals seems natural. Intrigue set on trains is nothing new, but this production directed by Brad Anderson (The Man in the High Castle) and photographed by Xavi Gemenez (The Machinist) brings a fresh look at the style while managing to captivate and thrill us.

Doc's rating: 8/10

Torgo

05-30-21, 01:52 PM

New Police Story - 4

The sixth entry in the Police Story series is darker, grittier and has less comic relief - it was made in the '00s, after all - but it still maintains the series' quality. It has all its trademarks such as using more actual locations than sets, chases involving vehicles as massive as the destruction they cause, Jackie Chan doing what he does best, etc. and they're all done very well. I also like the old school vs. new school angle to the story in that it pits Chan's character against the most 2000's villains imaginable: a gang of video game and extreme sports enthusiasts who call themselves the X Gamers (that's Extreme Gamers, not former gamers). Also, their leader, played by Daniel Wu (Into the Badlands, Tomb Raider), is a good match for Chan charismatically. It's easy to see why Hollywood took notice of him. While the movie doesn't reach the heights of the first entry in the series or Supercop, but it's one of the better late entries in an action series I've seen. Oh, and this may be the best-looking entry in the series. I highly recommend watching it in the best format possible because it would be hard to find another movie that makes Hong Kong look this good.

Thief

05-30-21, 05:04 PM

HERO
(2002, Zhang)
A fantasy film

https://fromthebalcony.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Hero_anexdu.jpg

"The ultimate ideal is when the sword disappears altogether. The warrior embraces all around him. The desire to kill no longer exists. Only peace remains."

Set in Ancient China, Hero follows Nameless (Jet Li), a mysterious swordsman that meets with the King of Qin (Chen Daoming) claiming to have killed three powerful fighters that were trying to kill him. However, as he tells his story to the king, we realize there might be more to him than what he claims.

The story has a bit of a Rashomon vibe, as we see the events that led Nameless to where he is now, as he fought the three warriors Long Sky (Donnie Yen), Broken Sword (Tony Leung), and Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung). As the narrative goes back and forth between past and present, as well as different versions of the same story, we find out more about Nameless, the king, and the fighters.

Grade: 3.5

Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208556#post2208556) and the PR HOF3 (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208557#post2208557).

Mr Minio

05-30-21, 06:35 PM

大丈夫日記 [Diary of a Big Man] (1988) - 2

https://i.imgur.com/SYBWP1A.png
Be Pretty and Shut Up! (https://letterboxd.com/film/be-pretty-and-shut-up/)

Chow Yun-Fat cannot decide between Joey Wong and Sally Yeh, so he ends up marrying both! Bigamy is illegal, not to mention neither of the girls would have liked that, so Chow has to keep them both in the dark. This is not easy, as his sole friend who's in on the secret, Waise Lee, has his own fiancée and finds it harder and harder to help Chow ensure the women do not find out about Chow's shenanigans. Hard-pressed by a cop investigating likely bigamy and the girls themselves randomly bumping into each other, Chow has to come up with more and more crazy excuses and tricks to keep his married life intact. What a crazy premise! And all of this in the first 10 minutes! What's next? Hilarity ensues! Chow Yun-fat and Waise Lee starred together in A Better Tomorrow two years prior and it's a joy to see them again, this time teaming up in a mad HK Screwball Comedy! Joey Wong is always a joy to watch and Sally Yeh is surprisingly sexy, too, which makes Chow's dilemma as to who to choose all the more understandable (which doesn't mean he's any less an ashowl - never date 2 people at once, guys :) ). There are lots of laughs to be had, but as anybody who's seen at least a couple of HK comedies already suspects, this is not very sophisticated humor. Less sophisticated humor probably means I find it much funnier, and it's also true in this case. I had lots of laughs and a wonderful time. Now if only Joey Wong at 28 would have married me now...

ヴィタール [Vital] (2004) - 3

https://i.imgur.com/td6kcnU.png

In American cinema, ghosts can be defeated, and then everything is OK again. In Japanese cinema, ghosts cannot be defeated because they are part of us, so one has to learn to live with them. This is perhaps director Tsukamoto's most subtle film and also my favorite of his. While Tsukamoto's affinity for Parkinson's disease camera moves and excessive outbursts of energy are an inherent part of his style, it's so interesting to see what happens when he decides to go a more calm route. Not unlike some other Shinya Tsukamoto films, this is a drama disguised as a horror movie. Or rather a drama that uses style, techniques, and even traits more appropriate for the horror genre than a psychological drama. Vital is a film about ghosts - ghosts of the past, origami of memories. About trauma and guilt - as much about letting go as redefining the present. The past and the present aren't mixed up as such, but rather co-existing, because death is only the physical end but never a mental or metaphysical end. And then, this juxtaposition of human flesh, body horror-like sketches of the human body parts - that what is temporal, and the human brain at work, phantoms, tricks of the mind - that what is transcendental. Somebody said that we all die twice. One time when we stop breathing and another time when the last person who remembered us stops breathing. A fascinating movie.

男はつらいよ　寅次郎紅の花 [Tora-san to the Rescue] (1995) - 3

https://i.imgur.com/XLnn5ZG.png

Started more than three months ago, I'm finally getting near the end of the humongous Tora-san series, spanning many decades and 50 films. This film is the 48th, but I've also watched the 49th one (which was a recut of the 1980 film). Only the 2019 film left (made after a very long break to commemorate the first film's 50th anniversary and also Kiyoshi Atsumi who played Tora-san). You see, this film is the last one that had Kiyoshi Atsumi play. The next two films have archival footage from previous movies. Kiyoshi Atsumi died of cancer in 1996. That being said, Tora-san to the Rescue is a wonderful closure of both Tora-san's as well as Mitsuo's (Tora-san's nephew) love stories. Yoji Yamada is a master of genuine emotion and it's some unfathomable miracle (incidentally, he's Catholic) that at such a hectic pace (one-two films a year) he managed to create so many moving and human films. At his most prolific, he would release three films a year (two Tora-sans and another feature) and all three were beautiful. I'd say that out of all directors, Yamada seems to be the most sincere one. He understands what's most important in life - love and family - and always moves around these topics. But enough creaming over Yamada himself, more about the 48th installment in the Tora-san series. To avoid spoilers, Izumi, whom I was angry with a couple of films ago, proves to be the most beautiful woman in existence, one that Mitsuo is almost unworthy of. I love Yamada's female characters because they're so often so pure and good, almost angelic. Now, feminists may take an issue with that, but if you look straight into the Sun and lose your sight, don't blame the Sun but your eyes. Back in the day, I was really angry to find out about the next couple of films because I imagined the story to go in a completely different direction, but in the end, I'm glad it went that way so that Yamada could pull off such beautiful moments! The stunt that Mitsuo did early on in the film is as silly as it is badass. He's got freakin' balls of steel! Did I mention Izumi is perfect and I love her? Apart from Izumi and Mitsuo, we also get the continuation of the Tora-san & Lily thing. Lily (played by Ruriko Asaoka) is a reoccurring character in the series. She's so offbeat and unfitting into the usual female type in these films that she makes a great pair with Tora, who also happens to be an outcast. Their time together always breeds some beautiful and moving moments, and this film is no different, with these poignant taxi moments toward the end. It was such a weird experience to witness 26 years of somebody's life in just 3 months. When watched in a short time frame, the series proves a sort of a sped-up aging exhibition. I enjoyed observing how Chieko Baisho was aging (every film has a beauty, a Madonna with whom Tora-san usually falls in love, but Chieko was always the beauty for me :3 ). While the first time we see Tora, in the 1969 film, he sits alone at the top of a grass slope, the last shot of his, in this 1995 film, sees him getting lost in a crowd, as the camera pans out. Did Tora become a part of us? A part of the culture? Or is he just a man, one of many, somewhere in the crowd, with his hat and suitcase, walking around, peddling, and thinking about his sister Sakura, nephew Mitsuo, and Uncle and Aunt. Only one Tora-san film left. The day I will watch it will be a sad day.

Wooley

05-30-21, 07:28 PM

More like “if these monsters hunt by sound, why are they so conveniently terrible at hearing?” or “why do they have to expose their weakness every time they need to hear? Can they not hear at all when their armored up?”Compare their abilities to ANY creature that has this ability and the issues become numerous. Then there’s the human element...

If these creatures hunt by sound...

... why not live near the waterfall, which they conveniently ignore?

... why bring a baby into this world when you will clearly have a finite oxygen tank level and they WILL cry?

... why did people never try to hurt the creatures with sounds before?

... Does no one in the house snore, fart, burp, sneeze, back crack, defecate or any of the multitude of involuntary noises our body makes which are louder than the noises that seemingly draw the creatures?

Etc forever. Because the premise doesn’t make logical sense at all. The film works because it makes dramatic and emotional sense and because it is extremely well made.

Yeah, really not a lot of this movie holds up at the fridge.

Wooley

05-30-21, 07:34 PM

Wooley

05-30-21, 07:38 PM

It’s the type of film that makes you recognize the value of the old exposition man. “These things hunt by hearing but they don’t seem to hear no better than you or me less them meaty parts are showing. I’ve seen folks shoot at em but they slam shut faster gator closes it’s mouth.” It’s that kind of stuff that is irksome when present but when no attempt at all, you realize how contrived and flimsy the house of cards is. A “you don’t wanna live anywhere that’s loud. It may hide you for a while but they’ll get curious. Then they swarm.” here or there would help a lot. This is why fish out of water stories usually help (or telling it from the beginning.)

Otherwise, you have to think of classy ways to hint why these things are happening and they don’t really provide enough, even by the sequel which adds another element of “but why” to protect themselves.

But, I’m far from a plausible. Emotional and dramatic integrity matters more than logic, as does craft, and these films have that in spades.

But boy would a stranger they stumble across that tells them what not to do have alleviated some frustration.
Or maybe one of those painfully obvious newspaper headlines could have said, "All The World's Combined Scientitsts And Militaries Completely Flummoxed By How To Stop An Animal With Very Sensitive Hearing, Despite The Technology To Do So Already Existing And Even The Audience Being Able To Figure It Out Pretty Quickly. Film At Eleven!"

cricket

05-30-21, 07:51 PM

Rocco and His Brothers (1960)

4.5

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/NQPTD41QZWRUtIET4msgBnl4lTgS6z3kFvgPKcXZiPqHsbuoR7hZHCuuuueJ3yR6WPVYld-QsXNUuwM6Rhc3NKdBgBWyaXUhIGlxCq_DA8gbICAdzGnk1FtrxOUb_E4CSumhLGvzl0n0w8w

I wanted to watch this back for the 60's countdown but I couldn't find it. Fortunately it is now on YouTube. I didn't know anything about it, just that it was highly acclaimed. I've generally struggled with Italian films except for trashy 70's horror and crime. This is one of the best I've seen. It's 3 hours long and that was just fine. The first half was a slice of life and then the real drama would start with a scene that shocked me. Later on there would be another. I spent over an hour being enraged. The film looked just right and the performances were spot on. I believed in what I was watching. Great stuff.

cricket

05-30-21, 07:52 PM

GulfportDoc

05-30-21, 07:56 PM

It's been a while but I remember that having a scene that was absolutely stomach turning.
Not sure. You may be remembering the video of torturing Abby. I don't like that kind of thing, and I usually fast forward through it; but that scene from 2008 pales in comparison to some of the sick stuff they show in current cinema.

cricket

05-30-21, 07:59 PM

Not sure. You may be remembering the video of torturing Abby. I don't like that kind of thing, and I usually fast forward through it; but that scene from 2008 pales in comparison to some of the sick stuff they show in current cinema.

I watch all that sick stuff and I still thought it was pretty tough. Part of that comes from it being unexpected in a decent and well made film.

GulfportDoc

05-30-21, 08:15 PM

DUCK SOUP
(1933, McCarey)
...

Grade: rating_4
Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208383#post2208383)
Nice review! Here's my commentary from '19. That's 2019...:):

Duck Soup(1933)

It’s difficult to overstate the effect that the Marx Brothers in general, and Duck Soup in specific, had in the history of comedy films. They had already well established their wacky and zany antics and harebrained plots in their previous six films (the first, Humor Risk, was never released). But with this picture they added off-beat, eccentric, and bizarre plots and situations --the kind of films that are represented today by Wes Anderson, the Coen Brothers, and the like-- which was uncommon in the 1930s and that really never took hold for several decades.

It’s likely that this embellishment in their established style was due to the addition of Herman Mankiewicz as producer and uncredited writer. Mankiewicz had produced and co-written W.C. Fields’ Million Dollar Legs the year before, which had very similar themes: a dysfunctional fictional tiny country is in need of help by outside folks (“Klopsokia” vs. “Freedonia”). The absurdist comedy in both films is fresh, riotous, and memorable, and rank as my personal favorites from each artist respectively.

There were several other differences. This was the last film to feature Zeppo, the 4thMarx brother.
46.

He usually played a romantic part, as he was not a gifted wacky comedian. Neither Harpo or Chico had scenes in which they played their musical instruments. And Groucho had pretty well established himself as the lead Marx brother. This was their final project at Paramount.

The film is famous for featuring some of their best routines: the mirror scene with Groucho and Harpo; the production chorus scene where national fervor is represented as a minstrel show; the hat and lemonade scene with comedian Edgar Kennedy; and Harpo’s bit, dialing a radio thinking it’s a safe. In fact there are so many classic bits and double entendres that it’s hard to catch them all in one watch. One has to experience the film in several viewings-- and it’s only 68 minutes long!

It’s astonishing that the mirror scene was filmed in only two hours! There had been very well done similar scenes in two silent films: Lloyd’s 1919The Marathon, and Linder’s 1921 Seven Years Bad Luck.

Some younger viewers might strain a little to appreciate some of the humor in a film such as Duck Soup, passing it off as too anachronistic. It helps to imagine the impact it had on audiences of the day, and to be aware of the restrictions film makers were laboring under, which would lead to the new Hays Code. Most of the Marx brothers’ gags were fresh, even avant-garde in that period, and have been imitated countless times by others. As a testament to the legacy of Duck Soup, most reviewers place it in their lists of the top 100 great films; not just the top comedy films, but best films, period. In my own view Duck Soup is a unique farce, and ranks as one of my own very favorite comedies.

GulfportDoc

05-30-21, 08:16 PM

I watch all that sick stuff and I still thought it was pretty tough. Part of that comes from it being unexpected in a decent and well made film.
Good point.

CringeFest

05-30-21, 09:57 PM

Bonnie And Clyde (1975)

10/10

A perfect movie as far as I'm concerned, not a second of boredom, realistic with a great expression of creative license.

Takoma11

05-30-21, 11:30 PM

It's been a while but I remember that having a scene that was absolutely stomach turning.

It was directed by Brad Anderson, and almost all of the films I have seen from him (Session 9, Transsiberian, Sounds Like, Stonehearst Asylum, The Machinist) are these thrillers that have a stomch-flipping sequence of violence in them that feel like they come out of nowhere.

I am also a fan of his two romantic comedies, Next Stop Wonderland and Happy Accidents.

Captain Terror

05-31-21, 01:24 AM

78148

Zero to Sixty (1978)

A pretty obnoxious action/comedy in which Darren McGavin finds himself reluctantly working with some shady repo agents, including 16-year-old Danny, portrayed by the former Violet Beauregard (Willy Wonka's blueberry girl). Many car chases (and one motorcycle chase) ensue.

what to expect:
* a terrible theme song that is played three too many times
* Darren McGavin's bare buttocks
* The Hudson Brothers
* Joan Collins driving a Trans Am like a maniac (pictured)
* Danny's awesome poster collection -
78150

Fans of vintage car stunts should be satisfied with the numerous car chases, but the director seems to have instructed everyone to shout their lines (especially Danny) so the end result is pretty grating. Didn't hate it though.

3

wositelec

05-31-21, 01:31 AM

The Air Up There (1994) - 8 / 10 :)

http://i.imgur.com/xnXcVRy.jpg

reeljwj

05-31-21, 02:29 AM

13 Ghosts (1960)

Felt like I was watching an Ed Wood movie. 2

PHOENIX74

05-31-21, 03:47 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/26/The_Burnt_Orange_Heresey.jpeg
By Studio and or Graphic Artist - Can be obtained from film’s distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63024812

The Burnt Orange Heresy - (2019)

Sick as a dog last night, so I was reluctant to watch a movie lest I be distracted and not take it all in. With The Burnt Orange Heresy however, I'm glad to say that the opposite occurred - for 98 minutes I forgot all about my woes and became entranced by what I thought was a very good film. Saw this a short while ago rated and reviewed on this thread, and I also remembered seeing a few snippets on FOX while visiting someone's place - it was enough to encourage me to watch it and I'm glad I did. Those who like dark thrillers, and don't mind the lead protagonist being an absolutely evil scumbag will warm to this, and be extra grateful for winning performances by supporting actors Donald Sutherland and, channeling Richard Branson, Mick Jagger.

James Figueras (played by Dutch actor Claes Bang in the film's relatively weakest link - but not bad) is a failed artist, and on the verge of becoming a failed art critic. He's broke, owes money and makes his way giving presentations to tourists for measly sums of money. Addicted to speed, paranoid and desperate, he attracts Berenice Hollis (Elizabeth Debicki) - another lost soul - just before a portentous meeting with wealthy art dealer Joseph Cassidy (Mick Jagger.) He feels he's being conned. Used. But he can't resist the temptation to get close to the enigmatic recluse Jerome Debney (Donald Sutherland) - an artist who has kept himself in seclusion for 50 years. How far will he go for redemption? Too far.

There's nothing I can say about the film's ending without giving something away, but it shook me a little. The film has you so firmly in it's grip by this time that the credits come as a kind of startling release. The script by A Simple Plan's Scott B. Smith is simply fantastic, and Mick Jagger can now apparently act quite well. I'll have to give Freejack a go one day - if just to sate my curiosity. I recommend seeing The Burnt Orange Heresy.

8/10

StuSmallz

05-31-21, 04:35 AM

Or maybe one of those painfully obvious newspaper headlines could have said, "All The World's Combined Scientitsts And Militaries Completely Flummoxed By How To Stop An Animal With Very Sensitive Hearing, Despite The Technology To Do So Already Existing And Even The Audience Being Able To Figure It Out Pretty Quickly. Film At Eleven!"Why would you assume that the militaries of the world in the film were around long enough to try anything besides old-fashioned brute force methods in whatever time that they had to respond, assuming they ever even figured out that the monsters exclusively hunt by sound?

xSookieStackhouse

05-31-21, 05:29 AM

The Air Up There (1994) - 8 / 10 :)

http://i.imgur.com/xnXcVRy.jpg

OMG i havent seen that movie foe AGES!!! use to loved that movie when i was little :eek::eek::eek::eek:

this_is_the_ girl

05-31-21, 06:06 AM

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Flionsgate.brightspotcdn.com%2F71%2F17%2F3d9a86c648638464301e1b7591ef%2Fknivesout-movies-gallery-02.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
Knives Out (2019, Rian Johnson)
4.5
I absolutely loved this - such a well-crafted, entertaining movie. Hitchcock would be proud.

EsmagaSapos

05-31-21, 06:25 AM

The only problems people have in life are related to sex, and only sex is the cure for these problems. Adventurous group sex. Pathetic.
In the ancient Rome sexuality was very open, sex was a form of art, in paintings displayed in living rooms, kids had access to it at very early age, nothing left for imagination. Obviously, the higher classes satisfied every inch of pleasure they could have, and they reached the ultimate barrier of arousal: pain and suffering. So, they bought slave women and placed them in the middle of the coliseum, fighting and being eaten by lions- sadism, pain on others and in yourself are the ultimate forms of pleasure. Obviously they snapped out of it, as you can see in the statues of men, with short penises and athletic bodies, someone whose focus was intellectual and not sexual. Trial and failure. Obviously they were trading one bad for another, but that's another subject.

Fabulous

05-31-21, 06:41 AM

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/lEmkmCoVH1WVATkqkmsHJpVrVVb.jpg

xSookieStackhouse

05-31-21, 07:01 AM

5 rewatched one of my favorite movies <3
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b4/William_shakespeares_romeo_and_juliet_movie_poster.jpg

Mr Minio

05-31-21, 07:16 AM

In the ancient Rome sexuality was very open. https://i.imgur.com/7jK5cNR.png

That's a rather random paragraph but oh well.

Marco

05-31-21, 11:49 AM

Guys and Dolls (1955)
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f6/Guys_and_dolls_movieposter.jpg
First time I've ever seen this and I was impressed. Certainly a film you have to be in the mood for (and musicals are not my usual genre of favour). The performances and sequences are great and Brando, Sinatra and Simmons really shine.

A pleasant surprise.

3.5

reeljwj

05-31-21, 01:52 PM

Anything for Jackson (2020)

Solid horror movie. 3.5

Captain Steel

05-31-21, 02:07 PM

Flower Drum Song (1961)

https://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0025192419027_p0_v2_s550x406.jpg

I feel like I shouldn't have enjoyed this as much as I did.
It's corny, shlocky, cute, charming, sexy, with a couple chuckles (everything a 1961 musical should be).
Some of the songs sound a bit awkward (for a Rogers & Hammerstein Broadway hit), and there are a couple of interesting, if slightly bizarre fantasy / dream sequences. The dance numbers are top notch.
3.5

Stirchley

05-31-21, 02:24 PM

78169

Re-watch. Hugely entertaining.

78170

Had to go back & watch this again since the storyline is non-linear to put it mildly. Still unsure as to whether I have all the characters sorted. Really excellent movie. Clooney exceptional. Glad I gave it a second shot.

Thief

05-31-21, 04:07 PM

78170

Had to go back & watch this again since the storyline is non-linear to put it mildly. Still unsure as to whether I have all the characters sorted. Really excellent movie. Clooney exceptional. Glad I gave it a second shot.

Syriana is hands down one of my favorite films. Gets better every time I see it.

Thief

05-31-21, 04:09 PM

EL DORADO
(1966, Hawks)
A film from Howard Hawks

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/sgp-catalog-images/region_US/paramount-06625-Full-Image_GalleryBackground-en-US-1484000598531._SX1080_.jpg

"Man, don't tell me how good I was. I just got away with it because I had an hangover. I was too mad to be scared and too sick to worry about it. You know that."

El Dorado follows Cole Thornton (John Wayne) a gun-for-hire that wants to help his friend J.P. Harrah (Robert Mitchum), a sheriff that has to deal with a conflict between two rival ranchers, but has recently resorted to alcoholism after a break-up turning him into the "mock of the town".

There's some good performances from most of the main cast, especially Mitchum and James Caan, who plays Mississippi, a young, knife-wielding hot-shot that joins Thornton and Harrah. Wayne is his usual self, but regardless of his acting talents, the chemistry and rapport between all three leads is undeniable (four, if we add Arthur Hunnicutt who is also a lot of fun as Harrah's deputy.) Christopher George is also pretty good as one of the main antagonists.

Grade: 3

Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208800#post2208800)

cricket

05-31-21, 07:17 PM

The Official Story (1985)

3.5

https://i1.wp.com/philosophyinfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/The-Official-Story-e1461687691820.png?resize=800%2C405&ssl=1

This is an Argentinian film that won the Oscar for best foreign language. It's very well made with fine acting, but most of all I give it very high marks for the story. I don't know the real political details but it's during a very corrupt time, and apparently if you were on a certain side, you could be taken away, tortured, have your baby stolen, or even killed. There's a wife, her powerful husband, and their 5 year old daughter. The daughter is adopted and the wife starts to suspect that her girl is one of the stolen babies. I wondered why she wasn't involved in the adoption process. I mean her husband brings home a baby girl and says this is our daughter and she just says ok wonderful? The movie could have used more intrigue and the big dramatic finale didn't quite work for me. Despite my issues it's a good political and deeply human mix that I'd recommend to anyone.

Takoma11

05-31-21, 07:18 PM

GulfportDoc

05-31-21, 07:58 PM

Bonnie And Clyde (1975)
10/10
A perfect movie as far as I'm concerned, not a second of boredom, realistic with a great expression of creative license.
I agree. It was absolutely stunning when it came out in 1967: the themes, the realism, the jolt back to the realities of real crime and its consequences in the last third. Mostly still holds up today.

It also catapulted Michael J. Pollard into an instant star, and the darling of the late Hippie crowd...;)

SpelingError

05-31-21, 08:08 PM

25th Hall of Fame

Les Misérables (1935) - 3.5

I'm glad this film was nominated, because, other than the 2012 film which I really like in spite of some backlash it's gotten over the years, I haven't seen any other adaptations of Victor Hugo's novel. While this version isn't without its flaws, I enjoyed my time with it quite a bit for a few reasons. For one, I appreciated the extra emphasis on Javert. By pushing his character more to the forefront than Hooper's film did, it helped me to see how compelling the conflict between Jean and Javert is, providing a heavy dose of suspense to the film in the first half, while exploring Javert's philosophies and vulnerabilities in the second half. The strong performances from both March and Laughton helped in this regard. I also enjoyed some other things about the film, like its bleak portrait of France at the time this film took place, the strong emotional connection I formed with several characters in the film, and the various action scenes (I found the chase scene at the end of the first half of the film and the barricade sequence to be technically impressive). With that being said, I thought the second half of the film was weaker than the first half. Once the film jumped ahead several years to show Cosette as an adult, the pacing increased by a decent margin, as if the film was in a hurry to finish up. Due to this, several scenes either felt rushed or abrupt, like Cosette's and Marius's relationship, Eponine's death, and the final scene. Including some more breathing room for those scenes would've helped. In spite of this, however, I still enjoyed the film quite a lot.

GulfportDoc

05-31-21, 08:10 PM

Knives Out (2019, Rian Johnson)
rating_4_5
I absolutely loved this - such a well-crafted, entertaining movie. Hitchcock would be proud.
I really enjoyed it too. Here's some commentary from '19:

Knives Out(2019)

During a rather lackluster Holiday season of film releases we were treated to a good old fashioned whodunit murder mystery ala Agatha Christie. Written and directed by Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper, Breaking Bad), the setting is in a 19th Century Massachusetts mansion, where it’s patriarch and popular novelist owner is murdered on his 85th birthday, following a birthday party attended by his entire family and staff.

The ensemble cast includes Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Ana de Armas, and Christopher Plummer, who all turn in memorable performances. Of special note is Daniel Craig (007) as a famous Poirot-like detective who plays against type with a creditable southern plantation accent; and Chris Evans (Captain America) as a caddish playboy.

Films of this type can veer into either farce or incoherent complexity, but in this case the picture stays on track and holds one’s interest for its entire 130 minute run time. The story is both inventive and light hearted while avoiding triteness. It’s abundant twists and turns are believable: a Charlie Chan/Sherlock Holmes mystery wrapped up in a very pleasing PG-13 production.

It’s surprising that this solid little film had only one Oscar nomination: Best Original Screenplay, which it certainly deserved. Looking back, Knives Out was surely as good as most of the pictures who were nominated. It received high praise from both critics and audiences, often being placed in the year’s 10 best. If you like whodunits, this is a good one to see.

Doc’s rating: 8/10

Thief

05-31-21, 09:39 PM

BRAZIL
(1985, Gilliam)
A film from the Criterion Collection whose number includes the #5 (i.e. 15, 405, 854): (#51)

https://andrewsidea.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/brazil22.jpg

"Of course you want something. You must have hopes, wishes, dreams."

"Aquarela do Brasil", the song that inspired the title of this film, was written by Ary Barroso in 1939 on a night when he was unable to leave the house because of a heavy storm. Its lyrics sing of past memories of a place or a state of being where whoever's singing it will be unable to return to ("we softly murmured 'someday soon'", "the morning found me miles away, with still a million things to say").

When you think of that, it actually makes sense as to why director Terry Gilliam chose it as the symbol of this odd film. Set "somewhere in the 20th Century", Brazil follows Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce), a low-level bureaucrat stuck in a meaningless job, while having "hopes, wishes, dreams" of things he might never be able to attain or achieve, especially a woman for whom he fights as a "winged warrior".

Much like the song, Sam lives in a constant state of tedium, as he is burdened by his mediocre boss (Ian Holm), his overbearing mother (Katherine Helmond), and the pressures of a job he doesn't seem to be interested in, and yet doesn't seem to be interested of getting out either as he keeps rejecting promotions that are arranged by his mother.

Grade: 4

Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208868#post2208868)

This was probably one of my biggest blind-spots, and I can see it going higher with time. But for now, I'll settle on a 4.

Thief

05-31-21, 10:17 PM

WHY ME?
(2015, Giurgiu)
A film from Romania:

https://www.berlinale.de/media/nrwd/filmstills/2015/panorama/201505100_1_IMG_FIX_700x700.jpg

"I've just started something, and... I'll tell you later. It could be on my way up or on my way down."

Based in real life events, Why Me? follows the life of Cristian (Emilian Oprea), an up-and-coming criminal prosecutor that's asked to lead an investigation against another official. Seeing it as an opportunity to advance his career, Cristian lunges at the task at hand, only to discover there might be other motivations to his selection.

For the most part, this was a nice, little surprise. The way the plot unfolds feels a bit confusing since the details of the case are never fully explained, and we never get to see the other side. Instead, director and writer Tudor Giurgiu chooses to focus on Cristian's state of mind as he finds himself more and more consumed by fear and paranoia.

Grade: 3

Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208873#post2208873)

Stirchley

05-31-21, 10:25 PM

I agree. It was absolutely stunning when it came out in 1967: the themes, the realism, the jolt back to the realities of real crime and its consequences in the last third. Mostly still holds up today.

It also catapulted Michael J. Pollard into an instant star, and the darling of the late Hippie crowd...;)

Yes, it’s still a terrific movie. Seen it many times.

Thief

05-31-21, 10:43 PM

BLUE MIRACLE
(2021, Quintana)
Freebie

https://i.imgur.com/pWjEF0M.jpg

"All I'm trying to say is, if you wanna make your life better, you gotta do what you know is right every single day. I mean, no matter what anybody thinks, even when it's hard. And that is how you get ahead."

Blue Miracle follows "Papá" Omar, as the kids call him, as he struggles to make ends meet at this foster home he leads with his wife Becca (Fernanda Urrejola). But Omar is haunted not only by the lack of funds and his inability to pay the mortgage on the place, but also by memories of his past, which typically involve him in a boat with his now deceased father.

The opportunity to solve their problems comes in the form of a fishing tournament, and after a teenage orphan that's been causing trouble at the marina ends up at his home, Omar reluctantly pairs with a beaten down captain (Dennis Quaid) to try to win the tournament, teach his kids something about life, but also exorcize his own demons of the past.

Even though it's based in real life events, there's hardly anything original about how things unfold in Blue Miracle. You will probably figure out how things will go 10-20 minutes in. But regardless of that, there is some heart to its simple story. In addition, both Quaid and Gonzales were pretty solid in it (for what it's worth, I saw the Spanish dubbed version).

Grade: 3

Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208881#post2208881)

Wooley

06-01-21, 12:48 AM

13 Ghosts (1960)

Felt like I was watching an Ed Wood movie. 2

Aw, c'mon, it's not that bad.

Wooley

06-01-21, 12:49 AM

Wooley

06-01-21, 12:54 AM

Why would you assume that the militaries of the world in the film were around long enough to try anything besides old-fashioned brute force methods in whatever time that they had to respond, assuming they ever even figured out that the monsters exclusively hunt by sound?

Um, wut?
Are you suggesting that we are just to assume that militaries as vast and technologically advanced as The U.S., Russia, and China, and all of their scientists were just instantly wiped out before anyone used a bullhorn? Or that the little thing that the one woman in the basement with a shotgun could do was beyond all of those armies combined? And there are a lot of loud high-pitched noises in military combat. Hell, one would assume that if waterfalls turn these guys away that just the noise generated by military machinery and guns and rockets and **** firing, explosions, etc., woulda knocked all these critters out, and that right quick. Not to mention, they have urban tanks with Sound Cannons on them in local police forces in some areas, let alone in the actual US military. There is no level of suspension of disbelief that makes the premise work. You are required to just say, "Ok, **** it, I'm just gonna accept whatever the script says so I can enjoy the movie."

PHOENIX74

06-01-21, 01:05 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/73/Lastmanonearth1960s.jpg
Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17682310

The Last Man on Earth - (1964)

I've been prepping for something and doing research which has created a long list of films I want to see, one of which was this, The Last Man on Earth, the first attempted adaptation of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend. I'm very familiar with The Omega Man, which came out in 1971 starring Charlton Heston and the 2007 version which retained the title of the book and starred Will Smith. This earlier version was an Italian/American co-production and starred Vincent Price as the titular character. This was produced only 10 years after the book's publication - and I think it was one of those that was filmed in both Italian and English, as was common in Italian productions at the time. My comments are about the English version.

Everybody involved appears to have been very earnest to make this the film you'd hope it would be, but it's low budget hampers the project so very badly. Corpses on the street occasionally move and breath, and the epic grandeur we're used to from the 1971 and 2007 adaptations can only be hinted at in a few shots. Legend's 'vampires' doddle around like zombies at night, wielding wooden planks and are laughably easy to deal with (Vincent Price has no problem pushing them away.) Occasionally we go back in time to before the plague, where Price's Dr. Robert Morgan (Robert Neville in the book) loses his wife and young daughter during it's onslaught. He tries to give this production some gravitas - as does everyone - and in a better production, with the original choice of director as Fritz Lang, this could have been something. As it is, it's a curiosity.

5/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/75/The_Dead_Don%27t_Die.jpeg
By Studio and or Graphic Artist - Can be obtained from the film's distributor, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60386394

The Dead Don't Die - (2019)

This film appears to have been quite divisive! I was nearly going to give it a pass, considering all the flack it's got, but in the end I just couldn't. I mean, a Jim Jarmusch film with a cast like that about an over-the-top zombie invasion of the world? I can count 9 of my favourite actors in the ensemble (Well, 8 actors and one legendary Godfather of Punk.) I've never seen a Jim Jarmusch film I haven't liked, the last being Paterson, which I know wouldn't have pleased everyone, but I thought was terrific. My expectations were still low going in though. What was I to make of it all?

Well, I thought it was genuinely funny and enjoyable. Whether it was a comment on present times, or the age-old use of zombies as representing the modern consumer - it didn't matter much to me. A fourth wall breaking partnering of Adam Driver and Bill Murray as small town policemen, Tilda Swinton as a Scottish alien wielding a samurai sword. Iggy Pop as a coffee-loving zombie. Steve Buscemi as a right-wing douchbag farmer. The only character that didn't work for me was the wise old Hermit Bob played by Tom Waits. The rest was just a bit of fun, and it amused me a great deal. I'm guessing this film was picked apart on this forum when it was released so I'll just leave it there - put me in the 'liked it' column.

7/10

mark f

06-01-21, 01:28 AM

Wrath of Man (Guy Ritchie, 2021) 2.5+ 6/10
Whispering Pages (Aleksandr Sokurov, 1994) 2 5/10
Into the White (Petter Næss, 2012) 2.5+ 6/10
Riders of Justice (Anders Thomas Jensen, 2020) 3 6.5/10
https://64.media.tumblr.com/48a9d8a693f0713235656d47e1d418c8/51ef4bd7a6822922-d2/s400x600/a6a4a0ac1f408e49fc22b6722575d79782363196.gifv
On leave from Afghanistan, neglectful dad Mads Mikkelsson will do anything to avenge his recently-killed wife after some probability nerds (Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Lars Brygmann & [not shown] Nicolas Bro) convince him she was murdered.
Cry of the Penguins (Al Viola, 1971) 2.5+ 6/10
Endangered Species (MJ Bassett, 2021) 2 5/10
Merrill's Marauders (Samuel Fuller, 1962) 2.5 6/10
The Last Resort (Dennis Scholl & Kareem Tabsch, 2018) 3 6.5/10
https://media4.giphy.com/media/2jMk49F1DbbvtSHZxE/giphy.gif
Pictorial history of Miami Beach through the eyes of rivals/friends Andy Sweet and Gary Monroe.
Venus (Eisha Marjara, 2017) 2.5 6/10
Black Angel (Roy William Neill, 1946) 2.5 5.5/10
Act of Violence (Fred Zinnemann, 1948) 2.5 6/10
Cruella (Craig Gillespie, 2021) 3 6.5/10
https://imgix.gizmodo.com.au/content/uploads/sites/2/2021/02/18/flw9etg9qrt3uj19oub6.gif?ar=16%3A9&auto=format&fit=crop&q=65&w=720&nrs=40&fm=gif
Origin story of Cruella de Vil (Emma Stone) mainly concerning her rivalry with her arrogant mentor (Emma Thompson).
Oslo (Bartlett Sher, 2021) 2.5+ 6/10
The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (William Wyler, 1944) 3 6.5/10
The Water Man (David Oyelowo, 2020) 2.5 5.5/10
Plan B (Natalie Morales, 2021) 3 6.5/10
https://ktar.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/ap_0347da5725a149c6bb68534d791ea69f-3-620x413.jpg
High school best friends Victoria Moroles & Kuhoo Verma have a long night after the latter is worried that her first sexual experience will result in pregnancy.
Target Zero (Harmon Jones, 1955) 2.5 5.5/10
Let's Make a Dream (Sacha Guitry, 1936) 2.5 6/10
American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally (Michael Polish, 2021) 2.5 5.5/10
Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (Hiroyuki Okiura, 1999) 2.5 6/10
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ba/53/a9/ba53a90cc9773612b82e043e994a937f.gif
Occasionally-striking visually but muddled storytelling in this tale about who's a wolf and how it affects the police and terrorists in post-WWII Japan.

wositelec

06-01-21, 02:00 AM

Caddyshack (1980) - 8 / 10 ! - It's excellent movie !

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BY2I1NWE2NzctNzNkYS00Nzg5LWEwZTQtN2I3Nzk3MTQwMDY2XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg
https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,h_359,w_640,x_0,y_18/f_auto,q_auto,w_1100/v1555923570/shape/mentalfloss/untitled-5_0.png

reeljwj

06-01-21, 02:56 AM

Aw, c'mon, it's not that bad.
The ghost effects were so bad and so overused.

SpelingError

06-01-21, 03:10 AM

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - 4.5

It's boring and repetitive - just as I expected it would be - in almost every sense of the word, yet it's also one of the most impactful experiences I've had in film. Watching this film was reminiscent of The Passion of Joan of Arc as both films use their repetition to put you in their protagonist's headspaces. As I watched Jeanne complete more and more chores around her apartment, I grew bored, but the boredom I felt was all at the heart of Jeanne's boredom. Just as I found the scenes of Jeanne performing her daily routine tedious and repetitive, she felt that as well - for a while, in fact. Showing only a couple scenes of Jeanne completing some chores wouldn't have sufficed. The film needed to keep piling them up one after the other to the point it wears you down, and this is where the film excels at. Like, why include a clunky expository line of dialogue which explains her boredom when the film can get you to feel this instead?

Throughout the first half of the film, everything runs like clockwork for Jeanne. Around the middle of the film though, her routine begins to unravel as she begins making various mistakes. These mistakes include running out of potatoes, walking into the wrong room, dropping a spoon on the ground, or even subtler mistakes such as bumping a jar of milk with a plate or getting her apron stuck on a chair for a couple seconds. As these errors keep piling up, the more clear it is that the film is building to something and a sense of impending doom slowly grows. This will be the culmination of the tedious lifestyle she lived with for what was presumably a long time. During the second half of the film, I found myself paying more and more attention to every action she took, trying to spot another error she'd make, regardless of how insignificant it may be. As this went on, I began to notice how meticulous the film was with all the details of her daily routine. Once I got to Jeanne attempting to make coffee, I realized that, in spite of this film taking place almost entirely in an apartment, its scope is as epic as 2001 concerning how much information is shown onscreen. Overall, I loved this film and I'm definitely going to rewatch it soon. I have it at a 9/10 now, but I could see it going up to a 10/10 in the future.

ScannerDarkly

06-01-21, 03:48 AM

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

rating_3_5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/lEmkmCoVH1WVATkqkmsHJpVrVVb.jpg

steve carrell has oddly placed nipples, sorry to talk about nipples everyone

Mr Minio

06-01-21, 04:17 AM

steve carrell has oddly placed nipples, sorry to talk about nipples everyone His nipples and belly button make a sad face. Cannot be unseen.

xSookieStackhouse

06-01-21, 05:31 AM

4.5
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BYThmYjJhMGItNjlmOC00ZDRiLWEzNjUtZjU4MjA3MzY0MzFmXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTI4MjkwNjA@._V1_.jpg
3.5 rewatched
https://flxt.tmsimg.com/assets/p16298_p_v8_ae.jpg

Fabulous

06-01-21, 05:46 AM

A Serious Man (2009)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/2jaGT3T9qdNucvF6CeK33dAaDPn.jpg

John-Connor

06-01-21, 05:58 AM

The Wolves 1971 Hideo Gosha

78188

4

ScarletLion

06-01-21, 06:12 AM

'Surge' (2021)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BM2U2ZGNmN2YtNWJhMy00NmJlLWJkNWUtOWMxNGMxMWNiMzYyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyODc0OTEyNDU@._V1_.jpg

Great performance from Ben Wishaw as a young man who has been surrounded by people who simply do not have empathy or understanding for his condition. It has a touch of Falling Down / Joker about it and perhaps the anxiety levels of Uncut Gems. But you feel more sympathetic towards the central character due to the writing.

The shaky camerawork is claustrophobic but it's supposed to be. It's a directorial choice. Promising debut feature from Aneil Karia.

3.5

.............................................................

'Tread' (2020)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9d/Tread_%28film%29.jpg

Hmmm. It's ok. Does a decent job of the background story and the fateful day. But never asks questions WHY. Surely it's helpful to ponder why Marv's fragile mental state was the way it was?

2.5

the samoan lawyer

06-01-21, 06:12 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5a/Collective_2019_poster.jpg/220px-Collective_2019_poster.jpg
Collective (2019)

rating_4

https://th.bing.com/th/id/R996c7159543a4dd16cbb26f47293ad96?rik=S%2bC98YXz95%2bWoA&riu=http%3a%2f%2f4.bp.blogspot.com%2f-z61D6d62qVg%2fTcOC2woOTfI%2fAAAAAAAACWY%2f6CR4YBS0igU%2fs1600%2fvlcsnap-2011-05-05-22h09m43s115.png&ehk=sb0VoZ8QyauKnAkCjekARIQdaxnW73uLyg0pjeh%2fJmI%3d&risl=&pid=ImgRaw
Next Door (2005)

rating_3

cricket

06-01-21, 07:03 AM

Volver (2006)

3.5-

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/sgp-catalog-images/region_GB/disney-086463-Full-Image_GalleryBackground-en-GB-1617097906052._SX1080_.jpg

The 4th movie I've seen from director Almodovar and so far I'd rank it last. The quality is still high. I enjoyed the characters, style, music, and all that good stuff. I wasn't as in to the narrative as I was his other movies.

this_is_the_ girl

06-01-21, 07:26 AM

I enjoyed it just as much on a rewatch. Lots of fun little details to notice. I am hoping the sequel is as good.
They're doing a sequel? Def looking forward to that.:love:

chawhee

06-01-21, 08:17 AM

The Little Things (2021)
https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b22fd22/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2250x1500+0+0/resize/840x560!/quality/90/?url=https:%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe6%2Fde%2Fa22facc2407fb5d93f83adf0c555%2Fla-et-the-little-things-movie-50.JPG
3
I have to agree with the consensus and say this was a shoulder shrug of a movie. Everything is just okay, including the acting. I'm still not a fan of Malek, but Leto continues to impress me.

pahaK

06-01-21, 09:09 AM

Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - 4.5

A film I want to see less and less after each (raving) review I read. If I'm interested in household chores, I'll do them myself. It would be time much better spent than watching someone else do the fictional chores. Maybe I just don't get it but, on the other hand, I don't have much interest in trying to rectify that situation.

EsmagaSapos

06-01-21, 10:55 AM

https://i.postimg.cc/YqjZ3y45/clip-image001.jpg

4

If you're interested in socialist experiment, the Cuban Revolution, to see the reality of the Cuban people since day one of the revolution to the day their charismatic leader Fidel Castro died, this is a picture you must watch. Jon Alpert made something remarkable, one of the best pieces of documentary ever made on a people's history, fifty years following his Cuban friends trough out the hardest days of the revolution. I left wondering what would the revolution accomplish without the embargo, that was the american government fear all along.

EsmagaSapos

06-01-21, 11:54 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/51/A_Street_Cat_Named_Bob_%28film%29.png

1

A homeless young guy plays a guitar to collect change to eat. He then fond out that a cat on his shoulder is a money magnet because generic twenty first century people only find in themselves compassion to help animals, not human beings. They think human conscience and morality should surpasses their nature, so they reject what makes a human being by clinging to an animal that doesn't answer back, that doesn't use the same terms they use to react to an action.

SpelingError

06-01-21, 12:01 PM

A film I want to see less and less after each (raving) review I read. If I'm interested in household chores, I'll do them myself. It would be time much better spent than watching someone else do the fictional chores. Maybe I just don't get it but, on the other hand, I don't have much interest in trying to rectify that situation.
I wasn't sure what I'd think of it either, but it ended up blowing me away once I got on the film's wavelength. If you ever get in the mood to watch it, I highly recommend trying it out.

crumbsroom

06-01-21, 12:47 PM

The purpose of Jeanne Diellman is about as basic and straightforward as film gets. It attempts to generate empathy for the most seemingly ordinary of characters. It makes visible the acts such a person devotes their entire lives to, and which we normally look past. Its entire dramatic structure in fact centres around these 'invisible' actions. As a result, it is just about one of the most relatable films I have ever seen, but also one of the most horrifying. There is nearly as much horror to be found in 23 Commerce Quay as the Overlook Hotel. In fact, there is even some similarities between the two, since both deal with profound loneliness, and employ a hypnotic sound structure and methodically executed editing to draw us into the monotony of these lives.

So, in that way, I think it is a bit of misreading to think of the film as being simply about someone doing chores, even if it is mostly just that. To reduce it to this would be to think of the Shining as a film about hotel maintenance. Not that there isn't a considerably more dramatic moments in Kubrick's film. There is. But there is also an awful lot of time devoted to moments where they are just tending to their caretaking obligations, and those scenes are mostly transfixing, as we can sense the unease beneath the mundane. Dielman is much the same, only it doesn't give us as many dramatic valves to blow off the building tension. The emptiness of her life just ends up filling the entire frame and we are forced to keep staring at it. Sense it disappearing chore by chore.

The result for me is that it is an extremely tense film, and so never really boring....Well, maybe the meatloaf scene had my mind wandering a bit. But, as said, the occassional bout of boredom isn't a bad thing here. It is an element of the films very sad heart.

Allaby

06-01-21, 01:07 PM

Today I watched Phffft (1954) on the Criterion Channel. Directed by Mark Robson, the film stars Judy Holliday and Jack Lemmon as a just divorced couple who keep running into each other while trying to pursue other romances. This was a charming and enjoyable romantic comedy with a fun, breezy screenplay. I liked both leads and thought they had a nice chemistry with each other. My rating is a 3.5.

Nausicaä

06-01-21, 01:15 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/Barb_and_Star_Go_to_Vista_Del_Mar.png

2

Snooze factor = Zzz

[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

Thursday Next

06-01-21, 01:25 PM

Cruella (2021)

I enjoyed this so much. I don't know whether it was just being back in the cinema that gave it an extra sense of joy, but it was just so much fun. The outfits were brilliant, the camerawork was good, the two Emmas are clearly having a marvellous time chewing up the scenery. Emma Stone in particular is excellent. The music is wall to wall and you'll either love it or hate it, I suspect. I liked how it gave a life to what would normally be the supporting characters - the villain and the henchmen. And the dogs. I liked the period detail like the 70s crisps and cereal (even though it was stuffed with anachronisms too). Since we got Disney plus at home I've seen dozens of bland films about perky teens who learn the value of teamwork through the power of dance, even when they are supposed to be villains *cough*Descendants*cough*, and was braced for more of the same with this, but it's not, it's much more.

10 year old's verdict: "That was such a good film."

4+

Gideon58

06-01-21, 04:21 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOWI5YTUxOWEtZmRiZS00ZmQxLWE2NzctYTRiODA2NzE1ZjczXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_.jpg

4.5

Wooley

06-01-21, 04:25 PM

ScannerDarkly

06-01-21, 05:29 PM

A Serious Man (2009)

rating_3_5

Good movie but the ending made me mad i really despise when movies do that

John W Constantine

06-01-21, 06:13 PM

A Vincent Price 2-piece meal:

House of Wax - 4
Pit and the Pendulum - 3.5

John-Connor

06-01-21, 06:19 PM

Hachi-ko 1987 Seijiro Koyama

78201

4

xSookieStackhouse

06-01-21, 07:44 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BOWI5YTUxOWEtZmRiZS00ZmQxLWE2NzctYTRiODA2NzE1ZjczXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMDM2NDM2MQ@@._V1_.jpg

4.5

one of my favorite movies, loved it <3

ThatDarnMKS

06-01-21, 07:59 PM

Good movie but the ending made me mad i really despise when movies do that
The movie spent its entire run time earning that ending. It’s integral.

Torgo

06-01-21, 08:05 PM

I approve of A Serious Man's ending as well; that is, if I understood the movie correctly. My guess is it's saying that divine punishment tends to be a bit disproportionate to the crime. It escalates throighout the movie until a mere grade change causes a natural disaster.

GulfportDoc

06-01-21, 08:28 PM

BLUE MIRACLE
(2021, Quintana)
...

Even though it's based in real life events, there's hardly anything original about how things unfold in Blue Miracle. You will probably figure out how things will go 10-20 minutes in. But regardless of that, there is some heart to its simple story. In addition, both Quaid and Gonzales were pretty solid in it (for what it's worth, I saw the Spanish dubbed version).

Grade: rating_3
Full review on my Movie Loot (https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?anchor=1&p=2208881#post2208881)
Yeah, I wanted to like this film because I'm a Dennis Quaid fan. But it was a slog to get through. It was like watching neon. I suspect a documentary about the true story would be better.

Allaby

06-01-21, 09:07 PM

I watched The Celluloid Closet (1995) on the Criterion Channel. Directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, this documentary is about Hollywood's depiction of gay characters in films throughout the history of cinema. I liked it, but I feel it could have delved deeper and gotten more in depth. They showed a lot of film clips and interviews with actors, but didn't always say which film the clip was from and didn't say the name of the actors being interviewed. It would have benefitted from simply putting the name of the film or actor speaking on the screen. In spite of my minor quibbles, I would still recommend it to all though. My rating is 3.5.

Thief

06-01-21, 09:09 PM

Yeah, I wanted to like this film because I'm a Dennis Quaid fan. But it was a slog to get through. It was like watching neon. I suspect a documentary about the true story would be better.

I was half-watching, half-talking with the kids, half-doing other stuff, so maybe I didn't feel the
"slog" of it as much as if I had done a more proper watch. But yeah, like most real-life based things, the real-life account is probably better.

ScannerDarkly

06-01-21, 10:05 PM

The movie spent its entire run time earning that ending. It’s integral.

its definitely a coen brothers ending.

reeljwj

06-01-21, 10:13 PM

Birds (1963)

Birds? Who could believe such a thing? 2.5

Siddon

06-01-21, 11:36 PM

https://img.discogs.com/1hByANDMBLKbelQLYYA1nwUchJY=/fit-in/600x591/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-7754254-1448099625-9072.jpeg.jpg

rating_5

https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/1008780702_1280x720.jpg

rating_4

Pair of music laserdiscs....Bob Dylan's had a massive concert with a bunch of top artists covering his work. Tracy Chapman, Neil Young, and Eric Clapton are really good...Dylan not so much.

Springsteen is perfect though 19 tracks and everything is perfect with a blend of videos and performances.

PHOENIX74

06-02-21, 01:19 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/92/Rupture_%28film%29.jpg
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53012058

Rupture - (2016)

Desperate for a good horror film I struck out and took a chance on Rupture which unfortunately didn't pay off. This was directed by Steven Shainberg who has only managed to bring us two films since his excellent Secretary in 2002. Rupture has already been spoiled by being a terrible movie, but since even discussing it's genre is something of a spoiler I'll conceal this...

This film is more science-fiction than horror. Something akin to Invasion of the Body Snatchers, it stars Noomi Rapace as everyday single mother Renee Morgan. Abducted by strangers, Renee awaits possible rape, torture or murder. It becomes apparent however that she's one of many prisoners who are being subjected to some kind of medical experiment. A combination of a newly discovered drug and being subjected to utter terror brings about a change in DNA to produce a new, alien, identity - one bent on replacing human beings.

Rupture tries to ratchet up the tension, but builds it's suspense for far too long without any kind of payoff. When they payoff comes, it's so clumsily presented to us, and so unlikely, we feel cheated. An overreliance on CGI is also disappointing. They're spiders ******* it. We actually have them in existence - there's no need to use computer game spiders in a movie like this. The body horror would also have been much better without the cheap CGI tricks which ring false. This might not have been the greatest film even with more practical effects - but it definitely rubs salt into the wound when we've waited so long for a payoff so small.

3/10

Fabulous

06-02-21, 03:29 AM

Waves (2019)

4

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/jQ06O9JAFN0VfDS4ezE09pfoj2h.jpg

xSookieStackhouse

06-02-21, 03:32 AM

4.5 rewatched
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41jZrhrEzXL._AC_.jpg
3.5
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0c/Cube_The_Movie_Poster_Art.jpg

PHOENIX74

06-02-21, 05:43 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f8/Horrorexpress.jpg
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7257485

Horror Express - (1972)

Monster? We're British!

Returning to cult films which are better than you'd ever expect them to be we have Horror Express starring Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing and Telly Savalas as a typically wild, irreverent Cossack. The story idea comes from the novella Who Goes There? which was first adapted into The Thing From Another Planet in 1951. I've always enjoyed plotlines which included digging up ancient monsters from long-frozen plains - much the same thing as the The Crate segment from the original Creepshow (1982). In this the frozen remains of an ape-creature (a possible missing link humanoid) are dug out of a cave in Manchuria and put on the trans-Siberian express by Professor Sir Alexander Saxton (Christopher Lee) - mayhem ensues when the creature escapes and begins absorbing the memory of every passenger it comes across.

This film moves at a cracking pace and you could almost call it a missing link between the sci-fi horror of the 1950s and 60s and the horror we were about to be inundated with in the 1980s (certain segments of the film feel like The Evil Dead on a train.) There's a mad monk, a spy, a thief, a doctor (Cushing) and various other interesting characters to mix into the 90 minutes of madness. There's a sense of warmness when you think about the fondness Cushing and Lee had for each other and the fact that the latter was helping the former any way he could after the death of Cushing's wife. The low budget of the British/Spanish production hides well under a film that only half takes itself seriously - the rest is a lot of fun and mischief, especially from a freewheeling Savalas. Fans of the genre should see this film.

6/10

chawhee

06-02-21, 08:10 AM

Collateral (2004)
https://movieboozer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/image0014.png
5
Still one of my favorite thrillers after so many years. I always love Tom Cruise, but everything about this movie is arguably perfect in my eyes. The tone, the pace, etc.

Stirchley

06-02-21, 01:58 PM

Stirchley

06-02-21, 02:00 PM

78237

Re-watch. So very good. DeNiro killed in his rôle.

78238

Re-watch. Sweet movie from Saudi Arabia. A fair amount Lost in Translation, but what can you do.

this_is_the_ girl

06-02-21, 02:46 PM

https://i.insider.com/609ec96ff27b4c0019444964?width=1000&format=jpeg&auto=webp
Oxygen (2021, Alexandre Aja)
2.5
French sci-fi survival thriller centered around a woman who finds herself trapped in a cryogenic chamber with a steadily decreasing level of oxygen and no memory of who she is and how she got there. Some good visuals, lots of flashbacks, a couple of obligatory plot twists, and a disappointingly lame ending.
OK but nothing special.

John-Connor

06-02-21, 04:30 PM

Fail Safe 1964 Sidney Lumet

78245

4.5+

Gideon58

06-02-21, 04:33 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/The_Trouble_with_Harry.jpg

4

Fabulous

06-02-21, 11:59 PM

Wild Rose (2018)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/k18DGK5laMQJ8i79YnR509IzuKN.jpg

films246+1

06-03-21, 12:28 AM

A Quiet Place 2 >> 3.5/10

Jon

Thief

06-03-21, 12:57 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/The_Trouble_with_Harry.jpg

4

I need to catch up with this. It's probably one the most "popular" Hitchcock films I haven't seen, along with The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956).

PHOENIX74

06-03-21, 02:01 AM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d5/Arkansas_poster.jpg
By Studio and or Graphic Artist - Can be obtained from film's distributor., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63213830

Arkansas - (2020) - (aka - The Crime Boss)

Here's a good, but not great crime thriller from actor Clark Duke who directs, writes and shows up playing the immensely likeable Swin. There are many great moments, especially with a criminal working as a Park Ranger (or a Park Ranger who's a criminal) played by John Malkovich. Vince Vaughn shows that he's adept at playing villains, even though his role as 'Frog' or 'The Frog' (a legendary big boss who's identity is a secret to everyone but us) shows a more vulnerable/unsure side than we're used to seeing. My first look at Eden Brolin - but she isn't given much to do at all. Everyone is really good in this, but the story needed a bit more to make this a memorable watch. As it is, it's a middle-of-the-road film trying to be a cool Guy Ritchie-type epic mess where the protagonists accidentally get into a situation that's hard to get out of. The moral of this story is that when something bad happens, sometimes the best course of action is to take no action at all. Average.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/65/Redoubtable.jpg
By IMDB - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5687334/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54028741

Redoubtable - (2017) - France - (aka - Godard Mon Amour, aka - Le Redoubtable)

This was very interesting. I know virtually nothing about Jean-Luc Godard's life, but this film has given me the impetus to at least burrow down a bit further. It starts as Godard has just finished filming La Chinoise in 1967. He has the world at his feet, is being described as the greatest filmmaker of the 20th Century and has married stunning 19-year old actress Anne Wiazemsky. Unfortunately, all of this has turned him into something of an insufferable egotist who is generally unpleasant with every person he comes across. Obsessed with Mao and Karl Marx he yearns to become a part of what he sees as a Marxist revolution in France.

Godard tries hard to join in protests and be a leader, but the young people around him are constantly rejecting him as part of the older elite. We're cleverly shown so many little pin pricks into that ego of his, and how much pain it causes him. His self-confidence is fragile, and whenever he encounters criticism he immediately agrees with the harsh judgements he's bombarded with. Nobody looks more out of place at the marches and conferences the revolutionaries hold. His constant battle for supremacy makes him an intolerable, moody and argumentative man. He becomes cruel, both to his young wife and to anyone he happens to come across. By film's end he has completely lost himself and seethes with hatred - a suicide attempt proves to be their marriage's last straw.

Louis Garrel is remarkable as Godard and the film has many things worked into it from Godard's films. But aside from looking at the man's work, this well-told story holds up well as a human tale about relationships and how people change. I really enjoyed it a lot.

7/10

mark f

06-03-21, 03:15 AM

Lady in Distress AKA A Window in London (Herbert Mason, 1939) 2.5 6/10
Feral State (Jon Carlo, 2020) 2 5/10
The Kremlin Letter (John Huston, 1970) 2.5 5.5/10
Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (Nathan Hertz [Juran], 1958) 2 5/10 Camp Rating 8/10
https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IBvH7cUe_18/W7ZASFplcqI/AAAAAAAAScw/ODVNKknAOWslKPC97IMrPYLogYw2qLfqQCEwYBhgL/s1600/tumblr_o2van8emlN1s01qkyo1_500.gif
After being exposed to an alien "satellite", a woman grows enormously and somehow is confined in the upstairs of a house(!)
The Broken Horseshoe (Martyn C. Webster, 1953) 2.5 6/10
Queen of Outer Space (Edward Bernds, 1958) 1.5 4/10 Camp Rating 7/10
Dead Ringer (Paul Henreid, 1964) 3 6.5/10
Tormented (Bert I. Gordon, 1960) 2 5/10 Camp Rating 7/10
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/64/cb/c7/64cbc7f7727327695b99aad5984d3f57.gif
Composer Richard Carlson kills and is haunted by his ex- (Juli Reding) just as he's about to be wed.
Kala azar (Janis Rafa, 2020) 2 5/10
Trog (Freddie Francis, 1970) 1.5 4/10 Camp Rating 7/10
Barbara (Christian Petzold, 2012) 2.5 6/10
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (Jun Fukuda, 1966) 2 5/10 Camp Rating 8/10
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b7/30/57/b730576ce356654666bd69d026bb73c1.gif
The lobster scene is classic, but Zilla destroying the fakest, tiniest buildings in the series is even better.
The Straw Man (Donald Taylor, 1953) 2 5/10
Death Curse of Tartu (William Grefé, 1966) 1.5 4/10 Camp Rating 7/10
The Pack (Robert Clouse, 1977) 2 5/10
Ferry (Cecilia Verheyden, 2021) 3 6.5/10
https://static.hbvl.be/Assets/Images_Upload/2021/03/15/e5daf9dc-84d3-11eb-b3f3-9902d8611dba.jpg?maxheight=411&maxwidth=731&scale=both
While doing a series of revenge hits for his boss in his old hometown, Dutch gangster Ferry (Frank Lammers) finds time for some romance with local Elise Schaap.
The London Connection (Robert Clouse, 1979) 2.5 6/10
Bloodlust! (Ralph Brooke, 1961) 1.5 4/10
Separate Ways (Howard Avedis, 1981) 2 5/10
Doctor X (Michael Curtiz, 1932) 2.5 6/10
https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mBmTGG9gcIA/V82wHT03p5I/AAAAAAAAEYM/v3NF73_b9n44HiHzlTs3TITUBby-RKdxgCLcB/s1600/giphy.gif
Early two-strip Technicolor classic has a menagerie of bizarre characters and F/X, including the synthetic flesh.

StuSmallz

06-03-21, 04:31 AM

Um, wut?
Are you suggesting that we are just to assume that militaries as vast and technologically advanced as The U.S., Russia, and China, and all of their scientists were just instantly wiped out before anyone used a bullhorn? Or that the little thing that the one woman in the basement with a shotgun could do was beyond all of those armies combined? And there are a lot of loud high-pitched noises in military combat. Hell, one would assume that if waterfalls turn these guys away that just the noise generated by military machinery and guns and rockets and **** firing, explosions, etc., woulda knocked all these critters out, and that right quick. Not to mention, they have urban tanks with Sound Cannons on them in local police forces in some areas, let alone in the actual US military. There is no level of suspension of disbelief that makes the premise work. You are required to just say, "Ok, **** it, I'm just gonna accept whatever the script says so I can enjoy the movie."I'm not particularly interested in combing over individual complaints about A Quiet Place (https://letterboxd.com/stusmallz/film/a-quiet-place-2018/), since I already did that at length back on the Corrie, and some of these just aren't worth it (like the one about the sound of the waterfall, since it never actually "knocked out" the creatures in the film; again, quit making assumptions that the film never indicated). That being said though, I will make the point that it doesn't make sense to criticize AQP solely for the (supposed) logical holes in its premise, while at the same time praising Arrival, a movie whose premise is not only implausible, but straight-up impossible, because, after all learning a new language, regardless of how exotic it is, cannot just change your mind to the extent that you can see through time. I mean, that's pretty much just treating the language as straight-up magic, which sticks out like a sore thumb in a movie that wrapped itself in the trappings of hard Science-Fiction otherwise.

And I'm not saying that to trash the movie; I mean, I don't even care about how impossible its premise is, because I love that movie, like the way I enjoyed A Quiet Place, because I appreciated its overall level of overall craft, which shouldn't be ignored in favor of solely nit-picking "plot holes".

wositelec

06-03-21, 04:53 AM

Mad Dog and Glory (1993) - 8 / 10

https://fwcdn.pl/fpo/74/84/7484/6966635.3.jpg

xSookieStackhouse

06-03-21, 05:09 AM

5 rewatched
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMDA0NjZhZWUtNmI2NC00MmFjLTgwZDYtYzVjZmNhMDVmOTBkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMTQxNzMzNDI@._V1_.jpg

ScarletLion

06-03-21, 07:32 AM

'The Kid with a Bike' (2011)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTQ3OTE3MzAyMl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNDU1OTIzNw@@._V1_UY268_CR1,0,182,268_AL_.jpg

I'm a sucker for neo-realism films that feature vulnerable kids, so this was always bound to capture my attention. The Dardennes unashamedly pay homage to de Sica's classic 'Bicycle Thieves' here - It's essentially a tale of a young lad in a care home whose father has abandoned him and sells his beloved bike. What path is he now going to take that will shape his life, who does he trust and love the most?

What scored a few extra points was the way the Dardennes kept the viewer guessing and threw moralistic themes into the final third of the film. The final scene is terrific.

The three main performances were outstanding too, especially Thomas Doret as yopung Cyruil. My 4th Dardennes and now easily my favourite. An excellent film.

8.5/10

4
.................................................................................................... .........................................

.

'Dugma: The Button' (2016)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMTYwMDIyMzE5MF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNDI3NDg2OTE@._V1_UY268_CR9,0,182,268_AL_.jpg

Interesting to see the lives of volunteer suicide bombers; some of the 'matter of factness 'about these people's seemingly impending fate is quite chilling, but beyond the first 20 minutes, nothing of note really occurs.

2.5
.................................................................................................... ........................................

.
'Tokyo Sonata' (2008)

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZTBmOTE1NzUtYTI4NS00NDgyLWJhMTAtMDNjODI0Mjg0YjA5XkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNjQ2MjQ5NzM@._V1_UY268_CR1,0,182 ,268_AL_.jpg

Fairly quiet family drama from Kurosawa who is known for his horror films (Pulse, Cure). It has some odd plot choices in the middle and although the ending is a little sentimental / predictable, it still moved me.

3.5

Torgo

06-03-21, 09:34 AM

Ocean's Thirteen - 4

I finally got around to watching the Ocean's Eleven sequels. Talk about righting the ship! While I like Ocean's Twelve more than most, it doesn't play to the first movie's strengths and it has less comic relief. Not to mention, it has more cake than frosting, and the appeal of the first movie is that it has a basic and stable premise on which to slather lots of frosting, i.e. planning the heist, the style, the witty batter, etc. This is also how I would describe this movie, but in addition to the centerpiece being a hack instead of a heist, it's not a carbon copy of the original. That pervasive vibe of coolness, fun and self-assuredness is back, though, which persists from the first frame to the end. It's the kind of vibe that makes me want to watch the movie before doing anything stressful like hosting a meeting to going to the doctor. Thirteen is also arguably even funnier than Eleven, the highlights being David Paymer's hapless casino critic's misadventures and pretty much everything Linus's (Matt Damon) alter ego Lenny Pepperidge does. There's also the glorious execution of the plan, which has just the right amount of complications and twists to be completely satisfying. Despite Danny's team having two more members, the movie does not feel overstuffed, but I still would have liked for some of them to have done more than what they did, Saul Bloom (Carl Reiner) and Yen (Shaobo Qin) in particular. With that said, does it improve upon the first movie's formula? Not really. Is it redundant? Probably. Is it a blast? Most definitely.

the samoan lawyer

06-03-21, 09:59 AM

https://www.filmfreakcentral.net/.a/6a0168ea36d6b2970c017d4274e064970c-600wi
The Ballad of Narayama (1958)

3.5+

Thanks for the heads up Scarletlion. Hard to believe this film is over 60 years old!

pahaK

06-03-21, 11:47 AM

Napoli si ribella (1977)
aka A Man Called Magnum
2.5
An Italian film about a police inspector coming to Naples to bust local mobsters. The story is kinda silly (and has some good non-PC laughs), but the film is damn groovy. On another day I might have liked it even a bit more, but it's certainly OK.

--
Resolution (2012)
2
Quite a disappointment, in a way. The plot synopsis has never interested me, but I've heard so much good about it (and the "sequel") that my hopes had gone up a notch or two. At times it manages a nice everything-is-not-right atmosphere, but the amateurish execution and horrible acting always drag it down. Also, too much like a generic The Twilight Zone episode.

--
Widow's Point (2019)
1.5
This takes the amateurish to another level. One of the worst soundtracks I've heard. Flat and dull looks, and a story that doesn't seem to know where it wants to go (again, the ending sort of reminds me of The Twilight Zone). Craig Sheffer's The Shining impersonation is kind of a plus as well as the cosmic horror implications.

EsmagaSapos

06-03-21, 11:51 AM

https://i.postimg.cc/pX8p4r0H/MV5-BMm-Y5-Mzhi-ZDIt-Y2-M3-NC00-Mm-M0-LTg1-ODAt-MDAw-Yj-Vm-Y2-Jm-MDEx-Xk-Ey-Xk-Fqc-Gde-QXVy-Nj-Uz-Nj-A0-MDU-V1.jpg

3

What a depressive film, really. It's slow, self centered, and you start not enjoying it from the early start. By the end you can say two things: I don't really like this guy and won't ever see anything made he made, or, this guy is weird but he's honest. Kim Ki-duk, known from 3-Iron and Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring makes Arirang, a film where he isolates himself after one of the actresses in one of his movies almost die hanged during the shootings. I received the news that he had died in Lithuania from covid-19 and I experienced a feeling of lost, all due Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring being one of my favorite movies of all time. Those who've watched it know the treatment done to the animals during the shootings, and in this film the why he done it is clear, he was a masochist, he liked to experience and give pain, that's also clear from the poster of this film. There's one scene in this film I didn't like to see, that scene will change how I will see the film Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring for the rest of my life. I didn't know how much that film impacted him, how much of what is there was personal struggle, a barrier he had to overcome. There's a lot of things you can dislike about Kim Ki-duk, the violence in his films, the scandals, but this film is honest and he shows himself truthfully, and that everyone should respect. The movie is available on YouTube for anyone interested.

Gideon58

06-03-21, 04:12 PM

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BZjI4ZWQwYzctMGJlMi00OTE1LWFkNjMtY2VlOGQxZmVhNDYyXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyMjMxOTE0ODA@._V1_.jpg

2

John-Connor

06-03-21, 04:32 PM

Running on Empty 1988 Sidney Lumet

78272

3.5

kgaard

06-03-21, 04:49 PM

78273

L'Avventura (1960)

Perché? Why? This question--repeated by each of the main characters at least once--is at the heart of this film. Nominally about the disappearance of a young woman, in the movie Antonioni (much like Lynch and the solution to the mystery of who killed Laura Palmer years later in Twin Peaks) is less interested in the specifics of the plot or the fate of the character than in the emotional waves produced by its occurrence. So the repetition of the word why is not so much intended to produce an answer as to emphasize the force of the question. The woman’s fiancee, Sandro, and her friend, Claudia are buffeted by the waves of her loss. And in the end, when Claudia offers comfort to Sandro, in the aftermath of an act that might have produced remorse or even anger, what they share is neither of those emotions nor even love but grief.

8/10

cricket

06-03-21, 05:51 PM

The Long Absense (1961)

3+

https://s2.qwant.com/thumbr/0x380/7/6/21af1f0213fda24543fa13d19ef169ba90c4b01b424fba2bd70e08a0b9d2fa/une-aussi-longue-absence_315406_37129.jpg?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.notrecinema.com%2Fimages%2Ffilmsi%2Fune-aussi-longue-absence_315406_37129.jpg&q=0&b=1&p=0&a=1

Blind watch from the Cannes list and I liked the story. A vagrant with amnesia shows up in town and a woman believes it's her husband who disappeared many years earlier. It's a good looking and sad movie but it seemed like it was in slow motion. People move and talk slow. It's effective for the mood but I still noticed it. Worth a watch.

Island of Flowers (1989)

3

https://ttfilmfestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ilha-das-flores-still.jpg

This is a short from our documentary list. It seemed like something that would be shown in school. There's not a whole lot to it but it has an amusing presentation and is of course easy to watch.

SpelingError

06-03-21, 05:54 PM

Russian Language Hall of Fame

The Thief (1997) - 3.5

This film shared some similarities with The Return as both films come from the perspective of a child who had lived with their mother for a while until a suspicious father figure whose intentions were mysterious entered their lives. While I think The Return is the better of the two films, I also enjoyed this film quite a bit. What stood out the most about this film was its focus on the three main characters. Tolyan was definitely the most interesting of the three of them. Little about his intentions were known and it was also unclear whether he genuinely cared for Katya and Sanya, or if he was just using them to help with his thievery both directly and indirectly. Though I wished the ending would've left his intentions more ambiguous than it did, I still really liked his character. Regardless of what he wanted out of Katya and Sanya though, both of them reacted to his behavior differently. For instance, Katya initially acted welcoming towards him in the first act. Though she treated her son as an outcast and rejected him in place of Tolyan during this part of the film, I also understood why she was grateful at Tolyan's arrival given she lost her husband several years prior to the start of this film. The impression I got was that she was in desperate need of the kind of love and attention he provided for her. But of course, Katya began to distrust him once she learned he was a thief. Sanya's reaction, on the other hand, was in direct opposition to his mother's. He initially distrusted Tolyan since he was often pushed around by both him and Katya, but warmed up to him as the film went on, even after he was made aware of his criminal behavior. Sanya acted rather naïve around Tolyan and was unable to fully understand or make sense of what he was doing. As mentioned earlier, the final act didn't sit right with me given the overly-neat way it wrapped up the characters, but in spite of this, I found all three characters to be memorable for different reasons and I think the dynamics amongst them carried the film really well.

GulfportDoc

06-03-21, 08:23 PM

[The Trouble With Harry] I need to catch up with this. It's probably one the most "popular" Hitchcock films I haven't seen, along with The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956).
I think you'll like it. It's probably Hitchcock's only pure comedy --black as it is-- at least in his modern era. The Man Who Knew Too Much is probably a better film, but it's hard to compare the two. Would like to hear your comments when you've watched each. Cheers...

GulfportDoc

06-03-21, 08:33 PM

Arkansas - (2020) - (aka - The Crime Boss)

Here's a good, but not great crime thriller from actor Clark Duke who directs, writes and shows up playing the immensely likeable Swin. There are many great moments, especially with a criminal working as a Park Ranger (or a Park Ranger who's a criminal) played by John Malkovich. Vince Vaughn shows that he's adept at playing villains, even though his role as 'Frog' or 'The Frog' (a legendary big boss who's identity is a secret to everyone but us) shows a more vulnerable/unsure side than we're used to seeing. My first look at Eden Brolin - but she isn't given much to do at all. Everyone is really good in this, but the story needed a bit more to make this a memorable watch. As it is, it's a middle-of-the-road film trying to be a cool Guy Ritchie-type epic mess where the protagonists accidentally get into a situation that's hard to get out of. The moral of this story is that when something bad happens, sometimes the best course of action is to take no action at all. Average.

6/10
Pretty much agree with you. Here's my commentary:

Arkansas

Director: Clark Duke; Stars: Liam Helmsworth, Clark Duke, Vince Vaughn, John Malkovich, Vivica A. Fox, Michael K. Williams.

This clever film had a mind numbing 30 producers/exec producers, and 6 production companies. Possibly this was to “spread the risk” a little for a movie which had a first feature director and a cinematographer who was also new to feature films.

It’s a Coenesque story with clever dialogue, and quirky drama. There were several twists in this offbeat tale of Dixie drug dealings which held one’s interest, but whose length at 115 minutes could probably have been trimmed a little in the middle to maintain pacing.

Duke, who directed and co-wrote, starred as Helmsworth’s partner, and was an odd bit of casting (as in Twins), but it was acceptable in a quirky picture. This was not too far off from a bullseye, but Helmsworth’s character might have been better cast, and the middle seemed to drag a little.

Doc’s rating: 7/10

Thief

06-03-21, 09:04 PM

I think you'll like it. It's probably Hitchcock's only pure comedy --black as it is-- at least in his modern era. The Man Who Knew Too Much is probably a better film, but it's hard to compare the two. Would like to hear your comments when you've watched each. Cheers...

Yeah, it's probably the highest on my list because of that. There's only about a dozen of his films I haven't seen, so I'll get to it. Cheers.

Gideon58

06-03-21, 09:21 PM

CringeFest

06-03-21, 09:30 PM

Hell Fest (2018)

10/10

A teen scream that was actually scary, contained a very suiting tension between "fiction vs. reality". Movie makers did a bang up job of creating the set. I kinda wish there were theme parks like this!

...or not:p

Fabulous

06-04-21, 02:34 AM

Fat Girl (2001)

3.5

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/gw9LQa0FgEfp6gKPgBqYfjAXHSM.jpg

PHOENIX74

06-04-21, 02:55 AM

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By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53071915

The Lost City of Z - (2016)

I really enjoyed learning about the story of Percy Fawcett in The Lost City of Z last night. He's credited as being the inspiration behind Indiana Jones, a fact that is most evidently noticeable when Percy and his son are running like the clappers from pursuing South American tribesmen. But where Jones has become something of a comical buffoon these days, the trial of exploration Percy Fawcett undertakes in the Amazon is deadly serious. Heading into completely uncharted territories, allies and hired help dying by the day, Percy's determination to find that much-promised city of gold takes him beyond what most people could endure. As if that's not enough, Percy takes time out during the First World War to battle in the trenches - being gassed during the Battle of the Somme.

The film itself is nice to look at, and there was little scrimping when you consider a recreation of the French battle fields for a 5 to 10 minute section of the movie. The choice of Charlie Hunnam to play the lead was a positive step forward (I believe Brad Pitt was one of the producers - and I thank him for not feeling obliged to play the part himself.) Of course, Fawcett (along with his son) vanished during his 1925 expedition leading to varied theories as to what had happened and inconclusive searches all the way through the century that has passed since he disappeared. The film takes us on that last stretch, venturing it's own idea as to what probably happened. There's still a sense of mystery left though, and will leave viewers wondering. We've seen so many explorers die in so many different ways in this film that it's hard to escape the conclusion that the odds caught up with him.

A very enjoyable film, and even at 141 minutes it left me hungry for more...

7/10

https://i.postimg.cc/g2Nd7jNW/strangecolours.jpg

Strange Colours - (2017)

With only 146 votes rendered on the IMDb chances are good you haven't seen Strange Colours, a pared back examination of an estranged daughter's relationship with her father off the beaten track in rural Australia. Milena is something of a drifter, but the impending death of her father has brought her to an Opal Mining town in the middle of nowhere. The locals are friendly, but at the same time vaguely threatening - sizing her up and invading her space somewhat. We learn that she's afraid of her father - and also that her father's claim and opal mine is being visited by a purple-headed thief (the result of a trap which has exploded with purple dye to mark him out) and the man picked to look after the place is broken after accidentally running over and killing a child. It seems that people seek out this corner of the world when they're running from something.

There's a nice atmosphere in Strange Colours which isn't saying "Isn't this beautiful?" as much as "Is this planet Earth? It doesn't seem like it." It appears that Milena is trying to withdraw from something herself. She lays in the dark at night, and takes refuge in rock quarries and bushland during the day. Opals are otherworldly looking rocks - full of colours and arrangements that seem put together by artistic aliens. Life here is as harsh as it would be on some distant planet, and the people stuck on this isolated outpost appear far older than they are. Bonding with her father in a place like this feels as hard as everything is in Outland (without Sean Connery to smooth things over.) Do human emotions exist at all out here?

6/10

cash174

06-04-21, 04:51 AM

great movies

xSookieStackhouse

06-04-21, 08:02 AM

4.5
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4.5
https://cameronmoviesandtv.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/aviator.jpg

ThatDarnMKS

06-04-21, 12:57 PM

BOSS LEVEL

I like Carnahan. I like Grillo. I like most of the cast. But I can’t abide yet another Groundhog Day film nor one with oppressive narration and an “aren’t I edgy/clever” script.

The ending is either the worst or the best thing about it so I really hope someone else has watched it to talk about it with me as it seems no one on IMDb cared or noticed (especially the 9-10 star reviews)
2

Stirchley

06-04-21, 02:01 PM

78293

Nothing to say. An American classic.

78294

Didn’t realize it’s a true story until it ended. Really rather good. Gere & Molina excellent together.

Allaby

06-04-21, 02:23 PM

Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) on Disney+. I enjoyed this. The animation was excellent and I liked the characters (especially the con baby). My rating is a 4.

Gideon58

06-04-21, 04:32 PM

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3

Gideon58

06-04-21, 04:33 PM

78293

Nothing to say. An American classic.

78294

Didn’t realize it’s a true story until it ended. Really rather good. Gere & Molina excellent together.

Deliverance is one of the few films that I rated 5...a flawless piece of filmmaking.

cricket

06-04-21, 09:37 PM

Takoma11

06-04-21, 09:44 PM

The Double Life of Veronique (1991)

2.5

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I don't know what happened here. This was the 6th movie I've seen from the director and it's the first I'm not a fan of. Well made with a fairly appealing lead actress but I just couldn't get into it.

It's one of my favorite movies. Kind of strange/supernatural. And some fantastic imagery (like when she pulls the string taut over the EKG). The pace is a bit odd. I dug it, but it's a film I could see some people not clicking with.

cricket

06-04-21, 09:50 PM

It's one of my favorite movies. Kind of strange/supernatural. And some fantastic imagery (like when she pulls the string taut over the EKG). The pace is a bit odd. I dug it, but it's a film I could see some people not clicking with.

Strange/supernatural are definitely the key words for me not liking it.

Allaby

06-04-21, 09:54 PM

The Voices (2014) Ryan Reynolds is fantastic here and I loved the talking cat. Darkly funny, thrilling, and more fun than it should be, this is a killer good movie. My rating is 4.

Captain Steel

06-04-21, 10:21 PM

High School Confidential (1958)

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51xntNCwjjL.jpg

Watched this last night on TCM and got quite a kick out of this movie.

It's campy, it's cringe-worthy at the start, it's got all the qualities of a "cult classic", it's "so bad it's good", yet it had an unexpected level of sophistication that I didn't see coming.

It mixes late 50's beatnik babel, rock & roll, and teenage rivalries with some very serious themes about drug addiction, drug dealing and crime as the plot progresses. The early parts seem on par with older films like Reefer Madness - where the alleged addiction to a non-addictive drug like Marijuana are exaggerated almost to the point of ridiculousness as a supposed public service.

This movie has a twist, though. With most movies, surprises can be seen coming 10 minutes away, but I'll hand it to this one in that the surprise took me off guard - I wasn't expecting it.

Russ Tamblyn's acting seems almost unbearable at the start (due mostly to his arrogant, hip-talking, juvenile delinquent character). He has ambitions to become the big drug pusher on campus (going beyond just pot, but to harder drugs like Heroin). Tamblyn must have some serious acting chops because he had totally fooled me when the big reveal came.

The surprise of this quirky flick is that it turns into the plot of 21 Jump Street. My first introduction to this plot - a youthful looking cop working undercover at a high school to expose narcotics rings - was via an episode of Police Story starring David Cassidy in 1978 - that episode spun off into a series called David Cassidy Man Undercover. I never knew that plot had ever been explored earlier, but it was!
High School Confidential is almost an early version of Donny Brasco! Tamblyn's character is an undercover cop working in the high school & posing as a new student to find out where the drug supply is coming from & to infiltrate the crime ring. The "big reveal" is presented so quickly and matter-of-factly (as if the audience should have known it all along) which made it even better.

Jackie Coogan (aka Uncle Fester) plays a drug kingpin crime lord (if you can imagine that)!
He actually does a great job as a scummy crime boss, (there's a tense scene where he and Tamblyn are about to shoot up Heroin that I just loved).

I thought the climactic fight scene was just brilliant - a combination of the fistfights on the Batman TV show and the hand-to-hand combat of Braveheart! ;)

And if anything is left to be desired, the movie has Mamie Van Doren!!!

https://theeyeoffaith.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/high-school-confidential.jpg?w=640

I give this a high rating on pure entertainment value for the film's strange combination of campiness & sophistication: for its "B-movie" schlockyness, cult-movie-style so-bad-it's-goodness, a genuine plot twist that no one saw coming, and what turned out to be a fairly decent crime-thriller plot by the end. Oh, and least I forget, music by "The Killer" himself: Jerry Lee Lewis who also appears in the movie!

4.5

Citizen Rules

06-04-21, 11:03 PM

Takoma11

06-04-21, 11:22 PM

The Voices (2014) Ryan Reynolds is fantastic here and I loved the talking cat. Darkly funny, thrilling, and more fun than it should be, this is a killer good movie. My rating is 4.

Yes, totally agree!

I found it to be both genuinely funny and genuinely moving. I think that it walks the line really well of having a movie where a loner dude murders women but it doesn't feel like the female character are being mocked or just used as canon fodder.

And I thought that the end was a really powerful way to bring things to a close. Nailing the ending is often elusive in films like this (because they have a strong concept but not necessarily a strong narrative). I was very pleasantly surprised by this film. I don't think it is underrated, per se, but I do think it is a bit underseen.

Captain Steel

06-05-21, 12:03 AM

@Captain Steel (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=87640) thanks for posting that. I hadn't heard of High School Confidential but I'm sold as I'm a big fan of Jan Sterling and Mamie Van Doren too! Sounds like a culturally important B film from a historical standpoint...and lots of fun too! I'm hoping to watch that very soon:p

I highly recommend it. (Probably best viewed after a few beers!)

Thing is, I also was totally unaware that this movie existed prior to just happening to catch it on TCM (they had a marathon of high school movies last night - this one was followed by Blackboard Jungle and To Sir With Love).

I love when you just find a movie you knew nothing about and it turns out to be really weird and fun!

Ben Mankiewicz gave an entertaining introduction to the film and followed with a prologue where he explained what many of the beatnik sayings meant! He said he was going to add one to his own vernacular: "Strictly out of the fridge." Which meant someone was "cool" - but in this movie's case, cool meant you were with it... you were hip to the drug scene... you liked to blaze or shoot up... you weren't a rat.

He said the movie got a sequel called College Confidential (1960), but apparently the only person from the original's cast to return was Mamie Van Doren - playing a different part.

I'm guessing this film helped Russ Tamblyn get his role as Riff in West Side Story due to his character in this film (which was like a more arrogant and sarcastic version of Riff).

wositelec

06-05-21, 01:57 AM

Lucas (1986) - 7 / 10

http://www.thefilmyap.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Lucas-inside.jpg

Fabulous

06-05-21, 02:02 AM

The Devil's Brigade (1968)

3

https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/original/wjZUj0TBqQVpAKRf3zu5pMGtsBt.jpg

WHITBISSELL!

06-05-21, 04:06 AM

That review makes me want to kick myself for missing High School Confidential. I should have DVR'd Blackboard Jungle last night as well. It would have been a rewatch but Vic Morrow is such a great bad guy.

PHOENIX74

06-05-21, 05:23 AM

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By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=64259800

Days of the Bagnold Summer - (2019)

There were moments in Days of the Bagnold Summer that made me laugh out loud - which doesn't sound too shocking, but I so rarely laugh out loud while watching a film alone these days. Those surprisingly funny and touching moments that are so hard to manufacture. This is just a pure slice of reality (except for Rob Brydon's Casanova-type character which seems straight from vaudeville) where strange characters exist on the outside but our characters in Monica Dolan's divorced mother Sue and Earl Cave's Daniel seem to have been seeded, grown and presented to us as people we can instantly identify with and relate to. As such the comedy comes from a real place. Mother and son. Mother loves her son. Son hates his mother. Basically because he's 15 and is genetically predisposed to hating his square, boring mum. They wind them up and let them loose over the course of a summer that both sucks and is glorious. It's simplicity - like an apple - but if you feel like a proper meal you might still feel hungry after the credits roll.

First full-length feature from director Simon Bird and based on a graphic novel by Joff Winterhart.

6/10

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/56/THX1138.jpghttps://i.postimg.cc/cLnLdrT2/thx.jpg
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THX 1138 - (1971) - DVD

It's been so long since I've seen this that it was basically seeing it again for the first time, if you get my drift. This film is by no means perfect, but it's the best of a bunch of low budget science fiction films I've watched lately. There's a lot of experimentation, and as such some things work and some things don't - even though this version is the George Lucas cut of the film (thankfully no CGI cartoon characters were added - aside from a monkey or two near the end at least) I find it the most positive dystopian science fiction film I've really seen. At least there's no malice, even if there is much harm. This is a society that had the best of intentions but got lost - and THX's salvation arrives more from confusion than rebellion against a world that has returned to Eden. There is no more love or hate or anything really. Lucas and co-writer Walter Murch did well in sowing enough confusion but giving us just enough to understand the narrative.

Bonus Features : A 1971 trailer which obfuscates the experimental nature of the film and tries to make it look like a common sci-fi film, which I found interesting. A commentary track by Lucas and Murch where Lucas seems to be so unhappy (he was in the middle of directing the disastrous Star Wars prequels) and talks wistfully about the low budget experimental films he wanted to make. He says he wanted to have one shot at a normal, commercial film (which became Star Wars) and that he seemed trapped ever since. He swears he's going to fulfill that potential yet, but I seriously doubt that now. The film looks and sounds like it comes from the present era - but no more features and no Criterion edition. There's a pamphlet inside with a letter from George : sweet nothings.

6/10

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Silent Running - (1972)

I was looking forward to this, and maybe some day someone will explain to me their affection for Silent Running. Bruce Dern plays astronaut and conservationist (and murderer) Freeman Lowell. He's our noble hero, rightly trying to protect billions of years of biological diversity in the face of government apathy - but he's also a little too quick to dispatch his three equally apathetic crewmen. There may or may not be some subtle humour on display, but it can't detect it. Directed by effects man Douglas Trumbull, this includes a cowriting credit for Michael Cimino which heightens it's bizarre existence. I found most of the film drudgery after we're left with Lowell and his cardboard box robots - even if ...

...he makes the ultimate sacrifice and proves he's willing to back up all of his actions thus far.

4/10

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By 20th Century Fox - http://images.moviepostershop.com/invaders-from-mars-movie-poster-1953-1020259802.jpg, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47905832

Invaders From Mars - (1953)

I never really enjoyed Tobe Hooper's faithful remake of Invaders From Mars, even though it was kind enough to give poor Bud Cort a small role. This put me instantly at odds with the nightmare fuel of a kid's imagination and stock footage in the 1953 original. To be fair the version I watched seemed to have been captured straight off a VCR and looked and sounded horrible. Most of the strange dream aura the film has comes from the propitious set with that broken picket fence and menacing sands backed by unnatural pink/blue lighting. There's no mistake that the poster for the 1986 version used that image prominently :

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3b/Invadersmarsposter.jpg

No matter the innovation, paranoia of the time or the fact that...

...it was all a dream...*sigh*...

...this was distinctly unpleasant to watch.

2/10